#i am appalled and want to grab a sword and fight for her actually

[ominouspositivity-or-else]

the sheer audacity of I, Joan, moves me to righteous rage and im not going to be over it for a long while

[bimboamyrose]

On the Scarlett Sea Part 2 / 2

A ~Pirate~ Metamy Fanfic - [Link to Part 1 & Synopsis]  - [AO3 Link]

In collaboration with @mmm-asbestos​ & their pirate Metamy AU Happy 2021 everyone  ❤ ❤ ❤

Part 2

There was no natural light to be found in Amy’s room even in the morning. The ship was incredibly quiet as it sailed on calm waters with its skeleton crew. This combined with the lack of any sort of alarm made it very easy to sleep- maybe too easy. CLANG, CLANG, CLANG! Amy had no idea what time it was and felt disoriented and started when she awoke in the dark, unfamiliar room. CLANG, CLANG, CLANG! The metallic pounding on the door would have sufficed to wake a village.

“Alright, I’m awake… Hang on…” Amy turned on a small desk lamp and stumbled through the dimly lit room to its door. Little more light entered the room. “Where…” she nearly missed the small robot that had awoken her until he tapped her leg. “Oh… which one are you?” she squinted.

“That would be H1.” Metal Sonic stood just down the hall with arms folded neatly behind him.

Amy turned her attention to him groggily. “Why did you wake me…”

“You’ve been in there for 16 hours. I thought you might be dead.”

She blinked at him incredulously. “What time is it?”

“About noon, local. Would you join us on the main deck?”

“Why?”

He stood stoically, looking apathetic. “Aren’t you bored?”

“Are you?”

There was no response from Metal except a mechanical scoff, as if letting out steam. He turned back upstairs without another word. Amy grumbled something under her breath and took her time getting ready with whatever she could find in the room. When she emerged, H1 was still standing guard in front of her door, staring up at her blankly. She stepped around him awkwardly, his gaze following her as she went. Okay, less cute...

The midday sun left Amy squinting on the upper deck. She found Metal Sonic standing nobly right at the bow, watching the seas ahead. Might as well…

Amy came up next to him, mimicking his stately pose. “I had to sleep in this dumb outfit, you know.”

“You really must stop being so irritating when I cannot properly roll my eyes at you.”

“Pft-” Amy tried to hide a snicker. This amused Metal. “So… No clue how far this treasure is, huh? I wonder how long it’ll take.”

“I estimate no more than 12 days; That is how long it takes to navigate to the border of this sea at our velocity.” He glanced down to find a grouchy look on her face. “But… may be quicker.” Unless it’s in a different sea entirely , he kept to himself.

“Great,” she sighed. “So, what do you plan to do for up to 12 days?”

“Hm…” Metal brought his thumb and forefinger to his chin. “... we could spar.”

She whipped her head around to face him. “Again with the swords? What’s with you?”

He shrugged “I learned about the art while researching pirates. I believe I’ve mastered it but I would like to try with a worthy opponent.”

Now it was flattery. He really was impossible to understand. “Well thanks, but I don’t know the first thing about sword fighting- and it sounds like you don’t, either.”

“I assure you, I know plenty ,” he challenged, looking directly at her.

“You can’t learn how to fight by reading about it,” she scoffed.

“Well, perhaps you can’t…”

She raised a brow. “You know, you’re really gonna have to get used to ‘organic’ limitations soon. Unless that’s not really what you want…”

Metal could see that the girl was still doubtful about his intentions. She was unexpectedly clever- he supposed exploiting her kindness would only go so far. Perhaps he should try to limit himself for the time being. “You misunderstand. I am capable of mimicking movements as part of my programming. I don’t usually use weapons and simply wanted the ability to defend myself once I gave up this body.”

“Right…” If it was a lie, it wasn’t a bad one. Maybe he really was bored. “So is there a way you could teach me without all the sharp bits? Something tells me only one of us would get injured, and I’m no mechanic.” A sly smile found its way onto her face.

Now that was an amusing reaction, he thought, if only because she was so quick on her feet. A low snicker radiated from Metal as he beckoned her away. “We shall use the prop swords… for now.”

The pair soon took to the main deck with its wide-open space. Amy did what she could to tie the ridiculous skirt up at her waist and out of the way. Then, Metal Sonic tossed her a cutlass which held a surprising amount of weight when caught. It looked just like a real sword.

“Uh, are you sure these are props?”

“They are real antique swords, but they have been dulled. I assure you they won’t break your skin… Unless I want them to.”

It was hard to tell if he was joking. Ignoring it, Amy jumped out, holding the sword ahead of her with her feet spread. “Well, this doesn’t seem so hard.”

“That is because your stance is appalling.” Metal came up next to her, demonstrating the “proper” way, his pose looking much the same as hers. Her confusion was evident as he described the stance. “Keep your back foot out at a 90-degree angle… sword arm bent at 45 degrees… your feet really should be 91 centimeters apart-”

“Okay, you need to stop throwing random numbers at me,” she pouted.

“Alright…” Metal dropped his sword. With his hands at his hips, he took another look at how she posed. Then he kicked her back foot into the right position.

“Hey! You could be a little more gentle, you know.”

“Very well,” Metal made an exasperated motion as he moved behind her. Amy tried to follow him with her eyes but he grabbed the top of her head and turned it away. “Look forward. Now…” He extended his reach around her, using his hand to lift her elbow slightly. She shuttered a bit at the cold touch. “Does it feel a bit heavier now?”

Amy cleared her throat. “Ah… Yeah, a little.”

“One more thing,” he grabbed her other arm by the bicep, pulling it back toward him forcefully. “Keep this behind you, unless you’d like to lose it.”

A slight gasp escaped her lips at the abrupt movement. She tried to remain unphased. “Okay… Now what?”

He pulled away and stepped to her side. “Try a lunge. Extend your sword.” Amy lifted her elbow, fully extending her sword arm forward. “Good. Now, push off with your back foot to lunge forward.” She did as instructed, jumping forward slightly. “Again- Keep your back foot at the correct angle this time.” Amy’s eyes rolled in her head as she tried the motion again, focusing on keeping her body aligned. “Better… Try it as one swift motion.”

Awkwardly, Amy pushed her sword hand ahead and propelled herself forward all at once, losing her footing slightly. “Ugh! Wait-” Taking a deep breath, she tried the move again. And again. And again. Metal patiently watched her determination as she became slightly better with each thrust. It was so amusing to see the sheer effort it took her. The 16th time was the charm, as she was able to lunge swiftly without losing her footing. “Ha! How was that?”

“... It was fine. Anyone can do it once, though,” he derided.

“Hmph. Let’s see how many more I can do, then.”

To his surprise, Metal didn’t seem to get bored with such basic practice. Her tenacity was enjoyable to experience and she took instruction well, even if she stumbled. Metal moved on to demonstrating how to parry and eventually had her practice the motions together. Around two hours into practice, he came up in front of her, pointing his sword. “Not bad. Why don’t you try to parry an actual lunge?”

“Actually, can we stop for now? I kinda haven’t eaten anything all day.” Amy stood naturally, holding the sword down in front of her with both hands. She went from threatening to sweet in a second.

“Oh- Yes,” he brought his sword down to his side. “Of course. And I should check that we are still on course.” She handed him her cutlass hilt-first but he refused it. “Try carrying it on you. I’m concerned you may forget it’s not as easy to summon as your usual weapon.”

“Pft- You’re concerned about me? That’s new,” she smirked.

“Do not confuse it with amity,” he said flippantly, walking off toward the helm. “You know where the galley is.”

“Whatever, weirdo…” Amy affixed the dulled sword to her waist by the side, undoing the ties that kept her skirt girded around her hips. How anyone got things done with such a cumbersome garment, Amy did not know. The choice of theme still didn’t make much sense to her.

-----

“That should do it,” Tails closed up a hatch on the ship’s engine. He gave the operator a thumbs-up and before anyone knew it, the loud humming and rattling indicated that it was once again fully operational. Some of the crew hung around, cheering, as one of the cameramen leaned in close to the boy.

“Color me impressed.” Rouge sat atop a stack of crates watching the operation. She now wore a much more official-looking fitted navy pantsuit and captain’s hat. “All fixed in under 24 hours! Any chance you’d like to become a permanent member of the crew?”

“Thanks, but I have my own crew,” Tails laughed.

She pouted with a slight sigh. “Suit yourself…” She hopped down from the stack of crates, floating her way up toward the stairs. “I’ll let the crew know we’ll be moving soon. Everyone here, back to your posts.” The cameraman scrambled to shift his focus and follow her up.

A few of the crewmates patted Tails on the back and congratulated him as they got ready to return to their posts. Tails made some small talk until they’d all filed out a few minutes later.

Knuckles stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders. “Finally, we can get a move on. Do you think we’ll catch up to Amy and Metal?”

Tails nodded. “It’ll take a couple of days, but yeah- this ship’s faster.”

“Amy’ll have to hang on ‘til then…” Knuckles held up the compass that Rouge had recovered- it was identical in size and shape to his except that it was gold rather than brass. The arrow pointed in the same direction, though the inscription on the back was different. “ The time has come to find me- it is my turn to bleed. -Scarlett .” The boys found it kind of creepy, but it seemed to serve the same function so it was good enough.

“ Attention all crew: the ship is now fully operational. We will be setting sail in 30 minutes. ” Rouge’s voice was heard over the intercom.

“That’s our cue- come on.”

-----

Back on Metal’s ship, Amy sat on the edge of her seat. She’d brought her lunch back up to the deck and got comfortable under the roof of the helm watching H3 and H4 work. The two little robots ran from task to task, tying various knots and doing whatever one does on an antique pirate ship, sometimes stacked on top of one another for height. Amy clapped in amusement any time they finished something, much to Metal Sonic’s annoyance.

Once they were done, the pair scrambled up the stairs to the helm and gave their master their signature salute. “Very good. That is all for now,” he told them. Rather than scurry off, H4 threw his arms in up, catching H3, who balanced on his brother’s hands with his own.

“Oooh!” Amy clapped and giggled at the silly display while Metal groaned. H4 tossed the other in the air and switched to a handstand himself as H3 landed, their soles connecting. Then H3 rolled into a ball and his brother spun him on the soles of his feet. Amy had burst into full-blown laughter. “Wow, you guys are talented!”

“That’s enough,” Metal interjected. He was authoritative but not harsh in his tone. His henchmen complied, both standing back up on their feet. They waved to Amy as they scuttled off to the lower decks.

“Those guys are fun- did you teach them that?” Amy wiped a tear from her eye as the laughter subsided.

“ No. They were programmed to entertain for some reason. It was not my doing.”

“Well, they’re pretty good at it.” Amy leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of iced tea she’d made to go with her meal. She fanned herself in the heat. “Hey, are they gonna do the same?”

Metal was examining his sharp fingers, having found a scratch in the chrome paint job. “The same what?”

“You know, the same wish. To be organic.”

“What- oh, no,” he shook his head. “They are not the same as me. Or should I say, I am not the same as them…”

“How so?”

Metal had to be careful with his words. “Well… their AI is very simple. They are trained in certain tasks and to look for the right reactions in others as they do so. They’re quite simple- no real ‘emotions’ to speak of.”

Amy placed down her glass. “But you have feelings?”

“They are… simulated. But yes, I suppose you could call them that.”

“Huh. And I thought you operated on blind rage alone,” she chuckled.

Turning to her, Metal leaned an elbow on the railing to his side. “More like… spite.”

“Ha- is that what you feel for Sonic?”

“You could say that.”

The surroundings grew quiet in the absence of Metal’s minions. There was little noise but the gentle swaying of the sea and perpetual whirring from his turbine. Amy closed her eyes and listened as the sails waved in the wind, leaning back so the breeze sailed through her hair to cool her down. The air moved across the soft locks that flowed from her quills. She gently swiped them away when they blew over her face, her sleeves billowing lightly. When her eyes opened, she found Metal staring at her rather intently.

He turned his head away, looking back toward the wide-open deck. “Shall we continue our lesson?”

It was strange, the way he looked at her. She could almost swear there was a yearning in his gaze. She began to seriously consider that he could be telling the truth about his intentions. “Sure, just give me a few.”

Amy hardly noticed how much time had passed during the impromptu “training.” She found that it was much more enjoyable than she anticipated; learning a new skill was fun and Metal Sonic was a surprisingly effective teacher. There probably wouldn’t be time to become proficient at it, but learning to wield a sword was probably at least more entertaining than lounging around the ship most of the day. Still, as daylight dwindled, she was exhausted from the constant exercise and was ready to break for the day. Metal Sonic, for his part, didn’t ever seem to slow down, and was now demonstrating how to perform some combos.All part of being a machine , she supposed.

“Hey, it’s fun watching you and all, but I’m really tired.” She stretched her arms up warily. “Can we stop?”

Metal stopped his demonstration and stood upright. “Hm- Yes, it has gotten late. Will you continue tomorrow?”

Why did he look so excited about teaching her the ropes? Amy wondered how he normally spent his time if he found this to be so entertaining. What else was she going to do out at sea? “... Yeah, sure. It’s fun.” Her smile was sincere this time.

“... Indeed. You don’t learn as slowly as I thought you would.”

“Gee, thanks,” she chortled. “I’m gonna freshen up.” Amy tied the practice sword around her waist and mocked a salute at Metal. She saw his shoulders rise momentarily as if to give her a single laugh. The scenario still felt strange, but Amy was remarkably calm- relaxed, even- as she returned to her temporary accommodation. It was dark by the time she felt ready to leave her room again. It was too early for bed and there was nothing to do, so she returned to the main deck with her lantern in hand.

It was empty. No henchmen, no Metal Sonic- just the swaying ocean and sound of her heeled boots against a hardwood deck. She wondered if she’d have experienced such tranquility while traveling with her friends. Tails’ boat was so much smaller and the three of them already felt like they crowded the space. She missed them. They must be so worried…

Unsure of what else to do, Amy laid down on the bare deck to stare into the dotted sky. It was cold and hard and a bit damp, but the stars overhead were so vibrant she swore she could almost reach out and touch them. She passed some time finding any constellations she could identify in the summer sky.

At the sound of a door creaking open, Amy turned her head toward the captain’s quarters. Metal Sonic stood in the doorway, catching her in his gaze. Only yesterday the sight would ignite Amy’s battle instincts; now she just remained still and silent. There was no reason to fight. It was odd.

Metal looked into her eyes for a minute until she turned her face back to stargazing. His heavy, metallic steps echoed across the empty deck as he approached her. He was otherwise quiet. Metal loomed over her for a moment before joining her, laying next to Amy on the wooden floor and wondering what was so fascinating about the night sky. The way it illuminated out at sea, far from the light pollution of Eggman’s airship and other hiding places, was unlike anything he had seen. He could see why she was so interested.

Amy started giggling after a minute. It was so absurd! They’d normally be trying to rip each other to pieces, but here they were stargazing together.

Metal turned to face her. “What is so amusing?”

“Nothing… Just that, this reminds me of before. Back when you couldn’t talk and I couldn’t fight- you’d kidnap me and we’d just sit there without a word.” The memories weren’t the most positive, but the idea was laughable now. She smiled.

“Ah- yes. Well, I can talk and you can certainly put up a fight now.”

“Yeah,” she giggled. “I had to become strong ‘cause… Well, I was looking for my own freedom, I guess. Like you.”

So she was really beginning to believe him after all. Metal thought that should have been an accomplishment, but his body failed to produce a positive response in his program. What should have translated into pride instead felt like... guilt? That was new. “Did it pay off?” he asked after some silence.

“Well, I got kidnapped again but other than that,” she shrugged playfully.

“Yes, that was… unideal.”

“I get it,” she sighed. “I probably wouldn’t have helped you otherwise. No offense.”

“That is understandable.” Metal turned his attention to the glittery sky, mapping the stars. He was never very interested in it, but he recognized all the common constellations- although they didn’t make sense to him. “Tell me, can you identify constellations?”

“Yeah, I know a few.” She pointed up toward a cluster of stars. “Like… Hercules. It’s pretty prominent this time of year, and it’s easy to recognize.”

“I am familiar with the legend, but this set of stars does not resemble a man…”

“Oh! You gotta, you know, connect the dots.”

His optics allowed him to do that automatically, placing lines between each of the stars in the correct order. The constellation resembled a square with a line coming from each corner, but not a mythical hero. “They are… just lines.”

“Hm… I guess that one’s pretty abstract. How about…” she moved her pointer finger across her vision. “Cygnus. It’s a swan.”

“I have seen swans. This does not look like one.”

“You gotta use your imagination a little!” She scooted closer to him, holding out both hands in front of his face. “See how it kinda looks like a cross when you connect the dots?”

“Yes...”

“Okay. So, the shortest side of the cross is the tail, and the opposite part is like a long neck.” Amy traced each of the stars as she addressed them. “So then, where they cross…”

“Hm… Wings?”

“Yeah!” She giggled. “See? Not so hard.”

It was not how Metal would have chosen to depict a swan. The dots and lines that made up Cygnus were only conceptual, after all. “Perhaps I’ll understand better once I accomplish my goal…”

“Maybe,” she sat up. “Don’t worry if you don���t, though- most of them are nonsense; It’s just for fun!”

That seemed even more pointless. He sat up as well. “I do not comprehend it.”

“You will,” Amy assured. “Things don’t always have to make sense, you know?”

He found some understanding in her words, although “sense” it did not necessarily make. It was amusing, though, he admitted to himself. “I suppose I will.”

They sat chatting a while, Amy trying to explain the meaning of various constellations, Metal doing his best to imagine the abstract figures she described. As clouds moved in and the sky became less visible, the topic moved on to Metal’s interest in pirates. He spoke at length about the life and history of Captain Scarlett and her elusive treasure.

“According to accounts, she used the mirror to become the ‘greatest pirate alive’ and gathered most of her riches during this time. Soon after, her wife, Beryl, became ill and was unable to travel- that is why there are so many letters between them. After Beryl’s death, Scarlett disappeared. It is not known what happened to her or her ship- she likely became shipwrecked and drowned.”

“That’s so sad,” Amy commented. Her eyes were slightly misty.

“Well, piracy had its hazards. Still does. I have a book-” Metal turned his head away, looking intent.

Amy tried to see what he was looking at. “What is it?”

“I hear thunder…” A few seconds later, Amy heard it, too, as a light drizzle began to fall upon the deck.

“Oh, I don’t want to get wet again-” she sprang up.

“To my quarters, then.” Amy sprinted to the safety of the double-doors while Metal followed behind slowly. He was listening for further thunder and determining wind speed. Going in after her, he called to his henchmen, who were sitting at his table playing cards. “H3, H4- Lower the sails. I need to steer.” They both clinked their claws against their heads and jumped past him to start the task.

“Is everything okay?” Amy shook a bit of rain from her hair.

“A minor storm. Stay here.”

Although she had seen many badniks in and around water, Amy worried the rain could affect him. “Will you be alright?” They were both a bit surprised at her question. There was an unexpected tenderness in her concern.

“Yes,” he responded softly. “I am built to withstand worse.”

Amy nodded and he closed the door behind him. It was just her and H1 in the room now. He sat at the table still, cards in hand, and turned up to look at her. She smiled awkwardly, remembering this was the one who was hanging around in front of her room all morning. He patted the chair next to him, inviting her to join.

“So… What are we playing?” He stared at her silently. “Oh, right- you don’t talk. Uh… Go Fish?” H1 gave her a quick, violent nod that made his joints squeak obnoxiously. “Okay, okay! I’ll set up.”

They got two rounds in, H1 pointing at the deck whenever Amy needed to “go fish.” He won the first set but she bested him in the second, and they were now playing to break the tie. The storm outside was intensifying, heavy rain pounding on wood and thunder growing louder.

Amy was studying her cards closely, trying to decide which pair to go for next, when H1 sprang up, making a bee-line for the double-doors and running out into the open deck. “Why did he-” She gasped as her chair slid back and several pieces of furniture were pushed to one side. It didn’t last long as the ship rolled the other way, causing her to crash back into the table with an “oof!” That was more than a bit worrisome. She listened as the thunder and rain grew louder, the ship continuing to sway. Then, a huge crack of thunder boomed in her ears, followed by the sound of splitting wood. Amy quickly made her way to the main deck to see what was happening, immediately being pelted by rain and seawater.

The lower yard perpendicular to the foremast was cracked and practically broken in half, being held together only by H4’s coiling grip. She saw H3 pulling ropes, weighing down that side of the lower foresail to reduce stress on the beam. Metal Sonic was barking orders from the quarter deck above. Amy ran up to the helm just as H1 propelled himself in the opposite direction, toward the bow. His one glowing eye blazed when he spotted her.

“What are you doing? I told you to stay inside!”

“Don’t you guys need help?” Amy held onto the railing as the motion caused her to slip and slide on the wet floor.

“H1 is hoisting the jib, there’s nothing more to do but steer. Get inside, now!” Just then a towering wave came up to their port side. He was sure Amy’s featherweight would be blown off-board if she left the helm now. “Argh! Come here-” Metal steered in the opposite direction, trying to ride it out without capsizing. As the boat rolled, Amy stumbled to his left side and he pulled her in, putting her between himself and the wheel. He held her by the waist with one arm while the other remained affixed to the steering device. “Don’t drown!” he barked.

“What-”

The wave swallowed the elevated deck, leaving Amy and Metal completely underwater momentarily. Metal’s heavy body remained unmoved while her feet were swept off. She’d have been washed away- or at least violently slammed into the railings and water-logged- if he hadn’t affixed his iron grip around her. As the water passed over, Amy sputtered, having swallowed a huge gulp. A whining set of beeps came from ahead of them.

H3 was pointing up frantically, indicating that the top corner of the sail had torn off the yard by the rope. The sail flailed wildly around him until he took hold with both hands again, stabilizing the bottom once again. If the sail ripped any further off the mast it would fold over and become worse than useless, sending the ship to one side with its imbalance. He would send one of his henchmen up if they weren’t already securing half the mast.

“Damn that torn sail,” Metal cursed under his breath.

Amy coughed into his chest in front of him. “Tell me how I can” cough “help!”

He took to his mind frantically, calculating out all the different scenarios in which they would survive if the vessel capsized. He wasn’t too worried about his crew; they could take a beating and were waterproof. But the girl… Whether he kept her by him or sent her away, she had little hope of survival if the ship went down. Their only hope was to hold on and reaffix the sail.

Reluctantly, he made the decision. “The sail needs to be mended. Steer.”

“No!” cough “I can fix it-”

Another wave was about to wash over them. “Shut up and take a breath this time!”

Amy was just able to take in some air before they were engulfed by saltwater for a second time. As it cleared, Metal glanced back at the torn sail. He could fly up and do what he could to reaffix it, but steering the ship and knowing when and where to turn was a lot harder than it looked. He was able to calculate the safest angle with which to navigate into the waves and keep the vessel balanced. Someone without any knowledge on the subject, however...

If she could get high enough, Amy wouldn’t have to worry about being washed off the vessel so long as he kept them upright. “Can you climb?” he asked her.

Pushing her wet hair out of her face, Amy answered. “Yeah!”

“Take that rope and climb up the mast- reaffix the sail by the eye. Here, use my sword to cut the rope. Do you understand?”

Amy nodded. There was determination in her eyes as she took his sword and booked it to the ratline.

“Hurry- Before another wave hits.”

She climbed, struggling against the wind as it vibrated the taut ladder. Water weighed down her long skirt as she went. Once at the top, another wave washed over the main deck, causing the vessel to roll once more. She held onto the ropes for dear life, unsure of how to get to the end of the adjoining yard. Amy turned her gaze in every direction frantically- how do people usually get up there? I could shimmy , the thought, but what do I hold onto?

Despite Metal’s ability, the ship was difficult to control without the proper sails. He felt uncharacteristically apprehensive watching Amy climb as he steered between waves, as if ready to lunge for her if she were to fall. Another wave was now threatening to roll the vessel from the starboard side, so he did his best to focus on steering.

Glancing down, Amy got an idea. She wrapped an arm through the tightly woven ropes and used her free hand to pull out the sword, then promptly sliced through the top of her skirt, revealing the black half-slip beneath it. It was easy to tear off from there and use as an impromptu support system. Amy tied the length of maroon fabric to the yard above her, leaving some room between it and the knot. She hoisted herself up and carefully made her way across the beam on her belly, twisting and dragging the fabric with her. Once she reached the tear, she said a prayer and dropped her body down onto the circle of hanging fabric, hoping it would act as a hammock to support her while she worked.

It wasn’t perfect, but it held. Amy couldn’t believe how high she was, supporting herself with only a bit of fabric on some creaky wood. She was able to do as Metal Sonic had instructed, hanging precariously from the beam and taking hold of it when she felt too much turbulence. Once she’d replaced the rope through the eye of the sail, it was just a matter of getting back down.

A melodic set of rings and tones came from below her. Amy smiled when she spotted H1 on the crow’s nest some feet down. He reached up, uncoiling his extendable arms to pick Amy up and lower her to him safely. “Oh thank goodness,” she threw her arms around the little robot and hugged him close. “I thought I was gonna die up there!”

The vessel was noticeably more stable now that the jib was functioning and the mainsail was secured. Amy heard a whistle and noticed Metal Sonic signaling for them to descend. Climbing down the ratline proved much faster for Amy without the deadweight around her waist, and she rushed back to the helm to see what else needed doing. H1 was already working to tie up the broken beam.

“How are we doing?” Adrenaline rushed through her as she asked.

Metal was taken aback by her excitement; She really seemed to have a knack for putting herself in danger. “Better…. Good work.” He noticed the change in her wardrobe then, but said nothing.

“Oh, it was easy,” she lied. “What else do we need?” They rolled again, listing starboard, and she grabbed onto his arm for balance.

He acted quickly in bringing her between him and the wheel again. “Nothing. We- I need to steer us around the storm.”

The proximity was slightly discomforting now. Amy flushed as she turned away from him to look toward the bow. But the constant motion didn’t allow her to leave his side just yet; They swayed backward while climbing another wave then leaned forward as the vessel crashed down over it. Amy couldn’t stifle a yell when the ship descended, Metal pulling her closer to him still. He wouldn’t admit how much alarm his body was producing as he saw the high chance of tipping forward. The ship’s boom was dunked under the waves momentarily until the entire vessel tipped back, balancing itself like a buoy.

Amy was shaking. Her heart was ready to leap out of her chest, sure she’d be unable to maintain her balance had it not been for Metal’s support. Any rosiness in her cheeks quickly vanished to stark white and she remained speechless in her panic. Metal looked down at her in front of him. He realized he was still clutching her to him, but didn’t ease his grip. He told himself it was in case another wave hit.

They continued to sail over the stormy waters, but it appeared after a few minutes that the worst was behind them. Metal loosened his hold around Amy as her heart rate leveled and her breathing went back to normal. The rain began lightening up, no longer showering the deck. It was a light drizzle by the time either of them found anything to say.

Amy inhaled. “That was… A lot.”

“Yes…” he turned his attention to his minions, who were securing the sail back to the mast. It had been repaired to the best of their abilities with as much rope as they could tie around it.

“So… This ship. It’s kinda falling apart.”

“That appears to be the case.”

There was an awkward silence between them. Amy was still sandwiched between Metal Sonic and the ship’s helm. Now that the shock had faded it was uncomfortable again. “I’m gonna… Step aside…”

“Of course-” Metal removed himself from behind her, taking some steps away to free her. “I did not expect you to do so well.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Amy rung out her locks. They were both soaked, but her clothes were heavy with all the water.

“You may change in my quarters- if you need to.”

“Got another fun outfit planned for me?” she mocked.

“Yes. Come,” he stepped down from the quarter deck toward the captain’s quarters.

Amy scoffed. “I was not being serious.”

Metal addressed the henchmen as he passed. “H1, H3, H4- you did well. We will complete repairs tomorrow.” They all saluted him, and as soon as he turned away, moved on to high-fiving each other noisily. The doors were held open to his room and Amy passed through.

Much of the space was in disarray. The chairs were in different corners of the room, half of them toppled over. The screen had collapsed and any books that lined the shelves had flown off and lay open or bent on the floor. Amy was worried what state her room could be in…

“Well, this is…”

“A mess,” Amy interrupted.

“That is a fair assessment.” Metal made his way to the far corner of the room, bringing the screen upright. “At least this is functional…” He pointed a hand to it, inviting Amy to use it.

Amy was weirded out again by his interest in her attire but was even more uncomfortable in the drenched outfit she had on. She made her way to change while Metal Sonic hung around the room, picking books up from the ground. He’d left her another period-accurate garment to dress up in. The sight of the long-sleeved white nightgown annoyed her at first, but she was glad she at least had something comfortable to sleep in.

When she stepped out from behind the screen, Amy made her way to pick up the floor mirror. It was cracked at the top from having toppled forward but was otherwise functional. She looked ethereal in the white gown, even if it was a little costumey.

“I hope it is to your liking,” Metal said as he approached her. “I understand you were uncomfortable resting in the other clothes.”

Amy had forgotten that the first thing she’d done that morning was to complain about the outfit to him. “I’m surprised you cared to remember.”

“I have ample memory storage; I do not forget.”

“But you still cared.” She smiled up at him.

“... I didn’t want to hear your whining.” Metal stepped away, continuing to tidy up his quarters from the whirlwind.

“Sure.” Amy pretended to study the dress in the mirror, actually watching Metal in its reflection. It was all so elaborate- the ship, the costumes, the sword fighting. What was the point of it all? “Hey, Metal… How come you’re so invested in this pirate act? It seems kinda…”

“Illogical?” He did not turn to look at her.

“I was gonna say inconvenient, but…”

“Hm.” He straightened up the last chair. “I suppose I just wanted something to control,” he shrugged. “It seemed on-theme.” It wasn’t a lie.

Amy had no idea what to expect but the answer still shocked her. It was becoming difficult to doubt him when she realized that she could relate. He really did have nothing to gain but his autonomy. “I understand,” she said simply.

Metal made to return to the deck, holding a door ajar. “Perhaps it will pay off for me, as well.”

“Yeah,” she smiled.

Amy gathered up her wet clothes to dry in her room. It was hard to tell how long she’d spent on deck chatting and then weathering the storm, but she was exhausted- and hungry. She was lucky everything in the kitchen was bolted down but felt less so when her suite was in complete disorder. For once, she didn’t care- simply plopping herself on the mess of sheets and pillows that she could gather atop the plush mattress.

-----

“I am… so sore.” Amy lay on her back directly on the cool wood of the quarter-deck, groaning. “Everything hurts. And it’s sooo hot...”

The ship swayed slightly on the calm water, as Metal turned the helm sharply. “I suppose that means you are too weak to train, then.” He watched the compass eagerly. They had been blown off course by the storm the night before and the arrow was constantly changing direction now.

Ignoring his little insult, Amy darted her eyes up at him. “Is that all you think about?”

“What else are we to do?” He made a frustrated, metallic ring as he turned the ship in the other direction. “How does this ridiculous thing work?”

“How should I know…” Amy yawned. “You seem too busy steering to train me, anyway.”

“H1 can take over once he’s finished with the sails. I suggest you get ready.”

Amy clicked her tongue at him, crossing her arms over her torso. She rolled her head to the side, watching the horizon pass them by.  “When you have muscles, you’ll see…” But he was right, there was nothing better to do. It made her think about what her friends might be doing then. Would they catch up to Metal’s ship? She dreaded confronting them at sea, having to convince them of Metal’s plan. Even if they were worried, Amy would rather deal with them after the fact, asking them for forgiveness rather than permission.

Metal stared down at Amy. For all the spying and research he had done on Sonic and his  friends, Metal was still astonished by her bravery and tenacity in the face of danger. Looking back on their early meeting, he always categorized her as a weak, defenseless being. Even as Amy had grown strong over the years, this was the first time Metal experienced her pluckiness on its own, unadulterated by the presence of her teammates. It impressed him more than he cared to admit.

The maneuver she’d pulled climbing up the mast had left Amy with a pretty noticeable wardrobe change, too. The short half-slip she wore under the layers of scarves at her waist allowed for her usual mobility; he was almost excited by the prospect of sparring with her now that she could move more freely. Her boots and stockings were in full view and the oversized frills of her blouse were more striking now. Metal had found the billowy ankle-length skirt fetching in its historical context, but now she looked...

“Couldn’t we do it at night when it’s not so hot?” she interrupted his thoughts.

“I am not looking forward to becoming as sensitive as you,” he quipped, getting his mind off Amy’s appearance. “But fine.”

The compass appeared to stabilize again. When he set off to research pirating, Metal failed to realize the amount of waiting involved on seafaring adventures and began to wish he’d commandeered a faster ship. But, at least the company was good.

It was more than Rouge could say for her guests. “Look, I appreciate your help fixing the ship and helping us navigate around that storm, but I’ve been hired to recover whatever’s on that island!”

She and Knuckles argued over the fate of “her” treasure for hours. “I’m telling you I just want one thing!” he asserted.

“And I’m telling you I can’t just hand you an artifact when our funding is on the line. There are legalities-”

“Since when do you care about what’s legal? This is more important than that!”

Rouge huffed, plopping into her desk chair with folded arms. “Maybe if you just told me why you’re after it I could talk to my patrons about-”

“No! No one can know what’s in there!”

“ Stop interrupting me! ” Rouge’s wings flared out behind her as she slammed her hands down on the desk. The two glared at each other, neither relenting until a knock came at her chamber door.

Tails pushed it ajar with sheepish caution. “Uh… Am I interrupting?”

“... You’re fine,” Rouge sighed in exasperation. “Sit.” She rubbed at her temples, taking a breath. “I just want to know what we’re after so I can help. Can one of you please explain what the fuss is about?”

“Come on,” Tails nudged Knuckles. “We’re on the same side…”

Knuckles groaned under his breath. “Fine.” Rouge leaned in to listen, resting her wary head in her hand as he continued. “We’re after a Knuckles Tribe artifact known as the Stone Mirror…” He explained some of its history and how they knew that it was buried among Scarlett’s treasure.

She waited until he was done, and then slid her chair back, pulling a large scroll from the top drawer of her desk. “I’d like to show you something.” Unrolling it revealed a copy of the same map they’d used to navigate, stitched-together from a set of letters written by Scarlett. “These letters were addressed to Beryl over the course of several months- she and Scarlett were married. It seemed Scarlett wasn’t too eager to reveal the location of her stronghold, even to her wife. Some say she sailed there alone after, well…” Pointing to one of the letters at the bottom, Rouge read some of its contents aloud.

“ I am sorry for how my selfish desire has destroyed our happiness. You slit your palm and gave your very blood for me, and in my deception we were cursed. It was the mirror that took your health, and my guilty action that will take you if we do not act. These riches were meant to be your assurance in case of my demise; Instead, I must seal away all that I have earned in the hopes of saving you. There is no time to waste coming for you- Please find me.  Love, Scarlett. ”

She set down the scroll. “Earlier in it she writes about meeting some mystic that gave her information about a mysterious mirror and its curse. Something about lying toBeryl?”

“So she mentions it…” Knuckles pondered. “Legend states you need a blood sacrifice from someone else who’s ‘willing and knowledgeable about your intentions.’ Basically you lie and the other person gets cursed. Guess she found out a little too late.”

Rouge sat back in her chair, staring down at the collection of letters. “It’s well recorded that Scarlett recounted making some wish to become a great pirate. Historians just attribute it as a tall tale. Shame about Beryl, though,” she sighed. “In any case- this ‘Stone Mirror’ sounds dangerous.”

Knuckles nodded. “I don’t know how he found out, but I’m assuming it’s what Metal Sonic’s after.”

“... Okay. We’ll create a diversion to snatch up the mirror before the cameras can record it. But we’ll have to beat Metal Sonic there.”

The three of them nodded in agreement- Knuckles promising to find a way to destroy the dangerous artifact. And if they ran into their unexpected enemy at sea, there would be no choice but to subdue Metal Sonic before he could get his hands on it.

-----

Three days went by and there was still no sign of this mystical secret island, orany land for that matter. Actual pirates may have had work to do, but Metal Sonic’s three henchmen seemed to do the all work of a full crew in a quarter of the time. It left Amy and Metal with very little to do other than practice their swordsmanship and chat late into the night.

Amy picked up swordplay like it was second nature. It helped that there was little more to do, but she’d never had issues with swinging a weapon around. After a fourth day of practicing she was getting the hang of perrying against Metal Sonic and was serving combos that would give any other beginner a run for their money. Though she complained of sore muscles and exhaustion constantly, Amy fought against it nevertheless, advancing far quicker than either of them anticipated. Metal was forced to admit that he found it admirable- though he didn’t express it out loud.

Metal, for his part, found himself appreciating Amy’s companionship. Her witty nature complimented Metal’s droll quips, and she found it funny that he put so much effort into his tough pirate charade. He didn’t have anything to counter with when they’d shot back petty insults at one another and she’d finally burst into laughter, remarking on how insistent he was on appearing superior. Metal supposed she had a point, getting his own chuckle out of it. Amy continuously commented on how he would feel differently when his body was organic as if to test him. Of course, Metal played along, but each time he did, there was a nagging twitch in his mind.

The guilt Metal felt over manipulating Amy was beginning to weigh. For years, he’d waited for this kind of opportunity to get the upper hand on Sonic, to become something that not even his rival could imagine. Metal wasn’t sure what form he would ultimately take when he finally got hold of the Stone Mirror, but it was so far from the average organic being that Amy imagined for him. “I wonder what color your eyes will be,” she had mused aloud during an evening conversation- what a wholesome thought compared to Metal’s. He said that he hoped they’d be green like hers and got a laugh over her flustered babbling.

Out of all the things that could go wrong with his plan, feeling remorse was not something he prepared for. It’s not as if he’d ever felt guilty for acting in his own interest in the past, but Metal realized that he’d never worked with someone on a team as an equal, either. There was a sense of kinship between them that grew from fighting against the harrowing storm; They both quickly became comfortable in the other’s presence, as if having been friends for years. That was a first for Metal.

But he couldn’t let all his plotting and past failures go to waste. Metal wasn’t about to let one of his former enemies sway his plans. Amy was nice to have around but there would be others; this was the only time he’d get this opportunity.

But I may as well enjoy myself, he thought. After four days at sea spending most of Amy’s waking moments together, Metal had grown to enjoy their time together; It was a shame it wouldn’t last.

On day five, they met in his quarters while Metal dug around for another sharpened sword. He tossed props aside from a closet as he searched.

Amy stood at the shelf on the opposite end of the room, perusing through a book. “What are you looking for?”

“A sharpened sword,” he answered plainly.

“You have a sword… And claws...”

“It’s not for me- Ah, here we are.” Metal turned back to her, a sheathed sword in one hand and a long, red garment draped over the other. “H3 does find the strangest places to store things…”

Putting the book down, she spun to him curiously. “What’s that?”

“I missed seeing you in red,” he said in the most pompous tone he could manage, holding it out to her.

She took it with a smirk. “Another skirt?” Amy unrolled the garment, revealing a long, notched jacket with gold piping that framed it intricately.

“No, something more fitting this time.”

She threw it over herself excitedly. Belting the jacket at the waist, Amy smiled at her reflection. “Oh, it’s pretty. And way more functional,” she giggled, turning her friendly countenance to him. “Thanks.”

“I thought you would feel that way.” Metal unsheathed the sword and handed that to her as well. “Now we can really spar.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Seems kinda dangerous…”

“Hmph- I doubt you’ll land a hit,” Metal replied confidently. “And rest assured I will stop before the blade touches you.” He pointed the weapon at her theatrically.

Amy rolled her eyes. “It’s lunchtime- I’m taking a break.” She snatched the weapon from him, hanging it gingerly around her waist and making her way down to the kitchen. She was surprised to see Metal Sonic tagging along behind her. “You hungry?” she smirked.

“Something like that…”

She snickered a bit, not sure what to make of the comment but finding his presence enjoyable nonetheless. Amy got to work preparing her lunch while he observed her from across a high table, his cutlass drawn up to his eyes so he could look past it at her dramatically. She glanced at him with a scoff. “Making sure it’s sharp enough?”

“I can assure you, it is.”

Amy stuck out her tongue at him, sitting down on a tall stool to eat her lunch. “You are just as cocky as Sonic…”

Even if that was true, her comment irritated Metal. He sauntered around the table to her side, the sharp point of his weapon aimed at her. She didn’t appear phased. “I doubt that Sonic knows much about swordsmanship.”

“He’s apparently pretty skilled at it, actually,” Amy said, taking another bite.

“Seriously?”

With her mouth full, Amy shrugged. Metal lowered his sword, pacing around to her other side and looming over her shoulder. She continued to ignore his taunts as she ate. “I’m gonna grab some water…” Amy stood, continuing to watch him out of the corner of her eye. Turning back, she heard him speak again.

“En garde,” he announced with a lunge. The tip of his sword stopped just shy of her chest.

Glancing down at his weapon, Amy returned with a sweet smile. “Aw, how am I supposed to take you seriously if you won’t follow through?” She looked back up at him with doe eyes.

Metal met her soft gaze, locking his vision on her endearing face. “Well, would you like me to-”

Before he could finish, Amy had drawn her sword and gone for a parry, knocking his blade to the side. Then she lunged, closing the distance between them and bringing her weapon over his head. He swung his sword back up, blocking the hit. “Hmph! You’re just as impatient as Sonic, too,” Amy smirked.

“Argh!” Metal pushed her sword off and away from him, brandishing his in a ready position. “Will you continue to compare me to that imposter when I am organic?”

Amy held the same pose, teasing by twirling her weapon around in circles. “Depends. Are you gonna keep letting your life revolve around him?”

“Hm- How else would you and I get to spend time together?” Metal lunged, backing Amy against some kitchen equipment until she countered his attack with her own swing. She ducked underneath his next attack and backed away.

“You wanna hang out that bad?” she giggled. “Maybe just ask me out to coffee.”

“Oh,” Metal approached her slowly, his sword still drawn high. “What are those called again?”

“What are what called, weirdo?”

“Let me see…” As he continued his approach, Amy backed out through the kitchen door and into the narrow hallway. “Oh, a date ?”

Caught off guard, Amy lowered her weapon momentarily. He did the same as he neared her, their eyes locked. “Th-That’s not really-” His sword was upon her again a second later. She dodged, not having time to counter the sudden attack.Should’ve expected that, she thought, planning her next move.

But there was little time to think as Metal lunged toward her again, swinging from every direction as she struggled to block with her sword. They continued down the hall, clinking and striking their weapons together. Amy was just managing to remain defensive; he wouldn’t give her an opening.

Finally, Amy got in a parry after ducking from one of his swings and rolling behind him. When Metal turned back around, he narrowly avoided a swing that passed just under his chin. He sprung back. Out of striking distance, they both stared at each other, Metal holding his weapon down by his side. He was surprised that he didn’t feel the need to hold back more, feeling somewhat proud of Amy’s progress. But he wouldn’t let her know any of that.

“Ready to give up?” she teased.

He drew up the cutlass again, taking a step closer. “How easy could I possibly make it for you?”

Rather than fall back, Amy took his challenge and moved in his direction. “I don’t know… Looks like you’re having a pretty hard time to me,” she sneered. She was having more fun than she expected.

“I could say the same!” He rushed her then, Amy countering the next few swings.

Suddenly, they were each backed close to a wall as they stood in tandem in the narrow hallway, Metal just in front of a set of doors. As he swung again, she dove under his attack and through the double-doors. When the room came into full view, Amy looked on in awe. It was a grand ballroom, elegantly decorated in white and champagne- presumably for the wedding that was meant to be held there. Metal nearly landed a hit on her while she was distracted, but Amy seemed to be a master at dodging his lunges.

“Don’t get too distracted,” he taunted her.

“Hmph!”

Locked in battle, they continued moving down the length of the ballroom, circling around the winding rows of banquet tables and chairs. Metal was coming at Amy in full force, giving her little opportunity to counter. He could see her growing more tired now, her heart rate increasing exponentially as her breathing became more shallow. Taking advantage of this, Metal increased his speed and continued his swings, varying the direction so she couldn’t duck behind him again. They fought their way to the front of the room where the space was more open. Footsteps clicked as they stepped across the hard dancefloor that spanned from wall to wall at the front of the ballroom. Soon, Metal had completely backed Amy into a wall as she panted.

Amy realized that she was, perhaps, a bit too confident. Even if she were to get to a point where her skills surpassed his, Metal Sonic couldn’t tire in battle as fast as she would. She had to find a different advantage.

When she tried to perform an unexpected lunge, his sword made contact with her own so harshly that she lost her grip. It clanged to the ground next to her. Metal used his forearm to pin Amy to the wall by her chest.

She let out a grunt as she clashed with the wall behind her. Panting, Amy glared up at him in exasperation. “Are you satisfied now?”

“I am… impressed.” Metal cocked his head to one side, observing as her chest heaved under his grip. “But I knew you wouldn’t best me so easily.”

“Really? I thought you had more confidence in your teaching skills. I know I’m a great coach...”

Metal stared on at her curiously. “Is that so? And what do you teach?”

Amy gestured to the floor with her eyes. “I taught Sonic how to tango pretty well-” She was cut off as he pressed his forearm against her more firmly.

“Hmph- if you think that will distract me-”

“Hey,” Amy’s face softened into a smile as she interrupted him. She reached a hand up, taking hold of Metal’s lapel. He glanced down at the gesture in confusion. “You wanna know how else you’re like Sonic?”

“... Do tell.”

“C’mere.” Amy held an almost saccharine expression as she gently tugged his collar toward her.

She hardly had to pull as Metal allowed himself to be drawn into her. It may have been a ruse- he was fairly confident in that- but he was greatly interested in what she had to say as she lifted her chin to speak into his ear. Metal remained vigilant as Amy continued.

“You’re really cute,” she whispered.

Staggering back, Metal fixed her eyes with his. She twinkled back at him. “What do you-”

A sharp blow to the side of his head sent Metal off from atop Amy and to the ground. He lost command of his sword just as her enormous hammer came into his peripheral view. Of course - the thought ran across his mind as Metal landed on his side noisily. Amy sprinted to snatch his sword from off the ground as he readied to come back on his feet- but her boot heel was upon his chest before he got any further than facing her. Metal’s heavy body banged on the hard dancefloor as she pushed him down under her foot. Amy stood over him with his own sword pointed just under Metal’s chin. She was grinning from ear to ear as she watched his broken eye illuminate for a moment.

Metal would have been furious if she’d looked malicious, but her sparkling grin was so… cheery. “It’s cute that you think you can beat me so easily!” Amy laughed with genuine amusement as she removed her boot from his body.

His left eye now flickering again, Metal could only manage to glare for a second until he found himself chuckling as well. “That was most certainly cheating…”

“Didn’t know you had such strict rules.” Beaming, Amy allowed the hammer to disappear from her grasp and offered Metal a hand up. The lights in his left eye sputtered out again as he stood. “Hey, I almost fixed your eye! Maybe another wack will do it,” she smiled.

“Somehow I doubt that.” He hadn’t let go of her hand, instead using it to jerk her toward him. “But perhaps you could show me your little dance now?”

“Ah… I don’t know if you’d really enjoy it.” Amy offered Metal his sword, holding it between them.

He took it from her gently and slid it down by his side. “Won’t you indulge me?”

Her cheeks flushed lightly. Amy had just said it to distract him; she could teach, but she suddenly felt flustered in such close proximity. “Well… Maybe-”

The room shook then. Metal kept Amy from losing her footing as the ship rolled unexpectedly. They gave each other a look of concern.

“Is it another storm?” Amy asked.

Metal shook his head. “No- come to the deck, don’t forget your sword.”

He was floating out the door before Amy could find the words to respond. She followed him, picking up the weapon she’d dropped to sprint down the hall and up the long staircases.

“Surrender Amy Rose and the artifacts at once!” Rouge was flying above her deck speaking into her  megaphone with Knuckles, Tails, and her crew on deck below. Her ship floated across from Metal Sonic’s as cameramen focused on both of the captains.

Metal stood nonchalantly with his arms crossed behind, amplifying his voice to speak. “I can assure you she is under no duress.”

Knuckles had managed to snag a megaphone of his own and was now putting the full force of his voice into it. “Then where is she?!”

Metal squinted at the rumbling noise, his receptors vibrating uncomfortably. “Argh- You do not need to yell into that, I can hear you just fine.”

“Tell us where she is now!” Knuckles was getting ready to threaten him as Amy busted through to the deck. The three henchmen burst through just behind her.

When she spotted her friends, Amy’s face lit up and she ran to the ship’s railing. Metal remained in his stately pose behind her in an attempt to indicate that there was no threat. “Guys!” Amy waved, “I’m okay!”

Leaning close to the rails, Knuckles yelled into his megaphone again. “We can’t hear you-”

“Knuckles, that’s enough! I can hear her just fine so shut up,” Rouge snapped down at him. He crossed his arms irritably, grumbling. “Amy,” she continued, “we’re here to rescue you; are you hurt?”

Waving her hands in front of her, Amy answered as loud as she could. “Rouge, I’m fine! Are you guys okay?”

“Us?” she looked puzzled, “You were the one who was kidnapped...”

“It’s okay, I’m, uh…” she turned to beckon Metal, who looked almost bored at the turn of events. He approached her slowly, keeping an eye on the others. Once he was within reach, Amy clung to his arm in a friendly gesture as his expression became nonplused. “I’m helping Metal! Let’s team up!”

He whipped around to her with reproach. “That is not part of the plan!”

“Plans can change,” she responded in a low voice before addressing Rouge again. “Let us aboard and I’ll explain!”

Completely perplexed, Rouge didn’t know how to respond. Knuckles was shouting at her to repeat what Amy was saying and Tails began to call out to her as well. “Don’t move,” Rouge directed a command at Metal with a glare before floating down to the others. “What do you two want?!”

Tails pushed Knuckles aside in order to get a word in. “We’ve detected an island 30 naughtical miles from here in the direction of the compass- there’s no other land within range. It has to be the place. We can be there in the next couple of hours. We need to get Amy back ASAP.”

“We’re that close?” Rouge glanced back across the way to the other ship, where Amy and Metal appeared to be… arguing? Their tones were too hushed to decipher the speech, but neither was fighting the other. Though they both waved their hands around in apparent annoyance, Amy held him close to her without any resistance. Rouge didn’t know what to make of it. “She said… she’s helping him.”

“Helping Metal Sonic?” Tails looked just as confused now.

Knuckles butted back in, shoving Tails aside. “She said that? What’s his game?”

“How should I know?” Rouge brought her hands to her hips in frustration. “She said she wants to come aboard to explain.”

“That sounds like a trap!”

Rouge nodded in agreement. “But it’s the only way to get her back peacefully. We’ll just have to be ready for him.”

The boys each nodded in reluctant agreement. Rouge took a breath and quietly signaled her crew to be on alert. Approaching the side of her ship, she called out to the others. “You may board. We will extend the bridge.”

Amy and Metal paused their arguing to come to her attention. “Don’t you-” he started before Amy interrupted him.

“No need, we’ll fly over!” She faced him. “Come on, let’s go.” He glared at her with resentment, worried he’d just be ambushed and forced to engage, putting his plan in jeopardy. Amy tightened her grip on his arm and lowered her voice. “I’ll hold on to you so they don’t attack.”

His glare softened. That should work , he thought with some remorse. He wished he could feel more positively about tricking Amy so well she was willing to risk her safety for him. When Metal nodded, she climbed into his arms readily. She really held no doubt in him.

“You three,” he told his henchmen, “... be on alert.” H1 shot forward, standing on the ship’s railing and pointing ahead. “... Yes, I suppose I should bring one of you. Move.” Metal could the others’ clinking salutes as he and H1 lifted off, Metal flying over the sea carefully with Amy. A cameraman on a lower deck followed their path while another stood near Rouge, recording their landing. The little minion stood readily by Metal’s feet as the crew took steps towards them, encircling them steadily. Metal gazed around at them but did not move.

Knuckles came the closest. “It’s time to drop her,” he demanded.

“Very well.” Metal lowered Amy to her feet and she quickly wrapped herself around his arm, taking a step in front of him.

“I’m okay, Knuckles. I’m gonna hang onto Metal for now, okay?”

“Why? What is this?” Knuckles was shouting again, continuing his approach. “Did you do something to her brain?”

Metal scoffed, standing his ground. “What exactly do you think I could do?” A camera came up close to the side of his face while a mic loomed above. He turned his head sharply, his single blazing eye catching the crewmember off guard. “Is there something I can help you with?” The cameraman scrambled back, making himself scarce.

“Metal, just ignore it,” Amy tugged on him while his eye rolled around his screen.

“Alright,” Rouge’s assertive voice cut through the crowd that was quickly forming in front of them. “Everyone back off, you’ll hear my signal if I need you. That goes for you, too, Knucklehead. Move!” As her crew dispersed and the cameras backed to a safe distance, Rouge stood some feet in front of them. “So you made friends with Metal Sonic? I’d find it cute if I wasn’t still bruised from his last attack.”

Amy chuckled awkwardly back at her. “Yeah, well… you look great in your new uniform.”

“Hmph.” Rouge cracked a smile as she saw Amy there, protecting her unlikely friend from attack. It was almost sweet. “Well I’m relieved you don’t look too bad yourself. Cute jacket.”

“Thanks, uh… Metal picked it out,” Amy smiled.

“Really?” Rouge turned her attention to him. “Charming. Now what is it you want?”

When he didn’t respond after a few seconds, Amy cut in. “Metal has a… request. For the Stone Mirror.”

“What?!” Knuckles came booming back, stomping his feet.

Rouge held her arm out in front of him with a brief glare, then continued. “We’ll talk in my quarters. No cameras. Come on,” she turned on her heel and beckoned for only Amy and her “friends” to join her. They all followed behind Rouge awkwardly as the crew murmured around them, cameras following their every move.

Rouge locked the door behind them once they were in the privacy of her office. Then she faced Amy and scolded her. “You cannot go around mentioning magical artifacts in front of the crew. Why do you think you were all after it in the first place?”

Amy shrunk back, still clinging to a silent Metal Sonic. “Sorry… You’re right…”

Rouge sighed with exasperation, sinking into her chair. “Will you all sit?! You’re making me anxious.” As everyone complied, Knuckles most reluctantly, Rouge addressed Metal Sonic with some sarcasm. “I would love to hear what you have in mind for the mirror.”

After some seconds of silence, Amy nudged him. H1 climbed up the chair legs to sit in his lap, staring up at him. Metal shot them each an irritated look before starting. “I would like to use the Stone Mirror to become… organic.” He’d lied to Amy so easily, but was almost embarrassed to show such vulnerability with the rest of his enemies.

“Organic?” Rouge massaged her temple. “I don’t even know what to say to that. And Amy, you believe this?”

“Doesn’t matter if she believes it or not,” Knuckles butted in, “there’s no way Metal Sonic’s getting his hands on the mirror!”

Rouge nodded. “Unfortunately, I’m inclined to agree.”

Amy ignored Knuckles and spoke to her instead. “For the record, I do believe him. And I think it’s a good reason to use the mirror.”

Rouge shushed Knuckles before he could start again. “Amy… There’s something you should see.” She opened the top drawer of her desk and retrieved the same copy of the map she’d shown Tails and Knuckles. “I’m sure you know about Scarlett’s treasure and her letters to her wife, Beryl.” Metal’s piercing glare was already scanning through the text in the letters as Amy nodded. Rouge explained the entirety of the Stone Mirror’s curse, blood sacrifice and all, as Amy listened in shock.

“Amy,” Rouge’s tone softened. “This is a big risk for you…”

“Look, this thing cursed Beryl because of her wife’s dishonesty.” Knuckles got up angrily, pointing a finger at Metal Sonic. “Are you really willing to risk that for him ?”

“ Oh, ” Amy lowered her eyes in thought, her grip on Metal’s arm loosening slightly.

“The only way to lift the curse was for her to give her own blood and leave everything she’d gained behind; Hence why she sent for Beryl to meet back with her on the island. She tragically passed before making it off the ship.” Rouge stood from her desk and circled around to the front, facing Amy and folding her arms. “And I’m sorry to say I don’t trust Metal Sonic as far as I can throw him.”

The new information shouldn’t have changed Metal’s plan. He was willing to do anything for an advantage against his nemesis- or so he thought. But now, spending a few days with one of his enemies was enough to sway him? He supposed he could get The Doctor to sacrifice for him- he would revel in the opportunity to take Sonic down... No, he thought, I can’t let her get in my way. It wasn’t as if she’d be safe from him when he finally transformed into whatever monster he could conjure. And yet…

“If I may,” he spoke finally, placing his claws softly over Amy’s hand as it held his forearm. “Your blood will not be necessary. Someone else can take the burden.” He turned to Rouge. “I am only asking for use of the artifact to fulfill my wish.”

“Fat chance,” Knuckles interjected. “I still don’t believe you’re telling the truth- no way I’m letting you turn into a monster again. No deal.”

“Knuckles…” Rouge strode over to him. “Can I have a word, privately?”

He raised a brow at her but agreed. “... Fine. Tails, keep an eye on Metal Sonic.”

“Sure?” the boy looked at his enemy, sitting calmly with one of his best friends at his side. He hardly looked threatening.

As they stepped out, Amy faced Metal again. “Who’s gonna help you if I don’t?”

“... I believe The Doctor will be willing.”

Tails looked at them skeptically. “Eggman knows you wanna do this?”

“No,” Metal replied, once again carefully curating his words so they did not sound suspicious- or make him feel any worse. “He has few details of my plan. I am not sure how he tracked us a few days ago, but I do not believe he will deny me. I wanted to complete the task independently, but I will do what I must.”

“Well I’ll help you if he won’t,” Amy assured.

“Amy, you’ll die if he’s lying,” Tails shot back.

She scoffed as if it didn’t matter. “We’ll all die if he’s lying.”

“How is that better?! How can you be sure he’s telling the truth?”

Amy paused. She felt his steely fingers on her and focused her ears on his gently whirring engine. H1 looked at her from Metal’s lap expectantly. It wasn’t clear to her just why she’d grown to trust him so quickly, but she knew in her heart he would do the right thing. “Because he wants someone to kick his butt at sword fighting,” she smiled. “I’ve gotten pretty good at it the past few days, you know.”

Metal could no longer look at her. He removed his hand from atop hers and sat silently, trying not to let the guilt overcome him.

Tails’ face contorted. “What are you even talking about?”

The door cracked open then, Rouge stepping back inside. She addressed Metal Sonic directly. “We will allow you use of the Stone Mirror,” she began. “Knuckles will take it immediately after. No one on my crew is to know about it- we’re after the treasure only. We expect to come up on the island in the next hour, so get back to your ship and wait for a tow.”

“That soon?” Metal asked.

“Yes. You are not to step foot on land in order to avoid suspicion. We’ll recover the artifacts.”

“... Very well. Let us return, then.” He removed H1 from his lap and rose, Amy’s fingers slipping away from him.

“Amy’s staying with us,” Knuckles called from the door.

Amy’s cheeks puffed indignantly. “ Amy’s going where she wants. I’m staying with Metal.” She stood and pushed Knuckles out of her way, taking her leave.

Metal thanked Rouge and went past the others without a second glance, his lackey scurrying behind. There was no doubt they were plotting something against him, and Metal was determined to make it onto that island and get his hands on the mirror himself- by force if necessary. He would do anything. Almost anything .

The second Amy and Metal stepped out, a set of cameras once again bombarded them. It assured they went away and off the ship quickly so Metal Sonic couldn’t hear what was being discussed in Rouge’s quarters without them.

Inside, Tails got up from his seat. “Are we really just gonna let Metal Sonic use the mirror?”

“Absolutely not,” Knuckles shot back.

“But Amy doesn’t need to know that yet.” Rouge leaned back on the front of her desk pensively. “We’re getting ahead of him so he can’t threaten us with whatever he wants to do with the mirror. No doubt Metal Sonic will get... forceful.”

“Stubborn girl,” Knuckles grumbled. “It’d be easier to keep her safe if she’d stayed here…”

“Arguing with her would blow our cover; and she can take care of herself. Let’s just be ready for whatever he throws at us.”

Tails’ ears drooped slightly. “I wish Sonic could help us, he’d make quick work of Metal…”

“Who needs him?” Knuckles puffed his chest out confidently. “I’m bored of watching them fight anyway!”

-----

Metal and Amy stood at the bow of his great ship, the breeze blowing through Amy’s hair gently. She leaned forward, looking into the horizon, waiting to spot land. They were moving a little faster now as Rouge’s vessel towed them across the sea. Metal stood next to her watching the compass intently. They continued on the right path. It was minutes away now.

Suddenly the hidden inscription on the back made a lot more sense. He shone a pale violet light over it and read- The Mirror’s bloodlust was nothing to me, for I’d have bled myself dry for you. It didn’t just seem like useless theatrics, but the caring words of someone willing to sacrifice for another. What Metal didn’t understand, however, was how Amy was so ready and willing to do the same for him. Worse than deceptive, it felt undeserved.

Spotting his intense concentration on the compass, Amy spoke up. “Crazy how Beryl gave everything to Scarlett like that, huh?”

Metal did his best to shake his head clear of the guilt. “Yes. I suppose she cared for her.”

“That’s an understatement,” Amy chuckled.

“Is it? Then... what is it you feel that makes you so willing to do the same for me?”

Amy swiveled over to look at him directly. He stared down at the compass, not meeting her gaze. “I guess I think it’ll be good for us both.”

“How can you be so sure? Are you convinced I will immediately betray The Doctor and join your team?”

“I guess not…” Amy frowned at the thought. She knew it was an unrealistic expectation, though she remained hopeful he would change for the better somehow. “But I think we should all be free to make our own choices. Maybe you’ll make some good ones.”

“I am not so sure…”

There was a drawn-out sigh as she leaned her back in contemplation. Amy couldn’t help but see the good in people, and when she looked at Metal now, she saw more than a lifeless machine. There was passion in his voice and enthusiasm in his demeanor whenever they indulged in his interests. There was a small sparkle in his eye when they spoke. She had seen him joyful, and concentrated, and playful, where all she would have previously associated him with was rage. But more than that, Amy felt a connection, like perhaps this was something they were meant to do together. How else could they have become such fast friends? Friends, she smiled at the thought. It filled her with optimism. She rolled her head back on her shoulder to look to him again, their eyes locking this time. He’d been staring- it wasn’t the first time she noticed, but he didn’t dart his eyes away this time.

Softening her eyes, Amy looked at him dreamily in the late afternoon light. “I think you’ll do what’s right for you. That’s enough for me.”

Seeing that honeyed expression and hearing such genuine words, Metal never regretted anything more than he regretted bringing her along. I should have just worked alone, he scolded himself. How could he have miscalculated the outcome so terribly? In his mind, Amy would reluctantly agree to help and he’d otherwise use her as a shield against her friends’ attack;. Nothing prepared him for feeling something toward her. There was a kinship, a bond that quickly formed like puzzle pieces fitting together. They managed to just… click. There was no room in his plan for that. But he was so close…

“I do not believe your friends have such faith in me,” he said finally.

“Yeah, I kinda got that feeling. I think we’re gonna have to sneak onto that island first if you want a chance at the mirror.”

That was nothing short of surprising to hear. “You would deceive your friends?”

“It’s for a good cause- they’ll forgive me. You’ll see.”

For the first time in days, land came into view on the horizon. It was a lush green island with little more than a tall mountain rising from its center. It was tiny even as they approached. Metal and Amy exchanged looks as they spotted it.

“Looks like this is it,” she remarked. “Just a teeny island with a little mountain…”

“It appears that way.” He scanned as far as he could zoom with his optics, getting a closer look at the landscape that was still some miles away. “That, however, is a volcano.”

“No kidding...” Amy glanced around the side of the vessel. “Is there a boat around here? We need to sneak ahead if we want to reach the treasure before the others.”

“I have a better idea...”

As Rouge and her crew were making preparations to dock, Tails spotted something flying in the distance. A look through his binoculars revealed H3 and H4 flying in tandem at full speed, apparently trying to get ahead of both ships. “Hey, those are Metal’s lackeys over there.”

Rouge ripped the binoculars from his hands. “They’re trying to get ahead of us, then? We’ll see about that. Tails, come with me; Knuckles, maybe you should pay our friend a visit.” Knuckles nodded as the others both kicked themselves off and toward the flying robots.

They caught up to them quickly and tried to block their way, but were soon engaged in battle. H3 and H4 used primarily evasive tactics and steadily drifted them in the opposite direction of the island while Knuckles made his way across Rouge’s ship and over to Metal’s.

Knuckles climbed over the tow rope that connected the ships and landed on deck with a shout. “Metal Sonic! Call back your minions, now!” Not hearing an answer, Knuckles stomped across the hard floor until he found the entrance to the captain’s quarters just below the helm. Not one to wait for invitations, he made quick work of the door with his fists. He punched through the splintered wood, finding Metal Sonic sitting across the room, the back of his captain’s hat visible over the winged armchair that faced away from the door. “I said call them back now!” Metal did not respond. “Did you hear me? And where’s Amy?!” Knuckles marched over to the chair, swiveling it around to face him. “I said-”

Instead of Metal Sonic, Knuckles was met with H1, who quickly ambushed him with his long rope-arms, holding him in place. “Damn you little-” Knuckles continued to struggle against H1, his master nowhere to be found.

“Well done, H1,” a shrill voice chimed from the door.

Knuckles twisted his body around clumsily to look. The rage in his eyes grew when he saw him. “Eggman!” Knuckles yelled just as his voice was swallowed up by H1’s coils around his mouth.

Meanwhile, Metal carried Amy swiftly over the water, floating quietly close to its surface. They stuck near the side of Rouge’s ship until they snuck ahead of it. The pair managed to make it to shore well before Rouge’s crew as she and the others remained distracted with Metal’s henchmen. They booked it across the sandy beach and onto the greener area, searching for another clue as to where exactly they’d find the treasure.

“Okay… what now?” Amy’s eyes darted around the scenery looking for any hint of a hidden treasure.

Metal looked to the compass that continued to point northward. “This way,” he instructed, accelerating into the small forest of palms that surrounded the volcano’s base with Amy on his heels. They ran deep into the tropical thicket as the sky above changed hue, the sun nearing the horizon. It wasn’t long before they reached a black stone wall overgrown with moss.

“Looks like this is the end of the line…” Amy ran her hand along the wall in search of another hint.

As Metal approached, he found the hand that held the compass was repelled, as if an invisible force pushed it away. Intruiged, he held out his other arm, feeling no such push. The device’s hand spun left and right wildly as he waved it in front of the wall. “Interesting…” He placed a claw on the wall, scratching at it. He was able to make a mark on its surface with little effort. “This is some kind of volcanic rock. It repels whatever this is made of…”

“Really? Must be why it points in the other direction?” Unsure of what else to do, Amy pulled the little crystal spyglass from her pocket, looking through its eyepiece. She scanned the wall up and down, the atmospheric light turning deep red as it had just before they’d set sail together. She stopped, finding a small spot that glowed faintly. It was a small divot in the rock. “There’s something here...” Amy pawed at the vines that crept up its surface, scratching off years of moss that had grown over the glowing spot.

She finally revealed the formation under all the greenery. “Oh! It’s shaped like-”

“Like a heart,” Metal interrupted, shining his own violet light upon the small heart-shaped crater. He approached it slowly, eyes fixed on the compass. Its rapidly twisting arrow straightened as he neared the spot. The correctly pointed side of the arrow indicated straight ahead. Reaching out, the compass practically jumped out of his hand from the magnetic pull as he moved to place it in the glowing divot.

To their left, the rocky base of the volcano rumbled. They whipped around to find a wall shifting, vines and moss tearing apart as a stone slab lifted off the ground to reveal a narrow entrance to a hollow cave within.

“Well that seems like a pretty clear path to me,” Amy grinned. But it was short lived as a sudden explosion boomed from the direction of the beach. Worried for her friends, Amy looked at Metal with concern. “What was that?”

Metal was just as shocked. “I don’t know…” He raised his eyeline to scan the sky, seeming to spot something not far away. Why here? He asked himself as he recognized the round figure.

“Why are you here?” he amplified his voice to The Doctor.

“To help you get the Stone Mirror, of course!” he called back giddily. “I’ll be happy to give you what you need! What form are you taking?” Another silhouette came into view above not far from them.

Metal shot a glance back at Amy. “When did you call him?” She stared up at Eggman with confusion.

“I didn’t,” Metal responded. Before he could think of what to tell Amy, he watched as H1 hovered down next to The Doctor, his arms still tangled around an enraged Knuckles. But Metal didn’t call for H1, either- which could only mean it was The Doctor’s doing. “Is this how you found me?” Metal growled, incensed at the realization.

“Wasn’t H1 useful?” Eggman cackled. “I know you wanted to work on your own, but aren’t you glad I was watching now that you need me?”

Metal was within reach of completing his mission on his own terms. The sight of his master infuriated him, his determination to succeed without The Doctor's help returning in full-force. He’d convinced Amy, he’d made it to the island- he was going to complete his objective. Why should he feel guilty about that?

“I don’t need you!” he roared. “I have everything I need!” He accelerated toward H1, grabbing the smaller robot by his shoulders as Knuckles uttered muffled curses while they flailed around in mid-air. “ Double-crossing heap of scrap metal! ” Metal’s voice rang out with a harsh mechanical twinge as he took hold of either of H1’s arms and swiftly ripped them out of their sockets, dropping Knuckles a few feet to the ground. As H1 kicked his feet around helplessly, Metal grabbed him by the head and catapulted him out of sight, far back in the direction of the beach.

His eye radiated a fierce, burning glow as he whipped around to face Amy, who looked horrified at his actions. “We need to go, now!”

“What? But what about-”

“Go!” Metal extended his arm out, shoving Amy through the cave opening.

“Metal!” Eggman shouted, “What’s gotten into you? That’ll take me all evening to fix!”

Ignoring him, Metal flew back toward the opening as Knuckles began to slip away from the heavy uncoiling tubes. “I’ll leave you to deal with him, ” he called back to The Doctor. Once inside the cave, Metal shot his arm out once more, grabbing and ripping the compass from its spot in the wall. The limb retracted back past the opening just as the stone wall fell back into place, narrowly avoiding crushing his hand.

They were swallowed in the pitch darkness of the cave. Metal illuminated his thermal vision in search of a path ahead, but was met with Amy’s panicked eyes first. Unable to see, she groped around for a wall to follow until Metal grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him.

She did not look the slightest bit relieved. “Metal! I can’t see anything…”

“I can guide us; let’s go.”

“Wait- what was…” he saw her glance back toward the direction of the cave entrance unhappily. “I mean, wasn’t that kinda harsh? What you did to H1…”

“Perhaps- but he was a traitor as far as I’m concerned.”

“Yeah, but, you really seemed to hurt him...”

The clock was ticking and there was only so much time before the others would come after them. “He will be fine,” Metal grumbled impatiently, starting forward.

Amy let herself be pulled along, but she wasn’t dropping the question. “It’s just… is that really the kind of person you want to be?” Amy quickly remembered how she’d thought of Metal. She had forgotten how absurd it was that she’d agreed to help him and how he’d coerced her into it to begin with.

“I’ve been betrayed, how would you have liked me to react?”

“Were you? It really sounds like Eggman was trying to help you-”

“I don’t need his help!” He cut Amy off. Her eyes cast down anxiously and Metal registered the doubt and unease in her face. She almost looked sick, stumbling in the dark and frightened by his violent reaction. He knew she was right to feel that way, but his mind was made up- he would do whatever it took to use the Stone Mirror without The Doctor’s help. And Amy had to be willing, so something had to be said to assuage her. “I can’t be indebted to him any longer. I need to do this alone.”

“But you can’t do it alone, Metal, that’s the point!” Amy’s hands fumbled over his arm until she reached his shoulder, facing up at the single glowing eye, the only thing she could see. “I know you wanna be independent, but we all depend on people. Don’t you think he cares about you if he’s willing to give you this much freedom?”

In a way, she was right- but without knowing the truth, Amy would never understand. Metal highly doubted The Doctor would actually help if he’d really wished to become organic, but he could not deny his master’s well-meaning interest. They had the same goal, after all… Metal just knew he could accomplish it without him. Perhaps then he could feel as if he were an equal in his empire and not just some high-ranking lackey. But how much of that could he really tell her?

“It is different… He created me, and he can control me. I cannot escape his shadow.”

“Is having flesh and blood really gonna change that?”

“... I do not know.” Any illumination provided by Metal’s eye turned to darkness. To Amy, it looked like he’d closed his eyes, though he continued to lead her forward without issue. He just wanted her to look away, making the guilt easier to beat down- but she held her ground. Metal continued, turning his face from her. “I believe that changing my form will give me some sovereignty, making me more respectable in his eyes... It is complicated.”

“I know.” Amy looked for the red LEDs to come back on so she could look Metal in the eye, but they remained out. “But I think you can accomplish that as you are.”

Metal stopped as they approached a wall. He could still see Amy looking lamentful in his peripheral vision, her hand in his as the other clung to his shoulder assuringly. This must have been where the treasure was stored, but he wasn’t sure he could still bring himself to deceive her. He made himself visible to her again, shining his red light on her face. He felt her exhale, as if relieved, when he did. “Are you… still willing to help me?”

A small smile spread across her lips. “Of course. I just wanted you to know that I think you’re capable, you know?”

Perhaps secretly, he’d hoped she would refuse. But there was no turning back now. “I believe we are here...”

“What is it?”

“A door… without a handle.” He stared at the wall head, a smooth slab that extended from the floor to the ceiling of the cave. The shape of a door looked to be carved into it, a circular cavity in place of where a doorknob would be. Words were painted in a neat script following the shape of the hole, appearing to have faded over the decades. “There is a bore hole. It reads, ‘For my greatest treasure: my gem, Beryl.’”

“Oh, ’cause Beryl is named after a gemstone, right? Pretty romantic,” Amy teased, wanting to lighten the mood.

“It is… clever.” Metal examined the hole in the door, measuring its diameter and determining its depth. Amy knelt ahead of him, her hand sliding off his shoulder and reaching out to the wall. She ran her fingers blindly along its surface in search of a clue. He watched as she felt around the great stone barrier, apparently determined to do whatever she could to help. With Amy’s other hand still held in his own, Metal led her to the carved edge of the doorframe. “This is the door,” he said, her fingers tracing down the groove in the stone. “And the bore hole.” He pulled her hand to the spot in the door where one would find a doorknob.

Amy placed her palm over it. “It’s kinda warm,” she remarked, feeling as balmy air flowed through from the other side.

“Yes,” he agreed, hesitantly pulling away.

“ My gem, Beryl, ” she repeated. “Hm…” Fumbling around her pocket, Amy pulled out the spyglass and held it up with the bluish crystal at the end. “Does this look like beryl?”

Metal’s hard claws clicked against the crystal as he held it between his thumb and forefinger. “It does… how theatrical.” There was amusement in his voice as he realized. “Shall we?”

Amy nodded, beaming with excitement. She brought the eyepiece end up to the hole in the wall, letting Metal push the crystal into the divot until it clicked. Pulling herself up by his arm, Amy gave him an encouraging nudge. Metal paused. He stared down at her a moment. “Go on,” she insisted with a smile.

Before they could move ahead, however, a sliver of orange light entered through the floor of the stone corridor. Looking back, Metal and Amy found the door to the cave once again rising, Rouge’s silhouette just illuminated in the late sunset as it rose. Knuckles and Tails weren’t far behind her but neither Eggman nor any of the henchmen were within sight. “This is the end of the line!” she commanded, stepping into the cave.

Metal and Amy shared a brief glance, and she gave him a single nod. “Do what you have to, but be careful, okay?”

If there was a time for Metal to reverse his decision, it was now. But though he hesitated, Metal returned her nod and turned to face the cave opening. The cavity in his chest began to glow with a white light that quickly brightened, luminous with energy. “I suggest you remain where you are,” he warned Rouge.

She stepped back slightly with a gasp, unsure if she could block his attack. “Amy, call him off before someone gets hurt!” she demanded.

Amy shook her head desperately. “Just stay back!”

Knuckles came charging in then, his eyes ablaze as he rushed past Rouge and started down the length of the corridor. Tails made a fruitless effort to stop him but was quickly pushed out of the way.

Rouge yelled, following after Knuckles. “Don’t!”

The compression chamber in Metal’s chest was charged, brilliant with energy. He turned his head slightly to Amy. “You stand back as well,” he advised. Not letting Knuckles get too close, Metal levitated a few inches up and aimed his chest engine up toward the cave ceiling. Rouge just managed to tackle Knuckles to the ground as Metal’s laser fired into the stone ceiling, causing a pile of gravel to rain down between them. Metal shot himself backward and away from the falling stone. As his feet hit the ground, he forced Amy to the wall and stood between her and the collapsing ceiling, blocking the stray debris with his body.

She shut her eyes and used her arms to shield her head, but Metal didn’t let so much as a pebble past his frame. As the dust cleared, Amy peeked up. Metal towered above her crouched form, only his glowing eye once again visible in the darkened cave as it stared down at her. Amy hid her face, slightly flushed from the excitement- and the proximity.

Metal pushed himself from the wall, offering her a hand. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” she squeaked, accepting the boost. “What about you?”

“No sustained damage.”

They stared at each other for a moment, once again hand in hand. Metal listened to her quickened heartbeat and observed the warmth surrounding her face. Amy panted lightly. She looked especially radiant in his thermal vision, her cheeks illuminated bright red. “Thank you,” Metal blurted out.

She looked at what little she could see of him with wide eyes. “What… what for?”

He wasn’t sure. “For… everything.”

“Well,” Amy slipped her hand away from his gently. “Don’t thank me yet. We’re almost there! Oh-” she hopped past him and lifted her voice, hoping it reached the other side of the debris pile. “Are you guys okay?”

There was a short pause before Rouge called back. “You’re lucky no one’s hurt!”

Amy released her tense breath. “Thank goodness! I’m sorry, we’re going to the treasure room now!”

“The what?!”

They could hear Rouge cursing from across the heap momentarily. Then Metal could just catch Tails utter something before their voices quickly faded away.

“I think we should hurry,” Amy said, hurrying back to his side. Metal simply nodded, reaching for the eyepiece in the wall.

The crystal spyglass turned like a knob in a door. Metal pulled it open and was immediately greeted with a burst of hot air that shot past them, the stone door acting as the only barrier to keep them from being scorched. As the air passed, the enormous chamber beyond became illuminated with torches lining the walls. On the farthest wall, a thin stream of magma flowed down the height of the farthest wall, making the space sear with radiant heat.

Standing ahead of her to look past the door, Metal cautioned Amy. “We are here. But for some reason Scarlett decided to store her treasure in a magma chamber.”

“That’s… terrifying. What else is in there?”

Metal stepped from the back of the stone door, standing in the entrance of the mysterious chamber with its seemingly magical torches and streaming lava. And then there was the treasure; Mounds of sparkling gold coins that glittered even in the dreariest of light were speckled with ingots and gilded statues all across the dusty ground. The center of the room was covered inches deep in jewels, silvery blades buried within the treasure to their gem encrusted hilts. Within it, on a platform mounded with riches, sat an ivory casket, its edges shining with golden filigree inlaid with rubies and sapphires. And finally, atop it all sat a simple stone box, its dull surface clashing with the glimmering room. “What we have been looking for,” Metal said with more lament than he intended.

Pushing past the door, Amy stood next to him and took in the magnificent sight for herself. She gasped with awe, her wide eyes shining with a golden halo in the warm light. “It’s beautiful,” she sighed. Amy stepped inside, giggling. “Rouge is gonna freak!”  The balmy air was stifling, but she ignored it and moved ahead, approaching the room’s center.

He followed her in cautiously, kicking random bits of treasure aside. “Be careful, there could be traps…” He watched as she pushed ahead, seeing her trod through the thick blanket of coins that littered the ground without hesitation. She fanned herself and pulled on her blouse collar uncomfortably, but headed straight for the macabre chest that sat in the middle of it all. There was no uncertainty in her stride- Amy was determined to help Metal in any way possible. He didn’t expect that to be so devastating.

Amy made her way up the elevated platform, standing on her toes to reach up to the top of the casket. There was an inscription on the lid of the stone box that sat on it. “ DO NOT OPEN,” it read. Raising a brow, Amy leaned in closer to find additional words on the front. “There’s an inscription on here…” She read it aloud: “The box reads, ‘In this casket lies Beryl, all I loved besides the sea. In this box, my remorse. Leave this cursed object where you found it; The remainder of this wretched treasure is yours. Scarlett.’ Oh…”

Reaching her side, Metal stared at the inscription that just reached his eye level.Remorse, he repeated to himself silently. “I suppose this is what we are here for.”

Amy sighed. “Yeah, I guess we should do this quick,” she reached out to the box.

Metal thought about stopping her, taking her hand and pulling it away from her cursed fate, but he did not get the opportunity. Something suddenly came crashing through the rocky wall of the chamber, chunks of stone booming as they scattered to the ground.

The cavern rumbled. Amy held onto the edge of the casket for support while Metal stabilized himself and turned his vision to the crash site. The bow of a metallic ship had pushed its way through to the cavern, its steely peak unaffected by the collision. As the rubble settled and the early moonlight seeped in through cracks, Eggman strode out onto the deck with a cackle. “What do you think of my new ship?” He extended his arms proudly. “She floats and flies!”

Metal was fuming. There he was, pushing past his immense guilt and moments from fulfilling his goal, only to be interrupted by The Doctor once again. Amy could sense his anger. She quickly found her balance and lifted her hand to his shoulder, trying to give him a reassuring look. He tensed up but did not look in her direction.

When neither of them responded, Eggman continued. “Don’t you like it? I thought we’d get you a better pirate ship for your-”

“Why do you insist on interrupting me?” Metal cut in bitterly.

“Oh come now,” The Doctor continued, “We’re on the same team! You made it this far- don’t let your pride get in the way,” he warned.

As he leaned forward on the bow of the ship, H3 and H4 popped in from the crack in the wall, squeezing their small bodies through the narrow space. Everyone watched silently as they flew crookedly toward Metal. They were scuffed and scratched, one of H4’s arms missing as the socket sparked out weakly. They landed on either side of Metal, clinking their hands to their heads weakly. “Yeesh, what happened to them?” Eggman asked with a grimace.

Clearing her throat, Amy cut in. “Look, I know you wanna help, but we have this under control. So please leave before someone gets hurt!”

“What?” he chortled. “Do you still believe Metal wants to be, what was it- ‘organic’? Ha!”

“Be quiet!” Metal spat back, his voice cutting into a dissonant metallic ring. Amy drew back her hand as she recoiled from the harsh noise.

“ Oh ,” Eggman snickered at the realization that Metal was trying to protect the girl. “Very interesting! But no need to keep up the charade, just grab her along with the mirror so we can get out of here.”

Looking between Eggman and Metal, Amy took several steps away from the robot. “He’s not lying, is he...?”

Metal stared back at her blankly. She would never help him now- his self-reliant plan had no hope of succeeding. If only he hadn’t hesitated…

“Well, hasn’t this been cute?” Eggman cackled cruelly at her fear before addressing his creation once more. Lowering his brow, The Doctor’s demeanor quickly became more serious and authoritative. “Metal, you need me in order to complete your objective. Time for action!”

He was right. Finishing the mission the way Metal had envisioned was out of reach, and Amy would never trust him again. All that was left to do was complete his objective. “It will be easier if you surrender,” he threatened her, narrowing his vision.

“ Of course you were lying.” There was bitterness in Amy’s voice as they glared at one another. She was trapped and outnumbered, but she wasn’t one to go without a fight, and he knew that. She took her gaze around the room frantically, surveying her surroundings. Just as she was deciding her next move, Amy spotted something red in the corner of her eye. She quickly shot her glare back at Metal Sonic, inching away from him.

Knuckles had slipped in through a crack in the stone, quietly scaling the wall near Eggman’s ship. Amy also spotted Rouge and Tails hidden in the ship’s shadow by the cave floor. Rouge brought a finger to her lips as Amy saw her. She knew that Metal would sense her friends if she didn’t keep his attention, so she kept talking. “Why’d you teach me how to fight if you just wanted me to surrender?”

“If you think you will best me in a real fight, you are mistaken. Give up before you get hurt.”

“Hmph! You were gonna kill me anyway- or were you just gonna let the curse do the work?”

The question lacked an answer. For however determined Metal was to get ahead of Sonic, he didn’t want to have to do it at Amy’s expense... Yet there was no calculable scenario in which he would defeat his rival where she wouldn’t intervene. There was no choice but to destroy her, too- whatever he did would only delay the inevitable. “Does it matter?” He took an imposing step toward her.

Amy reached the end of the long casket, turning the corner and putting it between them so Metal faced away from Eggman- and her team. She knew it wouldn’t hold him for long. “So I guess wanting to be friends was a lie, too…” There was genuine lament in her tone, her eyes squinting back sorrowfully. Amy couldn’t believe she’d let herself become attached to Metal- and in such a short amount of time. Whatever connection she’d felt was as good as severed now.

Metal stopped his advance, standing across from her. “...I never said that.”

“You sounded pretty eager to ‘spend time together,’” she quoted him.

“I…”

A loud ZAP was heard behind Metal. He quickly whipped around to find Knuckles falling to the ground before Rouge swooped in to catch him. “Did you really think I wouldn’t put up a barrier? Come now!” The Doctor laughed as he pulled out a small remote and the invisible barrier flashed around the ship. He pressed a button that sent at least a dozen sword-wielding badniks jumping off the deck and after Tails, Knuckles, and Rouge.

In the confusion, Amy jumped up to snatch the entirety of the stone box from atop the casket. Upon pulling down the heavy container, an ivory switch came up from the casket with a distinct CLICK . The cavern immediately began to rumble, Amy attempting to circumvent the treasure-topped platform and run back toward the direction of the ship in all the chaos.

Realizing this, Metal addressed his minions. “You two block her- the box is mine .”

Amy ran, struggling to keep her balance on the shifting cavern floor. Metal quickly propelled himself after her, reaching out with a clawed hand. Thinking fast, Amy tossed the solid stone lid back at him, hitting him square in the forehead. “Augh!” he groaned as he was knocked off route. As his henchmen closed in ahead of her with arms extended, Amy charged directly at them. Just as they reached out to stop her, Amy hit the ground and slipped between them, scraping against the hard floor. H3 and H4 collided with their arms entangled as she hurried to dust herself off and continue forward.

The cave trembled as the single thin stream of magma at the far wall thickened, now forming a pool on the cavern floor as its exit overflowed. A crack near the chamber entrance also burst open, sending boiling lava spewing over the door from which they had entered. Amy pushed forward through the surrounding heat, lugging the heavy weight toward the direction of her friends- and the oncoming battalion of badniks.

But Metal was quickly upon her again, his eyes blazing with the left flickering wildly front the blow to the head. Knowing he wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice, Amy instinctively ducked as he approached her. The hefty container slid in front of her and Metal lunged for it, snatching it off the ground to remove the artifact he’d been after- But there was nothing inside except dust.

Peering back at Amy, Metal found its rocky handle in her grasp. She had picked up the Stone Mirror- a simple rounded hand mirror with a handgrip and no discernible features other than its distinctive lack of any actual reflective surface. Amy was turning it back and forth in her hands, wondering if this was really what they’d been looking for. It resembled a hand mirror in shape alone, failing to function as an actual looking glass.

Ahead of them, Amy’s friends were already taking on a troupe of robots. After giving one a swift punch to the head that knocked it clean off its body, Knuckles caught sight of Amy- and the Stone Mirror. “Amy- don’t let him get his hands on it! Destroy it!” he called back, just dodging a swing from another badnik.

Hearing this, Metal tossed the useless box aside and flung himself at Amy once more, drawing his sword. As he brought his weapon down over her, Amy held up the mirror at both ends, blocking his attack with its handle. His sword made contact, but bounced off as he hesitated at the last second. Drawing her own sword, Amy pointed it at him sharply. “I’m not going down so easy!” She lunged at him, managing to push to the side as she changed direction toward the pooling magma at the other end of the chamber.

“H3 and H4, corner her!” Metal commanded. The henchmen had just managed to detangle their limbs. H4 launched himself forward at her while H3 came up on the other side.

The heat thickened as she approached the impossibly hot lava, panting and sweating, struggling to run ahead. Metal Sonic was faster than her and closed in quickly behind. Amy could already see H3 and H4 cornering her into the far wall. Rather than wait to be trapped, Amy swung her arm and pitched the mirror fiercely toward the magma. H4, however, threw out his remaining arm, catching it before it made contact with the boiling pool. “Take it back to The Doctor,” Metal instructed him.

“Crap!” Amy cursed. She spun around and pointed, calling out to her friends. “He’s got the mirror!”

Unfortunately for the little robot, the damage he’d sustained made it impossible to fly straight, and he struggled to avoid obstacles. This made it easy for Tails to fly by, grabbing the Stone Mirror to try and pry it out of H4’s tightly clamped claws. Not having another arm to entangle the boy with, H4 swung the coil around wildly, trying to throw Tails off like a mechanical bull. Seeing this, Metal ordered H3 to help his brother and the minion quickly wobbled off.

Eggman watched in frustration as it all unfolded, most of the robots lying in a heap of scrap at the base of his ship. “This is getting boring,” he yawned, and he flipped another button on his remote that sent out another wave of badniks. “I’ve had enough of this; go after the girl! Make it quick.” He wanted to draw the others away from the ship for a quick getaway once the mirror was secured.

Knuckles groaned in annoyance at the new wave of badniks. “I’ll deal with them- help Tails grab the mirror,” he yelled to Rouge through fierce swings of his fists. She nodded and shot herself toward the battling minions.

Meanwhile, Amy was cornered- Metal Sonic ahead of her while searing magma pooled behind her. “Surrender!” Metal commanded, pointing a steely claw at her while he held his sword down by his side.

“Never!” She had no choice but to get out of the way as lava threatened to melt her boots clean off, so she lunged at Metal Sonic with her sword, putting her full force into the attack. His stance quickly changed and he blocked her attack with his sword.

Metal attempted to counter, but Amy kept after him, swinging at him so furiously that he couldn’t get an attack in. “You lied to me!” she screamed out, her eyes brimming with fury.

“Argh- I did what I had to!” he spat back, holding his weapon against hers.

She gripped her sword fiercely with both hands, pushing against him. Angry tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “I thought we had something!” she wailed. Metal’s guilt bubbled to the surface and he faltered momentarily, giving Amy a chance to push his weapon away and plunge toward him. Metal lost his grip and the sword clattered to the ground away from him.

Amy’s lunge would have impaled him through the chest if it wasn’t for the interference of one of Eggman’s badniks. The robot cut ahead of Metal, blocking her swing. As Knuckles struggled to keep them all back, four more of the rotund bots arrived, surrounding Amy and Metal. She brandished the weapon in front of her frantically, pointing it from badnik to badnik. “Rouge,” she called, “Use the sword!”

Metal’s sword had landed just below where she and Tails struggled against H3 and H4. She kicked H3 aside and shot down, seizing the sharp weapon from the cavern floor. “Tails- move!” she warned. The boy quickly propelled himself away as he saw her aiming the sword at H4’s remaining arm. Rouge flung it at the robot, slicing his hand off at the wrist, sending his clamp-like fingers falling to the ground with the Stone Mirror still in its clutches. “Hold them off!” Rouge caught it mid-flight, clamp and all, and got moving in Amy’s direction with the intention of tossing the artifact in the magma and picking her up on the way back.

“Metal,” Eggman howled from a speaker, “Stop that flying rat and retreat with the mirror at once!”

Giving her a final glare, Metal lifted off the ground. “I wish you’d given up,” he told Amy before thrusting straight up to intercept Rouge.

“Why do you care?!” Amy‘s chest heaved, her weak hand wiping the sweat from her brow as the group of badniks slowly pushed her closer and closer to the bubbling magma behind her.

Rouge wasn’t fast enough to dodge Metal Sonic. All she could do to keep the mirror out of his clutches was to hurl it in the direction of the lava pit just before he made contact with her, sending her plummeting to the cave floor- without the Stone Mirror in hand.

As if slowing time, Metal shot his gaze toward the mirror as it fell. His systems worked at lightning speed to determine its velocity and the likelihood that he could catch it before it was destroyed. Metal was tough, but not indestructible- he wouldn’t survive a plunge into the magma. But it was when he was calculating the possible outcome, already drilling his body through the air and down toward the sizzling pool, that he spotted Amy Rose cornered by badniks against boiling magma, mere feet from being pushed into it.

Suddenly, there was a second option to his trajectory. It was her or the Stone Mirror. Save Amy Rose, or be closer than he’s ever been to fulfilling the very objective to his existence. Why was it a question? So much as considering her over his purpose went against his plan, the very core of his programming; And yet, he had already decided the moment he saw her in mortal danger. Before he could comprehend why, Metal had already shifted his flight path.

Amy was panting and swaying, dizzy from the intoxicating heat of the cave. Her vision was blurry and wet with tears as she fought off the attacks from several opponents at once. If they didn’t end her, the magma would. One of the badniks lunged at her while she parried another and she was sure she wouldn’t be able to dodge in time. Just as Amy thought she would have to say a final prayer, Metal Sonic landed between her and the robot, arms outstretched to form a barrier between them.

The sword-wielding badnik stabbed its weapon forward with no time to stop before the sharp end impaled Metal through the chest. The sword cut into his turbine, causing sparks to fly out as the engine sputtered. He heard the devastating sound of the Stone Mirror falling into the magma next to them, watching it sizzle from the corner of his eye as it sunk in. There went everything he had worked towards- yet this regret was so much less than the remorse he’d felt betraying Amy.

“Metal!” Amy gasped.

“You scrap-heap!” Eggman shrieked at the badnik whose sword was stuck in Metal Sonic’s engine. “When I’m through with you-”

There was no time to finish the statement. Glowing-hot lava began to burst from cracks in all the interior walls as the cavern quaked. Gravel fell from the ceiling as the space began caving in. “Retreat at once!”

All of Eggman’s remaining robots dropped what they were doing to run, leaving Knuckles free. He spotted Rouge crawling across the ground and Tails kicking H3 away from him a final time. Knuckles ran to Rouge, supporting her as she stood. “Where’s Amy?” he asked frantically as they struggled to stay upright on the unsteady ground.

Rouge turned her head back as Tails joined them. “Oh, no…”

Metal gripped the hilt of the sword that stuck out from his chest and quickly drew it out, tossing it to the side. The increased lava flow had left them completely surrounded on a precarious island that would soon be inundated. In her surprise, Amy shook the daze from her head. The tears that had welled in her eyes overflowed as she looked up at him in shock. “You- You came back!”

“I am as surprised as you,” he said, drawing her close to him as the boiling magma rose around them. “Hold on.” Metal lifted them off the ground, faltering as he did. His engine stalled, causing him to hover up and down unexpectedly until they finally passed the pooling lava, crashing onto the cavern floor. They were past the immediate danger, but Metal could no longer fly. As Amy stood, he found that his legs had given out as well- only enough power left to operate his upper body. He ordered his minions over hurriedly. “H3, H4, I need you here.”

The little robots did their best to fly over, dodging falling pieces of the stone ceiling. Metal was taken aback by their appearance. “H4? Where’s the rest of you?” The minion shrugged with what was left of his right arm, only the long coil hanging down from its socket. Realization set in for Metal. He looked back at Amy’s panicked face. “H3 cannot carry me alone. I will have to stay. You go with him-”

“No!” Amy shook her head furiously. “You can’t!”

“My weight exceeds his capacity-” Metal tried to explain.

“Don’t be stupid!” She grabbed hold of one of Metal’s arms, dragging him across the floor at a surprising pace.

Her strength was impressive, but they would never make it out before the chamber caved in at this rate. “We are too slow! Just leave!”

“I won’t!” Amy struggled. “H3, a little help would be nice!”

He and Metal exchanged glances for a moment. Metal quickly realized the stubborn girl wouldn’t be leaving him behind. “Well, help her!” he commanded.

H3 obeyed, swiftly grabbing his master by the other arm and dragging him along. They moved at a running pace now, nearing the half-collapsed wall from which Eggman had crashed his ship.

“Amy, what are you doing?!” Knuckles called out. He’d handed Rouge over to Tails to fly out with and now ran alongside her and Metal.

“Just shut up and run!”

As they all neared the threshold and The Doctor caught sight of Metal Sonic, his ship began to back out from the wall. “Hurry!” he yelled at them as it floated back.

The ceiling was falling down behind them, burying the chamber and all its treasure under mounds of solid stone and liquid earth. The entire cavern was seconds from collapsing. Tails was the first out with Rouge in his grasp while H4 and Knuckles followed closely behind. Finally, Amy and H3 dragged Metal past the cave’s external wall as the entirety of the cavern came down behind them. Stones boomed, pounding to the floor in the direction they’d come from. The crashing stone wall rattled and broke the ground outside, lurching everyone forward and away from the entrance with a gust of wind.

It was a rough landing, but the side of the volcano they’d come out from faced the sandy beach. Knuckles groaned, spitting sand out of his mouth after landing face first. Tails came down, landing softly beside him with Rouge. He set her down on the beach and collapsed onto the soft ground, exhausted. Eggman’s steel ship floated above them as he hung over the rails looking relieved. Metal’s henchmen floated about for a moment before a faint beeping drew them away into the palm tree thicket nearby.

Amy couldn’t bring herself to sit up. She lay in the sand, sweating and heart pounding, staring straight up at the night sky as the adrenaline subsided. Metal’s half-functioning body was strewn beside her face-down. He pushed himself from the sand, flipping over to look straight up. Metal fondled the ground desperately, leaving drag marks in the sand with his sharp claws until Amy’s hand happened upon his, locking their fingers together. He relaxed, relieved to still have her by his side. It was the least he could hope for after giving up his plan to save her, he told himself- but he knew it must have been more than that. They sat in silence for just a few moments.

“... It does look a bit like a swan,” he muttered, staring into the starry sky. Cygnus was in full view over the island.

Amy couldn’t keep from snickering as he spoke, noticing the constellation suspended above them. “Guess you didn’t need to be organic to see it after all- ow! Laughing hurts...”

“Seeing as I am still mechanical, I’m afraid I cannot relate…”

She burst out in laughter, holding her ribs with her free hand. Amy’s shoulders bounced, highlighting the dull soreness in her arms from having dragged Metal’s heavy body across the collapsing cavern. “Don’t start-” she giggled. It always seemed to amuse her when he made those snide remarks.

Some yards away, Rouge sat up, holding the back of her head. “There goes my treasure… Is everyone alright?”

Tails flashed a lazy thumbs-up as Knuckles stretched beside her. “I’ll live,” he remarked gruffly. “What could those two be laughing about…?”

“Who knows?” she grumbled. “A bit cheery for a pair who just cost me my treasure.”

Quick footsteps were heard from the far side of the beach. Rouge’s crew and a set of cameramen were hastily running to meet with her. She sighed. “Back to work, I suppose.” As they stumbled near, Knuckles came to his feet and gave her a hand up. Tails dusted himself off groggily and joined them. The trio were surrounded by sailors and cameras soon enough as Rouge immediately began giving orders, playing up the authoritative remarks for the cameras.

Down the beach, Metal’s minion’s floated near him, H3 holding H1’s sparking body in his arms. Metal pushed himself to sit up, looking at the dismembered robot with remorse. “Perhaps I was a bit harsh…” He took hold of H1 as the metallic husk beeped intermittently and automatically, not appearing to be active.

Pulling herself into a sitting position, Amy groaned. “Is he gonna be okay?” she motioned to H1.

“Yes… I can repair them all. We will be fine.”

Eggman hovered down in his floating Eggmobile, coming to a landing and jumping out to address his creations. “Metal! What happened out there? Is your turbine functional?”

Metal glared at The Doctor for a moment. The lights in his left eye flickered weakly every time he moved his head. He believed he should have been furious, but he had neither the energy nor any strong feelings against his master in that moment. “No,” he responded simply.

“You sure did a number on him,” Eggman said, referring to H1 as Metal held him. “Well, we’ll get ‘em next time… Here, charge up so we can go.” A battery pack was quickly hooked up to Metal’s back, steadily providing his body with the power to operate his legs. Amy watched fondly as Eggman doted over him, a sly smile appearing on her face. The Doctor noticed her peering. “What are you looking at, you pest? You should consider yourself lucky to be alive-”

“That is enough,” Metal said plainly. “Give me a minute…”

“... Fine,” Eggman relented. “I‘ll make preparations to ‘set sail,’” he snickered, getting back into his hovercraft and floating away to the flying ship.

H3 and H4 sat in the sand by Amy and Metal, patiently waiting for him to regain his energy. As The Doctor’s attention turned away from him, Metal pulled the charging cable out from his back and connected it to H1’s body. The narrow strip of light that formed his visor powered on as Metal held him in front of his chest.

“You are quite the little spy…” Metal stared at H1 as he activated, the small robot bobbing his head around as if nervous. “... Very good work. I shall keep you around.” H1 stopped his frantic movement, tensing up for a moment before relaxing. Amy giggled as Metal set him down in the sand between them, reaching out and straightening the bandana around his neck. Metal turned to face her so their eyes met. “Thank you for bringing me with you. I am not sure my body could have been recovered from all the rubble.”

She was beaming warmly. “Well, you didn’t let me die in the end, so…” she gestured vaguely. “Call it even for now.” Amy winked.

“Hm. For what it’s worth, I was not going to permit you to sacrifice yourself. Though I cannot comprehend why…”

“Oh thanks,” Amy snickered through her sarcastic response. “Well, even though you lied… I think I believe you,” she shrugged.

Metal never felt like he needed to justify or excuse anything that he’d done in the past; He only ever did what he had to in the name of completing his objective. And though he resented losing this opportunity, the guilt he felt from lying was somehow much stronger. “Yes, well- I have never apologized for anything in my entire existence, but… I do regret that. I am sorry.”

“Really?” She ran a finger through the sand, leaving faint lines. “Ah, at least I got a sword lesson out of it ...I’ll think about forgiving you,” she responded with a coy smile. Metal Sonic was a bit of a mystery, but she could sense that he was apologetic in saving her and as he reactivated H1. She felt it was genuine, though she promised herself to keep him on his toes if they ever say one another again. “Anyway, don’t you need to charge, too?” she asked.

“There is enough for us both. In any case, I can spend a bit more time with you this way.”

She grinned playfully. “Yeah, too bad we’re in no shape for a dance lesson.”

“I suppose not... Perhaps next week, then.” He forced it out indifferently, but there was hope in his response.

It was unclear whether he was just teasing her. Amy flushed suddenly, turning her gaze away. Nothing could have been stranger than feeling this fondly toward Metal after the emotional roller coaster of the last several days, but the idea of being that close again didn’t sound so bad to her now. Only time would tell how the unusual new friendship would play out from opposite sides, but Amy was more than willing to find out. “Yeah, I guess that’ll work,” she responded finally, smiling back up at him. She couldn’t help but think that he’d be grinning back if he could.

-----

“ The treasure has been… compromised, ” Rouge explained. Footage of her on a beach played on a small hand-held tablet. She was wearing a scuffed-up navy suit but stood with confidence and authority. “ There were some… complications. It may be too dangerous to excavate. ”

B-roll of the surrounding area played as a news anchor reported the story. A dark, tropical beach with a mountain at its center. A pile of rubble surrounded by crew members as Tails pointed at and discussed various spots. Rouge storming off the beach as Knuckles followed after her angrily.

Sonic watched the morning news in awe. He’d been lounging groggily near the Master Emerald when he sat up at the appearance of his friends.

“ … and perhaps most strangely of all, the missing historical ship, the Royal Fortune, was found drifting just offshore. She appears to have sustained some damage over the week or so since she went missing. Her disappearance seems to be related to the notorious Dr. Eggman. ” As an announcer spoke, the recording showed a short clip of Metal Sonic and Amy chatting at the bow of the now-anchored ship, her leaning over a railing nonchalantly and giggling while he stood in a stately manner, his gaze fixed on her. Amy then ducked out of the shot when she spotted the camera. Metal Sonic turned to face it directly, glaring with his left eye flickering eerily. The shot quickly panned away.

“Is that…?” Sonic’s jaw dropped as he watched the clip, unable to fathom just what kind of adventure they’d ended up on. Seeing Amy lounging around with Metal Sonic on a stolen vessel was by the far the strangest, but everyone appeared to be safe and would likely be returning soon, so there was no need to worry. “Heh, can’t wait to hear about this.” Sonic went back to his leisurely position as the story ended, grinning over the unexpected footage of his friends and eagerly waiting to hear about all the fun his team was having without him. Still, he doubted it would be enough to get him tagging along on the next seafaring adventure.

-----

wow so that ended up being like twice as long as intended~ i hope yall enjoyed it. meant to have it up earlier but. that’s life.

this is of course part 2 to what i was working on for @metamy-ship-week​

a very very very special thank you to @mmm-asbestos​ for inspiring this fic and brainstorming the story with me. i am incredibly thankful to have worked on something with someone who inspires me so much ❤ i had a great time

happy new year friends~ i hope 2021 treats you all with kindness.

[drivingsideways]

Here, have like 5.7k of not-fic, because I am *still * not writing in this fandom, god damn it. 

In which Gon is an asshole, and Tae-eul knows it. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop Jo Yeong from wanting him.

It’s at the naval academy that Gon realizes that he is, in fact, in deep shit.

Gon is there because he’s expected to be there, Yeong-ah is there because Gon is there, and also because he’s the most stubborn 16 year old in existence, and even commanding him to stay at school and join only two years later, along with his peers hadn’t worked, probably for the first time since Gon had given him a play sword and brought an infinitely more precious thing into existence.

 Yeong had just turned up in the naval academy class in his trainee uniform, all coltish limbs and squared shoulders and defiant chin and serious eyes, and his collar more starched than even His Majesty’s and Gon had thought god damn it, but he’d also been conscious of a sense of relief. It was lonely without his shadow of almost twelve years now, and honestly, if Yeong-ah thought he could do it, who was Gon to disagree, because he knows what Yeong-ah is capable of when he’s determined.

 (Yeong-ah has the scars to prove it, and Gon has the worst night after his father’s murder to remember, the night when he sat beside Yeong’s bed as he slept off the anaesthetic, post surgical removal of a bullet from his shoulder. Yeong had taken off his service vest during combat training, apparently deciding that he needed to learn to fight through an actual bullet wound.

The idiot.

Gon had wept all night beside his bed, and raged at him in the morning, and expressly forbidden him from pulling a stunt like that ever again, and Yeong had looked at him, confusion in his dark eyes, and said blearily, his usually lovely clear voice still thickened by sleep and painkillers, but how can I be the unbreakable sword if I don’t practice?

Yeong, Gon had replied, helpless in the face of such devotion. Yeong.

 So yeah, he should have probably known that Yeong would turn up at the Academy.)

 The four years at the academy are great- actually the most freedom Gon has ever experienced, which is hugely ironic, given, it’s like, the navy; and he wants Yeong to have that too before they both return to the palace. He wants Yeong to have as normal an adolescence as he can, hang out with the guys, make friends, and who knows, maybe even date? Like, Yeong should have the delicious experience of a first kiss, her lips soft and tasting of champagne and plum-flavoured lip balm, the slim curve of her waist that fits into the slightly damp palm of your hand, and the fluttering of her eyelashes against your cheek, and the wild roaring of your heartbeat in your ears- and her almond-shaped dark eyes on yours- 

 Yeah, so, Gon wants  Yeong to have all of that and more, and he’ll do his best to arrange the world so that it will happen; what kind of elder brother would he be if he didn’t?

 So when they’re at one of the few parties that trainees- including His Majesty- are allowed into at the Naval Club, he tries to manoeuvre things suitably so that he can casually introduce Yeong to some pretty young things, at least two of whom, he’s pleased to note, have the good taste to realize how handsome and adorable Yeong is. Well, he’d best leave them alone now, trusting that nothing can stop a determined young woman who’s spotted something she wants- and in the meanwhile, he has caught sight of Ms.Kim Seo-Hyun, she of the laughing dark eyes, and the wicked mouth, and goes off to renew a very pleasant acquaintance in the shade of some conveniently placed trees. 

 It’s a while before he returns to the main ballroom, and his eyes scan for Yeong, and don’t find him. He’d half been expecting for Yeong to break in on Seo-Hyun and himself, because Yeong rarely lets Gon out of his line of sight, except for very good reasons. And hey, look at that, perhaps for once, Yeong was not thinking about protecting Gon, and was instead having a good time by himself.

 Good, he thinks, the light buzz of alcohol in his veins adding to the generally pleasant feeling, and he smiles to himself when he thinks about the fun he’ll have later, teasing Yeong about it. He stands for a minute watching the milling, chattering crowd, god, it’s warm in here. 

He finds what looks like a deserted corridor, that lines the back of the club building, and drifts down it, hand still clutching the slowly warming glass of champagne (his fourth) that he’d taken off a passing tray. 

He recognizes Yeong from his silhouette- of course he does- before he actually sees him. He’s leaning against a pillar- if such a ramrod straight posture could be termed leaning - and he seems to be in conversation with someone opposite him, who’s entirely in shadow, thanks to a pillar and a large leafy potted plant. The clouds clear at that moment, and the moon comes out, and Yeong is smiling, actually smiling, with his teeth and everything, the smile softening the sharp cut of those cheekbones, and the sight stops Gon in his tracks, because Yeong rarely smiles, Gon should know, Gon has worked harder at winning those smiles than at any mathematical problem, but here’s Yeong, smiling at someone who isn’t Gon. 

 He should probably leave- after all, he doesn’t want to embarass Yeong or accidentally crash their rendezvous- but for some reason he can’t move. He can’t move, and he can only watch as the person opposite, comes out the shadow- and that-that is not a girl- no, that’s another cadet, and he’s crossing the two feet between him and Yeong, and now he’s leaning in, a little, one hand coming to rest over Yeong’s shoulder on the pillar behind, while the other comes up to tilt Yeong’s face toward his, and Yeong’s eyes are dark, unfathomable pools, but he’s leaning in, his eyelashes fluttering shut, and then-

No, thinks Gon, No. 

He’s mine. 

And then, appalled, fuck.

 He manages to stumble away without being seen- the other two are too busy-  and listen, it’s not for nothing he’s been trained since childhood to wear an armour of charm and stoic politeness no matter the provocation, and he calls on every lesson he’s ever learnt from endlessly boring state dinners, and even more uninteresting briefings, and manages to get through the rest of the evening without doing what he wants to- destroy every single glittering, happy smile in sight- and grab Yeong’s hand and run. 

 Because Yeong would go along, if he did. Yeong would follow, like he always did, and if Gon- if Gon ever asked him- then Yeong would, of course he would, because Yeong has never ever not given Gon anything he’s asked for, not since he was four and Gon had bought him with a few thoughtless words, said mostly in jest, just so the little boy would stop crying like that, as though it was his world that had ended, and not Gon’s. 

 He lasts the evening, and the next two years, and he never asks Yeong about that night, or any of the nights after, and Yeong never volunteers the information. There’s a part of Gon that’s resentful, that wants to scream, do you trust me so little, do you think I’d love you less because you’re gay, and there’s a part of him that’s glad Yeong never tells him, because if it were- out there- between them, then Gon might become weak one day, and ask, after all, and no, it’s best that it remains unsaid, and it’s fine, it’s FINE. 

 He has Yeong in all the most important ways; he has his time, and his devotion, and his quiet, dry wit that he rarely displays to anyone except Gon, and he has Yeong’s touch, even- Yeong reaching out to pull him up from the floor after beating his ass at taekwondo, Yeong brushing lint off his shoulder after he’s dressed for one of those stupid dinners, the brush of his knuckles against Gon’s suddenly dry throat as Yeong adjusts his tie, the press of Yeong’s shoulders against his as they sit side-by-side watching The Seven Samurai for the forty-seventh time. He has Yeong’s face peering into his as he shakes him awake for the 4 am drill, and he has Yeong’s disapproving frown when he discovers Gon has skipped both lunch and dinner because he got lost in reading this brilliant new paper by Maryam Mirzakhani, Yeong, you don’t understand, the woman is a fucking genius, and god, why is it spinach today, why, Yeong, you’re so cruel to me. 

 They graduate, and then it’s back at the palace, and they slip back into its routines and confinements, and if he applied to the Pope for canonization, surely, he’d get it, because Gon deserves it.

 It’s been ten years since that awful, life-altering realization, and every hour since then has been a lesson in restraint and abject self-denial in the face of the loveliest and most every day of temptations:  to kiss the curve of Yeong’s quiet smiles and run his finger along the sharp blade of his cheekbones; to trace the shell of his ear, and turn fully into the warm heat of his body, that’s always, always within reach, and if Gon ever asked-

Gon doesn’t ask. 

 Then he’s transported to a parallel universe and meets Tae-Eul  and Eun-sup and she introduces him to things like half-and-half and also asks him questions like “what kind of king are you?”, things he has no real answer for, and it’s nice- it’s nice to be able to be honest with someone, to have them treat you like you’re a weirdo, but not like, a royal weirdo, and though he jokes about it with her, one day she says, suddenly, “You can be anyone you want to be here and you’re telling me that you choose to be some stick-in-the mud blueblood?”

She snorts, inelegant, and comfortable within her skin, and that’s when he realizes-

And alright, he has to sell a couple of more diamonds and some rare gold artefacts to arrange it, but then it’s done- he gets to resurrect Lee Ji-hun. Lee Ji-hun is just some guy here, a musician, not a mathematician, living a quiet, ordinary life in a moderately posh neighbourhood.  

 (Tae-eul contests his definition of “moderately posh” when she walks into his large fully furnished studio apartment, all floor-to-ceiling windows, and polished dark-wood floor, but listen, he wouldn’t be able to pull it off if he had to live in actual poverty, sorry, but he has limits. Tae-Eul gives him a distinctly unimpressed look, but probably agrees about his limits, he thinks.

 “You should be a lawyer or a tax consultant instead” she says, touching the beautiful grand piano he’s installed. “They’re rich”.

“Ugh, boring. Musicians aren’t rich here?”

Tae-Eul sighs, “Not ones as mediocre as you” she mutters

“I have never been mediocre at anything in my life”.

“Who told you that, Your Majesty?”)

  The reason he gives her for this entire project is that he wants to draw Lee Lim out into the open, but it’s not just him, but that part he never tells Tae-Eul. He’s told her all about Yeong of course, about his unbreakable sword , and she gives him one of her penetrating looks and says, abrupt, people are not things , and he feels himself flush to the roots of his hair

 I just meant, it’s not like that,  he stumbles, and stops. 

There’s an awkward pause. 

Then she says, quietly, I forget how different your world is. 

 And that’s it, isn’t it?  Here he can be anyone, and if he can be anyone, then he doesn’t have to be Yeong’s lord, and he can be Yeong’s equal, perhaps, and - and- but he doesn’t let himself hope for more. Equal. Friend, perhaps. If that’s all it can be, then that’s enough. 

 So he tells Yeong, who’s been quietly going crazy, he knows, what with Gon’s strange behaviour and disappearances,  about the parallel world, and Yeong says, sharp, and agonized- don’t go where I can’t follow - 

I’m not, he reassures Yeong, and then takes him through the portal. 

He introduces Yeong to Tae-Eul, and then to Eun-sup, and enjoys the mutual horror of the latter meeting very much. Seeing them together is just one more reminder of how much he loves his Yeong, though Eun-sup is adorable- everything about him loose and loud and in the open- in contrast to Yeong’s grave eyes and buttoned cuffs and ramrod spine, and that twist to the corner of his mouth that indicates that he’s suffering at the realization that his doppelganger is a complete goof, and god, Gon should probably stop staring so openly at Yeong, before someone realizes that he’s half a breath away from pressing Yeong against a wall and ruining him.

 He thinks he’s rather given himself away though, the way Tae-Eul is looking at him, something startled and then thoughtful in her eyes.

Yeong is incredibly suspicious of everything about Tae-Eul, though Gon tries to talk him out of it.

Why are you so determined to defend her, Yeong asks, sounding bewildered. 

She and I are bound by fate, Gon replies, quietly. I know it in my heart, just like I know she’s a good person.

He doesn’t quite understand the look in Yeong’s eyes then- a flash of something- so quickly gone that he might have missed it, if he hadn’t been used to watching Yeong all the time. 

But Yeong nods, once, and then says, in his brusque way, “What do you need me to do?”

Enter Lee Ji-hun. 

He gives Yeong the same story that he gives Tae-Eul, except that he doesn’t tell Yeong that there is no Lee Ji-Hun, because his bastard uncle had made sure of that. 

Find a way to befriend him, he tells Yeong instead, and stay by his side here, and if Lee Lim turns up, you have my permission to behead him.

Yeong gives him a dry look.

I don’t think it works like that here, Your Majesty, he says.

He’s my subject, says Gon, and he can’t quite keep a lid on the vicious hate that bubbles up from where he’s buried it all these years, and I am the law.

Yeong is silent for a minute, and then asks, how long?

Tae-Eul and he have worked out some kind of plausible back story for Lee Ji-hun

Anyways, he regurgitates it to Yeong, adding the necessary flourishes when needed, (“He’s supposed to be one of the best pianists in the country!”) who looks increasingly sceptical.

“Well?” Gon demands.

“I don’t see how I’m going to befriend him” Yeong gripes. “It’s not like I can play an instrument”.

Not to worry, Gon and Tae-eul have a plan for that too, though essentially their plan is to move Yeong, ex-military captain, now into private security, into the apartment opposite.

“Ex-military can afford this kind of apartment here?” Yeong asks, incredulous, while Gon narrows his eyes at him.

“Private security pays good money” Tae-Ul offers and gives Gon a look.

Hmm, says Yeong, and then proceeds to strip-search every bit of the apartment while Tae-eul gawks at him.

Gon thinks it’s adorable.

 So begins the most exhausting cat and mouse game that Gon has ever played with himself.

He’s just wondering how to arrange for a ‘chance meeting’ with Yeong- in the lift perhaps? (because he’s sure that despite everything, Yeong would probably take days to make a first move, and Gon simply doesn’t have that time in his schedule. As it is, working it out so that he gets at least four hours of sleep out of 24 has been an absolute nightmare.)

Anyways, he’s still musing on it, when there’s a knock on the door, and he opens it to the sight of Yeong in a half-sleeved t-shirt and loose trackpants and a really sweet smile, asking whether he can borrow some sugar.

Gon nearly expires on the spot, because for years now, even when training, Yeong wears full sleeved shirts with high necks, and this- this- excuse for clothing even has a v-neck, dipping down, and Gon unsubtly tracks the miles of skin between the hollow of his throat and where the dip of it ends, feeling a little like he’s been run over by a train, and he would really like to know why Yeong felt the need to dress like a total harlot to ask a stranger for a half-cup of sugar.

His silence has Yeong back away, with an awkward look.

“I’m sorry if I disturbed you sir” he says, and it’s so stiff and formal, and it snaps Gon out of his idiocy.

“Oh no..not at all…sorry” he says, “I was just…” he snatches around wildly for a plausible reason, “I was just distracted by this piece of music I was composing!”

(what?)

“Oh” says Yeong, “You’re a musician”.

“Please do come in” Gon says, “And allow me to make up for my rudeness by welcoming you with a cup of tea? Coffee?”

“Tea” says Yeong, another surprise, because his Yeong doesn’t touch the stuff, but will drink gallons of coffee.

“Nice” says Yeong, as he looks around the apartment with its modernist furniture, so unlike what they back at home, and the way he says it, so deliberately polite and fake, makes Gon hide a smile.

He walks to the piano while Gon gets the kettle going.

“So you’re a pianist”?

“Yes” Gon replies, easily, “What do you do?”

“I was in the army” Yeong says.

“Which division?” asks Gon, just to be a little shit.

“88th” Yeong replies, lying through his teeth.

Gon is proud of him.

“I’m with a private security firm now” he adds, conscientiously.

“Celebrities?”

Yeong shrugs, another strange gesture, “Mostly corporates” he answers. “It pays well”.

“I don’t suppose I could pay you to protect me” Gon says, smiling.

“Do you need protection”? Yeong’s eyes on him are sharp as he walks slowly toward the kitchen area.

Gon runs his hand through his hair, messing it up, and Yeong’s eyes grow sharper.

Gon had tried to comb it differently, to maintain some illusion of difference, but he’d probably ruined it, he realizes.

“Not really” he says, giving Yeong a sheepish smile. “It’s just that I’m new to Seoul so I could do with some help getting around the place”

“I’m new too” Yeong says, because that’s the story they had agreed to.

“Hey, perhaps we could figure it out together” says Gon, cheerfully. He sticks out a hand. ”Deal?”

Yeong gives him that smile again, and Gon wants to- wants to-

“Deal” says Yeong, taking his hand in a firm, familiar clasp.

 Gon explains away the reasons he stays at home, mostly- “Decided to give myself a break for a month, to settle in”- over tea and then over dinner (it’s not a bother, I was going to make some anyway), they chat about nothing and everything; the good thing is that Gon knows he needn’t worry too much about being “found out” by some inappropriate reference- at this point Yeong doesn’t know much about this world either. Honestly, it’s a piece of cake.

“The Seven Samurai” he says, unthinking, to a question about his favourite movie, and Yeong stares at him for a moment, before looking down into his bowl, and murmuring, “Mine too”.

“We should watch it together sometime then!” says Gon brightly, “I’m due for my annual rewatch anyway”

Yeong gives him a strained smile.

It goes pretty well for two days; Gon pretending he doesn’t see Yeong tag him all around his deliberate tour of the most unsuspicious places, and then in the evening, when Yeong’s gone back to his apartment, after being well dined-and-wined, Gon sneaks out and heads back through the portal, and spends half the night signing papers and reading reports, before he comes in before dawn back to his apartment.

On the third day, Tae-eul asks him to meet her after dinner.

“I’m going to be late” he tells her, already looking at his watch as he approaches her.  “There’s a mountain of paperwork waiting for me back home”.

“What the fuck, Lee Gon???!!!” she yells, and Maximus whinnies in distress.

He steps back, surprised.

“What do you mean?”

“Why haven’t you told Yeong that there’s no real Lee Ji-hun” she hisses at him. “What.The.Fuck.”

He pales.

“How did you find out?”

“Because I’m not an idiot and I’m a detective” she snaps.

“Have you been wiretapping us?” he gasps, outraged.

She snorts, “God you really have no idea about privacy and rule of law, do you? No, you idiot, Yeong called me to dig up more info on Lee Ji-Hun, and as you can imagine, I was curious why he would need to do that!!!!”

“Ah”.

“Yes”.

She ties her hair up, pulling the knot tight.

“Go on” she snaps, “Explain yourself! Do you suspect him of being a traitor?”

“What?! NO! Of course not!”

“Then why this whole game?”

“It’s not a game” he says quietly. “I-you said it yourself- I can be someone else here. I can be someone that- that- Yeong might- love-“

Tae-eul gapes at him

“Even a blind man can see that he already loves you!” she exclaims. “What the hell are you talking about?!”

“He loves the king he was given to”  Gon says, miserable. “I want him to love the man”.

She closes her open mouth with a snap.

“You know” she says, her voice taking on a conversational tone. “In a shittier story, you and I would be the ones falling madly in love, you with your I’ve waited twenty- five years to meet you and tallness and your face and your horse and everything. As if me, a girl from a middle-class family who works her ass off trying to protect law and order, would fall for someone like you, who literally thinks he’s the law and whose idea of “living in poverty” would keep one hundred families fed for a year. And that’s even before this bit of assholery.”

He sits down on the bench with a thump, and says, weakly, “At least we’re not in that story?”

“No” she concedes, with a small sigh. “No, we’re just in a slightly upgraded, but still shitty version where the lone female character is there to knock some sense into the heads of two emotionally dense male characters and keep them from doing something irredeemably stupid, like, oh, I don’t know, ruin the most important relationship in their life because they don’t know how to be functioning adults in a relationship?!”

“Tae-eul” he says, “I can’t-“

“Why not?” she says, “Why can’t you just tell him you’re in love with him?”

“Because I’m his king!” He yells, jumping to his feet.

“I’m his king, and he’s devoted his entire life to me, and he’s never said no to anything I’ve ever asked, and I can’t ask him this- I won’t—"

She stares up at him.

“And when he finds out?” she says, softly. “What then? Or do you think he never will?”

He shakes his head, and sits back down, covering his face with his hands.

“What then?” she asks, relentless. “What happens once we’ve figured this out and caught Lee Lim- how are you going to divide yourself then?”

“I don’t know” he says, muffled. “I don’t know. I haven’t figured it out yet. I just- I just want some time-some memories-“

“Lee Gon” she says, and she’s back to being kind, even if her words are painfully blunt. “Don’t be a fool. Tell him now before it gets more complicated”.

“No” he says, “No.Tae-eul. I know you can’t understand me or agree with me. But no. I won’t, I can’t give this up—”

Because it’s only been two days, and he’s already used to Yeong’s smiles, and his surprisingly strong opinions about ice-skating, and the way he pauses for a minute, inhaling the scent of his tea before sipping it. He’s used to Yeong sprawled loose limbed, on his couch as they argue about the which team should take the league cup, and hopping around in agony when Ji-hun tries out a new ramen recipe and spice, eyes streaming, and the stillness with which he sits , while Ji-hun plays the first movement of the moonlight sonata, and his eyes when he says, softly, “that was beautiful”.

The last ten years- the last ten years have been an arid desert compared to this- because he’s constantly been on his guard, always being careful not to let his feelings show, trying his damnedest to be the brother and king that Yeong thinks of him as, and Yeong had- Yeong had been the same, he realizes now. Yeong had maintained a distance too- the distance between a liege and knight, even one who was like a brother.

And now the rains have come, and things are sprouting green and wonderful and fresh, and Gon wants to let it grow into a garden, lush and colourful, for whatever time he has.

He wants to wander around this new, strange city with Yeong, discovering its sight and tastes and sounds and smells, and then, tired and happy, he wants to take him home and curl up with him, and he knows- he knows it in his marrow- that it could happen- that he could make Yeong his, really his- if only, if only he had the goddamn time—

“I have to go” he says, dully, rising to his feet.

She nods in silence and watches him leave.

 So that’s what he does, for the next two weeks, wandering between worlds, sleep deprived and bone tired, and the happiest he has been in a decade, Yeong by his side.

He thinks- he hopes desperately- that Yeong is happy too.

In the third week, he shows up as Lee Gon to meet Yeong.

Yeong is in his dark suit, with his collar buttoned.

“Your Majesty” he says, bowing.

They’re in a small diner, nobody looks at them.

If they did, what would they see, Gon wonders.

Would they wonder who these two men are, what their relationship is; one of them relaxed against the cheap faux leather of his seat, while the other sits up straight, tension in every line of his body.

“Relax, Yeong” he murmurs, leaning forward, putting his elbows on the table. “You’ll make people stare”.

It’s almost painful, watching Yeong make the effort.

“Your Majesty” Yeong says, quietly, “Are you well?”

“As you see” he says, with a small shrug. “I’m perfectly fine”.

Yeong’s eyes search his.

It’s fine, Gon has learnt to hide from Yeong.

“How’s Lee Ji-Hun?” he asks.

“Not in any danger” says Yeong, and picks up his coffee mug, taking a deep swallow.

He doesn’t volunteer anything more.

“What is he like?” Gon asks, because he has to know.

Yeong sighs, and then looks up, meeting his gaze.

“Sometimes I think he’s you” Yeong says, “Sometimes”.

Gon feels his heartbeat speed up.

“In what way?”

“He has your face”

“What else?”

“Your Majesty” Yeong says, “I think it’s time I went home”.

“Lee Lim could…”

“Lee Lim is more likely to make an attempt in Corea” Yeong argues, “He’s not interested in Lee Ji-hun, why would he be?”

“Why do you want to go home?” Gon asks, abrupt.

“Because you’re there” Yeong replies, and it sounds- sounds so simple- when he states it like that, and Gon is sick to his stomach.

“You’ll stay here” Gon says, “As long as I want you to”.

Yeong stares at him, the hurt in his eyes obvious.

“Yes, Your Majesty”.

 Later that night, after Gon has- dismissed – Yeong, and taken a long, miserable, lonely walk, he lets himself into the studio. A warm shower might help, he thinks, tired and heart aching.

He’s just pulled on his pajamas and a t-shirt, when there’s a knock on the door.

It’s Yeong.

He’s back to his casual attire, and seems to have showered too, after his meeting with His Majesty.

“Let’s watch Seven Samurai” he says, as he brushes past Gon, not waiting for an acceptance. “I’m in the mood for a movie”.

“Uh” says Gon, befuddled.

There’s one part of him that’s relieved to have Yeong- any Yeong- with him, there’s another that thinks, desperate, I can’t do it anymore, I can’t-

They watch it in silence for a while, sitting two feet apart, Gon with his feet curled up, and Yeong sitting oddly straight, hands in his lap- as if-

Gon thinks there’s an odd tension between them, but he can no longer trust his own emotions and he wants- that’s all he is now, he thinks, a creature stitched of want and weariness-

“Yeong” he says.

Yeong’s dark eyes are on his.

He reaches out a hand and covers Yeong’s hands with it.

Yeong’s sharp inhale, and his exhale are swallowed as their mouths come together.

“Yeong” he moans, after a minute, and his wants and needs are expanding every moment like the universe, and if Yeong doesn’t- doesn’t-

But Yeong does.

He pushes Gon down on the couch and clambers over him, his mouth already red and wet with Gon’s kisses, his eyes burning into Gon’s, and his hands tugging at Gon’s t-shirt.

Gon grabs his wrists.

“Bed” he gasps, and he’s a little shocked at how high and needy it sounds. “I want you to-I need you to-“

Yeong stills.

Please, Gon whispers, and he’s not above begging, he’s not above getting on his knees-

Yeong slides off his legs and gets to his feet, looking down at Gon.  

For a moment they stay frozen like that, Yeong’s wrists locked in Gon’s grip, and all the air in the room is gone, Gon, thinks, lightheaded.

Then Yeong breaks his grip, easy, like he’s trained to do, and he’s hauling Gon up by his hand instead, and into his arms, and then they’re stumbling toward the bed, barely six feet away, clothes flying in all directions as they try to do several things at once, and Gon’s not being kissed, he’s being devoured, he thinks helpless, as he falls into the bed with Yeong above him, something fierce and intent in his eyes, and it reminds Gon of that time they went bungee jumping, the roaring in his ears, the wild thudding of his heart, and sensation of falling, falling, falling, but Yeong’s there to catch him, as he always has been, and always will be.

 Afterward, Gon kisses the top of his spine, and nuzzles at the soft skin under his ear, curled sleepy and content around Yeong, hands splayed across Yeong’s rib cage.

Yeong sighs.

Slowly, his body relaxes against Gon’s and his breathing evens out.

 In the morning, Yeong is already dressed when Gon wakes up, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“Do you have to go so early?” he rasps out. “I’ll make you breakfast”.

Yeong’s smile is apologetic.

“Sorry” he says, “Can’t stay”.

Gon blinks up at him.

“Oh” he says.

“Will I see you this evening?”

Yeong says, quietly, “There’s another matter I have to attend to”.

Gon nods.

This is Yeong trying to let him down gently, he realizes.

“Alright” he says, and oh, is this what heartbreak is, this quiet shattering, surely there should be more noise, “Alright”.

 Of course, he does see Yeong that night, except that it’s as Lee Gon, as himself.

It seems he needs some reminding of that fact.

“Your Majesty”.

Gon has chosen a place that Yeong and Lee Ji-hun had been to just last week, talking and laughing for hours over food and beer.

It’s cruel; he consoles himself that the cruelty is directed toward himself, for Yeong obviously doesn’t care.

He sits, straight-backed and prim as ever.

“How was your day?” Gon asks, eyes on the menu. “Anything new to report?”

When there’s silence, he looks up.

“I’ve compromised the mission” Yeong says, quietly. “I slept with Lee Ji-hun”.

Gon stares.

Whatever else he’d expected from Yeong, it wasn’t this.

“Why?” he says, and it doesn’t matter that his voice comes out strangled.

“Because he has your face” Yeong says, still in that quiet voice,  “Because sometimes, he’s you, and I was greedy, and tired of wanting, but not having, and I couldn’t help myself”.

“Yeong”.

“Is it treason?” Yeong whispers, “To want you like this?”

Gon swallows hard.

“You know” he says, and his voice wobbles, a little,  “There’s sencha at the palace too, but you never drink it there. Why?”

Yeong’s face does too many things for him to parse.

 “Why?”

“I was greedy, and tired of wanting, but not having, and I couldn’t help myself”.

“You never asked” Yeong says, and it sounds like he’s bleeding. “Don’t you know there’s nothing I would deny you?”

“That” says Gon, softly, “was the problem. I wanted you to want me”.

“You are not a soul divided” Yeong says, “not to me”.

Gon nods.

“I know” he says, “but I feel like that. Sometimes. All the time”.

“Gon”

It’s the first time that Yeong has called him that, the first time since they were children, and Gon had stupidly bought a soul without thinking of the consequence.

His name in Yeong’s mouth sounds like that’s where it was always meant to be.

He places his hand on the table, palm turned upward.

“Yeong” he says, “Forgive me”.

Yeong takes his hand and presses a kiss to his palm, and then turns it over, and kisses his ring, the one that means lord, master, king.

His dark eyes are not as unfathomable as Gon had thought, after all.

Gon exhales shakily.

“Alright” he says, “Alright”.

Their fingers tangle and stay that way, while they smile at each other, foolish, and Gon thinks, surely, everybody must be staring, how inconceivable for it to be any other way, when he feels like he’s been lit up from the inside by a thousand suns.

But no one is.

After a minute, Gon says, “Eun-sup told me the japchae here is pretty good as well”.

“Eun-sup” says Yeong, “knows nothing”.

[adoraang]

She-Ra Week Day 6 by @fauxghosts

Prompt: LOVE / destiny

Summary: The night before going to face down Horde Prime, Catra voices her concerns to Adora.

Read it on AO3

“Hey, Adora.”

Adora turned to see Catra walking out onto her balcony. The rooms at Bright Moon were always a bit… much. After living in the Horde for so long, the gigantic space is overwhelming.

Especially for someone like Catra.

“What’s the matter?” Adora asked as if she didn’t know. “Trouble sleeping? Or is it…?”

“We go into the biggest fight of our lives tomorrow,” Catra said. “If I’m being honest, I’m scared. I’ve seen Horde Prime at their most vicious. They won’t be holding back tomorrow, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for it. Plus, I just got here. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”

Adora grabbed her arms. “You’re the best fighter I know, and you don’t have a sword that transforms you into a giant lady. You don’t even have powers, and you’ve still managed to beat me one on one before. C’mon, I think you’ll be fine.” But that’s not what she was really worried about. “Now, what’s the matter?”

Catra sighed. “You can never let me get away with it, huh? It’s just… I’m sincere about changing and coming to the side of good. When I was at the Horde, I thought I had nothing left to lose. But I see now… Being here, with the Rebellion.. There’s actual stakes now.”

“Tell me about them.”

“Well, for one, I don’t want anyone to, ya know, die. I opened the portal, so this is my fault.”

As much as Adora wanted to deny it, reassure her that it wasn’t, she can’t. Catra needs to be accountable for her actions and everything she’s done, but she can’t do that if the bad things she’s done are sugar coated for her. Even if she is here now, it doesn’t change what happened in the past, and she shouldn’t be excused.    

“Second,” Catra continued. “I’ve done too much. I’ve hurt so many people. You’ve given me two opportunities to leave the Horde, but I didn’t take them. I could’ve, and we would be avoiding all of this.”

“It all comes from Shadow Weaver..” Adora mumbled. Her mind briefly flashed to the memory of Horde Prime snapping Shadow Weaver’s neck under his fingers. She shook it from her mind, turning back to Catra. “We know that’s the stem of the problem.”

“I’m not so sure she is."

“Tell me about that.” She knows that someone has to hear Catra, hear what she has to say. She knows that now. She wasn’t going to not listen anymore, not after seeing what destruction it caused.

“Even after we locked Shadow Weaver in a cell and made her powerless, I kept going on a spiral to darkness. I got worse while everyone around me got better. I sent Entrapta to Beast Island, for crying out loud! I’m the reason Angella's dead and I didn’t even know who she was! I did terrible things, and you still let me come here. They gave me a room and allowed me to fight alongside them.”

Glimmer vouched for her. After their time on Horde Prime’s ship, she kept saying that they needed Catra. It ended up clearing the air between them when Adora agreed, though it had taken her longer to forgive Catra. She’s still not fully forgiven. It would take a while for that to happen.

When she noticed Catra’s breathing speeding up, Adora grabbed her hand to calm her down. “Look at the sky.” When she looked up, Adora kept going. “You know how there used to be no stars? When the battle is over, the sky’s gonna be filled with them. Even more than what we have now.”

Catra chuckled through her heavy breathing “You can’t exactly transform into She-Ra, and our plan is barely a plan. How can you be so optimistic?”

“Because I know that no matter what happens, I’ll be alongside my friends. They’re your friends too, now. Plus, we have each other. Nothing really bad can happen as long as we stick together, right?”

Catra looked at her sideways. “Really? You’re using that to cheer me up? You’ve become a fossil, Adora.”

“I’m the oldie? Who’s the one who blew up a bot because I said ‘Hey Catra’?"

“That was not cool. I was frozen for at least a couple seconds because I had never heard you say it.” A beat. “Why did you save me?”

Adora blinked at the sudden topic change. “What?”

“Aboard the ship. I was on a completely different level, different cell with different security than Glimmer. Bow got her out. You came back for me. You got me off the ship. How come?”

She thought about her answer for a minute before saying, “I know they taught us the complete opposite in the Horde, but I’m telling you this now because you deserve to hear it. Not everyone is out to hurt you. Some of us just want to reconcile.”

“You didn’t give up on me?”

“Never!” Adora was almost appalled. How far did Horde Prime manipulate her? “I was devastated after the portal because I thought that was the end for us. You don’t know how happy I am now that you’re here.”

Another long pause passed between them as Catra figured out her thoughts. Finally, she sighed, grabbing Adora’s other hand, holding their conjoined hands in the middle. “I’m doing it differently this time. I don’t even forgive myself right now, but I know I will eventually, and maybe everyone else will do it too. But this time around, I’m charging into battle with Bright Moon plastered on a sign if I have to.”

Adora tugged her forward. “Luckily, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure it’ll just cause a lot of attention.”

“Oh, very funny. Like an eight foot warrior wasn’t distracting enough.”

“I think I was very subtle in my sneak attacks, thank you very much.”

“You literally couldn’t even walk into the woods, as Adora, without me catching you. I followed you, and you still didn’t hear me. Which one of us has the better sneak skills? I wanna know.”

Adora rolled her eyes. “Considering I was able to catch you, I’d say neither of us.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Neither spoke. Their hands were still linked with each other, and Catra took a step closer to Adora. “I want this to be the part where things start to get better.”

Adora moved a strand of hair out of Catra’s face. “As soon as this fight is over, they will be. But for now, we’re going into a very dangerous battle-”

“That we don’t know if we’ll even make it out of.”

The silence that washed over was a cruel one. Everyone knew the risk of the incoming fight. It wasn’t like they didn’t know a person or two wasn’t going to come back. Spinnerella was already gone. But the thought of it being Catra dropped her heart into her toes. She refused to believe it’d be her. After fighting so long to come back to her, there’s no way she’s dying tomorrow.

“You don’t have to worry about protecting me,” Catra rolled her eyes, basically reading her mind. “I know you’re thinking about it. I’ll be fine. I’m more worried about you, honestly.”

Her eyebrows crinkled. “Me?”

“You and your stupid self-sacrificng complex is gonna get the best of you, I know it. You’ll die for anyone out there. You’ll take their blow, their hit, whatever. You do it more than anyone, and that’s why you’re one of my biggest concerns.”

Adora sighed. She couldn’t even deny it. “I know you don’t like it, but-”

"I look out for you, and you look out for me. Nothing really bad can happen as long as we have each other," Catra chimed in.

Adora stared at her. "You just made fun of me for that. You are strange. But considering what's next…"

"You promise?"

Her heart squeezed. "I promise, but I think you truly have become a fossil-"

She was interrupted by Catra kissing her.

It was brief, hardly more than a peck. She was still breathless after. It had been three years since she’s felt those lips on hers, and she wanted to feel it again.

“It’s been a while since you’ve done that,” Adora noted.

Catra tugged her inside, closing the balcony door. “You better return that to me after the fight. Now, can we go to sleep? Or are you going to keep me outside, talking all night?”

They could. They’ve done it before. But now there were real stakes, not some Horde simulation. They had a job to do, and that job could only be done with a good night's sleep. After all, she was the one who was going face to face with Horde Prime when the plan started.

Collapsing on her bed, Catra didn’t curl up on the foot of it.

Instead, she tucked herself into Adora’s back, neither saying a word as they fell asleep beside each other once again.

[totk-headcanons]

Sheikah Link ft. Champions

Urbosa

Urbosa knew, logically, that when sheikah were in their stealth gear, not only were they near impossible to spot due to how the clothing had been designed, the magic woven into it, but they were also quite androgenous. She didn't pay the sheikah that silently trailed the princess any mind. They guarded the princess, after all, and the princess did know the rules. When she saw them outside of the stealth suit though, wearing a bright blue tunic, it registered that the sheikah was male. And she quietly pulled them aside.

"Voe are not allowed in Gerudo Town, little sheikah." Their head tilted.

"You're correct. And as a voe, not once have I entered. There have been many times the princess has visited I have been unable to follow her in." She allowed her posture to relax.

"Ah. I apologize for the presumption, young one."

"No need. I'm sure many would try and abuse your people's hospitality for their own gain. When we do arrive at such a time as I am a voe, however, I will not enter. You have my word, Chief Urbosa." She gave them a grateful smile.

"And I shall trust your word."

Mipha

"I swear, Link, it's like you get hurt on purpose sometimes!" A gentle laugh had the zora huffing. "Don't laugh at me, you broke your wrist! For what, so you could beat that stupid course faster?"

"Yeah. Aunt Impa promised me she'd teach me how to read tea leaves if I could beat it fast enough." She gave him a flat looked, and he cleared his throat, looking away. "Maybe not the best reason, I'll admit..."

"I hope your first divination tells you to stop getting hurt." He grinned.

"So doesn't work like that."

"So don't care!"

Daruk

The goron was in the middle of dispatching the leader of the lizalfos pack when he heard one drop behind him. He swung, felt a harder than normal impact. Glanced back to see Link slipping away, and his blade thoroughly embedded in the head of the lizalfos. The sheikah's sword shone as they dispatched the minions of the Calamity. They stopped short of killing one of them though, and when Daruk, finished with the rest, moved to finish it, they stepped in front of the lizard creature.

"This one has no malice in its eyes. Preventative measures are all well and good when they won't lead to the culling of the guiltless. It was following its leader." He huffed, glaring at the lizard creature as it scurried up and away.

"Preemptive strikes are how you win without losses." They scowled a bit.

"They're also how innocents get killed, Daruk." His shoulders slumped.

"I know, I know. I just... Hate the idea of that one getting away and getting possessed and rounding up another band to try and come hassle us."

"Even if it manages it, the gorons are a lot tougher than some pack of overgrown lizards. A low chuckle, and he slapped them on the back, sending them stumbling.

"Yeah, we are." The sheikah smiled a bit. Their back already ached, they could tell it'd bruise, but at least they'd raised his spirits.

Revail

"Don't see how some sheikah got chosen to be the hero. Aren't an offshoot of your people the ones so intent on raising the thing?" He squawked in surprise as a hand grabbed his sash, yanked him down to be eyelevel with the furious sheikah.

"Call the yiga my people again and there will be consequences."

"Like what? You're going to gut me with that holy blade?"

"Hardly anything so quick. Sheikah work best in the shadows, Champion Revali." He released him, stepping back. Zelda walked down the stairs onto the landing as Revali straightened, and smiled at them.

"I apologize that took so long, the chief is quite talkative." Link gave her a small smile.

"It's quite alright, your highness. Me and the Champion of Vah Medoh were simply talking." His eyes shifted to the rito, and his smile turned sharp. "It was rather enlightening." Revali felt his heart jump. The sheikah worked best in the shadows indeed...

Riju

"Riju, you need to sleep."

"What I need is to figure out how this works!"

"Which you can do better if you're rested." She scowled a bit at them.

"You're one to talk mister I have to kill every monster in Hyrule all by myself." She noticed them flinch a bit out of the corner of her eye, and turned a bit, frowning. "Link?"

"Not, uh... Not mister. Not today, at least? I dunno, it's confusing. Just... Not a mister right now."

"Ah. Understood." He looked baffled.

"What? Just... Just like that?"

"Yes. Many people feel like neither voe or vai, some feel like both, for others it changes." Their shoulders slumped in relief, and they gave her a small smile.

"That's... Really good to hear. Thank you, Riju." She smiled back.

"Of course." She turned away, only to yelp as arms were wrapped around her waist that hoisted her up. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm not a voe, so I'm allowed in town, which means I can drag you to your room." She groaned, pushing at their arms, and, though they'd bruise later, they didn't let go.

Sidon

"Hey, fishy."

"Link!" There were two very different shouts of his name. One, feminine, appalled by the fact he'd called the prince of the zora fishy, the other male, delighted by the sight of his friend and the hero's name for him. The prince moved over, sweeping princess and hero into a crushing hug.

"It's been far too long! Both of you!"

"I was here last week."

"I've been fighting the Calamity for a hundred years." The amusement was clear in both their voices, and Sidon laughed a bit himself, setting them down.

"Time, reason, they matter little. It's been far too long. And it's very good to see you both."

"It's good to see you as well, your highness." Link smiled, watching the two rulers talk as they began to move deeper into the domain. It was nice seeing them happy.

Yunobo

"I-I dunno, Link, it's really high..."

"Very few ways to conquer fear don't involve facing it. Here, I'll go first." The sheikah launched himself off the cliff, activating Daruk's Protection as he plummeted. The first impact fractured the shield, the second bounce worsened it, and the third landing shattered it. His shield appeared beneath his feet, and he easily maneuvered himself down the mountain. He heard a slam, glanced back to see Yunobo hit the rock an bounce. His barrier didn't shateer, but vanished after a moment as Yunobo curled into a ball, letting the momentum roll him down the mountain faster than he could alone. At the bottom, Link discarded the ruined shield into the lava, and Yunobo rolled to a stop next to him a moment later. He slowly uncurled, looking around before laughing a bit.

"That was terrifying!"

"You're grinning."

"Because it was so fun!" That drew a laugh from the hero, and he patted the goron's shoulder.

"Told ya it would be. Just had to take a leap, yeah?"

"I guess. The worst part was watching you throw yourself off a cliff, though! You're so soft! You could get hurt so easily!" Link held his arms out to the sides, standing straighter, putting his shoulders back.

"And yet, I stand before you unharmed." A soft laugh, and he allowed the posture to relax. "Come on, let's head back up. I have three more shields before I'm done." Yunobo's eyes widened.

"Again...?" Laughter echoed across the mountain side.

Teba

"You're holding the arrow too tight, Tulin." The sheikah gently pressed on the offending feathers, waiting until they felt a pressure against them to pull away. "Hold too tight, the fetching hits your feathers, you throw off your shot. Now, try again." The young Rito nodded, firing at the target. It sank in off center, but closer than anything else he'd shot. He groaned nonetheless.

"Ugh! It's so hard!"

"That's why it's a skill, why great archers are praised. If it was easy, you wouldn't feel very accomplished, would you?" Tulin grumbled for a second before shaking his head.

"No. But it's really hard, Link."

"It is." They both looked over to Teba as he walked over, Tulin in surprise. Link's expression didn't change much. "Why don't you take a break, son, go help your mother for a bit." He nodded, handing the bow to Link before starting to fly back to the village. They tilted their head.

"What can I do for you, Teba?"

"I thought he needed a break, that's all. Though, having heard what you said, I am curious where you became such a font of wisdom." The sheikah chuckled softly, looking away, rubbing the back of their neck.

"From my aunt. She trained me, and she was always saying stuff like that. Hard work feels worth it only if you keep it up, achieve what you're working for. Fear can only be overcome when it's faced. You reap what you sow."

"She sounds like quite the clever woman."

"She is. Most well respected woman in the village, actually." They sat, started inspecting the bow, and, when they were satisfied, went about making arrows. "Auntie always taught me things about how to manipulate people to get what you want." A low chuckle. "She's pretty good at it, but I don't know if I ever was."

"You seem far too earnest for that." A raised eyebrow.

"You do realize that's half the trick, right? Look trustworthy and people think you are?" A snort escaped the rito.

"It's not simply that you seem trustworthy, Link. It's that your very being exudes what you feel most of the time. When you're angry, sad, happy, it rolls off you in waves. Frustration is only seen in your actions and expressions, but I've never been able to pin what's fake and what isn't." A sly smile.

"Maybe it's all fake." A small smile.

"Maybe. I doubt it, but maybe." They'd never admit how much his words warmed them, even if half of a sheikah's training was about controlling your emotions.

*Blue (Saw a request for champions old and new, so voila!)

[i-am-beyoutiful]

Family Over Story: The Shield Brings The Sword

Here is the next chapter of Family Over Story!! I do want to apologize for the wait on this chapter. WrestleMania hangover hit me hard but I am back. Hopefully you won’t have to wait this long again. Anyways, in this chapter, we hop back in time to TLC 2012 and the shields first match!! I hope you enjoy!!

Read on AO3 

“YOU’RE BEING RIDICULOUS!!!” 

“I’M BEING RIDICULOUS?? I’M BEING YOUR MOTHER!! IF I DON”T WANT YOU OUT THERE, ITS NOT HAPPENING!! AND BECAUSE I AM YOU’RE BOSS, YOU WON’T BE GOING OUT THERE!!” 

A high pitched scream traveled thru the door and the four men standing outside of the makeshift office winced at the volume. Tonight was TLC and for the members of the Shield, it was their first match. Not just any match, a TLC match. For weeks the quartet had been doing backstage segments and appearing out of nowhere to beat the crap outta everyone and anyone that got in their way. The siblings were told two weeks ago that they would have their first match on the main roster but to know that it was gonna be a TLC match on PPV sent them over the moon. They all knew they had to leave everything out in the ring. 

Cecily had been yapping about all the cool things they could do in this type of match. All the spots they could do together. Saying Cecily was geeked would be an understatement. Damage, down in NXT, was know for brawling. Hitting hard, fast and with a vengeance. No one messed with Damage unless you wanted a one way ticket to pain. Cecily changed the game and she planned to keep that going with this TLC match. Which lead to the screaming match that the men of the McMahon-Levesque family were hiding from. A first draft for what creative wanted the Shield to do during the match passed across Hunter’s desk and Stephanie happened to see it. To say Stephanie was horrified would be an understatement. 

Stephanie had her husband take out any spot that would put her daughter in any harm period. Hunter tried to change her mind but she was immovable. When the four siblings arrived at the arena and got the word from Road Dogg, informing them of the situation, the boys could barely keep up with their sisters steps. They got there just in time to see their dad pushed out the room and the door slammed in their faces. 

More screams traveled through the door and Roman rolled his eyes

“Dad, What could Cecily possibly be mad about? It’s not like there won’t be more matches for her to participate in.” Roman mentions. 

“I don’t think its the fact that she won’t be in this match. It’s what creative had signed up for her.” Hunter shook his head, “Seth was gonna be in harms way and she was gonna take chair shots for him then eat a table spot.” 

“WHAT!” Seth shot up from the floor in surprise. “And you said no! Dad, Cece lived for that stuff down in NXT. Taking a couple chair shots is nothing to her!” Seth exclaimed.

“Trust me, I know and I was all for it. This is all your mom. She was appalled and put a stop to it.” Hunter held his hands up. Dean got ready to respond but the door slammed open. Cecily walked out, taking heavy breaths, looking every bit of pissed. Seth tried to say something but was cut off by Cecily’s finger. She just shakes her head. 

“I’m gonna go get my make-up done because we have a segment to film. I’ll find you after.” Cecily took off towards the makeup chairs. All the men staring at the retreating figure of the female Shield member. Dean got a good look at her face and Cecily looked devastated. He could see his brothers on the verge of going after Cecily which would just end in a even bigger explosion. 

Dean slapped Seth’s shoulder, “Hey let’s go get changed. We probably got some lines to memorize.” Dean leads his older brothers away and gives his dad a nod. Hunter sighs again before stepping back into the office to face the storm that is his angry wife. 

Damage was arguing with her Shield brother, Seth Rollins.

“THERE IS NO WAY I’M DOING THAT!!”

“LOOK, YOU COULD GET HURT! DO YOU WANT THAT?”

“OHHH SO SUDDENLY ITS OK FOR YOU TO GET HURT!!”

“YEAH BECAUSE I’M AN ACTUAL WRESTLER!!” 

“YOU MOTHER-” Before Damage could finish, the hand belonging to Dean Ambrose clamped over her mouth, muffling the words she was saying. Damage shook Dean’s hand off and went to leap at Seth but Roman interrupted. Stepping between Seth and Damage doing well to make sure his brother wasn’t hurt before the fight they had tonight. Seth and Damage were glaring daggers at each other, ignoring their fellow Shield members. 

“What the hell is going on? Tonight is not the night for in fighting. We have bigger fish to fry.” Roman glances between them trying to gauge what could possibly be causing this commotion. 

“Seth has ordered me to stay back stage while you guys go fight Ryback and Team Hell No. Tell HIM that’s not happening!” Dean and Roman glance at each other.

“Weeeellll??” Dean began and shrugged his shoulders. Damage turned to her brother in shock. 

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME DEAN!!!!! Out of all of you, you’re the one to tell me no!?” Damage shook her head in disbelief and turned to Roman pleading with him. He was her last hope of changing hers brothers minds.  

“Come on, Roman! Make some sense please? I can help you guys out there.” Damage got her answer in Roman’s silence and she was taken aback. 

“Wow. I guess all the times you said I’m just as much apart of the Shield as you are was a lie.” Damage, hurt by her brothers distrust, started to walk away but was grabbed by the elbow, stopping her in her tracks. Damage ripped her arms out of her brothers grip. She walked out of frame, her brothers staring in concern after her. 

Right before the Pre show ends, a clip plays showing Damage fixing her boots. To her left, the locker room door opens with a creek. Damage stops and sits up. 

“Whoever it is, I don’t want to talk.” Damage goes back to her shoes when three people walk in. 

“I said I don’t want to talk,” She stands and faces her brothers, “Especially not to anyone who doesn’t trust me.” Seth rolls his eyes, already tired of his partners dramatics. 

“Oh get over it Damage!! Its not about us trusting you.” Damage interrupts, enraged at her brothers response. 

“NOT ABOUT TRUST!?!?! Of course it’s about trust. You don’t trust me to go out their and do anything and everything to make sure to Shield come out of TLC with a win. You don’t trust me to have chair cracked over my back. You don’t trust me to crash thru tables. You don’t trust me to take a ladder to the stomach and you guys trained me!” Damage breaths are coming out rapidly, her anger working her up. “If you expect to stand back here and watch as my brothers go to war in TLC match like any of these other good for nothing Divas,” She holds her hands up to pause, “Except for Naomi, Katilyn and AJ Lee, Natalya and Beth Phoenix.” The crowd laughs at Damage’s own interruption. 

Damage’s breathing calms down. She drops onto the bench below her and crosses her arms, “I will not be made to feel invalid.” 

Dean drops into the seat next to her and shakes Damage’s shoulder grabbing her attention. 

“You are not invalid. You are a valued member of this brotherhood. You’re the only women we could tolerate. And trust us, none of the divas back here could pull off the Shield fare like you can.” Dean and Damage share a smile before he continues. “Now the reason we don’t want you out with us isn’t because we don’t believe you can’t take a hit. You’ve taken plenty and you’ve stood tall after. We don’t want you out their because we would have to watch you take those shots for us when you don’t have to. Seeing you do that may take our focus away from the match. And I know, for you, its important that we win. Its all you’ve been harping on for weeks leading up to tonight.” Damage laughs a little before Dean embraces her. Roman speaks up, finishing off his brothers speech. 

“We gon go out there and we gonna beat the absolute crap outta Team Hell No and their little sidekick and show them why we are the Shield from injustice. Now lets do this!!” Dean stands and the boys join fists. Damage looks at all them and stands. 

“You all take care of business tonight. And If anything and I mean anything happens out there no one is gonna be able to stop me. I’m running down there, chair in hand, and I’m swinging until something breaks. Its just a matter of timing if its the chair or someone’s back” All the boys nod with a smile and Damage thrusts her fist into the empty space waiting for her.

“You gonna be okay, Cece?” The boys just got the ten minute warning and they were heading up top for their entrance. Dean and Seth were already heading up but Roman stopped to check on his sister once again before leaving the locker room. Cecily hasn’t said a word since they finished filming. She hadn’t even reacted to all the matches playing out on screen. All her brothers were concerned but they had more important things to worry about. Going into a TLC match needed all their focus. Cece shrugged off all their questions. Telling them to direct their concerns on not getting hurt out there.

Cecily turned to her brother, a half hearted smile painting her face. 

“Go kick some ass.” Roman nods and closes the door behind him. 

Cecily continued to sit in the locker room watching the end of Kofi versus Wade Barrett when her mother walked in. Stephanie tried to speak but Cecily evacuated the space before she could get a word in. Cecily was walking thru the hallways and she ran into her Dad. He placed a hand on her shoulder as she was passing. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered. 

“Hey have you spoken to mother?” 

“Naw she entered the room and I left. I’m trying to find a monitor so I can watch my brothers match.” Cecily tried to exit the situation but Hunter stops her again. 

“Dad, I don’t feel like doing this right now.” Cecily rolls her eyes. 

Hunter drags her forward, back toward the shared locker room, “You don’t but I do.” The two reach the door. Hunter holds it open and just waits for Cecily to enter. She huffs angrily but enters the room to face her mother watching the beginning stages of her sons match in bated breath. Stephanie glances over at her daughter and her husband. 

“Sweetheart, can’t this wait until after our sons match?” Stephanie proposes but Hunter cuts her off. 

“No it can’t. Now Cece could you please explain to your mother why you’re mad.” Hunter hands the floor over to Cecily. Their oldest daughter looks around the room, anywhere but her mothers face. 

“She doesn’t trust me.” Cecily finally blurts out and Stephanie is taken aback. 

“Cece! When have I ever said I don’t trust you?” Stephanie asks. 

Cecily rolls her eyes again, “You may not say it but you show it. You never let me pick my own clothes for events. I had to basically wrestle you into letting me dress like an actual Shield member and not a normal diva valet. You don’t even let me drive on the road and tonight was the last straw. I’m a trained professional wrestler, mom, and tonight you basically showed me that you don’t trust my training to be able to go out there and take a table spot and couple chairs to the back.” Cecily eyes bored into her mothers before looking away, directing her gaze back to the floor. 

“Sweetheart, I didn’t know you felt that way. I only said no because its your first big match on the roster and I already have to watch my boys put their bodies thru this.” As if on que, on the tv, Seth and Dean get planted onto an awaiting ladder and everyone in the locker room winced. Stephanie points at the monitor, “I knew I was gonna have to accept this but it never crossed my mind that I would have to watch you do that.” 

Cecily sighs and grabs her mothers hand, “Yes but mom think about how I would be changing the game. The divas didn’t do brawls but I did. The divas don’t fight like the boys but I do. No one expected me to be taking the same shots as the boys down in NXT but I did. Mom the people have been clamoring for a change in the divas.They want wrestlers. They want the women and men to be treated equally and I could have been the start of that, tonight. Mom this can’t happen again. I want to go out there and prove to everyone that I belong in the Shield. That I’m not just a diva but you have to trust me.” Stephanie pulled Cecily into a hug, smiling at her husband. 

“I trust you Cecily. I won’t like seeing you do this but I trust you.” Stephanie and Cecily pull away with smile. Hunter smiles as well.

“Now that that’s covered I’m gonna run back to gorilla and make everything is going okay. Love you both.” And with that Hunter runs out of the room. 

“Love you too.” The girls call back then they settle in their seats to watch the rest of the match. 

“FUCK!!! My everything hurts!!” Dean exclaims while his mother checks on him and his brothers in the trainers room. The family was waiting for the trainers to come back. Cecily laughs at her brothers comment. 

“That’s what happens when you have a TLC match, Dean. But other than the obvious pain you’re all in, How was it?” Cecily asks. 

“It was awesome!!” 

“That crowd was electric.” 

“They couldn’t get enough of us.” Cecily smiled. 

“Yeah I bet they couldn’t! Seth that table spot towards the end was SICK!!” The sibling continued to talk and harp on about all the cool stuff they did in the match.The boys wishing Cecily would have been out there with them. Cecily recounting all the things they did like it didn’t just happen. Stephanie and Hunter watched the scene in amusement. 

“How did you deal with seeing Cece do all those brawls in NXT?” Stephanie asked. 

“Oh I didn’t. Most of the time, I had someone else watch them to make sure no one got hurt.” The two parents laugh. Hunter shook his head in amusement, “You know I was terrified for Cecily when she brought up her and Saraya having a real brawl backstage. But I saw the look in Cece’s eyes. It was the same look my parents tell me I had when I told them I wanted to be wrestler. She believed this was her path and I gave her the ball to run with, no matter how much I didn’t want to see her do that stuff.”

Stephanie grabs her husbands hand and kisses it. 

“Then I guess we’ll suffer together?” 

“You bet we will.” They both smile again before joining in on the conversation their oldest kids were having. The family sharing this moment together. 

[nevillelongsbottom]

@hptriadsnet: get to know the members event othar - charlie x neville x rolf x luna

Neville’s never seen a sight before like the Gulf: it’s huge, swallowing up the vast nothingness of the cracking desert that surrounds it, full of lush green cactuses with man-sized spikes and groaning beasts with scaled skin that he can barely see through the occasional wallowing cloud; and even though it’s nothing, really, just plain ground that goes on for miles and miles, he’s hypnotised by it – it’s beautiful in that foreign way, the way that it’s so incredibly new.

“First time seeing the Gulf, huh?” Charlie grins, resting his elbows on the side of the ship, his flyaway hairs wild in the wind that rushes by them. “I love it here. Rolf thinks it’s too barren to be much fun, but I grew up on dragons and wyverns, and one of these days, I wonder if I’ll see one out here. But mostly it’s just the old one-eyed fliers that come too close, so watch yourself.”

“I am trained,” Neville objects – though he doesn’t feel like it, not anymore; his Academy robes are too heavy for the warmth of this part of the world, and he’s been wearing a half-unbuttoned thin cotton shirt and shorts since he realised that, magic student or stowaway or captain or hearty chef, everybody’s equal on Charlie’s airship.

“And I could fend off pirates one-handed in my sleep, but those fliers are still buggers and they bite hard,” Charlie says, reaching over to ruffle Neville’s dark hair. “Just trying to look out for you. Give me a shout if one of the eagles tries to snatch you away.”

“Hey,” Neville says, a look of sheer terror flashing for a moment in his eyes; Charlie sighs softly, his hand falling from Neville’s hair to the back of his neck, reassuring. “They – they won’t, will they?”

“No,” he says, laughing. “They’re far too small for that. I’m just joking. Sorry.”

Neville’s been on the ship too long to feel offended by anybody trying to scare him – it’s their idea of fun, of bonding, of inducting him as a new member, and so he just resists the urge to roll his eyes, resting his head on Charlie’s shoulder; Charlie, despite the muscles and the beard and the rough laugh and the knuckledusters, is a man for tenderness, for hugs and knees bumping and people sleeping in his lap. “Is the rest of the world like this?” Neville asks, his eyes twinkling; he’s never left his hometown, never mind the country – never seen the beauty of the singing lights in the Ascorian skies, the majesty of the neverending cities in Chie-Skua, never had coffee in the depths of a forest in a town made of wooden platforms. “This beautiful. It... it just makes me want to not to finish learning. I want to... I want to see it all.”

“Othor’s pretty, too, you know,” Charlie shrugs, the pads of his fingers dusting the collar of Neville’s shirt. “I’ve been there plenty times, and I still haven’t seen a damn thing in that city. It’s practically the size of the countries over where you live.”

Neville is quiet, watching the sky, a curtain of blue.

“You can do what you want,” says Charlie, “but you’ve always got the time to see the world.”

-

The ship ports for a day at the aerodrome in Catoosa, and Rolf invites Neville and Luna to join him on one of his many wanderings: this time, to see a friend. On the ship he’s always dressed in a way that makes Neville’s throat catch, in a half-unbuttoned cotton shirt and trousers held up with suspenders, his messy brown hair mussed in the breeze – but when they’re in town, he wears huge overalls and heeled boots, his pockets tucked with various weapons, bells, and foodstuffs and his straps affixed with various badges proclaiming him to be members of countless organisations from across the world.

He catches Neville’s stare, and grins.

“Where are we going?” Luna asks – seemingly ignoring the blistering heat of the Western sun, she’s wearing her Academy robes, the last relics of their significantly colder home, and she sticks out like a sore thumb in the city: her hair is pulled up and pinned to her head in a variety of braids, whereas the local girls let their hair hang loose round their shoulders. Neville doesn’t know whether or not he really does aesthetically prefer Luna’s braids or just likes them from familiarity.

“Charlie is doing some business deals, so I thought I’d visit an old friend,” Rolf says, cheerily, the flare of his three-quarter trousers blowing in the breeze. “He used to be a mercenary – good, too good, retired early with enough money to keep himself afloat, and now he lives out here with one of his friends. He’s seen a lot of the world, too – Charlie said you were thinking about travelling, so I thought he might be able to help you. And he keeps Kneazles.”

“Does he live nearby? There are lots of Nargles here,” Luna remarks; she sounds like wind chimes to Neville, which confuses him a lot.

“Nargles, huh? Never heard of them. You’ll have to point them out to me sometime. This way.” He veers on a sharp left, pausing for a moment to reach out instinctively for Neville – his hand stops in the air before floating back down to his side. “You okay, Neville?”

Neville is not okay, actually. He thinks Rolf is attractive, and he likes the way Rolf smiles, and he would gladly give up his next two years at the Academy just to keep travelling with Rolf. The worst part is – he doesn’t even know why.

“Uh-huh,” he nods. Rolf looks at him through floppy hair, and a moment passes this way.

-

It’s not Viktor’s job to convince Neville to stay at the Academy; and thus, he fails.

-

Rolf does it better.

He’s waiting when Neville knocks on the door, one of the straps of his overalls undone from where he’d had it safety pinned shut for good measure, and his eyes twinkle a little. “What’s up?” he asks, stepping aside to let Neville in to his little menagerie before squeezing the door shut behind them.

“I feel homesick,” Neville says softly, and when he leans forward and rests his head on Rolf’s shoulder, Rolf’s arms reach up to catch him; they can feel each other’s breath warm on their skin, and it’s like nothing Neville has felt before: this closeness, tenderness, an intermingling of their senses and experiences. Nothing this far away ever feels like home, the frigid cold of Gidi, but Rolf is the closest thing he’s felt to it: Rolf feels the way that people from home do – caring, soft, the type of man to stop at a corner and look back to make sure Neville is still with him and not stuck a half-block back.  

But his accent is all Othor, and it makes Neville wonder–

For the briefest of moments before Rolf kisses him, of course, hands knotted tightly at the back of Neville’s head; Rolf kisses like someone who’s kissed before, all slow and then fast, but his hands fumble for purchase on Neville’s arms as he digs deeper, kissing like he’d die without it.

Breaking free with his breath coming out in desperate gasps, Rolf turns to his bed, pausing as he remembers it’s simply a comfortable hammock; he turns his gaze to the floor, squeezing Neville’s hand, but the floor is littered with cages and cats and rats and Kneazles, and a non-negotiable no-go zone.

“Your room?” he asks breathlessly, letting Neville shyly tuck some of his wild hair behind his ear.

“I share it with Luna,” Neville says softly; Rolf frowns.

“Lock her out?” he suggests, but Neville shakes his head emphatically.

“We can’t do that!”

“No, I’m sorry, of course we can’t,” Rolf says, appalled at himself for a moment; he frantically looks around until his eyes finally settle back on the hammock. He sighs, and slowly begins to undo the safety pins on his second strap, revelling in the slow widening of Neville’s eyes and the hitching of his breath.

He undoes the button and lets the overalls drop; hypnotised, Neville follows him wordlessly across the room, forgetting the entire rest of the world in the map of freckles on Rolf’s back.

-

“WE GOT PIRATES!”

Neville bursts out of his cabin and into sheer chaos: the deck is full of people, many wielding cutlasses sharper than the swords of Gidi’s home guard, and he careens towards Luna – Rolf and Charlie are unapproachable, Rolf surrounded by a swarm of sharp-talon eagles and Charlie smashing in the face of a bearded man built like a dragon with his bronze knuckledusters, grinning manically with the adrenaline that courses through his veins.

He starts as a hand grabs at Luna’s collar, and without a second thought, fire comes spiralling up through him and then out, spinning out and curling around Luna’s attacker, squeezing tight with third-degree burns. He’s never really used magic for anything but convenience before, but it comes so naturally to him now and when the fire regroups and spills on the pirate, a wave of heat, it takes his consciousness to pull it back, staring wide-eyed at the scorched burns he’s left behind.

The pirate stumbles back, and the ship’s second mate kicks him over the side. “Nice one, mate,” he grins at Neville.

Neville can’t unsee the fire, and goes still as he watches the fight.

-

The airship’s medical bay is surprisingly large, full of small beds and boxes full of this and that pilfered from various cities; Luna, white mage to the core, loves pottering around in it, even though she doesn’t really need any of the equipment: just her own magic, cool against the pain of the lacerations on Charlie’s arms. He doesn’t mind being patched up, regarding Neville with wary eyes.

“Are you okay, Nev?” he asks, trying to ignore the distraction of the white light in Luna’s hands.

“We just – I just – burned him!” Rolf reaches over to squeeze Neville’s arm; he’s patching up the wing of one of the many eagles he summoned, apparently with a small bell he keeps in his pocket (Neville’s almost hesitant to believe it, despite the fact that, of course, he just summoned fire from nowhere). “And then – Blaise threw him off...”

“They were here to kill us, Neville,” Charlie replies, voice steady and cool. “I wouldn’t have the reputation I did if I let my would-be assassins return to the skies, would I?” He sighs. “It’s hard at first, I get it, but it’s our lives or theirs. This is what it’s like out here.”

He lets Luna finish healing him before standing up and walking over to Neville, tangling his fingers in Neville’s dark hair; his hands are still warm, and Neville resists the urge to allow himself to buck his head into Charlie’s hand. “I think you ought to go to Othor. It’s harsh here in the skies. I’m sorry you had to see it in person.”

“I’ll go get you some soup,” Rolf says. “You want to go back to your room?”

“I prefer yours,” Neville says, flushing. “For the animals.”

Rolf raises an eyebrow, but can’t stop the grin from spreading across his face. “Okay, sure, me too. Come on. Soup.” He reaches out his hand and Neville takes it gracefully, following him along the corridor; Charlie snorts, taking a seat where Neville had been, crossing one leg over the other.

“God, he’s cute,” he says, leaning his chin on his hand. Luna giggles.

“He is. So is Rolf.” She pauses for a moment, glancing over. “You too.”

-

They stop for fuel in Coracre, known to the ship’s crew as comfort food central, and so Charlie decides to take Rolf and his little Academy stowaways out for pie; Neville seems to be recovering with surprising certainty, and they’ve avoided further attack likely from the news of the first’s failure and the news that they have a black mage on board, so when they return to the ship, Charlie decides to make his proposal –

In Neville and Luna’s room, of course, because they have the biggest of their little quartet.

“So,” he says – they’re all seated in a little circle, and he loves it, because he can speak to everybody’s bright-eyed faces and can see the broiling excitement in Rolf’s eyes. “Rolf and I were talking, and I think we’ve had an idea.” Charlie traces a circle on his thigh, grinning. “We all like each other – so, instead of ignoring it, why don’t we all go out?”

Neville frowns. “What do you mean, all go out?”

“I think he means that, instead of a couple, we’re all a quad,” Luna says dreamily. “There’s four of us in this relationship, not two.”

“Will that work?” Neville asks, looking around – it’s true, he really does like them all and probably has a few too many feelings than he can really deal with sometimes for them all, but the idea of trying to wrangle spending enough time with all three of them makes his head hurt. He wants to be idealistic, but he’s just too much of a thinking mess.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Charlie replies. Neville looks at him, for a moment in slow-motion, and then lurches forward, hands clapping to Charlie’s cheeks, and kisses him.

-

“Is this your first time dating?” Charlie asks – the four of them are all sitting out on the deck and bathing in the Western sun; he’s lying sprawled on his back while Neville is sitting cross-legged, flicking through some of his new coursework now that they’re getting ever closer to Othor.

“It isn’t,” he says, flushing, “but it’s my first time – dating – a man. Two men.” He shifts, shutting the book and wiping a layer of dust from the hard cover. “Why – do you like me?”

“Too many reasons to count,” Charlie replies, shifting his arm from where it’s covering his eyes to sit up and drape an arm around Neville’s shoulders. “But really, the reason I noticed you in the first place is because it takes someone very ballsy to sneak onto my ship – and two of you? Academy students, no less. The kind of person who would put their education and lives in jeopardy just to cross the country and finish said education is the kind of person I’d like to know better.” He laughs, softly, earnestly. “And then I got to know you. And you’re not the kind of ballsy kid I was expecting – but you’re sweet, the pair of you.”

“It’s not that Luna is ballsy,” Neville admits, looking over to her – she’s talking to Rolf, the two of them admiring one of his intricately patterned summoning bells, “she just... doesn’t seem to understand that she’s being that way. Or maybe she just doesn’t care – we’ve been roommates since we started, but she’s still a mystery to me.” He leans in, resting his head against Charlie’s chest and feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat. “What about you and Rolf?”

“He’s just as much of a stowaway as you two,” Charlie muses. “When I first got this ship – stole it, actually, from a couple of sky pirates – he was waiting there, and asked me if he could come with. I’m pretty sure he’s from Othor, since he has the heaviest accent I’ve ever heard, but I don’t know much about him – just that he seems to have been anywhere and everywhere.” He reaches over a hand, and shouts. “Oi! Rolf! Luna! C’mover here. We’re going downstairs.”

Neville stills. “Downstairs?”

Charlie quirks his brows. “Downstairs – you don’t want to?”

Neville goes redder than the magma Charlie has seen flowing from volcanoes. “I’ve just... never... gone the whole way.”

“We can go slow.”

Rolf interjects. “We don’t have to do this at all.”

“No,” Neville says slowly. “I want to. Before we have to leave.” His voice drops. “I’m going to miss you. I want to spend time with you. Everything just feels so – surreal, and new, and a little bit scary.” He winds his fingers with Luna’s; hers are always cool with her magic, but his hand is clammy with sweat. “And then it’ll all be normal again, like none of this ever happened.”

“Except it won’t be,” says Rolf, “because nothing’s ever the same once you’ve flown over the world.”

It’s true, but not necessarily – because nothing is the same after they trail downstairs, all four of them, hand-in-hand, and Neville feels what it’s like to be a part of something – of someone; the feeling is more beautiful than the cracks in the Gulf, the spires of Giri, the festival streets of Catoosa, the sunset in the West where the yellow sun bleeds into the ground.

It’s more than home: it’s new.

-

Othor is never far away, and within a month, they’ve arrived: Neville and Luna hang over the deck, staring wide-eyed at the tall limestone buildings, culminating in the city’s tour de force – the Academy. It’s huge, so high in the sky at its pinnacle that it’s almost height with the airship, and Charlie is careful as he steers to avoid it, leaving just Rolf with their two stowaways.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he says with a grin; Neville can’t even respond, so awed by it all: it’s a beautiful day in Othor, with blazing sunshine and cobbled streets and a huge river running through the city, and he can see the Academy students in their lighter robes wandering around, and he can’t believe he ever thought of bailing on it. “I’ve been everywhere with Charlie, but I always miss it here.”

Luna buries her head in his chest for a moment. “It won’t be the same without you and Charlie.”

“We’ll miss you, too,” Rolf says earnestly, watching as the ship finally docks. “But, I suppose it’s time to part ways.”

Charlie is waiting for them outside, leaning against the hull of the ship; the rest of the crew have gathered too to say their farewells, from their matron Hannah to second mate Blaise, but Neville is desperate to get back to Charlie, who hugs both him and Luna so tightly he squeezes the breath out of them, smothering them with warm kisses.

“So, you’ll be studying for another two years, right?” he says, tucking some of Neville’s hair behind his ear; Luna nods. “Great. We’ll be back for you in two years – that is, of course, unless some business brings us back here first...” He has a twinkle in his eye that just suggests, and Rolf grins, too, pressing a kiss to the back of Luna’s neck.

“And we’ll travel?” Neville asks.

“Oh, yes,” Charlie says, rubbing his hands together. “Trust me, dear, you haven’t even seen the half of it yet.”

[pink-writer-girl]

Am I a Knight? Or am I a Fool?

Chapter 1

The moon shined providing the only light through the dense dark forest, a taravan of soldiers walked ethier on the ground or sat in on top of an old carriage was being pulled by a horse...though this wasn't any ordinary carriage....no this held a prisoner....an enemy to their Lords...an enemy who was dangerous not only for his crimes but for his  non-human nature.

*tck!* It took forever to capture this freaking dweller!" Knight Gawyn said with a scowl.

Dweller...it was the name of the race the creature they had captured...well more of derogatory term for them ...their true name was Dweldilin...though there are very few who call their race by their actual name...the creatures who dwell below the surface...the female wasn't proud to admit that this race was treated horribly by her own kind for what they are.. along with many other human races...she couldn't help but take a glance back at the prisoner in the back of the carriage...like true to his name he stayed out view clothed in darkness...he was hunched over with his hair in his face… his clothing was ripped and dirty, he was covered in bruises and slashes...he definitely put up a fight as they said...he refused to give up...the only reason they were able to capture him was because he was weak at the time.

"Relax Gawyn, we caught the beast now will receive great rewards and praise *haha*" Knight Berthelemy laughed.

"  *haha* knowing you Berthelemy the Heartbreaker you'll probably ask for women as a reward!" Gawyn said now laughing too.

Both laugh grotesque.

The only female knight Elysande couldn't help but wince in slight disgust  at what these too were implying as she turned her head back towards the front but tried to keep a serious straight face the whole time ... sometimes she wondered how these disgusting excuse of men became knights... though she knew better then to speak out against them do to them having seniority and because she was a woman….

Yes she passed the brutal training and was knighted much to the shock of most of the men in her class...but that didn't mean that they accepted her worth... and she still dealt with much harassment and scrutiny... 

" Ahhh look I think you making Lady Knight here uncomfortable" Gawyn Teased. 

Berthelemy snickers cruelly at this" She's probably just jealous that I'm  talking about other woman in front of her," he said as he leered at her. 

Elysande just kept her straight face not letting him get to her...the was a reason the called him Berthelemy the Heartbreaker because of all the brothels he would busted and all the broken hearts he left behind...she was surprised he hadn't contracted syphilis yet... Elysande did admit there where so features of him that women could find attractive about him with his golden curls of blonde hair muscular body and very extravagant armor but other then that the female found him repulsive.

" Alright both you shut up" the third knight said sternly.

Both men turn to look at their commanding officer Ives the Undefeated who was sitting next to Elysande on the carriage, he frowned at the men.

" You both are Knights of Shea Grein...act like it" Ives told the firmly.

Both the men nodded and turned their attention back to the road not wanting to upset the their commander not even Gawyn the Brute who lived to his name for his loud personality, huge his stature and and his brutality on the battlefield didn't dare go against him...the bald man knew just how strong and fierce their Raven haired commander was...Ives the Undefeated was master swordsman not with one but two swords at once...no had been able to beat him in their country...no one exempt the mysterious person who took his eye and refuse to mention till this day…not only was he strong he was very calculating and wise... Elysande could help but admire him because unlike the others he actually stood for what a true Knight is...not to mention he was quite attractive, there where many women back in their country who had great desire to be his wife or just to lay with him once, even Elysande had a slight crush on him even though he was 15 years her senior...the older man noticed the that she was staring at him making his one blue eye stare at her coldly.

 "Is there something wrong Elysande?" He asked her.

She turns red slight and brings her gaze back to the front

" No, nothing's wrong" she replied.

He frowned at her for a bit before turning his back as well.

" You better stay focus too Elysande, I know women get easily distracted but you knight first and foremost" He told her firmly but cruelly...yes Ives was a better man then the two here but that didn't mean he didn't hold prejudice that at a woman being a knight...it made her depressed when he treated like this.

" Yes sir…" she replied Meekly

It wasn't long before the saw light from a small village, the village had many cottages, with much much grass and texture to the structures and few people walking about due to being due being so late, it was small but comfortable. They decided to pull and wait for the rest of the night and get up early the next morning.

Berthelemy wince insulted that they had to stay in a such " low class" In once he caught sight of it but did speak up knowing Ives had already reprimanded him, The Heartbreaker came from a noble family so he had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

" Great I hope they have gin*haha* Gaywn chuckled.

Ives gave him a look" just don't over do it." 

Ives looked back into the carriage to make sure that their prisoner was still restrained, Elysande couldn't help but take a peak curiously but by then Ives had already closed and locked the door, they went inside to see an In with wooden walls, chairs, table a cozy fireplace with a bear rug in front of it, some paintings on the walks and a check in desk in the back, it was very homey.

At the desk what appeared to be a kindly old innkeeper with a white hair, beard with a tan button down shirt and brown vest greeted them with a warm smile.

" Hello travelers, how long will you be staying in our town?" The Innkeeper greeted them.

"  Just room and board for a night for the four of us and then we go the next morning" Ives said simply.

The innkeeper nodded as he went to grab some keys and handed them to Ives

" that will be 6 pieces of silver* he said with a smile.

Both Gawyn and Berthellemy looked appalled at this while Elysande looked at them like they were over privilege idiots...6 silvers was actually a decent price.

Gawyn wrapped his huge arm around the poor keeper acting like all friendly but the young woman knew it was to intimate him.

 Now now my good man when are Knights of Shea Grein on important mission from our Lord's, do you think it's right to make important men to pay for there stay on suck a mission" Gawyn said as he got close to his face.

Elysande couldn't help but be appalled by this behavior.. The man became very nervous….

" I-I-I.." the Innkeeper stuttered.

Before Elysande say anything Ives had already yanked the huge man off him making Gawyn hiss and rub his shoulder at the rough treatment.

Ives takes out his coin bag and handed the silvers to the man.

" I'm sorry about this, here take the 6 and here's a little extra for the trouble we've caused" he apologized.

The man nodded in thanks in surprise to have now 12 silvers I'm his hand. A warm feeling went through out Elysande body seeing her commander noble nature yet again. An hour passed and the knights were called down to meal that was prepared for them after they settled in there rooms, the meal appeared to be beef stew and smelled very fresh and good.

The young woman couldn't help but glance outside... curious about the prisoner...she them turned to see Berthelemy trying to use sweet words to woe the barmaid serving them making Elysande scoff lightly before getting up and taking out a bowl of stew.

Ives raised a brow as he watched her.

" where are you going?" He asked her

"  he needs to be alive to face his crimes, that means he needs to eat…" Elysande responded.

Gawyn laughed loudly" that beast rather wish for death then face what the Lords has prepared for him" he said cruelly.

By then Elysande was outside walking towards the door of the prison carriage slowly...she sighed deeply before unlocking it and stepping in...her figure shielding the light of the torches in the village...she could see the make Dweldilin eyes slightly glow in the darkness as he opened them and stare at him emotionlessly.

*******

Art by: BrinBrin(ghost)

We've been working on short story for contest :)

[empireofwrestlemania]

Something else

“Suppose even a nobleman’s influence has its limits?” jeered the voice of the guard who sat in the back of the cart with Faith. He was a large man, clad in the armour of the Emperor’s guards and watching her closely with a harsh expression. She’d heard him addressed as Joe before, but that was all she knew.

“Leave me alone,” she muttered.

“Why? Ashamed that your dearest father couldn’t save you from getting thrown out? I’d offer you a way out, but if you rejected Lord Randy Orton, I doubt you’d want anything to do with me,” he said with a chuckle.

“Absolutely not,” she snapped, glaring at him. “I am already in love-”

“Yeah, yeah, in love with some other guy. We all know the story, sweetheart, so spare me. It’s probably for the better that you’re being thrown away - Empire could do with fewer mouthy ladies like you.”

“You’d best watch your tongue,” Faith said, still glaring daggers. “You’d best believe that when I’m back, it’s you that I’m coming for first.”

“Sure, sure,” he said, rolling his eyes. Abruptly, the wagon came to a stop, and he smirked. “Looks like this is our stop.”

He stood up and walked over, grabbing Faith by the arm and forcefully pulling her upright. There wasn’t much she could do with her hands bound, so she had no choice but to let the large guard manhandle her as much as he wanted. She was fairly certain at one point while he was pulling her to the door at the back of the wagon, he tried to cop a feel, but at this point she wasn’t even sure any more.

The door was opened by another guard, decked in so much armour that she couldn’t see his face, and the large guard named Joe climbed out. He kept his grip on her arm, pulling her carefully down so as not to hurt her or cause her to trip. He smirked down at her.

“Last chance, you’re welcome to come back and stay in my cellar,” he murmured, lifting a hand and letting his thumb rub across her cheek gently. His very touch felt gross to Faith, and she did something she’d been wanting to do the whole time they’d bee in the wagon - she leaned up and spat in his face.

She heard a slight snort from the other guard, but Joe looked unimpressed. He glared down at her, clearly weighing his options. “Let it go, Joe,” came the other guard’s voice, and Faith was relieved. She knew that he wasn’t allowed to harm her on the way to the Outlands, but she had no way of knowing whether or not laying hands on her was fair game once there.

“You’d better hope I never see you again,” Joe murmured in a low voice before climbing back up in the carriage. He shut the door behind himself, and the other guard pulled out a knife to cut loose Faith’s hands.

“So that’s it?” she asked nervously, looking up at the somewhat-kinder guard. “I’m stuck here now with nothing?”

“Pretty much,” he said with a nod. “Good luck, kid. You’re going to need it.”

With that, the guard headed back to the front of the carriage. Faith stood there silently, watching them as they started to move. Within only a matter of minutes, the carriage had driven off in the direction of the Empire, and Faith was left behind in the Outlands, lost and alone and with no supplies of any sort.

She took a moment to take in her surroundings. It was bleak - almost reminiscent of the Demon Kingdom, though there was much more plant life. Tall grasses, the occasional bush or tree, but little else. It was going to be harsh terrain, and she’d have to find someplace to camp for the night - assuming nothing or no one else found her first.

She suddenly regretted not taking time to study the Outlands after she found out that Wade was moving here. He’d been the best blacksmith in the Capital, but had decided that life in the Empire wasn’t for him. His exile had been by choice, which had shocked a lot of people in town, but Faith most of all.

She’d been in love with Wade. They’d been carrying on an affair for several months, and when he’d left, she’d been heartbroken. She had no idea how to move on - and then, Randy Orton had come along.

A nobleman with significantly more power and prestige than Faith’s own minor noble of a father, she and Randy had met at King John’s SummerSlam Annual Gala. For him, it had been some sort of strange love at first sight - he’d invited her to dance, and she’d barely been able to get rid of him all evening. When he’d sent her a letter inviting her family to his estate, her father had refused to let her decline.

The trip to Randy’s had proven devastating for all of them, though. No matter how much Randy pushed, Faith was determined not to give him the time of day. From everything she’d heard, he was an awful man - he mocked fairies, taunted elves, and even went so far as to go hunting for giants, just for the fun of it. It was appalling behaviour by Faith’s standards, and as much as she knew that she had to move on from Wade, she also knew that a man like Randy didn’t deserve her.

Randy had eventually become frustrated. “My dear Faith, what is the matter?” he’d asked her while the pair were out horseback riding. She’d been given little choice in the matter, so she was trying to just enjoy some time out in the fresh air and ignore her awful company. “It feels as though you’re trying not to talk to me - do you not wish to get to know one another better?”

“No, frankly, I do not,” she’d answered, unable to tolerate his pushiness any longer. “I am not interested in you in that way, my Lord, and to be truthful, wish that you would leave me be.”

Such an answer was not what Randy had been expecting. He’d been utterly silent the rest of the way back to his estate, and that night, she’d overheard a heated discussion between Randy and her father.

They had abruptly left the next morning, the carriage overtaken by an uncomfortable silence as she and her family traveled home. “Father?” she’d finally asked in a soft voice. As much as she despised Randy, she also loved her father, and she hated that she’d disappointed him.

“Hm?” had been his answer, glancing her way out of the sides of his eyes.

“I’m sorry I disa-” she started to say, but he had cut in.

“I don’t want to hear it,” he said curtly, and she sighed softly.

“Please, father,” she said softly. To her surprise, he hadn’t stopped her this time. “Disappointing you was never my intention. I didn’t think before I spoke, and Lord Randy-”

“Lord Randy was an excellent choice of suitor,” her father cut in, and she knew that he wasn’t going to let her say all that had to be said. “Now you’ve offended him. He no longer vies for your affections, and-”

“But isn’t that a good thing, father?” Faith asked quickly. “It leaves me available for potential suitors whom I may actually have feelings for.”

“I don’t think you understand - you sit here talking about potential suitors, yet don’t recognize the potential danger you may have incurred for this family,” her father said sternly. “Lord Randy is friends with the Emperor. When he wants something, he gets it. Disappointing me may never have been your intention, but the result was something far beyond disappointment.”

“Danger?” Faith had asked, suddenly nervous. “Did he threaten you?”

“No, no, dear,” her mother said, finally speaking up for the first time the whole carriage ride. Faith had almost forgotten that her mother had been there, as she’d sat near the window and gazed out silently. “I’m sure it will be fine, we simply must keep our guard up in case Lord Randy tries anything. Now both of you, stop this fighting. I grow weary of listening to it.”

They had stopped, but it had been an uncomfortable, thinly-veiled truce. They had barely spoken a word to one another for the next several days, and when the Emperor’s letter had arrived informing them that Faith was to be exiled - for offending a noble, they’d said, as if she herself wasn’t a noble - her father had done nothing.

Faith could see nothing for miles. It was simply rolling hills of yellowed grass, decorated with the occasional bush or shrub. Did people really live in the Outlands? How? She didn’t understand it. She had nothing, and she was beginning to doubt that she’d last longer than a few days. She’d starve to death before she found the settlement rumoured to be out here.

She started walking. Frankly, she had nothing better to do. Maybe, just maybe, she’d get lucky. Maybe she’d find the settlement. Maybe she’d stumble upon some bandits who’d be willing to teach her how to swing a sword and let her live with them. Or maybe the bandits would be merciful enough to give her a quick death instead of letting her slowly starve.

She’d studied enough maps of the Empire to know what the Outlands looked like. They were on the coast, and to the North, there was a river. If the settlement was going to be anywhere, it would be close to the water - likely on the river, she figured, but maybe there was another smaller river that wasn’t mapped, or maybe they had a witch or wizard capable of filtering the salt from the seawater. Either way, she knew she had to travel East. She gazed up at the sun, contemplating its position in the sky.

“Is it morning or afternoon?” she asked, seemingly addressing the sun itself. “I don’t even know, I’ve been stuck in that cart for so long. And now I’m talking to myself.”

She took note of where the sun was, and then stopped to sit. It was hot, the sun beating down on her, but until she knew what way she was headed, she had no intentions of aimlessly walking in a random direction.

When she looked back about twenty minutes later, having almost fallen asleep right there on the ground, the sun had moved. Downwards. And a little to the left. Which meant that she had to walk away from it, and to the right.

And so, she started walking. And walking. She walked until her feet became sore, and then she kept on walking. She had nothing with her but the clothes she’d been wearing when the Emperor’s men had come to take her. The shoes were uncomfortable for walking, but she had to stick it out. Who knew, maybe the settlement would have a half-decent cobbler.

She froze when she saw a shape on the horizon. Was that...could those be people? Seeing the distant form brought a spring to her step, and she found herself hurrying towards it. She closer she got, the more she was able to make out the shape - it was another cart, but it was different from the one that had brought her here. It was pulled by a horse, and atop it, Faith could make out...three people.

“Hello?” she called when she was close enough that she suspected she’d be within earshot. “Can you hear me?”

She saw one of the figures turn its head, and then, the cart slowed to a stop. Her heart jumped for joy - surely this was a group of people from the settlement, and they’d be able to take her there. Maybe she’d soon see Wade again.

When she reached the cart, on of the people - a young woman, with light brown skin and dark hair - had climbed down and started making her way towards Faith. The woman wore tight armour of leather and furs, her legs bare and a sword at her hip.

“Who are you?” the woman asked, and Faith smiled nervously.

“My name is Faith,” she said. “I was just outcast - I don’t know where to go, or what to do. I’ve been walking all day...”

“Oh, you poor thing,” the woman said, returning Faith’s smile. “Why don’t you come with us? I’m sure we’ve got space enough for one more.”

“R-really?” Faith asked. “It would be deeply appreciated, ma’am.”

“Ma’am? You really are from the Empire,” the woman said with a laugh, putting her hands on her hips. “My name’s Cameron.”

“Cameron!” called one of the men from the cart, as if to prove her point. He had neat dark hair and a large moustache on his face. “Come on, what’s taking so long?”

“Calm down, Simon, I’m coming!” Cameron called back, rolling her eyes. “That’s Simon. He’s got a bit of a temper, so watch that you don’t get on his bad side.”

“Duly noted,” Faith replied with a nod. She let Cameron lead her back to the cart, climbing up into the back. The cart had barely started to move, though, before Simon stood bolt upright.

“Horses in the distance,” he said. Cameron turned around, looking in the direction that Simon was gazing.

“Shit!” exclaimed Cameron. “Doesn’t this thing go any faster?”

“W-what is it? Bandits?” Faith asked softly.

“No, honey, we’re the bandits,” Cameron replied, giving her only a brief glance.

“They’re gaining on us,” Simon said. The third person, the man driving the cart, seemed to be focused solely on driving.

“Get ready for a fight,” Cameron said to Simon, drawing her sword. She looked towards Faith, who was still stunned at finding out that these were the bandits. “You know how to fight?” she asked.

“No,” Faith said quickly.

“Then keep your head down,” Cameron replied. Faith nodded, moving to sit in the bottom of the cart rather than on the seat. She covered her head and waited.

Ahead of her, Cameron jumped off the side of the cart, followed by Simon. They slowed to a stop, and Faith heard the driver draw a blade and go out after them. She could hear horses galloping - three, she suspected - and then came the sounds of fighting.

Blades clanked and clattered against one another. She heard shouts and cries. She began to question who she even really wanted to win. Cameron seemed good to her, but what she really wanted was to reach the settlement where she’d find Wade. She had no way of even knowing who these people on horseback were - perhaps they were from the settlement? Or perhaps they were people belonging to the Emperor, sent to purge the Outlands of bandits?

It was several minutes before Faith finally figured out who the winners were. She heard Cameron’s frantic voice - “Alright, alright, I yield!” - and then, the sheathing of swords.

“Check the cart,” came a male voice. Faith heard footsteps, and then she both heard and felt the motion of someone climbing up into the cart. A sword was drawn, and then silence. She could practically feel their eyes on her.

Slowly, she lifted her gaze. Sure enough, someone was standing over her with a sword pointed down at her. It was a woman, a...fairy? Or an elf. Faith couldn’t tell - she had pointed ears like an elf, but she had small wings like a fairy, bright pink with royal blue veins and tips of gold. They were translucent, letting the light shimmer through them, and her armour was made of a luminescent metal that seemed to gleam every colour of the rainbow in the sunlight. Her hair matched her wings, bright pink on one side and blue on the other, and her face was covered with a mask. It was white, with the design of a face on it that had rainbow paintings around the eyes and chin.

“P-please,” Faith said quickly. “I’m not one of them - I just arrived here today, they picked me up not ten minutes ago. I don’t want to be a bandit, I just want to get to the town.”

The woman’s face was invisible, hidden behind the mask. She remained still for a moment, the sword still pointing at Faith, until finally, she withdrew it. She sheathed it, and then slowly knelt so she was level with the girl. She lifted her hand, grasping the mask and slowly removing it. She had a beautiful face, with slanted dark eyes, war paint, and a mischievous kind of smile. Slowly she stood upright, and then she offered her other hand to Faith.

Carefully, Faith took the woman’s hand and allowed her to help her to her feet. She glanced off to the side, where she saw the remnants of the battle. The man who had been driving the carriage lay dead beside it, while Cameron was reluctantly standing at swordpoint. The man beside her, holding the sword, was tall, but that was all Faith could tell - from head to toe, he was covered in a full suit of armour. Simon was sitting on the ground nearby, clutching a bleeding leg.

“My lady, is everything - oh,” came a voice, as another man approached the cart from behind. He was not dressed in armour, though he had a dagger at his hip and the added bulk beneath his tunic seemed to indicate the presence of a chestplate. He climbed up into the carriage, eyeing Faith closely. “Hello,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“I was lost - I was brought to the Outlands today, and these bandits picked me up,” Faith replied. “What did they want with me?”

“I only wish we knew. We’ve been following their movements for quite some time now. Why were you cast out of the Empire?”

“I offended a nobleman,” Faith mumbled, glancing away. The man chuckled, though.

“As did I, my dear, as did I,” he said. He stepped past the woman with the rainbow armour, reaching out and putting a gentle hand on Faith’s shoulder. “It would probably be safest to send you to the town. You don’t look like you can fight, so you probably wouldn’t last out here on your own.”

“The town? So it is real?” Faith asked, and the man nodded.

“Indeed it is,” he replied. “Oh - my name is Mauro, by the way. Mauro Ranallo. Personal courier to the Empress of Tomorrow.”

Faith slowly looked from him towards the woman in the rainbow armour. She had turned around and made her way to the back of the cart, but when Mauro spoke, the woman slowly looked over her shoulder. She flashed Faith a wink before hopping off of the cart, heading over towards the fully armoured man who stood with Cameron.

“Is that...?” Faith asked, and Mauro gave her a smile.

“We should get going - we can probably take their cart, they won’t be needing it any longer. I’m sure the people will appreciate it - a gift from the rebellion, we can say. The farmers can probably find some sort of use for it.”

“So you’re going to take me there?” Faith asked, and Mauro nodded.

“I most certainly am,” he replied. “You were on a cart full of bandits, so I doubt you know the way there yourself.”

“Well, no,” Faith replied.

“Very well - let’s be on our way, then. Take a seat, my dear,” he said, heading up to the front where the driver had originally been sitting. Faith quietly sat down near the front of the cart, and as they took off, she glanced back one last time to where Cameron, Simon, and the two rebels were.

“What’s going to happen to them?” Faith asked.

“Stevens and the Empress will take them back to our base to be questioned. We may be able to make use of them as assets, if they can be persuaded.”

“How are you going to get back to your base when you take me to the town?” Faith asked next.

“You sure do ask a lot of questions,” Mauro said. “It’s alright, I don’t mind - I have my ways, though I’ll have to keep quiet about them. Keeping ourselves functioning depends on keeping secrets.”

They rode on until dark, at which point Faith found herself falling asleep on the bench. It had been a long day, and she felt safe with Mauro. There was just something about him - his tone, the words he used, the way he spoke - that made you feel that he could be trusted.

For a couple days longer, they rode on. Faith and Mauro found the bandits’ secret food stash hidden beneath a plank of the cart, meaning that they wouldn’t have to stop to forage or hunt as he’d been anticipating. All along the way, Faith asked him questions about the rebellion. Many of them he answered. Others he couldn’t, which she understood. By the time they reached the lush riverbank and Mauro told her that they were near the town, she was an expert on the ways of the rebellion.

When they reached the town, Faith felt her heart all but leap out of her chest. It really did exist. So surely Wade had to be here somewhere, right? They stopped near the middle of town. A number of townspeople had gathered to see what was going on, but to Faith’s dismay, she saw that Wade wasn’t one of them.

“Mauro?” asked one of the men who had approached. Mauro got up, climbing down off the cart and offering Faith a hand. She accepted, though she was still looking around for Wade.

“This is Faith,” Mauro said to the man. “We just rescued her from some bandits - she’s only been an outcast a few days, and we thought it best that she come here where she’ll be safe.”

“Do you know if Wade Barrett is here?” Faith asked, looking towards the man who had addressed Mauro. He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t respond, instead looking over her shoulder at Mauro.

“And the cart?” he asked.

“Taken from the bandits. A gift, from us to you. You’ll probably be able to make better use of it than we could,” Mauro replied.

“Please, can you tell me if Wade lives here?” Faith asked again, irritated that the man wasn’t answering her. The man smirked, glancing over her shoulder and giving a nod. Faith whirled around to see who he was looking at.

A few feet away, she saw Wade. He seemed to have just emerged from a building, and his arms were folded over his chest. He had a hard look on his face that softened immediately when he saw her. “Faith?” he asked.

“Wade!” she exclaimed, rushing towards him. He opened his arms, pulling her close. The moment she was comfortably enveloped in his arms, she began to cry. His fingers were running through her hair, her tears were making a damp spot on his shirt, and under his breath, he was murmuring softly, “Shh...shh, my darling, it’s alright...”

When she finally regained her composure and was able to quell her tears, she drew back and looked up at him. She lifted her hands, gently caressing his face. “I never thought I’d see you again,” she whispered.

“I always knew that I’d see you again one day,” he replied, smiling down at her. Then, he lifted his gaze and looked over to Mauro. “Thank you for keeping her safe, and for bringing her here, Mauro.”

“It was no problem at all,” Mauro replied. “Any chance that this can help persuade you to forge steel for the rebellion?”

“I’ve told you, I’m not interested,” Wade said, shaking his head.

“Worth a try,” Mauro said with a shrug. “I should be on my way now - take care of her, that’s a good woman you’ve got there.”

Mauro was leaving, but Faith was more interested in looking at Wade than she was in turning around to watch Mauro leave. It had been so long since she’d seen him - he looked all the more rugged and handsome to her now. Her hands were still touching his face, and he looked back down at her with a slight grin.

“I’m happy to see you, Faith,” he said. “Come into the smithy with me, let’s talk - as happy as I am to see you, I am somewhat disappointed that you’ve ended up here.”

“It’s quite the story,” she replied. “Ending up here wasn’t my intention - I wasn’t following you, like I think that Emma Vandran is planning to.”

“Ugh, not Emma Vandran,” Wade said as he led her towards the Bullhammer. By now, the rest of the town was starting to return to their normal business. “You have to tell me all I’ve missed.”

“I will, I will,” Faith said with a laugh. “But there’s time yet, Wade. We have plenty of time to catch up...I’m here now. Forever. With you.”

Characters used: @she-reigns-in-this-yard

Tagging: @hardcorewwetrash @macfizzle @xxshamelesspunk247xx @sisteradelaide @sonjashuterbugjohnson @queenreignsempire

[ask-me-about-datlof]

Thank You, Friend - Chapter 4

There are some angry bois in this chapter...

You can read this chapter and all previous chapters on AO3

“So, like this?” Lewis gingerly held out the wand that Hannah had given him.

They were in one of the many labs at Yoglabs, a couple of magic books piled on the tables amongst the mess of scientific equipment and half finished experiments. Lewis had asked Hannah multiple times about magic and how it worked and Hannah had eventually decided that the easiest thing would be to teach Lewis how to actually use magic himself. And so she had dropped by Yoglabs with a few books and magic items and was in the process of trying to teach him a couple of basic spells.

“Yeah, but don’t be afraid of it, Lewis. It isn’t going to hurt you.” Hannah said, smiling as she reached out and gently adjusted Lewis’s grip on the wand. Lewis frowned.

“Right. So now what?” Hannah rolled her eyes slightly and chuckled.

“The wand doesn’t do the magic for you, you know. It’s a way for you to channel your own magic through it.”

“So how do I do that?”

“If this is your first time trying magic, you might want to close your eyes. It’ll help with concentration.” Obligingly Lewis closed his eyes and once they were shut Hannah began speaking again. “I want you to try to find the centre of you magic.”

“Where’s that?”

“I don’t know, Lewis, it’s different for everyone. You’ll have to find yours yourself. When you find it, it should feel warm and it might tingle slightly. Let me know when you’ve found it.”

Lewis wasn’t really sure what he was supposed to be doing. It was becoming clear to him that magic was obviously a lot more complex than he originally thought. But he wasn’t a quitter, so he began concentrating and trying to find the ‘centre of his magic’, whatever that was. The minutes began getting longer and longer and Lewis started frowning as he couldn’t find where his magic was centred.  eventually he decided that it wouldn’t matter too much if he couldn’t find where his magic was centred; if he had magic it would probably appear without him knowing where it came from.

“Alright, I’ve found it.” Lewis said.

“Good. Now focus in on it. This bit’s a little tricky to explain but I want you to take some of the warmth that you can feel, just a tiny, tiny amount, and guide it into the wand you’re holding.” By this point Lewis was completely baffled. But he didn’t let it show on his face and after a few moments he nodded. “Ok, now open your eyes.” Lewis did as he was told and blinked a couple of times in the now bright lights of the lab. Hannah was in front of him, holding her own wand. “Now watch my wand,” Hannah held her wand up and a moment later the tip of the wand began to glow brightly. “You try that, just channel the magic that you’ve got and make the tip of the wand glow.”

Lewis swallowed nervously and frowned down at the wand. He tried imagining the tip glowing like Hannah’s had done. He tried to visualise some glowing energy flowing from his body into the wand. And still nothing happened. Eventually Lewis decided to give up and leant against a table, running his hand over his face.

“Is it this difficult to do stuff like that normally?” Lewis asked, looking towards Hannah. She hesitated before replying.

“Well, no.”

“Wait, what?” Lewis stared at Hannah and she shrugged.

“Well…” Hannah thought for a moment before she continued speaking. “That’s the most basic spell that someone can do. The only people who can’t do it are non human races, like dwarves.” They were both silent for a moment as the the implications of what Hannah was saying sank in.

“Ah…”

“Yeah.”

Just then the door opened and Lalnable strode into the room. Lewis breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the awkwardness of the situation melted away.

“Just needed to grab something,” Lalnable suddenly stopped talking as he caught sight of Hannah and his lips curled into a slight sneer. “Not interrupting anything, am I?” He asked, scorn laced in his voice. Lewis frowned as he looked over at Lalnable, placing the wand he’d been holding down on the table.

“Uh, no?” Lewis replied.

“Oh good, wouldn’t want to disturb your alone time.” Lalnable turned away and started rummaging around in one pile of scientific equipment.

“Lalnable, is everything ok?” Lewis asked, beginning to walk slowly over towards Lalnable.

“Oh yeah, everything’s just peachy, Mr. Mayor.” Lalnable stopped his rummaging and turned to face Lewis.

“Uh, what?”

“Oh nothing, nothing at all!” Lalnable turned back to rummaging. Lewis frowned at him.

“Lalnable, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? Like you don’t know what’s wrong! You’re there parading about, getting all this attention, and like all that media attention isn’t enough, you had to go and hook up with this whore!” Hannah was about to step forwards to lay into Lalnable, but Lewis stopped her, stepping up to Lalnable himself.

“Whatever you’ve got a problem with, Lalnable, talk to me about it! But don’t go calling my girlfriend a whore!” Lewis said angrily. He didn’t particularly care if Lalnable said appalling things about him, but he did care if he said them about Hannah. Lalnable barely knew Hannah. Lalnable stood up to his full height and glared at Lewis.

“Like you actually give a shit about my problems, Lewis!” Lalnable had raised his voice and despite being slightly smaller than Lewis, he was using his full height to be as intimidating as possible.

“Well I would if you talked to me about them!” Lewis replied snappily, also raising his voice as he returned Lalnable’s glare in equal measure.

“Yeah, yeah, you only care about things if it makes you famous, right? That’s why you agreed to take Simon to the moon, and it’s why you decided to run for mayor, you don’t give a fuck about anything unless it’s for your own personal gain!” Lalnable retorted, leaning closer to Lewis.

“I don’t give a single fuck about being famous, you of all people should know that! I took Simon to the moon because he asked me, he wanted to go! And you know the reason why I decided to run for mayor,”

“But it’s all just a big act isn’t it? You love attention and now that you’re famous and you’ve got a girlfriend to fawn over you, you couldn’t care less about Simon and me!” Lalnable cut across Lewis, and as he spoke Lewis’s eyes began to glow, brighter and brighter as the rage built up inside him, his freckles also taking on a slight blue glow.

“I care about you and I care about Simon and don’t you dare ever say anything like that to me ever again!” Lewis’s voice rang out, loud and furious as the argument escalated. “You need to know your place, Lalnable, and you need to know when to shut the fuck up!”

“Oh that’s rich coming from you! You can’t keep quiet and you never let people voice their opinions around you! It’s always ‘me, me, me’ and never anyone else, you fucking bastard!” Lewis’s eyes were blazing and unconsciously his hand reached for his sword and gripped on tightly to the handle.

“Really? So it’s always ‘me, me, me’ is it? ‘Cause right now it sounds an awful lot like ‘you, you, you’! And you know what, if you don’t like it here, if you don’t like being my friend, then you can leave!” Lewis heard the words leave his mouth and a small part of his brain that wasn’t wrapped up in anger felt instant regret.

“So that’s how it is? Then fine. Enjoy your life without me, you fucking alien freak!” Lalnable roughly pushed past Lewis and strode out of the lab, slamming the door behind him. Lewis stood fuming for a few moments before the anger left him and shakily he leant himself against the table as Hannah slowly walked over to him.

“What the fuck did I do, Hannah…” Lewis murmured quietly, completely horrified as he stared at the door that Lalnable had just left through. The blue glow was quickly fading from his eyes and he was replaying the argument over and over in his head, the disgusting things he’d said to Lalnable playing on repeat. “I didn’t mean any of it…” Hannah gently placed her hand on Lewis’s shoulder and rubbed it comfortingly.

“You were both out of order in that fight. And you both need to apologise to each other when you’ve cooled down a little.” Hannah said. Lewis glanced up at Hannah.

“Do you think I should text him?” Hannah shook her head.

“No, not right now. He needs time to cool down and so do you.” She glanced about at her things lying around the lab. “Help me clean my stuff up, it’ll help you to think rationally again.” Hannah pulled Lewis away from the table and gently pushed him towards a pile of books.

“Yeah, I need to clear my mind…”

‘If you don’t like it here, if you don’t like being my friend, then you can leave!’ Lewis closed his eyes and shook his head to try to rid his memory of the argument. Hannah gently patted him on the back.

“Come on, distract yourself with other things right now. Dwelling over what just happened isn’t going to help and it’ll just make you feel worse.” Lewis nodded and grabbed a couple of books. The door to the lab swung open and he glanced up quickly, half expecting a furious Lalnable to come storming in again. To his relief, Simon was standing there, a slightly concerned expression on his face.

“Is everything alright? I could hear shouting and when I came to look, I met Lalnable going in the opposite direction, and he was fuming. Hi, Hannah.” Hannah gave Simon a small nod as her hands were full of books. Lewis cringed as he thought of Lalnable so angry that he didn’t even stop to talk to Simon.

“Ugh, no.” Lewis put down the books he’d just picked up and sank to the floor with his back resting against the table as he held his face in his hands. Simon walked over to Lewis and plonked himself down beside him. “Lalnable and I had an argument.”

“I heard. What was it about?”

“Stupid things. I don’t really know. He seemed angry or upset about something and when I asked him about it he just started insulting Hannah and me and then I got angry and oh god it was so stupid, Simon.” As Lewis talked, Simon pulled a small packet of Jaffa cakes out of his pocket and opened it, offering out the pack to Lewis. “Thanks, friend.” Lewis said, taking a Jaffa cake and staring at it as he held it in his hands.

“So what kinds of things were you saying.” Lewis groaned and buried his head in his legs, the Jaffa cake dangling from his hand. Simon looked up at Hannah.

“Lewis told Lalnable that if he didn’t like being here then he should leave.” She explained for the dwarf.

“I didn’t mean it, I was just so damn angry…” Lewis mumbled, his voice muffled as his head was still buried in his legs. Simon wiped his hand on his trousers before he patted Lewis’s shoulder.

“I’m sure Lalnable knows you didn’t mean it. And if not, then I can go and talk to him.” Lewis lifted his head slightly.

“I’m sorry, friend, you don’t need to get involved in a stupid argument like this. I’ll go and apologise to Lalnable later, after he’s calmed down.” Lewis said, glancing up at Hannah as he spoke. She nodded slightly. Lewis climbed to his feet and helped Simon up once he was standing. “Don’t worry about it, friend. Hopefully this will blow over soon enough.”

“You both needed to blow some steam off I think.” Simon said, grinning slightly. “Your shouting was loud, I could hear it from the other end of the corridor.” Lewis grimaced.

“Were we really being that loud?” Both Simon and Hannah nodded.

“Yes.” Hannah said. She held out the pile of books she was holding for Lewis to take and he took them from her. “But don’t worry or think about it now, help me tidy this stuff up.”

“Yeah, yeah alright.” Lewis said. He smiled over at Hannah. “Sorry this whole thing got cut short.”

“Not a problem, just help me clean it up.” She said, returning Lewis’s smile. She handed him a couple more books. “Can you take them outside to my car please?” Lewis grunted slightly under the weight of the books before nodding. Hannah went and opened the door for him and he vanished out into the corridor, leaving Simon and Hannah alone in the lab. She busied herself picking up the rest of her things and for a few moments the pair were quiet. Then Simon spoke up.

“Do you think Lalnable will forgive Lewis?” Simon asked quietly. Hannah looked down at Simon in surprise and thought carefully before she answered.

“I don’t really know, Simon. I hope so. Lewis has only ever said good things about Lalnable, but they both said some really horrible things to each other.” Simon looked down at the ground worriedly. Lalnable and Lewis had had arguments before, but this was the first time they’d had such a serious argument. And Simon was terrified that his two closest friends wouldn’t forgive each other for what happened. “Simon, I want to ask you something about Lewis…” Simon glanced up at Hannah. She was leaning against a table and gazing at a wand in her hand. “Is he…” She trailed off and shook her head slightly. “Lewis has no magical ability whatsoever. And only non human races don’t have magic… and in the argument just now his eyes were glowing, Simon. They were glowing so brightly and I can’t help but wonder, is Lewis human?” She glanced up at Simon and it was his turn to glance down at the packet of Jaffa cakes in his hands.

“I don’t think he is. But I don’t think he realises it yet.” Hannah frowned slightly.

“What do you mean?” Simon shrugged.

“Has he told you that he can’t remember most of his life?” Her eyes widened slightly.

“He’s mentioned a couple of times that he can’t remember some things, like if they came up in conversation but he never said how much he can’t remember.” Simon was fiddling with the packaging of his Jaffa cakes. While he felt guilty talking about Lewis like this, he was glad he finally had someone to talk it through with. He’d never talked to Lalnable about it, mostly because Lalnable had no reason to assume that Lewis wasn’t human. At least up until now.

“Yeah… well he crashed in a spaceship and he woke up with amnesia. He doesn’t even remember crashing. And right from that first night I’ve had my suspicions. Especially when I first saw his eyes glow. I’ve never mentioned his eyes glowing to him and I don’t even know if he knows when he’s doing it. But…” Simon trailed off and shrugged again.

“Are you going to tell him?” Simon shrugged one more time.

“I don’t really want to be the bringer of news like that. Especially now with this whole argument that just happened. And I know I should tell him, because that’s what a good friend would do, but I don’t know how to go about telling him. And I almost feel that he needs to figure it out on his own.” Hannah nodded slowly.

“Yeah, I think I understand.” She said quietly.

The pair fell into silence again and Hannah continued gathering her things. Simon was surprised to discover that the conversation with Hannah hadn’t made him feel more relieved, rather it had made him more worried about the whole situation. He began wondering what might happen if he told Lewis, would he get angry and shout at him like he’d shouted at Lalnable? Would he never want to speak to him again? And what would happen if he didn’t tell Lewis? Simon grew more and more worried until the lab door opened and Lewis walked in.

“All your books are in your car.” He said, smiling at Hannah as he walked over to her and when he was close enough he leant in and gave her a quick kiss.

“Thanks, Lewis.” She said smiling. “I’m just going to take these things down and then we can go get some lunch?”

“Sounds like a plan. Simon do you want to come?” Lewis looked over at Simon.

“I’ll be alright, I’ve got some food stashed in your office.” Simon grinned as Lewis rolled his eyes.

“Alright, well clean up any crumbs you make.” Lewis said grinning. “And I’m sorry you had to hear me and Lalnable arguing, friend. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s alright. I’m sure everything’ll be fine.” Simon said, smiling as he waved his hand in the air. Despite his relaxed attitude and his smile, he was still worried they wouldn’t make up and he’d have to choose between them.

“Thanks, friend.”

“No problem, spaceman.” A frown flickered across Lewis’s face for a moment, so brief Simon almost missed it. But he was sure he saw it for a second. But as quickly as it had vanished, Lewis was smiling again, his hand around Hannah’s waist.

“Well I’ll see you in an hour or so, friend.”

“Have fun you two!” Simon said, winking towards the pair and making Lewis blush slightly. Hannah just smirked.

“Bye, Simon.” She said as she pulled open the door.

Lewis waved at Simon before he left and then Hannah followed after him. Simon stayed in the lab for a few minutes, thinking quietly to himself before he too left the room and headed towards Lewis’s office to get himself some food.

[roguepythia]

Meta: Characterizations to Cling to

rose-for-dead-alice replied to your post “Honestly though, I was a hardcore Spuffy shipper. S6 wrecked our shit...”

                       Honestly yeah as much as I kind of hate the loss of a potential canon gay romance on a hit TV show....At least it isn't like what Buffy did with that attempted rape scene, Buffy got way too sexual and I always felt so violated by that part of the show.                    

So many people felt the same! And “violated” is the perfect word choice too. It’s exactly how the entire fandom felt.

Putting this under a read more as I meta about Spuffy and Nygmobblepot characterizations, world-breaking, and fandom/show relationships. It’s a long one people, grab a snack first. 

BtVS S6 just got so dark, dealing with themes like self-hate and using sex as self-punishment. They had spent the entire season completely objectifying Spike and turning him into basically a giant sex toy. And made it seem all “a-okay” to do cause he’d had his own sex toy for awhile in the Buffybot. Plus, Buffy was the “hero” so she “couldn’t” do any wrong. It was all Spike’s fault that he was willing to put up with it. Either because he loved her so much he was willing to take on her pain or he was a monster that couldn’t tell the difference between love and self-hate therefore didn’t think she was doing anything wrong. Considering his keen ability to see through the bullshit my take was the first. He knew she was hurting and wanted to take that pain from her, if he got his leg over in the process so much the better for him.

And then they pulled the rug out from under us when all of sudden he attacks her. They completely ignore all of their world-building to make him out to be the bad guy that can’t see where the line is, when she’s been crossing it all season. Even though at his most evil self he had limits. And then it’s been proven that Buffy is 10x more powerful than Spike but because she got a little banged up earlier that night, all of a sudden he can overpower her? It was also so completely out of character for both of them. Buffy the “hit first, ask questions later” Slayer begging Spike “Love’s Bitch” to stop rather than just kicking him through the wall. Which she can do as she’s a Slayer. Which leads me to my next point.

The audience reaction. They didn’t make this show in a vacuum. There was an audience and a large fanbase. As a college-aged young woman watching this show, I identified with Buffy. She was for my generation what Wonder Woman is now to this one. We looked up to her. She fought the good fight. She stood up to right the wrongs of the “demons” that tried to take her power. She was a metaphor for girls to say to themselves, “I matter. I have power. I have a voice!” So of course when she gets attacked like that, by someone who claims to love her, we all feel attacked as well.

And the Spike fans were doubly betrayed. We identified with Buffy and Spike. The Heroine and the Outsider. They had been such a powerful team and Spike was on his redemption journey already. He spent the entire summer being The Protector to her younger sister and asked for nothing in return except for someone to buy him Wheetabix every once in awhile. Yes, he was still a demon but he was fighting his nature to be something better than himself. Even without a soul he was still trying. That character development was completely destroyed in one scene. The only way to reconcile what happened was to headcanon that even Spike was so appalled by his own behavior that he sought his soul. He basically said, “THIS ISN’T WHO I AM! Screw this, I’m outta here.” Which as noted by the below, might have been their plan.

The following quotes are from the wiki page on this ep and very enlightening as apparently the scene was shot in such a way as to evoke sympathy for Spike....while he was attempting to rape Buffy. Let that sink in.

In the DVD commentary, James Marsters said that filming the scene in which Spike attempts to rape Buffy was one of the hardest he ever had to do. He has since said that he will never do such a scene again. That scene has also generated controversy between fans and the writers,[2] but writer Jane Espenson says that moment was necessary to set up a powerful motivation for Spike's quest to gain a soul.[3] As James Marsters points out, "How do you motivate him [to] make a mistake that’s so heart-rending that he’d be willing to do that?"[4]

Marsters would later say in 2012 that he understood the idea to have come from "a female writer, [who] had a situation in her life where she was and her boyfriend were breaking up and she decided if she just made love to him one more time, that they wouldn't break up. She ended up trying to force herself on him and decided to write about that. The thing is, if you flip it and make it a man forcing himself on a woman, I believe it becomes a whole different thing... I'm not really sure it expressed what the author was intending and on that score it was not successful." [5]

In her essay on sex and violence in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gwyn Symonds calls the scene itself "technically and emotionally intricate" in that, unlike most depictions of attempted rape, it "encourages a complex audience engagement with both... the perpetrator and the victim."[6] The action was "very carefully choreographed" according to James Marsters,[4] with the camera alternating between close-ups of Buffy and Spike separately to reinforce the audience's shifting empathy with both Buffy and Spike.[6] Writer Rebecca Rand Kirshner agrees that the viewer "could feel how [Spike's] very innards were twisted into this perversion of what he wanted," and she found that experiencing the scene from his perspective was additionally disturbing.[7]

The above makes it clear that the most egregious crime of that scene was against the fans. Not only was it bad decision making on several levels to portray an attacker as a victim but to also believe that you can swap genders in such a scene without a problem. But the most obscene aspect of all, is the world-breaking. In the Buffyverse, Spike is a Demon. Buffy is a Slayer. They are NOT HUMAN. They don’t live by human rules. But the fans are human and we do live in a sometimes ugly, cruel world. By making these supernatural creatures act within human boundaries, the analogies were broken. It was no longer a metaphor. This brought a show that wasn’t just steeped in supernatural elements but solidly based in them, kicking and screaming into the “real world”.

The fandom reacted. All of a sudden fans were labeled “rape apologists” or had to relive the most harrowing moments of their lives to explain how deeply the show had hurt them. Sometimes both. I don’t think the show or the fandom ever recovered. It was a breech of trust that the show writers could never mend.

Even now as writers for the show head other projects, BtVS fans know who they are and what they’ve done. When I found out  Steven S. DeKnight was taking over directing duties for Del Toro on Pacific Rim 2, I wanted to barf. Now the story I love about all of humanity coming together to fight a common foe; full of love and pathos, resolute in its determination to never give up, to go down swinging, to stand up and maybe even pay the ultimate sacrifice to protect those that cannot..... “Today we are cancelling the apocalypse!“ Now it’s in his hands. It’s now going to take a dark and twisted turn full of some type of self loathing and hatred, I’m sure of it. Ug. Fifteen years later and I’m still so appalled at how all this went down.

And if anyone is still reading this long essay at this point, (you get a virtual cookie) but I guess you’re wondering how this all relates to Nygmobblepot. Well, my main point of contention about the above is that they took the characters out of their world. They took supernatural creatures and made them act as if they were human. It wasn’t just that it was OOC for both characters, it wasn’t BtVS either.

The Nygmobblepot and Gotham fandoms are “alive”. Our feelings about the show, the characters, and the fandom itself shift with each new piece of content we receive. And unfortunately, we receive this content in a lot more ways now.  

When BtVS was around, we didn’t have “social media”. Facebook didn’t even exist until one year after BtVS concluded. There wasn’t a twitter page dangling our ship in front of us with colored hearts and cute images or coy phrases. There was an on-line presence, yes, but fans only really interacted with fans and fansites. We didn’t have a direct line to the creators and/or actors on the show on a daily basis like we do now. And maybe we were better off? It is a double edged sword. We can now make our voices heard so much easier but then we are subjected to constant pandering to get “all eyes focused here!!” so advertisers can rake in the money every time we click on a site.

But that isn’t part of the show itself. It’s not. It’s the social media arm run by the PR department, whose job it is to generate buzz and a “click this!!” mentality. And it works! Every time we get sucked in and think something said on those sites will have some correlation to what happens on the show. And that’s not the case. We don’t even know if the PR team knows what will happen in the episodes before they post. For all we know, they have no clue. Somehow we’ve forgotten they are two separate things and the creators need to be reminded of this as well. Because looking back through the social media posts is painful. And it didn’t need to be that way.  

The show itself has actually managed to do the one thing that BtVS could not, and that is to keep their world in tact. After everything that has happened to Oz and Ed, through it all, they have remained in character. The world hasn’t shifted out from under them, nor us. They are still who they’ve always been at their core. Even Ed, who is searching for his identify, has been handled in a way that stays true to his Gotham characterization.

There is a lot that can be said about how the story unfolded and how it didn’t go the way we wanted. Many sectors of the fandom are legitimately angry. Many of us, myself included, were casual viewers until this ship jumped off the screen at us. And it wasn’t social media that sucked us in. It was Robin and Cory’s portrayal of these two broken, damaged villains finding each other that spoke to us. Knowing that even if you are “irredeemable”, there is still someone out there for you. That there truly is a “lid for every pot”. It was that connection we fell in love with, romance or not. And now this beautiful friendship seems to have been ruined for little to no payoff. But at least the story line still all made some kind of sense. I think I’ll be more upset at this point over a lack of explanation for Isabella than anything else.

And the reason why, is that the show hasn’t broken my trust. Their social media PR team can kiss my ass. But the show stayed true to itself and therefore us. It made Oswald canonically gay but never made him into someone he’s not nor made him do things he’d never conceive of. And poor Edward, who falls so easily and simply can’t help himself at times, continued his decent into madness and villainy. Oswald and Edward remained Oswald and Edward, much to Ed’s consternation.

The show makes it clear that this isn’t “the real world” pretty much on an episodic basis. “This is Gotham” isn’t just a catchphrase, it’s a way of life for these characters. It’s how the show is able to make us care about serial killers and psychopaths that we would run from if we met in “the real world”. Their world is filled with color and flair and the characters continue to reflect that. For all of the show’s purported faults in the story line this season, failure to understand their characterizations isn’t one of them. They have not committed the ultimate sin. At least not yet, not in my eyes. I guess we will see what the finale and S4 holds for us.

[undeadimmortality]

The Hobbit x Reader

You stepped through the tree’s and into Hobbiton. It was a quiet and peaceful little village. Little round doors popped out of the ground as you walked past them one by one, trying to find the one that Gandalf had described. You finally found a door that had Gandalf's mark scratched on it, balled your fist and banged loudly. There was a lot of commotion through the other side of the door, but everyone fell silent at your knock, and a little hobbit opened the door. 

“Hello,” You said towards the hobbit as he stared at you dumbfounded. You took off your cloak, handing it to him as you stepped through the door and saw a pack of dwarves and wizard stare at you from your left, in what it looked to be the dining room. 

“Gandalf” you nodded, as the wizard walked over to you with a smile. 

“Ada! I thought you might have changed your mind. I am glad to see that wasn’t the case! Thorin” He turned to the dwarf sitting on the end of the table, glaring at you. “This is Ada, she’s a fierce warrior, and very quick on her feet, she will make a fine addition to your company and help keep you all safe. She has accompanied me on several of my own journey’s and I can say I would not set off on another without her by my side.” Gandalf praised, as you shifted uncomfortably with the attention a bit. 

Thorin scoffed “This quest does not need a woman, Gandalf. You are asking a lot already for us to bring along the burglar” 

The dwarves started chiming in and had gotten loud quite quickly.

“What is she?” The dwarf to Thorin’s right asked. He looked a bit goofy with a funny hat and a pipe in his hands. He stared at you curiously waiting for an answer.

“I’m human.” you snapped, appalled at the question. 

You were quite short for a human but you were smart, quick and had a good amount of force behind your blows in a fight.

Gandalf and Thorin argued a bit more, a few other dwarves chiming in with their opinions as you stood there awkwardly next to the little Hobbit. You were uncomfortable and wondered if you had even made the right choice, but Gandalf paid you a good amount of coin to be here on this quest and you were determined to see it to the end. After a moment or two, Thorin begrudgingly agreed to have you as part of his company. Gandalf sat to the left of Thorin and tapped the table at you for you to join him on his other side. You reluctantly walked over to a chair that he pulled up between him and another dwarf who looked at you with angry eyes. Gandalf started introducing each of them as you squeezed in between the wizard and mean dwarf. Thorin, Bofur, Balin, Oin, Bifur, Dori...you nodded at each one as Gandalf said their name, landing on Dwalin next to you. you didn’t have to look at him to know he was glaring at you something fierce. 

“Yer a little short for a human, aren't ye, lass? He grumbled at you. You turned your head towards him meeting his glare with your own. You had had it with these dwarves and you haven't been in their presence for that long as it was. What stubborn and obnoxious creatures they were! You turned around and started eating the bowl of food Gandalf had placed in front of you. You listened intently to Gandalf and Thorin talk about the journey, Gandalf giving Thorin a map and key, giving hope to the others, and maybe a little bit to you as well. 

The dwarves made their way to Bilbo's living area as you made your way to another and set up for bed. You stopped and listened as you heard the dwarves signing. So quiet and emotional, the words moved you deeply. So much sorrow and longing drifting from their words and ached through your body. They soon stopped as quickly as they started and you laid down on your matt and drifted off to sleep. 

You had awakened abruptly to a boot nudging your back. You jumped and peered up to see Dwalin staring at you. 

“It is time to go” He grumbled and walked away.

After freshening up in the hobbit’s sink and putting some day clothes back on, you packed up your belongings and headed out the door. Dwalin glared at you as you walked over to him, assuming the other pony he had was for you. He shoved the reins in your hands and trudged away. “What an arse,” you thought to yourself. You couldn’t help but notice how tall Dwalin was, for a dwarf. He was the same height as you but seemed so much bigger with his broad shoulders and big arms. You scoffed and pushed the silly thoughts from your head. He obviously didn’t like you one bit and you could tell most of the dwarves weren’t happy to have a woman on their quest, except for Bofur of course. He was a merry lad, always humming or joking with someone. He rode his pony next to yours for most of the day, telling stories and jokes. He actually made you smile a bit, and even chuckle at one particular joke, his face lighting up when he heard your laugh and realized he had broken through a bit of your shell. It wasn’t as if you were shy, or haunted by some daunting past. You were a fighter and took things a bit too seriously. Life was hard and whenever you put your guard down, there was always a monster or two lurking about waiting to strike. 

When the sun started to set, Thorin finally made the decision to stop for camp. After a while, the days started to bleed together. You rode for the day, stopped to make camp, rose at dawn and rode the entire day. One night, in particular, was a bit off. Thorin stopped near a house that had recently burnt down. Gandalf felt uneasy about the place and stormed off as Thorin shrugged it off. You went off a bit to scout the area for a while when Bofur ran to find you.

“There are trolls! They have Bilbo!” He spilled. You both ran to the camp and met with the others as they ran after Fili and Kili. The had Bilibo by the feet and were arguing about eating him when the company jumped out from the bushes and attacked the trolls. You followed, drawing your sword, and ran up behind the closest troll, slicing the back of his heel. You ran to the next troll that had Bilbo, you drew a dagger and flung it at the trolls eye, making it scream and drop Bilbo. The little hobbit got up quickly and scurried out of harm's way. You started to jog around and you ran up to another troll as he was about to grab Dwalin who wasn’t looking and stabbed your sword into the side of his leg, pulling it out and backing up from a big hand that almost grabbed you instead. The troll kneeled down, holding his wound, turned to you and growled, reaching for you again, just as Dwalin hit the troll in the face with his ax. You sliced and stabbed and sliced at the legs of the trolls, trying to keep the dwarves out of harm's way, and it worked until the trolls had Bilbo’s limbs and threatened to tear them off. You gathered with the Dwarves and were stuffed in smelly sacks with some of the luckier bunch. The not so lucky lot was tied to a log and placed above a fire, screaming and arguing with each other. Bilbo and Gandalf eventually got you lot out of this mess with their quick thinking. As you walked back to camp some of the others following, a hand patted you on the shoulder a bit harshly. It was Dwalin, silently thanking you as he trudged off ahead of you. You rubbed your shoulder as you were already sore from what the day had brought. Unfortunately for you, Thorin made you keep first watch. You found a quiet spot just a ways out from the group and sat there, watching the moon rise into the night sky, keeping your mind clear and aware of the noises that echoed through the forest. It was a quiet and peaceful night, letting you relax into a content state. After a while, Dwalin stomped over to your spot and slumped next to you with a grunt. 

“Are you next watch?” He nodded in return. Sou sighed a bit and went to get up. 

“You fought well today.” He said, in more gentle a tone, you hadn’t heard from him before. You sat back down next to him and gazed off toward the scenery. 

“Well enough to save you, I suppose.” You smirked, happy that the dwarves were starting to notice your importance. 

“I want to apologize for being so harsh on ye. I didn’t believe the wizard as much as I should have. I know you will be useful to the company.” He was looking at you then, his eye’s pouring into yours. Your heartbeat quickened and there was a feeling in your stomach you didn’t recognize. 

“I agree,” You said a bit snarky. He chuckled and broke your gaze. 

“And thank you” you finished, in a whisper.

You sat there with Dwalin for a long time, enjoying his company in silence, eventually drifting off to sleep without realizing you had slumped your head on to his shoulder. Morning came as you awoke, your senses returning. You lifted your head and looked at Dwalin staring at you with a gentle expression on his face. You gasped and stood quickly, muttering your apologies when you realized where you had lifted your head from. He laughed as he stood facing you. 

“It’s alright lass, I didn’t mind one bit.” And with a wink, he was off toward the group who started to stir. 

The day was hot and long. It was dragging on as the sun pierced your skin, beads of sweat forming on your hairline. You eventually took off a few layers trying to find some relief from the hot temperatures. You were practically in your sleepwear which consisted of your white tank that was a bit see-through with it being such a thin piece of cloth. And you had stripped down to your black underpants which fitted your legs nicely. The slight breeze could finally reach your skin, sighing to the little relief that wind brought every so often. You began to think that this was maybe a bad idea. You could feel the stares from some of the dwarves, obnoxiously staring at your chest and back area, not even bothering to look away when you made eye contact. The braver ones even returning a devilish smile as you shrugged the looks off. What do you expect from traveling with a bunch of men? You decided that since you would be spending some time with these dwarves, you made it a point to not care. And let them look on as they please.

“What’s wrong with you lot! Have some respect!” Dwalin turned red in anger when he noticed you and what the dwarves were doing. His words brought fear to them as they snapped their heads back to the road. You felt grateful but was a bit embarrassed. You didn’t want that kind of attention. You slowed your pony, until you were the last trailing behind, straying from the attention. Dwalin noticed and looked back at you.You broke his gaze and rode like this until the sun was dipping low into the sky, the heat dying down giving you a chance to wrap your cloak around you. Thorin finally stopped the party for supper and sleep. Thorin had the others on chore duty, gathering firewood, scouting the area, and what not, so you decided to take this free time to look for a place to wash up. You told Thorin and left to explore around a bit. You were a bit far off from the camp when you noticed pools off the water, steaming from the ground, there were maybe five six, built into the side of a big rock formation.You dipped a finger into the closest one, realizing it was cold enough to soak in. You became ecstatic at the luxury you found and started taking your clothes off with a big smile on your face. You slowly submerged yourself in the hot water, sighing as your tense muscles melted to the warmth. You washed up with a soap bar you had brought along, dipped your head in and washed the sweat from your hair. After you were finished, you leaned up against the side, closed your eyes, and relaxed in the warmth for a while. You heard a gasp and opened your eyes to Dwalin staring at you with his mouth hanging open. You jumped and covered your body with your arms.

“I-I’m sorry lass.” He sputtered, turning around, not before you caught his face turning red. “Thorin asked me to track you down, suppers ready!”

You sighed and leaned back to relax again. “It is alright, Dwalin. You had startled me is all. It is nothing more than a body, after all, I am sure more than one dwarf will catch me naked more than once with us traveling on this journey together.” You admitted. There was a silence as Dwalin stood there and you gazed at him. 

Dwalin eventually slowly turned around with a smile on his face that made you uneasy. 

“Well lass, I guess you won’t mind if I join ye then, will ye? After all, mine is just a body, same as yours.” He smiled, devilishly, his eye’s pouring into yours as he slipped off his clothes and made his way to the other side of the hot spring. You swallowed a lump in your throat, words escaping your mind. You couldn’t help but glance at his body. Muscles rippling across his massive arms and shoulders. He was all muscle, and your eyes widened at what hung between his legs. Looking away quickly, hoping he didn’t notice. He did. 

“Like what you see, lassie?” He smirked, moaning a bit as he dipped low into the spring, sighing as the warm water took hold of him as well. 

You both sat like that for a moment, enjoying the silence and relaxation when you felt the water ripple against you slightly and opened your eyes to find Dwalin looming in front of you. He moved closer and pressed a light kiss to your lips. He broke away to see what your reaction would be. You wanted to object and slap his face or storm off, but need and desire suddenly flowed through your body, making you lunge forward and pressing your lips back against his, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pushed your back against the rock, letting his own needs take over. you both panted heavily, letting his tongue part your lips as he moaned when you grinding your hips on his. He slid a hand down the body, shivering at his touch. he gently slid his fingers between your things, inserting a finger inside of you and making you moan out as pleasure filled your body. He added another finger and then another, pushing them in and out of you and he kissed you fiercely. He slowly pulled his fingers away and pushed himself up into you, making a low growl from his chest escaped his lips. His thrusts starting slow but got faster and rougher. Dwalin was all you could see, touch, smell. He made you moan again and again as he built you both up to your tipping points until one big thrust sent you both over the edge. He pulsed inside of you, his thrusts slowing as he met your gaze. You smiled and leaned your head back on the rock, trying to catch your breath. After a moment he pulled himself out of you, making you sigh a bit at the feelings and picked you up so you were sitting on his lap, your legs and arms wrapped around him. He gently pulled you closer and kissed your lips gently and passionately you never would have known Dwalin was capable of. You felt a pang of longing for something you thought you could do without. Someone who loved you dearly, someone who wanted you, but that wasn’t a luxury in the life you lived. You pulled Dwalin closer, kissing him deeper, wanting this moment to last for as long as possible before it ended forever. He sensed your feelings as he felt the same. the longing for this touch every night. He pulled away from your kiss and wrapped his arms around your waist, hiding his face in the arch of your neck. After a long moment, you pulled away, meeting his gaze you stopped there wondering what his eyes were saying. He had a pained expression on his face. Was he thinking the same? You pushed those thoughts away, dressing quickly and made your way back to camp. You looked back once before you entered the woods and saw Dwalin stare after you, he looked sad, lonely even. You felt a sharp pang of regret creep through, thinking that maybe you should have stayed.

[thereunitedingdom-blog]

Diane - Witney

“There is so much out there, a whole world we can engage with. Rather than a ‘Little Englander’, I don’t want to be a ‘Little European’. I am a creature of the world. We need to work together and not see an enemy in the other. It’s the basis of all wars and terrible things, seeing the other as an enemy and not a friend.”

I found Diane on Twitter: amidst a sea of name calling and black and white arguments, her eloquent, well informed rebuttals and reasoned debate caught my eye. She had started as a ‘remain’ supporter, but had changed her mind after extensive research into the EU and its operating methods. As we chatted over email, I found we shared many of the same core values and was keen to understand what had caused her to decide to support ‘leave’.

Me: We’ve talked a little over email about how you started as a ‘remain’ supporter and ended up voting to leave the EU. Can you tell me a little about the journey you went on to come to that decision?

Diane: I should first of all confess that I am old enough to have voted to go into the EEC in 1975. I joined the liberal party at 18, so I come from that liberal, what I would call humanitarian, outreaching philosophy. I am also a buddhist, so I see all human beings as equal and us all having a wonderful self that we can use: our better self or Buddhahood. I have always been liberal and Liberal Democrat, I’ve campaigned for them. So I am pro-Europe, pro the world, I’m pro co-operation.

Over the years, I heard some of the more right wing politicians saying they wanted to come out of the EU, but they were hard Tories and my response was:

“No, we need to stay in the EU and work together, yes there’s lots wrong with it, but we must reform it and have a seat at the table.”

That would have been my position about a year ago, then, as the referendum came closer, I realised that actually I was going: “Oh god, I suppose I’m going to have to vote to stay in.”

LAUGHS

I was saying to people: “Well I’m 55% remain and 45% leave” and then I kept realising I was really depressed with that stance, which made me ask myself: ‘why’?

So, a  number of things came up, one of which was: “Is the EU ever going to be reformed?” We talk about it being better, but I don’t think it will ever change substantially. So I looked at the list of things that I thought were wrong, one of which was the way Greece was treated, which I think was absolutely appalling. Then we have the migrant crisis, which I think was dealt with awfully. I thought the point was that if we worked together with other European countries we could create these joint solutions. But there was no joint solution to that, and it remains terrible.

So, I started to make list, after list, after list in my mind and there were all these thing that were either annoying, or impossible, or dreadful. The Common Agricultural Policy is awful, the destruction of our fishing industry, awful, and it just goes on and on.

I thought: “Hang on a minute! What’s so great about the EU?”

Then I really started to research and I found out about the corruption and listened to people like Mark Blyth, who is a Scottish economist. There is something on Youtube called Athens Live and I started thinking “Oh my god”. Then I started reading articles from Yannis Varoufakis the Greek finance minister and some very left wing people as well as Daniel Hanan on the right and what I started to realise was that the EU is for the elite. It’s for the big banks, the large corporations and the corruption, the gravy train nature of it suits them. What the MEPs get is horrendous, I was in shock when I read that. There’s no evidence the EU will change and all these things were coming up.

Our trade with Europe is in decline. When we went in, Europe was on the up and we were in difficulties, it was a really good thing to do. Now we’ve got the whole world there and we could do such fantastic things across the world. Why are we limiting ourselves to a few countries in Europe who are not going to help us? I think the Euro is absolutely doomed. And if it’s not doomed, then the only way it will survive is through true political union. The Eurozone has to become a United States of Europe and at the moment, it’s built on Germany selling cars to the rest of Europe. With the Greek bailout, every Euro of the bailout went back to the banks, it went via Greece, back to the banks, not to the people of Greece! That’s something that Mark Blyth has pointed out.

The whole structure of the EU is corrupt, it’s there to serve the dominating countries. So it doesn’t deserve to survive. Plus, the EU is a protectionist organisation that is unethical against the rest of the world. It has devastated countries in Africa, the Caribbean banana trade, because of protectionism.

I think the people who are voting remain are voting for right reasons: working together, being nice to each other, but they’re not seeing the bigger picture in my view. The really bad things [The EU] does because of its nature. It’s a monstrosity! It’s against how the world is going.

We need to be reaching out to countries across Europe. We can be working with Europe, we shouldn’t stop, we should be working with them in all sorts of ways, we don’t have to be tied to them so they control our laws. We are one of 28: we’re a cog in the wheel! We’ve never been a really comfortable fit, we’ve always been pushing against it. My view is that it’ll go into a two phase Europe: it’ll either collapse completely, or there will be the Eurozone and the ‘externals’. The ‘externals’ will be just getting what they can but still tied into the monstrosity. Pray that we get out of it, that we get out of the union and are free to fly in the world and really achieve great things.

Me: Those more complex reasons for voting either way got drowned out in the build up to the referendum. People projected so much stuff into this binary choice. I’m 32 and I know for lots of people who voted the same way of the same age, it became this lefty progressive symbol which obviously it isn’t. But I don’t think that kind of complex discussion was had so it’s interesting to hear you say “it’s a monstrosity” and that voting against it was an expression of the same concept, built on a desire to do beautiful things on their own.

Diane: There were people who voted to leave because they are racist, there are people who voted to leave because they are only seeing their own pain and it was an expression of their own pain. So there’s all these reasons as well and it’s why people like Farage focused on immigration so that he could get that popular vote. And without that vote, I think we would have lost, so it’s a double edged sword. Of course, I’d rather have won without that vote, but there were a lot of expressions from both sides. I think, for me, the EU is in a mess, Italy is on the verge of bankruptcy, France is in a dire financial situation. Youth unemployment is awful. I mean, how can we say it’s helping people when youth unemployment is 45-50% in Spain, Portugal and Greece? What kind of future is that for young people. That’s why I am urging younger people to see how good it would be to get out of this monstrosity.

Me: What’s your sense about what’s happened since? Do you think we’re heading in the right direction and what do we need to get to the point you’ve been talking about?

Diane: Things have gone badly wrong. I had assumed that whoever won, the ones who lost would shut up and get on with it. I mean, I was expecting to lose and if that had happened, I’d have said “OK, we’re still in, I’d work with that system”. Certain remainers were so convinced that they would win and that they are right, that they’re trying to mess up the whole thing and that’s a disaster. It’s ruining everything, that’s why I resigned from the Liberal Democrats. Their stance is disgusting. They’re used to being loser, I speak from experience! The AV vote we lost and just said ‘right, we’ll live to fight another day’! They think they can build the party back up again on this vote, it’s completely political move, even though they are genuinely pro-European. I just don’t understand how these people can’t see how wonderful the possibilities are outside the EU, they’re blinkered. All these attempts to scupper it “we respect the vote but…” is all there to try and reverse the vote. It’s deeply wrong and if it ends up we get some muddled halfway house, it’ll be the worst possible thing. I’d rather stay in completely if we are. We have got to be out of the single market, got to be out of the customs union, otherwise we can’t make our own deals. That is it! The crux! Now we hear from the government ‘oh it’s not a binary choice’, but if that means that we will have half in half out, some sectors in, some sectors out, it will polarise people more. It makes that creative imagination the British have to grab something and run with it, so much more difficult.

There are no insurmountable issues. There are some difficult issues, like the Irish border, there’s Scotland and how it behaves. I don’t think they will [split from us], because of their finances. Whatever Scotland wants to do, it should do, fine. I think if we leave, Ireland may leave too, to solve that problem, I think the Irish people want to leave. Again, it’s the elite that don’t, it’s always the elite! And we call ourselves a democracy! Democracy is great when it works on your side and not so fine when it doesn’t.

If the EU is held together by fear, that’s not a good enough reason to keep it together. It’s creating, fuelling the right wing and extremists around Europe. They feel squeezed and it’s because the elites and the banks and the big corporations are looking after themselves. That’s what always happens in these situations, the EU has expanded and we have more and more countries with different standards of living joining. It’s just a truth that the direction is going to be down. If you try and unite the lower economies and the higher economies, the lower ones don’t go up to the higher levels, the higher ones go down to the lower levels, but you can bet it won’t be the elites who take the hit. You’ll still get company directors on millions a year, when people are squeezed at the bottom and the middle.

I think we should be going for as free-a-trade as possible,but if that isn’t possible (because the EU wants to make an example of us), then WTO rules are okay. We need to be prepared to walk away if the EU causes difficulties. Obviously, there are difficulties with complete free trade. I think Trump has emphasised this with his car factory and accusations about Mexican terrorists. We know we can’t compete on the low-cost side of manufacturing, but workers everywhere should have a decent standard of living. Everyone should get that! In countries that are developed such as ours, we should be focusing on what we do best. We are world leaders in robotics and other areas, we are ahead of California and Silicon Valley in these areas. That’s what we need to be focusing on and we need to be exporting to the world, not just to the EU.

There are also schemes like ERASMUS, for students. There’s no reason we can’t continue to participate. Four times as many students come here as British students who go to Europe because of the English language and we can participate in all the areas such as universities and research, there’s no reason we can’t carry on co-operating!

I heard a young person on the television after the vote in tears because she thought it would mean she couldn’t go to Europe! But I studied there before the EU, it’s OK, we can go! I think they may try to punish us a bit, but this will get reduced in time. In the end, people will work out what’s best. We have a lot to offer and Europe will want it for themselves. German car manufacturers won’t want to pay high tariffs. For me, before I voted to leave, I made sure I was happy with the worst possible scenario and the worst possible scenario was that we have to revert to World Trade Organisation tariffs, which is how we trade with America now and no one’s complaining. There will be difficulties and some people will suffer, but boy the opportunities are there and I believe that the entrepreneurial spirit of the British will come through.

Me: Can we elect you to sort this out please?

LAUGHTER

Me: I think that what we’re really missing right now is vision. This has happened, what do we do to make the best of it? We have one side telling us this is an amazing opportunity to define ourselves as a country and get away from the establishment, but I don’t understand how this will happen.

Diane: We have so much potential. People all around the world want to work with us and exchange with us. Asia is where it’s all happening and they would love to work with us. That’s where bright minds and technologies are moving forward. Europe is fading! This is what’s crazy about younger people not embracing this! The hard bit will be the next ten years, then it’ll be wonderful! I’m convinced that, in 20 years time, someone of your age and younger will be saying “Thank god those old codgers voted to leave”! We’re well placed to do deals with America (although we’ll see with Trump), Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the new old world. Plus, Asia, China and India, Africa is a poor continent at the moment, but how about the future? The Chinese are all over Africa. We need to be in there, not with a protectionist front! It’s immoral what the EU do in Africa.

Me: From a young person’s perspective this is a hard sell. Young people are earning less than their parents and are squeezed financially and ideologically. This message about the next ten years being tough is going to be hard to take.

Diane: The difficulty will be exacerbated by the ‘remoaners’ (as they have been called) because they will make a good fast deal difficult, which increases the uncertainty and therefore the problem. If we were to do a really swift move and exit, which is perfectly possible if they stop blocking it and creating havoc. If we all work together for this to be fast, clean and full, I think we could keep the disruption down to two years. One of the reasons this is all happening is to do with the same stuff. Young people are feeling squeezed, with property and other issues. Why? Because the international elite have all the power. I think it’s all part of the same phenomenon and we will be better off outside the EU!

You must listen to Mark Blyth, it’s difficult if you’re not an economist, but the points he makes make you go “oh shit, he’s right”!

Me: Right, I’ve got one more question if that’s OK. I am unbelievably angry at people like Arron Banks and Nigel Farage for making this debate about immigration, when I believe strongly that it wasn’t in many cases. I also don’t trust the Conservatives to make decisions that reflect me and my views. I don’t trust them to act in my best interests! As a former Liberal Democrat, how do you feel?

Diane: I now feel there is no political party that reflects me. I’m anti austerity, so there’s lots about what the Labour party says that I agree with. Even John McDonnell who is way more left than me. I used to think: “they know more than me, [austerity] must be the right way to go”. Now I think, “no, they shouldn’t have done it that way”. So I am left when it comes to things like that, but I support free trade and think: “let’s not make the state so big it limits people’s ambitions”. So I am that kind of mixture.

What I think is that at the moment I am hoping that Theresa May, because she’s said what she’s said, will still carry through on [hard brexit]. But I don’t know what else I can do but hope because the power of people like Milliband, Blair, Anna Soubry and the flipping Liberal Democrats, all pushing against it. Then there’s the legal rows and Mark Carney who is interfering beyond his role and all these establishment people. The forecast for the budget is so negative. Most of these forecasts don’t take account of the possibilities of future. Lots of the doom and gloom before the vote was based on what we’re doing now! Anna Soubry stands up and says “Oh, we do 45% of our trade with Europe”. Yes, that’s now, because we’re not trading with the rest of the world, but we’ve got all this possibility to trade with the rest of the world and STILL trade with Europe! It doesn’t have to be either/or.

So I think we need to campaign. I’m a supporter of Change Britain who are trying to bring people together in a positive way to find the best way forward, without the aggression of some of the other groups. The issue is we disagree about how to go forward. I think anybody who really thinks about it can surely see that staying in the customs union and in the single market which means we’re effectively in the EU with no power at all, is the worst of all worlds. It cannot be the right answer! I hope that when we start negotiating, something good will come out of it. But I am fearful.

I do think David Davis, although he is to the right of me politically, has got the right attitude. I think Liam Fox although again, to the right of me politically, has got what it takes to go out there and come out with some fantastic trade deals. He’s got the contacts. Even dear Boris, despite being irritating, can do it. Daniel Hanan, who is much more right than me, is bright, he has the ideas, Andrew Lillico, the brexit economist. There are a whole lot of people who have got it sorted, let’s hope they can be heard over the liberal elite who are causing problems.

Me: I don’t know if you’ve ever read ‘Owen Jones, The Establishment and How They Get Away With It’ but he shows how the media, politics, police etcetera is set up to keep people in their place. I agree with the sentiment that we want to challenge the elite and those that keep the status quo, but I’m frustrated by the lack of voices from the left leading the debate! I want to hear more about how the left will get on with it and stop fighting!

Diane: The problem is that the left is divided. For instance, some of the extreme left do also believe the EU can’t survive, but campaigned for ‘remain’ because they wanted us to be in whilst the disintegration happens. Some of them are even saying we need a revolution and we need to be in in order for that to happen. Owen Jones is a conundrum to me because, to me, being remain goes against all his anti-establishment views! Jeremy Corbyn is another one, he doesn’t like the EU. Lots of people who voted remain don’t like the EU! They clutch at these straws such as the good trade union legislation, but we can create that ourselves. We have to trust ourselves. We’d rather Europe doesn’t tell us what to do because we can’t do it ourselves? Well, that’s for babies, we need to grow up.

The other thing is fear of racists. We can’t let the racists and the extremists and those who are ignorant win the day and make the arguments for us! We have to say “there are different reasons for leaving and the ethical/moral one is this”. There’s no excuse for racism, at all. But some people are feeling pinched, they can’t get a doctor’s appointment and their perception is that there is this ‘other’ who are in the way. A lot of the time, it is not an accurate perception, but we need to find ways of easing their circumstances. There needs to be adequate housing that everyone can afford for example. If we had that, then we could work on education. You can’t educate people if they’re feeling pinched and aggressive. So let’s get it sorted.

I live in Witney. There’s a Polish deli, but there’s hardly an immigration issue. Yet I heard two middle class women talking about how immigrants were stopping access to housing and GPs and I thought “bloody hell, if middle class housewives are finding that, my god, what’s it like if you’re struggling to find decent housing and feed your family”?

Me: I feel like a lot of that is stirred up by the press….

Diane: Yes, it is. The press concentrate on the story and more often than not, it’s a bad story, so, of course, it makes it sound far worse than it is and creates more issues. We don’t want racist stories, but they find them and that’s the stories they want to tell. [The press] makes it sound like [immigration is] worse than it is. The people who don’t like [the outlook of the press] think it’s all the fault of Brexit, but the fact is, It’s bubbling away anyway. We’ve got a lot to do!

Me: Yes, we do! Lots of this debate makes me challenge how I think about the world. I am not used to being on the side of the establishment, or being the one saying “this is a bit too radical for me” in terms of change, or arguing for the status quo.

Diane: Can I ask you: what are you frightened of, about leaving the EU?

Me: It is the ‘Little Britain’ attitude and the rise of racism and homophobia that really worry me. Politics and much of the mainstream media doesn’t represent me already and I fear that we are heading to the right and further away from my ideals. As someone who’s strongly left, it’s all very uncomfortable. We have an ageing population and people ‘usually’ get more conservative as they get older. I don’t see a future on an island surrounded by systems and viewpoints that don’t represent my point of view. It really worries me, which is why it’s good to talk to you and hear you outline this opportunity. It’s just not a narrative I’ve heard yet. After the referendum result, I just felt like: “Oh my god, we’re going to be stuck on this small island with the Tories!”

LAUGHTER

Me: That’s a real pastiche, but you see what I mean. There was a post referendum grief period where we had to say: “oh my god we lost”. But now we need to be getting our act together and working out ‘what next’?

Diane: Yes, what’s interesting is that I could have a moment of thinking: “oh no, my side won on the back of those kind of racist or extreme votes”. In fact, we couldn’t have won it without those votes and I would rather we didn’t have those votes, but we did. But what actually happened is that people like me and people I know voted for the future. They voted for expansion, adventure, for hope, for better prosperity for our people and people around the world, a better deal for other countries, a better deal for the ordinary people in Africa. That’s what I voted for and that’s what I focus on. People say to me: “which is more important to you, staying in the single market, or controlling immigration”? Neither of those applies to me. I don’t want to be in single market and I don’t want to particularly reduce immigration, I want to make it fairer, to take people from all over the place, not just Europe. For me, it wasn’t about limiting things. It’s all about control.

If immigration figures go up, whilst we’re in control, then we need to explain why. I think the government gets scared and thinks it’s all about numbers. They need to find a new narrative. I think, by breaking down the immigration figures, you tell a better story. I think, they shouldn’t include students anyway. They should say: “these people came here, and from these people, we have gained X”. They bring the good stuff, that’s what need to be solved: [how you express] the good side of immigration. The areas where low wage immigration is causing a problem, that’s where we can say: we need to stop it. But not so much that the farmers in East Anglia go out of business because they can’t harvest their crops, we’ve got to be sensible. You haven’t got to be fixated on numbers. We need to say: “OK, you need to get these picked and you need to pay this much, but the locals won’t do it because the wages are too low. Either, you raise the wages, or get people who accept lower wages to do it”. Wages are terrible at the bottom and it’s because of the CAP. So when the OBR stand up and say: “It’s going to be a decade of stagnation for wages” one of the reasons is that we have people coming from an economy where our low wages are high wages for them. That’s what needs to be tackled. We need to find ways of doing that where people don’t feel unwanted because they’re a different nationality.

Me: I read a good article in the New Statesman about ‘smart Brexit’. Much like we might have a local area development plan in town planning, which designates where developments should go, we could have plans for immigration, to ensure that each area of the UK can tailor immigration policy to tailor what they need. We can structure migration.

Diane: Apparently Indian restaurants will have to close because they can’t find curry chefs. Why can’t we let curry chefs in? Who will complain about that? We need a humane, sensible policy and that doesn’t exploit anyone. Either immigrants or people who live here now. I don’t see why we can’t come up with that. It may not be foolproof and 100%, but we could have a pretty good try. Theresa May was in India recently and wouldn’t grant more visas for Indians coming here. That’s because of her fear of the numbers, but it’s a much more sophisticated argument. Bringing students from India here to learn and contribute, that exchange is good for both countries. So, we have to find a way through these issues.

Me: I couldn’t agree more, we have to find a more sophisticated argument. I live in Bristol where our history is greatly intertwined with Caribbean and African history, we have big Somalian, Chinese and Polish communities who really add to the character of the city. In Birmingham too, where I went to university, has a completely different feel, in part because of the different communities there. I think that that’s what makes us great, the diversity of our communities and shared histories.

Diane: Exactly! Obviously there are racists here, but we are not a racist country. We have a fantastic entrepreneurial spirit and those people who have come here will boost that. We are a fantastic country and we are outward looking, we always have been. We’ve explored, we have lead the world by our explorers, by our adventurers and I think the EU has done nothing but hold us back.

The fear is the problem. There are two kinds of fear: the fear of the other and the fear of the unknown, which a lot of the remainers have. Some of the remainers have a fear of being associated with the racist side. What I would like is to urge people who voted remain not to think: “this is the worst possible thing” because of their fears. To take a new look at the possibilities. Instead of going back out into your local community and your usual haunts, how about going out on a big train ride around the country? Get out in the countryside and see the world. There is so much out there we can tap into. A whole world we can engage with. Rather than a ‘Little Englander’, I don’t want to be a ‘Little European’. I am a creature of the world. I see all of humanity as being interconnected. I am a buddhist and I believe in the life force of humanity. We need to work together and not see an enemy in the other. It’s the basis of all wars and terrible things, seeing the other as an enemy and not a friend.

Break the social media algorithms and read from both sides. Here are the articles and sources Diane and I discussed:

Brexit Central

Change Britain

Mark Blyth - Athens Live and on Brexit

More on the 'Swabian Housewife'

New Statesman - ‘Smart Immigration’

Daniel Hanan

Gisela Stuart on EU reform

From Diane:

Tim Shipman’s All Out War is a brilliant account of the referendum — I really enjoyed reading it. I’ve also just finished Roger Bootle’s The Trouble with Europe which is written from a political-economic point of view. It’s rather dry, but I learnt a lot about Europe and I’m now even more convinced that we’re right to leave. The EU really is in a mess and the euro is a disaster!