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skyloftian-nutcase · 7 months ago

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Blood of the Hero Ch 14 (Link's Parents Play BotW)

Summary: The Soul of the Hero will always be there to save Hyrule. But when Calamity Ganon is nearly victorious in killing him, it's those that bear the Blood of the Hero who will prevail. Ten years after the Great Calamity, the Shrine of Resurrection is damaged and Link's parents fight to save their son and Hyrule along with him.

(AO3 link)

Ch 14: Fallen Knight - Carnage

Abel hadn’t slept. The night crawled agonizingly along, leaving the former knight tossing and turning. Tilieth rested peacefully in the grass beside him, the tattered, half rotted wooden stall protected them from the mild drizzle. He stared between wood planks, eyes tracing the etches of jagged edges, noticing scorch marks from when the place burned.

When it was destroyed. In the Calamity.

It was stupid, really, how much it was sinking in lately. It wasn’t like Abel hadn’t been a firsthand witness to it. But lately… everything seemed to be wrong, and it drilled into his head. Perhaps it was the thought of separating from Tilieth, the idea that once they reached the Gerudo Desert he would continue on without his family in search of solutions. The anxiety and dread of it made him sick to his stomach.

You had promised, all those years ago, to protect your family. You swore in your knighting that you would protect Hyrule.

Yet here he was, lying in dirt, shivering in the chilly night, protected by the bones of what used to be one of the most vibrant stables in the country. Here he was, with his wife starving and shivering beside him, broken and terrified and alone. Here he was, his daughter dead, his son near to it, the latter’s state being entirely his fault.

He’d separated from the boy. He’d told him to take the princess to Fort Hateno. He’d promised to be there.

He’d been unable to protect the king. Link was the only one who managed to keep the princess safe when Abel was unable to do so.

His daughter was dead.

Abel’s entire life was flashing before his eyes. His mother died of grief over the loss of his father (why wasn’t I good enough? Why weren’t my sisters and I good enough for her to stay?). His younger sister never listened to him, had said he wasn’t their father, had accused him of pretending to know more than he did (she was right). His twin sister had settled in Castle Town, had been there when it had burned (I never even looked for a body, did I? Goddess, I didn’t even look for a body—) He had been given the highest honor by becoming a knight in the royal guard, had served as the captain, a trusted protector of the king and yet he’d been unable to do his duty (the ceiling had collapsed, I tried to protect him, I tried!). He’d sworn to take care of his family, to be there as a father, and—

Abel sat up, filled with energy, chest aching, blood racing. He stood, walking to the river, wanting to run, to fight something, to scream.

He stared up at the sky, breaths rapid and shallow, and asked, Farore, why did you make me? Why did you make me??

What was he even here for, if not to repeatedly screw everything up?! Even when Link had been given a fighting chance, Abel’s stupidity had ruined it - if it hadn’t been for him disturbing that hinox, this wouldn’t even be an issue! Link would still be safe in the Shrine of Resurrection, and—

Why did you make me?! What was the purpose?! I do nothing but cause problems, I can’t get it right, I can never get it right!

It was sacrilegious to even contemplate what thought came next, but Abel already knew he was a worthless, faithless fool anyway.

You made a mistake when you made me.

The drizzle continued to fall, slowly soaking him to his core. It was a splash of reality as he shivered and fell to his knees, a cold consolation in an empty world.

Wallowing in self pity won’t help them, he reminded himself. Slowly, he dragged himself back to the stall, trying to push the intrusive thoughts out, trying to ignore the berating. He was so damn tired.

The next day brought a heavy rainfall, and though the couple would have preferred to wait it out, anxieties drove them both forward. They didn’t dare bathe in the river – it was far too close to Central Hyrule for either of their liking. Instead, they barely ate breakfast, woke Link to drink some broth, and hastily made their way back to Kakariko.

As they passed through the half-barren marsh, the tower for Lanayru teased them with its proximity. Tilieth glanced at Abel with a shrug. “It’s practically on the way. We might as well activate it; maybe it could give us some helpful information.”

Abel doubted that was the case, but he didn’t argue; he himself had suggested going to the tower as a distraction yesterday. The pair cantered across the marsh, signs of life catching Abel’s eye as they went along. The marsh was slowly coming back, the rain bringing life as puddles formed amidst the mud and debris. Pieces of guardians were slowly washed away, and much more had probably already been removed over the last decade. He tried to take comfort in that.

When the pair reached the beach, Abel saw that the tower was on the other side, which was mildly problematic. This was becoming more involved than he wished it to be, but they were too far invested in it to turn back now.

Tilieth offered to cross, but Abel didn’t trust that the other side would be safe. He’d already surveyed the beach they were on and didn’t see any threats, so he asked her to stay behind instead, taking the slate and utilizing its runes to get across with little effort on his part. Meanwhile, Tilieth bathed herself and Link.

Abel hadn’t expected to find a person on the other side of the beach.

They both stood there in the sand for a moment, frozen in time. Abel felt his body stiffen, electricity firing through his muscles. The Hylian looked equally on edge, skin and bones, dark circles under his eyes, clothes ill fitting and half rotted off him. He jerked his body, reaching for something in an instant.

Abel grabbed his bow and arrow and shot true.

The Hylian grunted as the arrow sank into his chest, his sword that had been half drawn collapsing into the sand beside him. Abel remained motionless for a moment, his mind catching up to what his body had just done. The Hylian let out a gurgling breath and then grew still.

Abel released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, and slowly lowered his arms.

The world was silent, save for water lapping on the shore. Abel couldn’t hear it. He couldn’t hear anything.

Swallowing, the former knight hesitantly walked towards the fallen Hylian. When he saw lifeless eyes staring off at nothing, he finally put his bow away.

The world came crashing back down on him an instant.

You just killed a man.

Well, he was clearly going to attack first!

You’re a knight. Your job is to defend the people of Hyrule. And you just killed one.

This wasn’t the first time he’d killed someone. It was ridiculous to let it bother him. Besides, he wasn’t a knight anymore.

At least check him for supplies.

Abel recoiled at the thought. He wasn’t going to defile the dead like that. He refused.

Taking a shaky step away, he started to head towards the Sheikah tower as if nothing had happened.

A gasp sounded, and Abel whirled, reaching for his bow and arrows yet again. He readied himself, but caught sight of a woman, a young Zora female who was watching him in horror.

“P-please!” She hastily said as she raised her hands. “I’m not even a warrior, I don’t mean any harm! I—I just came down here to find some fish, I—I promise I’m n-not a threat!”

Abel took in the sight of the Zora, memories flooding his mind of his time he’d spent in the Domain with Link. He recalled their princess, and his chest ached at the loss. The girl had been sweet and a strong warrior. She had also been the best healer in the kingdom.

Nevertheless, he didn’t lower his bow.

“P-please,” the Zora begged, beginning to cry. “I—you c-can even have my catch of the m-morning. I b-bet you’re hungry, right? You look it. Just—just please don’t hurt me.”

Abel’s gaze flicked across the river. He could vaguely see Tilieth and Link from here. If the Zora turned around and caught sight of them…

Abel. Stop. She even said she wasn’t a fighter.

Abel took another shaky breath, the adrenaline still fresh from his previous kill, paranoia heightened by the threat, blood rushing through his ears, deafening him to the rest of the world, silencing the woman’s whimpers. What difference did that make? The world had ended. Everyone was a fighter now.

“I-I’m—I’m just g-gonna put the fish down now, okay?” The Zora said shakily, hiccuping through her words, hands still held in the air. She carefully moved to reach for a net she’d been carrying, easing it to the ground.

Abel took a threatening step closer, arrow still fixed on her head, but he didn’t release it. The Zora practically scampered into the water, hands held high again as she told him over and over she wasn’t a threat, that she wasn’t going to hurt him. When she was half submerged into the water, he narrowed his eyes, motioning upstream with his head. The woman caught his meaning and quickly fled.

As he lowered his bow, Abel grew dizzy. He stumbled forward, picking up the net of fish, and slung it over his shoulder. The balance and the way the world spun made him nearly collapse into the sand, his stomach churning. He blinked once, twice, thrice to clear his head, shaking it so he could actually hear the world again, but it was still just his heart pounding.

A chirp caught his attention next, nearly making him draw his sword, when he realized it was the slate.

A shrine was nearby?

Focusing, Abel shook his head one last time, following the slate’s guidance until he neared the entrance to the Zora trail that led to the Domain. It was blocked by fallen rocks, a piece of half decayed guardian machinery squashed underneath. The shrine was just off to the left, uphill a ways.

How could he possibly bring Link over here after what had just happened? He needed to get back, to check on Tilieth! He’d just wandered off, they were out of sight now!

But the tower was right there too. He could see everything from the tower, including threats.

The area was clearly too dangerous, though. But he’d ensured there were no monsters on the other side before leaving his family.

But the threats over here hadn’t been monsters. What if there were Zora near his family?

Abel took another shaky breath, rushing back to the beach. He could still see Tilieth, who waved cheerily at him, clearly having completely missed everything that had transpired. She looked to be dressed now, sitting on the shore with Link.

Abel heard the water lapping. He heard the flapping of bird wings, the trickle as the rain settled into a lazy sprinkling. The world came back, and he tried to take a full breath.

The tower. Just get to the tower.

Thankfully it wasn’t hard to actually reach the tower. He had to rush across the bridge and scale the cliffside, but there were very few monsters around. He picked off a few lizalfos, a moblin, and a handful of bokoblins before reaching the top.

From the top of the tower, once activated, Abel could see a good portion of the region. Zora’s Domain was just beyond his range of vision, hidden in sparkling mountains laden with luminous stones. He remembered the festivals, the nights where those cliffs would practically glow. He remembered the giggles of children as Link played with his friends.

Looking away, Abel pushed at his pant legs, which had ridden up a little since they’d shortened in length from fraying over the years, and tucked them back into his boots. He squinted at the river, catching sight of Tilieth and Link, who were still relaxing on the beach. He couldn’t see any other shrines aside from the one he’d found. He wasn’t sure if that should make him feel better or worse.

Sighing, Abel grabbed the paraglider, took a deep breath, and jumped. He wondered, for the instant before his feet left the tower, if he was beginning to overcome his fear of heights. As soon as the sensation of weightlessness hit, as soon as he was in the air, he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach as an unpleasant reminder that was not, in fact, the case. The adrenaline still lingering in his system, paired with the vertigo he felt at gliding through the air this high up, nearly made him let go of the paraglider entirely. Abel squeezed his eyes closed for a moment, and then shifted his weight, tilting the glider to aim for the beach across the water. Dully, he grumbled internally that he hadn’t always been this afraid of heights, and that it was a terrible time for it to manifest so badly.

Despite not wanting to look down, Abel managed to make it across the river, but his knees gave out the instant his feet touched the sand, and he face planted. He heard Tilieth call out to him and rush over, and he slowly pushed himself up, spitting out sand.

“Are you okay?” his wife asked, dropping down beside him.

Abel swallowed, not entirely capable of speaking, and nodded with a grunt. He sat on his legs for a moment, catching his breath, and then managed to say hoarsely, “There’s a shrine over there.”

“Oh! Really? Let me see.” Tilieth reached forward, taking the slate off Abel’s hip and glancing at it. The new information provided by the tower allowed her to survey the area, and she quickly found the shrine that was marked on it. “Oh, that’s not far at all! We can cross right here—”

“No,” Abel interrupted, remembering the body. He probably should have done something with it. Buried it? He should bury it, right? Show respect for the dead?

They didn’t have time for that.

“We’ll cross further upstream,” he finally muttered.

“Upstream…” Tilieth repeated as she peered at the map before gasping. “We’re close to the Zora!”

Abel spat out some more sand, rubbing his face. “Yes. And?”

“Sheik had said something about the Zora being hostile,” Tilieth said uncertainly, lowering the slate. “Why, though? They were allies to Hyrule. And… after all the effort you and that delegation put in…and the… the princess…”

Hostile? That woman he’d encountered hadn’t been. But what if she’d told her people, and they were coming here now?

After all the effort you and that delegation put in…

Abel bit back the bitterness of yet another failure, the pain and loss of the sweet princess who had been such dear friends with his son.

The point was that apparently the Zora were enemies now.

“We need to move quickly,” he surmised, finally standing and heading towards Link. “Start working on the pillars, please.”

Tilieth nodded, walking towards the water. The family made their way across as quickly as was feasible before Abel directed them towards the shrine.

However, once they entered, they did not receive the usual greeting.

“In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this combat trial.”

“A combat trial?” Tilieth repeated worriedly.

Abel smiled, remembering the tutorial trial in Kakariko. Honestly, he was a little eager to get some energy out. He carefully lowered Link to the ground and headed into the large room. He figured he would test out the guardian weapon he’d taken from the last combat trial, alongside the Sheikah shield.

The tiny guardian was surprisingly easy to defeat. It telegraphed its moves so easily it was almost laughable. Abel was again, bitterly, reminded that these things had be designed to aid the people of Hyrule and its Hero. This little machine was here to train Link.

Instead, his boy was covered in wounds from its larger counterparts, near comatose and helpless.

Abel shook his head, finishing off the little guardian and trying to focus. He’d been far too morose lately. He had a mission to complete.

Goddess, he’d kill for some sleep, though.

The expression hitched in his mind, and he shook his head again. He turned and waved to Tilieth, signaling the all clear, before belatedly remembering he should go back to carry Link. Til, however, tried to carry the boy herself, dragging her feet into the arena while huffing and puffing a little.

Abel took pity on his wife, heart warmed at her attempt, and walked over to her. “Let me carry him, love.”

“No, I’ve got this,” Tilieth argued through a strained voice. “I have to be able to do this.”

I have to be able to do this if you’re going to leave me, was the unspoken sentiment. Abel felt his stomach crawl. He followed his wife silently, worries eating him alive. The couple retrieved a knight’s bow (how long had this been down here? Why was it designed similarly to their bows from ten years ago? Wasn’t this shrine ancient? Who else had accessed it, anyway? Why were there so many modern trinkets hidden down here?) and Link received the spirit orb, and they were transported outside.

Naturally, it was pouring. Abel shivered and quickly took Link in his arms to give Tilieth a break. He noticed the boy had little braids in his hair now, along the sides, before it was pulled back into the usual ponytail he wore. He supposed Tilieth had been enjoying herself on the beach. Link scrunched his face against the rain, clearly uncomfortable with the cold, and Abel looked around quickly to ascertain if it was wise to use the shrine for shelter until the rain let up.

Tilieth took the opportunity to look at the map. “I guess the best way to get to the desert would be going back through Kakariko? We could get one last respite in before the journey begins.”

Technically, the best path would be taking the road to the Riverside Stable, but that required going into Central Hyrule, which was out of the question. Not to mention the bridge leading there from the Wetlands Stable was destroyed, anyway.

No, Tilieth was right. The surest path was back through Kakariko.

“Let’s go,” he said quietly, carefully sliding down slick stone with Link in his arms. He didn’t want to linger.

When they reached the water, Tilieth hastened forward, grabbing Abel by the arm and shushing him. Abel looked at her, alarmed, wondering what she’d seen, watching as she crept forward. When he followed her line of sight, though, he saw some ducks waddling ahead on the shore.

“Really?” he whispered. “Right now? We’re about to go back into town, we don’t need to hunt.”

“Oh, I’m not hunting them, I just want to watch them,” Tilieth said lightly, a sweet smile pulling at her lips.

Abel bit back an exasperated reply. He’d already snapped at her yesterday. He wasn’t going to do it again. But they needed to move. He kept his mouth shut, watching his wife creep forward before talking briefly to the ducks, who quacked in response, eliciting giggles from Til. He tried to enjoy watching it. He really did.

“Til,” he finally said, unable to bear it any longer. “Link’s going to get cold.”

This snapped her out of her distraction, and Tilieth apologized worriedly as she started to create ice pillars. Abel let her place the harness on him before he positioned Link and strapped him in. The couple slid across the river, occasionally nearly toppling over with as slippery as it was, but they managed to make it to the beach and their horses. Abel thought they were finally in the clear when something else seemed to catch Tilieth’s eye (after she’d already snagged some dragonflies), and she pulled Epona in circles. Abel let Ama slow to a halt, watching his wife aimlessly ride in a dizzying pattern. At least the rain had stopped, but…

“What are you doing?” he asked, bewildered.

“There’s—there’s this—oh, I almost had it!” Tilieth huffed, pushing Epona to move faster and reaching down until she was halfway off the saddle. His wife was a good rider, so he wasn’t particularly concerned, but her behavior still made no sense. Link sneezed, distracting Abel, who tried to remember if they’d fed the boy or not (they did, right? They had to, right?), and he jostled the teenager and coaxed him to drink some broth while Tilieth still rode in a circle.

“Til—”

“I know, I’ll be quick!”

“Til, this is ridiculous, what are you even doing?”

“There’s a light!”

“There’s literally nothing.”

Til huffed, jumping off Epona entirely, making Abel tense up, and she pounced on something. “Got you!”

Abel stared as his wife, breathless, laughed giddily and reached out her hand and said thank you and then rose, looking triumphant.

Scrunching his nose, he surmised, “This is another one of those koroks, isn’t it?”

Tilieth nodded, cheeks flushed with cheer. Abel had to smile at her in reply, even though he felt that familiar helplessness. Not that he cared about collecting seeds, but it seemed in this avenue he was fairly useless. What if these magical creatures could help them somehow, and he was making himself a liability by not being able to see them? Why could Tilieth see them?

Sighing, Abel nudged Ama with his legs. “All finished?”

“Yes,” Tilieth said, satisfied, as she climbed back into Epona’s saddle. “Let’s get to the village. We should be able to get there by midafternoon, right?”

“Correct.”

At least, that would have been the plan, except Tilieth wanted to pick some herbs, and the slate started chirping that another shrine was nearby, leading them to a little sandbar with a shrine innocently sitting at its center. Abel stared, bemused, wondering if they’d somehow missed this one, as they had to have passed it, right?

No matter. Another shrine was another shrine. At least this one was close to the village.

“Ah, the soil is so fertile here,” Tilieth noted, and Abel had to agree as he nearly sank ankle deep into the earth. A few chus led to enough damage to the guardian blade that the ancient relic shattered, and Abel irritably switched weapons, grumbling about faulty Sheikah tech as he did so.

The shrine was fairly straightforward, leaping across driftwood to make it to the other side. The final part involved destroying bomb barrels at the right time to eliminate a wall (Abel did have to wonder at the efficacy of such a thing as the bombs were floating in the water, but he supposed they would find out). Tilieth found great pleasure in retrieving every treasure chest she could find, though, according to her, none could beat the one that contained the headband Abel wore.

“It’s too bad there aren’t more clothes,” she commented as Abel aimed at the barrels with a fire arrow. “Or at least materials to make some. Your clothes are a little tattered.”

Abel paused, glancing down at his attire. He wore what his wife had managed to patch together from fabric and clothes they’d found on the plateau, fashioning a warm doublet. The trousers he wore used to nearly fit him perfectly, but time and use had made them threadbare, riding up to nearly midway up his calf. His wife, on the other hand, wore an oversized green tunic that was practically a dress that went to her knees with a white undershirt, and the trousers she wore were made from the tattered remains of her dress she’d been wearing the day of the Calamity. Honestly, they both could use some new clothes, Abel supposed. He was at least grateful Tilieth had made some for Link. The boy was warmer and more protected in the Hylian tunic she’d fashioned. If only they could get the boy some shoes…

Tilieth built ice columns for them to stand on so Abel could aim better, but after three tries of missing lifting the barrels out of the water at the right time, his wife was clearly growing frustrated.

“Here,” Abel suggested gently, holding out his hand. “You’re a decent shot. I’ll make the column, you fire the arrow.”

Tilieth bit her lip uncertainly and then nodded. When Abel successfully timed the ice column, leaving the bomb barrel innocently waiting at its peak, Tilieth fired true with a fire arrow.

Link flinched at the ensuing explosion, sniffling, blinking his eyes open, but he settled back to sleep quickly.

“How did you get it?” Tilieth asked, obviously a little annoyed.

Abel smiled. “Because I’m more patient than you.”

His wife rolled her eyes exasperatedly, and the pair acquired the spirit orb. As they exited, Abel saw a familiar sight – the Riverside Stable, its framework splintering up towards the sky. That was definitely the stable he’d seen on their way to the Dueling Peaks. They’d… gotten a little off track with this other shrine.

“Which way back to Kakariko?” Tilieth questioned a little confusedly before gasping. “Abel, there’s another shrine over there!”

Abel glanced up at the sky. The sun was still high. They had time. “Let’s go.”

Surprisingly, Eagus Bridge was somehow still intact, though most of the protective siding was gone. But Abel realized something, almost too late, horribly, and he immediately blocked Tilieth’s path as they neared the next bridge.

“What?” Tilieth asked.

“This leads to Central Hyrule. The Riverside Stable is in Central Hyrule.” Abel emphasized. “We’re not going there.”

Tilieth looked torn, but also very clearly petrified.

Abel motioned with his head. “We need to get to the village.”

He was not risking his family for this. He would come later, without them, to ensure it was safe. Not that he was going to tell Tilieth that.

The smell of smoke scorched his nostrils, burned his lungs—

Abel shook his head, ridding himself of the memory, the sensation. He guided Epona and Ama ahead, holding Link more tightly.

The couple moved in silence, interrupted only by the rhythmic clomping of their steeds’ hooves. Thankfully it was an uneventful trek back to Kakariko. Their arrival caught everyone's attention, and Lady Impa moved towards them quickly.

“Any luck with the shrines?” she asked. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine,” Tilieth assured her with a smile. “We just need to pass through again to head for the—”

“Next destination,” Abel interrupted. He… didn’t want anyone to know where they were going. Not even the princess’ royal advisor. “We’ll stay here tonight. If that’s fine with you.”

“Of course,” Lady Impa acknowledged, her tone implying that it was obvious. Abel felt a little guilty at it, at her hesitancy and uncertainty as she looked at him. He’d never interacted with the woman much in the past, but a little voice in his mind did whisper that they were all on the same side. It sounded annoyingly like Tilieth.

Abel gently lowered Link from Ama, letting Tilieth take him and hobble over to a nearby cooking pot. He glanced towards the mountain pass once more.

He’d wait until nightfall to explore. The less fuss, the better.

Tilieth’s off-tune humming filled the air, making the former knight smile. His wife rocked back and forth where she sat, taking Link with her as he was settled on her lap. Abel took comfort in the gentle, warm cheer, watching as Tilieth started to chat aimlessly with the Sheikah chief.

“Where’s Sheik?” Tilieth asked. “I saw nearly everyone else. Oh, and how’s the little one and her mother? Mellie and Jummo, right?”

“They’re both doing great,” Lady Impa answered happily. “The plum trees we planted seem to be surviving too. This rain is certainly helping. As for Sheik, she left around the same time you two did.”

“Where did she go?”

“She’s… on a pilgrimage. She’s visiting all the sacred springs that Princess Zelda visited.”

Abel tuned out the rest of the conversation, simply watching Tilieth and Link. He sat on the stairs to the inn, leaning against a crate and feeling himself nod off. He supposed not sleeping was catching up to him. He shook his head to try and stay awake – he had to investigate Central Hyrule tonight, after all.

“Honey? You okay?”

Abel blinked again, and—when had the sun set so much? When had Tilieth moved to stand in front of him?

“Oh, Abel,” Tilieth said softly, placing a hand on his cheek. He reached up, letting his hand rest over hers to reassure her, eyes searching for Link as he confusedly tried to piece together what had just happened. “Honey, why don’t you get some sleep?”

Sleep? No, not yet. He’d just slept a little anyway, right? Time had passed.

“’m alright,” he slurred, not sounding convincing in the slightest. Damn it.

Tilieth’s eyes grew glassy with worry and unshed tears, and Abel felt even worse for it. Damn it.

Reaching forward, he pulled her close, letting her sit on his lap a moment as they held each other, and he kissed her just under her eyes, catching the tears as they fell. “I’m okay, love. I promise.”

Tilieth trembled in his arms, sniffling. “Abel, I just… it’s okay. Please, just rest. I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t worry,” he whispered, holding her more tightly, willing all of his love and assurance into it. Please don’t worry. She had enough to worry about. He’d caused his wife enough problems lately. “I promise I’ll sleep later tonight, okay? I just… want to pray at the statue before bed.”

Tilieth perked up, and her expression was hard to read. His wife was naturally far more trusting than him, so he hoped the lie would work (and oh how he despised having to lie to her, but she’d never let him go if he said what he was planning on doing). However, Tilieth was not a fool – she knew Abel didn’t really pray anymore. Perhaps, once in a while, in the middle of the night, in desperation or loneliness, Abel would wander to the Temple of Time before this new journey had begun, but it had been rare.

It was hard to believe in the love of goddesses who would allow this to happen, after all.

His wife watched him silently, her brown eyes piercing into him in a way that reminded him of Link, searching for answers unspoken. Abel broke the spell, though, by leaning in and kissing her on the forehead, brushing curls away from her face.

That night, he ate in silence. He didn’t dare speak, he didn’t dare try to reassure her any more, he didn’t wish to lie any further. Tilieth seemed to gain some of her earlier cheer back as she woke Link to feed him, as she cleaned him and tucked him in. Abel watched the pair, heart heavy, wondering if this was a mistake.

What if… what if he failed again? What if he got himself killed out there, in that goddess forsaken land? What if there were guardians out there as there had been ten years ago?

What would he find? What if he didn’t return?

What would happen to his family?

You’re being paranoid. There was no way Central Hyrule was that dangerous, or Lady Impa would have warned them about it. Right? Besides, Blatchery Plain was riddled with guardians and they were all harmless. So it had to be fine. Right?

Right?

There was a shrine there, though. He had to try.

For Link.

Abel watched Tilieth settle into the bed beside Link, leaving space for him to join her. He went outside, heading for the goddess statue.

Hylia smiled serenely at him. Abel stared darkly back.

He didn’t pray. He couldn’t. Even if he recognized the gift that Epona was, the miracle that Link was actually improving, he couldn’t pray. How could he, after what he’d done today?

How could he, after all his failures? He blamed Hylia for the destruction of Hyrule, but he hadn’t done any better to protect it.

He’d killed a man today.

Could he have avoided it?

It didn’t matter. Whether he could’ve avoided it or not, it didn’t matter. That person would never be a threat again.

But what if he was just scared? What if you could’ve talked him down, as you had with those siblings at Proxim Bridge?

Am I a murderer?

He supposed he didn’t deserve to pray. He wasn’t a knight; he wasn’t even a good man anymore. He was just a survivor. And he would do anything to protect his family.

Besides, that Hylian had clearly been starving. He’d likely been desperate and would’ve been willing to do anything too. He’d been a threat.

Abel still didn’t think he was a good man anymore, though. He wasn’t sure he’d been one since the Calamity.

He didn’t need to be a good man. Just a good fighter.

Hylia smiled serenely at him. Abel turned away.

He paused as he passed the inn. Almost went inside to see his wife and his son. But then he kept going. He didn’t want to risk catching Tilieth’s attention. Quietly, he guided Ama out of the village before mounting her and riding into the night.

A keese or two tried to interfere as he rode, but he eliminated them easily.

Eagus Bridge seemed infinitely more foreboding as he crossed it now. Horwell Bridge even more so.

Ama’s hoofs tapped rhythmically, a familiar, comforting cadence to the pounding in his heart. His skin felt cold, the hair on the back of his neck prickling. Was he being watched? He didn’t hear the sound of the earth tearing under clawed metal feet, he didn’t hear the claps of thunder that followed the firing of lasers, he didn’t hear the ticking as the mechanical monsters prepared to destroy whatever was in their path.

His heart raced even faster. Ama nickered nervously, picking up on his energy, pausing at the edge of the bridge.

Central Hyrule stood before him.

It was hard to really see it with as dark as it was. The moon was crescent tonight, barely spilling any of its blessed light. Abel’s eyes were wide, desperate to take in every piece of information he possibly could. The wind blew innocently, bringing the scent of soil and water.

No flowers. No leaves. No trees. Dirt was carried in the breeze, loose, eroding, barren.

It was all barren.

Abel carefully bade Ama forward, and as her hooves crunched into the soil, he felt his body tense further.

What little light was available from the moon vanished, hidden behind clouds heavy laden with rain. Ama’s black hair made her practically disappear into the darkness, and thunder rumbled not too far away.

Abel urged his steed ahead, slowly and carefully. Thunder rumbled again.

Thunder. Thunder.

The sky burned.

The bells in the temple rang repeatedly, a warning and a petition, a prayer and a guide. It punctuated the screams, it harmonized the ticking of lasers as they charged and fired, shooting through the air with such intensity that it created miniature claps of thunder as the heat separated the air harshly before it returned together with a snap.

Abel’s breath caught in his throat.

The world around him was deafening.

There was so much noise, and his ears were ringing so much, he honestly couldn't tell what sound came from what source anymore. Was it a scream? Was it a guardian? Was that a child wailing or a gear grinding? Was that his heart pounding in his ears or was it a thunderclap from another beam firing?

Ama whinnied, moving in place anxiously.

Abel stared ahead, watching troops march together, some limping, others helping their comrades. Many had wagons and horses to help them.

He heard whirring. He heard gears. He heard claws, and ticking, and thunder.

Thunder rumbled again. The earth shook. Ama neighed, growing skittish, jostling him in his saddle, it was raining, when had it started raining, something was moving, something was moving—

Abel heard horse hooves galloping, he heard a battle cry, he saw mud splashing in the barren wasteland around him—

Bokoblin!

Abel gasped, coming to reality, spurring Ama into motion, and she ran ahead. He drew his sword, catching sight of the enemy, recognizing faintly the familiar motion of aiming a bow and arrow. He jerked his horse to the side as an arrow flew by his ear, and he redirected her to charge once more, stabbing the bokoblin. His blood was racing, his body soaked, his hands trembling—

His horse whinnied with panic as flames spread too close, licking at its hooves and his heels. He steered the mare around the flames as she almost bucked him off, and then the flames were abruptly disrupted by a clawed foot tearing into the earth and squelching them.

In the haze and smoke, Abel recognized the pink mechanical eye transfixed on him. He sucked in a sharp inhale, coughing harshly on the smoke in his lungs, and urged his mount to move.

Metal glinted. Lightning flashed, reflecting on a blank eye, a mirror to a past of fire and smoke.

Abel froze in his saddle. Ama ran harder, petrified, out of control.

The guardian was hot on his heels, charging its laser as he once again pushed the horse to run faster. His steed neighed in protest, her stamina draining out of her faster than it could replenish, and the guardian fired.

Go! Go, run!!!!

Abel pulled on the reins hard, making Ama neigh in protest as she tried to obey, as her hooves slipped, she lost her balance in such a sharp turn, and both horse and rider fell into the mud.

Thunder rumbled.

Thunder clapped as lasers fired.

It was pouring.

The sky was aflame as people screamed.

It was deafening it was deafening.

Movement stirred nearby, screams—screams of civilians—thunder thunder guardian fire, they were everywhere—

Abel whirled, sword at the ready, a snarl at his lips as Ama tried to right herself. His hilt made contact, slamming something, and he looked around with crazed, terrified eyes.

Where was it where was it—

Ama finally stood. Thunder rumbled again. Lightning flashed.

Lightning flashed. Shining a light. A light. On the barren wasteland. There was—there were—what was—

Blonde curls, stained with red. A figure, lying still in the mud. Green tunic smattered in brown, the only green as far as the eye could see—

Abel felt his heart stop.

This wasn’t—this wasn’t real this wasn’t real nononononono—

Abel ran, heart racing once more. The world shook as lighting struck again. The figure remained still on the ground.

“TILIETH!”

He collapsed into the mud, shaking her shaking her begging, pleading, goddess no please no—

The still fingers. The still feet. The still body. The paleness, the redness, the black and blue and—

“NO!”

Thunder roared. The rain was deafening. But nothing could outweigh the sobs, nothing could cover the screams, nothing could stave the panic as the former knight shook his wife over and over and over and over and over.

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boneheadboner · 1 month ago

Text

Depths in Despair; Megalosomnia

Deep Down Deep Part 2/2

Things don't pan out for the Good doctor the way he had hoped. And under a mountain of work, it's no wonder a Slate fell by the wayside.

Fun is what he would have had…. Had he the chance to.

Not long after she succumbed to his control, he brought her back to the lab and got her initially checked in. He took a few spare moments to check over her memories… Merely out of curiosity, to determine how long she evaded him. And found that what was going on in her head was far more concerning than he initially thought. If the voices that spoke to her weren’t signs something was off about this woman, her memories certainly would have told him. It was as if swiss cheese had a love child with patchwork. Many memories of things that he’d not believe were he not able to observe them in her mind. And so, so many significant gaps. Troublingly so. Memories of her life on the surface were rare, and far more frequent were memories that… Held familiar faces, and yet so foreign. Even those were addled with holes and gaps. It seemed that Sonia hadn’t been underground long, and her time wandering through it before meeting him was the most clear any of her memories were.

He’d dealt with subjects that had portions of their life locked away in their memories, as a result of traumas they had endured in life. It was always a case of finding what helped pull them forward, finding a key to that lock. This…? There were no locks to hide memories, there were no closed doors to memories too harsh to remember.

Just complete sizable absences and gaping holes where memories should have been. Nothing to tether one memory to another. As perplexing as it was to analyze and assess, he was interrupted by Alphys.

Something else demanded his attention more, which required he leave the new human to Cecilia to process further. Cecilia could handle it, after all. The blasted CORE. Another failure in sector B28-21. Always sector B28… If it wasn’t one problem there, it was another.

Of course, being part of the CORE that distorted atoms to radiate ambient magic throughout the underground? Made it one of the primary necessities to keep running.

If so much as one sector went down, it could throw the whole CORE out of balance and cause a catastrophic meltdown. If it wasn’t such a boon to have in the first place, he’d happily track down the person who designed it, and throttle them.

If anyone even remembered WHO designed the thing…

His last foray of frustrations towards the CORE’s creator, and desire to seek them out? Left him without any answers, and a week worth of time wasted for it.

Still, he wasted no time…

– … Because there was never any time to waste. Once the CORE was sorted out, which took him four days to narrow down and solve, due to juggling what other pressing issues he was presented with, there was another issue.

And another after that.

Resources distribution.

Five hours, two cups of coffee. One tasting flavorful and robust, the second tasting quite obviously as though the assistant who brought it to him reheated it in the microwave. He’d have words for them later.

Tracking movements and changes in the underground.

Two more births in Snowdin, fortunate news. A Falling Down in Waterfall, another lost to dwindling HoPe. Three moving from Hotland to Capitol.

Seven hours, six cups of coffee.

The first tasted so weak that Baggs questioned if he was drinking water and not coffee. The following three were of more serviceable quality. The remaining two tasted like tar, and were it not an invigorating tar, he’d have refused it. And Baggs made the decision that Casey was no longer allowed to bring him coffee after discovering he was responsible for preparing the last two. Bright as the man might be, he’s better suited to helping study the barrier than preparing coffee.

Keeping systems in check, ensuring security detail is up to par.

Two new humans were caught and transported to the lab. Cecilia reported that the two were significantly xenophobic, and hostile. Thus would be housed on Floor 18, Block 10. Block 10 was designated for more aggressive and dangerous humans, to be studied on how to rehabilitate or utilize even aggressive members of the species.

Twelve hours (until interruption). Sixteen cups of coffee.

The first five, typical. With a far more bitter flavor at the fifth. Noted.

The sixth. It took him twenty minutes to try his first sip, so focused on his work that he hadn’t taken a sip until then.

It felt like a heady jolt of energy flooded his body, the notes of the clearly fresh brew rising up, as if to sing to his senses. And the warmth as it melted into his magic thrived in his body, relaxing him far more than a cup of coffee typically did.

He’d not seen who brought it, but he did make note of the sound of their walking. It did sound different from the usual assistants who brought him his coffee, but he didn’t think it important at the time.

Perhaps one of the other scientists decided to brew him something nice. It couldn’t have been Alphys, as it had the lacking anxiety he could always taste in coffee prepared by her.

No matter, the identity of the one who made this would be revealed in the next cup, he was certain.

And disappointed with each proceeding cup brought to him over the hours.

Seventh, from the same pot, but not prepared and delivered by the same hands as the one before. He could tell by the intentions that bled into the brew. The assistant who delivered it unintentionally let their emotions seep in and altered the feeling within the coffee he drank.

Not the same. Not bad, but nowhere near as good as the prior mug.

The assistant, a young whimsun monster named Fen, had panicked over his expression of disappointment… But, he reassured them and sent them on their way. The eighth, to the thirteenth, much the same. Decent, but disappointing by comparison. Fortunately a fresh pot was brewed by the tenth.

Fourteenth cup of coffee, Baggs nearly spat it out. And demanded to know who prepared it, to find he was 13 minutes late to fuss at the one who concocted the nightmare that barely resembled coffee.

Fifteenth cup. Cecilia, It was fucking Cecilia.

Not the one who brewed bliss in a mug, but the one who concocted terrors unknown into a coffee.

He had the good fortune to be done sending out a U-mail to ‘recommend’ a security plan for Waterfall, when the fresh cup was placed down, ready for him to take his first sip of it. And nearly spat it out again, placed the cup down roughly, and turned towards the offender. Reddish hair, tied in a bun, eye bags that rivaled his own hidden beneath reading glasses, and a look that held more contempt for humankind than any Monster was capable of. And she was human.Perhaps humans simply don’t know how to not brew a cup of coffee that tastes like every agitation in their present mind.

“Cecilia, what is this supposed to be?” Perhaps his tone was far less reserved than usual, but he did imbibe something foul that masqueraded as coffee. The woman just looked at him flatly. Her response was equally as dead in tone as her gaze. “Coffee, sir.” She retorted, Baggs was no stranger to her sass. Usually it made days entertaining.

Those days were not ones he was served bad coffee. “My dear, did you even try a cup of that? That is death in a mug.” Baggs fussed.

Cecilia looked at the cup, and then at Baggs. Her expression was perplexed. He pried at her mind, to determine whether or not she realized she almost poisoned him. Only to find that she was genuinely confused. “... You mean that coffee isn’t supposed to taste like shit?” An exasperated sigh, and a shake of his head. “Cecilia, you are henceforth banned from preparing or bringing anyone coffee. That tastes so bitter, I’d dare not have another monster drink it, lest they dust on contact.” “Fine by me, sir.” Cecilia responded, before placing some papers on his already tall workload of information to analyze. “What is–” “The information regarding the new ones.” Cecilia sighed, before turning to walk away.

Baggs gave pause for a moment. New… Ah, right. Humans. “Oh, uh. Sir? There’s been a mag-lock failure on Floor 17, Block 8.” Baggs sputtered, shooting the woman a glare. “And you thought to mention this in passing, why?!” he blurted out.

Cecilia stared at him, before offering a shrug. “The one contained there is a non-issue. She’s not going to cause anyone problems.” If he didn’t trust Cecilia’s judgment when it came to her fellow humans, he’d have far more words for her.

But for her to make such a statement? Meant that the human contained in such a cell was likely terrified of her, and would make a whimsun look brave.

“Ugh… I’ll send a U-mail to request immediate work on it.” Baggs scoffed. “Don’t you mean E-mail?” The red-head looked at him, with a sly smirk on her face. Baggs certainly didn’t have the time nor desire to get into this with her again. “You’re dismissed, Cecilia.” “Understood, sir.” Cecilia smirked, before she absconded.

Likely to do her damn job and oversee Floor 16-18. And fortunately not to unleash terrors unbeknownst to monsterkind by trying to fix someone a drink. And it was imperative that he have that Mag-lock issue sorted out. Were a human to get out, and find a way out of the labs? It would be absolute chaos.

–

With another 11 U-Mails sent out, two specifically to make demands regarding the mag-lock, and one to Asgore as an update on matters that he wanted to know about. Another cup was brought to Baggs.

He had noted the click of heels upon the floor, and the cup being set down. With a heavy sigh, he took a drink of the fresh brew as the clicking of heels started again towards the door. The invigoration, the warmth– “WAIT!” Baggs nearly shot up as he called out… And spilled some of the blessed brew on himself in the process. He could mourn spilled bliss later. Barely catching a glimpse of the taller woman before casting his gaze downward at the spill on his labcoat in frustration. “M-Master!!” The clicks sped towards him, before the owner of them dropped to her knees. As a kerchief was very hastily applied by gentle hands to soak up as much of the spilled coffee. “Master, are you alright? Oh s-stars, you didn’t get burned, did you?? I’m so sorry…!” The woman’s voice was wrought with anxiety.

Stars, he should know her name, shouldn’t he? Especially with how wonderfully she addresses him… And perhaps stroked his ego just right.

“I– No, I’m fine. I merely wanted to–” Auburn brown hair, tied in a bun. Large glasses. Green eyes. Pale complexion.

“Sonia?”

“I– Y-Yes master?” She halted her fretting over his wellbeing to look up at him.

The human he brought in nearly a week ago. He didn’t immediately recognize her, she looked so different in formal attire. A white coat cinched tightly around her, accentuating her curves. A simple black pencil skirt, sheer pantyhose with black stockings on top. And a pair of white pumps.

Baggs found himself immediately remembering that he sorely needed to alleviate stress–

A rough clearing of his throat was necessary, business before pleasure, he reminded himself.

He still had to thoroughly examine her and ensure she wasn’t a risk, by… Ensuring she was loyal, before she was permitted to walk around the labs. Baggs kept his tone gentle, remembering how skittish the woman was when he had first met. Given that he hadn’t had the chance to fully condition her, it’s entirely likely she’d be just as nervous. “Aehm… How, did you get out?” Baggs softly queried.

Sonia bit her lip, and looked away meekly. “Um… I… A-Asked very nicely…?” “Mmm hmm…” His tone was that of disbelief. She began fidgeting with her hands. “O-Okay so um… There was an issue with my door… It uh… Doesn’t close like everyone else's…” Ah, so this was the person who had been designated to that cell. With such a timid disposition, it’s no wonder Cecilia let it slide. “But..! It made it so I could actually help out, a-and help out Ms. Cecilia! She’s scary a-at first, but she’s a good person. She even helped me get new clothes on my second day here..!” Sonia explained, a warm smile on her face.

That solved that mystery. Did Cecilia dress her that way on purpose, just to fuck with him?

“I see… And the coffee?” Sonia lit up with excitement, he could feel it from her. “Oh! Yes! See um… E-Earlier in the day there was some fuss regarding the coffee maker making a weird noise.. So I thoroughly cleaned it, checked it to e-ensure that there was nothing loose or damaged… Aaaand brewed a fresh batch, to test it~! Suffice to say, problem solved!” She beamed with pride, satisfied with her small victory.

That sort of satisfaction and fulfillment certainly explains how that earlier cup wound up so potent.

“A-and, well… Since I got to fix it, I… Wanted to deliver a cup specially for you…” Her voice shrunk so much, as she idly twirled a strand of her hair and averted her gaze.

Oh. Oh.How curious.

“Well, I HAD meant this cup, but it is nice to know that you’re the one who brought me coffee earlier.”

“Oh… This time? um! Ms. Cecilia requested a fresh batch of coffee. Something about you b-being in an awful mood! So I… Well. I wanted to make sure I made the best cup I could, to… Well, bring a little sunshine into your day?” Sonia looked up at him, with such a gentle and hopeful look.

“Well, then I personally shall–” It looked as though something clicked in her head, and the woman was back into an anxious rambling mess. “M-Master, am I in trouble? I k-know I’m not supposed to be out b-but I only wanted to help– I m-mean it’s OKAY if I’m in trouble, I promise I can handle it if I need to be p-punished. I d-don’t mean to tell you what to do, but if I’ve personally upset you, I–” “Sonia.” “Y-Yes Master.” A simple word, and the human woman fell quiet, wincing her eyes shut as she lowered her head.

Baggs cleared his throat. “While you are not in trouble for this, there are questions I have regarding… Well…” Baggs trailed off. Where to even start? It was a significant security risk for a human he personally hadn’t cleared to be running around. Gentle or not. Furthermore, being permitted to bring him coffee that they could have theoretically and literally tainted is something that can’t be overlooked...

“Well… I suppose those questions are more for Cecilia…” Baggs mused out loud, frowning.

“Then… What questions do you have for me, Master?” Sonia asked, tilting her head in confusion. The one that was confusing the moment she started talking to him.

Her apparent loyalty. “I… You seem so… Eager to call me ‘Master’.. And yet I’ve not asked you to. It piqued my curiosity.”

And Baggs would love to hear what manner of reasoning she would have for that. After all, he hadn’t really subjected her to the conditioning he’d need to for such loyalty to become second nature.

Sonia blushed, before looking down. “... I felt it.”

Baggs raised his browbone at the statement.

“When you silenced all those voices I… Felt it. Your magic… How it called to me. How it called for me to serve… To obey…” Sonia shivered a bit, her blush deepening.

A wry smirk grew on his face. “And you… Didn’t even try to fight it~?” Sonia looked up at him, with a frustrated pout at his accusation. That was expected.

“After all the good you’ve done me?!”

Her words? Were not. Baggs was taken aback, looking upon the human woman before him. It was possible he looked like a whimsun caught doing, well… Anything, with the expression of sheer shock on his face. “Since the day I woke up, everything has been loud. Everything has been loud for as long as I can remember, for all I can remember…!” Her voice was filled with pain and confusion. “I can breathe, I can think without h-having to worry about being overwhelmed by all the things I’m hearing that make no sense, I can make my own thoughts about whatever I see, without hearing twenty different voices loudly arguing over what choices I make and what things I say…” Sonia carried on, before looking up at him. The tears prickling at her eyes were visible, but it did not make their presence any less surprising to him.

“I’m thankful, Master. And I am happy to help you in any and every way I can. You’ve brought me something I never knew I needed. You brought me peace, Master. I only hope that I can even begin to return the favor.”

Baggs had conditioned many humans. His experiments required both willing and unwilling participants, and spanned many methods. All to further monsterkind’s safety and hopeful co-existence with mankind.

Even Cecilia, who despised her own species, required conditioning to become loyal to him. So he would know that she wouldn’t, couldn’t betray him. To have a human kneel before him on their own full volition, after a mere few hours of his magic several days ago? He’d have never considered it.

And yet, here one was.

Something like this was… Simply put, too good to be true.

And so he peered into her thoughts, there had to be some manner of plot something she was planning–

A memory. So close to the forefront, he could tell she was remembering it fondly.

An expanse of dark blues and blacks, splayed overhead, pricks and pins of white in the ceiling.

“... Y’know, before I met you, I… I always kinda took this for granted.”

Her voice, carrying on. Not echoed or reverberating in the room.

Chirps of crickets abound in the grass around her.

Another voice, deeper in tone. Familiar.

“heh… well, you coulda fooled me. you never took our stars for granite.”

Those… Were… Stars??

“Well–” a pause, before she snorted, and giggled. “Nice~... Well, there’s nothing wrong with feeling sedimental about yours. I mean, a dazzling ceiling full of sparkling gems? Kinda rocks~.”

“heh, not bad. but don’t be too rough on yourself. for you? a sight like this was just a stone’s throw for you to see.” the other voice responded.

Seems that Sonia and this other person had a sense of humor…

“Yeah, but you literally had to move– out of – a mountain to see this!” Sonia lightheartedly fussed.

“heh… and you had to fall into a mountain to see things crystal clear.” the other voice responded. “Yeah… Well…” She trailed off. A somber note in her voice. “At this rate, it’s like Sisyphus for you to even enjoy this.”

“... and it doesn’t stop being worth it. trust me, nothin’ peats this”

“Sans…?”

Wait… Had she known even back then that he’d be–

“yeah?”

Sonia looked over at the other person. A skeleton, with a blue hoodie, white t-shirt, and black basketball shorts laid lazily in the grass. His arms folded behind his head.

What….?? That… That looked so much like him, before he…

Sonia stared at him, staying silent for a few moments. “... sheesh, was it that bad?”

“... I promise you. No matter how many times you have to push that boulder back up…? You won’t ever have to do it alone again.”

“hey, now. don’t go promising things you might not be able to keep.” “I won’t promise you then… I’ll pumice you.” A look of surprise, before the both of them devolved into giggles.

“oh man, that was so bad…”

“Look, with a last name like ‘Slate’, you think I’d have to dig for rock jokes? I learned them real early.”

“.... like ‘archeology’ early or?” An exasperated gasp, before she looked over at him.

The skeleton started laughing. “Y.. You! I’m not that old!! I’m 27, going on 28! Not 27 going on 200!!” Sonia fussed. “you sure about that? how long have you been 27 going on 28?” He asked through laughs.

“You know that’s a loaded question! How am I supposed to keep track of how old I am if things keep RESETTING?” …!! She… Knew about that? Nevermind, she’s experienced that??

“heh, now you know why i took so long the first time you asked me, ‘sans, how old are you?’.” “Hmph!” Sonia fussed, before rolling over and pinning her hands on each side of the ground next to the skeleton’s head.

He… didn’t even flinch?

“oh, wouldja look at that. ‘view got even better.” the lazy smile tugged up more, as did his eyesockets.

“If I’m ancient Egyptian artifacts, then you’re dinosaur bones, you dork!” Sonia huffed. “... like… cretaceous period or triassic period? the difference there is pretty jurassic.” he gave a wink.

“... I mean it though… As long as I can be there for you? I will be. As long as I’m alive, you won’t have to face this eternal hell alone. I promise.” A firm sense of confidence and determination.

A soft sigh escaped the skeleton, as he looked up at her.

“... thank you, sonia… you… don’t know how much that means to me…”

“Master??”

“Master, are you alright???” -

“Master! Please, speak to me…!!”

Baggs gasped as he snapped back to reality. Stars, that memory was so vivid, it practically pulled him in… And left him with more questions than answers.

“Oh thank goodness. M-Master, you zoned out there for a moment… I was worried! D.. Did I offend you? Or… Oh stars, um… Listen, I… I don’t know what happened? B-But I’m here for you.” Sonia offered, her tears overflowing.

When did his vision get so blurry?

Was he…. How was he going to explain that one? “I… You’re fine, my dear. I was… Simply moved to tears by your display of such… Such inspiring loyalty.”

It wasn’t a complete lie.

“Oh… I.. Oh gosh, I… I didn’t think it was that special, but…” Sonia averted her gaze, shrinking a bit. “More special than you know…” Baggs gave pause, to compose himself.

“Now, you are not in trouble. However, there are procedures for handling new humans, as I’m sure you’re aware. To ensure that you’re in good health, and that you’re properly documented as safe to roam.”

Sonia blushed a bit. “O-Oh! Gosh… I’m so sorry… I-It’s been awhile, and I didn’t mean to skip any sort of line… I’m sorry.” She looked sheepishly guilty.

“No no, you’re fine. I’m the one who must conduct these procedures personally, and there were many things that came up of critical importance, and… Admittedly your processing fell by the wayside. But, rest assured. I’ll handle that as soon as I am able to.” Baggs explained, watching how her gaze fixed onto him as he spoke.

Fascinating. “Oh! So… I think I understand now. Thank you, Master. Shall I return to my cell and um… Remain there until further orders?” Sonia queried. He did need time to think about the new information he obtained from her. The surface… Somehow, someway, she had seen someone like him, with his name, on the surface… And they spoke of the RESETs…

“Yes, I think that would be perfect. Worry not, it won’t be much longer, pet.”

The last word slipped so easily from his mouth, he furrowed his brow as he realized what he said by mistake.

But he did not miss the squeak she made, or how her lip quivered and her flush deepened at that single three letter word.

Oh.

Well then. That explained her eagerness to call him such a title. “I… Y-Y-Yes, Master. I’ll be patient. I um, I hope you e-enjoy the coffee. I-If you ever need any when I’m able to roam, you n-need only say the words…” Sonia shakily stood up. With a coffee as resplendent as she prepares? Stars… The amount of work he could get done with ease…

“Oh, rest assured. I won’t hesitate to call upon you if I’m in need of a cup.” The warm smile and light giggle that escaped her was like sunshine. “You are dismissed.” Baggs calmly waved his hand. A simple nod, and he could hear Sonia’s heels clicking with vigor. “Don’t run in those, you’ll break your ankles.” He swiftly chided.

“Y-Yes, Master!”

And with that, his new pet– subject left.

Baggs sighed, there was certainly going to be much to study with her, he could tell. He returned to his chair, to finish what information he needed to dispense with the remaining U-mails. As he took a sip of his coffee, feeling that warmth and invigoration flood his body, he pondered a whirlwind of new questions and information to mull over.

Frankly, he’d been quite lucky that it was her cell that had the mag-lock failure. Had it remained in tact, he might not be blessed with such a reprieve from the usual, much less comforted from the catastrophe that was Cecilia’s coffee.

Upon consideration, added another question to the pile;

What sort of emotions did she feel when she made this coffee?

#boneheaded drabbles #megalosomnia #dr baggs #baggs #depths in despair multiverse #baggs megalosomnia #sonia slate #Whoops sorry guys #That saucy content plan went further back for the sake of development #I lav u guys #Trust me this at least paves way for future drabbles and fics #OK OK I'LL STOP WITH THE ROCK PUNS #I promise this isn't what I meant when I said things would get dirty #Had to edit because I fucked up the first few words in due to excitement to do the thing #Fuck it NO BETA WE DIE LIKE MEN

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