I always wanted to write what happened between Future Generations and 5 Years Later... so here you guys go if you're interested on reading it.
Welcome to Safe Haven... Chapter One
Today was a muggy, foggy day at the harbor of Prison Island…
"…Well, today we receive the new recruits…" Someone sat on the deck of the harbor this morning, leaning back in his chair a bit drowsily. He was a Spanish toucan, with his trusty Rapier at his side. Flamenco was his name… and being a guard at the harbor was his job. It wasn't as fun or as involving as the other jobs that the others had, but this job was good enough for him…
"...wonder how many are gonna show up." a female spider sitting next to him hummed, rubbing her arms in excitement. Her name was Marylin, but she preferred the shorter Lin.
"…No se," Flamenco shrugged, which of course in Spanish meant 'I don't know."
Meanwhile, the ferry was slowly coming toward the island. All of the recruits were chatting eagerly and impatiently about all the things they were going to do on the island. It was plenty lively and peaceful…
…at least, until everyone started to hear a sound that interrupted all the conversations going on.
"…Dude…is it just me, or is that a baby crying?" uttered a horse.
"...I think it is." a deer replied to that.
A cloaked figure sat on the side of the ferry, turning frantic because the sound of the crying baby came from this figure. They reached within the cloak and tried to do something about it so the crying would stop, but this only gathered attention from the other soldiers.
"Shut that baby up, would you?" yelled a gazelle. "What the hell, man?"
The cloaked figure was startled, but did all they could to try and fix the problem. The little bundle inside the cloak squirmed, but eventually the crying stopped, and the cloaked figure grew relieved.
"Ugh, finally. Thought that'd never stop..." a hippo scoffed.
"...I swear, if I hear something that annoying again, I'm gonna punch someone..." a cougar murmured to herself.
The cloak figure became nervous, but at least for now, there wasn't going to be any violence again…
…that is, until that baby started whimpering. The cloak figure grew panicked again and tried to calm the little bundle, but the bundle decided to be fussy.
"...didn't we tell you to shut that kid up?" the cougar growled.
The cloak figure tried harder, but the bundle wouldn't have it. It started crying again, which cause annoyed grunts and groans from everyone else around her.
"Now see here, are you going to make it be quiet, or am I going to have to do that?" the horse growled, stomping toward the cloaked figure that looked scared now.
"...whatever you do, be quick about it." the gazelle scoffed.
"Hey, I'd leave her alone if I were you." Just like that, a group of five hounds gathered together and stood between the soldiers and the cloaked figure, to her surprise. The one that was talking was a bloodhound with a big smirk on his sagging face, underneath a black cowboy hat. "After all, it isn't nice to take out that nasty temper on other people…"
"Who the hell brings a baby to Safe Haven?" the horse growled. "It's a warrior nation! Not a freakin' nursery!" A smaller figure hiding among the crowd flinched upon hearing that.
"Well, different strokes, different folks, as they say," a Doberman wearing a large coat mused.
"I don't care what strokes floats your boat; it's goddamn annoying, is what it is!" the hippo groaned.
"...then plug your ears." a bulldog chuckled, shaking his head.
"Oh, I don't think so!" growled the horse. "I ain't adjusting just for some little brat!"
"Then we can 'adjust' the way you look," exclaimed a younger bloodhound that looked like the first one, "because frankly, you're an ugly sight for sore eyes!"
"Was that a threat, kid?" roared the horse.
"...no, it was a suggestion." the bulldog scoffed, before he approached the horse. "This is a threat." And he proceeded to calmly, yet fiercely, head butt the horse.
That seemed to be the last straw that broke the camel's back, because right after the horse stumbled backward from that, he yelled and that was enough for the other soldiers to get right up and fight against the five hounds. The cloaked figure quickly got up and ran out of the way right as the other bloodhound was thrown into her seat, breaking it.
"Damn, this is some brawl," he chuckled in amusement, spitting out a little blood from his lip. "Let's go!" and he ran back in. While the cougar, gazelle and hippo were viciously trying to fight the hounds, the smaller figure took this chance to slip away as well.
That was when the ferry was beginning to roll into the harbor, and when they saw the ongoing fistfights, Flamenco shook his head. "Aye…not again…"
"...well, it happened last year too, so..." Lin shrugged, before she stood up. "...let's see if we can't join in!"
"Que?" Flamenco looked absolutely baffled at the idea.
"Sorry, that's not your guys' job." Flamenco and Lin looked back, seeing some of their bosses walking down the hill. One of them was a tall, gruff wolf named Hunter, chuckling; "Another brawl huh? These seem to be a regular thing now!"
"I'll start to laugh if this happens next year as well." a dark raven, whose name was Sage, mused with a chuckle.
"...King." a black bear named Queen commented, glancing at the tiger walking with them. "Do you plan on stopping this?"
"Yeah, yeah..." King nodded, before he suddenly clapped his hands together, creating a thunderclap that would get the attention of the new recruits.
Everything stopped, and all the recruited made a startled jump, looking over at the harbor which the ferry was now stopping by and opening up its doors to. The cloaked figure stared at those standing at the harbor, startled as well, but not because of the thunder clap… but at the ones that were standing there.
Since the ferry finally stopped, various soldiers shoved their way through to disembark off of the ferry in front of King. Four hounds were shoved to the front of the line, slightly beaten up from the fighting but other words, perfectly fine.
"...you five started it?" King assumed.
"...they got us to start it," the bulldog corrected.
"Who are you guys?" Hunter asked curiously.
"Name's Cowpoke," introduced the bloodhound, tipping his cowboy hat.
"I'm Mud-Pie!" introduced the younger bloodhound. "…and…don't ask about the name. You don't want to know."
The other one, Cowpoke, only laughed. "It's a funny story. See, Mud-Pie's my son, actually (and believe it or not, the name was my idea), but that's not all of his embarrassing tales."
"Dad!" wailed Mud-Pie.
Cowpoke only chuckled. Then he looked at the other hounds. "And these here are good buddies of mine."
"My name's Rott." the doberman replied.
"...Merde." the bulldog huffed.
"...hm." King hummed, folding his arms.
"…hey, where's Smokey?" Cowpoke muttered, looking around.
"Here."
A tall pug walked his way through the soldiers with an ugly, angry look in his eye, and every time he growled at the soldiers, they scooted away timidly.
"There you are," Cowpoke chuckled, when Smokey made it to them. "Smokey here's a man of few words, but he's a big guy, you know? He's been able to hold his own in anything…"
"...wait, isn't Merde the big guy?" Rott uttered, tilting his head.
"Smokey's bigger." Merde replied dryly.
Cowpoke looked back at the ferry, seeing that cloaked figure was still standing there. Eventually, the cloaked figure finally got the courage to walk down off of the ferry, and numerous soldiers gave her annoyed looks. She grew timid, enough that Cowpoke had to shove his way through the soldiers so that he could lead her through them without a lot of trouble.
Then when Cowpoke brought her closer to King, she started to hesitate and pull away. Cowpoke noticed this and stopped, looking at the cloaked figure. "…something wrong?"
The figure only looked at King, Queen, Hunter and Sage, shaking.
"Who's that?" Hunter asked.
"She's the reason the brawl started, you see," Cowpoke tried to explain, but then the cloaked figure pried away from Cowpoke to his surprise, and still stared at the four Mobians standing there.
"...is something the matter?" King hummed, before he glanced at Sage. "You pick up anything?"
Sage, however, was silent, as she kept looking at the figure. "...Flamenco, Lin, you two get the soldiers acquainted with the place. King, Queen, Hunter... let's take her with us." While this was going on, a smaller figure managed to slip unnoticed by the others, running off into the woods...
Cowpoke understood a little bit, and he nodded at them. "Take good care of her," he said, just as he took his son and followed his buddies with the crowd of soldiers that went away.
Hunter only gave Sage a shocked look. "Sage, what's going on? Why are we taking this woman with us?"
"...I'll tell you once we get to the pub. Ani, Miser and Ripper need to know as well." Sage murmured, before she began walking off.
"...hm." Queen hummed, before she looked at the cloaked woman.
The cloaked woman then glanced at the ground, but she followed Sage.
"…okay…this is weird," Hunter murmured, walking after them.
"You're telling me..." King murmured, as he walked after them as well.
There was a pub somewhere in a little town that was built near the harbor; a resting place for recreational activities for the soldiers to drink and talk about gossip. There was a little husky/wolf hybrid girl sweeping the pub inside, feeling bored. "Man, I wish I had the guys to play with," sighed little 13 year old Anistasia Symphony.
"...you plan on visiting them?" Sitting on a stool by the counter was a rhino, named Miser, who tilted her head curiously.
"It could be good for both you, them and us, kekeke!" a praying mantis chuckled from one of the tables; Ripper.
"…yeah, they need to see what Safe Haven's like!" Ani said. "After all, I'm sure they'd have a blast exploring the place!"
"I wouldn't doubt it..." Miser mused with a slight smile.
The door opened, and Ani turned to smile at her dad and the other bosses of Safe Haven. "Hi guys!" she greeted them. "How many recruits was there this time?"
"...more than last time." Queen replied.
"...everyone's here..." Sage mused, before she sighed. "...listen, this is really sudden, so everyone, please take a seat."
"How sudden are we talking about?" Ani asked. Then she noticed the cloaked figure standing there. "…huh?"
"Sage," Hunter grew serious, seeing how Sage was behaving. "Why don't you just tell us and-!"
There was another fussy whimper that interrupted Hunter, which snatched the attention of them all. The cloaked figure looked down, and finally took out the bundle that she had been hiding underneath the warmth of her cloak. Two tiny hands squirmed and wiggled incoherently while the little thing inside the bundle tried to uncover itself. When it had trouble, the cloaked figure helped, and revealed just exactly what was in the bundle.
Indeed, it was a small infant…a little baby girl ewe, blinking and opening up its bright green eyes to look at everyone else.
Ani rushed to the cloaked woman to look at this baby. "Oh my gosh! Look at that adorable little face!" she cooed, taking one of the tiny hands with a finger.
Then it hit Ani.
"…wait a minute…" she took another look at the baby. "…you look just like…"
…and Ani looked right up at the cloaked woman with her jaw dropping. Hunter couldn't believe it either, and while the infant was hard not to watch, he too stared at the cloaked figure with the same disbelief as Ani.
"...holy..." King uttered, gaping.
"...keke?" Ripper's mouth opened slightly, while Queen and Miser just looked at the cloaked woman in disbelief.
"...you've certainly hit some dark times recently..." Sage sighed, folding her arms. "...Jill."
The cloaked figure finally decided that it was appropriate to remove the hood of the cloak, and confirm to them who she really was. Doing so didn't change their shock one bit, but most of their eyes widened.
"…Jill…?" Ani gasped with her hand to her mouth. The woman standing there was the ewe they all remembered to have disappeared nearly ten months ago because of an accident that happened to another friend of theirs; Brick Cainfield's death. Since then, they haven't been able to find her… and it nearly devastated the boys at the Clubhouse because of it…
…and here she was, standing before them, with a child in her arms.
"...wha..." King uttered, tilting his head.
Jill winced in sadness, until the baby whimpered again and she gently rocked it to calm it down.
"…Jill…you…" Ani just couldn't believe it.
"...would you like a seat, Jill?" Sage eventually suggested.
Jill looked at her, and nodded a little, sitting down at a chair near a table closest to them.
"...are you hungry, by any chance?" Sage inquired again.
Jill hesitated on that, and only looked at the little baby in her arms.
"…Jill…?" Ani looked worried.
Jill eventually nodded.
"…I'll make you something then," Ani was quick to slip behind the counter and tie on an apron. For a moment, not much was said; the air around them was far too tense.
"...Jill..." Queen eventually began, clearing her throat a little, before she shook her head. "...never mind..."
"...Hunter." Sage eventually said, glancing at the wolf. "Think you can get her a pen and some paper?"
"…y-yeah!" With that, Hunter disappeared into the swinging butler doors that were by the counter, which led to the back rooms.
"...this way, you can communicate with the rest of them." Sage mused, looking back at Jill.
Jill nodded gratefully, and then she just looked back down at the baby. There was even more silence, until Hunter finally returned with the things he went to look for, setting them down on the table next to Jill.
"…excuse me…" Jill looked back up at him. "…may I….hold her?" Hunter asked. Jill looked back down at the baby for a while… and then she gently held her to Hunter for him to take into his arms.
The baby ewe looked up at Hunter with curiosity, but mostly yawned, looking tired.
"...so..." Miser began, rubbing the back of her head. "...um... may I ask what her name is, Jill?"
With Jill's hands free, she reached for the pen, and when she took a hold of it, she noticed that she was shaking still. She took the paper, and started writing.
Hunter looked over what she wrote, and looked back at the baby. "…so…your name's Joy Meredith Condit, is it?" he muttered. "…that's…quite a name, Jill…"
"...indeed." Miser nodded.
"...so..." King began, rubbing his neck a little awkwardly.
"...I'm sorry, but I have to ask." Queen sighed. "It's what we're all thinking, anyway... where did you go, Jill?"
Jill looked at Queen for a while, and she wrote.
Hunter looked over it again. "…wait…you went back to your village?" he asked in surprise. Jill nodded.
"...so you stayed there until you gave birth..." Queen mused, looking at what she wrote.
Jill nodded again, and looked down at the paper, clenching at the table. Hunter noticed, and looked back at Jill. "…Jill…" he muttered, earning a glance from her. "…if there's anything you need to write down…do it," he said. "…you'll feel better if you do…"
"...go on." Sage nodded. "Write what you need to write."
Jill looked back down at the paper…
…then she reached into her cloak and pulled out a stack of two or three sheets of paper that already had writing on them. Hunter gave little baby Joy back to Jill, so he could take up the papers. "…is it okay if I read it aloud, Jill?" he asked.
She nodded.
With that, Hunter looked over it to see where to start.
"…We were walking out late one night. Brick was so excited about the news…we were both really happy about it. It's really the happiest I've ever been…then again, maybe close to it. I feel like there had been a time once before where I really was the happiest in my life, but I can't recall it…"
"We were cut short though when we found ourselves surrounded by shady characters in a secluded area. They were nothing more than a gang of robbers demanding for valuables and money. Brick obviously opposed them, and fought them off while I could only watch. I didn't know that one of them possessed a firearm…by the time I realized they had one, the shot had already been fired…"
"…the bullet hit Brick directly in the head, and he fell to his instant death."
"I felt like that bullet hit me as well; I was petrified, and I couldn't believe what I saw. All my happiness, was taken away like that…my heart was slowing down, growing weak when I felt the barrel pointed at my own head; told that if I didn't cooperate, the same would happen to me…maybe worse."
Hunter paused.
"...that's..." Miser uttered, her eyes widening slightly.
"…so…that's what happened to him," Hunter muttered gravely.
"...how cruel." Queen murmured.
Hunter's eyes widened at the next part.
"I can't remember what happened then…all of it is in the dark, but the next thing I remember was that I was standing at a tall cliff over raging waves of the ocean, early before the dawn, and I could barely catch body bags flying down the cliff into the waters below."
"I could only guess what happened…"
"…but could I have…killed them? I wouldn't ever do any harm to anyone! I would never become so cold-blooded in my life…but Brick's death may have triggered something unpredictable…Still, I never would kill anyone. I was slowly losing my sanity at what happened…I couldn't go back to the Professor and the boys…"
"…so I ran. I became concerned about protecting myself…and my future child. The only thing I have left of him…of something that would mean everything to me."
Hunter looked at Jill in astonishment, and she looked away shamefully.
"...she's been through a lot, keke..." Ripper murmured.
Hunter looked back at the paper to keep reading.
"…the last place I would ever go to turned out to eventually be my destination…"
"My village."
"By the time I came there, I was already to bursting toward my 9 months. The guards recognized me with total shock…and even with my unborn child, they felt obligated to turn me away. I was still banished after all."
"When my father witnessed that, he discharged them immediately."
"I stayed there at my village for a while. My father helped me each night while I cried my heart out through the trauma of what happened, unable to put any of it in words because of my handicap. Then finally came the day I went into labor, and Joy Meredith Condit was born…"
"…I wasn't sure whether or not to give her Brick's name…but it still hurt so much to think about what happened. It gave my father the joy of being a grandfather though…uh, no pun intended."
The only one who hadn't said anything yet was King, who kept his arms folded while he listened to what Jill had written.
"Once I was ready, I set out again. The villagers told me that even if I was banished, they would always make a home for Joy if something happened. I was thankful…but I had to find a way to take care of us. Since I lost my powers long ago, I was just an ordinary girl."
"That's when I remembered Safe Haven."
"…Would they understand? I have been missing for so long…and all of them are probably looking for me….but I didn't exactly want to be found. I was helpless. It was terrible, and... humiliating for me, because I was such a young mother. I couldn't take that kind of stress... If anybody could help me back onto my feet…it would be the former GUN agents."
"…I would've gone to Metal…but I didn't want to put all that on him. Not after…what happened…"
Hunter looked to see that Jill had written a little bit more on the paper on the table, and she handed it to him to read aloud. "…so…I need somewhere to stay…because I can't go back to the boys and the Professor…not after just abandoning them like that…even with how much of an emotional wreck I was, leaving them was a cruel thing to do…especially when the Professor did so much for me long ago when I first met him and Brick…"
And that was all that was written. The only sound that passed for that moment was little Joy gurgling a little bit and then sucking on her thumb.
"...so... you need a place to stay?" King eventually uttered.
Jill nodded.
"...right..." King nodded, before he stood up. "...that shouldn't be a problem at all." he mused. "It'll take a little while to find you a place for just you and Joy, but in the meantime, both of you can stay over at Sonia's place; she'll appreciate the company, I figure."
Jill looked at King with a surprised look. She was grateful…but also curious. Who was this Sonia?
Ani smiled, and even chuckled a little bit. "Sonia's going to adore Joy," she said, coming over and setting a plate of food down in front of Jill.
"...one of us can go and tell her that you'll be coming over." Sage suggested, smiling a bit as well.
"…yeah, and Sonia's part of the first generation of recruits, so she knows this place really well," Hunter said, also smiling. "She can help you make sure you stay away from the bad parts of the island so Joy won't get hurt…"
Jill only looked at them.
She wrote something down again.
…you're all…so kind… she wrote.
"...hey, what are friends for, right?" King hummed, smirking a bit.
"...oh, my. Did I come at an inappropriate time?"
Everyone turned towards the door, where they saw that a large pig had walked into the pub, looking right back at them. "My apologies; the sign said that the place was open, and with the new recruits, I didn't expect all of you to be here." the pig said with a small smirk.
"...Spiel." Miser uttered, looking cautiously at the pig.
"…what do you want Spiel?" Ani groaned, setting her hands on her hips.
Jill could only look at the pig with an intrigued… and slightly wary look, judging by how everyone was acting toward this character. Little baby Joy looked at him as well, over Jill's shoulder.
"...what, can't a pig come and order a meal any longer?" Spiel chuckled. "It says that it's open, so I assume you're still open for business?"
"...nothing else, aside from that?" King uttered.
"Not a thing." Spiel chuckled, before his glance happened to fall upon Jill. "...so, are you gonna introduce me to your new friend over there, King?"
"…it depends on whether or not you're going to try and brainwash her to join your group," Ani said, which startled Jill.
"…Ani, don't be ridiculous," Hunter muttered, setting a hand on his daughter's shoulders.
Spiel only chuckled. "Now that's the Ani we all know and love... or hate, when it comes to everyone you've turned down over the years." he joked.
"Keep the jokes to yourself, please." Sage sighed, before she glanced at Jill. ...do you want to let him know your name? she asked mentally.
…it depends…on whether or not he's a dangerous person, Jill replied, and she started to hear Joy whimpering again, but while looking at Spiel… was Joy actually afraid of him?
"...oh, am I scaring the little girl?" Spiel hummed, rubbing the back of his neck. "My apologies." he chuckled, before sitting down.
...he's one to be wary of. Sage told Jill. He's physically imposing, but doesn't have any ill will towards any of us... I think...
Jill rocked little Joy enough to soothe her. …go ahead, she replied to Sage.
Nodding, Sage looked at the pig. "...her name's Jill." she said.
"...Jill, huh..." Spiel hummed, before nodding. "...and the little one?"
Sage blinked, before she looked at Jill to see if she'd be willing to let Spiel learn of Joy's name. Jill nodded to Sage, and when little Joy got fussy, Jill took out a pacifier that she gave to Joy to suck on, calming her down again.
Sage looked back at Spiel. "...her name's Joy."
"...Jill and Joy... how quaint," Spiel chuckled, before he rubbed his chin. "...so, is there a specific reason why Jill couldn't tell me that herself?"
"…she's a mute," Hunter replied.
"...a mute, huh..." Spiel hummed, before he nodded. "...well, at least she's got a daughter and some good friends. Lose some and win some, as the saying goes." he mused with a light chuckle.
Jill didn't know why, but that kind of saying really bugged her… especially when this guy didn't even know the things she went through…but he was only trying to be friendly as far as they knew.
"Spiel, are you wanting something to eat or not?" asked Ani. "This whole business with Jill is really just between us Safe Haven admins since she's an old friend of ours…"
"...right; it's not really my place, is it..." Spiel shrugged. "Alright; I'll just have the usual, Ani."
Ani remained silent, going away behind the counter to get to work. Jill looked down at her plate of food wondering if she really was hungry or not.
"C'mon King; you and me can explain the situation to Sonia," Hunter said, heading toward the door.
"Right." King nodded, before he got out of his seat, following Hunter.
Jill took one nibble of her food, and suddenly realized how hungry she really was after tasting such delectable food… but she had a hard time eating with Joy in her arms, now that the little thing had fallen asleep.
"...um..." Miser began, rubbing her head. "...I can hold her, while you eat..."
Jill looked at Miser, giving her a thankful nod while she carefully handed Joy over to her, making sure she wouldn't wake up.
"Sure hope Sonia's home," Hunter said. "I'd hate to have to go looking for her on the island."
"I think she'll be at home." King noted. "You know how it's been; she doesn't come out until the annual tournament begins when the new recruits come ashore."
"Right," Hunter replied.
They made their way through the thick woods, heading towards a large log cabin in the distance. "You know," Hunter started, "I hate to say it, but Spiel's idea for building the town and more barracks wasn't so bad…it's certainly a lot better than being crammed in one huge building;
"...yeah; it surprised me when he suggested it, too..." King hummed. "...but good idea or not, it's still hard to see him as trustworthy..."
"…although I admit that being stuck in that one building reminded me of the time when we were still fugitives and Charmy was letting us stay with him and his crew…" Hunter said. "…but all the more reason to be careful with Spiel…after the things that happened long ago."
"...right..." King nodded, folding his arms.
They finally made it to the door of the cabin, and Hunter knocked on the door. "Sonia, you there?" he called.
It took a while, before the door opened, and a female rattlesnake looked back at King and Hunter. "...kinda early, isn't it?" she yawned.
"It's just that you sleep in when the new recruits show up." King pointed out. "Mind if we come in?"
"...not at all." Sonia shrugged, opening the door further and leading King and Hunter inside.
Hunter closed the door behind him, and walked through the cabin a bit with them. "Listen, Sonia…we need a pretty big favor," he began, clearing his throat.
"...a favor?" Sonia hummed, tilting her head.
"Yeah," Hunter said. "…something pretty sudden just came up, and we were wondering if you would be willing to have someone stay with you for a little while until we can figure out something…"
"...well... sure." Sonia hummed. "Who is it?"
"...an old friend." King murmured, rubbing his arm. "She's hit some hard times, and she needs a place to stay... so until we can get her a place of her own..."
"...say no more." Sonia said with a smile. "I'll get the guest bed set up soon enough."
"…but there is some things you should know," Hunter added, "…our friend…kinda has a baby with her…"
"...oh, she's a mom?" Sonia hummed. "...hrm... I don't really have any cradles on standby... well, I'll manage." she eventually shrugged. "Is there something else I should know?"
"...well... she's mute, too." King noted.
"Mute and a mother..." Sonia nodded. "...right; anything else?"
"…something pretty bad happened to the father of the baby…so she's really sensitive about that," Hunter said. "…actually, if you think about it, Jill's pretty sensitive about a lot of things…"
"So, it's probably best not to ask too many questions." King noted.
"...right." Sonia nodded, folding her arms. "...but I gotta say; I feel sorry for her, if she's gone through something bad like that..."
"…there's just one more thing we ask too," Hunter said. "…make sure that you look out for her and her baby when she's here on the island. Some soldiers didn't take too kindly to her crying child on the ferry, and there's no telling if any of the soldiers might set off Jill's… unpredictable side…"
Remembering what Jill wrote made him wonder just a little bit…and kind of made him worry.
"...right; I can do that." Sonia nodded. "Just say the word."
"...that's good." King mused. "Thanks; we owe you, Sonia."
"Don't mention it." Sonia chuckled.
"Right now she's getting something to eat at the pub, so she'll probably stay there and wait until after the tournament with the veterans and the new recruits blows over to swing by here," Hunter said.
"...I getcha," Sonia hummed, "...though, should I try a swing at the tournament, too?"
"Whatever floats your boat." King hummed.
"Yeah, you're still able to go for your usual turn at the tournament," Hunter said. "…but anyway, we should probably go Sonia. Me and King have a bunch of things to do to set everything up for tonight…"
"Alright, then." Sonia nodded. "You guys go on, then."
King nodded, as he rose from his seat, before he headed to the door. "...again, thanks, Sonia."
"Again, don't mention it." Sonia said with a chuckle.
"See you at the tournament," Hunter said, closing the door behind him and King.
"...see ya." Sonia nodded.
Running through the woods, the small being eventually stopped to catch her breath; She seemed fairly young, and she was still able to run about just fine...
"…what are you running from, little one?"
She blinked, looking to where the voice came from. "...ran from nasties..." she uttered.
"...yeah...they are nasty, aren't they...?"
"...everybody's nasty..." she uttered, "...everyone... but not here; people say there's no nasties here..."
"…they said that huh?"
The little figure finally saw where the voice was coming from, where another figure was just sitting next to a tree trunk. "…I'm wondering why you're here, wandering around," he said. "…don't you have any parents?"
"...no." she said, shaking her head. "They were nasties, too... had to get them to stop being nasty... they stopped, so I ran here..." Then, she looked to the side. "...I stopped them..."
"…you stopped them from being nasty…?" the figure stood up from where he sat, and he slowly approached the little one. It was a snow leopard with black hair running down half of his face, and black clothes all over him. "…how did you stop them from being nasty?" he asked again.
The little figure was silent, though soon, the leopard would notice what she was; a small owl, wearing a tiny black dress, with blood splattered over her. "...I stopped them... with this." she uttered, pulling out a bloodied knife from her dress.
The leopard knelt down and looked at the knife. "…I see," he said. "…so…do you feel sorry for doing that?" he asked curiously, looking at the owl girl.
"...no." she replied. "They deserved it... all nasties deserve it..."
"…I see…" The leopard stood up, just looking down at her. "…you're a very smart girl...and you're right. All nasties deserve it…"
"...are you a nasty?" the owl inquired, tilting her head.
"Me?" The leopard inquired. "…I'm only mean to the nasty people…I make the bad things happen to the nasty people when they deserve it…but I won't be nasty to you, because you're a smart girl."
"...so you're not a nasty." the owl uttered. "...what's your name?"
"…My name's Diablo," the leopard said, kneeling back down to the owl. "Tell me your name, little one, and maybe I could be your Big Brother…how would you like that?"
"...that would be good..." the owl hummed, before she nodded, "...my name's Kiri."
"Kiri…what a nice name," Diablo said, standing up. Then he held out his hand to her. "…here…I can wash you up and you can live with me… and then the two of us can make sure that the nasty people here get what they deserve…"
"...okay... Big Brother," Kiri nodded, slowly taking Diablo's hand.
With that, Diablo and Kiri started walking away.
Night fell upon the island of Safe Haven, and the annual tournament had begun. Just from the first few fights, people were getting quite excited; with some of the hounds, the cougar, Hunter, Queen and Sonia, among others, participating. The next match was just about to start; with a jackal stepping into the ring. "...let's get this over with."
That was when Diablo and Kiri walked toward the bright lights, entering the building to see the battles. Diablo slowed down to stay in the shadows, but mainly he stopped because of who was walking out onto the arena against the jackal. "Hm?"
It was a cloaked figure, but the figure pulled off the hood and showed her face.
Though he couldn't hear them, Diablo noticed that King and the others in charge of the island seemed surprised at who this woman was; a ewe.
"...so, you're one of the new guys, eh?" the jackal hummed, cracking his knuckles. "Alright; I'm not gonna go easy on ya, just because you're female. Got that?"
The ewe reached up to where the cloak was buttoned together, and she pulled it apart, throwing off the cloak. The audience gasped, seeing that she did not look like the healthiest Mobian around. She looked a little too skinny, and there were a lot of cuts and bruises on her. Her clothes were dirty rags, and ripped at some places. They looked like they were ready to fall apart any second.
"…it looks like that woman has had some hard times," observed Diablo.
"...maybe she was attacked by a nasty." Kiri noted.
"...alright; here I go!" the jackal called, before he ran to punch the ewe right in the face; not even phased by the shape she was in. Then the audience looked surprised when the ewe caught the fist just inches away from her face, holding the jackal back.
The jackal seemed surprised by this as well. "Tsch- lucky shot!" he hissed, quickly aiming a kick at the ewe. That one got her, and it pushed her a few feet, holding her stomach painfully. She realized that she wasn't as strong as she used to be. With a scoff, the jackal aimed another punch at the ewe. She was knocked back a bit farther, but she tried to put up an effort with a kick at the jackal in return.
That knocked the jackal back a bit, but likewise, he quickly rushed to punch the ewe again. She took the punch weakly, shaking at her knees. She wasn't going to last much longer, and she thought that this might have been a bad idea after all.
"…that woman seems to be having trouble," Diablo muttered.
"...she'll be knocked out, soon." Kiri commented.
"You're mine!" the jackal called, before he aimed another kick at the ewe.
Sure, it looked as if the ewe would be called out in that attack, but Diablo started to notice something about that woman. Her knees suddenly weren't shaking anymore, and she looked more composed. In fact, the ewe just snatched the jackal's ankle, halting his kick. That was when he noticed something else about the woman.
She stared right up at the jackal with piercing red eyes… and she flashed a devious smirk at the jackal.
"…then again…it looks like she just might turn the tables here," Diablo remarked, growing interested at this sudden change of behavior in the ewe.
She threw away the leg that had been about to kick her and she threw a punch right at his gut… a rather powerful looking punch actually. That punch sent the jackal flying back considerably, barely managing to land on his feet. "...kah..."
"...that was..." Kiri hummed, tilting her head.
The ewe woman just walked toward him menacingly with that devious grin.
The jackal hissed. "...why you-!" he began, before he ran to try and punch the ewe again.
She only caught the punch again, more effortlessly than before, and she sent a kick right at his face. That kick knocked the jackal right off his feet, sending him crashing against the ground. "...buh..."
The ewe walked up to him and when he was on the ground, she firmly planted her feet right on his chest, forcing him to look up at her smirk.
The jackal coughed, as he looked back at the ewe. "...who the hell... are you?" he uttered.
Suddenly, the ewe's eyes changed color, from red to green. That smirk fell off of her face, and changed to bewilderment… and once she saw her situation, a growing fear. She stepped away from the jackal slowly, shuddering.
Then she spun around and ran out of the arena, to some of the audience's confusion. She ran right into the hall where Diablo and Kiri dwelled, running right past them without regarding anything to them, and then disappearing outside.
"…hm…that woman is interesting," Diablo murmured, rubbing his chin. "…she's one of the first newcomers to actually beat a veteran in the tournament…and yet she's horrified at that."
"...why is that?" Kiri hummed, rubbing her chin along with Diablo. "Had it been any other nasty, they'd just cheer..."
"…right…" Diablo murmured.
Then he saw the jackal getting off the arena. "Way to go Will. You lost to a girl," he said insultingly.
"...can it, Diablo." Will murmured. "That wasn't any normal girl... it was a witch." Then he walked out of sight.
"…a witch he says?" Diablo was even more intrigued now.
"...this witch..." Kiri hummed, looking up at the ceiling. "...she sounds like fun."
Jill ran as far as she could, but found that she was still weak, and she had to stop to catch her breath. She couldn't believe what happened there before. The first minute she thought she was done for, and the next thing she knew she was standing over that jackal with ill intent…
…it was like before…
She had to shake that out of her thoughts, because the mere thought of it freaked her out…
"...are you okay?" a female voice suddenly said behind her.
Jill weakly looked at who it was.
It was a female rattlesnake, who had a fairly concerned look on her face. "...don't worry; I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna know if you're okay..." she said reassuringly.
Jill slowly nodded.
Eventually, the rattlesnake tilted her head. "...wait... can you even talk?" she inquired.
Jill shook her head, and looked down to the ground sadly.
"...I see... so you're the one King talked about..." the snake hummed, before she placed a hand on Jill's shoulder, "...my name's Sonia." she said with a small smile, "Don't worry; I'll help you out, if you need any of it."
Jill recognized the name and looked up to her in astonishment. So this was the Sonia they talked about.
"...now, let's get going." Sonia hummed, before she helped Jill up. "We just need to go get your baby, and I'll show you the way to my place."
For a moment, Jill didn't seem so scared anymore. In fact, she gave Sonia a small, weary smile of gratitude when she helped her up, and they started heading toward the pub, where Ani was watching little baby Joy…
"...hey, Ani?" Sonia called when they entered the pub.
"Hm?" Ani looked from from behind the counter with baby Joy in her arms, nibbling away at her own hand. "Oh, Sonia, I see you finally met Jill…" and then Ani saw her condition. "…Jill? Did you really go into that tournament?"
Jill shrugged, and then winced, holding her stomach from where that jackal kicked her.
"Sonia, who did she fight?" Ani asked.
"Will." Sonia replied. "At first, she wasn't faring too well, but eventually, she just trounced him." Then, she looked down at the ewe. "...but she ran away right afterwards."
"What do you mean?" Ani asked. "How in the world did she….?" And she trailed off when she saw the look of shame and sadness on Jill's face. "…ooohh," she muttered in understanding.
Joy saw her mommy there and made a noise, holding her arms out to try and reach her. Jill noticed this, so she came over and took Joy into her own arms so that Joy could nuzzle into her neck and suck on her thumb again.
Sonia couldn't help but crack a smile at seeing that. "...what's the baby's name?" she eventually asked, looking at Ani.
"According to Jill, her whole name is Joy Meredith Condit," Ani replied, smiling.
"...Joy, huh?" Sonia hummed. "That's a really nice name!" she added, grinning.
Jill smiled a little at that, and Joy just gurgled.
The door opened then. "C'mon Will, you just need a shot of liquor and you'll feel much…" four figures stopped in the middle of the doorway, looking upon the three in the bar to their surprise. "…better…?" muttered one of them; a mole rat.
"...oh, hell; She's here, too?" the familiar voice of the jackal groaned.
"...geez." a ferret scoffed. "There goes the neighborhood."
"...now what's that supposed to mean?" Sonia huffed, turning to look at the four of them.
Jill looked a little disheartened, looking away from them.
"You guys need to leave her alone, alright?" growled Ani, stepping out from behind the counter to stand in front of Jill protectively.
"What? She gets a special treatment all of a sudden?" the zebra scoffed.
"It's not about special treatment, you simpering baboons." Sonia hissed, narrowing her eyes.
"Hey, I take offense to that!" the ferret yelled. "We are not baboons!"
The jackal, Will, proceeded to smack the ferret across the head. "...well, special treatment or not, is it possible to get a drink around here?" he murmured irritably.
"Depends if one; you keep harassing Jill, and two; you turn it into one of your dumb drinking contests," Ani said.
"Your name's Jill, huh?" the zebra remarked. "…you look pretty bad. Maybe you should have a drink too."
"She can't drink! Not only is she a mom, but she's still eighteen!" Ani yelled. Jill tapped her shoulder and shook her head. "No?" Ani supposed. "…you're nineteen now?" Jill nodded at that.
"Damn, you got knocked up at an early age," The mole rat commented, which hurt Jill to hear that.
Sonia gave them a scowl for that.
"...what?" the ferret hummed. "Isn't it true, though?"
"Alright, that's enough." Will grunted. "We won't start a drinking game or bug Jill or whatever; just serve us some drinks. Seymour, Marco, Ed, get a table."
The other three just looked at Will, and like he ordered, they picked a table away from them to sit at. With a small sigh, Sonia glanced at Jill. "...you wanna head home, or do you want to grab a bite to eat, first?"
Jill looked at her, unsure.
"…Jill…" Jill turned to Ani, who gave her a sincere look. "…I think you'd be better off going to Sonia's. If you think these guys are insensitive now, wait until you see them drunk."
"...true." Sonia nodded. "Let's head home; maybe you can rest up."
"Hmph." Will scoffed, as he took a seat by his buddies.
"Where's the father?" the mole rat curiously asked Jill, hurting her even more. "He ran off the first chance he got when he found out, didn't he?"
Ani felt like that was crossing the line.
"…HE'S DEAD YOU INSENSITIVE BASTARD!"
Suddenly, the chair that the mole rat sat in flew up and sent the mole rat flying across the bar, hitting another table and chairs in a corner. Jill was shocked. That was the first time she ever heard Ani use language like that, and she looked at the preteen husky-wolf with concern, while Ani huffed just to calm down. Sonia was taken aback by that, as she just looked from Ani to Jill.
"...tsch..." Will grunted, shooting Ani a look, but remaining silent.
"…see what I mean?" muttered Ani, finally, looking back at Jill. "…it would be even worse than that…"
...Ani…is this how you felt when you found out that…Brick…? Jill wondered in thought with some concern.
"…oh yeah, and…sorry about the language," muttered Ani sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.
"...let's... just go..." Sonia murmured, as she began heading for the entrance, looking back to see if Jill would follow. Thankfully, Jill did follow closely, and Joy threw out a small whine before the two of them left out the door.
Ani got their drinks and set them on their table… with two more drinks on one end. "…more alcohol for Ed so it can soothe the landing," Ani grumbled.
"…you didn't have to be so rough Ani," whined the mole rat, Ed, while getting back up to the table dizzily.
"...guess the temper comes with the age." Will noted, taking his drink.
"…look, it wasn't only the fact that I asked you not to pester Jill anymore about her past," Ani said, turning and walking back to the counter. "…but I had personal feelings about what happened too…so no more asking about the dad of the little girl, okay?"
"Geez Ani, we get it," groaned the zebra. "…I didn't realize you were so involved with that woman…"
"...what, did you grow up with her, or something?" the ferret inquired.
"Seymour, Marco, let it go." Will scoffed, taking a swig from his drink. "Unless any of you guys feel like getting a concussion as well."
"…the last thing I'll say is that Jill was like a mom to me when I was really little and I didn't have one…" Ani muttered. "…but no more questions…"
"…so her name is Jill, is it?"
Ani jumped hearing that voice, and looked to the door where a tall figure stood; a black, muscular ox. "She did a hell of a job whopping Will's ass, that's for sure," the ox chuckled. "I don't remember ever seeing a newcomer that actually beat up a veteran before."
"…great…not you too Raider," Ani groaned.
"...feh... now all we need is Spiel, Hex and Diablo, and we have the whole menagerie of people to steer clear off." Will commented.
"…arrogant first-generation veterans…" the zebra, Seymour, muttered under his breath.
Raider, the black ox, took a seat at the counter. "…so you've known the woman personally, eh?" he inquired of Ani.
"Forget it Raider," Ani growled. "I'm not telling you anything about Jill. She's too much of an emotional wreck to be bothered by anyone."
"Oh, I wouldn't even have to ask you for information and you know it," Raider said. "Like how I found out about what happens to you and your dad under the full moon…"
Ani fell uncomfortably silent when she gave Raider his alcoholic drink.
"...tsch..." Will quickly looked away. "...creep."
Marco just gulped, keeping to his drink.
"…for the poor condition she's in, she's still an attractive woman, you have to admit," Raider chuckled.
Ani stuck out her tongue in disgust, "Bleh…you realize that I'm a tomboy and I don't give a crap about that stuff, right Raider?"
"You're still young, but you'll understand…" Raider drank his glass.
Ani glared at Raider. "…keep in mind Raider…Jill has taken down creatures bigger than you single-handedly before…"
Ed choked on his glass, coughing. "She what?" Marco just spit out what he had in his mouth, looking at Ani in disbelief.
Will, on the other hand, just kept quiet. "...with that kind of fighting, I'm not too surprised." he remarked dryly.
"…oh?" Raider said. "…would it have something to do with the fact that her eyes turned red during the fight?"
Ani halted when she heard that. That sounded very familiar… in fact, she instantly knew what Raider was talking about, and she grew worried. "…that's none of your business Raider," she said.
"I know it's not, but that doesn't stop me from asking," Raider said, taking another drink.
"We all know that," Seymour grumbled. "…just give it a rest, Raider. Ani nearly knocked Ed's lights out for asking too many questions…"
Raider chuckled. "The only time I should be afraid of Ani should be around the full moon…but I think I got enough of what I wanted to know." He stood up, putting money on the counter, and walked toward the door with a chuckle.
"...tsch... I don't care what dirt he digs up on me; he's a lowly creep." Will murmured, glancing away.
Before Raider left, he stopped right at the door. "…if anything…I think she should participate in the training program with the rest of the newcomers. I think even Spiel would agree that Jill's a worthy candidate for that."
"But she's got a baby Raider!" Ani yelled.
"That didn't stop that newcomer bloodhound from bringing his kid into Safe Haven," Raider retorted, "…or your father for that matter, Ani." With that, he was gone out the door.
"...ouch, burn." Marco remarked, only to be slapped across the head by Will.
"…way to leave some haunting words, Raider," Ani muttered.
Jill looked up at the log cabin that Sonia brought her and Joy to. It looked like a very comfortable place to live. It actually looked more familiar to her than anything else she's seen on the island. The homes back in her village were like cabins…built right into the trunks of the trees…but nonetheless, it was very welcoming to her.
She smiled up at it.
"...you like it, huh?" Sonia hummed with a smile. "This is the place. C'mon; I'll show you how it looks inside." she said, before she went to open the door.
Jill entered inside, finding the place to be just as welcoming as it appeared to be outside. She smiled even more, and actually relaxed for the first time in a long time when she looked around.
"...go on; make yourself comfortable." Sonia said, closing the door behind them. "I can cook up something simple for you, if you're hungry."
Jill nodded to her in thanks, and she went over into the living room. This was even more like a log cabin; it had a small, cozy fireplace in front of a futon, and while there weren't much in terms of decoration, there was much in comfort.
"...it's not much, I know, but it gets the job done." Sonia mused. "I got the guest bed set up earlier today, so when you feel like calling it a night, give me a nudge."
Jill sat down on the futon, still looking around. Joy started to whimper again, so Jill turned her attention to her child and rocked a little bit to calm her down. Joy seemed to find it soothing and she returned to sucking on her thumb.
"...she's really cute." Sonia noted, before she went into another room. "I'll go get something you can write with and on, just so you can tell me if you need anything; that work out, Jill?"
Jill nodded, although with Sonia being in another room, it would be hard to respond like that. Nonetheless, she continued rocking a bit…
…then she noticed that there was actually a rocking chair in the corner over there. Jill went over to sit in that instead so she could continue rocking back and forth. Joy closed her eyes a little bit and started to doze off, and Jill smiled down at her when she saw that.
Eventually, Sonia came back, holding a notepad and a pencil. Seeing the sleeping Joy, she smiled as well. "...that's just adorable." she noted.
Jill smiled up at Sonia, and she took the notepad and pencil, setting it down on the end table that was right next to the rocking chair. With her right hand, she was able to write now.
I can't thank you enough for taking in a complete stranger like me into your home, she wrote.
"...eh, don't mention it." Sonia said with a smile. "It's the least I can do."
Jill smiled again…
… and stopped the rocking chair suddenly, seeing something else in another corner of the room; a curvy, violin case that looked to have accumulated some dust. She tilted her head in wondering at it, never thinking that she would see that here in Safe Haven. Did Sonia actually play the violin?
…you play the violin? She wrote next.
"...hm?" Sonia hummed, as she glanced at the violin case. "...oh, that old thing?" she chuckled sheepishly, rubbing her head. "I used to, but that was ages ago. I never was any good at it, and I eventually just gave up on it," she shrugged. "What about you?"
Jill kept staring at that violin… and she finally got up from the walking chair, walking toward it. Sonia hummed, watching Jill with some curiosity as she approached the violin case.
There was a blanket on the futon, and when Jill saw it, she took it and rearranged it on the futon so that it looked like a deep doughnut shape, and she was able to set Joy down on it without too many problems. With that settled, she picked up the violin case and sat on the futon next to the sleeping Joy, opening up the violin case.
Yes, there was a violin there, made with cherry wood. Jill set her fingers on it and rubbed the smooth surface of it, amazed that it was still in a good condition for being covered in dust.
"...you gonna play it?" Sonia hummed, tilting her head.
Jill looked up at her and shrugged.
Joy awoke and looked around a bit, noticing that she wasn't in her mommy's arms rocking in the chair back and forth. Because of that, Joy got fussy, and even went as far as started to cry again. Jill grew alarmed as she usually did when her child cried. Sonia winced when Joy began crying. "Um... maybe you should..." she began, rubbing the back of her head.
Instead of immediately tending to Joy, Jill wondered if doing something else would calm her down… like maybe a little music…
…and she looked at the violin.
First, she took it up plucked the strings to make sure it was in tune, and she tucked it underneath her neck, taking out the bow and running it across the violin.
Then she started to play.
The moment she had started playing, Joy actually stopped crying, and opened her eyes, staring at her mother as she started to run the bow across the strings easily. Jill picked up a more steady, faster pace, and took off with a simple reel she remembered from when she was younger. It had been years since she last played, and she wanted to make sure that she was still capable.
Thing was, she was still more than capable… to Sonia, Jill just took off with lightning, precise fingers across the neck of the instrument and she made the bow run over the strings hotly with a pounding beat. Sonia could only look at Jill with wide eyes as she played.
Eventually Jill had to stop playing, and afterward she looked at the instrument with a smile. Not only did she still have it, but this violin really was still in a good condition to handle that kind of playing. She gave Sonia a smile and thumbs up for that.
Sonia blinked, before she eventually smiled back. "...glad you like it." she said; figuring that was why she was receiving a thumbs up.
Jill suddenly heard a giggle. Her eyes widened, and shot to Joy, who was giggling in enjoyment and smiling.
Joy… was smiling.
…that's the first time I've ever seen her smile, Jill was blown away by it, and she put down the violin to pick Joy up again.
Sonia hummed at the sight of that. "...guess she likes music, too." she mused.
Jill watched Joy continue to giggle and kick her feet happily, smiling up at her mother. Jill couldn't explain what she felt, but it was an incredible, moving feeling… when Jill saw her little daughter smile up at her, those unexplained feelings stirred even more. She felt like everything she had ever gone through was worth seeing that little smile.
In a way… it was mostly a sweep of relief that she finally had somewhere to stay, so she could properly take care of her… that… and she was just so glad that she still had someone dear to her right here with her.
A few tears rolled down Jill's cheeks, cuddling Joy closely. Sonia couldn't help but smile as well, as she sat down in the rocking chair, looking at the two.
Jill cuddled Joy for so long that by the time she pulled away, Joy actually had fallen asleep in her arms. With that, Jill slowly put Joy down back on the rearranged blanket so that the infant could continue sleeping without so many disturbances. Joy turned over and started sucking on her thumb, while Jill leaned over and wiped her eyes, still feeling a bit fatigued.
"...how old is she, again?" Sonia eventually asked, looking at Jill curiously.
Jill looked up at Sonia, and went to pick up the notepad. She's 3 months old, Jill wrote.
"3 months, huh...?" Sonia hummed, nodding a little. "...now, just stop me if I poke a little too deeply; I kinda do that then and again." she warned. "But... why did you decide to come to Safe Haven?"
Jill made a small, sad smile. She understood if Sonia was curious.
…it was the only place I was able to go where I felt like I could stay and take care of Joy, Jill wrote. I've known King and his group for a few years so I hoped that they could help me…
"...well, obviously they could." Sonia noted with a slight smile. "...though... there wasn't anywhere else you could've stayed? There are some creeps on this island who don't care if they're beating on a walrus or a mother; not too safe for a little baby girl..."
Jill pondered on how to write…
…it's complicated, she finally wrote, but…I couldn't go anywhere else… besides, even if I'm emotional and sensitive, I can handle some rough characters now and then… after all, I'm used to taking care of myself, and I wouldn't dare let anything happen to Joy…
"...as a mother should." Sonia nodded. "...still... you're all alone, huh? No other friends or family to help you out?"
…well…there are… Jill wrote. … But… I can't go back to my own village in the mountains… and I can't go back to my old friends in Mystic Ruins… not after what happened.
Sonia blinked with a sympathetic look in her eyes. "...um... what... did happen?" she asked.
Jill looked down to the ground, wondering if she really should tell Sonia or not. She didn't have to explain it in as many details as she had to do for King and his group… and she still owed this rattlesnake for taking her into her home.
…Robbers… She wrote. …they ambushed me and her father… and he fought them, but one of them had a firearm, and they…
Jill couldn't write anymore not only because it was still a painful memory to think about, but her hand was shaking.
"...oh..." Sonia uttered. "...I... see..." she murmured, before closing her eyes, "...my condolences, Jill."
Jill tried to smile a little bit out of thanks.
"...but... if you had friends over in the Mystic Ruins, why couldn't you go to them after the..." Sonia stopped momentarily, pondering how to finish her sentence. "...um... what word can I use... accident, maybe...?"
Jill stared back down at her notepad.
…I couldn't handle going back to them. The accident was so traumatic for me that…old habits kicked in I guess. I ran away because I was so scared for mine and Joy's safety…and now I'm too ashamed to even consider going back to them now.
Sonia hummed. "...it must've been a year since you last saw them... I couldn't imagine how that'd feel like." she murmured.
Jill remained silent, just thinking about that. The boys would still take it so hard, not only losing Brick but missing her… and the Professor's been through his own hard times, so this would only remind him of his own painful memories.
Yes, she still felt quite ashamed for running away…for causing what could be a hard time for them…
"...sorry; I poked too deeply, right?" Sonia assumed, rubbing the back of her neck.
Jill eventually shrugged. …there are times when I wish I was Sonic the Hedgehog, and I would know how to fix everything, she wrote.
Sonia smiled awkwardly. "...well, if more people were like Sonic the Hedgehog, maybe the world would be a brighter place, eh?" she mused with a slight chuckle.
Jill smiled at that. …yes, things would be better if more people were like him… but with the Professor and Captain Charmy out there, things aren't too bad…
"True enough." Sonia nodded. "Especially after that whole Metal Sonic debacle from almost two years ago dwindled away. Though I wonder what happened to him after that last transmission of his..."
Jill gasped, looking back at Sonia frantically. She didn't even expect Sonia to mention that… but when she did, it made Jill nervous and jittery.
Blinking, Sonia noticed that. "...is something wrong, Jill?" she asked.
…just tired, Jill wrote shakily; it even showed in her handwriting that she was shaking.
"...right..." Sonia nodded. "...but... am I right in guessing that you have some bad memories from two years ago?"
Jill looked uneasily away from Sonia.
"...hey, if you don't feel like talking about it, I understand." Sonia said reassuringly. "That's just me poking deeply again..."
Jill looked at Sonia again.
…I'm going to bed, she said. …but to at least answer your question fairly… let's just say I actually had the chance to meet Metal Sonic himself…
And Jill got up to go pick up Joy and head to the guest room, leaving the notepad with Sonia.
As she left, Sonia took the notepad and looked at the last written thing. "...meeting Metal Sonic... huh..." she hummed, before letting out a sigh, "...poor girl."
"Well, here I am at Safe Haven...a baby in my arms.
It was tough adjusting to a mother, even if I was so naturally one towards other people. But...I feel much more at peace than I ever was. My vision of Joy before couldn't compare to the fragile little girl I now held. Every time I look at her, I remember what I saw. It comforts me so much...
...I think I really needed her, as much as she needed me.
But other things come to mind; regarding the things I went through. My mother either gained, or had a power, passed down to me. It seems to appear and disappear for reasons unknown, my case being whenever I wasn't struggling with Deity. Like when Metal sealed him away, I haven't had my powers since then.
...oh Metal. Even now, I miss you.
I couldn't even begin to imagine what his reaction would be if he found out I had a daughter...
...but returning to my point, what would this mean for her? Would Joy gain powers of her own? Both Brick and I had unnatural abilities and while mine was likely hereditary, I'm not sure about him. I guess I never really asked Brick about his abilities."
Jill didn't know why, but she couldn't bear to write any more. When she tried, it just ended up as scribbles. She was so weak…and she was shaking so much.
Then she figured out what was going on when a tear fell onto the page; a tear from her eyes.
After that, Jill broke down into her hands, crying silently. She still was trying to get over the things that have happened, and only being reminded of so many things in her past made her worry for the future. Would she even be able to protect Joy from all these things? What happens if her little girl starts to have powers that she doesn't understand?
What happens if her past actually comes back to haunt her…?
Forget all the soldiers here on this island! That's nothing compared to the torture and hardship that she's had to go through…
Then she made a startled jump when a certain little someone woke up and started crying. Joy was right beside Jill, and she picked her up to rock her back and forth. At first that didn't work, so Jill put a finger to Joy's mouth. Joy's mouth latched onto it and started sucking and nibbling.
She's hungry, Jill figured, adjusting herself so that she could breastfeed Joy. …all this and I almost forgot to feed her…
There's the first chapter of that for you. Hope you enjoy it :)