Title: Two Different People
Author: generalnothing
Characters: Glitch/Ambrose, DG, Cain, Ambrose, and one unnamed apprentice.
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Don't own. Srsly.
Summary: It had just taken an evil witch to bring out the best in him.
A/N: Written for the Quote Challenge for tmchallenge on LJ.

I can create stuff out of nothingness. I can alter the fabric of reality. So please, quit being a knucklehead.

In a time when he wasn't Glitch, but Ambrose, he'd said those strange words to one of his many apprentices when the young man had questioned his inventing abilities. The young man had been shocked to hear such undignified words come out of such a stoic man and Ambrose himself had paused for just a moment to run the sentence through his head again. Then he'd shaken his head, glanced at his helper and moved on, the moment forgotten. Until now.

It seemed like such a Glitch saying even then. Looking back now, Ambrose thinks that, possibly, there was more Glitch in him than he thought. Even now, with complete brain and all, he still misfires occasionally. It makes him think that even back then, when he was the best Royal Advisor the O.Z. had seen in a century and a talented inventor to boot, that Glitch had been a part of him. That Ambrose just hadn't brought him out until he didn't have anything left to hide behind.

There are essentially two different people in his head now, Ambrose and Glitch, and he knows that they're technically the same person, but sometimes he just feels so…apart. He had slipped back into the role of Ambrose somewhat easily after the reattachment of his brain, but he has moments of Glitch. He finds that he doesn't mind those moments as much as he thought he would and in fact, finds them rather refreshing. Five years as Glitch has made it tiring to stay Ambrose all the time.

And he especially likes it when he Glitch-es when he's around Princess DG. She'd told him, in secret of course, that, while she was immensely glad he was getting his brain back, she was afraid that she would lose her best friend. He'd tucked his knuckle under her chin and lifted her face to look into her eyes. "You'll never lose me, doll. Glitch'll still be in here," he'd said, tapping a finger to his temple. "And I'm pretty sure you'll be able to coax him out." DG had laughed then, but he could still see the worry in her eyes.

They'd stayed up all night the night before his surgery, Glitch trying to make her laugh so she wouldn't be so worried about the upcoming surgery. She, along with Raw and Cain, had walked him to the Healer's office the next day. Raw had placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Glitch be okay. Still be Glitch. A little." Glitch had placed his own hand on Raw's opposite shoulder and smiled, drawing strength from the Viewer.

Glitch had turned to Cain next, not expecting much from the Tin Man and was surprised when Cain had stuck a friendly hand out. "Take care, Glitch. I'll see ya on the other side," the blond man had said and smiled when Glitch shook his hand, goofy grin plastered on his face.

Last to see Glitch off had been the youngest princess. He'd hesitated before turning to her, not wanting to see the worry in her face again. He'd finally faced her and he could see that she had been silently crying. "Don't cry, Princess," he'd said. "Don't cry, Princess." She'd laughed then, tears still streaming down her flushed cheeks. She'd flung her arms around his neck and held tight and the sadness in her voice when she said she'd miss him when he was gone was almost enough to make him forget about the whole surgery.

But she'd untangled her arms from around him and he'd stepped back and faced the door to the Healer's office. He'd squared his shoulders comically and he could hear the others laugh through their sadness behind him. A half a day later, Glitch had come back as Ambrose.

Yes, two people live inside him now, but he thinks maybe that's not such a bad thing, because maybe, just maybe, there had always been the two and it had just taken an evil witch to bring out the best in him. An evil witch and three very best friends.