Disclaimer: I don't own Epic Mickey

Summary: 'Oswald's thoughts before the final battle when he tries to make amends with Mickey.

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'How could I have been such a fool?'

Oswald wondered as he stared at the 'statue' of Ortensia. The day had been hectic, full of fighting and danger, the cause of the thinner disaster being revealed, and basically anything else that could go wrong in a place as already messed up as present day Wasteland.

'Now all that's missing from making this day perfect is the Mad Doc stealing about my lucky foot.' He thought sarcastically.

At first when Wasteland fell, he blamed himself. He still did, now that he thought about it. He was to dumb. To hard-headed. How could he have not seen the Mad Doc's betrayal coming? How could he have done nothing but watch as his beloved new home was turned to thinner? He was no leader, he was just a useless no-good forgotten cartoon.

Then, after the incident on Mickeyjunk Mountain, he tried blaming the rat. Was he that ignorant? How could he have not realized the consequences of his actions? And to even forget such a mistake, for years and years on end? Oswald wished he could have forgotten….

But then, he realized he knew nothing about Mickey.

All day, he watched from the sidelines as he won over his people's hearts (if they had any, that is.)

All day, they'd been getting parts for the rocket, fighting off enemies, and giving and taking favors, but Mickey had kept his head high.

For Pete's (although he wasn't sure which Pete) sake, the rat had lost his heart that very afternoon! To save a gremlin! He still couldn't deal with the lack of a beat in his chest after all these years, yet it hadn't seemed to affect them in the slightest. He held his brush high, was kind to everything that even looked his way (well, splatter's didn't count) and had even been trying to make amends with him. Him! Even after how rotten he had been, was being.

'He's more of a hero than I'll ever be…'

He couldn't even make himself angry at him anymore. Before Mickey (he ought to make that a time period for Wasteland. B.M.) had arrived, he would spend hours locked in Mickeyjunk mountain, ranting for hours about that Rat, destroying anything in his way. Gus had always talked him down, talking about his Honeybunch.

Ortensia. In a twisted way, Oswald was glad she was stone. She would be so disappointed if she saw how pathetic he'd become. From the leader of Wasteland, proud of his home, (even if it paled in comparison to the original) his wife and his bunny-kits, to a bitter exiled rabbit that couldn't even find the life in him to spit at the blot he despised so much.

When had he become like this? After he lost Ortensia? Or was it after the thinner disaster?

Preferring not to think about his changes as a person (lord know he'd have plenty of time to do so later after their attack, no matter how battle may end, he'll probably survive. Being a 'lucky' rabbit has its perks. Puh.) he barely listened as Gus came bustling into the room and blathered on about something to do with batteries before flying off, leaving him with the mou- with Mickey.

What had made him stay alive so long? Why hadn't he just given up and jumped in front of some spatter of leap into a thinner pool?

Was it wasteland? No. he loved his home and the people in it, but he'd long given up on Wasteland. Gus? The gremlin was his best friend and companion, especially after the fall of Wasteland, but Gus wouldn't have stopped him from doing something rash. In the end, he knew he had to chalk it up to Mickey once again. B.M. (hey, that had a nice ring to It. he should make it a time period.) the fires of jealousy had kept him alive (he had to live long enough to give that rodent a piece of his mind when he finally came to wasteland!) Now, it was the ambition to send him back from whence he came from, and perhaps get rid of that tiny piece of hope that was starting to sprout in his chest.

Oswald finally spoke to Mickey, whom had spent the last several seconds staring at the stone figure in front of them. "It's not a statue."

Mickey tucked his head further into his chin, a sign Oswald had learned was one of guilt "that's… Ortensia?"

"What's left of her… from after we bottled up the Blot." He walked foreword and placed a hand at its base, wishing for the real living Ortensia to pop up and yell at him for being rude to his 'brother'

'Heh, like he'd want me calling him that.'

"I'm so sorry… I messed up."

Mickey looked quite ready to tear his tail off for the pain he caused.

He could hear Ortensia yelling at him a few nights before the sealing of the blot.

"You can't be serious!? What do you mean you're going to die!?"

Gus had long exited the room, and Oswald almost wished he could join him "it's the only way Honeybunch, you gotta believe me. Sealing the blot is the only answer, but it will leave me open for attack, and he wouldn't not take that opening for granted…"

"I don't want reassurance!" she snapped "I want you to forget this crazy idea!"

"I can't and you know it. I'm sorry Ortensia, I really am." His ears fell a bit, but that did nothing to stifle her rage.

"What about the kids!? Who will help me take care of all 420 of them!? What about Gus, or the animatronics, or Ian, or Wasteland!? Who will lead them!?" she began to pound her fists into his chest, tears flowing down her cheeks.

He carefully grabbed her wrists, and pulled her chin up lightly to look her in the eye "someone has to take that fall…"

Ortensia jerked out of his grip, and started to storm away, before murmuring thoughtfully under her breath "but that someone doesn't have to be you…"

"Did you say something?"

"No, Oswald. I didn't."

Ortensia has let herself get turned to stone for him. During the moment he had gone to seal the blot, she had jumped in the way and taken the final blow. Ortensia loved him enough to do that. And, even though he was certain Mickey didn't love him in any way, shape, or form (brother or not), he'd have done the same for him.

"You didn't mean to. I believe that now." A moments quiet "look, I was, with the rocket…" he sighed "I've made a fair amount of mistakes myself. We both deserve a second chance." He held a hand out.

Mickey reached foreword, and in a fit of sudden playfulness, Oswald jerked back "wait, any more confessions?"

"Huh?"

"You didn't create the mad doctor?"

"No."

"Kidnap anybody?"

In a fit of irritation, Mickey yelled "NO!"

"Brain swapping?"

Catching onto the joke, Mickey gave a humored smile (crooked eyebrow and all) and jerked his hand foreword "shake!"

Smiling back uncertainly (why had he done that?) he reached out.

They were so close to shaking hands, when suddenly a purple tendril wrapped around him. Letting out a small yell, Oswald was quickly pulled out of the room, but not before hearing a scared Mickey shout "Oswald!"

'Well, there goes my last chance to make amends.'

'Ortensia, we're both falling in the end, but I'm not sure I'll be caught.'

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