Ch. 9 Training and Tragedy
Through the darkened streets of Glass Kingdom, where smoke and steam billowed toward the sky as soft rumbles of the thunder boomed overhead she raced through the city. Hot tears stung her eyes as her vision clouded, her loose sleeve flopping in the wind, she needed to get away from that place she needed to get away from them...with another thunder clap the rain began to pour, soft clacking noises with each skyward tear bounding off of the metal helmet that she wore to protect her head.
'I can't believe I was so stupid! Thinking that even for one second that we could be something more then friends, now...Now they'll just look at me like everyone else. A monster...A FREAK...a dumb mechanic that should never have tried to enter their world to begin with...' As another tear slipped down her cheek she breathed in a shaky sigh before rounding a corner as the puddles or rain enlarged around her. Shaking her head she tried to concentrate, but how could she when she could think about was him.
With lights ablaze she never saw it coming until it was too late, a blinding flash and a blaring horn snapped her out of her senses as she collided with a rail car forcing her violently to be projected from her destroyed steam cycle. Screeching metal and busted pipes filled her ears as high pitched ringing drowned out what little sound was around her as her world slowly turned black...
"Sasha! Sasha can you hear me?! Oh no..." Marcus had heard the commotion but had come too late, on the ground in the pouring rain her body lay. Unconscious but still alive, gingerly he turned her body over as loud rumbles of thunder roared overhead as tears ran down the big man's cheeks. Her once pristine and beautifully lush blue and ivory gown was torn to shreds leaving small gashes and scrapes across her lower thighs and calves, her left arm had a few bruises and her right arm was missing. The black helmet with see through glass was broken and shattered on one side as the golden cogs and gears were ripped from their places and thrown about. Gently removing her helmet he could see that her vibrant ocean eyes were closed with a gash over her left eye as blood flowed like tears down her face.
"Marcus! What happened?!" Sercy cried as the police crowded the scene assessing the damage to the rail car as her steam cycle laid in a heap on the ground.
"Come one Sercy, we need to get her home..." Saying nothing the little coffee shop owner nodded her head before locking up shop for the night and heading home as the large wolf carried Sasha's unconscious body in his arms.
"What happened to you...?" Getting into Marcus' truck the couple drove through the night, sitting quietly as the icy tears poured from the dark clouds above. The little shop slowly came into the view, with all the windows ablaze with golden light a black silhouette paced waiting anxiously for his little girl to come home.
On the other side of the city in the palace of Glass, Prince Cup sat in his sanctuary thinking through the days' events. If only Alice hadn't grabbed her arm then she could have left without anyone knowing her secret. If only he hadn't invited her to the party, then this whole mess could have been avoided and no one would have known. But he knew in his heart that her wanted to be there, he wanted her to be by his side not Alice...but now she was gone. Sure in her note she said she would be back but now he wasn't so sure...
It had been hours since she left, since his brother and their friends told him about Alice controlling him and giving him the antidote before being dragged away by their sister. How could this have happened to him? How could he have let all of this happen to her...? He wanted to call her and apologize, beg her to come back but he knew that wouldn't help. She wanted to be alone and that's how it was going to stay. He sighed closing his eyes letting the gently pitter-patter of rain lull him off to sleep but it wasn't to last, the light beep of his CCD echoed through the room sighing in a moment of self pity he composed himself before answering the call.
"Hello?"
"CUP! SASHA'S BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT!"
"What?! When?!"
"I-I don't know but I-I called her to make sure she was o-okay and her friend Marcus picked up and started yelling. I couldn't understand a word he said until he turned the screen around and showed me her unconscious body sleeping in a bed! We have to do something Cup!" Mugs was on the verge of tears as a low rumble of thunder echoed through the screen, standing up he threw open the metal door and ran down the stairs careful to not trip.
"Meet me near the grand hall, we're going to go see her!" With that said Mugs hung up as Prince Cup ran passed his father and visiting royalty.
"Where do you think you're going this time of night Cup?" King Caden asked yanking the prince back by his wrist forcing him to turn around.
"S-Sasha she's been in an accident and-!"
"You are not to go anywhere near that girl do you understand me?! She is a menace and should never have been trusted in the first place!" Prince Cups eyes widened in shock as he locked eyes with a crying princess as she stood beside his comforting mother. King Gabriel and Queen Charlotte stood in shock for a moment before turning to one another sadly.
"Are you sure you're talking about the right woman? Sasha did nothing wrong and she's not a menace! All she did was come here to have fun tonight and that crying banshee beside you sabotaged her and now she's hurt! And I'm going to go see her whether you like it or not father!" Prince Cup yelled angrily not noticing as a few guards slowly crept up behind him.
"You will apologize this instant Cup! You do not talk to your father this way! You and your brother are forbidden from seeing that woman ever again! She is to never come here again and not you nor anyone else is going change my mind!" Caden yelled back nodding to the two guards behind him as they restrained the angry young man.
"Caden please listen to reason!" Gabriel exclaimed trying to calm the situation as the firery prince struggled against the guards.
"No Gabriel! This is a family matter and none of your business! Guards take him to his room and make sure he doesn't get out!" The two men nodded and started to drag the young man away when he yelled it was like the whole world stopped.
"I love her father! And I'm not going to lose her because of your pride getting in the way!" The group of royals gasped, Alice was on the verge of tears.
"B-But I thought you loved me...you're only supposed to love me! What makes that commoner so special?!" Alice's soft sobs quickly turned to flames of fury as she locked eyes with the rebellious prince.
"I will NEVER love someone as tyrannical and manipulative as you Alice. She may not be royalty but she's got more heart and love then anyone else that I've met! She is a rose of beauty and you're just a cactus trying to pass yourself off as a hidden beauty." He growled with such malice and hatred toward the princess the corridor they were in seemed to have dropped a few degrees.
"Now let me go so I can go see her...please father..." Cup turned his angered eyes upon his father as they softened to ones of sadness and pleading. The hall was silent so much so that the only sound that could be heard was the gentle beating of the young man's heart. In one final huff, the king nodded his head in reverence.
"But take someone with you other than your brother, and be back in an hour at most or you'll be grounded for a month." With a happy heart and relieved smile he nodded as the two guards let him go, Alice stood in shocked silence as she watched her love and visiting King rush down the corridor to meet his brother outside.
Once the men climbed inside the pearly car, they were off as Jack drove as quickly and safely as possible toward the little shop on the cliffside.
"So did you really mean what you said back there Cup?" King Gabriel asked as he stared out the window for a second before directing his attention to the worried princes.
"Every word. I don't know what it is but...she does something to me..." His frown turned into a saddened smile as he watched the landscape pass by as he momentarily entered a dreamy state.
"It's like whenever I see her or hear her voice it makes my heart flutter, her soft laughter is like music to my ears and none of it is forced. It's like I see all that I was hoping for in Alice, has been in her the whole time and..." His smile disappears as Gabriel and Mugs' soft smiles disappear as well.
"And now she's hurting...and it's my fault...If I hadn't invited her to my dumb party then she would be at home safe and happy with her friends and family just enjoying a regular Saturday night instead of being hurt and in pain...If we never would have met then...then maybe this would never have happened to her..." As the car fell silent and the rain slowed down the white vehicle came to a stop. In front of the little shop a red truck sat with parts and tools dangling off the sides with dents thrown here and there and in the back strapped down with chains, the remains of her once beautiful steam cycle laid in shambles. The three royals looked at one another sadly before entering the quiet shop as the light ding from the door and angered shouting could be heard from a nearby staircase.
"I knew this would happen! I knew it! We should never have let you go Sasha!" Marcus's booming voice echoed around the little shop as their ears perked at the sound of Sasha's name.
"It wasn't her fault Marcus! None of us could have expected this!" Sercy's hyper voice retired back in anger as she stood up the outlandishly tall man. As they continued to yell Prince Mugs and Cup and King Gabriel made their way up the stairs only to stop in the tracks once they made it to the doorway. A small gasp escaping their lips drawing all attention toward the royal trio.
For a moment the room fell silent again as Prince Cup and Sasha locked eyes for the first time since the accident, his eyes welled up with tears as he looked over her injured face not being able to see the full extent of her injuries due to the blanket covering her from the waist down. Her head and left eye had been wrapped with white gauze with little bits of blood seeping through the material as a smaller bandage sat on her right cheek. Around her left arm there were sparse bandages here and there as well as bruises dotting her arm up to her shoulder, she sighed finally breaking eye contact as she looked down at the blanket where only her left hand rested.
"What do you think you're doing here prince? You have no reason to be here...this is all your fault!" Marcus growled threateningly as he grabbed Cup by the collar making them face to face.
"Marcus put him down, none of this is his fault...it's mine." Sasha gently voiced between coughs, the large wolf glared menacingly at the prince not daring to put him down until the young lady raised her fragile voice.
"Put. Him. Down. Marcus." The room watched in anticipation as he held him for just a moment longer before roughly setting him down before pushing his way through the door and to the exit slamming the shop door closed behind him. The room once again fell silent as Sasha sighed and gestured for them to take a seat, Sercy smiled sadly nodding before bidding farewell for the night as she ran out to greet Marcus as he waited to take her home.
"Look Sasha I-"
"It's not your fault Cup, it never was."
"But if I had never had you come in the first place, none of this would have happened." He sighed sadly watching her he wouldn't help but feel a huge amount of guilt rise up in chest.
"If I hadn't invited you -"
"I would have had a very boring and depressing Saturday night."
"What?" His sad eyes widened in shock as she sighed shaking her head before scooting over and patting the spot beside her.
"Cup, every year I watch from my window as your beautiful castle lights up the evening sky like a fire in the darkness. And every year...I get depressed...having to watch from afar as your family holds these illustrious balls and grand parties that none of the common folk get to go to and frankly...it's boring. Every year I sit here by myself while my father is off doing special deliveries and I man the shop just in case someone comes by and wants to order something." She pauses sighing as his weight makes her spot on the old bed rise slightly, looking into his eyes she smiled sadly.
"And you know what? No matter how bad the night went near the end...I still had fun. Getting to talk to you, getting to see your world and yes even dealing with that she-devil princess it was fun." The three royals chuckled lightly a gentle smile spreading on each one of their faces.
"And I would't have had it any other way. Yes my secret was exposed and you know what? It would have happened sooner or later. The accident? It was no one's fault expect mine. I wasn't paying attention, it was pouring down rain it was MY fault no one else's. Marcus took it hard because he's always looked out for me since we were kids, and he's really a nice guy he's just got a little bit of anger management issues." She said giggling for a moment before coughing lightly.
"So you're not angry?" King Gabriel asked after being silent for so long, locking eyes with the sweet girl for moment before smiling.
"No...I was never angry. A little hurt and betrayed, yes but never angry. I don't blame anyone for what happened. As my mother said, I can choose to let it define me, confine me, refine me, outshine me, or I can choose to move on and leave it behind me. Leave the past where it is because it's in the past, just focus on the present so you can have a better future. Right dad?" Gabriel smiled for a moment before realizing that she was looking behind him, he turned around and noticed her father Allen smiling behind him.
"Right sweetheart. Excuse me where are my manners, my name is Allen...Allen Redtail. I'm Sasha's father, and you are?"
"Gabriel Ascara from Arcadia, and you probably know Prince Mugs and Cup." Allen smiled shaking hands with the visiting King before offering a drink for anyone. Smiling they shook their heads before waving good bye to Mr. Redtail.
"We should probably be going anyway, thank you for allowing us to see you this evening." Gabriel said walking over to the left side of her bed, lightly gripping her hand in his he bent down planting a light kiss before standing up and quietly leaving the room.
"I'll be downstairs when you're ready boys."
"Okay we'll be down in a minute." Prince Mugs said smiling before waving goodbye to the sweet girl and trailing after the blonde fox.
"Sasha I'm really sorry, about everything. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, just let me know." Cup whispered and lightly kissed her on the forehead before he lovingly placed his hand on her cheek before standing up.
"Did you like it?"
"What?"
"You're gift...did you like it?" She tilted her head curiously making his broken heart flutter back to life, he smiled nodding.
"I loved it. Are you still going to teach us how to ride tomorrow?"
"If your father will let me. It won't be until 10 though, Marcus said he's got a new arm for me." He smiled a happy smile.
"Sounds good, we'll see you tomorrow then Sasha."
"Good night Cup."
"Good night Sasha."
Sweeping through the small shop, a gentle breeze of sweet hibiscus blew through the shop tickling the young woman's nose. As warm rays filter through the windows Sasha's bright eyes open, smiling light at the sound of a lone song bird outside of her window she sighed. In the distance she could hear the sound of crashing waves agains the rocks as the morning sky warmed her heart and calmed her soul. Pastel purples, pinks, oranges and yellows painted the clouds over the horizon, smiling sadly she looked around her room as she laid back against her soft pillow. Turning to her nightstand a gentle beep sounded as she saw the marker for Marcus pop up on screen, slowly she reached out for the little device but couldn't reach. Pouting like a child for a moment she decided to try again only to knock the small device on the floor, light chuckles sounded from the doorway as her loving father entered the room with a plate full of pancakes setting them on her lap before bending down to grab her CCD.
"Thanks dad." She smiled happily as he pulled her into a light embrace kissing her forehead before letting go.
"Eat up sweetie. You'll need your energy for practice today." Allen smiled sweetly as he watched his darling daughter shovel pancakes into her mouth as she answered the device.
"UGH FINALLY! Oh uh...hello Allen, how are you today?" Marcus glared before smiling sheepishly at her father in the background.
"Good morning Marcus, you have Sasha's arm all ready to go?"
"Ready and working, Sercy is on her way to pick her up now."
"Thank you Marcus, well I'll see you later dear. Take it easy today will you please? I don't want you coming home with more injuries then you already have."
"Okay dad...I love you." She said reaching up for her father as he helped her out of bed, nuzzling her head and kissing her cheek he smiled.
"I love you too sweetie. Now let's get you downstairs it sounds like Sercy's here."
"We'll see you in a few minutes Marcus."
"Okay bye!" And with that the large man disappeared from screen, as her father helped her down the metal stairs she took a moment to just smile at all that they had accomplished over the years. What was once a little auto shop quickly transformed into a custom shop where people's dreams could come true so long as they were mechanical. She smiled chuckling a little bit as her feet touched the soft dirt of the lower level, her father gave her another kiss before letting her go and watching her walk out the door. Singing birds and a gentle sea-born breeze blew threw her hair as the sun's warm glow cast a heavenly like glow around her, she smiled lovingly before waving goodbye.
A few minutes pass and Sercy just smiled in the driver's seat of her black car as she turned into the lot that separated her shop from Marcus's.
"Now don't fiddle with it, the calibrations for your body type has already been set. If you mess with it then it might fall off again."
"Yea yea thanks Marcus!"
"Be careful!" Marcus shouted from the doorway of his shop as he chuckled lightly crossing his arms watching as his two childhood friends made a be-line for the palace.
"Hello? Is there someone there?" A quiet echo sounded throughout the little shop as a stray wind blew through hanging parts making them clang and clatter against one another. The crunch of gravel and sound resonated through the first floor as Sasha's father peeked his head out of the office to take a quick look around. The morning had been very quiet since his daughter left, very few patrons visit the shop on Sundays anymore. A soft chime sounded as the rusted clock on the eastern wall read '10:00 AM', shaking his head he turned to go back into the office when the sounds of clanking metal drew his attention.
"Hello? If there's anyone here I can help you find what you need." Allen said opening the metal door a bit wider as he walked toward the back of the shop where all of Sasha's praised machines laid. There he spotted them...a figure turned away from him wearing a cloak of black satin, quickly glancing around Allen spotted an unused pipe on the floor. Quickly and quietly he reached for it but he wasn't fast enough, for the figure had spotted him. The older man froze in fear as the hooded figure turned and started to walk toward him.
"M-May I h-help you sir?" Never before had the older man been so scared in all his life, usually he had a very good feeling about those who visited their quaint little shop but this time it was different...The man before him had said nothing to him since entering the shop and had gone straight back to where his daughter spent most of her time working, lucky for her she wasn't home...but how unfortunate that he was. After a few seconds Allen regained his mobility as he took careful steps away from the man, but with each step back the man took two steps forward. Backing into an unfinished steam cycle Allen fell back onto the ground creating a dominio effect for everything that was around him, his breathing became rigid as the air around him became cold. With widened eyes he stared up at the man as he toward over him, outside the shop two little birds fluttered away as a lonely wind blew through the metal door...
"Good job your majesty! You really seem to be getting the hang of this!" Sasha mused as she watched as the two happy princes chased one another on their new steam cycles. In the broad daylight the bright sunlight, bounced off the cycles like moonlight off a still pond. A gentle breeze blew through her hair as the warm sunlight caressed her face, Sercy stood off to the side as she watched joyously as Prince Mugs spun circles around his brother before passing by her shooting her a wink.
"Cup, Mugs! I think that's enough practice for the day, time for lunch!" King Caden yelled from the grand entrance trying to get the boys attention, smirking at one another the princes nodded before shooting off toward their father on their cycles before skidding to a stop in front of him.
"Can Sasha and her friend join us?" Mugs asked smiling brightly, their father huffed looking away in silence as King Gabriel and Queen Charlotte walked passed him as they handed their things to Jack.
"I'm sorry boys but you have a very busy schedule today." He turned back to head back inside when a surprised gasp escaped Queen Charlotte's lips.
"What's wrong my dear?" Gabriel asked trying to calm his wife down, her beautiful eyes widened as she pointed out of the castle gates where black smoke billowed over the horizon. From the palace courtyard they could see a little shop sitting on the cliffside being consumed by flames, turning their heads quickly Sasha opened her little CCD to see Marcus' face over the screen.
"M-Marcus?! What's going on?!"
"I-It's the shop! Something must have happened! You're father is still inside!"
"What?!" With widened eyes she turned toward the gate as fresh tears fell from her eyes, her shop...her home...was on fire.
*End Ch. 9*
