Snippet 172

The Living Dream 3

Genre: WAFF/Family/Humor

Pairs: Jaded (Mercury/Emerald)

Parody: RWBY/Camp Camp

AU-Type: Modern-esque AU

Tags: Wake Up to a New Live, a celebration of Emercury, The only ship whose fans don't piss me off, No Aura, Semblances are still a thing, Think of the new world is quite similar to My Hero Academia in a sense

Emerald was getting used to her new life, slipping into a sense of peace. Sure, she was married to Mercury…but it was not all too bad. Life was good. Friday night was date night. One benefit from Max was a mostly free babysitter. All they had to do was get him Smash Bros. for that 3DS Mercury got. The two were driving home from a cosplay café that brought up some old memories.

"Oh my god, I used to work there." Emerald said snickering. "All though high school. That explains some of the costumes in my drawer."

"I'm remembering all the good times." Mercury said as his phone rang.

He checked the text from Max only to frown.

"Aw shit, we're out of milk." Mercury said with a sigh.

"Boxed or canned?" Emerald asked.

"Both. And the usual place is closed now…so we have to go…get gas." Mercury groaned noticing the meter. "Looks like we're stopping at the station."

Emerald spied a gas station remembering how she used to hang around there during her high school days. That finally brought what she was ignoring to the forefront, Cinder. From what her new memory showed, Cinder was still the same person. She did get a chuckle from knowing as a young child that Cinder was a pudgy one. What killed that was the fact that Cinder was the rich kid…and Emerald sighed. Emerald was just glad that she and Mercury gotten away from Cinder.

"Something wrong?" Mercury said pulling into the gas station.

"I just remembered some memories. Cinder, mostly. That asshole's sitting pretty working for her family's company." Emerald said getting out of the car.

The clack of heels hit the pavement as Mercury came out rolling his eyes.

"I'm remembering, but I'm not worried. Someone like Cinder without the right people to back her up is going to fall in life pretty hard. She can't exactly rule through fear…not forever." Mercury said sagely.

Ozzie's was just how Mercury recalled it from memories except with added age and posters on the wall. He even spied that his spray-painted symbol from high school was still there. The pair walked in its convenience store with the bell ringing. The attendant was asleep on the counter with her hat covering her face, but someone else was there. A fairly innocent child sitting on a stool reading a newspaper trying to work to better pronounce his words. He had a mop of black hair, pale skin, and a pair of amber eyes. His hoodie reminded Emerald of Max's except it was wine red. He looked up putting the paper down. He got out an air horn suggesting the couple cover their ears which they quickly did as he blew it waking the attendant.

"I'm up! I'm up! I'm not sleeping on the…Chen, what did I say about the air horn?" Cinder said with her hat falling onto the counter.

"Exactly, mom. You said blow it when we get customers." Chen said as Cinder looked over only to go pale.

The big shot Emerald knew was simply was not there anymore. Instead, someone who was chewed up, spit out, and worn out. Cinder still had her good looks, but not the fancy makeup she lauded herself on back in the day. From the age of the child, she had to have been a mom for a bit longer than Emerald, much to her surprise.

"Cinder…I…didn't think you were in town." Emerald said awkwardly.

"Yeah…I moved back a week back." Cinder said trying not to sound pathetic.

"So…what brings you back?" Mercury asked.

"Chen, why don't you go get yourself a snack and something to drink?" Cinder said as Chen caught on the hint.

Chen walked off taking one of the bags of chips heading for the far side of the convenience store.

"I…didn't really have many options. I needed to get Chen into school." Cinder said sheepishly. "But you're probably think why I'm in a gas station when I was off to work for my family's company right out of high school." Cinder said sheepishly.

"I remember. You were rubbing your diploma on your ass and laughing on how you would never any of us, poor losers, ever again. It was going to be the fast life with private islands, wealth, and affluence. You threw a hundred-dollar bill in Emerald's life before leaving in your family's limo." Mercury recalled.

"Yeah…it didn't work out. Let's just say, I fell from grace." Cinder said with a weary sigh. "Ironic that being disowned is the least of my problems. I think Chen was…my wake up call and a blessing. I wanted to confront you both and apologize for a being a total bitch to you, but I had to find work among other things."

"Wait a second, your family disowned you? After all what you did through your time in school, they ignored it. What could you do to get them to turn?" Mercury asked curiously.

"I…refused to get an abortion." Cinder said quietly.

Mercury and Emerald both had a squeak as Cinder explained that not long after graduating, that her lifestyle caught up with her getting pregnant.

"The guy who knocked me up was a salaryman from the East…with a fiancée. Obviously, he did not want to be involved. I can't even sue the guy for child support because his fiancée played Mario Golf with his skull. And well, I was just on my own. I give birth to Chen, and my parents suggested adoption. And well, I had an epiphany. I brought Chen into the world and I felt responsible. I didn't want to hand him off. So, I kept him…consequences be damned. I lost plenty of things but…at least I don't have a guilty conscience." Cinder mused.

"You have a conscience? The pigs must be flying." Mercury said with a snicker. "Either way, $30 for the pump 2. And point me to the milk, please."

Cinder cashed Mercury out setting the pump for him to fill the tank leaving Cinder and Emerald to make awkward small talk as Emerald got the milk. Chen walked back to the counter for the newspaper.

"So, what you doing with your life? I see you and Mercury got together." Cinder said as Emerald put the milk a few other items on the counter to be cashed.

"He's a part-time hero, you know. And I'm a teaching assistant at our old elementary school." Emerald said as Cinder looked wistful.

"Well, at least I know Chen is in good hands when school starts. By the way, your total is 10.50." Cinder said as Emerald put the money on the counter. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Emerald said leaving.

Back in the car and driving, Mercury and Emerald looked at each other for a second before laughing. Yes, it was cruel to laugh at Cinder's fate, but all considering…this was a grand relief. Cinder was no longer on her high horse.

"Well Cinder's not a problem, I think I can finally grow to enjoy this world of ours. A dream I don't want to wake from." Emerald said relived.

"Don't call it a dream, Em. It's our reality, after all." Mercury said with a smirk.

(A/N: I could end the miniseries here as it is a fitting end, but I want to leave it open to remind. The new Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder would be interesting. Plus, the kids interacting would be interesting. For those curious, Chen's about nine. I was vague with the ages, but I want to pin Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury in their mid to late twenties.)