Outside was a homey bustle. I kept Andy close to me, to let her know that I wasn't going anywhere and also to keep an eye on her. My mother had already rejuvenated Teresa, politely arguing with her about recipes. They weren't really arguing but doing that mother competition I suppose but really they were both smiling and laughing which was the good part. Robin was teasing Spira, trying to get her attention as she kept her keen eyes on the room. Spira spotted the two of us and promptly took to the air, landing on the top of Andy's head.
"Wha- Spira?! What are you doing?"
"Ahahaha," I laughed, "Spira your feather."
Spira took the feather in her beak but flew over to our wall of photos, sticking its sharp end into the wall before flying back and landing on Robin's head, much to her delight.
"Well, Spira is officially on our memory wall," I said aloud.
"Awwwww, I wanna a feather, I wanna a feather!" whined Robin.
Without hesitation, Spira outstretched a wing and plucked a feather from it, bending forward so she held it right in front of Robin's face.
"Ooooooooooooooo," Robin squealed.
"Robin, careful," I said sisterly, "her feathers are extremely sharp so don't horse around with that."
"Yes Onee-chan!"
"Skye!" Andy said, taking a seat at the kitchen counter and pouring herself another large glass of wine. "You never told me you had a sister!"
"You never asked?" I felt guilty now. We both had things about our past that we didn't tell each other, some good, a lot bad. "Ahem, well this little runt," I said pulling Robin over with Spira still on her head, "is my younger sister Red."
"Onee-chan! That's not my real name," she wailed sticking out her tiny paw at Andy. "Hi, I'm Robin, nice to meet you."
Andy seemed quite surprised but shook her small hand gently, "Hello Robin, I'm Andy."
"Andy onee-chan! I have another sister now. Andy, Andy, what did one-chan mean when you 'share the same bed'?" she asked, causing me to spit out the gulp of wine in my mouth.
"I-I-I-I, W-well, uhm…" Andy stammered while I chocked beside her.
"Robin!" my mother chided from across the counter. "I told you, you'll get to know in a few years."
"But Okaa-san that's too long!" she wailed.
I chuckled nervously, thankful that she saved me.
"Blue Sky," my mother said using my nickname, "are you going to properly introduce me?"
"Okaa-san, not the nickname. Andy, this is my mother. Okaa-san, this is my… uh girlfriend Andy," I said growing weak at saying the 'g' word aloud.
"It's very nice to meet you," she took my mother's hand. "Blue Sky?" she asked me smiling.
"Oh please call me Kimiko," my mother told her. "And Skye hasn't told you about her namesake?"
"No, she hasn't," Andy eyed me as I started to chug my glass of wine.
"Well, I call her Blue Sky because we named her after the boundless world above our head. She came from the heavens, was free and boundless, and was our world hence Skye. The other little one we named Robin for her burning red hair," she said.
"That's why I call her Red," I said over my shoulder to Andy.
"Yes, yes," my mother continued, "our little Red Robin flew in the air, amongst the clouds in the sky. Skye was her home, the air under her wings, the thing that always protected her."
"Skye," Andy cooed, "you never told me your name had so much meaning."
"Ugghhh, because it's embarrassing," I wailed, hiding my face in her neck.
"Food is done," Teresa said, bring a steaming plate out of the oven. "Oh, Andy," she said timidly, seeing Andy sitting across the counter.
For a while it was tense, the two of them staring at each other. I squeezed Andy's hand as we all watched.
"Andy," I finally broke the silence, "Are you going to introduce me?
"O-oh, yes. Skye, this is my mother. Mother, this is Skye," she said.
I shook Teresa's hand out of courtesy since we had already met, still waiting anxiously.
"I've missed you," Andy said quietly.
"Oh Andy!" Teresa cried, sprinting around the counter and hugging her lovingly. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Soon their words were indiscernible and they cried together, hugging one another. I glanced at my mother and she looked back at me smiling. We were both thinking the same thing. It took a while for the two of them to stop sobbing, after more apologies and hugs for everyone before we set up the dinner table and began to eat. Then the secrets came out again, causing more embarrassment and more laughter. Both our mothers got along well and both loved to share stories that we would rather not hear again. Andy and I were just happy, enjoying the company and our family. It was a wonderful change to have guests over, especially these guests.
As the night was coming to a close I took the picture we had taken together and pinned it to our wall. All four of us, plus two Grim, had smashed together for a group photo. We had all crushed each other in a hug, Andy and me in the middle, Robin on my shoulder with Bash in her arms and Spira on her head, and our two mothers completing the circle around us. I took a step back, admiring the picture beside all the rest of them.
Andy hugged me from behind, showing our families to her room across the hall where they could all sleep for the night.
"Your family was amazing," she hummed, both of us tipsy from the wine.
"Yours was too."
"Bah! Only my mother."
"Still."
"Yeah."
We stood there with each other for a while, staring at our wall of memories and simply enjoying being close to one another.
"Both our mothers want us to explain my ears and everything faunus about me tomorrow," Andy told me.
"Robin is not going to let go of your ears once she pets them," I chuckled imagining the situation.
"Oh she can play with them all day."
"And I have to break my back just to get a few minutes with them," I complained.
"You know what we have to do tomorrow right?" she asked sadly.
"Yes. Yes my love, my fox. I've thought about it all evening."
"Me too little bird. We have to confront my father," she said solemnly.
With that I felt the sharp shudders of Andy's body against mine, making a promise in my head. I would break that man before he even thought of harming Andy.
It was morning and I didn't want to get up. Something small, squishy and warm was wrapped in my arms. I held them tighter, wanting to sleep in more. Fluff tickled my nose and face, not letting me go to bed. It could've been Basher or Andy but I didn't care, I opened my teeth and chomped down on whatever was in front of me.
"Ouch! Onee-chan you bit my ear!" I heard Robin's voice squeal.
Realizing that it was Robin in my arms I jumped back surprised, falling off the bed loudly. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, my leg braces not on, rubbing my sore head.
A messy head of red hair crawled to the edge of the bed, staring at me from amongst the cloudy blankets and pillows.
"Robin?" I yawned, "How'd you get in here?"
A likewise brightly haired head that sported two mountainous fox ears peaked over the edge, right beside Robin.
"She came in last night wanting to sleep with her lovely Onee-chan like years ago so… I let her in," Andy said sleepily.
I fell onto my back, spotting idiot number one asleep on his back, limps in every direction. I picked his lifeless body up and threw him at the orange and red heads on the bed. There was a grunt and then Grim-ish shriek as he woke up… right before connecting with Robin's face. It took both her and Andy to peel the frightened and hopeless Ursa of her face, the whole time I was cackling. If I could roll around and laugh I would but my lifeless legs were just a dry anchor. With him finally off Robin's face he curled up in her arms, crying the whole time.
"Cry-baby Grim!" I shouted.
"Skye!" Andy chided, "No throwing the grim and no hurting their feelings!"
I started to inch my way over to the sleeping Spira and said, "What you gonna do?"
Andy and Robin's eyes connected for a moment before they disappeared back on the bed. Then they stood up, Bash now sitting on top of Robin's head and grinning at me as he held onto her red tuffs of hair. Both of them had pillows in their hands and were ready to launch them.
"Y-you'll… You'll never take me alive!" and then it began.
Pillow after pillow slammed into me. Andy and Robin were throwing with full force and I was helpless on the ground immobile. I tried to block with my arms but fell onto my back without the support. I thought I heard Spira cackle off to the side. Soon they ran out of pillows though and I laid there dead.
Andy and Robin were hugging and dancing on top of the bed in victory, Bash bouncing up and down on Robin's head. They finally noticed me lifeless on the floor though, coming over and kneeling beside me.
"Onee-chan?" Robin said shaking me, "Onee-chan wake up! Andy onee-chan what's wrong with her?"
"Hmmm," Andy hummed, "Oh I know how to wake her up."
I felt fingers crawl around me and then tickle me. There was nothing I could to but writhe on the ground laughing against my will.
"I surrender! I surrender!" I wailed.
"See?" Andy said, helping me back into a sitting position.
"But Onee-chan, why didn't you move, or hide?" Robin asked, always observant. "Oh no! Did you hurt yourself again like in the accident? Did we… Did I…"
I pulled her into a hug, nuzzling against her soft red hair. "Nononono, of course you didn't Red. I just don't have my leg braces on see," I told her tapping my legs. "I'm perfectly fine," I reassured her.
Andy as always brought over my leg braces and stood them next to me.
"Uh, Robin, you're going to have to go outside for this."
"But Onee-chan! I want to watch! I want to see how you can walk," she said bouncing up and down.
"Come on Robin, you can come outside and-," Andy said but Robin's cries drowned her out.
"I want to see! I want to see! I want to see!"
Andy and I locked eyes before I mumbled, "Okay Red."
She helped me into the braces and I hesitated before initiating the sequence to connect them to me. This was an agonizing ordeal, one I definitely did not want Robin to experience but there was no way of getting her away from me.
Andy saw my apprehension and took my hand, "You don't have to do this. I can grab your chair. Robin really shouldn't see something like this."
I glanced at Robin who had sat on the edge of the bed and was watching anxiously.
"You and her are the two people I can't say no to," I smiled weakly at Andy.
Just as I was about to hit the button to activate my legs Andy caught my hand. She got real close to my face before shoving one of her fox ears at me.
"Here."
"What?"
"Bite down on my ear," she ordered.
"What?!" I said incredulously. "Andy I can't do that! The amount of pain I feel, I might tear it right off!"
"It's fine Skye! I'm letting you bite down on my ear for once. And… I don't care if you bite it off, I'll still have the other one," she whispered meekly.
I opened my mouth to argue but as I did she shoved her ear to the back of my throat, shoving my hand out of the way and hitting the start button.
My teeth chomped down on the fluff ball stuck into my mouth. Andy's fox like yelp broke my heart as my screams were muffled by her ear. Her arms hugged me tight as my whole body convulsed, seizing up from the jolt the circuits that connected to my nervous system. I tried to focus on that fox ear, on Andy in front of me. It only just took off the edge.
When it was finally over I took her by the shoulder and spat out her fox ear, examining every millimeter of it to see the damage she had forced upon herself. Near the base of her ear were deep teeth marks where I had bite, blood trickling from each one of them. It was a damn miracle that I hadn't bit the damn thing off.
"Oh Gods Andy your ear," I uttered.
"I'm fine. Really Skye I'm okay," she said a bit teary eyed.
We held each other, both turning to Robin who had gone very pale. I ran over to her, holding her shoulder so she wouldn't faint on me.
"Hey! Hey Red! Are you okay?"
"Is it… is it always like that Onee-chan?"
"Every time," I whispered, hugging her tight to my chest. "You have to make me a promise. Don't tell Okaa-san about this alright?'
I felt her nod into my chest, holding onto me tight.
"Come on, let's go make some breakfast."
All three of us, plus the two Grim trailing behind, went out and began making breakfast. Robin waited on the chair at the kitchen counter, coaxed back into her usually self with the help of Bash and Spira. Andy was focused on making breakfast and I was focused on her ear. She complained the whole time I was cleaning it and tending to it, making sure it wasn't going to fall off on her. No matter how much she said she didn't care if it did I worked to make sure it didn't although that ear may have some scars in the future.
A knock at the door made me and my two Grim jump, each of us readying for a fight but it only happened to be our mothers. They immediately tried to jump into the kitchen to help us cook but between me and Andy we shooed them away. It was our turn to show them our recipes, well, Andy's recipes because I wasn't much of a cook. Teresa dragged me over to our photo wall while my mother stayed with Andy. It was a two pronged attack! They separated us to divide and conquer! Those scheming mothers of ours.
For what seemed like an hour we went over each pictures and story and memory, many making me laugh and many bringing me close to tears. Teresa was very supportive and told me many of the stories from Andy's youth as I suspect my mother was doing as well. Andy was very much the same kind and caring person that she was today. Her mother told me how unselfish she was, no matter how poor or hard their lives got she was always thinking about others. She told me of how they were always teasing her about her bright orange hair.
"You know," Teresa said in a voice that made me feel all of her age and experience, "I'm not surprise that Andy turned into a fox."
"What do you mean?" I replied, feeling my temper start to boil slightly.
"Oh please don't take it like that," she said somehow reading my body language. "I meant that it suits her so well. She was always listening to others, always looking out for them. It doesn't surprise me that the Gods gave her an extra set of ears. Plus they look so cute on her, matching her orange hair don't you think?"
I felt my cheeks begin to blush as I stuttered, "Y-yes. They're very cute."
We stopped in front of the very first picture that Andy and I ever put onto the wall. I stared at us both dressed up, damning her quietly in my head for torturing me with that makeup and that dress but also feeling quite warm remembering our first official date. It had been quite a long time since that night.
"So your mother and I were talking last night Skye," Teresa began, immediately making me straighten in my skin apprehensively.
"About what?"
"About how you love my daughter."
"O-o-oh…"I stammered, blown away by the topic.
Andy and I both knew that we loved each other. We professed it to one another daily and were constantly reminded of the pains and joys that we had struggled through with our relationship. It was a whole another thing when someone else brought it up, especially when it was our mothers. The topic almost felt like taboo to talk about.
"How uhm… did you know?"
Teresa leaned into me grabbing me by the hip. "Oh Skye, I may be old but I'm not blind dear. Plus your mother confirmed my suspicions last night while we talked."
"I wonder what else you were talking about," I mumbled.
"You love my daughter. I can tell from this wall and the way she talks about you and the way you treat her that it is truly genuine. I wanted to take this time to offer you my blessing," she said with bright eyes.
I turned to her in disbelief, "Your blessing?"
"Yes, I am unsure with the circumstances if we will be visiting you again anytime soon. It is quite apparent that you care for my daughter beyond the care of your own life."
"Well, that isn't quite," I began but she cut me off.
"Andy told me about your semblance and how you constantly walk the line of death when healing her," she said smiling.
"Oh… she told you that…" I said defeated once again. This woman was as formidable as my own mother. I wonder if they traded more than cooking recipes…
"You love her, with all your heart. I believe that you will always love her and you will never leave her side. You protected her for all these years and you protected her from my husband when I couldn't. For all this, I wish to give you my blessing," she said staring into me with the same kind eyes as Andy.
"I…" I began, frozen from the warmth of Teresa's word. "I would be honored to have your blessing," I finally said.
She took me in her arms and hugged me, making me realize how frail her body was.
"Then it is yours," she said beside my ear. "Please, look after her for me."
"I will," was all I could say as I was on the verge of tears.
She stepped back from our hug and turned to check on my mother and Andy who were likewise crying and hugging. I assumed that my mother had bestowed her blessing on Andy as well.
"I always wanted another daughter," Teresa said.
"You wouldn't want me," I told her, "I was a horrible daughter."
"Your mother loves you. Your sister loves you. My daughter loves you. I think that you're a wonderful daughter, don't be so hard on yourself," she said warmly.
I didn't respond, I was too overjoyed to. We went over to the kitchen where breakfast was ready, Andy sprinting around the counter to my side.
"Your mother just gave me her blessing! Did you know about this?"
"Haha, your mom just did the same to me. I think they were scheming all this last night in your room," I told her, kissing her bandaged ear.
She hugged me viciously, kissing me hard on the lips. "I feel so happy right now. Everything feels so amazing!"
"Me too my fox, me too."
We all sat at the counter, making room for more chairs so we could all sit together. Robin had Bash in her lap, his maw sitting on the counter top while Spira bounced from head to head. She finally settled on Robin's, probably finding the red nest likeable and comfy. The table was bustling even though it was still morning. Everyone was talking while cramming food into their mouths. Robin kept feeding Bash and Spira secretly, thinking that no one noticed. My mother began asking Andy about her faunus traits and her ears which Andy embarrassedly answered. She didn't go much into detail to her experiments and I helped steer the conversation to avoid it. Robin didn't stop begging until Andy let her touch them, which she happily obliged. I told her to be careful since one of her ears were already injured and plus they were sensitive. After though I showed her the exact way to give Andy the most pleasure, even which she couldn't escape. We bent Andy to our will which she flushed red at, her ears going flat against her head like they always did when she was embarrassed.
"Hmpf," she said sliding back into her chair, "You are mean."
"Oh Andy," Teresa laughed, "You are so cute!"
"Mother please! Not you too!" Andy complained.
I hugged Andy kissing her cheek, "You might as well accept it fox."
We all laughed carelessly, full of food and joy. After we settled down we cleaned up the counter and dishes. Andy and I almost had to fight our mothers to do the dishes. Those women, proud and strong and always trying to do work.
"Okay, me and Andy have to go to work now," I said.
"Awwwww," moaned Robin, "but why can't you stay with us Onee-chan?!"
"Yes, we did come all this way and made all this effort. They couldn't give you a day off?" asked Teresa.
I grabbed Andy's hand and squeezed, "Sadly no. We still have to uhm go to work."
"Alright, well I want to come and watch," my mother said.
"Me as well," said Teresa, "I think it'll be nice to see what you do every day here Andy."
"No!" Andy and I both cried at once. We stared at each other with wide eyes.
"You should come watch me train!" I yelled. "It's much more interesting and plus uh Andy likes her privacy during her days."
"Yeah, Skye's days are way more interesting than mine," Andy agreed quickly.
"Well, okay if you insist," agreed Teresa thankfully.
I didn't want to imagine what our families would think if they had to witness what Andy went through on a day to day basis. Granted her days were easier and less painful but still her daily routine was torture compared to my days.
We all got ready, Andy and I leading the way. Stepping out the door it was like any other day, until I heard the cry of mirth.
I saw Andy's father screaming incoherently, charging both of us. He must have been waiting for us just outside our door. There wasn't time to react, he had something in his hands and he was aiming for Andy. Without thinking I pushed her behind me, trying to block her from the brunt of his attack. Unable to block a syringe stabbed into my neck. I watched Andy's father's mad eyes, bloodshot from the lack of rest, twitch as the contents of that syringe emptied into me. The effects were immediately, feeling disappearing from the tips of my fingers, then my hands and legs, and then my whole body felt like jello. I stumbled, trying to stay on my feet, trying to stay in the fight, only to collapse against the wall.
With me out of the way he advanced toward the shocked Andy who was stupidly focusing on me and not the man who was attacking her. He slapped her across the face and grabbed hold of her wrist.
I gritted my teeth, slouched against the wall on the floor helpless. There was nothing I could do, my body didn't respond to anything I told it to do. Our mothers were still inside our apartment, gods I hope they were hiding, and my Grim were with Robin. There was nothing, nothing that I could do.
"It's time you learned your place you piece of trash," Andy's father sneered.
"No! Let go of me!"
"You are my daughter, MY DAUGHTER! And as my daughter you will love me. I will not have some girl ruin my life and all that I have built. You understand?!" he shouted at her.
"Let me go!"
He actually punched her in the stomach, making me cringe and twitch on the ground. But then something I was intimately familiar with began to happen. Andy's body went limp and her eyes glazed over.
"No… No! Andy fight it! Andy don't let him win!" I shouted from the floor.
It was too late though. The first sign of life was an evil grin that dawned on Andy's lips and I knew… I knew that it was him.
"Too late you stupid bird," I heard that voice say. "Dadda? Is that you?"
"Finally willingly to give up?" Mr. Ted clamped down on Andy's wrist but she didn't show any pain. I don't think it felt any pain.
"Give up? Now why would I go and do that," that voice taunted. "Oh, oooooh! You must have me mistaken for Andy. No, no, no, no, no I'm am SOOOO sorry but Andy isn't here right now."
"Stop playing around girl!" Mr. Ted shouted.
"Oh but I love to play! Especially with someone so fun to play with!" it screamed, overpowering Mr. Ted. His grip was broken and he was shoved away with significant force.
"What the hell?!" Mr. Ted cried incredulously.
"Oh you'll see hell soon Dadda. For hurting Andy, you'll get to see a lot of hell, but first," lighting quick it was on top of Mr. Ted, snapping his arm that was holding onto Andy's wrist.
He screamed in agony, clutching a hand that was pointing in the wrong direction. "What the hell?! My arm! You broke my arm stupid goddamn Andy!"
"Andy?" her voice faked surprise. "Oh you've got this all wrong Daddy. Andy isn't here. She's gone, away, far away where you couldn't hurt her. I'm a totally different person."
The pain in Mr. Ted's face ceased and was immediately replaced with a confused sort of terror.
"Yes, I'm not Andy. The moment you tried to hurt her she went deep inside where it was safe. Instead, she let me come out to take care of things and play!" it almost sang.
"You're a goddamn monster you hear me?! You're an abomination you putrid faunus fake! That's all you are Andy, a failed experiment!" Mr. Ted screamed.
A swift kick to his groin was followed by another to his ribs. I distinctly heard bone snap.
"Oh Daddy. Dadda why aren't you listening? Haven't you been hearing a single word I've said?" with that the voice dropped into a deep, evil tone. "I'm not Andy. She's gone right now. My name, is C-ydna."
C-ydna laughed maniacally as he bashed Andy's father. Kick after kick struck his ribs, shattering them to pieces. He picked him up and slammed him into a wall, then picked him up again only to throw him to the floor. The sounds of broken bones didn't stop as C-ydna used just Andy's foot to kick and kick Mr. Ted.
"Andy! Stop!" I screamed desperately.
It was futile. Blood splattered all along the walls. It pooled underneath his body. It splotched and stained all of Andy's body. And when all life had left Andy's father's corpse C-ydna still battered it, using only Andy's hands and feet. Only when there was a bloodied pile of dead flesh in the hallways did he stop. He took a moment to admire his work before walking over to me, his feet making a disgusting squish from all the blood underneath his shoes.
C-ydna stood over me, watching me pitifully.
"Oh birdie, small, useless birdie, you couldn't protect Andy. You couldn't save her from a single old man," he said, admiring the blood covering Andy's body.
"G-go away! Give back my Andy!" I demanded, terrorized by C-ydna.
"You know she needs me," he sighed, "You're too weak. You can't protect her. You're the reason why I exist."
"No… No…" I whispered.
"It doesn't matter now," he said, bending over and caressing my face. Blood dripped onto my legs and smeared across my face. "Andy is safe now and that's all that matters. You… You…."
Andy's eyes glazed over again and when they came back to life I saw my love in them.
"Skye?" she asked confused, "Skye what's going on? What is all this red…"
"Andy don't look," I pleaded with her but it was too late. She turned and saw what was left of the body down the hall and screamed in horror. "ANDY! ANDY! Look at me! LOOK AT ME!"
Andy collapsed onto her knees, holding her bloodied hand in front of her.
"ANDY! ANDY! Andy, I killed him!" I said to her.
Andy's eyes locked with mine. She always could tell when I was lying but this time would be different. This time she would believe me. I had to make her believe me, for her own sanity. I began to tear up, crying paralyzed on the ground.
"Andy I'm… so sorry. I… I…. I killed him. I killed your father," I wailed with all my heart. "I… I… He attacked me. He attacked you. And I… I…"
Her arms were slow but firm as they wrapped around my limp body, pulling me close to her in a hug.
"It's… going to be okay," was all she managed to say.
It all was going to be okay… because I wouldn't let her find out about this. I would never let her find out. She could never know, never know that it wasn't me who killed her father. This was my secret to bear to my grave, for Andy's sake and sanity. The blood, his blood was on my hands… and that's the way it was going to stay.
The girl in the mirror stared back at me sullenly. Her eyes were red and purple bags haunted them. That dark hair was a mess from rolling around on the bed. It had been like this for over a month now, or more she had lost count. Nightmares filled her nights, nights like these that kept her awake and without rest. Not even the comfort of her most loved one could stop them.
I uncapped the flask and drank from it, trying to drown out the flashbacks. They were memories C-ydna torturing me, beating me senseless while I laid there helpless. I took another drink, blood soaking my shirt and hands. The metal flask clattered in the sink as I dropped it, checking my hands and seeing them now clean of Andy's father's blood. Picking up the leaking flask I drank again, seeing images of C-ydna again hitting me or Andy helpless against torture. It was a constant repeat, one flashback after another.
I knew I didn't kill her father, I knew it! To protect Andy though I had to believe it, had to truly think in my heart that it was my fault and my hands that took his life away. That line between the lie and reality was becoming fuzzier by the moment. The increase in alcohol consumption barely took off the edge, and barely kept Andy from beating me senseless.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked my reflection helplessly. The girl in the mirror looked back at me desperate and useless.
A patter of feet alerted me and I quickly shoved the flask behind the medicine cabinet to hide it. Andy stumbled in, shield her eyes from the bright light of the restroom, her fox ears hanging low from just getting up.
"Skye," she yawned, "Is that you?"
"Yes my fox," I said lovingly, "it's me."
Her eyes adjusted to the light, finally seeing me in my disheveled state. "It happened again didn't it?" she asked solemnly.
"It's… still happening," I told her remorsefully.
Andy came up to me and embraced me in a hug. I think I felt her cringe, the alcohol was fresh on my breath and my body but she didn't say anything. Somehow she knew that I needed it a little bit to help.
"It's okay," Andy hummed. "It wasn't your fault. My father attacked me and you did what you had to," she said without an ounce of regret.
The pain of the lie I was living spiked through my heart. "I know… but it still haunts me… like everything else."
"I won't let C-ydna hurt you," she said reading my thoughts immediately. "I've been getting more practice. I can control him better now," she tried to reassure me.
"I know," I said again, petting her sleepy fox ears. "But you can't always control him and… I can never win against him. He…" just talking about C-ydna was making the flashbacks even worse. "He frightens me Andy. He really, really scares me," I wept.
"Shhh, shhhh," she said pulling my head into her chest. "He can't hurt you."
"He can…"
"Come back to bed Skye. You need to try and sleep," Andy said.
I tried but couldn't. Even with Andy holding me and protecting me I couldn't. My eyes closed but my mind didn't. It raced and raced, even making me think that my eyes were open and my worst fears were in bed with me. I stayed motionless for Andy's sake so she could rest. We both had to continue on with work tomorrow.
When Andy woke up I told her that I had slept well but as always she could see through my lies. She wouldn't let me help with our morning routine one bit. Hell she even tried to dress me herself like she was my mom! Only the distractions of coffee and making breakfast got her off of my back. I sat at the table mindlessly petting Basher and Spira when a full course breakfast and coffee that could beat the world's best slid in front of me. Even with that it wasn't enough to uplift my spirit or kick my butt into any sort of normality.
I walked Andy to her testing rooms like normal, her kiss warming up my spirit. When I tried to walk away she kept her fingers interlocked behind my neck, holding me in place.
"Things are going to get better little bird," she told me, "they always do. We have endured through so much and overcome so much that this is nothing for us. We can push past this. We can be happy as long as we are together."
"As long as I'm with you my dearest fox, nothing can go wrong," I said back, glowing weakly.
With that she released me, pecking my cheek one last time before disappearing behind those big doors. I sighed, mentally motivating myself as much as I could. Despite the weight on my shoulders I would make the best of today and the best of the day after. A tiny smile pierced my face as I made my way to my testing rooms.
Past the doors all the scientists and assistants were moving about with a chaotically busy sense of purpose. It was weird though, they weren't doing tests or preparing for experiments. They were packing.
"Ahem," I got one of their attention, "What is going on? Moving day?"
"Oh Skye, good to see you. We have some news to tell you," one of the scientist said, flipping through papers and folders at a desk.
I walked over and pushed some of his papers around, skimming them mindlessly.
"What's happening, you guys forget a number or something?" I joked sarcastically.
"No, no, not something so silly," he said which pissed me off how casual he was. "Our department is shutting down. All the experiments, tests, and training is over."
"Really?" I said, feeling happiness grow within me. It was great news that they weren't going to torture me anymore. "Okay Doc, so what are we doing next? Going outside? Training with actual Grim? More combat training? A jetpack for my exoskeleton?" I asked excitedly. I had been asking for a flight feature on my armor for years.
"None of the above," he said.
"So… what is it?" I asked annoyed now that I wasn't getting a straight answer.
"Nothing."
"What do you mean nothing?"
"I mean everything over. We're done. You're done," he said equally annoyed.
"What do you mean I'm done?" I growled. When he didn't answer me I slammed my fist on his desk, the room going eerily silent with all eyes on me. I grabbed the scientist's collar and brought his face right in front of mine. "What do you mean?" I asked again.
He gasped, holding onto my wrists in horror.
"Th-they canceled the project!" he screamed.
"Explain!"
"I don't know! I don't know! We got the word from our superiors that you were a failed experiment and to shut everything down!" he shrieked.
"Failed?" I growled confused but enraged. "How am I 'failed'?"
"Sk-skye th-they didn't…"
"TELL ME!"
The doc cringed, keeping his mouth shut and his weak arms trying to pry apart my grip. Around the room everyone was staring but no one dared intervene. They all knew how well trained I was, they're the ones that beat these skills into me.
"Tell me, or else I will snap that little neck of yours," I said evilly sweet.
"Y-y-your experiments took too long! Uh, uh, it was too expensive. T-t-to produce one unit for combat was 300 percent over budget! All your exoskeletons no matter how advanced and combat ready can't be mass produced with these specifications! You're too unique! Too many failures. There was…" he shut up as soon as I dropped him, collapsing onto the floor.
I stood there fuming. I wasn't a failure. I could walk, run, sprint, and fight. If I wanted to I could take out everyone in the room right now and not even get a scratch. All those years I gave to this damn place, they all weren't to be labeled a failure. No, I didn't give up near half of my adolescent life to be a failure.
My combat exoskeleton still stood in the corner, secured in its stand. Its weapons and equipment were neatly organized beside it. I walked over to the technicians in charge of it, frightening most of them.
"I'm keeping that," I said pointing at my suit.
"Uh, Skye we can't…" one of the assistants stuttered.
"What?" was all I growled. "Who else is going to use it? It's just going to sit somewhere in storage and gather dust. It was designed for combat, it was designed for me, no one else can use it and it's as much as my own body as my legs."
"Sk-skye," he began again but the head technician cut him off.
"Done."
"You can't do that!" one of the scientists exclaimed.
"She's right though. It's specifically coded and tailored for Skye. Like she said, no one else but she can use it. Skye, we'll pack everything up and leave it here. Leave the paperwork and explanations to us," he said. Before walking away he approached me and put a hand on my shoulder, "It's been an honor working with you all these years."
I didn't care for his sympathy, storming out and heading back for my room. Back inside I was a wreck, hitting the bottle hard. This place was practically all I knew, it was all I had. I didn't know anything else but this. I didn't have anyone else… I didn't know what to do. They were going to ditch me, shove me out the door and let me fend for myself. I wasn't going home, they would only coddle me and treat me like that helpless girl in the wheelchair. There had to be another option.
Hours later and bottles littered the floor, furniture was overturned and my room was a mess. I sat slouched in a chair that I had pulled right in front of all the photos. My body was lax and I felt extremely tired but I kept myself awake staring at each of those pictures. I had gone through every option in my head and only came to one. That one option wasn't going to be easy. It would also destroy me.
I heard Andy burst through the door shouting for me. "Skye?! Skye?! Are you in here?!" she yelled, panicking since I didn't meet her. Then she gasped as she probably saw the mess I had made and my slouched body surrounded by bottles. "Skye, oh my gods…" she muttered running up to me. "Skye can you hear me? Skye wake up!"
"I can hear you stupid fox," I slurred, slouching more in my chair.
"Oh Gods, Skye is it the flashbacks? Are they getting worse?" she asked worriedly, picking me up and helping me to the couch.
"Flashbacks?" I asked, then remembering the past month of haunted nights. "No, it's not that. Did I ever tell you… how beautiful you are?" I asked staring at her.
She ran off ignoring me and came back with a cup of coffee, "Here drink this. You're drunk again." Pausing she glanced around the floor and counted all the empty bottles, "This… is the most you've ever drank. What in the world could make you do this?"
I didn't want to think about that. I wanted to ignore that topic at ever cost.
Falling of my chair I knocked empty bottles out of the way and began crawling for the kitchen. I was intent on getting more alcohol to drown my sorrows in. The coffee mug crashed behind me as it slammed into the floor, Andy running to block my path.
"Skye, no more alcohol for you!" she said, putting two hands lightly on my shoulder.
I shoved her hands off of me, taking a few attempts to actually hit her arms. My sobs filled the room as I tried to crawl past her but couldn't. She rolled me over and dragged me over to the counter where she held me in her arms as she leaned against its side. Her hand pet my head and held me tight.
"What's wrong birdie?" she cooed into my ear.
Just asking only made everything worse. I buried myself into her protective cove, sobbing into her shoulder to no end. Everything hurt, it all just hurt. My mind, my body, my soul, all of it ached. I wanted to die, I wanted all of this to end. The scientists here had already destroyed my world.
I turned in Andy's arms, using her body so that I could face her. Those eyes stared at me worriedly but full of kindness and love. Those beautiful lips of hers were slightly parted, waiting to reassure me, to cheer me up, to say a magic incantations to heal all my wounds. Holding myself up with one hand on her shoulder I raised my other one, crying even more.
"Little birdie?" she asked.
My hand stung like a million bees as I slapped her with all I could. It left a red imprint on her cheek and an even redder one on her heart.
"Sk-skye?"
I yelled out in agony, closing my eyes as I slapped her again. Her sharp cry pierced my heart.
"COME OUT ALREADY!" I said, climbing back up her so I could steady myself to slap her again.
"Skye?" she sobbed, "What are you doing?"
"DAMN IT C-YDNA I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" I screamed slapping her again.
"Birdie," her voice was unbearable. I felt all of her pain and it filled the cracks forming on my sewn up heart. "Why do you want C-ydna out?"
"IS THAT NOT ENOUGH?! FINE!" I bellowed, bring back my hand once more and forming a fist.
Andy's hand shot up and gripped my wrist with a death hold. Her eyes had darkened and her voice had seeped into a tone that I feared so much.
"My dear, dear, dear little bird," C-ydna singed. "You've been naughty, trying to hurt poor little Andy," he said.
"Hello, C-ydna," I whispered, fear flooded every crevice of my spirit. I relaxed my fist and hung my head low.
"I heard you calling for me sweet thing. You were being quite mean to Andy. I'm going to have to punish you again," he said delightedly.
"Good," I mumbled. "Good. C-ydna, kill me."
"What?" he asked, half surprised and half in disbelief at an answer I'm sure he'd always dreamed of hearing.
"Kill me, C-ydna."
"Oooooooo hoho, hehe, haha, hehehe," he cackled, jumping to his feet and knocking me onto my back, my limp legs folding beneath me. C-ydna pranced around, dancing in a circle in glee. "Oh my. Oh my, oh my, oh my! I never, hehe, never ever, ever thought I'd see the day! See the day when I get to fulfill my dreams!" he sang.
"Today's the day," I said lifelessly, "get it over with."
"My pleasure!"
He took Andy's body and sat on my torso, trapping me in between Andy's legs. His hands slowly reached out and clasped around my neck, feeling the life pulse through it. I felt him use Andy's hands to slowly squeeze my neck, ever so lightly adding more pressure. C-ydna cackled again and I just stared at Andy's eyes, not bothering to resist.
I wanted the last thing I saw in the world to be beautiful and Andy was perfect.
Her eyes locked with mine though and began to shake. The darkness fought against the light within them and I felt the hands around my neck begin to falter.
"N-no," C-ydna's voice melded with Andy's. "N-no!" Andy said with a shout, regaining control of her body. "Oh my god Skye," she wailed, picking me up from the floor and hugging me close.
I took a raspy breath as the air flowed through my reopened throat. My plan had failed.
"Skye! Skye! Why?! Why would you do such a thing?! Why did you bring him out?!" Andy cried as she held me.
"So he could kill me," I told her emotionlessly.
"But why?! We have everything here. We have a home, we have a bed and food and water! We have Basher and Spira! We have our lives… our lives with each other. We have each other… We have our love…" her voice drained of all life.
"No… we don't," I told her.
"Wh-what?" she asked utterly shocked.
"They took it all away Andy. They took it all away from me. Everything," I muttered incoherently.
She stayed quiet, picking me up finally and sitting me down in my wheelchair. It was fitting actually. I started here in this wretched piece of scrap, I should end in the same chair.
"Skye," again, that switch. It was one of the biggest reason I fell for her, that big unselfish heart of hers. "Tell me what's going on," she said patiently, taking my hand in hers.
So I told her, drunkenly slurring out the explanation. I explained how I went to my testing rooms, how they were all packing. Failure, I said it to her again and again. Everything was so numb to me from the alcohol it barely hurt to tell Andy. What hurt the most was betraying her, using her, and ultimately what I had to do next.
"It's going to be okay Skye," Andy tried to reassure me. "We're going to work this out. You can stay here with me until we figure out a plan. I can take care of you and Basher and Spira. I know some of my scientist and the other workers. I'm sure I can work out some deals and-."
"I'm leaving," I said flatly.
"Skye… What… What do you mean?"
"They're not going to let me stay here. They already canceled my whole project. They're going to get rid of me,"
"Skye you can know for certain."
"So I'm going to leave before they can dump me out like the trash."
"But… But Skye, where would you go?"
"I don't know," I told her honestly. "Not home. Maybe Beacon, remember? I can use my abilities there, maybe even become a Huntress. Something, but not here," I said.
"Then… what about… us?" she asked her fox ears betraying her feelings.
I pulled her down so I could scratch those fluffy points. "Come with me. Come along, run away. We can escape this place like old times. We can be together, out there, out in the real world where we belong!"
Andy stared at me silently for what seemed like an eternity. Those eyes of hers searched mine, seeing the all the hope I had.
"No," she said flatly, "I can't leave here."
"But…" I stammered dumbstruck, "Why?"
"I can't leave here. This… this is where we belong Skye."
"We don't belong here!" I bellowed. "We are imprisoned here! We are test subjects! Experiments! Lab rats to be used and thrown away!" I shouted the deep truths that had laid unspoken between us.
"No, no we're not," she whispered defeated.
"They… They sold you! Your parents, your father, sold you to this place!"
Her eyes locked onto me as her hand covered her mouth, shocked. We both knew that this was something that we never talked about but the alcohol and my hate was fueling me.
"No… You're wrong Skye. You're wrong," she said helplessly trying to argue.
"There's nothing here for you!" I screamed.
"There's everything here for us!" she shouted back, sprinting out of the room.
The door slammed shut and my dorm was silent. I had made up my mind. Andy had made up hers. Going into my bedroom and put my leg braces back on and grabbed out the old suitcase that I had brought here years ago. Slamming it onto the bed I began to pack rapidly, like someone was going to burst through my door and try and stop me. I threw all my possessions in there, everything I needed to get by and stormed out not looking back.
Our wall of photos stopped me before I left my dorm though. I approached it, gazing at the dozens of photos plastered on it. My two idiot pet came up beside me and watched too. To this day I don't know why but I went up and plucked two pictures off of it, folding them neatly and placing them in my suitcase.
One of them was of Andy and me on our first official date together, all dressed up and kissing in the twilight. The other was Andy, sitting at the counter with her head resting on her hand staring back at me with a small smile. These two photos called out to me as I looked upon that wall for one final time and something inside me told me to take them.
With my final items I turned and never looked back. I swiftly made my way to my testing room where all the workers had left for their homes. It surprised me how quick they emptied this place. Machines were gone, computers were removed, and papers were collected and filed somewhere else. It left a desolate and rather empty room with barren tables and lonely chairs neatly left alone.
True to their word, the mechanics had packed my exoskeleton and all its gear and accessories into two large cases. I walked over and spotted a note on the larger one that simply read, "Best of wishes and we hope you put this to good use. It was an honor to work with you."
"Thanks guys," I said aloud warmly.
I took the two cases along with my one luggage and left, heading for the front door. This time I wasn't going to bother being sneaky or trying to escape. There was no point, I was never coming back here. The halls were empty until I stepped into the main atrium which was inhabited by only two guards, one at the desk and one standing in the open. They both turned to stare at me surprised.
"You have two choices," I said, my voice amplified by the open space. "Let me pass or let me pass. The second choice will likely end with you two in the hospital."
"Damn it Skye go back to your room. We don't have time for you games," one said nonchalantly.
"Good, neither do I," I said beginning to stroll toward the front door.
"Hey wait! You can't do that! You can't leave stop!" the one standing yelled running after me.
He laid a hand on me and that was all I needed. I spun around and punched him full force in the stomach. His limp body flew back a few feet before he crumpled on the floor, overcome by pain. The other guard sitting down went for an alarm button but it was too late. I drew out my shotgun and shot a shell filled with ice dust, freezing his hand that was inches off the alarm. His cries of pain soon ceased as the front doors closed behind me.
Outside the sky was turning purplish black, the tired sun falling in the distance. The air was cool and fresh as an evening breeze rolled up my side and over my cheek. It was time to leave.
A couple hundred yards away from the facility I stopped, turning to look back at it. The buildings and fences were a mere shadow in the distance, faintly illuminated by the dying sun. It made it seem so small, the place I had called my home for the past seven or more years. Gods it had been a long time, so long that I had lost track of how many years I had actually spent there. I had arrived when I was 11, or 12, or maybe when I was 9. It was so long ago but here I was now, 17 years old.
As I looked back the last bit of orangey light painted the facilities outer walls. I wondered if she was still in there. Had she noticed that I was gone now? It pained me to think about her still trapped there but it was her decision. I offered, gave her a way out and she said no straight to my face. I would miss her. She was the only person for me, my first and only love.
Spira swooped down from high in the sky, landing squarely on Basher's head. The two loyal idiot Grim, still following me around.
"I told you two to stay back there," I growled.
Basher just ran around me in a circle, his tongue flapping in the wind. He took another lap until her ran up to cuddle my leg, Spira hopping off to perch on my shoulder.
"Your choice," I said feeling a little pain in my heart from the words. "I feel like you're going to get me kicked out of a lot of nice places… and a ton of bad ones too."
With my two pets by my side I turned so that the facility was behind me, walking off into the world ahead.