The whole Sonic Team were out in town, giving them a chance to pick out last-minute gifts. Many of them made sure they weren't accompanied by others, so as to ensure they wouldn't reveal what they were getting for the others. Isaac, on the other hand, wasn't perusing for gifts, but instead for raw metals from Boris to craft weapons.
"This raw iron is a good choice! With a little bit of tempering, it'll make a fine weapon!" Boris said, showing off a large chunk of iron ore.
Isaac shook his head, smiling.
"Come on. I want to see the good stuff!" Isaac said, knowing there was more.
Boris nodded, putting the raw iron on his table. Boris moved himself to a large storage crate, opening it. He reached in, pulling out a large slab of metal.
"Damascus steel. High carbon. This can be anything you want, Isaac. I know you have the skill to make it so. But now, we must talk price. I'll give you the Damascus steel and a few different materials for the handle, for 200 rings." Boris offered.
"I trust that it is a fair price, but is there any way you can lower the price?" Isaac asked.
Boris slightly nodded, putting the Damascus steel on his worktable.
"I still remember the day you worked for me. But I haven't paid you for that day. How about I deduct the price by how much you would have earned for that day?" Boris asked.
"Sound like a good deal. How much would the price be, then?" Isaac asked.
"145 rings, after the deduction." Boris answered.
Pondering it for a bit, Isaac produced a bag of rings, taking out 145 rings. He handed them to Boris, who was smiling widely.
"This'll definitely do! You need me to wrap it up?" Boris asked.
"No. I'll take it as is." Isaac said, grabbing the Damascus steel.
Isaac exited the shop, holding the slab of steel under his arm. As he walked, he experienced the sensations of Christmas throughout the streets. The sound of carolers singing, the smell of roasting chestnuts, the feel of flurries on his head. Going as fast as he could walk, Isaac made his way to the castle, going through the main entrance. He hurried downstairs to the weapons' shop, where a large charcoal forge was burning, almost to the point where Isaac had to stay away from it. Almost. Taking off his weapons, Isaac rolled up his sleeves and put on a smithing apron, before removing his gloves and putting on leather ones.
"Time to get to work." Isaac said to himself.
Grabbing a pair of tongs, he grabbed the slab of Damascus and shoved it into the coals. Isaac grabbed the rope to the billows, feeding air into it. The coals grew hotter, the room getting redder. After a few minutes, Isaac pulled the slab of steel out of the forge, incandescent. Walking to the anvil, Isaac grabbed his hammer and began bending the metal on itself. After doing so, Isaac walked back to the forge, plunging it back into the hot coals. Isaac felt his ribs cry out in pain, but not as bad as it was days prior. After feeding air into the coals, Isaac noticed an intercom next to the doorway, a small light flashing red. Isaac walked over, pushing the button.
"Who is it?" Isaac asked.
"Isaac, it's Tails. Are you in the weapons' room?" Tails asked.
"Yes. I am working on a project. In fact, I may need another set of hands. Are you available?" Isaac asked.
"I'll be there in just a few minutes!" Tails answered, the intercom becoming silent.
Isaac walked back to the forge, seeing the metal's incandescence through the coals. Grabbing it with the tongs, Isaac pulled it out. After checking the forge weld, Isaac saw that it was holding. Walking back to the anvil, Isaac began again the process of hammering out the metal, bending the metal on itself, welding it together with heat from the forge, and hammering it out again. After a few cycles, Tails walked through the door, shielding his face from the heat of the forge.
"What's the project?" Tails asked.
"A sword of legend. I have yet to finish layering, but once I do, it will be more than a million layers. And once I use my mother's technique for blade hardening, the sword shall have no equal to its durability. But first, I need someone to help with holding it still so I can properly cut the blade to do the final fold." Isaac explained, handing him the tongs.
Tails grabbed the metal from the forge, its incandescence illuminating the room. After placing it on the anvil, Isaac handed him a hot cut hardy, used to cut the metal to allow layering. After grabbing the handle and placing it in the center of the forged metal, Isaac walked back with a sledgehammer, ready to strike.
"Keep it steady. I do not wish to risk hitting your hand." Isaac warned.
Tails kept it steady to the best of his abilities, shutting his eyes. Isaac brought the hammer down, cutting the metal in half. Isaac grabbed his ribs, pain radiating from his injury. The half of the blade hit the floor, producing sparks. Isaac grabbed the tongs from Tails, grabbing the other half of the metal. Isaac placed it on top, hammering it out to begin completing the weld. After hammering, Isaac placed it back into the forge, where the temperature was dropping. Isaac pulled on the bellows, but the air wasn't able to get it hot enough to finish the weld.
"Tails, stand back." Isaac said, removing his gloves.
Isaac charged his powers, his hands becoming white-hot! Isaac suddenly thrust his hands towards the forge, streams of fire exiting from them. The coals began becoming hotter, hotter than before. Isaac plunged the metal into the coals, sparks flying.
"That's some ingenuity!" Tails commented.
"Thank you, Tails. I have it taken care of from here." Isaac said, focusing on the forge.
"Yeah, no problem! But the reason I asked for you, it was because Amy had been looking for you. She has another tradition she wants us to do. And we need to do it before it gets too late." Tails explained.
"Noted. I will be back upstairs after I finish the profile." Isaac said, pulling the blade back out of the forge.
After Tails left, Isaac began the profile. It became the beginnings of a longsword, a one-handed English-inspired sword. After finishing the rough profile, Isaac allowed it to cool, putting it on the weapons rack to finish later. After washing his face and putting the smithing gear away, Isaac made his way back upstairs, feeling his ribs aching once more.
"Hmph… the medication the doctor gave me is not working. I will need to rest later." Isaac grunted, continuing on his way upstairs.
Isaac eventually reached the Common Room, music playing from the old record player. Isaac entered, seeing that there were more presents under the tree than before. Everyone was gathered around the fireplace, warming themselves up. Shadow was hanging back by the record player, silently tapping his foot.
"Man, I can't believe how cold it is today! Amy, if you think we're going caroling, you're insane!" Vector said, still shivering.
"Alright, I'll admit, it's a little too cold to go caroling. But if we're going caroling sometime, we need to wait for Sticks! She's definitely not going to travel by train." Amy said.
"When is she going to get here? She's been taking a long time to get here." Tails asked.
"Well, with all the snow and the cold weather, she may be stuck somewhere." Espio deduced.
"I hope not. One's liable to freeze solid out there." Blaze commented.
"Do you need someone to look for her?" Isaac asked, getting everyone's attention.
"I don't think that's a good idea. If she got lost on the way here, you may be liable to get lost as well." Shadow observed.
"Sally, do I have your permission to look for her outside of the walls? I believe I'll be able to track her in very little time." Isaac asked.
"Are you able to with your injury?" Sally asked, concerned.
"It is nothing I cannot handle. But do I have your permission?" Isaac asked.
"I… y-yes. You have my permission." Sally reluctantly said.
Isaac walked to Sally, holding her hands in his.
"I promise you; I will find her and bring her back. I will return safely." Isaac promised.
He leaned forward, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Sally's face blushed a deep shade of red, a shade of red Isaac had never seen before. Grabbing his pack, Isaac headed out of the door. Sally stood shocked, rubbing her face where Isaac had kissed her.
"I think my brother likes you." Lily commented.
In the center of the Great Forest:
Isaac trekked through the forest, looking for signs of recent activity. While he knew that the snow coming down would mask any tracks, if Sticks was still travelling, there would still be fresh tracks somewhere.
"Sticks!" Isaac shouted.
There was no response. Isaac continued trekking through the forest, occasionally shouting for her. After about an hour, Isaac noted the sun was beginning to set.
"If I don't find her soon, I'm going to be out here in the frigid night!" Isaac said to himself.
Looking around, he saw a faint glimmer of a fire in the distance. Isaac walked towards it, hoping that it would be sign of Sticks being there. As he got closer, he could begin to make something out. A Mobian was huddled near the fire, shivering.
"Hello?" Isaac asked, walking closer.
Suddenly, the Mobian leaped from the fire, equipping some kind of weapon.
"Woah, wait! I am friendly! I am looking for a friend! Her name is Sticks!" Isaac exclaimed.
The figure stood there, not relenting.
"I don't know who you are! Who are you?!" The Mobian asked, revealing herself to be female.
"Wait, are you Sticks?" Isaac asked.
"Who's asking?" She asked.
"My name is Isaac. Isaac Abaddon. Amy sent me to find you. She was worried you would be out here in the cold." Isaac explained.
Slowly, Sticks walked out from near the fire, allowing Isaac to get a better look at her. She revealed herself to be an orange badger, wearing tribal clothing, only a wool cloak shielding her from the cold. She was holding a boomerang, which Isaac could see was almost as sharp as steel.
"Will you come with me? I will get you to the Kingdom safely, I promise you." Isaac said.
Reluctantly, Sticks walked from the fire. After kicking some snow on it, extinguishing it, she walked ahead of Isaac, towards the direction of the Kingdom. Isaac walked beside her, keeping a hand on the hilt of his dagger. Sticks noticed this, looking at Isaac nervously.
"Do not worry. This is for your protection. We must be swift if we are to make it before night falls." Isaac explained, increasing the speed of his stride.
"I know you said your name is Isaac, but who exactly are you?" Sticks asked.
"I am the personal guard of Princess Sally. My sister and I are from here. We have lived in these woods for seven years. I know this place like the back of my hand." Isaac explained.
"W-why'd you l-leave?" Sticks asked, shivering.
"Had to. Trading route changed. The forest only provides so much, so my sister and I had to leave. Fortunately, work came to me quick." Isaac explained.
"I-I d-don't trust-t th-the M-Mobian Trad-d-ding C-C-Company! T-they b-b-buy out other c-c-c-companies!" Sticks revealed, her shivering getting worse.
"Your shivering is getting worse! We need to get you out of the cold, and fast!" Isaac said, quickly picking up Sticks.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" Sticks asked, surprised.
"Getting you out of here!" Isaac responded, running.
Isaac ran towards the Kingdom, trudging through the snow as fast as he could. As he ran, he felt something inside of his ribcage shift. He suddenly stopped, collapsing on his knees. Sticks slid out of his arms, seeing he was pain.
"What's wrong?" She asked, trying to see what the matter was.
"My ribs… they were broken yesterday. I think… I think I may have injured myself further." Isaac answered, slowly getting up on his own feet.
Sticks helped him up, giving support under Isaac's left arm. Isaac continued, slowly making their way to the Kingdom walls. As they walked, the train sped past them, kicking up the freshly laden snow. Suddenly, the train's brakes locked, sparks flying. It slid for twenty feet, the metal screeching. Soon, the train stopped, releasing a large burst of steam. The door to the Royal Cart flew open, revealing a guard and a citizen.
"Ranger Abaddon! I was hoping I would find you near the tracks! Quick, get on!" Harold yelled.
"Yurani?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah! Quick, get you and the girl on here!" He said, holding the door open.
The civilian ran to Isaac, grabbing his other arm, helping Sticks get him onto the train. The conductor was waiting near the connector door, looking annoyed.
"We're on a schedule here! Stopping the train like this isn't doing anyone favors!" He chastised.
"Listen, I had received a message from the Princess about looking for Isaac. He was on a search-and-rescue mission for this girl! If you don't like it, take it with her!" Harold argued.
Instead of saying anything else, the Conductor wringed his hat in anger, leaving the cart.
"How did you get a message from the Princess? This train is headed for the Kingdom." Isaac asked.
"She knew I was taking the train back, so she sent me a text to look for you near the tracks as the train would go by. You're lucky Richard saw you." Harold explained.
Isaac slowly walked to Richard, who was warming up near the furnace.
"Thank you. Sticks and I owe you our lives." Isaac said.
He smiled, sitting up straight.
"You don't have to mention it. I couldn't imagine someone making it back to the Kingdom in this weather." Richard said.
"If I were not injured, I would have made it there already." Isaac said.
Richard nodded, repositioning himself in his seat. Suddenly, the train lurched forward, beginning to gain speed. Sticks laid down on one of the benches, closing her eyes. As the train sped up, Isaac sat himself down next to Richard, groaning in relief.
"By the way, thank you." Richard said.
"Thank you? For what?" Isaac asked.
"My husband mentioned you wished us a Merry Christmas. Now, I know that seems trivial, but a lot of people around here don't really accept us… for who we are, you know? And you accepting us for who we are is uplifting. And I thank you, Mr. Abaddon." Richard explained.
"I am confused. Why do people not accept you?" Isaac asked.
"Well, for starters… we're gay! Two men who live together and are married are not a common occurrence around here. Now, the United Federation is very accepting, but Harold works for the King, so we can't really just up and leave." Richard explained.
"Another argument to not leave is that you would be allowing people to think they can be ignorant of their prejudice. The both of you deserve to be able to live in the Kingdom of Acorn without discrimination against your love." Isaac said.
Richard smiled, nodding.
"How does someone as young as you manage to speak wisely?" He asked, grinning.
"A wise man once told me that love comes in all forms, including people. And if we live without telling them how we feel, then we may not know how long they will be in our lives." Isaac explained.
"I told you that." Richard clarified.
"I stand by what I said." Isaac said.
Eventually, the train reached the Kingdom, half past eight. After another heated argument by Harold with the conductor about tickets, Isaac and Sticks were able to get off. While Isaac could feel his ribs pulsate with pain, nothing had been broken further.
"Come on. The castle is this way." Isaac said, leading the way.
"Right behind ya!" Sticks replied, following him.
While the snow was still coming down, it had slowed significantly. As they walked towards the castle, the smell of mulled wine and chestnuts came from the Inn. Isaac actually loved mulled wine since he could drink more of it without getting drunk than he would with regular wine. And while he was tempted to grab some from the Inn, he had the priority of getting Sticks to the castle as soon as possible. Soon, they reached the Main Door, Isaac holding onto his side.
"Sticks, can you open the door? I do not think I can open it right now." Isaac asked.
Sticks nodded, pushing the door open. As soon as they did, the gust of warmth was welcoming to the both of them. They entered, Sticks quickly running to the sound of the others in the Common Room. Isaac followed close, his gratefulness of being back overcoming the pain radiating from his injured ribs. But before they could enter, Sally walked out, looking frustrated. The moment she saw them, her frustration dissipated.
"Sticks! Isaac actually found you!" Sally exclaimed, quickly hugging Sticks.
"I would've made it sooner, but you know I don't trust the Mobian Trading Company!" Sticks explained.
"Hmm, seems you and Isaac have something in common. Anyway, I need to have a word with Isaac. The others are inside the Common Room." Sally commented.
Sticks quickly ran into the Common Room, the exclamations of everyone else confirming this. Sally walked towards a hallway, motioning for Isaac to follow. After they were out of earshot of the others, Sally stopped Isaac.
"Isaac, while I'm glad you're back, and I have… a few questions to ask you later, we need to talk about the prisoners." Sally said.
Isaac sighed, knowing his job had priorities.
"What is wrong?" Isaac asked.
"Well, I see to it they get their food and receive medical attention for their injuries, but lately they've been, well, disrespectful. Can you just come with me for a moment, just so you know what I mean?" Sally asked.
Isaac nodded, following Sally to the cells. After walking down the stairs that lead into the underground level, Sally stopped Isaac at the door to the cells.
"Just wait here and listen. When I knock on the wall two times, then you can walk in." Sally explained.
"Okay. But if things get out of hand, I'm running in." Isaac responded.
Sally opened the door, walking into the containment cells. She walked into the center of the room, seeing the prisoner. They were wearing gray clothing, the only clothing provided to prisoners. Sally walked up to the first cell, which contained the bat. He looked up from his chair, one of his wings in a splint. He sneered at her, grinning. She maintained a look of disdain, letting him know of how she felt.
"Well, nice to see your face, sweet cheeks. You gonna… put on a show for us? Maybe a little bit of dancing?" He suggestively asked.
Sally didn't know it, but Isaac could feel his blood begin to boil, hearing someone speak like that, especially to someone like her.
"You should really mind your manners. You never know who's listening." Sally warned.
He scoffed, not listening to her.
"I'll talk to you however I want! Now, if you're not going to… entertain us, then leave us be!" He exclaimed, leaning into his chair, and closing his eyes.
Sally walked past the bear's cell, who was fast asleep. She stopped at the human's cell, where she was on the floor, stretching. She looked up, showing Sally disdain as well.
"I can't believe, someone as educated as you, would willingly allow a demon to protect her! At least I still have my soul." She said, getting up.
"Well, I in turn can say that I am surprised, someone as educated as yourself, would willingly believe that Isaac is a demon. At least I have my humanity." Sally fired back, reflecting the human's insult.
She moved onto the Overlander, who was curling weights provided to him by the guard. As Sally walked to his cell, he didn't look up, knowing she was already there.
"So, your Highness, have you come to again attempt to dissuade me from wanting to crush your boyfriend's windpipe? I only pray whatever offspring you have with him won't be half as evil as his bastard of a father was." The Overlander asked, insulting Sally as well as Isaac.
"My relationship with Isaac is none of your business. But your attempt to murder him is my business! And I, in turn pray, that you will be put somewhere that you can never hurt anyone ever again!" Sally said, walking from his cell.
As she walked, she quickly tapped the wall twice. Isaac slowly opened the door, the door creaking as it opened. Slowly, he walked out, revealing himself to the group. Suddenly, the faces of the bat and the human became pale. The Overlander's face only became red, showing his anger. Isaac walked to the bat's cell, him standing up.
"What is your name?" Isaac asked.
"Peter. Peter I'Ermite." He answered.
"How fitting. Named after the man who was involved in the Rhineland Massacres against the Jews in the spring of 1096." Isaac responded.
"How dare you?! That is a lie, and you know it!" Peter shouted.
"It is not! You have been brainwashed, led to believe that these men of the Crusades were holy figures. They were animals, killing those they saw that were not part of their ideal world! And by the way, how you have spoken to Princess Sally, I recommend you not do that anymore." Isaac fired back.
Peter grinned, feeling himself safe behind the bars.
"I'll talk to her however I like. Maybe I should start saying how much I want to feel her-" He began to say, before Isaac's hand found its way around his throat through the bars.
Suddenly, Isaac pulled his arm in, slamming his face into the bars, Peter stumbling backwards into the wall of his cell. His nose was bleeding, but Isaac knew it wasn't broken.
"I recommend you keep your mouth shut. Meditate on that for a while." Isaac said, before walking to the human's cell.
"If you're going to ask my name, it's Joan. As in, Joan of Arc." She said.
"I have only good things to say about Joan of Arc. But none that reflect your actions." Isaac responded.
Joan only glared at Isaac.
"By the way, the knife you threw at me was exceptionally sharp. If it was of your own craftsmanship, then I commend you for it." Isaac said, before moving onto the Overlander's cell.
Joan motioned for Sally to come closer, which she reluctantly did so.
"Was he insulting, or complimenting me?" Joan asked, whispering.
"To let you know, you and I, we're not friends… but with Isaac, it's hard to tell sometimes." Sally replied.
Isaac stopped in front of the Overlander's cell, where he put down his weights. He stood up, his head only a few inches from the ceiling of his cell.
"Merry Christmas, Demon-spawn. Now, what insult do you have to my name? Anything you have to say, I will embrace it." He said.
"If that is the case, then I have nothing to say to you." Isaac said, turning from him, walking away.
"It's William. William the Conqueror." He said.
Isaac stopped in his tracks. His mother taught him about William the Conqueror. A feared military leader who invaded England and killed his own brother to achieve the throne in England. And from the fight he suffered, Isaac knew that such a name wasn't given by coincidence.
"Named after a jealous king? I must say, not a good choice." Isaac insulted.
William growled, grabbing the bars of his cell.
"I became William the Conqueror because of my ruthlessness! I don't leave survivors, Demon-spawn." He argued.
"Except for me. You became reckless." Isaac fired back.
"I was not reckless!" He yelled.
"You underestimated me. You prolonged the battle to your entertainment. Because of that, you are here." Isaac explained.
The Overlander quickly reached through his bars, an attempt to grab Isaac. Isaac planned for this, just being out of reach. As William struggled to reach him, his shirt that was in contact with the bars was beginning to burn. Soon, the smell of burning cotton became apparent to him. As soon as William saw it was his shirt burning, he quickly pulled his arm back in.
"You have conductors attached to the bars? I must admit, that is a smart way of keeping people from the bars." William commented.
"No. But you are right about one thing. It is smart to stay away from them." Isaac said, staring at his cell.
Soon, the bars began to glow, first becoming red, and then becoming orange. The heat was enough to cause William to shield his face. Suddenly, the bars above him began to buckle, becoming lower.
"What is this?! Stop!" William said, crouching down.
"Isaac, that's enough." Sally said.
But Isaac didn't stop. The bars only got hotter, the roof of the cell lowering further.
"Isaac, stop!" Sally exclaimed, trying to reach him.
"Demon-spawn, that's enough!" William ordered, crouching down further.
"No." Isaac muttered, still focusing.
"ISAAC! STOP!" Sally shouted, seeing that the bars were getting closer towards William.
"PLEASE! STOP!" William shouted, getting on his stomach.
Isaac snapped back into focus, the bars cooling down. The heat dissipated, William no long shielding his face. He looked up, seeing the bars were only a few inches from his body.
"Little help?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Isaac said nothing, but he grabbed the remnants of the door of the cell.
Isaac, in a surprising feat of strength, ripped them off of their hinges. Isaac grabbed William by the collar of his shirt, pulling him from the cell.
"Isaac?" Sally asked, not knowing if he was coherent of his surroundings.
Grabbing William under his arm, He dragged him over to the bear's cell, unlocking it. He quickly threw him in, slamming the door behind him. The slamming of the door woke up the bear, rousing him from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes, fully waking up. He looked to his right, seeing William in a heap.
"Sir." He said, his voice muffled by the cast on his nose.
"Alfred. How was your nap?" William asked, a little dizzy.
"Good. Uh… why are you in here?" Alfred asked.
William pointed to the door of the cell. Alfred looked, seeing Isaac standing there. Alfred audibly gulped.
"If it's the same with you, I'd rather be asleep now." Alfred said.
"That would be best." Isaac said.
"I'll take it!" Alfred quickly said, pulling the covers back over his head.
Isaac quickly left the cells, slamming his fist into the door. Sally was quick to follow, making sure to secure the door.
"What the hell was that?! You almost killed him! You promised me that you weren't going to kill anymore, but you came pretty damn close!" She scolded.
"He's still alive. I have kept my promise!" Isaac shouted, showing anger.
Sally reeled back, never seeing this kind of rage from Isaac. She had seen Isaac in a fight, sure, but never angry. He was always collected. Focused. But what she saw… it was unlike anything she had ever seen from him.
"Isaac, I… I've never seen you this angry. Are you okay?" She asked, taking a few steps back.
"Okay? Okay?! No, I'm not! I have four broken ribs! My powers are getting out of control! And the worst of them all, I have to sit back with the knowledge that the people, the very people that killed my parents, are only a few doors from me! How do you think I'm okay?!" Isaac asked, angrier than he had ever been.
"Isaac, I didn't know-" Sally began to say, before Isaac stopped her.
"That's right… you don't know. You don't know anything." Isaac said, walking away.
Sally could only watch as Isaac walked from her, dejected. She saw him open the door to his quarters, slamming it behind himself.
"Poor Isaac. Alright, I need to find a way to fix this. I'm not letting tonight end like this." Sally said to herself, walking towards the staircase.
Sally quickly climbed the flight of stairs that lead to her room, opening and shutting the door as fast as possible. She ran to her bed, flinging the sheets that draped over her mattress from the floor. Reaching underneath the bed, she pulled out a small present. It was made to Isaac.
"So much for waiting for Christmas. But Isaac needs this now!" Sally said aloud, grabbing it and running back out of the door.
Soon, after running down flights of stairs and running through hallways, she made it to Isaac's door. She knocked on it, waiting for Isaac. He didn't come. She knocked again, a little harder. Still, there was no answer.
"Isaac, open up! It's me!" Sally said, knocking harder.
There was still no answer. Backing up, Sally ran towards the door, kicking it. The door swung open, revealing the room to be empty. Sally looked around, seeing that Isaac was nowhere to be found.
"Where the hell is he?" Sally asked herself.
Suddenly, the sound of metal grinding answered her question. She followed the sound, seeing it was coming from the weapons' shop. Peeking in, she saw Isaac wearing a smithing apron, grinding away on a large blade. She slowly walked in, making sure she didn't surprise Isaac. Isaac stopped grinding, checking the spine of the blade. After seeing that it was perfect, Isaac stood up. Turning around, he saw Sally standing there, her forehead dripping with sweat from the heat of the forge. She was slightly smiling, but Isaac didn't know if it meant things were forgotten. Isaac plunged the blade into the forge, not taking his eyes off of Sally.
"Sally, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I have no excuse for what I did. Can you forgive me?" Isaac asked.
Sally quickly hugged Isaac, surprising him. Isaac was quick to end the embrace, seeing that his gloves left marks on Sally.
"Sorry about that. Here, the ash should come out quickly." Isaac said, taking off one of his gloves and handing Sally a wet cloth.
Sally took the cloth, washing off the ash marks from her fur. Putting the glove back on, Isaac grabbed the tongs and pulled the blade from the forge, plunging the glowing blade into its final quench. As the steam radiated from the tub, Isaac took off the gloves, grabbing the cloth from Sally.
"So, what's with the present? Something for the tree upstairs?" Isaac asked, washing his hands with the cloth.
"Actually, it's for you. I want you to open it now." Sally said, grabbing the present and presenting it to him.
"Sally, if it's about what happened, I have chosen to move past it. I don't want you to feel as if I need a gift to comfort me." Isaac explained.
"No, please, I insist. You've had a rough few days." Sally defended, pushing the gift towards him.
"But I yelled at you. You did not deserve that, and I do not deserve this." Isaac argued, pushing the gift back towards Sally.
"Isaac, I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. I order you to take the present. That's an order!" Sally demanded, handing off the gift.
Isaac reluctantly took the gift, sitting down. Isaac moved the gift around, trying to find where the wrapping started.
"Uh, Isaac, it's just a box that looks like it's carefully wrapped." Sally explained.
"Oh." Isaac responded, undoing the bow.
Isaac opened the gift, seeing a picture frame. He pulled it out, seeing it was made from mahogany. But Isaac was not prepared for the black-and-white picture in the frame. It was a large cabin near the shore, but two people were positioned in front of the cabin. The male, a blinded red hedgehog, was on the right, wearing clothing made from elk hide and cotton. He was holding a longbow and was wearing a quiver of arrows around his shoulder. On the left was a female white hedgehog, wearing a dress made from cotton and wool. She was holding a smithing hammer, wearing a pair of leather forging gloves.
"By Elohim… it is them." Isaac said, holding the frame gently.
Isaac felt his heart become lighter, tears streaming from his eyes. His parents, immortalized in photography. He never thought he would ever see them again, let alone in a picture.
"Sally, this is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. Wherever did you find this?" Isaac asked, wiping his eyes.
"I went looking around in the historical society's documents. They have records dating back to the beginnings of the Kingdom of Acorn. I found this one dating back about a hundred years ago." Sally explained.
"Impossible. My parents were nowhere near that old. Do you think they were mistaken with categorizing?" Isaac asked, standing up.
"Maybe. They organize things all the time. It may have been mixed up." Sally said.
"Sally, I don't know how to repay you! With this, I can help Lily begin to understand further who our parents were. How do I repay this kindness?" Isaac asked.
"Isaac, you don't have to repay anything! It's Christmas! Just take it and remember why it matters to you. That's all I ask." Sally said.
With picture frame in hand, Isaac walked over to the worktable and set it down. Isaac walked over to the forge, grabbing the blade with the tongs in the quench tank.
"Well, if we're giving each other our gifts now, I might as well do the same for you." Isaac said, pulling out the steaming blade.
"Well, alright. What'd you get me?" Sally asked.
"You're looking at it." Isaac said, grabbing the blade.
"You… made me a sword?" Sally asked.
"Not just a sword. A blade of legend. After I'm done, nothing will be equal to it. It will be sharper than the gaze of an eagle. And harder than a diamond. I just need to make a handle and sharpen it. By the way, do you want a wooden or a leather handle?" Isaac explained.
"Uh, leather. Just to ask, what made you want to make me a sword?" Sally asked.
"It was the fight with the Overlander. As I was lying in the train, I realized that I could one day die protecting you, if not my sister. So, I wanted to make sure you would always have a way of defending yourself. While you are skilled in hand-to-hand combat, I feel a sharp blade would serve you better." Isaac explained, grabbing a piece of leather and an adhesive from the workbench.
After affixing the leather to the handle with the adhesive, Isaac began sharpening the blade with the grindstone, ensuring an even edge. After he was done honing the edge and polishing it, Isaac put it into its scabbard, presenting it to Sally.
"A gift to you, Princess. But with this, I must ask of you a request." Isaac said.
"A request? What kind?" Sally asked.
"If I die while in your service, I must ask you to watch over my sister. While I had to figure out how to live on my own without my parents, my sister shouldn't have to go through that as well. Will you do me that kindness?" Isaac asked.
"Isaac, don't talk like that! You're not going to die while in my service!" Sally exclaimed.
"The only thing impossible is impossibility. Nothing is set in stone until after it has happened. My death is a number of limitless possibilities. Will you honor my request? If you wish not to, I will understand." Isaac explained.
Hesitantly, Sally took the sword, securing it around her waist. The belt was the perfect length. Sally held out her hand, wanting Isaac to take it. Isaac did, shaking it.
"I promise. I will watch over Lily if the worst happens… which it won't!" Sally said, emphasis on the last part.
"Thank you. By the way, what did you want to talk about earlier?" Isaac asked.
"What'd you mean?" Sally asked.
"You mentioned there were a few things you wanted to talk to me about, before we went to the cells." Isaac reminded.
"Oh, that's right! Well, it was about before you left to find Sticks." Sally said.
"Oh?" Isaac inquired.
"Before you left, you kissed me. I was actually wanted to talk to you about it." Sally explained.
"Yeah?" Isaac asked, blushing lightly.
"I wanted to know… do you like me?" Sally asked.
"Well, yeah! I do like you." Isaac responded.
"No, not like that. I mean, do you like me?" Sally asked, emphasis on 'like'.
"I'm confused. You just asked the same question." Isaac observed.
"Alright, let's try this one. Do you love me?" Sally asked.
Isaac's throat suddenly dried up, not expecting a question like that. He attempted to answer, but all he could do was stutter uncontrollably. Before he could continue to attempt to make a sentence, Sally grabbed his hands, looking up at him. Without hesitation, she quickly pulled him down to her height, kissing him. Isaac, while surprised, didn't take long to return the favor. After a minute, she broke the kiss. Isaac's dry throat vanished, as if this kiss finally got rid of his anxiety when he was around her.
"So… wanna head back upstairs with the others?" Sally asked.
"Yeah, sounds good." Isaac responded, his voice cracking.
Sally giggled, letting go of his hands.
"Before you two do so, I wish to have a word with Isaac… alone." A voice said.
Sally and Isaac looked at the doorway, seeing King Nigel standing there, cane in hand. And just like that, Isaac's throat dried up again.
"Sir!" Isaac exclaimed, standing at attention.
"At ease, Isaac. A word, please. And Sally, head upstairs. Isaac will be upstairs soon enough." Nigel said.
"Dad, listen…" Sally began to say, before being stopped by Nigel.
"No need to explain anything. No one is in trouble. Just need to set a few standards for Isaac. He'll be along in a few minutes." Nigel said.
Reluctantly, Sally left the weapons' room, closing the door.