The story has elements of both Dark War storyline and DemonxBunny's Masters of the Multiverse, so all credit goes to both Impact Wrestling and DemonxBunny. I do not own the characters, only the OCs. The story is entirely fictional.
Characters may look and act different than they do in real life. This was done intentionally, and things will change over time in this story, so please be patient.
Rating: M, for violence, coarse language, and mature themes/events that will appear throughout this story. Remember, this is Femslash, so if that's not your thing, you may not like this story.
Pairings: Allie/Rosemary (DemonxBunny), others over time.
Aftermath of the Dark War Chapter 27: Surprise Family Meeting by Jurassicfatt
Rosemary's Pov, Omni Sports Tournament, Afternoon
The spectators exit the arena, Allie and I included. Advisor Mervin says they'll have to clean the excess debris and soot from the opening show, so I won't be needed until later. The music and the performances were good, but I have to admit, it wasn't my kind of thing. Too much showmanship for my taste. The only surprising thing about it was when those two girls, Allysin and Chelsea, caused a scene, leading to Allie and I being chosen to light the Warlord effigy and commence the games. Even though I know it was a last-minute change, it was still a great honour. When we grabbed that torch and our fingers touched, I felt that familiar spark light up my body and make my heart beat rapidly again.
Don't forget, she still lied to you. The scolding voice reminds me. She didn't tell you about the dreams and she disobeyed the one rule you gave her.
Does that really matter, given what happened earlier today? Another voice argues. You remember what the amulet said? She's still learning about this Realm and everything in it. You cannot judge her for that.
How can you be sure you can trust whoever is in that amulet? How can you know for sure they are not a threat? The scolding voice asks.
Only Cal can tell us what's going on. Whoever it was saved Allie's life. Like he said, if he wanted to hurt her, would he really have woken you up to her cries, or helped to stop Cherry's attack? Furthermore, who are you to judge what decisions she made back in the village? She chose to help save that child from a Warlord. She risked her own life to save a person she barely knew. Much like you would. That should tell you something about the kind of person Allie is.
Still lost in thought, I see Allie walking ahead of me. She stops at a vendor tent, looking at some of the food on display. I take a moment to fully take her in. She's wearing that bright pink t-shirt Caretaker bought her, with a pair of black jeans, belt, and boots. Her hair is down, her blonde locks blowing from a small breeze in the air. Her gaze is focused on something and a large smile is plastered over her face. With those big eyes and small nose of hers, she looks as cute as ever. Brown eyes and tongue piercing aside, she seems to be the same Allie I met all those weeks ago. How could someone so innocent and caring come into my life, I will never know. I just hope we get the answers we seek… And that I have the strength to face Certrius and whatever else comes our way. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear someone call my name.
"Rosemary? Cuz, is that you?" I hear a female voice with a pretty thick drawl call out. Oh no. Turning, I see a familiar face coming towards me. A slightly tanned woman, around 5 ft. 8, with a round face jogs towards me. She wears a striped black and white shirt, blue pants, and simple black pumps. Her cobalt blue hair, with purplish-blue tips, flows at the speed of her movement. Before I even have a chance to respond, I'm pulled into a crushing hug. "I can't believe you're here! Here I was, thinking you've gone off on another one of them hunts. Then, I heard your name in the opening ceremony while I was working in the back! I ran so fast to the stands and there you were! Oh, it's so good to see ya-"
"Ack! Rebel, can you ease up? You're choking the life out of me here!" I tell her, my voice fraught with tension from the lack of oxygen. She lets go and I breathe a sigh of relief, straightening my back from her bone-crushing embrace. "Thank you. Last minute changes. I'm the assassin-on-guard here for the games."
"I heard. That advisor Mervin really wanted the whole stadium to go deaf with his shouts. That's really great news, hun. I always knew they'd give ya something better and less dangerous than them hunts." I hear Allie call from behind me.
"Hey Rosemary, they're selling drinks and I wanted to know what ki- Oh. Who's this?" Allie asks. I turn my head and see her standing there. Before I have a chance to answer, Rebel does for me.
"Hello there. I'm Rebel Brooks. I'm little C's cousin." she says, pointing her head in my direction. I roll my eyes at the name. "I saw you light the effigy before. What did them girls call you? The Berry? The Billy?"
"The Bunny. I'm Allie. I'm the Bunny." Allie responds jovially, holding her hand out to shake Rebel's. Rebel shakes it momentarily.
"S'nice to meet you, Allie."
"Are you working at the games too?" Allie asks nicely.
"Yep. I'm handling makeup for some of the athletes. Some of them can be a bit of a pain, but I love my job." Rebel explains to her.
"That's cool."
"Yeah, Cuz. You're one the best makeup artists I know." I speak honestly.
"You're too kind, cousin." Rebel says, punching me in the arm. She's still got a pretty wicked right. "What are you going to be doing at the games, Allie?"
"Oh, um, nothing really. I'm just accompanying Rosemary on her assignment here."
"Really? That's awful nice of my cousin to let you tag along." Rebel states aloud, looking over to me with skeptical eyes and a raised brow. "Listen, since you and my Cuz are such buddies, I could do your makeup for you free of charge some time? Only if ya'll are interested, though." Rebel offers.
"Really? You don't have to do that." Allie says bashfully.
"Don't sweat it. I love doing makeup. Only C's a bit of a hard-head on that one. Among other things." Feeling the family-know-it-all speech coming from a mile away, I turn towards Allie.
"Hey Bunny." I hand her two silver coins. "Go get yourself something to drink while me and Rebel catch up. I'm okay with water."
"Oh okay. I'll be right back. It was really nice meeting you, Rebel." Allie tells her, before getting in line. As Allie leaves, I look in Rebel's direction. Her arms are crossed in front of her chest and she's still giving me that skeptical look. She says one word.
"Spill."
"She's a Realmer I'm protecting." I tell her immediately.
"Okay. What is she to you?" Rebel pries.
"Just a friend."
"Bull." Rebel immediately states. "Not with that little pet name she's not. You know, I called you a few weeks back. Caretaker said you'd been 'distracted' recently by a girl you met. N'ver thought I hear those words come out of his mouth. He also said you-"
"He's wrong. Whatever he said there was between Allie and I isn't true." I quickly say, my voice raising slightly as I cut her off. Damn it, Caretaker! I know he's old, but I wish he was here so I could punch him in the face!
"Alright! Alright! Call down now. No need to get defensive. I'm just trying to find out what my ol' cousin is up to. That's all." Rebel tells me innocently.
"I'm not being defensive." I tell her, instantly regretting my tone. "Allie and I are strictly professional. She saved my life and I saved hers. We're just friends." Rebel's eyes widen, her mouth opening as she blows a raspberry and laughs out loud.
"Pfttt! Hahahaha! Caretaker said you were being stubborn! You're seriously going to try and fool me with that? You should see the way you look at her!"
"I-It's not like that! Allie and I are friends. And that's it!" I say, my cheeks heating up. An emptiness envelops my chest as I utter the words.
"Cuz, you can fool your friends and you can fool the Guild, but you ain't fooling me. Nor Caretaker neither. This is the first and only time I've ever heard you taking somebody with you on hunts. Heck, you wouldn't let your own family come with." she responds, motioning to herself with both hands. "Now, Caretaker didn't give me no details about what the two of you are doing together, nor why. Only that you're in danger, and that their amulet has been causing some problems." she explains, pointing to the object around my neck. "What's going on?"
"It's better if you don't know. I don't want you getting dragged into this." I tell her.
"Now wait just a dang minute. I'm your blood. I love you like my little sis, C. I ain't gonna let some Warlord scare me from helping my family, that's for sure."
"Rebel-"
"I'm not afraid of this, C. It must be pretty bad if ya'll are breaking status quo. Now, what is going on?" she asks with more authority, looking me straight in the eyes. I open my mouth to argue with her, before sighing in defeat. She won't quit, no matter what I say. Taking a breath, I quickly catch her up to speed on what's happened with Certrius, the Jewel, and the amulet. I see her look at me in shock, but nodding her head in understanding.
"Now we're waiting for Cal, to see what he can tell us about the Jewel and this." I finish saying, pointing to the amulet.
"Jeez, cousin. I'm sorry you've had to deal with so much! I'm glad you both are safe now." She puts a hand to my shoulder.
"Yeah, for now."
"They've got some pretty good security down here. Doing patrols and moving crates to and from the tournament with relative ease. Cal should be here soon. He's pretty knowledgeable, when he's not being cryptic. You know, if you ev'r need someone to talk to, my door and cauldron is always open for messages." Rebel offers.
"Thanks, Rebel. Always knew I could count on you. I'm sorry I haven't called." She's the only family I have left. I should really keep in touch more.
"Don't be. Grandpapi always said 'Family is precious'. I'm always on the road, too, with this makeup work of mine, so don't feel too bad about not calling. I know you've got tons of pressure, 'specially now with that dang sorcerer. You know, you still haven't answered my other question: What are ya'll to each other?"
"I'm not sure how to respond to that." I answer.
"Are you two together? How long you been dating for? Ya'll haven't been intimate now, have you?"
"What? Woah! Cousin, where are you getting this from?" An image of Allie lying in bed, wearing nothing but white lingerie and biting her pink bottom lip, pops into my head. Forcing the image away, I look at her.
"C, don't play me for a fool. I KNOW YOU! You have never looked at ANYONE the way you look at her, nor have you ev'r let someone get so close. She has to be special if you're bringing her with you. You've always preferred working alone."
I can't argue with that. Before I met Allie, I went on all my missions alone. Killing Warlords and doing whatever other tasks the Guild gave to me. Kept to myself, mostly. I always liked doing it that way. But now, I'm starting to see and do things differently. Don't get me wrong, I'm still hunting and keeping up with my assassin duties, but my list of priorities has changed. Keeping Allie safe is number one on that list. It doesn't make sense. It shouldn't be like this. I should have given her to the Guild, had them deal with her relocation and protection from Certrius, while someone else hunted the fucker. But I just… can't. There's something about her, I don't know what, but I don't trust anyone else to protect her. Whenever I'm around her, I get flustered and nervous. I can't speak properly. My heart feels like it'll pop out of my chest at any moment. I feel myself hanging onto her words and staring at her face and her- Stop! My heart's racing. I'm starting to sweat again, and it's not from the heat. I hear somebody whistling and realize Rebel is trying to get my attention.
"*Whistle* You hoo? C, are you still there?" I hear Rebel call, waving her hand in front of my face. I blink a few times and shake my head.
"Sorry, lost in thought." I've been doing that a lot today. "Allie's, well, she's different. She's unlike anyone I've ever met."
"Well, if she really hit that sorcerer with a branch to save your life, she's got some guts on her. I'll give here extra special treatment as thanks for her saving my Cuz." Rebel says. "Has she told you anything about her life on Earth?"
"Oh, loads. She's from some Earth city called To-Ron-To. Her father died when she was young, so she lived with her mother. I can tell it still bothers her. She's a pastry chef, owns her own business called The Choco Bunny. She's vegetarian, thinking about becoming something called a 'vegan'? She loves animals, having volunteered at local animal shelters while she was in school. She also loves sugar, visiting new places, seeing new things, and helping out her family and friends." I admonish.
"Sounds like a real sweetheart to me."
"She is."
"Well, then, what are ya waiting for? Go get that girl some flowers and make her happy!" Rebel practically yells.
"Would you keep it down? And please don't board the Caretaker belief wagon." I ask, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples.
"You know Caretaker just wants you to be happy. As do I, Cuz. All you do is work, work, work. When does Rosemary get a break, huh? When does she get to bring a lad or lady on a date and have some fun?"
"Why is everyone trying to play matchmaker for me? I don't even have time. I'm an assassin, it's-"
"My duty to protect the Realmers and demons from the Warlords. For the Hive, yes, I know. But you're burying yourself in your work, C! You deserve to have a love life just like anyone else in this Realm. Heck, even Professor Park got married. And loads of other assassins have someone in their lives. Why shouldn't you?"
"Not all assassins have made the same mistakes I did." I answer, looking down towards the ground.
"Hey now." Rebel says softly, putting a hand to my shoulder. I look at her. "You dealt with stuff no kid ev'r should. Never should have come to that, if not for those stupid zoning laws of ol'. Had it not been for those laws, you would have moved in with us, instead of being sold into that shithole."
"So, where's your tent?" I ask, trying to steer clear of the topic.
"Hey." Rebel starts. "Don't change the subject. Look, I'm not your Ma, and I ain't going to be, but I love ya, C. I can tell you like her. Why not give it a shot?"
"I've got to worry about protecting her. Plus, I don't even know if she's interested."
"Ah, so you do like her!" Rebel proclaims.
"I did not say that. You're putting words in my mouth."
"You don't have to say it for me to see it, C."
"She's got enough on her plate. I don't think she's really interested in a relationship, considering everything that's going on. Her appearance changed this morning because of a nightmare she had, okay? She's also seen me kill Warlords. Maliciously kill them. Not exactly the best aphrodisiac."
"What are you talking about? You're like blood for a hellhound! You are one of the hardest workers I know, and you've got one of the biggest hearts too. A major catch. Come on, now. That little girl seems to be into you. If she was afraid, she would have stopped going with you on hunts, don't ya think? Can't you see the way she smiles at you? She seems to be pretty interested to me. If you tell her, I don't think she'll turn you away. If she does, then to hell with her!" Rebel tells me, throwing her hands up for emphasis. I laugh out loud at her outburst. She always knows how to cheer me up. "Look, my tent isn't far. It's near the athlete tents on the South side. Bright yellow, can't miss it. Like I said, my door's always open. That goes for Allie, too."
"I'll keep it in mind. And I'll let Allie know." I say with a small smile. She brings me in for another big hug, before a small pink demon with green eyes and hooved feet comes near.
"Hey Rebel, Vena wants to see you." the demon tells her. Rebel lets me go.
"I'll be right with her." The demon woman nods and Rebel turns back to me. "C, just think on what I said. And don't be a stranger now, ya hear?" she says while walking backwards.
"Don't worry, I won't." I tell her, waving. She waves back before turning and following the pink demon.
I run a hand through my dark brown hair, the sweat causing it to stick to my face. Caretaker and Rebel both seem to think Allie likes me, and that I should pursue her. I don't know if that's true, or if she's just scared and confused. Hell, I don't even know if I like her. We had a hell of a fight just two days ago, so there's that unfinished business, too. I mean, how exactly could it go? 'Oh yeah, girl that I just met a month ago. I'd love to go out with you, despite the fact that you kill for a living and hear voices in your head that cause you to lose control, tear flesh from bone, and pull out brains'. *Sigh* I can't believe I'm actually stressing about this. About the possibility of asking Allie out. I should be worrying about Certrius and whatever he's planning for her and the Jewel, but instead I'm focusing on 'what if' scenarios. It's ridiculous. Allie comes back, holding two cups of water, the condensation slowly leaking from them to the floor.
"Here you are, two ice waters. Oh, and the change." She hands me a cup, then reaches into her back pocket and gives me some coins. I thank her, then stuff the coins in my pocket and take a sip of my water. She asks me where Rebel went, and I tell her she was called back to work. We walk around the vendor tents for the next few hours, waiting for dinner to be prepared.
Rosemary's Pov, Omni Sports Tournament, Tent, Night
That was some of the worst food I have ever eaten in my life. Usually, I'm not that picky, but when the food was brought in, I was amazed it passed any kind of standard. On the dinner plates given to us were a bunch of vegetables, still covered in dirt and crudely smashed together. When Allie tried to wash them, a huge load of insects came crawling out, causing her to scream. In addition, we were given a water jug, some sort of pasty 'energizing' drink that tasted like soggy bland wood pulp, and one singular grape. We both sort of looked at each other and decided we'd have the grapes and some of the drink, eating just enough to keep our hunger down. Shortly after, I was asked to go check the arena and the grounds. With the exception of a few fools who were talking a bit too loud, no issues.
As I walk back to our tent, my mind is still rolling around the idea of asking Allie out. Would it really be such a weird thing to do? You've already kissed her, and told her you'll protect her no matter what. She stuck with you, no matter how many times you lost control. What harm could there be? Pulling the tent's entrance flap open and walking inside, I see Allie lying down on the bed in the center of the room. Her light snoring brings a smile to my face. Making my way towards the bed, trying not to wake her, she stirs a bit. Hair all over the place, arms and legs sprawled out. She's really peaceful when she sleeps. At least, when she doesn't having nightmares of a scum-sucking Warlord hurting her. Oh, how I sometimes wish I could find that bastard Certrius and his little bird flock. To stare in his eyes as I beat the crap out of the pasty ass-
A red light suddenly encompasses the entrance of the tent, a small whizzing sound coming out. Allie wakes up abruptly and looks to me for answers.
"Wh-Rosemary, what is it? What's with the red light and sound?" she asks.
"The magical seal must have detected someone." I grab my knife from my boot and go towards the entrance. Peeking through, I see one of the soldiers I was patrolling with earlier, Orelios, his green pointy ears and yellow eyes sticking out in the red light.
"Open." I state. The seal comes down and the soldier enters. "What is it, officer Orelios?" I ask.
"Assassin Rosemary, I apologize for the intrusion. I have come to inform you that Cal the sorcerer has just arrived and is awaiting you in his lodgings."
Author's Note: Here's the latest chapter. So, we have met Cousin Rebel. I had to, she's literally an awesome character and I'm sad she isn't in many other fics. She meets Rosemary's companion, being just as inquisitive as Caretaker was. Rosemary says there's nothing going on, but Rebel isn't having it. Rosemary wondering whether she should ask Allie out or not. What did she mean by the mistakes she made? We'll have to uncover that later, as officer Orelios just informed Allie and Rosemary that Cal has arrived. We'll meet him in the next chapter. Until next time, stay safe and enjoy your day! If you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave a review. It's always appreciated. :)