A huge plot twist! Max has been alive this whole fuckin' time. Also, happy (belated) birthday to , a co-writer and creator.
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Once upon a time, there was a missing king.
Max's arm snapped clean off. He screamed as he clutched the bloody stump.
Viktor laughed uproariously as he threw the arm away. "Poor, puny Max Tennyson. No special powers to protect him. No fancy watch to transform him. And no one to come and save him." His hands began to crackle and spark with electricity as he lifted Max up and released a powerful shock.
The blast was the pure 'direct current' type of shock; the extremely intense kind that causes horrible muscular contraction, to the point it felt like every muscle in Max's aging body squeezed itself a million times a second. And that was only a brief exposure..
Max groaned as Viktor dragged him over to the portal, leaving a bloody trail. "Your mission was pointless," Viktor taunted. "I already freed my master. I was actually preparing a little something just for you."
Max grunted as he weakly lifted his head up. He saw a quartz construct shaped into a portal.
"Thanks to the knowledge bestowed upon me, I know a perfect place for you, since you dared to interfere with the master," Viktor said as he charged up the portal. "I believe you would send the more 'dangerous' criminals here back in the glory days. I wonder if they still remember you?"
And Max felt nothing but fear. He tried to free himself from Viktor's iron grip, but it was useless in the end. Viktor had already fired up the portal. Defeated, Max just slumped over and waited for it all to end. Viktor set him down on the ground and walked off.
"Any last words, Max Tennyson? Not that they'll matter in the end," Viktor told him.
"Your time will come," Max grunted. "And I'll be there to see it through."
"If you say so," Viktor said ever so casually. And he walked up the stairs, leaving Max to die.
Max sighed, feeling the energy of the portal getting warmer. It felt strange; Max always pictured himself dying in a warm hospital bed, surrounded by the sad eyes of his friends and family. Ben and Ruby would be one side, while Gwen and Kevin would be on the other. He would pass on a few last words of wisdom, and smile as Ben held his hand and he drifted away...If he closed his eyes hard enough, he could imagine being there.
"You'll have to take it from here, Ben," he said in his fantasy. "I know you can do it, son. I believe in you. In all of you."
He could imagine those four kids carrying on his legacy pretty damn well. Max smiled as the portal started to get warmer and warmer-
Hiss day ended peacefully, with a smile on his face. There were tears in his eyes, but despite everything, Max could smile...
"I love all of you...so much..."
There was the sound of a bomb going off, followed by a blistering light.
...
And then Max felt something.
Or rather, the lack of something. When the bomb went off, he expected to feel something burning for a quick moment before all feeling faded entirely. But there was none of that. Instead, there was...well, nothing. No bomb blast, no sign of Victor...or Los Soledad at all for that matter. The old and weathered stone walls of the abandoned military base had been replaced with strands of rock and purple crystal, the latter almost twisting around like vines, connecting floating islands, all set to a backdrop of a seemingly endless, crimson void. Max had never been here before himself, but he was familiar with the stories from other Plumbers.
The Null Void.
Max was too weak to stand back up. He could feel blood still pooling out of the stump that was once his arm. He might not have died from the explosion, but if he didn't stop the bleeding soon, he'd die here.
Lost.
Alone.
Max closed his eyes, knowing that he'd be hard pressed to get even improvised medical supplies in a timely manner, and slowly accepted this fate.
Fate was not always so easy on those it had dealt a bad hand to. A scuttling sound reached the bleeding Plumber's ears. At first, he just brushed it off. Probably one curious alien animal or another. He'd heard stories that there was supposedly an entire settlement within the Null Void, people who had established a colony that wouldn't be affected by wars or other issues of the wider galaxy. Chances were slim that he'd landed near said colony, but it provided a small spark of hope.
That spark, however, quickly faded. Instead of a curious small animal or some scared alien colonist, a small, metallic, spider-like entity scurried over the nearby rocks and made its way to him.
"Hello there..." The helmet hummed. "You're an interesting sight, aren't you?"
The helmet scanned him up and down a few times, analyzing him. Max eyed the helmet carefully, unsure of its intentions.
"Maxwell Tennyson of Dimension 122718. You're a long way from home." The helmet stated, almost like the dimensional number should be obvious, "What are you doing here...?"
Max didn't answer at first, just trying to gauge this new visitor.
"Hmm. I suppose you aren't in a state to answer. Whatever sent you here had a high enough energy discharge to ping my scanners. I suspect it should have killed you, but ripped reality instead. Even if it didn't kill you though, that arm of yours is a death sentence without treatment," the living helmet continued.
Max grunted; he knew that last part already.
"You just got out a particularly nasty fight, didn't you?" The helmet sighed. "And you just barely escaped with your life. To here. And it was pointless."
Max sighed.
"…okay. That gives me enough to work with." The helmet said.
Work with? Max thought. Before he could even question what the hell that meant, the helmet scuttled over to the bleeding stump that was once Max's arm.
"This may sting a bit. Compliance may not be a factor here...but I thought I should warn you anyway," the helmet added, producing a small flame from the tip of one of its mechanical tendril-legs. Without any more warning, the helmet used the flame to try and cauterize the wound to stop the bleeding.
"Let me tell you a story, Maxwell." The head began. "Once upon a time, there was a man who hated aliens. They took everything from him…his happiness. His job. His wife. All because of the alien attacks that plagued his planet. So, he made a solution…me."
Max could only grimace in pain as the head continued treating his wound. When the bleeding had been taken care of, at least to an acceptable degree, the metallic tendrils began to fix up the wound as best it could.
"At first, I was nothing more than...well, a costume, one that took a considerable amount of time to construct, of course. This suit of armor was designed so that the man could combat the alien menaces. The suit had everything he would need, including built-in weapons, tactical systems and threat analysis, and rocket-propelled flight. He even began to concoct a plan that would ensure his planet was safe from any visitor from beyond," the helmet recounted, "When he began his plan though, he met someone rather interesting. A young human child with perhaps the most powerful device in the known universe, allowing him to turn into ten aliens for a set amount of time. And his name...was Ben."
Max's eyes went wide there.
"That's right, Maxwell. I know your grandson. Or rather...a version of him."
"The…multiverse…" the old Plumber muttered.
"All universes use the Null Void. No matter what world, they will dump their worst in here. The Null Void is a thousand times larger than the solar system, even though it may not look it. There could be others like me out there…" The helmet bemused.
"What...what do you-?" Max groaned.
"Want? I'm getting to that. You see, Ben had gotten in the way of the first step of the man's crusade. So he recruited others. Mercenaries. Professionals. A good handful of loyal soldiers. But foot soldiers weren't enough, so he began to recruit other so-called 'super-villains' that Ben had faced."
Max winced in pain, the cauterized wound was starting to hurt now that the adrenaline was wearing off.
"He called it 'The Negative 10'." The Helmet continued on, "And it was a good team…"
"But it...failed, didn't it?" Max smirked.
"It did. Because he made a mistake. He recruited one more person, a decision that ended up...biting him. He recruited Ben 10, himself."
Max didn't understand. "What?"
"He tried to play with the boy's heart strings, but that conscience of his kicked back in once he realized what was going on. Such a shame...and don't get me started on his 'frenemy' or his annoying cousin. After the plan backfired, I tried to drag Ben through a rift with me...but, that failed. After that, I decided to split from my host and find a newer one in this pitiful dimension." The Knight turned his attention to Max fully, "And you'll do just fine...I want to cause Tennyson anguish for what he did to me..."
"Considering...your little story paints you as a villain, I'd say-" Max began, before the helmet superheated the tip of one of its tendril-like legs and placed it against Max's skin, burning it and cutting off the insult from sheer pain.
"That I deserve it? My creator and I...we. Are. Protectors. Humanity should be allowed to develop along its own trajectory, without some 'holier than thou' alien swooping in and answering all our problems. I'm sure you know what 'codependence' means..." the helmet continued on its rant, "But Ben 10...without aliens, why, he wouldn't be a hero, would he? In order to keep aloft his selfish little dream, he fought me and my creator, destroying the former and leaving me stranded in this void between dimensions. But now that you're here...I can finally get out."
Before Max could interject again, the helmet scuttled over to a point where it was right above his head. Its tendril-like legs shot out and wrapped around his throat, tight enough to be painful but not enough to be life threatening. If a mask could grin with sick satisfaction, this one would be as it thrust itself down over Max's head, sealing itself on with a high-pitched, pressurized hiss. Max thrashed around on the stony ground for a moment, trying to fight for control over his own body, but in the end, it was a losing battle. The v-shaped visor on the helmet illuminated with a golden light as a new version of the Forever Knight stood up and rolled his one, still good, shoulder. With a host body acquired, the Knight could actually advance in his plans. First, he'd need to arm up, both figuratively and literally. Replacing a limb in here would be no small challenge. After he'd fixed up his host and gotten the needed armaments, he would need to get out.
How fitting then, that he could acquire the technology for both of his goals at one of the few settlements in the expansive void. How else was a sentient helmet meant to pass the time other than constructing a near-accurate map of an endless crimson pocket-dimension…
Salem looked out over her kingdom, her plans still in their earliest motions. Servantis, as useful as he had been, had failed. Ben Tennyson had survived the black ops director's failed coup. In a way, she suspected something like this would happen. Unlike her other agents, she considered him to be the least useful. If anything, once he'd turned the Plumbers against Tennyson, she might've just killed him and let Swift or Leander take full control of the Earth branches. Servantis was loyal...but his actions would've brought too much attention to her other plans. She mused actually extending a thank you to Tennyson as a means of messing with the boy's mind, a scenario that actually brought a small smirk to her lips.
Beowolves meandered around below the cliff the dark witch was standing on, a cliff that overlooked a deep pool of ebony black sludge. From Alphas to newborns that had just crawled out of the Grimm pool, all of the wolves looked up towards their queen with a curious gaze, as if they were awaiting instruction. Effective shock beasts, the Beowolves, but they could always be improved. She had come out here originally to experiment, see if she could make something new. She held her arms out in front of her, her hand position in such a way as if she was holding a conductor's wand. The pool below seemed to bubble and ripple as she prepared herself.
But before she could make even the first stroke through the air, her concentration was broken by a bright red rift tearing its way into reality. That brightness immediately removed the possibility that this rift was Breach's. She narrowed her eyes as a vague figure seemed to walk through the portal. An armored figure stepped through the rift, two armored boots thudding against the dead ground of the Land of Darkness. The Beowolves all turned towards the figure and growled at the intruder. Salem raised a brow, impressed at the entrance but not so much at the figure's appearance. The armor appeared as if it had been made with a box of scraps in a grungy cave. The wolves could care less, though. The monsters rushed ahead to tear apart this newcomer, but they were nothing for this unwelcome guest.
A chain and flail head dropped out of the warrior's wrist, the head of the weapon suddenly gaining a series of red spikes around it before it started cutting through both the air and the Grimm. Salem watched as the skulls of Grimm were crushed, their necks snapped, and their bodies ripped apart.
"And who...are you?" Salem asked as the last Beowolf thrashed in the grip of the knight's chain. With a quick jerk, the Knight snapped the Grimm's neck, turning into smoke before the beast even hit the ground.
"A knight...for humanity," the warrior answered.
"Oh I've heard this sordid tale time and time again. The valiant hero comes to kill the evil witch, save the land, and live happily ever after. I would ask if an old wizard sent you...but this isn't his style. He'd be much less direct."
"I don't even know who you are, let alone know any 'wizards.'"
"I see...then why are you here?"
"I'm here to save humanity, protect them from those who would influence our evolution for their own gain."
And that sparked an idea in Salem's mind. For what better way was there to describe the Brothers?
She didn't even do anything and she'd already found herself a brand new agent.
"Humanity deserves to persevere. To grow. To expand without unnecessary interference from the stars." The Knight declared. "The affairs of extraterrestrial and man should not have intersected. For their own convenience, we would be thrown to the wayward at the first turn."
"You talk like you've experienced this." Hazel grunted.
"I have," the newcomer said confidently. By now, the warrior had been taken into the meeting hall of Evernight and introduced to the Grimm queen's other agents. A disgraced scientist, a mad zealot, and a brute. Not that impressive.
"And you just expect us to believe you just showed up here from a portal out of...what, what did you call it again?" Watts asked.
"The Null Void."
"The Null Void! My god, they really will just use any name if it sounds 'cool' enough," the Atlesian doctor groaned.
"His words carry more truth than you can imagine, Arthur." Salem frowned. "Imagine a wasteland, made for disposing of the worst of the worst. The Plumbers use it to keep their most dangerous prisoners away from the universe, let them fend for themselves in a hellzone full of all sorts of nightmares."
"How very Ironwood of them."
"This...Ironwood. Who is he?" the knight asked. Watts looked to him as if he was insane, before Tyrian just burst into mad laughter.
"A mystery and a comedian! And here I thought today would be dull without Cinder around," Tyrian cackled.
"How do you not know who General Ironwood is? He's one of the most powerful men in the world right now!" Watts explained.
"It's...simply a name I'm not familiar with. As are these creatures of yours, these..." the Knight looked over his shoulder at the floating crystal ball with tendrils behind him, "Grimm, did you call them?"
"You speak as if you don't know them..." Salem mused, her interest piqued. "What are you, exactly?"
"Something...unique, to your world, I believe."
"Unique could give us an advantage," Salem smirked.
"I know how to truly push Tennyson's buttons. I know his insecurities. His weaknesses. Everything to help break him." The Knight declared.
"Mental games? Far less taxing than a physical bout." Watts hummed. "I'm curious...what's your ace?"
"And I should tell you why? You already hold doubts about my origins, doctor. Saying that wouldn't help my case."
"A clever way to hide the fact you don't have one...or a genuine attempt at keeping it secret?" Watts mused.
"A question you won't be getting an answer to," the Knight retorted.
"Well at least let me upgrade your suit," Watts pointed out, "Looks like you built that from a junkyard."
"I pulled myself OUT of one, you ignoramus." The Knight frowned. "Your arrogance is noted..."
"Not really arrogance if one possesses the skills to back up their boasts," Watts smirked.
"Well, I for one agree with our new mysterious brother-in-arms about your personality," Tyrian snarked, earning an eye-roll from the disgraced doctor.
"If you're sticking with us...may as well show you to your quarters," Hazel huffed.
"I don't need a tour guide," the Knight sneered.
"Maybe not. But the Grimm don't know you yet so they'll attack on sight. They need to get trained to recognize you."
"I...see."
"Then, if there's nothing else, Hazel, show the- you never said your name. Just a title," Salem said.
"You can simply call me the Forever Knight," the Knight answered
"I haven't heard that name in some time."
"If there were others, they were mere pretenders, I can assure you," the Knight shrugged it off. It hadn't occurred to him before about other universe's Forever Knights. If he had known, he might have approached them instead of creating the Negative 10. Hindsight was problematic like that, though. From there, after being shown his quarters in the castle and finding Watts' own lab, meeting with the disgraced doctor's own armored and scientific assistant, the Knight would start to formulate his own plans of vengeance. Salem would allow it, so long as he aided her plans when they were set in motion. A small price to pay for all the advantages she had to offer.
But that did not blind him to the fact that this witch was just like the Gods she so despised, manipulating mankind as if they were her was something to consider when the time came.
Max had been a prisoner in his own body for all that time. Weeks, months, and years passed by where he could do nothing, receiving only blurry flashes of what the Knight was doing. It was like a horrific movie shown only in snippets. When Tai was kidnapped by Roman and his syndicate, the presumed-dead Tennyson only got glimpses of the act, of the fight between the Knight and Ben. His consciousness was suppressed by the Knight's dominant personality, but there was always the desire to break free, to tell Ben he was still there. But he never got the chance.
The only time that Max had some semblance of a clear picture of Salem's plans...was when a former bully bashed the helmet off of his head during the Battle of Beacon. Cardin didn't recognize the man then, not really, only acknowledging that the elderly man in armor seemed familiar. Ironically, what the Knight considered useless was actually the reason for Cardin being able to knock the helmet off so easily. Yatsuhashi's Semblance, instead of targeting memories, weakened the Knight's mental domination When that parasite was knocked off the veteran Plumber, his senses were assailed by all kinds of sensations, none of them good, though. Gunfire, screams, and bestial roars reached his ears while the scent of smoke burned his nose. After such a long period of what could effectively be called sensory deprivation, all of those different sensations was an overload, stunning him, but he did recognize where all this carnage was taking place.
Beacon? This...this is where Ruby would've gone...where she IS, Max thought to himself. Before he or Cardin could do anything though, a rift opened up beneath Max and swallowed him up, along with that damned helmet. He didn't even get to try and pass a message on to the one who helped him, even if it was only temporary. Cardin was only left with a nagging sense of confusion. How could someone that old be this unstoppable juggernaut that just beat down at least three teams' worth of Hunters? It just didn't make sense.
After Max was taken away from the battlefield, the Black Knight sighed upon seeing him back in Evernight. The armored warrior scooped up the knight's helmet and moved to put it back on.
"You lost your head, eh?" Marion quipped as she slipped the helmet over Max's head once again, throwing the old man back into a mental void. The helmet hissed as it was placed back on, the Knight's personality coming back to the forefront.
"An...an oversight," the Knight's voice seemed to glitch as he retook control, "I was...unprepared for a mental assault like that. I wasn't stunned...but my control-"
"Control? What, are you using the old man as a proxy?" Marrion questioned.
"Yes. As a means to rub extra salt into the wounds I intended to inflict on Tennyson. You've seen my 'face.' And you will not tell anyone about this...or I will ensure you do not speak ever again."
"Touchy subject then?"
"...very."
"Then my lips are sealed," Marion grinned, "These days my helmet is more of my real face anyway, so, I get it."
"So you say..." the Knight scoffed.
There was ,though, a second time that Max's consciousness was allowed to return to the surface. It was during Zs'skayr's little scouting mission for the Alpha Rune. The other members of that team-Emerald, Cass, Charmcaster, and Mercury-were making their own escape from the conquered magical dimension.
"You...you hide yourself in steel, too cowardly to even show your face...others hide their face to hide who they are, but I can tell you this..." The dragon got close, gnashing his teeth. "I don't even think YOU know who you are."
The battle between the draconic tyrant and the Forever Knight was surely a sight to behold. Claws and blades clashed in a massive duel, one that would shake the very future of this ancient kingdom. By now, the Door to Anywhere had closed and the others had already escaped back to Vacuo. The armor the Knight sported was scorched and battle-worn, his opponent proving to be a much stronger fighter than the warrior had first anticipated.
The Knight dodged a tail swing from the giant monster, striking back at the tail with his hard light sword. The holographic weapon sparked against the scales, bouncing off with only a small burn mark cutting across the monster's hide. A look of annoyance crossed the dragon's face as he looked down at its opponent with narrowed eyes. The reptile pulled all of its limbs into a large shell that dominated its back, each limb replaced by a jet of flame before it spun in the air. This improvised buzzsaw of fire slammed into the Knight at the same as a portal opened up behind him. The dragon's tail was still poking out from the shell though and, with a mighty whip, lashed the helmet of the Forever Knight off its owner's head, sending it clattering to the ground. Max was knocked off his feet and thrust back through the portal before it closed behind him.
The dragon came out of its shell before thundering back to a standing pose. The beast arched its head back and let out a sky-shattering roar as its form shrunk into a humanoid turtle form. Addwaitya looked over the site of his latest conquest...and noted that the helmet was missing.
"How...curious," Addwaitya snorted.
As for Max...well, his story wasn't over yet. Addwaitya had assumed that the portal he opened would've sent this intruder to one of his many prisons across Ledgerdomain for interrogation, but that prisoner never arrived. Instead, Max, in the armor of the Forever Knight, stirred on the golden shores of a tropical beach. For the first time since Beacon, he could feel again, be it the warmth of the sun bearing down on him or the waves lapping against his body.
He was free... but where was he?
At first, he thought he was either dead or hallucinating. Or hallucinating while slowly dying. One of the first things he encountered while here was a tribe of talking mice, after all. When death just refused to come for him, he came to accept that, no, this, this was real. For a time, he lived in the Hunters' Shores, this strange land inhabited by talking mice and brightly colored birds. He even constructed a house out of nearby materials as time went on...even if it didn't seem like he aged here. Eventually though, he would venture out beyond the Shores on occasion to explore this strange new world he found himself in.
But one day, as he returned from one of these excursions, his eyes went to the sky and he saw two streaks of color tear through the sky, careening towards the shores he himself had once awoken on...
"...Grandpa?" Ben asked, voice small.
Max gave him a small smile. "Heya, kiddo."
"I'm...a-am I...?"
"You're not dreaming. Or hallucinating. Believe me, I thought I was too when I first wo-" Max didn't even get to finish his explanation. Ben had raced forward and, without any hesitation, wrapped his arms around his grandpa in the tightest hug that he could muster. Max returned the favor and used his single arm to embrace his grandson gently. Ben was just sobbing, his emotions mixing together into such a potent mix that they just needed to be let out. In the end though, the prevailing emotion was sheer and utter joy.
A miracle had just happened right in front of his eyes.
"I know. I missed you too," Max said.
Ben broke away for a moment, just to let Ruby snake in. Ruby tightly hugged Max, a million questions filling her mind. But the only one she could croak out is-
"How?" Ruby asked. "How is...how are you here?!"
"For the first time, I think we can actually tell a certain someone thanks for the opportunity," Max said, enjoying the little jab he had at his now-missing captor. When Ben and Ruby shared a glance, seeing if the other maybe knew who he was talking about, they both shared that same confused look. Max picked up on it too, so, the veteran Plumber moved his hand to his rusted chest plate and brushed off some of the rust to reveal an emblem right in the middle of the metal.
A shield with faded red and yellow paint, complete with an infinity symbol laid over it.
Ben's eyes widened. "N-no. You? YOU were the Forever Knight!?"
"Then that means..." Ruby's pupils shrank. "Oh, my God. You kidnapped your own son and his wife. AND my dad!"
"It's...a bit more complicated than that. Follow me. I'll explain on the way," Max motioned for them all to follow him, the giant jackalope he rode into battle happily walking next to him. With the ruins of the Garden the only thing waiting behind them, the group all marched forward after their newly revealed guardian.
"I'm wearing the armor...but I wasn't the one in control," Max went on, "For lack of a better comparison, my body was hijacked. See, the Forever Knight isn't so much a person as it is an AI. It's all stored in that helmet. Anyone who wears it is put under control of the Knight's consciousness. Can't feel, can't hear, can't see outside of small flashes of what's happening."
"What is happening right now..." Blake muttered, just completely dumbstruck by this series of revelations. Yang patted her girlfriend on the shoulder, trying to comfort her as her mind was just processing everything.
"So, it was mind control. Via helmet." Weiss said.
"From the multiverse." Max clarified. "When I was blown up, Viktor didn't send me to kingdom come; he sent me to another dimension, the Null Void."
"Null Void...that's where the worst of the worst go." Ben frowned. "I remember Ceres mentioning Plumbers were trying to phase that out in the modern day, because it was essentially a drawn out execution."
"I was his puppet for a long while, it seems." Max mused. "I feel like I'm missing a few years of memory..."
"This is just...a lot." Ben admitted.
"I know, I know. That's why I wanna take it slow. I'm honestly afraid of how the others are going to take it." Max frowned. "Especially your cousin."
"I don't get it," Blake frowned. "The Rusted Knight was described as being a young man in the book. Alyx made sure to detail his youth..."
Max stopped in his tracks upon hearing those words.
"Now, there's a name I haven't heard in a while." Max sighed wistfully.
"So...everything that happened-" Emerald began.
"Actually happened. I found her on the Hunters' Shores, waking up like I did, like I imagine you all did."
"That's...where we ended up, yeah," Ruby confirmed, "But Ben and Emerald said they woke up in a desert?"
"Yeah. And Emerald touched an hourglass that sent her back in time by three years," Ben added.
"You time travelled?" Yang asked.
"Involuntarily. I didn't know the damn thing would start spinning," Emerald explained.
"Timeless Dunes. Makes sense. Those old pyramids hold a lot of old secrets, some of which deserve to stay buried," Max nodded.
"...like the Jabberwalker?" Ben asked.
"Exactly. That was from before I met Alyx, though. Pinned it to-"
"-an altar with a sword surrounded by pillars in the Three Pharaohs."
"That's ri-...wait..."
"Before you worry, I was there to bail him and my idiotic former acquaintance out. There won't be two Jabbers running around. At least...there wasn't supposed to be..." Emerald explained.
Max sighed. "Well, I was hoping to ask more about what you kids were up to nowadays, but...it appears I'm going to have to explain how and why I'm here. And the Jabbers."
"And it feels like we'll need to explain why...we're here," Ruby added, her gaze shifting down.
"My story first. Give you kids a break..." Max volunteered, "Honestly, I was in the market to pick up some ingredients for dinner!"
Ben chuckled. "Honestly, I could go for your food right now."
"Glad to hear it. Though, I can't quite make what I'm famous for. No Zandurian Cephalopods for the goulash," Max shook his head in disappointment.
"What...kind of-?" Emerald began.
"Just roll with it." Blake muttered. "He's a great chef. For aliens. Humankind? Not so much. Faunus..." Blake made a face.
"...no."
"I kinda like it."
"I've only been a part of this team for a day, really, and already I feel like I'm going insane..." the Jaded Thief pinched the bridge of her nose.
"That's just our brand of chaos. You'll get used to it fast," Yang said.
By the time Max had recounted the tale of what seemed to be the final stand of the Forever Knight and how he had washed up on the same shores that Ruby and her team had found themselves, the group had reached the end of the flower tunnel. As Max pushed away some moss that hung over the opening, they were all greeted with the sight of a beautiful open clearing dotted with patches of tall grass and colorful wood lilies. A thick forest surrounded the field, stretching on for miles and miles under the light blue colored sky, a welcome sight after light greens, permanent twilights, and dull, sandy yellows. The Great Tree the Afterans put at the center of their lives towered over them once again like a looming reminder of where they needed to go.
Max came to a small canopy and grinned. "Here we go. My favorite cooking spot." He said, starting to unpack a bag on Gwendolyn's side. He pulled out a pot, with ingredients inside, and a strange collection of objects- four seeds, some orange powder in a bag and some pebbles. He placed the pebbles in a circle, threw two of the seeds in the center and planted the other two on opposite sides. In an instant, the pebbles grew to full size stones, multiple sticks appeared in the center, and the two seeds grew before 'magnetizing' to each other and intertwining.
"Woah." Ben said.
"You find some neat things when you venture around the world for a while." Max said, petting Gwendolyn on the head. "Gwendolyn just makes the process easier. Found her when she was a pup and raised her."
"Ironic, since Gwen's usually about cats." Ruby snickered.
"Of course this was after we...parted ways," Max said.
"Oh my god...oh my god, that's right," Blake gasped, remembering the story.
"What?" Ben asked.
"Well, in the story-"
"Blake? If I may?" Max interrupted.
"O-oh. Uh, o-of course. Sorry just...got...got ahead of myself," the feline Faunus apologized, her ears drooping a bit in embarrassment.
"All fine and good. Now...after I had explored the Ever After for...what must've been a few months, maybe a year, hard to pin it down exactly, I saw something fall from the sky. A comet with twin streaks of color, different shades of blue. I just watched it crash at the Shores and I went to investigate. Sure enough, as I walked the beach to find the impact site or some of the remnants...I saw someone washed up on the shore," the Rusted Knight recounted.
"Alyx," Weiss correctly guessed.
"Mhm. She was slowly coming to, getting her bearings. I didn't...immediately approach because at the time I...may or may not have returned to the Shores with a new helmet and I didn't want to scare her. Kept an eye on her though. If something went wrong, I'd be there. And eventually it did. The Jabberwalker."
Max threw the powder into the circle, sparking a beautiful blaze in the center. As he stared into the flames, he could recall the day so clearly...
"Get away from her!" Max wasn't exactly ready with a game plan here. He had no weapon, beyond his broken armor.
Alyx had been backed up against a tree, her smaller dagger held out in front of her as if that would make a difference. The Jabberwalker, the original type, was about to strike at the girl when it heard the declaration. It turned to see the Rusted Knight in all of his new glory, helmet and all. The monstrous Afteran jerked its head to the side, almost as if it was confused. Alyx certainly was when she saw a knight just emerge from the tropical foliage.
"What the..." Alyx muttered to herself.
"Unknown...mYsterIous...Concealed..." the Jabberwalker hissed. It looked back to Alyx for a moment before it turned on a dime and dashed towards Max.
"RIP! TEAR! REND!" the Jabber roared as it ran towards him. Not much of a plan here, so time to improvise. As rusty as this suit was, it still had some kick to it. Max balled his hand into a fist and reared it back. The nightmarish Afteran leapt into the air to pounce at the newcomer, only for an ironclad fist to slam into it, knocking it to the ground.
Max huffed for a few moments, but his old age couldn't slow him down. His head shot up to face the girl.
"RUN!" He yelled, before jumping over the Jabberwalker and off the beach. The girl followed behind, looking back at the creature. It was slowly getting back up, shaking off the sudden punch.
Its body jerked awkwardly, the sounds echoing out from it sounded as if its bones were cracking and resetting themselves with every movement; it was sickening. Alyx just bolted, quickly following her armored hero, dagger still in hand.
"CHASE. FIND. SCOUR." The Jabberwalker screeched, before it started chasing after the duo on all fours.
Alyx could hear it hunting them, not just from its claws digging into the dirt. Whatever this thing was, it had some serious agility. It had climbed up one of the twisting palm trees and began leaping from tree to tree in an attempt to hunt down its prey. She could hear the trees bend from the sudden weight added to them and the leaves rustling with every movement.
"CHASE. HUNT. LOCATE!" the Jabber howled.
"Follow me!" Max yelled, taking her hand and leading her into a thicker part of the woods.
"Who even are you?" Alyx asked.
"Just call me the Knight." Max said. "Introductions come later!"
"R-right!"
Max turned and leapt behind one of the trees, pulling Alyx with him. The two of them tried to be as quiet as possible, Alyx even covering her mouth with her hands. Max was listening for the monster, hoping that maybe it lost them. His hopes were dashed when he heard a loud thud from where they had once been. The Jabberwalker hissed and seemed to inspect the ground, looking for any tracks and smelling for any scent it could find. Alyx was gripping her dagger tightly, just in case the beast found them. The Jabber growled before letting out a howl, racing away, thinking its prey dashed forward instead of diving for cover.
Max gave a sigh of relief. He motioned for them to go the opposite way, in a quick yet silent manner. The girl nodded, before they both started their quiet journey out of the forest.
The Jabberwalker never found them again on the Shores, as evidenced by a howl of sheer fury that echoed out from somewhere in the tropical jungles. Birds flew into the air and scouting Mice scurried back to their tribes in fear knowing that the Nightmare of the Ever After was angry.
"I've never seen that thing before. Doesn't look all too friendly…" Max muttered.
"Duh. It was trying to kill me." The girl huffed.
"Where did...where did you come from?" Max asked.
"Uh...Remnant? Vacuo?" the girl questioned, "Feel like I should be asking you that. Where in the name of the Brothers am I?"
"The locals call it the Ever After." Max explained. "I'm Maxwell Tennyson, but call me Max. What's your name?"
"Alyx. And uh...thanks for that back there," she said, "And as beautiful as this place looks...it's not home."
"I know the feeling. Sadly, I don't think there is a way home." Max sighed. "That's what I've been looking for."
"Huh...well...maybe we could travel together then? Figure out how to get home?" Alyx suggested.
"I've always got room for people." the old knight nodded. "I wouldn't mind. Gets lonely around these parts."
"I can imagine. Only other people I've met are, get this-" Alyx started.
"Talking mice? Believe me, they talk a big game but they're rather nice when you get to know them. Just don't mention cats."
"Yeah that goes without saying. Also I wouldn't exactly say they just talk, considering the whole net trap thing."
"They're a curious bunch. Just pull some cheese from the ground and they'll be sated."
"…right." Alyx muttered, almost dismissively, before looking back in the direction of the beach.
Max raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
"We need to go back to the beach. I need…I need to check something." Alyx frowned.
"Of course," Max quickly took the lead. All the girl had was a dagger, but if they ever ran into that thing again, he would need a weapon of his own. And he already had a few ideas on where he could get it and what it could end up being.
"After that...well, I don't need to tell you the rest," Max chuckled.
"Why did she go back to the beach?" Blake wondered. "That wasn't in the book."
"Hm? I thought you all knew what happened next." Max said. "Don't tell me they left out some key details."
"Singular or plural they?" Blake inquired.
"Plural, of course."
"But...that doesn't make sense. Only Alyx washed up here, didn't she?" Emerald asked.
"Only Aly- she never mentioned him?" Max wondered
"Him?" Ruby asked.
"Lewis. Her brother," Max answered.
The group went silent. Glances were exchanged, before the muttering started. Max looked concerned.
"…is something wrong?"
"No version of the story ever mentioned a brother." Weiss said. "I read that story a million times, I read every version; I even saw a stage play about it! Why would she remove her brother? Did he do something?"
"Never mentioned? Part of me wants to blame our 'friend' we met around the Crimson Kingdom, a certain brightly colored cat..." Max explained.
"You mean...Curious?" Ruby asked.
Max's expression went dark. "…it seems I have more of a story to tell than I thought."
"But they were a friend. They led you and Alyx...and Lewis back to the tree, right?" Blake asked.
"They led Alyx and Lewis back...but there was always something off about 'em. I could never figure out what it really was back then. But I do now. Every Afteran, no matter how important, has a purpose, but the one question no one's ever asked is 'What is the Cat's purpose?' What do they do? The Prince is meant to win, the Hunter Mice are meant to explore, but the Cat?"
"Well...the...Cat's meant to guide?" Emerald said, a bit unsure herself.
"No. The Cat's purpose is to keep the wheel turning."
"The wheel?" Weiss asked.
"The cycle of the Ever After, Ascension."
"We saw an Ascension. The Herbalist...died, right?" Ruby asked.
"The Herba-? Why did you visit him?" Max questioned.
"More like we stumbled onto him while looking for the Cat," Yang explained, "But...is he...?"
"No. Not dead. Changing. Think of it...think of it like being repaired. He will come back. He won't have his memories, he'll be a new person to a degree, but he'll carry some things with him into his new life."
"So...they live, but they lose something. Equivalent exchange." Blake frowned.
"Something like that." Max nodded. "It's a concept that I don't really approve of, but...some people find comfort in it. It's just normal here."
Equivalent exchange...it's normal here... Ruby repeated in her head.
Thinking about it, hm? Looking for the easy way out? Forget all your failures and keep everything positive? her venomous doubts asked, What about Ben? He wouldn't approve would he? Are you REALLY going to leave him alone?
I'm. Not. Listening. To you, Ruby mentally scolded the doubts.
Sure, act like a kid. Cover your ears and go 'la la la la la, I can't hear you!' I'm in your HEAD. Not exactly how that works.
As Ruby argued with her own venomous doubts, Ben's cruel jabs returned in force, asking him the same thing.
Sounds good, right? Be the Hero you always wanted to be, Ben's venomous thoughts whispered.
I don't have time for you right now. I'm trying to be happy. Ben huffed.
Yeah, sure. Happy. A savior like you would want that, wouldn't you? The jab jeered.
Savior!? That's a laugh. I am not a savior. Ben frowned. I don't know what you are, but I have this feeling you need me to ascend...for what? To turn me into this little soldier for you to manipulate? Wind me up and set me off like a powder keg? Hate to break it to you...but you're not gonna get what you want. Got that?
The jab said nothing.
"...that's more like it." Ben muttered.
"Hm?" Max said.
"Nothing, nothing! Uh, carry on." Ben quickly covered.
Max narrowed his eyes, looking between Ben and Ruby. It might have been a bit, but he could still pick up on when these two had something on their mind. But he was smart enough not to push them now. They'd had a long day, that much was obvious. Even Gwendolyn knew they were distressed. She moved right behind both of them, moving in and nuzzling against Ruby's cheek first, then Ben's. The giant jackalope even allowed the duo to pet them, offer them some emotional support.
They both took it, of course, stroking the soft coat of fur Gwendolyn sported.
"So...if I may...where do you live here? I had a house with the Dune Dwellers and the Astronomer for three years. But you've been here so much longer," Emerald wondered.
"Once everybody's caught their breath, we'll make our way over. Bridge is nearby," Max answered.
"For now, back to the story. What was Lewis like?" Blake asked.
"Lewis was Alyx's twin, opposite to everything she was, too. Soft spoken, gentle and concerned for everyone." Max explained. "But…he was sort of a pushover in some regards."
"Makes sense. Alyx was kind of a brat," Yang scoffed.
"A brat is...if I may be blunt, that's being polite. There were moments where she was...selfish. Outright cruel. The story covered the auction with Jinxy, yes?"
"Yeah. How she gave up her happiest and saddest memories to get her dagger back," Blake answered.
"She gave them up in the book? Oh, if only she bartered. She said she would give them up to Jinxy...and instead, she tricked them. Swiped what she thought was her dagger, disguised as a little onyx rabbit. Threw the town into chaos. The people demanded refunds, returned their items, and practically sparked a riot against the raccoon. She never gave up those memories because, and I quote, 'Why would I give up my memories? A dagger's not worth that,'" Max clarified.
"So, she's an unreliable narrator." Blake said. "Fun. That means we can't 100% fully trust the story lore any more."
"We kinda figured that out when the Jabber showed up." Weiss sighed.
"Let me guess, different interpretations of it?" Max guessed.
"A snake, a dragon-like creature, nothing like what it actually is."
"I'm starting to actually wonder if the publishers are to blame for the censorship." Max wondered.
"Publishers are a bitch." Emerald scoffed.
"Anyways, there was this one situation...with the prince..." Max recalled, reflecting on that escapade.
Max couldn't help but think of Ben and Gwen when he was with the twins. Alyx was a mischievous, calculated ball of chaotic energy, ready to con her way into any victory she could, at any cost and price. She had a Batman Gambit in play at all times. Lewis, meanwhile, was her anchor. Usually the one pull her out of the rut and suffer the consequences...even if it meant taking the fall. His worldly knowledge was a great deal of help...and he knew how to help with cooking, too! Was he being nice about Max's cooking, or was he holding his tongue?
Who could say, really?
As it stood, the three of them were being brought into the Crimson Castle by the Toy Guards, having been captured before they could escape the acre. On Max's suggestion, they had actually surrendered to the royal troops. It was a far less gentle reception for riot-starters than for those who simply stole a sword before offering it up as a gift. The trio of wanderers had been shackled and were treated as possible dissidents. Their introduction to the Crimson King, though, was mostly similar to the Prince's. The Royal Guards blew a royal fanfare from their trumpet-halberds, announcing his arrival.
Compared to the short stature of the Prince that would come to occupy his throne, the Crimson King was an imposing figure, towering over his guards and even Max. The clothes he wore were similar to his future counterpart, though somehow even more regal, befitting a wise and experienced ruler. He was still a large porcelain humanoid entity with red eyes and diamond-shaped pupils. The only physical changes, outside of looking and sounding older, was a large beard that covered his lower face.
"So," the King began, planting a ruby-topped scepter on the ground with his hand atop the gem, "These are the dissidents that bring chaos into my kingdom. You...don't appear to be Pieces. Yet I do not recognize you from any of the other acres. What are you?"
"Humans, your majesty." Max said, stepping forward. "My name is Maxwell Tennyson, and these are-"
"What, you got a problem with my appearance?" Alyx huffed. "Lew and I get enough crap back home about it. I don't need it from some porcelain prick."
"Hey, hey, maybe don't agitate the guy who could snap his finger and have us executed?" Lewis cautioned.
"Human...hmm. I have never heard of such a creature. From what acre do you hail?" the King questioned, taking a knee so as to be on eye-level with his prisoners. Though, at this point, the term was just a formality. Now, the trio were more of a curiosity.
"We're...not really from an 'acre' your Majesty. Our home's called Vacuo, it's a kingdom uh...far, far away," Lewis explained.
"Vacuo. An interesting name. Now, I shall give you the benefit of the doubt. You are clearly new to my domain, and as such, unfamiliar with its laws. Guards! The shackles."
Three soldiers gave a loyal salute before moving and undoing the restraints around the visitors' wrists.
"Thank you, your majesty." Max said. "I am a traveler, a map maker."
"A map?" The noble hummed. "Even I don't know the full extent of this world. Much of my attention remains in my acre. May I see it?"
"It's not exactly finished, mind you, but," Max moved and undid a pouch on his belt. Out of it, he drew a rolled up piece of parchment with all of the acres he'd explored and handed it over to the red royal. The Red King unrolled the parchment, his eyes moving over the inscriptions with interest.
"Impressive, truly," the Red King mused, "But would you say that map making is something of a...hobby to you?"
"A newly acquired one, but yes."
"Then perhaps, you may indulge mine?"
"Which...is?" Alyx asked, rather bored.
"I'm fond of a certain game." The Red King began. "As a tactful mind, I feel a game of wit is the best way to judge someone's character. Have you a game on your world of Vacuo?"
"Yes, yes, of course," Max confirmed, "We have a multitude of variations. Chess, short assize, xiangqi, shogi, infinity...I can only assume this game has similar rules to yours."
"Before I go into the rules...who will be playing? The game is only for-"
"I will," Alyx interjected.
"Very well then," the King shrugged before clearing his throat, a bit surprised at the sudden answer, "Men! Escort our guests to the game room."
The rules of the game hadn't changed in all the years between the reign of the King and the reign of the Prince. The White Pieces, however, had more hope and less battle damage. One of Alyx's pieces moved forward and cut down another of the Red Pawns, the piece dramatically dying and falling onto a stretcher. In truth though, the number of pawns and off the board were completely equal now.
"Nicely done, um…Alyx, was it?" the King asked.
"Yep. I'm actually not this good at normal chess. This is a bit simpler, none of the weird movement shapes," Alyx grinned.
"Sometimes, all one needs is a little guidance," the King chuckled, "If I may?"
"All yours."
Lewis and Max stood off to the side, watching the game from the sidelines. The formerly unknown brother in the story may have been a bit paranoid, but rightly so. There were too many times to count where Alyx had gotten herself into a situation that could be solved easily only for her methods to cause chaos. The King made his next move, moving a duo of Red Pawns to new spaces, one of them engaging in a duel with one of Alyx's own pieces.
"Now...I know we're just playing for fun here, but do you mind if we add something? Not really a reward cause I'm thinking you tell us either way," Alyx began.
"Extra stakes? What did you have in mind?" the King asked as the Red and White Pawns clashed blades on the board.
"Well, easy. No matter who wins here, you tell us how to get home. You heard us before, we're not from an acre. Me and my brother just washed up here. Our...knight here also says he's not from around here either, so, I think he deserves the chance to go home, too, right? So...how about it? That's a fair deal I think, yeah? A game for a way home."
"Hmmm. The sentiment I can indeed get behind. One's home, no matter how physically far away, is always with you. The feelings, the memories of home, they can serve to inspire, to motivate. But..."
"Buuuuut?" Alyx asked.
"I...I do not know how you would return personally. But that does not mean I don't have an idea. The Great Tree."
"You mean the one that we can see from miles away?" Lewis asked.
"The very same. That tree is...it's the heart of this land, a source of infinite knowledge and wisdom as the stories go. If there would be a way home, you would find it there," the King explained. Down on the board, the White Pawn had lost its duel against its Crimson counterpart. The Red Pawns all cheered as their comrade had won, the success even earning an approving nod from the King.
"Wow you're really skilled there, aren't you?" Alyx smirked.
"Why, yes, I am. Thank you for the-" the King began.
"Oh, no, I was talking to them," the visitor from Remnant pointed at the Pawns.
"The...Pawns?"
"Well yeah, they're the ones doing all the hard work. Fighting my guys, taking territory. If I was their size, I would be down leading from the front, ya know?"
"W-well uh...well yes! As any...as any good leader should," the King stammered a bit.
"Can you say the same? Or do you just wanna take all the credit for their hard work?"
"That is preposterous! My Pawns have been-" the King was cut off again.
"We've been your 'Pawns' since day one!" one of the scarlet soldiers said below, "When do we get promoted?"
"P-promoted?"
"Yeah! When we do get to move up! I wanna be a knight!" another Red Pawn added.
"I wanna be a Rook!" a third interjected.
"And I wanna be a King!" the first announced.
"T-that...you can't be promoted. That's not how the game works! You know that!" the Red King stated.
"Well, maybe we want the game to work differently! New rules!" the would-be Knight shouted.
"They've done all the heavy lifting as of late, and all you've done is boss them around. What sort of a tyrant is that?" Alyx smirked. "You're supposed to be a leader; you're supposed to fight alongside your men. Like...THIS!"
Alyx smashed her hand down on the board, causing it to shake and some of her opponent's pieces to fly backwards.
"Woah! She's right!" one of the White Pawns declared, "The King doesn't deserve his crown!"
"W-wait! Hold on! You say I'm not worthy of my crown?! She's breaking the rules!" the King accused.
"When it comes to toppling tyrants, the people have the final say! Learned that from the King of Vale!" Alyx grinned.
"This King of Vale sounds like a horrible man..." The King cursed. "I may need to meet with him about disciplining you!"
"Come on, give a girl some slack. It's my birthday!" Alyx joked. "I can get away with it!"
"Birth...day?" The King squinted. His anger was momentarily diffused by the strange new word.
"What, you've never heard of it?" Alyx asked.
"Ohhhh please don't start a war here, too," Lewis groaned.
"...too?" Max asked, "What...what war do you mean?"
"What war? The...biggest one ever? Between all four Hunter Kingdoms? A riot broke out at the edge of Vale's territory between Valean and Mistralian settlers. People say the Mistralians fired first but...no one can agree. Now, Mantle, Vale, Mistra and Vacuol are all fighting each other. How do you not know that?"
Max stared at Lewis, confused. War? Wait, that war was a hundred years ago! Max thought. Does time flow differently here? Did I somehow end up back in time? Or...is time dilated here?
"Max? You okay? You look...confused." Lewis worried.
"O-oh, yeah. Just...thought about something." Max frowned.
"Down with the tyrant, comrades!" Alyx cheered.
"DOWN WITH THE TYRANT!" the pieces all cheered, Red and White pieces moving under the orders from their new leader. Technically speaking, since both sides were following her orders, Alyx would be the winner under conventional circumstances.
The King stared in disbelief. "This...this is the power of a 'birthday'?" He asked.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Alyx grinned.
"Down with the tyrant! Down with the tyrant!" the Pawns continued to cheer.
"Settle down, you lot. Before you go and claim your well-deserved justice, I do believe that I've just won the game."
"W-what?" the King gasped.
"I have more pieces than you on the board. So...how do we get to the Tree?"
"The Tree? That's...that's a question I cannot answer. I've seen many travelers approach it, but none return!" The King declared.
"I want to go there!" Alyx said. "I beat you! You should reward me SOMEHOW!"
"I...I-i..." the King stammered.
"Um, excuse me?" a voice called out from the other side of the game board. Alyx turned to the source, seeing a very brightly cyan and purple colored cat sitting on the edge of the table.
"Apologies for the sudden appearance, but I couldn't help but notice a commotion. What um, what are you?" the talking cat asked curiously.
"I should be asking you that." Alyx frowned, looking them up and down.
"Ah. How long were you watching?" The King frowned.
"You know them?" Alyx asked.
"This is my advisor, the Curious Cat." The King explained. "They are the reason my reign is so successful."
"A tact mind...I respect that." Alyx smirked.
"Well, as to your question, Sire, I had only just arrived really. Forgive me, I was having myself a little bit of a nap," the Cat explained, "But...as to you?"
"I'm a human. Me, my brother, the Knight. We're all human."
"Human. How strange. What is it to 'human?'" the Cat tilted their head to the side.
"It's to be flawed. To exist. To do whatever." Alyx answered. "We learn sometimes, or maybe we don't."
"To just...exist? Seems a bit vague if you ask me," the Cat mused.
"Yeah. We're not all perfect beings. Not meant to know what we are or what we do…" Alyx said. "So, we just sort of…wander until we get somewhere we like."
"How very...different," the Cat purred, "And the game?"
"The rules for a game are so boring. Why would you ever need a proper structure? Force them into a box? It just feels like setting people up for getting lorded over in the future." Alyx huffed.
Max made a face. "Your sister is a very jaded person."
"She...has to be," Lewis sighed.
"So...what you're saying...is that you do whatever you need to win?" the King questioned.
"If you want to see things that way, you can. It's how I do," Alyx said.
"…I see. Such a perspective is…opening my eyes." The King realized, an epiphany striking him.
"Enough to tell me about the tree?" Alyx asked.
"No."
"What? So...then what are you talking about?" Alyx questioned.
"Sire, are you certain about this?" the Cat asked.
"Yes, yes. It seems I need to 'adapt.'" The King took off his crown, and set it on a pillow atop a pedestal.
"Your reign is eternal…and may your next reign be as great as the last." the Curious Cat said.
"What...what does that mean?" Lewis asked as the lights turned back on.
"While you may not see it as such, I should thank you, Alyx the Human," the King said, "Thank you...for showing me how to play the game."
"Uh, okay? What, you going somewhere?" Alyx asked, as the Cat trotted over to the King. They placed their paw on the King's chest, which started to glow blue and purple.
And then, he was gone.
"What just...?" Lewis asked.
"He just ascended. He needed some fixing, and I just...gave him that push." The Cat explained. "He will be back, one day. Maybe later today, maybe tomorrow. Maybe never. But always a 'maybe' on his return."
"Wait...but...we needed him! We need to hear how to get-!" Alyx groaned into her hand, "Greeeeat. Now we're back at square one!"
"Alyx," Max said, trying to reassure her.
"No, no. Don't 'Alyx' me! I want to get home, NOW!" Alyx yelled. "This place isn't fun anymore!"
"I'm sorry but...where did you say you were going again? The Tree?" the Cat piped up.
"Y-yes. The King said we'd find a way home there," Lewis answered.
"Whole bunch of maybes, really," Alyx scoffed.
"Well, why worry about him when you could get me to guide you?" the Cat grinned.
Max raised an eyebrow. "I don't know about this. I've been the guide so far..."
"And you've probably been here less than one percent of the time I'VE been here." The Cat chirped. "So, come on!"
"Well, you did say you're not from here either. Native guide versus another outsider? I think the smart move is the local," Alyx said.
"I mean...it's sort of logical." Lewis agreed. "You don't know the landscape. And this…talking cat probably knows it better than you do."
"Of course I do! Just follow me! And, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd love to hear about where you came from! This...what did you say it was? Vacuo?" the Cat asked.
"That's right. I'm...something of a fan of history, so you have the best person to ask," Lewis answered with a shy smile.
"Perfect! Then onwards we go, my friends!"
"So, that's how the king got turned from this benevolent ruler into a petulant child." Weiss frowned. "Thanks, Alyx. You're the worst."
"That was just the surface." Max frowned. "She and the Cat got along like a room on fire."
"Maybe not the best comparison after...everything," Yang admitted.
"They were pretty nice to me and Emerald." Ben shrugged. "Even rid in my hoodie."
"They took photos on my Scroll!" Ruby said. "They're...cute. In a weird way-"
"They are the reason those kids aren't here anymore." Max snapped.
"...what?" Ben asked.
"But they were-" Blake began.
"They wanted something in return for taking us to the Tree," Max cut her off, "After hearing about our world...they wanted to come with us."
"Come with you? For what, exploring?" Ben asked.
"I can't say that for sure." Max sighed. "But, they were...a bit too fascinated with some of her words."
Ben looked down at the Omnitrix, and covered it up with his hoodie sleeve. "You don't say."
"But...wait. Alyx had to make it back, right? How else could we have gotten the book?" Emerald asked.
"Let me rephrase the question then. If Alyx returned home to write down her adventurers...what happened to Lewis?" Max asked ominously.
"You don't know?" Ruby asked.
"Be...cause of the-" Blake realized, her ears jolting straight up and her eyes going as wide as they could, "Oh my god."
"Are you saying Lewis was sacrificed so that Alyx could get home?" Yang wondered, a chill running down her spine.
"Like I said...I don't know. That's one of the theories I've thought about, but I lost track of them after..." Max trailed off.
"After you were poisoned..." Blake finished.
"Wait, WHAT?!" Ben yelled. "What do you mean you were poisoned?"
"Oh, right. You never read the book." Blake cringed. "Sorry."
"While traveling the Ever After, the trio of the Rusted Knight, the Curious Cat, and Alyx stopped to make camp at the edge of the twilight forest. With the Cat asleep, the Rusted Knight on guard, and Alyx going to get some extra ingredients from the wilderness, no one noticed the Jabberwalker perched high in the trees. It reared its tail back, bringing forth a single drop of poison...and poured it into a bowl of soup, the one Alyx would taste," Weiss recounted.
"But what the Jabber didn't know was that the bowl wasn't for her. The Jabberwalker moved off to watch its vengeance unfold, but when Alyx returned, she grabbed a different bowl. The deadly surprise was in the bowl of another. The Rusted Knight drank the poison in her stead," Yang added.
"…that's not exactly how it happened." Max grimaced. "She cleaned it up nicely."
"She?" Emerald repeated.
"That was after we met the Herbalist, this rather intelligent caterpillar with a bit of a smoking habit. After we visited, Alyx...Alyx changed. I don't know what she saw in the smoke, what the Tree's leaves made her see, but when she came back out, she was different. It's like her trust in us was...gone, completely. Even in Lewis. She even started accusing us of things. The more I tried to help, the less she believed it. Until eventually, she decided to continue on without me. As you said 'The Rusted Knight drank the poison in her stead.'"
"She's an unreliable narrator for sure." Ben frowned. "The hell is wrong with this girl?!"
"The last thing she said before the poison took full effect was that she wouldn't let me get in the way of her getting home. That she would do whatever it took. And just like that...she was gone."
"I...I don't think her story's my favorite anymore," Blake muttered.
"Holy shit." Yang muttered, pacing around. "This! This is…"
"I know, I know. But I'm fine. I've sort of got an iron stomach, y'know." Max rubbed his stomach. "Not the worst injury I've had."
Ben froze.
"…what's the worst?" He asked.
"Huh?" Max asked. "Oh. Right…" He looked to his arm.
"Your arm. The...the one we-" Ruby gasped, not even daring to finish the sentence.
"The one...you found that made you think I was dead," Max finished for her.
"So, you've been using the suit as a full body cast." Yang guessed.
"As I've learned, the Forever Knight's armor can suppress the physiological and subconscious systems of the human body which would normally prevent a person from exerting enough force to injure themselves." Max explained. "My physicality, strength and speed have all been notably enhanced."
Ben leaned forward. "And how does it do that?"
"It feels...like it stings my nerves sometimes. I can't be too sure."
"Please don't tell me you've been in that armor the entire time." Weiss frowned, imagining the stench.
"I can get out of this with ease, don't worry." Max said, pressing a button on the belt.
With that, the armor retracted into the belt in sections. Plate by plate the suit folded up, leaving Max with that same trench coat and some clothes that honestly were just Max's style. There weren't any Hawaiian shirts in the Ever After so he had to get these made from a weaver a few acres over. He could spare them the details since said weaver was a giant talking spider.
"Really?" Ben chuckled, "Even in another dimension?"
"What? It's like you're fond of saying, I gotta stay on brand," Max smirked.
Ben chuckled, but then he saw the stump where an arm used to be. But that wasn't all he noticed.
"...you look thinner." Ben noted. "Please don't tell me that it was from the poison."
"Well when you're in...a world like this, with all its creatures and different people, exercise tends to be something of a constant," Max reassured, "The poison...I think it might have been more of a paralytic."
As he recounted, Gwendolyn moved over to Max and nuzzled her snout up against his cheek, getting a slight chuckle out of her rider.
"If it wasn't for Gwendolyn here, doubt I'd be here though. She must've gotten worried, came looking for me. She found me and brought me over to the acre I've decided to settle. The people there helped me recover and, outside of the occasional Jabberwalker hunt, I've been a sort of guardian to them," Max explained.
"And...what acre is that?" Emerald asked.
"I've gotten used to calling it Swan Lake and the name kind of stuck, even with the locals."
"It's a good ballet," Weiss muttered.
"God, I haven't even thought about how the others are gonna take the news." Ben admitted. "Gonna be a lot of tears, though."
"Now, you've heard my story...what about yours?" Max asked.
The group shared a few concerned looks between them, already telling Max how heavy things were about to get.
"Maybe...maybe we can tell it when we get to wherever you're staying?" Ruby asked, hoping to just delay the retelling for as long as possible.
"We already informed Animo and he had MANY questions." Ben remembered. "Well, up to the point where...you kidnapped mom and dad."
"Please don't say it like that. The Knight kidnapped them. As if I needed another reason to dent his helmet in if I ever find him again," Max interjected.
"R-right. Sorry. Well, uh, where do we start..." Ben wondered.
"Let's start where we left off, at least get past what happened at Beacon." Blake suggested.
"The attack succeeded, didn't it?" Max asked.
"To a degree," Emerald answered.
"Okay, so, it all started after your funeral..." Ben said.