May stumbled slightly as Ash led her by the hand. His grip was firm yet gentle, but the unfamiliar terrain made her steps uncertain.
"S-sorry...are you alright?" Ash asked, scratching behind his head sheepishly.
"...Yes, Master," May replied, her voice soft and compliant. Ash gave an embarrassed sigh as they found themselves just outside what looked to be just a simple local tavern.
"This looks like a good place," he said, glancing up at the building.
"...As you say, Master," May echoed, her eyes following his gaze. Ash's expression shifted to one of discomfort.
"Uh...sorry, could you perhaps...create a pouch of gold coins? What I did have I lost when I was banished..."
"...Yes, Master..." May responded, snapping her fingers without missing a beat. In an instant, a pouch of gold coins appeared in Ash's hand.
"Thank you," Ash murmured, his gratitude sincere. May nodded silently. They stepped inside, the warm light of the interior contrasting with the cool evening outside. Ash approached the host, who stood at a podium near the entrance. "Excuse me? Can we get a table?"
"Of course. Right this way," the host replied, leading them to a table in the corner of the room. Ash walked over with May following close behind. He pulled out a chair for her, holding it open with a small, encouraging smile.
"Go ahead." he insisted. May hesitated for a moment before sitting down.
"...As you wish, Master..." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Ash smiled warmly and took his seat across from her. May folded her hands in her lap, her eyes downcast but attentive. The ambient noise of the restaurant buzzed around them as they settled into their seats, the unspoken tension between them hanging in the air. Ash glanced across the table at May, concern etched in his features.
"How do you feel?" he asked gently.
"...I cannot be hurt or ill, Master," May replied, her voice steady and emotionless.
"What about cold or hot?" he probed further.
"I experience neither," she said simply.
"Sounds kinda stale…" Ash mused, trying to imagine such an existence.
"...It is a sentence...not a vacation," May clarified, her tone matter-of-fact.
"...Still...I'm sorry about it," Ash said, sincerity in his voice. May's eyes flicked to his face briefly.
"I urge you to save your pity for a more deserving party, Master," she said, almost with a venom towards herself of all people. Ash tilted his head, studying her.
"May I..." he began, unsure of how to phrase his next question.
"I deserve no pity, Master, I assure you," May interrupted, her voice firm.
"Why do you say that?" Ash asked, leaning forward slightly.
"...I've seen no value in lying for a long time," she responded, her gaze unwavering.
"Why don't you think you deserve pity?" he pressed, his curiosity piqued.
"...It is unimportant, Master," May replied, her tone dismissive.
"I would like to know," Ash insisted, his eyes earnest.
"...No, Master, you would not," May said quietly, her eyes dropping to her hands.
"May..." Ash urged gently.
"...The punishment is there for a reason," she said, her voice barely audible. Ash frowned, his heart aching at her words. May shifted her gaze down to her hands, avoiding his eyes. Ash looked at the menu in front of him, trying to compose himself. He took a deep breath, the weight of the conversation heavy on his mind.
"When's the last time you got any enjoyment out of something?" he asked, looking back at her.
"...I don't recall such a time, Master," May replied, her voice devoid of emotion. Ash frowned again.
"Everyone deserves to be happy," he said softly.
"...Not everyone, Master," May said, her tone resigned. Ash reached across the table and took her hand gently.
"I mean it," he said firmly. May flinched at his touch but didn't pull away. She looked away however, unable to meet his gaze.
"I promise," Ash said softly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.
"...As you say, Master," May murmured, her eyes still downcast. Ash looked into her eyes, hoping to find some glimmer of emotion, but she kept her gaze firmly on the table. He sighed, feeling the weight of her sadness.
"I think you might enjoy the taste of food," he said after a moment of silence.
"As you wish, Master," May replied mechanically.
"If you don't know what to get, we can have the same thing," Ash suggested, hoping to make the decision easier for her.
"As you wish," she repeated. Ash waved over a server, who approached their table with a polite smile.
"Yes, sir?" the waiter asked.
"We're ready to order," Ash said.
"Yes, sir. What can I get for you?" the waiter asked, poised to take their order.
"We will both have the pot pie," Ash said, deciding for them both.
"Excellent choice, sir," the waiter said, accepting their menus and walking away. Ash looked at May, his eyes filled with curiosity and concern, hoping to do anything that would lift her spirits, even if it was only a little.
"Can you tell me something about yourself?" he asked gently.
"...I have already told you all you need to know, Master," May replied, her voice emotionless.
"You've only told me about your powers and your curse." Ash shook his head slightly. "I wish to know who May is a little better. Surely there's more you could say."
"...May has long since been irrelevant, Master...she is just a slave..." May said, her tone resigned.
"...That was my wish, May," Ash reminded her. May glanced at him, her eyes briefly meeting his. Ash looked back at her, his gaze unwavering.
"...I ask that you don't pursue this, Master...there is nothing to gain..." she said softly.
"Does it upset you?" Ash asked, leaning forward.
"...My feelings on my past are irrelevant..." May replied, her voice steady.
"That's what you're not getting, May...if it was irrelevant to me, I wouldn't be asking...I want to know more about you, and I care about how you feel. It matters to me," Ash said earnestly.
"...It should not..." May insisted.
"I'm sorry..." Ash said quietly. May remained silent, her eyes downcast. "Do you want me to make the most of our time or not?"
"I-I do not understand, Master..." May replied, confusion evident in her voice.
"Well...I want to get to know you better...even if you don't think you deserve it...but I also want to respect your boundaries. But I can't do that if I don't have them," Ash explained.
"...An emotional disconnect allows me to remember my place as lower than my Master...it is not my Master's job to worry about my feelings or my past...my past is irrelevant because the humanity that I once had no longer exists...it is just a role that I fill...a Master's puppet..." May said, her voice cold and detached.
"You're not a puppet to me," Ash said firmly.
"...Many millennia of perfecting an emotional distance from all people is all that remains...May does not exist..." she replied, her voice devoid of emotion.
"How is that okay..? You're not an object," Ash argued, his voice rising slightly.
"...That is exactly what I am, Master," May said.
"Objects can't argue," Ash pointed out.
"...I would never argue with my Master..." May insisted.
"Then what do you call what we've been doing?" Ash asked, frustration creeping into his voice.
"...Protecting my Master from what does not need to be known..." she said softly.
"You insist on staying 'beneath' me?" Ash asked, his eyes searching hers.
"It is where a slave belongs," May replied.
"Then...Genie...your Master's bidding is to know who 'May' is, and what you're keeping under wraps...It's your job..." Ash commanded gently. May winced but complied with his order.
"May...was...a foolish girl who brought everything and everyone she loved to ruin because of a selfish desire..." she finally confessed.
"...What happened?" Ash frowned, his heart aching at her words.
"...She released a demon who claimed he could save her...and he destroyed everything and everyone..." May said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"...You were tricked...that's not your fault..." Ash said softly.
"She was just a foolish girl with selfish desires..." May insisted.
"...And...this was your punishment?" Ash asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"...100 lives lost...100 lives to serve…" May replied, her eyes downcast. Ash stood up and walked over to her, his expression pained and sympathetic.
"May..." he whispered, gently pulling her into her first real hug in ages. May flinched in surprise, her body stiffening at his touch. Ash held her gently, his arms providing warmth and comfort. "May...I'm sorry...For everything you have gone through..." he murmured. May looked down, trying to keep her emotions buried. "You've been at this for a very long time...you deserve to let yourself feel again..."
"No, Master...the point of the punishment is to suffer..." May shook her head.
"You've suffered enough," Ash said firmly. Pikachu nuzzled her arm, offering his own form of comfort.
"...Evidently not...the curse remains for a reason..." May said, her voice barely audible. Ash looked her in the eyes, his gaze filled with determination. May blushed slightly at the intensity of his look. Ash gave a small smile, trying to reassure her. "...P-Please don't, Master..."
"Don't what?" Ash asked gently.
"...Emotional control provides stability and perseverance...without it..." May began, her voice trembling.
"You don't have to worry...You won't suffer with me," Ash promised. May clung desperately to the last shreds of her barriers, tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes as Ash realized how truly scared and broken she really was. The emotional walls were here only protection from a flood of pain and emotions behind them. And his compassion for her was breaking through more quickly than he anticipated.
"Master...please stop..."
"I-I'm s-sorry," Ash stammered, his voice filled with regret. May lost the last of her control at his genuine apology and broke down into tears. Ash held her closer, offering silent support. May cried rivers into his tunic, her body shaking with the force of her sobs. Ash rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. "Shh..." May cried centuries worth of tears into his chest, releasing the pent-up emotions she had held back for so long. Ash kissed her forehead gently, his heart breaking for her. May cried for several more minutes before finally forcing herself to try and stop. She wiped the tears off her cheeks, her breathing still shaky. "Are you alright?"
"No, Master..." May sniffled and shook her head.
"I'm sorry...I won't push you so hard again," Ash said softly, regret evident in his tone.
"The emotional control keeps me sane," May murmured, still sniffling.
"No…no May's it's not...It's tearing you apart...you needed that cry," Ash said gently.
"Relief and happiness are not mine to have..." May replied, her voice filled with resignation.
"They should be...no matter what your other masters have said..." Ash said, lifting her chin with a gentle touch. May looked up at him through her still wet eyes, a blush creeping across her cheeks. "...You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen...even when you're crying," Ash said, his voice tender. May blushed profusely at his words. Ash wiped a tear from her cheek, his touch gentle. May blushed even more, feeling a strange warmth spread through her. "...You deserve something you can enjoy now,"
"...Why?" May asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Because it's been forever since you last did...and you were just crying..." Ash explained, slowly letting go and allowing her to turn back to the table.
"...That's not a reason..." May said, shaking her head slightly.
"Of course it is," Ash insisted.
"It's not...I have done nothing worthy of that," May argued.
"Doesn't matter. And even if it did, you saved our lives. Worthy to me," Ash said firmly. May looked down a little, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. At that moment, their food was brought over.
"Here you are sir." the waiter announced, placing a plate in front of each of them. Ash sat back, nodding to the waiter.
"Thank you," he said, then looked at May. May looked at the pie, almost in confusion. It had been so long since she had even attempted to eat something, so her dinner table manners were very out of practice. Ash couldn't help but give a small smile, finding her innocence cute even amid the reasoning for it. "Here," Ash said, showing her how to slice and eat it.
"I-I...um..." May stammered, hesitantly following his lead.
"Give it a try," Ash encouraged with a smile. May took a bite, her movements tentative. "Well?" Ash asked, watching her closely.
"It's...nice, Master," May replied, her voice just the slightest hint warmer than it had been before.
"I'm glad," Ash said, smiling back at her. May forced herself to crack a small smile, feeling a warmth she hadn't felt in centuries. They ate quietly, the silence between them filled with unspoken understanding.
Not long after sunset, May finished her plate, and Ash did the same. They both cleaned the remnants of their meal off their faces and hands, others around them doing the same as everyone started heading back to their homes for the night.
"Thank you...Master..." she said softly.
"Of course, May," Ash replied. May gave a small nod, feeling a strange sense of contentment. Ash paid for their meal and got up. May stood up as well, her movements graceful. "Alright then. Let's get moving,"
"Yes, Master," May replied, following him out of the restaurant. Ash led the way, and May followed close behind, feeling the slightest spark of a glimmer of hope she hadn't felt in a long, long time.
To be Continued...