Sage:
Sitting up, everyone was pacing back and forth. Leaping off of my bed, I tugged on my sweatshirt and pants. Panic rounded my eyes, her frightened thoughts were coursing through my mind. Unable to focus, Wolfston blocking my path snapped me back to reality. Lifting up my sweatshirt, fresh blood stained my gauze. Poking the gauze, inky blackness glistened on my fingertip. Nothing was going to stop me from getting to her, my patience wearing thin. No one stole my wife and lived to tell the tale, a simmering rage boiling in my veins.
"You can't go anywhere like this." She warned hotly, a snarl twitching on my lips. "Sit back down so we can think ab-" Sunny stepped out of the shadows with everyone else staying with us. Presenting their weapons, half of the officers were standing behind them. Clearing her throat, she rested her ax on her shoulders. Smiling softly to myself, our family had chosen to pull through. Of course, she had impressed enough people to get to this point.
"We want to help get her back. Arty is too important to me. I do love her after all. Ash is leaving the twins with Mouse, and the others." She proclaimed venomously, every one cheering behind her. A couple of gangs ran to her side, all of them were ready to fight for her as well. Tracing the butt of my gun, that bastard was going to pay. Morado chose to stay behind with the children as we marched onto the ashy devastation. About one hundred demons laughed maniacally as they emerged from the shadows. Officers raised their blessed guns, Sunny and the others spinning their weapons in their palms. An oppressive silence hung between us, low growls rumbling in everyone's throats. Wolfston popped up by my side with her needles shining in between her fingers, her first aid bag hung off of her back. Ready for anything, my side began to sting angrily. Grunting gruffly, I didn't know how long I had left.
"Like hell I am going to let anyone die today." She laughed wickedly, raising her hands over her head. "I can take these guys out in seconds. Cover my ass." Water dripped onto my skin, the burning speaking of a purified holy water. Flicking her wrists, the needles rained down on them. Landing in the center of their heads, her intense eyes fell on me. Pulling out another round as everyone else was destroying the demons lunging at her, her next words sent chills up my spine. She really loved her master, my respect for growing once more.
"Look at us not wearing masks and fighting this head on. Go ahead with Sunny and Blizzard. We will catch up with you." She assured me warmly, a white pill dropping into my palm. "Take this and you will heal right up. Go on. We have the numbers down to what the officers and I can handle. Rattler will take you right up to the president's office. Get our girl home." Winking as Rattler and his girl rushed to my side, I downed the pill. My wound sealed shut, ash beginning to snow around me. Grabbing my hand, his speed had me nauseated beyond belief. Blizzard and Sunny cut down the demons chasing after us. Inky blood soaked their faces, both of them cutting them down with ease. Mouthing a silent spell, inky ribbons of water trapped a dozen in their place. Sunny swinging her ax with a new vigor, their severed heads decaying to ash before they hit the street. Tears flooded from her eyes, bullets now popping a distance from us. Arty, hold on. We are coming for you, my dear wife. Skidding to a stop in front of the tallest building, a needle from Wolfston shattered the locked glass doors. Shooting her a thumbs up back at her, she nodded once. Only our team remained, Wolfston explaining that she sent the officers and gangsters home to get some rest. They would only get in the way at this point, most of us wanting to keep them all alive. Stepping into the building, it really looked out of place with all of the ashy remains around it. No more guards remained, only the criminals waiting for us. The criminals from the prison spun homemade shanks, endless insults directed at me poured from their lips. Massaging my forehead, we need them back in their cells alive. Taunting us further, we took a second to come up with a plan. Attacking this smartly would reduce casualties, we all wondered what Arty would do.
"Knock them out and bind them up. We need to get them back in the prison." I commanded irritably, wanting to get to my wife. "Then I want you to watch them for me while I kill the bastard. The city will be ours after this." Noting our inky painted faces, they were all ready to win this battle. Wolfston and Sunny put their weapons away, Rattler telling them to cover their mouths and nose as he pushed me ahead. Pulling out a dark purple gem, he swallowed it as they covered their mouths and nose with what they could. Placing his hand by his mouth, a venomous gas filled the space. My boots pounded up the stairs, the prisoners dropping to the floor. Restraining them with what they could, the last part was my job. Sprinting down the hall, a fog curled from the president's office. Changing my gun into the Holy Rainmaker, the muzzle extended to a mix of a rifle and a shotgun. The cross glowed to life, a rush of warm energy coursing through me. Kicking down the door, my wife trembled in a cage made of black iron with his water powers constantly putting out her lightning. Lighting up at the sight of me, the bastard charged at me. Dodging his attacks, the punches that did hit me felt like nothing. Something was off, muscles groaning while bones cracked. Shifting into a twenty foot onyx dog with horns, the realization that I only had one shot struck me in a punch to the gut. One chance stood between our success, my hands trembling. Would I be able to take the final shot? Arty crying stole my attention, her sad smile waking me up enough to dodge another attack. Kicking at her cage, a deviant smile grew on her bruised face. Messing with a loose bar, it clattered to the marble floor. Crawling out, lightning crackled to life. Struggling to her feet, the tattered maid's uniform infuriated me. How dare he make her serve her? She deserved better, her shaky stance not convincing me otherwise.
"You have one shot, right!" She bellowed over his snarls, her charm extending into a full blown scythe. "I don't have much but I can buy you time." Flashing me her real smile, blood seemed to be pouring from her nose before she began. Shaking off her pain, wonder brightened my eyes at her sliding underneath him. Spinning her scythe over her head, her tattoo caught my eyes. Small dots of black oozed from her back, her sharp whistle had his attention. Watching was all I could do, the helplessness of the situation threatening to drown me.
"You have the breath of a dying dog." She taunted with a wicked laugh, his paw heading for her. "Oh, the good boy wants to give me his paw. Take this." Black water canceled out her light lightning, the scythe slicing up his pad. Whimpering in pain, her feet moved with every grace with spin dodging his increasingly frantic attacks. Moving over towards the curtains, her slender fingers ripped off the golden rope. Leaping into the air, her smile never left her face. The rope fluttered behind her, his snarls increasing the moment she landed on his back. Running up it, she whipped it around his neck. Skidding to a shaking halt, the lightning traveled down to the rope to his neck. The smell of burnt flesh sickened me, his body crashing to the floor. Hurt dimmed her eyes, the golden heart caring for the monster. Not shocked by this, she usually ran by believing that people could be redeemed. Sauntering up to him, the end was pressed in between his eyes. Undoing the safety, my finger hesitated on the trigger. Blood oozed from her eyes and ears now, her suffering stealing that fear away. Tugging the trigger, the holy bullet crashed through his skull. Leaping off of him, her body collapsed into my arms. Watching my gun shrink back down, a sense of relief washed over me. The ground quaked with every jerk of his body, something telling me to get down to his level. Crouching down to his level, Arty stirred awake. Crawling over to him, she tugged his head onto her lap. Petting his bloody fur, her lips brushed against the top of his head. Humming a song foreign to me, her tears mixed with the blood soaking his fur. Seeing her like this made me fall for her even harder, her kindness was really something to behold.
"Lord from up above, purify his soul and perish his sins." She prayed kindly, kissing him sweetly. "Please give him a second chance." The third kiss caused him to fade into a flurry of golden rose petals, his soul resting in her palms. Rising to her feet, Albert ran up to greet her in his reaper's robe. Shrinking her scythe back into the charm, the two of them sobbed tears of tainted joy. Placing his soul into his palm, they embraced each other warmly before he walked back into the shadows. Standing stiffly in her place, her quaking hands wiping away her tears. Spinning on her heels, bewilderment mixed with relief. Leaping into my arms, her lips kissed mine feverishly. A tender blush rose to my cheeks, her body feeling so warm in my arms. Refusing to let her go, her emotions soaked my shoulders. Glancing up at me with wet eyes, her real smile never left her face. Curious at what she was going to say, the relief of seeing her alive enough to make me want to jump up and down.
"We did it! We did it!" She gushed happily, unable to stop crying. "Something I did actually worked out." Kissing the top of her head, I began the walk back down to our family. Turning the last corner, the poisonous gas had been aired out. Leaping out of my arms, she spun around. Ready to present the news, the serenity on her face spoke of the reward of a long fought battle.
"The city is ours!" She announced with an even wider smile, everyone smashing into her. Hugging them the best she could, wails from everyone echoed in the air. Letting out a cheer, our goal had been met. Yawning groggily, I let sweet slumber steal me away.
A year had passed, Vixen City had replaced the old city name. People bustled about the large market, the people from the bunker had merged wonderfully with the others. Loads of them chose to work the farmland, the brick buildings lining the street were full of life. Arty walked down the street with our three kids hanging off of her, her quiet expression scaring me. Mental scars still haunted her but it seemed as of late that she was handling everything a bit better. Brightening up a bit at the glimpse of me, her real smile illuminated her features. Blizzard and Tatty walked next to her with big smiles, Carma hanging off of Blizzard's back. Seeing her so serene was a far cry from last year, her natural ability to converse with everyone melted my heart. Sunny brushed past me with Mouse on her arms. The two of them wore matching white dresses with golden hems. Today was the festival of our freedom, Dilly finding his way over to Arty. Walking towards a flower covered stage, Sunny took her spot as the new president. A sharp whistle had everyone by the stage, Sunny asking for Arty to take a spot next to her. Both of them had long waves cascading down there backs. Taking her place at the podium, she cleared her throat. Wolfston took the spot next to me, Steph sitting on her shoulders. Wearing the matching golden dresses with an empire waistline, their eyes twinkled with joy.
"Look at our girl up there. It was because of her we got here." She mused jovially, Sunny attempting to shut down the excessive cheering. "Did I tell you that the hospital is up and running? Also the prison is doing wonderfully with her updates." Arty blushed fiercely, her fingers tugging at her police chief uniform that consisted of a navy jacket and pencil skirt. Pride swelled in my eyes at her being back in a police chief uniform once more, her proper place having been claimed.
"I have you gathered today to honor our Police Chief Artica with the hero's medal. Last year we honored our beloved Sage. This year is the year of the fox demon. I had a whole speech planned." She sobbed blithely, tucking her hair behind her ear. "How do I put this? She found me in my darkest times and became like my sister. Every course of action she took lead us to here, our sacrifices weren't for nothing. When we were in the bunker, she worked hard everyday to ensure our safety of everyone. Let's honor our city's founder!" Cheers erupted as she lowered the golden vixen over her neck, her hand motioning for Arty to speak. Ruffling Mouse's hair, her lips brushed against the top of her head. Taking her place, her shaking hand adjusted the microphone. The lights highlighted her beautiful scars, her real smile winning them over. Every scar spoke of her struggles, the outcome being better than we ever could have imagined.
"Hello, my fellow people. I am so honored to receive this medal even if I invented it. I vow to protect you all from any harm that comes our way. I love how magically this all came together. Let's celebrate the anniversary of our city and have some fun!" She shouted with pure hope in her voice, her finger pointing to the sky. Lightning shot from her finger, each bolt creating a blossom of electricity in the sky. Excusing herself off the stage, music blared to life. Dancing over to me, our twins bounced by my feet. Scooping them up, the matching sage outfits looked adorable on them. Alfred cooed in his sling, his sage tuft tickling her chin. His sage fox ears pinned back, his sage fox tail swinging with joy. Grinning sweetly at me with his inky black lips, his left ruby eye twinkling as much as his right black eye. Smoothing out my simple black suit, her lips kissed mine passionately. Enjoying the festivities, we all crashed into bed with full bellies and smiles on our faces.
Bright morning rays blinded me, Arty was poking me with her finger. Yawning groggily, she had a leather number on. The worn jet black dress had that deep v-neck that she always loved, her cleavage causing me to get a little to excited. Digging her heel into the wooden floor of her bedroom, the sudden increase in light painted her dainty features perfectly. Leaning forward, her waves falling off my shoulder stole my breath away.
"Get dressed, I have a fun day planned for us." She sang while spinning around our room, her boots clicking to a stop. "Mouse wanted some aunt time and I couldn't resist. My dear friend wants me to chat with him. He mumbled something about a surprise. Get dressed." Throwing on her cloak, she tossed me a black dress shirt and pants. Tugging them on, my ears popped up at her real smile. Hooking her elbows in mine, a bag bounced off of her hip. Guiding me through the sleepy town, we paused in front of the church. The empty shelters remained, standing as a haunting reminder of what the city once was. Garden boxes after garden boxes were full of healthy vegetables, Ash pulling her in. The children rushed up to her, all of them burying their face into her legs. Patting all of their heads, her smile grew even brighter. Children, she still loved these children as her own. Once a week, Arty couldn't help but to put them to bed after eating dinner with them. Suggesting a game of hide and seek, they all padded away. Laughing softly to herself, her loud voice counting bounced off the walls. My breath hitched at how beautiful she was at this moment, her golden aura burning brighter than before. She loved the community as much as they loved her, the kids all pretending to hide.
"I had better not see you!" She joked tenderly, turning her back. The kids all held homemade books in their hands, fat tears hitting the floor the moment she turned around. Presenting them with pride, she crouched down to their level. Accepting their books with warm bear hugs, a kiss on each forehead had them smiling even wider. Rising to her feet, her slender hands slid the books into the bag. Grinning even wider, her serene expression had returned for a second. Raising her finger in the air, a gentle chuckle poured from her lips.
"Shall I read each one to you every bedtime for the rest of eternity." She laughed in a motherly tone, all of them jumping up and down. "I have to make a pit stop but I will help you guys with lunch when I get back. How does that sound? Heck, you can even show me your vivacious garden." All of them hugged her one last time, the little pairs of feet following the to the portal to the bunker. Waving goodbye one last time, we stepped through into an empty space. Tears welled up in her eyes, her hand reaching for mine. Curling my fingers around hers, we poked our head into Mouse's room, our memories of her playing out in our heads. Mouse sat in different positions, the last memory of her with our twins fading away. Wiping away her tears, she checked in the kitchen. Tracing the counter, memories of her teaching everyone how to cook caused a sad smile to dim her face. Watching them all get yelled at by her, a quiet laugh escaped her lips. Pausing in our bedroom, my strong arms clutched her close to my chest. Sobbing into my shoulder, so much had happened. Gazing upon me with all the love in her eyes, her slender hand dragged me into the dining room. Standing in front of the wall, nails waited for something. Setting the bag on the table, her fingers laid the masks where everyone once sat. Seconds from crying, the image had me missing all the meals we shared together. Glancing behind me, Alfred waved at me. Silent tears stained my cheeks, our friendship breaking my heart all over again. Her words brought me back, her shattered expression breaking me down.
"I wanted to bring these home since we didn't need them anymore." She wept with mixed emotions, pausing at hers. "For years I wore this to rescue people when I could. To think that I don't need her anymore." Clutching it close to her chest, tears dripped off of the edges. Setting it back down, she placed Albert's on the wall first. Next was Sunny and then everyone else. Only our masks remained, her fingers gripping hers as I held mine with an odd sadness. So many great memories happened with this mask, my eyes falling on a trembling Arty. Placing mine in the center, her fingers refused to let go. Struggling to let go of the past, each step looked like she was walking through quick sand. Hovering by the wall, her fingers traced the diamonds. Struggling to keep it together, the mask meant so much more to her.
"I am going to treasure this place forever and what these mean. So much sacrifice rests underneath each mask, the secrets of our memories making them sparkle more. Do you remember when you kissed me in that cave?" She choked out brokenly, her eyes averting to the cracked concrete. "I had thought that Heaven had granted me a gift far greater than anyone could ever imagine. My white knight had found me and I couldn't ever leave you again. When that evil king had me in his grasp, your smile got me through the pain and stress. Without you, I would have given up and died alone. I love you, Sage." Stunned by her words, my hands cupped hers. Helping her place it on the nail, her ears tickled my chin the moment she rested her head on my chest.
"I was so happy to see you kidnapping me, Arty. I knew it was you the instant you saved me. Who else would cut the power and be that clever. You stole my heart, you clever little fox." I admitted sheepishly, kissing the top of her head. "I remember this feisty little four year old fox girl crashing into my room with that breathtaking smile of yours. Then you grew up with me, my heart fell harder for you day by day. Something about the way you would make Mouse feel better reminded me of a family. I have something for you." Fishing around my boot, the bullet that freed the city hung off of a gold chain. Dropping it over her head, her fingers played with the crushed metal. Her tail wagged slowly, her other hand tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Here's to new beginnings." She chirped cheerfully, pulling out a bench. "Join me in remembering everything." Taking a seat next to her, her head rested on my shoulders. Curling her tail around my leg, my ears popped up. Praying for good luck and grace, Arty deserved the tainted happy ending she got.