{Gale's POV}

As I walked through the hallway of Metal's inner secrets I couldn't help but try to get some dirt on him to use as potential blackmail in the future. “Come on, where's the good stuff?” I know that I'm being a total jackass by doing this but Metal had pranked or showed me up way too many times and I want some payback.

Each of the paintings had locks on them that were corrupted by the Apocalypse Magic, blocking them from view. However, I did manage to come across one secret that wasn’t sealed away.

It played and showed Metal and I at a party, I turned away from him and went to Lisa. While my back was turned Metal put something into his drink, looking like some sort of pill that fizzed in the liquid.

“Wait, is that some kind of antidepressant?” The painting stopped and faded to grey, waiting to be played again.

I moved on, finding a few other unlocked secrets that either made me feel bad for the guy or just laugh. Although, I couldn't find any from when he was human, it was all him as Metal Sonic.

As I was about to leave the area and move down the next hallway I saw the last one at the end of the hall with a lock on it, but the lock was severely cracked, all it would take was a quick strike to open it.

Letting my curiosity get the better of me I knocked the lock down and let the secret play. As it progressed my eyes slowly widened and I suddenly felt a sense of dread. “Oh... my... God…”

{Lisa’s Pov}

I looked at the teenager in front of me, of whom I assumed to be Metal. He continued playing the piano, apparently not noticing my presence. I stood and waited as he played the melody, patiently waiting for him to finish. When he finished and sighed. He prepared to begin playing another when I started clapping. With a look of surprise, he turned to me, applauding his little performance. I was conflicted about how his left eye seemed to be corrupted by the Apocalypse Magic, but I continued.

“Bravo Metal! Bravo! I didn’t know you could play the piano.” Metal shook his head, as if trying to determine if I was real or not.

“L-Lisa?”

“In the flesh… or rather, in the soul!”

“What are you doing here?” I crossed my arms and gave him a look.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Metal gave me a quizzical look, clearly not understanding what I meant. “Metal, can you take a guess at where we are?”

“My mind.”

“Yes but where exactly?” Metal paused for a moment, once again confused.

“I don’t know what you mean.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

“Metal, we’re in your subconscious. Deep, in your subconscious. In a place where your consciousness should never travel too, less it might never return. We’re in a place where you have no control over your body, and are a prisoner in your own mind. Do you understand what I mean now?” Metal nodded. “Okay, then I’ll ask you again. Why are you here, or rather why do you think you’re here?”

He remained silent for a moment, his face emotionless. “I'm here because I made yet another mistake.” He turned around and began to play again, but in a soft tune low enough that we could still talk.

“What do you mean, ‘made yet another mistake?’” I asked.

He seemed to tense up, some anger clearly showing. “You know damn well what I mean.” He said with ice in his voice.

I was shocked, through all of the time I had known Metal he had never once talked to me like that, to Gale or a few others sure but this was the first time he had spoken like that to me. “Metal, are you ok?”

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK LISA?!?!” He yelled in fury as he slammed his hands o to the piano.

I was completely taken back by this, first the icy tone, now the yelling.

“ANSWER ME!!! DO I LOOK OK?!?! DOES ANYTHING IN THIS DAMN PLACE LOOK FINE TO YOU?!?!” He turned to look at me from the corner of his right eye, which was filled with anger. Not anger you would feel if something wasn't going your way, no, what Metal was feeling was pure, unadulterated, rage.

I just remained silent, this wasn't the Metal I knew...but was this the real him? Had he been putting on a mask this whole time?

“Metal, nothing about you is fine right now, I know that. I was just asking because I care about you.” I said calmly. “I care about my friends and family, and you're part of my family Metal, so I care about how you feel.”

“Well you shouldn't care about me.” He said simply, not from arrogance or in a dismissive nature, but like he was giving me advice. “The more you care about someone the harder it is when they're taken away from you.”

“That may be true in hindsight, but in reality that’s a stupid idea.” Metal turned to with a tired expression.

“I guess to know why I think that you'd have to have lived my life.” He said quietly. “Lisa, I'm not gonna tell you that I've had it worse off than you.”

I looked at him surprised, usually that's how these situations go. “Why not?”

“Because I already know about your past.” He said tiredly. Okay what? Whoa whoa whoa how in the hell does he know about that?

“How?”

He put a hand to his forehead as if he had a headache. “You honestly didn't think I wouldn't do any research on you guys? On Gale, Auldin and whoever else?” He turned back to his piano and continued to play in a darker tone. “I know about your relationship with Marx, I know about your uncle's lab, I know about your life in Equestria.”

A part of this was just plain creepy.

“Don't worry, I didn't look into your personal shit, I just did research on your past.” He assured, exhaustion clear in his voice.

“Well that's ok, but why?” I asked with curiosity.

“Lisa, you are literally the alternative version of my now dead girlfriend, why the hell wouldn't I look into you?”

I should have guessed, that girl was his girlfriend. “Well that makes sense I suppose.”

“Why are you here Lisa?”

“What?”

“Why are you here? Why venture into my mind just to talk to me like this?” He asked with anger.

“I came here to get you back, that...thing...out there isn't you, I can't stand seeing my friends becoming monsters like that. I've seen Gale turn into a beast, Symbol turn into a fucking Nightmare and now I've seen you become a...a…” I tried to pin exactly what Metal had become on the surface, it wasn't a werehog form I knew that much.

“A wolf?” Metal suggested.

“Yeah, basically.” I sighed and took a step forward. “Metal, you need to get out of this place, you need to take control again! The emeralds are trying to heal that girl out there, but only you know how to use them. You can save her.”

Metal just looked at me and shook his head. “I'm not resurfacing Lisa, I have too much to figure out right now. That thing controlling my body is protecting her right now, I don't need to worry.” He continued playing, the tune being a soothing melody.

“Metal, you can figure everything out when we get you back in your body, we have to go!” I pleaded with him.

“Lisa, do you even know anything about me?” He asked, causing me to stop. “I’m not the cocky Metal Sonic that you've been around, I'm just put on a fake smile to stop you guys from worrying because you have far bigger fish to fry.”

“I do know something about you Metal.” I walked up to him, turned him around, placed my hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes, even the corrupted one. “I know that you care for those around you, I know that deep down you know that you're a good person. You keep fighting for others, you fight for Equestria, you fight to protect those you love and care for.” I smiled at him and raised a brow. “Who is the one searching for the shards to my world? You are. Who just protected an entire universe from nonexistence? You did. Who keeps coming to help me and my clumsy boyfriend? You do.” He just sat there with a blank expression, listening to me list off his accomplishments. “Metal, you are hands down one of the best people I know, you're probably the only one I know that hasn't gone on some rage induced murder spree.” I cupped his cheek in my hand and gave him a caring smile. “Metal, I am so lucky to have met you. I don't care if you've only been taking care of me because I remind you of your girlfriend. You still see me as me, not her. You've been trying so hard to help everyone and have asked nothing in return. I know how exhausting your life in Equestria is, you don't get any rest, yet you still keep fighting and putting up with whatever the multiverse throws at you with your head held high.” I blushed and looked away slightly. “To be honest, have I not met Gale, I probably would have wanted to be with you.”

He just looked at me surprised, letting what I had said sink in. “Lisa…”

I put a finger to his lips to silence him. “Our little secret, ok?” He nodded. “Now, I may not be able to be your lover-”

“Actually you and Gale can join the harem, but that's something I think we should stay clear of.” He stated.

“Yeah, no offence but I’m not one to join a harem. If I’m going to be dating someone, then they’re only gonna have me.” I replied. “Anyway, like I was saying. I may not be able to love you like a lover, but I can love you as a sister.” I walked up to him and ruffed up his hair a little. I took a better look at his form and giggled a little.

“What?”

“Metal, how old are you?”

“Um, seventeen. Why?” I just started to laugh harder. “What?”

“I guess that makes me your big sister!”

“Wait what? How old are you?”

“Metal, asking a woman her age is rude. But, if you must know, I’m twenty one.”

“I don't care, I'm already a jackass, saying I'm rude is a compliment to me. But twenty one? Damn, you have aged well.” I smacked Metal upside the head for that. “Ow what the-”

“Twenty one isn’t that old dumbass.”

“I meant you looked like you were in your teens, Jesus!” I rolled my eyes. Excuses excuses. “Well anyways how old is Gale?”

“Twenty two.”

“That goofball? He’s twenty two?”

“Yes. Why, does that surprise you?

“Nah, I kinda expected he'd be somewhere around that age anyway.” He laughed for a second before his smile turned to a frown and he looked down.

“What's wrong?”

He looked to the left and covered his corrupted eye with his hand. “Lisa...I don't think this is fair.”

“What?”

“I know all about your past, yet you don't know anything about mine.”

“Oh I know more than you'd guess.” Metal looked at me questioningly.

“How?”

“I met your mom and dad.”

He looked at me with wide eyes, he slowly stood up and grasped me by the shoulders. “What did you just say?”

“I met your mom and dad. Your mother has been Cosmo all this time, and your father is a void dweller. Not a displacer mind you, but a void dweller. They both did whatever they could to help Gale and I get in here and save you.”

“Cosmo...she's...my mom…” He collapsed to his knees and looked to his hands. “My dad...a void dweller. I can't believe it...they're still alive. I thought...I thought I was an orphan.”

“Yeah, well you aren’t. And they’re both pretty sure your sister is still alive too. Though, they haven’t managed to track her down. That’s why you haven’t met your father yet. He’s been looking for your little sister.”

Tears began to form in his eyes. “Marcy...is alive too?”

“Yes, they’re pretty sure. So since you’ve got quite a bit of people to get back to, quit wallowing in your self pity and let’s get out of here. Your mother is especially worried about you.”

As I got up and began walking towards the hallway I felt Metal grab my arm. “Wait.” I turned to him and saw he had a look of shame in his eyes. “When I said I wanted to tell you of my past...I didn't mean what you had told me. I mean what happened after. How I became like this, how I met Myles and Connel… what I did to my world’s Gale…”

“Your world’s Gale?” I questioned.

“Yeah...his name was Martin on my world...and I...I…” He sighed and looked away. “It's better if I show you.” He began walking down the hall of memories that I had came in through, I hadn't looked at any of the paintings as I respected Metals privacy, but he was showing me his past now, I had to see what he wanted to show me, so I followed him. “That girl out there, her name is Samantha, Samantha Jackson, you already know that she's my worlds version of you. Martin, my worlds version of Gale...let's just say...he wasn't the most mentally stable person in the world.”

I started to feel nervous about what he was about to show me, the way he was talking wasn't helping me either.

We reached the hall of memories and I had noticed that many of the paintings had changed from us to a group of humans. “I've moved some of the memories to speed things up.” He said.

“You can do that?”

“It's my mind Lisa, I can do whatever I want in here.” He sighed and stopped by a painting. He touched it and it began to play.

It showed a young boy, probably about fifteen, smoking a cigarette in an alleyway. He had a pure white jacket on, he had spiky black hair and a blue right eye, the other covered by a black eyepatch. “Is that-”

“Yes...that's me.” Metal said with a sigh.

The painting continued and a girl came rushing up to him with a panicked expression. Metal looked at the girl with a raised brow before taking the cigarette out of his mouth. “What's wrong Sam?” He asked.

“He’s back Metal, he's coming after me again.” This confused me, the girl was calling him Metal, why?

Metal just sighed and put the cigarette back in his mouth. “Samantha, get behind me. I'm taking care of this.”

The girl did as she was told and got behind Metal who had taken his back off the wall and now stood with his hands in his jean pockets in the middle of the alley.

Just then another boy, around seventeen years old, came running into the alley but stopped as he saw Metal. He looked like Gale did in his human form, but his hair was grey and he looked like he had just escaped from a loony bin. “Alright Martin, what do you want?” Metal asked in annoyance.

“What do I want?! You know what I want! I want my girlfriend back!” Martin yelled in a psychotic voice.

“Now why is it that you think she is YOUR girlfriend?” Metal asked as he blew a cloud of smoke.

“WHY?!” Martin then gave a psychotic laugh. “ISN’T IT OBVIOUS?!” Martin then held up a heart shaped locket. “WHY WOULD SHE GIVE ME THIS IF SHE DOESN'T LOVE ME?!” Martin calmed down slightly and smirked. “C’mon Met, we're best friends, surely you understand.”

Metal glared at Martin and crushed his cigarette in his hand. “Best friends? Was setting fire to the orphanage we all lived in a sign of friendship?!”

Martin then laughed. “Oh come on! Life in there was hell! Remember?! I got rid of the bad memories, I freed us all from the years of torment! I did it for you...BEST FRIEND!”

“Martin, just give yourself up, you need help.” Samantha pleaded, but Metal just pushed her back gently before turning to Martin with a burning rage in his right eye.

“You have never once, ever could be, or ever will be my friend! Ever!” He yelled. “You sick, twisted, FUCK!!!” Metal grabbed the side of his head. “I put up with you for seven Goddamn years! Because for some reason, I actually thought you WERE my friend!”

“We can be best friends if you just give SAMANTHA BACK TO ME!!!” Martin began walking towards them.

Metal growled and jumped him. “Fuck, you!” The two began to wrestle each other. Metal had began pushing him back towards a bridge on the next street. Samantha only watched with her hands over her mouth as she watched them.

Martin pushed Metal against the railing of the bridge that sat above a deep river that was thrashing violently. Metal then grabbed Martins arms and threw him over the rail, sending him falling to his doom. He got to his feet and looked down, finding no trace of Martin. It would take a miracle for him to survive in those conditions.

Samantha walked up and propped Metal up with her shoulder, helping him walk. “Are you ok?”

Metal caught his breath and looked to Samantha with a weak smile. “Yeah...I'm alright...let’s just go home ok?” With that the two of them began slowly walking away and the memory ended.

Metal turned to me with a shameful look. “That’s… what I meant. I killed him without remorse, I didn’t even care that he was dead. I… I just…” I quickly gave him a hug, making him shut up.

“Hey, it’s okay Metal. You did what you had to, to protect that girl. You don’t have a reason to be remorseful about that.”

“You have no idea how hard it is to know that another version of him is now my best friend. I constantly worry that one day Gale will end up like Martin…I've even made plans to kill him if he does.” I simply shook my head.

“Nah, I don’t think that’s possible.” Metal gave me a questioning look.

“How do you know for certain?”

“Because, he beat Xram out of his mind, and Xram is the most corrupting force in the multiverse. If Gale can resist him, then he can resist his own insanity. Besides, he’ll have me, his brother, his niece and nephew, and quite a few others. And to top it off, he’s a robot. He can simply have his systems reset his sanity levels at any time. I’ve seen him do it too.”

Metal gave me another questioning look.

“When was that?”

“Our world’s Pinkie got a hold of some highly, and I do mean HIGHLY, concentrated sugar cookies. Everyone lost their minds. Kinda funny now that I think about it.”

Metal just shook his head. “I don't even know how to respond to that one.”

I chuckled as we started to walk. “Don’t try to.”

{Gale’s POV}

I couldn’t believe my eyes. What the hell was this? This was something that should have been buried in the deep archives of Metal’s mind. This was an idea that should have been under better lock down.

This was a plan to kill me.

I stared in horror as the window displayed details and facts about me, ones that very few know of, and some that I’ve never told anyone about! There were lists on my strengths, weaknesses, abilities and powers. All sorts of things that made this look like a hit list. There were battle strategies, scenarios, and other such things that labeled this as a full fledged plan just waiting to be used. I took a step back. This can’t be real, it doesn’t make sense! Why would my best friend have plans to kill me? What was the point in that? What could he possibly gained if I died?!

I took a deep breath and attempted to calm myself. This was probably just contingency plan that he made after I got possessed by Xram. I mean, if anyone got possessed by that guy, I would too. Yeah, that was the reason. He was just planning ahead in case Xram took control of me again. I sighed in relief, knowing my friend still cared about me. However, there was still a little part of me that was wary of that plan, and what it could still possibly mean. I tried to brush it off but the feeling wouldn’t leave, so I continued onward hoping that it would clear up later.

“Alright, how do I get out of here?” I looked around in an attempt to find an exit. After a bit of searching, I decided to head down another hall of secrets, figuring I would eventually find my way out. As I walked I came across another window with a weak lock on it. I considered opening it, but decided against it as it may just make me panic even more. I turned and walked away.

And yet with every step I took, I could not help but feel drawn to the sealed away secret. Every footstep was met with a yearning desire to turn around and unlock the secret. I did my best to resist it, but then a little voice in my head decided to convince me.

What if it’s important? Well yeah it probably was. I mean, you don’t just lock something away without reason. What if it concerns that plan of Metal’s? I highly doubt it. If I was right then there shouldn’t be anything linked to that plan. What if it’s the reason he made that plan in the first place?

I stopped dead in my tracks, then slowly turned to look at the locked up window. Could it be related to the reason? That was highly unlikely. But… maybe just one look wouldn’t hurt.

I turned back and walked up to the secret. With a bit of force I blasted the lock away, allowing me to see what was behind this lock...I really wish I had just left it alone.

I couldn’t believe it. No, no this wasn’t possible. In this secret, this window, this painting, there were plans. Plans, and facts. Facts, about Lisa. What she liked, what she hated, and what she thought of Metal. This plan, this secret… it was a plan to- no! I can’t think like that! This was probably just some little squabble Metal had when he first met Lisa. That’s understandable. This was just some stupid thing he made a long time ago. He wasn’t going to go through with this.

I nodded to myself thinking I had come to the correct conclusion. I then walked off, planning to give Metal a hard time when I found him. When I turned a corner, I saw them.

Metal and Lisa…

Hugging…

And Lisa kissing his forehead...

{Lisa’s Pov}

As we walked, Metal showed me more of his past life on Earth.

“Life was unforgiving for us. Connel, Myles, Samantha, my little sister Marceline and I. After my mother had disappeared Marcy and I were found by a friend and we were taken to an orphanage after my mother had been confirmed dead...I guess that was a lie. Anyways, once at the orphanage at the age of six we met Myles and Connel. Myles was a really thin seven year old and Connel was this huge eight year old. We became best friends, almost like siblings. Our caretaker was the meanest, most abusive bitch you could ever meet. She didn't let any of us get adopted, always shooed away potential couples. Over the years I was bullied by the other kids because of my eyes, one blue and the other red. The guys and my sis stood up for me sure, but it just kept coming. Until one day when I found an eyepatch that belonged to a kid that had gone missing the previous year and started wearing it. The teasing stopped. Over the years we had been sneaking out at night, stealing money from anywhere we could to eventually buy at least some crumby apartment. After nine hard years we had gathered enough money, Connel having put it in a savings account. He was old enough to buy off a small appartment for us. So one night, we all snuck out of the top floor window of the orphanage, not before I put a knife in our abusers leg though, I wanted revenge for the amount of times she hit Marcy.”

He took in a breath and moved onto the next painting, it was him when he was a teen.

“I was fifteen at the time. Samantha had just gone missing, I had met her during my last year at the orphanage and we had been getting really close in that time, eventually dating. I was so heartbroken, and my sister had gone missing the month after. They were both confirmed dead, their bodies found in the woods. When I had attended their funeral I met my uncle, and he was the biggest piece of shit that ever existed. He was driving me back to the apartment when he made some smart remark about what had happened.”

He choked slightly but continued. “He then started to insult my mom and dad, I told him to stop but he kept the insults coming...the last straw was when he said that they all deserved to die.” The image showed Metal punching the guy driving and throwing him out of the car. The two began to fight and Metal backed him up towards a nearby cliff before kicking him over the edge and sending him falling to the sharp rocks below. “Yet another life I had took...and I didn't even feel bad about anything...but that made me feel bad, not feeling bad made me feel bad...how does that even work? It was because of those feelings that I had grown tired of losing people, watching them vanish out of thin air. That feeling of betrayal...is worse than anything.” He began to tear up again and I hugged him tightly.

“Hey, hey. It’s going to be okay Metal, you’ll see.” He seemed to snuggle deeper into my embrace. I kissed him on the head as a show of sisterly affection. “Everything’s going to be alright.”

Then suddenly, a ball of energy came out of nowhere, and everything went white. I watched in slow motion as the ball hit Metal right in the side of his torso, the look of shock on his face was haunting. He fell on his side, grasping his torso in pain. Everything started to break down and we were thrown out of the mindscape.

Author's Notes:

There it is, Metals past life.

Some feels coming up next chapter.