EDIT: Fixed an error with the title.

Yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo, folks! So, here it is, the long awaited romance arc! And it's got a LOOOOOOOOOOT of twists. Hopefully they won't make you all flip out and call me a hack, because I put all my heart and soul into making these chapters. This one is right up there, too.

Anyways, I know what you're thinking, 'where's 28?' Well, it's gonna be postponed until two, or at least one, other story gets more up to date. Details about 28 will leak, as well as about that story it's linked to (no, tis not a crossover chapter, don't worry) but otherwise, things will be silent on terms of the 28th chapter.

Also, this is a crossover with "I Dream". Check it out, it's just been rewritten and already has seven new chapters up!

いいえ、私は彼女と一緒に出荷するつもりはありません。私は彼女の希望のオタクファンボーイだからです。私は、デュオが思ったよりもよく合っていることを見つけて、それで行きました。

Whoever guesses/figures out that code wins a cookie!

Ciao!

-Timeless

Something was...different. I could hear things better. Feel things better. I could feel heavy wind, heavy rain, hear the crack and boom of thunder. I could feel that I was quickly getting soaking wet, as well.

I could also hear...cheering?

That’s...very weird. Last thing I remember is being on a mountaintop, in Heaven. Did God suddenly change my personal Heaven, or something?

I opened my eyes, seeing quickly that my glasses were coated in raindrops. I wiped them away with a grunt, sitting up and pulling my cloak over me and looking around.

“Where…?” My eyes immediately widened.

I was in familiar territory. But...also not. I didn’t know exactly why, but there was a sinking feeling in my gut as I stood up on the apparent street.

Said street was made of cobblestone, but also not. It was more like someone had made countless lightning bolt symbols on random stones and tossed them into the mix when they were making the street. In consistent and frequent intervals, there were also what I assumed to be sewer drains.

“Oi! Git outta the street, you idiot!” a voice called to me over the din of the storm, somehow easily heard despite it. I looked to the source and saw...a Storm Creature. The pit in my stomach grew as I quickly got out of the street and onto the sidewalk as a carriage came barreling by, followed swiftly by a cart. Almost all of them were metal, but obviously not automated.

I looked around. Numerous semi-modern looking buildings created a strange cityscape, as while many of them looked modern, they also looked like someone just went completely nuts with trying to make the walls or entire building a statue.

One building looked like it was just a glorified lightning rod holder, showing a Storm Creature holding up two massive lightning rods, but, I could just notice that there were power lines swaying under its arms, up towards it’s head, and into its mane, where I noticed a lot of lights and windows between or built into what looked like braids on the statues' mane.

Many other buildings were similar, and a lot more looked to be under construction still. Hell, further out across the cityscape, I could just barely make out a platform for...something, wasn’t sure what at this distance.

I looked back to the source of the cheering. There was a massive stadium just a few hundred feet in front of me, massive statues all around it.

I noticed the flags all around then.

‘Fight The Storm Queen! Win her Hand!’ was written in English, and some other script.

“...Fuck.”

Lucette sighed as she sheathed her Moonlight Greatsword, looking down at the Skili passed out below her. “This is the 8th suitor today… Jeez…”

She was in the arena where she had held the Festival of Strength and Fellowship, her people all in the stands and the Warrior Nobles in their own special seats in them.

Contrary to what one might believe, said Nobles were not cheering. In fact, only the common folk were cheering, give or take a few hundred.

The reason for this was simple. It was the Week of the Intimate, the Skili equivalent of Hearts and Hooves Day, or Valentines Day. However, unlike those holidays, this one lasted one whole week, and was traditionally one where Skili would duel the fairer sex to win their hand in marriage. Naturally, this was not the only way to get married in the Storm Kingdom, but it was one of the most common.

And, naturally, Lucette was a target, for many of the Warrior-Nobles, the common folk, and even her own soldiers, all vying for her hand in marriage. In the case of the Nobles, it was to secure closer ties with the Crown. In the case of the soldiers, it was because they admired her and her strength, and many a Skili admired a strong female. And for the case of the common folk, it was one or the other, if not both.

However, the Warrior-Nobles were silent, solely because their last champion had failed to best her.

“This is getting ridiculous…” Lucette muttered, watching as some medics took the challenger/suitor away. ‘I mean, I could just deny every proposal, but the problem with that is that it would hurt my reputation. And the last thing I want is for my people to see me as a coward.’ She sighed, rubbing her neck as the rain fell on her masked face. ‘It was fun at first, even if it was ultimately to win my hand, but now? Now it’s just getting old. And uncomfortable.’

She looked up to the giant digital clock across the arena and groaned. “Ugh, still not afternoon.” She looked behind her. “Who’s next?” she called.

“I wasn’t looking to join, let go of me plea- Whoa!” She paused as she saw the gates close behind a strange man in a far-too-soaked white linen cloak. She knew immediately he was a Displaced. Humans didn’t frequent Equus - or Durkz, as her people called the world - save for maybe that mysterious Mirror World that she still needed to question Twilight about.

She shook her head. ’Regardless, he’s got a Dark Souls weapon. I’d recognize the Bluemoon Greatsword anywhere. Dark Souls 2 mainer, maybe?’ She hummed, turning around to face the man fully. ’I should be careful. It could have been infused for all I know. Or have other tricks. That katana as well...very ornate. Ornate, however, usually means less function.’ “Don’t see much else on him, either… A lot of pouches, though, could hold some tricks.”

“You could be right,” Ventus mused in her comms. “His swords definitely feel...off, too. Like a mixture of Light and Dark are in ‘em. And something else.”

“Noted.” Lucette raised her voice more as the man stared at her. “What’s your name, kid?” She called.

The man continued to stare for a bit, before slumping heavily and trudging over through the mud.

"Goddammit, was trying to walk away, but no no, they see one guy with weapons and they pull him in, thinking he's a contender!" She heard him grumble under his breath as he approached. “Call me Hamin!” he shot back. “Mind if I ask a few things?” he asked as he drew closer. She tilted her chin up at him, to let him know she was listening. “Can we do this fight without any extra gear? No armor, just clothes, and no weapons, just fists?” He started to shrug off his stuff.

Those in the crowd started to murmur loudly.

Lucette hummed, then grinned. “Sure, kid.” With that, she called out, “Close the roof!” Soon after, the roof started to close, and when it did, only then did she dismiss her armor, standing now in a simple yet tight jumpsuit of royal purple.

The man sighed. “Also, I’d...like to ask that my stuff be treated with respect. I...have things in these pouches that are close to the heart.”

Lucette hummed again. ’Intriguing kid.’ She narrowed her eyes at him briefly. ’How old is he, anyway? Looks at least to be in his early twenties. Not terribly fit, but at least he doesn’t have chub weighing him down from what I can tell. Tunics too tight to NOT get a clear view of his torso, honestly.’ Lucette nodded slowly. “Very well.” She looked to the referee nearby. “You. See to it those items are stored safely away.” The referee nodded, soon calling others to take the items into storage lockers further in the coliseum.

Lucette cracked her knuckles as the referee came back. “So, ready, kid?”

He did the same, cracking his knuckles, with the addition of his neck...and a few other stretches. After he was done, he got in a stance that honestly threw Lucette for a loop. One fist hovered over the other, which was pulled back, almost like he was channeling energy into it, but she saw and felt nothing. Furthermore, his stance was wide, but not terribly firm.

The referee blew a whistle, and Lucette charged.

She started with a haymaker to the face, but he dodged just barely and went to slam his fist into her gut. In response, she twirled out of the way, the motion being accompanied by her leg snapping up for a kick to his side.

It landed, and he fell to the ground, took a deep breath as he did, and rolled out of it just as Lucette made to slam both fists into his head. He blocked it barely with his own fists, but clearly underestimated her strength and fell flat on his face in the mud.

Some in the crowd began to laugh at this, but they stopped immediately when the man slowly picked himself back up, spat out some mud, wiped off his glasses and took a stance again.

Lucette smiled. “Good. You have some endurance.”

“I do now,” he replied evenly, despite how he was panting. This time, he rushed her, but instead of coming in with a punch or a kick, he grabbed her by the shoulder and made to toss her to the side.

She retorted with a jab to his elbow, making him cry out in pain, before she then followed up with a jab to his other elbow. Both of his arms went limp, but he remained standing as he backpedaled a bit.

“You have some spirit, too. Not afraid to try and fight dirty, either. Though, I guess grabs aren’t exactly dirty,” she mused, crossing her arms as she looked at him.

That was when she noticed glowing lines appear on his skin. “I’m...more...spirit...than anything,” he said, before he loosely slapped his hands to the mud, instantly creating frost that froze Lucette to the floor.

Lucette’s eyes widened, and she struggled to pull her feet out. While she did, he forced through the pain, through the numbness of his arms, and raised one up, faster than she expected, and closed his eyes. She could see him channeling his magic.

’Shit! I don’t have a catalyst to cast spells, and I still haven’t learned Pyromancy!’ she leaned down to try punching the iced portion around her feet, but by the time she did, he’d finished channeling whatever magic he was using, and opened his eyes.

“Freezing Tornado,” he breathed, and more ice shot out of his hands in a swirling, small but sizable, literal tornado of ice.

The tornado swept up mud on it’s path, freezing it solid and flinging it across the coliseum, but most importantly, it washed over Lucette and froze everything but her head solid.

The referee, and the crowd, went stock still, jaws open wide.

Then, Grubber came out, and cried, “THE QUEEN LOSTH! A CONSTHORT IS CHOTHEN!!!”

Hamin walked slowly towards Lucette over the ice, carefully, as the crowd went wild. She was staring with wide eyes, vacant. He placed a hand on her frozen shoulder, his hand slowly heating her up with a burst of what seemed to be fire magic.

“You pegged me for a pure fighter, didn’t you?” He said, smiling lightly.

Lucette sighed, closing her own eyes. “Y-Yeah. Could y-y-you hurry up? I’m f-f-f-fucking freezing my ti-ti-ti-tits off.”

Hamin nodded, closed his eyes, and took a breath, and suddenly the ice began melting much faster, the transfer between hot and cold literally making her steam.

She sighed in relief at this, but Hamin spoke again. “You could’ve used your Super, couldn’t you?”

Lucette blinked, eyes wide. “How’d you even know I’m a Guardian?”

“The armor, among other things,” Hamin explained, letting go of her.

She blinked, staring at him a bit, then sighed. “Fair enough. As for why I didn’t use my Super… I…” She shook her head. “I’ll...tell you another time. Right now…” She looked up at the crowd, cheering and roaring and pounding their seats. “...Right now, WE have to deal with the fact that you just became my consort, and possible fiancé, due to ancient law.”

Hamin stared up at the crowd, unblinking. “...I am full of so much hate right now.” He said with a sigh, hanging his head and putting his face in one hand.

“Sorry,” Lucette apologized, squirming a little.

He glanced at her, then lowered his hand and started to walk back to the entrance. “Come get me when you’re done pleasing your crowd.”

Lucette frowned a bit more. “...Why do I feel like the dick here…?”

Roughly an hour later - I really hate the press sometimes - I made it to the locker room, two guards with me on either side. I told them to wait by the door, and walked over to the kid- man who sat in plain sight of said door.

I took a breath, then smiled down at him. Mask on. “Ready to go?”

He nodded slowly, getting up wordlessly, and I led him out and towards the carriage. It was something I used to rarely use, but Tempest insisted I start using it more, and the Warrior-Nobles WERE starting to get pissier about it, so I decided to call it in.

The two guards opened the doors for us, and as he climbed in and I made to, I stopped one of them. “You two pull us. We need to speak privately,” I told him.

The guard gave me an uneasy look, but nodded, and I climbed in, him closing the door soon after. Silence filled the carriage as we both felt the two guards start to pull us along. Much as I disliked the idea of being pulled by actual living, thinking, speaking creatures, I knew we both needed the time to talk. A lot was on both of our minds, obviously.

It made me glad that this carriage was soundproofed magically. Though hopefully no rumors got out about us two fucking early before the sixth night of this holiday. I shuddered.

“You ran out of Light to fill in the gap that your Darksign made, didn’t you?” he said slowly.

My blood ran cold instantly at those words. All my instincts told me something was seriously wrong. That something was different. That HE was different. My eyes narrowed at him, even as I made to pull the ‘safety’ pin on the carriage.

“How do you know that...?” I asked slowly. He didn’t respond, staring straight at the upholstered floor. I snarled. “Alright, kid you have two options. Either you tell me, or I burn all the Light I have left to turn you to ash. I can easily take a detour after to recharge.” I was bluffing and I knew it, but if he was what I thought he was, it was either I try, or I lose everything again.

He stayed silent for a split second longer, than sighed, laying back against his seat. “I wrote your story.”

Dead silence. I wasn’t even sure I heard him right. I wasn’t sure I wanted to have heard him right. I felt sick, like someone had just told me about the 'thong incident' all over again back in the Marines.

I searched his face.

He didn’t look away from me.

Slowly, my anger boiled up to the surface as I realized he was telling the truth. I instantly willed Crimson to my hand, pointing it dead in his face, barely a centimeter from his nose.

“You. WROTE. My story?” I asked slowly, carefully, making sure he heard every word as my barrel remained right in between in his eyes.

He slowly nodded. “I did. Go ahead, kill me. I’d honestly welcome the change.”

I growled. “You’re assuming you’ll go to Heaven,” I said, cocking the hammer.

“I’m hoping. But I personally think I deserve Hell,” he said with a straight face. Still not lying. My anger was reaching a boiling point, and now that I knew he wasn't a Void Dweller, well, shit was far, FAR better in my eyes. I felt my eye twitch as I realized I finally KNEW where to really vent all my old anger.

I started to squeeze the trigger, but Ventus appeared, and nudged the barrel down gently. “L. Calm down, please, he-”

“THIS BASTARD THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO WRITE A FUCKING STORY WHERE AN INNOCENT WOMAN WAS TAKEN FROM EVERYTHING SHE KNEW!! HE DESERVES ALL OF HELL’S NINE CIRCLES AND MORE!!” I roared.

“HE COULDN’T HAVE KNOWN, L! HE’S JUST AS INNOCENT!” Ventus shot back, zapping me. I growled as I dropped Crimson thanks to the zap.

“YOU FUCKING TRAITOR! I TRUSTE-!” V zapped me again. “GAH! FUCKING STOP THA- FUCK!” She zapped me again, and again. I struggled to swat her as she kept zapping me, tears streaming from my eyes. “I JUST WANTED TO HAVE A NORMAL LIFE AFTER C.A.R! WHY WAS THAT SO FUCKING MUCH TO FUCKING ASK?!?!” I ranted. I raved, still swinging at V, but she dodged each time. I knew I hit the bastard a few times too, but he just took it. I knew I drew blood, too, right across the cheek, and he just took it. Like it didn't even matter!

Tears welled up in my eyes as I continued to vent absolutely everything that I'd kept in for a whole year.

In the end, I was sobbing on the floor, V hovering over my head as I cried. I cried for the mother I’d lost. I cried for the brother I’d lost. For the aunt I’d lost. For the innocence that had been stripped from me in C.A.R., even. For the world that had been ripped from me.

For the first time in a year, I cried...

...for home.

I came to to find myself in bed, like nothing had happened. Everything was the same. Same silk sheets, same massive bedroom...and not my old house. Not everything was good, then. Though... I curled up a bit. Conflict welled up in me. Not everything was good? I had a kingdom, and a loving daughter! I had a new family! But...at the same time, the one I'd lost hovered in my mind like a helicopter mom.

I shook my head rapidly, then began looking around for that...bastard. Nothing. Didn't hear the shower running, or see any opened or ajar doors. Just...silence. “V-V?” I croaked.

Ventus appeared over my head, floating down to look at my face. “Hamin covered you up with his cloak. Told the guards you fell asleep and brought you here. After that… I don’t know. Didn’t go looking for him, but he’s not in the room. He just left. Didn’t say anything.”

“N-Nothing? Not even a f-fucking sorry?” I growled, trying to steady my voice as I tore off what I now knew was his stupid ass cloak.

I could feel V frown. “He did. Under his breath. A lot. Sat by your bed for a bit, too, but...left, anyway.”

I grit my teeth. “Fucking...coward.”

“You did try to kill him,” V pointed out.

“And he was ready to accept it,” I snapped back.

“Still, if you kill him now? That’s gonna ruin your rep like hell,” Ventus stated.

I turned away from her, crossing my arms over my chest. “So I kill him myself, silently.”

“L.”

“What?” I groused, not looking back.

A pause. Then, she sighed. “Look, I get you’re mad - and don’t throw that ‘you don’t’ at me, because you know I do - but he DIDN’T. And COULDN’T. Know. Maybe he guessed or hoped about it someday like some geeky fanboy in his mom’s basement, but he DIDN’T. KNOW.”

I didn’t say anything.

“L, it’s either you get over this and try to get along with him, or, we flat out boot him,” Ventus began. “And I know you wanna boot him, but think, please. Really think about this. Because you can’t go blaming someone for something like this. In other cases, maybe, but this? Not in the least.”

With that, I heard V disappear.

I just stood there, glaring at the well as tears welled up again. I looked to my wardrobe, made a step forward to try and put on better clothes but... I grit my teeth.

I didn’t care right now.

I needed to go vent. Fuck facades right now.

’You shouldn’t be out here too much longer, Master.' Blue told me.

“Fuck off,” I said tiredly, uncaring for the rain seeping into my bones. Uncaring for the chill, for the shivers, for how I couldn’t see. Uncaring for how much more wet my back and ass would be from the rain.

I just didn’t care.

’You are uncertain, o’ bearer mine.’ Faith noted.

“Shut up and just...let me be,” I groused, staring up at the eternally stormy sky.

Thankfully, my two blades shut up. Later, I’d have to figure out how they could read my mind when they were locked in the room the guards insisted I take.

I ignored how the guards were staring at me as well. It didn’t matter right now. I’d ruined a poor woman’s life. More than hers, too if I was Displaced like this foretold. But the most worrying part? The part that really sucked?

I wasn’t sure I could help. Not in any large way. Not in any GOOD way, even. I tried to think about where I left off with my stories, especially Lucette’s, but...my mind just couldn’t think of anything. With Lucette’s, I only remembered who the big bad was, that he was gathering forces, and that shit would hit the fan, but slowly.

I didn’t remember anything really current. I only really remember Lucette’s past. If I wrote this, even, I couldn’t remember. I snorted at that, raising a finger up to the sky.

“Fuck you, me,” I said, turning it back to me afterwards.

I honestly wasn’t sure whether to flip the sky off or myself entirely, so both is what felt best. I shook my head.

I wasn’t getting anywhere.

Point is, I couldn’t help, and now I was either going to be booted out of the castle and this world forever, or forced into a relationship.

That would be a trainwreck on both sides. It’d be like medieval days all over again. I knew neither of us would enjoy that. And I didn’t want that, for either of us.

Now, I would admit, Lucette was far hotter than I envisioned her, but beyond that? I had no real feelings for her. She was my type, sure, but no feelings. No locomotion in the heart drive.

I sighed deeply, closing my eyes.

“How can I help her? I don’t know anything anymore, just things about her,” I paused. “Actually, now that I think about it, I remember what happened to her family, and where they a-” I stopped mid-sentence.

I blinked. Wait. I sat up swiftly. “I know where her family is!” I shot up from my feet, zooming off towards the inner castle.

The door to the Royal Bar slammed open. “Lucette!” Hamin cried.

A bottle landed near his head. “Fuck off,” Lucette growled, having not even looked back to throw said bottle. Her head was lying on the bar table, the Royal Bartender simply remaining quiet as always.

He knew whose money he was getting. He wasn’t going to involve himself, and much less, he’d learned far before now that just being quiet was best.

Especially when he saw a storm cloud like this coming.

Hamin pushed past the obvious tension in the room and walked up to the Queen. “Lucette, listen, I-!”

“Shut up, you pencil-pusher,” Lucette snapped, punching him in the face.

Hamin let out a grunt of pain. Despite it breaking his glasses, and drawing blood from his nose, Hamin only stumbled back, took a deep breath, muttered something under said breath, placed his now cracked glasses down, and slowly sat next to the Awoken.

“...I know what happened to your family.”

The room got more silent than anyone could guess it could, like Death herself had started to lean in to listen, and the room quieted just from the fright of her.

But it was much more likely to be because of the woman now glaring at Hamin with one, baleful golden eye through her silver bangs.

“Lemme guess…” She began, narrowing said eye at him. “They’re all dead.”

Hamin shook his head slowly. “No.”

The silence became much more pregnant at that. Lucette stared at him, eye slightly wide. Slowly, she sat up, turned around on her stool to face him fully, and leaned in. “You better not be lyin’.” She warned. She was still glaring.

“They’re all alive. ALL of them,” Hamin explained calmly despite the bleeding in his nose making him slightly nasally.

Lucette continued to glare. “...V.”

Ventus appeared, then lit up her optic over Hamin. “Say that again.”

“They’re all alive. All of them,” He stated once more.

Lucette looked to her Ghost. Said Ghost slowly nodded, almost shakily.

Lucette’s eyes started to moisten, but she kept her voice from trembling. “Wh-What-” Almost. “-What exactly do you mean by, ‘all’ of them?”

Hamin kept his face straight. “All of them. Your brother. Your aunt. Even your parents. They’re all alive.”

Lucette tried to fight the tears. “Y-You ain’t…” She sniffled as some escaped unbidden. “...y-you ain’t just messing with m-me?”

Hamin shook his head slowly, a small smile playing on his face. A genuine, comforting smile. “I wrote stories for all of them. All of you. I don’t remember anything beyond the plots, and certain other points.”

Lucette hiccuped. “S-So-?”

He nodded, placing a hand on hers and squeezing it comfortingly. “I remember enough to know that I never planned for any of you to die horribly. I planned for you to rebuild your family.”

Lucette bit her lip, eyes welling up with more tears, before she suddenly lunged him, making them fall off the stools as she cried into his chest, blubbering all the while.

She didn't say she was sorry. Only thank you.

Hamin simply held her and let her vent.

She needed it.