Chapter Text
You looked out of the window as the trees passed by. The sprawling mountains stood high in the sky, the afternoon’s golden light catching the distant mountain faces in a glowing hue. Despite the sun shining that way, the car you were in was driving up a winding mountain road through the forest and through the rain.
The driver of the car was the closest person you had to a friend nowadays. A tall human woman with long black hair and pretty green eyes. The starting of crows feet wrinkled just by the corner of her eyes and her face held a kind complexion. Your eyes met and she smiled, before turning her gaze back to the road, avoiding a small divot for a smoother ride for you.
Noting your leg and all.
But this seemed like a lot of work.
Effort.
All this effort just to get to your new home.
A new home that would be full of new people and experiences that you had been stripped of as a child when you had turned into what you were now.
You remembered it like it was yesterday. Though realistically it had been over a decade ago. Tiny you had gone to bed a human and woke up as a skeleton monster. A little seven year old at the time. Now you were twenty-three.
So much had happened since then.
Since your mother had left you at the inverto facility and never visited. Never contacted you. Your other family members were very much the same. Not a peep.
Not to mention learning how to use basic magic and tai chi to help with your magic flow and bouts of anxiety you still had. The anxiety had gotten better as a child.
But then *that* incident happened. The fire alarm lights flashed in your mind for the brief moment you looked down that dark hallway, silhouette of a man standing at the end of the hall, only seeing his features in the quick flashing of the lights.
The dust and blood on his hands…
You blinked out of the memory as you felt the twinge of pain in your knee from knocking into the door as the car took a sharp turn into a huge driveway.
The woman winced as she took in breath.
”Sorry, hun!” She slowed the car down some.
”These roads are a bit winding, and I almost didn’t see the driveway.”
”It’s okay Marie. I’m not hurting today, thankfully.” You hummed softly, rubbing your leg. Cool metal instead of smooth bone met your finger tips, the rubber sealer sat in place, unbothered. The metal made up your lower right leg. But being an amputee came with its own issues.
You couldn’t wear cute sandals or anything with a high heel. And the pain in your leg when bad weather occurred was terrible. But the looks of pity you got were nearly the most exhausting. So you preferred to keep it- your leg- hidden. It… was rather humiliating and you’d rather not recall that day if you didn’t have to.
You had to look at it enough as it was. Though the oddity of having a fake human-looking foot on a skeletal body really messed with you some times. So you wore your favorite pair of socks like a religion.
A pair of black socks on both feet with anatomically correct skeletal feet on them. They brought you a good amount of comfort and joy.
Your eyes snapped up to the window as you felt the car slow to a stop, stopping in front of a huge gate with iron bars and an even bigger house complete with an estate further up the hill.
Your jaw dropped.
”What the hell?” The question was quiet, but from the years of pretty much being raised by Marie, you could tell you both were thinking the same thing.
You did recall from your education whilst in the facilities, that the monsters used G or Gold as their currency, and the exchange rate was absolutely insane. So a majority of the monsters made out like bandits.
And these ones were no exception judging by the huge ass house and surrounding property the manor sat on.
You couldn’t help sink lower in the seat as Marie rolled her window down to ring the intercom.
You sank even lower as she began to speak up slightly.
”Yes, I’m Marie Henderson and I’m here with your Inverto.”
Her voice trailed off as you began to feel a weight settle on your chest. Your throat closed and your leg began to throb as you felt the car lunge forward.
God. This was really happening.
You were leaving everything again, permanently.
What if these people didn’t like you? What if they mistreated you? What if that man came back and hurt people again?
What if you couldn’t do anything this time?
You were brought out of your mind by feeling Marie’s hands grabbing your own.
“I can’t do it Marie!” You gasped out a sob, continuing to pant.
She held your hands.
”In and out slowly, hun.”
You followed her instructions.
”Good job! You’re doing well.”
Her voice was soft as your body shook and trembled.
“Are you okay honey?” Her smooth voice cut through the tears and you shook your head ‘no’.
”N-need a minute.” You caught your breath. “Please.”
She nodded.
”Okay. Stay put and calm down a bit while I go through all the formalities with your foster family. I’m sure they won’t mind.”
You nodded as you shivered again. “O-okay.”
She gave a nod and you watched as she grabbed her brief case full of documents and paperwork and strode up to the house, knocking and disappearing inside with the shake of a skeletal hand.
You waited for a moment, then another. The only sound was the small pats of raindrops hitting the leaves of the trees. You slowly stood out of the car and looked around.
Woods surrounded you on all sides but the drive way, the tall peak of the mountains burned in the sunset distance. The sky above you was a startling candy blue.
The sky always seemed bluer and cleaner after rain. Taking a breath, the scent of freshly watered earth and clean air filled your nose. The anxiety seemed to melt away.
You began to stretch and finished up by bending to your front, your spine popping as you let gravity do its thing.
”Mrooow”
Your eyes snapped up to a large, white cat with golden eyes and long fur. You kneeled down and began to offer your hand for it to sniff.
The white feline smelled your hand and it’s ears twitched. It slowly hanged its head down to sniff your hand before butting its head straight into it. The creatures rumbling purr on full display. She stretched her head up and you slipped your fingers under her chin and continued to scratch the cat there. You noticed a black spiky collar around her neck with a golden tag.
Taking the small metal plate in your grasp you read out loud- “Doomfanger, the fearsome and terrible!” You lightly snorted and laughed at the name.
”Cute.” You went back to gently caressing the cats head until she buried her nose into your palm, and began using her paws to grab and poke at the spot, making little merping noises as she did so.
“I don’t have anything for you baby, I’m sorry!” You hummed as you opened your hands to show her they were empty.
You had heard that there were three things that were very fast, they were the following.
Baby hands, Insects, and cat paws.
Doomfanger was no exception. She poked your hands with speed until a small amount of your dark colored magic came up and disappeared into the air turning gold as it evaporated. The smell of freshly fallen rain and mint filling the area.
Despite you hearing that cats usually didn’t like mint, Doomfanger didn’t shy away. Instead she began to chitter and paw faster, looking into your hand for the dark colored vapor.
You hummed in confusion before holding out your hand.
“Is…is this what you wanted?”
You gently wave your hand through the air as you close your eyes, imagining two beautiful koi fish swimming in a pond. The air that touched your palm began to feel like a viscous liquid. Still malleable and moveable but holding its mass together. Then you siphoned it out as you had done so many times before.
Opening your eyes, Doomfanger happily swatted at the fish made of golden light, their swim trails leaving bright flecks of magic in their wake as they swam around and over the cat. One swam a bit too fast over Doomfanger when she was up on her haunches, causing her to fall backwards. She didn’t seem to mind though as she rolled in the wet grass, still entranced by your show.
You finally made them dive into the ground and dissipated your magic. The last remaining bits of magic flowed near the ground lazily, almost akin to summertime lightning bugs.
You had rested your eyes as the cool breeze flowed past your cheeks and the last rays of the sun began to sink on the horizon.
This was wonderful.
So peaceful.
You opened your eyes as you felt a tug on your sleeve. Doomfanger was tugging your cuff, trying to drag you.
’Well. Who am I to deny this kitty?’
Getting up, you brushed your facility mandated sweats off, before following the insistent critter. Her merps got louder as she led you around the back of the house tugging you by the sleeve of your ratty sweater.
And for a small creature, she was strong.
”Kitty! Slow down!” You laughed as she only ‘merred‘ in response. Her speed didn’t slow as she led you into a large backyard and up to a deck.
“Honey pie, I don’t have permission to be back here!” You cooed, lightly petting her as she had let you go. Her tail was sticking straight up and the tip vibrated. She knocked into your legs and began to herd you up the stairs.
You sighed as you relented, following the hollering creature. Doomfanger’s high pitched meow greeted your nonexistent ears as she latched to your arm again and dragged you to the pet door installed into the white wooden door leading into the home.
She then- tried to drag you into the cat door.
And you froze and pulled yourself back, only for the pleased trilling from the cat to turn into nearly feral growls.
”Sweet little baby bumpkin- I can’t fit in there! I-I’m a bit too big!” You laughed as she slapped your hands and continued to grab at you.
“Stop.” You laughed as you scooped the cat up, it’s frantic meowing stopping as you produced small translucent bubbles that shown in stone hues before turning gold and popping.
You sat with her in your lap, watching as she continued to swat at the bubbles.
This continued for a few moments until the back door swung open, a frantic seeming skeleton monster nearly running over you in his haste, calling out.
“DOOMFANGER! WHERE ARE YOU? COME HERE!” His worried face looked down to you and the cat in your lap. You couldn’t help the black blush that crept up your neck.
”Uh-uhm.” Your voice was quiet as you looked away from the handsome skeleton.
He was tall and had cheekbones so sharp you were certain they could cut diamonds. He wore a soft grey button up shirt with the sleeves buttoned to his elbows and sharp looking black dress pants. His shoes were black polished leather loafers. But the most captivating thing about him was the twin scars trailing down his left socket and the flaming red lights in his eyes that seemed to smolder.
”WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU ON MY PROPERTY?”
He crossed his arms over his chest as he tilted his head down to look at you.
“Uhm.” Your voice was so small and quiet. God you probably sound so dumb right now! ‘Come on, say something intelligent, please!’
”Ah.”
’Damnit.’
”The cat brought me here. She wanted to pull me through the doggy door.”
“LIKELY STORY. NOR DOES THAT TELL ME WHO YOU ARE.”
You stuttered out your name. “It’s true! I told her I wouldn’t fit through the door though, so we stayed outside and played with bubbles.” You hummed as your gaze rested back on Doomfanger.
Her golden eyes shown up at the large man.
” WHAT BUBBLES?”
“If you tell me your name I’ll show you.” He scoffed.
”AND WHY, PRAY-TELL, DO YOU FEEL THE NEED TO KNOW MY NAME.”
” Because I don’t show strangers my neat tricks.”
You lightly grabbed Doomfanger’s paw and gave her foot a squeeze. Her paw closed around your finger as you let her go.
He scooped up the white feline as she trilled up at him, pushing her soft, pink nose to his jaw. You watched as his face changed and softened for a moment before his red eyes flicked back to you.
"FINE. AS NO HARM CAME TO MY CAT, I SUPPOSE I CAN TELL YOU MY NAME HUMAN." He took a breath, missing the look of distaste that passed over your face.
"I AM THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE EDGE. REMEMBER IT, HUMAN." He shifted Doomfanger in his arms. "NOW, SHOW ME YOUR SO CALLED 'NEAT TRICKS' AS YOU PROMISED."
You plainly waved a finger and conjured the bubbles, causing Doomfanger to lean out of Edge's arms in attempt to catch them again.
Doomfanger caught a bubble, popping it into its golden light and causing a mini koi fish to swim out. It swirled around both Edge and Doomy, before disappearing into a gentle golden poof.
"That is..." Edge's face melted into something short of awe. "Thats.."
You stared up at him with an owlish expression. "Its what?"
His red orbs snapped back to you. "NOTHING. COME INSIDE. WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU, HUMAN."
He opened the door to the house, walking in ahead of you. You swallowed down your nerves as you walked into the house.