Chapter Text
Pristine peaks, almost midnight.
As the night grew colder and colder, two rabbids hurried home with increasing urgency. Popsicle and Edge shuffled awkwardly through the snow, Edge leaning against Popsicle for support, limping from her injuries. Pristine Peaks was frozen wasteland at night, a stark contrast to the warm and cosy aesthetic it held during the day. Popsicle was well used to the snow, the cold was built into her dna like many other rabbid's affected by the Megabug incident. Edge on the other hand was having a horrible time in the snow, the chilling breeze of the night burned into the cuts on her face and numbed whatever warm sensations were left in her ears.
Crossing the mountainside, the faint glow of cabin fireplaces and oil lamps pierced through the bitter night, Popsicle pointed to the only cabin not illuminated.
"Were almost there, you can rest yourself very soon just hold out a little longer." Popsicle yelled, competing with the frigid wind.
Edge's stamina was running low, she wasn't sure how much longer she could bare her wounds without collapsing, and she was not apt on finding out. Normally Edge would carry herself back to her own ship after sustaining any injuries, tending to herself in peace and quiet; but given her current condition she had no choice but to put her wellbeing in the hands of a stranger- albeit a sweet one.
Shuffling past the igloos, cottages and cabins of Pristine Peaks, Popsicle reached the lonely cabin untouched by firelight due to its recent vacancy. Still clinging onto Edge's arm, she clumsily searched for her keys, pulling out a mess of jingling metal and assorted keychains. She slotted one of many keys into the door, wiggling the doorhandle to unstick it from the ice. Popsicle jolted the door open, briefly leaving Edge to lean against the doorway so she could rush in and tend to the fire.
Messily cramming a load of kindling and loose paper into the brick fireplace, she flicked a match alight and placed it alongside the burnable fuels. In the meantime, Edge was admiring the cosy winter décor of her home interior, the orange flickering made the rough wooden walls stand out, and the fairy lights she'd hung up reflected the fire's glow despite themselves not being alight. It made her remember her own promise to herself to get some decorations in her own ship too. She was quickly surprised out of her thoughts by Popsicle dragging her over to the plush sofa. Before letting Edge sit down, Popsicle rearranged the cushions and adjusted the pink blanket wrapped over the sofa so both of them could fit comfortably.
Edge flopped down onto the plush material of the sofa, finally allowing herself to take the weight off of her legs after all the limping. Popsicle gestured at Edge as if to say "wait just a second" before frantically searching the room for the healing balms she promised.
Edge closed her eyes and leaned her head back trying to stop the world from spinning, rubbing the top of her head with her palm. "Found it!" Popsicle Exclaimed. Edge jolted her eyes open- a bad idea, the sudden flash of light did nothing but make the headache worse. Popsicle skuttled back to her side with a heavy fabric container bulging at the seams. Popsicle quickly unzipped the container, causing various bandages, ointments, plasters and other undiscernible medical items to spring out in a humorous fashion. Popsicle pulled out a small circular tub of balm and a sterile cloth before casting the container aside.
"Ok, this might sting a little." Whispered Popsicle while dabbing the cloth in balm.
Edge's ears perked up and she jolted back in surprise as Popsicle reached her hand up to her face. Catching onto her reaction, Popsicle's face turned a light shade of pink. "S-sorry, should've asked first..." she cleared her throat awkwardly.
"No its fine... do what you need to do." Edge muttered, closing her eyes and turning her face trying to avoid eye contact out of embarrassment.
Popsicle held the side of Edge's face, causing her to blush slightly despite how much she tried to hide it. Holding her hair out of the way with her thumb, Popsicle dabbed the cloth against the cuts on her cheek. Edge winced from the sudden sharp sting, but she forced herself to relax as Popsicle moved to the other cuts on her face and neck. She gently brushed each wound, the cloth catching small droplets of her unusually black blood, leaving behind a cold menthol sensation.
"Um... Edge, I need to have a look at the wound on your arm, c-could you take your jacket off for me..?" Popsicle mumbled, ears lowering timidly
A brief flustered expression flashed on Edge's bruised face. Edge wasn't used to being so intimately close to another woman, she wasn't sure how to feel about it, but she knew that she was just overreacting. She needed to take the jacket off to get treated, there was nothing weird about taking some of your clothes off for a stranger if she was trying to help! Right?
"Right... sure..." Edge carefully slid her torn jacket off, trying to swallow her irrational anxeity to allow Popsicle to analyse the gash on her arm. Popsicle leaned in to take a closer look, mumbling something beneath her breath which Edge could only make out as "no good...". Popsicle leaned over to the floor to grab the medicine container, propping it on a coffee table so she could grab a bottle of antiseptic. "This should do the trick," she hummed to herself, wetting a different cloth with the liquid.
Popsicle gently touched the wound with the antiseptic, causing a stinging pain to rush through Edge. Letting out a sharp gasp, she gripped the side of the sofa with force, digging her claws into the fabric. Popsicle jumped at Edge's response, eyes widened in alarm. Popsicle opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Edge. "Sorry- I was just caught off guard, that's all. Go ahead." Edge gave her a pained smile.
Popsicle continued cleaning the wound, flashing an apologetic look every time Edge tightened her grip on the sofa to ease the pain. It took a few painful minutes before Popsicle was sure that the wound was clean. Popsicle unraveled a roll of soft bandage to wrap around the scar, but not before applying some of the balm to it.
"All done!" she said, fixing the bandage with a little bow to finish. Popsicle continued to rub balm onto her minor wounds, allowing Edge to sit in silence, watching her gleefully tend to her wounds. Edge's forearms were remarkably firm and muscular, covered in scars and bruises both fresh and old. Despite the initial embarrassment of letting a stranger get so close as to touch her, Edge found herself increasingly relaxed with Popsicle's presence. The way she gently stroked the cloth against her skin felt soothing.
In the silence, Edge's mind started to wander back to the past. Being so close to somebody after so long made Edge remember some of the little moments with old friends; in particular the time where her ghostly companion got hit on the head during an accident at work. She remembered how she wrapped a bandage looped just behind her ear, tended to the scars left behind from the fallen rocks, and made sure she was safe and protected in such a vulnerable state. It felt nice, being on the receiving end of such treatment, even if it was a bitter reminder of people she never wanted to see again. She continued to sit in silence as Popsicle moved to her other arm, a relaxed expression on her face, an absentminded smile on her lips.
Edge found herself eager to speak up, just to break the quiet air between them, maybe even get to know her a little better- after all, she could have saved her life out there. "So... "ahem," you said you were a healer for your team didn't you? What is it exactly that you do?"
Popsicle turned to face her, breaking free of her little daydreams. "Huh? Oh, me and my friends do amateur expedition work- we like to explore remote planets in the galaxy (The Super Mario Galaxy! Wahoooo! Oh sorry, maybe now isn't the time for silly jokes :( ) to look at the ruins, search for treasures and stuff, though it mostly boils down to us doing odd-jobs for people." Popsicle chuckled at the last part, finding it almost funny how often an 'exploration to the forgotten ruins' would turn out to be a fetch quest for this old lady who dropped her favourite umbrella down a big hole she thought could be full of danger.
"S'pose an adventurer doesn't always have a glamorous job." Edge sighed understandingly.
"I focus on the archaeological side of exploration." Popsicle continued. "Murals and artifacts are my forte. Before I started with the whole adventuring thing I was a scholar for a man named Professor Backpack, I learned to give accurate dates and origins for any archaeological finds, and determining if they were affected by the dimensional merge or not."
Edge couldn't even pretend to understand what the dimensional merge entailed, having been created only shortly after that whole incident, even when she sought about learning about the galaxy she lived in after splitting off from her creator.
The conversation continued into the night, Edge listening to Popsicle ramble on about work tales and little snippets about the merge and its affects on Mushroom Kingdom history. Completely relaxed and contented as Popsicle finished with the last of her wounds, Edge realised she felt a certain kinship with the soft pink rabbid, that maybe she found a trustworthy friend after spending so long in her lonesome.
"...So I spawned from the merge as a hybrid between a rabbid and a freezie treat, I don't remember much of my early existence because of the Megabug stuff." Popsicle yammered on, realising she was done with her wounds. "Ah! well now that that's done, hows your head doing? Need any painkillers?"
Edge contemplated for a moment before nodding affirmatively. Popsicle put the balm, bandage and antiseptic away, then grabbed a small packet of little white tablets. She fiddled with the foil covering, popping two out and handing them to Edge. Hold onto these two, I'll go get you something to drink." Popsicle said, getting out of her seat to head to the kitchen.
"Oh, no its ok I usually dry-swallow."
Popsicle leaned her head through the doorway of the kitchen. "You sure? Im making hot chocolate for my self anyway sooooo…?"
Edge stopped, immediately tempted by the offer of hot chocolate, though mildly ashamed to admit her sweet-tooth. "Actually now that you mention it, I suppose hot chocolate doesn't sound too bad right now..." Edge gave in, turning her head in mock embarrassment. Popsicle flashed her a quick thumbs up before darting back to the kitchen.
Edge was left to wait in the living room, giving her time to study the room again. The fire was flickering healthily, banishing the cold sensations of the night. The room was overcast by an orange tint, a much more homely colour than the metallic blues and greys of her ship. The sofa she lay on was soft enough to sink into, providing better comfort and rest than the simple sleeping bag she used to rest. She really really liked it here, not even an hour into her stay. One minute she was up on a mountain trying to stop Cursa's minions before they could establish a darkmess tentacle, the next she was picked up by a complete stranger who brought her to her home, dressed her wounds, and is now making her hot chocolate. Edge chuckled lightly to herself; it wasn't like her to get so comfortable to another rabbid, if she wasn't so injured and dazed she would have likely punched the pink haired rabbid for even brushing against her ears- and yet here she was, genuinely enjoying her presence. How unusual of her.
Popsicle came in with two large mugs of sweet chocolatey elixir, brimming with warming properties. "Thank you, Popsicle." Edge hummed.
Popsicle sat back down next to her, lightly sipping the beverage just as Edge started to drink her own. The mixture of milk and sweet chocolate wasn't too hot, but not too cold either, it was just the perfect temperature to down the two painkillers she was given without burning her tongue. Popsicle watched Edge absorb the warmth emanating from the drink- Edge melted into her seat, her ears going limp in blissful relaxation.
"There's plenty of blankets here to use to get some sleep with, but you can borrow one of mine if you see fit. ...That is if you want to stay here tonight, I'm happy to help you back to your ship if that's what you want of course!" Popsicle stammered nervously, overly cautious about being too forward again. Popsicle was often way too socially awkward for her own good, and often times her attempts to try not to sound like she was forcing her often sounded genuinely embarrasing.
Nonetheless, Edge understood and smiled, taking another sip from her hot chocolate. "Y'know actually... I think I'd honestly prefer to take my chances here than out there. Besides, You've been good company so far."
Popsicle's face lit up, happy to feel like she was trusted by her. "Oh... Ok Edge! I-I'll go and get you some more blankets if you need! A-and I'll go tell my friends i'm looking after someone so they don't expect me for an expedition for the meantime!" Popsicle excitedly rushed off to another room.
"No more blankets, i'm good with what ive got!"
She heard a very quiet "OK!" from somewhere in the cabin, and Edge popped her mug down on the coffee table having enjoyed the last drop. Suddenly, Edge heard Popsicle's voice again, but this time she was addressing somebody else. Edge's ears perked up, focusing in the direction of her voice.
A phone conversation.
"Hi Kale! Ok so allot has happened- is Tobasco there? I think they should know about this too. Ok so, I was on my way home and- d'you know that whole Cursa stuff you talked about right? So we might of had an incident involving them today- they're gone now, thank goodness, in fact I witnessed somebody take them all down!... Mostly...." "ouch." Edge thought to herself, annoyed that her impressive display of combat was being boiled down to 'mostly succesful at best'. "Ok soo I met this girl, her name is Edge, I think she's another adventurer of sorts or maybe she strictly fights Cursa's army, I don't know- point is, she got herself injured pretty badly, and shes currently staying at my place! She came off a little bit prickly at first, but I think she's actually pretty sweet and patient..." There was a certain hum in her voice that made the last comment sound sickly sweet, making Edge blush without her noticing. "No no- Kale! What do you mean by that- ive never had a habit of bringing strange women home if thats what your implying! Thank you for THAT morbid input Tobasco- she is NOT going to murder me in my sleep I trust her enough not too or I wouldnt have let her stay in the first place!" Popsicle sounded unbelievably exasperated, boy her friends were hard work sometimes. "Ok... just, I can't go on any expeditions until she's healthy enough to leave- which could be tomorow depending on the severity of her injuries, oh but please dont hesitate to drop by so I can analyse some artifacts in the meantime. Ok! Speak to you soon!"
Popsicle rushed back to Edge, peering her head through the kitchen door again. "Everything ok? Because if it's alright by you i'm going to get some sleep."
The orange light of the fire reflected in Edge's eyes to give them a slight emerald tinge. "Everything's good, g'night- oh and... thank you, I really mean it." Edge gave her one last weary smile before shuffling herself into the pink blanket.
"O-ok, i'll check back on you tomorrow! Goodnight Edge!"
Popsicle scurried off upstairs to get some sleep. Edge lay into the dreamy softness of the plush sofa, the fatigue from earlier setting in hard. Before long, Edge was no longer conscious of the events from today, just lost in the soothing tempest of sleep, dreaming.