Chapter Text
“Okay well it looks like the sun is going down. I'm obviously not going to find a sunbird tonight.” Foolish mumbles to himself. Taking off his bookbag and looking for his warpstone. Feeling some raindrops fall on him as he was pulling it out. He says look around to see the dark rain clouds appear in the night sky. Over the trees, the rain began to get stronger.
“Ya, I think it's definitely time to hit the dusty trail.''. Looking back down he finds Foolich and presses the button. Waiting for the particles to appear and transport him. Except when the particles appeared he still found himself standing in the middle of the forest.
“Okay… That's weird.” when he tries to press on Foolich again he finds the same thing happening.
“Alright, well maybe it just needs more time to cool down? How far away am I anyway, I might just be able to walk back.” Now reaching back into his bag he pulls out his map, and a few torches to place. Opening up his map, he noticed that he couldn't see where he was on the map. So, he had no idea how far away he was from everyone. Looking to the top of the map he noticed he couldn't even read the cords.
“What the fuck is going on?” he mumbles to himself. While he was distracted with the map, he didn't notice how dark it actually got until he heard a hissing sound next to him.
“Oh, shit creeper.” Before he could even try to run out of the way it exploded sending him about 5 feet away from where he was originally standing. Unable to catch his balance he felt the pain of the explosion that mainly hit the right side of him. He could feel the sting of the skin being burned. Before he could really look at the damage, he heard the hissing again. The creeper was still alive and moving closer to him.
“How the hell did you not die?” He yells at it as he tries to stand back up getting distance between them with the trees. He managed to get far enough away to not get any more damage, but he could hear the explosions getting louder. Feeling the heat from the blast on his back. Looking back, he noticed that a lot of trees and dirt was destroyed, far more than what is normally destroyed when a creeper blows up. From the whole he noticed the creeper climbing back out still hissing.
“There's no chance that thing blew itself up twice and survived. What kind of creeper is that?”
Turning back around to continue running, Foolish noticed an arrow flying right at him. He managed to dodge it, but he could feel the wind hit his face as it flew past his ear into one of the nearby trees. Looking at the direction the arrow came in he noticed a few skeletons reloading their bows ready to aim at him again.
“You have to be kidding me.” Pulling out his sword now he was beginning to move to them, but the sound of hissing caused him to change his plan and continue running. He needed to get to high ground or find a cave he could stay in until morning. It was so dark now he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him. Only barely managing to dodge some of the roots on the ground. Trying to remain focused on not tripping and falling to the ground. He couldn't really do much to stop the branches from rubbing against him, definitely irritating the burns on his right side. Feeling the pull and scratches on the irritated skin and the burn in his legs from the constant running he began to panic. The sound of the arrows barely missing him and the groaning sounds of zombies that had now joined the chase filling his ears.
“How did this go so wrong so quickly?” he screams even though no one is around to hear him. Soon he finds himself in a little clearing next to a hill. Using the light from the moon he looked around hoping to find somewhere to take shelter. Soon he noticed a random patch of vines growing on the side of the hill he figured he could hide in them until he knew he was safe to go back out. As he stepped into the vines, he noticed they went deeper than he expected.
“Oh, please just lead me to the entrance of a cave. I am fucked if there are more creatures on the other side of these vines.”
Saying a silent plea to Lady Death he continued to push the vines out of the way. Soon seeing light peek out from the other side. He wasn't expecting to find what he did when he moved the last of the vines. He sees a huge clearing. The sound of a rushing waterfall fills his ears as he looks over to find a small pond, with different axolotls swimming in it. It was the structure in the middle of the field that really caught his attention.
He steps closer looking around at the castle in front of him. It was made of black cobblestone, with purple stained-glass windows, and dark wood detailing. At the very top in the center, he noticed a spinning purple diamond. Foolish was captivated at the build, he hadn't heard anyone talking about making a castle. Besides Baghera's and Cellbit's, but he had been to both of theirs.
The more he looked at it he realized he didn't really know anyone whose building style was like this. The castle was perfectly symmetrical, a small detail that most would not realize if they weren't a builder. Another thing he noticed was that besides the few lanterns lining the walkway to the castle not a single light was on inside.
So mesmerized by the castle he almost forgot he was injured and standing in the rain until the distant sound of thunder brought him back to reality. His curiosity of finding out who the castle belonged to get the better of him. Also, he figured as long as he didn't take or move anything it should be fine to head inside. It didn't look like anyone was here at the moment anyway. Besides, he didn't really have a lot of other options. He could feel the high of adrenaline leaving. He was beginning to realize the actual extent of his injuries.
With this in mind he began to climb the stairs to the doorway. When he gets to the large wooden door, he begins to open it, cringing at the sound of the loud creak as he looks into the dark inside of the castle. Completely missing the figure of a man looking down at him through the giant window as he enters.
-
Leo was finishing her painting; she was going to surprise her Pa downstairs when she heard the sound of the door opening.
“Leo, sube las escaleras. (Leo get upstairs.)” She hears her Pa say to her through their mind link. Leo tenses up at the sound of his voice. He normally did not speak so harshly to her unless it was important. Quickly putting down her paintbrush she shifts into her bat form. Quickly trying to fly to her room at the top of the castle.
As she flies into the main foyer, she sees something that stops her midflight. Well, more like someone, it was a man. His blond hair along with his whole body was soaking wet. The green and white suit he wore seemed to be covered in dirt. Along with many other taers scattered throughout the fabric. The worst of it seemed to be on his right side. Not only did the fabric seem to be burned but it was also completely ripped at his shoulder. Revealing what looks to be burn and gold liquid coming from the injury on his shoulder.
Even with all of that though it was the golden crown on his head that caught her attention. It reminded Leo of the kings she would read about in the books her Pa got her. Speaking of books, she realized she had not been paying attention to her surroundings as she hit a bookshelf. Causing a couple books to fall over. At the sound of the books falling the man jumps and looks over in her direction. Letting out a little scream as he jumped back.
“You scared the shit out of me.” he says, chuckling now holding his chest trying to calm his beating heart. Leo could hear the fast beat along with the blood that was rushing through it. Trying not to focus on it for too long instead she tilted her head at the realization he spoke to her.
“Has he gone crazy?” Leo thought. As if he noticed her looking at him with confusion he continued.
“Don't worry little guy. I'm not here to mess with anything, I just need a place to get out of the rain and fix up my injuries.” Before Leo could begin to fly closer to get a closer look at his side. Her Pa’s voice stopped her.
“Leo, ¿dónde estás? ¿Te atrapó? ¿Estás bien?"(Leo, where are you? Did he get you? Are you okay?)” her Pa sounded worried now. Instead of moving closer to the man she began to fly away.
“Si pa estoy bien parece que hay un hombre aquí abajo, está herido (Yes Pa I'm okay there seems to be a man down here, he is injured.)”
“¡Aléjate de él Leonarda, se gana la vida! ¿Recuerdas la última vez que te encontraste con los vivos? (Get away from him Leonarda, he is a living! You remember the last time you encountered the living?)” Leo shuddered at the memory.
The sight of her Pa storming out in the middle of the night when he heard what happened. Only to return that next day with a bag containing three hearts that only seemed to have recently stopped beating. The thought of the men who those hearts belonged to, and what they did sends a shiver down her spine. Still looking back at the man who remained by the door. She felt he was different.
Once she makes it into the family room, she sees her father. Who is pulling out his sword from one of the many chests on the wall. Quickly shifting back into her human form, she steps in front of him. Trying to grab the sword from his hands.
“¡Pa no! no le hagas daño (Pa no! Don't hurt him.)”
“¿De qué estás hablando mija? ¡Podría ser peligroso! ¿Y si vino aquí para robarnos o peor aún, matarnos? (What are you talking about mija? He could be dangerous! What if he came here to steal from us or worse kill us?)” Vegetta says. Gently taking the sword back from her.
“Además él sabe dónde vivimos Leo, no podemos confiar en que no se lo cuente a los demás. Trabajé muy duro para mantenernos a salvo. No voy a permitir que nadie arruine todo ese arduo trabajo. (Besides he knows where we live Leo, we can’t trust that he won’t tell others. I worked really hard to keep us safe. I’m not going to let someone ruin all that hard work.)” He says shifting into his bat form and flying to the door.
“¡Pero Pa! (But Pa!)” Leo says rushing to close the door so he couldn’t fly out. Causing him to quickly shush her.
“¡SHH Leonarda podría oírte! (Leonarda, he might hear you!)”
“Lo siento papá, es solo que- no creo que esté aquí para lastimarnos. En realidad, parece ser él el herido. No deberíamos matarlo simplemente por intentar buscar refugio. cuando esta herido! (I’m sorry Pa it’s just- I don’t think he is here to hurt us. Actually, he seems to be the one hurt. We shouldn’t kill him for just trying to seek shelter. When he is injured!)”
At the mention of him being injured they both became very aware of the smell of blood. It was strange though it smelt different. Unliked the smell of the blood they received from The Federation, or even from the wild animals they use to hunt. Which smelled of Iron and tasted savory, this blood smelled sweeter. Now that Leo thought about it, she had never actually seen golden blood before.
Looking up at her Pa she noticed his eyes darkening and fangs retract from his gums as he smelled the air. She began to grow worried for the man now. Having never seen her Pa act this way, it was almost like he was struggling to control himself.
Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, his fangs disappearing back into his gums. Opening his eyes again he looked down at her. He seemed to be deciding his next move, but she stood her ground pressing further into the door. They both just stared at each other. He must have realized she wasn't going to back down because he shifts back into his human form.
“Está bien, no lo mataré.(Alright, I won't kill him.)” If Leo was alive, she would have released a breath. “Pero no puede quedarse aquí. Mira mija, yo bajaré y lo despediré, pero tú tienes que quedarte aquí arriba. No hagas ruido y no bajes sin importar lo que escuches. Tu papá se encargará (But he cannot stay here. Look mija I will go down, and send him away, but you need to stay up here. Don’t make a sound, and don’t come down no matter what you hear. Your Pa will handle it.)” Moving some of Leo’s hair behind her ears then he moves her away from the door and steps out. Quickly shutting the door behind him.
Leo, quickly shifting into her bat form, flies up to one of the windows in the room that looks over the entryway of the castle. Looking at the man who didn't realize her father was now at the top of the stairs. Looking down at him.
-
Taking a deep breath, he begins to move out from the doorway and into the castle. He noticed that it didn’t appear to be abandoned, if anything the place seemed to be really well kept. From his spot he sees a grand staircase leading up to what would be the second floor. Thanks to all the lanterns being out, and the storm clouds blocking out what little light the moon could have given him through the windows.
He couldn't see much of what was up there, and even though he really wanted to explore. The pain from his side reminded him of why he was here in the first place. Looking down at his side he noticed one of the bigger wounds on his shoulder was still bleeding. He watched as trails of blood stained his suit sleeve.
Realizing he needed to find somewhere to sit and actually treat his wounds he looked to the left of the room. In the direction of where the bat came from. He was shocked to see that the room was lit by a few lanterns. Moving into the room now he noticed it was a dining room. There seemed to be some art supplies on a table. The paint on the canvas still seemed wet.
‘So, someone obviously has been here recently.’ He thought to himself.
This realization caused him to instinctually check that his sword was still at his side. Though in this condition he wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight. He probably couldn’t lift his arm high enough to get his sword from his belt anyway. Realizing that if anyone was here that he would actually be the suspicious one. With that in mind he moved back into the entryway.
“Hello!”
“Is anyone here?” Not hearing anything he continues.
“I umm I just needed a place to get away from the storm. I got attacked by some mobs. I promise not to take anything I just-“
“Yes, that would be wise of you.” A voice says, causing Foolish to jump. Following the voice, he noticed a figure standing at the top of the stairs. He was still in the shadows so he couldn’t really make out any features, but the shine coming from his sword caught Foolish’s attention. Sending chills down his spine at the idea of trying to defend himself at the moment.
“Hey! Um sorry. I don’t normally just walk into people’s homes like this uninvited. My name is Foolish by the way, I- I just needed a place to rest. For some reason I can’t teleport out of here and I couldn't track myself on my map so I can't get back home.” Foolish says that last part more to himself.
“How did you find this place anyway? Did you hear some old stories and figured you could try and see if they were true?” The man says each question comes out harsher. The thing was foolish. I had no idea what this guy was talking about.
“What? What stories? Look, I didn't mean to cause any problems. I genuinely found this place by accident. I was running away from some really strong monsters, and I got hurt. I wouldn’t have even known this place existed had I not been running away from them and tried to seek shelter in the vines.” He was hoping the man would believe him.
“What were you doing out this far anyway this place isn’t close to anything that would be of your interest.” The man says turning closer to face him now. Foolish could make out more of the silhouette of the man now. He didn't recognize the man, which was strange because he thought he knew everyone on the island. Realizing the man asked him a question he quickly tried to respond back.
“Have you ever heard of a sunbird before? They are super rare, and I have been wanting one since I heard they were on the island. I spent the entire day adventuring through different areas to see if I could find one. I haven't had much luck though.” Which was probably for the best because all of his luck was probably being saved up for this moment. He couldn't really tell what the man was planning to do, but he was hoping he could at least walk out of here breathing.
“I have heard of them before, long ago it was said that if you tame it, you will receive a special blessing. Though to me it seems more like a myth seeing as no one has ever managed to actually catch one.” The man says which caused Foolish to frown at the fact that he thought they didn't exist.
“Well then it looks like I’ll be the first. So, when I find it, I’ll let you know!” He says confidently. Mentally adding the shadow man to the list of people he is going to prove wrong when he finally catches one.
Even though it was an innocent comment his words didn’t seem to sit well with the other man. Before he could even register what was happening. Soon his sword was drawn, and he was now moving down the stairs. Foolish now had a full view of the man. He was about his height, maybe a little shorter, but he was definitely bigger in the muscle department. Foolish trying to back up now realizing he can’t really do much to fight off the man. Reaches for his sword anyway, but the feeling of his back hitting the wall stops him. The man is moving closer now. Had his sword held at Foolish’s throat.
“No, no, you will not. Once you leave this castle you are going to forget you ever saw it. Should you ever come back here or tell anyone about this place. I will make sure it’s the last thing you do.” Moving the edge of the sword harder to his neck, holding it just far enough that it didn't break skin.
“Do you understand me?”
Trying to find his voice, Foolish just looked into the man’s eyes. If his words were not clear enough his eyes showed the seriousness behind them. He couldn't help himself though as he was looking into man's eyes he got lost in the dark shades of purple and golden flakes. Feeling the man move closer he realized he never responded.
“Yes! You won’t see me here ever again. If we are being honest though, it's not like I could find this place again even if I wanted to.” He noticed the man tense up.
“Not like I want to come back here though! Like I said, my warpstone and map were both messed up. S- so whatever security system you have, it's working really well.” Foolish stutters out.
“Obviously not well enough if you were still able to make it into my castle.” The man says, but it sounded like he was speaking more to himself than to Foolish. The man still holding the sword to his throat, was now staring at him like he was trying to figure out if what he was saying was true.
With the wood from the wall pressing into his back Foolish started to feel his blood trailing down his arm. Looking away from the man he looked down to see the blood was now trailing down his hand and onto the floor below. Trying to not piss the guy off more by ruining his floor. He presses his hand to his pant leg.
The man now following Foolishes gaze sees the blood and freezes, sucking in a breath. This brings Foolish’s attention back to him. He didn't imagine the guy who seemed more than willing to decapitate him was weird around blood. Within a second Foolish was released from against the wall. The man now turning his back to Foolish began to walk back to the stairs. Stopping halfway to turn his head back to him.
“Fix your shoulder then get out. The storm seems to have passed. Once you get far enough away from the castle you will be able to teleport again. I expect you to be gone in 20 minutes.” Before Foolish could thank him, the man was already gone, almost as if he vanished out of thin air.
Playing back the man's words he realizes he has a limited time to work with. Not wanting to see what would happen if he stayed longer than granted, Foolish quickly ran into the dining room, places his book bag down and gets to work with a healing potion and bandages.
—-
Back upstairs Leo saw her pa walking back up the stairs. Realizing she didn't have much time she quickly flies to her chair next to the fireplace switching back into her human form. Hoping her father wouldn't realize her wings were out.
Since she was still a young vampire, she couldn't control all of her abilities. Sometimes when she was stressed or angry her fangs would come out and she had a hard time getting her eyes to go back to their natural color. On Top of that when she shifted from her bat to human form, she couldn't figure out how to put her wings away right away. So even in her human form she sometimes had small bat wings.
Her Pa says that with time and when she gets more experience, she will be able to control these things better. Speaking of her Pa, she sees him enter the room again. Closing the door behind him and sitting in his chair beside hers. Getting up from her spot she moves to sit in his lap, resting her head on his chest as he runs his hands up and down her back.
“Supongo que viste que lo mantuve con vida. (I assume you saw I kept him alive.)”
“Lo hice, gracias papá. (I did, thank you Pa.)”
“Aunque no entiendo por qué querías que lo perdonara, nunca lo has conocido antes pero confías en él. ¿Por qué mija? (I don’t understand why you wanted me to spare him though, you have never met him before, yet you trust him. Why mija?)” If Leo was honest, she wasn’t exactly sure why she immediately trusted the man. She guessed it was because he didn’t give off the same warning signs as the other livings she had met before.
“No conozco a papá, simplemente parece diferente. (I don’t know Pa; he just seems different.)” This caused him to laugh.
“Definitivamente es diferente. Estaré de acuerdo contigo en eso. (He definitely is different. I'll agree with you on that.)'' After that they just sat there in the comfortable silence. Finding herself getting sleepy, Leo begins to think back to the bedtime stories her pa would tell her. Lifting her head, she looks up at him curious to see what he would say to her question.
“¿Crees que vive en un castillo Pa? (Do you think he lives in a castle Pa?)” This seemed to confuse him. Pausing to think about his response he looks back down at her.
“No lo sé Leo, ¿por qué preguntas semejante tontería? (I don’t know Leo, why would you ask such a silly thing?)”
“Es sólo que está vestido muy elegante. Si ignoras toda la suciedad y esas cosas en su ropa, tenía una corona. Me imaginé que era un rey y los reyes viven en castillos, ¿verdad? (It's just that he is dressed really fancy. If you ignore all the dirt and stuff on his clothes, and he had on a crown. I figured he was a king, and kings live in castles, right?)”
“Supongo que podría vivir en un castillo. Por otra parte, el hecho de que lleves una corona no te convierte en rey. (I suppose he could live in a castle. Then again just because you wear a crown doesn’t make you a king.)” Leo nodded at her father's words.
“Es cierto que tenía naranjas. (That’s true it did have oranges on it.)” She mumbles thinking back to the golden crown and the oranges that were inside. “Aún así era muy bonito y parecía muy agradable. (Still, it was really pretty, and he seemed really nice.)”
“Bueno, sea agradable o no, si es inteligente sabrá que no volverá a venir por aquí otra vez. (Well, nice or not, if he is smart, he will know not to come around here again.)” As if on cue they heard the doors to the castle opening and closing. Leo quickly got off her pas lap and rushed to the big window that looked over all their land. Watching as the man walked away and disappeared into the vines. She also noticed the storm had now passed, and the sun was starting to appear from behind the hills.
Feeling a hand on her shoulder she looks up to see her Pa who was also looking out the window. When he noticed the sun begin to rise, he grabbed the curtains and drew them over the window. Now picking her up he moved them to the kitchen.
“Vamos Leo, vamos a comer. Entonces puedo contarte una historia y nos iremos a dormir. (Come on Leo let’s eat. then I can tell you a story, and we will go to sleep.)” laying her head on his shoulder she couldn't help but let her mind wander to the man with the crown. Picturing the big castle that he lived in, and what it would be like to be a princess.
….
It has been a few days now. Foolish tried not to think too much about what happened, but the thought of the man with the piercing violet eyes still stuck in his brain. He hasn't told anyone about what happened. Every time he thinks of mentioning it to someone the man's words come back to him. “...Should you ever come back here or tell anyone about this place. I will make sure it’s the last thing you do.” Even though he was thousands of blocks away from the castle and the man. A shiver still ran down his spine.
Trying to distract himself he continued working on the titan. He had finally got to the part where he didn't really need to shape it. Instead, he could start replacing the dirt and sand with the actual blocks he wanted to use.
Which was what he was just doing a second ago before he decided to call it quits for the night. Now he was in the tower getting ready to take a shower, play some Valorant, then go to sleep. As he began grabbing his clothes to begin heading to the bathroom. He hears something from outside.
“Hello!”
“What in the world” Foolish mumbles to himself trying to figure out if he actually heard it, or if he was more exhausted then he realized.
“Hello! I was hoping you could help me find someone?” Nope he isn't going crazy, that's definitely someone. Moving to one of the windows now, he sees a little kid walking to the tower. He couldn’t see too much just the red baseball cap the kid was wearing. Hesitating at the door before walking inside.
He didn’t recognize them as any of the other kids on the island. So why was a little kid wandering around outside by themselves so late? Also, who are they looking for? Before he could continue to think of questions, he heard the little kid again.
“Is- is anyone here? I don’t know where I am.” They began to sound more scared now.
Foolish now rushing to the elevator tries to find where the voice was coming from.
“Hey it’s okay! It's okay! I’m here, what's going on?” He says as he moves down to the bottom floor. Looking around he notices a little girl looking at him with wide eyes.
“It’s you! I can’t believe I actually found you! WOW!” Foolish was a little stunned by what the girl said but just watched her as she now looked around at the tower.
“Is this where you live?” Foolish couldn’t help but smile proudly.
“Yup I built it myself!” Now that he had a better look at her he realizes he has never seen her before. This causes him to think back on his previous questions.
“I don’t think I have met you before. What’s your name?” The little girl now turns back to him, sticking out her hand.
“Mi nombre es Leonarda pero puedes llamarme Leo.
(My name is Leonarda, but you can call me Leo!)” Foolish takes her small hand in his and shakes it.
“Hola Leo mi nombre es Foolish. Encantado de conocerte (Hello Leo my name is Foolish. It’s nice to meet you.) So, what are you doing out so late?” Foolish asks.
But the girl seemed distracted by the inside of the tower to answer. She moved closer to the center of the tower till she stood on the elevator. She started to bounce but once her feet were off the floor she was transported to the next level of the tower. The sound of her screaming caused Foolish to laugh. He couldn’t help it. He tries to quickly collect himself before he also steps on the elevator.
When he reaches middle level, he is met with a small fist hitting him. This caused him to just laugh harder.
“I’m sorry- lo siento.” Trying to take a deep breath he couldn’t help but smile. “I shouldn’t be laughing.” The girl in front of him now had her arms crossed and he could tell she was embarrassed.
“Hey it’s okay! Was that your first time using an elevator?” He asks, trying not to make her feel more embarrassed. He couldn’t help the chuck that escaped when he noticed the girl side eyeing him.
“It was. My Pa doesn’t normally work with them, we don’t really need elevators to reach places.”
“Ya, I’m still kind of new to them. I didn’t use them before, but now I don’t think I could do some of my builds without them.” Foolish admits.
“Speaking of your Pa, where is he? I bet he is worried about you. It’s not a good idea to be traveling alone on the island. Especially at night.” This caused the little girl to look down at her hands and fidget.
“He-he doesn’t know I left. It’s just-“she pauses trying to figure out how to explain herself.
“He is always so worried that I’m going to be hurt, I understand he cares for me, but I want to explore! Then I heard you liked to explore, and I saw your crown, and I figured you probably had a big castle. And and-” She started to grab at her head trying to process her thoughts. In the mix of her confusion, she finds herself flashing her eyes and her fangs poking out. Hissing as she feels her wings stretch out now, even flapping a little.
To say this surprised Foolish would be an understatement. He has met other hybrids before, hell he was a hybrid. Yet he had never met someone with all her features before.
Noticing she is getting more frustrated; he realizes he needs to try and calm her down.
Quickly taking her by the shoulders he bends down so he is at her level, but she was so lost in her head that she didn’t even realize it.
“Hey! Leo, it's okay. Está bien!” Leo was now looking at him. “Just breathe with me.” Foolish now trying to take deep controlled breaths and notices she is copying him. Unknown to him though it wasn’t really the breathing that was helping her. Since she wasn’t exactly living it didn’t really do much. It was actually her getting distracted with all the pretty shades of green in his eyes that helped her calm down enough that her fangs retract, and her eyes go back to normal.
Once Foolish noticed that she had calmed down he began to stand up again. “Well, I don’t live in a castle, but I do live with a dragon. Which I think is pretty cool. The reason I wear this crown is because I'm king of the capybaras. Maybe one day I can introduce you to them. They are really cool and powerful. They make lots of silly noises and shoot guns.” He says, causing Leo to smile at the idea of getting to meet them.
“I would really like that. Did you build the tower yourself?” She asks. Foolish was relieved to see she had calmed down now.
“Yup, it took a long time, but I think it was worth it in the end.”
“My Pa likes to build also; he even built the castle we live in.” Leo says smiling at the thought of getting to tell others about her Pa’s amazing builds.
“Really? Your Pa’s a builder? Well, how about we head back to your home, and you can show me his builds?”
“Okay! But before we go can you show me around? I want to see more- OW!” Foolish was confused as to what hurt her. “Ahh!” Leo shrieks grabbing his leg and hiding behind him.
“What's going on? Did something hit you, what's wrong?” Foolish says now grabbing her and looking around to see what could possibly be hurting her.
“I didn’t realize how late It was getting, the sun. The sun is coming out.” Leo just pointed at the window with a look of horror on her face.
“Ya it’s almost morning of course the sun is coming out.” Foolish says confused as to why she was reacting this way.
“This is bad! This is really bad! I need to get away from it!” Leo says grabbing Foolish's shirt and looking around for a dark corner.
“You need to get away from the sun?” Foolish asks still confused but trying anyway to figure somewhere he can put her, so she doesn’t get reached by the sun.
“Yes, it burns me! It will kill me! You have to help me! Please! Ayúdame, Por favor!” Leo was now looking up at him panicking. She held out her wrist showing him the burns that were not there earlier.
“Shit, shit. Alright.” None of this made sense. Looking around he began to realize just how much sun came into his tower. All the walls were covered in windows, and he never had a reason to put curtains up. Now all he could focus on was how close the sun was to reaching through the windows and touching them as it went higher into the sky. Grabbing Leo closer to him he looked around. Think Foolish Think.
As he looked outside again to see how much time he had before the sun completely rose over the hill. He noticed the dragon head. Which gave him an idea, but the hell was he going to get her outside without her burning to death? Looking at the chest on the walls he had to have something that could help. As he looked around it was by pure luck that he saw his old Batman mask sitting on a shelf.
Running over to his bed he pulls out one of his clothing chests from beside it. Setting Leo down he started pulling out random pieces of clothing until he found what he was looking for at the bottom. Pulling out a black cloak he looked at her.
“You have to trust me okay! I’m going to take you somewhere safe.” Quickly wrapped the cloak around her and grabbed an ender pearl from his bag. He scoops Leo up in his arms and takes the elevator up to the top of the tower. Then without a second thought he throws the pearl with all of his might at the dragon. Soon feeling the pull as he is teleported into the head. Before removing the cloak, he looked around making sure no sunlight was breaking through. When he decided it was safe, he gently put Leo down and pulled the cloak from around her head.
“Hey, you, okay? Está bien?”
Leo just nodded her head before reaching out to hug him.
“Thank you for saving me.” She said it so quickly he almost didn’t hear it. It broke his heart that she genuinely sounded surprised that he would help her.
“There is no need to thank me. As long as you're with me I’ll protect you as best as I can.” He says hugging her back. As he wrapped his arms around her, he realized how cold she was.
“You're so cold, do you need a blanket or something?” He asks, breaking the hug to instead move his hands up her arms. Trying to warm her up.
This just caused Leo to laugh. Looking up at him she placed her hands on his face.
“That’s not going to work silly.” She says. Making it sound like it was very obvious. Which causes him to stop. Looking around now she wraps the cloak around her more. Walking further down the dragon.
“Is anything in here?” That made Foolish chuckle.
“Well, there’s a small bakery in here from a couple of my friends, but that’s the only thing. If it was up to some of the people on this island though, there would be lots of buildings and stuff in here.”
“So, you don’t like when people put things in your builds?” Leo asks, sounding kind of disappointed. Foolish looked down at her. Confused at what caused the sudden change in her mood.
“I have had people build stuff around my builds before. I don’t mind, but when it comes to my dragon people try to claim it as theirs and mess with it. I have a friend of mine BadBoyHalo who is always trying to sell my builds to other people. It’s all jokes though. Why do you ask?”
curious to find out what she was thinking.
“Um well I was wondering.” She says slowly turning around but looking at the ground.
“If it is okay with you, can I put a bed down? I can’t really go outside at the moment and I’m getting kind of sleepy.” She asks, wrapping herself more in the cloak as if she was trying to hide.
He didn’t even hesitate to agree. He had only just met her, and he was ready to break his one rule for the dragon without a second thought.
“I can do something better. Here” he says, sliding off his backpack and putting it in front of her.
“Pick any of the blocks you want, and we can make you your own room so no one will bother you while you're here.” Foolish says. Looking around to find the best place to put the room so no one would find her. Removing some blocks, he figures the bottom of the dragon's jaw would be a good spot seeing as people mainly stayed on the top of the dragon. They never really went down to the mouth. Also, he can put the blocks back over the top so if someone does break into the dragon’s head, they won’t suspect a secret room.
Turning around to ask Leo what she thought of the spot. He noticed her pulling out amethyst and black cobblestone blocks.
“Are these the ones you want to use?” He asks when he sees her closing the bag.
“Yup! I picked this one for the floor because it’s really pretty and my favorite color. Plus, I like the sound it makes.” She says tapping the amethyst block.
“Then I want to use this one for the walls because it reminds me of my home.” She explained grabbing the black cobblestone. At the mention of her home Foolish began to feel bad. He could only imagine how her father must feel not knowing where she is, or if she is safe. When the sun goes down, he will be sure to get her back home to her Pa. Wherever home is for her. Until then he will make sure she is safe.
“Alright Leo let's see how good of a builder you are!” He says helping her carry some of the blocks over to their building spot.
It didn’t take too long to build the small room. He was reinforcing the ceiling and some of the other blocks as a final precaution. Looking around the finished room he noticed Leo had put her bed down along with a little stand that had a purple tulip in a pot on it, and a small chest.
“Well now that you have a room in the dragon, let’s talk rent.” he says clapping his hands together.
“I think 50 diamonds a night sounds fair.” Leo looked up at him with wide eyes. He could tell she wasn’t expecting that. He is trying his hardest to look serious and not start laughing. It wasn’t until he noticed her reaching for her bag that Foolish realized she actually thought he was serious.
“Wait- wait Leo I was joking you don’t have to pay me for this!” Leo looked up at him now.
“But you built me a room in your dragon? That you don’t let anyone else build in. Shouldn’t I have to give you something?” She asks, confused.
“No Leo.” Foolish says chucking now. “You don’t need to give me anything. Consider it a gift! Un regalo!”
“Well, if you gave me a gift, then I want to give you a gift as well.” Leo states now reaching in her bag. He was curious to see what she was going to give him. Especially if she was willing to hand over 50 diamonds like it was nothing. He could only imagine the other crazy things she carried on her.
Pulling something out of her bag she holds out a yellow tulip. He never thought he would cherish a flower more in his life.
“It reminds me of you! Like how the purple one reminds me of my Pa.”
“Aww Leo! I love it. I’ll make sure to keep it safe!” He says carefully placing it in his bag, so it doesn’t get crushed.
“Alright let’s get you tucked into bed. I’ll even play some music.” Placing a music box down he pulls out a record from his bag.
When the record started playing noticed that Leo had taken her hat off and was already beginning to fall asleep.
“Buenas noches no (goodnight)- buen día(Good day)? Whatever! Have a good sleep, I’ll make sure no one comes to bother you. Then when you wake up, I’ll take you back to your Pa.” Realizing she probably only heard half of that before she had fallen asleep. Pulling the warpstone from his bag he transports to his waystone. When he got there, he noticed Bad was also here and heading towards the tower. Fuck he really didn’t want anyone near the dragon today. Quickly grabbing his paraglider, he rushes to catch up.
“Oh, hey Foolish! What are you doing here?” Bad says quickly, trying to hide something behind his back. Foolish didn’t see what he was hiding, but he knew that he didn’t want whatever Bad was planning to happen here.
“I live here Bad. The better question is "what are you doing here?”
“Oh, you know, just coming by to visit. I needed to take some measurements of some stuff, so the demolition crew knows how much TNT to bring. Since you never showed me, the proper permits stating you can build on this nature reserve. I figured it was time to remove it.”
Even though he knew he was just messing around the idea of TNT blocks even just being placed above Leo gave him anxiety. He needs to think of something and fast.
“Ya! Ya! I got your permits right here Bad.” He says reaching into his bag trying to see if he had anything that could distract the other long enough to at least get him away from the dragon. Sadly, though he couldn’t find anything, but he did see the blueprints for the titan.
“Actually, I don’t think they are here, I’m pretty sure I left them at the titan. Let's go there.”
“Perfect, that was going to be the next place I visited anyway. You are going to need a permit for that build also since it’s taller than the wall. I don’t know if someone has contacted you about that yet or not.” This caused Foolish to roll his eyes.
“Do I also need to show you the permit that allows me to kick your ass?” He says as they both grab their warpstones to go to the titan.
“Language!”
When he sees Bad teleporting away Foolish releases the breath, he didn’t realize he was holding.
_____
It took doing a bunch of dungeons and keeping everyone busy, but he successfully managed to make sure no one came to the dragon. It wasn’t until the sun had begun to set, and he confirmed no one needed him for anything. That he was able to return home. Even though he just wanted to crawl into bed, the idea of lying in bed and catching up on some much needed sleep. He knew it would only be a few more minutes before he had to do the next big task of the day.
Walking into the tower he figured he would organize his inventory until the sun fully set so he didn’t have to worry about breaking a block and any light hitting Leo.
Now that he actually had time to think about it, she was really strange. Not that he could say anything he was part shark part totem, but he had never met a hybrid like her. Maybe she was a bat hybrid judging from the wings, or maybe a demon like Bad and Dapper. He isn't too confident about the second option though. If it wouldn’t lead to a bunch of questions he almost wanted to ask Bad, or maybe even Cellbit if they had ever heard of a hybrid that ran cold and couldn’t go into sunlight.
Going through his bags he pulls out the tulip Leo gave him. Looking around for a good spot to put it he pulls out a pot and places it on a bookshelf. Where he knows it will be safe.
“A flower from Leo.” He mumbled to himself as he packed the dirt into the pot. Speaking of Leo, it seems like the sun has officially set. It was time to go see how she was doing.
“Oh Leo, it's time to wake up!” He says in a singsong voice as he paraglides down to the mouth of the dragon and removes some blocks to get in. When he steps into the room, he sees that she is actually awake.
She seemed to be listening to music and painting. She must have been up for a while because there were two other paintings hanging up over her bed. One was of a dog, and the other was of two bats flying above a black and purple castle.
Walking over to the easel to see what else she was painting. He noticed it was a picture of three people. He realized the guy with the green and white outfit was him. The little girl with the red baseball cap and wings was Leo, and he wasn’t sure who the other person was, but he had dark hair and purple pants.
“Hey Leo, I think it's time we get you back to your dad. He has probably been worried looking for yo-“
As she turned around Foolish froze in his spot. He was trying to process what he was looking at.
“Leo is that- is that a blood bag? Why are you drinking that? Give it to me!” but as Foolish reached out to take it from her she turned away.
“No, it’s mine you can’t have it!” She says now hiding the bag from his sight. It seems like Foolish just added more questions to his long list of questions.
“Where did you?” No never mind that.
“Leo, I have a farm I can make you some avocado toast, or hell I'll steal from someone else and make you whatever food you want! You need real food; you can get really sick if you keep drinking that!” He explains hoping to get through to the girl.
“But Foolish this is my food! See!” Moving the bag closer to her mouth it took everything in him not to rip the bag from her hands and force her to eat real food. His curiosity got the better of him though. So, he waited to see what she did next. Maybe it wasn't even what he thought it was, maybe it was just wine in a weird bag. Okay even he knew that was a long shot, but hey it’s possible!
Leo moving her hands to adjust her grip gave Foolish an opportunity to read the label. When he did though he realized there was no mistaking what was in that bag.
“Federation Blood Bank”
“Type: AB+”
Looking back now at Leo's face he saw her eyes darken and fangs retracted from her mouth. Watching as she bites into it he takes a step back. Unable to look away as she drinks every drop of blood from the bag. Smiling up at him when she finishes it. Okay there was probably a better way to go about this, but right now he had a lot of questions and he needed answers.
“Leo, I ask this in the most respectful way possible but- but what are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you drink blood, you are freezing cold, you can't go out in the sun, you have wings and fangs. Are you a bat hybrid or something? Because you're obviously not a human.”
“Obviously I'm not a human! Humans are weak I'm strong and immortal. A vampiresa!” she says while flexing her arms and showing her fangs. Foolish thinks his brain may of actually short circuited at this.
“Vampiresa? Is that? Vamp- Are you saying you're a vampire Leo?”
“Sí, pensé que sabías (I thought you knew)? Why else would you have talked to me when I was in my bat form?”
“When you were a bat? What are you-” Then it clicked. The hidden castle, the bat that knocked over those books, and the man who seemed to appear and disappeared out of thin air.
“Wait.” Foolish says moving across the room to her bed where her recent paintings were displayed.
“Let me get something straight. You live here?” he says pointing to the castle.
“Yes, don't you remember it? You were there just a couple days ago!”
“Oh no I remember it clearly.” Foolish says now pointed to the smaller of the two bats.
“This is you?” Leo nodded. Then Foolish moved his finger across the painting to the bigger bat. Hoping what he was going to ask next wouldn't be true.
“So, this is?”
“My Pa Vegetta.” Foolish slowly nods trying to process this information.
“And Vegetta is also a vampire?”
“Si. He is really strong and really powerful since he has been alive for a long time!” Leo says happily. Sadly, her words did not make foolish feel the same.
“And he doesn't know where you are at the moment?” Leo was quiet now.
“And I'm guessing he isn't going to be really happy when he finds out you have been with me the whole time.” Leo, no longer excited, looks down at her hands, shaking her head.
“Oh, fuck me.”
So not only does he have to go back to the man who already threatened to kill him if he ever saw him again. He also has to tell him that his daughter, who he is probably ready to burn down half of the island in order to find. Has been with him the whole time, and if that wasn’t bad enough that same man is a really strong and powerful vampire.
Maybe he should see if Philza has a message for Lady Death. Since it seems like he is going to be seeing her very soon.