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“RB.”
“Yes chief?”
“These are for you.” The old stick handed the fighter a manila envelope. RB took it into her hand and tore it open.
“Who’s it from?” She asked as she pulled out some papers.
“Some fan of yours. They seemed desperate for you to have it.” The chief shrugged as he walked away. RB knew she was quite popular, so gaining fan mail was expected. Though, she found fan mail to be boring and meaningless. She never really cared about the letters or pictures that these strangers would send. But this one was different.
Royal skimmed the letter half-heartedly. She wasn’t exactly processing the contents of the letter until a specific word caught her eye. More specifically, a name; Orchid. Royal stared at the name for a while. She wondered how her ex was doing now. She hadn't seen or heard from her in years. Royal sat up straighter, truly reading the message that had been sent to her. As her eyes read farther and farther, her mind began to race. The rage in her heart built up, causing the gladiator to throw the papers to the floor.
“No!! No this-This isn't!” Royal picked the papers up off the floor once more, looking for a name, an address, anything that would tell her who this sender was. But there was nothing. Royal clenched the letter in her fists, crushing and ripping it apart. Tossing the papers aside once more, Royal stormed out of her room and down to her mentor’s office. As she stomped down the hall, all the other fighters immediately got out of her way. None dared to intervene, afraid of being beaten to a pulp. As Royal reached the office door, she didn't even bother knocking. She simply slammed the door open.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!” She demanded, causing the older stick to turn in shock.
“What’s your malfunction now? I thought I taught you better than this!” The chief yelled back. Royal stepped closer to the man, her fists clenched and shaking. Angry tears in her eyes as she barely managed the words out of her mouth.
“Why is someone telling me Orchid has been dead for years now!?” Royal choked out. The chief’s eyes widened as Royal asked her question.
“Who told you that?!” Royal’s fists tightened more. Her anger rising as well.
“You knew. Didn't you?” Royal’s sneer was harsh yet broken as she stared her master in the eye. The chief sighed and turned his back to her.
“You were never supposed to-” The chief cried out as Royal grabbed him and pinned him to the wall.
“WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!?!? WHY COULDN'T I KNOW?!?! WHY DID YOU HIDE THIS FROM ME!?!?!?!” She screamed, tears spilling from her eyes. The chief immediately shoved Royal off of him before pinning her to the floor on her face.
“Because of this! You knowing that useless brat was dead would affect your performance! She was a stupid handicap to you to begin with!” Royal tried to fight back, but her master was too powerful, and her will was too weak.
“She’s not a brat!!! She’s beautiful and kind and she’s helped me so much!!!” Her master scoffed and kicked Royal away.
“She made you soft and weak! Now all my hard work has gone to waste!” The Chief grumbled. Royal shakily stood on her feet.
“Well what about my son huh?! What happened to him?!”
“Who cares?! You shouldn't care about them anymore!!! You weren't made to have a family, to be a parent, to even be married!”
“WHERE IS MY SON?!? WHERE IS ORCHID BURRIED?! WHY ARE YOU SO FUCKING AGAINST THEM?!?!”
“They make you weak! Just look at you now! You can barely stand straight! I suggest you leave before you make an even bigger fool of yourself!!!”
“FUCK YOU!!!” Royal ran back to her room, slamming the door shut and trashing the place. She screamed and cried as she punched holes into the walls, tore up her books, and broke her desk. Once Royal had gotten all her rage out, she collapsed. As her body hit the floor, cries of agony ripped through her code. How long had Orchid been dead? How long had Purple been alone for? Hell, where even WAS purple? So many questions, but so little answers. Royal slowly sat up, looking at the havoc that was once her room. She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest. As she stared at the ground in front of her, she noticed the envelope that held the letter revealing everything to her. She grabbed it, looking it over. Then something caught her eye, in small print on the corner was an address, one that Royal did not recognize. A spark of hope ignited as Royal looked at the address. Hopping to her feet, she grabbed her hoodie and threw it on before dashing out the door.
**********
Royal briskly walked down the street, looking down at the envelope in her hand. Her heart raced as she turned the corner. Maybe this was the person who was taking care of her son now! Maybe they would tell her everything she’s missed. Maybe they could show her Orchid’s final resting place. Royal took a breath as he rounded the corner and stood before a warm looking house. Taking a breath, Royal stepped up to the door and knocked. Her heart raced as she heard the footsteps. Her foot tapped as her anxiety spiked. Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a black and white stick.
“How can I help you?” They said, standing with one hand on their hip and the other on the doorknob. Royal stared slightly. She had so many things to ask, but the words would not dislodge from her throat. The sound of thunder suddenly snapped Royal out of her thoughts. The dual-colored stick looked past Royal and looked up at the sky.
“It’s going to rain soon. Why don't you come in?” They offered, stepping aside and opening the door wider. Royal silently entered the home. As she looked around, she noticed how cozy and welcoming it felt. It reminded her of the days when she and Orchid lived in that house just outside the city. She missed those days.
“My name’s Libra. What’s your’s.” Libra asked as they followed Royal to the living room.
“Uh, Royal Blue. But, just call me Royal.” Royal took a seat on the couch, removing her hoodie and blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face.
“Oh, So you're his other mom.” Royal’s eyes widened as she looked up at Libra.
“You know Purple. Is he here?! Did you adopt him after Orchid…” Royal was unable to finish her sentence. Libra sighed as they sat in the armchair.
“I know the kid. But I didn't adopt him, I'm sorry.” Royal slightly deflated a bit after hearing that, but her questions still needed to be answered.
“So how do you know him? How did you know Orchid p-pa….” The words got stuck in Royal’s throat, her body physically refused to believe that Orchid was dead. Libra sighed as they crossed one leg over the other.
“I work at the cemetery where your wife is buried. Purp comes to visit every other Sunday.” Royal nodded as Libra told her this information.
“So, why did you tell me? Heck, how did you know that I was his other parent?”
“Purple told me. They’re a good kid and nice company. As to why I told you, Purple said that he sent you many letters when Orchid was sick and dying, but you never wrote back to him. I never believed that someone could be that heartless, so I figured that whoever was in charge of your mail didn't want you receiving mail from your kid. That’s why I sent in a message instead of Purple.” Royal’s brain tried to keep up with everything Libra told her. But it made the hurricane of emotions in her heart swirl faster.
“H-he really was hiding everything from me…” Royal breathed, shock and anger showing on her face. Libra sat up straighter, leaning forward.
“Hey.” Royal blinked back into reality, facing Libra once more.
“Do you want to go see Orchid?” Royal sat still. Go see Orchid? After running away so many years ago? Sure she wouldn't really be talking to Orchid face to face. But the thought still gave Royal anxiety.
“You don't have to if you don't want to. It was-”
“I want to go see Orchid.” Royal’s voice suddenly spoke. Libra stared at the gladiator for a second. They studied her, examining the look on her face. With a nod, Libra stood from his seat.
“Come then.” Libra walked to the door and put their coat on. Royal quickly stood and followed the stick out the door.
**********
As Royal and Libra reached the cemetery, Royal’s heart began to race. Her mind still debating whether or not Libra was lying to her about everything. But they also knew too much for this to all be a fluke. She suddenly bumped into Libra, stumbling back slightly. Before she could apologize, Libra spoke.
“Here she is.” Royal’s body froze up. Was this really where Orchid’s final resting place was? Was this truly where Royal finally had to face her fears?
“I’ll give you a moment.” Libra said as they walked away. Royal followed their figure for a minute before looking down at the headstone in front of her. The first thing she noticed was the potted pixel flower. It swayed in the wind, absorbing the small droplets of rain that landed on its leaves and petals. Royal’s eyes slowly trailed up, reading over the name engraved in the stone. As she did, her heart stopped.
Here lies Orchid Grace Kelsey
Loving mother and friend.
19xx - 20xx
Royal felt like she was suffocating as she read the name. She collapsed to her knees, never taking her eyes off the grave. Royal’s brain raced a million miles a second, while her heart seemed to stop beating. Royal’s lungs screamed for air as her vision blurred. It was no joke. Orchid was dead. She had been for the past three years. Royal desperately tried to get air in her lungs, but no matter what she did, she could not move, she could not breathe, she could not look away from the stone. Royal suddenly felt arms around her. Looking to her right, she saw Libra had hugged her. Tears began to spill from Royal’s eyes, she wrapped her arms around Libra as well, finding comfort in their arms, much like she did in Orchid’s so many years ago. A feeling she never realized how much she missed.
“Sh-she’s gone… She’s really gone…” Royal barely managed out.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Libra whispered, holding Royal tightly. Royal shook and sobbed in their arms. This pain in her chest was so new to her. She had no idea what to do with it. She desperately wanted it to go away. She wanted the whole world to go away. Shoving Libra off, Royal stood and ran off. She couldn't stand it anymore. She needed to leave, she had to go. This whole day was a mistake.