Chapter Text
The elevator sounds were echoing in her ears, leaving her with her own thoughts. Coming down the lights were making a deception of blinking and as if you would try to hold back tears. It was confusing in its own way, not only because she felt very lost there, but because she had this awareness of her role in the next steps. She overheard what the Federation had in their bag.
She was made to be something more than just a sister or a friend. She was made to be a powerful weapon. The elevator stopped and the sound only approved that the ride was over. The doors opened and a pale white corridor appeared.The walls were extremely plain and simple and everybody would be overwhelmed with a feeling of exhaustion or panic coming from the deepest parts of their soul. It was made of concrete which was a hallmark of the Feds. Not only were the workers white, but also their buildings. No one truly knew if this illusion was supposed to keep you safe or just quiet because it was making you uncomfortable by doing nothing. Sometimes when in the building there were only a few people and the objects were in tubes, the feeling was getting intense and if you would pull one string the whole facade would collapse and someone would finally speak up about the experiments. The Federation wasn’t a massive fan of people who weren’t with them but against them. You can't understand when this feeling came in but it's there and it will haunt you forever. In the end of the terrifying corridor she could see an iron door with a recognition system above. It was supposed to be a part of protection, however nobody knew why even the Federation needed one. For most of the subjects going out of tubes or FTD was a huge challenge. However not for everyone, not for 19. She's going full into everything she does and accepts the hard truth which allows her to be the best out of every Federation experiment. She had top marks in every of their classes, she has a charisma, unique point of view and unprecedented flair. Fortunately for her, Cucurucho and all of the Federation workers see it. That's why he invited her to the most protected and secret part of the Federation building. She was made to be part of this plan because she never made them think she’s not loyal or not prepared for any kind of opportunity. The whole point of trainings was to get them somewhere and now she was standing by the door that could be her final project before she will be a fulfilled object. She jumped when she heard an animated voice made specifically for this type of situation. She could also hear that type of voice when the Federation was mad at them and had to make a video announcement. If she caught this similarity, she didn’t address it.
Welcome to the Federation Cooperative Office. Show us your badge and introduce yourself.
-"It's 19"
Why are you here?
-"I got invited by Cucurucho and asked to come here by myself"
The iron door opened with a huge bang and the hybrid came in. She was a human interlinked with a fox. She had fierce orange eyes underlined with a white lashes. Her whiskers were moving along with her nose when she was trying to feel the new smells of the room. Her smile was asserted by fangs and her tail was moving with excitement. She was pretty, for some. Definitely for Cucurucho that always was telling her how he loves her ears or her tail. He adored touching her pelage in the most hidden places of her body. Her hair was styled in two ponytails which were floating on her back. She could’ve asked 1 to braid her hair, but she was in such a rush that she was finishing her hairstyle in the elevator. She never was out of the tubes on the second floor, except into FTD - Federation Training Department, where all of them could improve their characteristics and abilities. The Federation was always very cautious about their work. Especially when it came to "people" or moreover the things that they did with them. 19 was the only one who was allowed to see more of this world. Her nose could find new smells, her ears were learning new sounds and her heart could feel the adrenaline that came through her veins. Finally after a few minutes in darkness, the lights in the room lit up and in the middle of the room she could see a hologram with an unexplainable land. Behind the table there were tubes with all of her previous sisters and brothers. The tubes were overflowing with white water a-like substance and hybrids in there were peacefully sleeping. Pepino was checking the health conditions in each one. On both sides there were staircases that were leading to a single blue door that had written "ISLAND" on them. She didn't know what was going on, but the moment her master, Cucurucho, came in, you could see a smile appearing on her face. She wasn't there by coincidence, she was the chosen one. She was the one who was out and not in the tube. Cucurucho hadn't changed since the last time she saw him. He still was a polar bear with a vicious smile on his face and controlling black eyes that were going straight to your heart if you would focus on them for too long. He could crash your whole world and you would still thank him.
-"Hello daughter" - he said when he was walking down the stairs. His plan for the rest of the experiment was born when he made new hybrids. The island was about to be the final test, when all of the participants had to face the reality of survival and the last one standing was supposed to be his right hand. He wanted the island to be splendid. He was the first person, making sure that the island is ready for new participants. Then his employees were also checking all of the dimensions needed to execute their plan. When he was sure that everything was stitched up, he was ready to make his game alive. It was simple. When he was looking for an object that will help him make everyone regret their lives he was surprised that the ideal experiment for that wasn't the 1, the obsidian hybrid, or 15, the red-panda hybrid. But now he had a sly fox so he couldn't be more satisfied. He didn’t tell them what they have been trained for so it was easier to find the flawless person to make difficult decisions for him. Of course he wouldn’t be the one responsible for this mess that will happen. He had to have someone to blame. -"I have a task for you. But firstly did you figure out the name that you want to have?"
-"Yes father, Dorothea." - for her it had a message that she was a gift of God, a gift of Cucurucho made to make the world a better place. That she was about to make a huge change in her and her family lives.
Cucurucho nodded with agreement and wrote it down on the paper next to her number, abilities, specialities and looks through the whole process of connecting her DNA with foxes. Now it was time for him to make her even more flawless.
-"You see Dorothea, you made me so proud" - he smiled -"And I need you, like a father needs his daughter."
He approached her from behind and put his hand on her shoulder. He bumped her in front of the control panel that showed the map of his island. The places on the map were already signed, the landscape looked rough but it was something that was solicited. Everything was planned. Cucurucho stood in front of her with a smirk on his face and continued:
-"This island is for all of my children, but you see, someone has to make sure that it won't turn into a total mess. And that someone will be you. Do you accept the risk?"
Her orange eyes lit up and her tail was betraying her excitement. But since they had an emotion stopper class she pulled herself together and pushed her shoulders behind. She slightly lifted her head and was ready to take this challenge as a new purpose in life. This was her moment to shine.
-"I do"
-"The risk is that all of your brothers and sisters will put a knife in your back and you may be gone forever. You may lose everything that you have worked so hard for. You may even lose yourself."
-"I still do."
-"Very well, then let the project begin." - she never saw Cucurucho that pleased in her life, even when she had the best opinion in her ward it still was just a smirk, now it was a powerful wide smile from eye to eye. -"You will have to decide which of your siblings will go to which faction. We, as a Federation, are very interested in your opinion since you know them better than we do. You live with them on a daily basis. Shall we begin?"
The hologram started to show people that Dorothea knew for her whole life. It was tragic to decide their fate based only on her opinions but what she wouldn't do for her fathers approval? She also had a plan on how to keep her reputation safe and to be sure that none of the kids would come in her way.
1 - obsidian hybrid
-"Since I know him and I know how much he hates the Federation. which is insane when you look for much you do for us. I think I will put him in The Regime, I would love to see him fall." - she knew what she was doing. If she would put him in The Regime and he would still hate the Federation, he wouldn't be a threat for her anymore, because he would try to mess with the Feds and they would easily put him down. She would have all of fathers love only for her and that stupid obsidian boy wouldn't be the next option if she would somehow fail. The computer was analyzing her choice with the marks that 1 has gotten through their journey in FTD. Match: 100%.
-"What name would you give him?" - the robotic voice asked, scarring her, but she remained still even if there was a heart attack inside. She was scared of these robotic voices. The lab wasn’t a nice place to be hearing them analyzing every piece of her body.
-"Ash"
15 - red-panda hybrid
-"If you would have asked me he was far too energetic in the sessions. I hated him so badly, but somehow he almost beat me, especially in haunting sessions. He was very close to everyone, but for 1 he would cut his throat and bleed out. So I need to divide them. That's why I will put him in the Polish Cave. It will be interesting to see how much they want to kill themselves inside this cave." - the smirk appeared on her face when the computer also showed the match of 100%. She was perfect as always. Father made the right choice and she could see that in his face. He was proud of her and that was something that counted the most.
-"What name would you give him?"
-"Ewron."
When she matched every person to their fraction, she had to focus on relationships between them. She didn't care most of the time what she would choose because no matter what her decision was always correct. The computer wouldn't fake it. Her ears started twitching with frustration when she had to choose another low assigned experiment, who had to forget everything about this life or not. That tactic was supposed to break their mentality. She was so tired of having the voice in someone's life, but when it finally reached the two that she was interested in the most, her energy came back to life. They were her biggest rivals. The tops on board were always them with a small difference in points. The decision was simple as Cucurucho was the greatest leader of all time.
-"Ewron."
This time, however, Cucurucho wasn't delighted about her choice. On his forehead started to show some sweat drops. He had this quirk when he got mad or horny. The second one she knew very well to forget it. Now he was furious. He took three steps to her and grabbed her by her copper hair. He drew her to the mirror for her to look at this miserable face of hers. The tears started to form in the corner of her eyes, but she swallowed it and she was ready to make her plan happen.
-"I can explain." - the shaky voice came out of her and for the first time she felt vulnerable.
-"Then do." - he growled, still pulling her hair and trying to break her. It was normal in the laboratory, but never when it came to Cucurucho visits. He was more gentle when it came to their private sessions. It was new for her.
-"He is Ash' rock. He keeps him stable, when he will forget about him and all of their memories Ash will fall apart. Since you wanted to get rid of him, it will be easier when he can't think straight right?" - she smiled trying to sell her version of this move. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was enough for Cucurucho to let her go and accept it himself. She didn't disappoint him after all. Now they only waited for the machine approval and guess what, match: 100%. She was still on her knees looking in the mirror when she tried to true up her hairstyle. She had these gorgeous ponytails and now she looked like a mess. In the reflection, she saw the smile that was about to replay in her nightmares every night. For her, Cucurucho chose loneliness and to remember. Maybe that was a curse from him for her? She didn't know but she was certain that her trip on the island won't be flowers and rainbows. She will have to live with the guilt of her every decision in this room that will show in the project. At least her father will love her. Right? The blue door opened and Pepino started to pull all of her siblings from the tubes and throw them behind the door. The true test is starting now.
Ash woke up in a small room tied up to the white chair. In front of him there was a TV showing the Federation emblem with a clock counting down the minutes. It was almost like he was back in the training sessions with Cucurucho when he was testing his limits by showing him the tapes of Ewron' tortures. He could sit there for hours, screaming his best-friend nickname just for it to end with a needle in the shoulder and coming back to the tube. The tubes weren't the worst in this situation, because it almost felt like he was sleeping in the cloud. The classes also were great, because he got to spend time with Ewron. At the beginning of meeting others they immediately found their way to each other and since they were each other's comfort in the dark times. They even gave nicknames to each other, they never used Federations names. Every person knew that they were inseparable and nothing could come between them. The counting stopped and the anthem began. All of the workers in the room with him stood up and applauded when Cucurucho came into sight. Ash had a covered mouth so he couldn't scream for help or even check on others, who he saw by his sides through the glass. When the Cucurucho started to speak, the panic wasn't lowering.
"Welcome kids, tonight it's not our normal afternoon. Tonight you will receive freedom"
Did Ash hear that correctly? Did they really just let them go? Finally the hope that he lost was coming back in a new way that he couldn't explain. However Ewron on his right wasn't too pleased about it. A single tear was going down his cheek. Maybe that was his coping mechanism of finally getting a way to run away as fast as he could.
"However, as you know, there will be some rules."
Of fucking course they weren't just letting them out.
"From now on, the objects that will be mentioned, their memory will be removed. Everything that they survived here, in our alluring Federation, will be dead to them.
So let's start with my dear children: 3, 4, 7, 15…"
At that moment Ash' heart stopped. He didn't care about the rules, about his future, or about other people. He only cared about Ewron and that he won't be able to remember him. He won't be remembering any details about their relationship, about all of their memories that they were making and what was even worse, Ewron wouldn't remember himself. He will be lost in a place that he doesn't know anything about, they may be separated and Ash won't be there to protect him. Ash just doesn't believe that this is really happening. He wishes it was only a bad dream and he will wake up in a training centre with Ewron by his side, with all the stupid jokes and his tiny quirks like moving his ears each time he was frustrated with Ash stealing his fluffy slippers or wrapping his tail around Ash' wrist. He tried to break the knots on his wrists, they reminded him too much about the red-panda tail. They weren’t this soft but they were putting the pressure on the same places. He tried to scream through the material and his eyes were totally blurred. The glitches on his eyes were starting to get bigger and the next thing that Ash felt was a needle with anesthesia. When his eyes were closing, he saw on a TV the last rule:
"Don't get killed and may the odds be ever in your favor!"
The first thing he saw after opening eyes was a curious red-panda hybrid looking straight down at him. He couldn't help but smile at him, even if the realization came quicker than he expected. He doesn't remember you Ash. You are new to him. They stared at each other for a while, trying to understand what was in the other's mind. Ewron looked like he was trying to remind himself of something, his wrinkled forehead and twitching of ears were clear evidence of that. Ash was so focused on the other boy that he noticed things that he never paid attention to, like small freckles spread across all of Ewron' face and a thin white line on the edge of Ewron' nose. He also found that Ewrons' hair got longer which made him think about how long he was unconscious. After a while of silence and awkwardness he cleared his throat. He was about to say something, but Ewron was faster.
"I saved you" - he stood up and gave Ash a hand to help him get up. Then Ash saw the whole new landscape around him. It wasn't pale anymore. It was all the colors of the rainbow mixed with sparkles. The sky wasn't as amazing as the Federation made in their buildings, not everything was in its place, everything had some kind of natural sense of living. The birds had their own melody, the fruits weren't the same, the trees weren't the same height and what's more Ewron looked healthier. He didn’t look like he was closed in the palm of a crazy masochist. - "You should be grateful, purple boy. You almost bleed yourself to death."
The smirk was Ewrons. He looked the same, his personality was the same and probably his skills were also the same. The only thing that changed was that he didn't remember Ash. And that was enough for Ash' heart to sink and to get caught in his breath. He guessed that was the biggest issue in this situation, because how was he supposed to act like nothing happened?
”My name is Ash” - that was almost embarrassing to say. Ash knew however that without this knowledge Ewron would be calling him "purple boy’’ every time they would see each other. He also had to ask what the rules were because as the idiot he was, he had much more interesting thing to do and that was looking after his friend. - „What are we doing here?”
”I’m Ewron and here we practically kill others as long as one of us will remain.” - he laughed, visibly pissed. Ash knew that Ewron would be loving this idea, he loved hunting lessons and adored the adrenaline rush that came with it, but this guy in front of him wasn’t the one he met in the lab. His form was the same, but the mentality has changed its directory. - „You see, we’ve got these communicators, weapons and the checklists. And then nothing. I don’t even know how this happened that I’m here.”
Ash knew and the truth is he didn’t know what was the solution for this situation. Was he supposed to tell him the truth? Or maybe leave him with this kind of feeling? On the other hand the hybrid wasn’t specifically pleased about this whole situation. Ash could see that, in the moment that Ewron mentioned his lack of memories, in his body language. The nervousness in his eyes, the small moves of his ears, shifting eyes from one tree to another. And the new one that Ash saw immediately, claws bites. They were hidden but nothing could get away from Ash’ attention, especially when it came to Ewron.
„We should be a team” - Ash choked out in one breath. The decision was made quickly and he saw the light coming back to Ewron’s eyes.
”Yeah, sure, why not?” - Ewron smirked and threw him a sword. Ash grabbed it in the motion and landed gracefully on the ground. Just like that they became allies again, which was a step forward to get to their previous relationship. It would never be the same, but it could go close right? - „Are you in a Polish Cave too?”
That threw Ash off. He didn’t know that they already had a factions and the island was already living. It had something uncanny about this. As if someone was pulling the invisible strings and decided about their fate without them thinking about it. Ash tried to understand the thinking behind this whole situation.
”In what?” - seeing confusion on Ash’ face Ewron started laughing uncontrollably. That laugh was surely Ewron’s. It was like the first blow of the spring wind into Ash’ face. It was the first ray of sunshine after the coldest winter Ash would survive. Whole Ash’ body was starting to relax as soon as he heard this breathtaking sound. Ash almost felt like they were back in the emotion center and he tried to get that laugh from Ewron. It was too easy here. However he was so delighted to get his friend back even if the other one didn’t know they had something before.
”Check your communicator” - Ewron choked out through laughter. Ash pulled the device from his pocket and turned it on. The Federation emblem was the first thing he saw, but he quickly swiped it and went through recognition. The system scanned him and let him into his whole profile. He could write there to other people, he could check his points and his fraction. He could also check his mental state and ask for help from Federation workers. When he saw that he wasn't with Ewrons' team he decided that the thing he never wanted to do to his friend was a brink.
„I’m with you” - he sent him the most truthful smile that he could think of and swiftly turned off the device. The hybrid was sold as soon as he saw Ash’s smile. Everything came here too easily with Ewron. In the FTD, he would never trust Ash only with words. Ewron always needed proof for everything and now he just doesn’t care about it.
„Great! Then we should check where it is and go before the night will came” - as soon as Ewron began to read the map Ash focused on the way his hands were almost touching Ewrons’. Redhead was a really touchy person and Ash missed it. He dreamed of Ewrons’ head on his chest or when they linked their hands when they were walking towards new classes. It was comforting knowing that someone cared about him. Right now the person next to him didn’t even know that he existed before. When they found the direction of their base that was already chosen by some greater authority they started their journey. The silence was loud when they were walking by their sides, not even the birds or other creatures could fill it. When they finally felt comfortable again in their surroundings, Ewron started talking. He was like a barrel organ. He talked to Ash, animals, god, even grass. You wouldn’t tell that this guy was one of the most bloodthirsty objects in the lab. He would kill the animals on the trainings with his own teeth and then laugh about it for an hour when the rest of them tried to do the same. He was a true predator when it came to tasks. He always made them look effortless when in reality they were the hardest things they ever did. The trail was still going into the forest when they decided that it’s the time to take a break. Sitting by the tree something caught Ash's eye. It was the most beautiful fox he has ever seen. Maybe because something in those eyes was almost human. Ash felt the wave of nervousness coming to him and immediately took Ewrons’ hand. Ewron went still definitely shocked by this. His cheeks started to get red and his mouth was acting like he was a fish. Ash, seeing this, took his hand and turned away. He didn’t have the nerves to talk about it now. He really wished that Ewron would behave with him the same as always, the boundaries never existed between them. Ewron pulled the arrow and shot in the place where the fox was laying, watching them. The animal startled and ran away in the different direction they were heading. Ewron looked in the sky and started to get stressed when he saw the sun setting down. The sunrise gave him a magnificent gleam which made him look more angelic than before. Ash always thought that his friend was handsome, but now looking at him he felt like he needed to praise him. Like he was a magical creature that was ready to curse him if he won't obey his orders. The next thing that didn’t change was that Ewron was still scared of the darkness. Ash saw it in the way Ewron started packing their things and was repeating.
”We need to find a safe place to be Ash.”
In a few minutes they found a small cave where they could hunker down the night. Maybe even get some sleep? Who knew. Ewron said that they can’t make a fireplace because the monsters would find them. The Federation wasn’t playing about their deaths. They really wanted them gone. They spread their sleeping bags out and laid down. It was a cold night and Ash more than ever needed to hug Ewron and make sure he’s not cold and he won’t freeze when they will sleep. He saw how the other was trembling but didn’t say anything except the one sentence that he could regret for the rest of his life. He made a decision, he will remind Ewron everything, but in pieces, slowly to not make this process a miserable experience. He will because it can help his friend become him again.
”Ewron” - when he saw the silver eyes that were there for him since he was little he knew he made the right decision. He took Ewron’ hand and linked their fingers. The heat started increasing between them, it almost felt electric. He let his breath out and locked eyes with Ewron. - „I need to tell you something.”