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“You didn’t set all this up just to have a night to ourselves did you?” Squiddo asked, her eyes hidden behind her spiral glasses.
Ash laughed “clever as always, my beloved” taking his wife’s hand into his own and placing a kiss to her knuckles.
She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed but playing along with the Mafia leader’s game as she slipped he hand out of his grasp and observed her surroundings. “Why do all this? Why leave the Mafia unattended and weaker for a whole day just to take me out to a random waterfall? I know you Ash, you don’t do things without a meaning to them, so why bring me here?”
The waterfall was indeed beautiful, but it was hundreds of blocks out, far enough away that no other player could stumble across them. Ash wasn’t killing her that was for sure, the leader was to much of a sap to do that and even if so, Squiddo had proven her worth as not only a partner but also a worker. She was highly intelligent, she went over Mafia routes and found weak spots, built profiles on enemies, and solved riddles in mere minutes. Discarding her would be stupid and she knew Ash wasn’t stupid.
Another reason she was valuable was her position as the holder of compassion.
It was weirdly funny that the consort of the Mafia was the holder of compassion but her element made her a valuable asset. She could read people and be deadly accurate of her conclusion due to her being able to feel what a person feels and know what that person would do based on their personality. She was kinda like a profiler, reading people, putting them in boxes, and filing their next moves based on what she knew. She was accurate, she was valuable, she was useful other then just being the mafia leader’s wife.
So why was Ash dragging her out in the middle of no where?
Ash smiled “I’m simply testing a theory my love” he said simply before asking “have you heard of fusion before?”
Squiddo peaked in interest at that “the myth of fusion? I have heard of it but I wouldn’t say I know about the topic in depth.”
Ash simply hummed “fusion is the art of two holders combining their elements, it can be done for many reasons but the bond between the holders must be strong to complete a stable fusion. Though if a holders dive for a cause is strong enough they could temporarily fuse due to their shared want of something, though this fusion is draining and could hurt future fusions with the holders.”
“So…” Squiddo drew “fusion is not a myth?”
“I have had some sources that say they have fused before but I have yet to find any concrete evidence to support their claims. So-” Ash then suddenly turned to face Squiddo, extending his hand as an invitation to the only holder he saw as his equal. With a smile on his lips Ash asked like it was the easiest thing in the server-.
“Would you care to fuse with me, Squiddo?”
Squiddo’s eyes went wide, she barley knew anything about fusion but it felt so- intimate to be asked of something like it. She waved her hands “woah, woah, woah! I barley knew about fusion a minute ago, I don’t know what to do or what would lead to fusion or something worse. Plus, do you even know what we have to do, it seems like your sources are half ok at best.”
“You are right on every account” Ash confirmed “but if what I’ve heard is true then fusion isn’t something a holder could do with just anyone. Your the only person I have that fits all the boxes. From what I’ve heard fusion is about synchronization and the bond between two people, so if it dosen’t work we’ll simply just be two fools dancing around a water fall.”
Squiddo let her hand be taken by he partner but didn’t move her feet yet, instead she asked “this isn’t some ploy is it? This fusion thing, while I haven’t heard of it before it feels rather- intimate.”
“While yes, fusion is rather intimate, it is neither romantic nor sexual in nature. It's a combining of elements, two halves coming together, two sides of a spinning coin.” Ash supplied before he shrugged. “It’s up to you to take my hand, but this could change the way the holders fight for years to come.” Squiddo still looked suspicious so Ash added on in a slightly softer tone “don’t you trust me? Don’t you know I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think of every outcome.”
Taking a deep breath, Squiddo knew his words were true, no matter what persona the mafia leader put on, each one would put his life on the line a hundred times before Squiddo herself could even think of danger. It was just them at the top after all, if one was at the top they both were, if one was at the bottom they both were. Together they would always stay, together they woud either rule this hell server or fall to it.
Squiddo allowed herself to be pulled into her partner’s arms and dances around as the glitching around Ash’s eyes calmed to show off two deep purple eyes. She was pretty sure she was the only person who got to see both of his eyes, usually they both stayed hidden but during high stacks meetings he would let an eye show to make others feel as if he was letting down his guard. He never truly had his guard down though, but with her those walls slowly crumbled, with her he was less of a cruel mafia leader and more of a sappy romantic that would worship the ground sher walked on.
It made this dance feel that much more intimate.
They began their simple dance, hands stayed in comfortable areas where they knew they were welcomed, feet tangled together as if they were one, and a small smile slipped onto both their lips. They moved in perfect synchronization as their dance sped up, Squiddo couldn’t name the feeling she felt but she felt good, whole. Stepping after each other Ash giggled, the mafia leader giggled like a little girl as they moved as one.
And when Ash took them into a dip and moved to connect their lips in a sweet kiss, a bright light of purple and orange shined off of them. Squiddo and Ash were gone, in their place stood a single figure. The woman looked around six five, short, curly, brown hair that faded into a light orange at certain points and 2 longer strands near the front. She wore a short purple suit dress with black sleeves and dark brown pants underneath the short purple pencil skirt. Over her eyes laid a helmet covering in the colors of purple and orange. And on her head laid and orange crown fit for royalty, with purple gems to complement it.
The woman stumbled before landing squarely on her ass, her head spinning. Looking at her hands she stared at mocha colored skin like it was the first time she saw herself.
But this was the first time seeing herself, a part of her called.
She was shorter than expected, another one huffed.
She couldn't remember the names of who were talking, everything was so confusing and new and-.
Name.
Her name was Emperor.
Emperor? Why not Empress if the body is mostly female, the huffing voice asked.
Empress isn't half as cool as Emperor, the calmer voice said, I think it's a cool name.
Her head started to ache as her vision swirled, suddenly feeling very dizzy. Emperor hit the ground hard, laying flat on the grass as her body trembled. A cold sweat broke out across her body and she could control the want to shrink into herself and curled into a ball on the ground.
As soon as Emperor appeared she just as quickly disappeared, leaving Squiddo and Ash exhausted and panting on the ground. Squiddo was curled into a ball while Ash was sweating like crazy, both in a dazed like state.
But the dazed state was also paired with something vulnerable and pure. Squiddo dug his nails into her forearm as the thought surfaced, that was fusion. She barely remembered what happened but she remembered Emperor’s memories and the feeling of numbness as her and Ash were intertwined in a white void.
Somewhere in Squiddo’s dazed state, Ash had shuffled over to her and carefully took her in his arms. He held her gently, positioning her head into his chest and surrounding her body like a shield. He didn't talk at first, his gaze was distant but his body was firmly set on protecting.
Finally, he brushed the hair off her face he simply asked “you ok?” his voice slurred but still full of care.
Squiddo breathed out a laughed “I- I don't know, I'm a little wore out but there's this feeling I can't quite name. It feels like- it's almost like-”.
“A completeness?” Ash answered for her, only now did Squiddo feel and almost physical pull between the two of them after their fuse, like even after diffusing they were still one. Squiddo didn't respond with words, she simply just hummed contently and nuzzled into her other half.
Ash placed a single kiss to her forehead and whispered “rest, I'll take care of everything.”
“We’ll be together till the end of time” Squiddo? Ash? One of them, maybe both of them, said, whoever it was was anyone's guess for Squiddo couldn't tell where she ended and Ash started.
And maybe that was for the best.