Taking Back

A Rude Awakening

"HEAVY METAL IMPACT!" said a voice, and suddenly a spark of life shot out like a thousand bolts of lightning. Next thing anyone knew, Eddie had lurched up, gasping for air, like a man coming up from the ocean. Eddie breathed in heavily as he looked around, feeling his body.

"N-no chains," he said, gasping heavily after what had transpired. He looked about the room. "N-no fox, no smoke, no-" his eyes then met Alisha's, whose eyes were intensely and worryingly staring back at his. "P-princess?"

"Oh, thank the Heavens, you are okay," gasped Alisha as she hugged him tightly.

Eddie wanted to push her away but felt comfortable in her embrace. It almost drove him to tears. "Why am I– I mean, what are you," he tried to ask but was cut off by a familiar voice.

"Oh yeah, sure. Thank the Heavens, why don't cha? Not like I did any of the heavy lifting?!" complained Shoutmon sarcastically as he hopped to the bed after being launched off when Eddie sprung back to life. Tears fell on Eddie's face again, but they were happy tears.

"Sh-Sh-Shoutmon," Eddie stuttered, with tears blurring his vision. "Shoutmon!"

"Eddie," Rilys shouted as he leaped onto him and Alisha, wanting to join the hug.

"Rilys!" Eddie cried, embracing him in a hugging fit for a reunion.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again, you hear me?" replied Alisha as she pulled his shirt toward her. "If Shoutmon were not here to revive you, I would've done it myself."

Eddie just looked at her, confused. "Re-revive me? What are you talking about?"

"You weren't breathing, Eddie. Shoutmon and I heard yelling from Rilys, and he saw him trying to revive you by jumping on you," answered the princess.

"I didn't know what else to do," Rilys cried, then got hit in the head by Shoutmon, who eventually climbed up on the bed.

"How about maybe not trying to burst open his heart? The very thing we were trying not to let it stop beating!" He said as he started flailing his arms at him.

"I was trying to keep his heart beating, stupid lizard, not to keep his heart from beating!"

They then began just yapping like a couple of corgi dogs, flailing their arms at each other, leaving Alisha and Eddie to stare at them. They then looked back at each other, suddenly realizing her arms wrapped around him, their faces inches away. Eddie couldn't help but blush in her embrace. He felt as though his face was on fire. 

Alisha looked away and released her arms from him. She was thrilled that he was okay, but Shoutmon's words still haunted her mind. She may have felt she pushed herself onto him without even thinking if it was alright.

"So wait," Eddie said when he snapped out of his thoughts. "I-I... I died?"

In a manner of speaking, yes. said a voice. Eddie turned around and saw it was Anaka, perched on a rack on the wall, her tail wrapped around one of the handles like a possum. I was a little surprised. I didn't think you'd put us all through such a show.

"Anaka, what are you doing up there?" cried Alisha, getting up and reaching for her.

Oh, you know, just 'hanging' around.

"Pfft, hahaha," Shoutmon busted out laughing. "Hey, haha, that was funny! This lizard's got jokes, and they're pretty funny!"

"I, uh. I fail to see the joke," Eddie replied.

Shoutmon looked at him. He could tell he was serious and responded, "Ugh, never mind."

Alisha cradled Anaka like a baby and rocked her before she straightened her head, laying on Alisha's shoulder. Eddie couldn't help but look at her. He couldn't help but think, Has she always been this beautiful and caring, or am I only now realizing this? Suddenly his face felt hot as the thought ran through his head. Wait, what am I thinking? There's no way it would work out, so don't try considering the possibility! He looked around the room and spoke up.