Fusion 2.0

Chapter 27. A Misguided Rescue

Mei woke up feeling the warmth of her bed, the sunlight peeking through her window. After stretching lazily, she got dressed in her usual clothes and hurried downstairs. "Bye, Mom!" Mei called out as she rushed out the door, eager to start her day.

As Mei walked down the sidewalk, she soon ran into Kil and Rer, two of her close friends. "Oh hey, Kil! Hey, Rer! What are you guys up to?" Mei asked with a bright smile, waving at them.

"We're just chilling," Kil replied, shrugging casually. Rer gave a nod in agreement, his curiosity piqued as he noticed Mei poking her fingers together, a sign she was nervous about something.

"Hey, I need your help with something," Mei admitted, her voice hesitant but hopeful. Rer raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Sure, what do you need help with? Pranks, building a kart, playing games?" Kil asked, listing off their usual activities. Mei, however, looked away, her expression growing more serious.

"It's about Mk... He hasn’t been himself in months, and I want to help him feel better. I was thinking, maybe we could all hang out with him as a group," Mei explained, her concern evident in her voice.

Rer exchanged a glance with Kil before responding, "Okay, let's go get the rest of the crew, and you can tell us your plan." Mei smiled, feeling a bit more confident as the three of them headed off to gather their other friends.

Later, the group had gathered, but things hadn't gone according to plan. Rer was shouting after Mk, who had already walked far away, leaving Mei scratching her arm nervously and sighing. The plan she had hoped would bring Mk closer to them had backfired.

"I have a new plan," Bob announced suddenly, drawing the group's attention. "So, Mk is part of the other gems, and they live to fight, right? Why don’t we pretend Mei is getting attacked by a monster? He’ll have no choice but to come hang out with us," Bob suggested, a mischievous glint in his eye.

The others were uncertain, their faces reflecting a mix of emotions. Ati, however, was quick to jump on board. "Let's do it!" he shouted enthusiastically, and the rest reluctantly agreed, except for Mei, who raised her hand to voice her doubts.

"I don't know about this," Mei said, her concern deepening. Kiti, however, patted her on the back, trying to reassure her.

"C'mon, it'll be fine! Besides, he’ll forgive you right after—you'll see," Kiti said with a grin, and Mei, albeit still uncertain, nodded. Bob went off to get the car, and soon the group was on their way to a nearby field next to the forbidden forest.

They had brought along a realistic-looking monster costume, with Kil donning the outfit. The plan was simple: the monster would pretend to stomp on Mei while she lay on the ground, and Mk would come to her rescue. The group was convinced it was a good idea and set everything up.

Bob ran into the forest, quickly finding Mk, who looked at him in confusion. "Mk, there you are!" Bob shouted, running up to him.

"What’s going on?" Mk asked, his ametrine eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"It's Mei—she's in trouble!" Bob said breathlessly, and Mk's eyes widened, his usual set turning gold while a smaller, upper set turned purple. Bob hesitated for a moment, taken aback by the sudden change, but shook off his fear.

"Where?" Mk demanded, his voice low and intense.

"Follow me!" Bob replied, leading Mk back to the group as fast as he could. When they arrived, Mk stopped in his tracks, taking in the scene before him. His gold eyes scanned the situation, and with a sigh, he marched toward the "monster."

"Move," Mk commanded, pulling out his hammer. Kil, sensing the seriousness in his tone, quickly abandoned the costume and ran off to the car. Mk watched her go before turning his attention to Mei, who was still lying on the ground.

With a firm yet gentle grip, Mk picked Mei up and spun her upright before placing her back on her feet. "Mei, why did you have your friend lie to me?" Mk asked, pointing at Bob as the rest of the group nervously approached.

"I... I just wanted you to hang out with us because I was worried about you," Mei admitted, scratching her arm anxiously.

"Mei, I don't need your pity," Mk replied, his voice sharp but not unkind. Mei looked up at him, shocked. His two sets of eyes were usually normal-sized, with one set above the other, but now, the upper set was a smaller, pure gold, while the lower set had turned a deep, intimidating purple.

"Mei, I've spent a lot of time using my magic to keep Red Son chained down. I've been forgotten by you and the others. You all ignored me before I got my magic. Mei, you're the favorite in the gem group—they actually help you with life lessons. But me? I was in the same boat as you, with no memories of my past life, and they told me, 'Well, you're an actual gem, and you don't need our help.' Mei, you've been pushed onto me because I'm a gem that can protect you. I do see you as my sister, but you need to accept that I want time alone. And the next time you send your friends to get me, you better be in actual trouble," Mk's voice grew darker, and as he spoke, the shadows around him seemed to pulse and shift with his emotions.

Mei's face fell as Mk's words sank in. "I'm... I'm sorry," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mk raised his hand, stopping her mid-sentence. "Don't be, Mei. It's not your fault. Just leave me alone for today," Mk said, his tone softening as he turned and walked back into the forest, the shadows calming as he left.

Later that evening, Mei and her friends were at the Immortal Peach nightclub. Mei sat in a booth, absentmindedly picking at her food. Her friends were eating and chatting, but Mei couldn't shake the sadness that hung over her.

Kil slid into the booth next to her, breaking the silence. "Mei, fusions are like relationships for you gems, right?" Kil asked, her tone gentle. Mei nodded silently. "And Red Son pretended to be nice until he betrayed you, right?"

Again, Mei nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "Give Mk some space, kid. Trust me," Kil advised, her voice firm but kind.

"But I just wanted to make him feel better," Mei said, her voice trembling with emotion.

"I know you did, but he needs to get over Red Son. It seems like Red Son kidnapped Mk after the ship crashed, got into Mk’s head, and told him you guys didn’t care for him. Then, when Mk saw that he did care while they were fused, and the fusion was attacking y'all, Mk decided to save you by chaining Red Son down, even if it meant going down with him," Kil explained patiently.

Mei looked at Kil, still confused but starting to understand. "What I’m saying is, Mk just got out of a toxic relationship. He needs time to heal, and that’s going to take more than just a couple of weeks," Kil said, resting her hand on Mei’s shoulder.

Mei nodded, finally understanding what Kil was trying to tell her. "Alright... I'll give him space," she agreed, her voice steadier now. She took a deep breath and started eating again, trying to push her worries aside for now. After a while, she decided to head home, hoping that tomorrow would bring a new perspective.

(This took 1295 words)