Old Friends

Hallucinations and Realizations

Maybe Oswald is right. I saw something between us. A... Spark. When he's with me, I feel as if there are no worries in the world. Ms. Kringle... I mean, Kristen, no- Isabella... She looked exactly like the woman I killed, just like Cobblepot said. There were no presentably attractive traits about Isabella except for the fact that we shared an odd liking for riddles. Penguin hates riddles. Ed hears a voice behind him.

"KILL HIM ALREADY!" Nygma spins around to see a copy of himself, but without glasses. Maybe Jim's right, Ed thinks. maybe I am insane. I'm about to kill my best friend, possibly someone I actually love- "YOU DON'T LOVE HIM, YOU IDIOT!" the illusion hisses. "Your 'Mr. Penguin' killed oh-so precious Isabella, just like how you choked the living life right out of Kringle...HA!  Don't you miss the rush  of-"

"Shut up," Ed says to the illusion. Penguin's eyes widen behind him. "SHUT UP I SAID!" I sound crazy, Oswald must think I'm nuts. Wait, why do I care, do I?  The hallucination finishes its rant and vanishes, leaving Ed's ears ringing. He takes a deep, shaking breath and slowly turns back towards Oswald-

Just to be welcomed by the voice of another illusion, standing behind Cobblepot and wearing a blue suit with an innocent smile. Two illusions, is all, Ed thought. "Think," the copy starts, "-of all the good times, Eddie. With him!" It nears Oswald.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Ed screams to his surprise.

"Ed, are you- touch who?" Oswald asks in a concerned tone.

"Relax," the blue-suited hallucination says. "First of all," -he holds one finger up- "I'm just a figment of your imagination. Second of all," -he holds his other finger up- "I'm just trying to bring your inner conscious forth. You do love him, don't you?" The copy puts his fingers and shapes a heart. "I can't be bought, but I can be stolen with one glance..."

Ed hits his temple with his free hand and looks down. The illusion vanishes. Edward looks up at the knife, trembling in his hand, and drops it.

"...Ed?" Oswald questions. Is he okay? Did I say something that changed his mind about, well- slitting my throat? One could always hope. I want to comfort him, but can I do so without angering him? I killed that idiot girl.

"Oswald," Ed whispers. "I... I am so sorry. You- you're right." Ed starts to cry, tears rolling down his face. "Isabella should not have meant anything to me, considering she wasn't what she appeared to be.  But... when she changed her glasses, her look, I... I got scared- but I didn't kill her, which was good, I think... No, memories, like you said, they poi-poisoned me, put me into a wretched trance..." His voice trails off. A small voice in Nygma's head whispers,

Are you seriously doing this now?

"I'm so, so sorry for everything, and... And I... I think I am in love with you as well, Oswald." Silence. Shock... Happiness?

You shouldn't have said that, Ed says in thought. It's disrespectful to someone I... Never truly loved, perhaps? Penguin really does love me, I can tell. And I just said the same thing back, and I now believe I meant it. Isabelle and Ms. Kringle... Isabella and Kristen were two very, well, toxic women. The past is the past, the future is better...

Ed looks down at Ozzie, whose face is soaked with mixed tears of fear, joy, and sadness. Edward pulls the smaller man into a tight embrace, sobbing. Oswald puts his arms around Ed, smiling and crying.

"One cannot... Deny love," Oswald exclaims quietly.

Edward smiles through tears. "I couldn't agree more, Ozzie. Worthless to one... priceless to two..."