[Discontinued] Mao Mao x Spy! Reader: Spying for the Enemy, Flying with my Crush

Chapter 8: In The Arms Of An Angel...

Coming up is my first-ever proper fight scene!  Let's see how it goes, hmm

"You know," you pondered as you and Mao Mao searched the tiles at the start of the stairs, "the last thing I expected the key to be is a footprint of the king."

"Personally, I'm surprised the pirates didn't change it," he confessed, placing the plaster in the divet. The staircase moved itself upwards, revealing a set of stairs leading into a progressively darker area. "Just as I expected. Shall I lead?"

"Nah, we can go together. Alright, let's infiltrate this palace and bring the corrupt ruler down!" The two of you entered the dungeon at each other's sides, capes flowing as you descended the stairs. When the hero started sniffing suspiciously at the air, you quietly queried, "Is something the matter, Mao Mao?"

With the same amount of volume as you, he answered, "Yes, something is definitely up with this place. It has never smelled as good as it does right now."

"I'll take your word for it."

You noticed that you still had a way to go, and so did Mao Mao. He stopped the both of you and turned to face you. "Do you want to know why I was able to tear through your story back when you were recovering from the door blast?"

"Not really, but I can see that you've been waiting a while to get this one out of your system."

"Well...[Y/N], the jungle is well-known for snapping travelers up in its maws. A mother sending her child to it is looked down upon in most cultures, and is even illegal in a few. If your mother sent you to the jungle, it would mean that she...well...didn't love you as much as she claimed she did."

Mao Mao winced, expecting to be slapped. Instead, you simply asked, "What about employers sending employees to the jungle?"

"Just as bad, if not worse. If the employee cannot be found anywhere within the land in thirty days, the employer can and will be prosecuted. That makes monster-hunting a very dangerous job. The reason why the penalty is greater for this offense is because more often than not, entire bloodlines can vanish quite easily, since some families completely rely on the employee MIA. Why were you asking?"

"Oh, no reason. Hey, did Umbra ever explain what an eclipse between a shadow and a light is to you?"

"No, they did not." You picked him up and carried him down the stairs.

"Well, it's not all that important anyways. All you need to know is that Umbra and I have the same emotions towards something we shouldn't."

"And that 'something' being?"

You sighed sadly and said, "It's none of your concern. Really, Mao Mao," you confirmed, cutting him off. "It's nothing—"

"I would agree with that statement." Now he was cutting you off. "Orangusnake is nothing. However, if he is causing you to go through an eclipse—which sounds mighty rare—he must've meant something to you at a point in time. Hold on a second!" His eyes widened in disbelief, and he looked at you. "Were you two—"

"No, Mao Mao, we were not a thing." You had reached the bottom of the stairs. Putting the feline down, you continued, "Back when I was still a spy—shut up, I gave up spying for the greater good—Orange Snake and I were walking ourselves through the different routes of intrusion I could do, what they would entail, what they would leave in my wake, and so on. He oft complimented me on how I looked or acted, but it went on to grow into a full obsession."

"I beg to differ!" shouted a voice from across the large room. You scowled, immediately recognizing the voice as the hybrid pirate himself. "[Y/N], it's good to see you again—"

"Why did you send me into the forest by my lonesome?" you spat angrily. "That's a punishable offense, you know!"

"My dear, you weren't alone! You had Umbra with you...and me."

"What do you mean by that? I didn't see you by my side at all during my trek!"

Orangusnake chuckled in a manner that could only be described as creepy. "Oh, but I did not need to be by your side to keep you safe."

A retch could be heard from behind you, and you turned around to be met with the image of Mao Mao pretending to vomit with one hand on his stomach, the other pointed at his mouth. "That's sick and that's low, even for you, Orangusnake! I do hope that you didn't invade any of their more...personal matters."

"Wait...oh, that is sick." Unsheathing your sword, you yelled, "Orange Snake, heed my words! Today, you shall not only be defeated by the sheriff-hero known as Mao Mao, but also by the once-spy now-hero [Y/N] and their shadow called Umbra! In the name of Pure Heart Valley, we will defeat you and take back the valley! Now...come at me!" You charged forwards, intent on one thing and one thing only—the defeat of Orangusnake.

"[Y/N], I really don't want to fight you—"

"Tough luck!"

"—but if this is what you desire..." He pulled out his own weapon, an axe with a pink glass blade, and held it up sideways. "...then this is what you'll receive!"

You raised your blade above your head, taking the handle in both hands. Upon reaching Orangusnake, you sliced downwards with your katana, your arc nearly hitting the snake-orangutan hybrid in his head. He had met your strike with one of his own, and though it was weaker, it managed to launch you away from him. You landed on your back and skidded on the ground, stopping at the feet of someone familiar.

"Need help?" asked Mao Mao, offering a hand with a smirk. You took it, and he helped you up.

"Thanks." You noticed your opponent glaring at you. Soon, he ran at you. "Tag team?"

"That'll work." With that, Mao Mao gracefully leapt up and away, leaving you to deal with the charging ape.

Working hastily, you raised your blade and blocked the incoming slash before going on the offensive, swinging your sword in multiple horizontal crescents, occasionally twirling in a 360° motion. "Just give it up and let me defeat you!" you yelled, accenting each of your swings with a syllable.

"Never, [Y/N]! Instead, I shall defeat you and Mao Mao both! Afterwards," he grunted, catching your blade with his axe before flinging you across the terrain, "we can get married and sail the skies together with the power of the Ruby Pure Heart!" You dodged out of the way as Orangusnake ran at you, swinging wildly. "And since you seem to care for that blasted cat, we can take him along—as a servant boy, of course!"

"Alright, I'm jumping in now," snarled Mao Mao, clearly angry. You jumped back and let your mentor start fighting while you caught your breath. The clangs of katana against axe rang in your ears like a pleasant earworm, the harsh harmony of the two weapons tantalizing. You wanted to study it, but you also wanted to remain in one piece. A yell made you look up, and you saw Orangusnake's axe holding off Mao Mao's sword. "I'm going to show you that I'm worth more than a servant boy, pirate."

It looked like the ebony feline was going to win the standoff. Then it happened so quick. The sinister grin on the snake-orangutan hybrid's face, his victory of the standoff, the sheriff fending off his quick attacks, his guard lowering ever so slightly, and then... "And down goes the hero! Literally!"

"Damn yooouuuu!" screamed Mao Mao as he went over the cliff.

"Mao Mao!" You tried to run to where he had fallen off, but suddenly Orangusnake grabbed you from around your waist and lifted you up.

"Now, now, dear," he comforted, "we can always get another servant if that's what you're upset about."

You wriggled about, trying to break free. In turn, the pirate held you tighter and closer to him. "Let...go...of...me!" A burst of energy surged through you, and you managed to liberate yourself. With Orangusnake hot on your heels, you ran to the nearest cliff—'One, two.'—and jumped. "Mao Mao, I'm coming for you!"