"You don't need that Puppeteer" [OFF]

"Bismark Library... but essentially worse."

Something was different about Ashley from that point. His breathing was different. His posture was different. The way he talked was different. Something was wrong but Zacharie couldn't put his finger on it. Both of them seemed to be fearing something. Both of them seemed to be paranoid, yet revelled in each others company. Something was wrong but Ashley couldn't put his finger on it. He didn't understand his own actions.

Ashley had been pacing. It wasn't uncommon for him to do so. It was a nervous habit amongst hundreds of other nervous habits. He was also biting at his nails, though they were already painfully short. The Batter didn't seem to care. Zacharie did. He was trying to think of... something to assist him with. Zacharie didn't... want Ashley to go through with what he was going to go through however he hated to see him so stressed like this. There wasn't a good way to handle himself.

Zacharie remembered an old little trinket of his. A cat shaped mask, much like the one he usually wore. He'd never really used it much before, perhaps it was a tad bit morbid considering his friendship with Pablo. Ashley was banned from the Library but...
They didn't know his new name
They certainly wouldn't recognise him under a mask.

Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad.
Perhaps it would be nice.

He plucked it out of his seemingly endless bag (not as endless as his pocket dimension of course) and presented it to the distressed man.
"Idea."
"Hm?"
"This mask."
"Yes?"
"You wear it as we go in the library. They won't even know who you are?"
"Ah... you think it'll work?"
"Of course!"
Ashley gently took the mask from it, putting it on his face semi-awkwardly. Now he's a cat.
"Ah- how do I look?"
"Haha, mon amor, you always look good!"
"..."
If he wasn't wearing a mask there would be a very visible blush.

Even now Zacharie loved him.
He was glad that he hadn't left him already.

"Come on, dear, lets try it."
Zacharie sported a fake enthusiasm.
"Ok... thank you."

Whatever stressed plagued his significant other seemed to have subsided.
That was good at least, that was all Zacharie wanted.
However, something seemed wrong. Something seemed different.
Something seemed different about Ashley.
But Zacharie didn't mind.

It was Ashley. He loved Ashley. Ashley loved him. Whatever happens next they'll stick together.

He hoped anyway.

*
**
*

Ashley clung to Zacharie as he always did. He let Zacharie do the talking when necessary. The 'paper tearing massacre' was still ongoing. Zacharie didn't seem to care, though, it was trivial to him. It was also trivial to Ashley but.. game rules.

Game rules didn't apply to Zacharie.

Zacharie sat himself down in the corner of the second floor, Ashley just looking to him confused.
"We need to... go upstairs." His voice was slightly muffled by the cat mask, probably for he best. Less recognition.
"Oh, Ashley, don't you want to take a moment to relax?"
"We've... done that."
"Aww, Ashie, come on. It won't take too long."
"..."

Ashley way beside him, looking at the book in Zacharie's hand.
"Tales and Legends."
Zacharie already knew what the book said.

The Toad King
A long time ago, lived an evil king. His face was so repulsive that he was nicknamed the Toad King.
One day, a masked man met the kind during an audience. He said the following words to him:
"Greeting wretched monarch, leave this land at once or perish at the top of my blade."
The king replied:
"I am the king and you are my subjects. You are not to go against my will."
And so the Masked Man slew the king with his mighty sword.
The end.

There were a few chapters of this book, however this one stuck out to him.
A masked man.
A sword.
Was... was Zacharie a celebrity?
It didn't matter much, Zacharie was leaning against his shoulder. Likely reading with him. Zacharie found it cute how focused on the book his Batter was.
"This is... interesting."
"We can rent it if you'd like."
"Yes... I think I'd like to."
So interested in such trivial and pointless tails.

So they moved on, again they were hand in hand. No Elsen dared to go up to the third floor so they likely wouldn't be judged.
Ah, the third floor. That first time that Ashley had had his ass kicked since the player had left his side.

What would happen if the player came back now? It had been months, it's unlikely but possible.
The Batter couldn't interact with those 'save-cubes' anymore, Zacharie had noticed.
He didn't know what that meant for his partner, wether he'd be completely reset or if his demise was permanent until the return of a player. Either way he didn't want to find out.

Bismark, Zone 2, is a relaxing place compared to Zone 3, however.

The cubes blocking the way were still there, it didn't deter Zacharie. He just walked straight past them, though Ashley could not. He sought to help his lover. We won't get into the specifics of that puzzle, it's already been explained.

Now there was a staircase. A long one. Then a hallway. Then more stairs. Then the hall where Japhet was supposed to be. He wasn't there. By now Ashley should've had Omega with him however all he had was a barely functioning, under-levelled alpha.
There were also other things he had left to do that he yet hadn't. The time trial with the spectres was one of them however it didn't seem to be a concern to him. Zacharie knew how the game went, Ashley didn't. It didn't matter to Ashley. Getting answers from the cat was his goal.

More stairs.
More stairs.
More stairs.
Ah, they're outside now. Wait is that a fucking whale? It's a fucking whale. A sky whale. Ashley wasn't expecting to see a goddamn sky whale.
So they purified the sky whale... thing.
They were inside again.
A block puzzle. The Batter despised block puzzles.

His pathetic mind couldn't solve it. He instead waited upon Zacharie.
The journey up here had been long and awkward. There was a pain in his eyes. Both of their eyes.
"Zacharie...?"
"I can't go forward."
"Why?"
"I'm not letting you go either. You can't solve this on your own, yes?"
"Help..."
"Then you'll stay here... though I don't want you to. I know you likely won't come down, but you could. We could go back, we could go back right now! Sounds good, amigo?"
"Help..."
"I don't want you to get hurt, Ashley..."
"Help..."
"I don't want this game to end, Ashley..."
"Please..."
"I don't want us to end, Ashley."
"..."
"Don't you like what you have?"
"Yes, I do..."
"Do you know what you'll do if you go up there."
"..."
"I've seen this game played many times before."
"I... don't understand."
"You never do."
"Did... Did I do something wrong?"
"If you go up there you'll end up fighting the bird. Zone 2 will be essentially gone."
"Ah... fighting wasn't my intention..."
"It doesn't matter."
"Zacharie- Please..."

Zacharie left the room.
He didn't leave a trace. There was a feather on the floor. It was like he just ran- flew away.
Batter took of the cat mask. It was a gift.
Already he missed him.

He was left alone with a prophecy he didn't understand.
Something about him was different.
He started gnawing on his hand again.
Essentially a sign of defeat.

There was nothing else to be done but wait for the man who would rise forth to destroy him.
For deep inside his soul, there was no doubt that what he did was evil.