After Raven and Forsythe caught Amelia up, and Aidan to some extent, they pulled up the ethernet and went straight to MKC Online. The banner page was changing rapidly showing that there were a lot of new breaking stories, no real surprise since a large majority of the playerbase had just been dumped straight into direct conflict with each other.

The top banner was a screenshot of a man that Amelia immediately recognized. She frowned and pointed, looking questioningly at the others. Instead of responding verbally, Aidan raised the remote and clicked on the small link next to the thumbnail. It had initially caught her attention because it had been a link to a story that was off MKC’s site. Content that they weren’t claiming credit for but still felt obligated to direct traffic toward.

They watched the entire clip of Mordred talking about the reasons for initiating the Rebellion and then sat in silence as they all regarded the frozen ending frame on the light curtain. Amelia looked around, doing her best to keep a straight face. Really, it was quite hard.

“He knows he could have just asked right? I probably would have just given him the title? No one has ever actually asked!” She immediately complained.

Aidan gave her a sympathetic look and then immediately turned to Raven and Forsythe, ignoring her.

“Amelia sounds like she is unlocking some important questy type stuff. In spite of the fact that Mordred launched his doomed insurrection, I think the world quest that opened up might actually be a bit more dangerous and important than we’re giving it credit for? From what she’s said it seems kind of shady. All sorts of shady actually?”

“That’s true. They kidnap people. No matter how you look at it, that's a bad thing,” Forsythe thought it pretty straightforward himself, and nodded a few times as he looked around. His gaze briefly rested on Amelia but then he hurriedly looked away, noticing she was trying not to be angry at the way they were all ignoring her comment about giving up power.

“Well, Elisha is probably mustering up the Resistance,” Raven drawled slowly.

“The Resistance?” Aidan squinted.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. We’re,” she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “...the Imperials. I just really wanted to be the Rebellion. I wanted it so bad. I wanted it more than ice cream cake served to me atop a platform moving down a river of lava…”

“Wow,” Aidan looked suitably impressed.

“That’s something you want?” Amelia struggled to let the last ember of irritation at being ignored fade.

“I do now,” Raven admitted with a cheesy smile.

“You would burst into flames, the ice cream would melt, and I think you are overestimating the speed of lava--,” Forsythe had to stop the list he was obviously preparing because he had to duck to avoid one of Raven’s shoes.

“Anyway,” Aidan said loudly, “I think we should decide whether Amelia comes back or not.”

“Do we care?” Forsythe sounded surprised, and everyone else was certainly startled at the question, looking over at him questioningly. He just looked around the room. “I mean, are we caring about that? If Amelia doesn’t show up there are a few more disadvantages, but does the Rebellion outnumber us to an extent where it really matters?”

“Or do we care if we win?” Raven sounded unsure now, frowning. “...that’s a good question? I’m having a really hard time caring about this. Even more so because of that buttclown Khiafin. If some of our friends come at me with that weird friendly grin while trying to murder me, is that okay? I don’t know if I like it.”

Aidan was frowning too.

Amelia shrugged and started to fidget, not really comfortable with the idea that she could make a lot of people really mad if she stayed where she was. It was new content, even if they were already embroiled in new content. Withholding a quest that large seemed bad. “What if I told everyone else I couldn’t leave until I was rescued?”

“The problem with that is then you’re hiding quest information,” Aidan pointed out. “MKC Online might back you on that. Elias will probably call before posting any of the vid they took from you, like he does. If you asked him he might withhold it, there certainly is a lot of other… stuff going on.” He made a vague gesture to indicate that there were, indeed, a lot of things going on with the Rebellion and the Empire.

“So my choices are revealing the fact that I can come back whenever I want, or hiding the information and risking everyone’s wrath if the Quester event is a breadcrumb to a larger and more serious event?” Amelia slumped. “Oh good. What could go wrong. People are super forgiving on the net. Haven’t had death threats in like four days.”

“Maybe you could even break the record for hatemail that Gilduirn set,” Raven deadpanned seriously. “I think you might, no matter what you choose.”

“Definitely change your AA Contact address and set it to private as soon as possible,” Forsythe agreed.

“No one is making me feel better.” Amelia muttered.

Aidan frowned at her, causing her to squint. He shook his head, seeming to realize that he had been spacing out in her general direction when she wanted sympathy.

“It’s a good question. Do we care?” He smiled.

“Mm. As much as I don’t like the idea, I guess it would be okay to fight everyone…” Raven stood up and arched her back, making a small noise as she stretched. “...no one really dies, so it might be fun.”

“I do not care one way or the other, I will wait to see what Hunter and Elisha want to do,” Forsythe decided, earning wry grins from the rest of them.

“I’m--” Aidan began loudly.

“Going to win the war!” Amelia smiled.

“...going to win a war. The war? A war?” He frowned and shook his head. “I was going to come to you. I think our little Elisha is going to be more than Mordred bargained for anyway. We’ve been gone so long, I think people remember her as she was; a cute, bubbly, kind little healer.”

“She is all those things,” Forsythe said with a hint of confusion.

“She’s a bit more ruthless now,” Aidan smiled.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“You need to stop teaching her weird things,” Forsythe gave a long-suffering sigh.

“Wooooowwwww, from the mouth of pots.” Raven looked amazed, eyes wide as she turned on Forsythe.

“It’s either ‘the kettle calling the pot black’ or ‘from the mouths of babes’,” Forsythe sighed and closed his eyes before adding, “...you philistine.”

Amelia began to smile her creepy smile but quickly turned away and hid it behind her hand before they could notice. She coughed into it a few times, both to get their attention and to get rid of the evidence of her smile.

“I’ll keep working on the questline where I’m at and wait for someone to save me, I guess,” Amelia shrugged.

To be honest, when she had heard there was a quest to save her and then found out everyone was too busy turning on each other for control of Elysium she had been a little exasperated. Raven and Forsythe had an excuse, not having quite figured out the profound skills. Aidan had gone off to give them time, or something, he’d been dodgy about that. But everyone else in the city or the greater area in Elysium? Too busy to save her? C’mon… Especially since everyone was apparently a hidden profound genius? Seriously.

“I could still save you,” Aidan smiled.

“Trying to get out of work,” Raven grinned even as he lost his smile and glared at her. Pretty much convincing Amelia that Raven was absolutely right.

“You go back and make sure I have a place to rule!” Amelia said, a smug grin pressing onto her face. “Besides, won’t it be fun when we win and I just give the crown to someone else? Like Hendrick. Imagine his face.”

“Why Hendrick?” Raven burst out immediately. “Why not Raven?”

Forsythe just began shaking his head mournfully. He even bent over and put his head in his hands, moaning loudly. He was probably imagining Empress Raven’s rule.

“Why not Raven?” Aidan added, his attempt at backing her up seeming less sincere as he began snickering loudly.

“We’ll see,” Amelia assured Raven. “You’ve seen me, does it really seem that great?”

Raven narrowed her eyes suspiciously, clicking her tongue in her mouth as she thought about Amelia’s question. “...yes?”

“What’s great about it?” It was Amelia’s turn to be surprised at this point. Raven thought that the Empress gig was all it was cracked up to be? People tried to ask her for things all the time. Things that she couldn’t give even if she wanted to give them.

“People do what you say? People grovel and kneel before you? You can host balls? You’re pretty metal with the in crowd of all the important Residents? You get to name stuff? You get a hat? You did that event thing one time, though I suppose you just used the points after that to set up a schedule of events...” Raven seemed to be struggling to think of things now that she was pressed.

“I don’t get a hat!” Now that she mentioned it, Amelia did feel a little wronged here. “Wait, yeah! Why don’t I get a hat? Where’s my crown?”

“This is dangerous and should be stopped,” Forsythe finally spoke up, eyeing Aidan pleadingly.

“Where are your fancy dresses? Your scepters?” Raven sensed weakness and pressed forward willingly.

“Where are my fancy dresses and scepters?” Amelia’s mouth was wide open in shock now. “Yeah!?”

“It’s already too late,” Aidan said carefully, looking a little terrified at what was happening in front of them.

“Well, when you name me Empress Raven I can assure you, there will be changes. Dresses, hats, scepters! Not just for me. But for Former Empresses as well. The severance package will include a… Uhm, a, pony! With a really big hat!”

“My liege!” Amelia knelt in front of Raven.

Raven began laughing, staring straight up. She was probably imagining something ridiculous.

Forsythe closed his eyes and began shaking his head again. He was probably imagining something horrifying.

They were likely imagining the same thing.

*******

After that, Forsythe and Raven eagerly donned their helmets and dove back into AA. They had both mentioned that they would have to fight their way out of the Cathedral. Or sneak. Sneak or fight, there had been a differing opinion between the two of them. Raven wanted to rally the newly revived and countercharge. Forsythe suggested that they go see what the situation looked like before barging in with half-baked plans. They’d compromised by not agreeing with each other, instead racing to their helmets to try to be the first one in.

Aidan waited until they were gone. The three zombies in the room didn’t lend to a romantic feeling, but Amelia felt her pulse quicken in response to the intense look he was giving her. He took her hands and held them, standing wordlessly in the dim room.

“Are you alright?” Amelia finally asked. Despite the fact that she was getting a little bit flustered with the way he was staring at her, she couldn’t help but notice how off he’d seemed when she returned.

“I don’t think so,” Aidan said, surprising her because it was the exact opposite of what she thought he would say.

“What’s wrong?” She lifted hand and pressed it to his cheek. “Bad day?”

“I think, I’m depressed…” Aidan smiled sadly, covering her hand with his own.

“Okay?” Amelia pulled slightly away and grabbed his hand, directing him toward their room. “Tell me.”

So he did.

He told her how he couldn’t take AA seriously because it felt like playing with children compared to the death game. How he had freaked out when she disappeared. How he didn’t feel right. How sometimes he woke up and didn’t know where he was. How he didn’t know whether it was a dream or not.

He talked and talked and talked, and Amelia listened. About the people who had died. About the people who had not died. About how he had died.

“So what should I do?” Aidan asked her.

“Get some help, stupid?” Amelia was trying not to be angry that this was the first time she’d heard all of this. She pushed it down and straightened up in her sitting position. “Aidan, I’m really glad you told me all of this. Do you want to take a break from the game?”

“There’s a lot going on,” Aidan said hesitantly.

“I don’t care.”

He was silent for a moment and then shook his head. “No, I’m okay now. Honestly, I feel better for just talking about it.”

“Want a headshrinker?” Amelia smiled slightly, trying to provoke him.

“Support group maybe? I think I read somewhere that there are groups you can join. I’ll look into that. I think I’m okay now. Thank you for listening.” Aidan ignored her slight joke and leaned in to hug her. “I needed it. Now I need you to treat me like normal for a little while.”

“Okay, well,” Amelia burrowed into his chest because she wasn’t ready to do that just yet. “In a minute.”

“No, now,” Aidan argued feebly.

“Pfft,” the desired effect was reached and Amelia laughed. “Fine. I’m going to put my helmet on and go save the world from the universe, and you put your helmet on and go save the world from Morgana’s kid.”

“You mean I’ll put on my helmet and you’ll put your helmet on and we’ll try to go save the world like civilized human beings?” Aidan lifted an eyebrow.

“Goodness no,” Amelia managed to sound horrified. “We would muck that up for sure. Let’s just wing it.”

“Good,” Aidan’s smile widened and his eyebrows narrowed slightly. “I was thinking a little mischief is in order.”

“Me too,” Amelia felt the creepy smile crossing her face.

Aidan just laughed.