{Betty}
Sawyer had just taught me the basics of learning the third step of the Mirror Technique. I was at home practicing what I had just learned on the arrow obstacle course and I was having a hard time focusing. I kept pitying myself for not being able to learn this as fast as I could. Finally, I admitted defeat and sat down on one of the bleachers in the training area.
“I still don’t understand how I can be a Legend when I can’t stop a stupid rampaging clown? Better yet, can I stop him from attacking me again?” I said to myself.
“I heard you’re still beating yourself up about Mr. Giggles?” Sawyer asked.
I looked up and raised an eyebrow. “How’d you know that?”
“Well, number one, I heard you talking to yourself about it,” Sawyer answered. “Number two, Dae and Norman told me about it. Seeing that your ears are dropped, you’re definitely upset about something. Do you want to know why you won those two medals?”
I was curious, so I nodded. Sawyer came up and sat down beside me. "The medals that you won are medals that are rarely handed out. Those medals are called 'What Honors the Gods' and they're only handed to those that understand what it means to protect someone, whether it be complete strangers or friends and family. This type of person strives to honor this commitment, no matter what the costs."
"If that's the case," I said, "then why hasn't Dae or Norman won one?"
Sawyer laughed. "Norman and Dae are only concerned about protecting their territories, so to speak. The only reason Hell agreed to help Equestria out was because they have connections to each other. That's why the two came together to stop the war with Shadow Mist. They would never think to go out of their way to protect someone unless they had a connection with them. You, on the other hand, would! You see a threat and you don't hesitate to deal with it. Let me ask you this, did you have a connection with Hell when you went to capture Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, and the other two hundred prisoners that escaped from the prison in the Middle Ground?"
I thought about it and I knew the answer. "Well, no. As a matter of fact, when I first met Dae, he creeped me out and got on my last nerve."
Sawyer snorted. "Wow, and what about when you helped stop Grogar and saved Dae by putting Lucifer into the abyss?"
I didn't hesitate to answer. "It's true at that point I started to fall in love with Dae. When I saw how Lucifer hurt him, I didn't want Lucifer to harm anyone else. The same with Grogar. No one else was getting harmed under my watch. I made that resolve even before I lost twenty-five of my teammates on my tracking team. I was pissed when that spoiled brat Princess Twilight decided to throw me up against the wall because she was mad at me. That event made my resolve even stronger, I was going to protect people, it didn't matter what they were or what universe they came from. If someone needed to be protected, I was going to do that no matter what."
Sawyer smiled. "That's exactly why you won those two medals. Not only did you protect everyone to the fullest potential, without knowing it, you protected a whole entire universe!"
I sighed and looked away. "If that's the case, then why couldn't I stop Mr. Giggles from attacking me?"
"Oh, Betty," said Sawyer, "everyone is going to hit their limits sooner or later. Even Heavenly Jewel, the first-ever Death Walker, hit her limits. Heck, even Mr. Giggles has his limits! Why do you think he keeps retreating after fighting you? It wasn't until he searched through your memories that he was able to affect you, but he's no closer to defeating you than you are to defeating him. It's because of your drive to protect people, is that why you asked others to help you stop Mr. Giggles?"
I nodded. "That's exactly why I did that."
"I see," said Sawyer. "You know, people that win the type of medals you get are considered Legends in their own right. With the help that you now have, more than likely, you can stop Mr. Giggles before he sends more people to an early grave. Honestly, I think you should start accepting yourself for who you are. The first step to doing that is to accept the title of Legend. Understand?"
I nodded and replied, "Yeah, but that's easier said than done."
Sawyer laughed, "I know, so take as much as you need."
I found that remark funny because that's exactly what I told Norman when it came down to getting over my death.
"What's so funny?" Sawyer asked.
I cracked up. "I told Norman the same thing for him to get over my death!"
Sawyer smiled and then snorted. "You don't say? Well, I hope this information was beneficial to you. Just keep practicing what I've taught you so far. We'll train again a week from now."
Sawyer patted me on the head and stood up. He grabbed his robes and walked away. I did feel better about the talk we just had.
* * *
{Dae}
I'm getting increasingly frustrated with Max pestering Betty and chasing her around when she is clearly not interested in him at all. I kept thinking about a way to keep Max busy so he won't have time to go bug Betty about anything. One would think that Betty sticking a dagger in Max's chest and leaving him on the ground until she sends a servant to get him would get him to take a hint. But, unfortunately, Max is a very hard-headed person. That's exactly why we call him the Bug Max.
Max could care less about that. I finally thought of a plan. It's a bit of a gamble but I hoped it worked and Max would get the point.
So, I requested an audience with Max in the throne room. I laughed at Max's cautious demeanor when he entered the throne room, and with good reason. Max knows that when I ask him to come to the throne room, I haven't invited him to talk about something pleasant.
I had an evil smile on my face after Max bowed to me and I gave him the usual greeting.
"You asked to see me, Your Highness?" Max questioned. "What's this all about?"
"You are getting on mine and Betty's last nerve with pestering her all the time," I said. "How many daggers are you going to take to the chest before you get the point?"
"Ah . . ." Max said.
I made sure to keep the evil smirk on my face just to make Max feel uncomfortable. "So I came up with an idea that hopefully will keep you busy enough not to pester Betty. She has enough on her mind already. She's trying to stop a threat and if it isn't taken care of, there could be dire consequences. Not to mention, she has royal duties to attend to."
I took a breath and continued, trying not to see too much red at the moment. "That being said . . ."
I motioned for one of the guards standing next to me to come to me. "Could you please call Parada in here now?"
The guard nodded, "Yes, Your Highness."
Max had a look of confusion on his face because I called Parada into the throne room.
Parada entered the throne room and bowed to me. When Parada saw Max, she glared at him.
"Oh boy," I said, "I know none of the Royal Family members like Prince Max because of his stupidity at the moment."
Max looked like he wanted to protest but thankfully he kept his mouth shut.
I rolled my eyes and continued, "Although his stupidity has been providing some entertainment for some of us."
I stared at Max, daring him to say something that would get him thrown in a dungeon again. Although, when you think about it, being in a dungeon would be much better for him than getting one of Betty's daggers to the chest.
"Anyway," I said, "Parada, Prince Max will be your assistant for the time being."
Parada blinked. "Your Highness, forgive me for speaking out of term, but an assistant needs an assistant?"
I nodded. "Yes, and please be sure to assign him to things that don't involve going near the King or Queen, for that matter. I also request that, under no circumstances, Prince Max be allowed to summon us to the Land of the Living---ever!"
Parada snickered at Max's new job. I'm going to assume she thought it was funny that she would now be ordering a Prince of the royal family around by order of the King. At this point, Parada looked like she couldn't keep a straight face to save her life.
Max sneered at her and before he could say anything, I said, "I wouldn't start hurling insults at your new boss, Max, if I were you. Parada, you will be reporting to me how well Max is doing on the job. If you're not listening to Parada, Max, you know where you're going to end up next, right?"
Max was trying so hard not to roll his eyes. "Yes, Your Highness."
"Good," I said, "you two can go now."
I gave Max and Parada a dismissive wave and felt relieved when they left. Since I just finished taking care of my royal duties for the day, I figured I would go watch Betty train. I knew she would be overdoing it because Norman was busy today and wasn't able to watch her train.
* * *
{Betty}
It was another family dinner night, and it felt weird because Ruby wasn't there because she just got married. Strangely enough, when I fed Otis, he didn't cover the walls with food like he usually does when I feed him.
The other strange thing that happened was that Norman Jr invited his friend Bubbles to dinner. I smiled as the two were talking casually and laughing at each other's jokes.
Wow, it looks like Junior might be moving on from Ruby finally, Dae thought.
Yup, I thought, I think him and Bubbles make a good match.
Mama, Otis thought, Where's Ruby? Why isn't she here tonight?
I practically jumped out of my chair when I heard Otis' voice in my head, or at least I thought it was him.
Uh, Dae? I thought. Am I crazy or did I just hear Otis's voice inside my head?
Dae looked at Otis, raised an eyebrow, and thought, I think so? He's looking at you and waiting for an answer to his question.
I looked at Otis to see that Dae was right. Otis was looking at me waiting for something.
Um, Otis, Ruby's busy with her new husband, EJ, now, I thought.
You mean that guy who was sitting next to her a couple of weeks ago? Is that who she's with? Otis thought.
I nodded and thought, You'll be seeing her around the castle. I'm sure she'll stop in for a visit.
Oh, Otis thought. In case you're wondering, I'm done decorating the walls with food. It's not fun anymore. I only did it because of how you reacted to it. Food on the wall doesn't really give me any inspiration for my art.
Dae, how is it that Otis is able to communicate with us like this when he can't even talk yet? I thought.
Dae shrugged. I don't know. From what I do know, every demon develops at their own pace. But a demon being able to communicate by thought before being able to talk? I've never heard of that happening before. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts talking very soon after this. If he develops all of the demon traits needed very soon, he'll outdo Ruby and be the youngest demon ever to become an adult!
But how? He's only four years old now. I thought.
Well, maybe it's because he's the son of a Legend and the King of Hell? Dae thought.
Um, mommy, daddy? Otis thought.
Yes, Otis? I thought.
Everyone's stopped eating and they're staring at us. I don't get it, what's the big deal? Otis thought.
We looked up to see everyone was staring at us. Norman Jr seemed to be the most excited for some reason.
I raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Otis is talking inside your head, isn't he?" Norman Jr asked.
"How did you figure that out?" I replied.
"Because Otis isn't acting like a normal toddler, Aunt Betty," Cozy Glow said.
Otis raised an eyebrow and thought, Talking inside your heads? What does that mean?
Well, you see, Otis, I explained silently, we're communicating by thought. Only me and your father can hear you right now. It's because you don't have the ability to speak with your mouth yet.
Otis nodded, Oh, I see.
Jasper looked at Otis and smiled. "Yup, Otis’ behavior isn't like a normal toddler’s behavior. Not in the slightest. Toddlers don't nod their heads and raise their eyebrows like that, last time I checked."
"Yeah, this is a surprise to us, too," I said. "Ruby didn't start doing this until the age of ten. She became a full-fledged demon at the age of twelve. She only went to school for a year because of that. If Otis develops quickly like we think he will, he might not have to go to school at all! He's already looking for inspiration for his art as a hobby."
Everyone gasped when they heard that.
"Wow! A full-fledged demon at the age of four!" Norman Jr cheered. "That's amazing!"
Bubbles paused. "Did you just refer to Otis as a demon? Isn't he a human?"
"Didn't you read the history book about the Legendary Death Walker, Betty Jewel?" Norman asked.
"Yes." Bubbles replied. "It said that Betty Jewel became the Queen of Hell when she married the King of Hell, Dae."
Norman Jr pointed at us. "Who do you think is sitting across the table from us now? Aunt Betty is the Legendary Death Walker! She's the Queen of Hell and she's married to Uncle Dae, who is the King of Hell. Otis is their son, so he's a demon. The same goes for Ruby and her husband EJ. They're demons too."
Bubbles gasped, blushed, and looked away.
Norman Jr chuckled, "It's okay, Bubbles. This is your first family dinner with us. Of course you didn't know. Don't worry, you'll get used to how this family is in no time."
Cozy Glow couldn't contain her laughter.
"What's so funny, Amethyst?" Norman Jr asked.
"I'm sorry, Junior," said Cozy Glow, "it's just that you two look so cute together."
"Would you stop teasing us about that?" Norman Jr snapped. "You're making Bubbles uncomfortable! Look, she's hiding behind her mane again."
I could tell everyone was trying not to laugh at this conversation just by the looks on their faces. I saw Otis yawning, giving me the signal he was tired.
Mama? I'm tired, can you take me to my crib? Otis thought. Will you tell everyone I said goodnight for me, please?
Sure, Otis, I thought.
Cozy Glow stopped talking and saw Otis drifting off to sleep.
"Awww," said Cozy Glow, "he's so cute when he's sleeping!"
I nodded. "Yeah, I need to go take Otis to his crib and he said to tell you guys goodnight."
"Goodnight, Otis!" everyone said.
Dae and I excused ourselves and said goodnight. As I carried Otis to his crib, I couldn't help but smile at how fast he was growing up.
"This is an interesting change of events," I said.
"Well, he is the son of a Legend and the King of Hell, after all," Dae said.
When I put Otis in his crib and turned off the lights, I wondered what he was dreaming about.
* * *
Dae and I were surprised at how quickly Otis developed his demon traits. It was right after he developed the ability to communicate by thought, he started talking.
Otis then discovered that he had the ability to fly, and he used it every chance he got to escape from his nanny. It was because of this, we went ahead and changed how his room looked to better suit his needs.
Dae and I were in the throne room taking care of our royal duties for the day when we heard Otis's nanny shouting. "Prince Otis, get back here right now, young man!"
"No, Milda!" Otis shouted. "I already told you I'm headed to the library to find more inspiration for my art! I don't need you to put a leash on me like I'm your pet! I know my way around the castle and if I get lost I can find my way back on my own, idiot!"
Dae and I exchanged a look and couldn't stop laughing.
"Wow," I said, "Otis knows how to throw insults at someone now."
"Well, he is almost an adult now," said Dae, "he's only got one more demon trait to develop. His magic. I wouldn't be surprised if that happens tomorrow because he can already fly. After that, he won't need a nanny anymore."
I tried so hard to keep a straight face when Otis burst into the throne room. "Mom? Dad? Can you please tell Milda I don't need that stupid baby leash anymore? Does she think I'm suddenly going to get memory loss and not be able to find my way around the castle? I'm not stupid like she is! Oh, and do me a favor and tell her I'm not here, please."
Dae chuckled, "Sure, no problem, Otis."
Milda came running into the throne room with a panicked look on her face. When she saw us, she bowed.
"It's okay Milda," said Dae, "you can look at us now."
Milda stood up. "Sorry, Your Highness, but I seem to have lost track of Prince Otis again."
At this point, I was biting my bottom lip to keep myself from laughing. I also did it to stop myself from giving away Otis's location.
"Now, Milda," said Dae, "Otis is almost an adult, and he'll be the youngest adult at the age of four! So it's safe to say that very soon we won't be needing your services anymore. If you lose track of him, I'm sure he'll be fine."
Milda let out a sigh of relief, "Yes, Your Highness."
Dae nodded. "You can go now."
Milda bowed and left the throne room. Otis was relieved when he saw that the coast was clear. "Thanks for doing that. Now, hopefully, I'll be able to evade that woman for the rest of the day. Can I start locking the door to my room to keep her out? Especially when it's time for sleep? I don't need a bedtime story!"
I couldn't hold my laughter in anymore. I composed myself, "Sure, Otis, that's fine. Once you develop all of your demon traits, you'll be considered an adult and you won't need her anymore. So it's fine."
I looked at Dae and he nodded in agreement. We started laughing as Otis walked away, looking happy that he'll be considered an adult soon and won't need Milda to take care of him anymore.