25 Days of SyndiSparklez and Motanite

4: Apprentice Shipping: Mission (Part 2)

To the request to have this finished. 

"Tom!"

Before he'd even made it through the door of the castle, he'd been yanked into a noogie by a rough and overly cheerful batgirl. Being included in the family that was Mot, Dianite and Alyssa had its costs. All of which involved everyone's business being on the table for everyone to pick over.

The dim lighting of Dianite's castle was familiar, but different from the Dianite Tom knew previously. It had a warmer and more welcoming feel here. Ignoring his mind's wandering, Tom turned his attention back to Alyssa. She was still roughly grinding her pointy knuckles into his skull.

He twisted out of the younger girl's grip and grinned. "So what did Dianite want to see me for?"

Alyssa shrugged, and fondly ran her hand over the scabbard of her sword. She carried a weapon now, she hadn't before Mot's return. She took expert care of it and polished the dark steel daily. The girl loved to slay mobs and attack a defenseless Sparklez when he was unsuspecting.

"He said something about a Top Secret Mission," Alyssa hinted slyly, hopping up to sit on Dianite's throne. She hardly ever got in trouble for her ways.

"Secret?" Tom's eyes perked in delight. He missed the fact Alyssa wore a smirk far too similar to Mot's.

"Mhm," she said lightly. "A reward for you being part of the family now."

Tom nodded, but he remembered how sullen Mot had seemed.

"How are those two?" he questioned curiously.

"Daddy and Dia have their heads up their asses," Alyssa explained with a small frown. "They'll figure it out." She shrugged, at sixteen she'd seen far too many of Mot's moods when it came to Dia to really be worried.

The distant sound of a door opening and a tired looking Dianite greeted them. His eyes shot to Alyssa and then to Tom.

"Alyssa, how about you go help Andor and Martha," Dianite suggested, but the young teen stuck her lip out in a pout.

"Oh goody, that sounds like so much fun," she said sarcastically. "I swear Andor was funner when we were kids, now he's just boring and cares all about being a good adult. Can I prank people instead?" Alyssa asked, her scarlet eyes drifting to Dianite who shrugged.

"Go ahead," he seemed out of it, much to Alyssa's disappointment. Once she hopped off his throne, he sat down, leaning his head against the back before regarding his "children" with an air of relief. They had much simpler ambitions than Mot did.

Sighing, the young girl left, swinging her sword as she mumbled her complaints. Tom watched. He hadn't really ever learned much about Alyssa, but she had similar interests to him at times. Mot was overprotective of her, he'd quickly found out, and she was still innocent to certain concepts.

"Syndicate," Dianite started and Tom's attention snapped to his god, "you've been avoiding town. I don't care which reason you gave Mot, I want an honest one or you'll be doing yard work with the Ianite followers."

Tom's mouth twisted into a frown at the mention of work. God, here it was, rules again. Wasn't he supposed to have freedom now that he was back? "Look, before the whole fall through the void nonsense, I didn't have to serve to anyone all the time," Tom defended, "and I don't like to now. 'Sides, Sparklez needs company out there being a pussy."

Dianite was reminded of the younger Mot that had been interested in him, but not interested in anything the god has assigned him. Except, Tom didn't seem as if he could be rationalized with.