The Life Game

In This

"since when is there another skeleton around!" Edge stood stoically as the Red reeled on him, feeling as Rus clung to the back of his robes as if try to meld into him. Edge could understand the action all too well, especially with the way his brother was glaring at them both.

"He's from the out skirts." Edge crossed his arms, feeling slightly naked without his cloak and venerable.

"so not only are ya sacrificin' yar life for someone yar just going ta forget, they're from tha outskirts?!" Red's anger grew and with it the heavy magic in the air. Edge's own magic sparked in his sockets and felt Rus's finger dig deeper into his back.

"what?" Rus's voice drew both of their attentions to him, the wide honey lights glowing as he stared up at Edge. "what does he mean sacrificing your life?"

Edge felt himself tense suddenly between a rock and a hard place. On one side was his anger brother who was no doubt mulling over that with a fine tooth comb on how rus didn't know. Then on the other side was a worried Rus who didn't understand the politics in this place nor would he probably accept it.

"yeah boss, what da i mean?" Red snarked his grin feral as Edge was sure he was over thinking everything until he found the correct conclusion. A dangerous thought.

Edge stayed silent for a moment looking Red straight in the eyes, while feeling Rus clench his robes impossibly tighter. There would be no escaping this, Red would find out and either he would fight his brother or let him take Rus to save their own hides.

"Everyone dusts eventually Red, we won't find Life and Asgore will kill us for it, even if I am to come back and forget I'll still go looking for Rus." Eyes narrowed on each other Red growled and threw his arms into the air.

"why did i hav'ta raise the idiot? why not someone who remembers the rules on how ta survive?" Red turned his magic slowly dissipating and curses leaving his teeth. "of everyone you had ta go carin' for why does it hav'ta be him?"

Edge fallowed the vaguely gesturing hand to Rus who was looking us at him. His bones pristine and shining, eye lights full, so full of life. Him wearing his cloak, wearing his birthright, clinging to him. Those honey lights.

"Because brother, I don't think I could choose between him and you if I had to." Rus's eyes widened and he heard his brother draw a sharp breath, eyes showing a flash of hurt that quickly schooled back into a scowl. Yet Edge would not take back his words, he didn't think he has ever said anything truer in his life.

"fine, 'ave it yar way, but he can't stay here." Red glanced behind him at the door and back at Edge. "i hope ya realize what yar doin'."

Another staring contest between the two. Edge knew that Red knew about Rus. He knew and he was allowing him a free walk out because of Edge. He was giving him the chance to protect what Red basically saw as his so long as that cloak stayed on Rus's shoulders. Red was giving him an out.

"I do... thank you brother." Red grunted as a reply before his left existence in one of his shortcuts.

Edge's hand looped around Rus's wrist before his tugged him out the door. Rus followed behind him quickly, staying behind him as much as he could. Every Death they passed staring at them, but mostly at Rus, who was wearing his cloak, his proposal. No one would ask them, they wouldn't question, but the rumour mill was sure to be full by the end of the day with word of his "lover". He could already imagining Undyne and what she had to say, what he would have to come up with as an excuse.

"edge?" Rus's voice was quiet, a whisper. "will you really die?"

Edge let the silence draw on for a moment as he navigated the barren town, their home. His words feeling clipped as he spoke. "Likely, it you don't win the hunt in this place you die." He glanced back at Rus in order to catch his eyes. "But I won't let you get hurt, never."

Rus looked down, silent, all the way out of town and into the desert. The oasis they first met at coming into view hours later. Edge pulled them to a stop, glancing around before releasing Rus's wrist, bone protected by the dark of his cloak.

"Your safe now, so long as you don't return to the desert and you should stay that way." Edge said staring off, wishing this wasn't their good bye. Wishing he never had to say good bye.

He was a fool. How he had come to this he was never going to be sure, but Rus would be safe from Asgore's clutches and he would be able to dust in peace.

"do I have to go?" A quiet plea.

"Yes." The answer.

"I should return your cloak." A compromise.

"... Keep it, it suits you and it will keep you out of danger." A promise.

"okay."

One last glance at honeyed eyes and he was gone, gone from Edge and his dying world.