A Different Place

Chapter 22 - Broken Betrothal

Bon cooed happily as he swiftly guided MegaMan out of danger, hanging on to one of Garrdan Castle's parapets with one hand, holding MegaMan securely in the other, safely out of firing range for Guelly, the prince's pet Reaverbot.

"Bon!" said MegaMan, startled. "Where have you been?"

"Buu," Bon replied concisely. "Buu, Baa--bu."

MegaMan nodded, as if in comprehension. "I...see. I have an idea of how to take this Reaverbot down---if you can help me, that is!"

Bon squealed in delight.

"Great." MegaMan leaned in close to Tron's younger brother and began whispering to him, keeping a careful eye on Guelly all the while. The Reaverbot was still looking around for its enemies, holding its fire to avoid wasting any energy.

When MegaMan had finished explaining his strategy to Bon, the largest Bonne slid back down to the lower balcony, dropping MegaMan off to the side. Bon then began leaping back and forth, trying to confuse Guelly and draw his attention in several different directions at once, but never actually striking. When Guelly had been thoroughly confused, Bon snuck in underneath the Reaverbot's massive arms and signaled to MegaMan that he was ready.

This was what MegaMan had been waiting for. The boy pulled the largest weapon at his disposal out of his backpack and hurled it to Bon's waiting arms. Bon shoved the MegaBonne Bomb into Guelly's chest cavity, right in the middle of the beam cannon, and rolled backwards quickly. The seemingly small explosive, which looked like a normal bomb except for its color, detonated with a force MegaMan had never before experienced.

Everyone on the balcony, including the Garrdan royal family and their servants, lost his or her balance, save Teisel, who was already lying down. When MegaMan's sight cleared, he could see nothing but smoke from where the Reaverbot had stood. This was a good sign, but he wasn't getting his hopes up. MegaMan limped towards the arched door that gave entrance to the castle, in case he had to take shelter from another attack. When the smoke cleared, however, MegaMan's first thoughts were confirmed.

Guelly lay motionless, broken into no less than three pieces by the MegaBonne Bomb's powerful detonation. MegaMan resisted the urge to cheer, knowing that even though this battle had been won, he and the others weren't out of danger just yet. At least they had found both Bon and Tron alive and well.

"MegaMan!" Tron cried, escaping the Prince's grasp and rushing to his side. He hadn't had time to notice before, but she was wearing a short, ruffly blue dress that really looked quite fetching on her, and was Tron wearing make-up? Some sort of eyeshadow, at least, and maybe some lipstick. She grabbed MegaMan's hand. "Oh, are you hurt?"

"A little," he admitted. She looked really good. There was something else, though, over her left eye... "Is that a bruise? Did they hurt you?"

Tron touched her hand to the injury, an uncomfortable look on her face. "Oh, I didn't want you to see that. I got it when I was fighting him," she said, indicating the remains of Guelly.

Before he could think about what he was doing, MegaMan guided his face in closer to Tron's and snuck a kiss from her. The truth was, he'd been aiming directly for Tron's lips, but he missed by a small margin, landing his own just to the side of her mouth. "Uhh..." he stuttered, blushing strongly as he straightened up.

"Uhhh...." Tron agreed, her own cheeks turning pink. She looked longingly in to MegaMan's green eyes. "Um...I..."

MegaMan was considering stealing another kiss when Bon piped up. "Babu!"

"Little brother!" Tron yelled, diving into Bon's large arms. "I'm glad you're all right! What happened?"

As Bon was trying to monosylabllically explain his entire grueling journey to Tron, MegaMan took advantage of the opportunity to check on Teisel. He didn't know why, but he was starting to feel very uncomfortable around Tron, although that didn't necessarily feel all that bad. "Teisel! How are you feeling?"

"Better," said the pirate, sitting up for the first time since his earlier collapse. "I can move now, but it really, really, hurts!" He could not stand up, however, before removing the Bonne Bazooka from his right arm. Servbots Twelve and Twenty-Seven took it off for him, and he was able to rise, although his right arm was now swollen to nearly double the circumference of the left. Teisel looked haplessly at MegaMan. "I don't think I've ever been so sore in my entire life," he said softly.

"I'm sorry, Teisel. I'll bet that the Strength Solution---"

"Not so fast!" screamed Prince Gary, interrupting the happy reunion. "You may have beaten Guelly, but Tron Bonne will still be my bride! Guards!!" Several of Garrdan Castle's blue-uniformed soldiers ran into the courtyard, most carrying rifles or Arm Cannons.

"What!?!" said MegaMan, Teisel, and Tron together.

"You've got to be kidding!" Tron shouted. "Haven't you gotten the idea yet that I won't marry you? If kidnapping me wouldn't make me do it, why do you think killing me would?"

"Don't worry, Tron," said Teisel reassuringly, standing painfully next to his sister. "None of their weapons are loaded!"

"That may not be true," said MegaMan. While they had unloaded all of the weapons below and dumped their ammunition into the ocean, some of the guards might have had rifles or Arm Cannons that were already fully loaded before that, and some of those might still be present here. He thought.

"Hold it!" thundered King Garland, stepping proudly out of the arched door. "Will someone explain to me what's going on?"

"Of course, Father," said Prince Gary. "You see, I decided that..."

"Not you, Gary," said the king. "I want to hear it from the lady's point of view."

Tron looked a little flustered at having the spotlight put on her, but she dutifully explained the situation to King Garland, with Teisel and the others filling in blank spots as needed. When she was finished, the king's face took on an ominous expression.

"Son, did you truly kidnap this girl and attempt to force her to become your wife?""

Now it was Prince Gary's turn to look flustered. "I know it certainly sounds that way, Father, but I assure you---"

"I've never been more disappointed in you than I am today." With that, the King of Garrdan Island turned his back on the prince and entered the castle. "Stand down, men," he called to the guards, and they lowered their weapons.

Gary's eyes were beginning to look a little moist. "Tron, I---"

"Why are you looking to ME for sympathy!?" Tron asked, pointedly resting her head on MegaMan's shoulder. "Let's head home, boys!"

"Sounds good," MegaMan said, looping his arm in Tron's as they, too, left Gary's presence.

Teisel was next to pass by the prince. "After what you did to my brother and sister," he threatened, "you're lucky I can barely move my arms and legs. If I ever see you again..." He left it at that, staggering after the others.

"Buuuuu!!" Bon echoed darkly, knocking Gary aside as he followed the rest of his family.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, sir," said Servbot Number Twelve as he and his brothers passed by the prince. "I certainly hope we can do it again sometime!"

Gary was left holding back tears of bitterness, abandoned by both his father and his fiance. His lifetime robotic companion was a smoking pile of wreckage just ten yards away from him, and it seemed as though nothing that was left in his life mattered.

"Don't worry, Gary," said his Aunt Alaine from behind him as she slid both arms around his shoulders. "I won't let those...ruffians get away with hurting my boy. That dirty little Tron Bonne and her freak boyfriend will rue the day they came to Garrdan Island."

"Yes," said Gary as he met his aunt's eyes. The fire in them seemed hotter and more explosive than that which had taken Guelly from him. "I'll fix Guelly, and then we'll get our revenge..."

"We'll do better than that," said Alaine. "We'll make those Bonnes wish they were dead. No matter how long it takes..." She clung to her nephew fiercely.

Tron was joining MegaMan in a game of Burple Bowling in the Gesellschaft's cafe. After the party had returned to their home, both she and MegaMan, confessing a desire to remove their separate costumes, had retired to their respective quarters and changed into more comfortable clothing. However, Tron did not share the fact that she'd tediously folded up her aquamarine dress before placing it into the laundry chute, pinning a note to the Servbots to be exceptionally careful when pressing it. And MegaMan did not reveal that after removing his dark green suit of clunky armor, he'd set it up in a place of honor on the far corner of his lower-level bedroom.

MegaMan rolled his baseball toward the ten empty Berry Burple bottles, but hit only three. And it was his second roll, so his frame was over. Number Twenty-Six quickly set up the other pins for Tron's frame.

"I'm beating you by fifty pins," said Tron smugly.

"Don't be too happy," said MegaMan. "This is only my second game, remember. In three more months, I'll be wiping the floor with you." He brushed his fingers lightly across Tron's hand.

She jumped a little and stared into his eyes. "Look, I don't want you to get the wrong idea about...what happened down there."

"What?"

"We both weren't thinking when...you know. After Gary telling me we were destined to marry one another for the last few days, the LAST thing I want right now is...something serious."

MegaMan was stung. "Oh, I get it," he said angrily, snatching his hand away from hers. "The only thing worse than being married to Gary is to be in love with MegaMan!"

Tron's eyes narrowed. "That's not what I meant. And who said 'love,' anyway!?"

"I guess you sure didn't!" MegaMan yelled. It was starting to feel a little good to be yelling. "That's all right, Tron, because if I decided I had feelings for you, I'd probably have to shoot myself!"

"Why do you have to say things like that!?" Tron screamed.

It was at this point that Teisel limped into the cafe, saw the fracas, and figured he could wait another twenty minutes for that cup of coffee, after all. It was a good thing he did so, because he also just missed Number Two pouring a cup of vinegar into the coffee maker, giggling ferociously.

"Master Teisel?" asked Number Twelve from below him.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering what I should do with all these..." Number Twelve opened the door to his chest cavity. Several sparkling pieces of aquamarine sparkled up at Teisel. "I guess some of them got polished a little while I was jumping around so much."

"That's wonderful news, Number Twelve!" Teisel truly was glad at the news, but his mind was still on the fact that the right sleeve of his favorite T-shirt had been ripped out by his bulging biceps, almost double the size they had been yesterday. "I guess we should get those to a jeweler, but I wasn't planning on leaving the local chains for a couple of---" He was unable to finish because of Tron's ear-piercing scream.

"Hey," he said, entering the cafe fully, "you two really need to settle down a little---" He stopped speaking when he realized his sister was no longer arguing with MegaMan. Tron knelt on the metallic cafeteria floor, cradling MegaMan's head in her lap. "What happened?" Teisel demanded, walking crookedly towards the scene.

Tron sniffed. "He just passed out. I don't know what's wrong, Teisel!" She patted MegaMan's pale cheek. "Hey, come on, wake up! MegaMan, if you don't wake up right now I'll pound you!!"

Apparently, this threat was taken seriously by the unconscious boy. He stirred mildly, groaning. "Hi."

"Don't you ever do that to me again," Tron ordered, wiping the tears out of her eyes. "You understand?!"

"Yeah," said MegaMan softly. "It was weird, kind of like a dream. I was on a table somewhere, and there was an old man, and a girl, and I was talking in a really squeaky voice." He laughed weakly. "I kind of sounded like Data, for a second, but he's dead..."

Tron and Teisel looked at one another. "Who's Data?" they both asked.