Chapter 94: The Truth

Chapter 94: Chapter 94: The Truth

Daniel tapped Fluffy’s cheek.

"Wake up, Fluffy," he said. "You, um... fell asleep."

Fluffy stirred. Her nose twitched. Her ears flicked. Her eyes fluttered open.

She looked up at Daniel. Her vision was blurry. Her head was spinning. She didn’t know where she was. She didn’t know what had happened.

Then she remembered.

"Master!" she shouted. She tried to sit up. Her head throbbed. She fell back down.

"Easy," Daniel said. "You took a little nap."

Fluffy blinked. "Nap?"

"Yeah. A nap."

Fluffy frowned. She didn’t remember taking a nap. She remembered running toward Master. She remembered hugging him. She remembered Spicy. She remembered...

"Master knocked Fluffy out!" she accused.

Daniel didn’t deny it. "I did."

"Why?"

"Because I needed to talk to Spicy alone."

Fluffy’s eyes widened. She looked around. She saw Spicy standing a few feet away. Her hands were clasped. Her head was bowed. She looked scared.

"Is Spicy okay?" Fluffy asked.

Daniel sighed. "That’s what we need to talk about."

He sat down beside her. He crossed his legs. He looked at her.

"Spicy told me what happened," he said. "The whole story. The attack. The fight. The surrender. All of it."

Fluffy nodded slowly. "Fluffy told Master the same thing."

"I know. But I need to hear it from you. The same story. In your own words."

Fluffy looked at him. At his serious expression. At his cold eyes.

She took a breath. Then she spoke.

"Fluffy was looking for Master," she said. "Fluffy was alone. Fluffy was scared. Then Spicy appeared. Spicy was scary. Spicy attacked Fluffy."

She paused.

"Spicy hurt Fluffy. Spicy tried to kill Fluffy. Spicy said mean things about Master. Spicy said Master was using Fluffy."

Daniel listened. He didn’t interrupt.

"But Fluffy didn’t believe Spicy," Fluffy continued. "Fluffy knew Master was good. Fluffy knew Master loved Fluffy. Fluffy told Spicy about Master. Fluffy told Spicy how Master saved Fluffy. How Master freed Fluffy. How Master gave Fluffy name and family."

She paused again.

"Spicy listened. Spicy stopped fighting. Spicy cried. Spicy said sorry. Spicy surrendered."

She looked at Daniel.

"Spicy said she was going to die. Spicy said she had less than a week. Spicy said Fluffy could kill her."

Daniel nodded slowly. "And then?"

"Fluffy didn’t kill her," Fluffy said. "Fluffy patted her head. Fluffy told her it was okay. Fluffy told her Fluffy understood. Fluffy told her Fluffy used to hate humans too."

She looked at Spicy.

"Fluffy asked Spicy to come with Fluffy. Fluffy asked Spicy to meet Master. Fluffy asked Spicy to join family."

She looked back at Daniel.

"Spicy said yes. Spicy came with Fluffy. Spicy wanted to say sorry to Master."

She paused.

"But Fluffy lied," she whispered.

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Lied?"

"Fluffy said Spicy saved Fluffy from bad elf. But Spicy didn’t save Fluffy. Spicy was the bad elf. Spicy attacked Fluffy."

She bowed her head. Her ears drooped. Her tail tucked.

"Fluffy is sorry. Fluffy lied to Master. Fluffy is bad."

Daniel was silent.

For a long moment, he didn’t speak. He just looked at her. At her bowed head. At her drooping ears. At her trembling body.

Then he sighed.

"You’re not bad," he said. "You’re just too nice."

Fluffy looked up. "Master is not angry?"

"I’m a little angry. But not at you."

He looked at Spicy. His eyes were cold.

"I’m angry at her."

Spicy flinched.

"But," Daniel continued, "I’m not going to kill her."

Fluffy’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really."

"You believe Spicy?"

Daniel nodded slowly. "I believe you. And you believe her. So... I’ll give her a chance."

He looked at Spicy.

"One chance," he said. "That’s it. If you try anything funny, anything at all, I will end you. Understood?"

Spicy nodded quickly. "Understood."

Daniel looked back at Fluffy. His expression was serious.

"But you," he said. "You need to be punished."

Fluffy’s ears drooped. "Punished?"

"Yes. You lied to me. You made up a story. You tried to trick me."

Fluffy bowed her head. "Fluffy is sorry."

"I know. But sorry isn’t enough. You need to learn."

He paused.

"Your punishment is no meat for a week."

Fluffy’s eyes widened. Her mouth fell open. Her ears shot up.

"NO MEAT?"

"No meat."

"For a week?"

"For a week."

Fluffy’s face crumpled. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"But... but Fluffy loves meat..."

"I know."

"Fluffy needs meat..."

"You’ll survive."

Fluffy started to cry. Soft, pitiful sobs.

Daniel watched her. His expression didn’t change.

"You’ll eat carrots," he said.

Fluffy froze. Her crying stopped. Her eyes went wide.

"Carrots?" she whispered.

"Yes. Carrots."

Fluffy’s face twisted with horror.

"Fluffy hates carrots," she said. "Carrots are... carrots are gross. Carrots are yucky. Carrots are..."

"Good for you," Daniel said. "Full of vitamins."

Fluffy looked at him. Her eyes were pleading.

"Please, Master. Anything but carrots. Fluffy will do anything. Fluffy will clean. Fluffy will train. Fluffy will..."

"No meat. Only carrots. For a week."

Fluffy collapsed onto the ground. She curled into a ball. She whimpered.

"Fluffy is going to die," she whispered. "Fluffy is going to die from carrots."

Daniel patted her head. "You’ll be fine."

"Fluffy will not be fine. Fluffy will be dead."

"You’re being dramatic."

"Fluffy is not dramatic. Fluffy is dying."

Daniel sighed. He stood up. He looked at Spicy.

"Welcome to the family," he said. "Such as it is."

Spicy blinked. "Really?"

"Really. But remember what I said."

Spicy nodded quickly. "I remember."

"Good."

He looked around. At the destroyed street. At the rubble. At the bodies.

"We need to find the others," he said.

He looked down at Fluffy. She was still curled up on the ground. She was still whimpering.

"Fluffy," he said.

Fluffy looked up. Her eyes were red. Her nose was running.

"Yes, Master?"

"Where’s Lyra?"

Fluffy blinked. She thought about it. Her brow furrowed. Her ears twitched.

"Fluffy... Fluffy doesn’t know."

Daniel stared at her. "What?"

"Fluffy forgot where pretty lady is."

Daniel’s eye twitched.

"You forgot?"

"Fluffy was running. Fluffy was looking for Master. Fluffy got lost. Fluffy found Spicy. Fluffy fought Spicy. Fluffy came to find Master."

She paused.

"Fluffy forgot about pretty lady."

Daniel sighed. He ran a hand through his hair. He looked at the sky.

"Of course you did," he muttered.

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[Magic castle = 5 bonus Chapter’s]

[space craft = 15 bonus Chapter’s]

[golden gachapon = 20 bonus Chapter’s]