Homerun.

Day 6 of The 129th Rasheul Great **** Tournament
04:33 AM

So, I sat perched atop the highest balloon on my airship.

How did I get up there?
You know how! Stop asking stupid questions! I used science, of course! If there's anything you don't get about me, the answer is probably gonna be either madness or science.
And if you wanna try and wrap your head around either, then good luck with that!
Just don't expect me to hold my breath.

But why did I get up there?
Fuck you, that's why! I got up there because I could. If you think it's stupid to do whatever you want, because you want it, then you're dead wrong! Not everyone gets to do what they want!
So if I wanna climb ontop of an airship, why shouldn't I?

How would you know if you're not gonna end up in the clutches of a perverted witch who'll keep you as a **** to her nastiest kinks for all your remaining days? In that case, you'd regret every time you could've climbed on top of an airship, but didn't.
And who's stupid then?

But the point is, I was just chilling under the twilight with some popcorn. I wouldn't really call it twilight myself. It was that weird limbo period where the odd star lingered high above, but the clouds near the horizon lit up in a distinctly peachy color which contrasted against the even yet nightly hue of the sky.
I call it twinight.

The world below remained in the dark. The most visible buildings were speckled with lit up windows. That's what set them apart from mere shadows. Shadows to be consumed by surrounding shadows.
From up there, I could see over the tallest building. No one up and about during this ungodly hour could evade my gaze. But they all looked so tiny down there. Like ants.
I wonder if that's how the Devil saw other people wherever she went.

That's probably how she saw me.

Damn! Say what you want about Max, but he made some amazing popcorn. I couldn't help myself. I grabbed a fistful of the treat from the bowl, far more than I could stuff in my mouth. When I tried to, a single corn slipped and bounced away.

I noticed it far too late to react.
And good thing too. Jumping off a balloon to save a single popcorn would've made for a terrible epithet on my tombstone.
Down it slid, along the thick bloated canvas. Towards the edge. A hand rose from below to snatch it up. Out from beyond the edge popped Bat Girl, who flicked it into her mouth.

"Morning, sunshine." I greeted her.
The next part to appear, after her hand and face, was her leg; kicked up wide towards the air, so as to plant her foot over the edge. She stepped on to the canvas as easy as if taking a stroll. Once on top, she clung to one of the cables, about as thick as my waist which suspended the balloon over the rest of the ship. That is how she reeled herself towards the top.
"Hiya there, Allie!" She waved in my direction, "Don't tell me you're having snack time without me...!"
Suddenly the wind roared. The gust caused Bat Girl to falter. She wrapped her arms and legs firmly around the cable before she could fall, her caramel pigtails swaying like flags in the wind. The canvas rustled in response to the gale testing its surface. The fabric all around us rippled. Which was more than a bit odd to watch, considering that was supposed to be solid ground. I sat on top of it.
Didn't feel anything like any liquid I ever felt. If anything it was like sitting on steel.

I held the quilted jacket I brought together, keeping myself warm until the wind died down.
"You know the rules," I responded, "You want the treasure? You gotta get to the end of the rainbow."
I patted the spot next to me.

With feline agility scrambled upwards until she reached my spot. She sat cross-legged next to me. I handed the bowl over to her. She fitted it between her legs, her hand digging to the very bottom. Round and around she rummaged through the fluffy content, until she fished out a burned, half-popped kernel.
She tossed it in her mouth, munching on it slowly as if it were the best thing in the world. The crunch from inside her mouth must have been audible from across town.

She had such a smug self-satisfied look on her face.
I tried catching her with my leer, "Hey! I wanted them crunchy corns!"
"But you didn't take them!"
I grunted, "I was saving them for later!"
"Well, now they're mine!" She flicked another semi-popped corn into her mouth.
"That's not how it works!" I complained, "You gotta make your way through the fluffiness at the top before you can get to the best part!"
"Like I wanna wait for that! If it's there for me to enjoy then I take it. That's all there is to it!"
I folded my arms, pouting, "Well, then I'm gonna invent a machine that makes only crunchy corn out of popcorn kernels! They're the only ones that matter! How would you like that, huh?"
She pulled another one from the bottom, "Hold out your hand."
I opened my palm, and she dropped it.

I instantly shoved it in my mouth, making a point of munching on it as loudly as I could.
The dark taste exploded in my mouth as I bit down on the rare fancy treat.
I whipped my head back and leaned down, the wind brushing through my hair, "Thanks. Just let me know if you need help packing."
She cocked her head, "Eh? I was supposed to pack my bags? Hey... I didn't know we were going anywhere!"
"We're not going anywhere. You're going. I'm staying to fight. Your fights are all over."
She shrugged, "Well... Not like I wanted to stay for the fighting to begin with. I think I'll just stick around here to chill."
I turned towards her, "You don't get it, do you? You're still my ****, in theory. You're only free insofar as I want to... But if I become a **** myself, then it wouldn't be up to me."
"Ah, yeah!" She chuckled, turning to look me in the eyes, "All the more reason then for you to kick her infernal fanny back to Devil Land."

...Somehow I managed to convince myself that it wouldn't turn out this way with Bat Girl.
I waved dismissively, "Oh, believe you me. I don't plan on losing. But if you ask me, any choice that can guarantee freedom from slavery is better than any that can't."
Her fingers roamed the bowl, searching frantically for her favored treat. When she couldn't find any, she settled for a fluffy piece and sent it in her mouth, "Yeah? When you fought against that Lil Worm I didn't budge so much a muscle. What makes you think I'd scamper off now?"
"This isn't like with Snakey at all!" I almost shouted, "When I step into the Arena now, I really don't know what's going to happen. "
"...Why exactly is that different? That sounds like everything you've ever done!"
"It's different because... Because not knowing isn't gonna be the answer now." My voice turned ever more exasperated with each word, "Look, is there anything I can do to make you go?"

"Well, yeah. Of course, dum-dum!" She chuckled, leaning back, "All you gotta do is leave with me! Drop out of the match. Run off to live another day."
I sighed, looking up at her annoyed, "You know I can't do that."
"Well, there you go!" She pointed her open palm at me, "Then that's why I can't do it either! Looks like we're stuck together all the way."
"Yeah... Not really the same thing." I leaned back with her, "I'm the one who's gonna be fighting. I can still do things! Maybe it'll be enough, or maybe it won't. But the point is, all you can do is watch. I don't want you to rely on me for your freedom."

"I didn't ask if I can rely on you for my freedom!" She sat herself up, barking so loud I flinched away.
But not before taking a piece of popcorn.
"But... You can rely on me for your freedom." She said after calming down, "And you don't even have to ask"
"...What're you talking about?"
"Like, you'd be the one she'd get right away. But not me. I'd be up and about somewhere she don't know! I could be just about anywhere! So when she least expect it, BAM! I'll swoop in to knock her out with my trusted bat. Then, I'll carry you off to safety. And we'll live happily ever after! The end!" She dusted off her hands with a proud smirk.
...I couldn't help but smile, "Goddamnit. That actually sounds awesome! But you'd need to be quick to pull it off. And I mean real quick. One word from her, and I'd be ordering you to stand down."
"Well, sure. Maybe the first time she'd thwart my rescue. But what about next time? Or the time after that? You know I'd never ever stop trying if you were taken away?"
"I know." I sighed, "You'd only get one chance though. Once you're caught, she'd make me order you to be her ****. You understand? That's why you have to leave. I want you to at least have a chance at freedom."
"Huh. Damn, she thought of everything, didn't she?" She started to crush the popcorn in her fist, turning them into tinier bit, "You're wrong about one thing though. Because that's exactly why I need to do it."

I furrowed a brow. This was getting irritating.
"Think about it!" She clapped her hands, "If there's one thing worse than being a ****, it's being a **** alone. I come down to rescue you... Then there's at least there's a chance that we both walk free. Worst case scenario, we'd be slaves together! ****-buddies forever!"
I stared at her incredulously, unable to make head or tail of what she just said.
All I could do was smile.
I couldn't help it. I just smiled. My smiling lips couldn't keep out the chuckles. And I couldn't keep the chuckle from breaking out into a laughing fit.

She laughed with me.
I laughed even more.
"**** buddies?" I said through my laughter, "I guess I would need someone to keep me warm while in our cage, huh?"
"Yeah! Absolutely!" She giggled, "Or someone to make sure your collar fit on tight and neat!"
"I'd scratch your back and you'd scratch mine! We'd need that cause..."
"Cause we wouldn't be able to do it ourselves! Not with our hands are cuffed behind our backs!!"

Oh, damnit! I couldn't remember how long it's been since I laughed so much. I actually thought I was about to faint.
Together we roared as we rolled around on the canvas like a pair of giggling mad women. The bowl of popcorn fell upside down. The content spilled off the balloon to rain on some unsuspecting beggar below.
But we didn't care.
I rose to a sitting position, wiping a tear from my eye, "Hehe... Ah, heh... Estelle?"
She had to struggle to contain herself, "Ah, yeah?"
"Go down from here... Safely. Then leave town. That is an order."

Her expression turned into one of confusion and surprise, then disappointment. Finally it settled on calm acceptance.
"...I see." She sighed loudly, getting up, "As you wish, Mistress. I hope your match goes well."
"Estelle..."

She slid down the cable. When I crawled to look over the edge, only the streets were below.
She was gone.

Another strong wind blew through my hair. Waves of canvas flickered past me as my gaze lingered downwards.
Yep.
She was gone.

I sank to a kneeling position.
By then the sun had cracked its head over the horizon. Its light parted the faces of the land from their shadows. The last trace of night had long been exiled, leaving the blush of amber and pink teetering on the horizon to claim the sky.

The landscape once unveiled by daylight stretched its ancient forests into infinity. The world was so vast. So empty.
Much emptier without my Bat Girl.
The faint echo of chirping revealed the first sign of life out there.

The first true light of the day danced in my tears.

If you ever run into the guy who said it's impossible to get hurt in the **** Tournament, as long as you don't surrender, do me a solid and punch them in their stupid face for me.