Chapter Text
"Shout thy name out loud if… if thou wouldst accept my proposition. Let us give it our all, and may the best warrior claim victory in this singular bout."
"My name… is Ser Jaime Lannister. The Young Lion of Lannister! Kingslayer!"
"My name is Don Quixote; 'Don' as the signifier of my nobility! Giantslayer!"
Two stars clashed. And one fell.
In a lighthouse hidden deep in the Ruins where few may wander, a lone girl laying on the ground laughed to herself as she played with two figurines in her hands. One of them wielded a large, rectangular broadsword while adorned in plate armor. The other held in her hand a thin blade, dressed in a pristine white coat and uniform with a severe expression on her face.
The woman 'spoke', "Ho there, honorable Fixer of the Zwei Association!"
Said Zwei Association Fixer responded, "Ah, what may I do for the illustrious Hana Association this day?"
"A great threat rises in the City! The dastardly Three Dragons Syndicate threatens the Backstreets with fire and blood!" she warned.
He cursed in a surprisingly high-pitched voice. "How ghastly! I shall set out at once to confront these villains."
"Hold, for thou shalt not go alone!" The Hana Fixer declared. "Four illustrious Colors will accompany thee. The Grey Wolf, famed for his cold glare and strategic mind! The Azure Falcon, respected for his wisdom and steadiness! The Auburn Trout, known for his pride and resolve! And leading them is the Golden Stag, his strength unmatched and his fury unbridled at the injustices of the Three Dragons!"
"Why, I am honored to accompany such fine Fixers as these. They shall be great influences on my young squire!"
"Your squire?"
"Yes," the Zwei Fixer 'turned' to face the girl holding him. "She is new but passionate! Aspiring to be the most heroic Fixer in the City she can be. My squire sprints for the dream!"
The girl nodded enthusiastically. "Indeed! Wherever evil may linger, my lance will find its mark. The Three Dragons Syndicate shall trouble the Backstreets no longer! So long as my heart beats, I vow to deal righteous justice to the wicked!"
"Dost thou speak truly?"
A voice spoke up. It wasn't the stalwart Zwei Fixer or the resolute Hana Association member. Raspy and hoarse, the voice contained a sense of urgency and desperation underneath it. The girl in the lighthouse turned to see a black kitten prowling towards her, an intent look on its face. Instead of wondering how a cat got in, or why it was speaking, she instead nodded vigorously with stars in her eyes.
"Forsooth! No matter the villain, their vile deeds shall never again see the light of day once mine eyes catch sight of their visages!"
The kitten tilted its head. "Even if the villain striketh another villain?"
She paused. "W-whatever dost thou mean, furred one?"
"Two young children of the Three Dragons… 'Syndicate' and their mother hath been ordered slain by the Old Lion, a hound and manticore sent to slaughter them! The Grey Wolf will not reach them in time, and the Golden Stag is blind in his fury. None present will defend and carry them away from this despicable act. Dost thou believe children must pay for the sins of their father?"
For the first time in the conversation, the smile fell from the girl's face. Her heart thudded against her chest. Something… something felt off when she heard those words. She soon shook her head though with a defiant expression.
"Nay! Such a foul notion nary crosses the mind! Children should not be blamed because of the sire's mistakes. I shall go post haste to their defense! What must I do to reach them?"
If it were possible for a cat to smile, the visitor looked as if its own would've gone from ear to ear.
"When thou art ready, simply recite thy name, close thine eyes, and walk forward after a moment's pause."
"Aye!!! Pray give this squire but a moment to pack her personal effects."
The aspiring Fixer leapt to her feet and started looking around, wondering what she should bring with her on this new adventure(!!!). Picking up a suspiciously clean backpack she doesn't quite remember putting there, she started with gathering all the sacred texts she could. The First Edition of The City's Colors and Associations, The Counterborough Tales, Fafnbane, Rings of the Fingers, The Round Table, and of course, her favorite, La Manchaland were only some of the masterpieces she carefully placed inside the pack.
Magazines displaying the stunning visage of righteous fixers along with the fearsome workshop weapons they wielded are also stuffed in every space they could fit in. Figurines, miniatures, and collectibles of virtuous Fixers and even nefarious Stars of the City were situated inside the side pockets, along with a few tools for maintaining them. On a whim, she packed a set of dice and sheets meant for reliving past adventures and legends of heroic Fixers, just in case!
Finishing with some posters, she looked at the last of her crucial possessions and with a bright smile fastened the pins and badges of honor onto her attire. With reverence, she raised the sigil of the newest Color, the Purple Tear, to her eye before clipping it onto her waist in a prominent position for all to see. A virtuous heroine that evil cannot hide from, for her portals may strike anywhere at any time. She aspired to be just like her one day!
Finally, she looked to her most prized possession, the lance that shall soon pierce vile hearts of villains all over the City! But something was amiss. Next to it stood a red banner on which a golden horse is depicted. A white star lay underneath the horse with a golden staff in the background, a gust of wind indicating the horse's movement. Three smaller white stars to the right completed the image, and it's with a slack jaw that the girl walked towards the banner.
"M-mine own coat of arms!? Oh, I never imagined I would receive it so soon. However did it get here…?"
"Art thou quite done?" the kitten asked, growing impatient.
"A-aye!" She stammered, walking towards both implements.
With an ease belying her size, she lifted the lance taller than she was with one arm while carrying the banner in the other. On the surface of her mighty weapon sat the words "SUEÑO IMPOSIBLE", her creed and struggle both. Twirling the pole attached to the flag, she slammed it down on the ground with a loud clack that reverberated across the room.
"Hah! I stand ready to strike these villains who dare lay hands on a child! Prithee, may I know the name of the wise cat who calls on me?"
"... Balerion, I was once known as… the Black Dread before a spell transformed me," he breathed out, as if hesitant to speak it.
"Ahh!? A Color Fixer, here?" the girl gasped, almost falling over as she stumbled. "Know this, Ser Balerion! I vow to protect the innocent in thy stead! This I swear on mine honor and life."
The kitten shook his head, "Nay, I am not a—"
"Thy modesty is praiseworthy, but pray do not demean thyself, Ser Balerion!" she interrupted, kneeling down with a wide grin on her face.
"...fine," he grumbled. "Now, speak thy name and hurry towards thy charges."
She nodded and raised her lance to the ceiling as she cried out, "Very well! My name is… my name is…"
The girl trailed off, eyebrows scrunching as she attempted to recall her name. It is an inquiry with which she should be able to answer with ease, yet for some reason, her mind felt foggier the more she searched for the answer. Grumbling, she began tapping her foot on the floor impatiently… and realized the key to her dilemma.
"Hmmmm…!" She muttered, lifting her right foot to look at the sole of her shoe, her loyal steed Rocinante!
Almost falling over due to having to crane her neck and maneuver her leg with both her hands occupied, the girl finally caught the letters imprinted on the bottom of Rocinante.
"Don Quixote!" she yelled out in triumph, and for good measure… "'Don' as the signifier of my nobility!"
Closing her eyes as instructed earlier, she regained her balance after nearly toppling over again and stepped forward into her next adventure! Silently, a blue, shimmering door appeared and opened before her, revealing a room fit for a prince on the other side. The future number one Fixer stepped through it without hesitation knowing naught of what just appeared before her.
As Don Quixote disappeared into the ether, Balerion sighed and grumbled.
"I once laid waste to armies and destroyed entire fortresses with fire and blood… now I am here begging a madwoman to save a Dornishwoman and her two get. I do so hope that she will be up to the task, at least."
Footsteps suddenly echoed across the room, quiet but firm as the Knight of the White Moon revealed herself.
"Worry not, Black Dread. Her heart is true, even if her attitude shows otherwise," she said in a wistful tone. "I hope you will cherish this adventure in the future, my friend."
Rhaenys didn't understand what was happening.
She was playing with her kitty when suddenly she could hear loud shouts and stomping in the distance outside her room. Balerion leapt from her arms and dove under Daddy's bed soon after, and when she crawled under to follow him, he turned around and glared at her as if telling her to stay! Rhaenys didn't really know why, but she listened even when the sounds started getting louder. Mommy had looked so worried last she saw her when she told her to stay in the room while she checked on her brother.
Balerion darted away somewhere else soon after, leaving her all alone. Hugging her knees, Rhaenys closed her eyes and waited for it all to go away. Daddy said he'd always protect her. All she had to do was wait and soon he would come back with a smile and hug. As tears started to leak out of her eyes, she hoped that someone, anyone would come by soon.
Suddenly, she heard a loud meow before her kitten ran back underneath the bed with her. Rhaenys hugged her only friend in the world right now against her rapidly-beating chest, trying to erase the chaos around her with comforting, warm fur. Not long after however, she froze as she heard footsteps inside her room. The door didn't open, so how…? Was it Daddy? Mommy? As the steps came closer however, she saw with wide eyes that the strange, yellow footwear matched no one she knew. Before she could react, a lance wider than her body slammed down onto the floor with a deafening clang as its wielder revealed itself.
A manic, crazed smile greeted her, framed by messy blonde hair and hazel eyes that looked at her with ravenous glee.
"Well met, young one!"
Rhaenys screamed.