Symm dove down from her plane, her elytra flashing. As she hit the ground with a roll, she raced into her grandmother. "Lily!" She called to her grandmother.

The one-winged, bat-elytrad woman turned, smiling at her granddaughter, "Symm!" She called back. "Dearie! How are you?"

"I have a question." Symmetry said, her fingers twisting together.

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me about great-grandfather Sausage?"

Lily's smile faltered. "Of course." She said.

"What's wrong?" Symm asked nervously.

"I always feel uncomfortable saying this story." She said, sitting down on the bridge railing. Symm sat with her.

"But here we go."

----

Sausage's POV

Sausage raced down the streets of Mythland, Pearl right beside him, her golden wings beating furiously as she zigzagged down the paths. "Come on, come on!" She cried. "We have to catch her!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Sausage yelled back. Pearl rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the arms, flipping in mid air. Sausage screamed, flailing his arms, landing on Pearl's back and clinging to her shoulders for dear life. "PEARL!!!!" He shrieked at her.

"Stop talking!" Pearl yelled, speeding down the streets. "Just grab Bubbles!"

Sausage peered at the little tan-and-black blur ahead of them. As they neared, he leaned down and reached for the collar of his puppy. His fingers brushed it, and finally curled around the pink band. "Got her!" He exclaimed.

"Good." Pearl landed and let him down.

He gazed down at his dog. "Bubbles, don't do that again." He said, bopping her nose with his.

Pearl put his hand to her forehead. "Oh no! I have to get back to Gilded Helianthia. I have a meeting with fWhip in the Grimlands. I can't wait to meet your brother."

"You'll like him, I promise. Just stay away from his creeper farm." He advised. "He has a weird redstone and explosives obsession."

Pearl laughed, patting Bubbles' head and kissing his cheek platonically, but all the same making his heart pound. "Have fun, and stay out of trouble." She said.

"Do you even have the right to say that anymore?" Sausage asked, eyebrow raised.

Pearl laughed, rising into the air. "I don't know," She said, "but still, stay safe. I don't want to come home to find you half-dead."

"I will!" Sausage called as Pearl waved goodbye from the air. He raised his hand in a salute and she laughed again, reciprocating the action.

As Pearl's golden wings faded into the dusky blue sky, Sausage turned away and set his dog down. Bubbles barked and circled his legs. "Come on." Sausage laughed, starting down the path. "We have to get to the coliseum for today's battle."

----

Sausage yawned, his hand floating to his mouth as he and Bubbles walked slowly down the streetlamp-lit road towards his aunt and uncle's house. When he opened the door, he spotted Gem walking through the kitchen to the dining table, four plates in hand. "GEM!" He cried, running towards her.

"Hey, Sausage!" Gem said, putting the plates down on the table and hugging him. "I decided to visit. Oh, also, mom and dad say hi. So does fWhip."

"Aw." Sausage smiled, helping his aunt Crysatl carry the vegetables to the table. "That's nice of them."

"Gem, will you be sweetie and help your uncle Amberine with the cutlery while Sausage washes his hands?" Crysatl asked her niece, putting the plate down.

"Of course, auntie!" Gem responded, walking over to her uncle.

As the family sat down, Gem gave Bubbles a pat on the head. "How are things here?" She asked, picking up her fork.

"They're doing fine, sweetie." Crysatl answered. "How about in Shimmer Valley?"

Gem's face fell. "Actually, I thought you heard." She said softly. "There was an explosion. fWhip was messing with explosives and he caused the mountain side of the valley to slide down on the other side of the Great Hills. So, mom and dad have divided Shimmer Valley into the Crystal Cliffs, which I am now the heir of, and the Grimlands, which fWhip is now the heir of. But mom and dad are now trying to manage their chaotic son and two empires." Gem's bright green eyes were welling with tears. "And Lady Herrilein was killed in the slide." Her voice choked over and the girl went silent.

Sausage felt a pang in his chest; Lady Herrilein had been fWhip, Sausage and Gem's childhood caretaker, and Gem had been closest to the woman.

"I'm so sorry...." Sausage whispered, his voice hitching.

Gem wiped her eyes. "It's fine." Her voice was quiet.

Crysatl patted her niece's shoulder, a sad smile dancing on her lips. "Gem, honey, how is fWhip?" She asked.

"He got beat up pretty badly during the explosion, so mom and dad have been making him recover." Gem answered.

"Well, you're all welcome to come to Mythland at any time." Amberine said. "Also, Sausage, me and your aunt are headed for the foothills of Hyleneia tonight. We'll be back in a day."

Sausage looked down at his plate. "Tell them I say hello." He said, standing up. "I'm going for a walk."

As he left the room, hearing Gem and his aunt and uncle continue talking, something flashed in the corner of his eye. He spun around and spotted a young woman with thick tawny brown hair. "Hey." She called. "Are you the Mythland Prince?"

"Yes, why?" Sausage asked.

"I'm your new girlfriend, Amy!" She cried, flinging her willowy arms around him.

Sausage stood there, dumbstruck, feeling panic evolve into fury. "No you aren't!" He growled, pushing her away by her shoulders. "I don't know you, nor do I like you!" His eyes flashed. "Besides, I'm in love with someone." He smiled softly.

"Well, she'll have to compete with me for your heart!" She exclaimed, kissing him. Sausage flung her away.

"Stop. Just stop." Sausage said firmly. "And stay away from me."

"As if I would." She scoffed. Sausage groaned and launched up with his elytra.

(Communicators: Pearl; Italics, Sausage; Bold)

Sausage:

Pearl I need you right now.

Pearl:

I'm on my way back to Gilded Helianthia at the moment, why?

Sausage:

There's a girl here who says she's my girlfriend and kissed me :(

Pearl:

Oh dear. I'm above the coliseum now! I'll land by the entrance on the Mythland side.

Sausage:

Ok!

Sausage glanced around, spotting Pearl's glimmering golden wings flashing in the moonlight. He raced towards her. "Pearlllllll!" He drew out her name as he neared.

Pearl whipped around. "Sausage, thank heavens. Tell me everything that-"

"Sausage, who's this? Are you cheating on me?" Amy demanded, arms crossed and storming over.

"Hello. You must be Amy." Pearl stuck out her hand. "I'm Pearl, Sausage's girlfriend of two years."

"Impossible, me and Sausage are dating!" Amy scoffed.

"Really?" Pearl inquired. "His aunt and uncle know that we're dating. How long have you both been together?"

Amy sneered. "Actually, it's been five years. Also, we're betrothed ad we've been best friends since birth, and we've been in love since we were 5-year-olds."

Pearl slowly shook her head. "Impossible." She said softly, slowly, almost menacingly. "Because I know that he's been in love since the day we met almost four years ago. I never told him until now, but I feel the same. So stay away from him."

Sausage's jaw DROPPED. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"The nerve of you!" Amy spat, swivelling and stalking off.

Pearl and Sausage stood in silence, in the dark, staring off into the blackness after Amy, and then at each other. "Did you really mean it?" Sausage's voice was almost a whisper.

Pearl's face turned red and she nodded almost imperceptibly. Sausage's eyes widened and he gazed at Pearl, feeling like he was about to burst with happiness. He raced forward and flung his arms around her, grasping her wings and feeling her feathers between his fingers. She gripped him back, rocking form side to side slightly as they hugged.

"I love you." Sausage murmured.

"I do too." Pearl whispered.

As the pair parted, Sausage when on a whim and took her hand, kissing her cheek and waving. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Pearl blushed and nodded, walking off.

----

Sausage woke up, feeling elated. He and Pearl were a thing! As he walked downstairs, he noticed the room was empty. As he walked across the room, he spotted Gem, passed out on the couch. He smiled at her and walked past. As his aunt and uncle were away until that night, he would just be relaxing.

As he exited the house, a crowd was formed on his front steps. He questioned what was going on when the guide that had been with Crysatl and Amberine appeared from the crowd. "My king!" He exclaimed. "I am so sorry. Their majesties have disappeared and now, you are the Myhtlandite king."

Sausage's heart froze.

----

Lily sighed. "I never knew what happened to my great-aunt and great-uncle. They vanished. Several expeditions were sent out, and there was never any proof they had died, or been abducted."

Symmetry shuddered. "Oh dear." She whispered.

Lily nodded. "Father's story always made me feel sad." She said. "Father was always sad about it."

"Oh. I wish I had met him." Symm said.

"He would have loved you." Lily said. "You are just like his mother."

"Really?" Symm's eyes followed a cloud

"Yes."

----

Sorry if this chapter is a bit strange. I had writer's block working in advance on the Crystal Cliffs chapter (it's not for a little while yet that it'll be out) and decided not to change it, but I probably will edit it in the future. 

But for now, enjoy!