Catman had to leave Rory backstage, much to the pair's dismay. The crowd surrounding the stage would not be satisfied with just one song. He returned to his drum stand so that the concert could commence.
Rory, on the other hand, left to go search for her unconscious friends in the crowd.
It didn't take her long to spot her friends. They were the only ones in the whole vicinity that were not wearing some form of a KISS costume. Rory was a strong girl, but there was no way she could carry all of them to the infirmary on her own.
The brunette enlisted the help of some of the employees of KISSWorld. In no time at all, Daphne, Fred, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby were all comfortably settled across several cots.
Taking a moment to gather herself, Rory pulled a chair between the feet of Fred and Daphne's cots. Leaning over onto Fred's footboard, the brunette started to tap along to the faint sound of KISS's song "Crazy Crazy Nights" as she laid her chin on her propped up arms.
It felt like no time at all when Rory was woken up from her brief cat nap by the crowds cheering louder than they had all night. It seemed as though KISS was ending their concert.
The brunette sat up and stretched, bones cracking, right before the door to the infirmary swung open revealing the four band members. They had use their Kissterian powers to get from the backstage to the door as quick as possible.
"What's got you all worn out, little heathen? You're acting like you just gave the biggest rock concert in the world."
The Demon cockily caught the shoe hurtling towards his head with a cheese-eating grin. He knew good and well why the brunette was on the verge of exhaustion, but he had to pick and prod anyway.
The comment didn't actually bother Rory in the slightest. She calmly reached out her hand with a smile on her face, prodding the Demon to toss back her shoe, which he did without batting an eyelash.
Starchild looked over the sleeping forms in the cots. He turned to Rory, who he knew was fretting over their well-being. "It's going to be a while before they wake up. Don't worry over them too much, doll. They are going to be ok."
After tonight's events, Rory trusted the guitarist completely. He had never given her a reason to go against believing in him.
They all stood in contemplative silence for a moment, thinking about what the next step should be. There were many factors that needed to be "cleaned up" as a result of the events that had recently occurred.
Knowing that the upcoming conversation with the brunette was going to be a heavy one, the Spaceman perked up with his own version of the game "not it."
"We need to get the Rock from the mountain. Even though the Destroyer is no longer a threat, it is still a powerful defensive relic. It could still be of use to Kissteria in the future."
Knowing what the Spaceman was doing, the Demon added, "us two will go retrieve it." Turning to Catman and Starchild, he gruffly chuckled out a 'have fun' and a wink as he and the Spaceman quickly walked out the door of the infirmary.
Rory turned her head quizzically as the two left, noticing that Starchild was pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance while Catman rolled his eyes at his friends' antics.
"What were they going on about?" the brunette asked the obviously irritated duo.
Catman and Starchild had a staring contest to determine who was going to be the one to break the news to Rory.
They were taking too long for the brunette. She was not the most patient girl in the world. Or universe for that matter.
She waved her hand in front of their faces to break the staring contest that was slowly getting creepy. "Earth to aliens."
They both deadpanned at her words.
"I can't tell you how much that didn't make a bit of sense," Catman told his girl.
"In so many different ways," Starchild added.
"And I'm still debating on whether or not to take that offensively," Catman also supplied.
She simply shrugged and told them, "it worked, didn't it?"
They couldn't argue with the girl's logic, even though it was a bit unusual. But that was Rory for you.
Catman finally relented. Even though he would rather Starchild tell the girl, it was for the best that he was the one to bring it up. Out of the four, he was the closest one to Rory.
"Rory, if there was any other way, trust me that we would have figured it out. But your friends'......"
"Cannot remember that Kissterians are real."
Catman and Starchild were both visibly shocked by the brunettes' addition to Catman's confession.
They expected almost any other emotion from the brunette, except this one that they were given. Rory stood before them with nothing but acceptance.
She had already gone through every scenario in her head over how her life was going to now play out. What else was she supposed to do while she was sitting in the infirmary with no one to talk to?
She had already concluded on her own that Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, Scooby, and even Fred could not continue on knowing of the existence of Kissteria.
It wasn't what she wanted, but she knew deep down that was how it was supposed to be. Even if it saddened her beyond belief.
She looked into the eyes of the two in front of her as they stood their with mouths gaping open like fish.
"I may be a tad disassociated from being away for so long, and having forgotten of my past for most of my life, but I realize the gravity of them knowing. Besides, I know better than anyone that this is alot to take in. In the long run, I think my friends would be better of and happier if they didn't know. And I'm ok with that. I would rather keep my powers, my past, and my home-world a secret than risk ever losing them. Even if I come from a different place, they are my family."
Starchild stood smiling at the strength of the girl in front of him. She was definitely wise beyond her years. Although, maybe not quite as smart as the bespectacled girl on one of the cots.
Catman took a step forward to wipe a stray tear off of Rory's face. He stayed quite, though, because he sensed that she was not done yet.
"They are the only thing I have left in the way of family."
Catman stared quizzically in the brunettes' eyes. His heart sank when he thought of what she could have meant, but he had to ask to make sure.
"What do you mean by that, kitten?"
Rory took an intake of breath, trying to keep her voice strong.
"My mom is dead."
Starchild and Catman both looked at the ground. No one had seen the original Wielder ever since that day she fled away with Rory to hide her. It was speculated that she had passed on, but it was never confirmed. Until now.
Catman had once told Rory that he would help her find her mom as soon as the events with the Crimson Witch was over. But he could no longer do so for her.
Instead, he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. No matter the circumstances, he was going to be there for her.
Rory retuned the hug, letting the tears she was holding back escape. She was saddened of her mother's death, but Catman was there to help her though it, and she was so grateful. He was the strength she never knew she needed.
"You have more family than you think," the trio heard a voice say. They looked to the doorway to see that the Spaceman and the Demon had returned with the Rock of Kissteria that was now back in its original holding case.
The Demon, grinning as usual, told Rory, "you're not getting rid of us that easily."
Stepping out of Catman's arms, Rory smiled wide with her own devilish grin.
With no warning, she ran and jumped on the Demon to try to squeeze the daylights out of him.
"I always knew you were a softie. Kind of like a marshmallow."
"Moment ruined," the Demon grunted. "Now get off, little heathen."
As he whispered the last part under his breath, he started swinging his arm around to get the brunette off.
Before she could be swung all the way back to Kissteria, the Spaceman pried the girl off.
A rustling from one of the cot's inhabitants caught Rory's attention before she could cause any more trouble.
She looked over to see Fred sitting up, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up fully.
"Fred!"
That was all he heard before he felt a weight jump on top of him. It didn't take him long to recognize the young brunette.
She grasped onto him in a tight hug. She was full of those tonight.
He responded to her hug with one of his own. All that happened before he was knocked out was a bit fuzzy, but he was happy to see that his honorary little sister was safe and sound.
Letting go, he had to ask, "what happened?"
Rory glanced back at KISS for a moment, remembering what they had just talked about, before answering, "let's just wait until everyone is awake."
Fred relented, albeit begrudgingly, as Rory made her way back to Catman, who welcomed her with open arms. Fred wanted to pout at seeing Rory so close to him, but she was growing up. Maybe it was time for him to stop seeing her as the little girl in the middle of the road, with tears in her eyes and no recollection of how she got there.
The ones that were awake slowly settled back down as the waited for the remaining parts of the Scooby gang to wake up.
There was one last thing that needed to be done before the sun came up in the morning.
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Here is a complete original chapter for y'all! It was so mushy and sweet <3
We are getting closer and closer to the end, my dudes!!
I can't wait!!!!!!!!