This fanfic is based off of this fan-made skin for Barley. I really liked it and I wanted to write a bit of a story involving it. Please go check of Lesbianboy on Instagram! (Their information is on the amazing drawing!) They're a delight and a kind soul for letting me write about this skin!!
Note: This takes place in an alternate universe. (A different world from the one I usually write in) Happy reading! :)
(!WARNING!)
Blood warning
(Third Person Pov)
The kingdom was corrupt with the town's own selfish desires. People fought for money, stole for food, struggled to find safe places to hide. You had to stay on your feet and keep your eyes open for any danger that could harm you or the ones you loved. Looking down on all the chaos was a large castle. The king was far from human and controlled the insanity from above. He looked down from a large window, gazing at all the townspeople, human and mechanic alike, fighting for survival.
The king looked bored as he watched the minor subjects fight among themselves. He has seen this scenario play out day after day. There was nothing new to see.
As he was about to turn back to his throne, a rather peculiar figure caught his single eye. A figure in a dark hood quietly and quickly weaved their way through the crowd.
They gripped onto a bag that was tightly shut but, the shimmering pink, gold and purple colors found their way to the king's pupil.
With a snap of his metallic fingers, a robotic knight rushed to his side and kneeled before him.
"Yes, your majesty?" The king lifted a finger and delicately pointed down to the hooded figure. The knight's eyes followed to where he pointed.
"Bring that person to me alive. They have jewels in their bag." The knight nodded an rushed out of the throne room to rally up more guards.
The king watched as the hooded figure turned the corner. He stroked his mustache with curiosity in his eye. (I know the drawing doesn't have stache, just go with it)
"What are you up to, worm?" He muttered to himself. As he walked back to his throne, guards began flooding out of the palace to search for the mysterious person.
This person ducked through many nooks and crannies to get to a hidden area, completely unaware of what would soon come.
Finally they reached an area where a man was hunched over a fire with two small childern.
A small boy looked up to the hooded figure with sad eyes. Those eyes soon were filled with glee as he hopped to his feet.
"*gasp* (Y/N)!" The other child, who was a little girl, hopped up as well and ran to the person in the cloak, hugging them tightly.
The mysterious person chuckled as they hugged the two kids and smiled. The man got to his feet and dusted off the rags he wore.
"What are you doing here?" He questioned as the figure gave him a hug as well. They reached deep within their bag and held out a handful of glistening gems and coins.
The man looked to the figure with shock then pain. "You went back...?" The figure nodded. "(Y/N) that's dangerous! You could get caught and the king will-"
The man choked on his words, thinking of the possibilities. "Stealing from the king is a death sentence. You need to stop this."
The figure placed a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder. "Don't worry, Bo. I've been doing this for a while, everything will be fine in the end."
The man sighed as the figure turned towards the two kids. "Now you two take care of the old man for me while I'm gone, okay?"
The little girl let out a small, cheerful growl while the little boy saluted the figure. "You got it, boss!" He chirped.
They chuckled under their dark hood and smiled softly, ruffling up the kid's hair. "I'll see you three later." The two kids waved goodbye while the man crossed his arms.
"Be safe..."
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The figure emerged from an ally and wandered into the battlefield of the town. They walked with haste over blood puddles and broken bodies that laid lifeless. This place was no longer a place of peace.
A cold hand grabbed tightly around the arm of the hooded figure. Not a second later, another hand grabbed their other arm. They struggled with a screech, causing the fighting to stop.
The metallic men pulled the figure along with them as they struggled in their grasp. It's not every day a person gets dragged off the streets by the royal guards. Everyone that witnessed it was in shock.
From the town, across the drawbridge that led into the noble part of the city, all the way to the front door of the castle, the stranger was dragged.
They entered the front room and took the criminal to the throne room where the king was standing at the window where he always stood.
The hooded figure was in shock. They have only heard stories of the king. They have never laid eyes on him, nor ever expected to.
One of the guards took the bag from the stranger and took it to the king. Beads of sweat began to form on the figure's forehead from under their hood.
The king examined the remaining gems and gold in the sack. "You have given to others?" The figure did not respond, earning a scoff from the king.
"Send them to the dungeons." Without a word, the guards took the thief to the cellars. The king examined one of the coins very closely, seeing a small carving on it.
'Everything will be okay.'
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Darkness had fallen over the city and things have gone quiet in the night. The king sat atop his throne alone with no one in the room. He was alone.
He held onto the coin with the engraving on it. He thought about the words carefully and eyed the clean font. He let out a chuckle as he closed his eye.
"Will everything truly be okay?" He let out a laugh and flipped the coin into the air then caught it with a single hand.
On the other hand, the prisoner was rid of their cloak, revealing a broken, dirty human. They sat in the cell with their hands cuffed and chained to the wall with their head hung low.
Their mind was filled with the nostalgic memories of their past. They were young but they remembered it. A day where the town was in peace. Everything was good.
Their mother, they had never known but their father was a heartless monster. They had to live off of the town and it's friendly people. They taught the poor child how to do good and follow their own path.
One day, the king, the true king, the human king, mysteriously disappeared. He was replaced by a bot that had a lust for war, a hunger for anarchy. For some reason, the child's father blamed them for the war. He hurt them just as the new horrid town did.
Most of the humans died out and were replaced with bots. This angered the last remaining humans and thus, a battle was broken out into the city.
That day was the day the poor child had enough. They 'took care' of their father and never returned to that wretched place ever since. Even though they had to live through the pain of war, they always told themself four reassuring words.
Everything will be okay.
They looked to the ceiling to avoid the tears from falling. Closing their eyes, they began to do the only thing they really could do.
They sang.
(Song is called The Hand That Feeds by The Crane Wives)
"I've seen good men spoil, chained to their jobs like hounds. They work, then sleep, then work again, in the darkest nights they, howl.
Their heart sank with each word that left their lips, they were hurt, they were broken. They felt alone in their time of need.
"Their cries are a warning to everyone following. No man should stand to work all of his days and have nothing at the end of them."
They sighed and stopped for a moment. They were truly nothing but a fool living in the slumps. What made people important was their riches and power.
"I've got no money but the change that jingles in my pocket, reminding me of how little I have. And there's for time I am powerless to stop it."
Not realizing how loud they were singing, it caught the ears of the king. His head was lifted and his concentration focused on the miraculous voice.
"Keeps rambling on like a man, wandering man..."
When they thought about what little they had, they remembered something that stood by their side. They had Bo. They had Nita and Leon. Those three really were like a family to the stranger. They taught them how to live, how to survive.
"My papa taught me how to howl, how to bare my teeth in growl..."
They thought about all the people that have lost their lives, how their father harmed them for the war they didn't cause.
"He taught me that the hand that feeds deserve to be bitten when it beats..."
Even though everyone fell, their family was safely tucked away in the alleys. The king drew closer as he listened more and more intently by every word.
"He taught me how to break my chains..."
As they said that, they yanked their cuffed hands forward until they were stopped by the wall. The king reached the entrance to the dungeons, listening to the hypnotic pull that their voice had.
He felt something deep within his wiring. He put his hand to his metal chest plate and felt the engines rev inside of him as he continued walking. What was this strange feeling?
"...and that money ain't worth a thing..."
The king stopped at those words, his red eye widening. He slowly looked down to the coin he had been playing with.
"...and that no man should get more of my time than me..."
He continued walking down the hall towards the cell that held the prisoner. They gritted their teeth, holding back the tears they felt creep up. They got onto their feet and clutched their hands into fists.
"...than me..."
Their sorrow has now bubbled up to anger. How they hated the king, how they hated this war. It was driving them to madness. Before the king reached their line of sight, they erupted.
"I MAY NEVER BE A RICH MAN!"
Their fists reeled forward and the chains broke at the force of their arms. The king heard the chains snap and his metallic heart raced. A strong human with a fiery attitude would... make an excellent king/queen.
"But I can make sure that I am free! I may never be a rich man! The rich man will never have me, NEVER have me!"
The king grinned wickedly, his red eye lit aflame. It sounded like a challenge to him but they were speaking from the heart. They exhaled all of their anger and looked down to their cuffed hands that were broken from bondage.
"I got no money but the change that jangles in my pocket, reminding me of how little I have. But there's for time, there's for time is mine, is mine..."
They slouched as they fell to the ground, remembering their fate. They had no time at all... but the stranger's family, the three they saw as family had plenty of time. They would do good in this world when the prisoner was gone.
The king stepped forward, catching the attention of the singer. He looked down to them, holding back his surprise. In their ragged state, their beauty still shown out.
"You have quite the voice." He spoke calmly. "What do you want!?" They hissed. Their nails dug at the cobblestone floor.
"I heard your voice from above. It was quite angelic if I do say so myself." They spat at the king's feet. "Well my voice is nothing like who I really am."
He looked down to where they spat then looked back up to their fiery eyes. "I can tell." He took his crown off his head, put it to his chest and bowed.
"I have yet to introduce myself. I am the king of this city but you can call me Barley." They stared daggers at the king with their arms crossed.
"Might I get your name?" He questioned. They scowled at him bitterly. "Why would some high and mighty monster want a poor, nobody's name." Barley gripped the pommel of his sword. For some reason, those words hurt him. Not the monster part, but the nobody part.
"I'm a street rat who's going to be hung tomorrow so what's the point of wanting to know my story?" Barley took a seat on a old, wooden stool. He placed his crown above his head and it softly hovered over him.
"The stories of the ones who's lives are cut short are usually the best stories." They intertwined their fingers into one another. "I have no stories, at least none to tell to you."
Barley's grin widened. He made a loud sound that resembled a whistle, then a few guards came to his side.
"Take them into the chambers." The guards jolted and looked to one another before taking action. They grabbed onto the prisoner and dragged them to their new destination. Barley followed close behind.
They reached a dark room where an operation table laid. The guards used leather straps to tie the thief to the table. When they got done tieing them down, the backed away from them.
They looked around the room until they spotted a boy who looked like he just turned 16. He was in a cage, curled up into a ball and shivering.
Barley saw where their gaze was placed. "Take the boy to the dungeons." The boy looked up in fear. He was human and he was covered in bloody cuts and wounds.
His eyes locked on to the stranger who laid where he once did. He gasped and grabbed the bars of the cage he was in. "(Y-Y-Y/N)!"
Barley looked down to them, their eyes widened with fear. "Oh my god." They knew the boy. A friend of Leon's he once was. Everyone believes he's dead but... he has been here, rotting away.
The guards grabbed him and he screamed. (Y/N) tried their best to break their bonds once again. "Leave him alone, you basterds!"
The guards started to drag him away, his screaming slowly started fading as the took him further away. "NO, NO! PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING, PLEASE, NO! (Y/N)!"
Soon his voice could no longer be heard. He was gone. (Y/N) looked to Barley with angry eyes. "If you don't take him to a doctor I swear I'll-" "(Y/N)..." Barley examined each and every centimeter of their face as he repeated their name softly.
"Yes, that name does suit you doesn't it?" They growled slowly as he walked around to grab a few things. He let out a light chuckle. "King/Queen (Y/N) does have a slight ring to it."
A large shiver was sent down (Y/N)'s spine. Their eyes widened and they gritted their teeth once more. "Did you just say... King/Queen?"
The king chuckled once again. "I did." He placed a few things on the table next to (Y/N) as he brushed some hair out of their face.
"No, no, no, no, I'm human! You're a bot!" They spat that last word with such venom. "I'm poor and lowly, you're rich and royal! I am the exact opposite of you in every way!"
Barley looked down to them. Even though they spoke with anger, they were still beautiful in his eyes. "A person with your kind of passion would be an excellent ruler."
He brushed his cold metal hand across their cheek. They pulled their head away with a hiss at the sudden contact.
"Let's make a deal." Barley suggested. "No deal. I will not make any sort of deal with a robot like yourself!" Barley ignored them.
"If you agree to be my betrothed-" "I will not! You have nothing that I want!" The king's grin only grew wider.
"I will let you shape this kingdom to how you want it."
(Y/N) stopped struggling for a moment. "Excuse me?" "Think about it, my love. You marry me, become the ruler of this kingdom and you can fix all of the horrible things that have been occurring."
(Y/N) never thought they would think on a deal between a robot but now they was at a crossroad. 'Shape the kingdom how they see fit'? Why, they could fix everything! Bring peace back to this once prosperous city.
They let out a surprised gasp, the king grabbed their chin suddenly, forcing them to look him in the eyes. "On one condition." (Y/N) glowered at the metal man, causing him to release their jaw and look down to his hands.
His red pupil suddenly turned yellow, catching (Y/N) off guard. He looked somewhat sad. "I... I want you to love me." He said it in such a serious, menacing tone, (Y/N) didn't know how to react.
"I know I am a cruel man. I have torn this kingdom apart, I have destroyed the hope of the people and I have felt no pity, no shame. But you..." He locked his single eye on (Y/N).
"For some reason, hearing your voice as changed something about me. Seeing your face fills me with... I believe you humans call it joy?"
(Y/N) was in utter shock. This king was emotionless yet, they had sparked 'joy' into this bot's machine-running heart.
The king had untied their hands but not their feet. They sat up and looked at the king. All they had to do was marry and care for him and they could fix the entire kingdom. They could rebuild.
They looked down to their once bonded hands and sighed. "I will. But you must release that poor boy and return him to his family."
Every bolt of electricity that flowed through the king had sped up at their words. He grabbed their cheeks and brought them into a kiss. Barley's mind reeled, the more he stayed around (Y/N) the more he seemed to fall for them.
(Y/N) was stunned. Before they could react, the king pulled away and his eye sparkled with happiness.
"Yes, yes, of course! I will at once!" He had never felt better, it somewhat made (Y/N) happy to see him so thrilled. He ran back and forth spouting nonsense until he looked back to (Y/N), stopping his rambling.
He closed his eye, and cleared his throat. When his eye opened again, it was red once again. "I will have my guards take the boy to a doctor immediately." (Y/N) gave him a half smile, causing Barley's metallic heart to flutter.
'What has this stranger made me?' He pondered as he worked to release the stranger from the bonds.
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(Y/N) had been staying in the castle for about a week now and everyone in the town were loosing their minds more than usual, robots and humans alike.
"A human!? Marrying a bot!?" "That's ridiculous! Bots don't love!" "Those flesh mongrels only want power!" "What is the king thinking!?"
From the same window where the king once stood, (Y/N) looked down on the town just as the king did. They were now cleaned up and wore fine silk robes.
They sighed and tried their best to keep a straight face. The war disgusted them. Knights if the king would speak poorly of (Y/N), and they knew but, for some reason, they didn't want to tell.
They have learned more about bots as they stayed her. Behind closed doors, they were just like the humans. They want homes, families, happiness yet they hated the other kind.
"How can I form peace between the two...?" (Y/N) silently whispered to themself. They placed a hand on their chin and thought.
Ignoring everything around them, (Y/N) didn't hear Barley enter the throne room. His red eye looked sinister and deadly until it landed on his betrothed.
His red eye soon sparked yellow and his face heated up. He had gotten to know (Y/N) well through these past few days. He only felt sympathy for their horrid past and he wanted to make it up to them for all of the things he caused.
He quietly and nervously walked over to (Y/N). They lowed their hand and sighed, placing a hand on the glass. "What do I do?" They spoke to themself, completely unaware of Barley.
Barley cleared his throat, catching (Y/N)'s attention as they spun around. "Oh, hello." They turned back to the window. Barley placed a hand on their shoulder and gripped it softly.
"We'll find a way. I promise." (Y/N) smiled at his words. They too saw Barley differently. He wasn't the horrible, cruel man they made him out to be.
"Thank you." They closed their eyes and placed a warm hand on his that sat on (Y/N)'s shoulder. His metallic heart skipped a beat and the temperature of his body increased.
"No, thank you." He wrapped his arms around their waste as they both looked over the town that they would, both, soon rule.
"We'll do this together."
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed! First time doing an alt universe writing but the art was too good, I couldn't help myself! Thank you again for reading.