All he had to do at the moment was open the door...

He was about to,talons shakily close until he thought. 'Expecting me...a gremlin not attacking or stopping me but it saw me...this is to easy. Somethings not right.' He thought,backing away.

(He's right, and now I'm going to be evil here even though you may not know why...)

He stood at the entrance of an enormous garden, the door creaking as it swung away from him. The smooth iron walls surrounding them were topped with jagged spines, silhouetted black against the open sky. Trees lined a stony path, but they were all made of metal, their branches twisted and sharp. Birds watched him from the steel limbs. When they fluttered their wings, it sounded like knives scraping against one another.


In the center of the garden, where all the paths converged, a fountain stood. Made not of marble or plaster, but of different-size gearheads, turning sluggishly with the waters flow. On the bottom cog, lying on his back as the gear slowly spun him around, was a figure.


It was Ash.

(NUUUUU-! QwQ Meh boi JJ's ganna cry,as well as I.)


Jason saw all this,taking it in and then feeling blue force it's way through to his freckle scales as he realized Ash was right there. His body quivered and,not thinking,he stepped in and quickly came in,taking careful long strides. He was still in camouflage though as he came over,only blue washing over his freckles.

(I feel you, I'm about to cry myself and I have to write it)

He'd been chained to the cog, wrapped in metal links, spinning round and round in an endless circle. One leg dangled over the edge; the other was folded beneath him. His shirt had been ripped to shreds, the skin a shocking contrast of pale flesh and vivid red claw marks. The flesh where the chains touched him was raw and crimson. He didn't appear to be breathing.

(QmQ mmmm QMQ mmmmm *Deep breath* MMMMMM-. And I gatta have poor JJ respond the only way he can,with guilt and heart brake.)
Jason put his talons to his graceful snout and held back cries. He bent his head down and looked closely,the cracks in his chest beginning to quiver and enlarge in a spreading motion. His wings quivered,showing the keys a bit,and he looked at them,then searched the chains for a lock and a key whole. 'Please oh please be breathing.' He thought despraitly.

His body was limp, unresponsive. After a moment of silence, his lips parted, and a broken sigh escaped him. "Jason?"

"A-Ash...yes...i-it's that old hide...heh." He said,nodding as he let his snout and head show,giving a sharp toothed smile,trying to make a pun about himself but he couldn't think of anything other than getting him out.

His hand came up, fingers resting on his cheek, trailing down to his snout. "I dreamed...you would come," he murmured before his eyes cleared a bit and his face darkened. "You shouldn't...be here," he gasped. "This...is a trap."


And then, there it was--horrible, dark laughter, rising up from the wall behind them. The gears in the fountain shivered, then began to turn backward. With a loud clanking and grinding, the wall behind them sank into the ground, revealing another part of the garden. Metal trees lined the path to an enormous iron throne, spiking into the sky. A squadron of armored knights stood at the foot of the throne with weapons drawn, pointed at them. Another squad entered through the door and slammed it shut, trapping them between them.


Standing at the top of his throne, surveying them with a look of grim satisfaction, was Machina, the Iron King.

Jason felt a bit better as Ash's fingers gently stroked his snout but he pulled away and stiffened as the place changed suddenly. He growled and spread his frills wide as well as his wings but his underbelly and chest where still in a cracked and fragile glassy state.