(Is it just me, or does everything BOTO related I do tie back to LightDancer365 XD

This chapter is based off an AU senario, and somewhat off of Dancer's oneshot of the same AU.

AU where the finale takes place during winter(also the ending is kinda weak jhjh apologies))

"What are you doing here?"

Shieldy and I could only stare at each other, speechless. Looks like he had the same idea I did.

I wonder if he felt the same way about it.

"If you won't tell on me," Shieldy began, "I won't tell on you."

"It's a deal." I nod. The vast lake of ice stretched out before us, forest surrounding the body of solid water. "Be careful though, the ice may be-"

Shieldy runs, and ultimately stumbles, onto the ice, completely ignoring me. He skates around, laughing like a child. Despite the tense moment earlier, I can't help but smile at him, watching as he slid and did small spins.

"You coming?" He asks, skidding to a halt in front of me. "You did come here to cross, didn't you?

"Yeah, just..give me a moment."

The icy surface of the frozen lake lay unbroken before me. It looked safe enough to cross..

I had never really liked ice. Or anything too cold, for that matter. But if I wanted a chance at winning, this was what I had to do. There was no way Shieldy would take the long way around because I was a scaredy shell.

Slowly and cautiously, I approached the lake. The snow crunched under my feet as I inched forward, and I could sense Shieldy's eyes on me.

The smooth ice burned my foot with a freezing sensation as soon as I had made contact; I barely resisted the urge to jerk away. Setting my other foot down, I started to slide away from the safety of the shore.

My legs wouldn't stop shaking.

"Ever been skating before, Shelly?" Shieldy circles around me, very much in a teasing manner. I shake my head, anxiety levels rising as I drifted from the edge.

Where I come from, the farther you are from shore, the more dangerous it gets.

"So..I suppose you don't know how to do this?" He continues, smug. Shieldy leaped and twirled once in the air, letting out a small shriek as he landed ungracefully on his hands.

I snicker at him. "Real nice, Shieldy."

"I can do that better, I swear." He grumbles, getting back into a standing position. For a moment, the fear was gone on the wind. My feet were numb from the freezing ice, but it was better than having to run all the way around in the frigid winds.

I glance to my side. Nearly halfway there.

A crack splits the air; Shieldy and I snap our attention to the lake below.

Where Shieldy had fallen seconds earlier, a break in the ice, growing larger with every heart-stopping, high pitched creak. The ever-growing web passes under me, rough coldness piercing my feet and heart.

Everything freezes. I can't look away from the mesmerizing pattern of shimmering ice floes, changing with every new crack.

Dark, gelid water consumes me before I have the chance to scream. A rippling wave crashes over me, forcing me deeper. Shutting my eyes tight to prevent them from being stung, I kick my legs frantically, fueled by panic and adrenaline.

The dropping temperature tells me I'm only sinking down further. Cold grips my heart, reaching out tendrils that shake my body. There was no crying for help, nor even risking to see how deep I was.

It takes fifteen minutes until I can't hold my breath any longer. Weariness kicks in, slowing my movements, making them weaker. My legs don't feel like they're there anymore.

Has it been one, or five minutes? Dark and cold press in, threatening to crush me in its clutches. Every particle of my body was screaming, screeching. I couldn't even feel my own skin. Is fifteen minutes almost up?

Then everything goes quiet. I stop my weak thrashing. Even without looking, I knew the bubbles are rising up further, as I sank deeper into the cold, calm quiet.

Accept your fate.

I hope Shieldy knows how to swim though.

A pair of arms wrap around me, holding fast. Water breaks at my head like a soaring jet.

The pressure is gone, and freezing water slaps my face. Frail coughs leave in between gasps for air. Frigid streams run down my face, some of the droplets drizzling into my mouth. A stinging wind passes through, and a chill seeps in.

"Shelly. Shelly! Answer me!"

"Huh?"

Shieldy bobs slightly in the water, ripples moving out from the two of us. The water glitters along with his metal, but his worried face is cast in slight shadow.

"Are you okay?" He asks more slowly.

I nod, my body shaking. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay." Shieldy let out a breath, the warm air condensing between us.

"Good..I was worried."

He kicks his legs, steering us closer to the edge of the broken ice. The rhythmic sloshing of the water as Shieldy pushed it away was strangely soothing. One of his arms was always wrapped tightly around me, and despite the freezing temperature, it felt oddly safe.

I haven't been held like this in a long time.

Shieldy places his other hand on me, and lifts my sopping body onto the ice. I shiver yet again, what was left of the water dripping down like light rain. Everything tingles, now that I was fully exposed to the wintery winds.

"Come on Shieldy, w-we have to go."

With shaking arms, Shieldy grips the ice and pushes, but his hands slip, plunging back into the water. The splash washes over my feet.

"I-I'm not sure if I can.." Shieldy admits after a few more tries of this. He slips under the water, and panic attacks my heart. Sputtering, he resurfaces, and the fear is swept away.

Well, most of it, anyway. Dark thoughts still lingered in the far corners of possibility.

"Come on Shieldy," I plead. "Y-You can do this." I offer a foot to help him, but he lowers it back down.

"That'll just end up with you falling in again." He gives me a small, weak smile. Shieldy's arms rest on the ice, and from what I could see through the water, his legs were barely moving anymore.

"Don't give up, Shieldy! We..we need to finish the race, y-you need to be here.." Despite trying to be commanding, I tremble, not just from the cold, but also from the desperate situation. Was Shieldy really giving up? He can't just do that!

"Shelly," Despite his weakened state, Shieldy's voice was firm, and yet friendly. "You need to finish the race. I can catch up later."

We both knew that was a lie.

He continued on. "Besides..Slurpy would really like to see you win. And Party Hat, too. You persevered through the first challenge, were the first to secure final three, and got the most votes in the social challenge. The last girl in the final five.." Shieldy went on, almost in a dream-like state. He was sinking again.

Our eyes locked. Something sparked in his gaze.

"You deserve to win, Shelly."

Tears pool in my eyes; I have to clench my teeth to keep myself from wailing. One of the tears come loose, and slide to the ground. "Shieldy..stop.."

"You're not doing yourself any good by standing around here," Shieldy points out. "You'll freeze if you stay."

And he was right. Some systems were already shutting themselves down to conserve heat. I could only barely feel my legs, shaking from the cold, tiredness, and despair.

I wouldn't be able to come back from the next step of heat conservation, either.

The only thing I did was nod in numb acceptance. Shieldy smiled again, heaving himself up so that his weight rested on his elbow. With his other hand, he gives me a shaky thumbs up.

"Win it for me, Shelly."

I don't say anything, fearful that whatever came out of my mouth would be nothing more than a cry. The only response I manage is yet another small nod, a weak, fake smile.

Inch by overbearing inch, I slide across the lake, not daring to look back at who I left behind. Just focus on the trees. Focus on the race. Focus on the cloud shaped clouds in the sky.

Anything but him.

I sink into the snowy ground, having finally cleared the ice cold lake. No way to go but to trudge onward, not barely having the energy to lift my feet out of the banks.

Ever so faintly, a splash resonates around me. I pause at the treeline, and contemplate looking back.

I walk into the trees, and back to the track.

He was gone.

There wasn't any reason to rush. I walk along in utter silence. Just the wind howling, attacking and pushing.

Was it laughing at me?

Shieldy was gone.

It was my fault.

The tears come back, spilling over and running like a waterfall. My whole body aches, heart weighing heavily in my chest. A wail is sent on the wind, and the sound becomes a broken dam. Everything is shaking. Everything gets blurry.

Guilt, exhaustion, despair, the cold; all of it threatens to knock me over.

I just wanted to curl up here and never come out. I don't want to face the world. I didn't want to see, or hear, or touch or feel. I just want to stay in my shell, and be safe and warm.

Warm..how long has it been since I've felt warm?

My knees burn and the muffled wind howls outside. I hid my face away, though my tears were still frozen on my cheeks. There's no sight, no sound, no touch. Just the numb throbbing in my chest. How the pain is slowly dying away, and then cresendoing with my aching heart.

'Win it for me, Shelly.'

More tears hit the ground. I swallow to quiet the cries attempting to escape my throat. Soft hiccups come out to replace them.

You can't give up, Shelly. This is not your fate. You have to make it to the finish line. For Shieldy.

You have to.

I push one leg against the ground, then the other. My entire body quakes from the effort, and I have to pause between each step to keep myself from falling over. It was like walking with a weight on my back, and the snow just kept piling higher.

Dipping my head, all of it falls into a small mound in front of me. It wasn't much better, but it was better.

Just keep going. Another wind blew up, smacking my face and making it sting with more tears. I turn my head to the side, slightly protecting my eyes and mouth. The trees I can see go in and out of focus, pine green blurring with dark brown. My brain becomes light, and I stumble over my own feet. I wince, lifting myself from the ground once more. Everything hurt, and was numbly throbbing, inside and out.

Just keep going.

It feels like hours of struggling before the pines thin. Gray clouds blanketed the sky; the sun dully shining behind them.

And yet, it was blinding.

"Let's go Shelly, let's go!"

"Go Shelly!"

The voices merge in my head, becoming sayings of gibberish. Only a few words I understood.

Just keep going.

From an unknown source, my legs picked up power, driving me closer to the finish. I could scarcely think, like my brain was being frozen alive, slowing everything down.

It was almost like moving in slow motion.

Just keep going.

White noise blasts inside my head, and I go blind for a few seconds. The back of my eyes burned with the bright light.

A sliver of the black and white checkered line slips away behind me. Cheers and shouting surround me, an overwhelming amount of noise.

Shieldy's name is whispered amongst them.

A gray figure walks up to me, talking in words I couldn't make sense of.

For a second, I was floating.

Then the world went dark.

Something crackled in front of me, the heat brushing my face. A soft blanket was wrapped around me, too.

It was still cold, and I was shivering again, but at least my skin wasn't freezing.

I pried my eyes open, and flames leap out at me. I gasp and draw back. The fire recedes, burning inside the fireplace once more.

"Shelly?" Someone calls. A high pitched, female voice. It was so familiar..

Slurpy.

In a few hops, she was beside me, and relief filled her eyes. "You're okay! I was so worried.."

"Are we..in our cabin?" I ask. It all felt like home, the colorful, worn rug beneath my feet, the patterned, cream walls..

Slurpy nods. "You passed out after crossing the finish line, so Party Hat, Hot Dog, and I brought you here."

"Right.." I remembered. The struggle to walk; it was freezing. I almost died.

Shieldy drowned saving me.

"You won..! I knew you could do it, Shelly." Slurpy smiles, gazing down at me.

I've known Slurpy for a while now. I could sense the hidden sadness.

"..Shieldy isn't here..is he?" I say quietly.

Slurpy turns her head away from me, and stares at the ground. Then she looks back at me. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and her mouth tightened. Pain filled her eyes.

"They told me they waited for him for an hour. Party Hat stayed for two more; nearly froze to death out there. Controlly sent out a drone and found a huge hole in the lake." Slurpy pauses, shaking her head. Her breathing is unsteady. "He thinks Shieldy drowned.."

I nod, already knowing what happened. My heart begins to ache once more. Party Hat waited in the cold for three hours..?

"Of course Shieldy breaks the only rule of the race! Of COURSE!" A wave of anger emanates from her, but it isn't really one of anger. It's a frustrated-angry kind of thing. A sad-angry kind of thing. "He never learns, and now look where that's gotten him!"

I say nothing, and just lean on Slurpy's shoulder. Her racing heartbeat slows as she takes deep breaths, each one shaky from her strong emotions. Slurpy wraps an arm around me, then pulls me in for a tight hug.

"At least you didn't die on me.."

The stairs creak behind me; my heart jumps, and I turn to face whoever was there.

"Hey Shelly.." Party Hat slightly sighs. His voice sounded a lot more tired than I remember it, and it somehow felt like his voice carried more weight. Party Hat looked pale and tired, even the red streamers atop his head were drooping.

"Hey Party Hat." Slurpy and I said in near unison. I glanced at Slurpy, her concern for Party Hat reflected in her face.

"So," Party Hat takes a seat beside me, lips turned up in a half smile. "You won! Congratulations, Shelly!"

"Thanks." I wonder if it's a good time to ask what happened to him..

Silence sweeps over us for a few moments.

"You don't look so good Party Hat..are you okay?" Party Hat stares into the fire, smile gone, and I see the tear stains on his skin.

"Did Slurpy tell you what happened to Shieldy?" He whispers, still gazing at the licking flames. I reply with a small 'Mmhm.'

He sighs, and his eyes drop to the floor. I've never seen Party Hat so..melancholic before. Sadness welled up inside me, threatening to overflow.

"Controlly said they couldn't get Shieldy until the ice melted," Slurpy whispered to me. A sharp inhale from Party Hat. "Apparently it's too dangerous to attempt rescue until then."

"Oh.."

It would be well into Spring before the lake ice melted. Five months. It was five months too many.

"I was with him at the lake.." The words come out without me even processing them. Slurpy stares at me, mouth agape, but she doesn't say anything. "We fell in, and Shieldy saved me from drowning..h-he was too weak to get out himself, so I tried to help.."

Party Hat and Slurpy don't interject as I recount what happened, their eyes wide while they listened.

"..maybe I could've saved him if I didn't go.." I add in a quiet voice.

"Shelly-" Slurpy cuts in. She pauses for a few seconds, like she wasn't sure what to say. "There wasn't much you could do. Like you said, he told you to go on, and you would've fallen in if you tried to pull him out.

Party Hat nods, but doesn't say anything. He doesn't look me in the eye.

I don't want to think about what's going on in his head.

"Still, I could've done something!" I turn back to Slurpy. A mix of bitterness and guilt prick my eyes, and I squeeze them shut. Wet tears travel down my face.

It really was my fault.

Why didn't I stay? Why did I listen? Why didn't I do anything?

An attempt to stifle my cries are unsuccessful. The thoughts turn into a whirlwind, wanting to consume me.

I'm only vaguely aware of Slurpy's arms around me, and Party Hat leaning into my side in an armless hug. His soft sobs echoed in my ears.

"Hey Slurpy, I just- ..am I interrupting something?" Controlly said from behind us.

"What do you want, Controlly?"

I turn my head to look at our now former host. He holds something golden in his hand.

"Only wanted to check up on you guys. I see that Shelly's awake." He nods towards me.

Without waiting for a reply, Controlly continues talking. "Congratulations on your win, Shelly, especially since you almost died out there." He almost sounds humored.

"I wanted to give you your grand prize when you woke up, so.." Controlly walks across the wooden floor, and hands me a golden ticket.

THE Golden Ticket.

A sad face stares back at me through its reflective surface. It's like a golden mirror.

"You still remember what it does?"

I racked my brain for the answer. It feels like forever ago that I was at the starting line with Shieldy.. "It..it grants any one wish, right?"

"Anything you want. You earned this." Controlly nods.

My mind is foggy, unclear on what to wish for. Did I have to choose now?

My gaze travels to Slurpy, then Party Hat. Both alternate between looking at the ticket, then at me. I stare at Party Hat for a little bit longer.

And a bolt of clarity strikes me.

"I wish Shieldy was here!" I cry a little too loudly.

Instantly after the last sound is uttered, the ticket becomes a burning ball of light. I shut my eyes tightly until the air is room temperature once more.

Slowly, I lift my gaze. The room is still bathed in a fading white light.

And Shieldy is there.

Right in front of my eyes.

A grin spreads upon my face, tears forming once more. I laugh and cry at the same time, and he just stares. He stares at me, then Party Hat, then Slurpy, and then Controlly.

"What..happened?" The words leave his mouth slowly. Shieldy looks around like he's disoriented. "Where's-"

Party Hat rushes to Shieldy, placing his head on his best friend's side. He chokes up, grinning wildly. I join Party Hat, burying my face in Shieldy's warm chest, letting the balloon of elation inflate inside me. Eventually Slurpy hops up, wrapping her arms around all of us.

"Yeah..I'll just leave you guys to it." Controlly awkwardly says. He closes the door behind him.

Shieldy's arms wrap around me once more, gently hugging me closer. "What happened?" He asks again.

I turn my eyes to Party Hat's voice; he's looking more like his normal self. "Shelly used the Golden Ticket to bring you back..I'm so glad you're here again." He spoke the last part softly, and closed his eyes in a blissful expression.

Shieldy smiled, then turned to me and whispered, "Thanks for saving my life..I owe you one."

"No.." I whisper back. "You saved me, too. We'll call it even."