The sun had already settled by the time the three arrived at the Syrup household. As they ate dinner and began to be comfortable, Syrup offered Opal residence in her house. That was when Opal wanted to speak.

"Listen, the both of you... I cannot thank you enough for all that you've done for me... Syrup, I love eggs! I really do, so dinner was delightful. And you Michael, I enjoy your company a lot. But... I don't know if I could live here!"

"Aw shuckles, jus' do it! It's no skin offa my back!"

"Well! If you insist! Thanks."

"Khaw haw haw, jus' like a record! Anyway, this calls for a lil' celebration. I'll be back!" Syrup lifted herself from the chair and went down to the cellar.

"Uh... Opal, are you sure you want to do this? I love your company just as well--"

"Do you?!" Opal blushed.

"Y-yeah... I do! Honestly!" Mike blushed just as well. "...wait! I'm not done yet! I was going to say, you really wanna live here?! I don't know if you'll get used to it, plus everyone at Gambitville thinks you're dead! We should at least go to your mom and let her know you're okay before she hears otherwise!"

"That's... alright. My mother passed away. She was heartbroken when Guld left the two of us so violently... So I couldn't ever forgive him for doing that to us. It's... fine. Michael, I--" Opal started to edge closer to Mike's face.

"Khaw-haw!! It's ready it's ready! An' jus' in time, too!" Syrup slammed a glass flask filled with a vividly purple liquid in the middle of the table. "Hope I di'int interrupt anythin'!"

"I, uh..." Mike scrambled to think of something else, and his eyes settled on the flask. "Hey! This looks familiar... isn't this what you were brewing?"

"Yup! Let's all drink!"

Syrup grabbed two glasses and a small plate and poured the purple liquid into each of them, the latter like a milk saucer. "Well, bottoms up!"

The three drank it, and it was surprisingly very sweet and syrupy, which did well to completely mask the burn of the massive amount of alcohol in it. From just one glass, the two of them were already inebriated.

"Wow... already you two are in high spirits! I'm gonna enjoy myself with this... gonna go to my room now, so see ya tomorrow mornin'!"

Syrup walked off to her room, swallowing down the rest of the flask's contents into her gullet.

"Haaah... wow, that tasted great... heeey, are you okay?" Mike looked at Opal who was looking a little loopy.

"I'm jussst fine. Jussst... fine-- Oopssss! There goessss my lissssp! Ssssorry Michael..."

"Haha! You're funny."

"Am-am-am I? That'ssss mean! But... Lisssen, Michael! Look at thissss!" Opal handed the jewel to Mike as best as she could, but instead it just flopped right into his dinner plate. "Op-open it!"

"Huh? OPEN IT?" Mike fumbled with it in his hands, and noticed metal joints to the side of it, and opened it. It was a locket made entirely out of a gem, and it was empty. "Huh?? Shouldn't... something go here?"

"Yeah... ssssomething'ssss gotta go in there! Mom sssaid that I ssshould put the two closssessst people in it. And... I want one of them to be you, Michael... I wanna ssssqueeze you into my heart!" Opal slithered close to Mike, really close. "C'mon Mich-- Mikey-boy... There'ssss gonna be no essscape when I'm done with you!" Opal wrapped herself around Mike and dragged him to his room... or Maple's, she couldn't really tell where it was. Mike would've objected to this terribly tight hug, but instead he felt in his choked-up heart that he should let the course of events flow as naturally as possible. It did, and afterwards they fell into a sweet slumber.

====

The dream that haunted Mike last week happened once more, but near the end, as he was about to burn up again, some black substance coiled around him, maintaining his 'self.' That was when Mike woke up and found himself in Opal's embrace. She was true to her word, Mike never could escape from her grasp the whole night, and he felt oddly comfortable despite being unable to feel one of his arms. He was surprised, though, that there wasn't any repercussions of last night's inebriation.

Mike proceeded to awake Opal and have her let go of him so that they could go out into the dining room and have breakfast. Mike expected Syrup to be ahead of him, but for the first time, she wasn't! He turned to see Syrup lazily dragging herself to the kitchen right behind him.

"Mornin'... You two sounded so sweet las' night, I'm envious! An' by the looks of it, addin' Ganlon tonic to the brew helped out!"

…

As they all had breakfast, Mike came to explain to Syrup that Opal could craft jewelry with great skill, evidenced by the gem locket she made. It must've taken her all her heart to make it, and without arms, too! So, it was decided that he and Opal would take a week to make as much jewelry out of the gems they excavated, and then finally return to Tao Village so they could sell them off and live there. Syrup was overjoyed that Mike finally felt confident enough to return to his real occupation, and that he finally got himself a real girlfriend, to boot.

During the week, Syrup bought herself another hat, similar to Mike's. He questioned her as to why she did such a thing, only for her to explain that after their adventure, her venturing spirit had been reignited to continue adventuring after Mike and Opal leave, for the thrill of it, and to find and meet 'old friends and flames alike.'

The day came when Mike and Opal were to leave for Tao Village, but before Syrup could let them go, she gave her son three things: A stuffed toy in the shape of a Teddiursa that Maple was absolutely fond of during her childhood, another glass flask filled with the purple liquid to give to 'that purple lizard,' with the reason that at least he should be nice to the ladies he felt attached to, and... a kiss on his cheek. She reminded him to come back straight home whenever he evolves to visit her, because "Ah wanna have a good look at what you'll become, ya hear?!"

And with that, Mike and Opal left for Tao Village after a long but necessary reprieve.

====
Final part to "Reprieve" by
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