#'its dangerous to walk alone' we're only on this earth for so long and if we can treat men as heroes and not fools for wrestling crocodiles

[heedra]

one thing not having a car is reminding me of is how much of a walkpilled meandercel I am. And tbh I'm so good at it.

[bettyfrommars]

I came to make a request. Due to recent dream-events happening in my skull cavity.

We dream we're stuck in a post-apocalyptic world, in one of those dreams that seems to go on forever. We're scared and lonely and to deep to wake up soon. Eddie's nightmare sense tingles and he hurries to join us.

:3

This request has been in my asks for monthsss, and I can't believe I never answered it. I think I got too precious about it instead of just writing the damn thing. This is more wasteland than some of the post-apocalyptic worlds we've talked about, but the sentiment is there, and I think of you whenever I write for our nightmare boy. Just a quick lil blurb on this Saturday afternoon.

nightmare!Eddie x afab!Reader

18+ONLY, nightmares, being lost in a strange land, mention of blood, mention of dehydration and deadly tumbleweeds, use of pet names.

wc: 991

Nightmare Factory Masterlist

The ground at your feet shifted with every step until you lost balance altogether, stumbling to your knees. The scorched earth was as inhospitable as the hot air that burned in your throat, tongue swollen from dehydration. The only reprieve was the sun disappearing on the horizon, exploding from tangerine to purple, making room for cool moonlight to temper your fevered flesh.

Water, you needed water. Patting around your body, you felt for the canteen you were sure had been full but tilting it back to your chapped lips produced barely a drop. How long had you been walking? It felt like days. You were sure there had been other people with you at some point, but then perhaps you'd always been alone.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw it coming your way at full tilt, rolling across the desolate land on a burst of wind that caressed your skin like sandpaper.

A tumbleweed, several of them. They roamed the wasteland in gangs, sensing their way along like jellyfish do in the sea.

A very different breed that the ones from the other world you could scarcely remember, these were as tall as you, a round tangle of dead branches. The thorns that covered it were as thick as your finger, and just as menacing as a thousand rusty nails.

You had to get out of its way before it sliced you bloody.

But then your legs refused to work, and you couldn't move, all you could manage was a whimpering sound at the back of your throat, frozen in place as it barreled down on you.

You closed your eyes for the inevitable assault, but then you were tackled to the ground...

by a person, not a tumbleweed

he rolled his body on top of yours to act as a human shield so that one of the horrid, sharp things would fly over his back instead of touching you.

When the wind settled, he shifted up, bracing himself on an elbow to refrain from crushing you. His dark hair was messy with a touch of static sticking out on one side, and his shirt said something about Hellfire. His chocolate eyes flashed between joy and fear, and then he licked his tongue out to wet his lips and you mirrored the gesture.

"You hurt?" The dead ground felt like uneven pavement as he helped you to sit up, dusting you off with a firm but gentle touch. "That was a close one, shit I almost didn't make it in time. I was on another job but then I felt you were in danger, and I said fuck it, Kevin will have to---" he chuckled, a dimple popping up in his cheek, noting the confused expression on your face.

"How do I know you?" He was so familiar that it warmed your insides, but you'd been alone in that world for so long, it was as if maybe you knew him in another life.

He got to his feet, extending a hand to help you up. "I'm your boyfriend," he said proudly.

"I have a boyfriend?" You strained to find reason in your foggy brain, but maybe this was a symptom of heatstroke.

"That's okay," he sighed, opening the lid on his own canteen. "Sometimes you remember and sometimes you don't, but I'm always yours, regardless. Names Eddie."

You grabbed the metal container eagerly with both hands, like a squirrel with a nut, and began to gulp the velvet liquid. Three, four swallows, but then he stopped you.

"Easy now," Eddie grinned. "You'll wake up if you drink too much."

You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand and gave it back to him, albeit reluctantly.

He stared down that the cap he was screwing back on as he spoke. "Is it alright if I kiss you?"

A wash of memories came back to you with such an impact that it almost knocked you off your feet again. You knew then that you'd kissed him before, many times, and you loved it

You loved him.

"I love you," you said, nodding, and he saw the recognition bloom in your pupils.

"I love it when you remember me," he leaned over to smile against your mouth, holding your head to plant a few soft, lingering kisses.

"You ready to get out of here?" He intertwined his fingers with yours and then started walking, urging you to follow, practically pulling you along.

"Wait, Eddie, where are we going?"

There was nothing around for miles and miles, but for some crumbling, abandoned buildings and stacks of charred rubble from fires.

"I promised I'd take you to the mall," he said over his shoulder, squeezing your hand a few times for reassurance. "There's a movie theater and an arcade and I thought we could, I don't know, just be together."

A few yards later, Eddie came to a halt and seemed to be staring at something you couldn't see in the empty space in front of him.

"Stay behind me, sweetheart," he cautioned just before tapping a button on his wristwatch.

A huge rectangular door appeared, making you jump. It opened up into a compartment with metal handrails and a column of numbers.

"An elevator?" You whispered it more to yourself, but then he stepped inside first to show you that it was safe, keeping a firm grip on your hand.

"I'd rather not take the stairs," he pulled you close with a huff so that the door could slide shut with a ding. "There's like, a billion of them."

Once inside, there was a smooth jazz instrumental playing, but the round numbers on the column were confusing. They were not in order but also, there were half numbers, symbols, various color shapes, and words that seemed to be spelled wrong like "dragun". He pushed one of the numbers, and then was quick to settle back in the corner and put his arm around you, urging you hug him fully and rest your head on him.

He pressed his lips to your forehead as the elevator began to ascend.

"Thank you for coming to save me," your voice was muffled in his t-shirt. "I've been having a lot of really bad nightmares lately."

"I know, sweetheart," he hugged you tighter, speaking softly. "I know."

[oumaheroes]

Christmas Drabble (5)

Summary: France bemoans his situation and somehow gets his own way.

Word Count: 973 (👀 dangerously close)

Characters: England, France- FrUK

Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4

----

England tutted and pulled the phone away from his ear, 'Jack won't answer the phone. Hung up almost as soon as it started ringing.'

'What about the other one?' France tied his hair up into a ponytail and contemplated his reflection in a shop window. It was too high- he took it down, 'Try them.'

'Alex,' England said pointedly, hanging the payphone back in its cradle, 'And I only had enough coins for one call.'

'Mathieu always answers; you should have tried him.'

'I wanted to at least let Jack and Alex know what was going on with me first.' England glared at the payphone as if it had done him a personal evil.

Sensing there was slightly more going on than what England was saying, France shrugged and retied his hair again, 'Well, you tried. Let's head back inside, pick up your car and get going and then you can stop worrying.'

'I'm not worrying.'

'That was me politely choosing not to call you a control freak.' England didn't reply and France turned away from the shop window, happy enough with his hair to leave it alone for now. No matter what he did he would still look unclean and the more he touched it, the worse it would get.

England was still staring at the payphone, hand over his mouth and one finger drumming against his cheek, 'There is nothing you can do about it now.' France said, more gently than before, 'You can stop stressing, safe in the knowledge that you tried your best to let them know what was going on but were thwarted very much against your will.'

'I'm not stressing,' England said but the edges of his mouth softened and he stepped away from the payphone finally.

Across the road, their mechanic came out of the garages and waved at them to come over. France gave a sigh of relief, 'I am so ready to be inside. I am using the shower first, by the way.'

'The shower?' England stepped into the road, holding a hand up in thanks to the car that had stopped for him. France quickly followed, 'What shower, what on earth are you talking about.'

'Your shower. In your townhouse.'

'We're not going there. We're going to-'

'Yes yes I know,' France caught hold of England's arm to slow him down and hold him in the central reservation, 'we're going to the countryside. But I am not driving all the way there with you smelling like this.'

England's neck and ears flushed bright red and he tugged his arm free, 'Fuck you, I don't smell.'

'You smell like tree,' France spoke over him in irritation, 'You smell like tree and mud and river and so do I.'

'Well, now why on earth might I smell like that.' Checking traffic, England jogged over the last half of the road and France once more followed hot on his heels, not fancying being struck down by a double decker bus.

Again. Once per decade was more than enough.

'You might find this socially acceptable, but so did a peasant in 1652 and neither of those is a compliment.'

'I'm already late, I'm not going to faff about when two of my children might be waiting for me at an airport.' An elderly woman ambling past them gave England a disapproving look, no doubt assuming from his youthful appearance that he was responsible for producing numerous infants before the age of 27 and then abandoning a couple of them on their own somewhere.

'No stop, listen.' France took his hand to keep him still, 'You're hours late, we spent far too long looking for your damned keys and then had to walk all the way to a town to get towed. They won't still be there waiting; they'd have called Mathieu or one of your brothers and will most likely already be home. We should take the opportunity to get clean, charge our phones and then let them know quicker what happened.'

England huffed, looking conflicted, 'I suppose that does make the most sense.'

'It does,' France squeezed his arm, 'Now, go and talk to the mechanic. I refuse to speak English without caffeine to help soothe the offense of it.'

'You'd refuse anyway,' England muttered.

At their approach, the mechanic who'd been looking after England's car perked up and nodded in greeting before leading them through to England's somehow still shiny car, 'Battery's been replaced. Nothing else seems wrong but it was run completely dead.'

'Cheers, how much do I owe you?' England's vowels bended and shaped themselves accordingly, accent changing to match the human's with ease and France turned away in boredom, glancing about the tools and pieces of cars stacked against the walls.

The mechanic named a price, England handed over his debit card, and then they were on their way, the mechanic offering some last parting advice to never leave the lights on without the engine running which England took with a blank, unimpressed expression.

'Finally,' France said once they were moving, leaning back with pleasure against the headrest, 'My feet were not prepared for such torture when I chose these shoes.'

'Get your slimy head off my seats,' England flicked him on the temple, 'You said so yourself, you need a shower.'

'Oh, I'm sorry? You are concerned about mess on your seats? You didn't have such worries last night when I-'

England clapped a well aimed hand over France's mouth without taking his eyes from the road, 'There were towels.'

'Ah yes, how could I forget your romantic decorative touch. And you think they caught everything? You're not as flexible as you used to be, you know.' France grinned against England's palm, 'How badly are you hoping the mechanics didn't find those?'

---- 

'I think I'd rather shoot you as a distraction.'

Part 6

AN:

Shout out to @atticusfinchthelegend who immediately thought that there was more going on when Australia didn't answer his phone.

Only a few more drabbles to go!

[jamestrmtx]

Fairytale Complex - [Undertale | Sans x Reader]

[Gender Neutral, Frisk's Parent Reader | Slow Burn]

Summary:

The dichotomy between black and white is your constant when it's time for you to meet the whole new civilization Frisk brought along with them to the Surface. As a parent, it's not easy to trust others when they've hurt your child. So when that new civilization decides they owe Frisk both for saving their kind and for still hurting them during that process, you've got plenty to say to them.

Forgive the monsters as easily as you once did with others during a stage of naivety?

Oh, hell no.

They better have a good reason for hurting your child and an even better one for wanting to be a part of their family.

Prologue | Once Upon a Time

[Next]

Finished with a hectic work day, you throw yourself on the couch and beg for it not to give in when you hear it creak. Just as the rest of your home, it's old, worn, and needs replacing. You let out a sigh and bask under what little calm you can find between the worries of a dead-end job and your child recently going missing. 

Many accused the disappearance on your lack of care and overall irresponsibility as their parent, while others blamed it on the myth of monsters existing near the place you suspected they last went to. The first of these assumptions you accepted and blamed yourself constantly for, yet the second of the two was near impossible to even be an option to begin with. Monsters were far away from your village; they were told to be sealed inside the Underground close to Mt. Ebott, and nobody had heard of them in centuries. It was highly unlikely for them to exist there and much less on the Surface, yet there were still some who believed in that myth nonetheless.

Alone in your home, you can only stare at the blank wall before you and think back on the last day you saw Frisk. 

...

"I'm home!" you hear them call, followed by their footsteps thumping against the floorboards.

They make it to the kitchen and throw themselves at you; their arms wrap around your neck and pull you into a hug. Smiling, you return the embrace, pull back to look down, and meet with their eyes. "Did you say goodbye to Auntie Brenda before leaving?" you ask, tucking a stray lock of hair behind their ear. Their bob and bangs had grown longer and many neighbours said it made them look like a girl, but Frisk never minded over those comments and always insisted on keeping their hair that way.

"Yup!" they reply, taking a seat next to yours. "We're… We're gonna spend the whole weekend together, right?" 

"Of course we are, honey." You chuckle upon seeing the worry in their eyes, these holding hope over a positive response on your part. "But first, we've got to study up on History," you add, "Remember you've got a test the day after tomorrow." You pinch their cheek and kiss it better, making them grin and burst into giggles. 

Then, you stand up and head to the living room, where you stop by the bookshelf already covered in a thin layer of dust despite its frequent use. Your eyes scan for the book you'd been recently reading with them, only to find it hidden at a corner, most likely an idea on their part in hopes of delaying their studies for a while. "We'll go over the last chapter. And after that, we can plan what we'll do for the weekend." You turn to them and smile, bumping the book against the top of their head. "But only if you don't try to hide your books away anymore. I know you like school and pay attention all the time, but that still doesn't excuse you from studying up at home."

You walk to the couch, sit down, and see their smile fade away when you open the book to one of its later chapters. It was far away from the one you were currently on, yet based on the look on their face, they seem to know what it's about, an assumption that grows stronger when you remember how one-sided the book in your hands is. Frisk was never fond of the stories it told, yet they never had the courage to go against its written words, either. Now, however, you have a hunch over them about to confront that when you see them frown and later open their mouth to speak up.

"Why do you believe what this book says? It… It says mean things about monsters! Haven't you ever been curious to know what they're all really like?"

You look down at the open book and give some thought to their words. Its borders are worn out and the pages are turning a soft shade of yellow, most likely due to the centuries that'd gone by since it was first published. 'The War Between Us' was its title, yet even though it said 'us', the author was biased at times; in more ways than one. It seemed that the more you analyzed it, the more you regretted having believed these stories when you were younger and having thrashed the possibility of beings like them ever existing. The question you've been given adds to your regret, so you pause and take a quick moment to reconsider.

Deciding it's best to think of a proper response, you flip the pages back to the first chapter and gesture for Frisk to join you. You push your glasses up to the brim of your nose and begin to read the first page.

>> Long ago, two races ruled over the Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS. One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell...

You flip past the introduction page, having already memorized it ever since you were seven.

>> Those undergrounds, located near Mt. Ebott, are said to be a dangerous place. It is said that those who climb the mountain never return. Many have taken this warning as a joke, yet none have actually dared to step foot on those grounds. Due to this fear of the unknown, many began to form theories as to what happens to those who travel to those lands. These have varied from such a simple thing as being unable or unwilling to leave, to something as dark and fearsome as death.

>> It is said the monsters residing in this place were not only strange in appearance, but in their actions and customs, as well. Likewise, it is said their way of reproduction is also odd, as it is through their SOULS that they may create another life, and that the way of ending their lives is through the same means. Besides showing their vulnerability through their SOULS, they show it through their words. They advise others to show 'MERCY', as well as to 'SPARE' their enemies whenever possible. 

>> However, many experts on the topic have agreed these are only myths; bedtime stories meant to dull and straighten up a child's behaviour, to frighten them over what is black and what is white, and to keep them strictly in the latter. It is impossible to believe such narrow-minded and saint-like creatures ever existed, unless it is to dumb down our mindsets and persuade us to be kind to a fault, without ever even questioning why it is said that those who fell into their world never came back. After all, it is without a doubt unrealistic and near impossible for people to cohabit in one same world without causing some form of hurt between each other. It is the same reason why these creatures were said to lose a war with our kind, and why we must avoid being weak and preachy like them; to prevent the same from ever happening to us.

You close the book with one swift move, deciding you already have the answer to your child's question.

"Y'know, I… I guess you're right, honey." You sigh, face your lap, and close your eyes, already having a taboo thought at the tip of your tongue. "I've only ever read this book regarding their history. If only I knew more about them, or maybe had another book from a new, different perspective... Then, maybe... Maybe I could know if both sides had their reasons for war, and why we still study them through this book only."

Just as they're about to reply, an unintelligible shout erupts from one of the nearby houses. The sound of porcelain hitting the ground and of people arguing with one another can be heard, and soon after, an eerie, yet recognizable silence takes over. Already expecting the worst, you let out a shaky sigh, stand up, and finally gather up courage to inspect what's going on outside the safety of your home.

"Stay here, Frisk. I'll be back soon."

…

You never saw them again after that day, and that was almost a full month ago. Your eyes have turned irredeemably red and puffy from how much you've cried and mourned over their loss, though you've tried to keep it to yourself as much as possible. Even so, a few things had been leaked regarding your situation. Nosy and loud neighbours meant trouble, and you already had enough with Social Services and Frisk's school constantly breathing down your neck.

The more days passed since their disappearance, the more rumours began to revolve around you. A silent argument over the hints left behind of Frisk going missing had begun to form, and it shows itself through the tense state of those around you, these split into two groups. Tension's risen between those who blame you and those who blame Mt. Ebott, yet you don't want to favour either side. Simply solving the situation and having Frisk in your arms again was enough for you, even if they were taken away from you by Social Services the day or even the hour after.

Hearing your stomach growl, you shake your head, finally realizing you're becoming too immersed in your own thoughts.

Dinner wouldn't make itself, and though you hated cooking only for yourself almost as much as you loathed the absence of your child and the silence of your home, you have to stand up, dust off, and keep on going.

Fairy tales weren't real; monsters weren't, either. In other words, Frisk's all alone in the world now and nobody's gonna help besides you. Whatever happened to your child, they were most likely suffering or in great danger, and for once, you can't help but wish over the Underground to be real in spite of the myths told about it. Perhaps then, you could have some sense of direction and an idea over just where Frisk could be; and perhaps then, they wouldn't be alone at the knowledge of monsters providing them with shelter and company until your arrival.

Perhaps then, you could rest a bit easy without crying yourself to sleep every weekend with the reminder and the remnants of a broken promise, one you feared would never be fulfilled.

[Next]

[thewidowsghost]

The Unknown Muggleborn - Chapter 11

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

3rd Person POV

This can't get any worse, (Y/n) thinks as Filch drags her down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor. What the (H/C) haired girl didn't know, was that Harry and Hermione - still under the Invisibity Cloak - had followed the two.

There's no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall will accept being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest Astronomy Tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes, (Y/n) thinks miserably.

When Professor McGonagall appears, she looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towers over (Y/n).

"I would never have believed it of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the Astronomy Tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourself," McGonagall orders.

(Y/n) sits still, her emerald eyes flicking sadly for a moment, and Harry and Hermione exchange a look under the Cloak. Then - to Harry and Hermione's astonishment - (Y/n) speaks.

"I was helping Hagrid," (Y/n) says softly, and McGonagall's expression changes to something (Y/n) couldn't read. "Hagrid had a baby dragon. I didn't want him to get in trouble, so I sent a letter to someone who cares for dragons so they would take him. I just had to get the dragon to the Astronomy Tower."

"Miss (L/n), though you had good intentions for helping a friend, it was unacceptable to be walking around the school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous - a hundred points will be taken from Gryffindor."

(Y/n)'s face seems to fall even more and Harry and Hermione exchange another look from under the cloak.

"Now, get back to bed," McGonagall says, her voice softening at the expression on (Y/n)'s face.

(Y/n) nods and walks out of the office and silently up to Gryffindor Tower, Harry and Hermione close behind their friend.

The Portrait Hole opens and (Y/n) walks straight up the stairs to her dorm.

Marvel looks up at her companion, and curls up with her friend.

(Y/n) didn't sleep all night, dreading the dawn. What would happen when the rest of Gryffindor found out what she had done?

At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hourglasses that recorded the House points the next day thought there'd been a mistake. How could they suddenly be a hundred points fewer than yesterday?

And then the story starts to spread: (Y/n) (L/n), friend to the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all the house points, in one night.

From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, (Y/n) was suddenly one of the most hated. Even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on her, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the House Cup. Everywhere (Y/n) went, people point and don't bother to lower their voices as they insult her. Slytherins, on the other hand, clap as she walks past them, whistling and cheering, "Thanks (L/n), we owe you one."

Only Ron, Harry, Hermione and the Weasley Twins stood by her.

"They'll all forget this in a few weeks," Ron says soothingly on morning at breakfast as every sends (Y/n) hostile glares. "Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them."

"But they haven't lost a hundred points in one go, though, have they?" asks (Y/n) miserably as someone loudly asks Harry why he was friends with the 'rubbish Gryffindor Mudblood.'

"Well - no," Ron admits.

It is a bit late to repair the damage, but Harry swore to himself not to meddle in things that weren't his business from no on, coming to the conclusion that (Y/n) receiving all the hate was his fault for forgetting the cloak at the top of the tower. He'd had it with sneaking around and spying.

(Y/n) felt so ashamed of herself that she had went to Oliver Wood and offered to resign from the Quidditch team.

"Resign?" Wood thunders. "What good'll that do? How are we going to get any points back if we can't win at Quidditch?"

But even Quidditch had lost its fun. The rest of the team - excluding Harry, George, and Fred - wouldn't speak to her, and if they had to speak about her, they called her 'the Seeker.'

Hermione was suffering too, just because she was (Y/n)'s sister, and no one would speak to her, either. Hermione and (Y/n) had stopped drawing attention to themselves in class, keeping their heads down and working in silence.

(Y/n) was actually glad that the exams weren't far away. All the studying she is doing keeping her away from her misery. (Y/n), Harry, Ron, and Hermione keep to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions . . .

Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Harry's new resolution not to interfere in anything that didn't concern him was put to an unexpected test. Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, he hears somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he draws closer,he hears Quirrell's voice.

"No — no — not again, please —"

It sounds as though someone is threatening him. Harry moves closer.

"All right — all right —" he hears Quirrell sob.

Next second, Quirrell comes hurrying out of the classroom straightening his turban. He is pale and looks as though he was about to cry. He strides out of sight; Harry didn't think Quirrell had even noticed him. He waits until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, then peers into the classroom. It is empty, but a door stands ajar at the other end. Harry is halfway toward it before he remembers what he'd promised himself about not meddling.

All the same, he'd have gambled twelve Sorcerer's Stones that Snape had just left the room, and from what Harry had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step — Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.

Harry goes back to the library, where Hermione is testing Ron on Astronomy, (Y/n) buried in her extra complicated - at least to Harry and Ron - Potions notes, Harry tells them what he'd heard.

"Snape's done it, then!" says Ron. "If Quirrell's told time how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell -"

"There's still Fluffy though," Hermione reasons.

"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," Harry says, looking around at the thousands of books surrounding them.

"I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a three-headed dog," Ron adds. "So what do we do, Harry?" The light of adventure is kindling again in Ron's eyes, but Hermione answers before Harry can.

"Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."

"But we've got no proof!" says Harry. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor — who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining."

Hermione looks convinced, but Ron doesn't.

"If we just do a bit of poking around -"

"No," (Y/n) speaks for what seems to be the first time in a week, "we've done enough poking around."

The following morning, a note is delivered to (Y/n) at the breakfast table:

Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.

Professor M. McGonagall

(Y/n) had forgotten she still had a detention to do in the furor over the points she'd lost.

At eleven o'clock that night, (Y/n) says goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and goes down to the entrance hall. Filch was already there - and so was Malfoy. (Y/n) had almost forgotten that Malfoy had gotten a detention, too.

"Follow me," says Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he says, leering at them. "Oh yes . . . hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me. . . . It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out . . . hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed. . . .Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

They march off across the dark grounds. (Y/n) wonders what their punishment is going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted. The moon is bright, but clouds scudding across it keep throwing them into darkness. Ahead, (Y/n) can see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they hear a distant shout.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

(Y/n)'s heart rises; if they are going to be working with Hagrid, it wouldn't be so bad. Her relief must have shown on her face, because Filch says, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, girl — it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece.

At this, Malfoy stops dead in his tracks."The forest?" he repeats, and he doesn't sound as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard."

"That's your problem, isn't it?" says Filch, his voice cracking with glee."Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid comes striding towards them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He is carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hangs over his shoulder. "Abou' time," he says. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, (Y/n)?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," says Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" says Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn," says Filch, "for what's left of them," he adds nastily, and he turns and starts back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.

Malfoy now turns to Hagrid. "I'm not going in that forest," he says, and (Y/n) feels a little pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," says Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd —"

"— tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growls. "Copyin' lines!What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"

Malfoy doesn't move. He looks at Hagrid furiously, but then drops his gaze.

"Right then," says Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He leads them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he points down a narrow, winding earth track that disappears into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifts their hair as they look into the forest.

"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday.We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" asks Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," says Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood allover the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

"So me and Mafoy'll go one way an' (Y/n) an' Fang'll go the other, I know yer good with spells and such (Y/n). Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now -that's it - an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh - so, be careful - let's go."

The forest is black and silent. A little way into it they reach a fork in the earthy path, and Malfoy and Hagrid take the left path while (Y/n) and Fang take the right.

(Y/n) lights up the tip of her wand, walking in silence, her eyes trained on the ground. Every now and then, a ray of moonlight through the branches above lights up a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.

After about an hour, (Y/n) walks through the forest with Fang. They walk for about half-an-hour more, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path becomes almost impossible to follow because the trees are so thick. (Y/n) thinks that the blood seems to be getting thicker. There are splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. (Y/n) can see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.

Something bright white is gleaming on the ground and (Y/n) inches closer.

That's definitely the unicorn, (Y/n) thinks, and it's dead. She had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long, slender legs are sticking out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane is spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.

(Y/n) takes one step towards it when a slithering sound makes her freeze where she stands. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivers . . . Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure comes crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. (Y/n) and fang stand, transfixed. The cloaked figure reaches the unicorn, lowers its head over the wound in the animal's side, and begins to drink its blood.

Fang lets out a howl and bolts. The hooded figure raises its head and looks right at (Y/n) - unicorn blood dribbling down its front. It gets to its feet and comes swiftly towards (Y/n) and she scrambles back.

Then a pain like she'd never felt before seems to pierce her whole left side. It feels as thought her scar was on fire and she claps her hand to it.

Through the pain, she lifts her wand but then she hears hooves behind her, galloping, and something jumped clean over (Y/n), charging at the figure.

When (Y/n) looks up, the cloaked figure had gone, and a half human, half horse is standing over her. A centaur! (Y/n) realizes.

"Are you alright?" asks the centaur, pulling (Y/n) to her feet, though she hadn't remembered falling.

"Yes - thank you - what was that?"

The centaur doesn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looks carefully at (Y/n) his eyes lingering at the collar of her shirt where half of her scar stands out, livid against (Y/n)'s skin.

"You are the (L/n) girl," he says. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time - especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way. My name is Firenze," he adds as he lowers himself onto his front legs so (Y/n) can clamber onto his back, her wand still clutched in her right hand.

There is suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Two other centaurs come bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.

"Firenze!" one thunders. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"

"Do you realize who this is Bane?" asks Firenze. "This is the (L/n) girl. The quicker she leaves this forest, the better."

"What have you been telling him?" growls Bane. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"

The other centaur paws the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze though he was acting for the best," he says in a gloomy voice.

Bane kicks his back legs in anger. "For the best Ronan! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"

Firenze suddenly rears on his hind legs in anger so that (Y/n) had to grab his shoulders to keep from sliding off the centaur's back. "Did you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellows at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must.

And Firenze whisks around; with (Y/n) clutching on as best she can, they plunge off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them.

(Y/n) didn't have a clue what was going on."Why's Bane so angry?" she asks. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?"

Firenze slows to a walk, warns (Y/n) to keep her head bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but does not answer her question. They make their way through the trees in silence for so long that (Y/n) began to think Firenze didn't want to talk to her anymore. They are passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stops.

"(Y/n) (L/n), do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"

"No," answers (Y/n), startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."

"That is because it is monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," says Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life,from the moment the blood touches your lips."

(Y/n) stares at the back of Firenze's head, which is dappled silver in the moonlight.

"But who'd be that -" then (Y/n) trails off, coming to a sudden realization. "Do you mean," (Y/n) asks, her voice shaking slightly, "that was -"

"(Y/n)! (Y/n), are you alright?" Malfoy, Fang, and Hagrid were running towards them down the path.

"I'm fine," (Y/n) answers, not even knowing what she was saying. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."

"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmurs as Hagrid hurries off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now."

(Y/n) slides off the centaur's back.

"Good luck, (Y/n) (L/n)," says Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

The centaur turns and canters back into the depths of the forest, leaving (Y/n) shivering behind him. Malfoy studies (Y/n) curiously, wondering what had happened in the with the usually strong willed girl.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry and fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for (Y/n) to return. Ron shouts something about Quidditch fouls when (Y/n) shakes the three awake.

In a matter of seconds, though, all three them are wide-eyed as (Y/n) began to tell them what had happened in the forest.

The green eyed girl couldn't sit down, she paces up and down in front of the fire, still shaking; Marvel's green eyes are following her owner she paces.

"Snape wants the Stone for Voldemort . . . and Voldemort's waiting in the forest . . . and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich . . ." Harry rambles, his scar on his forehead prickling.

"Stop saying the name!" says Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.

"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so. . . . Bane was furious . . . he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen. . . . They must show that Voldemort's coming back. . . . Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me. . . . I suppose that's written in the stars as well," (Y/n) says.

"But why?!" asks Hermione, her voice shaking. "Why would he come after you?"

Everyone turns to (Y/n), as though she had an answer, and (Y/n) realized that she most definitely did.

The others watch as (Y/n) pulls down the collar of her shirt a little, and they stare at the scar - identical to Harry's - on her skin.

"A week before Christmas, I had a dream, well, not really a dream, more of a memory," (Y/n) begins, and tells her friends about the dream and Harry looks up into (Y/n)'s eyes.

"So you were on your way to my house?" Harry asks.

"Apparently," (Y/n) says.

"So all we've got to do now is wait for Snape to steal the Stone," Harry says feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come finish us off . . . Well, from what I heard, Bane'll be happy."

Hermione looks very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.

"Harry, (Y/n)," Hermione begins. "Everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

The sky had turned light before they stop talking. They go to bed exhausted, their throats sore.

Word Count: 3751 words

[pearlplusau]

Chapter 5- The insertion (Part 1)

Decades passed in the home world galaxy, everything was different now, as the planet slowly ripped in half, the anguish of the three diamonds remains unscathed and permanent as the infinite suns.

After the incident, White Diamond isolated herself in her giant head ship all day, carrying out duties through simple mind control and formal messages to the higher ranked gems in her court, never needing to leave, never needing to see the empty palace of her starlight or the absent of the pink ship.

Blue Diamond wept, she wept day in, day out, as her only companion to feel happy together was lost and never would she returned. She suffered greatly from losing her, the sadness got so out of hand, under her eyes were dark bags as if they came to warn her about her powers draining her life force. Every now and then, she would visit Pinks sacred planets or the Human zoo, just to mourn for her, just to be reminded how she didn’t help as much as she should, just to feel what was left of her.

Yellow Diamond showed no more than what she already feels, anger. she would be in her chambers, attempting some long forgotten experiments of retrieved gem shards from the battle on Earth. Could she recognize her own soldiers from the rebels? No, it was impossible to distinguish gems by their shards, so she decided to continue the experiment. as she examines the various shards scattered on the counter,she thought of a plan . “If I can’t make a colony out of that hideous rock, then it looks like I’ll have to destroy it. White may have yet to approve my idea, but her refusal of talking anything regarding Pink won’t stop me from wiping that planet out of existence,” she thought as bitterness and anger fueled her, but she knew she was just as heartbroken as Blue, she just couldn’t show it.

She wiped off something from her eye and called out, “Pearl!”

The yellow pearl peeked out behind the counter with her arms in salute, “Yes my Diamond?”

“I want you to seek out the Inordinate one, and get her here immediately, I have a very important mission for her.”

“Yes,right away my Diamond!” Pearl bowed and left the room.

 Back on Earth,

The remains of a war was mostly scattered about, there abandon weapons, obilerated lands, and broken space ships here and there, but no gem shards were shining in the dusty bright dessert, and no real sign of battles can be seen.

A corrupted giant yam monster, the size of a giant boulder was rolling away into an abondoned kindergarden. The Crystal gems, which consisted of Garnet, Pearl and Coral panted as they chased the monster for the whole day, but it was too fast for them.

"Not that i know of, but we need a break, i dont think Coral here can withstand another hit from the monster." She pointed to the aformentioned gem as she looks like shes gonna collapsed at any moment.

Pearl was the first to recover herself and started, "That’s the third time this week it got away! Garnet! Can you see if we're able to take care of it?"

The fusion, paused and go through the multiple outcomes of the situation, but none shows a newly bubbled gem in her room.

The pink pearl was panting and wheezing as she was rather in low health, but she held her head up and assured the two gems that she's fine.

"Really! I'm fine! Let's keep goin-" She almost finished her sentence before collapsing.

Before she went unconcious, she heard Pearl mumbling and complaining, "I knew it was a bad idea! Why was she so insisting on coming along? She was the one that lost track and couldn’t keep a stable stance with it!”

“Pearl,” Garnet said, “You can’t blame her for the inevitable, besides, Rose needed sometime alone and she was the one that suggested we do it together since we can’t all just swing a sword and poof them in an instant! At least she’s trying her best.”

Pearl responded the fusion, “Well maybe, her best just isn’t-”

Coral passed out before she could comprehend her last words, and drifted into some sort of realm of the past, or rather, somewhere that’s so familiar but yet still the same.

She was standing in a dark room, but was suddenly lit up bright, she found that she was in White’s Head ship with her heels up in the air, her arms stiff and stuck in an unsual pose, and she was…greyscaled? Before her stood White Diamond herself, she looked pleased of what she’d just done.

‘Ahh yes,’ The great diamond spoke, but her voice was echoing from somewhere nearby, ‘it’s been a long time since I used my powers but looks like its doing just fine!’

She looked at Coral as if this was a fun game, and only she know how it ends.

‘Don’t be too hard on yourself pearl,’ Her voice was almost, sympathy, pitying the pearl, ‘You wouldn’t want to remember any of this now would you?’

She placed her index finger under Coral’s chin and lifted it up to her bright face, her nail was so sharp it was a miracle her skin didn’t poof on impact.

‘I’m doing you a favour,’ Her voice echoed more, it was louder this time. ‘That crack of yours will never truly heal, she can’t be seen with an old, broken pearl, you understand now don’t you? Besides, she has her new pearl now, so don’t you wory about a thing!’

Coral tried to spoke, she tried to defend herself, but she couldn’t even look away, she doesn’t know WHAT to feel. All she could remember was Pink demanding a colony from the diamonds.

“Now off you go!” A white bubble materialized around her and floated out of the White torso ship. Everything went dark.

 Back at the temple, Coral was lying in her room, tossing and turning and gasped, shes awake.

She found herself on a pile of human clothing, she doesn’t wear them, but they were soft, perfect to lie on and rest when needed. The different shades of pink from ranging from Light to Deep pink to medium violet red can be seen neatly placed in piles, almost the size of a human bed.

“What was that? I don’t think I ever... dreamt before?” Coral questioned herself.

She looked around and saw all the things too familiar, surrounding the pile of clothes was running water in a pink hue, stretching out longer and wider than the sea, but no deeper than a kiddie pool. Above her, pink clouds were drifting through, they seem endless as well, going to the same direction as the sea around her.

“Wait a sec,” Coral suddenly thought, “Weren’t we on a mission or something? Where are the others?” She rose up and took a step out of the comforting pile of fabric and ballerina her way on the water’s surface.

She concentrated and a door size glow materialized in front of her. As the light dimmed, rose stems with thorns glowed and departed, leading her outside her room.

Just as she was half-way through, she heard a voice, no, two voices talking aloud and complaining.

Rose’s voice was first recognized, “-too dangerous, you need Coral on this mission!”

‘For what? All she did was getting trampled and hit by that thing! Any more damage taken would’ve poofed her! Or worse!”

Garnet’s voice joined in, ‘That I agree.”

‘Well, even if she’s not capable of catching the corrupted gem, you should’ve leave her out like this, she’ll be heartbroken if she finds out you went without her!’

‘So? It’s better than her slowing us down! There’s so much more monsters out there, we won’t be able to bubble them all with her around! Garnet and I can’t fight AND  keep her safe at the same time!’

Garnet chipped in, ‘And it’s not that we dislike her, we love her, all of us, but if we’re gonna take care of the planet and avoid locals from getting harmed, we need to bubble as much as possible in the least amount of time.’

A faint sigh can be heard, the leader spoke, ‘If it means less suffering and less humans getting hurt, then I suppose it would be fine for Coral to have a time-out for a few days. You two need to rest, but you should head out before Coral wakes up, all right?’

‘Of course’ said Pearl.

‘Noted.’ said Garnet.

‘Good,” Rose ended, ‘Dismissed’

Coral slipped back into her room before any of them noticed her. She was processing what was heard while the rest of the crystal gems head back to their respective rooms.

I’ll show them, she thought, I’ll show that I’m capable of handling a gem monster AND myself!

When the coast was clear, she quietly tip-toe out of her room and went back to the last known location of the yam monster.

 Just outside the Earth’s orbit, various yellow spaceships can be seen in a form of a diamond, specifically, Yellow Diamond.

Inside the first spacecraft, with green and yellow glowing alien technology far advanced than anything that ever existed, and piloting each ships were handfuls of Era 1 peridots. These peridots each have a triangular gem and the same heights as pearls, but far more intelligent as they are very competent technicians. The peridots were capable of doing various tasks such as data logging, research, communication range bigger than the galaxy without external equipments.

(Art by @gemfiles​, if you would like your artwork removed please dm me, as this pic here has the purpose of visual aids for the readers)

They were busy working on the coordinates and history of the planet Earth, typing required data and analyising it’s past reputation and current resources on the ships available platform and programs.

A peridot stood and walked off from her post, the others took no notice and persume their work. The peridot stood still in front of a door, and a scanner appears from the right wall. The contraption scanned her form for her gem and found it on the back of her left hand, the light scan turn from green to light yellow and beeped.

The door slid open and the peridot went through, her arms in diamond salute as she greets her superior officer.

‘My Anglesite,” She said, ‘I am here to report that we have arrived at the planet’s orbit, do I have your orders and coordinates to land ?’

‘My, my,’ The main gem-in-charge yellow Anglesite replied, wearing a white lab coat and triangular pointy shoulder pads in the colours yellow and white. She wore glasses so thin you could only notice it up front, the right side of her face was covered by her light blonde short hair.

If you think she’s the same as the other gems, she not, cuz her lower half was just hovering circle platform, so she would resemble a vase on the circular coffee table. But, the platform serves as a method of transport, as it is designed to float above any ground so she can travel as same as other gems, it’s just faster and requires her pretty much no energy to be in motion.

at the edge of the platform, robotic hands can sprout out and execute projects better and faster than a normal gem, weapons and defence systems? You dont need to worry about that.

The yellow gem continued, ‘Just as I calculated, looks like even the atmosphere is liking what will be done to that little chunk of rock, wiping it out of our starmaps will be so much faster, and then, the great Yellow Diamond will praise me for my work, promote me and i will finally have the chance to meet my glorious, shining White Diamond!’

The peridot was getting tired of hearing the “possibility” after the mission was complete, but she could only agree with her superior, ‘Of course she will my Anglesite! So, about the course-’

‘Ah yes, set the course towards north of the largest continent on the planet, that is where the final stage of the mission will commence!’ The yellow gem started giggling and laughing, but she gave one last order, ‘That will be all!’ and continued with her laughter.

‘Yes my Anglesite.’ Peridot trudged back to her position and set the course.

The ship entered the planet’s orbit and the technicians went to work.

 It’s been a few hours, the sun was starting to rise, the cold nigh air was starting to warm up the atmosphere as shadows began to crept under the desert lifeforms.

Coral was walking aimlessly through the desert, mumbling and kicking the sand, just wanted to catch that gem monster and prove to them she’s not useless.

I can’t believe they didn’t want me to come along, she thought, I’ve been with Rose longer than Pearl has, and I was there when everything happened, it’s not fair!

She kicked more sand, but the impact wasn’t obvious, since the whole terrain was a desert.

She sighed and sat behind a rock to take a break, physically and mentally.

The whole trip was to catch that monster but she’s done nothing but follow her “instincts” and it led her nowhere. There was no tracks, no damaged that looks like its from a giant yam monster, and most importantly, no idea whats next.

Wait, she thought, whats that on the sky?

Is that….a homeworld spaceship? No wait, there’s more than one?

Ohnononono, she thought, they’re coming back for us!

I have to go back! I have to tell Rose and Garnet and Pe-

….

….

Or…

Maybe this is the chance I’ve been waiting for, to prove that I can handle myself.

Yeah, I wont be able to fight off ships of soldiers, but I can do a little sneaking around, trying to see what’s really going on, or better yet, their plan of attack so we’ll know what’s coming!

Coral summoned her trusty lance and did a quick jog to catch up with the ships.

End of Part 1.

(Heyo, so...as you finish reading this youll notice it’s pretty different from the story before.

But its not like im trying a COMPLETY different thing, its kinda like the previous chapter where we see what happens on homeworld, but in this chapter, we’re dealing with something that doesn’t really have any leads from the canon series.

Sooo, yeah, the north of the largest continent, Yellow diamonds plan, corrupted monsters, you should have a pretty huge idea of whats going on.

Also, the new gem is very different from what we usually see, but there’ll be a concept art in traditional paper, and probs no colour, just for you guys to see what she looks like, cuz the description of her isnt so...Complete?

But feel free to draw her tho, cuz i guess she kinda an OC here? If you could tell, she’s a gem under yellow’s court, but she also contains little essence from white diamond, which is why she has two diamonds on her design.

So yeah, she will be posted in a few days or smth.

Aaaannddd thats abt it for now, if youre reading this, it means you respect what i have to say, and i thank you for that.

Happy reading!

Pearlplusauchap Pearlplusauchap5

[chlodani]

This is my new smau. It's a Sokka x F!Reader pairing smau. Title: More Than A Roommate

Trigger warning: Mature! Slight swear warning! If your sensitive to mature language and swearing, I've warned you ahead of time. Mentions of sex!

Y/n's new roommate seems intensely interested in her life and wants to know everything about her. She's flattered and a little freaked out, but it’s nice to have someone to talk to. Though she thinks it's a problem that he's so handsome and their living together. But what will he do when he finds out Y/n's a Firebender? Will he accept her for who she is or will he shut her out because of his bad past with the Fire Nation?

Special Edition Part 19 Continued. . .

Y/n's P.O.V.

I quickly gathered what I needed. It wasn't much, but I did grab my sword. I never know when I'll need that. Even though I'm a Firebender that can bend red flame and red lightning, I'm still badass with a sword. Though I can't take all the credit, Sokka helped me with part of that. He's helped me to practice and he's taught me what he knows. A tear slipped from my eye as I stood in Sokka's room for a moment, staring at his boomerang on the wall. As I turned my head, I looked at the picture he had of us on his nightstand. I picked it up, looking at it, as a couple more tears fell. I cleared my throat, closing my eyes forcing the rest of my tears away. Wiping away the tears that remained, I opened my eyes setting the picture down. I looked directly at Sokka in the picture.

"Dont worry Sokka, I'm coming for you,"

With that said, I walked out of the room, heading out of the apartment.

. . .

Adelina's P.O.V.

I paced back and forth in my sister's apartment waiting for my friends to arrive. They were taking forever. I just wanted to leave on my own and go find my sister. She could be in serious danger right now. As Toph said I can believe that she went off alone, but I'm just so angry with her. If something happens to her, I would never forgive myself. She's my everything. She's my Boo. I need her. And whether she admits it or not she needs me to. And this is one of the times she needs me. Ughhh! I wanna kick her ass so bad. Though I guess I cant blame her. I am as much in love with Zuko as she is with Sokka. If Azula was doing this to Zuko, I'd wanna do more than just kick her ass. I jumped as the door opened. Pretty much all my friends walked in at the same time. And Iroh was behind Zuko. I face palmed myself. I looked directly as Zuko.

"Zuko, what is Iroh doing here?" I asked him trying not to show him how angry I was for my missing sister and future brother-in-law.

"We're not the only ones who are Y/n's family Adelina. Iroh is to. Uncle's known you guys since you were kids, he wants to help. He cares for her too," Zuko explained to me.

"And you forget Lina, that my nickname used to be, Dragon of the West - I am still a Firebender and I want to make sure nothing happens to the people I love," Iroh explained to me calmly.

I sighed as I looked at him. I didn't have time to debate.

"Fine, - But we have to go, - Right now - We're already running out of time," I told them in a hurried panic as I headed to the door.

Nothing will stop me from protecting Y/n and Sokka.

. . .

Y/n's P.O.V.

I headed to the Earth King's old quarters. I figured if Azula is going to be hiding out anywhere in Ba Sing Se, with that sicko of a dick waffle Jet and the Dia Lee agents, its gonna be there. And I wasn't playing around. As soon as I got to the door, I blasted two of the Dia Lee out of the way. I want my Sokka back and nothing will keep me from him. I walked throughout the halls and the main throne room but I didn't see Azula. I knew they both were hiding here somewhere. As I walked throughout the throne room, I felt a familiar presence. I stood firm not wanting to turn around. He quickly grabbed my wrists as he stood behind me, standing as close to me as he could. He made me drop my sword. I closed my eyes as the sound of the sword hitting the floor hit my ears. Jet held my wrists tightly, as he pressed himself against me.

"Its nice to see you again Y/n, -"

I could feel shivers running through my entire body. And they weren't the good kind.

"Jet? -"

"We haven't seen each other in awhile Y/n. I've tried texting you but you didnt answer -"

He was getting closer to my neck. I had my eyes closed, because I didnt want to admit this was happening.

"When texting didnt work I tried calling but you still didnt answer -"

Jet moved his lips along my neck so softly, it drove me insane. My breath hitched as he pressed himself against me.

"Though, I can look past you ignoring me for weeks, if you - give me the chance I deserve, -"

"You know you don't deserve it," I told him.

"Really? -"

Jet quickly turned me around, pressing me to the wall behind us, pushing himself against me. He had my wrists held down, so I couldn't fight back. He still moved his lips along my neck. He knew just how to do it, in ways that would drive me crazy. I tried to move, but Jet had me held down.

"You lied to me Jet," I said to him.

I tried to show him I was angry, but he was hitting the sweetest spot on my neck. The spot he knew was my favorite before when we were together years ago. I honestly hate him right now.

"I lied to you only because I love you - I needed you back. I cant live without you. - "

He gently pressed his lips harder. I wanted to cry, but I forced myself not to. I still forced my eyes to stay closed.

"I need you in my life - I dont want to be forced to live without you - "

"Then you shouldn't have lied to me and joined Azula,"

He moved his lips down farther.

"You don't understand - I needed you - I still need -"

He brought his knee up between my legs, creating friction. A slight whine left me.

"Where's Sokka?"

I tried to speak sternly, but with what he was doing, it was really difficult to keep my composure.

"Look Y/n, I know you still love me, - You cant deny it,"

"Yes, I can - You're nothing that Sokka is - You never have been and you never will be,

! - He's better than you in every way!"

Jet said nothing for a moment as he looked at me.

"How can I prove to you that I still love you?"

I stared directly into his eyes, with the straightest face I could possibly have.

"You can't,"

I could see the anger hidden behind his eyes. In an instant he pressed his lips onto mine with force. He pressed himself against me as hard as he could. I honestly didnt know what to do. A part of me still did love him. Those feelings dont just go away. Jet still had me held down, but he kissed me like he used to when we were together before. Before I even know what I was doing I kissed him back only slightly. I honestly wish he'd never come back. I wouldn't have to deal with any of this. Just as I felt him moving his hands down to my thighs, he was ripped off of me and thrown to the ground. I looked over to see Mai.

"Thank you Mai," I said to her in a soft tone.

"Damn Y/n, if you were over Sokka that quickly, you could've just dumped him," Mai said to me.

I shook my head.

"No, I'm not -"

I was just staring at Jet. Mai had her foot on him, holding him down.

"What happened with me and Jet is a long story, but the only person I care about right now is Sokka. I need to find him. As far as Jet is concerned, he can go to hell," I told Mai.

She knew I was upset with Jet by the tone of my voice.

"Well, I may need your Firebending as an assistant while I tie him to this post," Mai said to me forcing Jet to his feet.

I stared directly into Jet's eyes as Mai held him. Jet knew I was angry.

"I'd be my pleasure," I spoke in a calm voice.

"Y/n, don't do this! - You know that we're meant to be together," Jet protested as Mai dragged him over to the post.

"We were once - But life goes on Jet - Not everything has to stay the same. I moved on from you. You should do the same -"

"I can't," Jet spoke as Mai finished off the knot.

I squatted down in front of him.

"You can,"

Jet almost had tears in his eyes as he looked at me.

"I love you,"

"Then let me go, - There is someone out there for you Jet, but it's not me. - Maybe it was once, but we've grown apart. And deep down you know that. - When you kiss me you try to hard to make the feelings real, when you know they're not -"

"I love you Y/n, I always will,"

I gently took hold of Jet's hand.

"Of course you will, - You'll always love me - I was your first love, and you were mine we will always love each other, but that doesn't mean we should get back together just because we feel our old feelings and we think they're the feelings of now. - I fell in love with Sokka - Deeper than I ever did with you - And that's okay, because that means I can move on, and you need to move on too, -"

"I dont think I could ever let another girl kiss me,"

I exchanged glances with Mai. She gave me a knowing smile. She knelt down beside me, quickly grabbing his face, attaching their lips, kissing him with a passion. I could tell he was surprised, by the look on his face. He didnt even know what to do. Mai and I both stood up at the same time.

"Where's Sokka?" I asked her.

"He's just down that hall, in the third room on your right, - I'll stay here with Jet so he doesnt try anything too crazy. Just be careful of Azula, she could be lurking," Mai warned me.

I nodded to her. Without another word I left them alone, to find Sokka. Azula is going to pay, for even thinking about hurting my man. I headed down the hall, to the room Mai told me of. Sure enough when I entered, there was Sokka sitting against a bed on the floor, tied to the frame. He had his head down looking at the floor. I cautiously entered the room.

"Sokka, -"

He perked his head up, when he heard my voice.

"Y/n! Oh thank God you're here!" Sokka exclaimed as I rushed over to him.

I smiled as I looked into his face. I couldn't stop myself as I touched his face softly.

"Yeah, - I had to come," I told him softly.

I started to untie him.

"I knew you would, love - Jet and Azula are insane. Once I get outta here I'm gonna give them both a piece of my mind,"

"Don't worry baby, Mai is taking care of Jet and I'd suggest leaving Azula to me,"

I helped Sokka stand to his feet.

"What you think I cant handle it?"

I put my hand on his arm.

"No, sweetie that's not it. It's just I dont want you to be in the crossfire of one of Azula's lightning blasts,"

"Fair enough,"

I gave him my sword as a defense mechanism. Just as we started to walk out of the room, I heard footsteps down the hall coming this way. I put my hand on Sokka's chest, stopping him. I waited and listened. Just as they were right outside the door, I blasted them with fire, knocking them back a few feet. Sokka and I rushed out the door. It wasn't Azula like I had thought. It was one of the Dia Lee. I took Sokka's hand and we rushed off together to find her. Once we were outside in the courtyard, we stood there and waited. I could feel the presence of someone around. I listened and waited and made sure of my surroundings carefully. Just as I felt her a few feet behind us, and I knew she was going after Sokka, I stepped in front of him, putting a huge firewall in front of us, to protect him.

"So, I see you've defeated my Dia Lee and my secret weapon," Azula said to me in a challenging tone.

"It wasn't much of a secret weapon, - I mean come on using my ex-boyfriend, you really think I couldn't defeat him?"

"I just thought he was more angry than he actually was - Pathetic really, -"

"Well, now you have no beef with us, so you can let us go willingly," Sokka said to her.

"That's where you're wrong, - You see Jet mentioned something to me about helping me get revenge on Zuko and his friends for betraying me and lucky for me Y/n happens to be one of his best friends since we were kids. Today is just my day," Azula explained to Sokka.

A challenging look crossed my eye.

"Bring it on," I challeneged.

A devious smile passed her as she just stared at me. Just as she shot a huge flame of blue at me, I fired back at the same time with a huge flame of red. Our flames collided making an even larger flame of red and blue in the middle. I wont let Azula win. I'm stronger than she is. And she knows it. That's why she's trying so hard. Azula was trying to fire back stronger, but I was better. I went even larger with my flame, causing hers to dissipate, knocking her to the ground. Anger crossed her face as she looked at me. I stood before her with a determined look to my face.

"You've always been jealous of me Azula. - I can fight better than you - I never focused on my anger as a fuel for my fire. Your Uncle didnt just teach Zuko, he taught me and my sister too. We followed by everything he taught us. And we've stuck to it everyday of our lives since, -"

In her anger Azula got herself up and shot a fire kick at me. I quickly blocked it.

"You should've listened to your Uncle," I told her intimidatingly.

"Oh, I've learned a few things from my Uncle," Azula said to me through her anger.

I watched as Azula got into her familiar stance. I knew exactly what she was doing. I readied myself. Iroh told me I might need to use this to defend myself someday. Azula shot a bolt of lightning my way. It pushed me back as I caught it. I almost couldn't breathe or hold onto it. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the terrified look in Sokka's face. I let that fuel me. In just a few seconds I was the one controlling the lightning. I felt the energy and it was exhilarating, but it was also terrifying. Just as Zuko had stated once before. I redirected the lightning to shoot just past her head, singeing her hair. She was beyond angry as she looked at me.

"I've learned a few things from your Uncle too," I told her now even more intimated.

Sokka stood by me proud as he put his arm around me. I looked over just as our group of friends came running in. And Iroh was there to. Adelina ran over to me trapping me in her arms tightly. Zuko had hold of Azula.

"I am so glad you're safe," Adelina said to me in a slight panic.

"Yes, Lina, I'm fine," I told her.

She leaned away from me.

"It was so awesome! Azula shot lightning at her and she just stood there in firm ground and redirected the lightning at her! She was so cool!" Sokka exclaimed.

I chuckled at Sokka's reaction. I love him so much. It's hard for me not to love him.

If you dont want to be a part of the taglist let me know and I will remove you. I will not unless you ask me to.

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[thedyingmoon]

🖤 I See My Future Before Me 🖤

~ A V X Reader set in an Alternate Universe where things are getting worse than the Qliphoth Tree. 😱😱😱

~ This is for these wonderful people who support me and this fic - @acieoj , @heaven-on-a-landslide , @ehrzeth , and @lessy86 . 🖤

~ I also wanted to thank everyone who liked and reblogged the previous parts. 🖤

~And to my new followers! Thank you so much! 🖤

~ Photo edit by yours, truly. 🖤

***

IX

You closed your eyes, waiting for his lips to cover yours in sweet delight -

"Ahem,..." A voice that was magnified by a microphone was heard all of a sudden. It came from inside the mansion. "May we have your attention, please?"

You looked up at V and noticed the disappointment in his eyes. Well, he might have noticed yours, as well. Despite that, he still gave you a smile as he gently took your left hand from his right shoulder, giving it a light kiss that actually lasted for a few, heart - wrenching moments.

He let go of your hand after what seemed like an eternity, letting him receive the cane from Griffon's waiting talon.

"We must go." he said, then walked away, giving you no other choice but to follow.

"Thank you!" The announcer spoke, giving way to let the master of the house speak.

As the huge, yet charismatic, man stepped onto the platform, all of the Devil Hunters in the room became silent. They watched as he positioned himself in front of the microphone, waiting for him to finally reveal the mission he had in store for all of them. Some were excited, some not. Some were even suspicious, including Dante, Trish, and Lady, who stood at the far end of the room, safely away from the others. Nero, who prevailed from the long argument against Nico, stood alone on the other end of the room, the heavy, flowery - scented coat hanging on his arm.

It was in this exact moment when V and you finally arrived.

And right there, you immediately noticed the quick change in the atmosphere.

Like something huge was coming.

"My sincerest felicitations to each and everyone of you who answered the call." the master of the house began his introduction, looking at all of the Devil Hunters gathered into one place. "However, not only that would be said to those who would prevail against the Wrath of The Gods."

"That shit again?" Nero muttered under his breath, getting uneasy by the mere presence of the man.

"What is fatso spouting out now?" Dante, who sobered down thanks to his female companions, uttered, eyes narrowed and arms crossed. He was leaning against one of the pillars, looking uninterested and clearly annoyed by the turn of events.

"Exactly the reason why we're here." Trish answered him.

"And that is?"

"The Wrath of The Gods." Lady, who was the only one who actually looked excited among the three, said, leaning an elbow against Dante's shoulder. "Maybe the biggest gig, yet."

"We'll see about that." Trish said, smiling at her rival in a clear invitation of a challenge.

The master of the mansion made a grand gesture by spreading his arms wide, and a short moment later, multiple pieces of paper rained down upon all the guests. At first, they were suspicious but, when some of them picked those papers up, they noticed that they were, indeed, dollar bills. Dollar bills of high value that kept on falling down upon all of them.

At the realization that the master was easily giving them the huge amount of the supposed commission's pay firsthand, some greedy ones started picking them up, even fighting against each other. Some clever ones remained unmoved by the riches that was raining down on them.

"What in the world?!" Nero muttered as he picked some up, checking if they were authentic. He thought that these things only happen in action movies, so he was understandably and honestly awed by it.

On the other hand, V, who was suspicious of this whole event from the start, didn't pick one up. His eyes remained fixed on that man on the platform, and you noticed how his eyebrows furrow and his eyes ignite with a strong emotion as he focused on the outrageous scene before him.

"V?" You whispered when you suddenly noticed his trembling hand, like he was getting nervous or frightened or angry or all three at the same time. You took it and gave it a gentle squeeze, hoping it would calm him down. Upon noticing your gesture, he looked down at you and gave you a sincere smile despite his feelings of foreboding, hoping it would reassure you.

Even Dante, whose eyes narrowed even further, left the pillar, flexed his arms and warned the two ladies.

"You two," he said. "Get your weapons. Now."

"Now?" Lady complained, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Trish placed a hand on Lady's shoulder, making her look in disdain. "Let's go." she said. She, like V and Dante, knew in her bones that something was really off.

"Infinite riches, eternal fame, and unending glory to those who are strong and brave enough to face the Dreadnought that is upon us!" The man on the platform boomed, his voice reaching the far end of the room.

"What is this?!"

"Is this some kind of a joke?!"

"What is that Dreadnought?!"

The man smirked as the Devil Hunters started questioning him like he was some kind of a false prophet. Despite that, he remained rooted to the ground.

"The Demon of the north that lies sleeping for a hundred years has now awoken! It is coming! And in its tow is its army of lesser Demons who, as I speak, walk the earth and reduce everything to ashes!"

"We'll crush that shit!"

"Yeah!"

"How can we tell if you're saying the truth?!"

The master heard the question, and as he held his huge palms up in a gesture to make them silent once more, he turned towards the window on his left, making his guests do so, as well.

And before anyone could even notice, V instantly realized that the place, and the whole city, itself, had been awfully quiet since the moment this ruse of a party started.

Could it mean - ?

"As we argue amongst each other," The man said, finally making everyone silent in nervous anticipation. "The authorities have already begun the Dreadnought operation, evacuating not only Red Grave but, all of the neighboring cities, as well, leaving only us behind. You can take a look if you want to."

"V!" Griffon flew towards you and his master, hysterically flapping his wings like something wrong was definitely happening. "It's exodus shit out there! They're all leaving!"

"Are you sure?" you asked, still unable to believe the gravity of the situation you're about to enter.

"Do I look like I'm lying?!" Griffon shrieked at your face as some guests started flocking towards the window to see the massive evacuation that was currently happening outside below the city. "Come on! What are we waiting for?! Let's get the hell outta here! We're all gonna die!"

"Who will prevail against the Wrath of The Gods?! Who will prevail against the Dreadnought?!" The man, who remained unfazed by all the potential danger he's been spouting, spoke, addressing all of the Devil Hunters he invited for the massive job. "This the end! Apocalypse is upon us!"

All of a sudden, the electricity went out, earning some gasps from the people inside.

And still, the man went on talking in all his eccentric glory.

"Will you run? Or will you hide?" he whispered, his voice ringing creepily around the deathly silent place.

Then, it happened faster than anyone could imagine. The ceiling caved in, destroying the crystal chandelier and making it fall to the marble floor in the process, missing some Devil Hunters, who dove just in time, by mere inches.

However, the chandelier was not the only thing that came down from the ceiling. Everyone nervously looked as an unknown black mass sat on the broken pieces of glass. It trembled a bit, and when it suddenly grew, forming into one tall creature of about seven feet, its sharp eyes glowed green, making almost everyone draw back in fear. Long spikes sprout out of its forearms and down its spine as its sharp - looking fur glowed unearthly green. It raised a spiked arm, drawing it like a weapon, and when its claws reached the ground, it suddenly split into four, six, eight,... twelve creatures of the same kind, disappearing into the room and leaving only green traces of blur in midair.

"Shit!" Nero cursed as he reached for his weapon -

Only to find nothing there!

"Furies!" Griffon shrieked as the whole room went into an instant panic.

"They're not Furies." V answered as calmly as he could, drawing his cane and summoning Shadow.

"Then, what are those things?!" the bird panicked as one creature grazed his left wing before disappearing in a blur once more, leaving a few of his blue black feathers suspended in the air until they fell on the ground. "SHIT! V, WHAT DO WE DO?!"

"We fight." V said as he waved his cane, making Shadow deflect an incoming attack by morphing into a set of dark spears that also wounded another creature. He looked at his right,...

... and realized that you were gone!

Where did the girl go?! V thought nervously as he glanced all over the whole chaos looking for you while commanding Shadow and Griffon to attack with all their might.

And right there on the floor, he noticed something,...

... a large piece of the white gown you were wearing, slashed into tiny pieces,...

***

🖤🖤🖤

[tobethefairybest]

First Miraxus fic is up! Thanks @i-write-fanfics-to-procrastinate for proofreading! :D

The fanfic can be read here below or by clicking the ff.net link above :)

--------------------------

It was late at night at the Fairy Tail guildhall. Mirajane walked down the stairs from the highest floor, it had been a long day. Ever since the guild had been re-established, she and Levy had been helping Makarov nonstop with all the paperwork needed to get the guild back into business with the entire city again. Levy already left an hour ago, but Mirajane had stayed a little longer. Not because she had too, but simply because she felt like every time spent with the almost century old master was precious to her. She never wanted to leave before knowing he was feeling well.

It has been strange for everyone to go back to the lives they had always led here. Some had gotten used to their new life already in a new place, but most of the guild members had never felt home again since the disbanding until now. So had she. Fairy Tail had been her and her siblings' home and suddenly being left without it had thrown them into the dark. Of course they still had their house in Magnolia, but the city had had a gaping hole in its heart without the guild.

She awoke from her thoughts by a low rumbling sound coming from the main hall. It was followed by an almost inhuman sound of rasping and gurgling. Mirajane froze in place. It was as if a large animal was drowning and gasping for air. It eerily resonated in the now empty and dark guildhall. The last thing the now peaceful guild needed, was trouble from outsiders. Maybe an animal had gotten stuck in the building?

Carefully she crept down the stairs and up to the balcony. She kneeled down and looked through the bars. She could feel her heartbeat in her throat. Normally there wasn't much for her to be afraid of, but the thought of someone, or something, having intruded the guildhall without anyone noticing left her surrounded by fear.

At first, it seemed like not a living soul was present at ground level. Had she imagined it? No. There was no way a sound that loud was just in her head. She carefully stood up straight. It was then when she saw it. On a barstool, somebody sat with their back towards her. A back that was all too familiar to her.

''Laxus?''

He was visibly startled, as if he didn't expect anybody to be around at this time, but he didn't turn around. Something was off, he should have definitely been able to hear her walking around with his extraordinary hearing skills.

She walked down the last stairs.

''You scared me! Why on earth did you make that sound?''

He didn't reply.

She slowed down her pace when she came closer. ''What's wrong?''

''None of your business.'' he replied in a hoarse voice, while quickly covering a napkin laying on the bar with his hand. The light of the oil lamps of the bar was faint, but enough for Mirajane to notice the blood on his chin, which he wiped away with the back of his hand.

''Please look at me.''

After a moment of hesitation, he slowly turned his face towards her.

He looked absolutely awful. His eyes were bloodshot and the bags under them had turned a greyish colour. It was as if his body had become an empty shell, even his skin colour didn't look natural anymore.

''The bane particles never left your body, did they?'' she managed to bring out quietly.

He shook his head and let out a raspy cough again.

''You lied and just convinced Porlyusica that you were doing better, while your organs were and are still degrading.''

He picked up the bloody napkin to wipe his mouth with.

She almost didn't want to ask. ''Just how bad is it?''

He sighed. ''I'm gonna be real with you, I have no idea how much longer this body of mine will last.''

Mirajane couldn't believe what she was hearing. Deep down she had always feared that him poisoning himself last year would lead to problems later, but never had she thought it was this bad.

''Most days, I don't feel that much pain and it makes me think that it's gonna get better, but every time I have an attack like this...'' his voice started to break down, ''I feel like it's gonna be over.''

''Why have you been hiding this from us?!'' she said in a trembling voice, ''we're your family, the ones you're suppose to reach out your hand to in times of need,'' she took his hand with hers, ''so we can help you.''

He jerked his hand back, ''I've caused the guild enough trouble already, this is my way of repaying for that.''

''By dying and causing us all grief?!'' she let out, crying.

He fell silent and looked to his side, only to see her with a tear-streamed face. Her skin all red and her eyes soaked. Her always neatly brushed hair was stuck to her cheeks in strands.

''Nobody wants you to suffer, even after all you've done to us.''

He was left totally stunned. Never had he expected anyone of the guild to be this worried about his wellbeing. Especially not Mira, after all the times she called for help and he just ignored it and laughed it off.

She turned around and walked back to the stairs.

''Where are you going?'' he asked.

She looked over her shoulder. ''To your grandfather, he deserves to know.''

He stood up, electricity surging through the wooden floor beneath him. ''No you won't.''

She stood motionless on the first step. Sparks escaped the floor at her feet.

''Please understand that this is my choice.'' he said slowly but with resolve, ''I don't want my old man to die of worry.''

She felt conflicted. Of course she wanted to keep a secret, but not one as heavy as this one.

''Please, Mira.'' he softly said.

He knew that calling her by that nickname would make her feel nostalgic.

She turned around. He had moved closer and his eyes had gained that golden glow again.

''For how many years have we known each other now? Twenty?'' he asked.

''Twenty-one.'' she corrected him.

''And how many times have I been in mortal danger during that time?''

''Too often.'' she let out softly.

''But I survived.'' he said, ''I don't know how, but I will find a way around this.''

As much as this sounded like just another lie to keep her from worrying, somewhere deep inside she believed him. He was a mage who carried a dragon lacrima in his body, if there was anyone who would overpower a nearing death again, it would be him.

She reached out her hand and rubbed some blood off the corner of his mouth with her thumb, ''If only you had absorbed a demon instead of poison, I could have gotten rid of it.'' she smiled, still swallowing the tears.

He was left without words. Never in all that time together, they had gotten this close. At least not when they were all alone. He had a hard time picking up signals. Was she really flirting with him right now?

''You should open up more often,'' she said, ''it suits you.''

''Oh shut up.'' he grumbled.

''Back to normal, I see.'' she said as she made her way towards the guild's doors. ''I should be going then, it's getting late.''

''Wait.'' Laxus said out loud before instantly regretting it. What was he supposed to say next? He cursed himself.

She looked over her shoulder. ''Hm?'' Mirajane turned around, only to find herself looking up to him. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her and hesitantly pulled her closer.

She was surprised by his sudden move, but had no intention to resist either. His clothes smelled like gunpowder, probably from all the times the electricity had burned little holes through it. As intimidating as he was, resting her head against his chest made her feel safe. ''Thank you.'' she heard him say, followed by a pressure on top of her head.

Her eyes widened when she realised what caused it, ''Did you just-?"

He let go of her and walked up the stairs.

''As far as I know, we didn't have this conversation.'' he said with a wink.

She took the hint, ''I'll keep it a secret, don't worry.''

Mirajane walked out the guild, ''Just don't die.'' she whispered before closing the massive doors behind her.

[pckarchives]

make confessions and we're begging for forgiveness.

to fiona’s credit, she didn’t lie.

she calls her brother as she heads out of the building, but she knows what he’ll say before he even says it. “–––i’d never do anything like that, kiddo. i wouldn’t put you or your friends in that kind of danger.”

fiona drags her fingers through her hair. “i figured as much. just had to be sure. i’ll call you if i find anything out, okay? thanks again for what you did today. we couldn’t have done that without you.”

“of course, fee. i love you, okay?”

fiona would like to call the relief that spreads through her bones ridiculous, but it doesn’t surprise her. she’s always needed her family’s love more than anything else, yet it’s remained the one thing outside of her reach. she doesn’t miss her life in ipswich, nor does she miss the lost family anymore, but knowing that she hasn’t lost this still soothes an ache that she wasn’t aware she still felt. “i love you, too. i’ll talk to you soon.” she hangs up the phone, her smile remaining for another second.

it’s while she’s still in this cloud of euphoria that she bounces away from the loft. the pack might not be able to feel her the way they can feel each other, but they would smell her anger. fiona’s good at hiding how she feels; it’s a craft she mastered long before she moved to beacon hills. she had to work out the kinks in her time with the pack, but feigning content and confidence is a required skill when you’re the pariah of the town. she knows how to keep the pack from getting suspicious, and the key to that is holding onto whatever happiness she feels until she’s out of range.

she rides her wave of happiness as reality tears before her eyes, loose fringes fluttering before her like a rip in an old cloth. she steps through with the words i love, okay still ringing in her ears, skin warmed by the reminder that she didn’t lose everything, and her heart skips at the idea of mending her relationship with her brother. they aren’t horribly estranged –– they could fix things. maybe he could move to beacon hills one day. the idea has her grinning as she leaves beacon hills and she knows that she’s nothing more than a beacon of joy.

that doesn’t change until she’s stepping through that tear and into her grandmother’s house. ( she doesn’t need anyone to tell her this is fucking dumb. she was the first to shoot down the idea of bouncing all the way across the nation, she knows it’s a bad idea. but her anger runs deeper than her sense does, and she doesn’t think. ) for the first time since she learned how to bounce, she feels dizzy, stomach twisting and turning, but she doesn’t let it hinder her. the sickness pales in comparison to the fire that heats her veins and taints her vision.

there’s puttering in the kitchen and fiona’s hands clench as she follows the sound. irene porter stands at the counter, her back to fiona as she digs through the cabinets. fiona says nothing; she knows that her grandmother knows she’s here. she felt the wards go off when she stepped into the house, and she’s not foolish enough to think her grandmother might’ve missed it.

“if you’re going to stand there, get over here and make yourself useful,” irene calls over her shoulder, voice so casual and unbothered, fiona almost thinks she’s innocent. almost. when fiona doesn’t move, the elder sighs impatiently. “you really can’t do anything right.”

“what the fuck,” fiona spits, “is your problem?”

irene takes a box of crackers and heads to her wooden table, the same one that’s been sitting there since fiona was an infant. the woman sits down and aims an unfazed stare at her granddaughter. “i could name a few.”

“i’m your problem! me!” fiona stabs a finger at her own chest, angrily advancing. “you have a goddamn problem, you take it up with me. you do not drag innocent people into our feud. jesus christ, grandma, they had a child!”

“then she was better off being caught than following your example.”

it’s not a confession. it is, at best, a deflection. but she doesn’t deny her involvement; if anything, she confirms it. fiona never said there was a girl involved.

anger swells faster than she can contain it, hot tears coating her eyes, and she lets out a frustrated shout. the earth reacts, though she hardly notices. the wooden table and chair that irene sits so comfortably in become sentient, their brown skin bleeding into her hands, gradually turning her to wood. it starts at her fingertips, turning her pale nails to wooden chips, melding her palms to the arms of the chair. it slowly spreads, the transmutation tracing its way up her arms. panic and fear cloud her expression as she tries to move, but it’s no use; she’s already fusing with the earth around her, and fiona is too caught in her fury to notice.

“what the fuck is so wrong with me?” fiona cries. the plants hanging from the ceiling grow, their lengthy arms spreading to drape across the floor, slithering their way towards the two witches. “what did i do that was so bad, you thought it was okay to kill everyone? you think i’m such a fucking sinner, look at yourself!”

irene tries to speak –– she tries to form fiona’s name, but the wood eclipses the left side of her body, leaving her mouth immobile. it finally catches fiona’s attention, but she makes no move to stop it. “i have hated myself for years because of you,” she says, her voice quiet and full of malice. “i thought i was wrong for not caving and lying about my sexuality. i thought so many times about whether i’d be happier if i’d just married a man and lived the way you wanted me to. but i wasn’t the problem. it was you. it’s always been you. but that shit? that’s over.” she shakes her head, willing away tears. “you are done taking control of my life. you don’t deserve that power. you don’t deserve the energy and happiness i’ve been wasting, looking for your approval. i’m done –––– we’re done, irene.”

finally, the spell reverses itself, slowly then all at once. irene gasps, choking as she tries to catch her breath and fiona only watches.

“i hope you find something that makes you happy one day,” fiona says, looking at her with pity. “because i’m so fucking happy these days. and this is the last time you’re ever going to take up a portion of that.”

fiona’s interrupted by the rush of air in the room as her sister appears. she looks to irene, then to fiona, eyes widening. “what are you doing?” she starts towards their grandmother, then––– “shit.” she takes three rapid steps towards fiona, grasping her shoulders tightly. “listen to me carefully, fiona. this–––” she gestures to irene; she’s all pale skin now, but the overgrown plants and the shortness of breath paint a picture of their own. “is an act of war. if the coven finds out, they will kill you. they will find you a hell of a lot quicker than you think, and they will burn you to death in the forest.” eloise speaks with a finality that would scare fiona on another day; as if this is a conversation that the coven has had before; as if they’ve had fiona’s capital punishment picked out from the day she came out. “i’m going to take care of this, okay? i’m going to make sure no one finds out about this. i’m going to wipe her memory, clean up the house. but you set off alarms when you came here, i––– fiona, i’m going to have to hurt you. but i’m doing it to protect you, and i really need you to know that, baby girl.”

fiona doesn’t have time to question it. eloise’s lips press against her hairline, rough and firm and sorrowful, before she steps away and slams her palm into fiona’s chest.

by fiona’s count, she bounces a little over thirteen times. not a single one is her choice.

it doesn’t feel like bouncing, the way she’s so used to. it feels more like she’s being popped in and out of place, with no time to figure out where she’s going, let alone take a break to refresh. her body tears itself to shreds, puts itself back together, and repeats the process again and again and again and again and again––––

she comes to a stop a mile away from the loft and dry heaves into a trashcan. nothing comes out of her, but she considers that a blessing. the heaving process hurts enough without the addition of actual content. she curls her fingers into the trashcan and sets a hand on her stomach, only to pull it away with a sharp inhale. it hurt.

she ducks into the nearest store ––– luckily, the same starbucks she’s been frequenting since she moved to beacon hills, so zach only waves at her as she passes ––– and hurries into the bathroom. she steps into an empty handicap stall, locking the door behind her and gingerly pulls up her shirt. the sight almost makes her gag, but she presses the back of her hand to her mouth to quell that urge. her stomach protrudes at the bottom, a drooping weight that hands above her waist. if the weight itself wasn’t concerning, the discoloration is. where the skin should be pale, it’s translucent to the point where she sees red, green veins lining whatever is pressing against her skin. with a shaking hand, she hesitantly pokes at the bulge and her vision swims. she grips the stall door tightly, forcing her breathing to even out and her tears to make themselves scarce.

the pain is agonizing and she feels––– she feels–––

empty. she feels so fucking empty, she wants to cry.

a tentative feel for her magic confirms what she’d already guessed: eloise sapped her magic. she knew what the bouncing would do to fiona, but if there was even a trace of her magic, it would have been tracked. “...fuck,” she murmurs, leaning her head against the cool door. it was dumb; she knows it was dumb, but she’d been so angry. she’d let her anger get the best of her, and she’d almost committed an act far worse than her grandmother’s own.

that wasn’t smart. that wasn’t fee.

she sucks in another breath and stands up straight. every minor movement aggravates the displacement of organs in her body, but she sucks it up. she’s walked off worse injuries ( kind of? ) worst case scenario, she calls liam’s dad and asks for his advice ––– as best she can, anyway. she knows she can’t ask the other witches about this; the last thing dominic or cass need to do is worry about her, and she’s not sure her body will take any supernatural intervention well at all. she can tell her parents, but ––– later. first, she has to get back to the pack. she has to tell derek she was right.

she straightens her clothing in the mirror and appraises herself with a critical eye. her floral skirt sits beneath the bulge of her stomach, and her brown knit sweater hangs low and loose enough to hide any deformities in her body. it all looks normal. she then works on fixing her face into a smile. she stands there tweaking it until it looks like her, a process she’s far too used to. she pushes the pain to the back of her mind and focuses on her happiness ––– they got cecelia. dominic and cass are so happy. nick still loves her. eloise saved her. eloise promised she’d take care of irene and fiona doesn’t doubt her at all. 

everything is okay. everything is really, truly okay.

fiona all but skips out of the bathroom, forcing her body to acclimate to the pain, and orders a vanilla bean frappe. once she has her order, she starts the slow trek back to the apartment. the act of being okay is child’s play to her –––––– she’s got this.