#ash is just trying to give skye a good time while he tries to save his life because he's the hero and he needs to save everyone

[skytroops]

peskypooch replied to your post: peskypooch replied to your post: ...

would ash notice somethin’s up with skye, what with his pale and weak physical appearance n all?

Skye and his family actually tell Ash pretty quickly what’s going on (that Skye is terminally ill and the only cure is that he needs his love returned by his “unknown” crush). Though, it’d be hard to not tell Ash about it after he sees Skye cough up parts of thistle right in front of him.

Ash gets super upset about the whole Skye is dying thing, so it makes it his mission to figure out who it is and get them to like Skye back so Skye can live and not die very painfully!! As well as being extra nice and comforting, which does the exact opposite effect he’d want, but Skye (and Pika) aren’t going to tell him that.

[officiallallorona]

AOS thoughts 3x08-3x18

the latest in opinions no one asked for

Hunter’s hacker persona when they break into the ATCU is fantastic. Love Daisy feeding him hacker jargon as Mack pretends to be the FBI hotline. Lincoln looks impressed af and honestly me too. The team just doing classic spy hijinks is my fave.

Oof. I KNEW Rosalind and Coulosn wouldn’t end well. I was hoping they’d just have a “sorry it didn’t work out” sitch that ended with her put on a bus. But of course they fridged her. *eyeroll* It’s not as if Team Coulson doesn’t already have 1000 valid reasons to kill Ward.

A taste of DIRECTOR MACK this early? In season 3? Be still my beating heart.

God, these Malick’s stay annoying, don’t they? Although I think Nathaniel will still prove to be the most annoying.

Fitz is so SOFT for Jemma, and it’s really cute. Homeboy’s heart is breaking trying to help her with Will but he’ll just do whatever. Fitzsimmons is still far from being “the draw” for me like they are with most of the fandom, but I do enjoy them.

Kinda sad they killed Will off. He had the makings of being a good character. Now it just seems like he was contrived Fitzsimmons angst that they neutralized immediately.

Omg OF COURSE Hunter tried an Inhuman fish oil pill. That’s one of those little character things just thrown in that I love.

I’ve seen the Spy’s Goodbye in GIF form but I didn’t expect it to hit so hard? I nearly cried! I already miss Bobbi and Hunter so much.

Oooh! Surpise Bethany Joy Lenz! Is Haley James Scott here to fuck shit up?

I have a lot of thoughts about 3x15 in particular because I love this damn episode.

I love Coulson having trouble not calling Daisy “Skye.” The fact that he slipped up for the first time in awhile in this ep when telling her to come home really emphasizes their father/daughter relationship. Skye is the girl he found out in a van and “adopted.” So that’s who he thinks of when she’s going off into a more dangerous than usual situation.

Great job, effects people. Those fleshy skeletons Hive leaves behind genuinely squick me out.

Fitz explains the concept of space-time SO MUCH BETTER than anyone in Endgame did.

May and Andrew have such a beautiful, tragic story. Ming-Na Wen and Blair Underwood’s acting is just top notch.

Oh, Lincoln has indeed grown on me. I no longer find him boring. I still don’t think that he’s Daisy’s soulmate or anything (I think they’re both too similar in letting their emotions get the best of them that they wouldn’t have worked long-term even if he hadn’t died), but I do enjoy them. And they are sweet/helping each other grow even among the chaos.

Fitzsimmons in the “snowy” ashes saying “I think we’re supposed to hold hands now...maybe some things are inevitable” is lovely.

This stuff with Daisy and Charles Hinton is really sweet too, if devastating. He’s just so HAPPY he finally made a difference. And she’s promising to protect his daughter (not unlike the agent who protected baby Daisy). I’m EMOTIONAL.

Damn it. So much for Bethany Lenz fucking shit up. Fridged for Malick. I swear, when they introduced her in the stinger, they were implying that she would be just as formidable as her dad. But nope. Disappointing.

Oh that’s nice that they got the same dude to be young Gideon in S7 as they did in S3.

Eww Malick dying was gross. This show goes pretty hard with gore for a basic cable show.

YoYo and Mack learning each other’s languages. She was practicing “nice to see you again. You’re looking well” specifically for him? GIRL I LOVE?!!!!

Also God, I love Daisy as the leader of the Secret Warriors. The show is NOT going to give me enough of this. I already feel robbed.

Bruh, 3x17 was fantastically suspenseful. Who’s the mole? The Inhumans feeling hunted by SHIELD and trying to regroup. And Dark, Brainwashed Daisy is one of the things I knew was coming, but my jaw still dropped. 

Wow, the team really doesn’t like Lincoln, do they? They’re doing everything to save infected Daisy but Coulson is willing to nuke Lincoln the second he gets infected? I’m glad May calls Coulson out on it. Also, Lincoln saying that he bets they’d like if he died so “you three can go back to being a small, messed up, family.” While I like the emphasis on them being a family (and doing the classic “I don’t like our daughter’s bf”), it seems a little unwarranted. Lincoln’s volatile, but I don’t think he’s any more chaotic than Daisy. And sure, he’s there for his girl and not the cause, but such was the case with Hunter and the only one who gave him shit for that was May. In this case it seems like so many--Coulson, May, Mack--are kinda just dealing with Lincoln for Daisy’s sake and I don’t know that strong of a dislike/distrust is earned.

However, it does make me smile thinking of the future in which everyone is on-board with Daisy/Sousa.

Mack saying “If [Dr. Radcliffe] is the only way to cure Tremors, you know where I stand” when it comes to Fitzsimmons performing unethical surgery. Listen, I know it’s protagonist-guided morality with how the team would flame anyone else for staking so much on one person vs the greater good, but honestly Daisy deserves people who love her that much. Who say “fuck it. You do what it takes to get her back.”

NEEDLE IN THE EYE. I DID NOT NEED THIS. Also omg, it’s Jonathan from The Mummy!

[missjosie27]

Year 2 Part 9- The First Vault

Hello, everyone.

There is good news! I seem to have my mojo back, that spark every writer needs to adequately make their craft. So expect updates to come a lot more often.

This chapter is the vault chapter though it will not mark the end of Year 2. For the record, I intend to write all seven years but that is going to take a hell of a long time given JC's very slow updating schedule haha.

Anyway enjoy this chapter! As always comment what you think. I enjoy it immensely.

Year 2 Part 9. The First Vault

Ben’s hopes for an uneventful end of the semester turned out to be oddly prophetic. The number of ice attacks dropped so significantly that even the first years seemed to be more relaxed going into the latter part of May and into June. Tension ran much lower and even the most brooding Slytherin or skeptical Ravenclaw had to admit things were looking up. Though Dumbledore was still noticeably absent, Professor McGonagall filled in more than adequately as deputy headmistress.

All the while, David felt…conflicted. He was certainly happy that the ice attacks had stopped, and the danger seemingly gone. But that didn’t lead him any closer to finding out what happened to his brother nor the identity of ‘R’ and what they wanted in general. Would he trade for more clues about the cursed vault just to have more information on Jacob? No, he wasn’t that selfish, unlike those such as Merula who only thought about themselves. But it didn’t ease that same longing he’d felt since he was nine years old, nor satisfy his curiosity.

Ben, of course, was ecstatic and Rowan tried to see the bright side as usual, telling him that no curse meant more time to study for their upcoming exams (whoop de doo) and reduce their chances of getting in trouble with the teachers. Bill, however, was the only one who remained unconvinced that the danger had truly passed.

“A magical cursed vault doesn’t just stop cursing people,” he explained one day while at the training grounds. “From what I’ve researched, cursed objects are often unpredictable and not at all stable due to the sheer amount of dark magic they contain.”

“Are these vaults even dark, though?” Rowan pointed out, as he fired a stinging hex towards his target. “It could just be a natural defense mechanism of someone trying to interfere with it.”

“I don’t personally trust anything that has the capacity to seriously maim or kill someone,” David opined.

Bill send a burst of flame forth, incinerating a dummy to ashes.

“If it turns out that this was nothing more than a false alarm, I won’t complain,” he said. “But until we can actually confirm that, it’s best to remain on our toes.”

And remain on their toes they did, thanks to Bill. Three times a week, they were down by the ground training and when they weren’t Rowan was often in the library searching for more books on the ancient Aramaic language they found the previous year, or anything on the vault’s origin. Penny received several new potions books from her mother and was pouring through them for more ideas or possible brews they could use in the event of an attack.

For his part, David tried to juggle the rest of his schoolwork with the vaults. His mother in particular was expecting higher marks this year and constantly reminded him of that in her letters.

Do as I say, not as I do he lamented. It was typical of his mum to offer instruction but little sympathy in doing so. If only Dad actually had a backbone. Whatever, it’s not like they’re actually here seeing what I get up to

All of these things were to bound to come to a head sooner or later and when it did, it was in the most unexpected fashion imaginable.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The day of pandemonium coincidentally was on the last Quidditch match of the season, where Gryffindor was due to play Ravenclaw for the title. The air was abuzz with excitement, and though the Slytherins were more than a bit glum at being out the running, it was expected to be an even, prime time matchup. It was not an atmosphere concerned with the cursed vaults.

That included David and Bill, who in their eager anticipation of the match, rose early and sped down to breakfast both for the purpose of eating and wishing Charlie luck. Since his first match against Slytherin, his ascent into superstardom had been rapid. The game against Hufflepuff was as equally lopsided, with Gryffindor winning 400-100 in a span of about half an hour. But it wasn’t simply the score that had the Lions on the cusp of their first cup since the late seventies, it was a generational talent and that person was Charlie Weasley. His natural ability on a broom was so spectacular, many people openly talked of him playing for England someday. True to his nature, the second eldest Weasley merely shrugged such talk off, choosing instead to focus on the Quidditch Cup but the chatter was undeniable.

“Good luck, little bro,” Bill teased him moments before heading down into the locker room. “You know Fred and George are going to want a full play by play after you win.”

“Knock it off, Bill,” Charlie said, rolling his eyes but there was a small smile on his face all the same. “Just have the butterbeer ready when we come back.”

Giving each other fist bumps, Skye Parkin called over as she tossed the quaffle back and forth between herself and fellow chaser Ruth Barrett.

“Oi, Weasley! Orion’s called us to the pitch! Let’s go!”

“She has a way with words,” Bill observed mildly.

Charlie raised his hands as he got up from the table.

“Just who she is.”

“Knock em, dead, mate. We all know you’ll be brilliant,” David encouraged, giving one last slap on the back.

The red head thanked him and quickly exited the Great Hall to the applause of the Gryffindor table, while the Ravenclaws paid them no mind.

“Gotta say, definitely different than playing Slytherin from a pregame standpoint,” David observed.

“Ravenclaws don’t need to use shady or underhanded tactics to try and intimidate opponents,” Bill pointed out. “Their talent and tactics are usually enough. Besides, their team left for the locker room already.”

“Good point.”

Checking out his watch, David began to wonder where Rowan and Ben were. Both had assured him they’d be down just after himself. Even if his best friend wasn’t the earliest riser when it came to Quidditch matches, he was usually sufficient enough to dress and shower quickly.

“Where are those guys?” he muttered to himself. The Great Hall was beginning to empty out. Even the Professors were absent from the table. Something wasn’t right.

Bill tried to reassure him in his usual cool, collected manner.

“I’m sure they’ll be along s-”

He never was able to finish the sentence as screaming and panic began to erupt from outside of the hall. Whoever was left eating breakfast immediately ran to the scene of the commotion, including the two Gryffindors. What they saw was pure pandemonium: adolescents and teenagers from all houses were running back and forth and wasn’t hard to see why. Numerous spores of ice were blooming all around them, growing at a rapid pace threatening to engulf all in their path.

David and Bill, both glanced at each other, simultaneously gulping. Suddenly, wave of blonde slammed into them.

“Ack! Penny?!”

“Dave! Bill! Oh, I’m so glad I found you,” she said through a tight hug around David’s midsection (he blushed ever so slightly). “Is this the cursed vault?”

“Has to be,” the young Gryffindor replied. “What else could be making such gigantic icebergs?”

Just then, a large mass could be seen moving towards them through the crowd and given his height advantage it wasn’t difficult to spot who it was.

“Dave? Bill? All yehs thank goodness yer alrigh’.”

“Hagrid? What on earth is going on?”

The exceedingly large man’s warm, beetle eyes were saddled with watery worry.

“The cursed ice is spreadin through all o’ Hogwarts!” he replied, nervously tapping a pink umbrella by his side. “It’s getting ter be madness out there. Gryffindor Tower is completely blocked in, the dungeons got icicles stickin out everywhere. An’ apparently the Ravenclaw Quidditch team are trapped inside the changing rooms. The blasted ice is expandin so fas’ that the Professors can’t keep up with it and there’s only so much they can do. Especially with Professor Dumbledore off searchin fer that curse-breaker.”

Hagrid paused and mumbled to himself.

“Ah, shouldn’ta said that, should not have said that.”

“What curse breaker?” David asked curiously. But the groundskeeper waved off their concerns with one of his trash can lid hands.

“Never mind tha’ now. My job is to keep you lot safe until the ice is under control. Now head back into the Grea’ Hall while I go assist Professor McGonagall.”

As he sped off, or as fast as one of his girth could go, David looked back towards his two companions, blocking out the hysteria around him.

“We have to move fast,” he told Bill and Penny. “It sounds like the ice is back with a vengeance.”

“But shouldn’t the Professors handle it?” the blonde asked, fear evident in her crystal, blue eyes.

“It sounds like they have too much on their plate in order to properly deal with the cursed ice. And this time it might not be enough to save the day,” David pointed out.

“We’re forgetting one key thing,” Bill added. “The Professors don’t even know where the origin of this ice is. They may not be able to fix it.”

“But we do. And we can,” David declared. “Bill’s right. No one besides us knows where this vault is located. It’s time for a third and final visit.”

Bill looked over his shoulder to ensure no one was listening, simultaneous worry and conflict on his handsome features. However, he also appeared resolved.

“I didn’t want to go back in there without at least four or five us just so we could have each other’s backs, but it looks like there’s no choice. The three of us will go in, break that curse, and save Hogwarts.”

David nodded in complete agreement. As much as he wanted Rowan and Ben with them, his two roommates were effectively trapped within the common room. They were the last remaining hope.

“It’s settled then. Penny, are you in?”

Though her own misgivings could still be seen in her face and body posture, Penny didn’t hesitate in her answer.

“Absolutely. I told you David that the next time something like this happens to involve me. Well, you’re going to keep that promise whether you like it or not.”

She truly is the most loyal Hufflepuff I’ve ever seen

“You’re amazing, Penny. Alright let’s go!”

And without so much as a second thought, the three teens took off running towards the thirteenth corridor.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It didn’t take long to reach the corridor nor for David to reveal the hidden entrance. Being the third go around, he could pinpoint the spot precisely and the power of being an advanced Transfiguration student certainly didn’t hurt either.

When the eerie hallway and steps were exposed, Penny was taken aback.

“Whoa,” she uttered softly. “I’ve never seen a cursed vault before, but even this is a lot to take in at one time.”

“Stay close,” David nodded towards her. The last thing he needed was more casualties on this trip. Rowan and Bill had nearly frozen to death in each of the last instances. He would ensure nothing of the sort happened to Penny. However, her inexperience was showing already. The two Gryffindor teens already knew what to expect unlike the blonde Hufflepuff.

“Don’t worry,” he tried to reassure her. “It’s okay to be scared. We all are.”

“But it always helps to have a bit background. Especially for someone who’s never seen all of this macabre rubbish,” Bill joked.

Penny gave a frail smile, nevertheless she remained quite frightened of the ominous knights and ancient statues that surrounded them.

“What should I expect?” she asked bravely.

“If memory serves correctly, there will be a chamber with a massive door of ice in front of us, guarded by a giant shield shaped like a snowflake,” Bill explained to her.

“You’re taking the mickey, right?”

David resisted the urge to laugh despite the seriousness of the situation.

“It sounds pretty unbelievable but trust me, Penny. We’re not lying.”

As if to prove his point they came across the same giant wall of ice that stood against their path to the doors, twice as thick and formidable as before.

“Well…this is a problem,” David observed. “Will the knockback jinx be enough, Bill?”

“It’s our only hope, mate,” Bill told him, pulling out his wand. “If we hit it at the same time, it should be enough to create a big enough entry way for us to fit through.”

The two second years copied the older boy and prepared to fire.

“Give it all you got, Penny,” David told her, giving a look of encouragement. “Whatever ounce of power you think you have….summon every ounce of it.

I’m going to need it too

“On the count of three,” Bill announced and Penny’s normally cute, bubbly features took on an uncharacteristic degree of determination. “One….two….THREE!”

“Flipendo!”

Beams of blue light struck the ice with a tremendous force but to their dismay, only a slight dent was made, indicating the defenses were much stronger than originally thought of.

“Try it again. One…two…THREE!”

“Flipendo!”

This time a small hole was made through the ice, but it was barely big enough for a man to go ice fishing.

“One more,” Bill breathed heavily. “We can do this. On my count…one…two…THREE!”

This time, their efforted yielded paydirt as the combined power of their spells blasted the ice apart, leaving a man sized opening just big enough for them duck through.

“When you get inside, spread out and be ready when the door starts blasting its freezing charms,” the eldest Weasley informed them. “Penny, you remember the fire spell, yeah?”

“Incendio, right?”

“That’s the one. As soon as you get close enough to it, blast it with all your power.”

David nodded in affirmation. There was no time to think or get fancy, the only objective was to get past that door and ensure that this curse was broken once and for all. As for what came after….they could deal with that later.

Sure, enough as they entered the icy chamber and drew close, the snowflake shield began firing off freezing curses, causing the three teens to roll off to one side in order to avoid them.

“I see what you mean!” Penny yelled, drawing her wand. “Also, really wish I’d worn something other than a skirt had I known we’d literally be going into a cursed vault!”

David fired a knockback jinx to buy them some time, but their offensive nearly stalled as a freezing spell nearly hit Bill, causing him to slip forward on the slick, unstable surface.

“That was too close,” he muttered. “Alright, after the next curse it shoots off, fire away with everything you got.”

David drew his own wand and aimed carefully, shrinking low on the steps, concentrating all of his magic into the biggest inferno ball he could imagine in his head. By the hardened look on Penny’s face, she was evidently doing the same. As soon as the next freezing spell (aimed for Bill again) passed, he and the Hufflepuff were on their feet charging the door.

“INCENDIO!!” they roared simultaneously.

With their combined strength, huge plumes of fire issued forth and made contact with the shield attached the door. Through the heat and acrid smoke, David could see that the icy fortification was melting into a pool of water onto the floor. By the time the fire barrage ended, it was completely gone.

“YES!” he exclaimed. “We finally got rid of that bloody thing.”

The group barely had time to celebrate however as ominous rumbling could be heard from inside of the door, the ground quaking as though a giant were approaching.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Penny stated, anxiety back on her face.

“I just realized, David,” Bill said turning to him. “All this time we thought this door was keeping us out of the vault…but what if it was keeping something IN?”

It was a consideration they had no time to discuss more for at that moment, as the massive doors opened to reveal a terrifying sight: an Ice Knight, made of iron but covered completely in chunks of snow and frost, about ten feet tall carrying a massive sword. It did not look pleased at their intrusion.

“Merlin’s Beard,” Bill breathed. “Everyone, take cover!!”

But he was too late. The knight struck out with his sword creating an icy wind so fierce, so deathly cold that one could not stand against it without plunging into a winter induced coma. In a quick succession, Bill’s body was quickly entrapped in ice as was Penny’s. Fortunately for David, he had managed to jump out of the way in time, all except his foot, which he managed to free.

“Blasted thing…” he muttered, ripping his foot away and breaking the containment. He ignored the rising chill in his bones as he saw his two friends stuck in blocks of ice so thick, it was a wonder they could move at all. Both of their faces were already turning blue.

“L-look out!” Bill warned threw chattered teeth as the knight swung his blade once more.

Again, David had to dive out of the away to avoid getting caught in the same prison. Wheeling around, he aimed his wand and issued out another fire blast. It caught the knight square in the chest, causing it to reel back but otherwise had no effect.

“Uh oh.”

For the third time, he avoided a blizzard blast but only just barely. There was no telling how long he could keep this up. Not to mention the health and safety of his friends were increasingly in jeopardy. He wasn’t going to win by simply dodging the strikes.

“D-D-Dave,” Penny managed to utter out. “C-c-come here. Reach into m-m-my j-j-jumper pocket.”

He did not argue, running over to her and doing as instructed. Within seconds, a bottle of green potion was in his hand.

“It’s f-f-fire breathing p-p-potion. I know i-i-it’s risky b-b-but it might be our only h-h-hope.”

“S-s-she’s right!” Bill called out in agreement. “You h-h-have to use it n-n-now!”

In a split second David managed to consider the options: fire breathing potion could damage someone’s esophagus and stomach beyond repair if too much was ingested at one time. And would it be enough to actually take down their adversary? Unless…

Wait a second, I have an idea

Ducking another blast from the Ice Knight, David wasted no more time. He quickly chugged the potion, feeling its warmth rush down his throat and into the pit of his gut (it was rather like ingesting tasteless, extremely hot water). Putting his wand directly in front of his mouth, he ran up to the Knight, and knelt down on one knee.

Summoning a deep breath, David aimed straight for its midsection with only a second to spare.

“INCENDIOOOOO!!!!”

The fire breathing potion combined with the spell of his wand issued a concentrated beam of fire so powerful that it cut through the giant’s armor like a hot knife through butter, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of its body. As soon as the damage was recognized the silent knight looked down, fell to its knees before bursting into a cloud of snow and dust.

Panting heavily, David barely even registered his victory, rushing over to help Bill and Penny. Using the last of his fire breathing reserved, he managed to carefully blow a ring of fire around the ice, cracking it to the point where both could effectively free themselves.

“D-Dave, do you know what you j-just did?” Penny asked him, her pretty features in full awe.

“Careful, Penny. You’re still shivering pretty badly.”

“F-forget me, that was the m-most amazing thing I’ve ever s-seen!”

“She’s right you know,” Bill concurred. His body still quaked as well but his larger size and body mass ensured he did not feel the effects quite as badly. “Dave, I’ve never seen a second year do that before. You just took down something ancient, something way beyond what most wizards have ever seen.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the compliments, but David had seen this story before. Rowan and Bill each required sufficient time to recover from the door blasts and the knight’s power was far stronger than that. They needed to get to the hospital wing.

“Guys, let’s go see Madam Pomfrey before you freeze to death, come on-”

“Not before you enter that vault,” Bill cut him off.

“Forget the vault,” David insisted, supporting Penny with his own body weight. “We need to leave this place.”

“Leave after everything we did to open the bloody door?” Bill barked out with a laughter. “Not likely. David we’ll be fine. This is what you wanted: the first step in finding the answers about your brother. Go, I can take care of Penny.”

Before he could protest, the blonde placed a soft, feminine hand over his mouth.

“Hush,” she said with a smile. “B-Bill’s right, we’re b-both okay.”

Swallowing, but also nodding his head, David acquiesced to their insistence. He didn’t like the idea of leaving them behind whilst they were still in considerable trouble, but curiosity and desire overrode his fear. Any immediate threat was gone now. It was time to see just what was behind those frozen doors.

“Together,” he said to them. “All three of us.”

His friends smiled at him.

“If you insist, David.”

And just as he insisted, the three friends stepped inside the doors into the unknown.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In contrast to the snowy, ice cream covered walls of the chamber outside, the inside of the vault was quite similar to the hallway in its décor and decoration. It was also considerably warmer. Inside was a dark, copper green colored room lined with four different knight statues, all resembling the one they had just fought. In the center was a lit column, situated upon a stone pillar, lit by a soft, yellowish glow the emanated from the inside. Upon the column, was an ancient language, the same that Rowan translated a year earlier.

“Unbelievable,” Penny breathed out.

“There is definitely something to this column here,” Bill said, rubbing his chin.

“Perhaps it has something inside?” David suggested to which eldest Weasley shrugged.

“Only one way to find out, mate. You can do the honors.”

The second year Gryffindor didn’t hesitate. Foolish as it may seem to touch a mysterious magical object of unknown origin and power, the nagging desire was too much to resist for him. He didn’t know what to expect really, if anything at all. However, a curious thing occurred upon his finger resting on the column. It began to shift and unfold as though it were a flower in bloom. What lay inside was odder still. They seemed to be hovering in midair in a yellowish mist.

“A broken wand and a book? Not exactly the treasure I was hoping for,” Bill observed.

“Who knows? Maybe their clues,” David countered. And before he could stop himself he reached inside and attempted to take the two objects. Upon doing so, a familiar voice began echoing loudly inside his head.

Find the other four vaults, David….Find my room…

Could it be…Jacob?

“Find your room?” he asked the voice aloud. “I don’t understand.”

You can’t let ‘her’ get there first! Hurry!

“Who’s her?” he asked again. “What do you mean?”

Just then he was pulled back from the center of the column by Bill.

“Dave! Snap out of it!”

“Wha?”

Bill looked at Penny and back to him, his expression confused and concerned.

“You were in some kind of trance. You kept talking to someone lime if they were in the room with us.”

“I…heard a voice,” David admitted, not knowing what else to say.

“Who?”

“My brother….told me to keep finding the other vaults. You must think I’m mad, don’t you?”

They must think I’m off my rocker. I don’t blame them either

To his surprise, neither Penny nor Bill seemed to regard him as a madman waiting to go to the looney bin.

“For what it’s worth, I believe you, Dave,” Penny spoke up.

“So do I. I could believe anything after what we just went through,” Bill agreed.

“Did he say anything specific?”

David regained his senses and analyzed the situation for a moment. How was it possible that he had just heard his brother? Even in the wizarding world, witnessing voices that weren’t there was not a good sign and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling what he heard was not the work of insanity.

“He told me to locate his room and that there are four more vaults, specifically. And to find them before ‘her’. Whoever that is.”

“Her?” Penny repeated. “This just keeps on getting weirder.”

“I concur,” Bill said. “But what about the wand and book?”

David inched closer once more and took both of the objects without further visitation from the voice. Upon inspection, he recognized the wand’s true owner.

“This is Jacob’s wand. The one he had while at Hogwarts. I’d know it anywhere.”

Bill took the leather bound journal from him and began flipping the pages, his eyebrows furrowed in befuddlement.

“This book, whoever it belonged to, is nothing but scribbles and random drawings. It appears the author was quite mad.”

“Could it be a clue to the location of the next vault?” Penny asked.

David didn’t know what to think. Far from answering questions, their journey and entry to the vault seemed to invite more questions, thickening this mystery even further. The quest to find his brother now took on a whole new meaning.

“I have no idea,” Bill said quietly after a moment of pondering. “But what I do know is that we need to get out of here before we get caught.”

Snapping back to his senses, the second year almost forgot how long they had been in here. It was long past overdue for their departure.

“Bill’s right. We don’t want to find any of the teachers waiting for us by the time we get back. It’s time to go.”

“Do you think that we stopped the cursed ice for good?” Penny wondered aloud. “I hope no one got hurt.”

It was a sentiment they all shared but one they had no way of knowing until they returned back to the halls of Hogwarts. With enough adventure completed for one day, the trio made their way out of the vault and into the thirteenth corridor.

[imperfectfools]

@onceuponymous

This… got pretty long. If you feel like publishing this, you can paste this into a text file so that a readmore can be added.

Things that happen in Official Casebook Vol. 2: The Miles Edgeworth files: A comic that takes place between Rise From the Ashes and writing the note, wherein Phoenix and Gumshoe worry because Edgeworth isn’t answering his phone or e-mails, and that he’s acting differently lately.  Gumshoe actually steals a file from Edgeworth and brings it to Phoenix’s office in order to force them” to confront.  Phoenix points out that this file is from an old case, meaning Edgeworth is sorting out all of his old cases and not taking any new ones, and is worried.  Quotes from his inner monologue: “This is why I didn’t want to see him.  He cuts right into the one thing I don’t want him to touch.” Phoenix grabs his hand and tells him not to feel alone. “If… …I let go of his hand now… I may never get another friend like him again. Even so,” Miles pulls his hand away.  Out loud: “If… if I disappear from before you again, don’t come after me, Wright.” Edgeworth sees Pearl in front of a TV window display in a toy store.  It’s a movie where a mother bear is fighting to protect her cub.  The store manager comes out and says it’s closing time, and Pearl asks, “Mr. Edgeworth!  This… this little bear will get to see his mother again, won’t he!?” and starts crying.  Knowing that the mother and cub get separated in a blizzard and never see each other again, and also knowing that Pearl’s mother is in prison, he lies and says they reunite.  He then spends the rest of the day sabotaging Wright and Co. Law Offices’ attempts to let Pearl watch the movie on television or DVD (including walking into their office, pouring coffee on the TV, and walking out).  It only ends when Pearl comes forth and said she lied, she knows how the movie ends, and she just asked the question as a lie because the scene upset her.  Everything gets settled, the movie gets watched, and he buys a stuffed bear based on the movie for Pearl. This: 

(check out the shape the stars make)

Edgeworth allows himself to be stabbed by a child because the boy was upset at him getting his father declared guilty. (Okay, he blocks the knife with the cast he had on his arm at the time.)  He doesn’t try to get the boy punished or anything, just hugs him and tells him “It’s okay… You’ll be okay.”

He dresses up as Phoenix to help the defense investigation because the real Phoenix has been kidnapped?? This comic is kind of dumb.  He gets sad afterwards because he had a good time with Maya and Gumshoe and isn’t used to feeling like that.

A comic that doesn’t make much sense, but fuck it, I’m recounting it here.  Miles remembers crying in the rain after his father’s death, and a boy coming up to him and giving him his umbrella.  Present day, he has a dream about it, and goes to talk to Phoenix about how he feels like he’s in that boy’s debt because the act of kindness meant so much to him — but he can’t remember what his face looked like.  Somehow Pearl, Maya, and Larry all chase him into a lake as they try to hit him on the head to make him regain his memories (???).  He wakes up on a couch in Wright’s office, and the boy he remembers is standing in front of him.  Turns out it’s Phoenix but with wet hair after pulling him out of the lake.  (I choose to believe that Miles’s shit vision means he’s used to identifying Phoenix by hair alone.)  Edgeworth gets this distant look on his face, and thinks “So I’ll be indebted to this man my whole life…?”  Phoenix says, “Not that I care, but you could at least say thank you, Edgeworth”  “I know that!  I — I am deeply grateful!”

Another comic where he dreams about being rescued from the elevator by Maya.  Edgeworth thinks about how he really wants to say thank you to her (for risking herself with the contempt of court thing and for getting the bullet) but can’t seem to get the words out.  Somehow he and Phoenix go to Kurain village and rescue Maya from a bear using Pink Samurai training cards??? I’m kind of fuzzy on this sequence.  Maya says, “Thank you for saving me.”  Inner monologue as he takes her hand to help stand up: “  Those are the words I wanted to say to her then… and the words I can never bring myself to say. …But… I’ll push myself a little at a time.  Because they may be only two words, but they’re very important ones.”

Apparently, in grade school Miles, Larry, and Phoenix used to have milk chugging contests where the loser would have to take cleaning duty, and Miles never won.  This is brought up at a restaurant, and Edgeworth demands a rematch then and there.  He loses.

Somehow he ends up teaming up with Ema Skye in a curry-eating contest against Jake Marshall and Damon Gant??? (He wins.)  (This comic book is dumb.)

Edgeworth sees Pearl, Phoenix, and Maya standing outside of a curry restaurant.  Pearl: “I’m sorry… I don’t really like curry…”  Maya: “What?  I thought you loved curry, Pearly…”  Phoenix: “Oh… I bet it reminds her of gravy and that case.” (The translators had to kind of scramble to make this make sense since Bridge to Turnabout had curry in Japanese and gravy in English, and this manga story is very clearly about curry.)  Miles immediately thinks that Pearl is going to unavoidably encounter curry a lot in her life, and thus materializes next to the group and demands that they go on a curry-making cooking field trip, in order to provide Pearl with good curry-related memories.  (“We’ll banish the detested memories by engraving new ones in her heart!!”)  Franziska comes along.  Franziska dices an onion using her whip.  Franziska fights a bear by whipping an onion at it.  Pearl gets across that she’s really happy and thankful for the whole experience.

His cravat, throughout all of the stories, is referred to as “his ruffles”.

He hires Maya as a co-counsel for a short while so that she can get some money (which she uses to buy a tie for Nick).

Maya has a fight with Nick over Steel Samurai, sneaks into Edgeworth’s office, and falls asleep on his couch.  He drags her back (and they stop at a noodle place on the way there).  Later, Pearl sneaks into his office and falls asleep on his couch.

Phoenix and Maya get to talking about how a lawyer should look good.  Phoenix goes to Edgeworth and asks him what he thinks a good-looking man is like.  Edgeworth tries to pass him off to Larry, but after each piece of advice Larry offers, Phoenix goes back to demonstrate for Edgeworth.  It’s all pretty stupid, but I thought it was gay enough to warrant mention.