#do you ever think about how he signed his name with that little arrow beneath it. do you think about how he was in a band for a while.

[tbcanary]

category 100000 roy harper moment

[heavencanbeaprisontoo]

Living with Thomas Shelby Headcanons

Notes: These hcs were made for an AU were Grace doesn’t reunite with Tommy.

Warnings: Fluff, angst, PTSD, some suggestive language, violence.

Domestic Headcanons

-Tommy is a man that wants his home to be a symbol of sanctuary and his hard-won wealth. Arrow House accomplished that goal. A massive manor made of brick and stone, it reminds you of Tommy in a way. Solid, cold, secretive… hollow. It takes a lot for you to get used to living there. After some time passes, Arrow House’s interior starts to reflect more of your personal tastes. It adds a warmth that was lacking. Tommy won’t admit it, but he’s grateful for it.

- The servants take some adjusting to, absolutely. Tommy actually cracks a smile when you jump at the soft voice of a maid from the doorway. He’s less amused when that jump rips you from his lap. The way Tommy acts in his home, you would think it’s just the two of you living there. He has little issue pushing you to his desk or pinning you to a wall to have his fill of you.

- If you show any sign of knowing how to ride a horse, or that you would like to learn, expect dates on horseback. These dates aren’t necessarily filled with chatter, but you enjoy them. Tommy relaxes in a way you don’t normally see. Traveling over the hills and across these wide plains with him feels so peaceful. Sometimes he talks of his heritage with you. How his mother would tell him stories of his father’s courting of her. They would ride alone, in secret. Horses are precious to his people, as is this time spent with you. A part of him likes seeing that you can live in both worlds with him. Challenge him to a race and you’ll watch the years fall from his face. He becomes almost boy like when he charges past you, perhaps even cracking a smile when he wins.

- He knows many riddles and jokes, he used to say them often. You only found out about it when he told a few silly jokes to a stable boy who had sprained his ankle while working. The boy was terrified Tommy would fire him. He sent him home with his month’s wages and told him to get well.

- When you start sleeping in the same bed as Thomas Shelby as his partner and not just his lover, get ready. His demons always catch up to him in his dreams. He thrashes some nights. Once, Tommy woke you with a scream. The Devil of Small Heath is quick to regain his composure, but you swear you saw him wipe tears from his cheeks. He doesn’t like to be comforted. At least that’s how he tries to act the first few hundred times you attempt to console him. Over time, he lets you hold him. It’s a bit silly. This man let you move in with him and share his bed, yet it took him so long to just let you see him be weak.

Relationship Headcanons

- Beneath all the new money and designer suits beats the heart of a simple man. He likes to read the paper in the mornings and (when he was still drinking) have a splash of whiskey in his coffee. Little homemade things like a lunch packed for him will fluster him. If you rush him with such a thing for him to take with him, it’ll make his day. He will try to refuse, but he doesn’t mean it. Write him a simple note with a kiss. You might just find a stack of these little notes in his desk one day.

- Tommy gets up at odd hours as his sleep is rarely if ever regular. There are mornings where you roll over and his spot in the bed is cold. You call the family office and hear from his secretary that he’s been in for hours. And the sun isn’t even up. That leaves you a lot of time alone in the house. You get to know the staff very well for this reason. Tommy sometimes looks to you to remember the names of butlers or cooks before he makes a specific request or reprimand. The servants all generally like you a lot more than Tommy because of this.

- Lingering touches and soft kisses to the cheek are frequent behind closed doors. Only. No PDA. He hates to look soft. Do not do cute things in front of his men. It will irritate him. That said, privately? He likes to take a seat on the bed you share and have you stand between his legs so he can hold you close. Stare up at you like you hang the stars. Pull you on top of him as he lays back. Perfect way to end a day in Tommy’s opinion.

- Thomas Shelby is a man who loses as much as he gains. People cannot be counted on without fear in his world. No matter how much he loves you, there will always be doubt. Doubt that you won’t survive loving a man like him. Doubt that your loyalty may be decaying with every cold word and impassive wave he sends your way. This is only one of his quirks that have you contemplating homicide on a bad day.

- Part of his fear surrounding you is that he is a man that does not fall first, but he falls harder. You may not always see it, but he would burn the world for you. He will kill for you. If you ever killed for him, Tommy would know his fears were for nothing. Head wouldn’t know what to do with himself after. He’s never had a lover that would watch his back for him like you. Tommy would never ask for you to do it again. Ever. But knowing you’re as dark-hearted as him might make him more open to strategizing with you. Make you his confidant. The Lilith to his Lucifer.

[random-imagines-blog]

Flirt {Ygritte x Female!Reader Oneshot}

Requested by: @starjane312​ Wordcount: 2623 Summary: The new boy at camp brings all sorts of trouble.

The new boy was staring. Ever since Ygritte had returned to the camp, bringing this puppy of a man, no, a boy, back with her, he’d been giving her the heart eyes whenever she wasn’t looking. You couldn’t blame him, Ygritte was the most amazing person that you had ever met, and you thanked the old Gods every day that you had been blessed enough to marry her. Same-gender relationships were extremely rare and frowned upon, even for the Wildlings when there was the pressure to have babies, but your father, Mance, had allowed it. So though that was allowed, this boy staring at your wife was not. You poked at the fire with your stick to push some of the wood further in towards the fire, while glaring at the boy. You retraced the story in your head - he had been found, and unfortunately saved, and then brought here. As if he belonged here. Anyone could see that he most certainly didn’t. Except for Ygritte who treated him kindly - or at least her version of kind.

“Yer barely eating,” Ygritte said, pushing a bit more of the bear meat towards you. “Whats a matter which-ya?

“Guess I’m not hungry,” You muttered, finally going from the boy’s dark eyes to Ygritte’s blue gray which rivaled the color of water. “Don’t you worry about me. You go on and eat it. You’re skin n’ bone.”

“Just cause I ain’t got blubber doesn’t mean I’m a guppy,” Ygritte said, reaching out and put a hand on your sturdy thigh. It was true, you weren’t the skinniest of the bunch, you had some meat on your bones. To the point where many of the men could be seen looking at your stomach and licking their lips when food was scarce. If your father wasn’t who he was, you probably would have been killed already. That was just the way that things sometimes went up here. You did what you had to do to survive.

“If you don’t wanna be a guppy, you better eat up then,” You said, pushing the meat right back to her and got up onto your feet. “I’m gonna go have a word with the crow.”

“Oh, this is gonna be good,” Ygritte said, taking the meat in her gloved hand and got up to follow you. You stopped and looked over your shoulder at her, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn’t ask for an audience,” You said.

“I know tha’,” She crossed her arms, still chewing on what was in her mouth. “Tha’s exactly why I’m comin’. I’m not missin’ out on whatever talk that you’re going to give him. Remember the last person we found and rescued? I think ‘is nose is still broken.”

“He grabbed yer arse, you think I was gonna let him get away with that?”

“This one didn’t,” Ygritte said, nodding at new boy. “Besides, not like he’s got anythin’ in that head of his except for the wall. That Jon Snow, he knows nothin’.”

“So I’m gonna make sure that he knows somethin, and it’s to stop makin those goo-goo eyes at my wife,” You said, stepping closer to where the man was. He noticed you coming and seemed to tense up. Good. You stared at him for a moment, and then gave a little growl. He might have a direwolf - but you were the alpha wolf around these parts. “You gonna scar up his pretty face?” Ygritte asked, nudging you. “Like you did with the others? How many would that be now - five? Ten?”

“I los’ count about a year ago. Guess it’s my own fault then. I just had to go and fall in love with the prettiest lass this side of the Wall,” You grinned. She laughed, but gave your chest a bit of a slap in that way that she did. She was a tough and fearless woman, with a pretty face to boot. Many of the men around here wanted her, and any from outside, like Jon Snow, probably would too. Bastards, all of em.

“Ahh, you big softie, you’re like a gutted pig. All tough on the outside and steamy and warm on the inner,” Ygritte said, which was about as romantic as things tended to get around here. “You gonna go threaten him on my behalf now, wife?”

“Don’t know if I need to now that I’ve already got his attention,” You said, turning your body towards Ygritte. “I’ll just show him what’s what instead of having ta tell him.”

The furs were always something that came between you but with the heavy cold of the everlasting winter, they were something that had to be gotten used to. Still, you brushed up close enough to her to bring her soft, dainty pink lips into a kiss right there, in front of everybody. There were some whoops. Some hollers. Some of the men never got tired of seeing two women kiss, the bloody perverts. You were putting on a bit of a show but it wasn’t for anyone’s amusement. It was a warning.

You had grabby hands, always had, always would, and then went right down to that ass beneath the long fabric of her coat and gave it an audible slap. It was loud enough, sharp enough to sound like a branch breaking. Ygritte never minded when you got a bit rough. Turned her on in fact, something you knew very well. Some might call you a bit possessive, but you considered it your duty to guard the lovely lass who had stolen your heart. Even if she would blacken the eye of anyone else who would dare to call her lovely.

“I love ya,” You said, forgetting about the reason why you were doing this in front of everyone. She had her hands on both of your cheeks, feeling how warm they were, slightly squishing them so that you made a silly face in the way she always found amusing. You laughed, though the inside of your cheeks squished against your teeth.

“And I love ya, y/n Ryder,” She said in return, and pressed another kiss on those puckered lips of yours, right in front of crow-boy and everyone else.

-

The Battle at Castle Black. The name was fitting, because it was a black night for many who were involved. You had your suspicions about Snow since the beginning, though you had hoped that you were wrong. There was something fishy about this Castle Black, and so you had gone with your wife to spy on it, find out how many people were defending it. It was so strange to you, these wardens of the wall, because your father had been one of them and turned his back on it. They had made him give a pledge not to have relationships. These people - they didn’t want you to be born. To have your life.

“I’m havin’ second thoughts abou’ this,” Ygritte said, turning to you. And you had to agree. You were angry at these people, these wardens, but you also didn’t want any more of your people to have to die. It felt like there was a trap afoot. Everyone was preparing for the attack, you had your swords, and your bow at your back, that sick feeling remaining in your stomach. You thought about going to talk to the others about your instincts, but the warg snapped out of his trance at that very second. The signal had been given. It was time to move in.

It was too late to turn back now, so you ran ahead with your wife, sticking together through this. You absolutely refused to be separated. Where she went, you went. Where you went, she went. You both went towards the gate, and using your bows so you could stay a far distance, started to shoot at them. One of your arrows went right through the eye of a man at the gate. And you couldn’t say that you felt bad. They had signed up for this. They didn’t have a wife and kids that you should feel bad for. They made their bed and now they were going to damn well lay in it.

Your wife got some good shots as well, but there was no time to stop and celebrate her accuracy. The battle kept going, and would keep going until there was a victor. It was time to move in, to close the distance.

And what did you see but that stupid crow fighting alongside of his ‘brethren’ rather than the rightful side of the Wildlings. “I told you that boy could not be trusted,” You growled to Ygritte. She looked angry too. She had been taken in by him, had formed a friendship with him during the travels to the wall. Your ‘I told you so’ didn’t help matters much but you felt like it needed to be said. And now, you were determined to take him down.

“Damn traitor ain’t even worth it,” Ygritte said, spitting onto the ground at what she had seen. She took hold of your hand, gave it a squeeze, then went back to preparing her bow to fire again. You took out your sword, getting ready for blade to blade combat against these so called men. You didn’t believe that they were men at all. Your father, Tormund, your friends among the wildlings, those were men. They did what they had to do to survive.

They went down. So did some of your own people. You noticed that some of the crows in their black jackets were running, trying to hide. That alone was a sign of victory. None of your people were trying to hide. None of your people were cowards. Slash, slash, clash of blades, sparks flying from how fast and how hard they hit each other. Stab, stab, cutting through flesh, entering it, becoming a butcher of fine human meat. Groans from the injured, you put them out of their misery.

And then the moment seemed to fall silent as you turned to see that Ygritte had her bow pointed right at Jon Snow, who stood above Styr’s body. You looked at the corpse on the ground, your heart beating fast, rage flooding through your veins. You would never forgive this. You had your blade out and you pointed it towards Jon as well. But this was more so Ygritte’s revenge. Let her kill the traitor, for it was her that he had blinded. You looked about you, refusing to be distracted by the confrontation beside you. You couldn’t let yourself be blinded as well.

You heard the arrow, and your instincts took over. You pushed Ygritte out of the way and caught the arrow yourself, it lodging into your side. It barely penetrated through the thickness of your skin, you could feel that. It was almost like a bug bite. But for Ygritte, calculating by how she had been standing, it might have been fatal. You turned to the boy who fired it, and you charged, pulling the arrow out of the fur and skin, taking it out in one piece, your blood turning the stone on the end a deep red color. Jon was shouting at you to stop. That Olly was just a boy. But Ygritte silenced him with a shouting of her own.

You took hold of the boy, who seemed startled that you had stopped his attack. You held the arrow that he had shot at your wife to the soft underside of his chin. “May you live this moment forever,” You cursed, then thrust the arrow upwards, right into his skull. At that, Jon roared at you. Something about how he was only a kid.

“A killer is a killer,” You said, marching back towards him. As you did, the war kept going on. The death of one didn’t matter much in this war of thousands. But then a weapon was released - a sort of scythe that started to cut through your people. It sent ice into your heart far more effectively than the cold had. You took Ygritte’s hand and she didn’t fight you. “We must go to the meeting spot,” You told her.

“Yeah,” She said, a little shaken at how near death she had gotten, but then her fearless expression came back onto her pale features. She turned her bow towards Jon, arrow still drawn, her fingers trembling to let it go. “If ye even think of followin’ us, traitor, I’ll kill ye where ye stand. I mean it. You deserve worse than that.”

“He sure does,” You grumbled, but then heard more screams of your people. “We gotta go, now,” You said. And you tugged her along, being quite fast despite the bit of fat that you had on your body which people used to make fun of you for. But you were also quite sturdy, able to push people out of the way to get out of Castle Black and make your return to the woods where your father was waiting for you. The Haunted Forest, where you would meet again with your brethren, your family, and speak of the defenses of the crows.

-

Your father was burning. Ygritte and some of the others had to hold you back, hand clamped over your mouth as you cursed the names of Baratheon, of Stark, of Davos, of everyone that was involved in your fathers death. You could feel the heat of the flames over your own body as you were told about it. Your father was strong until the end - he did not bow. He would never kneel. For you were free folk. It was a lesson that many people needed reminding of.

It had a huge effect on you, because as Mance’s daughter, you were the one that they looked at for advice now, for guidance. But also as a woman, they didn’t completely respect the advice that you gave. That didn’t matter. They could listen to you, go along with what had been your father’s plan, or they could die here. They could get killed by the white walkers. It didn’t matter much to you anymore. You were more in this for the fight than the results, which Ygritte saw in you right away. You had that inner fire that was needed to survive in the winter wasteland.

“I’m sorry,” Ygritte said as you took a walk to try to work off this angry energy. “It’s all my fault. I shoulda listened to ya. Ya knew right from the start that he couldn’t be trusted. That he could never be one of us.”

“A lot of people trusted him, not just you,” You said, stopping to turn to her. You could see, and feel, the guilt coming off of her in waves. And the anger. That unstoppable rage that came with redheads. You’d been on the other side of it before, so seeing it now pointed towards those who deserved it - you were sure that you were going to get your revenge. Maybe not tonight, nor tomorrow, but one day. You were going to make sure that your father was not forgotten. You were never going to bend the knee. You were going to be the fire that killed the traitor. And with your wife by your side, you knew, you could do anything.

[rmg91]

Zoe Week; Day 5-ROTT

So I know we got given a free day considered ROTT was...what it was but I decided to still go with the prompt and it turned into more of a small rewrite than just a ‘Let’s slip Zoe into this scene’. Zoe is everyone’s braincell and we know it.

Also I tried writing a fight scene....I donno how well it turned out lol

AO3

~*~*~*~*~*~

“He WHAT?!”

Zoe stared at the assembled guardians, the kids, that had gone up against the demigods bent on restarting the world with that crazy plan to strip them of their powers, only for it to fail. Yes, they were alive. Yes, they had Nari, in spirit, but the Arcane Order had her body, had Douxie, and that was not okay for her! That stupid, self-sacrificing idiot! Of course he'd do something like that! But all it would do would buy them time and just what was going to happen when those power hungry beings found out?! It wasn't going to be good, that was for sure and now Zoe had to hatch a plan to try and save her idiot before something bad happened.

Ignoring the overlapping explanations and assurances they'd come up with a plan, Zoe marched her way out of the ex-throne room and down to what was becoming her studio. Shuffling around the various tomes and grimoires, she searched for the one she was certain had the spell she needed to find him, growling to herself when she couldn't. This is what she got for not sorting through all these yet. Finally, just when she'd been about to say 'fuck it' and do it without the book, she dug up the dusty purple codex of scrying and grinned in victory. Oh, she was finding that idiot of hers and then she was going to give him a piece of her mind once he was safe.

Coming back upstairs, the pinked haired witch flipped through the book, looking for the magic circle that would allow her to find Douxie. Ignoring everyone's voices, she quickly read through the directions, reminding herself how it worked and set to etching runes in the air with her wand. The symbols of power fell to the floor in sparking pink power, forming the necessary element for her spell. “Nari.” She called, “I'm gonna need Archie for a moment.”

The little nature spirit, inhabiting her partners body, let his familiar go from her hold as she finished the magic circle, sending the tomb to rest on the floor outside it. Sitting in the center, Archie crawled into her lap in dragon form, already having a feeling on what she was going to try to do. Normally she could sense Douxie's power, they'd known each other for so after all it was easy, but between distance and most likely being blocked, she couldn't without help. It would be easier if their magic was bonded, tied together for the rest of eternity and the ultimate sign of trust and love between magic users but...they weren't. Not for lack of wanting to but their lives had been pretty hectic and dangerous and bonding their magic came with lots of consequences as well as benefits. If one of them died...it would be the worse kind of hell on the other. And as much as they loved each other they hadn't wanted to have the other suffer so. But maybe, after all this, they'd change that.

“Uh..what are you gonna do?” Toby asked, standing near as he watched the pulsing pink runes.

“I'm going to track Douxie using the bond between him and Archie.” She explained, holding the dragon-cat gently, one hand scratching between his ears, “It should, in theory, help me find where the Order is holding him.” Then they would retrieve him and she was going to kick his ass for putting himself in danger, again.

Everyone took that as the queue to be quiet, to let her work, and Zoe breathed in deeply, letting her magic seep out and take shape. The circle glowed as she let herself fall into a trance, focusing on Archie, who was relaxed in her lap, his own magic open to letting hers in. She found the bond, a shining string of magic that was warm, comforting, powerful, reaching out beyond their little space in search of their missing wizard. She followed it as it swirled, twisting and turning through the space between, searching, searching, searching until-There! It sung brightly, tightening like a perfectly tuned guitar string and humming with life and she knew in that moment just where to find him.

Opening her eyes, a pink glow encompassing them, she grinned sharply. The Order didn't know what was coming to them.

~*~*~*~

The group entered the abandoned train tunnel, sans one Trollhunter, looking for any sign of the Order or Douxie. Zoe knew she had been harsh when she told Jim he needed to stay behind but she was not going to take back what she said. He was injured and therefore a liability and she wasn't going to let him kill himself or any of his friends if things were to go pear shaped. But hopefully they wouldn't and they'd be able to rescue Douxie with minimal trouble.

Her blue eyes roamed over the various crates and scaffolding, sensing him near but unable to see him. But she just knew he was here. Even as the group spread out and looked around old, crumbling crates and rusty metal drums, confused as to why they couldn't find anyone, Zoe was reaching out with her magic, searching for her wayward husband. Frowning down at the tracks, something just wasn't sitting right with her, she tried her best to see and think like Douxie would. There had to be something here she was missing...

She blinked, a thought coming suddenly and could it really be that easy?

Trotting up a staircase to get higher ground, she looked down at the tracks, shaking her head lightly because for some eon's old beings, Skrael and Bellroc really couldn't be original? “Their hiding in plain sight!” She shouted to assembled guardians, flicking her wand out and rearranging the train tracks, “They've made a giant sigil with the tracks!” The tracks moved, soon lighting up and dispelling the room around them, revealing a much darker room and three beings in the center.

She wasn't sure if they were aware they weren't alone anymore but it looked as if the demigods of ice and fire were taunting who they thought were Nari. She, or rather Douxie, was hovering in the air, held aloft by his hands in glowing magic and maybe, possibly keeping quiet as to continuing fooling the gods. But then, as they were staring confusedly as the Genius Seals, wondering why they weren't opening, he opened his big fat mouth.

“Abracadabra, Buttsnacks.”

Zoe groaned, because why had he said that?! But before the Order could do more than threaten him, she raised her wand high and cried, “Hey! Hands off!” She then sent a bolt of pink lighting down, just barely hitting Skreal, and then it was on!

Everyone jumped into action, firing and fighting the two remaining members of the Order. Zoe jumped down, joining the fray, firing spells and shields as she made way to Nari's body. She was put to a stop though as the icy wizard floated in front of her, brandishing his staff. Oh, if he wanted a fight, he was getting a fight. Ignoring Douxie's strained call of her name, the hedge-witch ducked a swing of the staff, dodging to the right and not giving in to Skreal's taunting. Hedge-witch or not, didn't mean she wasn't powerful and she wasn't about to let these bastards win.

Zoe fired spell after spell, wildly missing the floating god as he chuckled darkly at her. But that was okay, all part of the plan because when he least expect it she smirked and performed a round-house kick, planting her foot below his belt with a cry of “Rule Number Three!!”

As Skrael crumpled, she turned back to Douxie in Nari's body, running closer and hoping she could break the spell keeping him in the air. Fire had started to burn everywhere, the old wood catching easily to the spells Bellroc fired off but she ignored all that as she examined the magic around Douxie's wrists. She shushed him as he tried to talk to her, needing to concentrate on what she was doing, hopefully she wouldn't need Claire's help. Then a dark chuckle came from behind her.

“You won't break him free.” She turned to glare at Bellroc, their ever fluctuating voice grating on her nerves, “That magic is too powerful for even a full fledged wizard, let alone a little hedge-witch.” She growled as they laughed at her. And maybe she wouldn't be able to break it herself but if she could break this beings concentration... A wicked grin came to her face, feral as she remembered the chaos she'd wrecked at Killahead, and she began drawing runes behind her back.

“You're right...Guess I'll just have to make you break it.”

And with a flash of pink, twenty more Zoe's surrounded the demigod.

Crying out, Bellroc began to blast away her clones, easily poofing them from existence, which was fine as it was only meant as a distraction. The real Zoe dodged behind him, thankful for the rest of the crew keeping Skrael busy as she charged her magic. She'd only have one shot at this and she hoped it worked. It had been a while since she last did this. Bringing her now brightly flashing hands together, she drew them apart, a glowing, sparking, pink arrow held between them.

“Foolish girl! This won't defeat me!!” Bellroc cried with rage, dispelling the last of her clones.

“It's not meant to!” She yelled back before firing the arrow, sending a million volts through the wizard and causing them to spasm. And it was enough, for the spell holding Douxie up sputtered and died, dropping him to the floor. Zoe dived for his staggering form as Bellroc cried out again, pushing him out of the way of a blast of fire. Of course now she needed a plan to get them out of there...

Just as the fire god was approaching, already up from her attack and ready to end her life, a black portal formed beneath her and Douxie and they dropped away.

~*~*~*~

Zoe groaned as she was dropped onto the floor of Camelot, rolling onto her back. That had been...something. She really needed to practice that attack again, it took far too much out of her but at least now Douxie was safe. And Nari. She heard the rest of the guardians tumble in, shouts from their assembled allies rising and still she laid there, catching her breath.

“Zoe! Zoe, are you alright?!” She looked up at Douxie's voice, finding Nari's face above her looking at her with concern and they were needed to change back because this was just getting too weird. She watched him sag with relief, most likely due to her opening her eyes and he sighed, “You were nuclear, Love.”

“You better switch back before you kiss me, Casperan.” Was her only response.

Chuckling breathlessly, he nodded and she watched him hold out his hand for Nari to take, the goddess now crouching on her other side. A flash of magic and she was then being pulled into Douxie's lap, the wizard now back in his body. She let him nuzzle his face into her neck, still recovering from the adrenaline and almost overuse of her magic as they sat there, friends and allies all around.

“Thank you, Zoe.” Nari said softly, sitting primly in front of her, “You risked so much.”

“It's fine, Nari,” Zoe said, smiling at the forest child, “There was no way I was letting them keep your body and Douxie's mind.” Let alone risk the possibility of them forcing the two back into their proper bodies. Then they really would have been in trouble.

“So what do you do now?” She heard Claire ask because now they were back at square one. Keep Nari out of the grasp.

“I donno,” Zoe sighed, “But the important thing is the Order doesn't have Nari anymore.”

“That's not all they don't have..” The nature goddess smirked shyly before holding up the Genius Seals.

Zoe's eyes widen as cries went up around her, Douxie laughing in surprise, before she grinned wide and shark like. Oh, things were about to get interesting.

~*~*~*~*~*~

How the rest of the movie would play out from here I have no idea but there’s some choice Zouxie protecting each other/Nari/Archie so...there’s that. I hope you all enjoyed!

[itsadamcole]

arranged - pt.2

fem!reader x drew mcintyre

reader and Drew go to America for reader’s surprises ...

word count: 5.5k+

warnings: prince!drew, just a lil bit angsty, definitely more fluff than part 1, smut :)

— and here’s part 2. enjoy —

part 1 || masterlist || request an imagine here

~ 18+ content below - read at your own risk ~

You and Drew land in Orlando. It's late January, and a huge temperature difference. It feels more like summer in Florida than it does in Scotland, where it's super cold right now.

A smile hasn't left your lips since you took off, and you're excited to see Candice.

Speaking of Candice, she waits by baggage for you. When you see her, you drop Drew's hand and your things before running over to her. You hug her tight and she says, "Okay, okay. Relax, princess. It's nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you too," you say, looking at her. "I haven't seen you since the wedding."

Candice laughs and says, "It wasn't that long ago." She looks at Drew. "Your husband has gotten handsomer since I last saw him."

You giggle and say, "It hasn't been that long, Candice."

She smiles and says, "So, anyway. Come on. The trainers and doctors want to give you a full physical at Full Sail to make sure you're cleared to be in the match this week on NXT."

Smiling, you say, "Sounds great." You look back at Drew. "Ready?"

He nods and says, "Of course."

Candice drives you both to Full Sail University, where NXT is broadcasted from. She asks questions about what married life is like, how Scotland is, and how it's been over there since you married Drew.

It's a short drive to Full Sail from the airport so she doesn't get to many questions in.

During the physical, the doctors and trainers make sure your in tiptop shape to compete. You've lost some muscle mass since you haven't trained in months but it's not that big of a deal. They do the whole work up.

After you've been medically cleared to compete, Hall of Famer Triple H finds you. He says, "Y/N, welcome to Full Sail. We're very happy to have you here as part of our roster in NXT, even though it's for a short amount of time."

You smile and say, "Thank you, Mr. H."

He hands you a black leather folder and says, "Inside, you'll find a part time NXT contract that will have you as part of the NXT roster for six months. Your husband says that after six months, you will no longer be able to compete. As a part timer, you're slotted to be in three matches, one match every two months."

Your eyes widen and you look at Drew before you say, "I thought this was a one match deal."

"I pulled some strings," Drew says before winning at you.

Triple H says, "As of right now, your matches will be against Candice this Wednesday at NXT, a match against an opponent of your choice at Takeover: London in two months, and a match against an opponent of your choice at Takeover: Glasgow in four and a half months."

Your jaw almost hits the floor and you say, "Takeover matches? Like, actual pay-per-view matches."

Everyone in the room laughs and Triple H says, "We wanted to make your last few matches memorable ones. I've spoken with William Regal about this and he's on board. Are you?"

Quickly, you read over the contract and sign it. "I'm on board," you say.

"Welcome to NXT, Y/N," Triple H says, holding out his hand.

You shake his hand and smile. "Thank you for this opportunity," you say.

He smiles and walks off. You look at Drew and he has a huge smile on his face.

"I haven't seen ya so happy about something before," he says.

You smile back at your husband and you say, "I'm living my dream because of you, Drew. Thank you."

Drew says, "I just got us here. Yer talent is the reason yer living yer dream."

"You've never seen me in the ring before," you say, giggling.

Your husband says, "I get t'see ya in the ring on Wednesday."

You smile and shake you head, leaving to go to the hotel to get some sleep so you can train all day tomorrow before Wednesday.

***

Wednesday gets here too quickly. You've brought your old gear with you to wrestle in. It's definitely more revealing than you remember.

You stand in your little dressing room and look in the mirror at yourself.

The shorts got tighter and shorter, and the crop top now tightly hugs your chest. Your cleavage is very exposed and you hope to God that you don't have a wardrobe malfunction while in the ring.

Now that you're the princess of Scotland, you have a lot to be conscious about.

Someone knocks on your door as you're tying up your boots. "It's me," Candice says. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," you say.

The door opens and Candice walks in. She smiles when she sees you in your gear. "Damn, you looked good in the gear then and you look good now," she says. "Anyway, I was thinking. I want to cut a promo before our match tonight. Just a short one. I'll say how a princess shouldn't be in the ring with someone like me and we can go from there."

You nod and finish lacing up your boots. "Sounds good," you say. "I'm assuming that my signing has been a secret?"

Candice nods and says, "Yeah. Drew's being kept out of the crowd until our slot so it doesn't give it away too early that you're here."

Someone calls your name and Candice's name. It's time.

"I've never been so ready to get back in a ring," you say. "Ever since I left, it's been marriage and princess lessons. I'm ready to wrestle again."

Candice smiles as the two of you walk to the backstage area. "You better be," she says.

Several NXT superstars are in the backstage area. The Undisputed Era, Finn Balor, Io Shirai, Timothy Thatcher, Tommaso Ciampa, Rhea Ripley, Johnny Gargano, Indi Hartwell, and Shotzi Blackheart just to name a few.

You stretch out as you wait for your music to hit.

It's been too long since you felt this rush of adrenaline. Before every match and every promo for Ring of Honor, you'd feel a rush of adrenaline to get you pumped up. You last felt this in your last ROH match a few months ago. It's been too damn long.

Candice's music hits and she walks out. You listen to what she says carefully.

"Rumor has it we're in the presence of royalty tonight," Candice says. "Apparently some princess signed with us a few days ago? That's the rumor anyway. I don't think she even deserves to be in an NXT ring."

That's when you're handed a microphone before your music, I Like It Heavy by Halestorm, hits. Of course it's a clean version of the song because this is WWE but it's fine. You're making your entrance for the first time in months.

The crowd loses it as you walk toward the ring in your sparkly red and black gear. You step into the ring.

The music fades out and you're face to face with Candice. She smirks and asks, "Oh, did I hit a nerve, princess?"

You hold your microphone up and say, "I don't deserve to be in an NXT ring?" You scoff. "Please, Candice. I've fought to be here."

Candice says, "You're Scotland's princess. That's the only reason you're here."

These comments are hitting you hard, but you fight through.

"Listen here," you say. "I am a NWA Women's World Champion, a two-time NWA Women's World Tag Team Chanpion, and Impact Knockouts Champion. I deserve to be in this ring for my talent, not by my title."

Candice says, "Then let's go. You're dressed. I'm dressed. Let's get a referee out here."

The crowd cheers and you yell "bring it" into the microphone before throwing it down.

The match begins shortly after. You have Candice in a headlock and you're trying to bring her down onto her knees. She pushes you off of her into the ropes. You bounce off and hit her with a clothesline.

You say, "Oh, look. The princess is the only one still standing."

The crowd laughs and Candice hits the mat before getting up. You're locked in a grapple with her a few seconds later. After a bit of struggling, Candice knees you in the stomach. You cry out and clutch your stomach, falling to your knees. She hits you with a running knee to the jaw, and you sell it well. You fall into your back, knees bent with your feet beneath you.

Candice pulls at your hair to get you up, and the ref warns her of the hair. She says, "Get out of my ring."

You snarl, "Go to hell."

Then you elbow her hard. She backs off you, creating enough space for you to perform a spinning heel kick. She falls but you get her up into your shoulders into a fireman's carry.

You hit the Falcon Arrow on her and go in for the pin.

One. Two. Three. The bell rings and your music blares. The crowd goes insane. You spot Drew in the front row where he would mostly be off camera. He's looking at you in awe as he applauds. You smile as the ref holds your arm up, declaring you the official winner.

***

Days pass by since your match with Candice. It's all you talk about whenever you get the chance. Drew just smiles and listens as you tell him about the rush you felt being back in the ring.

You're driving to your hometown, a little suburb outside of Manhattan. It's been a quiet ride, and that's because Drew is asleep.

Timezones and jet lag have not been your friend during this trip, but it's easier for you to get used to the time change than it is for Drew.

You pull up to your childhood home and tap Drew's shoulder. "Hey, sleeping beauty," you say. "We're here."

He stirs and looks out the window. You smile and he says, "This is yer old house? It's so small."

"I didn't have much," you say. "My parents scrapped together what they could to pay for wrestling school when I was 14 until I was 17. I told myself then that I'd make it in wrestling and I'd pay them back for what they paid for me to go to wrestling school."

Drew looks at you and asks, "Can we go inside?"

You shake your head and say, "It was foreclosed. It belongs to the bank or something. It would be illegal to go in."

Your husband looks back at the house, which has fallen apart with age. It's a one story house. It has one bedroom, a tiny bathroom, and one room that holds the living room, dining room, and kitchen areas.

Drew says, "This while time ya were over here struggling, I was living it up as the prince of Scotland with my rich parents. I used to throw tantrums because they wouldn't get me the newest toy or take me on vacation with them, and your family couldn't afford either."

"We made it through," you say. "My parents live in a beautiful two story house in the nicer part of Manhattan. I paid them back right before I left for Scotland. Every story has a happy ending, Drew."

He smiles a bit and he asks, "Even ours?"

You smile and say, "Especially ours." You lean over the middle console and press a kiss to Drew's cheek. Your lips linger a little too long and he turns his head. You pull back a bit and meet his eyes.

That's when the butterflies flutter in your stomach and your heart races in your chest.

Slowly, both you and Drew lean into each other. Your eyes flicker to the lips you've only kissed twice, once at your wedding and once at a public event right after the wedding.

One of Drew's hands moves and rests on your cheek. You instinctively lean into his soft touch a bit.

Your lips are centimeters away from Drew's. Your noses touch as Drew's other hand moves to cup your other cheek.

"Tell me to stop if ya don't want this," Drew whispers.

You nod a bit and say, "I want this, Drew."

Then his lips brush against yours. A feather light touch. It makes you lean in more because you want more.

Drew guides your lips to his. Your eyes flutter closed as you kiss Drew. Your hands wrap around his wrists as he cups your face.

His facial hair tickles your chin and upper lip as the soft kiss continues.

It's like your first kiss all over again. Your first kiss was at your wedding in front of thousands of people. This one feels different. You never felt butterflies or your heart race when you kissed Drew at your wedding. You do now.

Drew pulls back and looks at you.

"How come ya never kissed me like that at our wedding?" he asks.

You say, "Because I didn't want it then. I wanted it now. I wanted the kiss."

He smiles and pecks your lips one more time before saying, "Show me yer favorite spot."

Giggling, you say, "I can't drive with you holding my face. Hold my hand if you wanna hold something."

Drew smiles and lets your face go. He takes your hand as you drive to your favorite spot.

Your favorite spot, or your safe spot, is a small park. You pull up, and get out.

The sun is setting, and you have a perfect view.

After taking Drew's hand, you walk over to a park bench. You sit down and Drew sits beside you. He wraps an arm around your shoulder as you both watch the sunset.

Drew says, "Ya don't have t'stay if ya don't want."

You look at him and ask, "What are you talking about?"

"In Scotland," he says. "Ya don't have t'stay. Being king isn't that important t'me if it means that ya don't get t'keep wrestling. I saw ya in the ring the other day, and it's all ya talk about. Ya love wrestling, and I don't wanna take that away from ya."

You turn so you're facing him as you say, "I'm happy in Scotland. Yeah, it was hard at first. I had to come to terms with possibly never wrestling again, and I did. Until you surprised me with this trip. I love that you did this for me, and for that, I'll help you become king and I'll be the best damn queen Scotland has ever seen." Drew smiles and you throw your legs over one of his legs.

You continue with, "Plus, I may or may not have fallen for you completely so I'm not going anywhere. Til death do us part, remember?"

There's almost a sparkle in Drew's eyes when you tell him that you might have fallen for him.

Your husband smiles and says, "I, uh, might've fallen for ya completely too."

You smile and lean into Drew. You kiss him slowly and softly. He kisses you back, pulling you closer to him.

The kiss is slow and full of passion. Your heart pounds in your chest as your lips move against Drew's.

Drew pulls back again and he says, "Let's find somewhere t'stay tonight. Do ya have a favorite hotel?"

You nod and say, "Yeah, it's in the city. Let's go."

The two of you get up and head to your favorite hotel.

***

The San Carlos Hotel. It's a cute little hotel, and not over the top fancy. You rent out a suite for the next few days, and they tell you that your stay is on the house because you're royalty. Sometimes being a royal has its perks.

The suite is a one bedroom suite. A full bathroom and walk in closet. Plus a living room area with a couch and a flat screen, and a kitchen.

Drew smiles when you unlock the door. You both walk in and you say, "Home sweet home while we tour New York."

He looks at you and say, "I'm glad ya didn't take the out when I offered it, Y/N. I didn't know ya were happy in Scotland. Honestly, I thought ya were miserable."

Giggling, you walk up to Drew and say, "Scotland is a beautiful country. I'm happy to be its princess, and eventually queen."

Your husband says, "Scotland's beauty is nothing compared to yers, Y/N."

Your cheeks heat up and say, "You are one unbelievably cheesy prince, you know that."

He laughs and says, "I take good pride in that. It's a talent."

Laughing, you begin to unpack. Drew disappears into the living room.

Once you've finished unpacking, you walk over to the window. You cross your arms over your chest and look out over the city that never sleeps.

Cars are still on the road and people are milling around on the sidewalks even though the sun has set.

You smile and keep looking out the window, until a pair of arms wraps around your shoulders. You don't have to look to know it's Drew. You lean back into him.

"I'll miss New York," you admit. "The city is always buzzing. It's the city that never sleeps, you know."

Drew presses a kiss to your temple and he says, "Just because we're gonna be king and queen doesn't mean we can't leave the country. We're not locked down in Scotland when we ascend the throne."

You sigh and say, "I know."

The two of you stand like that. You both look out over the city for several minutes.

Drew asks, "So, I did good?"

Nodding, you look up at Drew. "You did more than good," you say. "This has been the best trip of my life, and I'm glad you're here with me."

Your husband says, "I hope we can actually try at the relationship thing. I have a lot to learn still and-"

You lean up, pressing a soft kiss to Drew's lips to cut him off. He's caught off guard by the kiss but he kisses you back.

After a moment, you pull back and say, "We're gonna try at the relationship thing." You smile. "But I know that you know a decent amount about some parts of a relationship."

Drew says, "I know a lot less than ya think I know."

You turn in his arms and ask, "So if I asked you to, I don't know, take off my clothes, you wouldn't know how to do it?"

His face gets flustered as he stammers, "Well, I, uh, I know how to take off clothes, Y/N."

"I would hope so," you say, teasing him.

Drew smiles and says, "Listen, I don't know much about relationships but I know a lot about the physical parts."

You stare up at Drew and say, "Show me what you know."

"Y/N, we just talked about trying the relationship thing," he says, smiling. "I don't think we're ready for the next step."

A smile forms on your lips as you say, "We've already skipped a step or two. What's one more?"

Drew pushes some hair out of your face before he cups your face. He says, "I wanna do this the right way, Y/N."

You look up at Drew and you say, "There is no right way when we're in this situation."

He laughs softly and says, "Yer not wrong."

Leaning your head up, you say, "So show me what you got."

Drew smiles and leans down, bringing his lips to yours. The kiss is slow at first, full of passion. You wrap your arms around Drew's waist, holding him close to you.

His tongue swipes across your bottom lip, asking for access. You part your lips slightly. His tongue slips into your mouth. You let out a soft sigh into the kiss.

Your heart is racing in your chest at the thought of Drew taking off your clothes. You've seen him without a shirt on, but he's always seen you clothed.

While you're busy thinking, Drew's fingers have started working on the zipper of the jacket you're wearing. He pushes the jacket off of you and you pull away from the kiss.

Your eyes meet Drew's and he asks, "Ya really want this?"

Nodding, you say, "I want this." You untuck the shirt he's wearing from his pants.

Drew smiles and picks you up by your waist. You wrap your legs around his waist as he walks toward the bed. You giggle and wrap your arms around his neck. You take out the hair tie that's keeping his hair in a ponytail.

"I don't want your hair up when we're together," you admit. "I like it down."

Your husband lays you gently on your back on the bed. He looks down at you and says, "Anything for my princess."

You giggle, "So cheesy."

Drew leans down and kisses you. Your fingers slide up into his long locks. One of Drew's hands roams your body over your clothes while you start to unbutton the button up that he's wearing.

Several months ago, you and Drew wouldn't even touch each other. Not even hand-holding. Now, you're underneath him on a bed.

Things have definitely changed for the better over the last few weeks between you and Drew. It feels like euphoria when he kisses you or touches you. You can only imagine how it'll feel when his fingers find their way into your pants or under your shirt.

You're barely able to control yourself as Drew's lips move from yours to your neck. Your eyes flutter closed and you run your fingers through Drew's long locks. His button up now hangs open after you got it unbuttoned.

Drew kisses and nips at the skin on your neck as you push the open button-up off his body. You run your fingers gently up his now bare arms until your hands cup his face. You bring Drew's head up, bringing his face out of your neck. You're breathing a little heavy as you meet Drew's pretty blue eyes.

You lean your head up and press your lips to Drew's hard. One of Drew's hands runs down the side of your body, grazing the side of your breast. You almost shiver with anticipation as Drew's fingers reach the bottom of your t-shirt.

He pulls away from the kiss and looks down at you. You sit up a bit and lift your arms over your head. Drew pulls the t-shirt off of you and discards it somewhere in the room. You're left in just a plain, black bra and pants. You didn't think you'd be doing this or you would have worn a fancier undergarment.

"God," Drew says, eyes wondering over your half naked upper body. Your cheeks get hot as he looks at you underneath him.

He shifts his weight so he's kneeling between your legs. He pulls your hips toward him. You feel the bulge in Drew's pants against your clothed crotch and you gasp slightly. Your husband sits on his heels as he looks at you.

You stare at Drew, waiting anxiously for him to make a move. Your heart racing wildly in your chest.

Drew hooks his fingers into the waistband of your leggings, pulling them off your body slowly. They join your shirt on the hotel floor. He leans down and starts to lightly kiss your belly. You giggle and look down at him. His lips trail up your belly until he reaches the bra you're wearing. He undoes the front clasp and the bra falls open, exposing your breasts to Drew. Your breath hitches as he uses a finger and plays with one of your nipples. He kisses the other breast before sucking on that nipple.

You bite back a moan as you slightly arch your back off the mattress. The hand playing with your nipple moves down your body. Drew's fingers slip into the waistband of your panties and you sigh. You lick your bottom lip as his fingers inch closer to their target.

Your husband's eyes flicker up to your face and he watches for your reaction as two of his fingers run through your slick folds. Your eyes flutter closed and you smile, grasping onto the blankets on the bed.

His fingers tease your clit and you say in a whispered tone, "Don't tease." Drew teases your entrance and you let out a quiet moan.

"That was the prettiest things I've ever heard come from ya're mouth," Drew stares.

You get all flustered and say, "It's not nice to be a tease, Drew."

He presses a light kiss to your jaw and mumbles, "Tell me what ya want, princess."

Almost begging him, you say, "I want to feel your fingers inside me. Please."

Gently, Drew starts to pull off your panties. The fabric is thrown to the floor and you pull off the bra. You're completely naked in front of Drew, and you feel comfortable. You trust that Drew won't do anything to hurt you. He's the kind of man to make sure that you're okay with something before he does it.

Drew runs a finger through your soaked folds before he pushes that finger inside of you. You bite your lip to hold back your moans. Drew's hovering above your naked body. His lips are on your neck again, nipping at the skin and definitely leaving marks.

His finger moves in and out of you. You let your lip go and let out the moans you were holding in. Then Drew adds a second finger. You gasp and moan, "Drew."

"Making ya feel good with just my fingers?" Drew mumbles against your neck.

You nod frantically and say, "I love your finger."

He smirks and says, "I can promise ya that they love ya too."

The speed of his fingers quickens and your hips buck off the bed. You moan his name and a few profanities. A knot forms in your stomach.

You're intoxicated with how Drew is making you feel. You love the feeling of Drew's fingers inside of you. His touch makes you feel euphoric and waves of bliss overcome you with every flick of his wrist.

Your walls clench around Drew's fingers and you cry out, "Drew, I'm about to cum!"

The Scotsman's voice drops a tone and he asks, "Ya gonna cum from my fingers, princess? Do I make ya feel that good?"

Nodding, you desperately say, "I need to cum. Please."

"Go ahead, my love," he says.

Your legs begin to shake as you release all over Drew's fingers. More than you ever have for anyone before. Moans pass your lips as well as Drew's name mixed with profanities. Your breathing is labored as you come down from your high. Drew kisses you as you try to catch your breath.

Your lips move feverishly against his for a few moments before Drew gets back on his knees. You sit up with him between your legs and undo the button on his jeans. You look up at him as you push the dark blue fabric off his body. He's left in his boxer shorts as he sits back. You crawl onto his lap, straddling his huge bulge. You run your fingers down Drew's chest and he looks up at you.

"I have t'get something if we're gonna do this, princess," Drew says, pecking your lips. "Unless ya want to start producing heirs t'the throne right now."

You giggle and say, "Let's wait a year before we start doing that."

He smiles and snakes his way out from under you. You sit on the bed and watch as he grabs a little silver package out of the travel bag. He walks back over to you and you move to the edge of the bed.

You hook your fingers into the waistband of his boxers and pull them down. Drew watches you as his erect member pops out of the boxers. His big, and thick. You swallow a bit and look up at Drew.

He's smirking down at you before ripping the tiny package open and sliding the contents on himself. Drew pushes a piece of hair out of your face and says, "Be a good princess. Get on yer back and spread those beautiful legs for me."

You don't say anything, you just do as your told. You scooch yourself back on the bed and lay on your back. You spread your legs a bit as Drew crawls up to you, hovering over you between your legs. The tip of his member runs through your folds and you sigh.

"I've been missing out on a lot," you admit, looking up at Drew.

Your husband lightly kisses you as he says, "I have a lot t'offer."

Smiling against his lips, you say, "I can see that."

Drew props himself up on his arms, hands on either side of your head. You stare up at him before he asks, "Are ya sure ya want this?"

You nod and say, "I've never wanted anything more."

Then he pushes inside you. You gasp at the small amount of pain you feel before it goes away, turning to pleasure. He thrusts slowly into you, moving deeper every few movements. His length starts to fill you little by little. You're a moaning mess beneath Drew, nails raking up and down his back.

When he's fully inside you and you're adjusted, his hips speed up. He starts thrusting harder into you. Grunts leave his lips as moans leave yours. You wrap your legs around his waist so he has better access.

"Oh, fuck," you cry out. "Don't stop, Drew. Oh, faster. Please."

He listens to your wishes and he moves faster. He leans down and brushes his lips against yours. You lean your head up for the kiss and he pulls back slightly. You chase his lips and they barely touch his.

The tip of Drew's member finds your g-spot and you cry out. That's when he knows he's found the target, and he moves faster. His member slams into your g-spot over and over again. You scream out his name mixed with profanities several times as he fucks you into the mattress.

The same knot from earlier forms in your stomach as Drew builds you up to a second orgasm.

Drew's finally kissing you. Your lips move against his breathlessly and your nails dig into his sides. He twitches inside of you and you mumble, "I'm about to cum, baby."

"Me too," Drew says. "Together."

You nod. He moves a few more times before you both cum at the same time. You around him and him into the condom.

Drew kisses you messily as you both ride out your highs. Your hands are on his face as you messily make out with him.

He pulls out of you and pulls back from the kiss. You whine a bit as he ties off the condom, throwing it away. Drew helps you under the comforter before joining you. Drew spoons you from behind with one of his arms draped over you. You hold his hand as you press your back to his chest.

Both your breathing and Drew's breathing have returned to normal. He leaves soft kisses on your shoulder and a smile is on you lips.

"That was amazing," you say. "I really could've had that the entire time instead of fighting with you."

Drew lets out a breathy laugh and says, "I should've just talked to ya about everything sooner. We could'a done that a long time ago."

You giggle and say, "Now that we have done that, I don't know how long I can go before we do that again."

Your husband says, "Whenever ya want, princess. Hell, if ya wanted another go then I wouldn't say no."

Looking back at Drew, you say, "Calm down. You just made me cum twice within several minutes. I need some time."

Drew smiles and says, "Of course. Were ya seriously about that waiting a year before we start trying for a baby?"

"Of course I was," you say, turning and facing Drew. "I would love to have a baby with you, but I want to make sure that it's something we both want. I'm ten year younger than you, Drew. We have some time."

Your husband smiles wide and kisses you. "I am so in love with ya, princess," Drew coos against your lips.

"I'm so in love with you too, Drew," you respond.

Months ago, you hated the thought of marrying Drew just for him to become king. You never even wore your rings behind closed doors. Now, it's changed into something more. An actual relationship where you love Drew and he loves you.

That's all you hoped for when you said 'I do' to the prince of Scotland.

—

tags: @drewmcintyrekoccsrocbwdgfan

[castiels-majestic-wings]

Sixth Sense - Chapter 1

Summary: Ever since you were young, you had a special power - a sixth sense. S.H.I.E.L.D somehow knew that you would be an asset in the future. So after Loki attacks New York. Will you be able to understand his reasoning? Or will he stay your enemy forever?

Paring: Loki x Female!Reader

Word Count: 1,629

Warnings: None

Posted: 27/12/2020

A/N: This chapter is based during The Avengers, the dialogue isn't the exact same as in the movies but I tried to get it as accurate as I could.

Also thank you @lovermrjokerr for proofreading and giving me the courage to post this.

You didn't think this ability would get you anywhere, but S.H.I.E.L.D had found you. They said it's a unique ability that they could use to their advantage. You didn't like the thought of being a tool in their game but the arrangements they had settled for you were too good to decline.

A full-floor in Stark tower to yourself. The floor right beneath the penthouse. But right now wasn't good. You weren't skilled enough to be in battle. But you were a tactician. You helped from the sidelines. Helping them find their next move. Of course, it was only Tony in the past. Now it's The Avengers. Six people. Tactics for one was easy but six? You didn't think you'd be able to do it. But you had to try.

You knew there was a war going on. Tony told you to keep out of it. But you couldn't. You saw Loki on the balcony that connected to the penthouse. You had stayed hidden but got your equipment. Loki had jumped off the building onto an alien vehicle. You went to the window that looked out to the balcony, where Tony had set up his computers, his holograms. There were three of them. Two for cameras and news, and the one in the middle for your work. A way to piece together the battle quickly and efficiently before making your next move.

You placed your earpiece in your ear. Tony hadn't asked for help but you knew when to butt in. He was stubborn and always tried to do everything alone. Even now after you've helped him twice already. You knew it was dangerous being out in the open. Loki could come back at any moment and kill you. But his sceptre was on your balcony. You grabbed it and took it back inside.

"JARVIS. Show me what Tony can see." The left computer showed Tony's point of view. While the one on the right had street cams to show the rest of the Avengers. Tony had used mark 7? It wasn't ready, was it? You looked out the window and saw the aliens flood in through the portal.

"Tony, what's the status?" Your hands moved across the screen getting as much information as you could.

"Loki opened the portal now chitauri are flooding in." You saw the portal. It was above you. That meant you could close it if they found a way to.

"I have Loki's sceptre. He left it behind trying to get away from Thor." You looked at all the cameras you could. Bruce wasn't there yet.

"That's good kid. Keep it away from him. And stay out of sight you got it"

"Cap, we'll need Bruce for this one. He can take out the big guys. I'm sure it's the only way to make sure you guys don't get overwhelmed. You can handle the little guys when Bruce gets here, tell him."

"How are you sure he'll even turn up." You looked at the camera seeing Bruce on a bike making his way to them.

"Trust me. He's coming." You smirked seeing him drive up in front of them. Looking at Tony’s camera you noticed that you ran out of time.

“I hope you’re angry Bruce, Tony’s bringing the party to you.”

“I wouldn’t call that a party-” Nat commented as Tony turned the corner heading their direction. After Bruce became Hulk, all hands were on deck.

“Okay, Clint we need you on high ground, hit as many as you can, Tony fly around and attack any chitauri you find, and make sure to lure the big guys to bruce, Cap, Nat you guys stay on the ground and try to save any remaining civilians in the streets. Hulk, smash.” Since Bruce didn't have an earpiece Steve told Hulk to smash for me. The strategy was in place, now it was time to act upon it. Loki was the least of our worries now, there was a whole alien army trying to kill anyone and anything in their path.

“Guys use the new camera tech I had Tony made, let me see what you do” Everyone’s earpieces had some nanotech abilities. It created a small camera that came over their cheek to just under their eye so you were able to see everyone's point of view instead of using the street cams. You placed all of their cameras on the side screens but saw Loki on Clint’s. He shot an arrow towards him and he caught it without even looking. But luckily it was one of his bomb arrows, but unlucky for you he fell back onto the top balcony, he was above you now.

“Loki’s in the penthouse again we need-” You stopped after seeing Hulk fly above me to where Loki was. You used the penthouse cameras to see what was going on but by the time you got it up, Hulk manhandled Loki and smashed him into the ground multiple times.

“We need Loki’s sceptre to close the portal!” Nat was up there, you had the sceptre. You had to take it up to her, but that also meant you had to go near Loki.

“I have it, I’ll bring it up to you, is the professor alright?” You saw him breathing heavily on her camera, no longer under the God's control. You left your station grabbing the sceptre and heading to the balcony and climbing up towards the portal. Handing the sceptre to Natasha you looked inside seeing Loki paralyzed from Hulks attacks.

“Cap we can close the portal”

“Do it” Cap instructed.

“Wait-” Cap interrupted Tony knowing we didn't have much time.

“But we have so many more coming in”

“Well I have another coming in and it’s joining us in two minutes”

“Tony- that’s a one-way trip, are you sure?” Concern filled your voice.

“I’ve done worse.” He knew he could die from this. He flew to the Nuke holding it on his back and guiding it to the portal, he almost hit the tower before disappearing into the blue vortex in the sky.

“Guys I can’t hold this for long.” Nat’s voice trembled from the strain in her body from holding the sceptre into the portal device.

“Hold on just a little longer.” Cap's voice was gentle, almost hopeful. But we knew we had to close it.

“Nat-”.

“Close it.” That wasn't a question that was a command. Nat placed the sceptre in the middle and the portal began to close. Looked up at the sky you were hoping that Tony made it. The portal closed and everyone saw him falling.

“He made it through!” You couldn't hide the joy and excitement in your voice. But that soon died down when you realised he was unconscious.

“JARVIS! How stable is Tony?”

“Scanning vital signs-” Thor’s voice boomed through my earpiece silencing JARVIS. That damn voice override.

“He’s not slowing down” Thor got ready to fly up to him but Hulk caught him first making his way down so he could place Tony down safely.

“Cap! How is he?” It was silent before Hulk yelled and I heard Tony’s voice.

“What happened? No one kissed me did they?” I giggled at his remark. He almost died yet his humour didn't. Everyone came up to the penthouse to confront Loki. You stayed behind them, watching Loki from afar. He got up seeing them -The Avengers- in front of him as he surrendered. You looked at his form, seeing a mixed aura- which was very rare. You’ve only seen this once before. And that was on Thor, you expected it was because he was also Asgardian but Thor had mentioned that he was adopted, so it wasn’t that. But this aura. There was hidden darkness mixed in with his normal aura- a darkness that wasn’t his own. You studied his figure, trying to understand how his aura was mixed as it was. Then Loki made eye contact. He looked confused, which was expected since he didn’t see you during the battle. But he was trying to read you, trying to find out why you were even there. As you walked closer they apprehended him.

“Thor- will you take him back to Asgard?” You questioned avoiding Loki’s glare.

“Yes- My father will decide what to do with him. Thank you for all of your help during the battle.”

“Anytime-”

“Help? She wasn’t even there!” Loki’s glare didn’t leave your form.

“I’m the help they get from behind the scenes Loki” His name left your mouth in a soft tone. His aura made you believe that he was not responsible for his actions. He was about to speak again before Thor shut him up with a mouthguard. Loki looked at him in disgust.

“Stay silent brother- do not make things worse”

“Thor. Don’t be too harsh with him.” Loki’s eyes returned to you, confusion imminent. Why would a Midgardian vouch for a monster like him?

“The evil surrounding him- it’s not his own. These were not his actions. It's as if- he was forced to do this. You know of my ability Thor if you'd just let me read him”

“That is not an option, little one. He’s dangerous-”

“He’s not- I can see it. He’s kind, intelligent, chaotic, but not evil. His heritage is not the same as yours either. But please don't be too harsh. He’s had enough pain to last a lifetime” Your eyes returned to Loki’s hope-filled eyes, mixed with guilt and understanding. You got it right. He was forced to do this. Were you his hope of redemption? Or his hope of trusting again after so many people had wronged him? You didn’t know. But you knew that you had to find out.

[vellichor-virgo]

manuscript search xxxv

i was bored, so i went hunting for an open word search tag. behold, i've gotten my sticky little hands on one from @sleepyowlwrites and i'm looking for road, yellow, wood, travel, fair, & also the bonus words sigh and difference in the hopes that Sleepy will give me a sticker.

road (from soft like silk chiffon):

“Aren’t you going to thank me?” Akina asks at one point. The sky is beginning to go purple at the edges, and they’ve slowed down, gliding lazily by the side of the road, like leaves floating in a meandering river current.

Adreanna lets out a breathless laugh. She didn’t think she had any more laughter left in her, after today, but Akina just keeps pulling them out of her, like rabbits out of a hat. “For what?”

Akina shoves her shoulder. “For making you do this, obviously.”

Adreanna pulls Akina’s hand to her mouth. “There’s a lot more to thank you for than just that.”

yellow (from circle of hurt):

There were Lillian and Emrys in another corner: he lounging in an armchair, she perched on the arm with her legs tossed over his. They were laughing softly about something, cozy and intimate despite being surrounded by people. Akina could have approached them, but it was obvious to anyone that the two of them only had eyes for each other. She didn’t miss the way Lillian tilted her body toward Emrys, like a sunflower turning its yellow face toward the sun. Nor did she miss the way Emrys’ hand fluttered uncertainly in the air before he placed it carefully on Lillian’s bare leg, a tender, featherlight touch.

wood (from Night’s Daughter):

I grew older and stranger, and the rumours grew with me. People began to say that if you looked closely, you could see that the tips of my ears were pointed, or that at night the pupils of my eyes narrowed to glowing, catlike slits, or that if you cut me, my blood would run tar-black instead of red. That I communed with otherworldly creatures in the depths of the woods. That my ever-present necklace was ensorcelled with dark magic. They would use words like witch and faerie and changeling, but never my name — only “the Clarington girl” — as if uttering it aloud was bad luck.

travel (from Night’s Daughter):

A floorboard creaks beneath me, the sound carrying in the still silence.

Iliana’s back stiffens. My pulse falters.

For a long, long moment, she does nothing, making me think she’ll dismiss it and go on her way, allowing me to escape.

“Who’s there?”

I hold my breath, going as still and silent as I do just before I fire an arrow at a game animal.

“I know someone’s here,” she says without turning around. Her voice is soft, almost a coo. The sound seems to resonate in me, travelling along my spine like a bead of icy water. “There’s no point in hiding.”

fair (from circle of hurt) (context: Caelan and Sabina are… less than sober, and Sabina insists that she saw a kitten outside, which Caelan refuses to believe. TW/CW for mentions of intoxication? drunkenness? not sure how to word that, but you get what i mean)

Sabina huffed and stomped her foot, her delicate pixie wings shivering behind her with the motion. “I’ll show you. I’ll go out and find it. You owe me ten dollars when I bring it to you.”

“I’d say you owe me twenty when you don’t find shit, but I don’t think it’s fair to take advantage of an inebriated girl.”

Sabina rolled her eyes heavenward — a clear sign of how intoxicated she was, since she’d never do such a thing if she was anywhere near sober. “As if you’ve ever cared about fairness. You knew Lil was plastered that time you dared her to jump off the roof of that abandoned shed.”

“In my defense, so was I.”

sigh (from Night’s Daughter):

The king? I’m going to meet the king?

Maia must see the sudden shocked panic in my eyes, because she gives me a sympathetic look and a reassuring smile. Pollux, on the other hand, remains unaware, heaving a dramatic sigh. “Well, I can’t argue with His Royal Majesty, can I?” He leans over the table to pluck a grape from Maia’s bowl. “Enjoy yourselves.”

difference (from Night’s Daughter):

“You see, Celena,” Iliana says, paying no heed to the attention the two of us are gathering, “the difference between myself and the other young women of this court is that they are all scrambling to hook their claws into the crown. The prince. They are trying desperately to claw their way into the royals’ favour. Those are the girls, and the families, who see you, a mysterious, unknown newcomer, as a threat.”

I think of the way she walked up to Alara Crestling and the other girls; the way she addressed them without an inch of uncertainty, utterly unapologetic. Walking and talking as though she already has a crown on her head.

“And you already have your claws hooked in?”

The look she gives me is imperious, cool pride curling around her smile.

hmmmm i'll tag @josephinegerardywriter @bloodywriter @cream-and-tea @solipsism-lemonade & @sleepy-night-child (+ open tag for anyone else rooting around with their sticky raccoon hands)

new words: purple, intimate, luck, spine, & roof

[aslitheryprinx]

These are from song titles, but I think these are poggers (I hope, at least)

* And there was life inside "it"

* Can it really be called "Cinderella" ?

* Love inside an empty box

* World is full of wonders (Or "Full of wonders!!!!")

* Near

* Angel's clover

Don't worry anon, they are most definitely poggers! (Both of my current ao3 published works have names based on song lyrics, so that really fits my vibe haha.)

There are so many good prompts here! I couldn't help but write like.... A lot lmao.

CW: dehumanization, themes of child abuse, themes of death. Be safe!

____

And there was life inside "it"

They called it RNB-00. It was the first in a generation of experimental life production using DNA from one of the most volatile creatures in the worlds: endermen. There were no endermen hybrids. The children could not survive, and the birth was volatile, tearing the parents and anyone near them apart with the violent magic.

They would perform the experiment anyways.

An unfinished human embryo, carefully extracted from someone who would be written in the paperwork as a volunteer. An enderpearl, freshly taken from a creature they didn't consider "human" enough to need even dubious content. DNA, taken directly from the brain of the enderman.

They spliced together the three ingredients, cheering when the chimera of enderman and embryo inside its tubes showed signs of life.

But some things are not meant to be done.

Nature is not meant to be tampered with.

The experiment turned south quickly. The specimen convulsed in its tube, growing at a rapid rate. Vibrant purple magic lashed out, dancing through the lab with a vengeance. There were the cries of a newborn mixed with the shrieks of an enderman- then, an explosion.

RNB-00 fell to the ground, the magic pulsing from it too bright to be looked at by the naked eye. A second explosion rocked the lab, this time all-encompassing and final. The building turned to ash and dust and settled around a new crater.

There would never be a RNB-01.

A shape rose from the center of the crater. It was a child from one angle, maybe two or three, with pure white hair, scarred cheeks, and a red eye.

From the other angle, it was a monster. Something not quite enderman or human. Jet black hair, and velvety black fur covered the left half of it. It's eye glowed an unnatural green, not the color of humans or endermen.

It toddled slowly away from the epicenter of the explosion, no memory of what had happened. As it walked, it noticed a mark, a brand, on it's right arm: RNB-00. The child stared, and blinked at the word.

And he named himself Ranboo.

Can it really be called "Cinderella"?

When Tubbo was young, he saw Cinderella, once. Even with how young he was, the story resonated with him. He wished all his stepfather did was give him chores, but he knew exactly how it felt to be unloved, unwanted, forced to stay on the sidelines. He just hoped his fairy godmother would come soon.

When he was a little older, he looked back on the story of Cinderella with nothing but bitterness. He was old enough now that he knew fairy tales didn't happen. There was no "fairy godmother" coming to save him; there never had been, there never would be. All he had was himself and his shitty situation. He wanted to forget the story that had given him such a bittersweet lie, but it was burned into his memory.

As he reached his teens, the anger turned into weariness. It wasn't Cinderella's fault his stepfather was a piece of shit. It wasn't the character's fault that she had help to break free while he didn't. And how miserable he was wasn't Tubbo's fault either, no matter how much his stepfather screamed it.

When he was 16, feeling ancient yet younger than he had ever been, he stopped comparing himself to Cinderella. Cinderella hadn't stood over her stepparent's body with a bat. Cinderella hadn't called the police on herself, showing them what she'd done and then the reason why, covering his skin beneath his clothes. Cinderella had been freed, but she hadn't paid such a heavy price for that freedom.

Tubbo had. Tubbo was far from a Cinderella story.

Love inside an empty box

Tommy's love was dangerous. He learned that at a very young age. Love for him wasn't just a feeling, it was a physical thing, at least to his eyes. He could feel every last drop of care, of love gathering around him like a storm. And just like a storm, when the feeling touched down, it was deadly. People, animals, anything that was touched by the love he couldn't stop feeling crumbled under the weight of something that shouldn't exist.

Tommy couldn't stop himself from caring. But he could stop himself from hurting. Hurting others, at least. Tommy commissioned a solution from a witch with a terrible reputation for cruelty, but a renowned skill with magical crafting. It cost him everything he owned, and some of who he was, but he walked away with an empty box made to hold what he couldn't afford to keep.

For years after that, every time he felt love building up in his chest- his care for friends, the people he considered family, even for strangers- he tore it off of himself and flung it into the box. Over time, the box grew full, bursting at the seams with his love. He learned to discard all but the most precious feelings, keeping those in his overstuffed box that weighed nothing and locking them inside.

But no lock lasts forever. Nothing lasts an eternity.

Tommy was alone with nothing but his thoughts, his box, and the ghost of a brother who was only really that in the privacy of his mind. He let his eyes shut, the box held loosely in one hand. The ghost, not knowing the consequences, touched the box.

And the seams of magic holding it together shattered and the love Tommy had stored away broke free, as powerful and terrible as a hurricane.

If it had been Wilbur, the man would've died as surely as he had when a blade was thrust through his heart. But this was Ghostbur, and you cannot kill what is already dead.

Still, such power has consequences. All the love in the box, far too powerful to be contained for long, spilled over, pouring over and around the ghost and the boy.

Yes, such power has consequences. The boy with too much love and his brother that never was would face those consequences together.

(world is) full of wonders

Wilbur is a simple musician. He travels alone, playing an ode to all of the world around him. He sings to the trees, the sky, the river, the sun, anything he pleases.

Though he knows it's silly, he can't help but imagine they sing back. He tries to match the harmony he hears in his mind, tries to play along with the symphony of nature. He can never keep up, but likes to imagine the world is fond of his efforts.

But even musicians can stumble into trouble. Too caught up in the ballad he played to the tune of the wind, he didn't hear the rattle of bones, the drawing of a bow. He heard only the twang as an arrow released before it pierced through his skull and everything went black.

But Wilbur wasn't gone. He didn't cease to exist, like he always assumed. He felt the cool caress of the void, the gentle brush of the universe against his mind and he gasped. Clearer than he'd ever heard it, he heard the song of the world, in perfect harmony and tune. This time, it sang along to him, to the pulsing of his soul.

Wilbur had no body, but if he did he would weep. He had no lungs, no mouth, no voice, but his soul took up the melody he longed to sing anyways. He sang with the universe until the song became more and more impossible to replicate and he could only listen in awe.

He woke up painlessly, laying on a gentle green field. His guitar was by his side, and his sweater was cleaner than it had ever been. He knew instinctually that he was not in the world he'd came from. This was a new world, a universe untouched, a new song to add his voice to.

Near

It hit him, one day, as he absently peeled a potato over the sink. That he didn't remember if he'd ever touched another person.

Techno had froze for a moment. It was quite the revelation to have out of nowhere. He dismissed it a moment later, memories of how he and Phil would bump shoulders as they walked and talked fresh in his mind.

But all too soon his thoughts turned back to the uncomfortable topic. Sure he'd touched Phil before, but that was through layers of armor and clothing. Had he ever had skin to skin contact with another person? Anything, as simple as a handshake? Hell, even something during battle would count.

He came up empty, and it was driving him crazy.

He didn't need to touch people. He didn't. Having someone he cared about liked close to him was good enough. He didn't need physical contact to reassure him. He never had, not even as a child.

Though that may have had something to do with the chorus of voices he'd had in his head that had kept him on the brink of insanity for most of his childhood. His voices were always there, always with him, so what need did he have for another person's company?

Except he did like company, Phil's especially. And he had it, plenty of it, more than he could ever possibly need. So why did he suddenly feel so off balance?

He asked Phil about it next time he saw his friend. He kept it casual. It wasn't a big deal, he didn't need to worry Phil by letting how much this had bothered him show.

"Hey, Phil, have we ever touched?" He asked. Phil gave him a weird look, then bumped his shoulder.

"Like that?" He asked, unimpressed. "Mate, maybe you should check your own memory before you call me old man again."

"Nah," Techno dismissed, "I meant like... skin to skin. Like a handshake or something."

This actually gave Phil pause. He thought for a moment, then laughed.

"I guess we haven't. Weird. Why?"

"I... Don't think I've ever touched anyone like that," Techno said. He tried to keep his voice steady, but his heart was pounding as he poured out his weakness in front of Phil.

The other man was silent for a long time. Techno could practically hear the shouts of ever??? running through his mind.

Suddenly Phil turned towards him, pulling off a glove.

"Handshake?" He offered with a smile, something sad beyond the amusement in his eyes. Techno rolled his eyes, but he hesitated taking his glove off. Slowly reaching out, as if Phil's hand was a snake that might strike at any sudden movements, he placed his hand in Phil's.

The sensation was like a fire roaring to life on his hand. It didn't hurt, not like a real fire, but it somehow burned. He froze, his brain having trouble processing the bizarre feeling. It was overwhelming, and the best thing he'd ever felt, and yet it was almost a relief when Phil gently pulled his hand away.

"We'll take it slow, alright mate?" He said, nudging Techno with an elbow. The piglin's brain began to work again and he snorted, pulling the glove on again and falling back into step.

"Of course. We can't overwork your old man brain," Techno said dryly, earning him a sharper nudge. He grinned, the amusement softening to fondness as Phil walked just a little closer, letting their arms stay pressed together as they went.

It was strange how you didn't notice you were missing something until you had it. Bare contact was a little too overwhelming right now. So he was right. For now, this was enough. Having his best friend near him was all he needed.

Angel's Clover

There is a special plant that only grows in the land of celestials. An ethereal clover that sprouts from the weary souls that come to rest on the soils of heaven. The souls and the clover flourish in time with one another, tended to by the celestials that walk the lands. It is only a rumor, in the eyes of mortals, but one who walks among them knows it to be true. He is the Angel of Death, and his presence can never touch the sacred halls of the celestial lands, lest they wither and die.

But souls do not always complete the journey, to find their final rest above. Some souls are too broken, too hurt to reach the peace of the celestial lands. It is the duty of the Angel of Death to guide the souls, and it is his duty to heal them so that they may be guided.

In the land of the mortals, there is one place where the clover grows. It is in the humble garden of a plain looking man, who wears a large hat to block his eyes from the sun, and keeps his unearthly wings folded beneath his cloak.

In his garden, the Angel of Death nurtures the precious remnants of life.

[lendmyboyfriendahand]

Still something left to save

Maedhros had sent the letter two days ago. Two days of agonizing waiting while the whole camp held its breath.

Maglor still acted like the Valar might have mercy, and return the Silmarils in exchange for repentance. Maedhros knew better though, and was reviewing his weapons and armor. The Valar would refuse the plea, as they had wished to refuse Feanor’s claim when he had not yet harmed any - if indeed they bothered to answer at all.

So a single rider approaching under a flag of truce was not completely surprising. Maglor claimed it was a hopeful sign, that the hosts of the Valar might truly wish to negotiate. Maedhros was of the opinion that the Valar had no faith in the house of Feanor at all, and believed them so low as to murder anyone not conspicuously nonthreatening.

The messenger was ushered past the sentries to the tent Maedhros and Maglor used as an improvised command room. He was wearing a helmet that blocked his face. The voice that called out in greeting was oddly familiar, as was the glint of his eyes, but Maedhros couldn’t place it.

“What news do you bring from the Hosts of the West?,” Maedhros asked.

“Morgoth has fallen. Lords Tulkas and Orome have bound him in chains and shall throw him into the darkness beyond the world, from where there is no return.”

“And what of the letter we sent to Lord Eonwe?”

“The Silmarils shall return to Valinor where they were created. You may go as well if you wish, and plead your right to them in the Ring of Doom.”

Then Maglor desired indeed to submit, for his heart was sorrowful, and he said: ‘The oath says not that we may not bide our time, and it may be that in Valinor all shall be forgiven and forgot, and we shall come into our own in peace.’

But Maedhros answered that if they returned to Aman but the favour of the Valar were withheld from them, then their oath would still remain, but its fulfilment be beyond all hope; and he said: 'Who can tell to what dreadful doom we shall come, if we disobey the Powers in their own land, or purpose ever to bring war again into their holy realm?'

Yet Maglor still held back, saying: 'If Manwë and Varda themselves deny the fulfilment of an oath to which we named them in witness, is it not made void?'

And Maedhros answered: 'But how shall our voices reach to Ilúvatar beyond the Circles of the World? And by Ilúvatar we swore in our madness, and called the Everlasting Darkness upon us, if we kept not our word. Who shall release us?

''If none can release us,' said Maglor, 'then indeed the Everlasting Darkness shall be our lot, whether we keep our oath or break it; but less evil shall we do in the breaking.'

The messenger burst out, “Do you care so little for the life of your kin? You are arguing where and who to kill if your demands are not met; can you not simply seek peace?”

Maedhros rounded on him. “What right do you have to speak such to us? What can you possibly know of our oath, and the cost of defying it?”

“I know as much as you told me, in Himring when you knew the foolishness of marching north unprepared but still felt the call. Perhaps you’ve forgotten though, in the years since.” The messenger took off his helmet.

Maedhros was stuck speechless.

Maglor was not. “Fingon? You’ve been reborn? I thought we were supposed to abide long years in Mandos and yearn for our bodies.”

“It’s been a century, isn’t that long enough?”

“I suppose so. Is my father back yet?”

“No. The dead cannot leave until we are repentant, and that will be a long time for him.”

“Is your father back?”

“Yes, and ruling Tirion while Uncle Finarfin fights here. Before you ask, Grandpa is still in Mandos, as are all your brothers. I didn’t get a complete list; I was only in Valinor for long enough to arrange passage on the next ship leaving.”

“Why?" Maedhros whispered hoarsely. “Why would you give up on a chance for peace after centuries of war and death?”

“I could hardly sit by and do nothing when Morgoth was still running rampant! Besides, I wanted to see you in person.”

“You did?”

“Yes. After the tales I heard from Doriath and Sirion, I wanted to see if there was anything left to save of the man I fell in love with.”

Maglor said, “I’ll give you two privacy. I will return in an hour, and in the meantime will inform the army that we are in council over our next course of action.”

“There’s no need for that. After your brother’s speech earlier, I really don’t have much left to say to him.”

“No?” Maedhros asked. “As steadfast as you are renowned to be, you can exchange your love for hate in an instant?”

“I don’t know if I hate you. But I can’t love you, not when you’re drenched in blood and only wading deeper.”

“You accuse me of forgetting what we talked about in Himring, its you who are ignoring it. Or did you never listen in the first place? Each day, each hour, each breath is an effort, each moment that the Oath is unfulfilled worse than the last. A century ago I was carrying a stone; now it is a boulder.”

“So why do you not set the boulder aside? Why not surrender to the Valar, or found a new kingdom in the East, or ask me to ride off with you and live far away from all oaths and kings and fathers?”

“If I cast the Oath aside it would not be gone, merely underfoot waiting to reach up and pull my down with it rather than crushing me.”

“Would that not be better?”

“Until it reached up and choked me, and I moved once again according to its string. The Oath will be there waiting for me wherever I go for the rest of my life, unless I can fulfill it.”

“Then let it wait. Better to have peace for a few decades, in which time you may understand how to evade your Doom.”

“If you refuse to accept that certain things cannot be changed, I don’t have any answers that will satisfy you.”

“And if you refuse to see any path forward but over the bodies of innocents, I may as well be shouting at the wind.”

“I begged you once to kill me and you refused. If you cannot stomach having released me onto the world, that is your problem, but I will not be crushed by your guilt as well as my own.”

“I rescued you because I loved you. What you have done is horrific, but it was not fated from that moment. I take no part in your guilt, but as a friend would aid you towards repentance.”

“There is no penance that could make up for what I have done, and even if there were I would refuse to take it. It is better to live scorned but free than to bow and scrape in desperate hope a jailer will be amused enough to grant a moment of relief.”

“The Valar are not Morgoth, and have no interest in cruelty.”

“And if you’re wrong? Or if they are merciful, but someone decides I’m not being appropriately punished, what then? Once I surrender, I’m sure I won’t be allowed so much as a belt knife for eating. There will be escape from the inside, whether you call it captivity or repentance. Will you come to my heroic rescue once again, or will you let vengeance and justice be played out upon me?”

Fingon looked at him steadily. “If you are imprisoned I will some to your aid, if only to offer the arrow you begged for last time. I don’t think an eagle will help you escape the Valra’s own sentence though.”

“So if I surrender I am trapped between captivity or death, until at last I weary of holding back the Oath and am struck down for my arrogance at believing a son has a right to his father’s work. Whereas if I pursue the Silmarils now, I may be struck down or I may escape, but in either case I have at least chosen the hour and the manner of my fate. You’re making a very persuasive argument.”

“If all you care about is your own skin, and no thought at all for the lives ended beneath your sword if you attack, then perhaps what you have said is accurate. But I had thought that you were kinder than that once; perhaps I am mistaken and you care no more for elven lives than an orc would.”

Maedhros recoiled as if struck.

Maglor jumped into the conversation before his brother could find the words that would skewer Fingon’s weak point as thoroughly as his own had been. “You both speak as if there are only two options. We don’t have to choose between surrender and attack.”

“Oh?” Maedhros said,”What other way is there? Fingon made it very clear that fighting is for orcs and crawling back to the Valar is for good little elves.”

“I never said-”

Maglor interrupted Fingon before the two of them could get into it again. “There are men and dwarves in this world as well as orcs and elves, whatever we might have thought when we left Valinor.”

“Dwarves and men there may be, but little help it does us. We don’t get to change our nature like your precious peredhel princes, nor would I want to.”

“We don’t have to. I’m merely saying, we don’‘t have to choose between attack and surrender. We can retreat, regroup for another angle.”

“I am right here, as a messenger of the Valar, and can’t honestly report that you two are going in peace if you merely are waiting until you re strong enough to storm Taniquetil.”

Maedhros drummed his fingers on his sword hilt. “We don’t have to let you go. You say being prisoner of a kind master is a good fate, now would be your time to prove it.”

“Must the two of you be so literal? We retreat physically, but regroup spiritually for another metaphorical angle of attack.”

“You’re speaking in poetry when we need tactics.”

“Fine.” Maglor began ticking points of on his fingers. “We retreat physically by moving our forces away from the land that’s collapsing beneath our feet. Everyone is going east, but if we angle north-east, perhaps across the Grey Mountains, we should be able to establish a fortress without being bothered. We regroup spiritually by announcing to our soldiers that we’re not going to attack civilians again. We can spend a decade or two building our new home, farming and crafting and hunting rather than waging war. And our metaphorical angle of attack is diplomacy. You and I always were the best at it of our brothers; if anyone has a chance of convincing the Valar to return the Silmarils it’s us.”

“How exactly are we making diplomatic overtures with the Valar from another continent?”

“Letters should be able to get through. The Valar are creating an island for the Men that’s close to Valinor but still in Middle Earth. Elves from Valinor can visit the island, and the Men can travel here.”

“We tried letters before, three times now, and it didn’t work.”

“It didn’t work on Sindarin child-monarchs, the Valar are wiser and can understand more lines of argument.”

“They refused our last request and Fingon is right her telling us so.”

“Eonwe refused, because he considers it beyond his authority. The Valar themselves have said neither yay or nay.”

“You think they’ll decree us worthy of the Silmarils, when they condemned us for ever trying to leave their precious paradise?”

“I think if we’re on another continent they won’t sentence us to execution, an the rest of the details can be worked out without an audience.”

“I’m not here to spy on you,” Fingon said.

“No, you’re here to see if you’re still impulsive enough to kiss my brother if he looks at you sweetly.”

“That’s not it either!”

“I don’t care what you two get up to at this point, but Maedhros and I really do need to come up with a detailed plan, and we can’t tell you anything as long as half the continent is willing to shoot us on sight. So leave the tent so I can bring out the ledgers.”

“You still haven’t answered the message from Lord Eonwe calling for your surrender.”

“And we won’t have an answer that satisfies both your sensibilities and Maedhros’s paranoia for several hours. Go tend to your horse or something.”

Maedhros said, “If we discuss this for hours, he’ll won’t have time to return by nightfall, and we don’t have any spare tents.”

“I’m sure the two of you have shared a bed often enough, you can do so for one night.”

“I can sleep under the stars well enough,” Fingon said coldly.

“Like I said, I don’t care what you two do, as long as you leave now and let me speak with my brother in private.”

“Fine.”

Once Fingon was well away, Maedhros breathed deeply and practically collapsed onto a stool. He looked up at Maglor, “Do you really have a plan that could work?”

“I do. It was a mistake to ask for the Silmarils in the first letter to Eonwe, it shows our hand and makes us look greedy. The first letter to the Valar will be an acknowledgement that their prophecies of death in the outer lands were right, it will sound like respecting their wisdom...”

[atomic-taco-muffin]

KH x Danganronpa Part 6

Warnings: IDEK

Rating: SFW

(Look at him!)

Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked through a picturesque forest. Goofy put his hand up to block the sun.

"It sure is a pretty day," he said.

"Yeah, the weather is great. It'd be perfect for a picnic," Sora stretched.

"Why do you think we came HERE?" Donald asked.

"Got me, Donald."

"We'll figure it out as we go," Goofy said.

"Okay," Donald sighed.

"I'm sure we were brought to this world for SOME good reason, but can't we sweat it later?" Sora said.

"Fine with me, as long as there's no Heartless. Or Monokumas." They heard a scream and stopped in their tracks, looking around for the source of it. Then with grunting and a final slide, a man fell down the hill behind them. He groaned, massaging his back, then looked back where he came from, where a troop of Heartless and Monokumas flew down after him. The man got up and scampered away, the satchel on his hip flapping with every step. He ran toward the trio with the Heartless on his tail, flailing his arms wildly.

"Make way! Make way! Make way!" he said. Sora, Donald, and Goofy parted so he could pass them, then summoned their weapons.

"Heartless!" Sora said.

"And Monokumas!" Donald said. The man found a rock to hide behind, catching his breath and peering out at the group.

"You see? Soon as you mention 'em, they show up!" Sora said.

"There goes our picnic," Goofy said.

"I didn't do it!" Donald said.

"S'okay. Let's send these guys packing," Sora said.

"Say, since you three seem to know what you're doing, mind if I leave this one to you?" the man asked.

"Yup. We'll take care of them. Go on, skedaddle!"

"You have my thanks." The man gave out a sigh. "The horse was enough. Don't need any monsters or weird looking bears on my trail."

"The WHAT was enough?" Donald asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Name's Flynn. Flynn Rider. Flynn pointed to one of the Heartless. "Ohh! Watch out, they look mad!" Donald turned around again and Flynn started creeping away.

"Slowly... Slowly... Outta here!" he said. He dashed away as fast as he can while Sora, Donald, and Goofy took out the multitude of Heartless and Monokumas. After the fight, they saw no sign of Flynn Rider.

"Huh? Where'd Flynn go?" Sora asked.

"He skedaddled," Donald said.

"I think I saw him go thataway," Goofy said. He pointed toward a spot between the trees that veered into a small clearing with rocky hills on each side.

"Huh? But 'thataway' is...just a dead end," Sora said.

"Yeah. That's puzzling," Goofy said.

"Well, did he?" Donald said. Goofy crossed his arms, thinking.

"I say we investigate," Sora said. They searched the area for Flynn and approach the rocky hillside ahead.

"He couldn't have come this way," Donald said. Sora saw no exit nearby and turned to face Donald & Goofy, his back to a patch of leafy vines.

"Well, at least he got away safe. Right?" he said. He tried to lean against the vines but stumbled right through them. Goofy turned at the rustling sound, but Sora had disappeared.

"Hey! Now Sora's gone, too!" he said. Goofy walked over to the vines and heard Sora's voice through them.

"This way, guys! It's a secret passage!" he said. Sora stood up as Goofy and Donald pulled the vines apart to find a small hollow in the mountain. They ran through the cave until emerging into a small valley with a lone tower standing in its center. Made mostly of brick, the tower had vines running along its side indicating it must have been there for years. Behind the tower, a waterfall ran over the mountainside into a small pond that glistened in the sunlight.

"Look at that. A tower! Let's check it out!" Sora said. As they neared the base of the tower, they saw Flynn climbing down the stones on the outside with a pair of arrows. He paused, resting for a moment, when Rapunzel flung her hair down out the window, rappelling herself down the tower. She stopped before she hit the ground and slowly extended a barefoot to the warm grass beneath. She took in the feeling of her first taste of earth and knelt down, feeling the ground under her hands.

"It's so soft!" she said. Several dandelion seeds flew into the wind before her and she stood. "I'm free... I'm really free!"

She started running, not even noticing the trio as she passed them. Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran over to Flynn as he reached the bottom of the tower.

"Flynn, good to see you in one piece!" Sora said.

"Guys! You're here, and just in time," Flynn said. Rapunzel stepped into the pond, laughing as she stepped over the small stones lining the bottom.

"Oh... Who's she?" Sora asked.

"Uh, that would be Rapunzel," Flynn said. She took a handful of water and splashed it upwards with a shout of glee and loud laughter. "Something tells me this could be her first time outdoors. Give her a few minutes to get used to it."

"First time EVER?" Sora asked, wide-eyed. The sun beat down on her golden hair as she took in her decision and she grabbed her face.

"I can't believe I did this!" she said, happily. She grabbed her head.

"I can't believe I did this," She said, shocked as she spun around. "I can't believe I DID this!"

She gasped.

"Mother would be so furious if she knew I disobeyed her and left the tower..." she said, worriedly.

She sat on a rock holding a flower.

"But that's okay--I mean, what she doesn't know won't kill her... Right?" she said, carefree.

She cried in the hollow cave.

"Oh my gosh. This would kill her," she said, sadly.

She ran through the grass, kicking up leaves. Donald laughed while Flynn rolled his eyes.

"This is so fuuuuuun!" she shouted.

She leaned her head against a tree.

"I am a horrible daughter. I'm going back," she said, devastated.

She did cartwheels through the flowers, wrapping herself in her hair.

"I am never going back!" she said, exuberantly.

She lied facedown on the ground.

"I am a despicable human being," she said, in grief.

She swung around a large tree by her hair where Flynn and Sora waited for her to even out.

"Best. Day. Ever!" she said, exhilarated.

She sobbed into her hands at the base of the tree. Flynn walked over to her, with the trio following.

"I notice you seem a little at war with yourself here," Flynn said.

"A little MORE than a little," Goofy said.

"More like a lot," Donald said.

"Yeah..." Sora said. She stopped crying and turned to see them. She gasped and held out the frying pan toward Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Stop right there! Who are you?" she said. Flynn stepped in between them.

"I told you before: my sidekicks," he said.

"Sidekicks?" Sora asked.

"May I introduce, ehh..."

"Oh, uh... My name's Sora."

"Donald!"

"And I'm Goofy. Pleasure, ma'am." The chameleon appeared from under her hair, skeptical of them.

"Sora, Donald, and...Goofy," she said as she lowered her frying pan. "It's...nice to meet you, too. I'm Rapunzel."

"Yep. My sidekicks," Flynn said. Sora grabbed Flynn's arm and spun him around.

"Since when is THAT?" he whispered.

"Look, she really wants to see the lantern show tomorrow night. Now, I'm a nice guy, so I've decided to help her. Only problem is those monsters might show up again. I can get her to the Kingdom--but you guys are clearly more cut out for combat," Flynn whispered back.

"That's cause we're heroes!" Donald said.

"Uh-huh!"

"And we're Heartless experts. And we know a little bit about those Monokumas," Goofy said.

"Yeah, yeah!" They posed together and Sora gave a small laugh.

"Just leave it to us!" he said.

"Done," Flynn said. He motioned to Rapunzel and led her forward.

"Rapunzel is interesting..." Donald said. The trio walked behind them as Rapunzel admired her surroundings.

"Yeah, her heart's pulling her all kinda ways," Goofy said.

"The outside world must seem so big and scary. I know how she feels. Lucky for me you two came along at just the right time--and the rest has been unforgettable," Sora said.

"Awww..." Donald said. Sora realized he was getting sentimental.

"Yep, unforgettable...just like your face!" he smiled, pointing to Donald.

"Oh yeah?!" Donald asked. Sora laughed as Donald burst out in anger. Sora ran to catch up to Rapunzel and Flynn, putting his hands behind his head. Goofy chuckled as Donald seethed.

"C'mon, now," Goofy said. He ran after Sora, and Donald followed.

"All for one, and one for all," Sora said.

~~~~

Back at the tower, Mother Gothel had returned to find Rapunzel missing. She scrambled through the house in desperation.

"Rapunzel?" she asked as she ran to her room.

"Rapunzel?!" she shrieked. She frantically tore down the curtain covering the window but found no one there. She clutched her face in terror before a glint of light caught her eye from beneath the stairs. She opened the bottom step and pulled out a satchel. Reaching into the satchel, she removed a sparkling tiara and at the sight of it, dropped it in fear. Terrified, she looked further in the bag, taking out a Wanted poster for one Flynn Rider.

"Missing someone?" someone asked. She whirled around.

"Who's there?" she asked. Stepping out from a portal was a man in a black coat with long rose-colored hair and a woman in a beautiful white gown with blonde hair styled up to make her crown fit. The abrupt entrance caused the frightened woman to drop the poster as Marluxia and Remnant Sonia stepped closer.

"She's such a precious gift. Allow us to assist you in getting her back," Sonia said as Mother Gothel's eyes slowly turned pink.

~~~~

Sora and the others left the lake and continued through the forest, Rapunzel's long hair trailing behind her as they came upon a strange plant stuck in the ground in a clearing alone.

"Okay, that's suspicious," Flynn said.

"Rapunzel..." Sora said.

"Don't worry. I know to be careful around flowers now," Rapunzel winked.

"Whatever it is, it's not normal. I'll take a look." Sora walked closer to the weird-looking plant.

"Watch it," Donald said. Sora approached the odd vegetation and examined it while everyone waited with bated breath. After seeing no imminent threat from the flower, he turned to the group.

"We're all clear," he said. They sighed with relief, but too late, as the flower's petals opened, folding downward as its form changed to that of a creature holding a scythe with a familiar symbol on its face, along with a few Monokumas as well.

"Sora!" Donald said, alarmed. He pointed behind Sora, who turned just in time as the pink and white creature swung its immense scythe at him while the Monokumas attacked him with their claws. Sora dodged away and summoned his Keyblade with gritted teeth, joined by Donald and Goofy.

"These guys?" Sora asked as more appeared.

"They're Nobodies! And there's more Monokumas!" Goofy said.

"Mother said the outside world would be full of ruffians and thugs," Rapunzel said.

"Those aren't ruffians. Those are...uhh, I dunno..." Donald said.

"Rapunzel, Flynn, stay back!" Sora said.

"No. I want to help you fight," Rapunzel said.

"I know. But I'm afraid you can't hurt these guys with a frying pan, plus these bears are really dangerous. Trust me on this. Flynn, could you explain?"

"No problem. Knowing when to flee is one of my specialties," Flynn said as he rushed over to Rapunzel. "C'mon, Rapunzel. Gotta go."

"But--"

"Look, I wanna stay and slug it out too, but my sidekicks have it covered." Sora nodded with a smile.

"All right. Please be careful, Sora," Rapunzel said. They nodded and left them to it. Sora, Donald, and Goofy took out all the Reaper Nobodies and Monokumas and regrouped.

"You know who uses Nobodies..." Goofy said.

"The Organization!" Donald said.

"Yeah. And Mukuro warned us about Junko and the Remnants of Despair. They must be working for them. I'm surprised we haven't seen 'em," Sora said. He cupped and started calling out. "I know you're there! Come out, you has-beens! And you despair loving freaks!"

They looked around and a corridor of darkness appeared behind them.

"'Has-beens'? Now why would you say that?" someone asked.

"And how dare you call a queen a freak!" a woman said. A tall man with long pink hair emerged from the portal, peering at them through yellow eyes while a woman with blonde hair glared at them with glowing red eyes.

"Because bossing around Nobodies? That's the old Organization," Sora chuckled. "Why? Are you in the 'real' one too? Good for you. And you must be one of the so-called 'Remnants of Despair'."

"My name is Marluxia and this is my beloved queen, Sonia." Marluxia kissed her knuckles making her blush.

"Oh, stop! You're making me blush!" Sonia swooned.

"And yes, that is correct. How interesting it is to see you again, Sora," Marluxia said.

"'Again'?" Sora asked. He turned to Donald and Goofy, confused. "YOU know 'im?"

Donald and Goofy shook their heads.

"A shame you've no memory of me, because I remember you exceedingly well. Although...it's THOSE memories I'd soon erase. And you obviously wouldn't know Sonia. She's new but she is very powerful," Marluxia said. Sonia giggled insanely and looked at the trio.

"I don't know what you're saying," Sora said.

"Nor should you. Nor will you ever, for that matter," Sonia said. The trio glanced at them with confused faces.

"Now, if you'll permit me, I've come to ask a favor," Marluxia said.

"Favor? You have got to be kidding me," Sora said. Donald & Goofy nodded in agreement.

"Please hear what we have to say. I'm sure you've noticed..." Sonia said. She mused on this for a moment and Sora raised his eyebrows for her or Marluxia to continue.

"Well, perhaps not. But you should know that maiden with you, Rapunzel, is the very light of this world. I would see you guard her from its dark horrors," Marluxia said.

"Huh?" the trio asked as they took defensive stances.

"Starting with you two, right?" Sora asked.

"All the Organization seeks is balance. You must understand, our ultimate objective is not to clash with the light. We seek to complement it. Use that Keyblade...to keep Rapunzel safe," Sonia said as she and Marluxia vanished into a dark corridor.

"Rapunzel's light..." Sora said. Goofy scratched his face and Sora looked around. "Hey. Where did they go?"

"I guess they musta run on ahead," Goofy said.

"Then we'd better go find them." They continued through the forest in search of Flynn and Rapunzel. Soon the forest turned into marshland and the fog obscured their view ahead. Still no sign of them, Sora sighed.

"I wonder where they went," he said.

"Don't worry. They couldn't have gotten too far," Goofy said. A hooded figure quickly hid behind a tree.

"You just had to stop and talk," Donald said. Mother Gothel peered at them from beneath her cloak.

"Hey! Blame the has-been and the freak, not me," Sora said.

"I think you mean Marluxia and Sonia. I bet that's the name the has-been and the freak would prefer," Goofy said. Mother Gothel averted her gaze and began to leave.

"Hellooo? Rapunzel? Flynn?" Sora called out. She stopped at Rapunzel's name and turned back, lowering her hood.

"Excuse me, good travelers. Do you know Rapunzel?" she said. They turned to her as she walked toward them and exchanged glances.

"Uh, yeah... Sort of," Sora said.

"Why?" Donald asked.

"My apologies. I'm Rapunzel's mother. The poor child left home without a word, and I've just been worried sick. Please tell me: where is my dear, sweet girl?"

"We'd tell ya, but we lost her," Goofy said.

"By accident," Donald said.

"We could look together," Sora said.

"Lost her?" Mother Gothel scoffed. "You're of no use to me."

She waved them off and continued walking.

"I'll find her myself," she said.

"She ran away from home?" Donald asked.

"What if Marluxia and Sonia were onto something back there?" Sora asked.

"You trust Organization XIII?"

"What? No! Of course not. But...what if?"

"I agree. Why is Rapunzel in danger, and what darkness is after her?" Goofy said.

"Well, guys, the first step is to find her." They searched for Rapunzel and Flynn, eventually exiting the marshland into a more bright forest. Soon, they heard a voice.

"Wh-wh-whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy, boy, easy! Settle down. Whoa, whoa!" Rapunzel said.

"That voice!" Sora said.

"It's Rapunzel!" Goofy said. Ahead, a terrified Flynn had his back pressed against a rock while Rapunzel attempted to calm down a large white horse. The angry-looking horse peered at the chameleon atop Rapunzel's head. Pascal motioned with his three-toed front feet to settle down. The horse, wide-eyed, raised an ear and set his rump down on the ground with a dispirited whinny.

"You are such a good boy! Yes you are," Rapunzel said as she pet the bridge of his nose and his tail started to wag. "Are you all tired from chasing this bad man all over the place?"

The horse nodded sadly.

"Excuse me?"Flynn asked.

"Nobody appreciates you, do they?" Rapunzel asked. Rapunzel moved closer to give him a hug. "Do they?"

The horse shook his head.

"Oh, come on. He's a bad horse!" Flynn said.

"Ohhh. He's nothing but a big sweetheart," Rapunzel said as the horse nuzzled against her. "Isn't that right...Maximus?"

Maximus stamped his foot and whinnied at the attentive petting as Flynn griped on the forest floor.

"Wha... You've got to be kidding me," he said. Maximus glared at him.

"Look, today is kind of the biggest day of my life, and the thing is, I need you NOT to get him arrested," Rapunzel said. She helped Flynn up and Maximus narrowed his eyes at her. "Just for twenty-four hours, and then you can chase each other to your hearts' content. Okay?"

Flynn begrudgingly offered a hand, but Maximus refused, looking away.

"And it's also my birthday. Just so you know," Rapunzel said. Maximus grumbled softly and offered his hoof. They shook, their scowls unbroken. Rapunzel looked ahead, seeing the trio running toward them.

"Rapunzel!" Sora said.

"You're here. And you're okay!" Rapunzel said. From behind her back, Maximus punched Flynn in the side and smirked.

"Yeah! You too," Sora said.

"And look! I made a friend," Rapunzel said as Maximus walked over. "Meet Maximus. You could say Flynn introduced us. And where one goes, the other follows."

Maximus inspected them dubiously.

"This is Sora, Goofy, and Donald. They've been helping me," Rapunzel said. Maximus nodded and Flynn got up, clutching his side and pointing onward.

"Come on, the Kingdom's not far," he said.

~~~~

They crossed the bridge and entered the castle town, Rapunzel giggling to herself all the way.

"Rapunzel sure looks happy," Sora said.

"She does," Donald said.

"Well, her dream's gonna come true. They're sendin' the lanterns up after dark," Goofy said.

"Cool! We don't wanna miss that!" Sora said. After dancing at the town center, a man shouted for everyone to head to the boats for the lanterns. The sunset and the trio watched from one of the docks, Maximus from another, as Rapunzel and Flynn took a boat to the middle of the lake. They gazed up at the castle against the darkly lit sky.

"I've been looking out a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what it might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?" Rapunzel said.

"It will be," Flynn said, calmly.

"And what if it is? What do I do then?"

"Well, that's the good part, I guess. You get to go find a new dream." They look up as a solitary lantern peeked out from behind the castle, floating slowly up into the sky. Rapunzel hastily stood up, rocking the boat and grasping at the stern, as multitudes of floating lanterns pooled out of the castle gates. Soon the entire kingdom was enveloped in a flock of lights floating softly into the air. Rapunzel leaned her head on the wood as she gazed longingly at the magical sight. She turned back to Flynn holding two of his own in his hands. She happily sat back down.

"I have something for you, too," she said. She pulled out his satchel and he stared at it. "I should have given it to you before, but I was just scared. And the thing is, I'm not scared anymore. You know what I mean?"

He placed a hand on the satchel and moved for her to put it down.

"I'm starting to," he said. They set free their lanterns and they joined the swirling bunch in the sky. Flynn gazed at Rapunzel, seeing the happiness on her face, then looked toward the satchel, thinking to himself. When the festival died down, they docked the boat on the edge of the lake and Flynn got out.

"I'm sorry. Everything is fine. There's...just something I have to take care of," he said. He grabbed the satchel and she looked back and forth between it and him.

"Okay," she said.

"I'll be right back." He turned to leave and Pascal climbed onto her shoulder.

"It's all right, Pascal," she said. They both sadly watched him go. From Sora's place at the dock, they watched the lights in the sky.

"Wow!" he gasped. They sensed a disturbance from behind as Reaper Nobodies and Monokumas appeared on the wharf. They got up and turned around, irked.

"Could you guys have possibly picked a worse time?" Sora asked.

"I don't think they appreciate the moment, Sora," Goofy said.

"Not one bit!" Donald said.

"It's time for these wet blankets to go!" Sora said as the three of them summoned their weapons.

"Yeah!" Donald and Goofy said. They took care of the Nobodies and Monokumas plaguing the wharf as Rapunzel waited by the shore with Pascal. Out of the fog over the water emerged a small sailboat.

"Eugene?" she asked. From shore, she saw what looked like Flynn steering the sailboat with the stolen tiara in his hand. "Eugene!"

Unknown to Rapunzel, he was out cold and tied to the mast and helm.

"Oh dear... He's run off with the crown and forgotten you," Marluxia said as he and Sonia appeared behind her.

"No. He wouldn't. Who are you?" Rapunzel said. They didn't answer and she looked back at the boat, still drifting away.

"Forget Flynn Rider. You know where you belong, and it's not with him. And I wish I had your pretty tiara. Now..." Sonia said. She and Marluxia motioned with their hands and two Reaper Nobodies and two Monokumas appeared in front of Rapunzel. She ran away in fear and Marluxia and Sonia smiled. She ran toward an opening between two large rocks, trying not to stumble when her braided hair caught on a fallen log. She pulled on it, trying to free it from the branch when she heard a voice.

"Rapunzel!" Mother Gothel said.

"Mother?" Rapunzel asked. She walked back to the shoreline, where the Nobodies and Monokumas had disintegrated and torn into pieces and Mother Gothel stood with a tree branch in her arms, out of breath. She perked up at the sight of Rapunzel.

"Oh, my precious girl!" she said.

"Mother..." Rapunzel said as she ran into her arms.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Mother Gothel asked as she touched Rapunzel's face.

"M-Mother, how did you--"

"I was so worried about you, dear. So I followed you. And I saw them attack you, and--" Mother Gothel hugged her tightly. "Oh my. Let's go. Let's go, before they come to."

Rapunzel stopped and looked back at the boat on the lake. She slowly turned back to Mother Gothel, holding a green lantern in her hand. Rapunzel paused as Mother Gothel set the lantern down and opened her arms, beckoning her. Rapunzel's lip quivered and she started to cry, running into her mother's embrace. Mother Gothel stroked her hair as she sobbed. Sora, Donald, and Goofy entered and saw the two leaving.

"Hey, isn't that Rapunzel?" Sora asked. He cupped his hands to his face. "Wait! Rapunz--"

A dark corridor opened and Marluxia and Sonia appeared.

"Show some decorum," Marluxia said.

"You again!" Donald said.

"Marluxia! Sonia!" Sora said.

"The girl has found her dear mother. You should let them be," Sonia said.

"And why is that?"

"Because Rapunzel is far too important. Atop her tower, she must remain out of sight, and live out her days with Mother Gothel," Marluxia said.

"And never see anyone else?" Goofy said.

"But that's like...locking her in some prison!" Sora said.

"That is EXACTLY what it's like. Rapunzel's hair holds the powerful magic of healing. And yes, Mother Gothel wants it for herself. As do others. And, if Mother Gothel's actions will protect Rapunzel, preserve her...then she is doing the Organization a favor," Sonia said.

"What favor?"

"Let's say she's keeping Rapunzel on the shelf for us. An extra pawn in case you fail to find the remaining guardians of light, and we have occasion to call on other hearts of light instead. A New Seven Hearts to fill out the ranks," Marluxia said.

"'New Seven Hearts'?"

"Yes. Seven who inherited the princesses' light after their role was fulfilled," Sonia said.

"So, you don't care about her. You guys just want Rapunzel for your own purposes! Well, you're done here!" Sora said as he summoned his Keyblade.

"Hmph. I just knew you would go and make a scene. Very well, then it's lights out for you," Marluxia said. He extended a hand, blowing a pink wind toward Sora. He dropped the Keyblade, his eyes drooping.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed. They ran towards him as his vision got hazy, his ears muffled.

"You always were such a sound sleeper," Marluxia said. Sonia giggled and wrapped her arms around Marluxia's arm as Sora fell to the ground. Meanwhile, a recently escaped Flynn dashed on Maximus over the bridge away from the city. The morning sun brightened the sky as he rode toward the forest, encountering Donald and Goofy hovering over a still-sleeping Sora.

"Whoa, Max! Whoa, boy," Flynn said. They slid just short of them.

"Flynn!" Goofy said.

"Is Sora okay?" Flynn asked.

"We don't know," Donald said.

"We keep callin' his name and shakin' him, but he won't open his eyes," Goofy said.

"Sora!"

"Wake up!"

"Hmm... Unresponsive sidekick... Wait a minute. I know how to fix this! Max, give him a wash!" Flynn said. Maximus licked Sora's face with his long tongue, rousing him from his sleep. Sora opened his eyes seeing Flynn and Maximus looking down at him. Donald and Goofy peeked into view.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy said as he sat up.

"Well, that did the trick. Nice work, Max!" Flynn said. Maximus smiled haughtily. Sora stood and held his head.

"Huh? How did I end up..." he asked as the events came back to him. "Oh no! Flynn, Rapunzel's being held prisoner!"

Donald and Goofy nodded.

"That's right. In her mother's tower," Flynn said. They trotted forward.

"This calls for a rescue," Flynn said. He smiled down at Sora and extended a hand. "Are you with me?"

Sora gave a small laugh.

"Yeah," he said. Flynn pulled Sora up onto the horse with a proud cackle. Donald jumped up onto Sora's shoulders and Goofy tagged along on Maximus. Suddenly, they lost height.

"Uh-oh!" Goofy said. Maximus's legs buckled, struggling to hold them up, but his face changed to one of determination. He let out a whinny and stood straight up.

"Let's go, Max," Flynn said. Maximus reared back and charged forward. They raced through the forest in the direction of the tower when they were intercepted by a group of Nobodies and Monokumas.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Max!" Flynn said. Sora, Donald, and Goofy nodded to each other and jumped off Maximus, summoning their weapons.

"We'll take it from here, Flynn. Go help Rapunzel," Sora said.

"Thanks!" Flynn said. He took off with Maximus, leaving the Nobodies and Monokumas to them. As they followed along through the forest, their path was filled with Heartless and more Monokumas. They defeated each wave in turn. By the time they arrived, Flynn had climbed up and entered the tower.

"Rapunzel! I thought I'd never see you again," Flynn said. He looked up, seeing Rapunzel chained and gagged. Her eyes widen as Mother Gothel sneaked behind him, striking a hidden dagger into his side. Rapunzel struggled to get free, crying out as Flynn fell over onto the floor. Mother Gothel looked down at him, squirming in pain on the stone floor. She tugged on Rapunzel's chains trying to lead her deeper into the tower, the girl desperate to get free.

"Rapunzel, really! Enough already! Stop fighting me!" she said. Rapunzel, pulling back, lost her balance and fell over, the gag slipping from her mouth.

"No! I won't stop! For every minute of the rest of my life, I will fight! I will never stop trying to get away from you! But...if you let me save him, I will go with you," she said. Mother Gothel raised an eyebrow.

"No! No, Rapunzel..." Flynn grunted. He attempted to crawl on the floor but the pain was too great. Pascal looked on helplessly.

"I'll never run... I'll never try to escape. Just let me heal him...and you and I will be together--forever, just like you want. Every- thing will be the way it was. I promise. Just like you want. Just...let me heal him," Rapunzel said. Mother Gothel released Rapunzel and shackled Flynn.

"In case you get any ideas about following us," she said to him. Rapunzel rushed to his side.

"Eu...Eugene!" she said. She brushed the hair out of his eyes and he clutched his side, struggling to sit up against the wall. She checked at his wound, obviously bleeding.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Everything is gonna be okay, though," she said as she gathered her hair into her arms.

"No...Rapunzel..." Flynn groaned.

"I promise. You have to trust me." She placed her hair over his wound.

"No! I can't let you do this," he said. They stared into each other's eyes.

"And I can't let you die," she said.

"But if you do this...but if you do this, then you will die."

"Hey. It's gonna be all right," she whispered. He gave the very smallest of smiles.

"Rapunzel... Wait," he said. He began to stroke her hair, his face moving closer to hers, and with a swift motion cut off her hair with a shard of the broken mirror. His hand fell to the floor, dropping the glass, as her hair turned brown, its healing ability lost. She looked down at him in shock.

"Eugene, what--" she gasped. Absolute terror erupted from Mother Gothel's face.

"No!" she screamed. From the strand in Rapunzel's hands, the once golden locks of hair turned a deep brown. Mother Gothel tried to gather them up in her arms before the magic was lost.

"Oh no. No..." she said. Unable to stop the transformation, she grabbed her hand, watching it become wrinkled and withered.

"What have you done? What have you DONE?!" she yelled. The aging spread across her body like a weed, her skin turning pale and her hair a pallid gray. She screamed out in sudden shrieks, her body moving feebly, as she covered her decrepit face with her hood. She writhed about the room, crossing closer to the window, where Pascal pulled on the long bunch of hair, causing her to spill out of the tower. She screamed as she fell, aging out of existence, the shroud flying down through the air as Sora, Donald and Goofy reached the base of the tower. Marluxia and Sonia watched from the hill.

"Fallen to darkness... We can't allow her near our pure light now. Her presence would only cast a pall over it," Sonia said. Marluxia motioned with his arm, suspending the cloak in midair surrounded by petals of pink. An orb of darkness burst forth and branch-like limbs erupted from within, followed by a tail. Another set of limbs and the creature crashed to the ground, the darkness pulling back, revealing a large tree-like Heartless, the Grim Guardianess. It growled down at Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who summoned their weapons.

"What happened up there?" Sora asked.

"I don't know, but we have to stop that Heartless," Donald said. The Grim Guardianess flew toward them, its tail moving like a serpent, as its large mane of leaves crashed to the ground, sending pollen everywhere. Donald and Goofy were sent into a sneezing fit as thorns surrounded Sora. He struggled to get free of the thorns' grip before the Heartless slithered around the tower, spiraling to the top. Sora broke free from the thorny tether as cherries fell from the sky. Sora, Donald, and Goofy raced across the hill avoiding the cages of vines that blocked their way, as the cherry bombs exploded on impact with the ground. Dodging the torrent of bombs, Sora reached the tower and ran up its stone exterior. The Heartless was soon no match for Sora and his Keyblade and was knocked from the tower. Inside, Rapunzel clutched Flynn.

"Don't go. Stay with me, Eugene," she said. Sora, Donald, and Goofy ascended the tower, seeing Rapunzel over Flynn's body. She grabbed his arm and placed it against her hair.

"🎵Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse🎵," she sang through her tears.

"Rapunzel," Flynn said as he opened his eyes.

"🎵Bring back what once was mine.🎵"

"Hey. Rapunzel."

"What?"

"Rapunzel... You were my new dream." Tears welled up in her eyes.

"And you were mine," she said. Flynn blinked once more and his eyes closed, his body falling limp. The trio looked on sadly as she moved her hand toward his face.

"🎵Heal what has been hurt. Change the Fates' design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine🎵," she sang. She moved her hand over his heart and leaned in closer, her face nearly touching his, her song nearly a whisper. "What once was mine."

She sobbed, a tear falling onto the rogue's skin. It settled there, glowing into the shape of a flower. A light burst forth from Flynn's wound, wresting Rapunzel from her sorrow. Sora, Donald, and Goofy stared open-mouthed at this sight. The healing magic swirled into the air like strands of hair, wisping around Rapunzel, her eyes wide. A six-pointed flower magically bloomed from the wound, before the light disappeared inside of him. She moved closer to his face, brushing the hair out of her eyes as Flynn slowly took a breath and opened his eyes.

"Rapunzel..." he said.

"Eugene." she gasped.

"Did I ever tell you...I've got a thing for brunettes?" He smiled and Rapunzel was overcome by joy.

"Eugene!" she said. She threw her arms around him and he leaned on his side to embrace her. Sora, Donald, and Goofy smiled with glee, and Sora threw his arms around the other two, grinning from ear to ear and Flynn tightened his hold on Rapunzel. Later, they all stood at the base of the tower, the warm sunlight bathing over them.

"Wow, Rapunzel! You're finally gonna get to see your real home," Sora said.

"I know! I mean...I can't believe it. I can finally be with my real family! I couldn't have done it without your help," Rapunzel said.

"You're welcome," Donald said. She giggled.

"Well, from where I'm standing, the Kingdom couldn't ask for a better princess. And I couldn't have asked for better sidekicks!" Flynn said. Sora brushed a knuckle across his nose. "Thanks."

"Yes, thank you so much," Rapunzel said.

"Happily ever after," Donald said. Sora crossed his arms.

"Mh-hm," he said.

"Now, Flynn, you and Maximus play nice," Goofy said. Maximus and Flynn exchanged glances.

"Huh?" Flynn asked. Maximus whinnied with laughter. "Fine."

Rapunzel took Flynn's hand and they stared into each other's eyes.

"You're gonna be great," Sora said.

"Huh?" Rapunzel and Flynn asked.

"We haven't seen the guy controlling the monsters in a while, so that's one less worry."

"But there's still a chance that he might be around here somewhere," Goofy said.

"Well, if he comes back and tries to bother Rapunzel again, then Flynn will keep her safe. And we three won't be far behind."

"Come on. Rapunzel's the tough one, if you ask me," Donald said.

"True. But nevertheless, I won't let her out of my sight," Flynn said.

"Oh... Eugene," Rapunzel smiled.

"'Eugene'?" Sora asked.

"Oh! That's my real name. Eugene Fitzherbert. That's right. I never told you guys," Flynn chuckled.

"That's different," Donald said.

"I think it's a great name!" Goofy said.

"Me too. Nice to re-meet you, Eugene," Sora said.

"Hey! I thought I was the only one you were going to tell," Rapunzel said to Eugene.

"Don't worry. I've saved plenty of Fitzherbert-y secrets just for you," Eugene replied.

"Really?"

"Hey! What are you two lovebirds talking about?" Sora asked, pointing at them.

"Nothing!" Eugene said.

"Nothing," Rapunzel giggled.

"Hey, you can tell us!" Donald said.

"Yeah, it's not nice to keep secrets," Goofy said.

"This one is none of your business," Eugene said.

"Maximus, get him!" Sora chuckled.

"Huh?" Maximus glared at Eugene, an inch from his face, and Eugene stopped, unsure of what to anticipate. Pascal crawled onto Rapunzel's shoulder with a determined look and jumped over to Eugene's, sending his long sticky tongue into his ear. Eugene reeled back and clutched his ear, Pascal jumping off with a squeal of glee.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Eugene said. Rapunzel and the rest burst out laughing. Maximus smiled at Eugene, waggling his eyebrows as Pascal chilled on Eugene's head. Soon after, the trio left the Kingdom of Corona.

[houserosaire]

Making Peace

           Silvaineaux recognized the man waiting for him at the small wooden table immediately, but he didn’t know him. Baron Vaelanys Solepine was his first cousin on his mother’s side, and they had never spoken more than ten passing words to each other in all their lives. Everything he knew of the man beyond that had come to him through the words of others: Ishgard’s ever present rumors, or assessments from the people in Priarch who had met him.

           His cousin was the one who had written to suggest they meet, and he had also been the one to choose this place. With that in mind Silvaineaux paused a moment to look the place over and to make his own judgment. They were not in Ishgard and the little Gridanian café his cousin had chosen seemed to Silvaineaux as if it scarcely deserved the name. It was a small collection of tables beneath the spreading branches of trees heavy with summer leaves. It was also nearly empty.

           A table of ladies not too nearby seemed to be discussing some sort of fiber work, and other than the elezen manning the small outdoor kitchen no one paid either of them any undue attention. Nothing about the place suggested confrontation or ambush, and a small portion of the tension in Silvaineaux’s shoulders eased. He stepped forward and Vaelanys rose immediately from his seat and the single cup that sat half-empty in front of him.

           They stared at each other a moment in silence. Vaelanys was not a tall man, Silvaineaux realized, with some surprise. He towered over him by a head, easily. He knew that Vaelanys had been a dragoon of no small repute, and looking at him now, he thought he might have known it even if no one had ever told him so. There was a certain tautness in the way the smaller elezen stood, like an arrow on a drawn bowstring waiting to be given flight. Every dragoon he had ever met held that same pent up force inside them.

           Silvaineaux only realized he had also been seeking some sign of his mother in the other man when he found it in the thick gloss of his wood brown hair. His skin too was fair as hers had been. But his eyes when he met them at last were more akin to his own. They did not match either. The right was the same distinct shade of amber gold he met in his own mirror over his shaving every morning, the left was a soft faintly blue shaded green. “Hello.” He managed when it occurred to him that one of them should speak.

           Vaelanys smiled with a seeming ease Silvaineaux could not find. “Hello. I wasn’t sure if you would actually come.”

           Silvaineaux nodded. “I wasn’t either.”

           Vaelanys’ smile faded, but he gestured graciously toward the table. “Have a seat?” He suggested, resuming his own.

           Silvaineaux took the empty chair across from him, once again fishing for words. He was grateful when the man from the kitchen spared him for a moment by coming to ask what he would like. “A cup of tea.” Was a far easier thing to say than to find the words to speak to this stranger who shared his blood. His eyes settled back on Vaelanys as the man retreated.

           Vaelanys looked at him in turn. For a moment Silvaineaux wondered if this would be it. They would simply sit across from each other in tense silence and drink their tea. But then Vaelanys broke the silence again. “I wish our families had never fallen out.” He said, cutting straight to the core of the matter, with a directness that somehow eased Silvaineaux more than anything else had done so far.

           “I suppose it would make having this conversation easier if they had not.” Silvaineaux agreed. “I have no idea what Inwa said to you, but you should know I did not ask it of him.”

           “If they had never fallen out we would not have to have this conversation.” Vaelanys agreed. “And I didn’t think you had asked it of him. I am not sure Rosaires ever ask…” But there he paused, lips twisting. “That almost sounded uncharitable and I didn’t mean it so. What I meant to say was that you are fortunate in your friends, and they clearly care about you enough to ask for help on your behalf even if you would not.”

           Silvaineaux’s jaw tightened, and he had just begun to push himself up from the table when the waiter returned and set a cup of tea in front of him. He held his place and his tongue until the man had gone. “I do not need help.” He said then, his voice carefully composed, but firm.

           Vaelanys sighed. “Of course you don’t.” He said crisply, lifting his own teacup with a movement that was just a hint too precise and taking a careful sip.

           Silvaineaux ignored his own cup for a moment, his eyes on Vaelanys. He wondered if this was all it would take for them to come to blows.

           Vaelanys lowered his cup carefully, looked up at him again, his mismatched gaze oddly disconcerting. “Forgive me.” He said slowly, but with what sounded like real sincerity. “I am going about this all wrong. Inwa told me that you have the Solepine eyes. I can see that he was right. But I assume no one can have taught you how to use the Sight?”

           Silvaineaux’s jaw tightened with memory, that blinding, dizzying webwork of lights and colors and the pounding wearying ache in his head that followed, when he finally found the way to make it stop. “The Sight?” He said, and took a sip of tea to resist the urge to rub his temples at the memory.

           “My- Our grandmother taught me to use mine.” Vaelanys said calmly, as if that were answer enough. “Your eyes are a bit like hers. They were gold and blue too, though the blue was lighter… like the sky. She should have taught you too.”

           Silvaineaux sighed and bit back the comment he wanted to make about unanswered questions. “She would not have.” He said.

           Vaelanys’ eyes lifted past his, distant with some memory he could not share. “I think she would have. If she had known you needed it. She used to talk about your mother. Wondering if she was well and happy. She missed her daughter.”

           “We do not need to hash this over.” Silvaineaux said, quashing the part of him that wanted to ask. “It was done.” He took another sip of his tea, trying to ignore the weight of his cousin’s eyes on him.

           “It was foolish.” Vaelanys said. “It was stupid pride on the part of people who are all gone now. And I am tired of carrying on their empty grudges. Your mother made her choice and she should not have needed to apologize for it.”

           “There was nothing wrong in her marrying my father.”

           “No.” Vaelanys agreed. “He was not a scandalous or disgraceful choice.”

           “He was her choice.”

           “Our grandfather was a fool about it. Grandmother said so sometimes.” Vaelanys offered him a small smile that somehow managed to convey a wealth of regret. “And because of all that Grandmother is no longer here to teach you.”

           Silvaineaux nodded, helped himself to another sip of his tea. “Your letter said you thought that you could teach me. Could you?”

           Vaelanys looked at him again, his gaze keen and searching. “I think I could. If you were willing to learn. Are you?”

           Silvaineaux lowered his own eyes to his cup as he considered. He wanted nothing to do with it. But perhaps, like feuds one was born into, some things were not a choice. “I am not sure. I have no skill with magic.”

           “Do not think of it as magic.” Vaelanys said calmly. “Think of it as… a muscle you have not exercised. I think we could manage.”

           “And what do you want in exchange?”

           Vaelanys curled his hands around his cup, considering. Silvaineaux noticed they were stained with ink like a scribe’s. “I didn’t intend for it to be an exchange. But if you must give it some weight consider it the belated apology I am not too proud to give.”

           Silvaineaux gulped down the rest of his tea. “Alright.” He pushed himself to his feet. “This time next week?”

           “Every week for some time, I should think. But yes.” ((Both characters and all this silly family drama and weird inherited aethersight are mine. Just mostly self-indulgent nonsense trying to figure out how they’d address this. @daylightrays for mention of Inwa. Vaelanys is here: @thornsofsunlight ))

[secretlysheikah]

Man and Mongrel 

Looming Shadows chapter 2

It is finally complete! This chapter gave me some troubles, but I wanted to share before I talked myself out of posting it. I really hope you all enjoy!

As always I do not claim any ownership over the Linked universe that honor belongs to @jojo56830

I am but a humble writer who lives in an angst pit. 

Start here:  

They were gone, just gone. Sky had sunk into the cold spring water and Wild was tossed into the portal like a rag doll and Twilight was barely aware of the world around him. All he knew was the portal, Dark and the cold spring water that soaked his clothes and helped weigh him down. Once Wild had disappeared Twilight had forced himself to his feet with an energy born from desperation. 

“Where are they?!” Twilight yelled from his place in the spring. No matter how he tried to move forward on his weak legs he could barely manage two steps before he would sway and stumble. But he tried, there was nothing else he could think of to do except try. Blood still dripped from his neck where the sword had sliced him and his whole body felt little better than a lead weight. His mind was a confused jumble of skittering thoughts and mindless exhaustion. He was fueled only by the need to somehow, someway get his lost brothers back. 

“Don’t worry wolf boy, I will make sure to take great care of your friends!” Dark called from his place facing the portal. He didn’t even bother to turn around and look him in the eye. 

“Who knows, maybe one of them will even be alive when I’m through. One can hope right?” Dark laughed as he made to walk through the portal. Breathing heavily and without a second of thought, Twilight scooped up a rock from the spring bed below and with all the strength he could gather hurled it at Dark’s head. To his immense surprise, it connected with a crack and Dark spun to face him. Twilight stood as straight as he could and balled his fists at his side as he called upon all the rage and frustration that had built up in him over the last week.

“Bring them back,” Twilight snarled, a little breathlessly. Dark glared back in kind and cracked his neck, his glare slowly turned into a devilish smile. In the blink of an eye, Dark was standing in front of him, his hand shot forward and wrapped around his bleeding throat and began to squeeze. Twilight choked and clawed at the iron grip as he was lifted from the water. Twilight heard Time cry out his name, heard him begin his unsteady way over to them but one quick hand motion from Dark had Time crashing into the water. He heard Warriors shout as well but another gesture from Dark had Time howling in agony and suddenly there was no more sound, no more signs of movement. Twilight’s vision was beginning to fade around the edges, but he could see the pointed grin plastered all over Dark’s face. 

“I know I promised myself that I’d kill you all slowly, but I’ll be damned if you aren’t making it hard to keep that promise,” Dark snarled his eyes blazing with bright red hatred. Twilight could barely draw breath, let alone speak but he made due with spitting in Dark’s face. Dark roared his displeasure and tossed him away with ease. He landed hard in the spring, his head colliding with the rocks that hid under the water, his lungs dragged in a slightly water logged breath and he coughed and gasped as black specks burst in his vision. Darkness continued to flood his vision and he drifted in the water, dazed as the world around him spun in slow motion, his limbs relaxing against his will. 

As he drifted he felt his hand brush against metal, his brain turned over the thought for a moment before it clicked. It was the metal of his discarded sword, in a moment he snapped back to the present. As Twilight rose from the water he shook his aching head to clear it and he scrambled to find the handle. Just as his fingers found the hilt of the sword a foot connected with his side with enough force to bruise his ribs. He gasped in pain and he clutched at his side and tried to rise but another brutal kick sent him sprawling back into the water. 

“You are really testing my patience pup.” Dark snarled as Twilight lifted himself up shakily on his elbows. 

“Fuck... You,” Twilight coughed out and Dark let out a bark of laughter. He felt Dark grab at the back of his neck and he had just enough presence of mind to suck in a quick breath before he felt his head being forced under the water. He struggled against the hold only to feel the grip tighten. His lungs burned with the need to breathe and he felt his body give an involuntary spasm. He could feel himself fading quickly, felt the water replace the air in his mouth and just as he was about to take a deep breath in he was pulled out of the water. He gasped and choked as he took in desperate drags of the air around him. It tasted like metal and wet leaves but the air that filled his lungs was the loveliest thing he had ever experienced.

“What’s the matter pup, you look a little pale.” Dark cooed as he let go of his neck. Twilight fell into the water and rolled to his side, every ounce of energy spent. His lungs burned with each new intake of air and his body shook with cold and overtaxed muscles.    

“Aw, come on wolf boy, where’s that defiance? That can do attitude?” Dark pouted and Twilight felt him punch his shoulder playfully. If he had the energy he would have decked him, but as it was all he could do was glare. 

“Don’t give up now, you really had me on the ropes,” Dark’s voice was full of  false encouragement, like he was trying to build up his confidence again. Twilight swallowed painfully and he felt more coughs rack his body as he expelled some of the water that had made its way into his lungs. Dark chuckled lightly as if laughing at the silly antics of a child, it made Twilight’s burn with an imputant rage. Dark stretched a lazy hand toward him again but stopped when an arrow zipped past his fingertips and buried itself between him and Twilight.  

“Touch him again, I dare you,” Warriors shouted, eyes blazing with so much anger that Twilight was sure that if looks could kill, Dark would be a smoldering pile of ash. Warriors stood in the ankle deep water, his narrow frame poised protectively in front of the collapsed heroes on the sandy bank. His arm was raised, bow in hand and another arrow nocked and ready to fire.  

“And what do you think you’re doing?” Dark asked, his voice dripping with contempt as he stood from his place next to Twilight. Warriors snarled and drew the arrow back just a bit farther. Dark took a half step forward having seemingly lost interest in Twilight all together.

“Leave this place now shadow, or else I will skewer you with arrows,” Warriors commanded, and Twilight could see the barest tremble in his hand that held the bow. 

“Come now, you aren’t even going to demand I bring your little friends back?” Dark groused and put his hands on his hips. 

“Why bother, we all know you consider this whole thing to be a game. You must think it entertaining, you bastard,” Warriors spat and Twilight noticed that the slight tremble was starting to grow more noticeable.         

“Not as stupid as you look.” Dark said as he gave a light stretch and a smile. Twilight thought his tone almost sounded bored if it wasn’t for the undercurrent of excited energy that colored his voice. “I should be on my way, I have left my guests alone for far too long as it is.” He finished and he began to stroll forward easily. Twilight felt his soul freeze over. No, he couldn’t leave, not now. With a superhuman effort, Twilight worked to get his tired body to obey his will.

“No, Wars, don’t let him leave!” Twilight cried from his place in the water and he clawed desperately at the stones beneath him. His heart raced in panic, the only link connecting them to the others was standing right in front of him and they couldn't just let him leave.

“Be quiet Twi,” Warriors hissed, his eyes never leaving Dark. Dark for his part seemed to be enjoying the attention. 

“Wars, please, that bastard is our only chance to get Sky and Wild back,” Twilight pleaded but Warriors face only hardened more. 

“Enough! Stop begging like a dog, it’s what he wants,” Warriors spat and Twilight recoiled, stung by the rebuke. Warriors refused to look his way and Dark laughed openly at the exchange. 

“So callous! I expected something better coming from a captain of the royal guard.” Dark’s voice had a trill of amusement winding through his words.  

“Leave now, I will not give you another chance.” Warriors sneered, openly ignoring the jab that had been sent his way. 

A bright defiance filled Twilight’s heart and he worked all the more to get his feet under him but it was no use. He was too weak from the near drowning and from whatever poison Dark had cursed them all with. Dark didn’t say anything, just gave a little bow to Warriors before he walked off towards the portal. Twilight just managed to get to his knees when Dark reached the portal, turned and addressed them all. 

“It has truly been a pleasure, I can’t wait to see you all again, very, very soon. I’ll send your regards to your friends. Ta for now!” And with one last jaunty wave and a wink towards Twilight he stepped backwards into the portal and both man and doorway disappeared. 

******

Once the doorway disappeared Warriors dropped his arm, relaxed his tense grip on his bow and sucked in a deep breath of the metal tinged air. He didn’t want to admit it but he was glad that the shadowy bastard was gone. At that thought Warriors felt guilt tingle at the edge of his heart. That bastard had turned Sky against them, had toyed with and then kidnapped Wild and he had just let him go, and he was glad? Warriors forced the thought away, it wasn’t helpful to their current situation. Rising above the silence left behind by Dark’s exit, Warriors heard a soft, half choked voice rise from the spring just in front of him.  

“Wars, how could you?” Twilight whispered from his place in the water. Warriors couldn’t look his way, couldn’t face the pain and betrayal that laid there. He felt himself shutting down, locking away his emotions until later when he had time and quiet. The group didn’t need emotions, they needed a direction and a new plan. Slipping easily into command mode he turned away from Twilight and addressed Four who was in the process of standing. 

“Are you able to help the others into the spring?” Warriors asked tersely and at Four’s slow nod Warriors put away his bow and strode over to Wind who still hadn’t moved. He squatted down next to the boy and brushed his bangs away from his face. His eyelids twitched as he slept and Warriors didn’t want to think about what dreams Dark had forced on him. In one smooth motion he scooped up Wind and walked back into the cold spring water. He heard stumbling footsteps behind him but he didn’t turn around. 

Warriors could feel Twilight’s hard gaze on him but he didn’t acknowledge the glare. Instead he walked Wind over to Time and knelt down. Time looked rough, his breathing was labored and he was shaking hard enough that small ripples formed in the water around him. Warriors wasn’t sure if that was due to the cold water or from pain but either option had him grinding his teeth. This shouldn’t have happened and Warriors felt the cold shard in his heart grow.     

“Time, can you hold him for me? I need to help the others into the spring,” Warriors whispered as he swallowed back his hateful thoughts. Time took a steadying breath and sat down fully in the water, holding out his arms expectantly. Warriors hesitated for a moment before he carefully handed Wind over, keeping hold of him until he was sure Time had a proper grasp on him. When Wind settled in Time’s arms and came fully into contact with the cold spring water he gasped and jerked awake. 

“Oh, ah, what... What the fuck,” Wind muttered as he grabbed at the sides of his head and curled in on himself.

“Language,” Time sighed softly but there wasn’t any real rebuke behind it. He just sounded tired and sad.  

“How do you feel?” Warriors asked carefully and Wind cracked an eye open and gave him a flat look. 

“Like sunshine and ocean spray, what do you think?” Wind said with so much sarcasm and spite that Warriors couldn’t help but be impressed that he was able to muster the energy for it. 

“Good to know kid, I’ll be right back,” Warriors said with a forced laugh as he ruffled Wind’s hair. Wind grimaced and batted at Warrior’s hand irritably as he made to sit up but fell back against Time with a moan. Four and Hyrule came splashing up next to them shortly after and they both landed in the water with weary sighs, clearly spent. 

Warriors bit back his grimace, and forced his face into a stoic calm as he splashed over to where Legend was struggling to stand on the sandy beach. Once he was close enough he grabbed Legend’s arm and helped him stumble his way into the water. Their progress was slow and Warriors could see just how much Legend was struggling. Even with his support Legend seemed to stumble over every stone. His thin frame shuddered with the effort to stay standing and his breathing was distressingly labored. It would seem that the Vet had gotten a larger dose of magic than the others. Warriors grimaced to himself as he puzzled out why that would be. 

He supposed It made sense in a way, considering Legend had acted as the main healer for Wild, he had a lot of contact with that tar. It was a devilish plan, aim for the healers while also weakening and ultimately destroying the group when the healers are down and out? It was damn clever, and thinking about it, it’s a plan he would have considered using as well if he was in Dark’s shoes. Warriors footsteps faltered slightly as they walked, a bad taste filled his mouth as he realized he was in some odd way congratulating Dark on his plan. Warriors ground his teeth, he hated himself for even thinking that way. At the very least he should have seen this coming, he should have guessed that Dark would have no qualms about using a tactic as barbaric as this. He shook his head, poisoned pawn indeed. 

His mind worked ceaselessly as he and Legend hobbled through the deepening water and finally made it to the small group. Twilight had finally stumbled over to the group as well, he was bloodied and soaking wet and looking absolutely furious. Warriors lowered Legend into the chilly water as gently as he could before he straightened and faced Twilight, readying himself for the blow up. 

“You let him go,” Twilight accused, emphasizing the words with sharp jabs of his finger towards Warrior’s chest.    

“And what should I have done? Fight him? Gotten hurt in the process then let him leave? Please tell me, I’m curious” Warriors steamed as he clenched his fists at his sides. 

“You could have tried to stop him! You could have...” Twilight cried out and Warriors snorted loudly, interrupting the tirade.

“Okay, lets say I could have stopped that crazy fuck? Then what?” Warriors shouted and it took all his will power not to shake Twilight. He drew himself back a step and pinched the bridge of his nose and took a few steadying breaths before continuing.  

“I would have had to have somehow over power him, tie him up and then somehow keep him in line while also giving you all the time to heal up. All this is in the vague hope that I would also have been able to somehow get him to comply with our demands,” Warriors said, feeling exasperated and frustrated. Frustrated with Twilight and his refusal to think logically, frustrated at Dark, at himself for not being able to do more. After a steadying breath he lifted his eyes to look at Twilight, he could see the pain that was swirling in his tired cobalt blue eyes. 

There was silence for a beat as they locked eyes and he waited for Twilight’s response. He had expected more yelling, or maybe even stony silence but what he wasn’t expecting was Twilight to suddenly lurch forward and take a swing at him. It was clumsy and slow and clearly not well thought out. Warriors blamed the poison he had been exposed as well as the stress of the past hour, but that didn’t mean he was going to take the blow sitting down. Warriors shifted his weight and easily knocked Twilight’s arm to the side before grabbing his wrist and twisting his arm up and behind his back. Twilight struggled in his grasp but Warriors didn’t let up, he wrapped his free arm across Twilight’s chest and held him close. 

“Stop, just stop Twi,” Warriors growled deep in his throat. He really didn’t want to hurt him but Twilight continued to struggle. Warriors grimaced and hiked Twilight’s arm higher up, forcing him to stop squirming.  

“Listen to me Twi, I know you’re hurting but I will not hesitate to knock you flat on your ass, you need to calm down.” Warriors said as calmly as he could manage. Twilight was still trying to struggle but it was a failing endeavor. He was just on the edge of gasping for air and Warriors could feel the way his constant struggling was weakening as the seconds ticked by. 

“As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not good enough to single handedly fight, capture and force a psychopath to follow our demands,” Warriors said furiously when after another minute of silence only offered more stubborn struggling. 

“Let me go,” Twilight said in a breathless hiss and even though Warriors knew he wouldn’t be able to see it he shook his head. 

“Not a chance, not until you calm down,” Warriors said, his voice came out in a desperate whisper as he continued to hold Twilight close. After another few seconds of struggling Twilight gave a howl of rage that quickly dissolved into a choked sob. Warriors felt Twilight’s legs finally give out and he had to adjust his grip in order not to drop Twilight into the water. 

In one quick motion he spun him around and encircled him into a tight embrace. Twilight made no move to reciprocate the hug but Warriors didn’t mind. He could feel Twilight holding back his misery and Warriors felt woefully unqualified to offer any sort of emotional support. In war you had little time to process anything, let alone emotions when in the midst of battle. Even after the battle was done and he was back at camp he often would disappear into his tent safely out of view of his troops so he could process the day in peace. When you were looked up to lead it didn’t do anyone any good to see you crack. 

So when he joined up with this little band of heroes from the past and future alike he found he had little experience in comforting others. He would often leave that up to Sky or Hyrule but given that Sky was now gone and Hyrule was barely conscious and unable to help, Warriors was on his own. He felt distinctly out of his element and he silently cursed himself for having the emotional awareness of a potato. All he could think to do was squeeze Twilight a little tighter and hoped it would be enough for now. 

“Come on soldier, let's sit down,” He whispered quietly into Twilight’s ear and he could feel the barest nod against his shoulder. Carefully he lowered them both into the spring and he felt a shiver run through his bones. The day was coming to an end and the spring was bathed in the last dregs of golden twilight. He could feel the air around them growing cold and he hoped they didn’t have to wait too long in the quickly chilling water. Still Twilight said nothing and when Warriors pulled away from the embrace to look at his face all he could see were dull blue eyes. Twilight it appeared had shut down and that worried him. He had seen it happen in war before and the outcome was rarely good.  

“How long do we have to sit here?” Came a shaky voice from just behind him and Warriors turned to see Wind sitting next to Time, his teeth were beginning to chatter. Stealing himself he turned his attention back to Twilight. 

“You know this spring better than any of us, how does it work?” He asked and was met with a dead eye stare and a slow blink. He paused and tried again.  

“Do we have to pray? Do we just sit here and wait? What do we do?” Warriors persisted and when he still got no reply he felt his temper running short.

“Come on! Snap out of it! We need this spring to heal and you’re the only one who knows how to use it. Please we can’t sit here all night.” Warriors said and he gave Twilight a little shake for emphasis. 

“He’s right pup, you’ve got to come back to us,” Time ventured cautiously and Twilight sighed and closed his eyes. A visible shudder racked his frame and he slouched ever so slightly before opening his eyes once again to stare at his own rippling reflection in the water. Warriors thought his eyes still seemed faded and dulled but now there was something sharp, mean even, in the glare that Twilight gave himself.   

“They’re gone, and I allowed the one person who could bring them back to escape. I might as well have just tossed them through that portal myself,” Twilight whispered bitterly as he bowed his head and prodded at the edges of the slice on his throat.     

That quiet whisper was so full of pain and self-reproach that he felt himself flinch slightly. Warriors didn’t know how to even begin to respond to Twilight’s comment. Anything he could have offered to him now would best case scenario be ignored outright, or worst case scenario get him a punch to the mouth. He looked to the others to see if they had anything to offer but it was apparent they hadn’t heard exactly what was said. Warriors leaned in close, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

“I promise, we will get them back. But we need to heal, rest and regroup first. Just...” Warriors started but he didn’t know how to continue. He had given more than his fair share of rousing speeches to embolden his troops when the going got tough, but this was different. He wasn’t trying to convince a battalion, this was his brother. His brother, who was clearly struggling and hurting in a way that he couldn’t even properly express and Warriors didn’t have the slightest clue how to proceed. He didn’t know how to convince a broken man to keep on moving. 

“Just one step at a time,” Warriors whispered imploringly, and squeezed his shoulder ever so slightly. There was a moment when he thought Twilight had just ignored him once again. He hadn’t made a move to acknowledge his words, so he was shocked when Twilight met his gaze. Warriors could see something new sparking in his eyes and Warriors wasn’t sure if he entirely liked that spark. Twilight gave Warriors a tight nod before he slowly got to his feet. 

“Where are you going?” Warriors asked as Twilight wobbled slightly. 

“I’m going to ask for some help,” Twilight said in a monotone, before squaring his shoulders and walking deeper into the spring without another look back. 

********

The air was indeed growing chill as the night crept in around them but Twilight still felt numb and empty. The water grew colder the further into the spring he went but he paid it no mind, it didn’t matter. He could feel eyes on his back, knew they were watching him closely but even that knowledge couldn’t shake the numbness. One step and then the next and before he knew it he felt the thrum of magic at the heart of the spring rumbling through his boots. 

Head bowed, he waited for the spirit of the spring. During his adventure he often would call upon the spirit of the spring for advice or help. But after his quest had ended, the spirit appeared less and less and oftentimes not at all. 

Honestly he was surprised that it had manifested enough to heal Wild at all. Twilight swallowed hard as he remembered how the black smoke poured out from his protégé and his subsequent collapse into the water. He stopped himself before he could tread back over the events immediately afterwards, he couldn’t bear to look at his own failure again just then. 

He watched the water darken with the fading light. The spring seemed lifeless in a way, cold and dead, and his mind pondered the fate of the spirit that resided there. Would it fade into oblivion, or was it merely sleeping? But that was a question to ponder another day. He gave himself a light shake and rolled his shoulders before he spoke quietly into the open air.

“Ordona, can you hear me?” Twilight ventured timidly, as he waited for a response he feared would never come. The wind whistled through the trees, leaves broke away and landed in the water around him. He could hear the other’s shifting in the water behind him. It took a few minutes for the response to whisper through the air and he was both relieved and terrified in equal measures.  

“Little hero, you have seen better days,” Came a gentle voice from all around him. He didn’t lift his head, he couldn’t even bring himself to respond. His heart gave a painful beat and he had to swallow down the lump that formed in his throat. 

“I apologize for today’s events. Truly if I had had another choice I would not have bothered you then or even now for that matter,” Twilight said thickly, his throat felt raw and tight. 

“Why do you apologize? Your calls for help are not a bother. Nor did you have control over the actions of the shadow and his conniving plans,” Ordona’s voice placated gently and Twilight wanted to recoil at the gentle tone. He did nothing to earn their patience, their kindness. There was a weight in the air around him and he felt a pressure building softly all around him. It was gentle and warm and oddly comforting, like a hug. 

“You place too much weight on your own shoulders, you are not responsible for the actions of others, and I hold no ill will towards you or the other heroes,” Ordona soothed and Twilight could feel hot tears streak down his cold cheeks. He didn’t deserve this kindness, he didn’t...   

“That will be enough of that, little hero.” The voice interrupted his downward spiral with ease. Twilight took in a shuddering breath as he tried to bring himself back to the spring, instead of throwing himself down a rabbit hole of despair. He dug his fingernails into his palm in order to ground himself back in the present. The pressure around him built just a little more and he felt himself calm slightly.  

“Do not lose heart and do not allow your courage to falter for you and your fellows are stronger than you realize.” Twilight lifted his head at that last statement but made no move to interject. He could feel the tingle of magic filtering in from all around him. There was a pale glow in the water around him just as it had done for Wild, but it was noticeably dimmer than before.  

“I may not be as powerful as I was, but I shall heal you and your fellows to the best of my abilities,” Ordona’s voice became a whisper on the wind. All Twilight could manage was a weak ‘thank you’ as he felt the warm glow of healing magic gently wash away whatever poison lingered in his veins.

“I am here whenever you are in need.” 

And just like that the spirit of the spring was gone, and the group was left alone in the dying light of day with only the whisper of wind to fill the air around them. Twilight turned around slowly and he felt the world spin causing him to catch himself as he stumbled. He was so incredibly tired and sore, and he supposed it was a mixture of stubbornness and spite that kept him on his feet at this point. He could see the glow in the water around the others, they all had their eyes closed as they each received the divine healing Ordona gifted to them. Warriors looked over from his place next to Legend, as he helped him stay in a sitting position. Twilight held his gaze and offered a small nod which Warriors returned stiffly before he turned his gaze back on to Legend. Twilight sloshed his way back over to the group at large, taking care not to slip on the slick rocks under foot.

“How are they?” He asked Warriors as the healing light began to fade. The others looked about the same as before but he did notice that some tension had bled away from all of them. Warriors opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Legend. 

“I feel like I’ve fallen off a cliff,” Legend slurred from his place in the water as he opened one eye to look around him. When he noticed who was supporting him he made an effort to sit up on his own, before he paused and flopped back onto Warriors, thinking better of his choice to move. Warriors lifted an eyebrow towards Twilight and he offered a small shrug in return.

“Well how about the rest of you?” Warriors called out and received varying replies claiming the same thing. They felt beat up and tired but otherwise better than before. Twilight supposed it could have been worse. 

“What about you Twi?” Warriors asked, his crystal blue eyes searching Twilight’s own cobalt blues as he waited for his response. Truthfully, he felt like he could sleep for about a week straight if he had the chance, and he knew that in the morning he was probably going to feel a more prominent ache. But that was something for him to deal with later, the others were more important. 

“I feel fine, I’ll be fine,” He answered blandly and Warriors offered him a squint in response. It was clear he wasn’t buying it but it seemed like he wasn’t going to call him out for his lie either. 

“Is everyone okay to move?” Twilight asked tiredly and was met with a chorus of equally tired nods and groans in affirmation. 

“Perfect, let’s get out of the water before we all freeze,” He said, rubbing his hands together to regain some of the heat he had lost. 

“Good idea, I can start a fire and if we find a relatively safe spot we can all rest without...” Warriors began but Twilight was already shaking his head. A low tired chuckle worked its way free from his throat. 

“I have a better idea, follow me.” He said as he bent down and helped Four to his feet. Twilight shot Warriors a glance from the corner of his eye as he moved on to help Hyrule to his feet. Warriors had a skeptical look plastered across his fine features and Twilight fought down a stab of annoyance that bloomed his chest. 

It took a few minutes to get everyone on their feet and moving away from the spring and down the road. Before heading off on their way Twilight took stock of the group. By far the ones the worst for wear were their healers Legend and Hyrule. They both looked dead on their feet and Twilight worried they wouldn’t make it the short trip down the road. He apparently wasn’t alone in his assessment because Warriors took one look at them and shook his head.

“Alright, I’m going to carry one of you. Who will it be?” Warriors asked with a steely look in his eye. Legend raised a brow and jerked his thumb towards Hyrule. 

“Take ‘Rule, he needs it more than me, I can manage,” Legend said pointedly ignoring the glare Hyrule sent his way. Warriors nodded and knelt down in front of Hyrule and waited for him to climb on his back. Twilight nodded easily and moved to stand in front of Legend.

“Come on Legend, you’re up,” He said and Legend balked. 

“I’ll be just fine, I’m not a child,” He sneered and Twilight leveled a stern look at him. Without another word he gently poked Legend and watched as he stumbled and nearly fell. 

“Yeah, just fine. Quit being an obstinate ass and let me help you.” Twilight snapped and after a few more minutes of tired arguing Twilight was hefting Legend up on his back. Once everyone was situated comfortably Twilight lit his lantern and took the lead as he led them down the pathway. 

It was only a matter of about ten minutes of walking to get to their destination. Nestled amongst the trees of the clearing was the treehouse Twilight called home. A wave of nostalgia crashed over him at the sight as he looked at the roughly carved wood of the ladder. Memories floated in and out of head as he took in the sight of his home. He remembered when he had to fix some of the rungs on the ladder after one of the kids had used it as a springboard of sorts and broke it. He shook his head as more memories flitted around his tired thoughts and began walking towards the ladder. 

As they approached Twilight had the ridiculous feeling of self-consciousness settle on his shoulders. He had left in a hurry and he didn’t quite remember how he had left the place. He hoped it wasn’t too messy.  It had been months since he’s been home and he was both excited and nervous at the same time. Once they reached the base of the tree he turned to face the group. 

“Welcome to my home, it’s small, but there should be enough room for everyone,” Twilight said as he hung his lantern on a hook next to the ladder. Its light was enough to illuminate the rungs before them. Time eyed the ladder carefully as if he was worried about it supporting their weight. Twilight caught his eye and offered a wan smile. Time offered his own encouraging smile and gestured for him to lead the way. He nodded and jostled Legend to get his attention. 

“Alright, I’m going to climb up, make sure you have a grip,” Twilight warned as he faced the ladder. He waited a moment and heard a tired sigh from Legend and the distinct feeling of hands being buried in the pelt on his back. 

Twilight made quick work of the ladder and pushed the door open to the darkened room. The hinges gave a low moan as if they too were tired. The house smelled lightly of dust and earth and the floorboards creaked with each step. Twilight walked over to a chair covered in blankets and as gently as he could dropped Legend onto the plush surface. Legend gave a light sneeze as dust puffed out from his landing but made no other comment. Twilight grimaced but forced the urge to clean to the back of his mind. He could hear the others making their slow way up the ladder and he wanted to get the fire started. 

He walked through the darkened house with ease and grabbed some wood from next to the fireplace and struck a match. The fire was slow to build and he nursed it as he called out for the others to make themselves at home. He could hear the others as they fanned out through the dimly lit bottom floor of the house. Someone collided with the edge of the table just behind him and he snickered as  that was followed by a string of curses. He forced his amusement down but didn’t bother to turn around, instead he gave instructions on where to find more blankets and to where the pantry was. 

After about ten minutes the room was filled with light and warmth and various sleeping spaces were set up all over the floor. When Twilight was satisfied that everyone had changed clothes, had some food and were resting comfortably he gathered up all the wet clothes and hung them up to dry by the fire.

“Twi, come and rest. You look like you’re about ten seconds away from collapsing,” Four called out to him from underneath a pile of spare pelts one of them had found in an old chest in the basement. Twilight offered him a smile and a little shake of his head. 

“I’m fine, I just want to get some fresh air before it gets too late,” He said easily and Four gave him a quick once over before he nodded and laid down. Everyone seemed to be in different states of rest and sleep. Legend hadn’t moved from the chair that he had dropped him in when they first arrived. Hyrule had somehow managed to squeeze himself next to Legend on the chair, and then someone, Time probably, had draped a thick blanket over them both. They were sleeping peacefully, Legend had an arm thrown over Hyrule’s shoulder and Hyrule was curled up as best he could with the space provided.

Time was slumped over where he leaned against the wall nearest the fireplace, arms crossed over his chest and head leaned up against the wall. His slow breaths ruffled the hair that fell over his face. Twilight walked over quietly and laid a thick blanket across his mentor’s shoulders and surreptitiously checked his forehead for any signs of fever. Time had spent a fair amount of time in the water and Twilight wouldn’t be surprised if he fell ill. Hell if Time did get sick, he would probably go on to deny it too. Twilight didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or cry at that thought, he couldn’t bear it if one of them got sick on top of everything else that was happening. 

He turned to face the room again and scanned it finding the dark corner where Wind and Warriors were laying against a small pile of blankets. Wind was wrapped up in the Captain’s scarf and breathing steadily, the occasional twitch signaling that he was dreaming. He couldn’t see the Captain’s face, but judging on his body language it appeared that he too was fast asleep. Twilight let out a small huff of relief and very carefully slipped out of the tree house. 

He didn’t go far, just a little ways out into the woods where he could see the light of familiar stars above him. The forest around him was quiet, the only sounds were his feet crunching of leaves, small rocks, the splash of water as he trod through puddles and the hoot of an owl. Before too long he found a place to rest and he sat down gratefully. The fallen log wasn’t the most comfortable place to rest but he didn’t much care just then. He just wanted to be left alone, just for an hour and then he would go back. 

He leaned down resting his upper body on the tops of his legs and let his head dangle. He was tired, so very tired but he felt like he couldn’t rest. His brain while feeling empty and numb was also a buzzing bee’s nest. However there was no variety in his thoughts just the same loop on repeat. No time to waste, find and destroy Dark, get the other two back, better hurry. He stared blankly at a puddle at his feet, the dark water reflected the stars above and he watched them flicker and spark in endless twinkling. 

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that but he was sure it wasn’t an hour when he heard the distinct sound of footsteps coming his way. He sighed, he probably should be concerned but at that point he almost wished a bokoblin would show up just so he had something else to focus on rather than the endless looping thoughts.

“So this is where you disappeared to,”

Twilight tilted his head to the side to look at the newcomer with bleary eyes. It took a moment but it didn’t take long for the slender figure standing before him coalesce into a bedraggled Warriors. Twilight eyed him thoughtfully for a moment. His hair was mussed, shirt rumpled and missing his blue scarf as well as looking as exhausted as Twilight felt. 

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Warriors asked as he rubbed at his eyes. Twilight just offered him a snort in response before letting his head fall forward again to resume staring blankly at the puddle between his feet. 

“So what, you’re just going to sit out here and mope?” Warriors pressed, his voice holding a forced levity that rubbed against Twilight’s frayed nerves. He could feel Warriors weight settle on the log next to him. A tiny bubble of anger threatened to burst in his chest and he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. 

“What can I say I have a lot on my plate,” He said bitterly, he could feel Warriors stare on his back but he refused to lift his eyes. 

“You aren’t alone you know,” Warriors said softly and Twilight balled his fists in his pants. 

“Could have fooled me,” Twilight muttered, his stare so intense he was surprised that the puddle hadn’t boiled away. 

“That’s not fair Twilight,” Warriors said reproachfully “We did our best, there wasn’t much for us to do. We will get them back. Honestly what is the matter with you?” He asked and Twilight sat up fully and finally turned his way. He desperately wanted to snap and yell at him, but one look at Warriors tired eyes stopped him. He took a steadying breath and focused on keeping himself calm.

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m feeling, Goddess I don’t even know,” He sighed and put his head in his hands.  

“I guess it’s like I’m a dog worrying away at a bone...” Twilight said, feeling as Warriors shifted uncomfortably next to him. Twilight couldn’t look his way, a strange mix of anger and sadness pulled at his thoughts and he just wanted to be alone.

“I need to apologize to you Twilight. I should have never addressed you like that,” Warriors said as he too leaned forward on his elbows and stared out into the forest. Twilight felt an odd sense of surprise at the apology, he never thought he would get one. They didn’t speak for a little while, the only noise that filled the space between them was the wind whistling softly through the trees. 

“You know, I don’t make it a habit of telling people what I can do.” Twilight said softly, lifting his head so he could rest his chin on his hands. Warriors said nothing as he waited for Twilight to continue.

“The few people that have found out, either through the grapevine or rumors or what have you, have without fail have made subtle jokes about me being nothing better than a dog.” Twilight began emotionlessly. He could feel Warriors turning to look his way, but he didn’t want to look at him. Instead he continued.  

“Some have openly called me a mongrel. Hell, I’ve even had rocks thrown at me.” He paused for a moment when he heard Warriors soft exclamations of anger but only shook his head.

“Don’t hold it against them, they associate me with a beast, a mindless killer that decimates livestock and makes their lives difficult.” Twilight said softly. 

“That doesn’t make it right,” Warriors continued hotly and Twilight could only nod slowly. 

“No it doesn’t, but I have come to terms with it.Sure I feel free when I allow myself to transform, but I tell no one about it if I can help it. This ability of mine, it is my burden to bear alone. Or it was until I met this little band of misfits.” He said with a sad little chuckle. 

He glanced over at Warriors and noticed that he was biting his lip. He could see Warriors running through the early months of their adventure where he would disappear on ‘patrols’ only to have a wolf wander into camp, and watch until he would ‘return’ from his ‘patrol’. It had taken a lot of courage and a nip of alcohol, but eventually he had finally come clean about his ability. Twilight remembered how he couldn’t meet eyes with anyone in the group for days. Now with this new information out in the open it was clear that Warriors understood why now. Twilight’s throat felt dry and he swallowed roughly but found he couldn’t continue.     

“I’m sorry, I truly am. If I had known, what you’ve been through… Well, I just  hope you can forgive me for my poor word choice. I also hope you understand that I will do everything in my power to get our brothers back. I wish there could have been more I could have done, but, I...” Warriors started but Twilight leaned back and gently clapped him on his shoulder, stopping him mid sentence. 

“I do forgive you, it’s not like you guys were aware of that particular part of my history.  And I hope you can forgive me for acting poorly. They’re my brothers, but they are your brothers as well. I shouldn’t have insinuated that you stood idly by,” Twilight said with a soft smile that slowly morphed into a little grimace. 

“I also shouldn’t have tried to punch you in the face, I’m sorry about that too,” He finished lamely as he coughed lightly into his hand. Warriors couldn’t hide the small smile that turned the corners of his mouth up. 

“We will get them back, but first we need to rest. You especially Twi,” Warriors said firmly, his hand coming to rest on Twilight’s back. He felt himself sag forward slightly, Warriors was right. He felt completely drained and he would be lying if he said sleeping in his own bed didn’t sound nice. His eyes drifted to the puddle again and he watched the starlight flicker and dance. 

He watched curiously as he saw something shift in the water. He squinted and he thought he could see a faint outline of a silhouette deep in its depths. He leaned closer to get a better look but just as he thought he could make out a flash of bright blue eyes, ripples suddenly burst across the surface of the puddle and obscured the image. Twilight pulled himself to his feet before he knelt next to the puddle and waited for the ripples to subside. Warriors made noises of curiosity but Twilight waved him off. After a minute the ripples finally calmed but all he could see in the still water was twinkling stars.

“Twi, are you okay?” Warriors asked tentatively as Twilight slowly got to his feet. He wasn’t sure himself to be honest. He wasn’t sure what he had just seen was his mind playing tricks, or if, somehow, he had just seen cub in the puddle. Twilight shook his head, he must have been seeing things, but still the thought lingered. 

“I’m fine, I just thought I saw... I don’t know, I must be more tired than I thought.” Twilight said dismissively. Warriors gave him a skeptical look but slowly nodded his head. 

“Alright, how about we head back to your house. I think it’s time for us to get some rest,” Warriors said with a yawn. Twilight offered his own yawn and nodded as he stumbled forward slowly. Warriors wrapped his arm around his shoulders and together they made their slow way back to the others who were slumbering peacefully back at the house.

[dreamingabouttaron]

History Repeating - Part 1

Warning: Mentions of Teenage Unplanned Pregnancy

Shit, shit, shit, shit! I know that swearing isn't helping but, fuck, I've had enough, this waiting isn’t getting better.

A single tear slipped down your cheek; causing you to squeeze your eyes tightly shut. This couldn’t be happening. You were too young. It had been a mistake. This was going to turn your whole life upside down. You had been to a party with some friends, they had convinced you to have your first alcoholic drink, then another, and another, resulting in you waking up the next morning half dressed in some strangers bed. You hadn’t thought much of it, until you noticed how late your period was getting.

You were anxiously waiting for the three minutes to be up to tell whether or not your life was going to change forever. Tapping your fingernails against the counter top, as you looked down at the small white stick. You close your eyes and count to five in an attempt to remind yourself everything was going to be fine. Just relax, take a moment to inhale before your life ‘could’ start to derail. The future was still bright! You still had so much time! Why should you be so scared of those two little lines?

“Come on.” You hissed growing impatient as each second passed. “Please! Come on. Come on.” Relief washing over you as you finally heard your phone vibrate next to you. “Okay.” You said to yourself as you took a deep soothing breath attempting to compose yourself. As you flipped the stick over, your heart plummeted to the floor. Positive. At 16. “Oh god. No! No, no, no!” You gasped as tears filled your eyes. You brought your hand to your mouth to suppress your loud sobs. The bathroom walls felt like they were coming in and crushing you. You stood in shock. Eyes never leaving the test and its two little lines.

Taron had heard his daughters cries from his office, and quickly got up to go and investigate. Your sobs got louder as he approached the bathroom. He stood outside for a moment as he listened. His heart broke at the sound. You were his daughter, his world, and he hated hearing you like this. As a father, he wanted to protect you at every cost.

“Gracie? Is everything okay?” He asked quietly, testing the waters. You jumped at the sound of your fathers voice. You looked up at yourself in the mirror, your face was red and tear stained. “Grace? Sweetheart, can you open the door? Baby, please?” He asked as he gently knocked on the door.

You panicked and turned on the cold tap, throwing freezing water over your face trying to fix yourself. You picked up the pregnancy test and shoved it up your jumper sleeve before opening the door and coming face to face with your father, who had a concerned look on his face.

Throughout your childhood, Taron had always been strict with you, only wanting what was best for you and your future. When you were young, the two of you were best friends, inseparable! You were attached to his hip every moment that he was home. You’d spend Saturday afternoons together playing games, taking walks, and telling you stories of your mother and of his childhood. As you grew older you would always check up on one another, making plans between you two, as fathers and daughters should. However, over the past couple of months, you had become distant. You felt like he was always off with work leaving you alone with your mum. You had always been Taron’s little girl, which often caused arguments between yourself and your mother.

You looked up at Taron, trying to disguise your feelings. But Taron knew something was wrong. “Gracie? What’s the matter? Talk to me?” Your heart rate went flying at his words. You wanted nothing more for him to comfort you and tell you everything was going to be okay. But you couldn’t. You didn’t want to break his heart. Not yet.

Your parents, Taron and Lily, had had you when they were only young themselves. They had been together for only a few months before they found out that Lily was pregnant. It had been a shock for them both, especially considering Taron had just started his acting training at RADA and Lily had just started her Fine Art course at Goldsmiths University. Lily pulled out of university and got a part time job, whilst Taron continued on with his studied at RADA but also worked as often as he could. After the initial shock, he couldn’t wait to be a dad. He had always helped to raise his two younger sisters, and he now couldn’t wait to have his own. Especially with Lily.

As you grew older, Taron had always been open and honest with you about the rollercoaster journey of parenthood, especially at such a young age. Constantly discouraging you from boys and dating until you were a little older. But you’d always known how badly he wanted to have grandchildren. Being the only child, you knew that responsibility fell to you. But nobody would have ever expected it to happen so soon.

You had always been a rule follower. You loved school. You had a wonderful group of friends and a wonderful life at home. You had been spoilt rotten. You had travelled the world at such an early age watching your father work. He had taught you how to ski when he was filming Eddie the Eagle and he had also taught you how to use a bow and arrow when he was filming Robin Hood. You had met so many talented and inspiring people due to him and you couldn’t thank him enough. Which was why this news was going to be such a shock to him.

You broke yourself out of your thoughts and threw your arms around your fathers torso. This unexpected sign of affection had thrown Taron completely off, having been so distant with each other over the past few months. Taron hadn’t thought much of it, passing it off as being normal teenage hormones. As your grip tightened against him, you were content that he didn’t try to release himself from you, instead he’d returned the favour. For a moment, in his arms, you felt like a five year old girl again, with your father protecting you from the big wide world.

“I love you so much Gracie,” Taron silently whispered against your ear, his tone empathetic, as though trying to seek for forgiveness. Releasing your grip, you soon moved to finally face your father directly.

“and I love you too.” You said with a small smile on your face, as you gripped the pregnancy test tightly in your hand unbeknownst to Taron. You took a step back and wrapped your arms around your back. “You know you can talk to me right?” Taron said with a frown on his head as he examined your tear stricken face.

“I know dad.” You said with a slight nod as you looked down at the rug on the floor beneath your feet. You couldn’t bring yourself to look him in the eye again. The air started to grow tense. You were so thankful when you heard your dads mobile ring back in his office. You watched Taron’s feet shuffle not knowing where to turn. “I’m okay, I promise.” you used all your strength to convince him, “Go and answer the phone. It could be important.” You could see the wheels turning in your father’s head. You could see him mulling over your words before nodding. You watched him turn on his heels and walk back into his office. You stood and listened in to his half of the conversation for a moment before escaping back into the safety of your room.

The second you closed your bedroom door you pulled the pregnancy test out of your sleeve and placed it on top of the set of drawers next to your bed. You sat on the edge of the bed and closed your eyes for a moment. Your heart was pounding painfully against your ribs and your nerves were going haywire. That’s when it hit you. The reality of your situation. You’re 16 and pregnant. You’re had no connection to the baby’s father. You could barely remember his name. If you decide to keep the baby, you’d be a single mother. Yes, you would have your parents support, but was this something you wanted? Did you have what it takes to raise a child on your own? Do you even want the child? At 16? You didn’t know. But you needed to give yourself time to figure it out. But you also knew keeping it a secret from everyone would be impossible. It was bound to slip eventually.

***

You didn’t know how much time passed, but you were shaken from your paralysed state when you heard a knock at your bedroom door. “Grace?” You heard your mothers voice call out, you looked up at the door as it started to open. “Are you okay? Your dad said you were…” You jumped off the bed and ran towards the door, but it was too late.

“Gracie,” She said as her eyes were instantly drawn to the familiar white and blue packaging of a Clear Blue pregnancy test. She let out a small gasp, walking closer to her daughter. “Is that what I think it is?” She whispered with a sharp tone. You nodded as you felt hot tears boil up in your eyes once again.

Your mum walked over to the bedside table and looked down at the two lines on the stick. Her face crumpled as she covered her mouth with her hand, glancing over at you. You continued to cry as your mum just wrapped her arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug. “I’m sorry.” You managed to mutter.

“Shh, it’s okay honey.” She soothed as she battled her own tears. It brought back so many memories for her. “It’s okay. Everything’s gonna be okay.”  Your mum guided you onto the bed, her sitting beside you. You found the strength to look up at her. You could see the hurt in her eyes. The pain. The memories.

“Mum, I’m so sorry, I…” But your mother was quick to interrupt, “…I know you are.”

You shook your head, swallowing the heavy lump in your throat. “I-I only took the test because my period was a few days late, I only had sex once, I promise! A few weeks ago and-and-and I-I started getting sick and-and…” You started to cry even harder. “I-I-I’m so s-scared.”

Your mother held you in her arms for the first time in years, you had always gone to Taron if you were upset. It felt comforting to have her by your side. You felt yourself relax under your mothers touch. The way she stroked your hair lulled you into a peaceful sleep. As Lily absentmindedly stroked your hair; she thought back to when she had found out she was pregnant with you.

“You think you’re what?” Taron asked, his face as white as a sheet. Lily held her head up high and grit her teeth trying to stay strong. “I think I might be pregnant.” She repeated. They had only been together officially for four months, they had mutual friends back in Aberystwyth and had finally been introduced when they both moved to London. They had clicked straight away. Taron fell instantly in love. He knew she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But he had never expected things to move this quickly.

“I have a test in my bag.” Lily announced as she walked closer to Taron, who was currently sat frozen on his bed. “I wanted to take it with you. I couldn’t do it on my own. I couldn’t bring myself to do it and find out I’m pregnant and then I’d have to find the strength to tell you and…”

Taron shook his head and brought himself back into reality. He reached out and guided Lily to sit on his thigh. “Whatever happens, just know I love you and I want this to work. Yes it’s quick, but that doesn’t change my love for you. If it is positive then I will be there every step of the way.” His words, filled Lily with love and joy.

Moments after taking the test, she walked back into the bedroom, stick on hand. “And?” Taron asked standing when he saw Lily enter.

“We have to wait a couple of minutes. Can you set a timer?” Lily placed the test down on the bed next to her and tried to steady to shaky breath. She watched as Taron paced the floor impatiently, chewing on his fingernail in distress. Watching him pace made Lily feel dizzy and stressed. She looked at her hands, rubbing them together as a distraction. This wasn’t what she had planned. She never imagined she would ever get herself in this situation. Taron and Lily were still getting to know each other. They had planned to introduce each other to their families when they went home for Christmas break. Perhaps, now it would hold more meaning.

Taron looked over at Lily and tears simmered up in his eyes. She looked so small. Helpless. It made him feel guilty. He walked over and sat at her feet. He picked up her hands and kissed them over and over causing her to release a small giggle, it brought music to his ears. Just as he looked up at her and smiled, his timer went off. Dread filled them both. “I love you. Very much.” Taron whispered before leaning up and placing a simple kiss on Lily’s lips.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Lily slipped away from your grip and went downstairs only to bump into her husband. “Hey.” Taron said as his wife walked into the living room. “How’s Grace? Is she okay now?” “No.” She answered coldly, before realising it wasn’t her place to tell her husband. “I need to pop out.” Lily said quickly as she slid her shoes on, picked up her bag and left leaving Taron just as confused and stunned as he had been earlier.

Lily made her way to the local supermarket and walked directly down to the pharmacy section. She picked up as many pregnancy tests as she could before making her way back home. The second Lily arrived home, Taron hurried towards her. “Where did you go? What’s going on?” He questioned and looked down at the plastic bag in her hand.

“I had to go and get some stuff for Gracie.” This comment made Taron frown in questioning. Lily placed her hand on Taron’s chest and placed a delicate kiss on his lips before running back upstairs to her daughter.

Lily quietly opened her daughters bedroom door and walked over to you. She shook you gently trying to wake you. It didn’t take long for your eyes to spring open. “Gracie. I need you to take these.” Your mum said as she emptied contents of the plastic bag onto your bed. Your eyes were met with a number of different pregnancy tests staring back at you, you picked one up to examine it closer.

“Please don’t make me do this…” You said, throwing the box back as if it had burnt you. You sighed deeply, thinking about your dad, how disappointed he was going to be. What would you say to him? “hey dad, I had a one-night stand with some guy I don’t know and now I’m knocked up!” Yeah, because that’ll go over really well.

Your mum looked at you with a stone cold look on her face, “Grace, you have no choice! Go and take them. Now.” You gulped and nodded, reluctantly picking up the tests and walking straight into the bathroom.

Your heart was hammered behind your ribcage, even though your previous test had been positive, you still couldn’t stop your hands from shaking. What if it was a false positive? This would decide the rest of your life. These little, plastic sticks. You had made your choice, now you had to face the consequences.

You left the bathroom, tests in hand. You walked back into your bedroom and closed the door. You placed them next to your mum and held your arms close to you body, hugging yourself.

Three minutes seemed like an eternity when you’re waiting for your future to be determined. As the results came in; Lily’s knees buckled. A plus sign. Six pregnancy tests. Six positive results. You watched her shoulders and head drop as she released her tears. Your mothers’ hands shook. Tears streamed down her face as she came to terms with the fact a baby was growing inside of her baby.

If this was your mothers reaction, you couldn’t bare to see your fathers. You were his sweet little girl with a baby on the way.

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

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read this! I am very excited about this! Please leave comments and feedback, if anyone would like to be added to a taglist please let me know! 

All the best x

[solitaria-fantasma]

Um for the Super Ghost AU I am just imagining that The Question managed to figure out basically everything about Gawain and the Mystery Skulls, but instead of it being his paranoia getting to him it's because he accidentally learned Gawain was a ghost, wanted to learn why he's a ghost and then he was going down the rabbit hole and by the time he climbed out of it he's just wondering what is Gawain's life, unlife, whatever and the life of his brother. Just, this came to me and refused to leave.

((*cracks knuckles*))

Question hadn't seen sunlight for nearly six days, and it had finally paid off.

He leaned over his hands on the edge of the desk, staring at the pin board before him. It was crisscrossed with color coded strands of yarn, and little push pins that held up photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, and printed Internet screenshots. It wasn't the most complicated web he'd ever built, but it tied up neatly, and that was enough. Not every mystery had a a million twists to unwind.

The trail started in London, England, and stretched all the way across the Atlantic to a tiny town in Texas, USA, barely large enough to be a speck on a map. He had birth records, school enrollment records, science fair awards, promotions, Visa applications, mortgages, home appliance purchases, swing dance trophies, company picnic photos, a missing person's report, and an obituary, all leading to a giant question mark scribbled over a photo of a young blond man, with the word 'whereabouts?' written beneath it.

This photo connected to the next item in the chain with a quick arrow of blue, and another long, arching arrow connected a birth record from earlier in this leg to the same thing - a newspaper article from that small Texas town, talking about the mysterious case of a young boy with amnesia being found on the steps of a local restaurant. There was an article about the boy's adoption just a few months later, and then another article congratulating three local kids and their dog for solving a small time mystery.

The chain ran through several articles like this one, and the kids grew older as their mysteries evolved from misplaced mail and lost pets to package theft, poltergeist activity, and cryptid sightings. More and more, the articles talked about ghosts, creatures of urban legend, and even sightings of demons and occult activity. Around 2008, the newspaper articles became printed blog posts, and seemed to be written by the kids themselves.

Question laughed quietly to himself. Kids after his own paranoid heart, all three.

The articles came to an abrupt halt in 2014, with a missing persons report for the amnesiac boy (now an adult), and a series of articles about a groundbreaking prosthetic limb, developed by a genius young man who tested his prototype on himself after tragically loosing his own arm. There were a few more articles about the prosthetic, and a few photos to go along with them that showed the blond man from previous articles, and then there were a few clippings of local tabloids from a truck driver who swore he'd been carjacked by 'a flaming skeleton with great fashion sense'.

There was silence for a month or two, and then concurrent newspaper articles and blog posts about the miraculous return of one Lewis Pepper, thought to be dead from the same tragic caving accident that cost his best friend his arm. The blog posts about the supernatural returned, and the prosthesis research seemed to slow down. Coincidentally, a young man named 'Merlin Knight' with an eerily familiar face was hired at the local auto shop.

Question wondered if the entire town was playing dumb, or just stupid. The only real change was the clothing, and that long blond hair being braided.

This employment record connected all the way back to the obituary from the first leg of the chain, and proceeded on to connect with screenshots from a social media account of a robotic body, and the building of what would be, within a few month's time, the town's own local hero.

Question breathed out through his nose. A local hero who would go on to help save the world, and found the Justice League itself. Had that been part of the plan?

The web wrapped itself up quickly from there. Supernatural skills and abilities not possible by modern science, knowledge of other realms and creatures only known to mythology, and the tiny little clues he'd been hoarding and observing for a full year all pointed to the same conclusion. It wasn't as fantastical as it sounded, in all honesty, though Green Arrow had looked at him stranger than usual when he'd first said his conclusion out loud.

There were legitimate aliens, sorcerers, and demons in this reality - why not ghosts, too?

There was one final piece missing from the web, however, and he was out of clues to tie in. There was a near twenty year gap between the last known sighting of Gawain Kingsmen, and the appearance of 'Merlin Knight'. What had the man been doing for all that time? There had been no sightings of anyone even remotely matching the appearance of Gawain or 'Merlin' anywhere in that time, and without even the slightest whisper of a rumor on an Internet forum or library archive, there wasn't much more he could do to find out.

Question straightened up from the desk, and rolled his shoulders to try and stretch them out. There was no way around it.

He was going to have to get more...direct from here on out.

.......

"What does a dead man do for twenty years?" Gawain froze with a potato wedge half-raised to his shoulder at the question, and Bran - unwilling to wait for her snack - leaned her head down to snatch it up anyway. Gawain turned his yellow LED eyes over to Question, who had planted himself in the chair across the table without so much of a 'hello', and tilted his head.

"...I'm sorry," He apologized. "But I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"I know you do." Question leaned one elbow on the table. Bran nudged Gawain's still-raised hand, hoping for more potatoes, and the hero absently picked up another wedge to feed to her. "I know most people believe the 'advanced AI' cover story, but I'm not most people. I know you're a ghost possessing an armored suit like that old anime." The potato wedge vanished, and Question wondered if the little ghost was actually eating it, or just storing it for later.

That was a mystery for another time, regardless.

Gawain had turned to face him fully, now, and his two other ghostly companions were now peeking out of hiding from behind his shoulders. They weren't hostile, but their stares were, nonetheless, intense, and Question smiled behind his mask. He knew he had their full attention, now.

"How did you find out?" Gawain asked, keeping his voice low.

"I saw you from the ground in that fight with Mr. Sorcerer Superior, Magnus Creed." Question replied. "You ran into that warding slip like a bird into a clean window. A robot wouldn't have been stopped by mere paper and superstition." Gawain tilted his head slightly to one side.

"Some superstitions hurt." He argued, just the slightest bit defensive. "...what was your question, again?"

"What does a dead man do for twenty years?" Question asked. "There's a two decade gap between your presumed death and your reappearance. You could stand to work on that secret identity, by the way." He advised. "Someone's going to notice your resemblance to a dead guy from twenty years ago, if you ever let down your hair." Gawain's LED eyes narrowed, and one of the spirits - Chopper, the one with the upright spines - hissed in response.

Vixen walked by with John Stewart at her side, and both Chopper and Gawain made a visible effort to drop any outward signs of irritation. Question remained where he was. People were used to seeing him tense and suspicious, by now. It wouldn't raise a single eyebrow.

"...I was lost." Gawain spoke up quietly once Vixen and John had passed out of earshot. "I woke up in the middle of an unfamiliar forest, and I just couldn't get out. Not for a while."

"You were lost in a forest for twenty years?" Even Question sounded skeptical. "I've seen what you're capable of. You should have been able to handle a little thing like being lost."

"It was ten years," Gawain retorted sharply. Bran raided his plate for the remaining potato wedges. "And I wasn't just...born being able to do that stuff. I had to grow into it. I had to learn." A strange gust of air blew past the table, scattering someone's forgotten paper plate and napkin to the floor, before Gawain unclenched his fists, and visibly calmed down. Question still didn't move.

"Death...does things to you." Gawain lowered his voice again. "To your mind. You can't think straight for...a long time - and that's if you're lucky." He lowered his hands to the table, and Bran automatically wound herself around one arm with a pleased sound. "I found my way out of the forest after ten yes, and then I went...home. To Tempo."

"Your parents had moved away by then." Question knew. He knew how the story of the living family had played out, from there. "Your brother was living with your uncle, and your friends were off at college." Gawain's shoulders drooped, and the third spirit - Griflet, if he remembered right - patted at the side of his helmet sympathetically. Chopper was still glaring at him.

"They had." Gawain made no effort to hide the disappointment in his voice. "I guess I couldn't fault them for not wanting to stay in town after all they went through, but back then, I didn't know it had been ten years. It only felt like a few days, to me."

"That must have been difficult." Question said, and he meant it. Sympathy wasn't really his thing, but Gawain was being cooperative, so it was the least he could do. "And the other ten?"

"I was hiding." Gawain laughed humorlessly. "I somehow convinced myself that my family-...that my brother, and my uncle, would be afraid of me, if they saw me like that, and I just...never came forward." He shrugged. "I just sort of watched, and listened, and followed them for another ten years, and I thought that was pretty good, you know?

"I couldn't interact with them, sure, but at least I could still see them. It was...better than nothing." The hero fell silent, for a few moments, and then looked Question in the eye. Or...as close as he could get. The featureless mask tended to throw off people's frame of reference for facial features. "What are you going to do now?"

"Absolutely nothing." Question casually leaned back in his own chair. "I've already put the pieces together. This was just the last piece I needed to finish the story." He stood up, and pushed the chair in under the table. "This time, I just wanted to satisfy my own curiosity." Gawain seemed surprised, and remained sitting as Question walked out of the cafeteria.

He could feel four pairs of eyes burning into his back, but for once, being watched didn't bother him. Curiosity killed the cat, they said, but satisfaction brought it back, and Question was very much satisfied with this answer.

Now, he could focus on more important matters...like the long-ignored connection between Girl Scout cookie sales and the appearance of crop circles in Midwest America.

[shadows-of-fate]

A bit of a dance...

‘It’ll just be a few minutes’ they said. ‘Just take us a second to wake her up’ they said. I should have known better.

It’d been an hour...maybe two since The Barghest had successfully docked in Limsa Lominsa - Osric had taken little time to gather his things before disembarking with the promise that Nhea would be along shortly. The crew just had to manage to wake her up. A simple task that apparently was more complicated than it sounded, if the amount of time he’d spent standing in the airship landing, just outside the lift to the Drowning Wench was any indication. 

He shifted his back against the wall, once again checking to make sure he had all his belongings. The one positive of the wait was that he’d been able to get a decent cup of coffee...he just hadn’t expected for one coffee to end up being about four and still no Nhea. He took a long sip from his cup, drumming his fingers against it as he lowered the container once more, carefully watching for any signs of movement from the ship. She had to wake up at some point, right?

Stepping out onto the deck of the ship, Nhea took a deep breath. The salt in the air tickled her nose and excited her senses while the sounds of the city enticed her readiness for the mission ahead. She made her way offboard to find her partner, coming up beside him with a peppy smile. "Ready to go?" The question was asked as if she hadn't just made him wait an hour or like there had been any issue leaving him at the wheel of an airship for the first time he had even tried flying. Taking one final stretch, she adjusted the small pack on her back and took note of a number of items.

Osric gave her a long look before finishing off his coffee and  gathering up his things. “Been ready for a bit. I take it you had a good nap?” He adjusted his jacket before picking up his bag, pulling it up over his shoulders before he reached for his lance. “Or at least I hope you did, we have some time to make up. I know where Summerford is, but you know what we’re looking for - lead on.”

Nhea nodded once, her hands on her hips as she took a moment to look around the crowd of Limsa. She turned back to him and offered a thumbs up. “You should have taken one, too! I’m super refreshed now.” Her legs began to carry her through the city and toward their destination, a relatively long walk but it had been nice to get through the port town she enjoyed so much. 

Having finally found their way through the gates out into the open world of La Noscea, Nhea paused and looked back to Osric. “When we get to Summerford, our best bet is to check the tavern. Get what information we can from the locals there. Our guy is a dark haired highlander, honestly….resembling Eivor.” A chuckle broke up her words, realizing that she seemed to stick around a certain type of people. “He’s got a scar that goes over his left eye, going over his eyebrow and down under his jaw. If and when you see him, you’ll know it’s him.” 

Osric hummed, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jacket as they started to walk - seeming contemplative and appearing lost in thought, though if one was paying attention they’d notice that his gaze moved from passerby to passerby, assessing each individual as the pair moved down the road. “I don’t know that Summerford has a tavern - it’s just a small farming village, afterall. Some of the local farmers may have more information than what we’re likely to find by visiting the village itself.” His eyes narrowed as the orange groves came into view. “I find it somewhat interesting that the individual you abandoned in the middle of the desert happens to resemble Eivor - but I won’t press the subject...especially -,” he nudged her gently motioning towards a small group, three men, one who’d just left the group to walk down the road, “-since it looks like your friend may be closer than we thought.” He slowed his gait, watching as the small group dispersed, but not before the tallest of the three, a dark-haired Highlander, motioned towards the road and started in the opposite direction. There were more than three...there had to be, it was simply a matter of drawing them out. He didn’t reach for his weapon yet, taking a few moments to assess the area before his gaze cut to the woman beside him. “Was that him?”

Brows furrowed as she thought about his words. Considering that she didn’t really know the area well enough, she trusted more that he knew what he was talking about when it came to their destination. “I see...well, that makes sense, I suppose.” Nhea found herself smirking slightly when Osric brought up the irony to her history with the unknown man and it’s comparison to Eivor, a chuckle following soon behind until he motioned ahead of them. Her attention turned in that direction, eyes narrowing as to try to pick out features before her body tensed ever so slightly while nodding. “That’s him, alright. So what’re you thinking?”

“Besides that this is an obvious trap?” His jaw clenched as he continued to move them forward, taking cautious steps as his eyes scanned their surroundings. “You mentioned earlier that if we lose sight of him, catching him again is going to be quite the feat - so I can draw his henchmen away and let you run after him, or you hold on tight and I see if I can get us both over what’s sure to be a clusterfuck.” He reached for his lance as two men emerged from the groves, slowly moving towards them, weapons drawn. “Your choice, but make it quick - or they’re going to make it for us.”

She blew air through her lips with a huff, her eyes bouncing from one man to another to try to make the quick decision. “I’ll go after Egil,  you take care of these suckers.” Nhea finally said with an oddly placed grin over to Osric as she readied herself to sprint between the men that approached them. While Nhea had the ability to harness magick, she had never really used it for situations where she found herself fighting. It hadn’t ever been her forte. Though with her person outfitted with daggers and a pair of chakrams, she was ever ready to take on her old buddy despite the man having near doubled her size. Arms reached to her hips, taking hold of the leather bound grips of the chakrams as she nodded to Osric once. “On your lead.”

His jaw clenched as he adjusted his hold on the lance. “When I hit the ground, you run - don’t stop, don’t turn, don’t pay any mind to the noise behind you, just keep moving. The two in front of us aren’t the ones I’m worried about. I’ll join you as soon as they’re dealt with. And Nhea?” He shifted his gaze to her, albeit briefly, as the ground around him glowed faintly, “Don’t do anything foolish - don’t think Khair or Eivor would be too happy with me if I were to let you get hurt on a ‘simple’ assignment.”

The faint glow quickly shifted to a blinding light as he leapt up into the air - disappearing from sight for one...two...three seconds before the ground shuddered as Osric landed, one of the two men impaled on the lance. The other hand been knocked off his feet and was scrambling to locate his weapon - watching as Osric kicked the corpse of the first bandit off the end of the lance, twirling the weapon overhead before settling into his fighting stance, the ground glowing faintly beneath him again. “GO - NOW!”

One leg slid just behind her, offsetting her stance to offer her just enough leverage so that when she was ready, she could spring forward. Her attention remained in front of her while Osric spoke until he called her name, allowing a brief look over to him to flash a cheesy smile and nodded. “You got it!” And with that, she waited until the precise moment when he lept upward for Nhea’s signal to kick off her back leg to sprint forward, leaving Osric behind to flurry toward her target. 

Osric glanced over his shoulder as he landed, his lance impaling the second man as it had the first. Satisfied that she was well on her way, he turned, kicking the second corpse from the end of the lance - his attention drawn back by one arrow narrowly missing his shoulder, a second finding purchase. He grunted before wincing and exhaling sharply as his eyes narrowed at the group of bandits making their way up the road. “Well then...let’s have a bit of fun, shall we?”

The patter of her feet on the ground carrying her toward the three men urged her forward even faster. She leaned forward slightly, prepared to clash with her opposition any moment though at the last second there was a bit of change in plans. Egil was in sight, it was like they locked eyes, both knowing it was high time their score was settled. But as she finally approached the group, she ducked, lowering her body swiftly as her shins kissed the ground beneath her while she slid just below the swinging attacks from the two men on either side of her. “Well well, hello Egil. Didya miss me?” She asked as the dirt settled around her and she stood to spin around as her hands released the grip on the chakrams. The metal discs spun through the air to hit one target, a slash to the back but the other having been dodged returned to her. 

A quick glance behind her to where she had left Osric allowed just enough time for the lumbering man to catch her off guard with a quick and heavy blow to the back causing the small framed Miqo’te to tumble to the ground. Though as she cried out from the initial shock, her position at least put her closer to the weapons laying nearby. Reaching to grab them, she turned onto her back to look up just in time to see the large axe come barreling down toward her. Another shift to the side allowed her just enough space to cause him to miss as she kicked her legs in the air to swing herself upward back to standing. “Now now, I know we’ve had our differences in the past but is that really how to welcome an old friend?” She asked, adjusting so that her gaze could flick between Egil and the one remaining man, at least the only one she was aware of at the time. 

“You haven’t changed a bit, Nhea. Why am I not surprised to see you? But did you really think you were going to waltz up to me without a challenge?” He asked, smirking as he lifted a hand to wave off the other man at his side and pointed between himself and Nhea. “I think you owe me something and I intend to see it done. Now.” She couldn’t help but grin, bowing to him dramatically as she took his challenge in hand. “Then let’s do this, shall we?” 

Osric growled as he pulled one of his daggers from the chest of one of his assailants. Scowling, he glanced around at the carnage - scattered bodies littering the sides of the road. What would have happened had it not been himself and Nhea walking up the road? 

It didn’t matter, they were dealt with.

He winced - the arrow that’d found his shoulder at the beginning of the attack very much still in place - he’d have to wait for an extra set of hands before trying to remove it - and turned to head in the direction he’d last seen Nhea in, moving carefully, quietly, eyes scanning the surroundings for anything that might seem out of place. His eyes narrowed as he saw the Miqo’te woman get knocked onto her back, suspicion rising as the henchman was waved off. 

Something wasn’t right. He pulled his daggers from their sheaths as he moved forward, careful not to draw any unnecessary attention.

It would have been a sight for any passerby to see, the tiny but mighty Miqo’te battling against the tank of a Highlander in a fight perhaps not of brawn but of smarts in their case. Nhea’s lithe form allowed her for quicker movements, spinning around Egil with speed in a somewhat of a dance as metal clashed from time to time. Perhaps she allowed herself to fall a bit too naive to the idea that their conflict would remain merely between the two of them. It seemed the longer they fought, the easier he was keeping up with her; learning how she moved and eventually was able to predict just the right attack to counter it, reaching out for her arm to rip her from her otherwise fluid maneuvers. 

With one quick yank, her body slammed into his own, beating the breath out of her as weapons were dropped and a tight grip now held around her. “Your ego has gotten too big for you, little brat.” His hot breath tinged her skin as she continued to fight against him but it wasn’t Egil her attention should have been kept upon solely as a figure moved through the shadows nearby, his sights set on the two while waiting for the perfect opening.

It was the shifting figure that drew Osric’s attention. Their movements were too calculated, and when they stopped they were too still. Egil was planning something, and Osric had no intention of waiting to see what it was. 

He sheathed his daggers, reaching for his lance once again as he leapt forward. The aim was to capture, not to kill, and so he used the momentum of his forward movement - slamming the lance into Egil’s head before turning and shielding Nhea from view. He’d barely managed to stop moving before a piercing pain shot through his side - a second arrow finding purchase. He winced, gritting his teeth as his gaze shifted towards the Miqo’te woman. “Would...you mind taking care of that bastard? Before he shoots again?”

His arrival couldn’t have been more perfectly timed, or imperfectly depending on which way you looked at it. It all seemed to happen in a quick flash before Nhea even realized, she was free from Egil’s tight hold on her but faced with a new problem. Her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of the arrows now sticking out of Osric’s body, her initial instinct kicking in to reach for him to make sure he was alright. But as he spoke, her eyes narrowed and her features twisted into that of a woman scorned and ready for some sort of revenge. In one almost elegant swoop, she spun to reach down and retrieve her chakrams, jerking yet again into action to bridge the gap enough between herself and the newly arrived archer. Another arrow had been knocked and released as she hurled towards him, missing her only enough to catch the edge of her arm as it tore through her skin. 

She pushed through the sharp pain, giving her no cause to stop as she leapt forward to swing her arms in a slice across the man’s chest. The arrows no longer able to keep him safe. With a frustrated grunt, she brought the heel of her boot down onto the man’s neck to confirm the kill before she turned back in the direction Osric had been left. Nhea returned her weapons to her hips, quickly finding herself back at his side as she tried to look over his injuries. “So you go and tell me not to do something dumb and here you are doing it yourself?” 

Osric grunted, falling to a knee for a moment and leaning heavily against his lance. “It kept you from taking an arrow to the chest...didn’t seem like a dumb thing to do at the time.” He winced as he used the lance to help him stand, slowly turning to face her. “These wounds will heal...maybe not as quickly as I’d like, but they will heal - Had they hit you...it was a reasonable risk to take - you have people waiting for you. Now...let’s find these relics and - “ He winced again, closing his eyes for a moment and taking several deep breaths - now the adrenaline was receding, the pain was starting to seep in, “-get your ‘friend’ where he needs to go and head back. I...imagine these arrows might need to come out sooner rather than later.”

“I still think it was a pretty dumb thing to do.” She said as she slipped underneath his arm to give him a bit more to stable himself on, despite her being on the shorter side. “You know, I’m not used to having any sort of steady relationships, be them friends or otherwise. The wolves are expecting us both.” Nhea sighed heavily as she looked down to the limp body of Egil from Osric’s handy work. This was something she hadn’t anticipated and in that moment she found herself at a loss on how they were going to transport him back to Limsa where they would retrieve their bounty. “How do you want to do this? I imagine he keeps his prized possessions or...stolen ones on his person. But to get him back to the city in your shape…”

He exhaled slowly, leaning more against the lance than against her - the height difference was making things difficult. “...I’d suggest we search him now, then...bind him, and see if one of the farmers will lend us a chocobo to get him back to at least the gates. I imagine the Yellowjackets would take things over from there.” He shifted enough to look down at her. “I know the company is expecting both of us back - as I said, it was a calculated risk. I try to protect those who I go out on assignments with. There are certainly times when I can’t...this happened to be a time when I could. There are worse things to deal with than a set of injuries that may need stitches…”

Nhea huffed as she carefully moved away from him and knelt down next to Egil with a grunt. “You are probably the most stubborn man- or person I've ever met, you know that?” 

Osric chuckled - or started to before it was interrupted with a pained groan. “Probably...should not laugh right now. And I’ll take ‘stubborn’...I’ve been called worse.”

Nhea went about searching the man, glancing to her arm as she now felt the wound more than before. Paying it no mind, she finally found what she had been looking for, a velvet pouch tied up nicely in golden yarn and tucked carefully inside had been a number of jewels. Placing them into the pouch on her belt, she removed a loop of rope, tying it around his hands and legs before looking up to Osric with a nod. “I’ll move ahead to find someone to lend us that chocobo...just...hit him again if he stirs.” 

With that, she took off to do as she had said, only returning not much long afterwards with chocobo and a skin of water offered to Osric upon arrival. It had taken much effort, a lot of it even on the chocobo’s part, but eventually Egil had been settled on the creature’s back and they made their way back to Limsa, Nhea’s concerned gaze held on her traveling partner nearly the whole time. The jewels and man were turned in, the Yellowjackets taking him into custody and the belongings given to the man who had requested their assistance. She had been adamant about Osric seeking medical attention before they returned to the Barghest and there was no fighting her on the subject. Perhaps it had been surprising but she waited for him, ensuring he had been properly seen to before returning to the ship only to get things squared away for immediate take off when he was ready. 

Stitches weren’t the most painful medical treatment he’d undergone in the last year - but it didn’t make them any less irritating. Osric sighed, adjusting his coat over his left shoulder...and the sling he was now forced to wear, as he approached the ship. He handed his things off to one of the crew members as he stepped on board before making his way up to the bridge. He cleared his throat to alert Nhea to his presence as he walked up behind her. 

“Kind of you  to wait - they were rather insistent that they take their time stitching me up...and that I follow up with the company’s medical staff. Something you should probably do as well. Would you like to be the one to notify them that we’re coming...or do I need to?” He leaned back against the railing with a wince. All things considered - the job could have gone much worse, and a few weeks of healing were much better than a dead captain. 

She had found herself lost in thought when he approached, her ears twitching slightly to the sound of his voice before turning to face him. "Well, I wanted to make sure you were okay and they weren't going to do something half assed just to tide you over. Everything is ready to take off. T'khau is going to oversee most of the travel after I get us up and on our way." Her shoulders lifted in a very light shrug at his suggestions for her own medical attention but nodded nonetheless. "Mm, yeah I will...and I suppose I should let them know though I can't imagine they'll be too pleased either way. But hey, to see to our health and safety is what they want, right?" She smiled faintly and gestured him forward. "You should rest." 

He shrugged his right shoulder as he stood, moving away from the railing. “I’ll have plenty of time to rest later. I don’t imagine I’ll be permitted to do much more than walk until this is dealt with.” He tapped the toe of his boot against the deck. “But - on a positive note, the job is done - we got paid, the company gets paid and no one on our side of the skirmish died. Not a bad day overall.”

“At the very least, come sit with me in the bridge We can have a drink and I can kick your ass in triple triad.” Nhea said playfully as she turned to make her way toward the helm, only pausing to look back to Osric with a smile. “I’ll let them know we’re on our way in and meet you after our course is set.” 

He nodded before following after her. “I wouldn’t say no to a drink right about now...lead the way, captain.”

(Blurbs with @osric-slater-ffxiv !)

[writers-craft]

I can see him out of the corner of my eye drinking from the running river. Is he god greeting me in a form my eyes can perceive him, or is he my mother reincarnated? My father is, or rather was, not a man capable of returning to this earth as something as strong as a stag; a cat who chases mice and roams the world all on his lonesome might be an animal more suitable for a man such as him, such as me. I shall keep my eyes open for a cat on my journey. Mother is more than capable of being such an animal, though anything as sturdy, anything so beautiful in nature has the ability to be her. She spent her life thinking reincarnation silly, unnatural at times, so she might laugh at the thought of deer being anything but creatures. If he is god, then, please, spare me—kill me now and allow my spirit to restart. I should love to become a cat, to wander the world so empty headed. In any case, I remain still as I await his judgement. His head lifts as he finishes his drink and he observes his surroundings. A bird cries in the very near distance, but it does not startle him in the same way it startles me. We lock eyes for a moment and I blink, then avert my eyes away. My father’s gun is at my hip with only one bullet gone from it, but I do not dare kill such a creature; my wooden bow, made from poor oak tied with a string that could snap at any use, proves meager in this moment. But, again, I do not wish to harm him. I do not wish to harm anything. That is why I shall return as a cat, or perhaps something even less grand in the animal kingdom, and why mother here has returned as a stag. I no longer think he is god.

A gunshot blows, and then another, and another, nearby. I jump slightly at the noise it makes. It is not my father’s gun nor am I bleeding out from my small and fragile body, but it does startle the stag enough he hurries back into the wilderness before I can even set my eyes on him again. The birds all flee to the air where it is safest; someone is heard shouting, yelling, and then laughing. Dog begins barking at their chaos, emerging from its resting place beneath a large bush, its ears perked up and tail twirled high to assure he is alert. He is a brown dog with white patches all around his fur. His personality is dull and very disobedient. Why he has followed me all this way is beyond my knowledge. I order him to settle; he does not listen until, finally, the culprit emerges from tangled branches and dog cowers back into his safety bush. All bark, no bite.

His tunic is stained red and blood drips from his hands. A fawn is hanging from his shoulder. I refuse to call him a man, but he might refer to himself as such. I see only a more extreme version of myself: a boy with too much power in this world. He is tall, much taller than I will ever be, and falsely beautiful. His gun is already aiming at me as I stumble for my bow. But if he wanted me dead, then I would be chasing mice by now.

“Calm down,” he says, slightly lowering his gun. Still, I hold onto my bow so tightly it might snap. The river’s voice is all that sings; the rest of nature is silent. “You know how to use that?” he asks, pointing with his gun at the bow in my hands. His voice is deep and full of heavy breath. I nod my head, despite my instinct to run from him. “What about that?” he asks, pointing at my father’s gun. Again, I lie and say that I do, but the only sort of hunting I am familiar with is fishing, and even at that I am poorly. My small form, my pale skin, my loose fitting clothing told anyone with sense, including me, I will die come winter. Then I shall become the cat I am always meant to become.

The fawn slips slightly from his shoulder and he lifts it back up with little difficulty. More blood seeps out of the animal and onto his clothing. He remains unbothered, both by me and by the dead being. The bow drops from my hands and onto the dirt. He glows like an angel might in the sunlight, but his beauty is untrue, false in the correct moments. He puts away his gun and offers me his hand. I take it and he lifts me to my feet. “And have you killed anyone yet?” he asks as I brush the dirt off my jeans.

My gaze turns to the bow abandoned on the ground. I see his face when I close my eyes. His laughter echoes in my thoughts when I try to sleep. In this moment, and many moments before, and I am certain many moments after, I am unable to find my words, so I nod again—I doubt this false image of light believes me, and I refuse to look at him to read his face.

His hand cups my shoulder hard, squeezes tightly, and I stumble slightly. “There’s a motel nearby—a bunch of us are staying there,” he tells me. I finally look up. The fawn is sliding down again; he lets me go to adjust his posture and rearrange it on his shoulder. He says his name is Freyr. The fawn is dinner. I am outnumbered ten to one, and his friends are just a call away. “You’re not a man of many words, are you?” he asks when I say nothing.

“I’m not a man at all.”

He hums. He does not understand. “We’re burning bodies tonight,” he says as if it were an ordinary thing to say. The bombs fell and the air, though it remained clear and breathable, became poisoned—and the rest of humanity followed suit. People began to die; first, the sick and the elderly, and then everyone else started going. The children will be last, they say. The poison promises a slow, agonizing death. The only question is when will it occur, and will we join those burning bodies or will someone we love have the strength to bury us? “You don’t really want to be outside when we do.”

No, no I do not.

It has been three days since I left home. The scent of the stag’s perfume is what I remember most about her. When she started to smell, I gave her a few puffs of it each day—but soon even vanilla and roses could not mask the scent of her rotting flesh. The smell became too much, and I have little strength to give her a proper burial. Remaining residents and ransackers all alike prevented me from burning her out, like most have done. I refuse to have my final moments alone with her dragging her lifeless body down a dozen flights of stairs. Instead, I placed flowers near her painted feet, kissed her goodbye one last time, and left forever with father’s gun on my belt and as much food from our pantry my bag could carry. I remember when she was alive, she often yelled at me from our window to come up for dinner, or to grab my coat, or to come help her with the laundry, or to do something that seems so foreign now. I half expected her corpse to spring to life and do the same as crossed the street, but the window was closed, boarded up, quiet; she had already reached her next life.

I reach down to pick up the ugly bow, but he already has it in his possession by the time I stand upright again. He examines it with intrigue. And in this moment, the moment I relive with you now, I realize he can probably break it with his thumb and I would be powerless. It is an object I know little about, but I do not know what my reaction might be if it were to be destroyed in front of me. The fawn slips again, but he lifts it back into place with little attention to his action. And his eyes dart quickly to the gun at my hip.

“Word of advice,” he says—he tosses the bow back to me, but my hands fumble and it falls back again onto the ground. “Grab your gun next time.”

He watches me as I gather the little belongings I have. My bag is heaviest as it contains mostly food, toiletries, and a few crafted arrows made from bent sticks found along the way, though I doubt I will have much use for them. Again, I know little about archery and experience has only taught me such a lousy bow, no matter how much I put value to it, will have little power when I am in need of it most. Dog still remains hidden away, perhaps miles away by now, too cowardly to face his fears. I am not a coward, I know that much, but I am far from being brave.

Freyr leads me up a dirt path and onto an empty black road surrounded by only nature. I hear his friends shouting in the distance, and something aching resides in my stomach. Near us is a dirty white sign saying: “Motel,” with a simple drawing of a bed underneath and an arrow pointing left of us. I have to jog to keep up with him.