#he knew it had finally been long enough that nobody remembered Lucy grey and he didn’t care what else happened tbh he was just vibing

[carnationhes]

reading catching fire for research purposes rn and snow is acc the funniest character ever wdym the entire country is collapsing into civil war and the president is taking a trip out to some random small town to tell a teenager she needs to kiss her boyfriend more

[scribbles97]

Half a Hope

Post Season 3 fic, based on a comment made by Colonel Casey in Break Out.

I make no apologies for where this ended.

@gumnut-logic thank you for the cheerleading as always!

They had seen each other in passing, she had been there when they had landed on the Island. Jeff’s first thought had been how old she had looked, but a glance in the elevator doors had reminded him of just how old he himself had gotten.

Val had smiled and waved, promised she would visit as soon as she had dealt with the Hood and his new team.

He had put it down to exhaustion that he was disappointed that she hadn’t stayed.

Then it had been forgotten about though, written out by time with his family and a move to hospital to ensure a proper recovery. Tests and reports had filled his days, discussions of what he had missed and what he had to face before normality would take over again. After eight years alone it was a lot to take in.

He wasn’t proud that he had once snapped at his mothers well meaning fussing.

He was grateful that she had at least understood.

Exhausted and overwhelmed, he looked forward to his moments of peace when everyone else had gone home. He appreciated the chance to simply switch off and block out everything around him. The doctors and nurses were done for the day, bland dinner served and pills dispensed, he knew he wouldn’t be disturbed for the evening.

The lightest of taps on the door was enough to draw his attention, pulling him back from the edge of relaxation.

“I can come back.”

She had whispered it, but compared to the noise of space, everything was loud.

“No,” He grunted, pushing himself upright in the bed against muscles that protested, “come in, Val, it’s good to see you.”

Her smile widened as she slipped quietly through the door, hesitating by it as she shook her head.

“It’s really you,” Whispered again, “you’re really home.”

He grinned back, “In the flesh.”

“Forgive me for being sceptical,” She shrugged, “It’s kind of been a while.”

“Too damn long,” He replied, resting his head back against the pillows, “Come and sit.”

She glanced over her shoulder, “The nurse sai--”

“Damn the nurses,” He waved her towards the seat again, “I know what I need, and it’s for you to tell me the unabridged versions of what I’ve missed.”

Even her laugh was quiet as she skirted the room, pulling the chair closer before she took a seat. Her eyes seemed brighter in the lights, her smile softened from the hard tight look she had thrown across the tarmac to him weeks ago. She was still noticeably older than he remembered, grey streaking her hair, and laugh lines creasing the corner of her eyes deeper than he remembered.

He couldn’t help but think how it suited her.

“So,” She murmured, crossing one leg over the other as she sat forward, “Where shall I start?”

They had talked for hours that first evening, and if it hadn’t been for the mental and physical exhaustion pulling him towards sleep, he was sure they wouldn’t have stopped. Her hand had been warm and comfortable on his shoulder before she had left, the first time she had dared to reach out to him.

Part of him didn’t want her to leave, her company easier than anybody else's.

Val didn’t fuss or fret, didn’t treat him like the old man he felt he was. She seemed to know though, just what he needed, how to speak in the low tones that didn’t disturb him, how to keep company without having to even say anything.

He loved his family, but they were all so eager to have him home, sometimes they seemed to forget and he had to remind them.

Val seemed constantly, acutely aware.

After the first night they had talked often. Everything and nothing coming to mind in equal measures. Some conversations were important, Janus trying to force Val out of her job and the boys into submission. Others were less so, simple time fillers when the silence was too much.

On the dark nights, when sleep wouldn’t come and his burdens were too heavy for his sons to shoulder, she was there. Occasionally in person, more often in text. She had put it down to being a light sleeper, used to being woken at the slightest call for her attention. He hadn’t questioned, simply grateful for the company and the outlet.

When he returned to the Island and was forced to watch in person as his son’s risked their lives time and again, she was there to reassure. There may have also been a degree of ass kicking when he had questioned himself and the organisation he had created. Her tongue was sharp as ever, not a single word minced over her thoughts on the topic.

She always had been damn good at setting him straight.

It was what she had done after Lucy. After he had all but abandoned his family and set himself on a downward spiral, Val had been the one to drag him back up and shove him down the path he needed to follow.

“What’s got you smiling?”

He shrugged, glancing down to his bourbon as he swirled it, the ice clinking on the sides of the glass. He didn’t drink much any more, more conscious of his declining health than he had ever been, but it had been a year since he had walked out of that hospital and he was sure the one drink was warranted.

“I owe you some thanks,” He sighed, drawing his gaze from the sun setting far on the horizon and back to her, “For keeping me going since I came home.”

Her eyes met his for the briefest of moments before she was looking away. He wasn’t sure if he was meant to notice how her jaw clenched and her own smile fell, but he did, and it worried him.

“Val?”

She didn’t look back, instead taking a sip of her drink, eyes fixed on the pool below the deck.

“Val.” He stated, frowning as he sat straighter.

Both of them knew the tone, each had spent enough time in the military to know when a statement was a command. Neither could ignore it.

Swallowing her drink she didn’t look back to him, “You said the same after Lucy died.”

The statement only confused him more.

“Val what--”

“Be quiet.”

He did as she asked, still frowning as he watched her. The trust was strong between both of them, and he knew better than to push. She would speak when she was ready.

Still, it made him worry. He couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been blunt with him, when her words hadn’t cut straight to the core of any issue. To see her so clearly conflicted seemed wrong.

She had told him to be quiet, but she hadn’t stopped him from reaching out to touch her arm where it rested outstretched towards him. Her breath sucked in sharply at his touch as she closed her eyes.

“All I needed was half a hope.”

Words no longer needed whispering for him, but it seemed it was all she could force out as her eyes snapped back to him.

There were tears there.

“They didn’t tell me.” She whispered with a shake of her head, “I was the last to find out you might be alive.”

This he hadn’t known.

Anger burned somewhere deep in him at the thought of her being in the dark.

“I thought you were dead, and I didn’t know what to do Jeff because I finally understood it all.”

The hand of the arm he had reached to twisted, taking his fingers and squeezing them tightly as she swallowed.

“I finally understood what you felt when you said a part of you had died with Lucy.”

His heart clenched at the thought, long buried feelings and emotions bubbling up. It was a time in his life he never would forget, the pain indescribable and most certainly not anything he would ever wish on another.

Val had watched him through it all, a quiet shoulder of support at the start when the ache of loss was at its worst.

Who had been there to support her?

“I would have done anything,” She continued softly, “if there had been the slightest indication that you could have been alive…”

Catching her hand in his before she could pull away, he held on tight. It was far too late, the damage already done and no doubt seared deep, but he was there.

“You couldn’t have known.” He murmured, “Val there was no possible way for you--”

“I should have!” She snapped, cutting him off as eyes glistening with unshed tears turned on him.

Colonel Evangeline Casey didn’t do scared.

Jeff could count on one hand the number of times he had seen her well and truly afraid.

It was undoubtedly what he was seeing in that moment though. Equal parts hurt and fear as she watched him, unable to look away.

“How?” He prompted softly, thumb smoothing calmly over the back of her hand, “How should you have known Val?”

She shrugged as she shook her head, eyes finally breaking away to look at his hand over hers.

Equally as soft, “Because it was you.”

Another question was on the tip of his tongue, desperate to figure out what had brought all of this on. She beat him to it though, the words coming tumbling as if the dam had broken.

“Because it was you and Lee and Lucy and me, and when Lucy was gone nothing seemed right any more. Lee couldn’t cope so he left the world behind, and then it was just us. You and me against whatever the world decided to throw at us after that, and the world threw some wicked curveballs.”

He could guess she wasn’t talking of the challenges of starting International Rescue.

“Because you’re you,” She shrugged, voice twisting tight with the words, “You were my best friend's husband, and then she was gone and hell it seemed so wrong. Who else did I have though? Nobody else seemed to get it like you always did, and part of me really hated you for that because it made everything so much more complicated. How could I really hate you though? You didn’t even know, and I knew, I always knew your heart would only ever belong to Lucy.”

The tears had tracked down her cheeks, barely visible in the soft dusk light. Jeff could see them though, them and all they stood for.

With a sniff, Val looked away, dipping her head as she closed her eyes and swallowed the last mouthful of her drink.

“Didn’t stop me though,” Her eyes darted back, holding his as she pursed her lips, “Didn’t stop me from loving you.”

TBC?

[thedragontamerying]

Stand By Me

The next chapter is finally here! I’m sorry for the long break but school must be priority. I will admit that this chapter was giving me a lot of trouble. I think it was because this chapter is primarily fighting, and those are just difficult for me to write. I much prefer writing character interactions. But it’s done and ready to post! So thank you for being patient and thank you @seal-pai for helping me out with this chapter! Love you boo.

Tagging: @insomniasix @theyearofdiamonddogs @zoeyredbird1 @seal-pai @ffxv-ocs-unite (I’m tagging some extra people who seem to enjoy this series. If you don’t want to be tagged, let me know and I’ll remove you!)

Ch 1 <<< Ch 5 : Ch 7 | [Masterlist]

                                          Chapter VI: A New World

The group had traveled back to the hunters’ outpost as quickly as possible, avoiding any danger along the way. They hadn’t realized how long they were in the cave during their little expedition; the sun was starting to set over the horizon with the sky being colored a mix of orange, pink and purple. The outpost was livelier than when they first arrived. Hunters were coming in and out of the hub in trucks. The ones leaving were armed with several different types of weapons and carried backpacks full of rations and blankets. The ones arriving looked like they were taking the moment to relax and resupply their stock. Some were rushed over to the medic on hand with their buddies following close behind. The group spotted Monica at the center of a small crowd of hunters and made their way over.

Along the way, Artemisia heard someone call out to her. “Thanos!” She looked towards the voice, noticing a few hunters looking over at her. A man with greying sides in his hair stood at the front of them, most likely the one who called out to her. Artemisia glanced over at her friends; they too stopped when they heard her surname announced. After a hesitant moment, Artemisia gestured for them to go ahead to Monica before she walked over to the hunters.

“You Miss Thanos?” The hunter asked once Artemisia approached them. She looked at the towering older man, a small nervous bubble in her stomach. He had to be almost as tall as Gladiolus, though not quite as rugged as the younger man. “Y-Yes, that’s me.”

The man’s gaze softened, a small sad glint in his eyes. “Geez, I knew you were going to be young, but I didn’t think this young.”

Artemisia’s eyes widened slightly, surprised by his comment. “Oh, well, I mean… I’m not that young. I’m twenty-one.” That was a year over Noctis, the new King of Lucis.

“Too young to be putting up with this bullshit.” Another hunter from the back commented, the others in the group nodding in agreement.

“There… There are hunters my age, even younger.”

The man in front of her chuckled. “Killing a few rowdy vermins isn’t the same as having to save an entire nation.” Artemisia knew he wasn’t giving himself or the other hunters enough credit. The man rolled his neck as he sighed, putting his hand out for a handshake. “But you don’t need me to tell you that. I’m Edmon, you probably saw it on the list that Cor gave you.”

Artemisia did remember seeing a name like that from earlier, meeting her hand with his. “So, I take it that you’ll be helping with the search for tombs?”

“Yep, me and the rest of these lugs.” Edmon grinned when his friends threw playful insults at him for that last bit. “We don’t have much out here, but we do have some wireless communication.” He took out an old, basic flip phone from his pocket. “It doesn’t have all the features that your’s has but all that matters is that you’ll be able to get a hold of us. So don’t hesitate to call, you hear?”

“R-Right… Thank you, for helping us.”

“Heh, don’t thank us. We’re just a couple of nobodies trying to help the important people.” Artemisia grimaced at his comment. Edmon glanced up, a smile on his face. “Speaking of which, I think you got people waiting on you.” Even though she had told them to go on ahead, Artemisia saw the guys still standing where she left them, watching her interaction from afar. “Shouldn’t keep them waiting. You run along now, Miss Thanos.”

Artemisia looked back at her friends once more before turning back to Edmon and the other hunters. She held out her hand once more for a handshake. Edmon looked at her hand curiously for a moment before giving her his hand. Artemisia’s hold was stronger than before, placing her other hand on top of his bigger one as she looked him in the eyes. “Call me Artemisia.”

Edmon’s eyes widen slightly before he grinned, “You got it.” Artemisia went to the men further back, learning their names and giving them the same treatment. She gave a small wave goodbye to her new companions as she made her way back to the others, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach.

“These are the names of hunters that have dedicated themselves to the cause… Use the resources you have wisely.”

Once Artemisia rejoined the others, Noctis asked “What was that all about?”

Artemisia shrugged casually. “Just making friends,” she grinned teasingly at Noctis, “You should give it a shot.”

“Shut it.” Noctis shoved his friend lightly.

Ignis stopped the group from getting too distracted, insisting that they go see Monica as they were instructed. The hunters around Monica dispersed as Noctis approached, giving the group some privacy. Monica smiled at the group. “Your Highness, the marshal has apprised me of the plan.” She motioned for them to follow her to a table where a map as laid out. “We found a backdoor into the Imperial base.” Artemisia took out her map, lining up the same area on her map and marking the location with a red circle. “The way should be secure. You should be able to gain access relatively easily.” Monica looked at the setting sun. “Though that might change. You five should prepare yourselves and travel as far as possible before night falls.” She looked over at Artemisia. “I’ll go on ahead and call you if anything changes.”

Artemisia firmly nodded back. “Right, good luck.”

Monica wished them all well before setting off with a pair of hunters as her back up. Taking her advice, the group restocked their supplies to the best of their knowledge before setting off again in the Regalia. They were able to get a few miles in before the darkness of night took over. The group agreed that they had their fill of daemons for the day and set up camp. After dinner everyone wandered off to occupy themselves. Ignis had decided to go over their supplies to get an accurate number of their stock while Prompto and Artemisia tended to the fire. Noctis was about to fall asleep next to them but Gladiolus had other plans and dragged off him off for some night training.

Prompto was scrolling through his camera, occasionally showing Artemisia photos he found particularly nice or humorous. Artemisia sat next to him, curled up in her chair, staring into the fire. A poke to her chest reminded her of the crystal hanging from her neck, the one that once belonged to Ismene. She pulled the jewelry out from under her shirt, holding it close to her as a familiar solemn feeling rose in her chest.

The crystal was cold against her hand despite it being so close to the warmth of the fire and the heat of her body. It shined brightly, as it always had, illuminating her skin with an overlay of blue. Ismene usually covered the crystal with the fabric of her robe when she wore it; said that it distracted people too often. But when it was just the two of them, it was free to hang loose from her neck and shine for them both. Artemisia used to feel a sense of comfort and protection whenever she saw its light. Now, it made her feel grim, wishful for the earlier days.

She heard the scrunch of dirt before noticing that Prompto had scooted his lawn chair closer to her. He looked at the rock in her hand curiously. “So what does it do?”

Artemisia hummed questioningly.

“Does it do anything? Like, important tactician stuff?” Prompto reiterated, an eager glint in his eyes. “Does it give you access to a hidden treasure trove of war books that hold the secret on how to win everything? Oh! Or even a hidden armory full of legendary weapons?”

Artemisia giggled at his overly excited curiosity. “No, no, nothing like that. It’s just a regular piece of jewelry.” She took it off from around her neck and handed it over to Prompto to look over. “It was just something that Ismene liked a lot. She wore it all the time.”

“Was it a family heirloom?”

“I think she got it during her time travelling with King Regis.” She glanced at the ground. “It… She said that even in her darkest times, it helped her see the light.”

Prompto hummed, holding the crystal with a sympathetic smile before handing it back to its new owner. “It is really pretty. The way Cor handed it over to you made me think that it was supposed to be… I don’t know, more.”

Artemisia smiled softly at her friend, “You don’t need to be extraordinary to shine, Prom.”

Prompto chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah, I guess.”

Artemisia gave a small smile to her friend. Ever since Artemisia had gotten to know Prompto better she could tell that they were kindred spirits. Masking their insecurities the best that they can for the benefit of others. They just wore different masks.

“Sometimes, people need a little bit of ordinary to keep them grounded.” Artemisia placed the necklace back around her neck, tucking it back under her shirt. “Simplicity has never been a bad quality.”

Prompto smiled at her words, a breath through his nose indicating a small laugh.

A groan from the trees caught the couple’s attention. Noctis dragged himself around the large trees, sweat beading down from his forehead and newly formed bruises on his arms. That along with his heavy panting, Artemisia could only assume that Gladiolus put him through a particularly strenuous training routine. The shield himself didn’t seem affected by the exercise that left their friend so tired. The only indication that he was even involved was the small sheen of sweat on his forehead.

“Heh, speaking of being grounded.” Prompto chuckled as him and Artemisia watched Noctis practically crawl up the rocks of the haven campsite. Gladiolus walked behind, telling him to “stop being a baby” and “it wasn’t that bad”. Then again, Gladiolus has shook off a knife going down his face like it was nothing. What he considered bad was probably above normal standards.

The two walked over to their returning friends, Prompto bending down to pat Noctis on the back. “You alright there, buddy?”

“He’s trying to kill me…”

“What’d you do?” Artemisia asked Gladiolus with a raised brow. This wouldn’t be the first time that Gladiolus had pushed Noctis too much during training. “Throw him to a pack of sabertusks?”

Gladiolus scoffed. “He’s fine, just being overdramatic.”

“I’m not being overdramatic…” Noctis panted.

“How you react to a balanced diet is overdramatic…” Ignis emerged from the tent.

Everyone broke out laughing at his comment while Noctis tried to defend himself with a red face.

The group continued to their destination the next morning to meet up with Cor and Monica. It had taken a little longer to pack away the campsite than they were hoping due to Noctis complaining about being sore from the previous night. Gladiolus simply put Noctis in a headlock, teasing him about being out of shape. That seemed to have egged Noctis enough for him to sufficiently help pack everything before they were on the road.

They drove for a while more before the Imperial base came into view and parked on the side of the road. Following the directions on Artemisia’s map they traveled through a small chasm between two rock formations before finding Monica there.

“Your Highness,” She greeted, giving a small bow. She gestured further up the path, “Please join the marshal up ahead. You and him shall travel further into the base in secret.” She turned her attention to the other four. “The rest of you will help me in the diversionary effort. We’ll make sure that most of the enemy’s attention is on us.”

Noctis let out a long sigh, looking back at his friends. “Well, I’ll see you guys later.”

“You go give ‘em hell,” Gladiolus encouraged, a smirk on his face, “We’ll do the same on our end.”

“Please be careful,” Artemisia said, worry in her voice.

Noctis’ eyes softened at her concern. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Don’t do anything brash just because the marshal is there.” Ignis added, making Noctis frown.

“I wouldn’t--”

“Yes you would.” Artemisia and Ignis deadpanned in unison.

Noctis lightly glared at the two of them. “I’m leaving now.”

Noctis continued on further ahead, squeezing himself between the two rock walls to meet up with Cor on the other side. Despite their teasing and general causal nature to seeing him off, Artemisia was nervous letting him out of her sight and she knew the guys were too. Even if the famed “Immortal” would be with him, it just wasn’t as comforting as having him with them. “We should get going,” Monica instructed, pulling their attention back to her, “We need to make sure that we get the enemy’s attention before the marshal and his Highness make their move.”

“Right, let’s get to it then.” Gladiolus led the way towards the front gates of the building, the others following close behind.

Monica walked next to Artemisia as they followed. Artemisia could tell that the older woman wanted to discuss something between just the two of them by the way Monica was slowly sliding closer to her. “The marshal told me about earlier.”

Artemisia flinched lightly, eyes straying down to the ground beneath them. Monica didn’t need to elaborate for the younger woman to know what she was referring to. “I… I don’t have an excuse, I know…”

You froze up you froze up what kind of tactician freezes up when they needed you most you froze up what a disappointment you are Ismene would be ashamed-- if Ismene were here… If Ismene were here…

Monica looked down at Artemisia softly before looking back at the men ahead of them. “The marshal can seem harsh, but he means well. He worries about all of you, he’s just not the greatest at expressing it.”

He seemed perfectly capable of showing his emotions earlier…

“I know it can be frustrating, but you’ll come into your own soon enough.”

I’ve had at least nine years of this to come into my own… If it hasn’t come now, when else…

Artemisia gave a slight smile towards Monica, trying to hid her storming insecurities. While she knew that Monica was simply trying to brighten her spirits and encourage her, the woman’s words just felt like arrows hitting her in the chest.

“Hey,” Gladiolus quietly called over from the front, “That it?”

There were the front gates of the base, with several guards patrolling around it. The road the base was located on connected Leide to Duscae and the rest of inland Eos, which made it a desirable territory for the Empire. After all, what better way to control a region than to regulate what comes in and out. Monica motioned for everyone to follow her behind several boulders just out of sight of the guards, all of them hiding behind the coverage.

“So, how shall we draw their attention?” Ignis asked Monica, as she was the one with the most experience out of all of them.

“We just need to distract them, right?” Gladiolus smirked, “Cause enough trouble, it will be easy enough.”

“We mustn’t act hastily.” Monica cautioned. “They have the advantage; they have more numbers, access to high-grade military weapons,” Monica glanced up, looking at the ramparts over the gates. “And no doubt they have MTs occupying every corner of the facility, ready to overrun us at any angle.” Artemisia followed Monica’s gaze. Sure enough, she could see the heads of MT soldiers peeking over the top of the wall. Those soldiers had the height advantage, as there was no quick way to take them out. Even if Artemisia and Prompto focused primarily on the soldiers up there, the soldiers on the ground would become a problem then. Unless, someone was able to get up there unnoticed.

“We’ll merely have to be quick on our feet if we want to avoid disaster.” Ignis stated. “Gladio, you focus on taking out the enemies on the ground. Go to town on them, create utter mayhem.”

“It’s what I do best.”

“While the three of us are combating those on the ground,” Ignis gestured to him, Monica, and Gladio, “Prompto, you will act as our backup. You focus primarily on the enemies above so that they don't’ become too much of a nuisance.”

“You got it.”

“And Artemis, if you think--” Ignis stopped mid sentence once he noticed her bringing her hair into a bun. “Artemis?”

“Hm?” Artemisia broke her concentration to finally notice that the others were looking at her questioningly.

“Do you have an idea you wish to share?” Ignis could see it in her eyes that the wheels were turning in her head.

“Kinda,” She muttered, looking at her confused friends. “Prom, you just focus on keeping the MTs off of the others’ blindsides. Don’t worry about the ramparts.”

“Uh, but then what about--”

“I’ll take care of it.” Artemisia assured quickly, almost yanking her jacket off. “Hold this please.” She tossed her jacket to Gladiolus, who caught it with slightly fumbling hands, before starting to tiptoe away from the group.

“Where are you going?” Gladiolus whispered, only to have Artemisia shush him with a finger to her lips.

“Shh! Just, go do what you guys do best.” She hushed, making a ‘go on’ motion before continuing on her own.

The guys all looked at each other inquisitively, confused by her sudden actions. They all slowly looked back to Monica, who gave a little sigh with a small smile. “I suggest that we do as she instructed.”

With that, the guys jumped into action. Prompto got the first shot in, shooting a MT down with a bullet to the head. The fallen MT attracted the other soldiers as the guys charged at them. Monica and Prompto acted as support for Gladiolus and Ignis, who were the main damage dealers. Despite not having Noctis with them, who was a great asset to have in surprise attacks thanks to his warping ability, the four of them were doing a good job at creating a diversion. Gladiolus was great at attracting most of the enemies, what with his obnoxious weapon and the havoc that follows it. This gave Ignis the upper hand, him easily running through the string of enemies, taking them down with quick motions of his daggers.

Meanwhile, Artemisia was using the distraction to her own advantage. She had noticed a bigger boulder resting near the fortress’ wall, just off to the side of where the snipers were located. With a strong jump, it was just enough to give her a good distance up the wall. Imperial fortresses were not the exactly ideal surface for amatuer rock climbing. The concrete was extremely smooth with nothing that could act as leverage for her hands or feet. She resorted to using her daggers to help the climb, mumbling under her winded breath that she was gonna have to sharpen them again.

Finally she pulled herself up over the wall, slowly setting down on the ramparts, avoiding making any noise. The snipers had aligned themselves into a line, getting ready to shoot down at Artemisia’s comrades down below. Unknowingly, they made what Artemisia needed to do next even easier. She summoned her crossbow and quickly adjusted it before firing at the unsuspecting soldiers. The arrow split off into three separate arrows, all of them piercing some of the snipers. All the hits were fatal, for humans that is; turns out robots don’t bleed as easily. One of the snipers was taken down instantly from an arrow to the head, but the other two staggered around to look at their attacker.

That time had been just enough for Artemisia to close the distance between them. She shoved the blades of her daggers into the two other punctured MTs, thrusting her blades under their heads to effectively put them out of commission. The two became limp, only standing thanks the Artemisia’s blades holding them up. They were heavy, but she held their bodies up as the remaining snipers soon started firing at her. The mechanical bodies in front of her took all the bullets, shaking from every hit into their backs. The metal to metal vibrations hurt her arms as they traveled down her body, but it was better than her being the one with holes.

The familiar clicks of guns with no ammo signaled Artemisia the opening she needed. She dematerialized her daggers and let the bodies fall. After that, it was a blur. She wasn’t fully aware of what she was doing, she just let her trained body do what it needed to survive. There were arrows flying and daggers stabbing. At one point she could have sworn she kicked an off-balanced mech off the side of the ramparts. Her mind finally caught up after she had sliced off the head of one of the cyborg soldiers. The body left behind stumbled and staggered, able to continue on even without its head though a bit more clumsily. Artemisia couldn’t help but compare it to one of those low-budget, B-class horror movies that the guys would watch every once in awhile.

Artemisia pushed the remaining body off the ramparts like the one from before, effectively clearing wall of all enemies. The guys at the bottom seemed to be finishing off the last of them too. Artemisia took a moment to catch her breath -- finally realizing she was panting -- before she readjusted the settings on her crossbow again and aimed for the remaining enemies. Her shots no longer separated into multiple arrows, but the power behind the single arrows was amplified. Enough so that one of the arrows took the hand off of a MT that was about to strike at Prompto with a sword.

Prompto took down the MT easily thanks to that opening, a few shots to fry the circuits and the machine was down with the rest of them. Prompto let out a relieved sigh, panting slightly as he found Artemisia above them. He waved at her, “Nice shot, Artemis!”

Artemisia gave a thumbs up to him, still steadying her breathing. The others also looked up, finally noticing that she had been there the whole time. “Well,” Ignis fixed his glasses, “That went as well as expected.”

Gladiolus chuckled, “Wouldn’t expect anything less of us.”

“Think Noct is doing okay in there?” Prompto asked.

“He’s with the marshal,” Ignis stated, “I have no doubt that he’s in good hands.”

Almost on cue, Artemisia heard some noise and turned around to see Noctis and Cor leaping off from a small wall, coming out from the inner sanctum of the fortress. Noctis also noticed her, raising a brow at her. “What are you doing up there?” He had to almost shout for his voice to reach her ears.

“Uh... helping!”

Noctis looked over by the large gates to see one of the MTs that Artemisia had kicked off of the ramparts, nothing more but a scrap of metal now. “Well how are you going to get down now?”

“I’ll, uh, figure it out. Don’t you mind!”

Artemisia wasn’t appreciating the smirk on Noctis’ face, especially since Cor was also giving her his own questioning look. She couldn’t tell if it was negative or just curiosity, but she wasn’t willing to risk it after last time. “Just… Just open the door already so that the others can get in!”

Noctis laughed at her obvious frustration but did as she said, finding a lever by the gates and pulling it. The gates slowly began to part, opening up for the others. All the guys physically relaxed a little seeing that their buddy was back with them and at no worse for wear.

“Marshal,” Ignis greeted, “It’s good to see you again.”

“Alright on your end?”

“Right as rain,” Gladiolus smirked at Noctis’ question, “The Nifs couldn’t take their eyes off us.”

“Thanks to you we were spared their attention. Well done.” Cor complimented.

“Well done, everyone.” Monica complimented. “Allow me to go retrieve the Regalia, save you the trip back. You’ll be needing it soon, after all.” Monica looked over to Cor for quick approval before leaving the others.

The guys looked up, staring at Artemisia. “So now that that’s taken care of, how are you going to get down from there?” Gladiolus smuggly grinned at her predicament. There were no ladders to climb down from -- the Imperial soldiers could handle the jump down no problem thanks to their mechanical legs. Human femurs, however, have a limit to the amount of abuse they can take. “I’ll… I’ll figure it out.” Artemisia wasn’t appreciating the shit-eating grin Gladiolus had on his face. “Just throw my coat up!”

Gladiolus folded her jacket into a ball and threw it up to her. It just made it to the tip of the ramparts, making Artemisia reach down for it before it fell back down. She fought against the sudden pick up of wind as she put it on, patting out the wrinkles. Another strong gust blew her glasses out of place and threw her hair loose from the bun she had it in and down into her face. She fixed her glasses and removed her hair from her mouth, holding it against her temple as she looked out to see what could be making the wind pick up. Her eyes widened as she saw what was coming in the distance.

“Guys--!”

“Stay right where you are!” A voice echoed out from an approaching Imperial dropship. The dropship hovered over the clearing of the base, kicking up dirt and sand from the ground beneath everyone’s feet only to irritate their eyes. Artemisia could feel the wooden boards under her shake from the strong winds the machine was causing, making it difficult when she tried to stand up. “Well, well, if it isn’t Cor the Immortal… So, you survived the Citadel.”

Cor’s eyes narrowed. “Cor, you know this guy?” Noctis shouted over the roaring wind, covering his eyes from any debris.

“Loqi Tummelt, General of the Niflheim army,” Cor stated, “And a punk-ass kid who doesn’t know his betters.”

“But you won’t survive what I have in store for you,” Loqi continued to announce from the dropship’s intercom as ship’s bottom hatch started to open. “It’s past time your legend came to an end.” From the ship’s opening emerged a giant machine, one similar to the ones that the party saw when they went to the Keycatrich Trench. It was one of the magitek armored suits, one that seemed to be equipped with more beyond the standard turret gun. A large missile launcher was connected over the machine’s shoulder and one arm was equipped with a large chainsaw, no doubt making melee combat difficult for the machine’s enemies -- an advantage for the magitek war machine. Several magitek soldiers followed the larger machine, the group a mix of armored melee warriors and riflemen. They swarmed the ground and the walls, effectively surrounding the group.

Not that that was going to scare them off.

“No slacking off Gladio,” Cor ordered, summoning his katana.

“Doesn’t look like I’ll have the chance to.”

Immediately the mech Loqi controlled fired off from its missile launcher, the rockets flying towards the group. As though missiles weren’t enough on their own, these particular ones also happened to be heat seeking. Everyone was able to dodge the bombs, the faster ones like Noctis and Ignis able to avoid them with almost no troubles. The others had to be risky and wait til the last second until they moved out of the way, making the missiles crash into the ground behind them.

The explosions beneath her made the ramparts shake, immobilizing Artemisia as the vibrations coursed through her body. It was then Artemisia realized that one of the missiles was curving upwards and locking onto her. As the golden fire from the missile filled her eyes, Artemisia made a last ditch attempt and leaped off the ramparts. The explosion from the missile boosted her jump, practically throwing her against the large metal shipping containers below with a hard THUD. She groaned, holding her throbbing head in one hand as she used the other to slowly lift herself up. The sound of metal caught her attention, looking up to see one of the Imperial riflemen standing over her with its gun aimed at her head. She could see its finger about to pull the trigger right before the familiar sound of a warp rang through and the soldier fell to the ground, a large opening left of its torso.

“You okay?” Noctis helped her stand up, a hand in her’s and the other on her back.

“Yeah,” she affirmed, shaking her head slightly and blinking to regain her senses, “I just have a headache now.”

The ring of the MT’s saw made Noctis let out exasperated groan. “This whole thing is a headache.” Noctis noticed Prompto starting to become overwhelmed by MTs. “You good?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” She nodded, signaling her friend to go help the others. “Watch the MT on the left.”

Noctis warped back to the battleground, giving Artemisia a moment to assess the situation. Ignis and Prompto were fighting off the soldier MTs while Gladiolus and Cor focused on Loqi’s mech. Noctis warped to and thro, trying to help them all the best he could. Loqi’s mech would shrug off Cor’s and Gladiolus’ attacks, using its overwhelming size to force the two of them back to swing at them with his chainsaw. While looking over everything, Ignis had caught her eye.

Noctis, thanks to his royal blood, was able to command elemental magic and can contain the magic in magical flasks for his companions to use. Ignis tended to take advantage of this more than the others, usually coating his blades in elemental spells for added damage against enemies.

It was the sparks of electricity that inspired Artemisia with an idea. “Guys!” Artemisia called out to the others as she grabbed a flask of lightning magic from her back pouch. “Get back!”

The men noticed the flask in her hand and made a run for it, getting as much distance from the enemies as possible. Loqi let out an arrogant chuckle seeing Gladiolus and Cor retreat from him. “Is this all that you have? I would have expected more from the great Immortal and his entourage.”

Artemisia broke the flask against her crossbow, the magic coating her weapon and tingling her fingers. Aiming just above Loqi’s mech, she fired off one of her sparking arrows and jumped off the container and rolled onto the ground before running away from it. The arrow flew through the air, cutting through the wind with a slight whistle. Once the arrow was within inches of the large machine, the electricity trapped in the arrow linked down to find another outlet.

Good thing Nifs are fond of material that is highly conductive.

Loqi screamed as the lightning traveled through him, shocking everything in his system. The electricity, still trying to find exit, linked to the remaining MTs and created a chain of lightning between all of them. The soldiers spasmed, the electricity damaging the inner workings of the machines’ sensitive circuits. The MTs’ bodies became limp and fell to the ground with loud clattering. Loqi’s machine still stood, though it clearly didn’t come out of that unscathed. The mech’s limbs twitched, sometimes moving on their own and the chainsaw continuously turned on and off again. “E… Enough of this!” Loqi let out a pained growl through his heavy breathing. Artemisia was surprised that he was even able to talk after that.

With just Loqi remaining, the group rejoined and focused their attacks on him. “Noct, take out the launcher on the mech’s shoulder!” Ignis instructed the prince. Noctis warped to the gun and broke it off of its hinges, rendering it useless. Gladiolus attacked the legs of the MT, swinging his greatsword in circles and creating a cyclone of force. He was actually able to break one of the feet off, making the MT limp on the unbalanced side. It was a flurry of blades and bullets, everyone attacking to take down the machine. Loqi struggled to regain control of his MT but no matter what he did, nothing responded the way it should. Everything was fried from the previous attack. “No!”

Cor rushed MT with great force, cutting through the machine’s central pod with his blade. The pod sparked as its inner wires and tubes came undone, mechanical fluid spilling out like blood would out of a wound. “Glory…” The mech fell down, the fluid pooling under it. “To the Empire--”

A spark ignited the fluid, creating an explosion that engulfed the whole MT. Artemisia ears ringed from the loud noise, covering herself to avoid being burned from any flying fragments. She peaked around her shoulder, blinking rapidly to adjust her eyes to the large, bright fire that remained. She let out a long breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding.

What a way to go.

Prompto came jogging over to Artemisia, patting her on the back. “Woohoo! We’re alive!”

“Yeah… Somehow.”

“What? Are you shocked?”

Prompto’s big grin was only met with Artemisia’s tired glare, which in turn only made his grin bigger.

“Impressive…” Artemisia snapped her head over in Cor’s direction after hearing him talk quietly. She didn’t believe it, but she couldn’t help but think he was pointedly looking at her. Was that the hint of a smile? If it was, it would be the first she’s ever seen one on Cor the Immortal’s face.

“Marshal!” Monica’s voice caught everyone’s attention, everyone looking back at the gate to see her exiting the Regalia and running towards them. “I saw the dropship after I reached the car and drove here as quickly as I could. Is everyone okay?”

“Yes, we’re fine Monica.” Cor confirmed, allowing Monica to relax. He looked back the younger adults. “Seeing you in action puts my mind at ease. It’s clear that I don’t need to worry anymore.”

“So what now?” Noctis asked.

“I’ll return to watching the Nifs.” Cor stated, his hand resting on his sword. He looked over the group of friends once more. “ ‘Til next time. Take care.”

The group watched as he and Monica left the empty base, leaving them behind. Ignis  went to retrieve their car from gate while the others took the moment to relax, even if just for a moment. Gladiolus, who still had his sword summoned, held it over his shoulder while he subledly flexed his muscles and rolled his neck. Prompto threw an arm over Artemisia’s shoulder, making more electricity puns that made her roll her eyes. She soon noticed that Noctis had walked ahead of the other’s, slowly making his way towards the other side of the gate. The gate that led to beyond Leide. She patted Prompto’s hand and Gladiolus’ shoulder, gesturing with her head for them to follow.

“Ain’t so bad out here once you get used to it.” Gladiolus said once they caught up with Noctis, still holding his sword casually.

Prompto lightly skipped next to his best friend. “Still a lot that we haven’t seen yet.”

The purr of the Regalia’s engine signaled Ignis’ arrival. “And a lot for us to do.”

Artemisia moved ahead a little to look over at the other’s from Gladiolus’ far side. “Exciting new lands to explore. We’ll be keeping ourselves busy.”

Prompto let out a long breath. “Yeah...”

“Buck up,” Gladio said, “We’re just getting started.”

Artemisia looked back to see Noctis came to slow halt. He looked up at the sky and let out a light sigh, lost in his own thoughts. She jogged back to him, catching his attention. She gave him a small, reassuring smile, earning her his own little smile back.

“Come along you two,” Ignis called from the Regalia as Prompto and Gladiolus settled into their usual spots. “Needn’t keep the world waiting.”

Artemisia took her friend’s hand in her’s, leading him as they went back to the others. The sun’s light guiding them beyond the horizon.

[poursomesugaronu2]

A Cup of Diamond Eyes (Chapter 1)

((Dan and Phil are real people, and by no right, claim that this is how they act or react to any given situation. As for the adoption process, my google searches were unhelpful.))

Six months later

"Luciano, wake up and come downstairs!" The voice of Mrs Pach could be heard from the outside of his door, accompanied by a few taps.

It would be another set of parents today, right? Another pair that would skip him over. They always want a child. A young child. He was... Twelve now. Was it the 6th? He'd have to ask.

He moved from his bed, pulling on his clothing and brushing his hair carefully. Did his outfit match? He wouldn't have a clue. He grabbed his white cane before making his way downstairs and towards the dining room for breakfast. The chorus of 'Happy Birthday' confirmed to him what day it was. He smiled a little and took his usual seat near the end of the table.

"Luci, we have a special breakfast for you," Mrs Pach said, setting a bowl in front of him and guiding his hand to the spoon. He frowned a little at the way she was helping. She wasn't sure how to deal with a blind child, but he could feel his way to the bowl just fine. He gave her a little nudge of disapproval, wanting her to leave him alone. He hadn't said grace yet. That annoyed him. She took the hint and Luciano settled to his bowl after muttering grace to himself. It was fruit loops instead of their usual rice bubbles, he knew that. It wasn't the best orphanage when it came to budget but he knew that there would be a cake later in the day. He hoped they remembered the simple danger of chocolate to him.

"Luci-Luci!" A little girl called out, running over to him. He smiled. His friend Ally did his hair every morning, as he didn't really know how. She pulled the usual brush from her pocket and began to brush his long locks.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your hair?" She cooed as her fingers pulled his hair into braided pigtails.

"Every day." Luciano's hair was indeed impressive. He had refused haircuts, and that had caused his hair to grow and grow and grow. He had a lot of split ends, yes, but it did reach down past his waist. His albinism had caused its shade of pure white, something the girls were in awe over. He didn't get it, being unable to see it, but he just let them do what they liked with it.

The albinism caused his skin tone too, nearly as white as his hair. He could see it if he pulled his hand very close to his eyes. He could see blocks of grey. It was like somebody had turned a camera to the blurriest setting. With the colourblindness, the grey came with the blindness. At least he knew a million and a half different shades of grey.

It was a Saturday, so there was simply the set meals. It was the common day for couples to come in and see children. There had only been two Saturday's over Luciano's six months when couples hadn't come in. He went to the recreation room for his age group. The five to ten-year-olds had one room, then the ten to thirteen-year-olds, then the teenagers. The orphanage didn't accept those under five, as there were simply not enough staff.

Luciano was in the corner of the room, playing his saxophone with a mute in. While his old one had been ruined in his accident, he had acquired a cheap one from the nurse who had taken care of him. It had been a leaving gift. He found it harder to play blind, but it kept him happy. He was never sure what he was playing. Not completely. With the mute in, he just heard a soft sound that gave him some indication. It was the only thing that he generally enjoyed doing anymore.

After an hour or so, his mouth was sore, so he sat down, letting the instrument rest in his lap. He could hear the children go quiet, which indicated to him that there was a set of parents. They stood up immediately and Luciano joined them, as they were meant to do when parents arrived. He used his stick to find his spot amongst the children, looking down, as he knew that nobody would want to adopt a blind child. Skipped over every time. It was always the special kids. He stood next to Ally, holding her hand tight. She had autism. He knew that he couldn't just gently hold her hand, as she might have sensory overload. If he could, he wanted to avoid upsetting her.

She held his hand just as tight. His saxophone was still hanging from his neck.

He could hear the speaking, but couldn't make out the words properly. He was shocked when his name was called and he was told to come over. He used his cane, making his way over carefully and standing in front of the pair, along with Mrs Pach.

"Luciano, will you come with us? These lovely people are considering adopting you."

Luciano swallowed, nodding. He took Mrs Pach's hand, allowing her to lead him to the office along with his possible future parents. He sat down on the couch, staring at the ground.

"Luciano, this is Daniel Howell and Phillip Lester. Dan, Phil, this is Luciano, though I believe he prefers Luci." Mrs Pach introduced them. Huh, he wasn't aware that English speakers used Daniel as a female name too, he thought that wasn't a thing here. Intriguing.

Luciano simply nodded at this.

"How old are you, Luci?" One of them asked, his slightly Northern accent masked by the typical London one. Luciano knew his accents, he could pick out the twang of the Machester area.

"Twelve," Luciano said softly, swallowing. His own Italian accent was clear.

"It's his birthday today actually!" Mrs Pach said, "This could be like a birthday present."

"Is it really? Well, how about we give you a birthday present," A different voice said. They were both surprisingly masculine voices if he was honest. There was nothing wrong with that. Some women were manly... His own mother had quite a deep voice. He shivered at the thought of her. The second voice had been more feminine, so he assumed that it was the one to be his new mother. Daniel.

After realising that he had spent far too long analyzing their voices, he swallowed and nodded, raising his head to look at the figures once again. "Sure..." He said quietly.

"Hold out your hands," Daniel-until-proven-otherwise said. After Luciano did so, he felt a soft fur touch his hands.

His eyes widened and he carefully felt the item. "A stuffie?" He asked. He had touched Ally's before.

"A lion stuffy, the best kind!" Phil-until-proven-otherwise said, his excitement clear.

"Th-Thank you," He hadn't be allowed to have toys with his own family, this was his first one... He held it close to his chest.

"Aw, no need to thank us. It was Dan's idea to buy something on the way here, and it had to be a cute little lion. It matches you too... Since you're cute... Like a potato! Potatoes are cute!" Now-confirmed-Phil said.

"Phil, stop," Dan said, sounding certainly disappointed, but they both laughed, and Luciano joined them.

He could feel the blush coming over his cheeks at the mention of him being cute.

"These two wanted a child who needed a little more help, and they picked you!" Mrs Pach said, he could almost feel her sickly smile. He had never liked her that much.

Luciano glared at her for a moment, "That's okay..." He finally said, relaxing and pulling the lion tighter to his chest. "When do we leave?" He asked. Would they be like his parents were? Or would they be like all the others kids' parents? The parents he had dreamed of having... A mama and papa who loved him... That wasn't what they said in England though, was it? He shook his head. He wouldn't want to call someone the title that reminded him of his family... Mummy and Daddy it was... All the other children spoke of having mummies and daddies. That had to be what they called them here.

"Oh, sorry... I... Was thinking," Luciano said softly, once he realised that he hadn't heard the answer to his question. "I'm really sorry..."

"Hey, don't worry about! I was just saying that we can fill out the paperwork now, and if you pack your stuff up, we can go after that..." Phil spoke, trailing off as if it was an unasked question.

"Yes, you can. Your background checks and assessments were successful. Do you want me to help you find your things, Luci?" Mrs Pach asked.

Luciano glared at her, "I'm blind, not useless." He said, a little harsher than he intended. "I mean... I'll be alright." He said, standing and moving towards the door, able to see the blurry shape. He used the cane to make his way to the bedroom, where he recognised the shape of a person on the bed. "Ally?" He guessed, cocking his head.

"Yeah, it's me," She said quietly.

Luciano sat next to her, and she clung to his arm tightly. "You're leaving me, aren't you?" She asked, her voice a little shaky. He felt her face press into his shoulder.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm being adopted..." He murmured.

"I'll miss you, Luci-Luci..." She muttered into his shoulder, and he could hear her sniffles.

"Don't cry, Ally... Don't cry over me... I'm just starting a new chapter of life, and you will be starting your own soon..."

He felt her arms wrap around him tightly, hearing her sobbing into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Maybe in a different life, he would have been arranged to marry her... That'd be nice.

"Will I ever see you again?" Her voice could be heard against his chest, muffled by his shirt.

"I can... I can ask my new parents if they can bring me here... I'll see you... I won't go if I'm never seeing you again. You're my best friend."

Ally nodded, "Let me help you pack your things at least."

Luciano nodded slowly, moving to grab the small backpack he owned. He didn't have much. A few sets of clothes, his stick, and his crutches. He didn't always use them, but he had to when his leg began to hurt. There was silence between them then, comfortable silence. Luciano soon had his backpack on his back, his crutches leaning against the bed along with his stick. He was hugging Ally close to him, and they stayed together quietly.

"Luciano, it's time to go!" Mrs Pach called out, knocking on the door before coming in. Luciano swallowed, standing up. He hugged Ally once more before making his way out with Mrs Pach, not ever being one to really say goodbye.

He didn't even realise that there were tears in his eyes until he heard Phil ask if he was okay.

"He was just saying goodbye to a friend, nothing too major," Mrs Pach said simply.

Luciano just nodded and moved towards where Phil's voice had come from, head down. He ended up bumping into one of their legs. "Sorry..." He muttered.

He felt a hand run through his hair, and he couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry about it. Come on, we have gummy bears in the car!" It seemed to him that Phil was more talkative, so he just nodded. He felt his hand being taken, leaving his other hand to hold his stick, which he used for the orphanage steps.

He let one of them take his bag, to (he assumed) put it in the car. The other opened the car, and the voice confirmed it to be Dan. "Come on, Luci... You can hop right on in."

Luciano smiled at that, "Thanks... Mummy."

The was a moment of pause, followed by an awkward cough as Luciano felt around, getting in the car. Would Dan hurt him like his own mother had? He wouldn't, would he? Would he be beaten for calling him mummy? He swallowed hard, taking in deep breaths.

"Here you are, Luci," Phil spoke, from where the driver's seat was. So he knew that Dan was in front of him, and Phil was diagonal. He reached forward finding the bag that he was offering. "Gummy bears. Make sure you eat them two at a time so that they can die with a friend."

Luciano laughed, but he could hear a smack, "Phil! That's a terrible first impression for our child!"

He swallowed. That sounded painful. "D-Don't hit daddy..." Luciano muttered under his breath, carefully eating two gummy bears.

He could hear muttering between them, but couldn't make out the words. He knew they'd heard him. Bad idea. Was he going to be yelled at? Hurt? What would happen to him?

"I'm not hurt, Luci, don't worry... Dan didn't hurt me, I promise. It was just a little smack at my joke. Dan would never hurt me or you." Had Mrs Pach told them about his background? She must have. He knew that Phil wouldn't have brought it up otherwise.

Luciano finally just nodded, curling up and slowly eating the gummy bears, two at a time.

Maybe things would be okay.

[not-just-any-fangirl]

Days Of Summer CH 4

A/N; Four weeks running, it’s a new record! Me and @hannah-nobody are super glad all you are enjoying this so much, we too love our awkward and emo Natsu! It’s fun trying to write his complex character, cocky and loud while also doubting of his place with others. Plus, who wasn’t melodramatic in their late teens? 

Not to mention we get to explore some really interesting friendships! Lucy and Gajeel anyone?

Here’s the updated playlist!

Summer has arrived, and with it the start of the two month long music camp; Fairy Tail! Full of new songs, friends, and adventures, the campers learn things they never knew about themselves and one another. And just how easy it is to sneak booze and a full sized karaoke machine out into the middle of the woods.

Camp Rock!AU

Pairing: Nalu, Gajevy, Gruvia, others mentioned; Fairy Tail

Words: 6994

Rating: T

Parts: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven

Chapter Four: Stuck In The Middle

'Cause

Someday things will be perfect

It will be worth it all this time

Stuck in the middle

Natsu let the ice pack fall onto the bed. His cheek still hurt like a bitch, but at least it wasn’t throbbing anymore. Fuck, he had almost forgotten how strong Erza was. Natsu snorted as he thought about how he should have one of those ‘certain number of days since last incident’ posters in their cabin. Actually, it would be a miracle if they even got to day 1 on that thing. Gajeel glared at him, split lip and a light bruise on his cheek showing Erza had punished him as much as she had Natsu.

“Would ya quite makin’ all that fuckin’ noise?”

“I snorted.” Natsu defended sourly.

“And now yer talkin’.” Gajeel snarled back.

“Go fuck yourself Gear Head.” Natsu grumbled, jumping down from his bunk without the help of the ladder. He stood from his slight crouch, whipping a pillow he stole from Gray’s bunk at Gajeel, who in turn batted it away with the back of his hand to where it landed in a cobwebbed corner. What a shame.

“If yer headin’ out try not and stalk Bunny Girl, got it? Me and Lily don't need to hafta keep separating you and Ice Tits. Also don't need to explain to yer old man why you sent a kid to the hospital in yer first week of camp.” Gajeel didn't bother looking at Natsu as he spoke, instead scribbling in his notebook that he liked to hide under his mattress.

“Thinking that hard won't help your headache.” Natsu commented, grinning at the low snarl his cousin gave him and the distracted bird he was flipped. “And you might wanna try that in G minor rather than A major. It'll get that ‘secretly happy’ sound instead of ‘obviously happy’ that you're allergic to.”

Gajeel grunted in response, Natsu rolling his eyes when he heard rushed erasing and rewriting.

“And let me know if you need any help with words that rhyme with shortie.”

“Fuck off Strawberry.”

Natsu ducked out the screen door, snorting at the loud ‘thump’ that signaled that Gajeel had thrown something at his back. And missed.

He fought back a small grin as he slipped in his earphones. He knew for a fact that Gajeel had a pretty deadly aim when he wanted to. As much as he and Gajeel fought, at least he knew his jackass of a cousin would be in his corner. And Happy too for that matter, but Natsu could always rely on his little friend.

Natsu thumbed through his playlists on his old iPod, the silver back scratched to shit and the generation so old it no longer updated. Natsu had gotten this for his eighth birthday, Igneel having saved up for the surprise for months. Natsu settled on the playlist titled ‘Life is Stupid’ humming along as the opening bars of The Anthem by Good Charlotte blasted in his ears.

He walked slowly as he followed the gravel path from the cabin area to the main camp, letting his mind drift off into fantasies of talking to Lucy. He became more depressed as each time it ended in Lucy running away in disgust as she remembered him, not even able to pretend in his own mind that she would want him. Wasn’t that just fucking pathetic.  

Natsu groaned and kicked at a stone in front of him, sending it skipping through the grass beside the trail and into a bush. She had called him her friend, though, so that meant she didn’t hate him, right? Or had she just been yelling at Gray? Natsu had to admit, it was stupidly easy to yell at Mr. My Face Begs To Be Punched.

Dragging his hand along his face Natsu clicked the skip button attached to his headphones until heavy drums flooded his brain, overbearing as it drowned out his own thoughts. He absently fixed his dark grey beanie covering his stupid hair. This was fine. Natsu was fine. Lucy didn’t need to know, and if she didn’t know, she couldn’t laugh in his face. Natsu kicked a larger pebble, sending it arcing through the air and rolling along the path a few feet in front of him. Lucy was too sweet to laugh at him, but she could still reject him. A cold pit lodged itself in his gut, similar to the time that he had been cornered by his teacher and forced to read from the stupid playbook in English class.

Natsu still had nightmares.

The song faded out, Natsu barely registering the change as he walked past the climbing wall. While Fairy Tail was a music camp, they did offer some traditional activities for their campers such as lake sports, archery, and the 30-foot tall climbing wall, to name a few. The camp had other activities, but Natsu’s focus drifted as he caught sight of the mess hall. The two-story building was made entirely out of giant wood logs, large glass windows breaking up the light brown colour all around the building. While the roof was domed inside for acoustics, the camp had kept up with the outdoorsy aesthetic and the outside was a mess of sharp angles and triangles for the roof and over each window.

It had been like this for as long as Natsu could remember, and he felt a part of his anxiety wash away at the familiar sight. It was nice to know that some things would never change, Fairy Tail being one of them.

He debated grabbing a cinnamon swirl cookie -a signature of the camp- but chose not to, continuing on his path. Natsu passed groups of kids walking by, laughing and talking and being more social than Natsu felt up to. He kept his chin up, though, confidence leaking into him by being surrounded by the comforting sights and smells. Fairy Tail was basically a second home for him, and he was good at what he did here.

Natsu drummed his fingers along his stomach in time with a guitar riff, hands inside the large center pocket of the hoodie he had thrown on before leaving. He finally passed the second largest building at camp, making his way along the path that led towards the largest one, the open faced stage where they would perform at the end of each week. Natsu closed his eyes as he remembered the feeling of standing on the stage, heart pounding along with the heavy drum beat, fingertips almost numb from the strings on his guitar as he performed. Light flashed in his mind, the roar of the crowd overwhelming and euphoric at the same time.

He was going to sing this year, Natsu decided as he opened his eyes. No more playing guitar in the background. Besides, there was no going back now; Natsu had already checked off the ‘singer’ box alongside ‘guitarist’ when sending his application in the winter.

God, Natsu was going to puke.

His palms became clammy as he thought of standing center stage, a weird mix of nausea and excitement that had Natsu thankful he hadn’t wasted any of his food allowance on that cookie.

Natsu paused as he passed the break in the trees that led to the field in front of the auditorium stage, his feet moving him without permission. Before he knew it he was standing in the open area where everyone had gathered before for the welcoming ceremony, the space far more intimidating and surreal without the masses of campers and staff filling in the wood bench risers.

His iPod switched songs again, Natsu singing along more passionately now that he was alone.

“Condemned to be forever unable,

To give this stupid thing the time that it deserves,

I heard a proud few when the windows were gone,

All singing the same time to separate songs.”

Natsu tilted his head back as he sang at the clear sky, sun warm as it bore down on him. His voice carried through the empty clearing. Natsu got to the skirt of the stage, his voice becoming strained as he hauled himself up with his arms. He rested on his knees, feet hanging off the stage as he looked it over.

Aged but polished metal followed the curving ceiling to the center point 30 feet in the air, braces for the booms mounted against them and wires wrapping through the metal lattices until they reached the bars at every third of the dome. The space between the start of the roof and the stage itself was just tall enough for a person over Gajeel’s height to walk through, greenery of the forest peeking through the mess of metals and wires and sound equipment. Natsu ran a hand over the rough wooden stage floor, taking in the feel of it. How many people had performed here, found their love and passion for music on this stage?

He stood, wandering to the center of 20 by 16 foot platform. He turned in a tight circle, breathing in the fresh air with a deep inhale. Natsu's eyes fell shut as he relived last year’s final performance, the lights and the crowd in his mind shifting to what he imagined performing at a rock concert would be, adrenaline pounding and the music burning in his soul. His hands pantomimed holding Fev, fingers tracing the cords from memory in the air as he played along to the music blasting in his ears.

As the music faded out he raised his hands in the hair, basking in the echo of the applause of his memories. He remembered looking out into the cheering crowd, that feeling of utter elation building and building with the volume of the cheers, and the pride in the faces of Erza and Makarov and Gildarts and… that one empty chair.

Natsu dropped his arms as though his puppet strings had finally been cut loose. Another song began in his ears, but he ripped earbuds out before the words even started. He stared at that spot, row f, seat 14. Empty now and empty then. No matter how much the crowd screamed, how good could he possibly be if his own father couldn’t spare the time to come see him play?

He knew it was stupid. Igneel had been out saving lives, why should he stop to hear a cover of a song he’d already heard a hundred times. His work was much more important, and Natsu understood that. Igneel has promised he would get the day off to come see his performance at the final ceremony this year, so he’d just have to make it so amazing that last years didn’t even bare to think about. Natsu clenched his fist around his iPod. He could do it, he could find the perfect song.

But still, the task was daunting.

Frustrated with his own self doubt, Natsu jammed his headphones back in his ears and flicked through his iPod until he found the perfect motivational song. Something to burn his self doubt into shreds. He debated Work Bitch- but then skipped it for shame of hiding Britney under ‘Unknown Artist’ should someone ever browse his most treasured possession- before eventually settling on a song that was 75% certain to make Gajeel disown him if he ever found out he listening to something so not-death-metal-ish.

He pressed play, turned the volume to its fullest and took as deep breath as the intro kicked in. A thought struck him and he dashed to the side of the stage, desperate to find the necessary props for this once in a lifetime solo performance before the vocals kicked in. He grabbed a mic stand someone had been generous enough to leave an unplugged mic in and rushed back to centre stage. He had a second to compose himself before he took the mic in his right hand and shoved his iPod in his back pocket, leaving his other hand free to perform Dramatic Emotive Gestures.

“I don’t remember the morning I tried to forget,

I lost myself and it’s better not said

Now I’m closer, to, the edge,”

Natsu pointed at that empty fucking chair with all the grace of 2009 Jared Leto he could muster. He imaged the camera right by his face, the lights, the crowd, the band behind him. He gritted his teeth as he sang for full scale emotional intensity.

“It was a thousand to one and a million to two

Time to go down in flames and i'm taking you

Closer. To. The. Edge.”

He fully enunciated every word as though he’d never once stuttered speaking to a stranger or a pretty blonde girl. As though this was his stage and his song and he fucking owned this.

“No I’m not saaaaaaaaying, I’m soooooooorry,

One day, maybe we’ll meet again.”

He screamed the words into the mic because they did they did meet again and he wasn’t sorry for that not one bit and by God he wasn’t going to mess it up this time. He ripped the mic from the stand as he finished the chorus, kicking the stand away in the process so he was unhindered as the next verse began and he stepped forward calmly to sing about dreams and music and falling and getting back up and fuck he loved this song Gajeel be damned.

He punched his fist into the air with every no he sung into the mic. He closed his eyes and for a second he was there. The crowd was there with him, punching their fists into the air in time with his own. His throat was tingling as he held the note and he could feel the heat of the lights on him as he plucked at his imaginary guitar strings during the bridge. By the time the song came to the close he finally opened his eyes and he could tell his voice was hoarse as the song finished.

“Closer to, the edge.”

Natsu laughed to himself as he whipped the sweat from his brow and removed his headphones… to the sound of applause.

A single applause. Natsu looked up in horror to find the scantily clad brunette from earlier that had groped Lucy’s… that had groped Lucy. Cana.

“Hhhooo boy!” She shouted from her seat in the back row, “Well, damn. I sure am on the edge of somethin’!”

Even from this distance Natsu spotted her wink. For the second time in an hour, he was sure he was gonna puke.

Gajeel lifted his eyes from the ninth thick line of crossed out lyrics, cocking his head to the side as he listened. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn that was his dumbass cousin’s voice faintly forcing its way into his cabin.

Had Natsu gotten his hands on a fucking megaphone?

Gajeel closed his eyes, concentrating on what the hell the words were supposed to be. No way...

Gajeel was going to get his hands on Natsu's iPod and delete everything pre 2010, that boy needed to stop living in his emo past. And he said Gajeel had bad taste in music.

“Yer owner’s such a fuckwit he probably doesn't even know the mics on.” Gajeel said to the bundle of blue fur curled into the crook of his knee. Happy lifted his head and blinked at Gajeel slowly, meowing loudly before tucking back into a fuzzy ball. “Ya get me.” He nodded to himself, rubbing a knuckle between Happy’s ears fondly, the small cat’s low purr sparking the cat resting on Gajeel's head to begin to purr as well.

With a low curse Gajeel turned his attention back to the pad of paper in front of him. He couldn't even get a measly line down, and he was getting close to just digging through Gray's bags for a lighter and setting the entire fucking building on fire. Notebook included.

He'd save the instruments.

Probably.

Probably not his roommates though.

Gajeel settled for whipping the pencil across the room, sticking lead first between the paneling. Gajeel nodded to himself. Metal as fuck.

Panther Lily meowed in approval.

Happy didn't care. But Gajeel couldn't blame the cat, he probably had brain damage from listening to Natsu blubber over Lucy for months.

Gajeel pulled another pencil from behind his ear, two others pushed into the knot he had put his hair in to get it out of his face. He bit sharply on the end, pencil eraser gone so all he got was the sharp tang of metal and the satisfying crunch of the fake wood.

Maybe that was where his writer's block was coming from. Natsu had been getting his inspiration from love and flowers and other disgusting things so where was he, a true artist with an aversion to love songs, meant to gleam some ideas from? The sky?

Oh the sky looks so blue, he thought, just like your hair. The sun is her headband.

Gajeel sat up straight. No. This would not do. If he started singing about love- an emotion which he had never, for the record, experienced ever- what would he start singing about next? Laughter? Friendship? The joy of learning???

Yeah fucking right.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. This was just a classic case of Overexposure. To Natsu, that is. That moron was so lovey-dovey Gajeel wouldn’t be surprised if he woke in the night to find the hothead kissing his pillow. No, he had to distance himself so that his symptoms wouldn’t worsen. No doubt the idiot would be on his way back any moment now once he’d realised the true scale of his embarrassment.

Gajeel decided to take a walk and stay clear of the drama.

He untangled Lily from his head, holding the black cat in one hand as he scooped the blue one in his other hand. Both meowed in complaint of being moved, limp in his hands as he stood from the bed. He rolled his eyes when he watched them snuggle deeper into the pillow he placed them on, Happy crawling on top of Lily before falling back asleep.

If Gajeel was less of a badass he'd call them cute. But he wasn't, so he shoved his notepad under the thin mattress, grabbed his noise canceling headphones, slung them around his neck as he grabbed his phone and threw open the front door to the cabin.

He was stopped from fully exiting, however, when he bumped into something. He looked around, confused as to what had blocked him.

“Oh um, hello,” a light voice said. Gajeel narrowed his eyes at empty space in front of his face. It was like if he thought about her she just appeared.

“Whatcha want, Shrimp?” Gajeel asked, feeling his lips crack into an unauthorized smile as he looked down. Levy pouted at the -very clever, Gajeel thought- nickname, hands fisting on her hips.

“I have a name you know.” She said pointedly, glaring at Gajeel as she leaned forward. Heh, it was cute how she tried to intimidate him.

Wait.

No. She wasn't cute. Gajeel didn't think anything was cute.

“Yeah. Yer name’s ‘Shrimp’.” Gajeel smirked, patting a hand on her head. Shit, she barely reached his ribcage when he flattened her hair. But damn if it didn't feel soft against his fingers.

“You're messing up my hair!” Levy complained, swatting at his hand. Gajeel it took back with a shrug, grin widening when she muttered as she fixed her bright yellow headband, the colour loud against her bright blue hair. Gajeel wondered if she dyed it. “Dummy.”

“So what brings ya callin’? Need someone to lift you to reach the high shelf?” He teased. She blushed in irritation, huffing as Levy tried to think of a comeback.

“No.” She said, pausing again as she bit her lip. “I was looking for Lucy, and I thought she might be with Gray and Loke. But it looks like they're not here.”

“Well why the hell am I ‘posed to know where those idiots are?” Gajeel questioned, a heavy stone sitting in his gut at Levy’s disappointed face, her frail shoulders dropping.

“We were supposed to go explore the camp together.” Levy said, voice almost a nasally whine. She gave another heavy sigh, slipping her hands into the pockets of her shorts, white cloth peaking out from the short cargo coloured pants. Gajeel thought it was pretty stupid that her pockets were longer than her actual shorts, but he also wasn’t about to tell that to Levy;s face when he could get an eyeful of thigh. Not that Gajeel was looking. Because he wasn’t.

He wasn’t.

“Well if ya promise to not bug me too much I can give you a tour ‘till we find Bunny Girl.” Gajeel grunted, shifting awkwardly on his feet. Why had he done that? The whole point of leaving the cabin was to not think about pretty girls.

Holy fuck he was going to fucking kill Natsu with one of the strings from that stupid red guitar.

“What?” Levy asked, brown eyes wide like a doe’s. Gajeel grunted again, walking past her and down the path.

“It was just a thought.” He said, ducking his head as he lifted his headphones over his ears. Maybe that would hide their burning colour.

“No, no, wait! Thank you, I’d- I’d appreciate that!” Levy called, hurrying to walk beside him. Gajeel looked from the corner of his eye, hesitating before pulling the headphones back to where they wrapped around the back of his neck, tucked under his bun. He stuffed his hands into his jeans, thumbnail rubbing along the pick he kept in his left pocket.

They walked in silence, nerves finally making Gajeel want to punch a tree. This was stupid. He was stupid. What did it matter that he could pick Levy up with one hand, or that she was showing what was probably an obscene amount of skin for a summer camp. Were the rips in the back of her tank top really necessary? Even if they looked metal...

He paid more attention to Levy as they wound their way through the cabin area. Her eyes were focused directly ahead, eyebrows set in concentration. She was taking almost three steps for every step he took. And that was fucking hilarious.

“Havin’ trouble there, Shrimp?” Gajeel asked, widening his stride. He wondered if he could make her run to keep up.

“Well not all of us are so blessed in the height department.” Levy snapped, irritated scowl pulling down her full lower lip and making the bridge of her nose bunch. She gasped when she noticed his longer strides, swatting at his chest with the back of her hand in an offended motion. “You’re doing this on purpose!” She accused, stopping in her spot and crossing her arms to glare at Gajeel.

“Gihii, I don’t know whatcha talkin’ ‘bout Shrimp.” Gajeel drawled, scratching the side of his face as he looked her over. “Ain’t my fault ya got some size envy.”

Levy’s glare finally made a shiver crawl along his spine, and a thought crossed his mind that Levy could very well kick his ass is she wanted to. He had no idea how, but it still felt very true. “I mean, I’m sure bein’ so small could come in handy. Like communicating with the mice that make your clothes.” Gajeel bit his tongue. Why couldn’t he stop teasing her?

“Are you calling me Cinderella or referencing a children’s book?” Levy asked, suspicious as she slowly walked back to his side.

“Uh,” Gajeel stumbled over his words. Shit. “No?”

“Because that book was my favourite when I was a kid,” Levy hummed, tone suddenly light as they began walking again. “I think it was called Everything For Something? Or was it Nothing From Someone?” Levy hummed, tapping a finger on her lips as she spoke. Gajeel twitched with each improper title. Obviously, it was Something From Nothing, but he wasn’t about to say that. He shrugged instead, focusing on the few birch trees in between the maple and harlequin trees, their white and peeling bark standing out in the sea of green.

“Oh well, I’m sure it’ll come to me.” Levy pouted, put out by being unable to trip up Gajeel. He began to pick at the flaking design on his guitar pick in his pocket as silence fell over them again. Why did he care if it was awkward? He didn’t, because that would A; mean he cared at all -which he didn't- and B; that Gajeel felt awkward, which he definitely didn’t. He also didn’t want to hear Levy laugh. She probably snorted like the nerd she was for knowing that reference.

“So how’d ya know Erza?” he asked instead of keeping his fat mouth shut. Maybe he should pick up his bad habit of chewing on his necklace. At least then his fucking voice wouldn’t crack. Not that it cracked. Because Gajeel was past puberty, obviously.

He didn’t know how but he blamed Natsu.

“Oh, I take Judo with Erza, and she teaches a self-defence class I go to sometimes.” Levy said easily. At least Gajeel knew his self preservation instincts were right, if she was in the same class as Erza then she could take his ass in an instant.

“I haven’t seen ya around the city. Though I guess I wouldn’t be looking so close to the ground to notice, gihii-urgh.” Gajeel said, smirk falling as she elbowed him in the spleen. Damn did she have pointy elbows, but Gajeel couldn’t let her know that, so he kept walking, ignoring the throbbing and inability to breath.

“I’m not even that short!” Levy defended.

“Are you over five foot?” Gajeel asked, peering down at her expectantly.

“Four ten and a half.” Levy grumbled under her breath, huffing and looking away when Gajeel cackled loudly. “Shut up. How do you know Erza, anyway? Judging by the way you ran at lunch I’d say you two know each other pretty well.”

Gajeel grit his teeth when he remembered the fiasco that had been completely his cousin’s fault. And his roommates for that matter. “We’ve both been regulars at camp for a couple years, my pink haired dumbass of a cousin too, and we go to East Hill together. If ya think she’s a terror here you don’t even know what she’s like as student president.” Gajeel shivered as he remembered their pep rallies, attendance not optional. “I don’t know how Juvia manages to wring her in.”

Gajeel and Juvia had come up through the same middle school class, both part of a local gang that Juvia’s uncle had run. Igneel had tried to step in, but with Metalicana serving overseas as an army mechanic there had been little chance of Gajeel listening to him. They had both finally left together just before a big bust sent Juvia’s uncle to jail and her on the street, then Gajeel’s house. She had found solace in musical theater while Gajeel had reconnected with Natsu and Igneel, even if he’d never admit to his cousin how much he had helped him. Now Gajeel was set to graduate his metalshop program with honours next year, and Juvia wouldn’t stop bugging him and Natsu to join band and work in the pit for her last performance. As if Gajeel was gonna go anywhere near Erza and her obsession with the stage, even if she was only the stage manager.

“Wow, it seems like everyone here knows one another,” Levy sighed, the two now wandering through the outdoor activity stations. Gajeel raised a pierced eyebrow as he noticed the arrows and bows just laying in the field. Who was the genius that left those out?

“We get new people every year,” he said gruffly, inspecting an arrow off the ground. “Like Bunny Girl and those the dumbass she brought with her.”

“How come you call her Bunny Girl?” Levy asked, wandering to the next station that held bocce balls and lawn markers.

“‘Cus she looks ‘bout as scary as a cotton tailed rabbit.” Gajeel said, head snapping to Levy when he heard a light snicker. Her hand covered her mouth but her dark eyes were dancing, and Gajeel grinned proudly. He'd managed to make her laugh.

“Don't let her hear you say that.” Levy warned, wagging a finger at Gajeel even as she returned his shit eating grin -as his father liked to remind him every time they saw one another. “I'm sure it takes a lot of skill to herd Loke, Gray, and Cana. They're like cats.”

Gajeel scoffed. “Don't insult cats like that.”

Levy laughed openly, clasping her hands behind her back as they wandered past the rock wall and along the path that would lead them to the rehearsal studios. “You're right,” she hummed.

“Hey! I see Juvia!” She said suddenly, gripping Gajeel's wrist as she began a light trot. Gajeel blinked dumbly down at where her tiny hand half encircled his wrist, just above the spike wristband he wore, because it was metal.

“Uh,” he said, like even more of an idiot, letting Levy drag him to where Juvia had begun to wave. He noticed how her hair bounced with each step, light and easily caught in the breeze as it fluttered around her headband. Gajeel was reminded how blue was his favourite colour.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Natsu wondered if he jumped off the stage if the five feet would be enough to kill him.

Probably not.

He debated trying it anyway as Cana sauntered down the steps. Natsu yanked at his headphones, stuffing them in what was already a knotted mess of wires into his hoodie pocket, hands following after he placed the mic on the ground as he tried to will himself to disappear. “So tell me, how’d you switch personalities like that?” Cana asked as she made her way to the stage, crossing her arms on the edge of the elevated floor and looking up at him. “One minute you're the dictionary definition of ‘needs a hug but doesn’t know how to ask for one’ and the next you’re Mr. Rock God, owning the stage like it’s your bitch.”

Natsu choked on his spit, taking a hand out of it’s safety nest to pull his beanie further down his face. Maybe if he just prayed really hard a meteor would fall from the sky, killing him instantly. When a few seconds passed with no such divine intervention, Natsu released the breath he’d been holding and peeked at Cana, who now sat on the edge of the stage, one knee bent as an armrest and the other hanging off the old wood. She raised an eyebrow as more silence passed by them, taking a sip from a flask she had gotten from... somewhere.

“The music, I guess.” Natsu mumbled, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. He knew that Cana was close to Lucy now, and whatever hope he had of not being a total idiot in front of her was gone. Her and Cana were probably going to laugh about it for hours. And Loke. And Gray too, probably.

Fuck.

Maybe he’d just live in the woods for the rest of camp.

“Well you should get that confidence with whatever you do. I haven’t heard someone sing with that much raw talent for years.” Cana said instead, and Natsu almost choked on his spit, again. He stalled under her unexpectedly serious look, head tilted forward as her mouth followed her lowered flask. “It suits you.”

Natsu was struck by the sudden family resemblance between her and Gildarts. The old man had been Natsu’s mentor the last few times he’d been at Fairy Tail, Natsu always feeling easy around him like he did with his own father. He didn’t know why, but seeing the same eyes staring at him from the semi-drunk teenager both calmed and unnerved him.

‘Um, thanks.” Natsu said.

“No prob!” Cana smiled, back to her early cocky smirk. “‘Sides, Lucy loves guys that look like they know what they’re doing, and you have the right amount of innocent virgin that’ll take her off her guard.”

Natsu flushed deeply, stuttering over harsh denials at Cana’s vague hand movements that gestured to, well, him. “I-, I mean I’m not not but I d-don’t see, I- fuckin’ alcoholic!” he finally spat out, glaring at the ground as he hopped from the stage, hands stuffed back into his pocket in fists. His glare snapped to her as she cackled loudly.

“Holy shit, if you could see your face! Relax buddy, no one cares here, duh. It’s a stupid social construct anyway, no need to get your panties in a bunch.” Cana waved off, patting him roughly on the back as she followed suit and pushed off the stage, walking towards the entrance to the arena.

Natsu debated turning on his heel and disappearing to go find a nice cliff to throw himself off of, but decided against it. Who would take care of Fev? Happy was sure to find a good home with one of his cousins, but his guitar? He wouldn’t trust her with anyone but himself.

“Yknow,” Cana began, pulling him from his thoughts, “your performance actually reminded me of someone.”

Natsu raised an eyebrow.

“Who?”

Cana opened her mouth to answer the question, but was interrupted by a very loud, very abrupt, distinctly red-headed-

“YOU THERE! HALT!”

Cana cursed to herself before springing up and grabbing Natsu by the scarf.

“Run for your life you virginal Jared Leto!”

Natsu fought for breath as Cana pulled him along, his feet complying with the harsh jolt from the rest of his body. He glanced behind them just as they slipped backstage to see two people, one with ‘Camp Enforcer’ written on her megaphone in sharpie, running down the steps towards the stage.

Why did he not check the mic was on?!

Eventually Cana let go of him to fumble with the dock on a stage side door. Her steady hand surprised him considering he was pretty sure that flask she'd had not five minutes ago was now empty. Within seconds they were out the door and barricading it behind them.

They ran for another five minutes. Making sure she-who-shall-not-be-named was no longer in pursuit. Cana found the whole endeavor quite hilarious. Natsu, however, was shitting himself. Even if Erza hadn't caught him now, there was no doubt she'd recognized his voice. She would come for him. Maybe not now. Maybe not later. But soon.

She would find him.

Natsu gulped.

“Anyway, what was I saying again?” Cana asked as though they hadn't just finished running for their lives.

“Something about my performance remind you of someone?”

“Oh yeah!”

“Please don't say Gray,” Natsu cut in, “I couldn't live with myself.”

“Oh no, you don't wear nearly enough eyeliner.”

“I don't wear any eyeliner.”

“That's not the point here,” Cana waved her hand flippantly and pulled another, different flash from- well, it had to be thin air bc the girl had no pockets. Or y’know, an actual shirt.

And then she surprised him even more.

“You reminded me of Lucy.”

Natsu froze.

“WHAT?!”

“Have you ever seen her perform.” She insisted, “And I don't mean that fancy-smanshy graceful piano playing- I mean really perform.”

“I-I've never even heard her sing.”

“Well first of all, you're missing out. But second of all,” Cana smiled to herself, “About a year ago Lucy had this huge argument with her Dad. I can't even remember what it was about but fuck- she stayed at my house for a full week. Then all of a sudden, she just went home. Said everything was fine. Loke found out she'd signed up to the talent show the next day, and eventually she all asked for our help in putting her act together. But it was her act. It was the first time she ever went solo.”

Natsu listened with interest, not quite understanding where Cana was going with this.

“She invited her dad. Reserved the best seat in the house for him. And by God, that was the best ‘fuck you’ performance I've ever seen in my life.”

“What did she do?” He was a little afraid to ask.

“She sang Not Ready To Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks and man, country was so unexpected but fuck if she didn't work it.” Cana looked up at the sky, awe in her eyes as she relived the performance. “Played her violin as even more of an ‘in your face, Dad’ point and damn if I didn’t cry tears of joy watching that angry little blonde seeth into the microphone and play her violin to a non classical song. The audience broke into the loudest applause of the night, even if her dad refused to pay for her music lessons afterwards.”

Natsu stumbled over a stone. “He stopped her from playing and singing because she was mad at him?” Natsu asked, horrified. He and Igneel had gotten into a few screaming matches about his attitude when he was younger, sure, but the thought that Igneel would ever deny him a part of himself, Natsu just couldn’t imagine a parent doing that.

“Pssh, as if. Nah, Lucy used the allowance she had been saving and applied for scholarships for the programs. Got in too, when she proved that her father refused to support her.” Cana brushed off, turning over the empty flask and pouting as it solidified her lack of prohibited drink.

“Oh,” Natsu said. Real smart. Cana’s telling him about a major moment in Lucy’s life and all he can say is ‘oh’. Still better than being caught by Erza though, so Natsu would take it. He looked around as they met the main path that led in a loop around camp, pale gravel reassuring as it meant he was only a few minutes away from being able to hide in his cabin for the next 48 hours.

“Shit.”

Natsu was being yanked by his scarf -again- before he could ask what Cana had seen, forced to look at the bulletin board that would house the weeks’ themes once they were released. Right now though, it held bulletins for school opportunities, programs, concerts, scholarships, and dead center; a poster for a karaoke night happening at the camp fire after sundown tomorrow.

“You two! Have you seen anyone run by here?” A voice called behind them, Natsu feeling his soul try to escape via puking and every nerve in his body fighting between ‘run for your life’ or ‘lay down and accept your fate’.

“No idea what you’re talkin’ ‘bout Erza,” Cana drawled, perfectly playing the clueless camper role. “But if you see who had just been singing tell them congrats on the record deal quality voice.”

Natsu blushed at the compliment, hands fisted tight in his pockets and struggling to concentrate on the board. There was no way she meant that. Natsu had an average level voice, at best. Now, if he could show off his guitar skills, then maybe she would tell Lucy about it...

“I will tell them that the stage is off limits territory when not during an event.” Erza snapped, obviously irritated at missing her victims. Aka, Natsu. “What are you two doing here anyway?” she asked, squinting when Natsu finally turned to look at her over his shoulder.

“Just checking out the opportunities on the board!” Natsu said, voice cracking and sending him burrowing into his scarf.

“Yeah, I was just convincing Natsu here to do karaoke night! Can't keep all this talent hidden behind a dumbass beanie!” Cana added eagerly, slinging an arm around his shoulders and somehow dislodging his ‘dumbass’ hat. Natsu squawked as he lunged for the grey beanie, too late to do anything else but clutch it to his chest.

“Damn! What bet did you lose?” Cana guffawed. Natsu shrank under her laughter and tried to elbow her arm off his shoulders. Why was she the same height as him?

“It's just my hair,” he grumbled.

“It's a good thing Lucy's favourite colour is pink then, eh?” Cana continued to tease, grinning at Erza. “But really, this can't be his actual hair colour.”

“It is.” Erza said with a small smile at Natsu. “And I think it suits him. I will see you both at campfire tonight! I'm looking forward to hearing what you choose to perform tomorrow Natsu.”

Natsu watched blankly as Erza and a girl with purply black hair and a deadly stare stalked off. “What the fuck?” Natsu hissed, shoving off Cana roughly and yanking his beanie over his head.

“Aw cmon, don't be so sensitive.” Cana rolled her eyes. “Besides, she bought it!”

“Now I have to sing at that stupid karaoke thing.” Natsu grumbled. What if there were no good songs, or if his voice cracked. Sure Natsu could sing in the shower, but he'd never actually sang in front of people.

He wanted to put his head through the cork board. Why was he acting so insecure? He was Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel Dragneel, renowned rescue helicopter pilot. He could do anything he put his mind to.

Except talk to pretty girls like Lucy apparently.

“Well, if you do manage to find the balls to get on stage, try and pick a song you know in your sleep. Or come see me for a confidence boost recipe.” Cana winked, wagging her empty bottle beside her head.

“Erm...” Natsu said, helpfully. What the fuck had he gotten himself into?

Playlist:

Stuck In The Middle - Boys Like Girls

The Anthem - Good Charlotte

Separate Songs - Restorations

Closer to the Edge - 30 Seconds To Mars

Not Ready To Make Nice -Dixie Chicks

March Into The Sun - Echosmith

[impracticaldemon]

GRAYLU FLUFF WEEK 2017 ~ DAY 1 PROMPT ~ PLAY DATE

Cover art by the lovely @miss-zei

Read on Fanfiction.net HERE

Prompt: Play Date

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast at the guildhall?” Gray asked.

“Sure, sounds good,” Lucy answered, for the fifth morning in a row.  The exchange had become a nightly ritual, and Lucy couldn’t quite decide if that was a good thing or not.

Each of them had finally decided that enough was enough, so last month, in January, exactly eighteen days ago (although nobody was counting), each of them had managed to blurt out a shy but sincere confession to the other.  Of course, neither of them had been able to hear the other person, since they were talking at the same time, but eventually it had gotten sorted out. They had spent most of their free time together ever since, as if making up for lost time, and Lucy was surprised by how much happier and relaxed she felt just knowing that Gray was there for her and finally knew how she felt.

Although Gray wasn’t the most demonstrative boyfriend—at least, not in public—he was very considerate. Lucy felt genuinely cared for, which was wonderful.  For example, Gray made sure that Lucy got to walk on the smoothest part of the path when they were outside. If they were sitting with a big group of people, he would make sure that she had a comfortable seat and wasn’t perched precariously on the edge of a bench.  If they’d been placed at a table that had a chair with wobbly legs, Gray would fix the problem and take the wobbly chair just in case.

Unfortunately, Lucy was beginning to realize that there was something wrong.  They’d been going out together for less than three weeks, but something was missing.  Worse, she had a feeling that Gray felt the same way.  As embarrassing as it was, Lucy decided to seek expert advice.

“I’m—I just don’t understand.  It wasn’t like this when we were just friends and teammates. I can’t quite explain it, but it feels like we used to laugh more, you know?”

Mirajane nodded understandingly at Lucy.  Although Mira wasn’t really more than a couple of years older than most of the people she listened to, counseled, and occasionally pushed into relationships for their own good, she behaved as though she was everyone’s mother and most people simply went along with it.  Probably because it’s comforting, Lucy thought.

“You know,” said Mirajane in a considering tone, “you’re both an unusual combination of serious and playful. I suspect that this is just a case of honeymoon jitters.”

“Honeymoon?!  We’re not even engaged!” Lucy was almost too confused to blush, but not quite.  She felt her cheeks redden.  “Um, I mean, we’re just—you know—starting to get to know each other a bit better? Other than as just friends, I mean.” Lucy frowned for a moment.  “Although I don’t like the expression ‘just friends’, because friends are really important to me as well.”

Mirajane smiled fondly at the other woman.  Lucy had her flaws—they all did—but she truly embodied Fairy Tail’s most important precept: that the bonds of friendship were at the core of their strength.

“I tend to refer to the early days of any romantic relationship as the honeymoon phase.  I didn’t mean to startle you.”  There was a glint in Mirajane’s eye that suggested that she had already thought about Lucy and Gray’s wedding, honeymoon and possibly children, but she managed to keep most of that off her face, so Lucy let it slide.

“You’re going to have to explain what you mean, Mira,” Lucy said, trying to brace herself for whatever frank comments Fairy Tail’s hostess was about to make.

“Sure.  It’s not meant to be complicated.  I’ve noticed that most people get along well at the beginning of a relationship because both parties are trying hard to please the other person.  Eventually, that wears off a bit, and they start behaving more normally again, which means more arguments, usually, but also more…” Mirajane paused, searching for a word.  “… Well, more excitement, I guess, although that’s not quite it either.  It’s a quirk that humans have:  most of us don’t want to be handled with kid gloves all of the time. The trick is to find the right balance.”

Mirajane watched Lucy trace a design on the top of the bar with her finger.  Unlike others, the oldest Strauss sibling didn’t underestimate Lucy’s intelligence, so she thought that Lucy would probably figure out for herself what was going on, now that she’d been pointed in the right direction.

“I think,” said Lucy slowly, “what you’re saying is that we’re not being entirely ourselves with each other—we’re being careful and kind and that’s great, but we’re not doing any of the crazier things that we’ve done for so long as teammates.  And we’ve kind of lost that connection.  Or maybe misplaced it.”

“Is that a possibility?” Mirajane asked.

“Maybe,” said Lucy. “In which case we need to get out and have some fun—not exactly a date, more like a play date.”  She looked at Mirajane and suddenly giggled.  “Oh for the gods’ sake I sound like we’re five!”

Her confidant laughed. “Play like you’re five, if you must—not in here!—but remember that you’re adults and there are more, ah, adult ways to play once you’re done with being five.”

“Mira!  I don’t want to hear it, okay?  We’re working on that.”  Lucy’s blush deepened again.

“If you’re calling it work—“

“Enough!  Thank you!  I’m out of here!”

The playground was covered in a thin layer of snow.  It was deserted, other than by Lucy, who sat on one of the icy swings twirling absently first in one direction and then the other.  She was rapidly coming to the conclusion that this was a dumb idea. Maybe she’d taken the whole concept too literally and—

“Hey Luce!  Jeez you look cold…”  Suddenly Gray’s voice went from concerned to teasing.  “You need a push?  You don’t seem to be getting far.”

Lucy opened her mouth to respond and then gasped as strong arms pulled the swing a long way back—and higher than Gray could have reached without some ice magic—and then let go.  For a moment, she thought she was going to go shooting straight off the seat, but her gloved hands tightened around the thin chains holding up the swing and she only slid a little at the top of the arc.  The downward curve was fast enough to make her feel a slight swoop in her stomach.  Then she noticed the almost transparent webbing of ice keeping her somewhat more safely in place, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the ride.

Not too long afterwards, Gray brought the swing to a halt and Lucy all but toppled into his arms trying to stand up.  Her legs felt a bit rubbery but she was grinning.  Gray hesitated a moment, then smiled back.  He gave Lucy a quick kiss on the lips, and then rubbed his hands together and looked around.

“So, I have absolutely no idea what we doing in a kids’ playground, but since there aren’t any kids around, maybe we can jazz things up a little.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Well, um, better swings and… a really good slide… and…”

Lucy stood and watched as Gray transformed the park around them.  He completely redid the swings, turned the slide into a fabulous twisting, curving dragon of ice and the industrial plastic playhouse-fort went from being dismal to awe-inspiring.  Eventually, Lucy had to tug on Gray’s arm to get his attention.

“This is awesome but what’s it for?”

He looked stymied for a moment, the turned a bit red.

“I thought, since you wanted to come here, it might as well have a bit more to it, you know?”

“The playhouse has towers! Gray, it’s amazing!  And I so want to try the slide.  But wasn’t that an awful lot of magic power?”

They gazed around at the park, which was now a glittering children’s fantasy out of ice, complete with—as Lucy had pointed out—a turreted castle.

Lucy shivered slightly. Gray didn’t look the least bit cold, but with all the ice, the park was now distinctly chilly.

“Oh, sor—“

“Don’t!” cried Lucy.  “Don’t apologize!  This is great—I’m fine, I’ll be fine.”

“Okay…  Um, as for the power, well I kind of needed to train anyway.” Gray’s mouth quirked back into a smile. “I, uh, haven’t been fighting Natsu so much lately, so it’s good to stretch a bit.”

“Yeah. I guess spending time with me is kind of getting in the way of—“

“No way, don’t say it! I really, really want to spend time with you.”

They looked at each other for a few moments.

“Slide?” asked Lucy, just as Grey was about to speak.  “Then try out the swings?”

The slide was just as amazing as it looked and wide enough to go down together.  Unfortunately, by Lucy’s third trip down she really was shivering.  Gray scooped her up, tucked his own coat around her over the too-light jacket that she’d worn, and fastened her scarf more firmly.  She laughed as she stood there with Gray doing up the too-big coat right to her chin.

“Seriously, Gray, I really do feel like a little kid with their mom putting on all the poofy extra layers!”

Gray gave her a cautious look then burst out laughing as well.

“To be honest, Lucy… do you remember the other me—I mean from Edolas?”

“That bad??!!”  Lucy tried to swat him on the arm, but it was fairly ineffective.  She had to admit, he looked very, very good standing there in the fairy-ice park wearing nothing but his favourite jeans and a close-fitting dark t-shirt.

“Okay, really, you just look super-cute in my coat.  I may have to loan it to you.”  He hugged her close, despite being out where anyone could see.  “Shall we tour the castle, princess?”

“In a minute.”

Lucy moved just enough so that she could look up at Gray.  She was good at reading, writing, and talking about things, but right now… She stretched up slightly onto her toes, wrapping her arms around Gray’s neck.  Happily, he took the hint, and their lips met in perfect accord.

“I’m jus’ tryin’t’get w’rrm,” Lucy told him, pressing herself as close as she could wearing two coats, one of them too obviously too big.

Gray responded by deepening the kiss and wrapping one arm tightly around Lucy so that she didn’t lose her balance. They stood like that for quite some time, lips parted but mouths locked together, tongues exploring, arms twined around each other.  Lucy felt surprisingly overheated despite the cold.

“Wow.”  Gray blinked down at Lucy.  “You’re really amazing.”

“I thought you already knew that,” she retorted.

“Well, now I know it more. Let’s try necking in the ice castle.”

Lucy blushed slightly but went willingly.  Thanks to Gray’s magic, they had no trouble reaching the small room at the top of the highest tower.  It wasn’t especially high, of course, but it was a little more private.  Lucy peered down at the playground, which was starting to attract attention. In a stern voice, Gray told Lucy that she should be admiring his handiwork, not staring out the window at random peasants.

“The random peasants are getting closer, my lord,” she replied deferentially.

“Well in that case, I suppose I’d best kiss the princess while I can.”

Rather unexpectedly, Gray deftly tugged the scarf away from Lucy’s neck and started pressing decidedly warm kisses along the skin between her left ear and shoulder.  Lucy shivered from something other than cold when the lowest kiss became more insistent, and Gray’s mouth and teeth started to leave a bruise at the point where her neck met her shoulder.

“Ummmmm… if you kiss the princess, won’t she turn into a frog or something?”  Lucy’s voice sounded oddly unfocussed, and she found herself standing very still, as if otherwise she might buckle at the knees.

“I like Frosch,” murmured Gray into her ear as he carefully replaced the scarf.

“Mmmm.  I could get a Frosch onesie made I suppose…”

“I’d like to see that.”

Lucy knew that they were exchanging nonsense, but she hadn’t felt this kind of fuzzy, aroused-but-relaxed warmth with Gray before.  She decided that she might try another play date in the future, if they ever started to overthink things again.  Sometimes, you just had to find a good ice castle to neck in.

All notes and reblogs are very much appreciated!

~ Impracticaldemon

[shadowofhapiness]

Second Chances (42/42)

Summary: The light was fading, as he breathed his last on the solid ice. He wished he could take it all back, that he’d looked out more for his family, particularly two special nephews. When Thorin wakes up in a snow covered land, he realizes Fate has somehow offered him a second chance. He siezes it, with the hopes to mend wrongs he’s done to both Fili and Kili and rebuild the Durin family, only with stronger bonds this time as well as making the most of this new life that has been offered to him. An unexpected encounter with four children, also experiencing a family breakdown might help both the Pevensies and the Durins to realize how deeply one ought to value those close to them along the way.

AN: After exactly two years, here's the last chapter! Thanks' for joining the ride! :)

Rated: T

Word count: ~ 4.100 words (139.180 in total)

Fanfiction.net - Archive Of Our Own

The Last Goodbye

As the sun set on their first days as royals, the four children made their way down to the main hall, where they’d agreed upon a meeting point, and seen as how they were the first to arrive, they took to waiting for the other group in a quiet silence, comfortable even, Susan grabbing a book from one of the many bookshelves and sinking into a chair to distract herself.

“Do you know why Aslan asked us to meet him there?”

Peter turned around at his little sister’s question, having been pulled back from his own thoughts and thrust back into reality.

To be honest, it all seemed a little odd, and nobody had been able to figure out the meaning behind the Great Lion’s words when he’d spoken to the seven of them as they’d shared breakfast together that morning, but he’d made a request of them and after everything he’d done for them, Peter (and everybody really), found it rather hard to refuse him.

“I’m afraid not, Lu, but it can’t be that bad.” He reassures her, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze, as Lucy relaxed a little. No, the battle was over, everybody was fine, and soon they were going to start rebuilding Narnia, maybe even make the kingdom thrive if they could, there was nothing to fear anymore, especially not when she knew that whatever would happen, they would face it, the four of them together, like the family they were meant to be.

“Well, when this is all over, do you think we could ask for dinner, scrambled eggs maybe? I’ve got to admit that I’m getting a little hungry.” Edmund said from where he sat across from them, rubbing his stomach to soothe the noises it was making.

“Of course, Ed,” Susan said, as she ruffled his hair, ”I think I got a glimpse of the kitchens earlier, as I got lost in the corridors, and I guess there’s enough room in there to cook a dozen of them at the same time. Good thing too, because I wouldn’t mind taking a bite either.” She chuckled lightly, before turning to Peter and Lucy, “But first, we must do what Aslan bids us, we can’t disappoint him on our first day, can we?”

“Oh no! And then be remembered by embarrassing tales of bottomless pits exhausting the poor Narnian chickens and book worms living in the library?” Lucy giggled, “I’d rather we avoid that!”

Everybody laughed at that, including Edmund, and the foreign sound coming out of his mouth, made him realize to what extent he’d missed out on such simple things because he’d been too stuck up in his own grief to share little moments like this with is family. Laughing again, well, it felt good, despite the small ache that throbbed in his side, but it was only a mild inconvenience, when he saw Susan, Lucy and –Gods forbid- even Peter, all light-hearted and happy. Yes, a happy family was definitely a rare sight, one Edmund hadn’t seen in a long, long time, and now that he was witnessing and experiencing it first hand, he knew he would definitely try his best to make it happen as often as possible, even if it came at the cost of an embarrassing tale or two occasionally.

“Did we miss anything important?” A merry voice rang out from across the room, and the four children looked up, as Kili came sauntering in through one of the large doors, wearing his trademark grin and brown eyes sparkling at the mere thought that he’d missed out on an opportunity to have fun. “What a tragedy!” And as he faked an expression of pure despair, the four of them laughed, Thorin coming up behind him and shaking his head sadly –Kili was a lost cause, unfortunately, what was he ever going to do with his youngest nephew?

“If by important, you’re referring to another chance to embarrass me, you can wait until we’ve entered Mahal’s halls, my dear sister-son, where I’ll make sure to pay you back every one of your comments.” He threatened good heartedly, raising his eyebrows as a challenge, knowing Kili would all but take the bait, his youngest nephew never passing up on an occasion to be tested.

“Why thank you, Uncle!” Kili went with it, making the most of Thorin actually having gotten his sense of humour back, and by Mahal was that a welcome change of the stern and gruff dwarf he’d been with him and the rest of his family for decades.

“Are we all here, then?” Kili asked everybody, looking around the room to make sure someone might not be missing, but as he counted the heads there, seven, it totaled up to the two complete families. “Anybody got an idea why Aslan asked us to come here?”

“Funny, that,” Peter said, leaning back in his chair, “Lucy was asking me exactly the same thing only a minute ago, but we don’t know, don’t even have an idea.”

“It couldn’t be bad, could it?” Thorin asked, a little anxious all of a sudden at the abnormal situation, and trying to think back on something they might have done wrong, but nothing came to mind. “Maybe the Lion just wants to talk?” But even as he said the words, somehow, he was not really convinced, as, surely there was another motive behind him asking for all of them to gather specifically in here.

“Well, I don’t think we’ve done anything bad so far.” Susan said, looking up from her book, “It wouldn’t really paint a good image either would it? The newly crowned Kings and Queens up to shenanigans only a day after the ceremony, although I bet Edmund would be able to get up to any sort of mischief if we didn’t have an eye on him sometimes.” She winked to her younger brother, who seemed to be slightly offended, but took it as the jest it was meant to be, and let it go, Edmund having learnt that holding grudges rarely got one far in life.

“Trust me,” Thorin said, knowingly, “Edmund’s a much easier boy to have around than these two were at his age.” And he pointed to Kili and Fili, who looked back at him with the best puppy face they could muster.

“Why Uncle! We barely did anything bad when we were that young!” Kili protested, laughing.

“Might I remind you the time you accidentally burned my beard off when you’d wanted to cook a slice of meat so badly, you wouldn’t let me put you down?”

Kili turned red, trying his best to use his long hair to hide the pinkish color spreading across his face, remembering the incident all too well, especially how Thorin had had to go about with a lopsided beard for several months while he’d had to make up for the incident by mucking out the stables and clean and polish any of the ponies’ equipment for the two weeks that followed. If the images were now slightly fuzzy, his exhausted muscles as he’d went to bed each night were definitely a reminder that he most definitely did not want to have such an unfortunate experience again.

“B-But that was an accident, I really hadn’t meant it!” He tried defending himself, but with the laughing all around him, his words held little strength, and he just sighed, knowing this was something else he’d have to make his beloved Uncle pay for once he came up with a brilliant plan to put him in an awkward situation. “Besides, it had been Fili’s idea to cook.”

“Was not!” The blond immediately countered, “You were the one who’d begged for Uncle to pick you up, not me!”

And as his two nephews kept on squabbling, the incident quickly shifting from Kili burning Thorin’s beard to one time where Fili’s pony “apparently” ate one of Kili’s prized gloves, Thorin rubbed his aching forehead, wondering once again what he’d done to raise his two heirs to be such idiots at times.

“I swear, sometimes, I really wonder whether we’re related or not.” He sighed, as he turned to the four children, who weren’t too sure what to make of the scene. “Heirs of Durin my arse.”

And the incident went on, Kili and Fili’s bantering having quickly dissolved into a playful argument, until nothing else could be heard throughout the halls, Susan and her siblings quite enjoying the sight while Thorin despaired for the future of Durin’s line.

They hadn’t even realized that Aslan had joined them, until his distinct chuckle could be heard from the door, and when it finally hit the two that the great Narnian king was now aware of their very un-princely accidents, both Kili and Fili stilled, the red faces definitely not due to the heat.

“Aslan!” Lucy was the first one to go to him, burying her face into his thick, silky mane, petting him gently as she did so, to the satisfaction of the big cat, before the two came over to the little group in the center of the room.

“I hear you’ve had somewhat of a little trouble raising your nephews, I take it?” He asked Thorin as he stopped next to where Peter sat, brown eyes betraying the playful jest behind the question.

“That would be a huge understatement.” The older dwarf grumbled. If anything, Kili and Fili had taught him that he would rather not have children of his own, for although he loved his two sister-sons deeply, sometimes, the dwarf had found himself thinking that the Great Mahal was testing his resistance with the two balls of energy that kept running around his house, making his dear sister fret and more than one of the hairs upon his head turn grey before their time.

Aslan chucked, shaking his golden mane as he did so, and Lucy felt that even though he wasn’t adopting his title as King of Narnia right then, Aslan still remained somewhat royal, with the sun making his fur shine, his dark eyes still holding what appeared to be centuries of wisdom and his warm voice betraying the vast amount of knowledge he seemed to possess yet never show off. That was a king to look p to, she decided, that was what she ought to aim to be, quiet but strong.

“I take it then, that you have all recovered well?” Aslan asked them, knowing there were still a few scars from the battle in need of healing, others requiring time, and some that, unfortunately would never go away, but instead of dwelling on what had happened, and let it be source of resentment and anger, he thought he ought to show the young royals that it could be put behind (not forgotten, never forget), and used for their future.

“Yes,” Edmund said, from Peter’s right, hand instinctively placing itself on his stomach, where the Witches’ wand had run him through, “We’re all right, or we will be, in time.” He knew Peter was still anxious about his state of recovery, and he knew his words would not fool his brother into believing that everything was perfectly okay with him (which was not true), but the younger brother knew he also had to try himself, and believe it would get better, so he would finally be able to move on forward again.

“Well, we’re alive.” Kili said, shrugging, and resuming rather well what everybody was thinking. They’d made it home from the fight, it had not claimed them their lives, and now, it was up to them to prove themselves stronger than what had happened to them, to make the most of what they’d been fighting for and adapt to what they were to become. It would take time, especially regarding the four children, but the younger dwarf had no doubt they would eventually manage to overcome what they’d been through and use it for the best.

“Yes,” Aslan nodded, “And I’m glad to hear that.” And the seven of them saw that it was genuine, not Aslan saying it for the sake of saying it, but that the Lion, in fact, did care deeply for them. Although, in the next moments, he looked a little hesitant, eyeing each one of them, eyes slightly lingering on Thorin, before he made up his mind, “If it wouldn’t be too much to ask of you, would you mind accompanying me to the sea, below?”

Something clicked inside Thorin, some unconscious part of him understood what was going to happen, but he’d not fully registered it yet, and so, without thinking much, he nodded, but the happy atmosphere that had previously seemed to surround them had suddenly disappeared, leaving him a little at a loss, for the Uncle admitted that he’d quite enjoyed letting go of his stern façade for a while, even if it had meant being at the mercy of Kili and Fili’s pranks.

Not needing to be asked twice, and not even needing an answer, Aslan lead them through the endless corridors of the Pevensies’ new home, and the only thing breaking the silence that had settled in was the shuffling of feet and boots on the stone floor beneath. Down they went, passing the ballroom, the throne room, even the dining room, and before they knew it, the eight of them found themselves on the beach just below the castle, the soft breeze ruffling their hair and the distinct salty smell unmistakable as they reached the water.

“Wh-What’s going on? Is it something we’ve done?” Lucy finally asked, voice wavering slightly at the thought of not living up to the expectations the Lion had of her, and unconsciously biting her fingernails.

“No, no dear one.” Aslan instantly soothed her fears, voice calm and gentle, “I’ve not brought you here for any kind of punishment, but-“ And he sighed, sadly, knowing this would undoubtedly pain them, “Unfortunately, Thorin, Kili and Fili’s time here has come to an end.”

The words hung in the air, like a heavy sentence, yet there was no malice behind them, confirming Thorin’s earlier thoughts. Their time was up, and, after all, there was only so long one could run from Death, after all.

“End?” Kili repeated, dumbfounded, and only barely comprehending what that exactly entailed. He wasn’t ready to die –again- when it seemed like only yesterday that he’d woken up in the middle of a forest, soft snow beneath his fingers and Thorin’s reassuring face the first things his eyes had made out when he’d opened them. “Surely, you don’t mean that, Aslan?” But even as he asked the question, he held little conviction that he had somehow misinterpreted the Lion’s words, and that this time, it truly was the end for them.

“Aye. There are powers that even I can not go against, young Kili, and keeping you here when your place is now somewhere else would be wrong of me.” He tried explaining as gently as he could, knowing that making the younger dwarf panic would not help.

“I’m sure Aslan wouldn’t say such a thing if it weren’t true.” Fili said from beside him, bringing one hand to rest on his sibling’s shoulder, for even if he was the smaller of the two in size, Fili was usually the one to comfort Kili when he needed it, and now seemed like one of those times, the young archer being suddenly confused and not understanding why Aslan was sending them away. “It’ll be alright, brother.”

This was it, then, Thorin thought, suddenly not really wanting to leave, but knowing he had little choice in all this. He knew he wouldn’t go against the lion’s words, not when he seemed to be partly behind the reason why he and his nephews had lives again, but acceptance didn’t make it any easier. If anything, knowing he was now leaving four people he cared about and new friends such as the Beaver couple, Oreus, and –Mahal forbid- even Pepper the black and white pony, Thorin didn’t really want to leave. Biting his lip, a little anxious about all this, and almost tentatively, he asked the question that had been plaguing him ever since he’d gotten here, one he was both eager and worried about finding the answer to, but if this was the last chance he’d get, he wouldn’t let it slip away.

“I-“ He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to appear as ungrateful for everything Aslan had done for them by asking for more, but Thorin’s curiosity eventually got the better of him, “I don’t suppose you could send us back to Erebor, could you?”

Aslan turned to him then, the apologetic face immediately crushing the small hope that had bloomed in his chest, the desire he had to be sent back to Erebor and reunited with the rest of his company crumbled, and Thorin looked down, not in disappointment at the fact that the Lion was simply unable to let him go back, but the pain knowing that it was final, that there was no going back, ever, to look forward to anymore gradually took hold of him. It was as if the Lion understood him, however, as his pinched features betrayed how badly he felt for the elder dwarf, as if he knew how badly Thorin wanted to return to Erebor, his loyal company, Bilbo, and yet was powerless to do so, to do anything about what had happened to him and his nephews during the Battle of the Five Armies, and before the Lion even opened his mouth to give him an answer, Thorin already knew what he was going to hear, and his hand clenched of its own accord, grief at what he’d lost eating away at his bones.

Lucy, who had immediately sensed something had upset her dear friend, stepped up, “Please, please Aslan…”

Thorin smiled back at her, a weak attempt but an attempt none the less, as his hands tightened around his two nephews’ arms, knowing he still had them regardless of what was to become of the three of them, both Kili and Fili still not being able to react to the news, the younger wide-eyes and trying to digest it and the other eyes cast down, attempting to come to terms that this time, it was well and truly over for them.

“I’m afraid I can not.”

It all seemed so final then, that this was not just some goodbye where they’d be able to see each other again, but that this was it, and the feeling of an ultimate moment with their friends without having even been told that this was the last time that they’d be seeing them pained the four siblings, who’d hoped that they might be spending a little more time with their dwarven companions for another few months maybe, where they might have shared a joke between rebuilding something here, or shared fond memories around an old book in the library, maybe even sung around the dinner table. But that was all gone now, Thorin, Kili and Fili were leaving them, and there was nothing they would be able to do to stop it.

“Surely,” Susan started, but knew not how to continue, the words caught in her throat, unwilling to let them out for fear that this was real, that they were actually saying goodbye.

“However,”

They looked back to the Lion then, the small spark of hope they had left clinging on desperately, hoping that something they would be glad to hear would be what Aslan chose to say.

“I can let you be reunited with a certain Frerin, if you wish.”

“Frerin?” Kili repeated, the name at first not ringing a bell, but as it dawned on him, “Frerin as in Uncle Frerin?” He asked more clearly, emphasizing the last name. He and Fili had never known Frerin, for the name still brought too much grief to their Mother and Uncle, but both siblings had only ever spoken fondly of their missing brother, often mentioning how Kili took after his mischievous and reckless nature, and Fili was his splitting image, with his blue eyes and blond hair. Both younger dwarves immediately turned to their Uncle, waiting for some reaction on his part, and anticipating the decision Thorin would make, knowing they’d follow him until the end, whatever path he chose.

“Frerin,” Thorin almost faltered when the name was uttered, memories of his blonde sibling begging for him to stop the blood flowing from his wound and eyes betraying how terrified he was during the tragedy that became better known as the battle of Azanulbizar. Ever since he’d come home from it, he’d never been the same, and had never even dared to hope that someday, they would be reunited. Yet here Aslan stood, offering him a chance to return to his little brother, offering him the possibility to see and embrace him again.

All of a sudden, the choice didn’t seem as impossible as it had a moment ago.

“My brother… You could? Really?” And the slight bow Aslan gave him in response was all he needed to know before he found himself nodding, not sure he would be able to voice how much this meant to him.

Heeding to Thorin’s response, Aslan turned towards the sea once again, and barely suggested the others might want to cover their ears, before he let out a mighty roar, rivaling even the ones he’d given at the Stone Table and when returning to the battlefield. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but then their eyes widened, as the sea seemed to split itself in half, opening a passageway, deep down inside it, a blinding white light at the end of the tunnel leading to parts unknown. Thorin felt his heart hammer in his chest as the road was now offered to him, knowing now that he was only minutes away of reuniting with his brother. But there was one thing he needed to do first. As Peter and Susan knelt in front of Kili, watery eyes and goodbyes said from all parts, Edmund quietly taking to say his farewell to Fili he soon found himself trying to awkwardly hug Lucy, as the small girl once again had barreled right into him, wet tears rolling down her cheeks and arms tightening around his clothes, knowing that when she let go, it would be for good this time.

“Please don’t go.” She sobbed, unable to control what she felt anymore, understanding why Thorin had to leave but not wanting him to. “Please.”

“Hey,” Thorin wasn’t the best at soothing crying children, he never had been one for emotional farewells and last goodbyes –the exception only having been one Bilbo Baggins-, but guessed he could spare a few words for Lucy all the same, after all, he did care for her, and he did feel something ball in his throat at the thought of leaving her behind, “We’ll see each other again.”

“Really?” Lucy wasn’t so sure, how would she ever be reunited with her friend when she was here and he was… somewhere she never knew existed until today with no way of getting there?

“Aye, someday we will.” Thorin was sure of that. “But until then you have to live on, make something great out of your life while you still can. Promise me you’ll do that, right?” He nodded to her, blue eyes seeking the young girl’s consent, before they parted, Lucy’s hand reluctant to let go but knowing there was nothing to be done anymore. Edmund was the one to come to her, putting one hand on her shoulder, letting her know that this would be all right, eventually.

As he stepped back, Kili and Fili now by his side, Thorin didn’t fear what would be coming for him next, and the ache he felt at leaving the children behind he knew would heal in time, and would definitely be mended the day they would finally join him in the great Halls of the Afterlife, but that would not be for many years he hoped, Lucy and her siblings still having much to accomplish together.

And so, taking a deep breath and sparing a glance to the four children who were all wishing them well and reminding them not to forget them and hoping they would meet again someday, to whom Kili waved fervently, saying things such as “Until our next encounter!” or “Don’t forget to bring the string to your nose when you use your bow, Susan!” (because, somehow, Kili would always have his priorities wrong, whatever their situation), Thorin put a resolute hand on both Kili and FIli’s shoulders, and, now a smile coming of it’s own accord, the three heirs of Durin took the a step towards the white light, free of pain, fear and whatever burdens they’d endured during their lives, now going to spend what existence was offered to them as a true family, together until the end.