#Xander chill. Xander chill. Its not that deep

[paragonknightxander]

Xander stood quietly listening, allowing Laslow the chance to explain himself. So, it was just as he suspected. He exhaled with a prick of frustration,

“Laslow. I couldn’t count the sheer amount of times we’ve had this conversation, I take it you already know what I would say. However, this time is different. You are staff of this monastery; and you are a professor. Please consider the influence you have on your students. You may not realize it but they are attentive, they look up to you for guidance.”

“Within Fódlan my title as king holds little to no weight– most residing here who weren’t already aware of me do not know of my status. Here we are teachers first and foremost, we are equals. Still! As your friend, I urge you to do better than this. I understand that you have many duties you must attend. So this time I will forgive you.”

He paused from his rant, stepping closer to his colleague. Xander’s face fixed on with a cold, foreboding expression. “Heed my warning. If I catch you doing this again, I will take action into my own hands. Understood?” No matter what his title may be, he will always watch over those he cares about.

Underneath his sharp exterior the king felt an air of paranoia pass over him. One of these days, Laslow’s sheer desperation for romance will catch him in a dangerous situation. He could so easily be tricked or led away by just about any girl willing to tolerate him for more than five minutes. Perhaps he wouldn’t worry so much if he hadn’t gone through the loss of his retainers before. He can't do this again.

Ah- he dispelled those thoughts before they truly took hold of the knight. Just about anything could happen but living in fear will only bring further harm.

“Now, I’m certain you wish for the chance to clean yourself. I will leave you to it.”

What Are You Gonna Do, Put Me Under House Arrest?

[teshadraws]

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Seekers of Soul

[Chapter 68]

<< First | < Previous | Next >

AO3 Link

-

Nia reads Tobias' aura, memories are shared, and Giratina brings startling news.

-

For a long moment, Nia stares at Tobias, trying to convince herself that she heard him correctly.

“Read my aura.”

Nia didn’t think she’d ever hear him say that after he so staunchly rejected the idea in the past. And yet here he is, holding out his hand to her with trembling fingertips.

Nia’s first impulse is to reject his offer since he’s so clearly freaked out by the idea. But he’s holding her gaze despite the tension in his jaw, and Nia can’t imagine turning him down after he worked up the courage to make himself so willingly vulnerable.

So after a moment of hesitation, Nia reaches out too. She takes his hand and sends her own aura to where their palms are pressed together.

Tobias’ aura flares to life behind her eyes, like dawn breaking over the horizon.

His aura is red. Nia already knew that from the glimpse she caught in Fort Asra, in the mines, but she’d been taking the quickest glances possible back then to preserve his privacy. Here and now, she’s being invited to look.

So she does.

Tobias’ soul is red. But it’s not red like Xander’s, not the bright crimson of fresh blood and passion. It’s…deeper. More of a maroon, really. Scarlet. Just a few shades darker than their scarves, or the rug they’re sitting on, or the color of Nia’s eyes.

The red unfurls in her mind’s eye like the petals of a flower, newly bloomed and surrounded by thorns. She doesn’t think the thorns will ever be fully clipped, but she doesn’t think she even wants them to be, if that means destroying some part of this beautiful thing cupped in her hands. No one said that briars couldn’t be held, if held carefully, and there’s something about this balance that feels right. Delicate petals and a prickly shield, soft and sharp all at once.

She gently turns Tobias’ aura over and over, handling it like a precious gemstone and finding something new in every facet of its surface.

He’s the red of…a ripe cherry, or a spoonful of jam. A burst of refreshing flavor that’s as tart as it is sweet. He’s biting humor and small, shy smiles. He’s long summer days spent in idle company, eating syrupy red popsicles and lying starfished on hot concrete.

He’s the red of dried blood. The shade of old wounds only recently washed and tended to. He is more than scraped knees and bloody knuckles, but instead a gash in the chest stitched up and finally on the mend. He’s the muscle of the heart beating just underneath.

And he’s also the deep maroon of a worn winter scarf and gloves, homemade so you can feel the love in every misshapen stitch. Downy soft but protective against the chill of winter. Safety and comfort and warm affection laid over frigid skin. A soothing, gentle touch against Nia’s jaw and wrists.

He feels like home.                        

Nia feels goosebumps rise on her skin, prickling her fur, as she takes Tobias in over and over again. She doesn’t think she could ever get tired of looking at him.

But then she notices Tobias’ aura shaking, swirling with nervous energy. She immediately moves to soothe it, and his soul doesn’t fight when her own bright blue aura brushes against it. If anything, it seems to lean into her, welcoming the way she smooths and sands its rough edges like a cat grooming down unruly fur.

Distantly, she notes that their auras looks rather pretty together. Like they belong like this, intertwined.

And then, in a concentrated effort that Nia can feel, Tobias unfolds. Thinks and pushes his emotions towards her and—

Nia’s breath catches. Her chest swells with warm, choking affection. With gratitude and fondness and amusement. With trust, and admiration, and pride. It’s so overwhelming that it takes Nia a moment to realize what he’s doing.

“It would show you. That you…inspire me and stuff. Just from being you.”

He’s thinking about…her.

This is what she makes him feel?

Nia is swamped by another wave of emotions—her own this time. Awe and disbelief and even a tingle of fear rush through her. She knew that the two of them were friends. Best friends, even. But knowing that logically, and feeling that love for herself? It’s a completely different story.

Nia makes a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob, and hurries to send her own emotions back to Tobias in turn. Tries to show him how moved she is by him doing this, by him offering for her to look into his very soul. Tries to smother him in the affection that is very much so reciprocated. Tries to radiate how happy and grateful she is to have him as a friend and as her partner in this world. Tries to explain how watching him grow over the past half a year has made her just as proud of him as he is of her. Tries to convey how he’s pushed her to be better, too. Stronger.

Nia opens her eyes, and blinks hard against blurry vision. She’s crying.

Tobias is staring back at her, eyes wide and teary too. He looks like he feels just as breathless as she does.

Neither of them speak. Instead, Nia lets her aura twine around his like an affectionate cat, and his aura shyly reaches back. She can see a mirror of that shyness in his expression as it softens, his cheeks darkening in a charming way.

Nia feels so, so warm.

If this is how Tobias feels about her, if he thinks this highly of her, then…she can’t be that bad, right? Even if the thought of living up to his view of her is a bit daunting, it’s…inspiring, too. Knowing that he believes in her so deeply. That he does think she’s good, just for trying. She’ll just have to do her best to live up to his expectations.

For a long moment, the two of them stay locked in their trance, emotions trading back and forth like a ball in a children’s game.

Then Nia hears Junie whisper to Samir, “Uh. Should we leave?”

Tobias jolts and yanks his hand away, red flooding his face. Nia blinks, feeling her own ears and cheeks heat as she looks at Junie, who is still sitting at their side next to Samir.

Junie just looks entertained, but Samir looks mortified to have sat in on such an intimate moment. The skiddo is glaring down at Junie with something like admonishment despite the relief in their posture over the moment being broken.

Nia laughs, high and embarrassed as she wipes at her eyes. “S-Sorry. Sorry. We didn’t mean to make you two uncomfortable.”

“Eh, it was a little weird, but I’ve been through worse,” Junie says. Then her expression curls into something smug. “I’m guessing you liked what you found?”

Weird way to phrase that, but— “Oh! U-Um. Yeah, of course. I mean, it’s Tobias. Of course I like him.”

Tobias makes a strangled sound in his throat, his hands over his face.

Junie looks delighted by this response. “Uh-huh. Good to know.”

Nia tilts her head, giving the little bird a questioning look.

Junie waves her off. “Forget it. More importantly, are you feeling better?”

Oh. Nia sits up, lifting a hand to her chest and gauging her emotions. Yes, she is feeling better. Something about seeing Tobias’ faith in her firsthand, bathing in his presence like that, soothed most of the tension that’s been choking her ever since she woke up today. She doesn’t feel perfect, but definitely leagues better than before.

“I do.” She gives Tobias a smile. “Thank you, Tobias. For doing that, and for…thinking so highly of me.”

Tobias finally peels his hands away from his face. He glares at Junie, cheeks still red. “Don’t mention it. Either of you.”

Nia bites back a laugh for his sake, reaching over to pat his leg instead.

With Nia calmed down, their group awkwardly continues their late berry lunch, although Nia carries the warmth of her moment with Tobias in her chest like a candle. It warms her and chases away the shadows any time Andyn’s biting words come back to haunt her.

Once everyone is full and there are only a few berries left over, they start to discuss what to do with the rest of their day. While it’s much too late to take on a mission—and they likely wouldn’t anyways, after the exhausting night they had—they could go to the training hall still. Or go visit the shinx cubs and Asher down in the nursery.

Their decision is made for them when someone knocks at the door, and a familiar green head pokes into the room.

“Maggie!” Nia says, perking up. “Come in!”

The meganium smiles, ducking to step into the room and casting a quick look over all four of them, as if checking to make sure they’re in one piece. With that done, she joins them on the rug in the middle of the room, loafing between Nia and Tobias. Nia happily leans into Maggie’s flower mane and gives her a hug, taking a deep breath of her fresh floral scent. On the edge of her awareness, Nia senses the grass type’s lavender-colored aura, radiating exhaustion and relief.

Maggie uses a vine to tug Tobias into her other side, and he goes into the hug with a grunt and a meager show of resistance.

Junie chirps and flutters into Nia’s lap, nestling against Maggie’s petals herself. Samir watches the hug pile form with their increasingly familiar brand of awkwardness around such open affection.

“I’m so glad to see you all safe,” Maggie murmurs. “I knew you hadn’t been brought to medical, but an old ‘mon like me is still going to worry.”

“We’re fine,” Tobias says, leaning back to frown up at his mother. “Are you all right? You look like you haven’t slept.”

Maggie huffs a laugh, soft and tired. The bags under her eyes are dark. “It’s been a long day up in medical, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

For a moment, Nia thinks of Ezra again, unconscious and missing an arm. Thinks of Andyn shouting at her. Thinks of all the injured Pokemon they saw. Thinks of the absence of a minun they’d hoped to save.

Nia’s newly risen spirits fall again.

Maggie must see the way the whole group wilts, because her expression melts into something sympathetic. “I’m sure Ezra’s injury wasn't easy on you all. In addition to…everything else.”

Nia swallows and nods.

“Yeah. It hasn’t been…great,” Tobias hedges. He glances at Samir. “We…Nia and I really messed up last night. We’re working through it.”

Maggie hums, eyeing Tobias before apparently deciding that she doesn’t need to push or scold them for their recklessness. “Well…while I wish it hadn’t come at such a steep price, a lesson learned is still a lesson learned. And thankfully, Ezra’s condition is stable.”

Nia looks away, another pang of guilt striking her in the chest. Ezra’s stable, yes, but he may never be a Seeker again.

A stifling quiet falls over the room.

Maggie sighs. “Now, don’t look so glum. ‘Mon can do just fine with a missing limb.”

“Even a sneasel?” Tobias grumbles.

Maggie gently bops Tobias on the head with a vine. “Yes, even a sneasel. Why, Fane would’ve—”

Maggie’s voice cuts off abruptly. The meganium blinks, looking more surprised than anyone, as if she hadn’t meant to say that.

Nia lifts her head. She looks at Tobias, only to see him looking just as confused as she feels.

“Fane..?” Tobias asks.

For a long moment, Maggie is quiet. Pensive. Then, she says, “I…suppose now feels like the right time to tell you about him. I’ve mentioned him before, but Fane was our...was my human friend, decades ago. When I was just a bayleef.”

Nia straightens up, ears pricked. She does vaguely remember Maggie mentioning something about knowing a former human, long ago. But from Tobias’ reaction, even he hasn’t heard the full story.

Although, the way she’s talking about him—

“He was your friend?” Junie says, frowning.

Maggie gives her a wistful smile. “Yes. Unfortunately, Fane passed away many years ago.”

Oh.

“It was an accident,” a new voice says from the doorway of their room, deep and familiar. Nia jumps, looking over her shoulder.

August. The rillaboom is standing in the threshold to the hall, a soft sort of sadness on his face. “Telling the story without me, Mags?”

Maggie rolls her eyes, looking remarkably like Tobias for a moment. “If you would’ve announced yourself, I would’ve invited you to help me tell it.”

August chuckles, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. “Apologies, Team Scarlet. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard Maggie mention Fane and couldn’t help myself.”

A dot connects in Nia’s head. She remembers August’s words, too, mentioned just as long ago as Maggie’s. During Nia’s very first day at the guild.

“Maggie isn’t the only one with fond memories of a plucky little human once dropped into our world.”

“You knew Fane?” Tobias asks.

August rumbles an affirmative, moving closer to sit on the rug next to Samir, his legs criss-crossed. “I did. The three of us were as close as could be.”

“When you and I weren’t squabbling, that is,” Maggie teases.

August snorts. “Right. We were as close as can be when we weren’t competing for Fane’s silly little heart.”

Nia blinks, surprised, looking between August and Maggie. “You both…liked him? Romantically?”

Junie cackles. “Oh, the drama!”

Maggie’s face flushes—a new, endearing look for her—but she scoffs as she bats at August with a vine. “We were young. It was more a…friendly rivalry, than anything serious.”

August laughs. “You only say that because I was winning.”

Maggie’s mouth drops open, affronted. “You were not! Fane was oblivious to us both.”

Nia looks back and forth as the two older ‘mon banter, a smile playing at her lips. For a moment, the two wise grass types feel like nothing more than children, laughing and playing with an ease and familiarity that Nia has glimpsed but never seen outright.

Tobias looks more exasperated by the two than anything, clearly used to their more casual relationship. He shrugs with a smile when Nia looks at him, as if to say, What’re you gonna do?

“Wait. Neither of you ever confessed?” Junie asks.

Maggie and August’s lighthearted bickering peters out, something sad entering their expressions.

“I’m afraid neither of us got the chance to,” August says.

Maggie sighs. “Before Fane stumbled into us at the guild, I traveled for my research as an herbalist and August acted as my guard. When he met us, Fane quickly decided that he wanted to come along, too. See the world and all that.”

August snorts. “He was a blitzle. An electric type. And he made a surprisingly good case to our guildmaster that he’d be helpful against any flying types, since Maggie and I were both weak to them. The guildmaster agreed, despite his misgivings about Fane’s leg.”

Nia tilts her head. Fane’s…leg?

“That’s why I was thinking of Fane in the first place,” Maggie explains. “He came to this world missing the lower half of one of his legs. Not a debilitating thing to deal with, but certainly not easy, either.”

“Fane hated anyone pitying him for his leg, but he definitely complained his fair share about it, too,” August laughs. The rillaboom drops his chin into his palm, his face still warm with love even decades later. “One day Fane was chattering on about something or another and he mentioned how he was born missing a leg in the human world, too. He joked that he was already used to being off-balance anyways, since ‘God knew he would be too powerful with all his limbs.’”

Junie snorts.

“And he was so surprised after saying it, too!” Maggie laughs. “Much like you, Nia, Fane didn’t remember much about his human life. That little tidbit seemed to just sort of…come out. However, considering he hadn’t mentioned the whole being human part before, we were much more shocked about that. What a sight the three of us must’ve made, gaping at each other like fools.”

Both Maggie and August pause for a moment, clearly lost in memories. Nia doesn’t dare speak, or even breathe too loud, for fear of breaking the fragile atmosphere.

Then, Maggie sighs. “We had so much fun together, travelling the world. But Fane fell ill, roughly half a year after we met. It was…serious. Just like your sickness, Nia.”

“I was convinced he was going to die,” August adds, almost too low to hear. To Nia’s surprise, he looks at her with a small, guilty smile. “I confess that I thought much the same when you fell ill, Nia. I apologize. I really must think better of you humans and your perseverance.”

Both Maggie and Tobias seem unnaturally stiff out of the corner of Nia’s eye, but Nia just holds up her hands. “Oh! U-Um. That’s okay! I’m sure you weren’t the only one who thought that.”

August shakes his head. “Regardless, Fane did recover, although he was…concerningly quiet, after that. For nearly a month.”

Maggie nods. “We never could get it out of him, what made him so…despondent, after recovering. It was something to do with his memories, but he was strangely tight-lipped about it. Too personal to share with even us, I suppose.”

“And then, just a few short weeks after his good spirits returned, Fane died in an accident on the road,” August says. “Nobody’s fault. Just a mudslide that we weren’t experienced enough to predict ahead of time. Unfortunately, an electric type like him didn’t stand a chance.”

Nia’s eyes widen as her heart skips a beat. She thinks about digging Tobias out from under that rockslide. Or dragging Ezra out from beneath that pillar. How easily either of them could’ve died.

“I’m so sorry,” Nia murmurs.

The meganium strokes a vine down Nia’s back. “Thank you, dear. It was a long time ago. We’re mostly past it now, but…”

“You never stop missing him,” August finishes, making eye contact with Maggie.

“No,” Maggie agrees, quiet. “You don’t. You just learn to focus on the joy he brought while he was here, rather than the grief he left in his wake.”

Nia swallows and closes her eyes, leaning into Maggie’s soft petals. She thinks she understands their grief a bit better now, with such a fresh reminder from last night’s disaster.

They really do need to be more careful. Not just for themselves, but for those they would leave behind if the worst were to happen.

After a long moment, Maggie takes a bracing breath and shakes her head. “I only brought up Fane because he got along just fine without his leg. Don’t get me wrong—it was a challenge for him at times. The world was simply not made to accommodate him, and he did need our help every now and then, when his stubborn self would allow it.”

Maggie pauses. “But while Ezra’s situation is very different since he wasn’t born without his arm, I don’t want you to face Ezra with pity in your eyes. If I know that sneasel at all, he has a better chance of bouncing back than any of you expect. Maybe as a Seeker, and maybe not. But as long as he survives, you have to at least give him the chance to flourish. Recovery won’t be easy on him, but it’ll be even harder if you write him off as a lost cause, no matter how well-intentioned.”

Nia mulls over her words, letting them sink into her mind. And for the first time, she feels something other than guilt and grief weighing on her shoulders at the thought of Ezra waking up. She feels…hope. Determination.

Maggie’s right. Ezra doesn’t need their pity. He needs their support. And by the time they come back from the mountains, Nia will be ready to give it.

A glance at Tobias and Samir reveals a similar fire in their eyes. Samir in particular looks invigorated by Maggie’s words, which Nia supposes makes sense after their own injury.

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Nia says. “Thanks, Maggie.”

Maggie smiles. “You’re very welcome, dear.”

Silence falls over the room again, though more peaceful this time.

At least until August clears his throat, catching everyone’s attention. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m afraid that I did come to visit Team Scarlet with a specific goal in mind.”

The guildmaster’s serious tone makes Nia’s gut bubble with fresh nerves.

“While I came here with the intention to do so, I don’t believe I need to tell you off for being reckless last night, do I?” August starts, levelling each of them one-by-one with a stern look.

Nia winces, knowing that the remnants of her earlier breakdown are probably still very visible on her face. “N-No, sir.”

“Samir chewed us out already,” Tobias sighs. “And rightfully so.”

August nods. “Good. Even if you technically didn’t disobey direct orders, going into that dungeon was a stupid and reckless decision. Don’t make the same mistake in the future, or I will be forced to give your team its second strike for your own safety.”

Nia flinches. “Yes, sir.”

Tobias mumbles an affirmative as well, his gaze locked onto the ground.

“Good. With that done, I have news regarding your mission to Silenfroar.”

Nia blinks, looking up.

“Much as you likely should be kept here until you prove you can listen to orders,” August says, voice hard. Nia barely holds back another flinch. “And as much as Verene agrees, I still believe it’s more important that your team makes this journey to the mountains. For better or for worse, it appears you’re at the heart of the dimensional border issue, and I’m not willing to risk the fate of the world just to follow proper protocol.”

No one dares to respond to that.

“As such, I’m officially approving your travel order to the mountains. If your team is rested and ready after tonight, you can leave at dawn.”

Tobias looks as surprised as Nia feels. “That soon?”

August’s expression darkens. “Last night, we saw firsthand how much damage the degradation of the world is causing. And from what I understand, it’s only going to get worse from here. I can’t justify spending any more time on caution when even a single hour could make a difference on a monumental scale.”

Nia exchanges a loaded look with her friends, one by one. While she certainly doesn’t disagree, it’s nerve-wracking hearing the words from August himself. It makes everything feel even more serious. More real. Urgent.

“Will you four be ready to travel by tomorrow?” August asks.

Samir and Tobias nod immediately. After a moment of hesitation, Nia follows. August is right. They can’t postpone this any longer.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Junie says, her tense voice aiming for lighthearted but missing by a mile.

August nods, shoulders dropping. “Good. In that case, you’ll set out at dawn tomorrow by flight ‘mon along with Fidel. He’s already confirmed he’s ready to travel.”

Oh, right. The zoroark will be joining them on this mission. Something about that—about having an actual adult on their side—eases Nia’s mind a bit. She nods along with the others.

“Good,” August says, slapping a hand on his knee as he rises to his feet. “In that case, I’ll leave you to it. Rest up, and don’t forget to bring proper snow gear.”

“Done and done!” Junie chirps with a salute of her wing.

August smiles, then reaches into his leafy mane and pulls out an envelope. He hands it to Nia. “Here’s the letter I promised, vouching for your team. Give it to the matriarch of Silen, the village atop the mountains. Don’t lose it.”

Nia nods, taking the letter and holding it close to her chest.

For a moment, August sweeps his gaze over each of them, one by one. Nia wonders what he sees, looking down at a bunch of kids a fraction of his size. She wonders if he regrets sending them into a dangerous environment to look for signs of dormant legends. Wonders if he doubts them, and their chances of saving the world.

August doesn’t say. He simply smiles once more and says, “Good luck, Team Scarlet. Be safe.”

And then he’s gone, ducking through the doorway and back into the hall.

Nia swallows, staring after him. “It…suddenly feels a lot more real, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Tobias whispers.

Nia gets up, gently nudging Junie off her lap, to tuck August’s letter safely into an inner pocket of their satchel. After a moment, Tobias joins her, double-checking that they have all of their snow gear for the trip.

Maggie sighs and stands, too. “I suppose I should be getting back up to medical as well, before Sage gets too overwhelmed.”

“Thanks for checking on us,” Nia says, abandoning the satchel to hug Maggie’s leg goodbye.

The meganium bends her neck to hug Nia back. Her voice trembles as she says, “Of course, dear. You all be careful and come back to us safe and sound, all right?”

Tobias, who just “happened” to wander into hugging range, is yanked into a tight embrace as well.

“We’ll be careful,” Tobias mutters.

“Good. Samir? Junie?” Maggie says, lifting her head. The skiddo and rookidee straighten up. “Make sure they don’t get into too much trouble, all right?”

Junie salutes again. “Yes, ma’am!”

Samir nods seriously as well, legs snapping together like a soldier at attention.

Maggie smiles, her eyes misty. Then she releases Nia and Tobias and steps back, giving them one last look and a quiet bid to be careful before she goes to leave as well.

Nia suddenly remembers something she thought of earlier.

“O-Oh! Maggie?”

“Yes?”

Nia swallows hard. “Do you…have you seen a plusle in the medical wing?”

Maggie makes a thoughtful sound in her throat. “I haven’t, but if they weren’t seriously injured, they’re likely being housed somewhere else for the moment.”

Nia takes a shaky breath. “The reason we went into the dungeon in the first place was to try and save a plusle’s sister. A minun. They got separated. If you do see the plusle, can…can you let her know that we did find her sister, but she was already—”

A lump clogs Nia’s throat and tears sting her eyes. She blinks furiously, trying to regain her grasp on speech.

But Maggie clearly gets the message, her face falling with sympathy. For a moment, she looks like she’s going to turn around and envelop Nia in another hug.

Tobias and Samir step up on either side of Nia instead, and she gains strength from their steady presence.

Maggie nods, voice soft. “Of course, dear. I’ll find her and break the news. I’m sure on some level, she’ll be relieved to know.”

Nia is definitely fighting off tears now, so she just nods. Tobias takes her hand and gives it a squeeze.

Maggie, clearly reluctant to leave, finally turns away with another murmur of goodbye and a bid for them to be safe.

And then they’re left alone again, the room feeling oddly empty without Maggie and August. Late afternoon light shines through their window’s leaf blind, just on the edge of sunset. Soon enough they’ll be heading off to bed, then waking up again to head to the mountains.

Nia takes a few breaths to reign in her emotions, then nods to Tobias and Samir. As one, their group gathers around their supplies to prepare.

It’s dusk by time they’re finally finished, after checking and re-checking that they have everything. They’ve got their snow cloaks and scarves and snowshoes. They’ve got their satchel, their badges, and August’s letter. They’ve got apples, travel snacks from the cafeteria, hydration berries and water, and aspear and yache berries to help fight off the cold. They’ve also packed up a bit of their money, in case they need cash for the village on the mountaintop. They even have a few herbs wrapped up and ready to go for tomorrow morning, courtesy of a quick visit to Maggie and Sage. They’re apparently supposed to help boost everyone’s immune systems in the frigid weather.

Once they’re all packed up, Nia feels…restless, without anything to do. She supposes they could go see Fidel and make sure he’s ready, but August already assured them of that.

Tobias keeps fidgeting too, and Nia assumes he feels the same restlessness under his skin. That is, until he turns to her and says, “Hey, I’ve been thinking about something.”

Nia exchanges a confused look with Junie, then gives Tobias her full attention. He doesn’t sound angry or anything, but he does sound…tense. “Yeah? What’s up?”

“It’s about Giratina.”

Nia’s stomach turns. So much has been happening today that she’s hardly even thought about that. About how Giratina’s reflection and its portal properties didn’t work last night, when Ezra was injured. Giratina couldn’t pull the sneasel—couldn’t pull any of them—through to the Distortion World like she’d been expecting.

Tobias mouth flattens into a worried line. “I’ve been wondering why the portal didn’t work last night. It was clear he was trying to pull us through, but he just…couldn’t. Do you think it was because we were in a dungeon?”

“What, like it was too unstable in there or something?” Junie asks.

“Yeah.”

Nia frowns as she thinks. She wishes she could agree, but something about the way Giratina had looked at her in that moment, something in his face and posture, made her fear otherwise. He’d looked…utterly exhausted. Ashamed, almost.

“I don’t think that’s it,” Nia says. “I mean, the dungeons are definitely unstable—”

Nia thinks about how she’d tried to follow the threads of life energy in the dungeon to find the minun. Thinks about how the typically organized pathways of aura were instead split and frayed like loose stitching. The memory makes her feel sick with wrongness.

“—but I don’t think that’s quite it.”

A quiet tap tap of Samir’s hoof catches everyone’s attention. Samir is frowning, and they tilt their head in question.

Oh, right! Samir wasn’t there last night, and they don’t have as much knowledge of Giratina’s portals as Junie does.  

“Whoops. Sorry, Samir,” Nia says. “When we were in the dungeon last night and Ezra got hurt, I tried to call Giratina so we could use his reflection as a portal out.”

Samir leans back, looking stunned, as if to ask, You can do that?

Nia cringes. “We could do that in Kaleido Bay just a week ago, but…”

“But Giratina couldn’t seem to do it last night,” Tobias finishes, looking troubled. “He clearly tried, but it was like he couldn’t reach through to our world anymore. I thought maybe it was just that the dungeon was too unstable, but…”

He looks at Nia.

Nia shifts on her feet. “I mean, I don’t have any proof that that isn’t what happened. But something about how Giratina looked and reacted made it feel like…something else was the problem.”

Like something had changed since Kaleido.

Junie frowns. “Well, why don’t you just ask him?”

Nia looks down at the little bird. “What?”

“Call him up like we did at me and Bo’s place!”

…Huh. She has a point. Giratina can’t seem to audibly talk to them when they’re just communicating through reflections, but he could at least give them yes or no answers.

“Okay. Let’s try it,” Nia says, looking at Tobias. “You’re right. We need to know what’s going on, and find out if Giratina is even a viable escape route anymore.”

It doesn’t take long for Nia to retrieve a bowl of water and bring it back to their room. She places it carefully on the floor, and all of them gather around it.

Nia releases a long breath, and then says, “Hey, Giratina? Are you there?”

For a moment, there’s no response. Then, there’s the familiar faint flicker of gold and gray and black. Giratina’s eyes swirl into view and glow up at them like tiny red fireflies.

Samir shifts in place, readjusting the legs folded under their body. They seem understandably unsettled by the god’s appearance. Nia supposes that it was too much to hope for a repeat of Junie’s easy, enthusiastic acceptance from the last time they did this.

“Hi,” Nia starts, lamely. “Um. We made it out of the dungeon, in case you were wondering.”

Giratina doesn’t answer, but he does look away slightly, as if he feels…guilty.

Nia holds up her hands. “We’re not upset with you or anything! But we are, uh…a little worried. About why that didn’t work this time. Was it because we were in a dungeon?”

Giratina hesitates, then shakes his head.

Nia exchanges a worried look with the others. “Then…is this a new development? You can’t pull Pokemon into the Distortion World anymore?”

Nia remembers trying to touch Giratina through the reflection in the dungeon. Remembers the fear when she felt only cold water against her palm.

Giratina heaves a silent, but visible sigh. He nods.

Nia’s heart sinks. It had been such a comforting thought, having Giratina’s reflections as an escape route, only for them to lose it just as quickly as it appeared.

“But why?” Tobias asks, leaning over the cup of water. “You had no problem breaching the barrier in Kaleido Bay, just a few days ago.” Tobias’ breath catches at his own words, his face paling. “That…that didn’t deplete your energy or something, did it?”

For the first time today, Nia sees a spark of Giratina’s old grumpiness as he glares at Tobias. As if offended by the thought that such a trivial action could drain him.

“I was just checking,” Tobias mutteres, sitting back.

“So if that isn’t the problem,” Nia says, slowly. “Then has something else changed in the last few days? Relating to the border.”

Giratina meets her eyes, looking more exhausted than ever. He nods.

Nia’s heart skips a beat. “Okay. Okay, that…doesn’t sound good. What does that mean?”

Giratina obviously can’t say anything, but the way he looks at Nia, all heavy eyes and grave stillness, speaks volumes.

Nia exchanges a nervous look with Tobias. “We…still have a year before the barrier is supposed to break, right?”

Her worst fears come true when Giratina closes his eyes and shakes his head. Stricken, Nia watches as Giratina lifts two of his tendrils and holds them apart from each other, as if indicating the size of something. Then, abruptly, they’re shoved much closer together.

“The timeline,” Tobias breathes. “It…shortened?”

Nia feels horror crawl up her throat. “W-What?! You mean we have less time before it happens?”

Junie had been listening silently, squinting into the reflection, but now she speaks up. “If the time before the big bad shortened all of a sudden, does that mean this is like…some science-fiction time travel stuff? Like the butterfly effect or something?”

Nia stares at her. “What, like someone did something in the last few days that changed the course of the future? Something that made the barrier-breaking event…accelerate?”

“Yeah!”

Giratina’s head lowers in a single, defeated nod. Nia feels like throwing up.

Whatever is destined to break the barrier of this world is no longer granting them a generous year to head it off. But then…how long do they have?

“How long until it happens?” Tobias croaks, voicing Nia’s thoughts.

“Half a year?” Nia asks.

Giratina shakes his head. Nia’s fear grows.

“Three months?” Junie suggests.

No.

“Two months?”

Another shake of the head.

Nia feels a terrified sort of numbness washing over her. “…One month?”

Giratina hesitates. Then, he gives an uncertain nod.

A heavy, dread-filled silence falls over the room like a physical weight. Nia’s heart roars in her ears.

A month. They have a month before the dimensional border cracks and the Pokemon world is no more. A month to find Xerneas and stop it from happening.

Nia can’t bring herself to look at the others. Instead, she stares down at the shaking fingers folded in her lap. She feels like she should be crying, but instead she’s frozen in place.

This doesn’t feel real. It feels like a bad dream.

…What do they do now?

For a long, horrible moment, none of them move. None of them speak. Then—

“All right,” Junie breathes, catching their attention. The rookidee is clearly just as perturbed as the rest of them, but she shakes herself out, fluffing up her feathers. “A month. That’s, uh. Not great. But we’re leaving tomorrow, right? Maybe we’ll have this all figured out by the end of the week!”

For a moment, Nia stares at Junie, uncomprehending. The little bird is clearly forcing her optimism. She clearly doesn’t believe it herself.

But…she’s trying. And she’s right to, isn’t she? They can’t give up before the disaster even happens. Before they’ve even tried.

Nia takes a sharp breath. Then another. Slowly eases her heartrate back to something manageable. She feels the others’ eyes on her.

“She’s right,” Nia says, weaker than she’d like. “We can’t just…not try, no matter how much the odds are stacked against us.”

Nia summons her courage, and lifts her eyes to make eye contact with each of her friends, one by one. Junie’s eyes shine with relief and terror in equal measure. Samir looks doubtful. Tobias’ expression is desperate and pale.

“Either we lie down and die here,” Nia says. “Or we try to find an answer, even if it feels like a losing battle.”

“Woo,” Junie cheers, warbly and weak, with a light pump of her wing.

Nia snorts a hysterical laugh.

At her side, Tobias huffs a laugh too. He scrubs a hand over his face, rubbing hard at the skin. “You’re both crazy. But I guess you’re right, too. Even if it’s a lost cause, there’s no point in giving up now. Either we don’t try and we’re guaranteed to fail, or we do try and have at least a chance at figuring this out in time.”

As one, everyone looks at Samir. The skiddo frowns and leans away from all the attention.

“Whatcha say, Samir?” Junie asks, her voice a strange balance of earnest and teasing. “Willing to give the impossible a shot?”

The skiddo looks at Junie for a long moment. Then at Nia and Tobias. Finally, they sigh, and push one of their front hooves close to the cup of water, as if to say that they’re in.

Nia smiles, something desperate and hopeful rising in her chest despite the terror lingering in her very bones. She looks down at Giratina, who is watching them with an unreadable expression.

“The mission’s still on, Giratina. Don’t count us out yet, okay?”

Giratina rolls his eyes, and Nia huffs another laugh.

They can do this. They have to. It doesn’t matter if their odds are suddenly even lower than before. They don’t have the option of giving up. And tomorrow morning, they’ll start their journey to find the answers they need.

[1moreff-creator]

Theres this Youtuber called "Girl With The Dogs". She basically makes videos about grooming cats and dogs in a very comedic way. I just finished watching one of the cat videos and I thought to myself.. "If Nico (or really anyone capable of taking caring of animals) were to groom the cast as cats, how would it end up?" Like for example if Nico were to be cleaning Ace as a cat, he'd probably be a nightmare. He'd refuse to eat any tubes, hiss and swat when you try to brush him and would be howling up a storm in the bath. Someone like Rose for example on the other hand, she'd be the opposite. I can imagine her occasionally meowing and having airplane ears but other than that she's quiet and compliant. What's your take on this? Do you have any head canons of your own? I just REALLY love DRDT x Cats

Ooh cool youtuber! And this is a really cute idea, here's my thoughts!

As a disclaimer, though, I know nothing about grooming cats so everything I'm about to say is based on just skimming a few of Girl With the Dogs videos. In other words, I'm going to get things wrong :v

Teruko: Absolutely anything that can go wrong when grooming a cat, goes wrong. Brushes snap, dryers and the machines to cut hair break down, the water catches fire somehow... As a result, she's a mess, and the ridiculous amount of injuries she has doesn't make it easier. She's also very guarded and it takes a while for Nico to get her to trust them, but the Ultimate Pet Therapist comes through in the end! Eventually, Teruko is able to receive the groom she deserves :D

Xander: One eyed kitty who's the essence of energy! He's pretty uncooperative due to his hatred of authority, but eventually Nico is able to groom him. He's not particularly hard to make pretty... as long as he doesn't immediately mess himself up again on purpose.

Charles: Grumpy cat, but pretty chill. Stays pretty still most of the time, but gets feisty if Nico ever offends his pride somehow. The Ultimate Pet Therapist knows how to avoid that, though, so Nico can pull it off without issue. Deathly afraid of the blow dryer though.

Ace: As you said, nightmare cat. Scared of everything he can be scared of, ready to bite and attack anytime Nico comes near, and refuses any guidance. Nico would be more patient with cat Ace than human Ace, but it sure would take a while for them to complete the groom.

Arei: Pretty feisty in the beginning, but after a bit of Pet Therapist magic, she's actually pretty chill. Occasionally goes up to Nico and tries to get them to make her prettier, just 'cause. Nico always complies to the best of their ability.

Rose: As you said, easy... mostly because she'd be asleep the entire time. The hardest part is feeding her tubes and the like because Nico needs her awake for that. Really chill when awake, though, it's almost hard to notice when she is.

Hu: Nice cat that's known to hold grudges occasionally, but has a really deep affection for Nico. Easy to groom because Nico's her favorite person ever. Regularly brings them dead animals and the like.

Eden: Also very energetic, and more social than the other cats. A bit fussy on occasion, and pretty loud when she meows, but always pretty compliant and easy to groom. Her affection towards Nico is part of what eventually convinces cat Teruko to trust them more.

Levi: Extremely chill cat. Grooming him is almost mechanical; no problems, and barely any emotion shown from Levi beyond a bit of discomfort on some things. Also brings Nico dead animals. One time he brought in a dead alligator and no one has any idea how the hell that happened.

Arturo: This cat ran away from its home and specifically sought out Nico to look more beautiful. Nico gives him a better home, and complies. Arturo's actually pretty chill whenever Nico is doing anything to his appearance, since beauty is so important to the cat, but he gets more fussy around other stuff like the tubes.

Min: Well behaved most of the time, if a bit whiny. However, she is insistent on pushing hair in front of her eyes, and Nico has no idea how to stop it. Mostly because they just... don't understand how that works??? How is her hair doing that and how can she see? Impossible to know, but it works for Min. Nico has the pet theory (heh) that she's somehow been genetically modified by the shady ass corporation (XF-Ture Tech) that brought her to them, given how many contests she seems to win, and that's part of the reason her eye situation is strange.

David: Basically the opposite of most other cats. Well behaved at first, and his first grooms didn't require much, since he was always pretty put together. However, he got pretty feisty at one point, and his hair started becoming the cat equivalent of bed hair. Nico managed to get him out of that unruly behavior streak, though; poor thing had cat depression (I think that's a thing?), but the Ultimate Pet Therapist is clutch.

Veronika: Weirdest fucking cat you're ever gonna see in your life. Will do anything when she gets bored, including pretty dangerous stuff. As a result, she spends a lot of time around Nico, and they let her do that even when they're grooming other cats. Grooming her is hard if she's bored, so Nico always gives her a toy when possible.

J: Has a very particular style that she gets mad if Nico strays from, and is generally pretty feisty, but Nico can always get her to chill well enough. Used to be extremely unhappy as a result of being used for beauty pageants by her owner, Mariabella Rosales. Until she mysteriously disappeared one day. Nico denies knowing how that happened, but everyone knows they're responsible. After all, they still groom J in a secret bunker under their usual work station.

Whit: Absolute jokester ball of energy; anything that can fall off a high place, will be knocked off by this guy. Pretty affectionate, though, and always decently happy to be groomed. Even if sometimes he gets a look in his eyes like he's not thinking about the situation at all when he's uncomfortable.

MonoTV:

Nico: You're not a cat.

MonoTV: Yeah! I'm a dog!

Nico: No, I-I mean you're a machine. I don't know how to groom you.

MonoTV: Say what?!

Bonus, Nico: Pretty scaredy cat, very shy, and that makes them hard to groom by most people. Trust doesn't come easy to them, and they've been known to get into fights. Grooming them is difficult, but if they trust you, it's not that bad.

This was really fun! Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for the ask!

[asc-rp]

Xander Kurozuki

Birthday: September 19th

Age: Early 30s

Race: Hybrid

Species: Anthrozil

Gender: Male

Height: 185 cm (Human Form)

Occupation: Dragon Prince

---

Abilities:

Xander is a formidable force of nature—both literally and figuratively. As a hybrid of dragon and something more human, his body holds immense power beneath its calm exterior. He can manipulate vibrations with precision, allowing him to shake the ground, disrupt enemy senses, or even collapse structures if pushed. His draconic physiology grants him enhanced strength, reflexes, and durability, further bolstered by semi-immortality that slows his aging and keeps him battle-ready far longer than most.

His draconic energy, often seen as glowing green flames or a shimmering aura, fuels both his fire manipulation and his ability to morph between his human and dragon forms. With a natural talent for combat and a deep seismic sense, Xander can read the battlefield through subtle tremors, striking with unshakable instinct. He also makes full use of his claws, horns, and wings in close-quarters combat, becoming a living storm when provoked.

---

Personality:

Xander is the eye of the storm—calm, collected, and untouchable until stirred. He exudes a magnetic confidence that feels less like arrogance and more like the assured grace of someone who knows exactly who he is. He walks through life with a relaxed swagger, rarely in a rush and impossible to faze. Whether lounging with a drink or staring down a threat, Xander carries himself with effortless charm and quiet strength.

He's a natural at disarming tension with a smirk and a dry quip, and while he often seems passive or aloof, it’s rarely due to indifference. He simply believes in handling things when they need handling—no sooner, no later. That chill demeanor masks the coiled power of a dragon prince who could level cities if he wanted… but chooses not to.

Xander isn't overly concerned with status or politics despite his royal title. He prefers hoodies over robes and late-night stargazing over throne-room drama. He's not one to waste time on petty conflict, but if you threaten those under his protection or insult his family, he’ll drop the chill act and become something terrifyingly primal. His loyalty runs deep, even if he doesn’t always say it outright. To his friends and allies, he's a steady presence, someone who doesn’t just talk about having your back, but proves it in fire and fury when the time comes.

---

Appearance:

Human Form:

Xander’s human appearance reflects his low-maintenance, high-impact style. He keeps his spiky black hair tousled, sports a goatee, and has a distinct vertical scar over his left eye. His dark skin and relaxed posture make him seem approachable, even when his black eyes say he’s reading you like an open book. He often wears a dark hoodie, hiding the wing-like tattoo etched into his neck and the ear piercings that hint at his wilder side.

Dragon Form:

In his true form, Xander is breathtaking and fearsome. His black scales shimmer with hidden depth, accented by a lighter blue underbelly and green crystalline elements that glow faintly with draconic energy. His glowing green eyes cut through darkness, and his four backward-curving horns give him a regal, ancient look. He sports green fins and spikes along his spine and massive wings that whip the air like a tempest. When angered or engaged in battle, his body radiates green fire, a symbol of his power and fury.

[alyssalikestoreadbooks]

Matched - Ally Condie

"In the Society, officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion."

Read Date - April 28th, 2025

Length - 369 pages

Genre - Dystopia, Sci-fi, Romance

Rating - 7/10

Stars - ★★★★☆

Notes - to start off, i'd like to say that the concept of this is REALLY good. a society where you're predetermined to marry and date someone? perfect concept on god. the descriptions in this book are so elegantly worded and i love the visuals they give me. it's a very beautiful scenery with very beautiful clothes. i love how they bring the information to light so casually, because this IS normal for their society. the rules, the announcements, the matching-- everything brings me into this world and encapsulates me in a way other books have not. the connection between Cassia and her grandfather is so rich and deep, which makes the death banquet even more eery and chilling. It takes funeral to a whole different level. the descriptions of how different diseases were eradicated and how certain characteristics are determined "old" and "outdated" and not used anymore. it's weird to see recent day spoken about this way. The talk of the artifacts being taken away was EXTREMELY interesting and I can't wait to see what it leads up to. Ky and Cassia getting closer and closer is a really nice thread woven throughout the novel until chapter 21 when they finally connect and she begins to question things about her society. The confrontation between the official and Cassia is interesting, and her bending to their whim is very indicative. It's all very cult like. The removing of the trees is just another shocking measure of what they're doing to these people. the dystopian nature of it all. the talk of generative voices?? when this was released in the 2010s?? AHEAD OF ITS TIME. FOR FUCKING REAL. this book NEEDS to be made into a TV series or something. Ky being taken away was so shocking, i genuinely just was NOT expecting that. he was just ripped away without a real goodbye. the explanation is INSANE and i cant believe theyre using child soldiers?? no one is mentioning this?? hello?? and then they just take the red pill (except for cassia) which is like.. i mean taking the red pill whether intentional or not has its own connotations. Cassia and her family being relocated was also unexpected, like it was just such a shock and i love the way it was written. Cassia looking for Ky is such a cool continuation of the storyline and i see how it turns into a trilogy series.

[havenchild2000]

In the quiet town of Sunnydale, where the sun dipped below the horizon with an eerie glow, an ancient evil stirred. It had been centuries since the last time it threatened to rise, and the signs were unmistakable. The air crackled with tension, and the shadows seemed to stretch longer than they should. Buffy Summers, the Slayer, had sensed it—a darkness creeping in, a familiar chill that sent shivers down her spine. But this time, she wouldn't face it alone.

Meanwhile, in a motel room on the outskirts of town, Sam and Dean Winchester were poring over old texts. They had been tracking a series of bizarre deaths that led them to Sunnydale. The brothers, seasoned hunters of the supernatural, were used to dealing with monsters, but the reports of a rising vampire clan and demonic activity were enough to pique their interest. As they prepared for the night, a knock at the door interrupted their plans.

Buffy stood there, fierce and determined, flanked by Willow and Xander. The brothers exchanged glances, recognizing the intensity in her eyes. "You’re the Winchesters, right? I need your help. An ancient demon is about to rise, and it’s bringing an army of vampires with it. We don’t have much time."

The Winchesters nodded, their instincts kicking in. They grabbed their weapons, and together, they headed into the night. The streets of Sunnydale were alive with the sounds of the undead—faint whispers, the rustling of wings, and the distant growls of creatures lurking just out of sight. They moved strategically, Buffy leading the way, her senses heightened, while Sam and Dean flanked her, ready for anything.

As they approached the old cemetery, a sense of dread washed over them. The ground trembled slightly, and the air grew thick with the scent of decay. “This is it,” Buffy whispered, her voice barely audible over the rising wind. “They’re coming.”

Suddenly, the earth erupted as a horde of vampires clawed their way out of the ground, their eyes glowing with hunger. The Winchesters and Buffy sprang into action. Sam swung his iron crowbar, taking down the first vampire with a swift motion, while Dean fired his shotgun, the blast echoing like thunder. Buffy danced through the chaos, her movements fluid and precise, staking vampires left and right with a grace that left even the seasoned hunters in awe.

Willow, channeling her magic, conjured a protective barrier, keeping the demons at bay while Xander wielded a makeshift weapon, his bravery shining through despite the odds. The battle raged on, the sounds of clashing metal and anguished cries filling the air. But just as they thought they were gaining ground, a powerful figure emerged from the shadows—the ancient demon, cloaked in darkness, its eyes burning with malice.

“Foolish mortals,” it hissed, its voice like gravel. “You cannot stop the end of days.”

Buffy stepped forward, undeterred. “We’re not here to let you win. You’re going down.”

With a fierce battle cry, they charged at the demon. Sam and Dean worked in tandem, using their knowledge of supernatural lore to exploit the demon’s weaknesses. Buffy and Willow combined their strengths, unleashing a torrent of magic and strength. The air crackled with energy as they fought, each blow resonating with the promise of victory.

The demon roared in anger, summoning more vampires to its side, but the group stood firm. They fought with everything they had, the stakes high and the world hanging in the balance. As the final confrontation loomed, Buffy delivered a powerful blow, driving her stake deep into the demon’s heart. It shrieked, the sound piercing the night, before disintegrating into ashes before their eyes.

In the aftermath, the sun began to rise, casting a golden light over the battlefield. The remaining vampires scattered, defeated and broken. The world had been saved, at least for now. The group stood together, breathing heavily, a sense of camaraderie forming among them.

“Not bad for a night’s work,” Dean said, a grin breaking through the exhaustion.

Buffy smiled, wiping the sweat from her brow. “I think we make a pretty good team.”

As they exchanged stories and laughter, the shadows that once loomed over Sunnydale began to fade. They knew that evil would always find a way to return, but for now, they had triumphed. The Winchesters and Buffy had forged an alliance that would last, ready to face whatever darkness awaited them next. In the heart of the night, they had fought not just for their own lives, but for the world itself, and together, they would continue to stand against the encroaching shadows.

[harmonyhealinghub]

The Old Phone Booth Shaina Tranquilino October 12, 2024

The phone booth stood in the middle of nowhere, an ancient relic from a forgotten time. Its glass panes were cracked, the once-bright red paint now faded to a dull rust. A lonely road stretched in both directions, endless and desolate. No one came here. There was no reason to. Yet the phone booth remained, untouched by time or vandalism, waiting for something—or someone.

It was late one autumn evening when Xander found himself lost along that very road. His phone had died hours ago, and there hadn’t been another car in sight since he left the small town behind. The cold, bitter wind gnawed at him as he walked, and just when hope seemed to dwindle, he saw the phone booth up ahead.

Relief washed over him. It was bizarre—who kept a phone booth running these days? But he didn’t care. He just needed to call for help. As he approached, something about the booth unsettled him. It didn’t belong here, in the vast emptiness of the fields around it. But desperation overpowered any lingering doubt.

Xander pushed open the creaky door and stepped inside. The air within felt colder than it should, a damp chill clinging to him. The phone hung crookedly from its cradle, an old rotary model that hadn’t been in use for decades. The grime and cobwebs hinted it hadn’t been touched in years. But before he could reach for it, the phone rang.

The sharp, metallic ring echoed in the booth, startling him. Xander froze. His mind raced—who would call a phone like this? There was no one around for miles. Perhaps it was a coincidence, some automated system. But as the phone continued to ring, a strange compulsion overcame him. He reached out, hesitated, then lifted the receiver.

"Hello?" His voice was shaky.

At first, there was silence. Then, faintly, from the other end of the line, he heard it—whispering. It was low, indistinct, like a distant conversation just out of earshot. Xander strained to listen, but the words remained elusive. He should’ve hung up then, but something in those whispers tugged at him, drawing him closer.

“Hello? Who is this?” he repeated, but the whispers only grew louder, surrounding him, filling his ears with their unintelligible murmur. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the tone felt wrong—off, like voices that weren’t meant to be heard. A cold dread began to creep up his spine, but his hand wouldn’t let go of the receiver.

The whispering continued, insistent, crawling into his mind like insects burrowing deep. Xander tried to pull away, but he found himself rooted to the spot, paralyzed by some unseen force. His heart pounded as he realized the whispers weren’t just words—they were inside him now, writhing in his thoughts, unravelling them. The voices were no longer on the line; they were in his head, echoing from the corners of his mind, relentless and invasive.

The wind outside had picked up, rattling the booth, but Xander didn’t notice. The whispers were all he could hear, growing louder, drowning out everything else. They spoke in a language he couldn’t understand, yet somehow he knew what they wanted. They were telling him things—dark, terrible things—about himself, about the world, about everything that waited beyond.

He tried to scream, but his throat tightened, suffocated by their presence. His vision blurred as the world around him seemed to warp, bending and twisting in unnatural ways. The booth felt smaller, closing in on him, the glass distorting like a funhouse mirror. The whispers consumed him, tearing through his thoughts, leaving nothing but a hollow echo where his sanity had once been.

With a final gasp, Xander dropped the receiver. The phone swung limply, the dial tone buzzing faintly beneath the rising wind. He staggered out of the booth, his mind shattered, eyes wide with terror but unseeing. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, mumbling incoherently to himself, the whispers still echoing in the dark recesses of his mind.

Hours later, a passing truck driver found Xander wandering along the road, his clothes soaked from the evening rain. His eyes were glazed, and his lips moved, forming words that made no sense. He was taken to a nearby hospital, but no one could reach him. He spoke of voices, of the whispers that wouldn’t stop, of things that had no name. Days later, he vanished from his hospital room without a trace.

The phone booth remains there, silent and waiting.

Sometimes, on lonely nights, it rings. And if you answer, you’ll hear the whispers too.

But be warned: once they find you, they never let go.

[weed-ols]

Reviewing Every UKISS Release: By Unpopular Demand ~ BREAK TIME

Well, we're here, at the end of an era, the last album featuring Kibum, and the last album Xander did before rejoining 12 years later. I remember being absolutely obsessed with the choreo as a wee little tweenie, while also having the sense to be a little embarrassed by the lyrics.

BREAK TIME - 4th Mini Album | 2010.10.04

So this release absolutely changed my tweenage brain chemistry in a way I can't fully explain. Maybe it was the song, maybe the lyrics, maybe the MV, maybe the fantastic choice to just style them in suits, I don't know, but tweenie me was so down for this. Still fairly normal about them though.

And first, before anything else, can we all just appreciate how bad this cover is? Like it's so fake-looking that Xander looks like he's been photoshopped in, and they look like they're just standing with a green screen (which is probably it). NH is nothing if not consistent in being low budget.

Anyway, this little spiel pertains less to the actual album and their activities at the time, and more about the behind the scenes stuff. So for Hoon's birthday livestream, he had Xander as his special guest, and we learn some real foul stuff about NH. Hoon was brought in roughly around this release, give or take some, and Xander was put in charge of teaching him all the songs and dances. Now Hoon was under the impression he was just a new addition, but Xander already knew he was out. Again, I'll see you in hell, NH.

So some idle thoughts that have arisen from this - did the others also think Hoon was joining them as an addition? Is that why Kibum was moved to the rap line for this release? Were they under the same assumption with AJ, or did they not know about him joining them? I feel like some of this has been said before, so maybe one day I'll do a real deep dig to try to find something on this.

Intro (Before Yesterday) | YouTube Music 209k | Spotify 22k

This intro is so good they falsely promised us a full version

"More than present/Mordney present" iconic

Love the lowkey chill vibes and the always-wonderful Soohyun/Kevin duet

That last "meolli wasseo" Kevin does? Incredible

"Yeah girl" Eli makes me chortle all the time

I never listened to intros as a kid, but this one had me by the jugular

To go from this right into Shut Up!! is so good, what a change in tone

8.75/10 I still have the faintest hope that one day we'll get the full version

Shut Up!! (Audio) | YouTube Music 5.6M | Spotify 534k

"This is more than present/mordney present" I always laugh at this it's so good

You know it's gonna be a banger when you hear that

Having Dongho, the babiest of babies with babyfaces, do the oppa parts is so iconic

"Girl you're pissin me off" if I had a nickel for every time Eli says he's pissed off...

So yeah this song is basically 3 minutes of Soohyun and Kevin aggressively singing back and forth, with a quick break for Xander, Eli, and Kibum to butt in, Dongho being funny, and Kiseop's one line

For the longest time, I didn't even realize Kiseop had that line I genuinely thought it was Kevin because of the backtrack

I think even though when I think of this song, I think of Kevin, Soohyun carried this harder he's just more aggressive in singing

The lyrics are very funny when we look back now, and peak UKISS "baby I hate you you cheated on me >:("

I think this is the most woman-hating of their songs, except for DORADORA maybe, but that's less aggressive

The comments under this are super funny too, insisting it has to be Shut Up!! and not just Shut Up, and that the exclamation marks are very important because of how loud they are

I forgot to mention this last time, but Bingeul Bingeul and Shut Up!! are both on the shorter end of their title tracks, clocking in around 3:10-3:15, but they both feel very complete

8.5/10 I have such a soft spot for this song, okay? It helped revive their careers, is slightly embarrassing to listen to but also a very solid song on its own, I just really love it.

Shut Up!! (MV) | Official upload 3.9M

There's two versions of this that aren't really that different - the clean version and the full version

I think the clean version just has some of the shirtless shots removed? I don't remember

God I remember watching this every single day I could as a kid

"High definition" meaning 480p which to be fair, was high def for us back then

Kevin learning that this only goes up to 480p when they used a "super expensive camera" still cracks me up

Also not the girl in the MV being way more famous than all of them combined now lol

All of them except for Eli looked so awkward with her

THE SUBWAY SET that's actually just a set they made in their usual warehouse

I think it was in Standing Still where they pointed out where they filmed this

Those white suits are ~*~sophisticated~*~

Absolutely iconic part of the choreo

Was it in Midnight Idols when the one senior idol was like bro what the hell are you guys doing?

The blue suits are also ~*~sophisticated~*~

They were trendsetters for this

Kiseop's crop top is goated I can't even begin to describe its impact on me

Peak bad boy with a dash of indecency

The necklines, the gloves, the wrist accessories, the hats, the washed out lighting, the abandoned warehouse, the thickening and darkening of the dramatic guyliner *chef's kiss*

The way he just kinda hops out

I wheezed a little at this frame

These shots are absolutely hilarious

Look at the art project on Kevin I don't remember how much time he said they spent on it

It's so funny looking at him compared to Kiseop like you can tell which is fake

Interesting who was made to go topless and was kept clothed

Anyway put on some clothes, you'll catch cold from the wind

Also, nothing like hanging out in the locker room? steam room? whatever with the boys while lounging around and putting on smoulders

Peak "look natural look natural look natural"

I just thought this frame looked funny

Soohyun doing normal people things and just shouting "WAE JAKKU" in her face

That's actually a pretty nice shot of them

I'm reminded of the comments asking if they got into a fight with cats

It was an aesthetic of the times, that's for sure

Eli, once again with his funny hats

I completely forgot about the French tattoos

Luckily, I now know enough French to confidently say that says "lie/lying" okay we're just namecalling women now

'Like nothing happened" lol that's so dramatic

Like their last two MVs, not much story, just a bunch of dancing in abandoned warehouses and subways, chilling in the locker room with the boys half-naked, some shots of Eli on a motorcycle, and all of their solo shots with the girl

I guess Eli is technically the main protagonist of this, what this is, I'm not sure

7/10 I like their outfits when they're clothed, and I love the shot of them lounging on their logo. Wish it was more dramatic though, like come on you guys are supposed to be angry bad men put some (not-drawn on) muscle to it

Shut Up!! (Stages) | Highest viewed 542k (Fan upload)

Highest official upload is 241k MuCore

Or 1.9M if we count the TeenKiss stage (which I personally love because both Soohyun and Kevin are very hot there)

Also, remember how Eli broke his hand while practicing this dance and then showed up to the next music show with a cast/splint/I don't remember?

He really shouldn't have done that like bro let your hand heal????

Look at Dongho's shoulders lmao he was so short compared to them

Like it's bad enough he's the babiest babyface but he's also the shortest??? Makes the performance 100x funnier

So styling, not much to say. They're all in tailored black suits, simple patterned ties, and I think they all have natural/slightly lightened hair, and no crazy hairstyles

Eli, Xander, and Kiseop have theirs styled as combovers - Kiseop looks good, though I'd tone down the eyeliner, and I'd say it's not the best but also not the worst for Eli and Xander

The others just have very natural hairstyles (also this is not the last time Kevin has this cut)

Who gave Eli the double-breasted jacket? It looks so...tight on him. There's honestly a few parts in the dance where I wonder if it really was tight because he's not leaning back very much, but he does do other shoulder movements so I don't know

I don't have anything to say I just really love this choreo no matter what and I'm so mad they didn't do it in their 2016 concert version

Another favourite bit of choreo

Soohyun's so aggressive here I love it he's never not committed

The fact that this bit of the dance is just because of a pun lol

Also he really is just touching and caressing everyone in this dance like he immediately goes to touching Kibum's face after this

Love hearing the crisp clap from the mics that's always so satisfying

They really love doing this kind of choreo in their dances

Not Kiseop nearly slipping on this, but good on him for catching himself without much interruption

Soohyun in the centre, right where he belongs

Oh wait they don't have the handkerchiefs for this one?

I love the choreo for this, the use of height to make interesting images, the sharp to smooth arms, and the entire chorus dance

Timing that kind of delayed effect is honestly such a pain to practice but it looks so cool

Also love the heaviness used for the pizza tossing choreo

Dance-wise, they all did really good, they're all sharp, well-timed, and throwing their whole body into the small details

The footwork's not the most difficult, but I also don't expect these dances to be that difficult since they have to sing

Dongho, again, serving the most face because this concept feels like it was made for him

Singing sounded live for the most part, but a lot of it is kind of hard to hear because of the backtrack

8/10, Shut Up!! has such a precious place in my heart, and I love the full choreo

Ooh found the handkerchiefs!!

Also this is the one where Eli's wearing a brace on his hand

I like all the individual pieces of these outfits, but not all together

The blue is nice, and the material is shiny but not baggy-looking, and I like the maroon dress shirts, but I don't love them paired together. The sparkly grey ties are a super nice touch though

I like these maroon suits

Xander's hair is like a baby version of his MMHN hair lol

No handkerchiefs though

The monochrome suits are really nice, though I'm questioning Kiseop's and Xander's hair

No handkerchiefs here either huh I thought this had more handkerchiefs

Wait is this a pre-dab dab?

The way that this video started off as 144p even though it's set at 1080p

Handkerchiefs are back baby!!!

I really like these white suits they look really good

Light It Up | YouTube Music 644k | Spotify 85k

This is Soohyun's song, everyone else is just a feature

Like half the song is just him, Kevin, Dongho, and Xander make up the other half, plus a couple of lines from Kiseop and Eli

And I wouldn't have it any other way, he kills this song

Also don't think there's any Kibum lines in this

It's so good, like it's crazy this is just a B-side

Feel like a broken record, but I kind of wish there was less autotune used so we can experience Soohyun's voice in all its glory

How do we not have a live of this? That feels like a crime

I like the Kevin/Kiseop part leading into Soohyun and the first chorus

We're veering right back into "baby I love you please come back I miss you" territory

I'm also pretty sure half this song is just the chorus

8.75/10 love the chorus/Soohyun solo, and I like how the song builds and swells

Rock Ya' Body | YouTube Music 257k | Spotify 11k

Common Soohyun/Kevin duet with brief features from the others

I hear Kiseop for a couple of lines in the chorus, Eli is doing the "clap clap..." part, I'm fairly certain it's Xander doing the rap verse, and Dongho might have the last line of the chorus. I don't know about Kibum

He might have a line in the chorus? Maybe the "clap it up" part? I can't really tell who's doing that

Like I'm not gonna lie I'm really bad at picking out Kibum's voice, and it's super difficult with all this autotune

But yeah standard arrogant UKISS dance track, a precursor to TOP THAT, if you will

Kevin opening with "hey little mama" is so funny

Soohyun's little "I'm hot news baby" is also very funny

Another borderline UKISS Sex Song, but I'm not counting it because it's not explicit enough

Love the persistent clapping throughout the song it's super catchy

8.25/10 it's a fun and catchy dance track, and that's something these guys do very well

Avater | YouTube Music 67k | Spotify 12k

Okay I have no idea who's doing what in this song, but I think it's a rap line song?

The only thing I'm sure of is Soohyun comes in either actually singing or doing the backing for the "100% synchronized high and low" part

I don't think I hear Kevin or Kiseop anywhere

I hear Xander and Eli pretty consistently, even through the autotune, and I think I hear Dongho a couple of times

The chorus is hard to tell though, it could be a heavy autotuned Kibum or it could be Eli or Xander

Look, I dug through old videos of this to both get a decent translation, and to figure out who's doing what in this song

Another fun party song, and UKISS Sex Song #3

It's been almost 14 years and I still don't know what "checkin yo steez" means

Also uh I've chosen to interpret the lyrics as just risque, but like it could very easily be interpreted as wanting to make this girl a puppet? Isn't that kinda dark lol

Oh and the autotune is so heavy here, fitting and absolutely appropriate for this song, but super heavy

7.5/10 I think I'm biased because I've listened to this like 30 times trying to figure out who does what, so now I have a mild headache

Don't really have any fun facts other than crumbs of funny bits. Most of my knowledge is either concentrated from little bits of info I gained through osmosis about their very early career, or the wild shit they did in Japan.

So, at the end of 2010, Xander, Soohyun, and Eli did a spinoff of 'We Got Married' called 'We Are Dating', and all I remember from that show is Eli ripping his pants, thus becoming the first member to do so, and Soohyung magical suitcases of everything. It was an okay watch, but in hindsight, Eli being so awkward, whether it was scripted or not, makes sense because wasn't he already dating his ex-wife at the time? I get that the company probably didn't know since they were still under a dating ban, but wow that must've been weird. Like they could've picked Kibum, or Kiseop, or Kevin to do it, but no they chose him.

When they did Midnight Idols, the talent portion was so great - Eli cracking a bone while doing a kick; Xander doing a yoga pose only to immediately give up after 5 seconds; Dongho and Kevin being girl group dance enthusiasts and scaring each other via unintended eye contact; Soohyun serenading Kibum's brother's thigh; Kiseop climbing up the chalkboard, it was fun times all around.

Well that's that. It was really fun to go back this far and quite literally watch them go from weird cringy rookies to whatever the hell they are by Shut Up!!

UKISS Era - Woman-hating Bad Boys - Complete!

[lokidokieokie]

Guardian of the Night

Summary: It hadn't been long since you lost sister your sister to the vampires; but you couldn't help yourself from still frequenting the cemetery. One night, things get a little bit out of hand...

Pairing: Xander Harris x Fem!Reader

Warning(s): Y/n is attacked by a vampire, staking, vampires, mentions of death (sibling), typical canon-like violence, fighting, lemme know if I forgot anything...

The moon shone brightly, casting an ethereal glow over the cemetery as you cautiously made your way through the maze of tombstones. Your heart raced in your chest, every rustle of leaves making you jump. You knew it was foolish to venture into this dangerous place alone, but you had to find closure. It had been a year since your sister had fallen victim to a vampire attack, and the pain still gnawed at your soul.

As you neared your sister's grave, a sudden chill ran down your spine, and you felt a pair of eyes boring into your back. Instinctively, you spun around, and there, lurking in the shadows, was a vampire—a predator in the night.

Panic gripped you as the vampire lunged toward you, its fangs bared. You stumbled backward, your heart pounding in your ears, convinced that this was the end. But just as you closed your eyes, waiting for the inevitable, you heard a triumphant yell.

"Hey, bloodsucker! Leave her alone!"

A figure leaped from the darkness, tackling the vampire to the ground. It was Xander, one of your closest friends. He fought with a determination you had never seen before, his fists connecting with the vampire's face as he fought to keep it at bay.

Dazed and disoriented, you watched in awe as Xander's courage unfolded before you. He was always the funny guy, the comic relief in your group of friends, but now he showed a side of himself you had never witnessed. He fought for you, protecting you with every ounce of strength he possessed.

Finally, Xander managed to overpower the vampire, driving a wooden stake through its heart. The vampire turned to dust, disappearing into the wind. Xander turned to you, panting heavily but sporting a victorious grin.

"Hey, Y/n. Need a hand?" he asked, extending his hand to help you up.

You nodded, accepting his offer, and he pulled you to your feet. Your legs felt weak, your body still trembling from the adrenaline coursing through your veins. Xander wrapped his arms around you, providing a much-needed sense of comfort and safety.

"You scared me half to death," he murmured, his voice filled with genuine concern.

"I... I didn't think I would make it," you managed to whisper, tears brimming in your eyes.

Xander gently wiped away a stray tear from your cheek, his touch soothing. "You're safe now, Y/n. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

His words resonated deep within your soul, filling you with warmth. In that moment, you realised just how much Xander cared for you, how far he would go to protect you from the darkness that haunted your world.

Leaning against Xander's chest, you allowed yourself to feel vulnerable, to let the emotions flood out. He held you tighter, offering a silent support that you desperately needed. His presence was a beacon of light, guiding you through the darkest of times.

As you stood there, wrapped in each other's embrace, you couldn't help but feel a deep connection with Xander—a connection that went beyond friendship. The intensity of the moment seemed to ignite a spark between you, an unspoken understanding that there was something more.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Xander," you whispered, your voice barely audible.

He pulled away slightly, his gaze locking with yours. His eyes held a mixture of tenderness and determination. "You'll never have to find out, Y/n. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

You could feel your heart swell with affection for him, realising that you had found your guardian in the night. Xander had always been by your side, but now, in this moment of vulnerability, you knew that he was the one who would stand between you and the darkness.

Leaning forward, you pressed a soft kiss to Xander's lips, conveying the depth of your gratitude and the blossoming feelings you had discovered. It was a silent promise—a promise to face the challenges of this world together, to find solace in each other's arms.

And as you stood there, locked in an embrace, you knew that with Xander by your side, you would never have to face the night alone again.

A/N sweet little baby Xander...

[fatbiatchforever]

Out of time (Pt. 4)

You were running around the apartment trying to find that damn thing. The bane of your existence- a blanket.

You were truly loosing it. His cries rang in your ears as you scrounged through everything.

You walked back to the living room and picked him up, "Xander, please. I'm trying." 

You walked around with him, gently soothing his back with one hand while the other moved through the pile of stuff.

"We're going to find it. Just be patient with me. Okay?"

He wrapped his arms around your neck and whimpered, "I want blankie."

"Yep. Message received. Do you want to sit and watch something till I find blankie?"

He shook his head and went back to hiding his face in the nape of your neck.

"Cool. This could be a bonding experience. Okay, let's get Alexa to play some nice songs," you slightly bounced him on your hip, "and then we can go rescue blankie. Who wants to go first?"

He whispered, "Me."

"Who?"

He moved back to look at you, "ME!"

"You know the drill."

You saw the gears turning in his head as he thought of a song, "Alexa, can you pleasee play creepin by Uhm, boom?."

"Metro boomin."

"Alexa, creepin by," he took a deep breathe, "Metro Boomin."

"Good job baby. Playing weeknd at the time of distress, you're my kid for sure."

Even if he didn't know word to word, he hummed along.

It must have been the break from the non stop crying, you found blankie. Both of you ended up on the couch, with Xander on your lap and blankie covering him completely and you partially.

"Now this is what Sundays should be about right? Just both besties chilling."

"Ma," he pushed the phone in front of you, "phone."

You rolled your eyes, "Fine. For half an hour, then we need to get ready for the party."

You handed him the phone, which he grabbed with his two tiny hands, "I love you." He laid his head on your chest and hugged you, "I love you too baby!"

He played on your phone as you ran your hand through his hair. You mentally stopped yourself from going down that rabbit hole. It starts with you thinking about how he got a hair cut few weeks ago to feeling like time is running to realizing your baby is three to thinking about when you saw him first to your eyes tearing up a bit.

Life changed when he came, and only for better.

————

Both of you zoomed out of the house. You were asked to get the cake and last thing you wanted was to ruin an one year olds birthday. 

"Xander, how's the cake?"

"Ma! Its going to fall."

"What?!" You quickly turned back. It was still strapped in as your toddler's adorable but very evil laugh echoed through the car, "Ha ha Xander."

"I'm too funny."

"You're up for a rude awakening in the future." You parked the car and pulled the brakes on, "but for now let's go with that."

You got out of the car and got Xander out. He ran inside the minute he landed on the floor, "Xander slow down."

You got the cake out slowly only to realize you left the keys inside. You slowly moved to keep the cake back when your knight in casual wear came in.

"Let me help you."

Sam grabbed the keys and locked the car, "I'll handle this from here. Thanks a lot man."

"Of course! Did I miss anything?"

You walked towards the door when Sam called for you.

"Listen, I have something-"

"Sam, really?"

He looked confused, "What?"

"I love our gossip sessions, but it's the start of your kid's party. Let's go inside, set up and then huddle and gossip our lives away."

Kids running around, adults with their red cups, barbecue invading your senses and music playing in the background. That was what you walked into. 

"Hey!" You walked to your friends as you looked out for a peak of Xander.

"Y/N! Are you okay?" Rox was in front of you, with her hands pulling you in for a hug. You awkwardly hugged her back, "Yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"

You felt her tense up before she pulled back, "Y/N,"

"Okay, all of you are scaring me." You point to Adrian and Jake who were standing behind her, "but I need to make sure Xander is fine before we start this."

You go through the crowd while greeting familiar faces looking for a sight of that face you can't live without.

You got down on your knees to wish the birthday girl, "Happy birthday Daisy! I can't believe your one." You tap her cute nose as she laughed and crawled away. "Hey baby. Do you need anything?"

Xander leaped on you, "I need to peeeeee."

You laughed and placed him on your hip, "You're so silly." You kissed his forehead and walked towards the washroom.

You tried to open the door but it was closed, "Aye, how bad is the situation Xandy?"

"Badd. I'm going to burst." He leaned over you to push the handle down.

"Xander, patience. Someone's in there."

You placed him down and sat on your heels. His little jumps made you laugh so hard, "You can do this Xandy. Just a little longer."

He held your face, to be exact your ears and scrunched his face in sheer concentration, "I can do this." 

Before you could reply, the door opened.

"Sorry-"

You looked up and your breath hitched. There was no way it was happening again. You were over it. You tried to blink him away, but he refused to go away this time.

"Buck?"

It must have been the shock, you fell back on your butt.

"Y/N, are you okay?" He was on the ground, holding your arm, looking into your eyes, breathing the same air as you were. Or at least the same air you were trying to breathe.

"Ma!" You looked back at Xander, "Are you okay?"

You smiled, "Oh, I'm fine. I'm sorry baby, let's get you inside."

"Y/N, let me take him." Adrian quickly swept Xander into the bathroom, leaving you alone, on your butt, with your ex, who may or may not be a figment of your imagination.

"Are you okay?" Bucky asked again.

You got up as quickly, "Yep! All good."

Bucky stood straight with that face you were familiar with. The face he made when he wasn't convinced but he knew he'll figure it out and get it out of you.

You quickly looked away, "You're back!"

"Yeah," Bucky stuffed his hands in his pockets, "How are you?"

"Great. How are you?"

He shrugged, "Fine."

These four years had clearly agreed with him. The groomed beard and the long hair. In addition, for some reason he looked more ripped than he did before. Don't even start on the Henley. It always did a number on you, till this day unfortunately.

"So, what brings you to the old New York citay?"

"I didn't want to miss Daisy's birthday."

So clearly he kept contact.

"Oh, so you're not here for long?"

Bucky cleared his throat, "I'm staying for a while."

You nodded. You hated that pang you felt. You always thought this day would come but in reality the old scars were showing.

"I'm glad you're back home."

This time he looked away from you, "This place stopped feeling like home a while ago." 

"MA!"

This is why I love this kid. 

He wrapped himself around your leg, "Hey!"

Xander looked at Bucky from the side of his eyes and quickly looked back at you. You picked him up, "Xander, do you know who this is?"

You chose to ignore the surprise on Bucky's face, which was same as the one when you fell on your butt and Xander asked if you were fine. 

Xander hid his face in your hair, "Really? You dressed up as him last year." You said. Bucky's eyes were on Xander, you recognized a mix of surprise and softness.

"He just needs to get used to you." You whispered to Bucky.

"Bucky, meet my son and I would say your number one fan, Xander."

Bucky looked in a complete state of shock, before he looked at you and then back at Xander, "Oh, Uhm, hi Xander. I'm Bucky Barnes."

Xander turned his face a bit to look at Bucky. He looked at him for ten seconds before whispering to you, "He's lying. Bucky doesn't have long hair."

You laughed, "Oh, baby no. It's Bucky but he grew his hair." You looked at Bucky, "I don't think he recognizes you because of the long hair and beard.

"Oh," Bucky's face fell a bit.

"Hey." Adrian interjected. Xander moved into Adrian's hold immediately. 

Bucky immediately tensed up. You noticed his change in expression when Xander went to Adrian.

"It was nice meeting you Xander." Bucky looked at you, "You're okay?"

"Yep."

"I'll see you around." With that he left and disappeared into the crowd.

"So," Adrian started.

"So?"

"Come on, Y/N."

You rolled your eyes and motioned to Xander.

Adrian mouthed, "So?"

You groaned. Before you could choke Adrian, Sam came in, "Hey bud. Why don't you go get your face painted? AJ, take him."

Xander zoomed off as soon as he saw AJ. He loved Sarah's boys and saw them as his big brothers.

"Thanks Sam."

"Listen, I wanted to give you a heads up but-"

"Y/N, how are you?" Rox was again pulling you for a hug. You stopped her this time, "Guys! I'm fine!"

None of them looked convinced.

"Seriously. Was I shocked to see him after four years? Yes, but it was fine. We spoke like adults and moved on. As all of you should too."

"Y/N-"

"Don't. I have Xander. He's my priority. I don't have time for the whole "my ex is back in town" charade."

All of them look at each other. Before you could say something, Jake steps in, "She said she's fine. And she will let us know if she isn't, right?"

"Yeah."

You thanked Jake for stepping in and moved to get a drink. You needed couple of them to survive this party for sure.

[morelikesin]

Day 14 - Drip

Elliott held the handkerchief against Alexander's head, fabric staining red and blood seeping through. He had made a low wince, but otherwise maintained his stoic nature. The older of the two seemed averse to the care.

"I'm fine."

"You're fine?" Elliott scoffed, pushing back Alexander's hair to easier clean the wound, "I'm not in the mood for you t' be all hardheaded, if I'm gonna be honest."

Alexander averted his eyes, fixating on the convex, small dragon bone sitting on the bedside table - rather, small compared to the dragon, anway. "I can mend myself, Elliott. Go look after the others."

Elliott covered the laceration with the last of his self-adhesive bandages. It was thought that he was pretending to have not heard him, up until he made a deep sigh and a scoff. His hand took the handkerchief back up to clean his upper lip, blood smeared across his skin and well soaked into his beard.

Octavio quickly wrapped himself in the fur blanket Mary had just arrived back with, leaving his left arm out so Natalie could continue to clean and doctor the abrasions. He looked over to his partners with an anxious laugh, "Awh, Xan, I'm not hurt bad enough t' get more than one pair of eyes on me. Blóð is fine too - I think."

Blóð simply managed a nod, throbbing headache and selective mutism preventing an answer in another form. Octavio relayed the message with a reaffirming "Sí, elle está bien."

The confirmation served to bring a few long moments of quiet, focus solely towards the doting on the afflicted people. Mary turned the branch on the brass samovar to pour the boiled water into the teapot, its steady stream slowing into pattering drips as she turned it back off. The red of the snowberry mash swirled within the water, and Mary set it back down again to let it steep.

Beneath Elliott's touch, he could tell Alexander was tense, and it wasn't long after that that the latter still wanted to say something.

"I still think you should rather put your concern into one of them."

Elliott tensed his shoulders and grunted, noise breathy and exhausted. Shaking his head, he pushed through the difficulty of conjuring up what to say instead of allowing himself to sit on his thoughts as he so normally did, "Look- can you- I just…" he raised his other hand to press his palm against Alexander's cheek, fingertips still chilled from the trek in the mountain cold, but his palm holding a good bit of warmth. He tried again, "Just let me do this, Xander, okay? I- I thought you…Look, just let me take care of you. If not for you, for me."

There was a moment of silence, save only for the gentle creaks of the bed and of the bench as the others tended to Blóð and Octavio's like, if not worse, injuries. Whatever semblance of pride Alexander harboured had cracked upon Elliott's plea. It was deeper than just caring for a wound, he knew.

Leaning into his hand, he looked to Elliott with a sigh and then silence - looking away again under the stimulation. Elliott rubbed his thumb beneath his eye, observing the lines in his skin and the periorbital darkness that had always been apparent. Elliott's lips tightened, blinking back a wetness in his eyes and swallowing a growing lump in his throat - taste of metallic bile. He returned to dabbing his laceration, shortly thereafter reaching for a cleansing tonic, but his supporting hand against the man's face never left.

[prose-for-hire]

Headcanons for caring for a depressed s/o:

Request: I was wondering what would some the Buffyverse individuals do for a significant other with chronic depression Requested by: @shy-ginger-in-the-graveyard 

Characters: Spike; Giles; Angel: Buffy; Cordelia; Xander; Willow; Oz; Anya; Faith

Warning: Discussion of symptoms of depression (I didn’t describe in too much detail, mostly about the care/support the character would give). Mention of medication (If you do not take medication just ignore it). Hints at harm.

A/N: I don’t have an insight into the way everyone’s depression works, so I can only write what I know. If you want something else just request! Sorry it took slightly longer than I anticipated! I hope this is okay !! 💖

Spike:

Spike’s mood is always in tune to yours

So when things are getting bad, he can feel it

If you can’t get out of bed, he’ll come to you

He’ll wheel the tv over, grab some blankets and try to comfort you as much as he can

you’ll be bundled up in so many blankets, it’ll be a little nest

He’ll join you in bed, wanting to have a lot of physical contact

He’ll be worried all of the time, he feels a lot. Especially when he cares for someone

He’ll sit with you for as long as is necessary

won’t ever be bored

If you want cuddles will silently hold you or tell you what’s going on on the tv if you’re not looking and nestling into his side

If you want leaving alone, he’ll try not to hover (but the man loves deep and the way he shows it is comfort)

He will every so often suggest an activity, one he knows will require less effort on your part to try and get you out of the crypt

Will look up ways to help or ask you a lot if he’s doing the right things

Won’t want to leave you on your own when it gets real bad but if he has to he’ll make sure you can contact him immediately wherever he is

He’ll ask what he can do to help a lot. hates to see you in pain.

literally hurts him. But he never wanted to leave your side.

Will promise to support you for as long as you need if it interferes with jobs/etc (he can get money)

Giles:

at first his concern might come across a bit sharp

But when he finds you crying over something insignificant he’ll come and cradle you and sit you down while he sorts it

He’ll be very practical but incredibly soft with you

Reminders to take meds, etc

Will check with you on what you want

A lot

(which may get annoying but try not to snap he’s really trying)

He’ll have read up on everything he can concerning depression and try his best to be someone you can talk through anything with

doesn’t want you to feel alone in anything (you’ll never feel a burden)

will do tasks around the house if you’re struggling and won’t like you to thank him

he’ll see it as the least he could be doing

he’ll often set up snacks and everything around you on the sofa if that’s where you’re set up

moves all of the piles of books from in front of the tv so you can watch

will sit and watch anything. But will give you a commentary on how much drivel is pouring from the screen if its particularly low-brow

If you can’t focus on the screen or get restless he’ll think of ways to help

He’ll take out a book, pull you into him and start to read in that soothing voice

Angel:

he’d get it

You wouldn’t have to explain

He’d be able to tell if things were getting worse

He might notice your sleep schedule was almost as nocturnal as his

Or that you’re smile isn’t quite reaching your eyes half of the time

Despite you at least making the effort

but he’ll ask you to always come to him and talk about it

If you can’t that’s okay, he gets that too

But he wants to be there

And he’ll tell you so

Will give very good reassuring hugs.

especially ones in the mornings when you both know you should be leaving bed

he doesn’t eat human food, but he will always cook an evening meal

wants to make sure you’re eating decent meals

sometimes you might forget or not have the energy

but he will always make sure he’s planned an evening meal

If you can’t sleep he’ll make warm drinks and watch over you

will hold you for as long as you need (especially on a restless night)

not being able to sleep sucks, but at least you know he’s right there

If you’re feeling very low, will make sure to stay with you to make sure you’re safe

It’ll be the most important thing to him

Buffy:

this girl knows depression

She’s been there and worn the T-shirt

She’ll know that sometimes there’s literally nothing she can do to turn your mood

But it doesn’t mean she won’t be there if that’s what you want

she’ll try to bring you on patrol as much as she can, it’s a distraction at least

but if you really can’t face leaving the house, she would ask the scoobies to start taking up the slack and stay in with you

I feel like she would do all the shopping (food and extras) so you’d have a bunch of fun snacks or random treats that she hoped you might like

knows the little things can go a long way

if you appear emotionless or low, she’ll kiss you softly on the forehead and will never take it personal

if you’re trying to avoid going out she’ll gently encourage you

if you really refuse to go out in the evenings, her solution will be movie nights. 

She’ll rent videos and set up the living room 

so many blankets and she’ll cuddle up to you

she’ll slowly invite one or two friends over too so that you’re not cutting yourself off from everyone you care about (there’s no chance she’ll let you cut her out)

eventually, there will be regular Scooby movie nights

Cordelia:

will chat to you about anything and everything

Won’t expect you to talk back, just wants you to know she’s there

can talk non-stop for days about all of the gossip she has accumulated

If you’re struggling to motivate yourself with everyday tasks she will do as much as she can

without even mentioning it

If you haven’t washed your hair in a while she will offer to wash your hair

Will run you a bath (or shower if that’s easier)

And will very soothingly massage your scalp and wash/condition your hair

She’d set out comfy clothes and definitely brush out your hair (or comb it/style it depending on your style)

read in a magazine that sunlight is supposed to help

trying to decide if the tanning bed would be the same thing

eventually opts for natural sunlight when told by one of the Scoobies that tanning booths probably aren’t the best way to go

will set up a beach day

or the closest thing she can get to a beach day (which might just be sitting in the back garden under the sun)

you tell her she didn’t have to but she will smile wide and insist that it was the best excuse to work on her tan

Very caring and will drop everything for the right person to meet their needs

Will fight anyone that says anything judgemental or rude about you

Willow:

She’ll be very practical but try to be lowkey about it

small suggestions to make sure you’re looking after yourself

you will never ever have any doubt she cares

forgetful? Sticky notes everywhere

adjusting to new meds? Will make a list of any side effects and monitor you to be sure you’re safe

(just cos she cares)

If the days are running into each other she will wake you up telling you the day with a little kiss

I feel like she’d like meal prepping

so she’d make meals for the week so you could have something in if you weren’t feeling up to cooking anything nutritious

she’d totally be doing it anyway, so just makes a little extra for you to share

she will also bake and encourage you to join in too. She’ll say its more fun when you’re around

she will try and inject a little bit of fun into everything

e.g. making a game out of tidying your living room/bedroom

Will offer to do a few spells to help with everyday tasks if they’re overwhelming you a bit

Won’t be too upset if you say no

But will try to convince you multiple times

Xander:

if you’ve been in a slump for a while he’ll try and shake up the routine

even if its just a little something

will crack a lot of jokes to try and cheer you up

“Laughter is the best medicine” (but he will definitely check in sporadically to make sure if u take meds that you are taking them)

won’t remember himself to check all the time but will remember randomly and he’ll ask even if you’re in the middle of a different conversation

But knows when to be serious, when you really need him to be there

Will want you to lean on him 24/7

Both literally and metaphorically

If there’s a day where you’re doing a lot of crying he will be the shoulder you cry on

Wouldn’t leave even if it looked like you were trying to push him away

Knows how to talk to you (especially if you were being self-deprecating)

would 100% be the type to make breakfast in bed on multiple occasions. Wants to make sure you feel special

because you’re usually pretty hard on yourself

might get frustrated that he can’t do more to help (but would never take it out on you)

would go and vent to Buffy or someone who would tell him what you would: that you love that he’s there as much as he can be. He makes it all worth it

Oz:

he’d be very chill about it 

He’d always worry, but be chill on the surface

not only because he’s literally always laid back but because he wants to show it doesn’t phase him

he loves you

he’ll just roll with whatever it is that you need

If you need to cancel plans he’d just nod and call up to cancel

Would try his best to make sure you were comfortable

He’s big on giving for a s/o so anything you needed he’d encourage you to ask

He’d probably check on you a lot, not always verbal just a gesture with his head

If you’re no longer able to enjoy stuff you’re into, he’ll try and slowly introduce small activities

bursts of fun that might or might not help

but you always appreciate the thought

Music.

Will play music as a way of distraction if your thoughts are getting heavy

Any genre. Any decade. Any mood

Will lie there with you, letting the songs wash over you both

Will want to hold your hand or something as a gesture of comfort

always wants you to know he’s there

Anya:

If you can’t move from bed or you’re unmotivated she will try her best to be understanding

Will set lots of alarms if it’s something important you need to get up for

Alarm clocks on every surface

But if you can’t face it she’ll make up a very unconvincing excuse but nobody will question her

At least her hearts in the right place

will tell you wild stories from her past to pass the time if you can’t face leaving the house

will insist you go to therapy and make sure you go

is very by the book because she has just learnt about everything

(thanks Google)

“it says here that counselling/therapy will help with your depression, so you have to go every week, y/n”

will not be open to discussion about it. 

she read it therefore it’s a fact so will always make sure you go. Same with meds if you take them. Same with making sure your diet is as balanced as possible

she’ll be very by the book because she’s just learning about it as she goes

and she’ll always want the best for you

Faith:

If you’re feeling particularly bad about yourself that day she wouldnt care about appearing vulnerable she’d whisper the softest things

you’d want to tease her but you just couldn’t

she’d make you feel so loved

you’d never be a burden with her

she’d love you so fiercely 

she might snap sometimes, but she knows when you’re more fragile

she’d hate seeing you cry

would make her cry

but she wouldn’t go anywhere or tell you to stop. She’d whisper and just let you cry against her

with her own tears threatening to spill

would be very protective

if anyone made you feel guilty or didn’t understand you physically couldn’t do stuff

she would not hesitate to use her slayer strength to back up her words

Will take you on trips in the car. Won’t tell you where she got the car from. Or if her license has expired or not

Mini roadtrips with no real destination

so that you can have some fresh air, some music

knows that you’ll need a change of scene if you’ve been staying in a lot

[buffyversefanfiction]

Tristan Tormented

Warning: I do not own the rights to the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its spin-off series Angel, its dark horse comics continuation series, or any of the characters created by Joss Whedon and others in the Buffyverse. 15 years +, Mild to Strong Violence, Sexual References. F/F, F/M, M/M, Other +

Volume 8 - Shadow Self (Part Two)

PART ONE HERE

“All that I am saying is I do not see why Spike needs to come especially with Buffy on her way there is such a thing as too many people for a séance.” Angel complained to Faith as the two of them walked through a cemetery located somewhere within New York. “Spike knew Mandi and their friendship believe it or not is a lot less complicated than Tristan and Mandi’s so if it is her haunting Tristan my bet is on Spike convincing her to either lay off or crossover.” Faith explained to the brooding vampire. “Spike is needed for this little séance you and Buffy are here to be there for your kid.” “Is Willow coming too? I mean Buffy goes everywhere with her friends and having a witch during a séance makes sense.” Angel replied to her, giving in to the notion of having to soon play nice with Spike. “I doubt Dawn and Xander are going to be there with the baby and everything…but then again I doubted Spike would be there and hey presto.” “Calm down big guy,” Faith laughed at Angel’s jealousy with Spike. “Willow is not coming I told B it was better for her to come on her own so you and her could you know do whatever parents do with their kids that does not involve messing them up.” “And yet Spike still got an invite?” Angel moaned once more. “I get you and Spike have this beef over B and then there is some messed up shit with Dru that I do not even want to approach but you have both been fighting on the same side for a while now it is long overdue that you two stop being a pair of bitches and learn how to get along.” Faith told him straight. “The last thing Tristan needs right now is dad to be fighting with mum’s on/off lover over stupid shit!” “You are right.” Angel reluctantly admitted. “When did you become the voice of reason?” “I know, scary right?” Faith laughed. “New York’s been a good move for me so far…well until Dru made her little comeback anyways.” “Do you think it is Mandi that is haunting Tristan or something else?” Angel questioned her as the two stopped walking and stood still on the path. “Honestly, I think Mandi is gone and that’s the worst of this because if she is at least haunting him then Tristan has a chance of closure.” Faith replied to Angel. “But then on the sinister side ghosts are known for breaking windows but other than Tristan’s nightmares there has been no other signs of a haunting.” “Well he did not break the windows himself so if this séance is a bust then we take to the research I guess.” Angel answered her, “I hope for Tristan’s sake it is Mandi.” “Never did I think we’d be hoping for a haunting.” Faith said, as the two shared a laugh with each other. “I miss the good old days when it was just vampires and slayers.” Faith was glad Angel was in town despite their awkward attempt at becoming something more the two of them had always made good friends, in a way she was thankful for the fallout they had over a year ago as it led to the two of them finding their unique friendship once again, a friendship Faith valued deeply. Faith had always had a soft side for Angel and it was good to learn he did too but after their brief romance which was just a series of make out sessions she was glad to once again refer to him as a friend having never really been one for relationships, or maybe Faith had just not met someone she could imagine herself being all in for.

With the constant nightmares, the exploding windows and the shock arrival of his father Angel, Tristan Summers was more exhausted than he had ever been before but with the hope of a séance getting to the bottom of his recent ordeal Tristan decided to get some time to himself and ran a bath. Tristan never lasted long lying in the bath he had made for himself before he quickly found himself falling asleep despite trying his hardest to avoid it he couldn’t resist his exhaustion any longer and before long he had found himself fast asleep. As his eyes closed he found himself transported to standing in the garden of his family home in Riverborn, shocked to how he got there and uncertain of whether or not he was dreaming as he looked at his home noticing it looked lived in and abandoned like the last time he was there as he began walking towards the front door only to be left shocked as he reached the porch to find Drusilla opening the front door. “The demon inside you grows stronger by the day my darling boy.” She said as she walked over and gently raised her right hand to stroke Tristan’s right cheek softly. “You have been lost for a long time but soon you will find your real home…with me.” “No, you are wrong this is just some weird way of you messing with my mind again.” Tristan replied as he pulled away from the female vampire. “I will never be with you again unless that is me killing you.” “Silly boy if you wanted me dead you would have tried harder,” Drusilla laughed, revealing what Tristan already knew himself deep down. “Yes, you are mad, but I am the last bit of family you have, and mummy will always love you!” “You killed my friend!” Tristan snapped at her. “You and I both know I was not the only one to kill her.” Drusilla replied, adding more guilt to Tristan’s conscious. Before Tristan could reply to Drusilla he suddenly found himself in a dark cave within a blink of the eye, confused by how he had went from his family home to a cave so quickly as he looked around for any sign of Drusilla only to be met by nothing but empty space and shadows. He wanted to go towards the light and walk out of the cave but something inside him wanted to see where the cave led to and before long Tristan found himself walking further and further into the darkness until he found the first slayer stood in front of him. “You’re the first slayer I remember you from my last wacky dream.” Tristan greeted her. “Why are you here now?” “Be stronger than the monster inside!” Sineya warned Tristan, but before he could respond to her he felt a cold chill behind his shoulder which forced him awake, back in the bathroom of the apartment he shared in the bathroom, back in a now cold bath. “Well that was different,” Tristan stated as he looked around the bathroom. “At least there’s no broken windows this time.” “Hello friend,” A version of Mandi greeted Tristan as she appeared from out of thin air with jet black eyes, shocking Tristan by her presence. “Goodbye friend!” The twisted jet black eyed Mandi grabbed a hold of Tristan’s head and shoved his entire body under water with an unfamiliar superhuman strength as Tristan began struggling to come back up only to be met by Mandi’s cackling as she continued to drown the demonic slayer.

Buffy Summers stood in the alleyway outside of Rogue’s front doors hesitant to walk into the bar owned by her son and her former friend turned enemy turned friend again Faith, as she tried to prepare herself to go into mum mode. Now when it came to monster hunting, she was an expert, being a big sister she managed and she believed she was a good friend but when it came to being a mother she had little practice only having a few weeks with her new born baby before losing him to a portal to the past and she was more than nervous to take up her motherly duties once again. It did not help that her son seemed to be thick as thieves with Faith which added to Buffy’s fears knowing that Tristan could relate more to Faith than her, even Angel had one up on her in the department not to mention nobody exactly asked Buffy to come to L.A. to help Tristan’s redemption, although nobody told her not to either. Suddenly a loud screaming sound came from within the bar that Buffy instantly recognized as her son’s scream forcing her to face her fears and run into the bar as fast as she could, hearing his screams louder when inside the bar which were now matched with sounds of splashing. Buffy quickly jumped over the bar counter and ran into the backroom, rushing towards the stairs which she quickly charged up before reaching the bathroom door and kicking the locked door open with force shocked to see Tristan lying there in the bath looking completely traumatized but his head was now above water and as Buffy looked around the room she concluded he was alone. “Did a ghost try to drown you? They love drowning people, well not just ghosts actually vamps love it too but their a little better at it, especially The Master.” Buffy rambled to Tristan before receiving a non-amused look from her son. “I guess I should close the door and wait downstairs for you to get changed.” She could tell something had just happened that she had just stopped something from going any further but she could also tell her son was wet, naked and in need of getting changed and so she left him to it quickly closing the bathroom door behind her as she left Tristan alone in the bathroom once again. Whatever attacked him was clearly gone and so Buffy felt safe in leaving him to get himself ready before meeting her downstairs, saving him from whatever was tormenting him was an easy task for her, it was just another day as the slayer to her but she knew what would come next, what he needed from her, would prove to be her hardest job yet; being a mum.

After yet another near death experience Tristan had well and truly met his limit, he was done with all things supernatural, with always having to fight every single day and mostly he was done with being haunted by a friend who he believed had every right to torment him like he believed she was. He had spent so much time loving Lucas and then loving Dante that he never stopped to fully appreciate the kind of love he had with his best friend Mandi Jenkins, a girl who always had his back no matter what and even plunged forward into the darkness with him so he did not have to be alone. This loyalty did not go unpunished with Tristan choosing Dante and Drusilla over Mandi repeatedly before going on to kill Mandi’s boyfriend and yet Mandi was one of the biggest advocates for his redemption. The truth is he had given up on her and even himself a long time ago and yet she had never give up on him, her belief in him being what Tristan truly believed had left to her untimely death at the hands of Drusilla. “Why did you have to be such a good friend?” A now fully dressed Tristan mumbled to himself as he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. “You deserved so much better than me!” Tristan continued to investigate his reflection, beginning to notice that his eyes kept changing from it’s normal color to jet black before he started blinking quicker and quicker hoping to see his eyes stay their normal color, growing more and more frustrated, leading him to punch the mirror with his right fist as his face went full vampire mode. “That is who you really are, you can keep trying to pretend you’re not a monster but deep down we both know better.” Dante stated as he appeared from out of thin air, shocking Tristan out of his vamp face, as he struggled to understand how his dead lover was suddenly standing right next to him. “You are not real you cannot be real!” Tristan replied, after managing to stumble up the courage to speak. “If you were going to haunt me you would never have waited so long…” “Oh, I am real I’m just not Dante it’s just easier to talk to you with a face you like.” The being displaying Dante’s body claimed. “You tried drowning me.” Tristan responded, admitting for the first time Mandi was not behind recent events. “You’re a vampire you cannot really drown,” The Dante imposter scoffed. “I just needed to get your attention.” “Why?” Tristan wondered, fearing the answer. “Go downstairs and find out for yourself.” The enigma replied before vanishing how he appeared, within a blink of an eye. It was in that very moment Tristan knew for a fact neither Mandi or any other ghost was haunting him, that Drusilla was right about her claims of the soul he now had being that of the demon’s, the shadow demon’s. He knew that the thing plaguing him was actually himself or rather something within himself and the only way to get rid of this plague was to face the ancient demon within, no matter it’s risk, the risk being the potential of losing his soul forever.

Buffy, Angel and Spike all sat at the counter of the bar on the stools within the Rogue’s bar as Faith stood behind the bar ready to begin a séance she did not fully believed needed to be performed but knew Tristan needed all of their company now more than ever. Buffy had informed them all about her bathroom break in with Tristan, how spooked her son looked by the time she had got to him and how there was no sign of anyone else, not that it would be the first time the slayer had encountered an invisible foe but it was the first time one plagued her son. Faith shared the nightmares she had witnessed Tristan waking up from, how he was convinced Mandi was haunting him and how deeply she feared that the demonic slayer was beginning to lose his mind at the hands of something, if not himself. Angel admitted to his worries about the son he shared with his first love Buffy but also admitted to the hopes that they could pull him through this, being somewhat confident after his recent father/son moment with Tristan. And as for Spike, he didn’t have much to add to the conversation, mostly avoiding the awkwardness of being around Buffy after their latest breakup and the general feuding he had with Angel lasting centuries long, while drinking the bottle of beers Faith had been handing him in order to keep him there. They talked about Tristan over and over while all trying to avoid any other topic of conversation; Faith wanting to avoid the Buffy, Angel and Spike love triangle that never went without it’s drama, Buffy wanting to stop herself admitting her jealousy over Faith’s bond with her son and Angel and Spike just wanting to avoid each other. “He has been up there a really long time!” Faith noticed, keeping the conversation on Tristan still, as she began to grow more worried for the demonic slayer. “Maybe one of us should go up there…” Buffy suggested, fearing being the one to check on her son but also fearing to stay alone with Angel and Spike. “I am more than willing…” Angel began to say, before being cut off. “I’ll go check!” Faith interrupted, not meaning to be rude but just being used to the one handling Tristan, her eagerness not going unnoticed by Buffy. Before long Faith found herself in the backroom of the bar and rushing up the stairs, shouting Tristan’s name repeatedly as she walked into the hallway of their shared apartment before noticing the bathroom door was left opened. She wasted no time into walking into the bathroom, already knowing deep down she wouldn’t find Tristan there only to find the broken mirror as evidence to her theory, concluding Tristan had left to god knows where, fearing if she did not act quick she may never see him again as she worried about what danger lay ahead for the demonic slayer. One thing Faith knew for certain wherever he was going spelled trouble and she was going to need Buffy, Spike and Angel’s best efforts to find Tristan in time and save him from whatever had left him so tormented.

TO BE CONTINUED…

[heartofsnark]

A Hope County Christmas (Part One): The Resistance

Notes: Yes, this is late for Christmas and yes, that means the second part is gonna really fucking late for Christmas. But in my defense, I didn’t get the idea and started writing it until the 26th. It was originally suppose to be just one part, but it got real long and I lost some steam in the second part, so it’s gonna take me longer. So, have this and I’ll post the second part....maybe before 2020. I’ve been talking about my Deputy a lot over on my personal @morbidchild182 but this is the first writing I’ve posted with her. I’m still developing her and working on how I write the characters, so. 

Summary: It’s Christmas time in Hope County and as one might suspect, it can be hard to find any Christmas spirit to spare with Eden’s Gate waging their holy war. Junior Deputy Dahlia Hale fully suspects this holiday will be spent just as every last day has been spent since they tried to arrest Joseph Seed. But, between the Rye’s incurable optimism and the Seed’s...fascination with her, she can’t say she expected this. 

Word Count: 3032 

Warnings: Drinking, play fighting, dumb jokes, dumb christmas shenanigans, Ship Tease between Eli and my Deputy, Some sappy bullshit thrown in for good measure. There will be like Yandere Polyseed bullshit in the second part

A harsh cough echoes in Dahlia’s chest, a hacking noise and her lungs constrict. This is her first winter in Montana and it’s absolutely kicking her ass. Eden’s Gate could only hope of making her feel this shitty. Though, to her surprise the peggies haven’t been particularly active lately.

The Seed brothers are originally from Georgia, the deep south just like her, and she wonders if they’re as badly impacted by the cold as she is. Her leather jacket, uniform shirt and tee shirt under it are doing very little to keep out the chill as she rides her motorcycle through the Holland Valley wilderness. Nick and Kim called her over the radio asking her to head over. She’s hoping everything is alright, she’s not sure how much help she’ll be when she can barely feel her limbs.

She parks her motorcycle by the porch, pulling off her helmet and cringing as the cold air hits her face. There are little twinkling Christmas lights across their porch and the roof, even a few strings around the hangar. They’re beautiful, but a part of her worries about it just drawing in angels.

Dahlia rubs her hands together, trying desperate to regain some heat. Her red and irritated nose suddenly feels wet, is her nose running on top of everything? She goes to rub it away, but there’s a fleck of ice clinging to fingers. Something wet pats against her head, is it raining? She looks up towards the sky. Soft white flakes are drifting through the sky.

Snow.

It’s snowing. She’s only seen snow in movies and TV shows, the white puffy flakes touch her cheeks. Ideas of catching snowflakes on her tongue or having snowball fights flicker through her brain, but she disregards it immediately knowing she doesn’t have the time for horseplay.

“Something interesting up there, dep?”

“Huh,” she startles for a minute, seeing Nick standing on the porch and staring up at the sky, “no, sorry, I just, never seen snow before.”

“What, seriously?”

“Louisiana doesn’t get a lot of snow, seen a few hurricanes though.”

“Shit man, that’s just depressing.”

“As is most of my life.”

“Well, come on in.”

“Sure, but, uh, Nick, do you think the lights are a good idea? Might draw-“

Her voice catches in her throat as she steps into the Rye home, it looks like a Christmas wonderland. A giant ornate tree, Christmas music playing on the radio. A tall tree that the top of which nearly scrapes the ceiling, though it’s bare for some reason. Friendly faces all around; Jerome, Mary May, Grace, Sharky, Hurk, Adelaide, Xander, and Jess in a corner hiding away with Cheeseburger nestled at her side. Peaches is getting ear scratches from Sharky. Everyone except Jess is wearing obnoxiously colored Christmas sweaters.

“Those peggies have taken so much from us, I’ll be damned if they’re taking Christmas too,” Nick declares and she can’t help but smile at his determination.

A few barks ring out and before Dahlia knows it two dog paws have landed on her waist, Boomer demanding her attention. He’s almost as bad as John.

“Hey, boy,” she coos scratching behind his ears and laughing as he gives her a few kisses.

“Deputy,” Kim makes her way over, Boomer moving so she can give Dahlia a big hug, “I’m so happy you could make it out here, I know you’re busy with…everything. It means a lot.”

“Uh, what’s exactly going on, I thought you guys needed my help with something?”

“It’s a trap, Rook,” Jess calls out from her corner and Kim rolls her eyes.

“It’s a holiday party, we have one every year and we aren’t letting the peggies ruin it, here.” Kim hands over a white fluffy sweater, the less ugly of any of the ones she’s seen on her friends. When she unfolds it, she sees a little polar bear face with a sprig of mistletoe by its ear.

“Uh…”

“It’s Christmas, everyone has to wear a Christmas sweater.”

“Except Jess, she threatened to bite me,” Nick says, shooting a slightly fearful look towards the woman.

“I mean, I’d be happy to bite you too, hon,” Adelaide calls out with a flirtatious wink, Kim rolling her eyes as Nick visibly cringes.

“Please, dep, just put on the sweater.”

Dahlia shrugs her shoulders, if her wearing a damn sweater will make them even a little bit happier, it’s more than worth it. The couple has endured enough bullshit with Eden’s Gate, the least she can do is wear a damn sweater. She pulls off her leather jacket and uniform shirt.

“Woo, take it off!” Sharky yells out, grinning like a dumbass and Dahlia’s face flushes red, shooting her favorite pyromaniac a death glare before she tugs the sweater on over her tee.

It’s large, white, fluffy, and feels completely out of place on her. She feels like she looks odd without an outfit that’s at least ninety percent black.

“I can’t stay long,” Dahlia warns as she ties her hair back in a stubby ponytail.

“The lord does permit days of rest, Deputy.”

“Good for him, but I got shit to do,” She tells Jerome as she meanders towards a place to sit, eventually settling somewhere between Sharky and Jess, back tight against a wall and knees pulled up to her chest.

“You deserve a day to take it easy, here,” Kim hands her a mug of eggnog, an odd smell coming off it. It’s probably fine. She takes a drink and the burn of rum hits her, she nearly sputters. Kim laughing at her.

“Can’t handle your booze, Rook?” Grace asks, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Firstly, I legally can’t drink, secondly this is barely fuckin’ eggnog at this point.”

“Eh, who’s gonna arrest you, you?”

“You’re old enough to risk your ass for us, you’re old enough to drink,” Mary May says, taking a swig of her own drink.

Dahlia shrugs, she did drink a little when she was a minor, but stopped when she became a cop. Based on principle alone. But, fuck she’s never actually liked the taste. She’s not convinced anyone really does. At that same time, Nick steps into the room a Santa hat tilted on his head, where he’s stretched over his cap. In his arms are movies, games, and more booze.

“Ol’ Saint Nick!” Sharky yells out and a chorus of groans follow his stupid joke.

“Figure, we’ll watch a movie, get everyone in the spirit, before we play some games.”

“You mean get everyone drunk,” Kim teases, the only one not drinking the spiked eggnog.

“Same thing.” Nick grins and shrugs as he puts some Christmas movie in, Boomer lays against Dahlia’s side as the bullshit movie starts to play.

“What the hell is that woman doing?” An extra looks directly at the camera.

“Who the fuck talks like that?” The acting is awful.

“Oh god, child actors.” The child acting is worse.

“I’m like, pretty sure that’s a federal offense.” You can’t just look through someone’s mail.

“Eh, who hasn’t committed a federal offense.”

“Most people Sharky, most people.”

“Wait that’s the plot, getting her uncle a girlfriend, oh my god.” The plot is stupid

“Ooh, I wouldn’t mind him stuffing my stocking.” The main actor is easy on the eyes.

“Addie, no.”

“Wait, why the hell did he say it was done, if he hadn’t started cookin’ it yet?”

“Fantastic question.”

“What? What? What?!” This makes no sense.

“Holy shit, Adelaide in five years,” Dahlia blurts out when a perverted granny shows up.

“Five years!? How old do you think I am, Rook?!”

“No comment.”

“You don’t look a day over thirty.”

“She’s your aunt, Sharky.”

“Shut it.”

“Is she an elf? Oh my god, is she a fuckin’ elf?”

“Did she just realize she looks like she dressed in the dark?”

“She took her glasses off, so she’s no longer ugly, ‘cause…y’know.”

“The audio is so bad, holy shit, what are they even saying.”

“That looks awful.”

They’re about halfway through the movie, everyone finding every chance to chime in some comment about the crap on screen. She’s drained two mugs of the spiked eggnog, her cheeks red from booze and laughing. Dahlia’s lost count of how many cookies she’s crammed into her mouth.

The movie finishes and she no longer feel like she’s in any state to take on a cult. Not drunk, but tipsy as all hell. Judging by the flushed cheeks around her, no one is any better off except Kim who once credits are rolling suggest making ornaments and decorating the tree.

Trusting drunk dumbasses to decorate the tree, brilliant.

It’s a disaster. Of course, it is.

Jerome makes some decent angel ones, but the religious aesthetic of anything has been ruined for everyone lately. Mary May’s Santa is holding a beer. Jess’s just has ‘Fuck Off’ scribbled across it. Xander and Adelaide keep trying to have sex puns about crafts, too drunk for any of them to be subtle. Grace’s gun ornament is surprisingly well done, but not particularly Christmas-y. Nick’s attempt to make a plane looks like a lumpy disaster. Hurk and Sharky keep trying to put a dick and or flames on everything. At some point someone throws glitter.

It was her.

Sharky tried to draw a dick on her star, so she started throwing glitter at his dumb face. Now there’s glitter everywhere, the Rye’s home will never be free of it. Also, there’s gold glitter glue on her hands and hair where she tried to push it back, because tools are for fools.

Then her radio crackles to life, ah fuck, she tries to rub the worse of the glue off onto her jeans before grabbing it.

“Hey,” she manages to slur even the shortest word and everyone her is snickering.

“Deputy, it’s Eli from the Whitetails.”

“I don’t know any other Eli, you don’t have to clarify, Mountain Man.”

“Right, uh, sorry. Heard about the Rye’s party, knew you were over that way. I, uh, wanted to make sure you weren’t running yourself ragged.”

“Wanted to check in on his girlfriend,” Wheaty teases in the background and Dahlia’s face flushes brighter red, not from the booze. Everyone around her starts to laugh

“Don’t you have something else to do?” Eli retorts and she can practically hear the embarrassment in his voice.

“Don’t worry, Eli, I’m at the Rye’s being supplied with way too much booze.”

“That’s good, well not good that you’re getting drunk, not that I care if you get drunk, I don’t think. I just mean it’s good you’re with friends and y’know what, I’ll stop talking.”  

She can’t help but laugh, he hasn’t been this awkward with her since he talked about shaving his beard and wondering if it made him look crazy.

“Hey, maybe next time I’m in that area, we can see if we can convince Chad to make some Christmas grub and have a little celebration at the Wolf’s Den?”

Why did she make that offer, she didn’t even want one celebration, why is she doing this? It’s so impractical, why the fuck would Eli want that? She pushes hair back out of her face, she’s so stupid.

“That sounds nice.”

“It does? It does. Cool.”

“Well, uh, Merry Christmas, Rook.”

“Merry Christmas, Eli.”

The radio call ends, and Dahlia lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, all eyes are on her. Some confused and others smirking at the little exchange.

“Never knew you liked ‘em older, deputy.”

“Fuck off.”

“You really shouldn’t have done that to your hair either,” Jess tells her, smirking. Her bangs fall back in her face and Dahlia sees the gold glitter glue now clinging to the dark locks.

“God damn it.”

“Looks like you were too distracted drooling over your mountain man,” Jess mocks Dahlia with an overly sappy voice. Dahlia smirks back, revenge already in her mind.

“Aww,” she cups Jess’s cheeks in her two-glitter glue covered hands, “that was so cute of you.” Dahlia smears it down Jess’s cheeks leaving a mess.

Jess’s green eyes narrow, a weaker woman might freak out at the anger shown in them. But, Dahlia knows too well that there’s a hint of mischief there, it’s all in good fun. The Junior Deputy pulls her hands away from the Survivalist’s face.

“No killing in the house,” Kim warns and that’s all that’s said before Jess is launching over the table to try to grab Dahlia who’s already dropped down and jolted under it, the two switching sides before the deputy breaks into a run.

Their movements are clumsier and slower than usual, booze slowing them down. Dahlia takes the stairs two at a time, giggling as she tries to evade her friend. Jess’s hands nearly latch onto her sweater and Dahlia promptly jumps over the stair banister, boots hitting the floor with a heavy thud.

“No breaking your ankles in the house!”

“Sorry, Kim, oh god!”

Jess is on Dahlia’s back, bringing her down to the ground and laughing as the deputy collapses under her weight. She’s trying to put her in a headlock, as Dahlia attempts to wrestle out of it. The entire party laughing at their horseplay. She swears she hear Sharky or Hurk saying something about needing a mud pit, but she’s too focused on play wrestling to yell at the perverts.

Her radio crackles again and through the struggling Dahlia manages to answer it.

“Rook, heard the Rye’s invited you over for Christmas,” Whitehorse’s voice comes through.

“That they did,” she struggles to respond as she’s using one hand to fend off Jess.

“Hey, sheriff!”

“He can’t see you waving Nick.”

Dahlia cracks, a fatal mistake as Jess uses it to get the headlock.

“Good, I was worried about you, Rook, thought you’d be running around while everyone else took the day off. I know shit’s tough right now but taking time to celebrate the little stuff is what’s gonna keep you going. Merry Christmas.”

“You guys doing anything special at the jail?” She asks as she tries to squirm away, finally just giving up and trying to stand up with Jess on her back and arms around her neck. It’s a piss poor excuse for a piggyback ride, but whatever.

“Virgil’s trying to get someone to cut down a tree, Tracey ain’t having any of it.”

“I can do that.”

“You’re not chopping down a Christmas tree, Rook, Jesus Christ,” Tracey grumbles in the background.

“You’ve already done more than enough, hell, if it wasn’t for you…well there are a lot of people who wouldn’t be here to see Christmas this year. Enjoy your party.”

“Yeah…Merry Christmas.”

Dahlia feels her eyes sting, she doesn’t expect praise or even acknowledgment of the things she’s done. It still seems so foreign, the idea that she’s actually saved people. That people are here, alive and safe, because of her actions. She can never see herself as a hero, but to some people she truly is.

Jess’s arms on her loosen, before the woman just hops right off of her. A soft smile replacing the mischievous little grin. She squeezes Dahlia’s shoulder, a silent understanding that Jess is one of those people. If not for Dahlia, she’d be spending this Christmas in a cage, if she was lucky. But, now she’s spending it in a rare moment of joy and peace.

“Come on, we gotta decorate the tree..”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Jess and Dahlia rejoin the party, feral energy out of their system for the time being. The tree looks like a mess. Everyone’s ornament a disaster and the whole thing looking like an incomprehensible disaster. Nothing goes together. None of it makes sense, but it has…character. Dahlia goes to hang her own bad star ornament after hanging the last bit of tinsel. But, it’s nowhere to be found.

“Here,” Kim hands it to her, but the sloppily coated star no longer has a string, instead on a little cap to be used as the tree topper. It’s an extremely sweet gesture, but…

“I can’t reach.” Dahlia makes a show of trying to stretch her hand up to touch the top of the tree, only to come up embarrassingly short.

“Don’t worry, I gotcha bromigo,” Hurk declares before hefting Dahlia up onto his shoulders, she can’t help but laugh, but places her messy star at the top of the tree. Hurk putting her back down with ease.

“It’s certainly…different.”

“It always an adventure to see how it turns out every year.”

“I’m sure it.”

Another crackle from her radio.

“Who’s calling now?” Nick asks, taking another drink of eggnog.

“Eh, probably just Dutch checking in,” Dahlia answers it, “don’t worry, I’m at the party and I’m taking a break for Christmas.”

“That’s wonderful to know, dep-yoo-tee,” John’s voice sobers her, like a bucket of ice water’s splashed in her face, the entire party going silent as he drags out each syllable.

“The fuck do you want?”

“Easy now, Little Miss Wrath, I haven’t even done anything and you’re already foaming at the mouth.”

“Yet, you haven’t done anything, yet.”

“Someone who doesn’t believe in prophets, claiming to know the future, how ironic.”

“Get to the point, Johnny Boy.”

“I do hope, you’ll be more patient once you fully join our family.”

“You got five more seconds before I hang up and get back to drinking. One, two,-”

“While we don’t celebrate Christmas quite the same as sinners do, the holidays still marks an important time of togetherness.”

“Good for you…Can I go now?”

“Me, my brothers and sister like to spend this time of year together, as a family.”

“I’m gonna blow my brains out from boredom, Johnny.”

“A family dinner requires the whole family, dep-yoo-tee, even the members who’ve yet to accept their role.”

“Are…are you threatening to kidnap me for Christmas dinner?!”

“Depends, will you come of your own volition?”

“Fuck no.”

“Then, I’m afraid you leave me no choice. I’ll be seeing you shortly, dear.”

[lilacmoon83]

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 209: Battle Cry, Pt 2

Bobby looked around in wonder at all the opening portals and was surprised to see a beam of light strike the ground beside them. The light faded, revealing Rose and Fandral's return, via the bi-frost.

"So...you're alive…" Seth growled.

"A God much more powerful than you saved us and I assure you that you will pay for what you've done," Fandral promised. Bobby turned and saw a final portal open behind him. Granny and Red, in her wolf form stepped through, along with Xander, armed with a flamethrower, followed by all seven dwarves, and finally his parents, hand in hand, dressed in their warrior clothing.

Seth looked around, trying to hide his nervousness, at what he was now facing.

"If your plan really hinged on the fact that you thought we wouldn't reunite with our darker halves to save our son from you...then you are more of a fool than we thought," Snow declared boldly.

"Just for that...I think I'll kill you first Snow White and make your husband watch!" Seth growled, as he tried his mind meld, but was shocked when it didn't work. The Chalice glowed between them, but he was confused. Even at full power, the Chalice shouldn't have protected them from his mind meld.

"How...how are you doing this?!" he demanded to know.

"True love," David replied in a simple manner. Snow smiled at him.

"Truest love," she agreed.

"Oh and a little bonding to our elements," Leo added, as his eyes glowed dark blue. Eva's glowed pink, Summer's glowed lavender, and Emma's glowed white.

"All the magic and power in all the realms failed to defeat you...but true love won't," Snow declared, as the chalice separated into their respective weapons, his sword and her arrow shooting gauntlets.

"Nothing can defeat me...and certainly not something like your pathetic true love," Seth seethed, as he signaled his demonic army. David raised his sword to signal their allies.

"This is the United Realms and it's our home!" he shouted.

"And we will purge you and your demons from it!" Snow added, as both sides charged into a battle that would decide the fate of the United Realms...and the world.

~*~

The armies of various Kingdoms immediately charged the massive amounts of demonic minions, taking down the bulk of the dark army to allow the heavy hitters to focus on the more powerful, lethal enemies. Still, the minions proved they were formidable and casualties on both sides began to build. The military from the Land Without Magic, however, was finding themselves to be out of their element a bit though and they were clearly frustrated.

David swiped his way through a hoard of ghouls, using the chalice sword's flails of energy to decimate the minions that were taking a toll on the soldiers.

"Your men, both on the ground and in the air, would be more effective creating a perimeter around this area. We don't want any of these demons spilling into the other realms where they can feed on innocent people," David directed to the commanders.

"Why should we take orders from you? A guy that goes by Prince Charming?" one of them asked, while the others chortled at his joke. Several of Mephisto's creations encroached on them at that point. David turned and swiped through one, obliterating it with the chalice sword. He kicked another away, while thrusting his sword through two more that would have certainly killed the onlooking officers. He threw his sword and it spun like a sidewinder, obliterating a dozen incoming demons, before he caught the sword again and the minions fell to the ground in pieces. They were stunned and their question as to why they should take orders from him was answered. There was a screeching behind him, as one surviving demon tried to attack him, but an arrow hit it and the creature exploded, as Snow sided up to him.

"You always have my back," he said fondly, as he slipped his hand in hers.

"You should listen to my husband, boys. You're looking at a man that helped me take back two Kingdoms," she said, looking at him fondly.

"And get someone on your sixes, because not everyone has someone as amazing as her watching their back," he mentioned, as he lifted her chin with his fingers so he could kiss her briefly, before they joined hands and rushed back into the fight, leaving the soldiers unsure of exactly what they had just seen.

"You heard him...get that perimeter going!" Major Donovan called.

"His orders are as good as mine," she added, as the military switched gears to do as they asked and get that perimeter up.

~*~

Leo wove his way through the mess of airborne furies, slashing at them as he went. But he yelped, as he was hit with a stray blast. He fell off Pegasus, even as the animal nosedived to catch him. But he saw an icy slide appear beneath him, allowing him to slide safely to the ground. He got to his feet and Elsa hugged him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, as she looked at the wound on his shoulder.

"It's fine...it's just a flesh wound," he replied, as Pegasus landed next to them and neighed with worry. He pet the animal's mane, assuring him that he was okay. Leo looked to the sky again and Elsa gasped, as they saw the furies overwhelm one of the military planes, causing it to crash in a fiery explosion.

"Time to clear the air…" Leo said, as his eyes glowed bright blue. His lightning was summoned in the sky and there was a boom of thunder, as the sky flashed bright blue, striking most of the furies. He fried them and turned them into charred, falling objects.

"Nice...but you do know that you've now turned the dangerous flying objects into dangerous falling objects, right?" Eva teased.

"Hey...there's no book on how to defeat demonic hell furies with wings," he pointed out.

"There is now, because this family invented it," Henry commented, as he and Jacinda slashed their way through more ground enemies.

"You had better hurry, before those charred objects are pelting us," Rumple warned.

"I got this," Summer said, as her eyes glowed lavender and JJ watched her in amazement, as she released dozens of bubbles, encasing the falling objects harmlessly within her bubbles. Eva stepped forward and her eyes glowed pink, as she swept all the bubbles into one stream.

"Hey kid...help us out!" Emma called to her baby brother. Bobby's eyes were multicolored, as he slammed one foot into the ground, opening a crevice. Emma's eyes glowed white, as she helped Eva guide the destroyed demons into the lava that was in the earth beneath them. Bobby knelt down once they were done and used his magic-enhanced strength to close the gap up again and seal it.

"Nice…" Emma complimented, but then the five of them were struck by a reptilian tale, as Seth descended upon them, in a horrifying half man, half serpent-like form.

"Time to meet your end, Charmings…" he seethed, as he slithered toward them and they noticed something on the ground that was left behind in his wake.

"What are those white things?" JJ asked.

"I don't know...but I have a bad feeling about this," Summer replied.

"Crap…" Leo uttered, as he drew his sword.

"What?" Emma asked.

"They're eggs," Rumple interjected for him.

"You can't be serious…" Regina protested.

"He is a snake…" Leo reminded her, as Snow and David caught up to them, arriving hand in hand.

"Something tells me this is about to get really gross," Snow commented, as the eggs hatched and slimy, snake-like demons emerged. Their hissing and rattle was almost deafening, as they readied their weapons and magic. The minions scattered, attacking and biting with a ravaging vengeance, while the Charmings surrounded Seth. The seven of them charged the God, while the rest of their close family and friends scattered to help defend against the new onslaught of minions.

~*~

Fandral and Rose dueled with the dangerous frost giant, Fafnir, in his dragon form. The dragon was raging and had already caused some casualties from their army. It was clear that Fandral was the only one with the strength to kill the frost giant and they had managed to isolate him to a corner of the battlefield with a rocky outcropping. It was precarious and he did not like Rose being so close to it, for one slip or loss of footing and they could be skewered by the jagged rocks. But that too was part of their plan.

"For the record, I do not like this plan," he mentioned. She smiled and fired another arrow and then kissed his cheek.

"You'll catch me, my love...you always do," Rose replied, as she climbed up and around the outcroppings, finding her way to the top of the tallest, most jagged one. She threaded another arrow and there was a loud thwack, as she landed it in his chest. The dragon roared angrily and saw her in a prime position. The dragon salivated and spoke in its gravely voice.

"At last...I shall have the ultimate revenge upon you, Fandral of Asgard," he said.

"I shall feast on the pure, sweet blood of your beloved Rose Red and destroy you once and for all by taking her!" he roared, as he left himself open, unknowingly, as he prepared to snap her up in his jaws. But before he could devour her, his breath stopped short and he screamed in pain, as Fandral's sword pierced his belly. Fandral extracted his sword and backed away, as Rose jumped down into his arms. The frost giant then fell forward, gruesomely impaling itself on the rocky outcroppings. Rose turned away from the sight and he held her protectively in his arms.

"See...I knew you'd catch me," she said and he caressed her beautiful face gently.

"Always, my angel," he promised, as they shared a kiss.

~*~

James and Aphrodite dueled the massive and mysterious Horned King. The hulking creature that they could only assume was some sort of man behind the mask, shoved James away. Aphrodite's sword clashed with his and she heard him finally speak.

"Aphrodite...you are not what you seem…" he said. His voice was deep and sent a chill down her spine.

"I am the Goddess Aphrodite of Olympus. I am exactly this. A wife, a mother, and a woman that will eradicate yours and your master's evil," she refuted, as they dueled and James jumped back in.

"You are so certain of your origin...Aphrodite, the goddess that rose from the sea foam. But you are a fraud!" he announced, earning him a vicious kick from James. The Prince swept his large legs out from under him and put his blade to creature's throat.

"Calling my wife names will be hazardous for your health," he quipped.

"The Goddess of love cannot have love…" he warned and that struck her.

"You are cursed…" he continued and then he roared in anguish, as James cut off one of his horns.

"Stay with her, Prince James...and you'll die again," he warned.

"She's the love of my life and the only one dying today...is you," James promised. The Horned King roared angrily and charged her. His words had stunned her and she was caught off guard by him, as he managed to get his massive hand around her neck. James growled and jumped up, passing his sword through his neck. The Horned King's body fell to the ground with a thud and he caught his stunned wife in his arm, before she could fall to the ground.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She smiled up at him and kissed him passionately.

"Thanks to you," she replied, as he hugged her tightly. But the expression on her face was clear. The Horned King's words and their possible meaning were not going to fade from her mind any time soon.

~*~

Nora was beyond pissed. Not only had the Major censured her and had her information technicians monitoring her social media posts, she was stuck in some diner called Granny's to watch the fight. Of course, that was another thing that she was pissed about. It seemed that she wasn't going to be the one to get the first scoop. The whole thing was being broadcast to the entire world somehow. It was being streamed on every screen in existence and she wasn't even sure how that was possible. There were no reporters or cameras on the scene that she was aware of. She noticed the diner owners at the counter, with a little girl and a baby. The little girl looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Hey, hey...no tears. Everything's going to be fine," Frankie assured.

"He's right...your great grandparents are two of the most extraordinary people we've ever met. They'll defeat that snake," Joe assured.

"Great grandparents?" Nora interjected. Lucy nodded.

"My great grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming," she announced. Nora snorted.

"There is no way those two freaks are that old," she refuted. Frankie snorted.

"We got ourselves a normie," he commented.

"Listen up, girl...if you want a real story about two people who have more love than your tiny mind can comprehend, then pay attention," Joe retorted. Nora shot him a glare and then turned back to the battle. She couldn't believe this. When she had begun studying this years ago, just after the fiasco in Seattle, she had been on a mission to expose the evil of these strange people. After all, they were at the center of several calamities, including this one, that had plagued their world. They didn't belong in this world; of that she knew for certain now. And she wasn't alone in her opinion. They were fighting this evil, but this evil wouldn't have existed if not for them. And now her own cousin was embroiled in their chaos. But this wasn't over. She'd find a way around the censuring and lead the protest against their presence in this world.

~*~

Henry and Ella slashed at the serpent minions and the former looked on, seeing his grandparents, mother, aunts, and uncles fighting Seth furiously in the near distance.

"They'll be all right, lad…" Hook assured, though he sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"Bloody hell...these things are disgusting," he complained, as he wiped blue blood from his hook and lifted his boot from one of the crushed creatures.

"We need to keep these things off them so they can focus on Seth," Rumple said, as he whacked another with his cane, while Belle sliced through another.

"Well...then I'd say it's fireball time," Regina said, as she looked at JJ.

"Use that thing we gave you to mow down as many as you can," Regina said. He nodded, as she poofed a few more fireball rifles for the others, including Robin, as she and Rumple started volleying fireballs at the oncoming minions. The others began firing and decimating their enemies.

~*~

The armies of every Kingdom fought relentlessly, with Arendelle leading them and Elsa's powers made quick work of most of Mephisto's creations. Mulan, Phillip, and Aurora faced Shan Yu and his army of undead Huns.

"In my day...I nearly crushed the truest loves and they had to banish me to save themselves from my wrath. Lord Seth will kill this pair and I will finish what I started by annihilating your people!" Shan Yu claimed, as their blades clashed in a deadlock.

"I don't think so…" Mulan hissed, as she made several impressive moves and the Hun leader was stunned when she disarmed him.

"I will not be defeated by the likes of you, girl!" he roared, as he got to his feet.

"Woman...and you already have been. But I'm not going to be the one to take the final blow," Mulan stated.

"I knew it...you do not have the gumption to finish the job," he said smugly, but those were his last words, as he was snapped up in Red's mighty jaws and his remnants were all that remained, as she tore him apart.

"Ooooh...he's dead now," Leroy commented, as one of the ghouls screeched, as he hacked at it with his pick axe. Mulan smirked.

"Time to drive these zombie Huns back into the depths of Tartarus," she said.

"This should help!" Bobby called, as he slammed a foot into the ground and opened up a crevice with lava beneath it.

"Thanks kid," Happy called, as he kicked one of the defeated minions into the lava pit. Red nudged the boy, as he returned to fighting his way through more minions, with his eventual destination being Seth.

~*~

Snow and David dueled Arthur and Gawain furiously, as the fire demons attempted to burn them both.

"I've been waiting a very long time to get my revenge on the pair of you," Arthur growled.

"Don't tell me you're still pissed about the whole Excalibur thing," David goaded, as he dueled the disgraced King.

"Excalibur was my birthright! You and your wife had no right to wield it!" he shouted.

"Excalibur disagreed since we were able to, but we never wanted your sword or Kingdom. You lost both through your own actions!" Snow refuted.

"When she's right...she's right," David agreed, as they fought them both at a breakneck pace.

"It's time we end them, my King...or perhaps force them to be like us," Gawain suggested. Arthur smirked.

"Wouldn't that be poetic. The pillar of love and justice becoming what they hate most. I like it," the former King said, as a wall of fire shot up around them, cutting them off from everyone else.

"Mom! Dad!" they heard their children calling.

"Summer...we have to get through that fire!" Bobby called, as she summoned her bubbles and his eyes glowed, as he motioned his hands, summoning water from the various bodies of water that surrounded the United Realms.

"Careful kid...you don't want to drown us all," Emma warned.

"He won't if we concentrate the water to this spot," Leo said, as they helped contain the water and directed its flow toward the pillar of fire that was trapping their parents.

Gawain cackled, as they held each other close and the flames inched closer and closer to them.

"So much for the truest loves...but perhaps this is fitting. They shall be killed by the great King Arthur," Gawain boasted.

"In the Land Without Magic...I'm already a legend and I'm about the live up to that," Arthur agreed

"Still chasing glory, but there is no glory in power. Only love," David said.

"Save your speeches about true love, Prince Charming and prepare to die as a failure. Your true love is about to fail your entire family, your friends, and the world…" Arthur said.

"Okay...I think I'm ready to be done with him and his ego," Snow said. David smirked and they willed the chalice to join together. There was a bright flash and the flames were extinguished, as their children joined around them. The water they were directing at the wall of fire doused the two demons.

"You think a little water is going to defeat us, brats?" Arthur hissed.

"Nah, but true love will," Bobby said, as the two demons unleashed a blast of fire directly at them. But Snow and Charming held the chalice and it released a pulse of pure power. The fire evaporated in the air, stunning them both, as they stared at the pair in disbelief. Arthur looked at his hands and saw them slowly flaking away to ash. He watched in horror, as Gawain turned to dust and the ash floated away. Arthur looked back at them in horror and dissolved into dust as well.

"We can end this…" Snow realized. He looked at her and kissed her forehead.

"And we will," he said," as he motioned in the near distance, where they saw Mephisto attacking Leo and Elsa and they hurried off to help.

~*~

Elsa and Leo fought off the last of Mephisto's creations, while his parents faced Arthur and Gawain. He blasted them with lightning and she iced the rest, as they pushed them into the abyss.

"That's most of them," she said.

"Yeah...now it's just the big guns that remain," he said, as he cried out suddenly, as one of Mephisto's fiery chains wrapped around his forearm. He cried out in agony and fell to his knees, as the demon King pulled him toward him.

"Once I enslave you, young Leo...you'll do my bidding and destroy your whole family for me," Mephisto hissed.

"No!" Elsa cried in fear, as he cackled evilly, but he was hit with an exploding arrow.

"Get your hands off our son!" Snow growled, as she and David closed in. Mephisto chuckled evilly.

"He's mine now, fair one and there's not a thing you can do about it. And once he's enslaved to me, I'll make him peel the skin from your bones and torture your husband for the mockery he made of me!" Mephisto warned, but his cackle was cut short, as David swiped the chalice sword through his arm, releasing their son from his bonds.

"Elsa...now!" Snow called, as the Queen of Arendelle blasted him and froze him solid. With that, Fandral shoved him into the abyss.

"Good riddance," Rose said, as he fell into the pit of magma.

A hush fell over them, as Seth slithered around them in his giant serpent form. Fandral pulled Rose away, while Snow and David joined the chalice together again. Seth morphed into his humanoid form again, though his skin still had a scaly appearance and his eyes bled a sickly yellow.

"Time to die...Charmings…" he hissed, as his coils wrapped around Snow and David. The chalice fell from their grasp, as he squeezed the life out of them.

"Oh hell…" Emma cried, as her magic collided with him, but wasn't making much of a dent. Leo summoned his lightning and Eva summoned the wind, striking him violently. Regina tossed a fireball at his coils and he screeched, loosening his grip slightly on Snow and David. But it was enough and Summer encased her parents in a bubble, as they floated back to her.

"Thanks sweetie," Snow said, as they hugged her and then picked up the chalice again.

"Hitting him with all the magic on your own isn't going to work," Rumple said.

"Then what do you suggest?" Regina asked.

"The boy knows what he needs to do," Rumple replied, as he looked at Bobby. He nodded and stepped forward.

"Oh no...you are not doing this alone," Snow said, as they walked with him. He smiled.

"I know...we're going to do this together,: Bobby said.

"Hey kid...you got an idea?" Emma asked.

"Eye of the storm," he told her. She smiled and looked at her siblings, as they caught on.

"Eye of the storm," they agreed.

"Enough with your cryptic speech...no matter what you do, I shall kill you all. You are no match for my power!" Seth claimed. Summer started to take her place when JJ took her hand.

"Be careful," he said and she blushed, before smiling at him.

"Thanks," she said, as she and her older siblings surrounded the God, while Bobby and her parents approached him.

"Now Summer…" Bobby called, as she put them all in a large bubble encasing all seven of them inside of it with the monster that threatened their very existence.

"What is this?" Seth growled, as he flew up and tried to break through the bubble, but found he was unable to do so. He set his sights on Summer.

"If I cannot break the bubble...then perhaps I'll just break you instead, young one," he threatened.

"Like hell you will," Leo said, as he unleashed his powers, adding an electric layer to the bubble. A pink cyclone swirled up from Eva's glowing hands and added a layer of wind to the bubble. Emma was next, as she added a layer of white fire. Seth growled and moved to attack, but the rumbling beneath his feet stopped him cold and he watched the storm bubble shrink around him, until he was the only one inside it. He growled and his coils broke through briefly, but he screamed in agony, as Snow and David zapped each coil with the power of the chalice, permanently disfiguring him. Bobby used his powers and channeled all the elements, until he condensed the bubble so small that there was finally a huge explosion. The seven of them waited with bated breath for the smoke to clear. When it did, they saw Seth, writhing on the ground, bleeding blue blood from several wounds, and stuck in a hybrid form with his head and torso intact, by his legs in serpent form.

"How...how can this be? I am Seth...I am chaos!" he cried.

"No one can defeat me!" he claimed.

"You know, just because you keep saying that isn't going to make it true," Leo quipped.

"I'm still alive...I've survived all your power!" Seth hissed, as he tried to slither away, but then screeched, as Emma stomped on his tail.

"Oh, I think you're about to be a scorch mark. You guys gonna finally end this or not?" Emma asked her parents. They smiled at her.

"I guess we should have known this would be the key to ending it," he said, as they gripped the chalice between them.

"A curse to end all curses...one last curse broken," she said, as they realized exactly how to end it all and destroy the dark curse forever.

"True love...useless and pathetic. It will not defeat me!" Seth insisted, as he made his final mistake and morphed fully into his giant serpent form. Snow and Charming's lips met and a blinding pulse of rainbow light emitted from them and the chalice glowed in response, releasing a pulse of blinding, pure light magic. The waves of magic swept over the entire land, bringing light to the darkness once more.

The fighting on the battlefield ceased, as all of Seth's minions and Mephisto's creations were paralyzed by the light magic. One by one, each creature or demon alike crumbled to ash. Seth looked around in horror, as the remainder of his army dissolved to dust in the blink of an eye. He screeched one final cry of horror, as he crumbled to dust and was wiped from existence. It was over at last.

"It's over…" Snow uttered. He grinned at her and hugged her tightly, before spinning her around.

"It's over…" he repeated, as their lips met again. Their children gathered around them with hugs and they looked around the barren landscape.

"This place is such a barren eyesore," Snow said. He smiled at her and then at Leo.

"But it doesn't have to stay that way," David replied, as they raised the chalice, obliterating the shield around Nephilim.

"Of course...Nephilim is right next to the reserve," Leo said.

"Yes, and you've needed an expansion for years," Snow replied, as used the chalice to seed the ground, allowing for the barren landscape to give way to green grass. Aphrodite assisted by using her magic to demolish Seth's dreary castle and replaced it with rolling hills. Bobby stomped his foot and created a very large depression in the ground, while Rumple used his magic to dig far enough to allow the depression fill with water, creating a sparkling lake.

"No more ugly, dreary land of the fallen," Eva said, as the animals began to explore their expanded home.

"That was impressive, though most of the world has no idea what they just saw," the Major interjected, as she and her subordinates approached.

"Yeah...suppose it's too late to just put a barrier up and let everyone keep thinking we're stories," David said.

"I held up my end of the deal," she reminded him.

"Don't worry...we'll hold up ours," he assured.

"Good...then can I count on seeing you in Boston tomorrow," she said.

"Whoa...tomorrow? That's a little soon for us," Snow said, as she clutched his arm.

"Yeah...we kind of just saved the world from an evil God tyrant. Don't you think a few days down time is warranted?" Emma questioned. Patricia smirked.

"You're right and I do need time to figure out a way to explain this to my superiors, though they are going to want a meeting with you. I'll see you in three days," she said, as they moved out.

"You can still seal us away," Rumple reminded them.

"She has control of the remnants of Clayton's operation, so she can get back in. She has mermaid scales and his submarine," David said.

"Well, that's perfect. How the hell did that happen?" Regina asked. Snow shook her head.

"We don't know how she did it, but no one has seen Cecily in a very long time, so she's probably in prison or dead," Snow deduced.

"Now that they know what we can do...they'll never leave us alone," Regina warned.

"No...but I can warn them against overstepping. They can't touch the chalice and you two can make it clear that without the chalice, there's no magic out there. We still have control and I think she knows that. I'm interested as to why," Aphrodite interjected.

"Yeah...the Internet is literally blowing up, so we're screwed about staying secret. Not even magic can stop this now," Leo said.

"We have a lot of things to figure out...overwhelmingly so, but I think we also deserve to celebrate our victory," David suggested, as Snow slid her arms around his waist.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," she agreed. The battlefield was no more and all trace of Seth was gone. The armies of the United Realms retreated, but the Charmings and those close to them, made their way to Granny's.

~*~

Deep beneath the Earth's crust, the magma flowed like a river and bubbled violently. There was a disturbance in the flow, as a charred being surfaced, screaming in agony. There was barely anything left of this creature and the only evidence that this being had once been humanoid in appearance was the skeletal hand that grabbed onto a rocky outcropping. The remnants of the being managed to pull what was left of itself from the magma and it slithered painstakingly through the layers of earth, until it finally found its way to the sewers. The skeletal creature couldn't be sure how far he had traveled, but knew that this body he had once occupied was done and he needed a new host. As he pulled his essence through a street drain and to the street level, he looked around, and recognized the city to be none other than New York.

Mephisto smirked. Perfect. He needed a new host, but he always looked for someone with evil in their hearts and there would be plenty to choose from in a city such as this. Then, once he was anew again, he would get his revenge on the Charmings, as well as Fandral and his precious Rose. And they would never see him coming...

~*~

"So...is this what your vision showed you?" Belle asked curiously. They had all invaded Granny's and we were welcomes excitedly by Joe and Frankie, with mounds of food and drink awaiting them.

"It is...though I did not see how it would end. It makes sense that it was true love again though. It truly has given us everything," he said, looking at her fondly. She smiled.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me when I hear you champion love over power," she replied. He smirked.

"It may have taken me three hundred some years, but I have learned," he joked. She smiled and kissed him tenderly, as they enjoyed watching their son eating ice cream with Bobby. He was very excited to have his best friend back.

~*~

"Hey...you're a million miles away," James mentioned, as their children colored across from them and he returned with some hot cocoas.

"Yeah...just thinking," she replied.

"Not about what that psycho said?" he asked and she looked at him pensively.

"How can I not?" she asked.

"I was not created exactly the icky way mythology suggests I was from a certain body part, but I did rise from the sea foam. That's what my name means. I had no childhood or traditional birth," she replied, as he listened to her.

"What if my story is not what I think?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"This is Storybrooke, a place where memories have been taken more times than anyone can count. What if...what if my memories were taken? I mean...why did I never question it before? No one is born a full grown person," she replied.

"Well, if it means anything, I don't care how you came to be. I only care that I got a second chance and found the love of my life in you," he said, making her melt.

"What if he's right though? Eros' biological father was killed…" she lamented. He shook his head.

"No...you are not cursed," he refuted.

"I am the Goddess of love...and I had nothing but heartbreak in love before I found you. What if...what if I am always cursed to lose love?" she asked. He took her hands in his own.

"You are not cursed, my love and I'm not going anywhere," he promised, as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She hugged him tightly and he held her.

"Will Athena help you with these questions? About your past?" he asked.

"She will tell me what I've already heard," she replied.

"Why would she keep the truth from you if there is more to your story?" he asked.

"She wouldn't...unless she was forbidden to tell me," she replied.

"Well...there may be one way we can find out," he suggested and she realized where he was going with that thought.

"Rose Red's library...that would be a very old book," she said.

"True...but it's possible, if you really want the answers," he suggested.

"But know that I don't really care how you came to be. Only that you're here and you're my wife," he added. She smiled and kissed him passionately.

~*~

"What the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed!" Nora complained, as he ate hungrily.

"But I wasn't and it felt good helping in something like that. I mean, helping people is why I became a paramedic and that was literally a battle that probably just saved the world. Since all this is real, I want to do my part," JJ said.

"Yeah right, that's a load of crap and you know it. There's only one reason you did any of this," she complained, as she pointed to the girl at the counter. She had gotten up to get them refills and was currently hugging an older young man that she had identified as her older brother.

"So what if she is? Why do you care?" he asked.

"Uh...hello? Bubble girl is a freak! Her whole family is!" she cried.

"Stop it Nora! They just saved the world and now we know they did the same in Seattle. This is what you wanted all along. You wanted the truth and now that you have it, you're flipping out. What gives?" he asked.

"I wanted the truth out so I could expose them for what they are," she replied.

"And what are they?" he asked.

"JJ...they did all of this to the world. Have you thought for a second that, while they may have saved the world, these people...this place might be the reason for all the evil in the first place?" she asked. But he shook his head.

"They didn't cause any of this, Nora," he refuted.

"Yes...they did. They're not from our world and their presence might be the reason for everything bad," she suggested, as Summer returned and JJ went back to ignoring her.

"Hey…" he said, as she put a tray down.

"I brought some hot cocoas," she said, as she slid a cup toward him.

"Thanks, sounds great," he said, as he watched her sprinkle cinnamon on her whipped cream.

"Cinnamon?" he asked.

"Oh yeah...it's kind of how we drink it in our family," she replied.

"I'll try some," he said, as she slid the cinnamon shaker to him.

"Cocoa?" Summer asked, sliding one to Nora. But she just gave her a look.

"It's September and seventy degrees. I don't want cocoa," she refuted, as she got up and went to the Inn side to her room.

"She really does not like me," Summer said.

"Ignore her...Nora doesn't really like anyone, not even herself sometimes," JJ replied.

"That's sad…" Summer mentioned.

"Yeah...that's Nora. Besides...I like you," he mentioned. She smiled and flushed a little.

"I figured," she murmured.

"Am I that easy to read?" he asked.

"No...well, you probably are for my sister Eva, but it's more that you'd probably have to like me to get involved in something like this. I mean...we just met and you agreed to fight in a crazy battle that just decided the fate of the world," she replied. He smirked and nodded.

"Yeah...you have a point," he agreed.

"No one would have blamed you if you didn't want to get involved," she said.

"I know and I wanted to help, but I have to admit, I did have an ulterior motive," he admitted.

"What was it?" she asked.

"I guess I was afraid if I didn't get involved that I'd probably never see you again," he replied, making her flush again.

"Besides...you kept telling me everything was a long story so I kind of had to stick around to hear the long story," he added, as he sipped at his cocoa. She beamed at him and then pulled a large brown book out of her bag.

"Well then...long story time," she said, as she opened it up and began to tell him that story.

~*~

"We thought you were gone," Ari said, as she and Ben cuddled with their parents and Carina.

"I know, my angels and we are so sorry you all went through that," Rose said, as she stroked Carina's hair.

"We know, mom," their eldest assured her.

"Did Thor save you?" Ben asked. Fandral smiled at his enthusiasm.

"He did and he and his friends helped us get back to you," he confirmed.

"And the bad man is gone too now, right?" Ari asked. They smiled softly.

"Yes...he is gone too, little ones and we are all going home tonight together," Fandral promised, as he and Rose shared a kiss.

~*~

Snow cuddled Hope in her lap, as David sat cuddled with them and doted on the baby with her.

"We have their memories...with her and of the last two years. I'm so grateful for that...they took care of our family for us and I will never forget that," Snow said, as Emma smiled at them.

"They did...and they spoiled Hope rotten, so I'm sure you guys will too," she said.

"Of course...grandpa is going to talk to Uncle Leo and have him see if we can breed a baby Pegasus just for you, my tiny princess," David said.

"Dad...she's not even two. I don't think we need a Pegasus yet," Emma replied.

"Of course she does, don't you tiny angel?" he cooed to her. Emma rolled her eyes playfully and looked to Xander for help.

"Don't look at me. I mean, can you imagine those baby pictures? Hope and a baby Pegasus? I'm going to need some wallets," Xander teased.

"You're a lot of help," she said sarcastically.

"Your father and grandfather are right...we have lost time to make up for and that reminds me, you two never had a real wedding. That was the curse," Snow said to her Leo and Elsa.

"Yeah...I guess it was," Leo said, as he watched the grin spread across his mother's face.

"Please tell me you still want a wedding," Snow pleaded. They smiled back.

"Of course we do...and we can get back to planning it right away," Elsa agreed.

"So...Boston in three days. This should be interesting," Regina mentioned.

"It should be...we hope you two will come with us," David said. Robin smirked.

"I have a feeling it's going to be nothing short of crazy, but we're in," he agreed.

"I think at this point crazy is way understating anything this family is involved with," Leo quipped.

"Definitely," Xander said, as he got a pensive look on his face.

"What is it, Dad?" David asked.

"I guess it's just...this is kind of what Clayton always wanted. He wanted to expose our world and stories to the Land Without Magic. It was his endgame in a way, with the proviso that he had control over it all. And...now it's happened," he lamented.

"Yeah...but it's going to be okay. We're not going to be pushed around by them or allow them to just come in here and take over. They know they couldn't if they wanted to," David said. Xander nodded, hoping his son was right. He still had his fears, but now was not the time to voice them.

Snow smiled and nuzzled her nose against David's and he smiled warmly at her.

"It's a lot to figure out, but we'll be doing it together, as always," he said. Snow smiled.

"Together," she agreed.

"But for now...we have three days to just be," he added, as they shared another tender, passionate kiss. Henry, Ella, and Lucy smiled on, as did the rest of their close family and friends. They had closed one chapter with Seth's defeat, but a whole new one was opening up before them. In many ways, it was a new era that might breed uncertainty, but, as always, they had true love at their defense...

[havenchild2000]

In the dimly lit town of Sunnydale, where the ground was as much a graveyard as it was a home, Buffy Summers felt a chill that wasn't just the usual supernatural tingle. It was something darker, something that whispered promises of terror. The veil between worlds had thinned, and from the shadows of her reality, the monsters of Stephen King’s universe began to seep through.

Buffy, the Slayer, stood at the precipice of a new nightmare. Pennywise, with his sinister grin, lurked in the sewers, calling to the children of Sunnydale, promising them joy before dragging them into the depths of despair. The Overlook Hotel’s ghostly presence loomed in the distance, its walls echoing with the laughter of the damned. And then there were the creatures from the dark corners of King's mind—Carrie, with her telekinetic rage, and the malevolent forces of Cujo, a rabid dog with a hunger for blood.

As night fell, Buffy gathered her allies—Willow, Xander, and Giles—each armed with their own fears and strengths. But this was no ordinary battle against vampires or demons; they were stepping into a realm where the very fabric of reality twisted like a dark carnival ride. The air was thick with dread, and the streets of Sunnydale echoed with the cries of the lost.

One by one, the evil entities emerged, each more horrifying than the last. Pennywise danced in the shadows, taunting Buffy with visions of her deepest fears. "You can't save them, Slayer," he hissed, his voice a chilling melody. But Buffy, fueled by her determination and the love for her friends, faced him head-on. The fight was brutal, a clash of light against the consuming darkness. With a swift strike, she banished the clown, but the victory felt hollow as the ground trembled beneath her.

Next came the specter of Carrie, her eyes ablaze with fury. The air crackled with energy as she unleashed her wrath. But Buffy, ever resourceful, reached deep into her own emotions, remembering the power of friendship and sacrifice. In a moment of clarity, she managed to reach Carrie, breaking through the fog of rage and despair. Together, they turned against the darkness, but the night was far from over.

As they pressed on, the Overlook Hotel materialized, its malevolent energy seeping into the very soul of Sunnydale. Ghostly figures roamed the halls, whispering secrets that clawed at Buffy’s sanity. It was here that she felt the weight of isolation, the fear of losing everything she fought for. But with the strength of her friends beside her, she confronted the evil within, battling not just the ghosts, but the demons of her own mind.

Finally, they faced Cujo, a ferocious embodiment of fear. The dog, once a beloved pet, was now a harbinger of death. In a heart-stopping chase through the streets, Buffy realized that the true horror wasn’t just the monsters themselves, but the darkness that lurked within every heart. With a final, desperate move, she confronted Cujo, not with weapons, but with compassion, breaking the cycle of violence and fear.

As dawn broke over Sunnydale, the remnants of King’s horrors faded into the ether, leaving behind a town scarred but alive. Buffy stood amidst her friends, the weight of the night heavy on her shoulders. She had faced the darkness, not just of others, but of herself, and emerged stronger. In the end, it wasn’t just about slaying monsters; it was about confronting the fears that made them real. And as the sun rose, casting light on the shadows, Buffy knew that as long as she had her friends, there was always hope, even in the face of true horror.