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ninjettey · 3 years

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Boys and Aliens ch 3(Final)

Sometime in the early afternoon Stitch woke to someone lifting Laddie out of his bed. Stitch was still half asleep when he saw Michael carrying Star out of the cave. He could hear voices further inside the cave that did not belong to his four friends. Stitch climbed out of bed and followed the voices into a tunnel. He could see three boys climb out the end of the tunnel, two had sharp, wooden sticks, and the other just carried a flashlight.

Stitch crawled up the wall of the tunnel before the exit and then climbed up the wall to watch the boys from above. He looked around the cavern and saw his friends hanging upside down, asleep. Stitch knew then his friends were not as human as they appeared and why he didn’t feel the need to attack them like other humans. Stitch listened to the boys’ voices as he crawled closer to them.

“I thought they’d be in coffins.”

“That’s exactly what this cave is,” Edgar replied. “One great big coffin.”

Edgar and Alan both began to climb one of the jagged rock walls.

“We’ve found them at their most vulnerable,” Edgar called back.

“Easy pickings,” Alan added.

“Hey!” Sam yelled at them from down below. “You just have to kill the leader!”

“How do we know which one he is?” Edgar replied. “We’ll have to kill them all.”

Alan turned his flashlight on the nearest vampire.

“Yeah,” he called, “we’ll start with the little one first. First come, first staked.”

Stitch has heard enough. He crawled quickly over to his friends as two of the boys climbed closer to Marko. One of the boys was aiming a stake at Marko’s chest right where his heart would be, pulling back to strike, “Goodnight bloodsucker!”

As the boy’s arm is coming down, Stitch leaps away from the wall and into the path of the stake. Stitch had landed onto Marko’s arms that were crossed against his chest. His claws digging into Marko’s jacket sleeves. When the stake connected with Stitch’s fur it snapped like a twig. Growling at the boys before he threw himself into the face of the boy in front of him and started clawing and biting as they fell to the ground. Several gaping wounds in the boy’s chest and face bleed profusely, “Get it off me!” “What is that thing?” Alan yelled as he and Sam tried to pry the creature away from Edgar so they could escape. Stitch was kicked off and hit the wall hard enough to stun him. Alan and Sam picked Edgar up and started crawling back through the tunnel with David on their trail.

The smell of blood woke the vampires. They all opened their eyes to see Stitch fighting with the boys that ran the comic book store and Michael’s little brother. Meaning Michael has betrayed them. They knew he wasn’t meant to be a vampire, and they knew Michael led the wannabe vampire hunters to their cave, their home. David spoke as he dropped from where he was sleeping, “You’re dead meat!” He chased after the boys. David caught Edgar by the ankle and was pulling him back. Sam and Alan held on to Edgar and pulled him into the sunlight causing David to let go when his hand burst into flames. David screamed in pain as his hand burned, letting go of the injured boy and retreating into the dark safety of the cavern.

The three boys, with great effort, climbed out of the cave and up the stairs getting as far from the angry vampires as they could only to find Michael had fallen asleep. Sam and Alan sat Edgar in the middle of the front seat. Sam had no idea how to drive, but he was going to have to if they wanted to escape the vampires.

David returned to the cavern to check on his brothers. He found they were unharmed, mostly. The only injuries any of them had besides his burnt hand was some claw marks on Marko’s arm from Stitch. They were standing around waiting for David, Marko had removed his jacket to check out the puncture wounds in his arm. They were already starting to close up by the time David joined their circle. His burnt hand won’t heal completely until after he has fed.

Stitch had stayed close to the brothers but out of their way. He was furious that someone came and attacked his friends and took Laddie. He was getting ready to leave the cave to track down Laddie, but Paul stopped him. Paul quickly picked up Stitch and hugged him like he was a stuffed animal, “Thank you! You saved us!” Stitch squirmed to get out of the tight hold the vampire had on him. “Paul, put him down,” David ordered as he lit a cigarette.

“We still have a few hours before sundown. Then we’ll go get Laddie, and deal with the Emersons’ and those two punks,” David finished his cigarette and threw the butt down. Stitch looked up to see David staring at him. “We were going to tell you tonight what we are. It seems like plans changed. We’re not exactly human. We are vampires. Creatures of the night, drink blood to survive, and can’t go out into the sun without bursting into flames.” David shows Stitch his slowly healing hand. “The four of us are grateful you showed up.” The other three vampires nodded their heads in agreement. “For now, let’s get some more sleep. Come nightfall, we have a pack member to rescue.” The four vampires jumped back up to their pole they were hanging from and were asleep before Stitch had crawled out of the tunnel.

Stitch found a small alcove inside the main cave that faced the entrance. He curled himself into a ball and fell into a light sleep. Still tired but wanting to stay alert in case the threat showed back up. He will not be losing any of his friends. Stitch may have landed on this planet with the motive to destroy it, but he has quickly grown attached to the strange creatures here. Maybe he could hold off on destroying the planet for a little bit longer.

As the sun was setting, the Emersons’ and Frogs were preparing to fight. They knew they screwed up and the vampires would be hunting them down. They had almost killed one of their own. Sam and Alan were arguing about who was going to babysit Edgar since he was badly hurt. “What the hell was that thing? It almost killed Edgar,” Alan asked a frantically pacing Sam. “I don’t know. Never seen anything like it.” Edgar was coming in and out of consciousness, his face and chest having been bandaged to the best of Alan’s abilities.

Michael was finishing nailing some boards over the windows downstairs. Star had started a fire in the fireplace. She had stayed close to Michael once they woke up. Laddie is hiding under Michael’s bed. Alan had threatened to stake him if he tried to attack them. Laddie was hoping his brothers and Stitch would come get him away from these people. He didn’t want to be human, he liked his new life with his brothers.

When the sun finally set, David and his boys woke for the second time. Flying into the main cave where Stitch was waiting. Marko held out his hand, “We’re flying.” Stitch took his hand and they flew out of the cave and towards the Emerson household. The closer they got the more excited they got. They spotted Michael and Sam running back into the house after retrieving their dog.

They land in a tree outside of the house. David didn’t want to just run in without a plan. That could get them killed. Who knows what is waiting for them inside. “Paul and Marko, you two stay together, watch each other’s backs. Dwayne, you’re with me. Only Laddie matters, everyone else can die for all I care. Stitch, I want to concentrate on finding Laddie,” David told his brothers before they took to the skies again.

Marko and Paul flew over to the attic window and listened for the sounds of heartbeats before breaking into the room. Speeding down the stairs, scaring Alan. The kid was standing in the hall facing the stairs leading to the first floor. Marko snuck up behind him and quickly snapped his neck and drained him. Paul had opened the door to Sam’s room. Edgar was still out cold on Sam’s bed. Paul pounced on him and tore his throat out, getting blood everywhere. Marko had come into the room with Alan’s body, “Two down.” They nodded to each other and left the room only to run into Sam’s dog. Growling, bearing his teeth at the vampires, the dog inched closer ready to attack.

Stitch was crawling along the ceiling sniffing for Laddie. He watched as Paul and Marko encountered the dog. Crawling past the vampires so that he was above the dog, he dropped onto the dog, and they started fighting. Stitch got the upper-hand after bringing his other two arms out. The bottom two arms held the dog while the upper two ripped the dog’s jaw off. The dog dropped dead from the blood loss. Stitch continued to search for Laddie.

Paul and Marko moved through the second floor looking for anyone else. They found Star hiding in a wardrobe inside one of the other bedrooms. She screamed when she came face to demonic face with the blondes. “Hey Star,” Marko laughed like a lunatic before lunging at the girl. He dragged her out of the wardrobe so he and Paul could kill the whiny bitch. They each took an arm and ripped her in two while laughing like little kids playing tug-of-war.

David and Dwayne didn’t even try to sneak in, they just busted down the front door. Michael and Sam were in the living room when the front door crashed open. Sam hid behind the couch with a bow and arrow. He peeked over the top of the couch with the bow ready. Sam aimed for Dwayne. Taking the shot, the arrow pierced Dwayne’s shoulder. All that did was piss Dwayne off more. Dwayne dove for Sam. The boy screamed at the top of his lungs. The vampire laughed as he bit into the boy’s neck. Pulling the arrow out so the wound could heal as he drank the boy dry.

Michael and David were mid-air fighting. Michael thought he had David. They collided into one of the walls decorated with many different animal heads, many of which had antlers. Narrowingly missing a deer head, David pushed Michael away from the wall, flying to the other side of the room. He also was aiming to impale Michael with antlers. David had both hands wrapped around Michael’s throat, squeezing the breath out of him. Michael grasped David’s wrists to pull his hands away. David just squeezed harder and laughed, “You could have lived forever. Instead you brought hunters into my home to kill me and my brothers. Big mistake.” David was done playing with this kid. Moving one of his hands to the back of Michael’s head, and with one final twist the fight was over.

Stitch had found Laddie hiding under a bed. He stuck his head under the bed, “Hi.” “Stitch!” Laddie climbed out from under the bed and hugged the alien. This time he didn’t fight it. The noise from the fighting had died down. Laddie and Stitch cautiously went downstairs and saw the four vampires were still standing. Paul and Marko had rejoined their brothers in the living room.

When they thought the fight was over, Max and Lucy walked into the destroyed living room. Lucy didn’t have time to question what was going on before Max had attacked her, determined to turn her. Max could see his boys had disposed of the young Emerson children, but he still wanted Lucy.

Everyone caught on to what Max was doing. The four of them attacked Max at once. Paul gripped Lucy around the waist and pulled her away from Max, causing Max to rip her throat out. Lucy was dead before she hit the floor. Dwayne, Marko and David were thrown across the room. “You could never follow orders, could you David?!” Max yelled at his first sired son. David got up and lunged for his maker once again. Max caught David by the throat and threw him into Paul and they both flew through the back wall. Dwayne jumped onto Max’s back, hoping to distract him long enough for Marko to stake him. Max was too strong. Both of them were tossed away like ragdolls.

Stitch and Laddie were watching from the stairs. “We got to do something. They’re going to lose,” Laddie cried. David, and Paul had recovered from their falls and were attacking again. Max just laughed as he had them both in headlocks.Paul was able to slip away, leaving Max to grab David with both hands and strangle him. David used his full strength to break one of Max’s wrists to get loose. The other three vampires surrounded Max and David. With their combined efforts, they were able to yank Max’s arm off his body. David tossed the severed limb into the lit fireplace.

Watching the limb burn, Stitch knew how he could help. He jumped to the top of the stair railing unnoticed by the vampires. While Max was screaming in pain from the lost limb, and before the Lost Boys could attack, Stitch leaped from the railing with a growl, the force of the leap destroyed the railing. Max turned to the noise in time to see a blue blur of fur fly at him. The momentum from Stitch’s leap had pushed both the head vampire and Stitch into the fireplace. Fireplace roared with a big explosion of flames. “STITCH!” Laddie yelled for his friend. The flames pull back into the now crumbled fireplace. Max was no more.

Smoke and ash fill the room. Everyone stared into what was left of the mantle. Dwayne had gathered a crying Laddie into his arms. As the smoke settled, some of the stones shifted. They all watched and waited, readying to start the fight once again. Only to be shocked when Stitch climbed out, shaking off the ash. He turned his nose up to the ceiling, and “ACHOO!” The force of his sneeze scooted Stitch across the bare floor. Once the Lost Boys saw Stitch was ok, they started laughing.

Well, all but David. He had to stop and take a deep breath from the overwhelming feeling of becoming the head vampire. The Lost Boys were now as they should be. No overbearing head vampire with allusions of building a family. David and his boys, his brothers liked the way their pack was, with one additional out-of-this-world member. Regaining his composure, David told his pack, “Let’s go home.” Dwayne carrying Laddie, and Stitch riding piggy-back on Marko they flew back to the cave.

Grandpa Emerson was about five minutes too late. He came home to a silent, destroyed, bloody mess. Numbly walking into the kitchen, he pulled a root beer from the second shelf labeled ‘Old Fart’. Twisting the top off and taking a drink, “Damn vampires.”

1095 Years Later

It really took Captain Gantu over a thousand years to find Stitch. He alerted the Grand Councilwoman. Gantu had watched the creature from the shadows, not approaching until the order to do so. When he reported to the Grand Councilwoman that Stitch was hunting dredges of society with a band of creatures of the night, she gave the order to stand down. He observed all six creatures from afar as they disposed of their recent kills. “But Grand Counci--”, Gantu was cut off. “I said stand down. That is an order. It’s been over a thousand years, and from the footage you have sent he is doing that world a service. You are to leave that planet at once,” Grand Councilwoman gave her orders. “Yes, Grand Councilwoman,” Gantu retreated to his ship and left the planet and Stitch behind.

Stitch watched as the Galactic Alliance Police cruiser left the atmosphere from the hidden entrance to their cave. He was free to live for eternity with his family. The five vampires and Stitch had already returned to their hidden cave for the remainder of the night. They never really changed their ways. Party all night, sleep all day. It’s fun to be a Lost Boy. The Boys and their Alien.

The End...

#the lost boys 1987 #the lost boys #marko the lost boys #paul the lost boys #dwayne the lost boys #david the lost boys #paul #marko #dwayne #david

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poliel · 3 years

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Surprise Egg 3/13: Surprise Labor

Heads up, for kinda graphic labor in this chapter. It's an egg though so it's not as bloody and stuff as a live birth would be. But it's still something that I feel I should give a warning about in case anyone needs/wants one.

I bet this chapter came a lot sooner than y'all were expecting. It happened this way because A. Buddy doesn't know and it's important to the story they don't know until after they birth the egg for reasons y'all will see later and B. the immediate aftermath of them laying the egg took a lot longer than I expected and the following consequences of how bad this pregnancy and birth was for their body while being malnourished also come up because it wouldn't have felt complete if I didn't cover that aspect of it in the fic. So basically what I'm saying is this was supposed to happen towards the end of the fic but then I discovery wrote my way into that not being the case.

Convincing Shelda to go back to town hadn’t been difficult on a technical level but her requests had been particularly aggravating. Normally Buddy were good at keeping their cool but they were tired, hungry, and felt awful, even more than had become usual, making them tempted to growl at her every time she spouted nonsense. They’d resisted though, remaining mostly polite throughout. And now she was finally gone and they could rest for a bit. …

Except they didn’t have time to. While they were here, they should catch that buffalocust for Cromdo and a picantis for Gramble. Also, they had their self-imposed task of catching every bugsnax and there were several others here that hadn’t caught yet. Not to mention the whole being expected them to bring back enough bugsnax to feed everyone in town. Ugh! If only they’d given in to Filbo’s insistence they stay and rest, take today off. But… they really couldn’t afford to no matter how awful they felt. So they allowed themself no more than ten minutes resting in the shade of Shelda’s lean-to before forcing themself back up to their feet and gathering up their equipment to start hunting.

It started as just a small twinge in their abdomen every now and then, little more than an annoying distraction as they stalked their prey. But then it started getting worse; more painful and more frequent. Until eventually one rolled through them so bad it had them doubling over and clutching at their middle. It lasted for several seconds, leaving them panting once it finally passed.

What even was that? And how concerned should they be? Probably a lot, right? No way anything that hurt that bad could be…

Something sharp stung their shoulder, making them jump. That dang scorpepper! They turned to growl at it but quickly gave that up because their fur had caught fire again. Sending them rushing over to submerge themself in the thankfully nearby water instead.

Dripping wet now, they stepped out to sit on the shore. They then twisted their head to inspect the spot as best they could, fighting back the urge to gag at the smell of burnt fur. The fire hadn’t spread far and they’d taken care of it fast enough that the flesh underneath hadn’t suffered much damage. It was just one more minor burn to add to the rather large collection they had on their body now, some of which were from that same exact Scorpepper earlier today.

Standing up, they turned to face it with a growl. From this distance it was completely invisible on its dumb rock face. They lifted a paw to flip it off anyway. They were going to catch it and they were going to enjoy feeding to someone because it was an asshole.

They took two steps towards it before another wave of pain washed through them, doubling them over around their midsection again. It brought them all the way to their knees this time. They growled to themself as it passed. Vengeance would have to wait, they needed to deal with whatever this was first.

Now, should they try to get back to for help town or wait this out and hope it got better? On one hand it was clearly something serious on the other though, the thought of dragging themself and their equipment all the way back to Snaxburg while doubling over in pain every few minutes was not appealing. Especially with all the many aggressive bugsnax between here and there. The last thing they needed while dealing with this was to also have to deal with being rammed by angry spuddys or set on fire by the various snax that hated them and could do such. So… waiting it out was their only real option, huh?

With a groan, they dragged themself back over to the lean-to. They’d just finished putting aside their backpack and sitting down before another wave rolled through them. They were definitely getting closer together. Was that a good or bad sign though?

After it passed, they put a paw on their belly, pressing down lightly and then a little harder because it felt weird. Kind of like there was something hard was inside them? … And they were certain it wasn’t Sprout’s buggy ball either so what the fuck?

It would’ve been nice to think on that mystery more and solve it but they were exhausted and their body was already tensing in preparation for the next wave of pain. They lay down on their side on the thin sleeping bag. Ready for it this time, they gritted their teeth when it rolled through them. As it passed, they were left panting again but they had high pain tolerance so they’d get through whatever this was and then go back to Snaxburg and sleep cuddled up with Filbo for however long they could. And maybe they’d even finally do as he’d been asking them to for a while now and take tomorrow off. And then everything would be fine again.

Sometime later

Nope! They weren’t going to make it through this. They were going to die for sure. Out here in middle of the wretchedly hot desert they were going to die alone and a failure, their big story untold and their only legacy being one of disappointment after disappointment.

They whimpered and rolled, trying unsuccessfully to find a more comfortable position, ultimately just ending up back on their side, curled around their middle. Clawing uselessly at the sand, they desperately tried again to purr to feel better, only managing a broken stutter.

More than anything they wanted Filbo with them. They’d be willing to do almost anything to be held by him right now. The fact that he wasn’t here and wouldn’t be coming brought tears to their eyes that they didn’t even bother trying to hold back as another pain rolled through the middle. The screamed as everything inside them tightened again.

How could their insides possibly hurt so much without whatever it was killing them on the spot? How much longer could it even go on for? The gaps between the pain and tightening that came with it now were only a few seconds apart now. Surely something had to give eventually!

With another wave of pain, pulling another scream out of them as their whole body tightened again, something suddenly did give way as they quite literally pushed something out of their body. The tension gone from their body, they started shaking as they panted lying limp on the ground.

It was… over? … Finally? Really? … They waited, prepared and dreading another wave of pain but… it didn’t come. … It was really over.

Their eyes welled with tears again, this time tears of relief. After they’d caught their breath a bit more, they carefully pushed themself up to examine the… egg between their legs? Huh? It was much too big to be an eggler and the faded burnt orange and light blue splotches on it made that even more clear because that meant it was a grumpus egg. What the fuck?

Sex-ed was forever and a day ago now but they were pretty sure the colours weren’t random; they came from the parents, right? So meant… they’d been carrying Filbo’s egg for… probably since after their heat, huh? That… certainly explained some things. They’d had no idea though. … Whoops.

What now? … Back to town. They’d take it back to town and show Filbo and then rest and then they’d figure out what to do about it. Because right now they could barely even think let alone make any kind of important decision about this.

Shaking even more now, they sat all the way up and reached into their pouch to pull out Sprout’s buggy ball. “Sorry little guy, you’re going back into the pack for a bit.” They pulled the pack over and put him inside, being sure to zip it up so he couldn’t escape. Then they turned to look at the egg again; their and Filbo’s egg… ugh. Carefully they picked it up and pushed into their pouch. Despite being a bit bigger and a different shape, it felt and looked an awful lot like how Sprout’s buggy ball had being in there had. Well, that’d make ensuring Filbo was the first one to know easy.

Taking a deep breath, they pulled the backpack on. Lucky for them, they’d left all their hunting equipment attached to it so they didn’t have to worry about that right now. Except for the fact that it made it heavy, normally not an issue but now… eh, it’d be fine. They were used to it and thanks to the whole surprise labor thing the only bugsnax they’d successfully caught today was the black razzby so it certainly could’ve been a lot heavier.

They stood up. Or tried to, anyway. Blackness ate at their vision before they were even all the way upright, sending them to their knees and then…

They woke to the sound of something heavy being dragged across the ground. Whatever it was, they were lying on it on their back, judging based off the way the sound seemed to come from all around and matching the sensation of movement they felt. With a groan they opened their eyes to see clear blue sky high above high above them, framed on either side by the familiar canyon walls of the Scorched Gorge.

Underneath them was their backpack and… turning their head a little… they were lying on a wooden platform that looked an awful lot like it used to be part of Shelda’s lean-to. But who was pulling…

A monster was pulling the platform by the pole that had once kept the lean-to upright. Or not a monster but a grumpus shape thing made of food. A bugsnax?

Their heart skipped a beat as their fur prickled with excitement and a drop of fear. They snatched up their camera for where it hung around their neck and took a photo. Probably not a good one though so they took another and another. And then, annoyed with the angle, they sat up to snap another.

It glanced back at them with big empty googly eyes, of which they took a pic of, of course. Yes, definitely a bugsnax! A giant one. Intelligent too based off the way it was clearly intentionally dragging them somewhere. How intelligent though? And where was it taking them?

With a well-practiced quick motion, they pulled their journal, pencil, and recorder out of their pack’s side pocket. They flipped open to a new page and pressed the record button.

“Hello. Can you understand me?”

No response.

Holding the journal and recorder with one paw, they snapped a few more photos with the other, just to be sure. “I’m a journalist and I’m here to study bugsnax. If you can understand me, I’d like a…”

It growled. Wet and menacing, it sent a chill down Buddy’s spine and brought an excited smile to their face. That was the same sound they’d heard that night a while ago now when everyone had gathered around the campfire to tell ghost stories! Probably this was also the thing Gramble and Beffica saw that other night. So this thing had been lurking around town for who even knows how long. Why though? Buddy intended to find out.

“Growling works. How about a long growl for ‘no’ and short a one for ‘yes’?

It growled again before stopping and melting into the ground.

“Wait, wait, come back!” Their paws being full made getting up to their feet hard but they were nothing if not determined and managed anyway. “I wasn’t done talking to you.”

But alas, it was gone. Nothing remained of where it had just been standing mere moments ago. Dammit! … Well at least they had some pics and some recorded audio. That was a hell of a lot better than nothing.

After letting the camera hang around their neck again, they stopped the recording and put it and the notebook and pencil back in the side pocket. Then they looked around to ascertain their location… just outside Snaxburg. The… Snaxsquatch – Yes! That’s what they were going to call it! – had brought them back from the desert. So it was friendly too. … They simply had to go tell Filbo about it and then probably everyone else too.

#my writing #bugsnax #filbuddy #filbo fiddlepie #the journalist #pregnancy #birth #labor

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mryddinwilt · 4 years

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Like Ships In The Night (you keep passing me by)

Enchanted Forest AU-Princess Emma does a reverse Cinderella and meets a Captain in a tavern instead of a Prince at a ball. It should have been a one-time thing but fate had other plans and they just keep meeting.

It’s been almost 4 years but here is the thrilling conclusion... @spartanguard Happy very late birthday! It felt appropriate to finish this as a birthday gift but it took a little longer than expected!

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Chaos. The world was chaos. All around Killian his fellow monkeys flew, diving to attack the humans, dwarves, and fairies that were storming the castle. Screams and shouts reached him even from his place on top of the tower as those below prepared for the attack from above. All he could do was watch. Zelena had bid him to stay by her side and he was powerless to disobey. With her magic wrapped firmly around him he was merely her grotesque puppet.

“Don’t worry, my pretty, they are no match for us,” Zelena said.

Killian wasn’t worried, he was filled with hope. It had been months since he had become one of the Witch’s flying minions but he still remembered Emma’s promise that she would find him and defeat Zelena. Surely this was their salvation from the Wicked Witch. He searched for blonde hair below.

There was a flash of bright light and several monkeys dropped to the ground, stunned. Killian cried out in triumph as he finally spotted Emma.

“Silence!”

Killian’s mouth snapped shut but he still felt the triumph bubbling inside him.

“That spell is one of Glinda’s. The Savior has had training.” Venom dripped from every word. Another flash of magic and more monkeys fell. Zelena growled and mounted her broom. “She may have some battle magic but she is no match for me.”

Killian wished he could tell Zelena how wrong she was. That he too had made the mistake of underestimating Princess Emma and learned just how strong and capable she really was.

“Now you can make yourself useful. I will distract the Savior. When her attention is diverted you will capture her and bring her to the tower. Keep her occupied until I arrive.”

Killian snarled his displeasure but could do nothing but obey. Zelena smiled sharp and dangerous before letting out a laugh as she flew away. As he spread his wings and sprang into the air dread settled over him. He watched as Zelena dove toward Emma. Killian could hear nothing with the air rushing about his ears. Magic, white and green, flashed. There was a cry of anguish. Zelena laughed and, his strings pulled, Killian fell into a dive. As the ground rushed toward him, he prayed Emma would knock him out and then finish Zelena.

When he got closer he saw that Emma was standing over a large, injured, werewolf. Tears were in her eyes as she screamed her rage at Zelena. The Princess didn’t see him coming.

“Emma! Lookout!” Someone called, but it was too late. They collided, his legs wrapped around her torso, and he plucked her from the ground.

As he pulled up from the dive she thrashed in his grip. Terrified she would fall to the ground and not wanting to gouge her with his claws, he wrapped his arms around her.

She stilled.

“Killian?”

He shivered as her hand ran over his left arm caressing the place where a claw should be. His heart stuttered even as his wings beat steadily, taking them higher and higher. He wished he could fly them far away but he had his orders. He looped around the tower, slowing down for the landing. He unwrapped his legs and with the precision of practice settled them on the balcony. He folded his wings and released Emma.

She didn’t run screaming or attack him. She merely turned around and stared into his blood red eyes as if she could see the real him underneath the fur and fangs.

“Killian it is you isn’t it?”

He nodded.

She caught her breath and lifted her hand to his face. He flinched. How could she bear to touch him? Her hand fell away.

“I found you,” she said, like it was the answer to a question. “I’m sorry I took so long. You remember the legend of the witch in the woods? Her name was Glinda. I found her and she helped me master my magic. You were right. It’s just a tool. ”

He gave a low cry wishing he could tell her how brilliant she was and warn her that Zelena was coming. Slowly he raised his hand to her but when he saw the disgusting paw he dropped it.

Emma pretended not to notice. “Glinda told me there was a prophecy. That my magic is special and that it’s the only kind that can truly destroy the Wicked Witch. That’s why Zelena didn’t attack my kingdom, she was afraid of me. And now that I know how to use my magic I can defeat her and fix you.”

As if summoned a swirl of green smoke appeared behind Emma. The Princess whirled to face the Wicked Witch.

“Hold her,” Zelena said.

Killian obeyed.

Before Emma could understand what was happening Zelena grabbed Emma’s wrist and slapped a leather cuff on it. Killian knew immediately what it was, he had seen the Wicked Witch use it on her enemies. His heart fell as Emma raised her hands as if to blast Zelena with magic. Nothing happened.

Zelena cackled.

“Release her, my pretty.”

Killian let go of Emma and she stepped away. She stared in horror at her hands and then at him, betrayal on her face.

“What did you do?” Emma tried to pull off the bracelet.

“Just a little cursed jewelry. You can’t take it off. Bit hard to defeat me with no magic.”

“No.”

Killian’s heart broke at the whispered word.

“Oh yes, Savior. Don’t tell me you actually believed all of Glinda’s nonsense about prophecies? She had me convinced too, after all you did defeat Regina, but I’ve been watching you Princess and you are weak. Your power is nothing, nothing compared to me.” Zelena’s voice turned shrill.

“If it’s nothing then take this bracelet off and face me.”

“Oh I think not. First I have to go and kill all those peasants you brought with you.” Zelena stepped to Killian. He wanted to rip her heart out but could do nothing but stand there. Zelena smiled as if she knew his inner thoughts. “My pet here will make sure you watch.” She gave him an affectionate stroke on his head.

“Don’t touch him.” Emma snarled.

Zelena turned to Emma but continued to run her hands down to his neck. “Oh that’s right you have a thing for my little broken toy. They say you stood up to the Dark One for him but I didn’t believe it. Is he the reason you attacked the castle? Him? How could a one-handed pirate be worth this suicide mission?”

Killian snarled. Zelena truly didn’t understand. Emma and her army hadn’t come for him, they had come to destroy the Wicked Witch and even without Emma’s magic they were going to fight to their death. Even now he could hear the battle down below.

“I said don’t touch him,” Emma snarled.

Green fire sparked in Zelena’s hand. “You don’t give the orders here.”

Killian could feel the heat building beside him and then the green streaked toward Emma. Killian cried out as she dodged and landed on the floor. Fire grew again in Zelena’s hand and Killian knew this time she wouldn’t miss.

He couldn’t let it happen. Not Emma. He strained against the magical control, wanting to grab Zelena, rip her limb from limb. The puppet strings didn’t break but they stretched. As Zelena released the fire he threw his body in front of it.

Pain exploded in his chest, his scream mingled with Zelena’s cry of outrage. He fell to the ground and through the agony he smelled burnt hair and flesh. The world became a muddle as he stared up at the ceiling. He heard Emma say his name and Zelena’s cursed laugh.

Then Emma was hovering over him, tears in her eyes. He wanted to stroke her cheek and apologize for getting injured, for becoming Zelena’s puppet, and all the misunderstandings of their past. But trapped in a monkey body all he could do was look at her.

“No, no, no, Killian.” Emma pleaded. Her hand cupped his fur covered cheek and he closed his eyes. His memory conjured Emma when he first met her, a princess dressed as a bar wench. A woman that had captivated him completely and made him realize, for the first time since Milah, that he might be capable of loving again. He wished he hadn’t been scared of those feelings, hadn’t been so hurt by her initial lies, that he hadn’t doubled down on his revenge and then betrayed her. So many things he would have done differently but at least he had done something right in the end. All things considered this wasn’t a bad way to die.

Through the haze Killian felt Emma’s breath on his lips and then a different heat filled his body. Bright white light was everywhere, Killian waited for everything to go black but instead the light receded. The room came back into focus. He felt strangely light, though the pain was still there, narrowing his ability to comprehend what was happening. Emma’s face hovered over his, her eyes wide.

“Impossible!” Zelena screeched in the background. Emma’s hand came to his face and this time he noticed the leather bracelet. If only he could remove it for her.

His body obeyed his thought and his hand came round her wrist. He gasped when he saw that it wasn’t furry and clawed but a normal human hand. Killian couldn’t fathom how he had been changed but it didn’t matter he could free Emma now. He used his last ounce of strength to pull off the bracelet.

He saw Emma start to smile as his vision faded and blissful unconsciousness took him.

Killian awoke with a start, his hand going to his chest feeling for charred flesh but finding only smooth skin. Skin. He stared down in wonder, he was human again. Dressed in his usual black leather. The same clothes he had been wearing when he transformed. Even his hook had been restored, a comforting weight at the end of his left arm.

How?

The details were blurred and indistinct, the memory of pain wiping out any nuances after the fire hit him. Emma had been over him, smiling, there had been magic and… he reached but found nothing but a jumble of images and feelings.

The tower room was empty, no sign of Emma or Zelena, just smashed furniture testifying to a fight. A fight that he was sure Emma had won. Otherwise he would be dead.

Killian chuckled as the feeling of victory flooded him. Emma had defeated the Wicked Witch. But if she had won where was she now?

He got to his feet and staggered as he unconsciously tried to compensate for wings that were no longer there. He walked to the balcony and looked down. The courtyard was filled with the aftermath of the battle, the smoke of dying fires, wounded soldiers being tended, flashes of colors as fairies flew about, and cages filled with what looked like flying monkeys. Killian frowned. It was all over and they had apparently forgotten all about him.

He felt adrift, unsure of his bearings. What should he do now? He wanted to find Emma. Discover what had happened and see if she needed his help. A dreaded thought stole into his mind. What if she was injured? What if she was dying?

He spun from the balcony, determined to search the entire castle, to find her. He was halfway across the room when he noticed a dwarf in the doorway. It was the same one that had been his jailer in Emma’s castle.

“You’re awake,” the dwarf said flatly as he shifted his blood stained axe.

“Aye. Where is Emma?”

The dwarf glared at him. “Princess Emma is in a council meeting, busy cleaning up the mess that you got us into. She doesn’t have time for the likes of you, pirate.”

The relief Killian felt at knowing Emma was safe warred with frustration at his jailer. Emma still didn’t trust him.

“Am I a prisoner?” Killian asked.

“If you want to run away to your ship I would be happy to see the back of you but no stealing on your way out.”

Killian furrowed his brow. Back to his ship? Did Emma expect him to return to his ship? Perhaps he should be thinking about his crew or ransacking the castle but all he wanted was to see Emma. The need overshadowed everything else.

“Out of my way dwarf,” Killian commanded as he walked to the door.

“I knew it,” the dwarf said as Killian passed. But he wasn’t interested in what the dwarf thought he knew and continued to the stairs with long strides. He knew where the council room was.

Killian ignored the huffs and stamping of the dwarf as he followed him through the castle. On the way to the council room they passed the ballroom and Killian paused to look inside. Weary warriors were eating at long tables, sleeping in the corners, or chatting in low voices. It looked nothing like the glittering jewel of excess that Killian remembered. It seemed so long ago that the castle had belonged to Prince Walsh and Killian had come to steal the slippers. How shocked and angry he had been to discover the bar wench he couldn’t get out of his mind was a princess and engaged. He smiled remembering how even then he had thrown over his plans just for the chance to speak with her and had been willing to give up his own schemes when he realized Emma needed help. Of course she had pushed him away, kissed him, and left him unconscious in the garden but looking back he no longer blamed her. He only blamed himself for his later actions. Could Emma see past their history? He shook his head and continued on.

They were steps away from the council room when the dwarf realized where they were going.

“Hey nobody invited you to the council.” The dwarf picked up his speed to get in front of Killian.

Killian shot him a deadly smile. “An oversight I am sure.”

He increased his pace but Killian beat him to the door and pushed through with as much swagger as he could manage.

All eyes at the table turned to him but he was only interested in Emma. Surprise and relief flashed over her face and then she frowned and looked away. Before Killian could begin to understand her reaction and his own rushing heartbeat the King spoke.

“Your presence was not requested, pirate.”

Killian turned to the King and gave him a patronizing smile. “And yet here I am.”

The Queen laid a hand on her husband's arm. “We are happy to see you recovered, Captain. Please join us. Your personal knowledge of the Wicked Witch and her domain may prove helpful.”

Killian gave a half-bow and grinned his victory as he made his way to an empty seat. His eyes flicked to Emma but she seemed to be focused on a piece of paper in her hands.

Those at the table were vaguely familiar to him, dirty, tired versions of the people he had met at the last council meeting he had attended. Given that immediately after that meeting he had escaped the castle he couldn’t really fault them for their cold, dismissive manner.

“As I was saying.” Emma put down the paper. “Prince Walsh has not been found in the castle. I think it’s possible Zelena killed him when she took over his kingdom.”

There is a murmur around the table. Did they truly care that the double dealing prince was gone? The man had plotted against Emma, he had tried to trick her into marriage. Surely he deserved his punishment?

“Well that’s a problem.” The older lady beside Killian grumbled.

Killian couldn’t help but wonder if these council members were the same ones that had urged Emma to marry the prince in the first place. Perhaps they still wanted that? Killian shook his head.

“What pirate?” The King asked. “Do you know what happened to Prince Walsh?”

“Actually I do.” All eyes turned to Killian. “The same thing that happened to all Zelena’s enemies. He was turned into a flying monkey.”

Though Killian had never communicated with the other monkeys he had spent enough time with Zelena and heard her use names on several occasions. She had taken particular delight in taunting Walsh and telling him that he was no longer her favorite.

“All of them into flying monkeys?” The Queen asked.

Killian shrugged. “It gave her an army and removed her enemies all at once. Zelena particularly liked the control the spell afforded her.”

“How does the spell work exactly?” The Blue Fairy asked from her place to chairs down.

“I am no expert in magic. ” Killian said.

“Any information will help. How did it affect you?”

“Well, obviously, there is a physical transformation but your mind remains intact. You still reason and feel as a person but you have no free will. Zelena’s will is like a physical tether, you can’t help but obey. She might command a monkey to kill his own family and they wouldn’t be able to resist.”

Killian met Emma’s gaze and hoped she understood that he had been forced to capture her. That he would never wish to hurt her.

“That is horrible.” The Queen reached for her husband's hand. “All those innocent people.”

“Mother, we didn’t kill any of them.” Emma soothed.

“Only because you insisted we not harm them. If we hadn’t listened to you…”

Killian wondered what conversations they had about the monkeys. Had Emma guessed the monkeys were innocent or had she been worried about him getting killed in the battle? Had Emma explained about his transformation or told them anything about their time together in the woods? He had thought often of that night. Of Emma’s magic and her tending his wounds, of waking up with her body pressed to his and how he realized how much he had missed waking up with someone.

“It is a truly vile spell.” The Blue Fairy said. “But Princess Emma has already cured the Captain so there is hope I can learn how she did it and reproduce it.”

Attention shifted to Emma and Killian found himself leaning forward. How had she cured him? He couldn’t remember anything but light and warmth.

Emma looked down at the table. “I don’t think I can repeat what happened.”

Killian frowned. Had Emma used some dangerous magic? All magic came with a price what would she have to pay on his behalf?

“Now Princess I know much of your magic is instinct but if you could even describe what happened I believe that it would be helpful.”

Emma took a deep breath and her eyes flashed to Killian before jumping back to the fairy.

“Blue I have learned a lot in the last few months and I know more about magic than you think. So trust me, you can’t recreate it.

“But if you–”

Emma cut her off. “You need to be looking at counter curses.”

The Blue Fairy opened and then closed her mouth. She looked between Emma and Killian and seemed to come to some kind of realization and pressed her lips together.

“Oh. Emma.” The Queen’s exclamation drew Killian’s attention. The Queen reached for Emma’s hand. Emma’s face was turning red even as her father’s drained to white. Killian knew he had missed something but didn’t know what.

“Emma, what did you do?” Killian’s fear made the question came out more as an accusation.

Emma jumped to her feet and her chair rocked back. “I need some air.” She rushed from the room with all eyes following her. She didn’t look back. As the room erupted in murmurs Killian jumped to his feet and followed her. As far as he was concerned the meeting was over.

Emma wasn’t in the hallway and Killian wondered if she had used magic to whisk herself away. With a sigh he began his search. Guessing that Emma would want to avoid people he headed for the gardens. His mind whirled as he tried to push down the worry that whatever Emma had done with her magic was dangerous. Could it be reversed? He would gladly go back to being a monkey if it would spare Emma. His anxiety mounted until he found her standing in the very spot she had dosed him with poppy powder so long ago.

Her eyes were closed and she seemed lost in thought. Now that he had found her all his questions fled. She looked tired and he wanted to take her in his arms and soothe her worries not interrogate her. He took a step on the gravel and her eyes flew open. She didn’t seem pleased to see him.

“You recovered quickly. I thought you would be asleep for a day at least.”

“And miss all this fun?” He attempted a smirk.

“You have a strange idea of fun.”

Killian shrugged. “It’s important to find the silver lining in life.”

Emma snorted.

“Emma you gained control of your magic, you defeated the Wicked Witch, you saved me from spending my life as a simian. But you act as if you have lost.” He met her eyes and took a step closer as he gathered his courage. “I am grateful for the rescue. Though I don’t remember everything I know I wouldn’t be here without you. But, Emma, if the magic came at a high cost to you…”

“The cost? Killian I…” Emma shook her head “There was no cost, I made no bargains nor dabbled in any dark magic. Though perhaps that would have been easier than this mess.”

He frowned. “Then why–?”

“What do you want Killian?”

The question and the intensity in her voice caught him off guard. “I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“No. What do you want now that you are free?”

Killian cocked his head as he considered the question. He was free, freer than he had been for centuries. For so long revenge had been his cruel mistress, driving him to betray his own principles to strike at the Dark One. Until Emma had entered his life he hadn’t realized how far he had sunk under its control. Emma had shown him the cost of his villainy and that there was much more to life if only he was brave enough to change. The dwarf had assumed he would run off to his ship and sail away. Given their history, perhaps Emma thought the same. But Killian had no intention of leaving unless it was what Emma wanted. Certainly she could never care for him the way he cared for her but would she accept him in her life?

He searched her eyes but knew the only way to get an answer was to ask.

“You once said that if I stopped living in the past I could be a part of something.”

“I did and then you ran away.”

“I was trying to help, but point taken.” Killian took a deep breath. “This time I would like to stay and try to be a part of something. I know the King and others don’t much care for me but I have some first rate qualities that could be of real use to your kingdom.”

“You would give up buckling swash on the high seas? Be on the council and help with taxation and road building and treaties?” Emma seemed skeptical.

“Given my talents I hope you would give me more exciting duties but, yes. If you are amenable I would like to stay.”

“And that’s all you want a position in my kingdom?”

Her green eyes drew him closer and his heart beat wildly. He thought of the kiss they had shared in this spot, of all the kisses and almost kisses, of how she seemed to know the truth of him but hadn’t turned away. He wanted so much more than a seat on her council.

He stepped closer summoning what little swagger he could.

“Oh, aye, a position in your kingdom and a position in your heart.”

Emma’s mouth opened in surprise. He chuckled as he bent his head and kissed her. It was a soft, teasing thing then Emma took control and transformed it into something much more passionate.

When they pulled apart they touched foreheads and smiled.

“What?” She asked.

“Hmmm… I am just waiting for you to run away or incapacitate me.”

Emma laughed. “I guess it is my turn since you ran away last time.”

“Being turned into a flying monkey is hardly running away, love.”

She pulled back and reverently ran her fingers over his hairline and down his cheek. He smiled at her concern.

“I am sorry it took me so long. That she had you under her control for so long.”

“Emma, you mastered your magic in mere months. It’s a marvel you came as soon as you did. I am the one who is sorry.”

“For what?”

“For betraying you and stealing the urn. For running off and getting injured by flying monkeys because I didn’t trust you enough to share my plan.”

“Killian without all that, without your encouragement and even your transformation, I never would have learned how to use my magic. I would have always been afraid of it. I should be thanking you.”

Killian’s heart swelled at the praise but he couldn’t help but argue. “You saved me, Emma.” He whispered and he was talking about much more than the events of the last day.

“You saved me too.” She replied before kissing him again. This time it was soft and sweet and full of promise.

The kiss was interrupted by the loud clearing of a throat. Emma and Killian came apart. Killian let out a sigh and was composing a litany of curses for their intruder when he turned and realized it was Emma’s parents.

The King looked like he would happily murder him while the Queen smiled blissfully. Emma pulled out of his embrace to face her parents. Killian kept his hand at her hip and it wasn’t just to annoy the King.

“Mother, Father, Captain Jones has accepted the position of naval advisor.”

Killian snickered at her words and the false dignity she gave them.

The King rolled his eyes. “Naval advisor? Really?”

“David, now is not the time.” The Queen warned.

“Now is exactly the time. I will not have this pirate toying with our daughters affections.”

“Your daughter is right here and can make her own decisions.” Emma joined the argument.

“Emma,” the king's voice softened, “I love you. But after Neal and Walsh you deserve someone better.” He looked at Killian and frowned. “You deserve an equal partner that doesn’t have ulterior motives. That won’t abandon you or betray you.”

Killian bristled even as he agreed with the King's assessment. Emma deserved all that and more. He hoped he could be the one to give it to her. He locked eyes with the King.

“Listen, your Majesty, whatever Emma and I become is up to her but I would never betray or abandon her. I am in this for the long haul.” Killian pulled Emma closer.

“Honestly, David, you are being ridiculous.”

“What? I am just looking out for our daughter. There is no proof the pirate and Zelena aren’t working together to trick Emma into thinking he is her True Love.”

Killian frowned in confusion. “True what?”

Nobody answered him. Emma had stepped away to confront her father.

“No proof? Are you kidding me? Dad, you weren’t even there!” Emma’s hands seemed to spark with pent up magic as she gestured to Killian. “I was powerless. Zelena was going to kill me and everyone else. Killian was able to break through her control long enough to throw himself in front of a fireball.”

“That could have been faked, a trick to get you to believe him.” The King grumbled.

“He was dying! I didn’t kiss him to break his curse. I kissed him because I thought it would be the last time.”

Killian remembered the moment, the pain and looking into her desperate face wishing it wasn’t the end. She kissed him and it broke his curse. Realization dawned on him as Emma continued.

“When we kissed there was the flash and it felt just like you and Mom always said. Then he was human. I didn’t imagine or suspect that he… It was real. I know it.”

Killian knew more than most about the power of True Love’s Kiss. It had become a particular obsession of Rumplestilskin’s and so Killian had studied it. It was rare but could break any curse as true love was said to be the most powerful force in all the realms. Killian had been doubtful that such magic existed and had certainly thought it impossible he could share it with anyone after Milah’s death. But he had fallen in love again, though he had denied it, and even more wondrous she loved him back. Killian didn’t blame the King for being skeptical, Killian hardly believed it himself. His relationship with Emma had been unconventional to say the least but Killian would go through it all again if it led him to true love.

The King was struggling to answer his daughter's declaration as the Queen looked smug.

“Quite passionate, Emma.” Killian murmured.

She turned to him and caught his wide grin.

“What?”

“You kissed a monkey.” Killian knew he looked a fool with his smile but he couldn’t help it. Emma rolled her eyes.

“A disgusting monster with fangs.” He continued as he pulled her into his arms. “At least I know you don’t love me for my looks.”

“Can you be serious?” Emma said even as she returned his smile. Killian knew it was hardly the time with her parents looking on but he couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“I’m your True Love.” Killian tipped his head and bit his lip.

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

And she did.

#mryddinwilt wrote something #cs ff #captain swan ff #cs au ff #cs fanfic #like ships in the night #i can't not believe how it's been four years #I have been tinkering with this thing on and off #but some things really only crystalized in the last week #so I am actually glad I waited to write it

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marshmallow-phd · 6 years

Text

Fighting Instinct

Part of The Untamed - EXO Wolf Universe

Genre: Supernatural, Wolf Au

Pairing: Jongdae x Reader

Summary: He went out of his way to ignore you. You saw his kindness towards everyone else, but he showed you only irritation. And you couldn’t blame him, considering your first meeting. However, little do you know that he’s hiding a dark world, one that you’re pulled into against your will….

Warning: none

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14 I 15 I Final

Consciousness slowly came back to you. The fog began to dissipate in your mind, letting you take in your surroundings just enough to know you’d been moved. Peeling open your eyes, you had to wait for your pupils to adjust to the new found darkness. You couldn’t move but you knew you were standing up. Glancing down, thick ropes were wrapped around your arms and torso, keeping you against what felt like a post digging into the space between your shoulder blades.

Black silhouettes wandered around in front of you a few feet below. Another figure stepped in front of you, but you could see exactly whose face was under the hood.

“Eun Na,” you cried, fighting against the ropes. “What is going on? This isn’t funny.”

She shook her head, pulling some sort of sack out of her robe. “Oh, (y/n). You always were so innocent. So trusting. This past year has been almost too easy.”

“What are you talking about?” Tears were already forming in your eyes, making Eun Na just a blurred outline. How could she do this to you? To anyone? “Why am I tied up?”

“We need you, (y/n),” she said simply as if that explained anything. “I’m sorry that it has to go this way, but you’re the sacrifice we need to gain the upper hand.” She looked up at the sky and you followed her gaze. “It’s the blood moon. The night we’ve been waiting for.” Sure enough, the moon glowed a harsh, mocking orange-red above you. From the little sack, she pulled out a handful of dust or ash - you couldn’t really tell - and sprinkled it on your head and around your feet. Little particles landed in your mouth and nose, making you cough. Once she was finished, she jumped down from the platform, leaving you alone.

The male Eun Na had originally spoken with at the bonfire walked up in front of you and lit a torch. Flames flickered in front of you, giving you a better view of your surroundings. Everyone had put on dark robes and were standing around you in a circle. Trees surrounded you on all sides letting you know that you were nowhere near help.

You couldn’t believe it. From the sticks piled around you to the wooden post you could feel under your hands, the only conclusion you could come to was they were about to burn you at the stake. Eun Na had called you a sacrifice. What the hell was she into?

“Eun Na, please!” you yelled, the tears now flowing over. You were ignored as the man stepped forward and threw the glowing torch at your feet. The flames completely engulfed the wood around you as you struggled against your binds. It was pointless, but you couldn’t stop yourself from calling out, “Help! Someone, please help me!”

The smoke grew, engulfing you like a blanket. It filled your lungs and clogged your throat, causing you to cough violently just to try and clear your airways. All at once, the people around you started chanting in sync. What they were saying, you couldn’t make out, but it wasn’t any language you knew.

Then howls ripped through the air. Breaking up their circle, the crazies started scattering, gathering in groups of two or three, their chanting stopped. It was hard to see through the smoke, but several giant figures that were certainly not human emerged from the trees. They walked on all fours, towering above the others and moved in synchronized pairs.

Screams erupted, soon mixing with snapping jaws and growls.

Wolves?

They were all different colors and sizes but that didn’t matter to Eun Na and her friends. They scrambled around, running away from the beasts and into the trees, forgetting all about you.

You tried to stay awake but the smoke was becoming too much. It clogged your throat, making it impossible to breathe properly. Becoming too heavy, your head started to bob, your eyes flickering to try and soothe the stinging sensation. Just before it became overwhelming, one of the lighter colored wolves jumped at you, over the flames and colliding with your body, sending you, the pole, and itself to the ground and away from the danger. A warm, fur-covered body was hovering over you, yellow eyes shining down at you. And then you lost all consciousness.

When you came to again, you were laying down on your back on a couch. The crinkly leather had a musky smell to it that was strangely comforting. A heavy wool blanket kept you warm. Sitting up, you took in your surroundings. You were in an ordinary living room, complete with a large flat screen hanging on the wall to your left above a red brick fireplace. To your right there was a hallway straight ahead and another entry way that led to another area of the house.

Footsteps echoed off the walls. Scrambling, you pushed yourself further into the back of the couch, knowing that running would just be useless as you didn’t have any idea of the layout and would probably just corner yourself. For now, you were happy that you weren’t burnt to a crisp. Take on one thing at a time.

A door opened at the far end of the room. The person who stepped through made your jaw drop.

“Professor Kim?”

Your World Folklore teacher smiled down at you. “Hi, (y/n). Here you can just call me Junmyeon.”

Slowly, he walked over to you and knelt in front of you, placing a hand gently on your knee, only the blanket separating your skins.

“How are you feeling?”

Breathing was still hard, but you were alive. “I’m okay. How-” cough, “how did you find me?”

Professor - er, Junmyeon grimaced. “That’s a bit of a story. I think we should take things slow.”

You shook your head, tears threatening to come to the surface remembering Eun Na’s smirk as she tried to kill you. “I don’t understand – cough - what happened. Eun Na - she was my friend….”

“She was never your friend, (y/n),” Junmyeon stated. “This whole time, she was planning to kill you. Right from the start when the two of you met.”

A sob escaped. Junmyeon leaned forward, stroking your head as you hid your face in your hand. You believed him of course, as Eun Na’s taunting words echoed in your head. She’d said it been too easy to trick you and of course it was. You were too desperate for a friend, for someone to trust and lean on, you took hold of the first person who stepped up. And that person happened to be a psychopath.

A clamoring noise broke your comforting silence. Several more bodies came stumbling through the door, tripping over each other.

“Enough!” Junmyeon yelled. They all froze. Eight boys stood just inside the room, staring at you. Among them were Jongdae and his friends. Jongdae’s eyes flickered back and forth between you and the contact with Junmyeon. You could have sworn you heard a deep chest growl come from your classmate. The sound was cut off the moment Junmyeon stood up, staring him down.

“How are you feeling?” Chanyeol shifted forward, grinning down at you.

You shrugged. “Fine, I guess. Considering the circumstances.”

He nodded. Jongdae stepped up, sitting down on the coffee table across from you, resting his forearms on his knees.

“How did you know?” you whispered. He had warned you - begged you not to go. He knew that you would be in danger.

Sighing, he dropped his head. “It’s a long story.”

“She needs to know,” Junmyeon said sternly. “Tell her. That’s an order.”

Rubbing his hands over his face, Jongdae straightened up. “I’m sure it’s actually kind of obvious, but Eun Na is part of a coven. She’s a witch.”

You shook your head, defiant of that answer. You wanted the truth, not a fairytale. “No. Witches are a bedtime story. A nightmare that humans dreamt up to explain things away and blame unknown circumstances on. They aren’t real.”

“They are real,” Jongdae insisted. “And they’re not the only story that’s actually true.” He paused. “What do you remember from last night?”

Pulling your knees up to you, you wrapped your arms around them, not really wanting to relive last night’s events. “I remember going to the bonfire with Eun Na. She gave me a water bottle and I guess it was drugged or something. I woke up tied to a stake like we were back in Salem. One of the guys lit the sticks under me on fire. I couldn’t breathe, there was so much smoke. And then-” you stopped. The animals, too large to be an average wolf, but moved too quickly and gracefully to be bears. “No, no, I must have started hallucinating. Lack of oxygen to the brain or something.”

“What did you see?” Jongdae pushed.

You swallowed. “Wolves. Giant Wolves. They chased everybody away. One of them saved me from the fire.”

“That was us,” Chanyeol declared. Jongdae turned on him, glaring a killer look.

You shook your head. “No. No, that’s not possible. That would make you-”

“Werewolves.” Nosy boy was the one who finished for you.

“Werewolves don’t exist,” you insisted. There had to be another explanation.

“Yes, they do, (y/n),” Junmyeon said gently. “We are a pack who can shift into wolves.”

This was too much. In less than twenty-four hours, your entire world of normalcy and what was widely accepted as truth had been turned around, shuffled, and completely destroyed. The person you had considered your best friend was a witch who - for some reason still unknown - had tried to sacrifice you by burning you at the stake. Now werewolves were real and apparently you were sitting in a room with a pack of nine.

“I still don’t understand,” you whispered. “I don’t understand what any of this has to do with me.”

Junmyeon sat down next to Jongdae. The latter gave him a look but said nothing. If any of your reading was correct, Junmyeon seemed to be the alpha.

“I think it’s best to start at the beginning,” Junmyeon offered. “Werewolves are the natural enemies of witches.”

You frowned. “I thought that was vampires.”

He laughed. “No, witches hate us the most. Because a witch created us.”

“Created you?”

“Yes.” He ran his fingers through his hair, turning into teacher mode. “A thousand years ago - my research isn’t too exact - a witch cursed a man who had rejected her. She decided that since he didn’t want to be a part of her world, she would cut him off from the rest of his own. He was cursed to be separated from everyone else, to be different and isolated. And so, she changed him into a man who transformed into a wolf. It’s not just the moon that changes us. It could be a loss of temper or just because we want to.”

“A rougarou,” you concluded.

Junmyeon laughed. “You’ve been paying attention in class. I’m glad to know that. Yes, thankfully we fall under that category. Another thing to be thankful for is something the witch didn’t foresee when she had first cast her spell. We’re impervious to their magic.” Your eyes grew at this new piece of information, but you kept quiet. “For several generations, we’ve been at peace with the coven here in town when the wolves could easily chase them out of our territory. For reasons we don’t know of yet, they’ve suddenly decided that we’re enemies again.”

“Okay,” you nodded, amazed at yourself for being able to follow along. “So, we’re back to why I’m suddenly involved in this.”

“I had to ask a few friends from out of town, but apparently there’s a spell that could take away our protection from their magic.” He looked you in the eye. “It’s a spell that has to be performed under the blood moon and involves the sacrifice of an unclaimed wolf mate.”

You blinked. “Unclaimed wolf mate?” Now you were lost. “What is that?”

Junmyeon exchanged looks with Jongdae, who stood up and started pacing the living room.

“You know the concept of soulmates, of course,” Junmyeon assumed. When you didn’t protest or counter him, he went on. “It’s the same for wolves, but more real. More serious. I believe it was nature’s way of balancing out the curse we’re under.” Jongdae scoffed, but he was ignored. “When a wolf meets his mate, that’s it. Wolves in nature mate for life and it’s the same for us. There is one person we’re meant to be with and when we meet them, the bond is formed and we’re connected for the rest of our lives. According to destiny, there’s no one else. We’re drawn to our mates, willing to die for them. They usually feel the same draw, though in a different way. More feeling than instinct.”

The pieces were starting to fall into place. “So, what you’re saying is that I’m one of your guys’ mate?”

He nodded. “Yes. Unfortunately, you haven’t been claimed yet. That made you vulnerable to the witches.”

“So, they could use me in their spell,” you concluded. You looked around at the boys, some were smiling at you, others were expressionless. One in particular wasn’t even glancing your way. “So, because the forces of magic seem to think it’s funny, I’m supposed to be with one of you guys? Forever?”

“Yes, you are.”

You bit your bottom lip, scared to ask your next question. “Do you know who?”

Eight heads turned to look at Jongdae, who’d finally stopped pacing. He shifted his body in your direction, slowly raising his gaze to meet yours. The truth was staring you in the face and you secretly cursed Mother Nature.

#exo #exo fanfic #exo wolf!au #exo wolf au #exo werewolf au #jongdae x reader #kim jongdae #chen #minseok #junmyeon #yixing #baekhyun #chanyeol #kyungsoo #jongin #sehun #exo x reader #fighting instinct

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always-writing · 7 years

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Nefarious Seas chapter 1

original content

'I can still smell him' Irina thought, walking along Oskara's canals back to her home. She had just returned from dumping Michael's body, and though his corpse was now at the bottom of the ocean, she felt as if his spirit was haunting her steps. The scent of his decaying flesh lurked in her steps, and whenever she closed her eyes she saw his milky ones staring back at her, almost in accusation of what she did to him

'Enough' she thought shaking her blond curls 'you had no choice, and what did he expect following me into the basement in the middle of the night'

Irina may have felt haunted by her actions, though she still relished in her walk through the 1st district. People here rarely went outside their homes after 10 here, the only sounds other than her footsteps where the light chirping of birds, the crunch of snow under her boots and the whistling of wind through the trees. This let her enjoy the moonlit water of the canals glinting in the darkness, and the smell of baking shortbread in the houses of the wealthy. There was a light snowfall and although her nose and ears had turned pink she was comfortably warm under her thick fur coat. The best part was at this time she didn't have to worry about keeping the garland of rosebane around her wrists, and she could let her eyes shine in all their brilliance, their piercing blue cutting through the night.

All too soon Irina entered the 4th district. Here the only silent time was just past noon, when people tried to sleep off the previous night's partying. Vomit, blood and alcohol mixed with snow in streets creating a slush that decorated the streets like a thick gravy. Music flowed out of brightly lit cafes, the smell of coffee and alcohol accompanying it. The corners and streets were filled with people, some throwing up and others attempting to rent themselves to anyone with a few peca in their pocket. Here the canals lost their moonlit sparkle and they were a brownish green colour, filled with human waste and algae. Oskara was known as the crime capital of Ashlen, with its booming slave trade and gangs constantly fighting over territory. If one wanted to get away with lucrative activity, the 4th district was the place to visit.

People stared blatantly at Irina, judging her long unrestrained hair and glowing eyes. It was a custom for women in Ashlen to put their hair up, whether it was an elaborate set of braids pinned close to the scalp like the queen, or scarf wrapped around the hair like most working women. Hair was something good women were supposed to keep hidden in public, and only let down when in the presence of a lover. The only people who wore their hair unrestrained were slaves-whose hair was cut short enough that there wasn't anything to put up- and prostitutes who kept it long.

Normally the only safe place to not wear rosebane would be in her home, however the only people up at this time were those who did not want the law meddling in their business. There was an unspoken agreement between people that people would mind their own buisness. No matter how strong the mutual distaste of the law went with these people, Irina let out a sigh as she walked through the front door of her home.

'Well look what the cat dragged in' Zina said in Glavyen, walking down the stairs with the grace of a queen.

Zina was from an immigrant family like irina, so they both spoke the language Glavyen, although she often mocked irina for her posh upper class accent. Zina was blessed with long raven hair with an elegant curl. Her burnt caramel skin glowed in the candle lit foyer, if Irina squirted she could see her dark freckles dusted cheeks and nose. Zina had typical glavyen features-a long straight nose and full lips-although her lean frame lacked the evidence of hard labour that most of her countrymen were acquainted with.

"Did you finally get rid of that wretch that's been stinking up the basement" She asked with a curled lip.

Irina nodded once, attempting to settle her rising temper. Life had been cruel to Zina so things like disposing a body rarely fazed her. Neither did having a cursed Nefae for a roommate

"Good it was annoying not being able to go down there for a drink" Zine laughed as Irina's nose wrinkled. She may have been living among prostitutes for the past 9 years, but she had never gotten into drinking or smoking much to their amusement.

"Let's just go sneak food from the kitchen alright, I'm starving" Irina said trying to leave the conversation behind..

Their house had 4 stories counting the basement, once it had belonged to a wealthy family before the 4th district gained a reputation for trouble. The first floor was set up solely for appearances, plush furniture dyed bold colours dotted the main floor while paintings depicting illicit scenes hung from the dark red walls. Kaliope was the one who designed it and she insisted on having the walls painted the garish colour.

The second floor was where the they actually entertained clients. All the rooms on this floor had a large king bed in them, shutters permanently pulled closed. From one of the bedrooms Irina could hear the moans of Katya and a man she was entertaining.

The third floor was where the everyone lived, even if it was a tight squeeze. It had the kitchen a small room attached with for lounging, and 3 bedrooms that everyone shared with one other person. At the moment Caden was reading a book on an overstuffed chair dyed lavender. He looked up when Irina and Zina entered and smiled, Irina grinned back.

It had been Caden's idea to leave the brothel and set up their own workplace, and it was the best decision they had ever made. Irina had been only 12 when she started working at a brothel to support herself after leaving home, and Caden the only other Nefae there, had immediately taken her under his wing. Kalliope had argued about letting irina in on their plans to leave, saying that she wouldn't be able to pull her weight, but Caden told her that if Irina didn't come, he wouldn't either.

Irina walked over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a jar of preserved strawberries and began to spread them on the bread she made earlier that day. They still weren't doing well enough to afford anything as exotic as spiced peaches but they got along well compared to how they had been in the brothel.

"So Irina does this mean I can finally go downstairs without smelling corpse" Caden asked, Zina snorted. Caden had never been treated as harshly but he had no love for Oblivya and it showed

"Don't be a baby Caden, you only had to put up with the smell of corpse for one day, how do you think disposing the thing made me feel" Irina said swallowing the bile in her throat.

"Next time we'll help you" he said ruffling her long golden hair "you just need to ask"

Irina nodded in understanding, finished her bread and bid them goodnight.

"Awwww is it past your bedtime" Zia asked mockingly

"Eat shit Zina" Caden burst into a fit of giggles at her outburst, he must have been drinking tonight.

Finally alone in her room, Irina felt herself relax. Zina almost never slept in the room they "shared", she preferred to spend her free nights drinking and picking fights. The only time she was ever in the room was during the day when she needed to sleep off a fight.

Irina's side of the room had a twin bed neatly made up with books stacked on a small bedside table and under the bed. There were a few paintings she had made in her free time but otherwise the light blue walls were left bare. On her bedside table was a gritty photograph she and Caden had after moving in.

Zina's side was slightly more chaotic. Expensive lingerie littered the floor and sheets of her bed. There was a small stack of empty liquor bottles in the corner and what looked like a half eaten muffin have stuffed under one of her pillows. But on the walls the most beautiful landscapes Irina had ever seen were painted. Forests with giants tree, meadows with flowers so realistic she could almost smell them and crystal blue mountain lakes. The most intriguing painting however was a miniature portrait on her bedside table. A tiny girl with raven hair and a gapped tooth smile stood next to a taller man and a woman with the same hair. They looked like they loved each other.

Irina stripped her thick fur coat and stained boots. She collapsed on to the pillows, and let out a deep sigh. She fell asleep almost instantly, dreaming of mountain lakes and fields of flowers. It felt like her eyes were close for only a second when Zina nudged her awake, and looked at her with genuine concern..

"Kal wants to talk to you"

#fantasy #original content #original story #Original Concept #fantasy story #magic story #revolution story #rebellion story #lgbt story #lgbt+ characters #femal protagonist #tw prostitution

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