#probably thinkin’ about chaos and destruction

[homeb0ys]

The Stance™️

[shadowpeachyuri]

untitled fic draft

(Summary: After the battle against Azure Lion, MK and Mei have a bit of a chat about power, destruction, and what it means to leave the world better than they found it.)

MK is sitting at the edge of the cliff overlooking Flower Fruit Mountain- well, what's left of it, anyways. Mei sits down beside him.

"What'chya thinkin' about, monkey man?"

MK flinches at the nickname, and then just sighs. Shit. That wasn't what Mei was going for. She tries again.

"Wow, you really did a number on this place, huh? S'fine, though, since I heard you totally kicked Azure's-"

"Is this better than we found it?" MK cuts her off. Mei just responds with a little noise of confusion. She's not really sure what he's talking about, but at least he's talking, instead of just sighing and staring. He continues.

"Well, as long as we leave the world better than we found it, it's all good, right? That's what Monkey King said."

Mei nods. She thinks she's starting to get it.

He continues on, gesturing out towards the shattered remains of Flower Fruit Mountain. "Is this better than we found it? Is anything? I just-"

MK cuts himself off with a noise of frustration, slumps down a little, and starts looking at his hands. Mei leans in, hugging him from the side, but it's like he doesn't even notice she's there.

{Note: at this point in the draft I switched to script form since it's easier for me to write dialogue in that format. im not switching it back for the same reason lol}

MK: When I- When Monkey Me was fighting Azure, it was-

MEI: [Interrupting] Awesome?

MK: Scary. It was scary. I was fighting Azure, destroying the whole island, swingin' my big tail around- and it was easy! All this? All this chaos, all this destruction? [MK wildly gestures towards the wreckage as he says this.] I was barely even trying.

[Mei nods. She knows this fear. Out of everyone else in the group, she understands best how it feels to hold destruction in her hands.]

MK: It just- It doesn't feel like I've made things better, you know? Like, Azure's defeated, hooray! Except- he was defeated already! Now we're right back where we were before this whole mess started, except now the Jade Emperor's gone, and I destroyed Flower Fruit Mountain, and-

[Mei interrupts.]

MEI: You made things better for me.

MK: [surprised] What?

MEI: Well, think about it! If we'd never met, I wouldn't have gotten my awesome sword! [She takes out said sword and waves it around a bit for effect, and then continues.] Plus, if you hadn't been there to calm me down when I first got the Samadhi Fire, I probably would've burned up the whole universe!

[She pauses for a second to let her words sink in, and then continues on.]

MEI: [Pretending to be trying to remember.] What was it you said to me then? Something like, "I know what it's like to have a power you don't know how to control?"

MK: [unintelligible]

MEI: Well, when I was doing fire training with Red Boy, y'know what I kept thinking? [She pauses for a second, for dramatic effect.] "If he can do it, so can I." Whadd'ya think about that, MK? If you could control Monkey King's powers, use them to save people, then I could do the same with the Samadhi Fire.

[MK is still not saying anything. Honestly, he seems to be so wrapped up in his moping that Mei's not sure whether he's listening to a word she's saying. Still, she bravely presses on.]

MEI: [playfully] C'mon, monkey man, you got this! [More seriously now.] If I can do it, so can you. Don't worry, MK- we can figure out this whole scary-fighty-monkey-guy-form thing together!

[MK takes a deep breath, like he's about to finally say something. Mei stands up, and holds out her hand to MK, as if to help him up. He's looking at her now, and at her outstretched hand. If there was music playing right now, it'd be triumphant, and dramatic, and peaceful, and hopeful. He reaches out to take her hand- and stops, as someone calls his name.]

PIGSY: [from offscreen] MK! We need your help with somethin' over here!

[And just like that, MK's smile returns, the mask is back up, and the moment is gone. He springs up from his seat, disregarding Mei's still-there hand.]

MK: [a little too cheerily] Coming! [He turns back to Mei, half-apologetic.] Sorry, Mei, gotta go!

[He exits the scene, leaving Mei alone. After he's gone, she turns back towards the cliff's edge, sits herself back down, and begins contemplating the scenery, much in the same way MK was doing not so long ago.]

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Twisted Tarot XVI — The Tower

"Everything happens for a reason. That reason causes change. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it's sad. But in the end, it is all for the best."

The Tower, Upright: sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, awakening

The Tower, Reversed: personal transformation, fear of change, averting disaster

He is disaster incarnate, the bringer of ruin--or so the rumors and whispers of the court and his people say. Sounding upheaval like no other, he will incite change that will have ripple effects on generations to come. From the rubble of disaster, he will be reborn anew... Stronger, wiser, and more resilient than ever.

Reveal the Shape of thy Soul...

... Leona Kingscholar!

“I can’t believe you snuck out of the palace again. You’d think princes had better things to do than run around the streets like peasants.”

“Shut up, Ruggie,” Leona growled, slamming a fist down on a rickety coffee table. The force caused some wood to splinter off and scatter across the patchwork floor.

Leaving more destruction in his wake.

“Be careful!!” the hyena hissed, rushing over with a platter of mismatched cups and bowls. He had had enough practice from his part-time jobs to not spill any while running. “You’re gonna ruin the one good table we’ve got!!”

“... Tch.”

Leona didn’t apologize. Instead, he swiped a chipped bowl from Ruggie and downed the contents in one gulp—praying it would help to drown his frustrations.

It didn’t.

Leona grimaced at the strange flavor that spilled across his tongue. Salt, chicken, milk, and tea encased in a minty note. He wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand.

The walls and floors and furniture slowly falling apart around him. No matching items in a tea set—not even a complete tea set from the looks of the bowl Leona had just drank out of. Not enough coin to afford to regularly wash their silverware.

“... Are you sure this isn’t a dog house?”

“Figures you silver spoon types would say stuff like that.” Ruggie sighed and rolled his eyes as he collapsed beside the lion at the coffee table. “Alright, ‘fess up. What happened this time, huh?”

Leona scowled into the small pool of tea-soup that remained in his bowl. “................................. Falena got on my case about school again. A letter came in the mail. Black envelope, gold embossing. Wax seal with a bird on it.”

Ruggie’s ears perked up. “You don’t mean...”

Leona nodded. “Night Raven College.”

“Man.” The hyena let out a low whistle. “Imagine being picked to go there. Sure is a step up from the hoity toity Royal Sword Academy your bro was thinkin’ of sendin’ you off to. Congrats, Leo—”

“I don’t want to go.”

“HUH?!” Ruggie almost spilled his own cup of tea-soup. “You don’t want to go to school? Why not?!”

“I already know everything I need to,” Leona scoffed bitterly. “Why attend when they can’t teach me anything new? It’d be a waste of time and energy.”

“So you’re just gonna ditch?! That’s just... just... gaaah, I don’t get you rich people sometimes...!!” Ruggie groaned, clutching at his forehead. “You know how many of us normal people would kill to get that invite to NRC?”

“Yeah, like now. You look like you’d try to kill me and claim my spot as your own.”

“Hell yeah I would. Too bad I can’t pass as Sunset Savanna royalty so easily though. You lucked out.” Ruggie playfully punched Leona on the shoulder. “... Seriously though, you’re just throwing away your golden opportunity like this? You’re giving up on school? On your future?”

“I said I didn’t want to go. But... I’ve decided I need to anyway.”

“Ehh? That’s a shocker.” Ruggie’s ears twitched as he suspiciously regarded his prince. “Alright, what gives?”

A deep glower set itself onto Leona’s regal features. “Anything to spite Falena—anything to avoid going to his stupid, stuck-up alma mater. And anything to get out of the damn palace, away from everything.”

“What about already knowing everything? You’ll probably be super bored in class.”

“... Clearly, there’s stuff I’ve missed out on.” Leona gestured to the crumbling living space they sat in. “All of this, for example. I still can’t believe you manage to survive like this.”

“When you’re born with nothing, you’ve got no choice bit to scrape by to make ends meet,” Ruggie had once explained to him.

It was a mind-bending concept for one born into privilege.

“Wow, you got so repulsed by poorness that it 180’d you thoughts on learning?” The hyena’s face crumpled in confusion.

“Heh. Nothing quite as simple as that. It was just a reminder, a wake-up call—that’s all. Something to jump start a number of thoughts.”

Rumbling laughter filled the room as Leona toyed with the rim of his bowl. It was chilling, causing even Ruggie to shiver.

“Inequality exists everywhere you turn, doesn’t it? Haves and have-nots. The fortunate and the unfortunate. It’s the difference between the rich and the poor, between heaven and hell. Life’s just not fair. That’s why...”

A dark look passed his face as his grip on the bowl tightened. The material softened at his touch, melting away into fine granules of sand on the table.

Something that crumbled away into nothing so easily.

Ruggie’s mouth went bone-dry, and his hands and forehead, clammy. Such a raw display of power set even the easygoing hyena on edge.

“L-Leona-san...?”

The lion smirked.

“... I’ll tear it all down from within.”

[drabbles-mc]

Nightfall

Angel Reyes x F!Reader

Inspired by Day 19 of the July Prompts: fireflies

Warnings: alcohol, language, light angst

Word Count: 2k

A/N: I really had no plan going into this fic and it completely took on a mind of its own. Truth be told I’m not totally sure what this is haha. Something in me is telling me I need to continue this storyline but I have no idea what I would do with it lol. I got a little into some feelings while writing this but I hope you guys enjoy it! xo

Angel Reyes Taglist: @helli4nthus​ @angelreyesgirl​ @starrynite7114​ @queenbeered​ @sincerelyasomebody​ @sadeyesgf​ @thesandbeneathmytoes​ @appropriate-writers-name​ @tomhardydallasstarsgirl​ @sillygoose6969​ @beardburnsupersoldiers​ @louisianalady​ @gemini0410​ @paintballkid711​ @chibsytelford​ @yourwonkywriter​ @sesamepancakes​ @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead​ @plentyoffandoms​ @georgiaaintnopeach​ @twistnet​ @garbinge​ @bucky-iss-bae​ @enjoy-the-destruction​ @withmyteeth​ @encounterthepast​ @lilacyennefer​ @rosieposie0624​ @mylittlelonelyappreciationtoo​ @mijop​ @xladymacbethx​ @blessedboo​ @holl2712​ @lakamaa12​ @masterlistforimagines​ @luckyharley1903​ @kkim120​ @toni9​ @shadow-of-wonder​ @black-repunzel99​ @crowfootwrites​ @redpoodlern​ @lexondeck​ @mrsstevenbuchananstark​ @berniesilvas​ @lovebishoplosamiguelgalindo​ @amorestevens​

The air was warm still despite the fact that the sun had set a little while before. It was just you and Angel sitting on the back steps at his house. There wasn’t a whole lot to see back there, but it was nice to not be looking directly into the next row of houses. You were mirroring each other’s position—leaning forward with your forearms resting on your knees, beer bottle loosely held in your hands. Neither of you had said anything for a little bit, content to just listen to the sound of the wind blowing and the scattered noises of whatever critters were brave enough to come out at night in Angel’s edge-of-civilization neighborhood.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been somewhere so quiet,” you finally broke the silence.

He chuckled, “Oh yea?”

You nodded, taking a sip of your beer before continuing, “Moved from one apartment complex to the next with my family growing up. Traded in one city for another over and over again. It was never quiet—there was always some kind of chaos happening.”

“There’s still chaos,” he smiled and playfully bumped your shoulder with his.

You laughed, “I guess. Just, you know, different kind of chaos. It’s nice to not have chaos at home.”

Your tone was light enough but he could see the faraway look in your eyes and he knew that you were thinking about all the different homes and lives you lived growing up before you somehow landed in Santo Padre. Truthfully, he had always wondered how it came to be, but he never had the courage to ask.

“Hey,” he started, a tentative hesitation in his voice, “I was, uh, thinkin’ tha—”

His sentence was cut short by the sound of your gasp, followed by you eagerly setting your beer bottle off to the side and jumping up off the steps. His brows furrowed in confusion as he stood and followed you down off the steps, his long legs easily and quickly closing the distance that you’d put between the two of you. The dew on the short, unkept lawn slicked the bottoms of your bare feet but you didn’t care. Angel saw the smile on your face as you headed towards the tree-line and stood back to watch what you did.

“This is gonna sound stupid,” you were speaking to him despite the fact that you weren’t turning around to face him, “but I’ve never actually seen these in real life.”

“Seen what?”

“Fireflies,” you got closer to the edge of his tiny little yard as you tried to guess where the little creature was going to blink next.

“Really?” he sounded genuinely shocked.

“Something tells me that they hate the city chaos as much as I do,” you chuckled as you reached, trying to cup one in your hands and failing.

“EZ and I used to catch these little fuckers all the time when we were kids,” he found his place next to you.

“Yea?”

He nodded, “Yea. For the longest time I wanted him to smush one and use it as face paint on me but he never did.”

You laughed and shoved him lightly, “That’s awful!” you paused, “Why didn’t you just do it?”

“’Cause that’s fuckin’ gross. I don’t want dead bug all over my hands,” he chuckled.

“Just all over your face?” you raised an eyebrow, shaking your head before returning to the task at hand, “How’d you do it?”

“What?”

“Catch them.”

You could see the focus take over his features as he looked around, trying to find one, “Gotta try and see their fat little bodies when they aren’t lit up,” he brought his hands up, expertly cupping them around something that you couldn’t quite see, “Because if you try to catch them when they blink they’re already gonna be gone.”

He nodded for you to come closer as he lowered his delicately cupped hands. A smile spread across his face when he saw the excitement in your eyes. He partially opened his hands at the top so you could peek in, your eyes lighting up as you watched the tiny creature blink inside the enclosed space of his large hands.

“Wanna hold it?”

You shook your head, “I wanna catch my own.”

He smiled, nodding his head, “Alright,” he opened up his hands and it took off into the night, blinking every so often as it got farther and farther away.

Angel was content to stand back and watch you walk back and forth along the perimeter of the little plot of land that passed for his backyard. He crossed his arms over his chest, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips as you tried again and again to catch one of the little bugs. Each time you came so close, but not quite close enough to succeed. He noticed that you weren’t getting frustrated, though. And, honestly, he had the feeling that you had completely tuned out the rest of the world. He could’ve been trying to talk to you the entire time and you wouldn’t have heard a single thing.

He heard the snapping of a twig underneath your foot and realized that you were halfway into the trees on your expedition. The thought of you running barefoot through the little spit of woods was entertaining, but the last thing he wanted to happen was you splitting your foot open on something. He walked over and slid his hand into yours, giving you a slight tug and bringing you back to reality.

You allowed him to back you up a little bit before picking a new target to focus on, one that hopefully wouldn’t evade you like the last few had. Your eyes had adjusted better to the darkness, and you figured this was going to be your best shot at it.

You slowly crept up on one, like the sound of you was what was going to scare it away. Angel was biting back a chuckle as he watched you crouch slightly, feet moving slowly and deliberately across his lawn. You spread your arms wide, hands cupped in the optimal bug-catching position. Your face was contorted in focus as you slowly but surely brought your hands closer together.

Connecting your hands, you gasped as you spun back around to Angel, a giant smile on your face as you ran over to him, nearly slipping and falling in the process. He chuckled as you skidded to a stop in front of him, practically bouncing on the balls of your feet.

“I think I got it!”

“Take a look, querida,” his tone was softer than you expected it to be given your excitement in the situation.

You opened your hands just the slightest bit, and were greeted with the yellow glint of the firefly in your hands. You squealed, cupping your hands back together. You looked at Angel expectantly, “Do you have a jar I could put it in?”

He smiled, “I’ll see what I got,” he pressed a light kiss to the side of your head before walking back towards the house.

He reemerged a minute later with a mason jar and a paper plate. He held the jar out to you, “Put it in here, then I’ll flip it and set it on the plate.”

You nodded, trying very carefully to get the bug into the jar without it flying away. You quietly clapped your hands together when Angel flipped the jar over and set it on the surface of the little table on the deck. You immediately sat down, crossing your arms on the table and resting your chin on them. Angel sat down across from you, elbow propped and chin set in the palm of his hand as he watched you watch the firefly.

It flitted around the jar, not landing, but not bumping into the sides either. Angel saw the wonder in your eyes and while he found it endearing, he also felt a heaviness settling on his chest that he couldn’t quite explain. There was an innocence in your expression and your excitement that directly juxtaposed itself with all the things he knew that you were capable of, things that you probably had to go through to get to the point where you were at now.

“So what did you do?” he finally asked.

“Hm?” you raised your eyebrows but kept your gaze fixed on the bug in the jar.

“In the city. What’d you do for fun as a kid?”

Your eyes flicked over to him for a moment, trying to gauge his emotion, “Not a hell of a lot,” you answered honestly.

Your mind flashed back to tiny little one-bedroom apartments, loud neighbors, sirens blaring down the street. It was hot, but not the way it was in Santo Padre—back then the heat felt heavy, and filthy. You had nowhere to go, nothing to do but wait for something else to happen that made you all pack up and move to the next place that felt exactly like all the others.

Angel saw the tears gathering in your eyes and he knew that you didn’t notice them. He could see it in your eyes that you were somewhere else entirely as your eyes followed the bug inside the jar. He didn’t know what to say, if he was even supposed to say anything in a moment like that. He was about to reach out and rest his hand on your arm when you sat upright, shaking your head slightly as you blinked away the tears.

You could see it on his face that he was going to try having a conversation about it all, but you weren’t up for that just yet. You watched the firefly in the jar for a few more seconds before placing your hand on the bottom of the jar, curling your fingers around it. Taking a deep breath, you lifted it up and watched as the small bug found its way out and took off, leaving nothing but a trial of blips in its wake.

Something resembling a smile was tugging at the corners of your mouth as you set the jar back down. You drummed your fingers along the glass sides, lost in thought again. Angel watched as each emotion crossed your face, and he wished that he could get a glimpse of what was going on inside your head.

“It’s alright, you know,” he said, dragging you back to the present.

“What?”

“You can…you can be honest with me. If shit wasn’t good you can tell me that. You’re not gonna scare me off. I get that family can be…rough.”

You chuckled dryly, “Rough. Right.”

He could see your walls going back up and he knew that there was no getting to the bottom of it tonight. Reaching, he placed his hand on top of yours and gave it a light squeeze, “I’m glad you made it here.”

You could tell by the look in his eyes that he was being sincere. Taking your other hand, you placed it over his, “I’m glad too.”

“If you think that catching fireflies is fun,” Angel smiled as he shook his head, “One time EZ came home with a whole fuckin’ hare.”

“A what?”

“A hare. Ears were this big I fuckin’ swear,” he held his hands dramatically far apart to indicate the size the animal’s ears has been.

You laughed, shaking your head, “I don’t believe you.”

“Ask him next time you see him,” he got up and grabbed both of your beer bottles from the step and handing yours to you before drinking from his own, “Pops was pissed.”

“I can imagine,” you smiled.

As you listened to Angel tell you other stories of antics that he and his little brother got into, you felt the heaviness of your own memories beginning to subside for the time being. It was easy to get lost in the way that Angel’s eyes crinkled slightly when he laughed and smiled, the way that he spoke with his hands. You pressed the bottle to your lips as you listened, your eyes straying every now and then to the fireflies flitting around in the background, blinking in and out of existence.

[queerderpyturtle]

some old rambles about discord and starswirl that I dug up

I been thinkin. Bout Discord and Starswirl. And how they probably knew each other. And what their relationship could've been. And what that means for the rest of their arcs in the show.

From what we know (and what I remember) Discord came into power after Starswirl and the pillars were sent to Limbo, but Celestia and Luna started ruling Equestria sometime between those two events, because they were too young to remember or care about the other pillars, but they banished Discord.

We don't know a lot about Discord's past, but I imagine that when he first came to Equestria (at which point I assume he was fairly young by draconequus standards), he wasn't exactly given a warm welcome. Ponies were probably absolutely terrified of this horse-headed, bat-winged, lion-pawed, snake-tailed freak of nature, and there's a good chance they would've driven him out of town full force. His first taste of ponykind was rejection.

So, later, he tries again. He makes himself a pony disguise-- a handsome unicorn stallion named Atlas-- and sets off to learn more about Equestria. And it works! He's able to make friends, live amongst ponies, and study Equestria magic. He actually gets pretty good at doing through his unicorn horn, so much so that he manages to get into a prestigious magic school for gifted unicorns. "Atlas" is of course still a troublemaker, though. He pulls pranks, annoys his teachers, breaks the rules, and just generally has no respect for authority. And why should he? The entire society that Equestria is built on is corrupt beyond all belief, stuck in its ways, and downright hostile towards any creature outside of it. They didn't deserve his damn respect. Equestria itself was fairly new as well, and the ponies themselves were still getting used to each other. It was all one giant powderkeg, and Atlas was honestly excited to see what would happen when it went off. So he stuck around, if only to cause more chaos in this personal playpen country of his. If he wasn't the best student in all of his classes, his teachers probably would've strangled him after a day.

And then one day, he found himself in a class with the famous Odin Starswirl, a magically gifted unicorn with a penchant for proving others wrong and keeping a clear head while doing it. He was proper, eloquent, studious, respectable-- a perfect pony for Atlas to torment. Except it turns out that Odin is ridiculously, insufferably hard to annoy. When Atlas knocked over his books, or spilled water on his cloak, or made fun of his sloppy hornwriting, Odin simply responded with a sigh and a quick cantrip to fix whatever the stallion had ruined with his antics. This did not please Atlas at all. He spent more time hanging around Odin than he did hanging out with his more troublesome buddies, just to try and get a rise out of him. But he never could. If anything, they were becoming... friends. Atlas's biting remarks turned into light-hearted jabs and playful scoldings.

"Odin, for heaven's sake, if you don't take a break from studying to shave for once in your damn life, I'm going to have to start calling you Starswirl the Bearded!"

His destruction of property turned into casual acts of kindness.

"Yes, I brought your saddlebag. I knew you'd forget it, you scatterbrain. We're lucky you even remember to eat."

His contempt for Odin's huffy nature turned into giving the unicorn an easy out for boring social events hosted by his equally uppity parents.

"C'mon, Stars, let's get out of here. I know a place nearby that sells elderberry tea."

"You know I can't leave. This is an important party."

"Important to whom, exactly, my dear?"

"To my parents!"

"Your parents. Well, last time I checked, they weren't you."

"...Fine. Thirty minutes, and then you're bringing me back."

Before long, Odin was regularly sneaking off to join Atlas and his friends on their escapades. He found himself strangely drawn to the unicorn, in spite of-- or maybe because of his rebellious and carefree nature. He was so different from the ponies Odin was used to, so sure of himself, so headstrong. Odin would be a fool to say he wasn't slowly getting attached to the scoundrel.

Atlas noticed this, of course. He was honestly surprised! Who knew a straight-edged young scholar like Odin would be so willing to stray from the path of monotony? And that was all Atlas wanted. To cause a little chaos in Odin's life. It wasn't as if there were moments in which he looked at the unicorn and considered giving up his whole scheme to enjoy a happy life alongside his... friend? Companion? Fellow associate? Lord, what even where they? Atlas had never really had a friend that was interested in any part of him other than the chaotic part, and Discord hadn't had any friends at all. He took a leap of faith one day to ask Odin if they were, in fact, friends, and Odin responded with an aloof "Yes, I do believe so." And that was that, wasn't it? He had a friend. A real friend.

Over the next few years, Odin and Atlas became inseparable. It was a thing to see, the two of them trotting down the streets of Canterlot together. They couldn't have been more different, from the way they walked to the way they spoke, but they were as close as ponies could get. Odin gave Atlas a safe place to practice magic, study Equestrian history, and discuss the library's old scrolls and texts from ancient unicorns. Atlas gave Odin an out from his mundane life as a trophy child of the wealthy Starswirl family. When Odin started tutoring two unicorn fillies with promising skills in arcane magics, Atlas was the first of Odin's friends he introduced them to (the fillies lovingly started referring to the stallions as their honorary uncles). When Atlas accidentally used too much sticking potion in a prank and stuck one of his teachers to the side of the school for three days, Odin helped him sneak into the Starswirl mansion to hide, scolding him between laughs the whole way. They each saw more in each other than the average pony could ever see; Odin was more than a prodigy, and Atlas was more than an annoyance.

And if there were, perhaps, by some miracle, some hint of... romance beneath their friendship that neither side would admit to, well. That was their own business. If they enjoyed cuddling up on the couch to read from the same book, nopony needed to know. If they relished each "accidental" brush of hooves or tails when they walked together, nopony would be any the wiser. If Odin longed for the day when Atlas would use those strong forearms of his to pin the stallion against the nearest wall and just kiss him already, and felt more alive than he'd ever felt in his life when Atlas finally did...

Then maybe that was just fine. And for a while, it was. But there was always that itch at the back of Atlas's mind, that knowledge that their relationship was fleeting, because it was all, in truth, based on a lie. If Odin found out who Atlas really was, what Atlas really was, it would all crumble to pieces like a biscuit that had been left out in the sun. Atlas... no, Discord hated that the thought of losing Odin-- a simple pony whose life was a speck of dust in his immortal existence, who would be a pile of ashes in the ground before Discord had even had his second molt-- made him so unreasonably upset. He'd known going into this that becoming invested in the lives of the ponies in Equestria was foolish. He'd never meant for it to get this far. He'd come here to futz with the government a bit, maybe start a few riots or terrorize a few queens. He never wanted to find Odin. So why wasn't he willing to let him go?

Shit, he really was in too deep.

And yet, Atlas and Odin found themselves ever-so-slowly, but ever-so-surely falling in love.

But nothing gold can stay.

Odin had always known Atlas was a bit of an anarchist. It was one of the things he admired about the stallion-- his ability to let go of the norms that Equestria had built for itself and be his own pony. The problem was that Atlas seemed to have a problem with how Equestria treated creatures who weren't ponies. Griffons, yaks, kirin, and the like. Equestria had never been a big trading country, or a big socializing-with-other-nations country. They kept to themselves. Of course, this meant that xenophobia was rampant, and that the fear of the outside world was instilled into the hearts of almost every pony there. But why should Atlas care so much?

Odin asked him as much when the two stallions were studying together in Odin's room, and Atlas became noticeably more tense. He gave Odin a simple "I just think it's wrong," hoping to avoid the subject, but Odin pressed him for more details. Sure, Equestria was problematic, but all in all, it was a good country. Was there really anything so bad about wanting to keep it the way it was? Atlas tried to keep himself from snapping, tried to keep himself from saying something he'd regret, but hearing these things from a pony he loved hurt him deeply.

"It's not about tradition or preservation, Odin. It's about the fact that Equstria has never been willing to change. Before the unifications of the species, it was conflict between the pony species. After, it was conflict between the classes. Now, it's conflict between countries. Just because the problems are external doesn't mean they aren't there," Atlas told him.

"But it isn't exactly a pressing matter. It hardly effects us at all. I guess I just don't understand," Odin replied.

"Of course you don't."

It was said so quietly that Odin couldn't quite tell if he'd been meant to hear it, yet with such venom that he couldn't ignore it. He chanced a confused look and a "What?"

Atlas stood. "Of course you don't," he repeated. "You're the perfect example of a high-class, magically advanced, want-for-nothing unicorn pony. You're perfectly content to live in your little bubble of mediocrity, never trying to do anything to change the world around you. You think there's nothing you can do to help others, so you don't even try. You think they'll sort themselves out. You're complacent, Odin. You've always been."

"Complacent! And just what is wrong with that? I'm doing my best in my own life and I have no responsibility to try and fix the lives of others! Is it so wrong to focus on myself?"

"Of course not! But you can't just pretend that you're the only one with problems! I see it every day, Odin. You act like you're on top of the world, like you're above feeling sorry for others. You don't even care about them. About me!"

Odin looked hurt. "Atlas, I-- of course I care about you! You mean everything to me!"

"And just how much would it take to change that? Telling you my real name isn't Atlas? Telling you I'm not from Equestria? Telling you I look like this?!"

In a flash, Atlas removed all the disguise spells he had on himself, leaving him-- Discord-- in his true form. A long, sleek body covered in brown fur. The misshapen head of a goat, framed by a shaggy black mane and two short horns. Wings, legs, and a tail that had all been taken from different animals, stuck together like a gruesome collage. Odin's eyes trailed up the creature's body slowly, trying and failing to comprehend what he was seeing. He began to back up.

Discord could feel each step he took like knives driving into his heart. Odin was afraid.

The draconequus scoffed. "You're all the same."

"A-Atlas, I..."

"Discord. My name is Discord. I am a draconequus from the tribe of the western Badlands, sent to Equestria to study its magic. When I first came here, I was avoided like the plague. Ponies wanted nothing to do with me. They saw what they were told to see in me-- a monster. A hideous, murderous, blood-thirsty monster. They threw me out because I was different."

Odin was silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice trembled. "I think I n-need some time to... to process all of this. Alone."

Discord couldn't have stopped the pain he felt from showing on his face if he'd somehow managed to summon all the magic on the planet. He gritted his teeth, blinked back tears, and disappeared in a shower of sparks.

It was the last conversation he would have with Odin for a millennium.

That night, Odin lay in bed, his mind racing, working overtime to try and figure out what in Tartarus had just happened. Firstly, he and Atlas had just had their first real lovers' spat. Except that those typically didn't lead to one of the ponies involved revealing that he was a creature from a faraway land, but whatever. Secondly, "Atlas" was a draconequus named Discord. That would take some getting used to, of course, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Thirdly, Atlas-- who was actually Discord-- had stormed out in a huff without saying goodbye. Well, that's just how things were sometimes. Nothing to lose sleep over.

When he awoke the next morning, the first though this mind supplied him with was, "Oh sweet merciful heavens I've ruined everything." He rushed to school early, hoping to find his friend (Boyfriend? Lover? Shit, I love him and I just cast him out like an old dish towel), but the stallion was nowhere in sight. Odin asked around, tried everything to get into contact with Atlas/Discord, but nothing came up. He had disappeared off the face of the planet.

Instead of dealing with all the emotional turmoil that came with that situation, Odin threw himself into his studies. His magic grew stronger and stronger, fueled by rage and pain and sadness. He pushed Celestia and Luna to become powerful sorcerers like himself, pouring every hour that he didn't spend practicing magic himself into teaching them. He tried to forget about Discord entirely, and move on. He didn't need some handsome bad-boy keeping him sane to be successful. He only needed himself. That was all he would ever need. Odin was gone. There was only the great and honorable Starswirl the Bearded.

When the sirens invaded Equestria, he agreed to help defeat them. When Stygian came to him looking for friendship that Starswirl hadn't even offered to the other "pillars," he turned him away coldly. When he realized the only way to defeat the Pony of Shadows was by sending the seven of them into limbo, he refused, at least at first. But the citizens of Equestria persisted. He was the great Starswirl, he had a duty to protect them and keep Equestria safe. He tried to tell them that the consequences of the spell were too drastic, but they would not listen. Starswirl had no choice but to go through with it.

Discord, meanwhile, had been staying on the outskirts of Equestria, brooding and cursing Odin's name. When he found out that Odin had vanished, however, and the circumstances of his disappearance... well, he wasn't happy. Despite everything, he still loved the idiot, and he had never wanted something so terrible to happen to him. Odin would have never agreed to something like that without being pushed by the Equestrian citizens. What right did they have to decide who lived and who died? Why did they get to sacrifice their most beloved sorcerer for their own safety when there were other options? Was this the price they paid for harmony?

That wouldn't do. That simply wouldn't do at all. If these pitiful excuses for equines thought the pony of shadows was a threat to their delicate balance, he would show them true chaos. He dethroned the country's leader, took over, and made the ponies of Equestria suffer like he did.

And then Celestia and Luna came along. When had they gotten so big? So powerful? How had they grown wings? Were they seriously going to try and take him down? Lulu and Celly, the sweet little fillies who had once made him flower crowns and taught him songs and invited him to tea parties. They were going to try and make him surrender. How adorable. He wasn't going to fight them, of course-- he still held a great affection for them, no matter how long he'd been gone. He would let them do their little song and dance, and them send them on their way.

Of course it was hard for the sisters, too. They had looked up to Discord back in the day, he and Starswirl both. Now they were using the magic that Starswirl had taught them to defeat someone he had once loved. Someone he probably still loved. But freedom is never free, and the sisters were resigned to their fate. They harnessed the power of the elements of harmony, turned Discord to stone, and hoped silently that someday, somehow, he would return to them, and he and Starswirl would find each other again.

[swsf]

part: another one. I still dontt remember how many o these ive done...

hi so ive been grounded n shit so thats nice- thats generally irrelavnt to most things but im mentioning it anyway. i will say that there probably more typing errors and that would be from me typing on an actual keyboard ad no autocorrect. anyway ive been doin’ some thinkin and ive swapped some stuff around so if youve read a few of these before- congrats, heres some updated bullshit.

ive changed sleep boys(now including fundy) family dynamic bullshit so the general age ranges for them all would be closer together. Phil is still techno and wilburs dad, hes just fundys now too (before wilbur had been fundys dad but fundys a teen so wilbur would have to be at least in his late thirties and thats lame so ajustments have been made).

also tommy is their cousin. 

so to anyone who mighve been thinkin “i thought it was like (blah blah blah)” wilbur no longer is fundys dad, nor has he had a fish lady for a wife. wilbur is probably like 26 and technos like 24 or smth idfk. fundys still a teen though, closer to tommys age n all. fundy is the rlly younger brother. 

anyway going away from the retconning-

etcetera etcetera memes n shit ya know

sometimes I’ll add little info/description lines next to drawings.

one on an eret sketch is “only slightly malicious”

technos a strawberry blonde with the naturally tinted pink hair but he still dyes it so it’s suuuuuper pink

fundy, tommy and tubbo are all about the same age and are friends.

wilbur is like the only full human in their entire family because I think philza got wings.

technos part pig, phils got wings, fundy is a fox boy and wilbur .

cooper and charlie always have an escape plan, Teds plans always fall through and/or he gets them into trouble.

additional stuff about the chaotic trio that is coop charles and ted- charlie and cooper are like the idiot henchmen and ted is the evil mastermind. thats their whole dynamic. that and coop and charlie drive ted up the fuckin wall-

schlatt is a cryptid.

well— he was

like “oh yeah there’s this weird goat man who lives out in the woods, he’s kinda a scam artist,, if you see him and he tries to sell you something, don’t buy it.”

“pft that’s fuckin dumb there’s no way that’s real.”

and no one ever really goes to check because if he actually did exist all he’d do is try to sell them something and you know everyone hates that. it wasn’t worth it.

then his house burnt down and he left the deep dark forest to go knock on peoples doors.

no matter the spook- everyone always hides behind wilbur. always. hes too tall to not immediately be hid behind. 

minx n schlatt are my favorite duo in this au bs because it always ends in hijinks and weird shit.

like schlatt could turn 500 years old and minx would throw him a shitty bd party acting like he just turned 6. she’d slap a party hat on him, get one of those party horns and a ton of shitty confetti and just start screamin.

ah i was gonna just write something but i forgot what it was ahah im so good at this :,)

oH YEAH! uh schlatt as waterfalls coming out of your mouth by glass animals for obvious reasons. i was listening to it earlier and i was like “wait a fckin minute,,,” i think i might’ve been unintentionally/subconsciously been influenced by that- oops.

oh and dream as rue by gir

i havent talked much about sapnap because ive been at a bit of a loss on what to with him but ive figured some shit out so now this is a sapnap au info dump.

sap has a fire sigil like schlatt. makes sense because of his whole arson thing- his sigil is on one of his wrists. sapnap is a fairly well known arsonist- total fuckin criminal. the entirety of the dream team are criminals. uh hes probably best compared to flyn fuckin rider, hes got the dumb fuckin criminal dude with the finger snaps and the winks and the princess woo-ing. for a while he travels around with skeps and bad (an angel, an arsonist and a agent of chaos walk into a bar). that whole thing is bad just trying to stop sap and skeppy from setting the entire fuckin world on fire and bad succeeds probably about 85% in stopping that and its honestly the best anyone couldve done, so good for him. evetually he meets dream and george, following them around for a while. 

im gonna add kaceytron an im thinking of starting something with her, sap and karl. i watched the post-loh date and knew that i had to do this. kacey is gonna be like a princess or something who takes a liking to sapnap and also has an uncanny thirst for destruction and chaos. so basically saps like “hey mama ur pretty n shit” and shes like “yeah i am- ur kinda cute, whats up?” and then they go burn an entire vilage to the ground. karl is their impulse control.

kacey knows minx- idk how but she does. 

im gonna add niki because shes adorable

uh thats all i can think up rn. sorry for not posting but i literally cant post any art so :,)

[decembercamiecherries]

Chapter 18 title: Epilogue

Chapter 18 word count: 2,384 -> Total story word count: 105,822

Chapter 18 summary:

Gon kissed him again—though this time it was probably to shut Killua up more than anything. Killua could feel his laughter in the vibration of his lips, but Killua found he didn’t care. Instead he threw his arms around Gon’s shoulders, smiling into Gon’s lips, and kissed him back.

They’d saved each other, in many ways. And now that they were together, they would save each other countless times more.

I wrote this whole sprawling goodbye/end of the fic essay on ao3 so I’m not going to clog up this post by repeating all that lol. Please just know that this fic has pushed me to become a better writer in so many ways and I absolutely love it. This is my favorite fic I’ve ever written. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me until the end <3

-o0o-

The setting sun was beautiful against the backdrop of endless grass and rolling hills.

Killua watched as the sky turned from blue to purple to scarlet to gold, his palms pressing into the wood of Kite’s porch and his silver hair swaying in the breeze. Everything felt so much more peaceful here, he had noticed. There were no beeping cars or blaring sirens like in the city. Here, the only sounds were the quiet chirping of crickets and the distant voices of his sister and Kite.

He squinted out at the horizon. He could just barely see them, two silhouettes against the blinding sun. Kite was the tall, willowy figure, a cap on his head. Alluka was shorter, her bush of thick hair chopped short since they jumped into a stolen car at the airport and took off into the night. She looked nice with the shorter hair, Killua thought. It suited her.

Creak.

“Whatch’a thinkin’ about?” Gon grunted as he sat down next to Killua on the porch steps. Killua shrugged, allowing Gon to wrap an arm around his waist and pull him close. Even as he hugged him, Gon was careful to avoid Killua’s fractured ribs and for that, Killua was grateful.

“Dunno,” Killua said vaguely. He watched as Alluka’s figure turned towards the small house where he and Gon sat. She threw up a hand, waving enthusiastically, and Killua automatically raised a hand in return. “Just...stuff.”

Gon hummed. “Any kind of specifically interesting stuff?”

“Not really.”

They sat in silence for a moment. A bird crowed in the distance and the sun was warm on Killua’s skin. They could sit here forever at never worry another day in their lives.

Gon commented, “It’s quiet here.”

“Yeah. I like it, though. I’ve never lived away from a city, before. It’s a good change.”

Gon nuzzled his face into Killua’s hair. Killua didn’t need to see Gon’s smile to hear it in his voice, “I’m glad you like it. Maybe, if you want, I could show you the farm I grew up in.”

“The one with your Aunt?”

“Mhm.”

A small smile tugged at Killua’s lips. “I would like that.”

“I think you would, too. You might have a hard time bringing Alluka, though.”

“Yeah, well—” Killua huffed, “—it’s not my fault she’s obsessed with him. I think she might be even more taken with Kite than you.”

Gon laughed and Killua grinned at the sound. Alluka had been very taken with Kite, right from the moment they all arrived on his farm in the middle of the night. She was fascinated with his ideas, listening intently to his discussions about research with wide and eager eyes. Kite in turn questioned her about her inventions, even helping to pull out some bits of metal from his basement to help test a theory of hers. The two had connected on a level almost better than Kite and Gon.

“You don’t mind it?” Killua asked, turning a little to look at him. “I mean, Alluka’s kind of hogging all of Kite’s attention and he’s supposed to be your friend.”

Gon shrugged. “Kite lost his memory years ago because of what Pouf did to him. I can’t expect him to know who I was, or for him to like me right away with who he is now. It’ll take time. But that’s okay! I’m just happy he’s alive and safe. And Alluka too, of course.”

Killua leaned his head back on Gon’s shoulder, eyes fluttering shut. He could smell the faintest hint if pine. “I’m glad,” he murmured.

Gon shifted slightly under him. “About what, Killua?”

“That Alluka is happy. That we found Kite. That we’re all still alive.”

“I knew we could do it!”

“Yeah, well...I had my doubts.”

“Hmm. It did get a little hairy there at the end.”

“Yeah…”

Killua frowned. A week had passed since their encounter with Pouf. The bruises on his and Gon’s bodies were yellowing but still tender, and Killua’s ribs still ached even after a rough but thorough patching up on Leorio’s part on the way to the airport. And Killua still woke up every night running from a crazed looking Pouf who turned into a swarm butterflies before exploding into flames.

But the nightmares about Pouf were always better than the ones with Nanika—those nightmares were worse, because they often left Killua locked alone in a dark room with nothing but the younger version of his deceased sister, staring at him with holes for eyes and a toothless, empty smile.

Gon must have noticed Killua’s silence. He nudged Killua slightly, and asked, “How are you two holding up, by the way?”

Killua shrugged. “It’s hard,” he said honestly. He wouldn’t lie to Gon and make their situation seem better than it was. He and Alluka has paid dearly for their escape from their family and the Palace. “That AI was the last connection we had to Nanika. With it, we felt like we were somehow keeping her with us. Letting her go like that was…”

“Not what you wanted,” Gon finished. “Yeah, I get it.”

Killua sighed heavily. “It just sucks, you know? The price of leaving our family behind for good was leaving Nanika behind, too.”

“Do you really think they’ll leave you alone now?”

“I’m sure they’ll keep looking,” Killua mused. The warmth of the sun’s rays were growing weak on his skin. The sun would set fully soon. “But Nanika didn’t just self-destruct that night in my and Alluka’s beads. She would have followed that self-destruction order with all her beads, including the ones my family stole from us. She would also have fried any system she was connected to—”

“So your family’s technology is basically destroyed? Gon asked and Killua nodded.

“Theirs, and the President’s. That’s why all those alarms went off that night, because Nanika was destroying every electronic system and code that Pouf’s phone was connected to.” He paused. “But we should take Kite and move on from this place tonight anyway, if we want to keep the President off our backs.”

“Oh! Yeah, ‘course, that was the plan all along. But—” Gon let out an appreciative whistle, “—wow. Your sister was really something. I wish I could have met her…”

Killua swallowed thickly. There was a lump in his throat, a burn in his eyes. He didn’t think he would ever fully get over Nanika. But he would do is best to remember her and honor her memory.

“Yeah,” he said roughly. “I wish you could have, too.”

“Maybe you should take me to see her grave,” Gon suggested. “Like how I showed you Kite’s!”

Killua shook his head. “No way, that’s all the way back in Padokea with my family.”

“Oh...we're better staying here, then.”

Killua let out a bark of laughter. “You could say that again.”

Silence fell between them. It wasn’t the kind of stiff and strangely charged quiet that had risen up to meet them in the first week they’d met. They’d seen too much of each other’s fears and hopes to be like that anymore.

Killua had changed, since meeting Gon. He trusted him because he knew him, had seen him at his highs and lows. He was comfortable here on this porch, watching the sun set and resting in Gon’s embrace.

“What about you?” Killua asked quietly. “Do you think you’re free from the Hunters?”

“...I think so,” Gon said thoughtfully. “I mean, I didn’t contact them after the chaos at the Palace. They probably think I died.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

Gon squeezed him. “Yes, Killua. I don’t want that life anymore. I just want you.”

Killua closed his eyes and breathed deep. His heart throbbed at Gon’s words, his skin warming and his chest filling with something light and giddy. It had taken him a while to figure out why his body responded to Gon’s confessions like that.

But now—now he knew why.

Killua opened his eyes. “H-Hey...Gon?”

“Mmm?” came the sound of Gon’s happy hum. The feel of his warm arms wrapped around him made Killua want to melt into his embrace and never leave, but this was important. He wanted to see Gon with his next words.

So he gently untangled Gon’s arms from around his waist and turned to face him. Gon’s eyes fluttered open, the color of his irises turning gold in the sunlight, and Killua’s heart fluttered in turn. He reached out to interlock their fingers, relishing the easy way their hands fit together so easily.

“I want to—to tell you something,” Killua began hesitantly and Gon tilted his head.

“Yeah?”

Killua gave a jerky nod. “Yeah. Um...do you remember the night of the invasion?”

Gon’s lips twitched up into a humorless smile. “Kind of hard to forget. Didn’t we get captured and you get beat up in front of me and then almost got handed back to your family?”

Killua swallowed thickly. Could Gon feel his palms sweating? “Exactly. But, uh, before that...at the party. We danced together.”

“Mhmm.”

Gon had started to stroke the back of Killua’s hand with his thumb. The movement was comforting but distracting at the same time. And it most definitely didn’t help that Gon looked like a golden statue in the sunlight—his skin glowed bronze and his freckles popped like mini suns on round cheeks. It made Killua want to…

No. Focus, Killua. You have a mission.

Killua sucked in a shaking breath. “You said then that you loved me.”

Gon stopped stroking Killua’s hand. He focused on Killua’s face, a frown ghosting across his lips. “I did. I do. Why, are you doubting me?”

“Wha—no!” Warmth prickled across Killua’s cheeks, a heat that had nothing to do with the summer sun. “Of course not! How could I, after everything that happened?”

“Oh. Okay, then.” Gon relaxed and went back to stroking Killua’s skin.

Killua shook his head. Gon was a little too intense for him, sometimes.

“Why’d you bring that up?” Gon asked. He was looking down at their hands, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I thought we were trying to move past that whole ordeal. ‘Start over’ and all that.”

“We are. I just wanted to tell you that…” Killua steeled himself and squeezed down on Gon’s hands. Maybe if he squeezed hard enough, the butterflies in his gut would fly over to Gon instead.

He said timidly, “I wanted to tell you that I—that I love you. I’m in love you, too, I mean. Um.”

He stopped. Gon was staring at him, eyes blown wide as the setting sun. It made Killua feel even more self-conscious than he already felt, the butterflies in his gut swarming and battering against his chest like they were trying to escape.

“You...You love me?” Gon asked. His question was barely louder than a whisper. “You’re in love with me, Killua?”

Killua forced himself not to look away from Gon’s slowly darkening face. He had never been the best with sharing his emotions, and he doubted he ever would. But he was so sure of this, confident for his feelings in a way he’d never been sure about anything, except maybe loving Alluka and hating his family.

And Gon had always been so open with Killua, from the very start. He never lied, never put Killua in any danger more than necessary. And he trusted Killua, just as Killua now trusted Gon.

“I do,” Killua said and his voice shook. Gon breathed in deep, his whole chest swelling. “I’m, uh, sorry it took me so long to—to—you know—mph!”

The rest of Killua’s stumbling apology was quieted by Gon’s mouth being shoved against his. Gon’s hands cupped Killua’s jaw, fingers digging into Killua’s burning cheeks as the ex-Hunter kissed him enthusiastically. Killua closed his eyes and returned Gon’s kiss, tasting cinnamon and smelling pine and feeling that all-consuming and ever present warmth Gon constantly exuded.

He didn’t think he would ever get tired of this. When Gon kissed him, the butterflies in his chest fell away and the rest of the world with it. All that mattered was Gon and his love for Killua. It was a love Killua knew he could count on, to face today’s problems and tomorrow’s and everything that came after.

Killua hadn’t expected to find this when he found Gon. But now that he had, he couldn’t imagine living without it.

Gon pulled back and Killua’s eyes fluttered open. Gon’s pupils were blown wide, leaving only a rim of gold around the edge. Something hot coiled in Killua’s gut at the sight.

“I love you too, you know,” Gon whispered, lips split in a gleeful grin.

Killua rolled his eyes. Now that Gon had stopped kissing him, Killua could feel the burn of his blush in full force. “You told me that, already.”

“I know! But now that you love me, I can say it whenever I want!”

“I doubt you would have stopped telling me that, even if I didn’t confess to you. You called that stupid meal at the diner a date.”

Gon laughed. “You’re probably right,” he agreed and stroked Killua’s cheeks with his thumbs. “But I already knew, then.”

Killua’s heart swooped and soared, and he finally didn’t have to wonder what the feeling was. He whispered, “Knew what?”

Gon grinned, showing off a brilliant smile that Killua adored so much. “I knew that you were special. And I couldn’t be more grateful you sat next to me on the train that day. You saved me, Killua.”

Killua squeezed Gon’s wrists. “I think you saved us. If you hadn’t come, we still would have en hiding from my family. Alluka and I wouldn’t have been free to travel the world.”

Gon smirked. “Let’s agree to disagree.”

“Stop being so damn stubborn—”

Gon kissed him again—though this time it was probably to shut Killua up more than anything. Killua could feel his laughter in the vibration of his lips, but Killua found he didn’t care. Instead he threw his arms around Gon’s shoulders, smiling into Gon’s lips, and kissed him back.

They’d saved each other, in many ways. And now that they were together, they would save each other countless times more.

[akiyamapining]

I HAVE A THOUGHT

Okay I’m like, exhausted. Haven’t really slept in like, four days. I’m at the point where I just KNOW I’m tired but I just don’t FEEL tired and I’ve been thinkin. Hear me out, it’s probably impossible. I blame my tired brain.

Luffy's Gear Second speeds up his blood, which in turn speeds up his body, he's tecchnically moving at speeds faster than much of the world around him with no mental jetlag, and only few physical repercussions (it strainss his heart, I don't care if he's made of rubber, that shit is dangerous!!). But like, hear me out, I might just be really tired and coming up with stupid shit, but like, if Luffy Awakens his Devil Fruit, if at all possible for him, what if it's just like activating Gear Two.

But instead of just gaining a speed boost, ot allows him to go so fast he travels through time??? Or gains an ability akin to the Instant Transmission technique from Dragon Ball Z???

Really, logic does NOT apply to Luffy, at all. He has gone into situations that have the odds SO stacked against him it’s not funny, but usually comes out on top! He’s a favorite of Lady Luck, has almost died like… 15 times, was fucking TORTURED as a child by a nasty, rotten pirate who didn’t care what he did because obviouSLY THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS, was RESCUED from CERTAIN DEATH by his CHILL FOSTER DAD™(Shanks), has managed to turn ENEMIES into ALLIES, not once but like DOZENS of times, rose to infamy in like… threeeeeeish months, survived his abusive freak of a grandfather (I love Garp, I really do, but that is NOT how you show love, and that is NOT how you treat a child. HE NEARLY KILLED LUFFY OVER A DOZEN TIMES USING THE EXCUSE OF “Training him to be an upstanding marine”! If anything, I think that Garp made Luffy begin to doubt becoming a marine, thought about it with a simple “I’ll have to listen to commands, and it’s a robbery of freedom”, but wasn’t about to abandon the option, because he still loved his grandpa and wanted to make him proud. Shanks and his stories of his grand adventures as a pirate merely allowed Luffy to harbor and grow that doubt into a hard-as-diamond belief.), stopped the civil war in Alabasta because WOW VIVI IS DISTRESSED LET’S NOT, broke into Impel Down, got terribly poisoned, was given the option to be cured but the cure was ALMOST just as deadly as the poison itself, went through TERRIBLE pain, and came out VICTORIOUS, albeit in technical terms ten years older (not physically, he lost ten years doing that. In my standards, he aged up ten years in bodily health. It won’t catch up with him til later in his life though, I bet), and survived getting the flesh on his chest, his RUBBER FLESH (ugh, that must have been horrible to see, and smell), melted off because he had been lucky enough to have caught the interest of supernova-at-the-time, Trafalgar Law.

With all of that in our minds, I wouldn’t doubt that Lady Luck would grant his Awakened Devil Fruit the ability to travel through time, or basically teleport.

Because come on.

He’d literally be stretching time and space.

’~’

I admit, he’d, at first, almost do something stupid. With time travel, he’d go back and try to prevent so much bad shit that’d happened to him without thinking of the consequences, as always, and he would end up DRASTICALLY changing things.

For example: he would go back to prevent, let’s say, the events of Marineford. Whitebeard would still be alive, Ace would still be alive, so much DEATH would have been avoided, and Teach would target Luffy and his crew in an attempt to become shichibukai. The vile man had seen Luffy’s wanted poster and decided to target him, and then full out admitted this to Ace at Banaro, and Ace definitely was NOT going to have that! I memorized their conversation as evidence because people like to sass me with a classic “YOU HAVE NO PROOF!”:

“First, I’ll go to Water Seven from here to kill Strawhat Luffy and hand him over to the government!”

“Luffy…!? What did you say…!? ”

“Oh? You know him?”

“I won’t let you lay a finger on him. He’s my little brother! ”

’~’

Luffy preventing Ace from being taken to Impel Down in the first place, which means preventing Ace from continuing to hunt Teach by, maybe, telling Ace about the Yami Yami no Mi and it’s abilities, and, if he manages it because coME ON, he can’t to save his life, lie about how he knows this, which would either drive Ace back towards Whitebeard in an attempt to prepare for such a battle, maybe even train more, or wouldn’t prevent Ace’s action against Teach, but would cause him to take the fight MUCH more seriously from the get go with the newfound knowledge. Going with the latter route, Ace taking the fight seriously from the start, if Ace seems too powerful to Teach, he’d do everything in his ability to flee the battle, as the man has always been a coward, and was never a carrier of The Will of D, despite being Marshall D. Teach. I don’t doubt that Teach would somehow escape Ace’s fury and flee Banaro, deciding against his thought of turning in Ace instead of Strawhat. He would hide out with his crew, or what may be left, for a lil less than a month. Lay low. No destruction, no killing, nothing from the Blackbeard Pirates. They would fall off the grid. Ace, having lost the man’s trail, would either continue roaming for any leads, or retreat back towards Whitebeard with his newfound knowledge of the man’s abilities, because he has SOMETHING on the man now, and his crew should know.

Teach would then head towards Sabaody and Fishman Island to have a run in with the Strawhats. They wouldn’t win that battle, and Luffy, plus his crewmates if they knew, would then be given to the government, and, knowing Luffy’s heritage, they’d rush to execute him almost as fast as they had with Ace. The papers would be full of excitement over it.

“SON OF REVOLUTIONARY DRAGON TO BE EXECUTED IN A MONTH!” the paper would scream, alerting everyone Luffy had managed to save or befriend, in one way or another. Shanks, Dorry, Brogy, Whitebeard (if Ace found out and lost his shit. He would try to leave, to rescue his baby brother, who doesn’t deserve to be executed. He would be held back, kicking, screaming, and crying out that Luffy was his first light in the dark, that he needs to save his little, adorable brother, that he’d always hate himself more than he has if he lets Luffy die. I feel that it would hurt Whitebeard and the others on the ship to see someone who was usually smiling and cracking jokes and being a nasty little brat on some days, and just an all around JOY to be around, be so… lost, and broken, and just a WRECK. They’d go and help save Luffy, I think. Whitebeard knows the importance of family, knows that Luffy means the WORLD to Ace, who was so, so PROUD when Luffy’s first bounty came out, and any brother of Ace was a son of his, and no one would be executing one of his sons when he could do anything about it.), two Yonkos and two giants.

The marines had been dreading in the original timeline that Shanks would join in the fighting when he arrived 15 minutes late to the war with a latte, imagine their horror as Whitebeard and Shanks join forces to save a simple, small boy made of rubber, who's grin and energy touched the hearts of practically millions on both the East Blue and the Grand Line.

But, the whole thing would be a plot by the marines to draw out Dragon, to catch him trying to rescue his son. But, the Revolutionaries, they are one big WILD CARD! I haven’t gotten enough about Dragon himself to even begin to THINK that be would mobilize forces to save Luffy. But, he did rescue Luffy at Loguetown, remember that. I bet he would be so so PROUD of Luffy, who was causing the World Government so much CHAOS, doing just what he had been doing, but instead of planning, like Dragon, he just went and did it. And if anything, the sudden headline would spark SOMETHING in the amnesiac that is Sabo, a deep-seated terror that he doesn’t know the origins of, or maybe it would knock him into a wave of soul crushing horror as memories of a small, bright little boy came crashing into him like a tsunami, he would drop the paper in horror, he never knew that Dragon was Luffy’s FUCKING FATHER, he would rush to Dragon about it, and if the man would do nothing, Sabo would become enraged. What a horrible father, what a SNAKE! He would beg, plead, do anything to get this man to save his FUCKING SON! And if Dragon was going to act, he would assign Sabo and a select group to infiltrate Impel Down to save Luffy, only to have barely missed him, yet they would be able to break out Luffy’s crew, if they had been captured when trying to help Luffy. Anyone can elaborate on what happens after this, I’m moving on.

If Ace had retreated to Whitebeard instead of going to Banaro to confront Teach, the man would have, more than likely, destroyed Banaro and would make his way to Water Seven. I estimate that he’d make it there after the events of Enies Lobby, unaware of the dramatic uppage in bounty that would follow. Aqua Lagoona had just passed, he’d just miss the Strawhats leaving the large city, but he would see the newly built Thousand Sunny flying as quick as a bee out towards the ocean, and he would follow. They’d go through some bastardized game of cat and mouse, I doubt Teach would even TRY confronting the Strawhats so close to Thriller Bark. So he’d wait until the fog lifted, like an idiot, because he probably doesn’t know the fog won’t lift. But, and correct me if I’m wrong, the fog DOES lift after Moria is defeated. He follows Luffy to Sabaody, where he confronts the Strawhat crew, and from here I believe the events mentioned in the last path would come to pass.

’~’

That was an example of what his meddling with time could lead to. Robin, of course, would stop him from doing it. She understands the risks of time travel, she’s read many books after all. Not only would she warn him to never use his power unless it was his ONLY CHOICE, she’d have him PROMISE!! And Luffy never breaks a promise, at least, not to my knowledge. It would be a great way to reset if he loses too much. And that means if he loses his crew, and he doesn’t feel he can go on without them.

Honestly, I find Luffy’s Gears facinating. Gear Two is advanced speed, Gear Three is damage spread across a large distance, and Gear Four is a mix of both. Truly interesting, the things Luffy has come up with for attacks and abilities when it comes to his own body. Which is why I’m instantly appealed by a Luffy moving so fast that he stretches time and space to the point of time travel, or teleportation.

And honestly, I kinda wanna see what other people have to think about my lil (understatement) rant here.

This has been your friendly neighborhood crow, signing out so I can attempt to sleep.

[hysterialevi]

In the Smoke Final Part (Cobblebats)

From Bruce’s POV

WAYNE MANOR

“The damage done by the Children of Arkham has left Gotham a city in turmoil. Their leader, Lady Arkham – otherwise known as Vicki Vale – has been confirmed dead after presumably being shot by one of her own men, the Penguin himself,” the reporter chuckled. “I guess we weren’t the only ones getting tired of her.”

 I turned to look at Oz, who was sitting beside me with a somewhat sorrowful expression as he watched the news. 

“You killed Vicki?” I asked. I could almost hear his heart sinking in his chest.

“Before the GCPD could get to her, yes,” he replied. “I know that ain’t what we agreed to, and I’m sorry for lying to you, but Vicki…she spent enough of her childhood locked up in a basement – by her own parents, no less. The things they did to her down there…it’s why she was so crazy in the end. I didn’t want her to go through the same thing at Blackgate. I hope you can understand.”

I reached over and placed my hand over Oz’s, rubbing affectionately.

“You were looking out for a friend. No one can fault you for that.”

Oz smiled at me before resting his head on my shoulder. “Thanks, Bruce.”

“In related news,” the reporter continued, “the identity of the widely-feared ‘Unknown’ has finally been revealed. Police reports say that they discovered the iconic mask lying deep in the catacombs, next to the body of a man named Gideon Black, who was also, much like his boss, shot to death. Whether or not the Penguin was behind this murder as well is currently still in question.”

Oz chuckled, pouring two glasses of wine. “They think it was Gideon who killed Hill and Falcone. Better than thinkin’ it was you, I guess.”

“I’m glad to put the Unknown behind me,” I said with relief. “He was…a monster.”

He handed me one of the glasses. “Monster or no, you can’t deny that the Unknown did some good for the city, gettin’ rid of those crime bosses. Who knows what Hill and Falcone would be doin’ today if they was still alive?”

I took a much-needed sip. “They’d probably be looking for someone to replace my father.”

Oz frowned at that suggestion, and sympathy plastered itself onto his face as he placed a hand on my lap in a soothing manner.

“I’m…sorry about what happened. To your father. He and I may have been enemies, but it doesn’t take a genius to see that he cared for you. A lot. And I know you cared for him too.”

“Thanks, Oz,” I said, my voice much quieter than before.  “I just wish I could’ve saved him, back at the catacombs. The only reason he died is because I got stuck, thanks to my own foolishness.”

“Hey, don’t say that. There was nothin’ anyone could’ve done in that situation. Your lives were at stake, and you did everything you could to keep the both of you alive. You can’t blame yourself just because something went wrong.”

Thinking about what Oz just said, I brought my attention back to the TV.

“Unfortunately, folks, in addition to the deaths of Lady Arkham and the Unknown, I’m afraid there’s just one more casualty to make note of…and this one may not be as easy to hear. After the destruction of Gotham’s catacombs, the GCPD discovered one extra body lying underneath a pile of boulders. There was hardly anything left to recognize, but it has since been identified as the notorious Thomas Wayne, who was just beginning to redeem himself after that deplorable scandal.”

Dragging a hand down my face, I let out a worried breath. “What are we gonna do now? Without Batman? The crime in this city was bad enough when he was around. But now, there’s no one watching over the streets. It’s gonna be chaos.”

Oz stood up from his seat, walking away for a second to fetch something while I stayed in place. I could hear him ruffling through what sounded like the drawers of a desk, and after a moment, he returned to me with an unknown item clutched in his hand. He sat back down.

“Your father may be dead,” Oz said, loosely opening his fist. “But no one said Batman is.”

Resting in his palm, I saw the remote my father always used to gain access to the Batcave’s entrance. I slowly took the small device into my grasp, uncertain of what Oz was implying, exactly.

“You…you really think I’d make a good…Batman?” I asked. Oz chuckled.

“Who better than his own son?”

I was still unconvinced. “I don’t know, Oz. I can fight criminals, sure, but Batman’s more than just some extra muscle. He’s an icon of justice. Do I look like I represent justice to you?”

Oz persisted. “That is exactly what you look like to me. Despite all the bad things you’ve done, Bruce, you’ve also saved more lives than you realize. Think ‘bout it. You weren’t afraid to turn against Lady Arkham when she went after Commissioner Grogan, and you crippled her organization immensely despite the world being out to get you. You killed both Hill and Falcone, criminals that the GCPD had been hunting down for years, and now, Gideon also lies dead, thanks to you. Your methods may have been brutal, but Gotham’s a safer place because of what you’ve done. I see no reason why you can’t be Batman.”

I glanced down at my fists, still able to remember the night I killed Hill. 

“I take lives,” I said. “Batman doesn’t.”

Oz leaned forward. “Then keep your father’s promise, and stop. Unless, of course, you don’t want to be Batman.”

I shook my head. “No, I do. I just don’t know if I’ll be able to fill my dad’s shoes.”

He shrugged. “We all have to start somewhere, don’t we?”

I sighed. “…you’re right. You’re right.” I stood up from my chair, turning towards the Batcave’s entrance. I took a deep breath.

“Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll stop killing, and I’ll…become…Batman.”

Pressing the remote’s button, Oz and I both watched in awe as the fireplace steadily slid out of place, revealing a secret, metal door behind it. It was exactly the same as when I last saw it, and once the fireplace had come to a complete stop, the metal door automatically opened, allowing us entry to the hidden elevator.

“Let’s get to work,” I said to Oz, making my way towards the lift. “The crime in Gotham never sleeps.”

From Gordon’s POV

THE GCPD

LATER THAT NIGHT

Standing on the rooftop, I casually lit a cigarette and hopelessly waited for Batman to respond to my signal…even though I knew he was probably dead. No one had seen him ever since that whole fiasco with Gideon in the catacombs, and there were no witnesses left that we could ask for information on his whereabouts. There was also the fact that that tomb was now nothing but a mountain of rocks, and even if Batman did survive the fight, he was probably in the same position as poor ol’ Thomas Wayne. 

I didn’t want to believe it, but Batman was most-likely dead. It was gonna take a long time for me to get used to that idea, and part of me still hoped he would creep up on me right now like he always did…and scare the hell out of me, but it was nothing more than the harsh truth. No one was invincible in Gotham, not even Batman, and he always knew the high risk of his job. His luck had to run out sooner or later, I supposed. I just wished it had at least given me a chance to say goodbye.

Just then, I heard a woman’s voice call out from behind me. “Commissioner?” It was Montoya.

Stepping to my side, Montoya gazed up at the giant bat on the moon, her expression softening with despondency as she crossed her arms.

“…do you…do you really think he’ll come?”

I exhaled a puff of smoke, rubbing my temples. “A man can hope.”

Montoya sighed. “I don’t want to believe that he’s gone…but how could anyone survive what happened in the catacombs? The whole place fell apart like an avalanche.”

“Batman isn’t just anyone,” I said, sounding a bit more defensive than I intended. “He’s…Batman, for god’s sake. He does the impossible. He can’t just…die like that.”

Montoya took one last look at the moon, her eyes slightly glossy.

“I wish that were true, Jim, and I know we never found a body, but you have to remember…he was only human. Like the rest of us.”

I let out a breath. “…I know. I know. I just wish we knew who he was. Then we could at least have a proper funeral for him.”

“No need.”

A bit startled by the sudden third voice, Montoya and I both whipped around in surprise, only to find none other than the masked vigilante himself, accompanied by the one and only Penguin.

“Don’t worry,” Batman quickly explained, holding an arm out in front of his friend, “he’s on our side.”

I was at a loss for words, and merely gaped at the two of them like an idiot for what felt like forever, still trying to process what I was seeing.

“…B-Batman?” I approached him. “You’re…you’re not dead?”

Penguin laughed. “There was a time when I woulda been disappointed too.”

I stuttered. “I-I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just…we thought you died in the catacombs. The whole thing collapsed. Everyone who was inside got killed.”

Batman remained composure, and gave me a simple response. “Not everyone.”

Before we could continue our conversation however, my walkie-talkie suddenly came to life with a series of frantic reports, other policemen rambling on in panic as they explained what was going on.

“We’ve got a report of an attack on The Virago,” I announced. “Some lunatic in a mask is taking hostages, including the casino’s owner: Rumi Mori. We gotta get there, now!”

Batman took out his grapple gun and walked towards the edge of the roof, aiming across the street. “Then let’s not waste any time.”

“Agreed. I’ll gather a squad and head down there immediately. Once we arrive, we can come up with a plan to rescue the hostages, and find out who’s causing all this trouble.”

The vigilante tapped a few buttons on his gauntlet, controlling the drones flying around him. “I’ll send these ahead, see if we can’t get a better view of the place. I’ll meet you there.”

Before he could leave though, I called out one last thing, halting him mid-action.

“Batman!”

He glanced over his shoulder.

I gave him my best attempt at a smile. “…it’s good to have you back. I…never thought you’d actually show up.”

Batman pulled the trigger, the hook latching on with a metallic “clank” as he glanced at the moon, almost…smiling back at me.

“Trust me, Commissioner, neither did I.”

And with that, he was gone, soaring through Gotham’s streets as he always did while Penguin stayed behind, getting his weapons ready. He turned to me.

“Welp, looks like it’s just you and me, Jimbo.”

I let out a groan. “I better not regret this.”

Penguin laughed. “Where would we be without regret?”

Despite what was probably going to be one of the most irritating nights in recent memory, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as I gazed at the Bat Signal, knowing that the man behind it wasn’t gone just yet. You’d think that I wouldn’t care so much about someone whose name I didn’t even know, but Batman had become a part of Gotham, just as much as it had become part of him. They were almost like light and dark. You couldn’t have one without the other.

I knew that many people in the city wondered about the vigilante’s true identity, and even more had tried to guess, but if I was being honest, I personally no longer cared. Who he was didn’t matter to me. It was all about what he did, and how he did it. That was what made him so unique in my eyes. Most “vigilantes” out there mainly did their job for the fame and recognition, but Batman…he truly cared about people. I could tell. He didn’t want rewards or praise. He only wanted this city to be safer.

He was Batman. His other identity didn’t matter. 

Batman was who he had always been, and that was all Gotham ever needed him to be.