#she pushes to front to throw it off the edge of the ravine by our base

[mcwhytubers]

I want to finish our storage system but Iskall literally won’t let me pick up a single piece of diorite so I can create a sorting spot for it.

[evelynmlewis]

The Boy in the Castle Chapter 3

Previous chapter

Chapter 3

         The next day they set off eastward, in the direction of the mountains. It was a short and low-lying range for the most part, but the foothills jutted up against the lowlands here, creating a craggy, barren landscape that was nearly devoid of trees.

           By mid-afternoon, they were rolling along a road that wound parallel to the mountains, through a rocky crevasse. It was bumpy, with stray sharp rocks lying about as if scattered by a careless hand.

           When the carriage went over a particularly sharp one of these rocks, there was a loud crack! and he felt the carriage jolt. Ilya reined in the horses with some alarm.

           The coach leaned. Olga was already pulling aside the curtain and looking out.

           It was obvious to him at a glance that something was wrong with the wheel. But when he crouched down, he found that it wasn’t broken, just that it had popped off the wheel hub and become crooked.

           “We’ve lost a hub,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a spare under the seat,” which was true, “and we’ll be back on our way shortly.”

           He started back up to the driver’s box, fully intending to lift it up and get the spare hub, when all his senses pricked up at once.

           They were in a ravine, passing between two high rock outcroppings. He could have sworn he’d heard a soft sound, coming out from behind the rock shelf on the left. And the more he thought about it, the more certain he was that it was the word, “wait.”

If only he were wrong—!

But he wasn’t wrong.

           Without slowing down or giving any sign, he continued walking, and circled in front of the horses around to the other side of the coach, as if he’d never intended to do otherwise.

           On the right side of the carriage, he pulled open the curtain. Olga started, not having expected to see him again so soon. He held up a finger for silence and leaned in. He kept his voice low and his tone casual.

           “Do not get out of the coach, and don’t make any sudden moves, but I believe we may have been ambushed.”

           Whatever happened to their wheel hadn’t been an accident. It was not uncommon for highway robbers to create hazards on the road specifically to trap stagecoaches.

           Olga’s eyes widened. The boy looked at her questioningly.

           “Ilya,” she said, and it was the first time she’d used his given name. “Listen to me. If they find him, they will kill him.”

           “Wh—” he started to ask, then realized there was no time for such questions.

           The woman pulled out the large wooden chest from under the seat and started throwing things out of it. Clothes, mostly, but he could see some other things in the bottom, such as papers and maps. “Alexei,” she ordered the child, “get in the chest.”

           The child looked startled, but his mother’s voice brooked no dispute.

           Ilya backed away from the window, pushing the curtain shut, and took stock of their surroundings.

           They had probably been secretly observed for some time. There was nowhere to go, and even if he jumped on now and lashed the horses, the coach was liable to fall down, with the wheel askew. They were scuttled.

           As if in answer to his thoughts, several men raised their heads over the edge of the rock. They had long-barreled flintlock muskets, tipped with sharp bayonets.

           They also wore ragged green uniforms.

           These were no ordinary highwaymen. Apparently, they had been ambushed by none other than the Vroek Coalition itself.

           He held on tightly to the reins of the horses as the group, which proved to be about ten men, came down from behind the rock.

           “Hands in the air,” said one of them, perhaps their captain.

           Ilya put his hands up, reflecting on how he’d chosen this route to avoid the Vroek Coalition in the first place, and now it was all for nothing. What were they doing this far east? There was nothing worth having out here. No cities, barely any population.

           The leader smirked. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

           “Oh you know. Just passing th—”

           “Step away from the horses, please.”

           He took a step back.

           A second man prodded the door of the coach with his bayonet, and then pounded on it hard enough to shake the carriage. “Come out of there!”

           Madame Olga opened the door with some procedure, and stepped out, lifting her thick skirts. She frowned and gave the man a look down her nose.

           A third man took the reins of the horses and hopped up on the drivers’ box.

           “What’s going on—” Ilya started.

           The leader leveled the rifle at him. “We’re taking everything with us. It’s easier to just drive this wagon where we’re going.”

           “You’re going to have to fix the wheel first.” Ilya smirked.

           The men looked at each other, and then one of them said, “All right, get on it, then. Whatever you were going to do before we showed up.”

           Ilya pointed at the driver’s seat, and the captain nodded. He lifted the seat and got out the wheel hub, fumbling in order to stall. When his coin purse was revealed, the rebels pounced on it without hesitation.

           At this point they believed that he was traveling with just Olga in the coach. What was it that Olga said about the boy? If they find him, they will kill him.

           So far, no one had searched the vehicle.

           “Well, go on then,” prodded the captain.

           He gingerly returned the wheel to its proper place.

           “All right.” He and Madame Olga were herded together. “Walk.”

           ***

           They walked beside the stagecoach as it moved at a slow roll, one of the rebel soldiers at the fore. It was a forced march, but not a particularly long one. As soon as they got around the next bend in the mountain, he understood. This was no chance encounter with a band of rebels who had lost their way.

           There was a great cave up ahead, high in a rocky peak, under a sheltering overhang. And perched in the mouth of the cave, in a wonderful, unassailable, hidden position, was an austere, utilitarian looking castle. It was certainly more of a military fortification than a summer residence, and doubtless very old. The walls were whitewashed, but unpainted, and the windows were dark and square.

           There was a threadlike bridge leading from the place where they stood, across a wide, perilous chasm to the castle. The coach stopped.

The captain of their little group hailed a guard on the other side, and someone started coming across to meet them.

“What is this place?” asked Ilya, tremulously.

“Welcome to Castle Tyrna,” said the captain. “Headquarters of the Vroek Coalition.”

Headquarters! The King’s army had been searching all four corners of Belovia for months, and yet been unable to find these headquarters. And yet, here they were.

It was precisely because he had gone out of his way to avoid trouble, that he had dragged them all straight into it. Ilya cursed his own stupidity. If only he had just stayed the course. To think they’d been attempting to walk right past Castle Tyrna without being accosted. The coach had probably triggered alarms miles back.

Now two men opened the doors of the coach. There was no hope of the vehicle going across the bridge; whatever they were to loot had to be carried by hand.

The clothes and loose items were thrown into a basket. The case of pigeons came out, none too gently, and the birds rustled and clucked as they were handed off. The men lifted out the chest by the handles on each side.

He tore his eyes away.

Don’t even look at the chest. Don’t draw any attention to it.

For a moment, he caught Olga’s eyes, and with a single glance he read the same thoughts. For the first (and perhaps the last) time, they were truly on the same page.

They walked across the bridge single-file. This was an amazingly well-defended position, he thought with some dismay.

They passed through the guard-house into the compact castle’s small courtyard. The basket and the chest were thrown down with a painful thud. He winced, but the boy remained silent.

“Let’s search them now,” said one soldier. “She looks like one of those rich nobles. Can’t wait to find out what they were doing out here.”

Ilya tensed as the soldier reached toward the latch on the chest.

A man was hurrying down the steps from the keep. He was in his early twenties and had a shaven face and a clean uniform, unlike the other men.

“Hold on, now, wait,” he said. “General Boris has not yet arrived.”

“They’re up to something, Anatoliy,” said the captain. “There’s no good reason for a noblewoman to be in these mountains.”

Anatoliy considered them with some interest. It was clear that he was even more high-ranked than any of the others, but they did not seem to respect him yet. A new officer, perhaps. When his eyes fell upon Madame Olga, Ilya thought he saw a glimmer of recognition, but he couldn’t be sure. If there was recognition, there was also deep confusion, and even… fear? But it was gone in a moment.

“If they are suspicious,” said Anatoliy, “the General will want to examine their things himself, and he will not appreciate them being looted. We shall take the chest upstairs – yes, take it to my quarters. I will guard it.”

“Oh yes,” he heard muttering behind him, “so you can have a gander at it I suppose.”

“Watch your mouth,” said Anatoliy, “General Boris placed me in charge in his absence and I’ll thank you to follow orders and stop this insubordination.”

The soldiers all shuffled their feet.            “All right now, pick it up and move it.” The men picked up the chest by the handles on each end. “The lady comes with me.”

The soldiers prodded Olga, and she finally lowered her hands to pick up her skirts and follow Anatoliy up the steep stairs to the keep. She gave Ilya one last look and then turned her back to him.

           “What are you going to do with her?” he asked apprehensively.

           “Oh, don’t worry about it.” The captain sneered. “Anatoliy is a civilized Christian man, he wouldn’t hurt a lady.”

           “Nor a gentleman, I hope,” added Ilya wistfully.

           “You? A gentleman? Don’t make me laugh.”

Next Chapter

[theseventrexsoul]

Ice age × OC

Chapter two

They walked in silence, until they reached a cliff.

She had always wondered where the mammoth was going, what he was going to do.

She'll probably never know...

"Sid should be here by now."

Speak of the Devil. She didn't have time to turn around before he crashed into her, causing them both to fall on the ground.

The Mammoth took him with his trunk, pushing the sloth away from her.

"For the Gods of Olympus, if he doesn't watch where he's going he risks hurting himself and others!" thought the girl, getting up again.

<<Act as if I wasn't there.>>

The newcomer turned and gasped, hiding behind Manny.

The duo looked up, seeing two rhinos a few meters away.

"Frank and Carl" Francyne remembered the two, she had never understood why they would want to harm the sloth.

Yes, he was talkative, clumsy, idiotic, a bit of a pain in the ass and had ruined their snack, but he was a nice and funny guy.

Sid held onto Manny's leg, <<Don't let them impale me, please! I want to live!>>.

<<And get off!>> Manny shook it off, making the little girl giggle.

<<Well, how long are you taking it.>> Frank complained, probably addressing the sloth.

<<We'll take our dusty stuffed animal and leave if you don't mind.>> Carl said to the Mammoth.

Manny said to Sid: <<If it's not them today, it will be someone else tomorrow.>>

<<But I'd rather it wasn't today, okay?>>

<<No one would want today to be her last day.>> Francyne added softly, loud enough to be heard by the two mammals next to her.

Sid was a little surprised, but didn't say anything.

<<Look, we'll break your neck, so you don't feel anything, what do you say?>>

<<Wait a minute, aren't rhinos vegetarians?>> Manny asked.

<<Acute observation!>> added Sid, being silenced by the Mammoth a second later.

<<Who said we eat him after we have killed him.>> said Frank, eager to have fun in that cruel way.

Manny and Francyne exchanged looks; the human knew what was about to happen.

The Mammoth glared at the two rhinos.

<<I don't like animals that kill for fun.>>.

Francyne nodded in agreement. Only humans behaved like this, in a mean and cruel way.

Who did they think they were to feel empowered to take a life?

<<Save it for a mammal that cares.>> Frank replied.

<<I'm a mammal that cares!>> said Sid, looking at the two who protected him with an expression of pity.

<<I care too, and I won't let you hurt the sloth.>> Francyne added.

Manny thought, and seeing the fossilized quicksand between them and the rhinos, an idea came to mind.

<<Listen: if one of you can overcome the quicksand in front of you, I'll give you the sloth.>>

Frank and Carl suddenly looked skeptical: Was it worth risking their lives to get him?

After all, they would have other opportunities to have fun.

They didn't have time to think about it.

<<That's right, buffoons! Take one step and you're dead!>> Sid shouted, throwing a stone, which stopped in the middle of the quicksand, telling the rhinos the truth.

<<You were bluffing, huh?>> Sid asked, realizing he had ruined everything.

<<Yeah, it was a bluff>>

Francyne looked at him with disappointment, how was it possible that he hadn't realized this before?

Frank and Carl charged. She moved out of the way in time, while Manny and Sid were pushed towards the edge of the ravine.

The human managed to catch Sid just before he fell and Manny counterattacked.

Sid cheered, but only for a second; the two rhinos charged back.

<<Stay with the sloth.>> Manny said to Francyne.

He caught Frank with his trunk and threw him away.

The girl saw Carl approaching and she stood in front of Sid.

<<Come on, you inflated balloon!>>

Carl didn't achieve his goal: before he could hit the human or the sloth, Manny grabbed him and threw him away.

<<We did it!>>

Sid cheered, hugging both Manny and Francyne, not realizing he had knocked the Mammoth off balance.

They fall down.

Manny caught the human, so she wouldn't get hurt as they slid down the slope.

<<Are you okay?>> she asked, when they stopped.

She saw Sid on top of Manny.

<<You have beautiful eyes>> he commented.

<<Get off my face.>> replied the Mammoth, standing up and letting go of Francyne.

<<Wow, the three of us! We are a great team! Why don't we go south together?>>

<<Of course not, jump on my back and make yourself comfortable!>> Manny retorted, starting to walk, followed by the girl.

<<Really?>>

<<No.>>

Francyne giggled and turned to the sloth: <<He was sarcastic>>.

Sid stopped for a moment, realizing a detail.

<<Sorry, aren't you going south? The change of season, the migratory instinct....do these things mean anything to you?>>

<<I'd say no, bye.>> replied Manny, who took the human and made her climb onto his back.

<<You have a very soft fur>> she commented, stroking him.

<<Okay, thanks for the help, I can get on by my own.>>

Francyne saw him go, giggled.

"3, 2, 1..."

<<Oh, too much importance is given to this Southern thing! And then the heat, the crowd...>>

Manny rolled his eyes, exasperated by the sloth's irritating presence.

<<Instead think: two bachelors and a human wandering around in uncontaminated nature!>>

Francyne breathed an amused sigh.

Seeing it on TV was hilarious, live... she would have died laughing.

Manny, on the other hand, didn't appreciate his company and made his nervousness very clear, even not in words.

<<You want a bodyguard so you don't become someone's dinner.>>

<<He's not completely wrong... >> commented the human.

Manny snorted.

<<Okay, lead the way...I didn't catch your names.>>

<<Manfred>>

<<Francyne>>

<<Manfred?! Oh, poor us! >> she exclaimed << How about Manny the sulky Mammoth or Manny the melancholy, or... >>

Manny glared at him, startling the sloth, who climbed up a nearby log.

"Now I'll strangle him," he thought.

<< Hey, it's not nice to say certain things! >> added the human, crossing her arms.

Manny grabbed the tree with his trunk.

<<Stop following us>> he said, letting go of the shrub, causing Sid to fall.

<<Okay, you have your thoughts. Act as if I wasn't there, I'll sew my lips shut >> he retorted, continuing to follow them.

"He will starts talking anyway, he can't keep quiet"

In fact, after about ten meters...

<<So, you are a human who can talk?>>

Francyne rolled her eyes, a smile appearing on her face.

"I'm going to have a lot of fun!" she thought.

Hi!

Second chapter of the story, you can find it on wattpad too.

Sorry for grammar errors but google translate doesn't do his job right and plus I wrote this previously in my language (italian), so the dialogues aren't the same as the original Ice Age.

Sorry.

Hope you like it though.

Bye!

[crystaljins]

River lead me home | 08

Characters: Kim Seokjin x reader

Word count: 8.5k

Synopsis:  Ever since coming to the human realm when you were child, nothing seems to fit, and this was just supposed to be a simple roadtrip to help you find yourself.

Is that too much to ask for?

Spin-off to A long journey home

Rating: Teens

Genre: Adventure, fluff, angst

Notes: WOw. Second last chapter! Who knew we’d get this far....  I said last chapter was the emotional climax and now I’m looking at the word count of this chapter and I’m a bit like... wow... ok... you had a lot to say, didn’t you?

Anyway, please enjoy!!

Tags: @blue1928​ @veeparkersstuff 

Masterlist

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 FINAL

The three of you decide to make camp in the ravine that night with only minor hiccups. The Psittanurans had kindly provided you with two extra bedrolls, both far more comfortable than your own, and since the three of you hadn’t anticipated the addition of a third human-sized traveller, you had foolishly left your old bedroll behind in favour of travelling lighter. Of course, Jungkook, used to the comfort of sleeping curled up in your pocket, refuses to sleep without a bedroll. You cheerfully offer to just sleep on the soft, slightly damp sand that comprises the riverbank, but you’re quickly met with protests from both of your male companions. 

“Just share with me.” Jin mutters, only slightly grumbly. The two of you had shared the single bedroll multiple times throughout this journey, and he doesn’t enjoy the idea of you attempting to rest uncomfortably with the state you’re in. Particularly because you’re only in that state because of him. 

You’re about to nod your agreement when you are yanked back several steps into Jungkook’s torso. He throws a heavy arm across your shoulders and grins at Jin in a way that lets Jin know that Jungkook is fishing for a reaction. 

“Oh no, no, no, loverboy.” Jungkook scolds. “We can’t have you taking advantage of our dear, naive (Y/N). She can share with me!”

You yank at his forearm more out of annoyance than an attempt to dislodge his arm. 

“It’s not taking advantage.” Jin grits out between clenched teeth. He’s not even sure why Jungkook’s insinuation irritates him so much, but it does. And with the way Jungkook’s grin widens, Jin realises it was the exact reaction Jungkook was hoping for. 

“If you insist.” Jungkook gives in. But then his expression turns faux-innocent. He drops his gaze to the top of your head and you tilt your chin back so you can gaze back up at him. “I can only assume that means that (Y/N) wants to share with you as much as you do with her and well, no judgement but I-“ 

“I’ll share with you!” You cut in, and Jin doesn’t need good lighting to know your cheeks are aflame. 

Jin’s jaw drops. Jungkook just completely played the two of you. And he knows it- he shoots Jin a smug look as you clamber into the luxurious Psittanuran bedroll alongside him. 

Jin is utterly floored by the red-hot flash of irritation he feels at the sight. He glares for a moment longer, as if it will change the outcome of the situation, but when it becomes clear that it won’t, he sighs and resigns himself to attempting to sleep for the night. It doesn’t take long for you and Jungkook to settle into a slow, steady rhythm of breathing that tells Jin you are both asleep. 

Unsurprisingly, sleep doesn’t come easily to him that night. It’s not even that you’re lying a metre away wrapped in Jungkook’s annoyingly bulky arms, something Jin didn’t even know was irritating until now. No, what keeps him awake is the way his mind absolutely refuses to stop replaying the way you had looked at him when the arrow had hit you. 

It was easy, in the adrenaline rush that had pushed him through the events of today, to ignore any pesky emotions. He didn’t have time to process or understand his emotions in the onslaught of disasters. But now he has nothing but time as the night slowly passes and he’s lost. He’s so, so lost.

It’s been a common topic on this journey- how you make him feel. Initially the answer was easy. You’re annoying and pesky, like an untrained Labrador puppy, but you’re also family, like an untrained Labrador puppy. Someone he cares for greatly, but is also annoyed by beyond belief. 

But for some reason, the longer this trip has gone on, the harder the answer has become. Does he still care for you? Absolutely. Do you still annoy him? Beyond belief. So if that hasn’t changed, why does that answer feel so incomplete? 

He sits up with a groan, realising he’s not going to get any sleep any time soon. The shore of the riverbank is cold and damp and the sand gives way beneath his bare feet. On the edge of the river like this, he can gaze straight upwards and glimpse the jagged strip of starlight visible between the imposing walls of the ravine. The stars in this realm really are something else- bright, sparkling pinpricks on an indigo canvas, high overhead. So much brighter and more intense than the muted, dusky black of the sky in the human realm. When he’d first moved, he’d actually missed the brilliant glow of the stars above, and he’d bought little glow in the dark stickers to attach to his ceiling. It had been during the time where you used spend a lot of time with him and his parents because your mother was working a late shift. He’d come home, overjoyed at the little stickers he brandished, and then he’d noticed the way you’d eyed them. You’ve never been very good at voicing your thoughts- every admission of yours has to be coaxed out of you. But he’d known straight away that you wanted the stars. He hadn’t hesitated, that night, to grab a ladder and spend the evening attaching the stars to your bedroom ceiling in a pathetic imitation of the constellations of Magregnum. 

The young teenager who had cheerfully attached glow-in-the-dark stickers to the ceiling of his friend’s room seems so distant and far away now. So much has happened since then- so much has gone wrong and so much has gone right. Briefly, he wonders if you’d liked him back then as well. Maybe he’d mistaken the longing glow in your eyes as being for the stickers when it had actually been for him. Jungkook had made fun of him for never noticing your feelings until now, but it’s not like anything has ever changed between the two of you. You’ve always gazed at him like he’s someone amazing and special. He’s always given up everything for you without a moment’s hesitation. If anything, the only difference between then and now is that you keep drifting further and further away no matter what efforts he does or doesn’t make. What can he do? How can he solve the problem of you slipping through his fingers like water?

“Can’t sleep?” A voice sounds, and to Jin’s credit, he doesn’t scream. He does start so violently that he nearly tumbles forward into the water lapping at his feet, though. 

Jungkook settles beside him, hugging his knees to his chest and gazing up at the stars above. 

“Something like that.” Jin manages, when his heart rate finally settles back into something that is conducive to life. Jungkook snorts and folds his arms across his knees, resting his cheek on his folded arms so he can peer sleepily at Jin. 

“I can’t either.” Jungkook admits. “The bedding isn’t as comfortable as I thought it’d be.” Jin glances at Jungkook, arching an eyebrow at him. 

“Not as fun sharing as you thought?” Jin questions, unable to keep the slight sneer from his voice. Jungkook grins, a flash of white in the darkness. 

“On the contrary, I’m very comfortable.” He asserts, and something about the way Jungkook says it has Jin bristling in irritation. He’s about to snap a retort, when Jungkook drops the cheeky front he has on, quite rapidly. Like a balloon deflating. “It’s just... I thought that as a human, everything would seem smaller. Less big and threatening. Everything was huge to me as a pixie. But for some reason...” he trails away before swallowing.  It’s the most vulnerable Jin has ever seen him- he actually looks like a young boy, lost and afraid. “Instead everything seems bigger.”

Jin is silent for a moment, mostly shocked by this side of Jungkook. He should know better than to be surprised that Jungkook is more than a pesky troublemaker, after all the revelations of this journey. There’s always more to Jungkook. 

The thought makes him smile for whatever reason. Jungkook, fearless, pesky Jungkook, is afraid of the future. Who’d have thought it? In response to the sudden fond feeling in his chest, Jin reaches out a hand to affectionately ruffle Jungkook’s hair. 

Jungkook makes a noise of protest, pushing Jin’s hair away. 

“Hey!” He cries. “I open up to you and this is how you treat me?”

“I can’t help it.” Jin teases. “You’re surprisingly cute.”

Jungkook huffs for a moment, clearly outraged at the sentiment, before the fight slowly drains out of him. 

“I’m serious.” He mutters. Jin shakes his head and mirror’s Jungkook’s pose, hugging his knees in close to his chest. 

“That’s how everyone feels.” He informs the former pixie. “The world is surprisingly big and huge, and life can sometimes feel like a puddle and sometimes like an ocean. Welcome to being a human.” 

Jungkook is silent for a moment, contemplating what Jin is saying. 

“I... never imagined this would happen. There are all these things I wanted to do, if I were human, but I never thought I’d actually get to do them. And now, I finally have everything I wanted, right at my fingertips and I’m... I’m scared.” Jungkook confesses. 

“I get that.” Jin offers in sympathy. “I was scared when we first came to the human realm too. And then I was scared when I first got into med school. And I was scared when I first got to this realm again. The things we don’t know are scary.” He confesses. “But hey. Sometimes the best things to happen to us are the scariest things to start. Look at you- if you’d never overcome your fear of granting the wish, you’d never have become human, right?”

That silences Jungkook for so long that Jin begins to think he’s fallen asleep. But when he glances at Jungkook, he’s wide awake. The stars overhead reflect in his round eyes as he gazes thoughtfully upwards. 

“The best things... are the scariest things to start.” Jungkook echoes at last. He frowns and squints at Jin. “I think you’re a hypocrite.” He accuses suddenly. For a moment, Jin merely smiles stupidly, not fully comprehending the sudden turnaround. But gradually Jungkook’s words register and his jaw drops. 

“I’m sorry?” Jin answers in offence. Jungkook stares evenly back at Jin and even tilts his chin defiantly upwards. 

“You heard me. You talk all big and wise like that, and yet you’re too scared to start the most important thing to you.” He reminds Jin. “Why else are you sitting out here, glaring at the sky instead of sleeping?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jin mutters, digging his fingers into the sand. It’s kind of satisfying, the way it gives way and crumbles beneath his palm. 

“I’m talking about her.” Jungkook says, jerking a thumb over his shoulder to where you are currently snoozing peacefully. “And how you’re in love with her but you’re too scared to tell her.”

The words seem oddly loud and booming around Jin. For a second, he can’t seem to form words- like his tongue has frozen to the roof of his mouth. 

“I...” he tries, but he doesn’t really have any follow up. “I...” he tries again. The air suddenly feels warm and his shirt feels uncomfortably tight around his throat. 

“Ok, wow.” Jungkook says, releasing a low whistle for good measure. “So, you’re still doing the whole “in denial” thing? Really? Even after that whole desperate “what would I be supposed to do?” anguished kdrama lead monologue you had in that burrow?” Jungkook tsk’s and shakes his head and Jin feels his face flush with heat when he realises Jungkook had been eavesdropping on that particular conversation. “Girl takes an arrow for you and you’re still gonna deny you love her? Dang.”

Jin swallows past the dryness in his throat. But Jungkook cuts him off before he can offer any words. 

“Save your denial for someone who might believe you. I’m not even going to force you to say it out loud because it sounds like (Y/N) is going to have to do something more impressive than taking an arrow for you and jumping into a ravine with you to finally admit it out loud. I’m just going to say that I get it. I didn’t before, but now I do.” He offers Jin a weak smile. “The things we don’t know are scary. And starting anything with her is probably terrifying given all your history. But maybe when you start to believe the whole “the best things are the scariest things to start” spiel, then I’ll follow your lead. But for now, I’m cold and tired.” 

He gets to his feet and dusts sand off the back of his trousers, before padding over to where you’re fast asleep. 

Jin is rarely speechless. He prides himself on often having lots to say- to some of his friends he’s famous for the speed at which he can spit out words. He’s even heard you refer to them as “jants” when you think he isn’t listening. 

But he’s speechless now. Jungkook’s good at that- taking impossible, scary, confusing feelings and making them seem so simple that Jin feels like a fool. 

The best things in life are the scariest to start.

The words echo in his head as Jin comes to a realisation, in that moment. Why he’s been feeling so lost... why every moment with you feels like sand slipping through an hourglass...

It’s because he’s absolutely terrified. Terrified of what you mean to him, of the risks he would have to take to keep you in his life... and terrified of the cost if he doesn’t take those risks. 

But at the same time... the best things in life are the scariest to start. And Jin is more scared than he’s ever been. 

This time when he settles into sleep, the soft, steady sound of your breathing and the gentle lap of the river against the sandy banks is enough to lull his stormy mind into a surprisingly restful sleep.

++

When you awaken the next morning, it isn’t hard to tell that there is something bothering your two travel companions. There’s a multitude of things that could be the reason behind their stormy moods. The three of you are still trapped in a ravine together. There is still the long journey back home. The Saishtas likely think you are dead, but they still linger out there and if you aren’t careful, you could expose your presence to them. So, you don’t blame them for being quiet and a little standoffish, but you wish you knew the exact reason for it. After all, you had kind of expected a more festive atmosphere after Jungkook became human. You certainly feel lighter and more joyous- why do your companions not mirror the sentiment?

“Is everything ok?” You finally ask Jin as he assists you with packing up the bedrolls. He looks at you, a little startled like he has been lost in thought. 

“Yeah.” He says, just a beat too quickly. “Everything’s... fine.”

Funnily enough, you aren’t convinced. But you decide you won’t push your luck. After all, there’s a long walk back to the portal, if you can even escape this ravine. They’ll come to you when they’re ready. There’s lots for you to sort through yourself, anyway. You still have to work things out with your mother, and you’re still unemployed, and now you know you’re in love with Jin as an added bonus. If they’re feeling even a quarter of the nerves you are, then it’s no wonder that they’re subdued. 

It takes most of the morning to find a path out of the ravine. Jungkook is confident there is definitely one, but he’s just unaware of where. When he had been born here, he had just flown up and out. But since guardians used to come in and out for these journeys, there must be something. 

It’s Jin who finds it, albeit accidentally. He’s lost in a haze, thinking deeply about whatever it is that’s bothering him, and the sand crumbles beneath his feet. He cries out, grabbing your and Jungkook’s attention from where you had been scrutinising the various carvings from past guardians. 

It all happens so quickly- Jin flails, stumbling a few steps. He reaches out, grabbing onto the side of the ravine to stabilise himself. 

But he just keeps going. He crumples into the wall. And it folds around him. And just like that, he’s gone from view. 

It takes a moment of you and Jungkook staring stupidly at each other before you both realise what has happened. Crying out in horror, you stumble over to the section of cliff where he vanished. You reach out your hand to press against the wall and find that rather than firm rock, it has an unusual spongy texture that gives way. 

You wave Jungkook over, who mirrors your action and digs his hand into the wall. It seems to suck his arm in slightly, and you both nod at each other before pressing your way through the odd, spongey section of rock wall. It spreads around you and clings like quicksand. For a moment you feel a flash of fear, but then the rock springs away from you like an elastic snapping back into place and you and Jungkook are standing in a darkened, open cavern. You can still make out the darkened path, but you doubt a human would be able to make out a thing. 

“Ow!” You hear a voice cry when something warm but firm catches your leg and you lurch forward, landing flat on the cavern ground. Whipping your gaze over your shoulder, you find Jin sprawled across the ground. 

“Well...” Jungkook observes, gazing around the tunnel. His new, human body did not have the enhanced abilities that you and Jin do (as they had arm wrestled the night before to check) and so likely he is completely blind in this tunnel. “I’m just going to assume this is the way out. Are you gonna get a torch out, (Y/N) or are we going to hold hands the whole time?”

“She’s getting the torch out!” Jin snaps, scrambling over to you and snatching the bag off your uninjured shoulder before you can do anything. 

He plunges his arm all the way in and pulls out the familiar yellow torch. It lights up the tunnel, highlighting the long, winding route ahead of you. 

And then the light stutters and blinks out, leaving you in the once more in darkness. Jin whacks the bottom of the torch a few more times and plays with the switch, but no light returns. The three of you remain silent for a moment, perhaps a shared moment of memory for your torch, who had fought long and hard for you on this journey. And then Jungkook breaks it. 

“Well, hope your hands aren’t sweaty.” He sighs, and his fingers barely brush yours before he’s yanked away with surprising force. 

“I have better eyesight.” Jin explains, perhaps a little too sweetly. It’s in contrast with the way he squeezes Jungkook’s hand perhaps a bit too tightly. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall over, Jungkook.”

Jungkook whines in protest. 

“You’re hurting me!” He complains. 

Jin doesn’t dignify him with a response, and instead sets a rapid pace forward, strolling confidently through the cavern despite the meagre lighting. 

It doesn’t take long for the sombre mood that had plagued them that morning to return. This time, you’re a little less willing to let it slide- Jin has proven himself prone to these strange, moody fits on this journey and you know he’s eventually forced to admit what’s bothering him, but for Jungkook to be just as quiet has you stressing. What’s wrong? Why are they like this? You’d gone to bed joyous and content and had awoken ready to face the world and the multitude of challenges ahead. But for some reason, Jin and Jungkook don’t share in your eagerness, and you’d be lying if you said it didn’t hurt a little. 

It’s not like you expected things to be easy, or simple after reaching the river. You hadn’t even known that message from your dad existed prior to this, so it’s not like everything would just click into place and you’d ride off into the sunset. It’s just... you’d thought you were all on the same page, after everything. You and Jin had plummeted off a bridge together, for goodness’ sake! And it’s stupid, but the way he’d held you, cradled your head protectively as you fell, you’d thought...

Well, you hadn’t thought he was in love with you, or anything. You’d just thought it was something, at least. Yet here you are- for every step forward you take with Jin, there seems to be another three steps you take backwards. And now Jungkook is joining in on the whole brooding-confusing act too. 

You haven’t even realised you’ve stopped walking until Jin stops to look at you over his shoulder. Jungkook, still completely blind in the dark tunnel, stops when Jin tugs on his hand. 

“What’s wrong?” Jin questions, gently. As if he hasn’t been ignoring you all morning. 

“That’s what I want to ask you.” You’re surprised at the soft, tentative way the words come out. They echo slightly in the cabin, and there’s a clear, confused waver in your voice. “What’s going on? Why are you...” you trail away, searching for the words, but you come up empty. “Like this?” is what you finally settle on. “Why aren’t you telling me what’s the matter? Why the silence and the brooding? Haven’t we had enough of that?”

Even though your eyesight is better than Jungkook’s, it’s still difficult to make out Jin’s silhouette. It’s impossible to make out his expression, which makes the tense silence that follows all the more nerve-wracking.

“There’s nothing wrong.” Jin finally says. “It’s just something stupid.”

His words aren’t meant to be hurtful. He’s trying to be dismissive so that you don’t worry. You know this, and understand his reasoning perfectly, but it still feels like a slap in the face after everything the two of you have been together. You’re so sick of this endless, perpetual cycle. If it’s not him, it’s you- someone is always holding back, too afraid to say the truth. To crush the fragile eggshells that you’re tip-toeing on. 

“Friends are supposed to share the stupid things.” You say softly. You can’t see his expression, but you watch the way his shoulders stiffen. “Did you know that Jungkook’s biggest fear is the washing machine? He’s afraid he’ll be asleep in one of my pockets and my mum will throw my clothes for the wash.” 

“That was private information-“ Jungkook protests, but you cut him off. 

“I know that sort of thing about him.” You tell Jin. “Because Jungkook and I are friends.  When I went through that phase where I wanted to be a warrior and started enrolling in all those different self-defence class, I told Jungkook. It was a stupid phase, but I still told him. Do you know why? Because I trusted him. Yeah, we make fun of each other, and we fight, and we call each other names, but I still tell him everything because that’s what friendship is. It’s trusting each other to stick it out through the ugly.” You don’t know where all this is coming from. All you know is this- you just trusted Jin enough to follow him over the edge of a bridge, but he doesn’t reciprocate. And that’s been the problem from the start. It’s always been uneven between you. You shared all your ugly, all your insecurities. You went to him when things were hard. But he hid it- he masked his insecurities and he held back the things he wanted to say and now the two of you are here. Two strangers in a dark cave.

“I trust you-“ Jin protests but the words are empty and ugly. 

“You don’t.” You finally say. “And I can-” you voice cracks, so you clear your throat and try again. “I can try until I’m blue in the face to be the sort of person who never needs you and never makes you worry and it still won’t fix whatever this is between us because the truth is, you don’t want me.”

Your words hang in the darkness between the three of you. You’re pretty sure Jungkook is even holding his breath. 

“You don’t want me, Jin.” You say again. “You just feel like you’re obligated to be with me. And I... I don’t want that. I don’t want you doing anything out of obligation for me. Not anymore.”

Despite the fact that your throat feels raw and painful after your tirade, you feel oddly lighter. You take a deep breath and move to push past Jin, but a hand shoots out and grabs your wrist. 

“That’s not true.” Jin protests, and his voice wobbles. “Don’t... You’re not an obligation.” He asserts. 

And you want to believe him. You do. But you just can’t. You’ve had a whole trip- no, a whole friendship of him treating you like the most inconvenient creature in existence.

“I sure feel like one.” You say softly, and Jin’s grip on you goes lax enough that you’re able to start walking forward. “It’s fine. Let’s just get out of here already. The sooner we get back home, the sooner I’ll be out of your hair.”

The sun stings your eyes when you finally reach the end of the tunnel- a similar spongey wall conceals the exit. You tell yourself it’s the sudden influx of light that causes your eyes seem to water as you enter the last phase of your long journey. 

++

Jin has an ugly, gurgly sensation in his chest. It’s close to guilt, but worse- darker, and more painful. He watches your back from where you walk, maybe ten metres in front of him. Jungkook walks close to you, clearly mumbling something. But since it’s Jungkook, it’s just as likely that he is comforting you as it is that he’s pointing at random lumps of dirt and noting the resemblance to your face. 

You haven’t spoken a word to him since stepping out of the tunnel. The exit had brought the three of you out at the northern edge of the Golden Plains- a direct walk east through the forest would bring you to a village where you could stock up on supplies for the journey home since the Psittanurans hadn’t given you enough for three human-sized beings, and buy a third bedroll for Jungkook. 

It’s an easy fix, really. All Jin has to do is apologise. Assert that you are not an obligation to him and that he does trust you. But every time he plucks up the courage to cross the few metres you walk ahead of him, something stops him. Because, if he tells you that, that you’re not an obligation, then that begs the question: what are you? As much as he loathes to admit it, he’s beginning to see the truth in Jungkook’s words; he’s a hypocrite. A cowardly, pathetic hypocrite who isn’t even brave enough to admit to himself what he’s feeling. 

An unholy screech interrupts his commiserating and he has just enough time to think here we go again to himself before he is greeted by the sight of a terrified Jungkook held bridal style in your arms. You look equally shocked, as if you hadn’t expected Jungkook to leap into your arms like that. Jin rushes forward, ready to offer aid should disaster come but he cannot locate any immediate threats.

It is only once Jungkook stops screeching and cowering in your arms like a distressed puppy that Jin is able to see what has him so terrified- a small group of mice, standing up on their hindlimbs and wielding tiny little swords. 

It takes a few incredulous blinks and a good rub of his eyes to convince himself that the scene before him is real and not something’s he’s hallucinating after watching too much Ratatouille. 

The little grey mouse, whose tiny nose twitches in fear as he edges forward, is the first to speak. 

“You are guardians, are you not?” The little mouse demands. You and Jin exchange a concerned glance across Jungkook’s hulking figure. It’s the first time you’ve acknowledged him for hours. 

“Not!” Jungkook squeaks, still terrified. You, to your credit, have not dropped him, but you are starting to look impatient with having to carry him. “Just leave us in peace!”

“Jungkook!” You snap. “You could literally squash them with your boots please stop being ridiculous.”

“You know I have a phobia! They always bully me back home!” Jungkook grumbles, but reluctantly drops from your arms onto the ground. Only for one of the mice to brandish its sword. Jungkook screams and leaps onto Jin’s back. 

With a resigned sigh, Jin doesn’t even bother to throw Jungkook off. He just lets him hang there, like a terrified koala. 

“You fit the legends! Hulking beasts with terrifying aura!” A little soft brown mouse declares, though the tip of its sword shakes as it squeaks. “Giants who offer aid to all who demand it of them!” 

Jin closes his eyes and inhales deeply, willing himself to be calm. 

“I think you have the wrong-“ Jin begins, ready to brush aside the little troupe of mice and continue with the seven day hike home, but the smallest mouse, a little grey and white one with a soft pink nose, stumbles forward. 

“Please!” It begs. “You are our last hope! You must help us! Forgive us if we startled you- we have been following you since you came to this realm and we are running out of time.”

This gives Jin pause. He’s not sure why- it’s not like he knows how to read the expressions on their tiny faces but something about the desperation in the little mouse’s words makes him unable to leave them.

“Our people are suffering from a plague.” It admits. “And there is only one cure for the illness.”

“A good mousetrap?” Jungkook suggests from over Jin’s shoulder. Jin glares at him just to make sure he knows the comment is unwelcome. 

The little grey and white mouse ignores Jungkook and focuses its attention on Jin. 

“The starshine fungus.” It explains. “It grows in abundance on the riverbanks just on the other side of this forest. But few of our people are well enough to gather and transport it back home. We need as many as we can gather, and yet we were the only ones healthy enough to make the journey. But the demand for it far outweighs the ability of just the four of us to transport it alone. We are too small, and too weak.” 

Jungkook has gone eerily quiet at those last words- even his breathing has seemed to cease. That almost never bodes well.

“I’m really sorry, but we-“ you begin, on the verge of rejecting them. 

“We’ll help.” Jungkook says, cutting you off. He pushes his way off Jin’s back and drops back onto the ground. He crouches before the four little mice and smiles. The expression on his face is almost gentle. “You guys don’t know what it’s like, to be small and helpless. We can’t leave a whole colony to die just because Jin wants to make it back in time for his dinner date with that cool engineer guy.” He says to Jin and you. Jin bites his lip, and you look momentarily guilty. But then your expression clears, and you nod your head. Jungkook’s expression brightens and he shifts his gaze to Jin, clearly waiting for approval. 

With a sigh, Jin offers a nod. Why did he become a doctor if he’s just going to let an entire village die? As much as he loathes to admit it, Jungkook is right. 

“So, you’ll help?” The grey and white mouse asks. Jungkook nods. 

“Show us the way and we’ll carry the fungus back for you.” Jungkook promises. 

On cue, all four of the mice bow deeply. 

“You have our deepest gratitude.” The largest mouse, the grey one that had spoken first, says. 

Jin swallows deeply. He has no interest on yet another detour on this ridiculous journey. He just wants to go home. At home, he can fix his Apple watch. He can have dinner with Joon. Maybe, in the safety of home and what he knows, he can even work things out with you, and himself. Here, in this realm, there is nothing but danger and the choked knot around his heart that he can’t seem to untangle in your presence. 

Still, it’s a pleasant walk. You let the little mice perch on your shoulders since Jungkook hasn’t fully shaken off his fear of them. They direct the three of you on a march southwest, towards the seaside. It takes nearly the whole day to get there. The lazy afternoon is warm but not sweltering although the air is heavy with the promise of rain later on. 

You all reach the river before the rain comes. The forest opens up into a wide river. Northwards, the river extends towards impressive cliffsides where the fabled dragon kingdom is said to be, and southwards it rushes out to meet the sea on the southern coastline. Here, though, it is a lazy flow. Dragonflies dance on the banks and the river reflects the silvery clouds back up into the sky. 

“They grow along the banks.” The oldest of the mice, the soft brown one, explains. Her name is Phrosia, and she has lost all her children to the plague. She has no family and the only thing keeping her going is the thought that she can’t let anyone else face what she had. She points at where the bank meets the river edge. Small plants and reeds grow along the edges. “They are bright blue and quite large. They’ll grow just inside the water. They should be easy to spot.” 

“Well,” Jungkook says, sighing as he sheds his jacket. “Let’s get looking.” He rolls up the edges of his jeans and sheds his shoes and socks before wading into the mouth of the river and sifting through the grassy tufts on the banks. 

Jin meets your gaze, which is a surprise because he didn’t realise you were looking at him. He offers you a tentative, awkward smile which has you looking away quickly. The action has that ugly, gurgly sensation from earlier returning. He sighs to himself before rolling up his sleeves and following Jungkook’s lead, wading into the river. 

Sure enough, as the afternoon settles into a thick, muggy heat that signifies an oncoming storm, Jin begins to spot patches of bright blue amongst the reeds that line the riverbank. It’s mindless work- sort of soothing against his stormy mind. At least while he’s focused on adding to his growing pile of fungus, he’s not thinking about you, a few metres away, and the weird ache in his chest. 

He’s so engrossed in his task that when he feels the delicate tap on his shoulder, he nearly has a heart attack. The handful of mushrooms in his hand goes flying, catching the current and zooming away. He stares in horror at his lost fungus, before turning to the perpetrator. 

He’s expecting Jungkook to be standing there, looking smug from a prank well done, so when he sees you before him, looking uncomfortable and strangely guilty, he’s reduced to staring dumbly. The silence draws out for an uncomfortably long moment before you clear your throat awkwardly. 

“Can... can we talk?” You ask hesitantly. “Jungkook offered to keep looking for more.” You gesture down the river to where Jungkook and the mice are working together- He plucks a mushroom and they carry it over to his pile for him. 

Jin feels a nervous and uncomfortable sensation clog the back of his throat, but he nods nonetheless. You smile weakly and lead him away from the riverbank and back past the tree line. When you’re out of earshot but still within sight of Jungkook, you stop and turn. 

This is it- the moment Jin had been waiting for. A chance to set things straight, to clear things up, to make it right. 

“I’m sorry.” He blurts, at the same moment that you blurt the exact same words as him. 

For a moment, the two of you stare blankly at each other in the ringing silence that follows. 

You’re quicker to recover. 

“I went overboard.” You explain. “You don’t owe me an explanation for when you’re upset. I shouldn’t get mad over that. And even... even if you see me as just an obligation, I’m grateful you’re in my life at all. So, I’m sorry for getting upset and I don’t want to ruin the rest of this trip home.”

It’s certainly a heartfelt apology. You wring your hands in distress and you won’t meet his gaze. He can tell you’re genuinely sorry for what happened. 

Maybe that’s why he’s so angry in response to your words. Because, even if he lets this happen, accepts your ridiculous apology, the original problem still remains.

“Obligation?” Jin tests the word and even just the shape of the word in his mouth is annoying. “Obligation?” He tries again and he feels his blood pressure skyrocket. 

“You serious think after all this time that you’re just an ‘obligation’ to me?” Even Jin is surprised by the volume of his own voice. The area around you is deadly silent in response to his outburst, but now that it’s out in the open, he can’t help but keep going. “What kind of idiot would risk his life on a ridiculous trip like this, just because of an obligation? Why would I give up dinner dates and drive to your place late at night to make sure you’ve eaten? What, you think your mother slips me a little allowance for babysitting you? Newsflash, (Y/N), I’m a literal doctor!!! I don’t need an allowance! I own my own apartment! I’m thinking of buying a maserati! You don’t have anything I need and I don’t have any obligation towards you! You’re minimising everything I’ve done for you and for what? So that you can play poor pathetic victim? How dare you belittle my feelings like that!” He’s out of breath by the time he finishes his rant and to be honest he’s not one hundred percent sure of the furious words which had poured out. 

“Well what am I supposed to think?! It’s not like you ever explain yourself! You just sit there, and stew and I have to find out how you really feel by overhearing conversations you have with friends behind my back!” You explode in response. If Jin weren’t so angry himself, perhaps he would have felt alarmed by the vehemence of your answer. Instead, he just sees red, because here you go again! Making assumptions about him and not letting him get a word in edgewise! 

“When have I ever done that?” He demands. He doesn’t think he’s ever been so angry in his life, not even when Jungkook filled his shoes with pudding because he had nothing better to do.

“You always do that!” You cry. “I know how all your friends speak about me! There goes (Y/N), the leech! And you just agree with them- after all, aren’t I just like an untrained Labrador puppy?”

Jin falls silent at that. He doesn’t have a comeback for that. After all, for the longest time, that is what you were to him. He doesn’t even know why he’s so upset that you would think otherwise.

“No answer?” You accuse. “If I’m not an obligation to you, what am I supposed to think?”

“You’re supposed to think about how I feel!” He shouts back. His throat feels raw with the shout. 

You fall silent. You stare at him like’s he’s grown a second head. 

And then, in the ringing silence that bears down on the two of you, you ask softly “How do you feel?”

There’s that question. That terrifying, loaded question. The one that makes him feel like he’s dangling on the edge of a cliff by his fingertips. He feels the fight drain out of him as he opens his mouth to struggle through a half-assed excuse. Anything to escape that question. 

This realm apparently reciprocates his feelings of hatred, however, for he never gets the chance to respond. The muggy heat that had plagued the afternoon transitions into stormy humidity; overhead the stormy clouds that had gathered burst and immediately rain begins to pour down. 

The two of you flinch in the sudden onslaught, and a loud peal of thunder has you both skittering for shelter. 

There’s a small, hill like structure where the soil between the roots of an imposing tree has been flushed away; what remains in a shallow alcove that has just enough room for you and Jin to squeeze beneath the roots and shelter from the rain. He doesn’t know what Jungkook or the mice have done but hopefully the large pile of starshine fungus is being managed and not washed away in the onslaught of rain.

You rummage in your tattered hello kitty bag and produce a small, dry towel. Who knows what enchantments are cast on that stupid bag that the towel is still dry, but Jin isn’t complaining when you wordlessly hand it to him.  

He towels off his hair, and an almost comfortable silence follows, in stark contrast to the prior conversation. Only the background of rain falling and the occasional rumble of thunder hangs between you. In the silence, Jin registers your proximity. You crouch beside him, with your thighs pressed to his. The dampness of the rain makes hairs along your hairline curl and droplets of water cling to your lashes. His eyes catch the movement of one droplet as it traces a line down your cheek, across your jawline and down your throat until it vanishes beneath the collar of your shirt. Glancing away quickly, he’s suddenly aware of the muggy heat in the air and the way the space beside you just seems to radiate warmth. 

“You didn’t answer my question.” You comment. It’s so soft that the words are almost lost to the steady sound of rain breaking through the canopy overhead. “How do you feel?”

But he hears the words, and he knows in that moment that this is it. There’s no time or room for running or pushing it down. He can’t keep avoiding that question forever. 

“I feel overwhelmed. When you look at me.” He admits. You turn to look at him, awaiting an explanation. Something about the look in your eyes makes that weird gurgly sensation from earlier return. But this time, it’s less ugly- it’s actually almost pleasant. Like the fizz of champagne in the back of his throat or the tickle of butterfly wings against his skin. New, delicate, effervescent. His heart swells as he finally gathers his courage. “Did you know you always look at me in a certain way?”

He turns to look at you, and he doesn’t see that look now, but it’s not hard to recall. Eyes, sparkling with admiration and hope. In spite of all the ways you’ve changed over the years, that look has never changed. 

“How?” You question. When you’re facing him like this, the tail end of your breath catches against his skin. The fizzy feeling escalates to a nervous rumble in his chest. 

“Like I’m your hero.” He admits. “It’s a little scary- it’s so much to live up to. But it’s kind of exhilarating too. It makes me want to be the person you think I am.” 

You stare at him in confusion. 

“But you are-“ you protest. 

“I’m not. I’m no hero. I’m a coward.” He admits. “I mess things up all the time and I always say the wrong thing when it comes to you. And I’ve been trying so hard to be that guy. The one who has it all together and knows exactly what to say when you’re upset and can fix problems with a flick of his fingers.” It’s weird to finally be voicing this all aloud. He’s thought it a lot- that the real him doesn’t live up to expectations. But he doesn’t think he’s ever had the courage to tell you. Perhaps this is what you meant- if you are his friend, he should have told you all of this long ago. “But I’m not that guy. No matter how hard I try I can’t seem to be that guy. And if I open up… If I tell you all those things… don’t I seem so much less than that cool hero?” He confesses. “And I guess this whole trip has made it worse. Every time I think I have a handle on things, we get kidnapped or shot at or have to jump off a bridge. I haven’t had a spare moment to even pretend to be that guy.” He looks at you. “And then you come along, and you’re sneaking into enemy camps and taking arrows to the shoulder and defeating evil forest spirits. How am I even supposed to compare? And if you can do all of that on your own, what am I meant to be? What am I supposed to be to you? How can I be your hero?” He wonders. 

You stare at him in confusion. The rain starts to clear and a blade of sunlight cuts through the forest, catching the side of your face. It highlights the slope of your nose, the line of your cheekbones, the brightness of your eyes. In that moment, you aren’t his friend. You’re some ethereal, mystic being that feels a thousand miles out of reach. 

“I... I don’t want any of that from you, Jin. I don’t want or need a hero.” You finally confess. Your gaze softens as you shuffle forward, and the mood between the two of you shifts a little bit. Something intangible thickens the air and Jin feels strangely short of breath. “I just want... I just want...” you trail away, breaking your gaze but the tension in the air doesn’t dissipate. Instead, it seems to thicken when Jin realises that he desperately wants to know what you’re going to say. What do you want from him? What is he to you? What do you want him to be to you?

“You.” The word is barely above a breath and Jin feels like he’s been punched in the stomach. 

“M-me?” He stutters and he feels like a teenager with a crush with the way the tips of his ears go red and his face flushes hot. 

“Yeah.” You say, nodding shyly, before meeting his gaze with determination. “I want my friend back, Jin. I like the guy who stuck glow in the dark stickers on my ceiling when I was homesick but I also like the guy who gets scared of bugs and can fit an entire slice of cake in his mouth in one go. That guy is better than any hero because he’s here with me. And that’s what you do, Jin. You’re always here with me, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted from you.” You admit. 

The space between you is minuscule now- if Jin tilted his head just slightly forward, your noses would brush. This close, he can make out each individual lash framing your eyes. Every contour of your face is both familiar and unfamiliar; the air is electric. He recalls the way you had looked at him what feels like a lifetime ago, when he had realised your feelings. Are they still the same? Do you still like him even after seeing the pathetic person he is throughout this trip? If he tilted in and up and closed the gap between your lips, would you pull away or press forward? “I don’t want the guy who can fix things with a flick of his fingers. And I don’t want a hero. I want Kim Seokjin. It’s more fun to work things out together anyway.” You promise. 

It’s weird that those words are so liberating. Like a huge weight he didn’t know he’s been carrying all these years has been lifted. He’s fought and run and panicked for so long. Perhaps even longer than this trip. Long before you started avoiding him. Because all this time, he’s been trying to live up to an image he doesn’t fit into. He thought that’s what he had to be, for your sake. If you were struggling, he’d have to be strong enough to pull you out. But, with the words that hover between you, he realises he doesn’t have to be all that. He just has to be himself. Here the two of you are, after facing every imaginable danger, and yet you think no less of him. You’re looking at him with that same, admiring look. The brightness has not dimmed despite your awareness of his vulnerability, of his weakness.

And in that moment, Jin knows. There’s no more denying or running. He can’t keep it up- you’ve meticulously dismantled every stone in the fortress he built against you. He stands alone in the battlefield of his heart- you’ve conquered and won. He remembers earlier, when he’d tried to assert that he’d only ever see you as family, and the thought is laughable now. A pathetic, desperate excuse to avoid admitting the very thing that terrifies him to the bone. But, now he’s ready to admit it- ready to acknowledge what you are to him.

“You’re not an obligation to me.” He blurts. “You’re not a duty and you’re not just some un-trained puppy. You’re so much more than that, (Y/N), and everything I do is because I care about you so much. I’m sorry if it didn’t come across that way. I’m just..” He pauses and swallows. “I.. I lo-“

“There you are!” Jungkook’s voice sings out, and Jin winces. “I was starting to think you’d left me! Don’t worry guys, I’ve saved the fungus.”

You blink over Jin’s shoulder to where Jungkook has gathered the small little mushrooms into his jacket, which he’s folded into a little makeshift sack, the mice trailing behind. And then your gaze shifts back to Jin and you smile. 

“Guess it’s back to work.” You say, and your words are awfully cheerful considering Jin is currently considering murder. Jungkook doesn’t have a human identity yet- he could bury him in this realm, and no one would ever know. “Shall we work together?” 

It’s a loaded question, Jin knows, and despite everything, he finds himself smiling as well. 

“What other choice do I have?” He grumbles. “Let’s get home already.” 

[one-leaf-grimoire]

“triad”

Chapter 11: the waning moon

Summary: Lisa feels confident enough to try learning more about the Devils again. Bad things happen in this chapter- just a warning :)))

Ao3 link

Silence.

Nothingness.

Emptiness.

But this time, it’s not so bad. It’s not a void that I’m sinking down into. It’s a cocoon, wrapped firmly around my body like a warm hug. It’s safe.

“And… open.”

I open my eyes, meeting Adeline’s golden gaze as soon as I do. We stare at each other blankly for a moment before her plump lips break into a little grin. “That felt right, didn’t it?”

I nod quickly, excitement filling me. “Yeah… how long was that?”

“Let’s see…” Adeline scrambles to her feet and walks over to the clock. “One fifty three… so, 15 minutes!” She turns back around to look down at me, still sitting cross legged on my bedroom bloor. “That’s the longest yet… you really kept your mind blank that whole time?”

“Totally blank!” With a little difficulty, I rise to my feet. “Now that I can meditate for 15 minutes, that should be more than enough time for me to enter the Septad again.” The thought of attempting that again is still making me a little apprehensive, but not nearly as much as it did before. After confronting the things I hate most about myself, and a superficial image of Julius, I managed to overcome whatever it was that was holding me back. Maybe this is just a momentary high, but I need to take advantage of it while it lasts. “Adeline… thanks for all your help.”

Adeline turns to look at me, her eyes widening as I take her hand. I offer her a gentle smile. “I couldn’t do this without you, you know.”

She stares at me a moment longer, the slightly-shocked expression still on her face. “Oh… thank you.” Finally, she gives my hand a squeeze, holding on for a moment longer than she could have. “That means a lot… if I can do anything to help you, and- er, the Kingdom, I will!”

I can’t help but giggle a little at her awkwardness as she removes her hand. “You don’t have to be so proper about it, Adeline.” I give her a nudge before walking over to the table. “I want to become friends with you, you know…”

“Huh? Friends?” Adeline’s words follow me, causing my smile to widen. 

“Yeah, if that’s okay with you.”

I haven’t known her long, but I can’t deny that I want her by my side all the time… she’s a comfort, a source of warmth that I desperately need. No matter what the source of these feelings are, I want to kindle that flame… I’ll let it burn away my grief and guilt. 

“Here, I got some wine! You mentioned you liked Rose, right?” I quickly snatch the bottle off the table and hold it up for her to see. I have to suppress a cheeky grin. Hehe! I’m so smart, setting this all up for us~ I cried in front of her way too many times, I need to show her that I’m more emotionally stable than she thinks!

“OH! You remembered!” Adeline’s eyes sparkle at the sight of the bottle, but then, to my shock, narrow with skepticism. 

“But… you won’t be drinking with me, will you?”

I blink a couple times, then realize that Adeline must be more observant than she lets on. “Oh… you noticed?”

Adeline nods quickly, her playful nature coming back. “Of course I noticed! You never have any alcohol at dinner, or when you have guests, or when you’re working. That’s so responsible of you! I really admire your willpower.”

“Oh… yeah. Thank you, I try my best…”

I gulp nervously, knowing full well that the reason for my sobriety isn’t because I’m responsible or anything… if I wasn’t pregnant, I know I would have drowned in whiskey by now. I guess it wouldn’t be much fun if she was the only one drinking- but it’s not like I have a choice- I get a momentary itch to tell her about the baby, but for some reason I can’t do it. Not now, at least.

“Well, I appreciate the gift! But I need to let you sleep! It’s nearly two in the morning!” Adeline is suddenly pushing me towards my bed with an admonishing tone. “Come on, you’re already wearing pajamas.”

“Whoa- wait-” I blush a little but don’t struggle. “Adeline, you know I don’t need to sleep as much as-”

“Yeah, yeah, all that Simulcian magic stuff-” Adeline cuts me off, very business-like. “Like I said, it’s my job to help the Kingdom, and the King! So go to bed!” She steps back and gives me a tired look as I sheepishly pull the covers over myself. My face is basically burning right now. Part of me wishes she would leave, but the other part…

… wishes she would stay.

“Honestly… you get up so early, too.” She shakes her head, but can’t help but smile smugly to herself as she looks down at me. What’s going on in her head?! Does she pity me? Or does she think I’m cute… “What are you even doing? I can never find you around the castle.”

“Oh, in the mornings?” My face brightens up a bit. “I’m training!”

“Training? But, aren’t you already the most powerful mage?” Adeline asks, curiosity peaked.

“Well, maybe, but that doesn’t mean I can defeat a devil. Look-” I sit up and reach over to my bedside table, picking up a heavy book. Adeline cranes her neck to see the cover. “That’s about the Heart Kingdom?”

“Yeah.” I start flipping through the pages, dust falling out and onto my bedspread. “The mages in the Heart Kingdom draw mana from nature… they have quite a few techniques for doing so, and it can greatly amplify mana. For instance, my fire magic-” I stop on a page, covered with ancient-looking writing, and point at an illustration of a hand with fire magic bursting out of it. The fire itself is surrounded by a ring of those runes. “You can apply mana writing to your magic… draw your mana from the earth… and turn Fire magic into True Fire Magic.” I glance up at Adeline to gauge her reaction. She’s intrigued.

“Amazing… so…” She tears her gaze from the page. “Have you mastered it yet?”

“Mastered? No, not quite… but…” I close the book and brush the dust off my lap. “I want to master it… soon, we’ll be sending our own Knights to learn the natural mana method. But before that, I want to show them how powerful it truly can be.”

I run my fingers over the ancient bindings.

“And then… I want to try and draw out even more power.”

That power… I want it.

True Time Magic. 

With that… I wonder what I could be capable of.

“Anyway, goodnight Adeline.” I turn to smile up at her one last time. “I promise I’ll sleep in tomorrow for once… thank you for all your help.”

Adeline straightens up, her eyes lingering on my face before she turns away to leave.

“Goodnight! And it was my pleasure.”

The door swings shut, and darkness falls. I’m alone at last.

… I’ve cleared my mind. Tomorrow, I’ll go back to the village, and find the truth of the SImulcian’s history with the Devils!

Last time, I almost accomplished what I wanted, but I was shown something else, something unrelated, as far as I could tell. My grandparents, the last Dyad before me and Julius, standing there on the beach together in the sunset.

Our fate.

I wonder…

I close my eyes, drifting off as I curl up around Julius’s robe. 

… if they were trying to tell me something.

-------------------------------------------

I keep my promise to Adeline, letting myself sleep in until around eight in the morning. My stomach is what eventually wakes me, a familiar pang of strong nausea attacking me again and again. “Ughh… settle down!” I groan, rolling over and balling up the robe/blanket in one of my fists. “You can’t be that big yet… So why are you so painful?!”

The baby, of course, can’t answer, not yet at least. Maybe in a couple years I can demand an explanation, but that’s miles down the road as far as I’m concerned. But for now, I have to deal with it. 

Eventually, I drag myself out of bed and to the bathroom. Fortunately it seems like I won’t have to throw up, so I decide to treat myself to a nice bath. The hot water sends a pleasant chill down my back, and I sink down into the bubbles up to my neck. Ahh… that’s more like it! I smile and close my eyes, feeling more relaxed than I had the entire night. I’m itching to get up and get moving, to go out into the woods and get some training in before my first meetings, but it’s far too late for that. Marx is awake by now, and if I disappear, I’ll be getting calls every two seconds.

It’s a shame, because I just found the perfect place to train. I stumbled upon a ravine, completely by accident, in the middle of the woods one morning. It was so deep, I couldn’t even see the bottom. But, I could feel mana radiating out of it in waves, beautiful, natural mana: just what I needed. So… I jumped in.

I never did find the bottom, but I found a nice ledge to sit on while I fired off all manner of spells. Just being down there, bathing in it all… it reminded me of my youthful days spent in the woods, sitting by the stream, and honing what little magic I had.

One day… I’ll reach the bottom of that ravine. But for now, it serves a purpose. My handle on True Flame magic is developing quickly. I smile a little as I think about it before lifting my hand up out of the water. Within a moment, blue flame erupts from my fingers, condensing before twisting into letters. Ancient runes: Mana words. The basis of the Heart Kingdom’s mana method, and the key to unlocking the potential within my magic.

True Time Magic… 

Suddenly, my flame flickers out. I don’t even have a chance to be surprised before it hits me.

Pain.

It’s like a light; blinding, searing its way into the left side of my head. All my other senses dull, drowned out by the sheer potency of this feeling.

Pain.

Am I screaming? I have no idea. I can’t hear. I can’t feel.

Oh… this…

The light gets brighter and brighter. Fire burns into my mind, shards from a shattered ego piercing every inch of my psyche.

This is…

And suddenly, it’s over.

My whole body goes limp, having convulsed and tightened up more than I realized during the episode. With a shallow gasp, I fall backwards, and hit my head hard on the porcelain edge of the tub.

By the time I wake up, the water is cold, and someone is knocking on my door.

“Are you in there?!

Every cell in my body protests as I sit up again, faster than I should have, but it’s not like I have a choice. What the hell was that?! I think, shakily standing up, using the wall as a support. “I-I’m in here! I’ll be right out!”

With a little difficulty, I pull my bathrobe on, glancing at myself in the mirror before doing a double take. “Oh no… not again…”

There’s dried blood coming out of my nose, dripping down my chin.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” 

“Hold on one second!”

I wet a towel and wipe away the blood, then throw it into the sink before running to my bedroom door. Whatever just happened, I don’t have time to worry about it. Even so, pain like that… the last time I felt it, was during the first few Dyads with Julius. Back when I was weak, and almost died from the force of his mana. But, Julius is dead, the only Dyad that exists is between me and a tiny shard of his soul.

Is it something pregnancy related? Or…

It doesn’t matter. I have to get through today, then I’ll go see Owen.

“Thank god- what are you even doing in there?” Marx scowls up at me as I open the door. “I’ve been knocking and knocking- everyone’s worried about you, you know!”

“Oh? Well, I’m coming out now. Uh-” I glance over and see my cape laying on the ground, and quickly scoop it up. “There!” I throw it over my bathrobe and give Marx a grin that he does not reciprocate. “How do I look.”

Marx’s scowl only deepens as he rolls his eyes. “Put on something better! You don’t look like the Wizard King in… that.”

“Actually!” I give him a smirk. “I can’t not look like the Wizard King, technically…”

My voice trails off, leaving an awkward silence between the two of us. But right as I think the joke has fizzled out, Marx’s scowl melts into a smile, and a little chuckle manages to leave his throat. “I suppose you’re right… well, in any case, you might get a bit cold.”

“Hehe, I knew you were just pretending to be mad.” I slip on some shoes and follow him out, already forgetting about the still-full tub in my bathroom, clouds of blood still dissolving away into the way. “I promise I’ll be done with my work early today, and then I’ll change. After all, I want to go back out to the village today.”

“The village?” Marx’s eyes widen a little as we walk. “You think you’re ready?”

“More than ready!” I grin, but stop short when I realize that Marx has fallen behind. He stares at me with a weird look in his eyes, but his lips still hold a curious smile. “What?”

He doesn’t speak for a moment, then slowly shakes his head.

“I don’t know… it just… you seem happy.”

… happy?

Marx lets out a sigh, almost relieved as I don’t immediately try to dispute his observation. “I’m happy for you…” His smile becomes a bit more sly as he moves again, passing me. “Whatever the source of that happiness might be…”

I turn and follow him with my eyes, before I realize what he’s implying.

“OH! Uh- Marx!”

He raises an eyebrow as I run up next to him, almost frantic. “Me and Adeline- er, there’s nothing going on between us, I swear!” I let out a nervous laugh, but start to panic when I feel heat rushing to my cheeks. Oh god- “I mean, we barely know each other, and-” I try not to remember how I tried (and failed) to get her to stay longer last night. “Well- um… er…”

Marx pulls me from my frenzy as he lets out a giggle. A sound so foreign, coming from him, that keeps me from panicking further. “I wasn’t trying to imply anything… in any case, I’m happy for you, alright?” His hand comes up and squeezes my shoulder, his smile becoming genuine. “That’s all I want.”

The heat fades, and I find myself smiling back. “Thank you, Marx…”

I reach up and squeeze the hand on my shoulder.

I don’t know how to say it… but I can never replace you. Marx… my dearest friend.

If being happy makes his pain even a little less… then I will try my best to stay that way.

------------------------------

“Look who’s back! Look who’s back!”

The sun is dipping low by the time the three of us land back at the Simulcian village, and a crowd greets us at the outskirts just like our last visit. “Hey everyone!” I smile and wave still feeling both excited and pumped for the experiment to come. “I hope I’m not dropping in at an inconvenient time?”

“Not at all!” five of them chorus in unison. “We knew you’d be back soon… would you like to come inside and meet your septad again?”

I exchange a glance with Marx, who still looks a bit nervous. Then, I turn to Adeline, who gives me a nod, her eyes determined. That determination fills me as well.

“Absolutely.”

The crowd ushers us through the street and to the “town hall,” where our last synchronization occurred. On the way, we pass the giant statue of Simulcia, and I see that they’ve painted more of her wings. I smile a little at the sight, the whitish-blue reminiscent of the mana I produce. But at the same time…

The orange sunset streaks across the wood. But her eyes remain as black and empty as ever. She’s just a statue, yet...

There’s something… deeply ominous about them.

The door closes behind me, and once again I’m standing in front of a group of six women: the sextad. It’s as if they knew I was coming! I think to myself, gulping nervously once before stepping towards them with a smile on my face. “Uh, good evening, ladies.  I hope this goes better than last time…”

Despite the fact that the prior fiasco is still very much fresh in our memories, they all return my smile and bow a little. “Of course it will! You’ve been practicing, right?”

“Yep!” I grin, coming to a stop as they turn to form a circle, this time with me at the apex. Their marks are glowing slightly on different parts of their body: right hand, left hand, chest, stomach, right knee, left knee… and mine is on my face. I guess, when the seven of us come together, we create a replica of Simulcia… and that’s how we can dive down into their memories. Thinking about the mechanisms behind this makes my head spin, so I stop.

“Ready?”

“Ready!”

I pull out my Grimoire, letting it flip open to the correct page. The paper makes a soft fwip with every page, and I take that last moment to lock eyes with Adeline once more. She offers me another confident smile, but I can’t ignore the worry that’s now seeped onto her face as well.

Is this going to work? 

There’s no way she can hear me, but my thoughts reach her. 

Of course. I believe in you. 

“Alright… here we go.”

I turn back to the others, and close my eyes.

“Dyad Magic: Septad Creation.”

Mana builds up. It’s moving, fast, an endless cycle between our minds, bodies, and souls.

Please… work.

Please-

I cease to exist, and the seven of us become one. Memories fly by, faster and faster, a stream of consciousness long forgotten and left broken in the dark. My own memories are mixed in, memories of light and love, but this time, I don’t let myself remember.

Silence.

Nothingness.

Emptiness.

I open my eyes, and the septad is mine. Once again, I stand in the dark void, the only sounds being that of seven hearts pumping at once.

I did it… everything is stable.

Now…

Show me the devi-

Before I can even finish my sentence, something looms out of the darkness. It’s tint is even deeper than the void, something so unearthly and terrifying, something that shouldn’t exist. 

There’s giggling around me. I turn around, and realize that more of these creatures, of varying sizes and shapes, have surrounded me, all jumping around in place, laughing and shooting toothy grins at me. They’re terrible, and every hair on my body starts to stand up. The ground trembles under my feet with fear.

Stay calm… this is a memory. Not reality.

There’s a dull pain in the left side of my face. I ignore it.

“You… fool.”

The deep voice catches my attention. I whirl around to see a creature looming above the rest, their red eyes narrowed in their face. Four horns curl and curve up out of it’s hair, imposing and evil. 

...who are you?!

“Do you really think… this is worth it?”

When his lips move, I can see the sharp teeth lining his gums. The teeth of an apex predator.

“You can’t possibly… defeat us all.”

He raises his hand, and the world crashes down on me.

“What could possibly be worth it?”

Crushing weight hits me, but before I can feel any pain, it’s over. I blink a few times as a bright light envelops me, and I realize that I’m once again standing on the beach in Raque. Shit! Not again! Stop bringing me to this recent time- 

However, one look up the shore, and I see that this is not the same scene I saw before. It’s noon, probably, the sun high in the sky. There’s no buildings, the resort is nowhere to be found. Huh… this is the same beach, but a different time? Then, why-

I look down, and realize that I’m not alone.

A man is standing there. His clothes are simple, and he looks like he hasn’t shaved for a week. His hair is dirty, salt clinging to each strand pulled back into his ponytail. He’s shorter than me, significantly, and a fishing pole lays on the ground at his feet, where he just dropped it.

He’s… frozen. His feet are glued to the ground, but his hands shake. He looks almost poised to escape, but he can’t bring himself to.

But…

His eyes are wide, but they hold no fear. The look within them is deeply familiar.

Excitement… boyish excitement. 

He’s smiling.

Why…

… why would you look at something like me… with a smile?

And why… Why do I already know who he is?

Without thinking about it, I reach out. And, like a mirror, he reaches out (Well, up ) as well.

Why does this feel like the most important moment of my life?

He takes my hand in his, and suddenly, the beach is gone. Now, I’m looking up at him. The air is chilled with the water from the stream, and the wind blows through the bank covered with white cornflowers.

He smiles.

But before he pulls me to my feet, I let go. I let out a strangled cry and turn to run away. Memories are pouring in after the still of that quiet moment- memories of him, his face, his touch, his voice, everything, over and over and over-

He’s gone, he’s gone, HE’S GONE-

The world is shaking again, screams and cries echoing through my head. The pain gets worse, something bisecting my very soul.

Stop it, stop it, STOP-

“Breathe.”

The screams pause as the soft voice wafts through my mind. Ever so faintly, I can feel a warm hand on the small of my back, and a head resting on my shoulder.

“There’s nothing… nothing but your breath. Focus.”

No… that’s wrong…

There are new memories now; soothing memories. Adeline’s smile, the way she could ramble on for hours about the stars. How warm her hugs were, how she stroked my hair when I cried. Her hands are so soft… and her lips… they look soft, too.

Adeline… there’s nothing but you. 

Everything is still, the warmth enveloping me like a cocoon.

There’s nothing… nothing but-

“NO”

A voice rocks through the world, echoing and screeching all around me. With a cry, I fall to my knees, pain erupting once again on that side of my face. I cover my ears and grit my teeth, tears starting to squeeze their way out of my eyes. I look up slightly to see a pair of people floating above me. Hand in hand, their eyes glowing bright white.

They are my grandparents, the Dyad that came before me. A blue moth flutters around them, lazily, but still gives off the same vibe as a shark circling its drowning prey.

“There is nothing… but Julius.”

I open my mouth to respond, but I can’t. The pain spikes, and I collapse, face first, onto the ground.

“You are a DYAD… and that’s all you can ever be. Don’t you understand?”

The only sound I can make is a gargled scream. I can taste blood now.

“You have been blessed, but now it’s time for your life to end.”

What?! What are they talking about! I weakly make a fist, my hands trembling uncontrollably.

“A Dyad is supposed to die together… it is bound so tightly by fate, that is the only option. This pain you feel… it is your soul , trying desperately to die.”

No… no! That can’t be it, why is this happening now-

“It is only a matter of time… before it succeeds.”

They start to disappear. Panic rises like a tsunami within me, and I prop myself up before they disappear. “WAIT! You can’t just say that then leave- why-”

They’re gone, nothing but screams in their wake. With a frustrated yell, I ball up my fist again and slam it into the ground. 

Die… my soul is dying?

The ground cracks like glass, and I fall. This time, I tear my eyes away from the light above, that warm, soft light that could have pulled me out. This time, I look down into the abyss, and it smiles up at me. I belong to it, now.

Somehow… I knew, didn’t I? I’m nothing… nothing but half of something beautiful that once existed.

I can’t accept it… I can’t! I’m more than Julius, I’m more than the Dyad, I’m the Wizard King!

But, it’s not up to me, in the end. My magic, my whole life, my power… it’s all because of the Dyad, and the person I made it with. It was a blessing, and now…

A curse.

No matter how hard I tried, I could never find closure. I could never separate myself from him.

I am nothing. I am a broken ego. I am inhuman. 

Silence.

Nothingness. 

Emptiness.

But this time, they’re cold. They are dead. 

And they are inevitable.

Oh god oh fuck. Next time!!! Chapter 12: the death of a world. Nobody would take that news well... and unfortunately, neither does our dear Lisa. Will she give into temptation? Or wait for her inevitable death quietly?

[probably-eating-poptarts]

His Cherokee Rose - Ch. 3

Here’s the second half of your BOGO deal! <3 Enjoy!

Part One | Part Two

Read on AO3 here

Word count: 3k

The next morning dawns quiet and somber. After the battle most of the survivors didn't even have the strength to move the dead that littered the ground, and instead slept fitfully for a few hours until the sun rose over the tops of the trees. Rory wakes before Carl, and she squirms her way out of the pallet they'd shared to exit the tent. Those left alive are mulling around the clearing, laying blows to the heads of the corpses and preparing to clear away the carnage, and she sets about to help. Her dad is nowhere to be seen, but she watches her mom kneel next to the blond woman who still holds vigil over the body of her companion. She stays there for a moment, murmuring quietly, and then rolls back to her feet to depart with a pat on the mourning woman's shoulder.

Nearby Glenn, T-Dog, and Daryl are busy piling the walkers into a pyre, and Rory finally sees her dad reentering the camp as she moves to her mother's side. The pair take a seat with Carol next to the campfire.

"Who are all these people?" she questions. "I already met those three -" she motions towards the trio she'd been with in Atlanta, "-but I don't know anyone else besides Miss Carol and Sophia."

Lori points out each individual to her daughter: Dale, the older white-haired man who greets her warmly; Andrea, who still holds vigil over her fallen sister Amy; Jacqui; Jim; Morales and his family.

"We all met up with Dale's group shortly after you… Disappeared," she summarizes, pulling her oldest child close. "Shane wanted to look for you so badly, but things were chaotic. We thought the worst when we couldn't find you."

Rory tells her mom about falling into the ravine, and her rescue in the city by Felipe and Jorge. About living with Guillermo's crew and the old folks at the center. And about reuniting with her father after Glenn's capture.

As she finishes, her dad speaks to Dale about Andrea.

"She still won't move?"

"She won't even talk to us," Lori answers. "She's been there all night. What do we do?"

"Can't just leave Amy like that," Shane speaks up from across the fire pit. "We need to deal with it same as the others.

Rory sees her father nod in agreement. "I'll tell her how it is."

He strides over to Andrea, calling her name softly, but is stopped in his tracks when the woman levels the barrel of a gun at him. She says she knows how the safety works. Rory tenses, ready to go to her father's aide if needed, but he wisely backs away with an apology.

"Y'all can't be serious," Daryl quips as he joins the group, slinging his pickaxe over one shoulder. "Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time bomb."

"What do you suggest?" Rick questions.

"Take the shot! Clean, in the brain, from here." Daryl places two fingers against his temple. "Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance."

"No!" Rory interjects harshly. "For God's sake, let her be!"

Both Shane and her parents remain silent, noncommittal in the wake of her outburst, but Daryl glares at them each in turn before walking away with a scoff. He strides past Jim, telling him they have work to do, and assists Morales with the next body. The corpse they begin hauling towards the pyre must have been another member of their group, because Rory watches Glenn become upset as the pair attempt to dispose of his body with the rest of the walkers.

"This is for geeks! Our people go over there!"

"What's the difference?" Daryl snarks in reply. "They're all infected."

"Our people go in that row over there," the Asian boy insists. "We don't burn them! We bury them. Understand?"

Daryl and Morales bend over to grip the body under the arms, and he repeats once more, "Our people go in that row over there."

"You reap what you sow!" Daryl suddenly hollers, ignoring Morales as he tells the redneck to shut up and releasing his hold on the dead man. "Y'all left my brother for dead. You had this coming!" He stalks away angrily, heading for the treeline, and Rory looks to her mom in confusion. As the rest of their group continues working, Lori quickly tells her daughter about Merle's unfortunate venture into the city where they first found Rick. How he'd been handcuffed to the roof for attacking T-Dog, and how they'd been chased out by walkers and forced to leave Daryl's big brother behind.

"When they ran into you, they'd originally gone back for Merle, but somehow he managed to escape the cuffs. I guess they never did find him."

Rory watches Daryl as he lurks at the edge of the camp, skulking and muttering curses under his breath, while her mother talks. She can easily imagine the family resemblance, with matching rough exteriors and volatile tempers, but at the same time she can understand how agonizing it is to lose a sibling.

Rising from her seat, she rubs her mother's shoulder comfortingly before braving Daryl Dixon's wrath.

"I'm sorry about your brother," she tells him as she pauses nearby, arms crossed over her abdomen in an instinctively protective stance.

"What the hell you know about my brother?" Daryl spits in response, leveling her with an icy stare.

"I know how tough it is to be separated from them, and you don't know if they're alive or dead."

"You don't know shit as far as I'm concerned, little girl. Why don't you run on back to your Mama before she catches you over here with the likes o' me?"

"I'm not a little girl," Rory retorts. "And I can talk to whoever I please. But if you're gonna be an asshole, then forget it."

"I'm pretty sure I don't give a shit, little girl. Now get the hell outta my sight, I ain't got nothin' to say to you."

She turns to stomp off in aggravation, but doesn't make it far before she hears Jacqui panicking.

"A walker got him. A walker bit Jim!"

The group moves quickly to surround the sweating man, who insists that he's okay, but the tension is rising.

"Show it to us," Daryl demands, brandishing his pickax.

Frightened, Jim snatches a shovel from the ground to defend himself. Rory tries to help calm everyone, working with Shane to keep the tenuous peace, but Daryl and T-Dog circle like wolves, fierce and ready to pounce. Daryl is yelling over and over, "Grab him!", and T-Dog edges in behind the panicked man before wrapping his burly arms across his shoulders, knocking the shovel from his grasp as he restrains him.

"I'm okay, I'm okay!" Jim insists pleadingly as Daryl yanks his t-shirt up, exposing the weeping, infected bite wound on his rib cage. The men release him instantly, moving away as he continues to murmur repeatedly beneath his breath, and everyone stands in a silent circle around him as he pants and sweats.

Eventually Rick moves to steer Jim to the trailer hitch of the Winnebago, sitting him down before rejoining the others in discussion.

"I say we put a pickax in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it," Daryl insists.

"Is that what you want?" Shane replies. "If it were you?"

"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it."

Dale speaks up, "I hate to say it, I never thought I would - But maybe Daryl's right."

"Jim's not a monster, Dale," Rick snaps. "Or some rabid dog."

"I'm not suggesting-"

"He's sick," Rory's father says over the older man. "A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?"

"The line's pretty clear," Daryl interjects. "Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be."

"What if we can get him help? I heard the C.D.C was working on a cure."

"I heard that too," Shane answers his old friend. "Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell."

"What if the C.D.C is still up and running?" Rick pushes.

"Man, that is a stretch right there," the deputy replies.

"Why? If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the C.D.C at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection-"

"Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right?" Shane interrupts. "I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the Army base. Fort Benning."

"That's a hundred miles in the opposite direction," Lori finally says.

"That is right, but it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me, if that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there."

"The military were on the front lines of this thing," Rick argues. "They got overrun. We've all seen that. The C.D.C. is our best choice and Jim's only chance."

Rory, standing beside Carol, sees Daryl glance over his shoulder to where Jim sits in the shade of the Winnebago.

"You go lookin' for Aspirin," he quips, turning his back on the group as he speaks. "Do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!"

He lunges for Jim, but Rory throws herself between the pair just as the hunter readies himself to swing the pickaxe he'd had propped on his shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Rory's father hollers, leveling the barrel of his revolver at the back of Daryl's head and cocking the hammer. "We don't kill the living."

After a moment's hesitation Daryl lowers his weapon.

"That's funny, coming from a man who just put a gun to my head."

"You put a single scratch on my daughter, and I may reconsider in your case."

"We may disagree on some things," Shane adds as he insinuates himself between Daryl and the younger girl. "But not on this. You put it down. Go on."

With a sour look he slams the pickax into the dirt. "She's the one stupid enough to get in my way," he mutters as he stomps away. "Ain't my fault she don't have a lick of sense in that pretty head o' hers."

"Well fuck you too," Rory snaps at his retreating back while her dad pulls Jim gently to his feet.

"Where are you taking me?" he questions fearfully.

"Somewhere safe," Rick answers. As the pair pass Rory, he pins her with a glare. "And you need to go to your mother. Now."

The younger girl huffs before obeying her father's command, and trudges back towards Lori where she stands scowling at her with an expression even more fierce than her husband's.

"I lost you once, Rory. I will not lose you again. What were you thinking?!"

"I knew he wouldn't do it," she grumbles to her mom. "Dumb hillbilly."

"Daryl is the one person you shouldn't rile up, baby. He may not be as bad as Merle was, but he's still dangerous."

"Mom, I'm not scared of him! He walks around like he owns this damn place. Maybe someone just needs to knock some manners into him for once."

"Watch your mouth, young lady," Lori warns, but that ire has faded from her voice. "You'll end up just like your father at this rate."

The two girls share a chuckle and Lori wraps her arm over her daughter's shoulders before asking her to go sit with the younger kids.

"Keep 'em occupied for a while so we can get the rest of this cleaned up, okay?"

Rory nods in agreement and wanders towards the tents, pausing only when she passes Daryl and Carol as they stand over Ed's mutilated corpse. She sees Daryl hand over the pickaxe, and watches on with a bit of smug satisfaction as the meek older woman splits her abusive husband's head in like a rotten melon.

A little while later, as she helps little Sophia draw a horse on some scrap paper, a single gunshot tears through the relative silence of the camp.

.

..

…

..

.

Rory grows restless very quickly, and leaves the kids with Morales' wife Miranda when she shows up with a load of clean laundry. She wants to help, and sees her chance as she finds Daryl loading up the last body into the bed of an old Ford pickup. Skirting past the rest of the group as they mull around the campfire pit on the other side of the clearing, she approaches the younger Dixon brother.

"Is my dad up on the hill with Shane digging graves?" she asks him.

"Yeah."

"I'm coming with you, then."

"Like hell you are!" Daryl snaps. "You can walk with the rest of 'em."

With a sly glance Rory leaves him to finish his task, sneaking instead towards the truck's cab. By the time Daryl hauls himself into the driver seat, she's already situated herself in the passenger side.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!" he demands.

"I told you," she replies. "I'm riding with you."

"Get the fuck out of here, before I make you."

She cocks a brow and folds her arms across her abdomen stubbornly. "No."

He growls in frustration, fuming silently as he debates how much of a scene it would cause to forcibly drag her out of the truck kicking and screaming, and then twists the key in the ignition with much more force than necessary. The younger girl smirks triumphantly and buckles her seat belt just in time as her grouchy new companion stomps on the accelerator.

The drive up the ridge is silent and tense. Daryl makes no effort to keep his displeasure a secret, and Rory begins to second-guess her rash decision. Maybe her mother was right, and she shouldn't keep trying to poke the proverbial bear.

Lost in her thoughts, she doesn't notice when they crest the ridge. Daryl pulls the Ford off the road, and then pushes the gearshift into reverse.

But her head does shoot up when he turns his upper body around to look out the back window, laying his arm across the back of the bench seat. His limbs are so long that his hand brushes against Rory's shoulder, and she stares pointedly at him.

"Don't go getting' no ideas, little girl," he tells her as he continues to look out the rear window to guide the truck back onto the road. "I'm easily twice your age."

"I don't think age really matters during the apocalypse," she replies.

"What, you hittin' on me now? Not sure how well the Sheriff will take to that."

The vehicle slows to a stop, and Daryl gives Rory an obvious once-over as he parks.

"In your dreams, hillbilly," she quips before popping open her door and hopping out. He follows close behind, shaking his head with exasperation.

"I still think it's a mistake," Daryl tells Rick as the pair approach the two men still finishing the final graves. "Not burning these bodies. It's what we said we'd do, right?"

As he continues speaking, Rory turns to see the rest of the group walking up the path to join them.

"Burn 'em all, wasn't that the idea?"

"At first," Shane answers.

Daryl is less than pleased. "The Chinaman gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, and we just follow him along? These people need to know who the hell's in charge here; what the rules are."

"There are no rules," Rick says as everyone else finally reaches the top of the hill.

"Well that's a problem," his wife answers. Rory turns to look at her mother, wisely keeping her mouth shut. Being one of the newest members of this group, she knows her say won't hold much weight in a discussion like this. She listens, but makes no effort to join in the conversation.

"We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves," Lori continues. "We need time to mourn, and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do."

No one seems to have any response to her words, and so instead they move to begin the ramshackle funeral. One after the other the bodies are laid to rest, until only Amy remains. Andrea refuses any offers for assistance, fussing at Dale each time he moves to help her, as everyone else stands off to the side in silence. Rory leans into her father's side when he drapes his arm across her shoulders, and holds her little brother's hand from where he stands within the circle of their mother's embrace. They watch on in somber silence while Andrea carefully places her sister's body within its grave, and after the men pile the soil back into their holes the group moves as a single unit back towards camp.

"Burying other people is bad enough," Rick murmurs to his wife as they trail at the end of the procession. "But the thought of one of us-"

Lori shushes him immediately, tugging Carl to a stop as the others continue on.

"Are we safe now, Dad?" the youngest Grimes child questions innocently. "Now that we're together?"

Rory watches her father kneel before her little brother.

"I won't leave again," Rick tells him. "I promise you that. Not for anything."

Carl nods with a sniffle, and manages a tiny smile.

"Now give me a chance to discuss some things with your mom, okay? Can you go with Rory back to camp?" Rick looks between his two children, who both nod before Rory takes Carl's hand to lead him on down the hill. She hears the mention of Shane's name before they're out of earshot, and it makes her wonder what's been going on during her absence.

[scharoux]

Interruptions

The second Elfebruary collaboration from @bearly-tolerable and I! For Day 13 & 14 from the prompts list.

Enjoy!

Written by @bearly-tolerable​ and illustrated by @scharoux

Interruptions

The stream bubbles and sighs over the rocks. Rhaella unwraps her feet and dips her toes into the river. Solas does the same. “It’s so beautiful here,” she says. Unaware of their audience, a pair of chocolate colored nugs on the other side of the river nuzzle the earth, munching greens and insects. “Yes. I like it. It’s peaceful,” Solas says. He pushes his sleeves up his arms and yawns. Rhaella mirrors his yawn. “Tired?” “I do feel like I could use a nap.” “You can always use a nap,” she teases, scooting herself closer to him. It is peaceful. His fingers are spread wide in the grass, and she traces the lines of his knuckles. “It appears I am not the only one. Tell me, does the anchor weigh on you at all? Does it make you more tired than usual?” “Not that I’ve noticed. People and their problems are what weigh on me. I’m exhausted.” She sighs and rests her head on his shoulder. “Makes these moments that much sweeter.” He hums an agreement, smiling, and she feels the warmth of his cheek on her head. The birds chirp above them, fluttering about from branch to branch and they are content in one another. In nature’s song of serenity, and the water tickling their toes. Solas kisses her hair. A twig snaps and they both jump. Solas throws a barrier over Rhaella, an impenetrable bubble, as she snatches up her staff. 

“Treeline!” he shouts, taking his own staff in hand.

Rhaella plants her feet in preparation for spellcasting. “There goes our break,” she murmurs. Four figures emerge from the trees, two of them less human and more rock. Each step taken is a minor quake. While the two red-eyed Templars shoot arrows that shatter into sad splinters against Rhaella’s barrier. She raises her staff above her head, strikes the ground. Her hand shakes from the vibration as white lightning streaks across the ground in scorching zigzags. The first red-eyed Templar spazzes and crumples into a blackened sizzle. Another arrow flies at Rhaella’s head. A weak shot.  With a wave of her hand, it veers into the dirt beside her. The largest of the Red Templars charges at her. She fade steps out of his way, but the other archer is a better shot than the first. Three arrows come flying for her. She casts a spell that turns the arrow to dust but the second… “Rhaella!” Solas flings himself in front of her. “No!” she yells, and throws a barrier over his body. The next two arrows shatter against the magical shield. But the Templar she had outstepped earlier returns for an attack. He  barrels into Solas, knocking him down the hill. Cole appears out of nowhere and strikes the brute in the back. He falls. Meanwhile, Rhaella obliterates the last with another current of lightning. She takes in heavy breaths as she surveys the damage done. “Thank you, Cole,” she says. She notices then that Solas is missing. Oh shit, oh shit! Her pulse increases as her eyes dart around. Where’s Solas? “He went for a tumble, I think,” Cole says. He pulls a rag out of his pocket and cleans his daggers. His calm has her off balance, at first. She blinks. Then his words sink in and horror rises in her chest. She runs to the edge of the cliff and sees Solas crumpled at the bottom. She cups her hands around her mouth. “Solas!” she yells, but he doesn’t move. Her heart flutters in panic. She eyes a path down the ravine and makes her way to his side, slipping and sliding along the way. His  face is covered in splotches of blue and purple. Bruises color the skin on his wrists. Rhaella chokes back her tears and pulls his head into her lap. “Damn you! I would’ve been fine. You didn’t need to try and—.” Her voice breaks. She gathers what little mana she has conserved and the soft green hue of her restoration magic flows into his skin. The bruises on his face begin to fade away. His freckles grow clearer with each pulse of her magic. Some minor bruising remain but nothing that won’t heal easily with a potion. She notices his satchel next to him, contents sprawled out on the ground. She snatches up the lyrium potion and downs it. It’s cool on her tongue and she feels an instant surge in her mana. She pulls from it again and lets her magic do it’s work. A rogue tear slips down her cheek and she wipes it away. “Come on, come on,” she urges him. “Please wake up.” The remaining bruises shrink to nothing. Solas’ eyes flutter as he comes to. Rhaella lets out a breath of relief. “Thank the creators! I was terrified you’d never wake up!” “I’m fine, vhenan.” “But you didn’t look fine. I can’t believe I let you get thrown down a hill. I’m so sorry.” “Perhaps I was just taking an opportunity for a quick nap.” “Well you have horrible timing!” She laughs despite wanting to cry, and kisses his forehead. “You’re something else, Solas. But I’m glad you’re alright.” “And I have you to thank for that.”

[tiny-maus-boots]

Wild West AU pt 2

A/N: I dunno why. But here it is. So thanks for reading. Yes there is Staubrey in this. If this offends you sorry not sorry.

Stacie whistled softly as walked down the dusty road through the center of town. They were strangers and as such they were cause for staring. Even more so because she knew they were a pair to behold, Stacie doubted anyone in Penitence had ever seen women with all their teeth, let alone women bold enough to wear pants and guns. She nodded her head once in the direction of the jail as they passed by leading their horses. The familiar twang of Beca’s jaw harp echoing softly from the building. “Sounds like your girl is ‘round back. You know what to do?”

Chloe gave her a wink and held out a hand. Stacie slipped the tiny vial in to her friend’s hand carefully. “Yep. Far corner of the wall and shoot from cover. You just make sure you and Bree get out safely.” Stacie gave a nod and patted Beca’s horse on the shoulder as Chloe broke from their path and detoured toward the church singing Amazing Grace softly to the whickering horse she led. Rowdy bumped her shoulder with his nose and she smirked over at him, reaching up to stroke his long face. She tied him off at the post and took two light steps up onto the wooden sidewalk. From her spot she could see the length of the town, just one narrow track in the middle of nowhere. If it weren’t for the now abandoned Army barracks she was leaning against no one would have even known there was a town here at all.

She palmed another small vial from the padded pouch on her belt and slid it into an inconspicuous place on the ledge of the window. Stacie moved away from the wall casually, sweeping her hat from her head to wipe her brow with her forearm. A quick flash of light caught her eye and she smiled knowing that Aubrey had noticed and tagged the spot. Stacie moved along, taking Rowdy with her, ignoring the stares as she led the sturdy dappled pinto past the stable. She poked her head in noting that no one was inside. “Lucky me.” The horses barely made a sound as she moved between them, opening each stall and backing the horses out as quietly as she could. Stacie stopped at a big steel gray, appreciating the blue tint to his coat. There was a beat of hesitation when she questioned if she had time to take a horse when she was busy working but shrugged it off. Eh. It couldn’t hurt and she knew a girl that would look good on a horse like this.

It didn’t take her long to throw a blanket and saddle on the horse’s back. Carefully she made her way outside with the gray and Rowdy following placidly along behind her. Stacie held one of the two remaining vials in her hand, placing it ground behind the barn as she passed along the back of the buildings. When she was far enough away she mounted Rowdy and wrapped the gray’s reins around the pommel of her saddle. Strong legs tightened around her horse, keeping him still with the pressure, his head dipped almost in acknowledgement and he stilled. Stacie pulled her gun smoothly and sighted down the barrel and eased the trigger back nice and slow. Neither horse seemed bothered by the sharp crack of the revolver but they damn sure were bothered by the loud blast that shook and rattled the clapboards all the way down the row.

It took all her considerable skill as a rider to keep the gray from bolting and dragging Rowdy along with it for several long minutes. The horses bursting from the front of the stable caused a rash of screams and shouts that made her laugh. God forgive her for her sins but that was always gonna be funny. Someone had the wit to pull the church bell and she knew their time was just about up. The clang of it sounding off covered another echoing shot and she smirked, feeling the ground rock under them from another blast. Two down, one to go and Beca would be home free. Booted heels gently kicked her horse into light trot, bringing them swiftly to a wagon of hay behind the saloon just as the last and smallest blast shook Penitence to its knees. Both horses shifted uncomfortably when a clatter from above dropped heavily into the wagon of hay next to them. Aubrey popped up with a wide grin that faded in mild confusion. “Who does that horse belong to?”

“Yours.” Stacie raised a brow with a cocky grin when realization dawned on the blonde’s face. “Beautiful lady should have a damn fine horse, if ya ask me.”

There was a soft flush but Aubrey’s smile was pleased as she scrambled over the wagon side and into the saddle. “He’s beautiful.” Aubrey slung her rifle over her shoulder and gripped the reins firmly in her gloved hands reminding Stacie that beneath that soft smile was steel determination and skill. A combination she found entirely captivating. “Time to go, you good?”

Stacie chuckled as Aubrey drew her hat down further and kicked off ahead of her without waiting for an answer. They burst from the side of the building, scattering people back up onto the raised sidewalk. Stacie gripped the smallest vial she had and tossed it just as they passed the jail. It was only a drop but a drop big enough to take a man’s leg clean off if he stepped on it. The second it hit the door to the jail it splintered and blew forward. She and Aubrey raced forward neck and neck for a good half mile before Beca’s horse closed in and met their pace.

Beca didn’t look too worse for wear, a little banged up and dusty but grinning like the devil, hair blown back with Chloe wrapped tightly to her back. She chanced a glance over her shoulder to see how far back the nearest pursuers might be and laughed. People were still trying to corral what horses hadn’t run clear out of town. It’d be awhile before they got a posse together but not long enough to get to the border. “Caverns?”

Chloe gave a thumbs up and they split in two different directions. A posse could track them if they had a good enough tracker, but the closer they got to the foothills the harder it would be. With the sun dropping low and fast it would be too dark to even try to track in the mountains anyway. Aubrey’s horse edged ahead of Rowdy, stretching his legs in a longer stride, his rider adjusting her hips and leaning into it effortlessly. Aubrey tossed her head, flinging her long hair out of her face as the wind changed direction. There was something so unselfconscious about the gesture, so natural that it squeezed the heart in Stacie’s chest.

It was a change from the Aubrey that was constantly aware of the light and positioning of her head and face, always easily dropping into the shadow of her hair to hide the long scar that ran from forehead to jaw straight down over her cheek. Stacie really didn’t notice it, Aubrey was beautiful and that’s all she saw. Aubrey caught Stacie watching her and gave a wide challenging smile as she gave another kick to her horse’s flanks breaking past Rowdy in a plume of dust. Damn if she didn’t love that woman, Stacie shook her head and raised up in the saddle as Rowdy leapt lightly over a narrow dry ravine.

The spent the next hour pushing each other, racing across the landscape with only the sound of Aubrey’s delighted laughter breaking the steady pound of hooves. It had taken time doubling back and pressing forward again until finally they were thundering through a low pass only wide enough for their horses to skirt through just as the sun sank low bathing them in a soft gold and violet haze. Stacie swung one long leg over her horse and slid to the ground, her steps taking her to Aubrey’s side to help her down. Aubrey landed with a giggle and turned to face Stacie, her smile growing quieter at the closeness between them. “Thanks for the gift, he’s wonderful.”

“You’re wonderful.” Aubrey lightly pushed Stacie away with a rolled eye but she knew it was just for show when Aubrey didn’t actually move. “Come on, lemme buy you a drink then you can thank me til the sun comes up.”

“Tsk. Dirty.” But that was the only complaint she got as Aubrey laced their fingers with her free hand, leading the big gray to a large open cave mouth where the sounds of other horses echoed softly. Laughter and music spilled out of another much smaller cave mouth and they detoured there after rubbing the horses down and settling them for the night. They were greeted by shouts and raised mugs and although she dipped her head to let her hair hang over her face Aubrey smiled and waved back at the varied acquaintances and former riding partners. The Caverns were filled with just the right kind of folk in the wrong kind of business and to be honest it just felt like home.

Aubrey nudged Stacie gently with her elbow and nodded to the far back table deep in shadows. Stacie snagged a bottle of rot gut whiskey that was slid to them from across the rough bar. One arm slung over Aubrey’s shoulders and she guided them to where Beca and Chloe were watching the crowd, Chloe resting comfortably in Beca’s lap.

“Goddamn, we actually did it.” Beca gave a slow nod that was uncharacteristically serious before she took a breath. “But there’s no way we’re getting cross the border with all that gold before someone catches up to us. We need a new plan….”

Aubrey sighed as she settled furthest in the shadow. “We need a miracle.”

Chloe raised her head from Beca’s shoulder and gave them all a wink. “We just need some time to catch our breath. We can still get through if we go through Zachary’s Pass.”

After a second Aubrey took the bottle from Stacie and tipped it to her lips, pushing it across to Chloe and Beca. “Like I said, we need a miracle.”

“We’re runnin’ short on those, Bree. Not that I’m ungrateful but you all could have gotten yourselves caught.”

“If you don’t want to be ungrateful stop flapping your gums, Beca. You know the rule. Where one goes, we all go.” Aubrey gave Beca a mild glare that the shorter woman couldn’t meet and Stacie realized this might actually get heated if Beca chose to keep arguing it.

“I maybe have a plan but it means we need a lil help…”

“You think they’ll come?” Chloe bit her lip in question as she sipped from the bottle and coughed a little. It wasn’t great whiskey but it was strong. It could probably blind a horse though.

“You heard Bree, where one goes we all go.” Beca gave a slow nod and took the bottle taking a long gulp before handing it to Stacie. “They’ll be here, for now let’s just enjoy the fact that we’ve got tonight for ourselves. Chloe slid off Beca’s lap and tugged her hand gently.

“C’mon Cowgirl, let’s go for a ride.”

Beca’s smile was slow and cocky as she stood and followed after Chloe. It took Aubrey a full five minutes before she turned to Stacie with a slight frown. “In the dark?” It was so dang adorable that Stacie only smiled and pulled Aubrey closer to her, nuzzling her temple.

“Aubrey Anne Posen you are just too precious for words.” Aubrey’s body shook in silent laughter and Stacie reached out a hand to tug the blonde along after her. They needed to find a place of their own right now. Tomorrow would bring tomorrow’s problems, tonight they had each other.

[annoyedfanfiction]

A Difference (6)

Warnings: canon-typical violence, violent amputation, temporary death, energy transaction, vomiting, angst, bit of fluff, tiny bit of explicit language right at the end

The company left the Misty Mountains far behind them as early as they could the next morning, before the sun had even broached the horizon, in the grey light of dawn. All were eager to get as far from the place as they could, even if it meant abandoning any cover to cross the plains.

“Thorin, no!” Gandalf’s pinecones had set the wargs on fire, yes, but Azog the Defiler was not so easily stopped. With the other dwarves still clinging to a collapsing tree, Thorin had somehow launched himself at the white orc, blade in hand, only to have the huge creature it rode raise his jaws for a killing blow in response. Bilbo had leapt forward from almost nowhere, slamming his body into the warg, pushing him back far enough that his jaws clipped down, shaving the air above Thorin’s head with his canine fangs. The fear in Fili and Kili’s eyes as Azog once again raised his massive sword to their uncle’s neck tore through Míra’s soul as she leapt from a nearby tree, landing on the orc’s shoulders and tightening her legs around his neck, twisting him back. Her blade tore his skin deeply, and his other arm fell to the ground, leaving him to toss her off with a jolt, and reel backwards, clinging with his prosthetic limb to the back of his warg. She stumbled to her feet against the impact, her sword still in her hand, but she could feel the snapped bones in her fingers, and the swirling in her head. Thorin lay still on the ground in front of her, and she fell to her knees at his side, next to Bilbo, reaching desperately for a pulse with her unbroken fingers. It was there – weak, wavering, but there. Behind her, the tree cracked again, leaving the dwarves dangling more dangerously over the ravine, before a mighty screech dove through the air, followed by the Lord of the Eagles.

“Oh, thank Eru,” Míra breathed, rocking backwards on to her knees, and letting the eagles scoop the three of them up, a comforting hand resting on Bilbo’s panicked form.

“Do not worry, Bilbo,” she soothed, eyes floating over the view in enchantment, “The Eagles will keep you safe. And even if there was any chance you might fall, I promise I’d save you.”

They were within sight of the mountain, but none of the dwarves dared look to their lost home while Thorin lay unmoving on the rock before them. Gandalf bent over him, muttering a spell, as Míra felt for his faded pulse.

“Gandalf,” she whispered, the son of Thrain offering no response. “Take some of my energy.”

“No, Míra,” he protested, shaking his head, “You have lost too much of it today already.” “Gandalf, take some of my energy or Thorin will be dead and this will all have been for nothing,” she snapped, harshly, gripping Thorin’s wrists tightly. “Take it or I’ll do it myself.”

“But, Míra–“ She shook her head, and he nodded, knowing she was right. The whisper of ancient tongues coursed through her, and then she felt it torn out, sinking into the body below her through her fingertips. Thorin let out a loud gasp and shot upwards, coming face to face with Míra, crouching across his legs, her hands still fastened to his wrists. “Good morning, Oakenshield,” she managed, before scrambling to her feet and hurrying to duck behind a clump of boulders, throwing up over the edge of the monolith. Gandalf hurried after her, and Fili just grabbed Kili’s wrist to keep him there, as their Uncle stared around him, disoriented, until his eyes locked on Bilbo.

“You!” he bellowed, throwing himself to his feet, “What were you doing? Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place among us?” Bilbo did not flinch as he faced the roaring dwarf, despite the fright written over his features as Thorin towered over him. “I have never been so wrong in all my life.” He pulled the confused hobbit into a hug, eliciting cheers from the rest of the company as Gandalf emerged from behind the rock again, a knowing smile tracing over the worry on his face. Kili faced the grey wizard urgently, his queries many and unstoppable.

“She will be fine, Kili,” Gandalf soothed, patting the young dwarf on his back, “It can just be a jolting process, especially when you do not have a strong or positive bond with the recipient.” The young prince nodded, casting a slightly bitter glance at his uncle, despite his relief at his rescue. 

Behind the boulders, Míra chewed irritably at the mint leaves Gandalf had given her, feeling the nausea begin to lose sway over her stomach, and pushing the taste of bile from her tongue. She could not think of a more suitable thank you from Thorin Oakenshield than the one he had just offered Bilbo – nothing which did not involve first anger, and then repentance would suit the King Under the Mountain so well. Kili turned the corner, his eyes soft, worried, but grateful. There was not the fear left in them that she had seen when Thorin faced Azog, and she smiled, relief coursing through her veins as she finally processed that the line of Durin was safe. 

“You may not hear it from Uncle,” Kili said, taking a gentle seat beside her, and clasping her hand in his, “But thank you. You and Bilbo saved his life out there.” The company was conspicuously silent behind them, but she failed to care.

“I could not let you lose your uncle as well, Kee,” Míra answered, resting her head on his shoulder. “I may not ever agree with him, and he may despise me, but I could not let him die. It would not only render our quest impractical, it would destroy you and Fili. I could see it, in your eyes. Both of you. I couldn’t let you watch him die.” She could hear the thundering pace of the Wargs, and Beorn’s claws tearing the earth, but she did not care, as the last rays of sun dropped over them, and the Eagles returned, loudly, bearing gifts of prey. Her eyes drifted shut, even as the whispers of the company drew closer, and twelve sets of eyes peered curiously around the boulders at the sight. The last words uttered before she let herself sleep were “Oh, fuck off.”

[ashaywalker-author]

Natural Instinct (Poe Dameron/Reader Fic)

SUMMARY: Reader is a simple Jakku miner who finds herself in the middle of a First Order assault on Tuanul. Although unaffiliated with the war, she steps in for a Resistance pilot, and has to face the consequences.

CHAPTER WARNINGS: Some strong language, references to death

PAIRING: Poe Dameron/Reader (slow burn)

A/N: There is not NEARLY enough Poe Dameron in the fanfiction world. This fic makes a couple of very minor changes to The Force Awakens (specifically Poe’s capture, interrogation from Kylo Ren, and his escape with Finn) but don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a repeat of the movie’s action. It’s 99.9% original ideas. Please enjoy

Chapter 1 - THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME

Mining in Cratertown had become a kriffing joke. If it hadn’t been, if operations hadn’t become as flighty as the sand, I wouldn’t have had to travel further west on Jakku’s unforgiving wastelands, and I certainly wouldn’t have found myself stuck in the middle of a First Order assault. If I hadn’t been hunched over from dehydration and heat exhaustion, I would have hightailed it immediately once I saw the X-Wing parked a little way up the Kelvin Ravine, on the outskirts of Tuanul. What was it Ergel had said when I had complained of the lack of work while throwing a can of Knockback down my throat?

“Nothing good comes from Tuanul. Force worshippers, Jedi sympathizers. You’d do well to walk a long ways ‘round the Ravine.”

Not that Ergel cared who worshipped what—he was friendly with anyone who could hold their alcohol—but anything that put any of us miners and un-allied Jakku scavengers at risk wasn’t worth the trouble. We wanted nothing to do with the Cold War. Nothing to do with the Resistance, or the First Order. But I hadn’t planned as effectively with my supplies as I had assumed, and so I found myself in Tuanul, the morning before a battalion of stormtroopers decided to pay a visit.

A great majority of the religious villagers had sprung up upon noticing the impending ships, blasters out, ready for a fight. Whatever they were willing to die for, I wanted no part of it. I ran in the opposite direction, dumping off a rucksack filled with gathered goods that ought to pay for my meals for a week. The weight was too much, and I hadn’t acquired a beast or a speeder with which to carry it. Sand billowed around huffing engines as I heard them land behind me, and the clunk of heavy boots against the ship’s ramps had me careening up a small dune. When I heard shouting far too close for comfort, I froze and turned to the source, where I saw the X-Wing’s pilot several meters away. He was running as well, a frantic orange and white droid hot on his heels, rolling small craters into the sand. If the insignias on his bright jumpsuit were at all legitimate, he was Resistance. So why the hell was he running?

I pulled away from it all and continued to move far, far away from the sharp squeal of blaster shots and the distant but obvious void when one by one, Tuanul’s villagers died. The sounds of boots and blasters were already far outweighing the sound of human life. And then the chaos was warped and swallowed within the sound of an explosion. It made the sand around my feet tremble and the heat blow a lasting breath against my back. The X-Wing was nothing more than a heap of hot, smoking metal. It didn’t matter. It was one more Resistance fighter down among an innumerable group of dead, not the first, and certainly not the last. But I still turned back.

The screaming had stopped. The village below the dune was crouching in bated breath around a masked black figure, tall and broad in the shoulders. Even from where I was, next to the remains of the destroyed ship, I felt his power. I felt the tendrils of raw, tainted energy flicking in the air even before I witnessed the blaster shot, still but writhing against an invisible force. I’d never seen anything so unnatural as that. Then there was the pilot, a tremble himself, his blaster arm forced down against his hip and his body frozen mid-step. This was beyond me, completely beyond a simple miner’s paygrade. Nothing good comes from Tuanul. I wouldn’t call what I did next bravery; simply, it was idiocy.

I didn’t have a weapon—not that it would have made a difference—but I still slid down that dune, kicking up clouds of earth, creating enough of a disturbance to capture the masked man’s—if he could be called that—attention. Just the slightest tilt of his mask’s chrome embellishments, and I knew he saw me.

“Leave him alone!” I screamed at the expressionless visage.

There was a beat of silent apprehension, and then every blaster in the area was on me. I resisted the urge to hold out my hands in surrender. Out the corner of my eye I saw the pilot, still unmoving, along with the pale blue bullet streaking the sky. Damn myself to hell.

The masked man in black—who I assumed was Kylo Ren; I was a Jakku miner, but I still heard the important rumors—motioned toward both me and the pilot, and we were drug toward him. I didn’t give the armored soldiers any trouble. I’d dug my grave, but I wasn’t too keen on just diving head-first into it. The pilot drug his sand-caked boots along, not really fighting, but not too eager either.

When we were both forced to our knees in front of Ren, I didn’t look at the pilot. Instead, I stared straight up the long legs of the First Order’s most deadly weapon. He was horrifyingly large; broad shoulders, towering, the air around him crackling so much that I couldn’t find it in me to pull enough breath into my lungs. Then he stooped, mask inches from my nose. He tilted his head back and forth between the two of us, maybe considering the most entertaining form of murder. I was such a kriffing idiot.

“Do you talk first or do I talk first?”

Okay, scratch that. I wasn’t quite up to par with the idiocy the Resistance pilot showed. I considered smacking him, but I could barely move for fear.

“The old man gave it to you.” Ren said, his deep voice laced with the barest metallic echo.

“It’s just very hard to understand you with all the…” the pilot waved his hands, “apparatus.”

“Search him.”

The pilot was hauled back up and patted down. I stayed put, preferring to stare down at the grains of Jakku’s earth, wishing I had kept running. Shouting did nothing. What did I change? Nothing.

“Nothing sir.” One of the troopers said.

“Put him on board.”

Ren turned his masked face down to me, tilting it softly.

“Put them both on board.”

Despite being on our best behavior—or, at least, decent behavior on the pilot’s part—we were pushed and pulled down hallways of a First Order Battlecruiser. Kylo Ren had disappeared on his own transport ship after ordering the murder of every person in Tuanul. I hadn’t known anyone, not specifically, besides the dark-haired woman who had offered me water when I stumbled into the village. Regardless, I felt like a Sarlacc had wormed its way into my stomach and was slowly eating me from the inside-out. I was terrified on the inside, so much so that I felt blank on the outside. I went everywhere I was ordered without a second thought. It was all I could think of to survive.

“I’m Poe.”

It took several seconds for the pilot’s greeting to get through to whatever part of my brain was still functioning. I turned my face to him, blinking a few times. He looked… okay, meaning he didn’t look like he was walking to an execution. In fact, his eyes were bright. When I didn’t respond at first, he looked around the bridge we walked through, as if taking the place in with genuine curiosity and not indominable fear.

The stormtrooper guiding me pushed me more roughly when my steps slowed a tad. His blaster poked against the small of my back, a simple but effective reminder.

“I’m… (Y/N).”

Poe nodded, smiled, and that was that.

Finally, we were dumped into a cell. I was a bit surprised that they would keep us together; it felt to me that isolation typically came with true imprisonment, but I had never actually been in this type of trouble, so what would I know? Our supposed cell also wasn’t what I would picture. It was dark, yes, and heavily unfurnished. The ducting lining and twisting the ceiling was uncovered, and the floor was unheated and void of any rug or padding. Bright red lights popped from each corner of the room, and I knew immediately that they were cameras. Off to the far-left corner was a chilly-looking chrome toilet, and I balked at the idea of having to relieve myself in front of Poe and whoever was manning the surveillance cameras. Luckily there wasn’t much in my system to get rid of. The last thing I noticed was the single bed in the far-right corner, which was rather more like a built-in shelf with a thin, foam covering.

I stood in the middle of the room for a while, the door the stormtroopers left through having long since merged with the rest of the wall, barely a groove to show its existence.

“You’d better rest while they let you.” Poe said.

He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling his boots off his feet. What was with this man?

“Do you get captured and imprisoned a lot?” I asked, unable to keep the snark from my tone.

He looked up with his broad eyebrows raised, a bit surprised I spoke up the way I did. My nerves were making me testy. I wasn’t usually the type for confrontation, but I was pissed at myself, and scared shitless. Anger seemed the safer option at this point. He considered me a moment and I considered him back, taking a moment to really see the person I stepped out of my relative safety for; messy brown-black curls, round eyes, a strong, square chin free of stubble. What I noticed most of all was how soft he looked. Or maybe soft wasn’t the right word. Whatever it was, it was nothing you found on Jakku. Everyone on the desert planet was made of some sort of stone, the sand constantly etching away at their surfaces. Frowning and exhausted was the natural state of being on Jakku; hard-eyes and an angry, stubborn resilience came with weathering the planet for many years. For someone who fought in a war, Poe looked decidedly less cauterized than anyone else I had ever met.

“This is actually my first time,” Poe said, gesturing to the small, square room we found ourselves in.

“Well you seem to know the ropes.”

“The supposed ropes you get with the First Order are pretty damn short. I’ve been dealing with these assholes for a while now.”

I truly hoped the cameras were not equipped with sound as well.

“Well then what do we do?” I asked.

He looked up at me with those frustratingly bright eyes and smiled. It was an actual smile too, one with teeth. That’s another thing you don’t see on Jakku much.

“You rest, (Y/N),” he said, patting the empty spot on the bed. “Within the next thirty minutes or so some stormtroopers are going to burst in here and try to torture information out of me. I’m not going to give it to them.”

“Then what happens?” I said, deciding not to sit quite yet.

“That’s a good question.” Poe said, cracking his neck. “I’m sorry, you kinda throw a wrench in the typical torture scheme. I don’t know what they intend to do with you.”

I tried not to panic, and I thought I was doing a pretty good job of it. But somehow Poe must have seen something of the new and realized fear that encapsulated me, because he reached out and grabbed my hand. I started at the contact. He had taken his gloves off at some point, so it was just skin, calloused and warm.

“Try not to worry,” he said, and I almost laughed out loud. “You don’t know anything. Do you have an allegiance?”

“No,” I insisted, glancing once at the nearest camera. “I was searching for places to mine outside of Cratertown. I only went to Tuanul because I needed water and some food and rest.”

“They will see your stepping in for me as a pledge to the Resistance. When they question you, you need to insist upon your neutrality. Although its likely they will force you to pledge to the Order instead.”

There was nothing accusatory in his voice or gaze, as if he would understand if I chose to become loyal to the First Order to survive. I would have thought he would urge me to deny the First Order, even if it meant death. Looking at him, I was sure that’s what he would do.

“Thank you, by the way,” he said, giving the knuckles of my hand the briefest swipe with his thumb. It felt nice. I was amazed that I could feel even a grain of safety when I had no idea whether I would be dead by morning or not. “That was brave of you, stepping forward.”

“It wasn’t bravery. It was stupidity.”

A soft chuckle, and he released my hand. “You’d be shocked how often those two traits go together.”

Then there was a pause. Something in the way he looked off took a small bite from his buoyant spirit.

“Can I ask why you did it?” he said.

I didn’t answer. I don’t know for how long it was silent, but somewhere in that void between his question and my answer the door to the holding cell slid open, and as Poe had predicted, stormtroopers filed in.

“That’s my cue.” Poe said, standing and brushing down his flight-suit. He left his boots at the side of the bed. “See you later, (Y/N).”

Once again, his shoulders were roughly taken, and with them he was pushed out and through the doorway. Not one word was said to me, and in a moment I was alone, standing in the same spot I had planted myself on upon entry.

“See you.”

[thunders-warcats-stuff]

Enter Darkness Chapter 20

Firepaw reached the edge of the ravine and looked down at the camp. He was panting and his paws were slippery with dew. He sniffed the air. He was alone. There was still time to speak to Yellowfang before the others returned from the Gathering. Silently, he jumped down the rocky slope and slipped through the gorse tunnel unnoticed.

The camp was still and quiet, apart from the muted snuffles of sleeping cats. Firepaw quickly crept around the edge of the clearing to Yellowfang’s nest. The old medicine cat was curled on top of her mossy bedding.

“Yellowfang,” he hissed urgently. “Yellowfang! Wake up; it’s important!” Two orange eyes opened and glinted in the moonlight.

“I wasn’t sleeping,” meowed Yellowfang quietly. She sounded calm and alert. “You came straight from the Gathering to me? That must mean you’ve heard.”

She blinked slowly and looked away.

“So Brokenstar kept his promise.”

“What promise?” Firepaw didn't remember this part. 

“ShadowClan’s noble leader promised to drive me from every Clan territory,” Yellowfang replied dryly. “What did he say about me?”

“He warned us that our kits were in danger as long as we sheltered the ShadowClan rogue. He didn’t say your name, but ThunderClan guessed who he was talking about. You must leave before the others get back. You are in danger!”

“You mean they believed him?” Yellowfang flattened her ears and swished her tail angrily.

“Yes!” Firepaw meowed urgently. “Darkstripe says you’re dangerous. The other cats are scared of what you might do. Tigerclaw is planning to come back and… I think you should go before they get here!”

In the distance Firepaw could hear the yowls of angry cats. Yellowfang struggled stiffly to her paws.

Firepaw gave her a nudge to help her up, his mind still spinning with questions.

“What did Brokenstar mean when he warned us to keep a close eye on our kits?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking. He still had a part to play. “Would you really do something like that?”

“Would I what?”

“Would you harm our kits?”

Yellowfang flared her nostrils and looked steadily at him. “Do you think so?” Firepaw met her gaze without flinching.

“No. I don’t believe you would ever harm a kit. But why would Brokenstar say such a thing?”

The noise of the cats was coming nearer, and with it, the scents of aggression and anger. Yellowfang looked wildly from side to side.

“You should go while you still can.” Firepaw urged. Her safety was more important than his curiosity.

But Yellowfang remained where she was and stared at him. A calm look suddenly came into her eyes.

“Firepaw, you believe I’m innocent, and I’m grateful for that. If you believe me, then others might. And I know Bluestar will give me a fair hearing. I’m too old to run forever, so I shall stay here and face whatever your Clan decides for me.” She sighed and sank down onto her bony haunches.

“But what about Tigerclaw? What if he-?”

“He is headstrong, and he knows the power he has over the other Clan cats—they are in awe of him. But even he will obey Bluestar.”

Rustling in the undergrowth beyond the camp boundary told Firepaw that the cats were almost at the entrance.

“Go away,” hissed Yellowfang, baring her blackened teeth at him. “Don’t make trouble for yourself by being seen with me now. There is nothing you can do for me. Have faith in your leader, and let her decide what happens to me.”

Firepaw figured that Yellowfang would stick this out. Clearly there was no changing her mind. He touched his nose to her patchy fur, then crept silently away into the shadows to watch.

Through the gorse came the cats—Bluestar first, accompanied by Lionheart. Frostfur and Willowpelt were right behind them. Frostfur raced away from the troop immediately and ran toward the nursery, the fur on her tail bristling in alarm. Tigerclaw and Darkstripe strode into the clearing, shoulder to shoulder, looking grim. 

The others followed behind, with Ravenpaw and Greypaw at the rear. As soon as he saw his friends, Firepaw trotted out to join them.

“You went to warn Yellowfang, didn’t you?” whispered Greypaw when Firepaw reached his side.

“Yes, I did,” Firepaw admitted. “But she won’t leave. She trusts Bluestar to treat her fairly. Did anyone miss me?”

“Only us,” replied Ravenpaw.

Around the camp, the cats who had stayed behind began to wake up. They must have scented the aggression and heard the tension in the voices of the returning cats, for they all came running into the clearing, their tails held high.

“What has happened?” called a tabby warrior named Runningwind.

“Brokenstar has demanded hunting rights for ShadowClan in our territory!” replied Longtail loudly enough for all the cats to hear.

“And he warned us about a rogue cat who will harm our kits!” added Willowpelt. “It must be Yellowfang!”

Meows of anger and distress rose from the crowd.

“Silence!” ordered Bluestar, leaping onto the Highrock. Instinctively, the cats settled in front of her.

A loud screech made every cat turn their head toward the fallen tree where the elders slept. Tigerclaw and Darkstripe were dragging Yellowfang roughly from her nest. 

She shrieked furiously as they hauled her into the clearing and dumped her in front of the Highrock. Firepaw felt every muscle in his body tense. Without thinking, he dropped into a low crouch, ready to spring at Yellowfang’s persecutors.

“Wait, Firepaw,” Greypaw hissed in his ear. “Let Bluestar deal with this.”

“What is going on?” demanded Bluestar, jumping down from the Highrock and glaring at her warriors. “I gave no order to attack our prisoner.”

Tigerclaw and Darkstripe instantly let go of Yellowfang, who crouched in the dust, hissing and spitting. Frostfur appeared from the nursery and pushed her way through to the front of the Clan.

“We got back in time,” she meowed with a gasp. “The kits are safe!”

“Of course they are!” snapped Bluestar.

Frostfur seemed taken aback.

“But…you are going to throw Yellowfang out, aren’t you?” she meowed, blue eyes wide.

“Throw her out?” spat Darkstripe, unsheathing his claws. “We should kill her now!”

Bluestar fixed her piercing blue eyes on Darkstripe’s angry face.

“And what has she done?” she asked with icy calm. Firepaw held his breath.

“You were at the Gathering! Brokenstar said she-!” Darkstripe began.

“Brokenstar said only that there is a rogue somewhere in the woods,” Bluestar cut him off, her voice menacingly quiet. “He did not mention Yellowfang by name. The kits are safe. For as long as she is in my Clan, Yellowfang will not be harmed in any way.”

Bluestar’s words were met with silence, and Firepaw heaved a sigh of relief.

Yellowfang looked up at Bluestar and narrowed her eyes respectfully.

“I will leave now, if you wish it, Bluestar.”

“There is no need,” Bluestar replied. “You have done nothing wrong. You will be safe here.” 

The ThunderClan leader lifted her gaze to the crowd of cats that surrounded Yellowfang and meowed, 

“It is time we discussed the real threat to our Clan: Brokenstar. We have already begun to prepare for an attack by ShadowClan,” Bluestar began. 

“We’ll carry on with those preparations, and patrol our borders more frequently. WindClan has gone, but we have a potential ally in RiverClan. ThunderClan does not stand alone against Brokenstar.”

A murmur of defiance rippled through the cats, and Firepaw felt his fur prickle with anticipation.

“Clans have never shared hunting rights before,” Bluestar insisted. “They have always managed to support themselves in their own territories. There is no reason why this should change.” Tigerclaw nodded approvingly.

“But can we defend ourselves against a ShadowClan attack?” asked Smallear’s tremulous voice. “WindClan didn’t manage it! Crookedstar basically dared them to challenge them, but they have plenty of natural defense in their territory! What do we have going for us?”

Bluestar met his old eyes with her steady gaze. “We will do what we must. We will not give up our territory without a fight.”

All around the clearing, Firepaw saw the cats nodding in agreement.

“I shall travel to the Moonstone tomorrow,” Bluestar announced. “The warriors of StarClan will give me the strength I need to lead ThunderClan through this dark time. You must all get some rest. We have a lot to do when daylight comes. I wish to speak with Lionheart now.” Without another word, she turned and strode toward her den.

Firepaw noticed the look of wonder that had entered the eyes of some of the cats when Bluestar had mentioned the Moonstone. Cats hurriedly gathered in groups, meowing in hushed voices full of excitement.

Firepaw watched Yellowfang limp back to her shadowy nest. It looked like Tigerclaw’s rough treatment had aggravated her old injury. As he trotted back to the apprentices’ den, Firepaw decided to ask Spottedleaf for more herbs in the morning.

“So what happened?” mewed Dustpaw eagerly, popping his head out of the den.

“It’s like Longtail said. Brokenstar demanded hunting rights….” Greypaw began. Sandpaw and Dustpaw sat and listened, but Firepaw was watching the camp. He could see the silhouettes of Bluestar and Lionheart sitting close together outside her den, talking urgently.

Then he noticed Ravenpaw’s lithe shape at the entrance to the warriors’ den. Tigerclaw loomed over him. Firepaw saw Ravenpaw’s ears flatten as the young cat flinched away from Tigerclaw’s fierce glare. 

The dark warrior bore down on him, twice his size, eyes and teeth flashing in the moonlight. What was he saying to Ravenpaw? Firepaw was just about to creep nearer and listen when Ravenpaw backed away, turned, and raced across the clearing.

Firepaw greeted Ravenpaw as he reached the apprentice’s den, but the black tom hardly seemed to notice his friend as he pushed his way inside the den without a word. Firepaw got up to follow when he saw Lionheart approaching.

“Well,” meowed the ThunderClan deputy, striding up to the apprentices. “It seems that Firepaw, Greypaw, and Ravenpaw are about to reach another important stage in their training.”

“What’s that?” mewed Greypaw, looking excited.

“Bluestar wishes you three to accompany her on her journey to the Moonstone!” Lionheart didn’t miss the look of disappointment on the faces of Dustpaw and Sandpaw, because he added,

“Fear not, young ones; you two will make the journey soon enough. For now, ThunderClan needs your strength and skill at the camp. I will remain here as well.”

Firepaw looked past Lionheart to his leader. She was moving from one group of warriors to another, meowing instructions to each.

After all this time, he still had no idea why she chose him for this journey.

“She wants you to rest now,” Lionheart continued. “But first go to Spottedleaf and collect the herbs you will need on this expedition. It’s a long way, and you will need something to give you strength and quell your appetite. There will be little time for catching prey.”

Greypaw nodded, and Firepaw dragged his gaze away from Bluestar and nodded too.

“Where is Ravenpaw?” asked Lionheart.

“He’s in his nest already,” replied Firepaw.

“Good. Leave him to sleep. You can fetch herbs for him,” meowed Lionheart.  “Rest well. You leave at dawn.” He flicked his tail and walked back to Bluestar’s den.

“Well, then,” mewed Sandpaw. “You’d better go and see Spottedleaf.”

Firepaw listened for sourness in her voice, but there was none. There was no time for jealousy now. All the cats in the Clan seemed to be united against the threat from ShadowClan. Firepaw and Greypaw walked quickly toward Spottedleaf’s den. 

The fern tunnel was dark. Not even the full moon penetrated its thick covering. The dappled medicine cat seemed to be expecting them as they emerged into her moonlit clearing. 

“You have come for some traveling herbs,” she meowed.

“Yes, please,” Firepaw answered. “And I think Yellowfang needs something. She seemed to be feeling her wounds.”

“I will tend to her after you've gone. And your traveling herbs are ready.” 

Spottedleaf indicated a pile of carefully made leaf wraps. “Enough for the three of you. The dark green herb will stop your hunger pangs during the journey. The other will give you strength. Eat them both just before you leave. They’re not as good as fresh prey, but the taste won’t last long.” She instructed.

“Thanks, Spottedleaf,” Firepaw meowed gratefully. He leaned down and picked up one of the parcels. As he bent his head, Spottedleaf stretched over and hissed in his ear.

“You should seek to learn from the stars, Firepaw.” She murmured. “You will rely on them much during your time here.” 

Greypaw picked up the other two and the friends turned and headed back through the tunnel.

“Good luck!” Spottedleaf called after them. “Travel safely.”

They arrived at the entrance to their den and dropped the bundles. “Well, I just hope these herbs don’t taste too revolting!” muttered Greypaw.

“You'll be glad you ate them later.” Firepaw insisted.

“Okay, Spottedleaf the Second. I'll eat my herbs like a good little kit.” Greypaw scowled as he curled up in his nest.

Firepaw recalled how exciting it was to be chosen for such an important journey, but he also remembered how everything fell apart. He knew that it was imperative for him to tell Bluestar about Tigerclaw as quickly as possible. 

Everything would go far too wrong otherwise.

[robinhoodrevisited]

Traps In All Their Forms (pt.2)

Joan's Camp. Somewhere in England. (Joan sits watching her husband Raymond and their son Richard sparring with practice swords.) Joan: (Smiling and cheering her son on:) "That's it, Richard. Protect your Mama from the evil Raymond!" (Raymond winks to his wife as Richard continues to thrust and parry. Failing dramatically to his knees, Raymond allows his son to 'slay' him.) Richard: "You let me win, father." Raymond: (Shaking his head:) "No, Richard. On my word of honour. Your mother is right, soon you too will be fighting John for the crown." (Meanwhile, behind them a soldier approaches.) Soldier: "Your Majesty? (Joan turns slightly in her chair:) There's a man who claims to have news of your brother, the King." Joan: "Can he be trusted?" Soldier: "He wears the King’s colours, your majesty." Joan: (Nods:) "Let him through." (The soldier bows and motions for the man to come forward. As the man approaches we a familiar face. It is Carter.)

Sherwood Forest. Morning. (Several members of the gang are standing guard at the edges of the forest. They're looking for any signs of troop movement coming from Nottingham. Meanwhile Clarke, Little John & Much are discreetly ushering the next group of villagers out of the tunnels and guiding them safely home. Suddenly Octavia bursts through the trees, her weapons drawn.) Octavia: "We're under attack!" (Clarke spins around to see dozens of warriors running towards them. Octavia turns and fights them slashing wildly but effectively, her grief and anger fuelling her blows. Much & Little John draw their weapons and begin their attack leaving Clarke vulnerable until Robin arrives on the scene. Standing in front of the Princess, Robin faces a tall masked warrior and a face painted female warrior, Echo, coming towards him.) Echo: "Lay down your weapons, we only want Clarke." Robin: "That's not going to happen."

(As more of the gang arrive to take on the warriors, Octavia grabs Clarke by the arm and pulls her away from the fighting.) Octavia: "Much as I love a good fight, if I don't get you to safety we're all dead. (Octavia whistles and Helios gallops into the clearing. Lacing her hands into a foot hold:) Get on the horse." (Clarke doesn't argue and pulls herself up on the animal, Octavia jumps up behind her and the pair take off away from the fighting. They ride hard and fast along the forest floor until they come to edge of a steep ravine.) Octavia: "Damnit." Echo: (Atop her own horse, calls out:) "It doesn't have to be this way." Octavia: (Dismounts moves to Helios's face:) "Take the Princess to safety." (The horse neighs and begins to charge toward Echo, avoiding collision at the last moment, Clarke hanging on for dear life.) Echo: (Dismounts and twirls her sword:) "Have it your way." (The two warriors attack, clashing swords at a blistering pace. Octavia's opponent having the height and strength advantage soon comes into play. Octavia is disarmed and kicked to the ground.)

Echo: "King Roan didn't want this. Our people have lost enough already. We should not be fighting amongst ourselves." Octavia: "You're the ones that made it this way." (Octavia grabs a handful of dirt and throws it into her opponent's face. Scrambling to her feet she reaches for her sword. The fighting begins anew much with the same results. Echo's strength pushing Octavia closer and closer toward the edge of the ravine.) Echo: "We only want the girl." Octavia: (Gritting her teeth:) "Over my dead body." (Octavia pushes her opponent away and swings her sword but is blocked. The painted woman thrusts her sword into Octavia's side running her through. Withdrawing the blade quickly, she watches helplessly as Octavia takes a step back slips off the edge of the ravine, plummeting into the river below.) Echo: "Your fight is over." (As she turns she is struck in the chest with an arrow. Echo doesn't know what hits her before she falls to the floor, dead. Lowering his bow from several feet away, Robin grimaces at taking yet another life.) Somewhere in the woods. (Clarke rides atop Helios barely able to hang on. Up ahead of them lay several sharpened branches that are sticking up from the ground. Helios barrels towards them but rears up at the last moment causing Clarke to fall from the horse. Getting slowly to her feet she checks on Helios who seems to be uninjured.) Roan: (From across the way:) "You're a hard one to track down, Princess." Clarke: (Turns at the sound of his voice, frowns:) "Roan?" Roan: "You're coming with me. (Raising his blade:) Don't test me, you know what I can do." Clarke: (Nods:) "But why?" Roan: "Well, for one thing you killed my mother. (Grabs her by the wrist and pulls out some rope:) For another, now that England's King is dead things have changed. With John on the throne he'll wage war upon my people because of Lexa's betrayal. (Begins binding Clarke's wrists together:) Unless I can give him something he values more than revenge. With you I can cut a deal to keep my people safe." Clarke: "Lexa will keep you safe." Roan: (Shakes his head:) "The Commander's finished. The moment she took your side her fate was sealed. Come on." (Roan looks around then pulls harshly on Clarke's restraints leading her away.)

Nottingham Castle. The Great Hall. (Two high-backed chairs flank Prince John's recently restored throne. Isabella is to the Prince's right with the Sheriff seated to his left. Prince John stands addressing Blamire who is stood before them all.) Prince John: "I've heard nothing but praise when it comes to your skills as a leader of men, Blamire. As newly appointed Captain of my Nottinghamshire regiment, I'm sure you won't disappoint me. (Blamire bows:) As your first official task, I'm putting you in charge of rounding up the remainder of Robin Hood's gang and to track down my troublesome niece." Blamire: "I swear it will be done, Sire." (Blamire bows once more then leaves the room eager to earn the Prince's approval.)

(The Prince slumps back down into his chair and sighs.) Isabella: "What vexes you Sire?" Prince John: "Oh my dearest, all this family squabbling has me overwrought. First Richard dies then my own sister sought to overthrow me. It simply breaks my heart." Isabella: "Sire, as soon as you're crowned King I have no doubt in my mind that you'll reunite your family just as you will unite this country." Prince John: "You truly believe so?" Isabella: "I do, Sire." Prince John: (Sighs:) "Oh, you wonderful wonderful girl. What can I do to reward your loyalty in these troubling times?" Isabella: (Glances at Vaisey, then thinks better of it:) "To see a smile return to your face would be reward enough." (At this the Prince does smile. He lifts his hand as if to place it upon hers but hesitates. Sensing this, Isabella gently takes the Prince's hand and kisses the ring that adorns it.) Prince John: (His voice breaks:) "Isabella. (Coughs, straightens in his chair:) There is something I've been meaning to ask you. Something that, given my family's recent turmoil, I've realised I've wanted for some time now." Isabella: (Encouragingly:) "Yes, sire?" Prince John: "I wondered... (He stops and takes a drink from his goblet:) I wonder if you would do me the honour of becoming my wife. (Isabella's eyes widen at this and travel to the Sheriff who is also in disbelief:) You see, once I'm King there'll be all sorts of official state visits and ceremonies and I just couldn't bear the thought of going through them alone. Your counsel, your friendship and... your love have been of great comfort to me in these trying times." Isabella: (At a loss for what to say:) "S-sire I'm speechless. I... well you know I've not been fortunate in the ways of love in my past." Prince John: "Of course, dear girl and I understand your hesitation. But you must know that I would do nothing to harm you in any way. Once I’m crowned King all my struggles and sins will have been worth it. If you were by my side I just know I’d be the man England deserves as their King." (At the Prince's earnest words Isabella is torn. For her, the thought of marriage would be like returning to a prison cell. Though a refusal of the Prince's proposal may just land her back inside one anyway. Realising she has only one choice, she closes her eyes.) Isabella: "I would be honoured to become your wife, sire." Prince John: (Watches her face closely:) "Truly?" Isabella: "Yes, with all of my heart." (The Prince visibly relaxes, the smile returning tenfold to his face.) Prince John: "Oh this calls for a celebration! We must prepare straight away. We shall marry here in Nottingham before we leave for London. It'll be a chance to show the people there's no hard feelings over their uprising. Yes! Oh I can hardly wait!" (As the Prince continues his excited exaltations, we can see the mortified expression on the Sheriff's face.)

[taikoturtle]

Mini Trimberly fic

Dedicated to @gay-ass-sideblog​ who gave me the tumblr prompt “telling the rest of the rangers they’re together”. I couldn’t start writing until after work and I had a million ideas for this (initially more humorous I don’t know what happened??) but I hope you enjoy it. :)

Read it on AO3 

Rated M? Some allusions to sex, a little bit of violence, but nothing too crazy.

More under the cut

“Trini, we should really–”

The rest of Kimberly’s words catch in her throat as the shorter girl’s mouth presses against her neck in a series of feverish kisses, each one shooting waves of heat through her body and melting her from the inside out.  

Kimberly’s breath exhales in shaky, drawn out bursts as if she was actually in control of the relentless desire boiling to the surface, but she knows it’s a damn lie and just a couple more minutes is all it would take to hurl her past the point of no return.

They shouldn’t be doing this – especially not here of all places.

Kimberly can feel the cool tile of the girl’s bathroom wall at school rubbing against her back – a stark contrast to the raging inferno of her skin – as Trini closes whatever miniscule gap that remained between their bodies by leaning in with all her weight.  Her heart hammers away in her chest with such force that she’s almost certain Trini can feel it too.

She feels a hand snake under her shirt and palm at her stomach. Trini’s hands are the perfect mixture of soft and gentle, yet firmly demanding and her touch instantly short-circuits Kimberly’s senses. A quiet moan escapes her lips, surprising her enough into a vaguely lucid state long enough to string words together.

“I’m… missing AP biology… r-right now.”

Trini pauses and laughs – an actual genuine laugh – relenting in her onslaught for a brief moment to address her concerns.

“This ain’t enough bio for you, princess?”

Her breath is hot against her skin and Kimberly shudders involuntarily as a small smile tugs at her lips. “God, you’re so lame.”

“Whatever, you know you like it.”

In a flash, Trini’s lips are back on her neck, her teeth biting down just hard enough to elicit another moan, much louder than before, as Kimberly throws her head back against the wall because she's definitely loving this.

Her eyes squeeze shut and she’s far beyond the point of self-control, so she figures fuck it, who even needs bio these days? It’s not like missing one class will be the end of the world.

So she squeezes Trini tighter, drawing her in closer than anyone has ever been before, closer to her heart than she’d ever admit out loud, and lets herself get lost in the moment.

//

Kimberly doesn’t know when it started.

Sure, she can pinpoint the exact moment when she thought holy shit this girl is hot – it was while they were doing just a routine training, because goddamn the vivid image of Trini in a low-cut tanktop with glistening skin – but the gradual developing feelings over time? Hell no.

Was it their first one-on-one at their favorite coffee shop?

Or was it when she pulled Trini down into the ravine for the first time? Her eyes wide all at once with fear, shock, and rage as if shouting I can’t believe you just fucking tricked me.

Could it have been when they were being pushed back into the pit against Goldar, hope seemingly lost and their lives all but forfeit?

No, she doesn’t know when it started but what she does know now is that she’s falling hard for this pint-sized, feisty ranger and she really couldn’t care less.

About a month after Rita Repulsa’s failed attack on Angel Grove, they were fighting off another terrible villain claiming to be all-powerful and beyond their mortal comprehension. With a name like Lord Zedd? Yeah right, whatever.

Regardless, he gave them a good run for their money, what with a large zord to match their own and immense strength in his own right, but more importantly he essentially served as the catalyst to Kimberly’s emotional epiphany.

Trini’s zord had been struck hard by an oversized monster, courtesy of Lord Zedd, and launched into a hill before catching fire. She struggled to crawl out of the cockpit amidst the burning flames and though she seemed to be holding up just fine, the moment she stood up on the snout of her sabertooth tiger her legs gave way and her body collapsed like a rag doll.

All the way up in the sky, Kimberly sensed Trini’s energy slowly beginning to fade, and when she laid eyes on her crumpled figure, something in her utterly snapped.

Screaming with fury, she unleashed a maelstrom of rockets and lasers - any and every firepower at her disposal she just let the monster have it. The Ptera zord rained down destruction on the oversized beast, and though the others followed suit with their own range of weaponry, nothing rivaled the unbridled rage coursing through Kimberly’s veins.

When the dust settled and the monster was vanquished, Kimberly piloted her zord over to be the first one over to Trini. Leaping down from her own machine midair, she landed roughly in a somersaulting roll before skidding to a stop by the yellow ranger.

She yanked off Trini’s helmet to give her more space to breathe, revealing a scratched up, battered face, and it took all of Kimberly’s willpower not to scream and break down into a sobbing mess.

“Trini. Trini! Don’t you dare do this to me!”

She pulled the smaller girl into her arms and cradled her tenderly before it suddenly hit her like a tidal wave. Flashes of memories, snippets of their time together brief as it may have been, but it all came together and inundated her senses with unbearable emotions until she was one step away from the edge of oblivion. Kimberly cared for her on such a deep level that she felt like a blindsided fool for not knowing how she couldn’t recognize it before.

This moment of loss, this level of absence, the absolute void that was threatening to form in her heart and swallow her whole - it all pointed to one glaring conclusion that seemed so painfully obvious in retrospect.

Pulling off her own helmet, Kimberly pressed her forehead to Trini’s and felt warm tears trickle down her cheeks.

“You dummy. Don’t leave me. You can’t leave me - please. ”

The rest of the zords started to catch up to their location and through the cacophony of grinding metal and roaring flames licking up around their surroundings, Kimberly could only focus on the rough cough that reverberated through Trini’s body like a miracle.

“W-who you callin’ a dummy?”

Kimberly didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry, and instead managed an ugly combination of the two resulting in an unceremonious choked snorting sound. It was ugly and on any other day she’d loathe for anyone to hear it, but all that mattered was that Trini was safe in her arms and very much alive.

Trini’s arms wrapped loosely around Kimberly for support in more ways than one and she whispered weakly for just her to hear.

“I’ll never leave you.”

The bond between the two shifted that day. Kimberly hated herself for not realizing how she felt sooner, how it took Trini nearly dying again for her to see it so crystal clear, but somewhere along the journey of becoming rangers together and fighting off evil, she developed feelings for this feisty yellow ranger and now she can't imagine her life without Trini in it.

//

“We’re going to have to tell the others.”

Kimberly munches on a donut thoughtfully as Trini’s words cut through the mellow drone of ambient noise in their favorite coffee shop.

“I mean, c’mon, you know they’ll find out eventually. Especially Zack. The dude is insane and can probably hear us talking about him right now through weird telepathy or some shit. Plus what if this affects our morphing abilities?”

Trini takes a bite of her own donut covered with a healthy layer of sugar, and though her words always poke fun at their black ranger comrade, Kimberly knows it’s always just a front – Trini and Zack are nearly inseparable. They’re the dynamic duo of mayhem to the point where if Trini isn’t with Kimberly, then they know she’s with Zack.

It’s a ‘bromance’ made in heaven, according to Zack who enjoys exclaiming this fact out loud as they train against putties, to which Trini merely rolls her eyes with exasperation in response, but when she turns away and thinks nobody is watching, a small grin overtakes her features. It’s a minute gesture that never escapes Kimberly and reminds her that becoming the power rangers meant welcoming a new formed family.

No matter how rough things may get, they know they would always have each other.

With their powers constantly keeping them finely in tune with one another though, Trini does make a valid point that any secrets could possibly begin to disrupt their synchronicity.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Kimberly keeps her gaze averted to her half-eaten donut rather than look the other girl in the eyes.

“We’ll tell them. Eventually.”

The clatter of cups and chatting customers fills the gap of silence that follows, and when Trini doesn’t respond, Kimberly glances up and her heart sinks. Trini’s shoulders are slumped, her eyes low and crestfallen, and her overall aura likens to that of a deflating balloon.

Kimberly can practically feel Trini’s disappointment as her own, radiating out in a near tangible fashion, as if it’s reaching out and touching her soul through their power ranger connection, and suddenly her heart feels suffocated and heavy like an anchor cast out at sea.

She reaches out and takes Trini’s free hand in her own, lacing their fingers together in a comfortable, intimate grip as if they were made for each other, and gives her a reassuring squeeze.

I’m not ashamed of you, I swear.

These words flash through Kimberly’s mind and as Trini looks up and into her eyes, the pain in her chest diminishes somewhat.

She knows telepathy isn’t a thing, or at least she really hopes it isn’t considering all of the things that have run through her mind when they’re alone together, but she can’t seem to find the right words to say to put Trini at ease.

Truth be told, Kimberly doesn’t know why they haven’t told the rest of the group. It’s always boiled down to ‘this just isn’t the best time’ or something along those lines, but honestly when is it ever a good time?  

There’s no fear as to whether the group would accept it, seeing as how they seemed fine when Trini made her nondescript declaration at the campfire some odd months ago, so that reason for hesitation is out of the picture.

Nobody seemed romantically interested in anybody else within the group, as far as she could tell anyways, so no toes would be stepped on and no feelings would be hurt. Another reason for hesitation scratched off.

So that settles it.

“We can say something by the end of the week. That sound okay to you?”

Kimberly proposes a sort of pseudo-ultimatum, one that if it fails to follow through wouldn’t spell the end of the world, but would still mean a great deal to Trini.

Nodding with renewed vigor and higher spirits, Trini cocks her head to the side and smiles gratefully.

“Sounds perfect.”

//

“Where are Trini and Kimberly? They were supposed to be here by now!”

Jason paces around the cliff top above the ravine, dust kicking up in his wake as he checks his watch every couple of minutes as if it would help the two girls magically appear out of thin air.

“W-well they have been acting awfully strange this past week. Perhaps they are in the middle of an argument? Maybe some personal issues have arisen?” Billy proposes, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of the absent rangers.

“Personal or not, we have training to keep up with,” Jason retorts, annoyance dripping in his words, “and we have to stick by it or we’re going to get our butts kicked if we start getting lazy.”

A light breeze blows through the air, rustling the plants and adding to the dust kicking up from Jason’s impatience. Nobody could blame him though. The bright overhead sun, coupled with relatively clear skies spells the perfect day for outdoor activities. Biking, hiking, sports, pretty much anything would be better than being cooped up in an underground alien facility yet here they are, ready to put in their time.

“Dude, let’s just start without them. I’m sure they’ll catch up later,” says Zack before diving down into the water below.

Billy shrugs his shoulders in agreement. “We shouldn’t be held back from our training just because the girls are late. I do believe we should begin and they’ll get here when they get here.”

Grumbling because it’s definitely not okay for members of their team to just go rogue, Jason finally acquiesces and figures he has no other choice but to go along with the members who are actually present.

“Fine, you’re right. We’ll get started on our own, but if they’re not here in a half hour then I’m going to go looking for them. They could just be slacking off but what if there’s a problem? What if they ran into trouble? What if--“

His voice trails off and images of Rita flashes through his mind and he thinks of the terrible things that almost came to pass. He thinks of his team who he led recklessly into danger, of his team who was willing to die with him to defend the world, of his team member who actually did die to selflessly protect everyone.

A hand rests on his shoulder and Jason looks up into Billy’s twinkling eyes, his infectiously optimistic smile lifting a weight off his shoulders that he barely knew was there.

“Jason, I’m sure they’re fine. Can we go train now? I really need to be home in two hours or my mom is going to have some very stern words with me.”

Chuckling softly Jason nods. “Yeah, let’s go.”

The pair dive into the deep ravine like it’s second nature and swim through to the power rangers headquarters. They navigate through the winding underground rock paths and though in the very beginning it seemed cavernous and infinitely maze-like, now it just feels like home.

With their eyes adjusted to the darker light of the tunnels, the pair spot Zack doing push-ups on the ground outside of the entrance to the training room. Upon hearing their arrival, he shoots up and claps his hands together eagerly.

“Took you long enough! Okay so I was thinking that maybe after our typical hand-to-hand combat we can take the zords out for a spin, do a little group training, maybe do some cool tricks and—“

“Last time you took a zord out for a ‘spin’ you almost crashed it on us.” Billy says very manner-of-factly, his eyes contorted in a curious frown.

“Okay, that was like, one time and that was so long ago! We pilot our zords all the time now, why can’t we do something more awesome?”

Continuing to walk towards the makeshift training room, Jason rubs his forehead and sighs.

“No Zack, we’ve gone over this before.” He pauses momentarily before they finally leap down into the training room, or ‘glorified cave’ as Zack once called it, and continues on.

“No tricks, no stunts, no joyrides, no—oh my God!”

Zack's head whips into the direction of Jason's line of sight and he instantly falls to the ground, cackling like an elated child, because he sees exactly what stopped Jason in his tracks mere seconds after the exclamation. Kimberly had been leaning up against one of the larger rock formations, but with Jason’s yelp she had practically shoved the other girl away in panicked surprise.

Sprawled out on the ground like a kicked puppy, Trini scoops up her shirt and quickly shoves it over her head in an attempt to make herself somewhat decent as Kimberly scrambles to put her pants back on. Wiping her mouth unabashedly, Trini smirks at her girlfriend.

“Looks like we didn’t have to say anything to them after all.”

The remark garners her a light slap on the back of her head as Kimberly’s face completely flush from embarrassment shoots her a look of indignation, but Trini thinks the boys’ expressions are totally worth it.

“In-in here? Why. How. Wh-what? What you were you doing?!"

Jason’s shrill voice echoes through the training room before Billy chimes in.

“Well I think they were having se-“

“THANK YOU BILLY.”

[robinhoodrevisited]

The Hunted & The Captured (pt.4)

Nottingham Castle. Courtyard. (Palmer sits cross-legged in the birdcage. Isabella runs into the courtyard to him. Palmer stands as he sees her approaching.) Isabella: “You are going to help me.” Palmer: (Confused:) “Am I?” Isabella: “You’re scheduled to be executed. This is your last chance to save yourself.“ Palmer: “Mm. You’ve convinced me.” Prince John: “Where is he?” (Prince John comes quickly through the gates. Isabella runs to him, pointing back at Palmer.) Isabella: “Our prayers have been answered, sire.” Prince John: “Has he really found a victim of the disease? Really?” Isabella: “He saw someone in Locksley. I couldn’t believe my ears.” Prince John: (to Palmer:) “Is it true?” Palmer: “Yes.” Prince John: “Oh, this is so exciting!” Palmer: “I saw the poor pitiful pauper when Robin Hood held me captive. I was sure it was scrofula.” Prince John: “Why didn’t you tell me?” Palmer: “Because you put me—because the guards put me in this cage.” Prince John: (to Isabella:) “What do they think they’re doing? The man’s my physician! (to Palmer:) Are you sure it’s scrofula?” Palmer: “Yes. (Isabella catches his eye with her finger and puts it to her chin.) Completely and utterly certain.“ Prince John: “The nobles will have their proof of my divine right to be king. Physician, you will bring this person to me tonight. In front of all the nobles... I will cure them and prove myself their rightful king.” (Turns and leaves. Palmer looks wide-eyed at Isabella. Isabella smiles at him and follows Prince John. Guards come forward to release Palmer from his cage.)

Barnsdale Forest. (Robin stops running on the top of a rise and looks over the edge to check for anyone following. The Queen stops near the top.) Queen Eleanor: “Oh!” (Little John pulls her up the hill by the hand and leads her on as Legrand crests the rise.) Little John: “This way.” (Robin turns away from the edge and starts to run, but the Queen stops.) Queen Eleanor: “I must rest. I can’t... I can’t run any more.” Robin: “We really shouldn’t, Your Majesty. (Legrand passes Robin and takes up watch over the forest.) The Sheriff’s men could be on us at any minute. (The Queen glares at him and heads for a boulder on which to sit. Robin relents.) A few moments, then.“ (Much, up the hill next, glances with concern at Robin.) Queen Eleanor: “Oh! (The Queen sits, pulling Little John down next to her as Robin sits near her feet, watching the forest. Little John starts to get up and she pulls him back by his coat. He glances uncomfortably at her.) Oh. (Unfastens the clasp of her cloak at her throat.) Robin, you gave up a life of ease to be hunted down (Much, sitting and leaning against a tree, looks meaningfully at Robin out of the corner of his eye, supporting the Queen’s thoughts.) like a common outlaw. (Drops the cloak behind her.) Strange choice.” Robin: “It’s an easy choice... (Legrand looks back at him.) ... when the country’s being run by corrupt men such as the Sheriff and Prince J—” (Little John looks out of the corner of his eye to see the Queen’s reaction to Robin’s words. She merely sighs.) Queen Eleanor: (Quietly:) “Hm.” Robin: (Looks down, then at the Queen.) “I speak out of turn. I’m...I’m sorry.” Queen Eleanor: “Do you always seek out trouble?” Robin: (Laughs.) “No. Trouble has a habit of finding me.” (Little John is deliberately looking away from the Queen.) Queen Eleanor: “It’s the attraction of excitement. Like the excitement of attraction. (The Queen claps her hand on Little John’s shoulder. Little John flinches, sitting up straighter.) What do you say?” Little John: (Not knowing how to reply:) “I, er... erm...” Queen Eleanor: (Looking at Legrand:) “I like the quiet ones.” Sheriff: (From a distance:) “Find them!” Legrand: (Holding back a hand to them:) “Shh!” Sheriff: “Find them now! (Robin, Much and Little John stand and look towards the voice. The Queen grudgingly gets to her feet.) You’re a tracker! Track!” (The Sheriff and his mercenaries gallop through the forest below them.) Robin: (Looking back at the Queen:) “That’s the Sheriff.” Queen Eleanor: “I c—I can’t run any more.” (Gathers her cloak in her arms.) Robin: (Looks up in frustration, then at Little John.) John? (Nods towards the Queen. Little John looks incredulously at the Queen. The Queen returns his look with an eager smile and a nod. Little John looks at Robin, agape. Robin stares back at him. Little John sighs and relents. He turns around to face the Queen as Much retrieves his staff.) Apologies, Your Majesty.” (Little John picks up the Queen and puts her over his shoulder like a sack.) Queen Eleanor: “Please! I’m rather enjoying myself.” (Legrand lets his laugh ring.)

Nottingham Castle. Marian’s chamber. (Marian looks out the window to the courtyard below and sees a noose being set up on the gallows. She tries to breathe steadily and keep her composure. The door opens. Marian turns around. An unhappy Allan holds the door open for Gisborne, who steps inside and sets a tray on the table. Marian goes over to him as Allan steps back outside and closes the door.) Marian: “Please...” Gisborne: (Looking ahead:) “You’re in league with Robin Hood—” Marian: (Interrupting:) “No—” Gisborne: (Ignoring her outburst:) —an outlaw. I warned you the sentence would be death.“ Marian: “I was the Nightwatchman years before Robin returned.” Gisborne: (Faces Marian.) “Don’t take me for a fool! (Turns around and walks away towards the bed.) It all fits. The way that you behaved with me, your little rides into the forest... (Faces and points at her.) You were trusted here at the castle by all of us—“ Marian: (Interrupting, looking down:) “I know.” Gisborne: “Every moment... that I thought you were a friend to me, you were betraying me.“ Marian: “I wasn’t!”

Gisborne: (Steps towards Marian slowly.) “Every day Marian bites her finger to keep herself from crying. that I grew more and more to love you, you were mocking me.” Marian: “It wasn’t like that. I cared for you! I still care for you!“ Gisborne: “Shh. (Holds up a gloved finger at Marian’s lips. Quietly:) You are a liar.” (Glares into her eyes a moment, then turns to go to the door.) Marian: (Earnestly, tears welling up:) “I stayed at your side... (Gisborne stops at the door, but doesn’t turn around.) ... when Prince John’s men were threatening Nottingham. I could easily have left you!” Gisborne: (Leans back his head and scoffs, then looks at Marian.) “You are nothing to me.” (Opens the door and starts to leave.) Marian: “So you would rather I was put to death... lose everything we’ve ever had or ever could have?” Gisborne: (Menacingly:) “I’ve lost far more than that already.” (Gisborne closes the door behind him, leaving Marian frustrated and hopeless.)

Barnsdale Forest. (Robin leads Legrand, Much and Little John, who is still unceremoniously carrying the Queen, into a ravine.) Robin: (Loud enough for their pursuers to hear:) “We keep heading east!” (They run a few paces, then Robin holds up his hand to stop them. He looks up at the walls above, which appear empty. They all look around as Little John catches them up with alarmed look. Robin looks all around.) Queen Eleanor: “What is it? Why have we stopped?” (Two mercenary archers run up to the ravine’s edge and draw. Three more appear on the opposite ridge. The Sheriff and three more mercenaries climb up the hill towards Robin.) Sheriff: “This, my lady, is an ambush. (Robin switches his bow to his left hand and pulls an arrow from his quiver. Raising his arms, indicating the men on the ridges:) Such a charming scene.” (Two more mercenaries appear behind Much and Little John. Much throws the Queen’s cloak, which he has been carrying, aside and draws his sword. Little John sets the Queen down.) Queen Eleanor: “Thank you, Big Bear. (Little John nods. The Queen strides forward.) I presume for the right price, Sheriff, you’d be willing to let us go?” Sheriff: “No-no-no, Your Majesty. You’re worth far more to me than jewels.” Queen Eleanor: “You do not scare me.” Sheriff: “Oh! Such spirit, hm? Bring her and kill the rest. (Legrand charges at the Sheriff with the end of his staff.) And him.” Much/Robin: “Legrand!” (The two archers shoot and hit Legrand in the back. Two of the three mercenaries by the Sheriff draw and charge. Undaunted, Legrand swings his staff into the jaw of one. Robin draws and shoots the third squarely in the chest. Legrand uses his staff to push the first into the second. Robin aims up at a mercenary rearing back to throw a spear as Legrand pulls his staff back and swings it over his head. Robin lets loose and the spear thrower falls into the ravine with an arrow in his chest. Legrand whips his staff into the back of the first man and knocks him to the ground. The second charges in with his sword and Legrand catches it with his staff, twists it away and brings the butt end around to knock him in the face. The Sheriff stands alone. Legrand swings his staff over his head, looking maniacally at the Sheriff, who steps back. As Legrand starts another swing overhead, an archer shoots him in the chest. The long end of the staff drops to the ground. The Sheriff eagerly steps forward. The Queen takes a step forward, worried. Legrand breaks off the arrow, keeping hold of the staff behind him. Legrand puts both of his hands on his staff over his head, intending to bring it forward, but the Sheriff pulls a long dagger out of his coat and stabs Legrand, who finally falls to the ground. The mercenary archers shoot into the ravine. Behind them, Will, Djaq and Legrand’s Man 1 charge at them.)

Will/Djaq: “For the Queen!” (The mercenaries turn. Will attacks an archer, swinging his broadaxe. The man dodges him. Djaq and Legrand’s Man 1 attack with swords as Will ducks a swinging bow. Djaq’s foe ducks her first swing, but she comes at him with a backhand across his belly as he stands. Will, dangerously close to the edge, steps back to avoid the bow as Legrand’s Man 1 battles on.) Sheriff: “Why is nothing ever simple?” (On the opposite wall, Legrand’s Man 2 knocks the arrow from an archer’s bow, then kicks him in the chest. The Sheriff reaches down to a mercenary at his feet and takes his sword. Robin, abandoning his bow, edges towards the Sheriff. Little John escorts the Queen behind a boulder.) Little John: “This way. (The Sheriff swings at Robin. Robin jumps back. The Sheriff swings back and Robin jumps back again. The Queen crouches behind the boulder as Much prepares to defend himself against the two mercenaries.) Get down and stay down! (The Queen nods meekly with no intention of disobeying or chastising him for his disrespectful manner. Adds:) Milady.” Much: “Well, come on, Big Bear! (The two mercenaries converge on Much, who blocks the first’s overhand blow, then grabs his sword arm with his other hand and spins him round to Little John behind him, but takes a punch in the back from the second. Little John knocks the first out with his staff. The Sheriff swings overhand and Robin ducks under his arm, jabbing his fist into the Sheriff’s stomach as he does. The Sheriff doubles over as Robin seems to dance, spinning round behind him, pulling another arrow from his quiver and brandishing it at the Sheriff. The Sheriff turns and swings forward, knocking the arrow away. He swings again and Robin ducks, then rises, reaching back for another arrow. The Sheriff swings backhanded, and Robin grabs his arm and slaps the arrow at his cheek, but the Sheriff grabs Robin’s hand, then steps back and pulls Robin past him onto his back. Meanwhile, Will catches a mercenary’s sword with the blade of his axe and arcs it over his head, twisting the hilt from his opponent’s grip, then comes back and slices him across the belly. Djaq has done a similar manoeuvre and swipes at the mercenary’s stomach. Legrand’s Man 1 swings, but is blocked by a shield as Will runs over. Little John hits the second mercenary in the jaw with his staff, knocking him to the ground. The first one attacks him from behind and Little John raises his staff high over his head to block the sword, then jabs his staff behind him. The Queen pops her head up to look.) Little John: “Stay down!” (Little John reaches back again and jabs his staff into the first man’s side as the Queen ducks down again. He spins round and swings his staff into the first man’s back. On the opposite ridge, Legrand’s Man 2 is battling two men at once. The Sheriff swings his sword and Robin twists to avoid it. The Sheriff swings back and Robin catches his arm and jumps to pull his feet out of the way as he twists the Sheriff’s arm behind his back. The Sheriff screams. Robin kicks him in the buttocks, pulling his sword free, and shoves him forward. The Sheriff grabs a handful of dead leaves and throws them into Robin’s face as a distraction. Will ducks past a mercenary’s overhand blow, then drives his blade into his stomach. Legrand’s Man 1 swings his sword into his opponent’s chest with a forceful blow. Djaq stabs her foe, puts her foot on his chest and pulls out her blade. Legrand’s Man 2 parries, then swings his sword into the mercenary’s back. He quickly turns to parry the second man, then holds the man’s sword arm with his left hand and pulls his sword into the man’s belly. The Sheriff goes to pick the sword up off the ground, but Robin steps on it and punches him. The Sheriff catches Robin’s follow-through with his left hand and attempts to throw a punch with his right, but Robin catches his arm with his left. Robin tries to pull their hands together, then the Sheriff pulls Robin’s right hand forward and bites his forearm. Robin yelps. Much swings his sword into the first man’s helmet. The mercenary falls to his back and Much and Little John stab him together with sword and staff. The second man is already lying dead on the ground. Robin puts his hand on the Sheriff’s shoulder and kicks him in the groin. The Sheriff lets go and Robin punches him in the jaw. He spins and falls face down, unconscious. Robin slowly turns around, watching the Sheriff to make sure he’s not faking it.) Little John: (to the Queen:) “Up now! (The Queen comes out as Little John, Much and Robin move quickly to Legrand. Will, Djaq and Legrand’s Man 1 and then Legrand’s Man 2 look down from above. Little John kneels and takes Legrand’s hand. Legrand stares at him with painful eyes.) A stronger man I never knew.“ Legrand: “The Queen?” (Little John and Much look at the Queen standing behind him.) Queen Eleanor: “Legrand.” (Legrand looks up at her and laughs his ringing laugh. He gasps and dies. Little John sighs. Robin looks away.) Little John: “Him... I liked.” (Little John lays Legrand’s hand on his chest and stands up.)

Nottingham Castle. North exterior corridor. (Gisborne walks down towards Marian’s chamber and sees smoke pouring out from under the door.) Gisborne: “Marian? (Gisborne hurries to the door. Allan is sitting guard on the top of the side steps with his back to the door. to Allan:) Get that door open!” (Allan runs to the door behind Gisborne.) Marian’s chamber. (Gisborne opens the door and sees a smouldering roll of cloth at the edge of the step inside the door. Gisborne sees a chain of knotted sheets tied to the bedstead and runs to the window.) Gisborne: “She’s escaped! Guards! Stop her! Marian! (Allan stomps the fire out. Marian runs out of an alcove into the room towards Allan.) Allan, stop her!” (Allan stands and catches Marian, who knees him in the groin.) Marian: “Get out of my way!” (Allan doubles over, keeping hold of her over his shoulder, and Gisborne pulls her back and throws her face down to the floor in front of the fireplace.) Gisborne: “You little fool!” (He circles around her. Marian lifts her face off the floor.) Marian: (Quietly, bitterly:) “Do you expect me to sit here and wait to be executed?” Gisborne: “No, I expect you to know when you’re beaten! (Allan is on his hands and knees on the floor. to Allan:) Get out. (Allan looks up slowly.) Get out! (Gisborne storms over, pulls him up by the arm, pushes him out the door and slams it behind him.) This isn’t a game, Marian. (Steps towards her.) When the Sheriff returns, you are going to die.” (Turns towards the bed.) Marian: (Half sitting up, looking at the floor:) “Don’t you have the courage to finish this yourself? (Gisborne faces her.) After all my so-called betrayals… (Looks at Gisborne)… you should be glad to do it.” Gisborne: (Raises his hands.) “This is not my decision.” Marian: (Bitterly:) “Then perhaps it should be. After all, you were the one who professed to love me.“ Gisborne: "Well, I thought that I knew you.” Marian: (Rolls over and leans on both hands behind her.) “But this is me! This is who I am, the Nightwatchman, everything! You say you love me and you don’t know me.” Gisborne: “I defended you against the Sheriff countless times, more than you know!” Marian: “And I deceived the Sheriff to help people, and in so doing, I had to deceive you, [softer tone:] and I’m sorry for that. But is it such a crime to follow my heart?” Gisborne: (Putting a hand to his heart:) “Or the way that I followed mine? (Gisborne rushes to kneel at her feet and she backs away.) And always to your door! (Quietly:) Marian, why did you have to put me in this position? Did you even once understand what I was feeling… or thinking? (Marian is silent. Gisborne stands. She relaxes.) When you left, I thought that I’d lost you for good. Perhaps it would have been better if I had.” (Gisborne turns and goes out the door, leaving Marian miserable and ashamed.)