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xenospacebabe · 3 years

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Broken Wings

Hawks drabble

A/N: So I imagine for some reason that regular doctors and surgeons are capable of treating Hawks to a fault. But when it comes to his wings, they’re a bit...lost?

Summary: After coping with treating injuries to his wings by himself, Hawks finds himself with a more serious injury than he can handle. He can’t open his wings, or fly. The pain is mind numbing. He finds himself breaking into an animal clinic for some help.

Warning: Broken bones. Mild language

HawksxReader

7am. The doors don’t open until 8:30, but you still had things to do from yesterday that weren’t even started. Clutching your steel tumblr full of coffee that’ll barely scratch the surface of your exhaustion, you stifled a yawn and crawled out of your car. Barely remembering to lock it. You always parked on the side of the building so as not to take up any spaces in front. The key missed the lock a few times before eventually sliding inside and turning to the side.

The moment you turned on the lights, a couple of dogs in the back already started barking, hungry for breakfast and ready to go home. Your veterinary clinic was modest in size, but it was always busy. It was your father’s practice before he retired and passed it down to you after finishing school. Now it was all yours. It was hard work, but your clients were loyal. Many of them have been around since the place opened almost 30 years ago. You were the vet that people would recommend to their friends who needed help and had struggles affording it. Your clinic was the one that everyone knew cared the most about patients rather than money. And it showed. While your profits were great, it wasn’t what you were concerned the most about.

After setting down your things in your office, you tied back your hair into a high ponytail and took a long drink of your “breakfast.” You looked at the white board on your wall, deciding which surgery from yesterday to start on first. Picking the cat spay, you headed towards the back to get started. Passing surgery and into the kennels, you found your patient and greeted her with a sweet voice and scratches on her cheeks.

“Good morning, Sadie. You ready, sweet girl? C’mon.” The cat whined tiredly as you scooped her into your arms to bring into the surgical room. But when you lifted your head and looked inside you screamed. Unfortunately, this spooked your cat and she bolted out of your arms to hide under the kennels.

“AH SHIT! Sadie! Sadie c’mere girl! Who are you?!” There sitting on your operating counter was a man. A shirtless man with enormous wings that nearly filled the small room. He was covered in decently serious lacerations and wounds that made the surface of his skin look like a blue, black, green, and purple water color canvas. He looked terrible with deep bags under his eyes. However, he looked at you through messy strands of hair that hung in his face with a tired but smug expression.

“Really? You don’t know who I am?” He said, his voice croaking out with a subtle groan of pain. Your eyes shifted from his, those golden pools that shined like the sun, to the massive crimson wings. They, too, looked to be in disarray. Feathers stuck out in random places, others crumpled, many painted in blood. However his left hung in a slightly abnormal manner.

“I’m sorry. You shocked me all of a sudden. You’re Hawks right? What are you doing here? How did you even get in? The doors were all locked.” As you finished your statement, a single red feather lifted in mid air and hovered, showing you its bent up quill. He picked the lock with the feather and locked it behind him.

“Sorry. I just-..mmgghh...I think it’s broken. And the clowns at the city hospital the commission would send me to aren’t capable of fixing it. I found you online, you do exotics, right? Birds and stuff?”

All the while he was explaining his situation, you were assessing his condition. The area that connected the wing to his back appeared incredibly swollen, and slightly out of place. Without thinking, you reached out to palpate the area causing him to immediately flinch and groan out loud.

“Sorry! Sorry. I’m used to my patients being-...well animals. But yes, I’m a small animal and exotics vet. There’s a couple birds I’ve been treating for a long time.” Now this time, as you were talking, Hawks had his eyes trained on you. He was listening to every word you spoke intently. “Some of them were my dad’s patients before he retired. Shows how old they can get.”

Hawks braced the cold steel of the table, crouching forward some. His skin seemed damp with sweat, the pain he was in must have been affecting his body temperature. You needed to act quickly if you were going to save his wing.

“Okay, so. I have to touch it. I need to get a couple xrays to see if we have any breaks and we’ll go from there. I don’t....all I have are sedatives for animals. Would that..?”

“It’s fine, ain’t no pain out there that I can’t handle.” He looked at you with a charming smirk, clearly flexing his pain threshold to impress you. Because he looked you up and down and liked what he saw. Even in those scrubs which were relatively form fitting but patterened in cartoon cats and dogs.

“I’m serious. This is really going to hurt. Are you-“

“I said I can handle it.” Hawks snapped, frustrated with the questions now. He just wanted the pain to stop. And besides, that cute look on your blushing face was too good to miss.

“Alright...well...first you need to help me find my cat that you scared off.”

“You mean this one?” Appearing in front of you held under the arms and the butt by a trio of feathers was your very angry, very sleepy cat. You sighed in relief and retrieved her into your arms. It took some settling to calm her down but you were a natural with all animals. It came so easily. She was comfortable in her kennel when you set her back inside and you felt your brain shift gears.

You first had to get your hands on the wing. Just to get a feel of what you were working with. You’d never seen such beautiful, red feathers before. Even though you saw parrots and other birds daily. These were just...breathtaking. But even the most beautiful wings didn’t stop the pain of broken bones. Hawks groaned behind tight lips when you gently palpated the swollen wing. Inside you felt the distinct break and slight crunchiness that accompanied it. The growling in his throat didn’t frighten you, after all, you dealt with aggressive animals day in and day out.

“Y-you almost finished there, Doc? Agghh...” He finally outwardly complained when you flexed his wing. Your hands were gentle but it was still nearly unbearable. Slowly and carefully, you folded his wing back down into its natural resting position.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I know it hurts. But thank you for holding still. Alright. Let’s do some xrays.”

After some struggling and repositioning, and many awkward brushes of hands and faces, you and Hawks were successful in taking some clear shots of what you determined was a broken wing. You didn’t notice his eyes on you as you explained it to him. The room was dark, illuminated only by the backlight box that made it possible to see the xray photos. But he was studying your face quite intently.

The space between your eyebrows crinkled a little when you would point to a specific spot on the xray in concentration. When you were quiet in thought, your tongue pressed against your cheek or you nibbled your bottom lip. The slope of your nose was accentuated by the pale shine of the light box to make it look like you had a cute button nose. Everything you were saying filled his ears but didn’t register as anything coherent. Eventually, you noticed.

“Hawks? Are you okay? Are you in pain?” Your voice brought him out of the trance he’d slipped into and he blinked rapidly to soothe his eyes. He hadn’t blinked once.

“Oh! Uh-...aheh...I’m fine. And please...call me Keigo.”

“Keigo?”

“Yeah, that’s my real name. Hawks is just my hero name. I can trust you, yeah?” He looked down at you with those eyes that you swore were glowing and swallowed harshly. Suddenly your throat was dry.

“R-right! I knew that. Keigo...so...like I said. The break is pretty clean. Luckily there’s no fragments or splinters that would make a problem.”

“So what can you do to fix me?” He lied, though, about being in pain. Broken bones were painful enough. But a broken bone that carried the heavy weight of his wing was absolutely agonizing. However, years of working as a pro hero conditioned him into hiding his pain from his enemies.

“Well, there isn’t a lot we can do. Other than immobilize the wing so the bone can heal back together.”

That got his attention.

“Immobilize? You mean I can’t-“

“Fly. Yeah. Not forever, but for a while. You’d have to come back every now and then for xrays so I can see how the healing is progressing. Given the size, I’d imagine...6 weeks?”

6 weeks? Of no flying? Hawks hadn’t spent that long out of the sky in so long that he wasn’t sure he remembered what it felt like to walk anywhere. You could see the panic in his eyes, beads of sweat formed on his neck and forehead. So you reached out and placed your hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. He froze, not sure of what to do.

“Sorry! Sorry.” You quickly withdrew your hand. “That’s a habit. I always try to comfort the parents of my patients when they get difficult news.”

“No no, it’s-...you just surprised me.” He reached for your hand and returned it to his shoulder which was still bare. You hadn’t even realized he hadn’t redressed after finishing the radiographs. Your palm rested on his shoulder, his skin was warm to the touch. Your thumb gently stroked the end of his collarbone as you often did to support your clients. Beneath your fingers you felt the impressive muscle he had, in spite of appearing relatively lean, the muscle tone of his torso was quite defined. You imagined it had to be in order for him to fight villains and hold himself aloft while flying.

“I know it’s a difficult thing to hear. Your wings take you everywhere, I’m sure. But this won’t last forever, okay?” Something about your voice was so soothing to his fried nerves. But you’d never know because of how cool and composed he made himself appear.

“You don’t mind?” Hawks felt his anxiety dissolve when he thought about getting to see you next. It was a strange feeling, but he knew he could trust you. Those pretty eyes of yours really spoke volumes.

“Of course not. Now let’s get you taped up and on your way. I’m sure you’re exhausted, no doubt whatever broke your wing has you worn out.”

“Heh you can say that again.” There it was, his suave and too-cool demeanor. But you didn’t mind it. You were sure it was just a front he was used to keeping up. After all, you were just a civilian and he couldn’t afford to let anyone know just how weak he was.

You managed to tape and place Hawks’ wing in a makeshift splint. He refused any medication but you could tell by the way he white knuckled the table that he was in pain. A majority of the time, your patients were under anesthesia when setting broken bones. So you had to be careful this time about how heavy handed you were. By the time you were finished, you had less than 10 minutes to get him out the door before your techs and kennel attendants showed up for work.

“Come see me in a week. We’ll take more xrays and make any adjustments if you need them. Try to keep the splint dry, and rest. I mean it, Hawks.”

“Alright, Doc. I’ll be a good little bird just for you.” The winged hero winked at you as he slipped out the back door. You felt your heart leap into your throat and cheeks burn up as a result. Just as he disappeared, you heard the sounds of your employees coming in and quickly closed the door and composed yourself.

“Morning, Doc!” One of them said as you appeared in the exam area. You smiled and waved, reaching into the pocket of your white coat with your other hand. Something was in there. You looked inside and saw red. A feather. Unbeknownst to you, Hawks had slipped one of his feathers into your pocket. You couldn’t fathom why, but you felt a strange sense of comfort when you ran the tip of your finger along the center spine. It quivered when you did so.

“Ungh...” In an alley a block away, Hawks had to brace a brick wall with one hand. His insides trembled as he sensed you touching his feather. Even he didn’t know why he left one with you. But the thought of parting made him remarkably...sad?

“Get it together, Keigo...” He muttered to himself, shaking his head and continuing back home. It would be a long 6 weeks out of the sky, but at least he’d be able to see you.

A/N: This was longer than I anticipated omg. Does anyone think I should continue?

#winged hero hawks #hawks drabble #keigo takami #bnha keigo #hawks x reader #veterinary #writing #bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero

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marvelsdc22 · 3 years

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Into The Wild West Christmas Special

Intro: Hello, lovelies!! I figured since I can’t give you guys the constant updates to this series like I should, I would bring you guys a christmas special!! This is one of the two big ones I have planned, this will be connected to the series in the future, so I hope you guys enjoy!! :)

Note: It’s Christmas time with the gang and while they don’t celebrate a lot of things, they make sure to go all out for Christmas time! What gifts does Y/N and Kara have planned to give to their crushes? Read to find out!

Word Count: 2335

Heading into Valentine with Arthur, you tugged your heavy coat on you just a little tighter “Why did Dutch send us here again?” You asked, looking at him and letting him lead the way “He couldn’t get away, wanted us to come and pick up some things for Christmas dinner” he said, glancing at you as you guys headed for the butcher “Wait Christmas?” You asked, you having lost track of the days as you dug in your pack for your journal where you had made a little calendar of sorts “Yes Christmas, Y/N” Arthur laughed, giving you a small shove before he stepped up to the butcher stand and started ordering what Dutch wanted him to get.

You furrowed your brow and looked around, you had been meaning to get something for Sadie but the days had gotten away from you, raising a brow when you spotted the gunsmith “Hey Arthur, I’ll be back” You promised him, touching his arm to make sure he was paying attention before you headed over to the gunsmith, barely stepping foot into the store when the owner greeted you “Hello there, little lady, what can I get for ya?” He asked, leaning on his hands on the counter and watching as you approached “What kind of pistols do you have?” You asked, looking at him and watching as he gave you a small smile before pushing the catalog in front of you “Take a look”.

After about ten minutes and about 300 dollars later, you carefully put the new LeMat Revolver in your pack, looking around and see Arthur struggling to carry all the items in his hands back to the wagon you guys arrived in, you taking off to catch up to him “Give me some of those, dummy” you scolded, taking some of the items from him to help lessen the load “So, what’d you get?” Arthur asked after the two of you split the items “None of your business” you said simply, giving him a smirk before you both headed for the wagon “We have one more stop to make” he said, knowing you were hiding something, but he wasn’t going to push the matter “Alright, lets get to it then” you said, hopping into the front of the wagon and taking the reins “I’m driving!” You said, barely giving him the chance to get settled in the front with you before you took off.

“Do we have everything?” You asked, loading the last bit of gifts into the wagon “We do, lets head back to the camp” Arthur said, dusting his hands off after tying down the items “I’m driving this time” Arthur said, causing you to pout as you got in the front of the wagon with him “Come on, I’m not that bad of a driver” you said, looking at him and sighing and rolling your eyes when he gave you a look “It was one tree!” You pouted, crossing your arms and ignoring his laugh as he had the horses move forward.

Once you guys got back to camp and got everything unloaded, you looked around and saw Kara and Lena talking with Alex and Maggie, digging in your pack, you pulled out the four gifts that you had gotten them, walking over to their small group “Hey guys… I got you guys something” you said, handing them their gifts and watching as they raised an eyebrow at you “What is it?” Kara finally asked, giving you a confused look and you smiled “Pull them” you said, watching as they all did and a decent sized dagger appeared from the sleeves “Those can be the difference between life or death in sticky situations” you said, watching as they looked at them, each of them having different designs and colors depending on each of them “Thank you… We don’t have anything for you though-“ Alex said, getting caught off by you waving a hand “Don’t worry about it, you guys are one of us now” you said, looking at them and shoving your hands in your pockets “I’ll see you guys for dinner tonight, Merry Christmas” you said, heading off towards your spot and hearing them say it back.

xxxxxx

Kara watched as you headed off and grabbed Sid before you rode off into the woods, knowing you were going to your spot then she looked at the others “We should get her something… She’s done so much for us here” she said, looking over when Maggie spoke up “But what could we get her? We don’t know this world very well” she pointed out, which was a good point since they all had only dropped in a month ago and there was still so much more to see “Lets head into town and split up there” Kara suggested, standing up and dusting herself off, all of them heading for their horses before they took off for Valentine.

After a bit, they arrived at Valentine and hopped off their horses before tying them up “Alright, split up and come back here once you’re done” Lena said, looking at the other three before everyone split up, Kara heading for the clothing store and looking around “Can I help ya?” The owner asked, watching as Kara looked at him and gave him a smile “I was just looking, can I see that?” She asked, pointing at the catalogue and thanking him when he pushed it in front of her, looking through it and stopping when she saw this silver necklace with an emerald pendant in the middle of it “How much for this?” She asked, pointing to the necklace and watching as the owner smiled.

Heading out of the store, Kara secured the necklace in the front pocket of her pack before returning to the horses “Did you find anything?” She asked, looking at Lena, who was petting her horse and watching as she turned to face her “I found some boots that could work, hers are a little rundown” Lena said, looking at Kara “You?” She asked, brushing her hair behind her ear and Kara, unable to help herself as she stared at the movement “No, nothing… Boots work” she stuttered out when she realized she had been staring for too long, Lena was going to be the death of her one of these days.

xxxxx

Sitting down by the river and leaning back against a large rock while you let Sid graze behind you, you pulled out the revolver and ran your thumb along the solid black handle before you reached into your pack for your stuff, pulling out a needle that you had stolen from Tilly, she wouldn’t miss it in the time that you needed it for, setting the revolver on your leg before you set to work, sketching out an intricate design on the handle and being sure to add in Sadie’s initials to it, your tongue sticking out slightly as you worked on the design.

xxxxx

After they bought the boots, they headed back to the camp, seeing everyone running around trying to get everything together for the dinner “Need any help?” Kara asked, looking at Mary-Beth, who gave her a smile “Yes please, help me put these up” she said, handing Kara some tinsel to put around the camp “You got it” Kara said, giving her a smile before she headed off to hang some of it on trees and tents around the camp.

“How’s the decorating going?” Lena asked, causing Kara to jump and nearly fall from the tree she had climbed “Well besides the heart attack you just gave me, it’s going fine” she said, looking to make sure no one was looking before she flew down and landed in front of Lena “So sorry” Lena said teasingly, reaching over and pushing the snow that had landed on Kara’s coat off of her “Sure you are… Everything going well with making the dinner?” She asked, looking at Lena and shoving her hands in her pockets, hoping that Lena wouldn’t notice the blush on her face “Oh, I’m in charge of the drinks, we have a fine selection of beer, whiskey, and rum” Lena said, looking at her and about to say something else when Dutch hollered for everyone to meet at his tent.

xxxxx

Getting back to camp, you heard Dutch calling for everyone to meet at his tent, you staring in awe at the camp since you guys never really celebrated anything, but Christmas was one of the ones that Dutch went all out for, hopping off Sid and tying him up before you headed up to the small crowd, standing behind Sadie and Tilly as you listened to what Dutch had to say.

“Now, I know that things have been a little difficult for us this year… But, we’re going to get through all of this together, I don’t want to hear anything about work or any heists or anything like that today… Today is for us to celebrate our family, the old ones-” he said, gesturing to Hosea “The new ones-” gesturing to Kara and them “The young ones-“ gesturing to Jack “And the forever loyal ones-“ gesturing to you, Arthur, and John “Without all of us, we wouldn’t be the family we are… Now, lets dig in and have a good time tonight” he said, causing everyone to cheer before everyone went to grab food and drinks.

After a few hours, you steeled yourself and approached Sadie “Hey, can we take a walk?” You asked, looking at her and watching as her and Mary-Beth shared a look you’d never seen before Sadie set her beer down and nodded, following you a little ways until you found yourselves over by the cliff on the edge of camp “I got you something” you said, digging in your pack and pulling out the revolver you had gotten her “Merry Christmas” you said, handing it to her and watching as she looked the weapon over, running her fingers over the pattern on the handle “How’d you get this pattern?” She asked, able to see it in the moonlight.

“I did it myself” you said, biting your lip and watching as she looked at you in shock “You did this?” She asked, looking at the weapon once more “Yeah, I thought that you’d appreciate the revolver and that you would like your own design on it-“ you rambled, getting interrupted by her engulfing you in a hug “Thank you, this is an amazing gift” she said softly, pulling back and kissing your cheek before she dug in the pocket of the apron she had on, placing something in your hand before she escaped back to the party, you looking at what she had given you and seeing it was a very crudely made bracelet, but you loved it since you knew she made it, knowing it wouldn’t fit your wrist, so you instead went over to Sid and tied it to his saddle, you would forever treasure this.

xxxxx

Kara watched as everyone split up into partners for dancing, watching as Alex and Maggie slow danced together with Dutch and Molly and Arthur and Mary-Beth “Can I have this dance?” She heard someone ask, looking up and seeing Lena standing there in her large black coat and her long black hair pulled back in a braid, her black cowboy hat off “Sure” Kara said, smiling some and taking her hand, letting Lena lead her to the ‘dance floor’ before resting her hands on her waist while Lena’s were wrapped around her neck.

“Are you doing okay?” Kara asked softly after a few silent moments, having not checked up on her in a few days so she wanted to make sure she was doing okay “Yeah, still trying to find out how to get out of here, are you doing okay?” Lena asked, looking up at Kara since she had slight height advantage on her “Yeah, I’m okay” she assured, giving her a small smile before biting her lip “I have something for you” she said, pulling back slightly and taking her hand, pulling her away from the crowd.

“I saw this earlier and… I wanted you to have it” Kara said, digging through the front pocket of her pack and pulling the necklace out, holding it in front of her and watching as Lena stared at it in shock “Kara… It’s beautiful” she said, running her finger along the emerald gem before turning away from her “Put it on me?” She asked, placing her hand on the pendant when Kara put the necklace on her “Thank you, I love it” she said, turning to look at Kara before she dug in her coat pocket and held a small box out to Kara “I got you something too”.

Kara smiled and took the small box, going and sitting down on a log nearby, Lena following suit and sitting down next to her “You didn’t have to get me anything” Kara said, looking at Lena and laughing when she nudged her “Just open the damn box” she chuckled, watching as Kara opened the box and smiled, pulling out the small brooch that was in the box, it being a jeweled butterfly, blue and red “I love it, thank you” she said, smiling at Lena and pinning it to her pack before the two of them looked up at the stars “If there’s one thing that I love here, it’s that you can see the stars” she said, smiling some and tensing up when she felt Lena rest her head on her shoulder “Me too, makes me wish we didn’t live in a big city” she said, snuggling into Kara’s side and smiling when Kara finally wrapped an arm around her “Merry Christmas, Kara” she said softly, smiling as she looked at her “Merry Christmas, Lena” Kara said, giving her a smile before they went back to looking at the stars which seemed to be even brighter that night.

Permanent Taglist: @rianncreates / @natasha-danvers / @youngandwildx7 / @hopingforbarnes

Supergirl Taglist: @aznblossom / @stop-drop-and-drumroll / @worlds-in-words

Lena Taglist: @life2-live / @wlw-in-space / @ianarec / @thelonewriter247 / @kalistory-blog

Supercorp Taglist: @everything201197

Into The Wild West Taglist: @xixxiixx

End Note: I hope you guys enjoyed!! If you’d like to be added to a Taglist, shoot me a DM or an Ask!! Have a good day/night!! :)

Requests Open

#lena luthor x kara danvers #lena x kara #supercorp #sadie adler x reader #sadie adler x fem!reader #sadie x reader #lena luthor imagine #sadie adler imagine #dc #red dead redemption x reader #red dead redemption 2 #Into The Wild West #Christmas Special

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andrewmoocow · 3 years

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Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 8: Black and White (originally published on January 25, 2021)

Author's Note: At long last, the long-awaited conclusion to Part 1 of Steven Universe: Alternate Future is upon us! This may seem like an innocuous love letter to the mockumentary genre (I even watched This is Spinal Tap on HBO Max for inspiration), but the ending will change everything you will see in this chapter! But I'm through being dramatic, let's boogie!

Synopsis: A Black Rutile and her partner White Topaz want to get answers from Steven.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven, Onion

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst, Ocean Jasper

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl, Black Rutile’s Pearls

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Jennifer Paz as Lapis Lazuli, Zuli, Mean Lapis

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Kimberly Brooks as Cherry Quartz, Jasper

Ian Jones-Quartey as Snowflake Obsidian

Michelle Maryk as Little Larimar

Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon

Aparna Nancherla as Nephrite

Grace Rolek as Connie

Crispin Freeman as Doug

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Priyanka

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Eugene Cordero as Jamie

Joel Hodgson as Mr. Dewey

Reagan Gomez Preston as Jenny, Kiki

Brian Posehn as Sour Cream

Lamar Abrams as Buck

Matthew Moy as Lars

Kate Micucci as Sadie

Alastair James as Rainbow Quartz 2.0

Shoniqua Shondai as Sunstone

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Olivia Olson as Black Rutile's Citrines

Featuring Noël Wells as Black Rutile

And Lauren Ash as White Topaz

"Is the camera ready, Topaz?"

"It's ready, my Rutile!"

"You idiot, you forgot to turn on the lens!"

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry, my Rutile, let me fix that!"

A camera was turned on inside a black-colored dropship, where a matching-colored Rutile in a green visor and white cape sat down in a captain's chair, confident and charming. "Hello, universe!" the Rutile greeted. "My name is Black Rutile, and welcome to Eye on Era 3, the special interview show where we discuss with Gems about the changes a certain Steven Universe brought to our proud culture!"

"And I'm White Topaz!" the Topaz operating Black Rutile's camera turned the lens to herself and cheerfully waved to the audience.

"Uh, Topaz, over here." Black Rutile ordered.

"Oh, sorry!" White Topaz muttered and turned the camera back to her superior.

"Anyways, we've traveled across the stars to chat it up with all sorts of Gems." The Rutile continued ecstatically. "From Pearls free from slavery, to proud Emerald pilots! Agates with no one to order around, Lapis Lazulis thinking they're lost in the world, and even a few fusions here and there! But today, we're gonna get answers straight from the mouth of this so-called "new Pink Diamond" himself!" she stated, making air-quotes while calling Steven the new Pink Diamond.

"My Rutile, we are closing in on Earth." A Citrine piloting Black Rutile's ship announced. "Is there any good spot you'd like to land?"

"Let's try that Little Homeworld place I've heard so much about." Black Rutile suggested. "We're bound to get tons of special guests there."

"Yes, your clarity." The Citrine complied, and she returned to her station.

"In case you were stuck in a Kindergarten for the past couple hundred years, Little Homeworld is where tons of Gems formerly corrupted by the Diamonds at the end of the Rebellion have made their home." Black Rutile narrated over footage of Little Homeschool. "The number one hotspot of this little bit of home is Little Homeschool, where Gems from all over come to learn how to mingle with the life on Earth and let go of the old ways."

"Hey, you think maybe we could go to that place, BR?" White Topaz grinned eagerly.

"Don't forget about our plans." Black Rutile said under her breath to her Topaz bodyguard. "I mean, we should be nearing Little Homeworld any minute now, so stay tuned!"

Gems began to gather when Black Rutile's ship made its landing in Little Homeworld, and the landing door opened to reveal its owner and her sidekick strolling out.

"Oh my, we already have quite a crowd here!" Black Rutile laughed into a microphone. "Now then, I'll pick a few lucky Gems from our audience here to answer some questions about their experiences on Earth." Looking around, Black Rutile managed to pick out Bismuth, Peridot, and Lapis Lazuli from the huddling Gems. "Ah, you three, over there!"

"Us?" Lapis asked.

"Could you care to tell us how life has been on Earth for you?" Black Rutile asked, sticking her microphone out to the trio.

"I've actually been on Earth about as long as Lapis here." Bismuth answered, gesturing to Lapis. "I was one of the original Crystal Gems under Rose Quartz, chosen because I wanted to build whatever I wanted, with no uppercrusts to order me around! But my methods of dealing with the enemy was a bit more extreme than what she was used to, so Rose took one in particular a bit personally and had me poofed & bubbled. In hindsight, maybe Rose was worried that her cover would've been blown."

"As Bismuth said, I was on Earth for a very long time." Lapis began speaking into the mic. "I was supposed to be there for only a little bit to assist in terraforming, but then I got caught in the war and was poofed before being confused for a Crystal Gem. I was interrogated while my gem was stuck in a mirror, but that kind of got cut short when the Diamonds unleashed their final attack and forced everyone to flee. I was left behind by accident, and someone cracked my gem by stepping on it, and years later, I was found by Pearl, who kept me in her gem until Steven freed me."

"Aw, what a happy ending!" White Topaz cooed.

"Yeah, no." Lapis sardonically corrected White Topaz. "After I was freed from the mirror, I nearly drowned tons of people because I wanted to get home, but then home turned out to be a lot different from when I left it. I was once again made a prisoner by Peridot and Jasper, who then invaded Earth because I met the Crystal Gems that everyone thought were defeated in the Rebellion, then I fused with Jasper to protect Steven, which took a number on both of our mental states, I was freed yet again, then I left Earth because I was told the Diamonds might be coming, before coming back only to get poofed by Yellow Diamond."

"Much like Lapis, I was only supposed to be on Earth for a short while to perform my duties." Peridot began telling her story. "I was supposed to check up on the old Galaxy Warp, but then the Crystal Gems kept getting in my way no matter what. Before I knew it, I was without help, without any working technology, and then without my limb enhancers. I don't think I even bothered to ask where the Gems put them."

"A Lapis, a Bismuth and a Peridot. What an unlikely trio." Black Rutile mused. "Tell me, what was it that made you three decide to work alongside each other in the first place."

"Well, it all began when Steven and the Crystal Gems left Earth to convince White Diamond to help them cure corruption." Bismuth said. "I elected to stay behind on Earth to watch over these two."

"Ooh, ooh, can I do a reenactment?!" White Topaz asked, to which Black Rutile responded with a sigh.

"Proceed." Black Rutile muttered, tapping on her camera to produce a light shining on the surface of the dropship. White Topaz began to shapeshift her fingers into various characters, and started a shadow puppet show.

"Bye Bismuth, I'm gonna go to Homeworld and hope we can convince White Diamond to help us save the corrupted Gems." White Topaz said, imitating Steven. "You do you kid. I'm gonna watch over those other Gems while you're away." She continued, now impersonating Bismuth. "Have fun!"

Steven's shadow puppet was raised into the air as White Topaz made rocket sounds, followed by turning more of her fingers into Peridot and Lapis. Black Rutile just gave an annoyed glare to the camera.

"Hey, where's Steven?" White Topaz's impression of Lapis asked. "Oh, him? He ran off to Homeworld with the Diamonds." Her mimicry of Bismuth answered. "Oh my stars, are we too late?!" an aping of Peridot cried out.

"Do I really sound like that?" Peridot muttered as the shadow play went on.

"No little guy, he's fine!" White Topaz's impression of Bismuth continued. "Just something about corruption or whatever."

"Okay, I think we've seen enough!" Black Rutile laughed awkwardly as she interrupted the puppet show.

"Aw, but I was getting to the good part!" White Topaz moaned sadly.

"To be fair, you were almost spot on." Bismuth stated. "When Steven told us through some weird watermelon creature that looked just like him that trouble was indeed brewing on Homeworld, Peridot and Lapis reformed not too long after and we came together out of a desire to help him out."

"United by a common goal, how quaint." Black Rutile smiled and folded her hands behind her back, trying to hide their fidgeting. "Now then, would anyone else like to come up and chat?"

"I would, I would, I would!" Teal Zircon cried as she pushed her way through the crowd. "Hi, name's Teal Zircon, nice to meet you!" she greeted Black Rutile while rapidly shaking her hand. "So, you wanted to learn about my time here on Earth?"

"You're awfully excitable." Black Rutile pushed up her visor by the bridge with a grin. "More to the point, I'd like to hear your story Ms. Zircon."

"Gladly!" Teal Zircon exclaimed. "Like many of the Gems here, I was once corrupted by the Diamonds and became a long-tongued speedster that Peridot tried to capture no matter what, through hell or high water. Eventually, she did succeed, and I was stuck in the barn she and Lapis called home, until the Crystal Gems took me to their place. One day, I was healed by Steven along with a Cherry Quartz and shown around Little Homeschool. That same day, Steven took me along to see a Jasper who didn't want to go to school, and I was willing to become her friend, but I'm pretty sure she hates my guts."

"I'll have to check up on this Jasper sometime." Black Rutile commented. "Now then, anyone else care to share?"

"I'd like to." Zuli answered as she flew up and touched down next to Black Rutile. "I only came here a few weeks ago after Steven recommended the place to a former friend of mine and me. We were terraforming this moon called Aozul 2, but Steven and this other Lapis that we were buddies with back in our terraforming days told us that wasn't cool anymore, so they taught us new ways to express ourselves. I was a lot more accepting, but my ex-friend didn't want to change. To this day, I still don't know where she's at."

"May I go next?" Cherry Quartz asked Black Rutile.

"Sure, go ahead." Black Rutile answered, passing the mic to the Quartz.

"I was an average Quartz soldier made to fight in the war, but then I got corrupted, of course." Cherry began. "Then Steven came along and healed me along with TZ, and introduced us to Little Homeschool. I was a little nervous at first, but while Steven was away, I met up with some fellow Quartzes who told me all about how great it was here."

"I was the first corrupted Gem Steven helped defeat." Nephrite said, taking the mic from Cherry Quartz. "I was actually brought back out a few times, the first was a complete accident & I was poofed soon after, but the second time was when Steven thought he could try to heal me, but instead he reunited me with my old crew."

"Okay, we're running out of time here folks, I got other people to interview, and I haven't got all day!" Black Rutile yelled. "Which one wants to cap off this part?!"

"Little Larimar and I wanna talk." Snowflake Obsidian answered. "Hi, I'm Snowflake Obsidian. This is my buddy Little Larimar."

"We were corrupted Gems too." Larimar said. "I remember when Steven dropped us into that fountain, and we were all right as rain. Then years later, he helped us all find jobs that he thought were right for us, but then hilarity ensued."

"Wow, pretty much everyone here has such nice things to say about Steven." Black Rutile commented while putting on an eerie fake smile. "Isn't there anyone on this planet that doesn't love him?"

"Well, there is Jasper, kind of." Bismuth answered. "I say kind of because I have no idea what's even up with her ever since she was uncorrupted. I mean, she does express a teeny bit of gratitude for it, but she still would rather stay as far away from us as possible."

"To be frank, I wouldn't blame her." Lapis agreed. "Anyway, if you want to interview her, she's in a cave in the woods nearby."

"Good to know, Lapis." Black Rutile thanked Lapis. "I do hope we can see each other again sometime." She laughed as she and White Topaz began leaving Little Homeworld. "Perhaps even sooner than you think."

"We've all had our fun in Little Homeworld, but there's still a Gem we've yet to cover as we move on with our tour of Earth." Black Rutile continued narrating while walking in the woods. "This Gem, in particular, has been living in the woods ever since she was cured of an unfortunate case of corruption, and refuses to join her fellow Gems at Little Homeschool! Well, let's see if she can tell us why."

"Is that where she's living over there?" White Topaz asked as she pointed the camera to a cave with a tarp over the entrance.

"I think you might be right!" Black Rutile exclaimed as she raced over to the cave. "Excuse me, does Jasper live here?!"

"No she doesn't, now get out." Jasper's voice grumbled from within the cave.

"If Jasper isn't here, then who are you?" White Topaz asked, forcing Jasper to emerge from her cave.

"Someone who's going to pulverize you if you don't leave me alone." Jasper snarled.

"But we just wanted to ask about your time here on Earth!" Black Rutile nervously explained.

"Guess what, I'm not interested." Jasper added. "Now let me repeat myself, beat it, or I'm gonna beat you!"

"I think we should do as she says, my Rutile!" White Topaz began sweating nervously and slowly stepping away from Jasper.

"Righto." Black Rutile agreed before they ran away from Jasper. "But trust me, I think she might be useful to us."

"Well, that went horribly." White Topaz commented the farther she and Black Rutile got from Jasper. "Now where are we?"

"I'm not sure." Black Rutile answered while gazing at a terraced house. "But I do believe we have our next interviewee!"

"Which is?" White Topaz asked her superior.

"The residence of one Connie," Black Rutile declared, bringing up data on Connie on her visor, but then stopped at her last name. "Moo-hee-swear-ann. Seriously, how do you pronounce that?" The reporter decided to brush that off with a shrug and proceeded to knock on the door. "Good day Ms. Moo-hee-swear-ann, my name is Black Rutile, here to interview you about your experiences on Earth."

"It's Maheswaran, in case you're struggling to pronounce it." Connie's mother Priyanka corrected the Rutile. "Now, can I help you?"

"Oh, my apologies." Black Rutile said. "You look a lot taller than my data says."

"I believe you have me confused for my daughter, I'm her mother." Priyanka stated. "If you wish to speak with Connie, she's busy with college preparations, so you can only speak for 15 minutes."

"Uh, question!" White Topaz raised her hand. "What's college?"

"So you're doing all this for a TV show?" Connie asked Black Rutile moments later in the living room.

"You could say that." Black Rutile answered with a grin. "I'm working on an investigative report chronicling everyone's experiences with Era 3, and I'm working towards interviewing all the Crystal Gems and their allies, you included little girl. Now tell me, how did you first meet little Steven?"

"Well, it all started a few years ago." Connie began retelling her first meeting with Steven. "I was minding my own business, Steven was trying to get my attention because he wanted to be my friend, but one thing led to another, and we were stuck in a bubble together."

"Not how I'd expect your species to make new friends, but you do you." White Topaz commented with a grin.

"Anyways, it's all thanks to him that I was able to get out of my comfort zone a bit over the years." Connie continued. "I learned sword fighting from Pearl, became able to fend for myself, and we even fused!"

"Yeah, we still find that a little strange." Her father Doug interjected.

"Fusing with humans, just like they said." Black Rutile whispered to herself.

"Did you say something, miss?" Priyanka asked.

"Oh, nothing." Black Rutile covered up what she just said before moving back to Connie. "It seems like you two are just inseparable!"

"Well, mostly." Connie stated. "When Steven let himself get captured by Aquamarine to save everyone, we were all so worried sick for him. And even when he came back perfectly fine, I still felt like this all could've been avoided if we fought together."

"Oh, poor little girl." Black Rutile comforted Connie, though with a secret hint of condescendence in her voice. "It must be hard to lose someone so dear only for them to come back and disregard your feelings by acting like everything's fine."

"It's okay." Connie said. "We did get back together eventually, and now our bond is stronger than ever!"

"Woo, love wins!" White Topaz cheered, inciting yet another angry glare from her boss. "Um, can I do the shadow puppets again?"

"Go ahead." Black Rutile frowned in embarrassment.

"Wait, your documentary has shadow plays?" Priyanka wondered aloud.

"Don't ask me; this was all her idea!" Black Rutile replied grumpily. "What a childish clod."

"Hey Connie, I'm back from Homeworld! Hope no one missed me." White Topaz began another puppet show, this time of Steven and Connie's brief falling out, while trying her best to mimic Steven. "We did kinda miss you, you could've died!" she continued while imitating Connie's voice. "I don't see what the problem is, I'm standing right here!" the Steven puppet replied carelessly. "Well, we could've stopped Aquamarine together, but you gotta make everything about you!" the Connie puppet declared. "So screw you Steven, I'm going home!"

"Wait, I didn't say anything like that!" the real Connie said nervously.

"Sorry kid, I'm just making this up as I go." White Topaz apologized, and just as she was about to continue her show, Black Rutile cut it short. "Aw man!"

"Well, I think we've just about wrapped up here, friends!" Black Rutile announced. "We've got places to be, people to meet, and more opportunities for me to be humiliated by you, Topaz."

"Well, it was nice to see you." Doug said goodbye as the two Gems left the Maheswarans' house. "Hope your documentary is a big hit!"

"Thank you; you're too kind!" Black Rutile waved back and closed the door, allowing some privacy as she scolded White Topaz. "Was it really necessary for you to go all "love wins" on us, you softhearted fool?" she scowled as they began walking away from the house.

"I'm sorry, I just think they're so adorable together!" White Topaz tried to justify her actions, before Black Rutile pulled her down by her collar.

"We have no time for sappy romances!" the Rutile yelled in her bodyguard's face. "We are here to gather information, and that's final! Are we clear?!"

"Yes, your clarity." White Topaz bowed her head in shame.

"Good, now where were we?" Black Rutile tapped on the side of her visor and pulled up a map of the surrounding area. "Ah, yes! Beach City!" she declared while the map began pointing to the little seaside town.

"Ooh, that place sounds fun." White Topaz commented. "Think maybe we could take a vacation there some time, just you and me?"

"Apologies, but we're on a mission." Black Rutile declared as she put the map away. "We'll have time for fun later, but it'll be my choice of fun. Understand?"

"Yes, boss!" White Topaz gave a comical salute, and the two began setting off for Beach City.

"Now then, this place should be full of Steven stories!" Black Rutile announced as the duo strolled into town. "And maybe we could find some of his weaknesses too."

"Hey, check out this funny sign!" White Topaz said while gazing at the sign for It's A Wash. "What do you think is a wash?"

"Hey new Gems, welcome." They heard Greg greet them. "If you came here to sign up for Little Homeschool, you should take it up with the Gems first."

"Oh no sir, we already saw that school." Black Rutile said. "It's all part of a series of interviews I'm doing for my show, Eye on Era 3. Which reminds me, how would you describe your experiences with the Crystal Gems?"

"My experiences?" Greg wondered. "Well, it all started one night when I was just a young rocker on tour. I had arrived in Beach City for a show, and Rose Quartz was the only one who showed up."

"Ah yes, Pink Diamond always had a fascination with humans," Black Rutile interjected. "often at the expense of her own kind."

"Yeah yeah, Pink kinda stunk, but don't we all sometimes?" Greg philosophized. "Like I was saying, Rose was the only one who came to my concert at Beach City, and from then onward, I felt like it was destiny. I even wrote a song about it!" He then walked to his van to search for his guitar, and began to play. "Do you believe in destiny? Close your eyes and leave the rest to-"

"I'm sorry, we have no time for a song." Greg's interviewer cut him off. "Could you please continue, sir?"

"Sorry if I was any trouble." Greg apologized, putting away his guitar. "The Gems didn't have a very high opinion of me when we first met, especially Pearl, but we were still able to get along with each other. Amethyst in particular took a liking to me."

"Speaking of which, are the Gems in town today, or are they off on some magical mission or something?" Black Rutile asked Greg.

"Oh, they kinda retired from going on missions now that everything's at peace." Greg answered. "But, Steven's still at home over there." He then pointed over to the Crystal Temple not too far away from Beach City itself.

"Yes, pay-dirt!" Black Rutile grinned eagerly. "Come along Topaz, we shall hit ratings dynamite!"

"Coming!" White Topaz cried as she raced after her master. "Hey, maybe we can chat with some of the people here along the way! They might give us some good info!"

"It was kinda thanks to Steven that I died and came back to life." Lars admitted to Black Rutile. "But also thanks to him, I came back as a completely new man with my own awesome spaceship, a serious attitude adjustment, and ever since I came back to Earth, I've taken up some combat training in case I ever go back to space and fight new threats, like I learned musti-yuddha from Connie's dad for example!"

"Lars's disappearance got me kind of depressed for a while." Sadie said while her band prepared for practice. "But I found a new way of expressing it with horror-themed rock music!"

"We had trouble finding our sound before Sadie became our frontman." Buck Dewey stated.

"And since then, we became an overnight hit!" Jenny Pizza exclaimed.

"But I have a feeling our differing paths might cause a break-up." Sour Cream admitted.

"Steven had good intentions when he helped me run for re-election," ex-Mayor Dewey said. "but ultimately I lost. But hey, I did find a new calling at the Big Donut!"

"I was having stress dreams about my sister making me do her work, which took the form of a giant pizza monster, until Steven used his crazy dream powers to help me out." Kiki Pizza said.

"I'll admit, I had a crush on Garnet once upon a time." Jamie declared. "But really, can you blame me?! She was just so stoic and radiant and-"

"Get to the point!" Black Rutile sternly ordered.

"I'm sorry, got a little distracted." Jamie apologized. "But I had since moved onto better things, like my future career in the theater!"

"Okay, that should be all." Black Rutile sighed in exhaustion. "Now then, let's not waste any more ti-"

"Wait, I want to talk to you!" Ronaldo cried out as he raced to the Gems with a notebook in hand.

"What do you want?" the reporter grumbled. "We're wasting daylight here!"

"You've been going around asking people questions about Gems, but this time I want to ask you for a change." Ronaldo declared.

"Okay then, fire away little guy." White Topaz said with a smile.

"There are still tons of unanswered questions about your kind that I must inquire about!" Ronaldo said while flipping through his notebook. "Like, for example, do you know who created the Gems in the first place? How was Homeworld first colonized? When did they start colonizing other planets?"

"I don't believe we have time for your questions." Black Rutile snidely shut Ronaldo's questions down before making her way to the Crystal Temple. "Come Topaz, we have work to do."

"Yes, my Rutile!" White Topaz obeyed and followed behind, leaving Ronaldo in the dust.

"You can run, but I will get my answers!" Ronaldo declared loudly, but he was too late. "And they're gone."

"Okay, Topaz, we have to make a good first impression here, so no silly games or shadow puppet shows." Black Rutile commanded as they ascended the beach house's front steps and reached the front door.

"Aw man." White Topaz moaned in disappointment.

"Quit being such a child you moron." Black Rutile exhaled in disgust as she knocked on the door. "Hello, is anyone home?"

"Just a minute!" a voice the two Gems were eager to hear answered as its owner raced downstairs.

"Oh my stars, the moment has come; he's finally here!" White Topaz squealed happily before she received a slap to the face.

"Hello, what brings you here?" Steven greeted Black Rutile.

"Steven Universe, at long last!" BR exclaimed. "I'm Black Rutile, host of Eye on Era 3, and this is my camera-Gem/bodyguard White Topaz! We're here for an investigative report on the state of Earth in this new era, and have been interviewing many of your family and friends."

"You're a bit shorter than I expected." White Topaz commented.

"I see my reputation precedes me." Steven declared. "Come on in."

"Nice place you got here." White Topaz complimented the house as she and her boss were shown inside.

"Thanks, the Gems helped build this place." Steven accepted the compliment. "Hey, I got a question. I've met a Topaz and a Rutile before, but they sound nothing like you. Why is that?"

"We're just special Gems. Comes with being former members of White Diamond's court." Black Rutile answered while sitting down on the couch. "But enough about us, let's talk you! Could you give us a little life story first?"

"If you want." Steven answered while sitting across from the Rutile. "I remember first discovering my powers like it was yesterday. I was super bummed that my favorite brand of ice cream was discontinued, but then the Gems told me they got tons of it from other stores, and taking a bite out of one coincided with me summoning my shield for the first time, which led me to believe I could do so by eating Cookie Cat."

"Hahaha, oh the innocence of youth!" Black Rutile chuckled nostalgically. "I remember when I first emerged for White Diamond. A real young hotshot, a little arrogant even. Could you tell us more about these powers, kid?"

"Over time, I learned tons of Gem powers." Steven regaled. "Like shapeshifting, control over plant life, making bubbles, telepathy, sticking my mind in others' bodies, but fusion gave me tons of new abilities. This reminds me of a story."

"Ooh, shadow time!" White Topaz exclaimed, but her happiness was immediately put to rest.

"What did I tell you?! No shadows!" Black Rutile yelled strictly at her sidekick, and then immediately changed her mood. "Please continue."

"All right." Steven was a little taken aback by Black Rutile's cold behavior towards White Topaz before he began his story. "Anyways, it all started when I had to take care of Onion for the day, and Pearl helped out."

"Thank you Explorer Gal for saving us from that dastardly Bandit Guy!" Rainbow Quartz 2.0 said, taking the role of one of Onion's toys. Onion was playing with Explorer Gal, who thanked the other toy in Onion's unintelligible matter.

"For your heroic efforts, please accept money." Rainbow continued while handing Onion a dollar bill. "Our city was a mess before you came along, but now…." Rainbow then began to break character as they took notice of Onion's messy room. "Well, I suppose it's still a mess." They commented. "It's been so much fun playing, but now we have to clean, which is also fun!" they declared while making a rainbow with their hands. "Are you ready to tidy up?"

Onion stared blankly while slowly sticking a piece of broccoli out of his mouth.

"Oh Onion, don't you be that way." Rainbow 2.0 chuckled. "Your best friend Rainbow will help you tidy up!" Just then, they pulled a parasol out of Pearl's gem. "Let's make things a little more animated in here!"

With that, Rainbow made Onion's toys come to life, and they began marching to their proper places in his room while Rainbow started a song. "Stick by stick, the little blackbird makes a nest." They began singing while making Onion's clothes fly into his dresser. "A mess to some, but the little blackbird isn't stressed."

Rainbow then allowed Onion to give the umbrella a try, making one of the boy's toy cars come to life and race away. "Stick by stick, the little blackbird makes a nest." The fusion continued while Onion marveled at the parasol's powers. "And then he naps, cause even blackbirds need to rest. The fun won't stop if you have a friend around. The fun won't stop if you have a friend around."

As Rainbow began to finish the song, Onion kept playing with the umbrella, making more of his toys come alive, along with a Venus flytrap. "And when you laugh, it is my favorite sound." Onion then discovered some darts in his drawer, and used the parasol to make them fly. "And that's what life is all about."

"What the?!" Rainbow stuttered before dodging the darts, making them land on a dartboard. With that, they finally decided to take their weapon back from Onion while noticing a stack of dirty dishes. "Next time, please wash your dishes." They instructed before sending the dishes off to be cleaned, and then taking notice of a stuffed toy in Steven's image hidden near Onion's bed, eerily waving to them. "And could you please explain what this is?"

Onion didn't answer, aside from blowing Rainbow a few kisses.

"Alright, thank you for the kisses." Rainbow thanked Onion before Steven's phone began to ring. "Just give me five or so minutes."

Rainbow un-fused into Steven and Pearl, and Steven answered his phone. Garnet was on the other end, holding her cellphone extremely close to her face. "Steven, you're late." Garnet said. "I need you for the Sunstone Safety Geminar."

"Oh no, that was today?!" Steven began panicking. "But Rainbow Quartz promised to hang out with Onion today!"

"Don't worry; I'll handle the Geminar." Garnet stated confidently. "I'll explain every possible future where they could get hurt around the house."

"I don't know if that'll be a good idea, I'll be right there." Steven responded before hanging up and turning to Pearl. "Pearl, I'll be back as soon as I can." He promised. "Could you watch over Onion for me while I'm away?"

"Of course." Pearl agreed. "Onion loves Rainbow, I'm sure he'll love me as much."

"In hindsight, that wasn't my best idea." Steven took a break from his tale to confess. "Onion can be a real handful."

"Like, how much of a handful?" White Topaz asked.

"Let's just say, he's a real oddball who loves causing trouble." Steven stated. "I can never really get a read on that guy, no matter how much of a good friend he is. Heck, he doesn't even seem to age normally!"

"So, about this Geminar." Black Rutile began. "You said Rainbow Quartz is a fusion between you and Pearl, but who is this Sunstone running that event?"

"Oh, Sunstone is the fusion of Garnet and I." Steven answered. "They're all hip and radical and like giving important life lessons, kind of like those old PSA characters from the 90s. Speaking of which…"

"I slip on the stairs?" Ocean Jasper wondered while watching a television screen with Garnet, the Heaven & Earth Beetles, and a Nephrite.

"Indeed, and you shatter on impact too." Garnet bluntly replied, causing Ocean and the Nephrite to scream and hug each other in fright.

"Garnet, I'm here!" Steven called as he entered the house.

"Thanks for coming, Steven, but I need help." Garnet stated. "I think I'm scaring our guests."

"It's okay; we got this." Steven assured. "Let's get this safety Geminar started with a very special guest!"

Garnet got up from the couch, and the two began to dance, eventually forming the totally cool fusion Sunstone.

"Your rockin' pal Sunstone's here to shine!" Sunstone announced merrily.

"Watch out Sunstone, it's dangerous here!" Ocean Jasper cautioned Sunstone.

"Not unless you guys practice home safety." Sunstone assured the scared Gems. "Don't slip up. Clear objects off the stairs." They instructed by taking a water bottle off the steps to Steven's bedroom and throwing it like a ball. "Foul shot!"

The bottle landed in a trash can near Lion, which prompted another tip. "Be sure to cover up your trash, or else you'll attract bugs or hungry animals." Sunstone demonstrated as they shooed Lion away from the garbage. "Come on, let's go!" they declared. "Don't waste water. Turn off any faucet still running." Sunstone then shut off the sink. "Put protective covers over your electrical outlets, especially when kids are around." They added while doing just that. "And don't even think about sticking a fork in there! But most importantly, turn off motion smoothing on the TV."

Sunstone then used the remote to operate the television, allowing clearer picture and sound for everyone. "Okay, hold tight gang, gotta take a phone call." They said. "In the meantime, check out this commercial."

"Well, seems like you had things handled." White Topaz remarked.

"Famous last words White Topaz." Steven gravely informed. "Pearl later called me on my phone because Onion was giving her a serious headache, so I came back to her to calm Onion down. Then Garnet was trying to do a home safety obstacle course, but that went horribly wrong."

"Okay, color me wrong." The Topaz guard said. "I suppose hilarity must've ensued?"

"Oh so much." Steven declared. "I tried merging both the Geminar with playing with Onion, but one thing led to another."

"It's important to keep in mind that all of these horrible things did happen to you in alternate timelines." Garnet instructed her seminar attendees near the lighthouse. "Safety rules."

"Hey, Garnet." An exhausted Rainbow 2.0 called for their fellow fusion as they flew in via umbrella, with Onion in front. "Would you mind taking on another student?" they asked as Onion was let off the umbrella. "I'm feeling a mite PLPBBT."

With one last raspberry noise, Rainbow un-fused into Steven and Pearl. Steven just groaned tiredly.

"You shouldn't have brought him here Steven." Garnet forebodingly scolded the boy as Onion took a seat in front of her with the Gems.

"No, no, it's fine. It's good." Steven stuttered, having had enough of the stressful day he had. "No one needs safety training more than Onion! I'm combining all of my responsibilities into one responsibility! It's brilliant, it's brilliant! It's fine. I'm fine. Really, it's fine. I'm fine. I'm fine."

Onion wasn't paying attention the whole time, and instead picked up a blade of grass to play like a musical instrument, hypnotically commanding the other Gems to follow him. And Steven was too busy assuring Garnet and Pearl that he was fine to notice too late what had just happened.

A madcap chase soon ensued, with the three Crystal Gems following Onion and the Little Homeschoolers throughout Beach City, into the woods, and finally to a hill, where Onion let go of the leaf. Despite that, Ocean Jasper, the Beetles, and the Nephrite continued marching to the point of falling over the edge.

"Oh no!" Pearl cried as the Gems fell off the hill.

"Steven, we need Sunstone to save them!" Garnet urged Steven.

"Okay!" Steven yelped, and they fused into Sunstone.

"No, we need Rainbow to save them!" Pearl began arguing with her de-facto superior as she swiped Steven away to form Rainbow Quartz.

"I'll catch them with this!" Rainbow declared as they presented their umbrella.

"Can't all three of us fuse to save them?" Garnet wondered just as Amethyst raced up to them.

"Hey wait!" Amethyst cried. "I need Steven!"

Rainbow un-fused so Steven could speak. "What is it Amethyst?!"

"I miss you, man!" Amethyst yelled. "I haven't seen you in like, eleven minutes! But it felt like even longer!"

Steven couldn't take it anymore, and without a single word, he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

"STEVEN!" Pearl screamed as she raced to Steven's side.

"I shouldn't have overbooked my schedule." Steven groaned one last time before passing out from exhaustion.

"Nooooooooo." Garnet unemotionally cried out in despair.

"Oh-hohohohoho, I know what it's like!" Black Rutile cackled as Steven finished his story. "Must be so hard to be so overworked at such a young age."

"Guess that's what happens when you're running a whole school." Steven chuckled in reply. "So, guess that should be it, right?"

"No, I'd like to speak with Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl first before we wrap up for today." Black Rutile answered, just as the Warp pad began glowing. "Oh, and look who should show up now!"

The core Crystal Gems stood at the Warp Pad, ready to kick back after the long day they had today. "Good thing it was so easy to get that crowd under control." Pearl exhaled. "Still, who was that interviewer they were talking about?"

"I believe that would be me." Black Rutile answered as she stood up from the couch to meet the Gems. "Hi, Black Rutile, intelligence officer of White Diamond turned news reporter. Pleased to meet you."

"I wasn't aware White had a court." Garnet said as the Rutile shook each of their hands. "Pleased to meet you too."

"I just got done interviewing Steven, and he told me the most hilarious story about his troubles with balancing two things at once." Black Rutile said.

"Yeah, things went kinda crazy that day." Amethyst reminisced. "But thankfully, everything went back to normal after that."

"Oh good, the way Steven ended things left me on the edge of my seat!" White Topaz exclaimed while positioning the camera to face the Gems. "One more question before we go, what would you say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?"

"A little oddly specific, but okay." Pearl remarked. "I pride myself on orderliness, swordsmanship, and intelligence. But I can be a bit doting and perfectionist at times."

"I can be kinda foolish and impulsive, but I'm pretty much past that." Amethyst added. "I'm also more street smart than book smart, and super tough too!"

"I'm a very stable fusion, which especially helps in battle." Garnet said. "My future vision is also seldom wrong, unless the current timeline becomes too unpredictable."

"Well, that should be enough for now." Black Rutile said as she entered all of her data into her visor. "Apologies if we couldn't talk anymore, but I've got places to be and missions to go on, so toodles!"

"Hope we can see each other again, Black Rutile!" Steven said goodbye as the two visiting Gems took the Warp Pad back to Little Homeworld.

"Maybe sooner than you think." Black Rutile smirked before they disappeared.

"She's right, we'll be seeing her again many times." Garnet predicted with an adjustment of her glasses. "But none of them will be friendly."

Steven, Amethyst, and Pearl just laughed at Garnet's prediction, ignorant at what could be to come.

Upon returning to Little Homeworld and boarding their ship, Black Rutile and White Topaz finally left Earth and launched into hyperspace.

"Wow, those Crystal Gems really are swell!" White Topaz commented while her superior sat down in her chair. "I don't see why we're plotting against them."

"It's because they've become far too powerful." Black Rutile answered gravely, a far cry from the persona she put up on Earth. "Does Steven really think he can change our entire society with just hugging, crying, singing, and a cheeky one-liner? Bah, I've done so much better without any of those!"

"My Rutile, we should be exiting hyperspace above Revanche 666 in approximately 15 seconds." One of the Rutile's Citrines confirmed. "Would you like to inform your allies of your coming?"

"Bring Emerald up." Black Rutile commanded, cuing a video screen to appear, showing the tall, green Gem pilot on the other side. "Hello there, Emerald."

"Your clarity, has your reconnaissance ended well?" Emerald asked with a bow.

"Indeed it has." Black Rutile answered with a grin. "Those clods never suspected a thing!"

"And we got it all on video too!" White Topaz added.

"Excellent, we'll soon have everything we need." Emerald declared. "We're all waiting for you at the base, hoping you won't disappoint."

"Oh, don't worry, Emerald, I won't." Black Rutile replied. "That will be all." With a clap, the screen disappeared, and the ship exited hyperspace to reveal the skull-like planet of Revanche 666 before them. "Prepare for landing."

When the dropship finally landed at Black Rutile's headquarters, two rows of Pearls patiently awaited their master's return.

"Ah, my Pearls." Black Rutile announced as she disembarked. "When I ordered Shell to create all of you, I knew it wouldn't disappoint."

"Thank you, my Rutile." The Pearls thanked in unison while one of them took the camera from White Topaz. "Your minions await."

"Perfect." Black Rutile purred before beginning her stroll to her meeting room. "Come Topaz, we have much to do."

"Geez, what's taking her so long?" Lapis Lazuli 1J9G-5KL complained as she, Holly Blue Agate, Morganite, Emerald, Aquamarine, and Eyeball kept on waiting for their boss while seated around a round, white table.

"Patience Lapis." Aquamarine soothed her fellow Gem's annoyance. "She did say that she'd be arriving soon."

"The sooner, the better!" Eyeball yelled, pounding her fist on the table. "I want revenge on Steven for making me a pariah, and I want it now!"

"You're awfully eager." Emerald muttered to her fellow eye Gem before turning to Holly Blue and Morganite. "So, how goes that Zircon's democratic campaign?"

"That navel gem Ruby we planted as her campaign manager has been feeding her lies, and the Zircon doesn't suspect a thing!" Holly Blue answered excitedly.

"More and more Gems have been unknowingly swayed to our cause." Morganite stated. "Soon, we shall have an army strong enough to topple even the Diamonds."

Just then, Black Rutile and White Topaz finally arrived in the meeting room, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and salute her. "Welcome, your clarity."

"You're all too kind." Black Rutile thanked them sarcastically as she took a seat between Aquamarine and White Topaz. "I suspect your missions have been going well too, no?"

"Indeed it has my Rutile." Holly Blue revealed.

"That brat has been controlling us all for too long." Aquamarine declared. "Now it's time we take back our planet from those tyrannical pacifists."

"Are you all sure this is a good idea?" White Topaz asked the other Era 3 insurgents. "I mean, the Crystal Gems have become far too powerful to be challenged, and the Diamonds will no doubt come for our gems if they find out!"

"The Diamonds are yesterday's news!" Black Rutile roared, forcing her Topaz into silence. "And speaking of which, Steven may not realize this, but he's no better than his brat of a mother! Thinking he can force all of Homeworld to obey him by being a controlling twerp! Thankfully, he doesn't do so by throwing tantrums left and right until the Diamonds do what he says to shut him up. For now at least."

A Black Pearl entered the meeting room with White Topaz's camera in her hands, and she set it down on the table.

"Thank you my Pearl." Black Rutile thanked the Pearl before turning it on to reveal all the information that she collected on Earth.

"Is this all we need to know about the Gems in time for Phase 2?" Morganite asked her black-colored superior.

"You bet it is." Black Rutile declared with a sociopathic grin as she gazed at one of the holograms of Steven and plucked it out to hold in her hands. "You can have your happily ever after as much as you like, Steven." She declared evilly. "Cause your little Universe will soon be mine."

END OF PART 1: LITTLE HOMESCHOOL

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2: GRADUATION

At last, Part 1 is finally complete! And here, unfortunately, is where I must go on hiatus. Second semester of college and all that, and I think my classes might be harder than last semester. But hopefully, this cliffhanger should tide you over until we come back. Anyways, Black Rutile is finally upon us! A character that I think I'll have fun writing since I consider her to be like the Lex Luthor to Steven's Superman, the Frieza to his Goku, the Megatron to his Optimus Prime, the Aku to his Samurai Jack, etc etc. In other words, Steven's got a new archenemy coming and he doesn't even know it yet. Stay tuned! (evil laughter)

#steven universe #steven universe future #fanfiction #steven universe alternate future #steven quartz universe #garnet #amethyst #pearl #black rutile #white topaz #rainbow quartz 2.0 #sunstone

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arthurs-wife · 5 years

Text

Hell Hath No Fury

Luna asked: Hey, yeah uh I am enthralled by your work and I check in daily, so I was wondering, if you could write one where reader joins the gang to meet with the grays, notices the gun pointing at Sean's head, shoves him out of the way, and ends up getting shot in the lungs, (can't talk or make noise for a bit, hehehe,) and Micah takes advantage of that, and drags reader into woods, (close to forced but not exactly) but Arthur steps in, beats the Shit out of Micah, and Major Fluff at the end between reader and arthur. Thank you. Smut is optional

(any prompt that saves Sean is an A+ prompt in my book, also disclaimer, the only type of GSW i am intimately familiar with is one to the head, so pls forgive my lack of gun injury knowledge i realize you would probably die if shot anywhere in the trunk in 1899)

TW Slight non con, mentions of dying, violence

“You ain’t comin’ with us, girl.”

It was a broken record that had gone on and on for the past few hours and yet you still stood there next to your horse, rifle in hand. Sean laughed.

“Ah, let her come, Arthur,” he said in his flawless Irish accent. Sean had always stuck up for you, even when you were being a petulant little pissant. You knew for damn sure that you shouldn’t be coming on a mission like this but had a bad feeling about this one. Any danger Arthur put himself in you wanted to be there to protect him. Like you really could.

“Why?” Arthur spat, “so she can slow us all down and we can babysit?”

“If you’re that worried about her, just let me watch her,” Sean suggested, putting his arm around you, “I can watch her just as well, as long as she’s in front of me.”

He winked at you and you pushed him away.

“Pig,” you chuckled.

“Fine,” Arthur finally said, mounting his horse, “on your own head be it.”

As you rode into town it was too quiet. Red dust curled up in swirls around you and your caravan, each hoof step a gunshot in the silence.

You all finally stopped in the middle of town, Sean and Bill dismounting, sending their horses away.

“Where are all you hillbilly sons of bitches?” Sean yelled to no one in particular. Out of the corner of your eye you saw a flurry of movement and jumped from your horse, pushing Sean down to the ground as a bullet flew and caught you square in the left side of your torso.

It felt hot and there was the unmistakable feeling of warm blood spreading down your stomach. You heard cries, more gunshots, saw Sean run to your side. The edges of your vision began to darken and became more unfocused. Strong arms lifted you and you passed out.

Flashes of people you knew, Miss Grimshaw, Sadie’s tear stained face, Sean kissing your forehead, your mother, Arthur’s soft voice (“I’m so sorry.”), finally blackness.

You don’t know how long it’s been but it’s dark now. Someone’s coming for you, you hope it’s Arthur. You hope you don’t die. Yout hope you’re able to tell him how you feel before you inevitably die, here or somewhere else, because you’re so stubborn you have to throw yourself in front of bullets.

It’s not Arthur, the arms that lift you aren’t as gentle as his, they have malice in them. You can smell gunpowder and it makes you sick. You look up and the face doesn’t belong to Arthur either, it’s hard and callous. It’s Micah.

“We’re gonna go in the woods a bit, get us some privacy,” he murmurs harshly. It’s getting darker and darker, you try and make a noise but all that comes out is a gurgle. You must have internal bleeding somewhere, hopefully it’ll kill you before you have to endure whatever Micah is about to do to you.

He sets you down roughly on the forest floor and looks around. The light from the campfire is dim and its warmth is completely absent. You look longingly back at the camp and feel a hot tear slide down your face.

“Let’s see what all the fuss is about,” he says nastily, you notice his belt is undone and you look away, hoping the last thing you see is your home, however temporary it was, hoping the last thing you’ll feel is Arthur’s hand on your cheek.

Micah’s kneeling between you now and you’re not dead yet. Of course the universe would be as cruel as this to you.

Adrenaline surges and for some idiotic reason you feel the urge to fight, you start squirming, kicking your legs as best as you can, feeling warm blood start to trickle down your side. How naive of you to think you could go out without a fight.

A crash through the woods near you, the breaking of twigs and a roar. A bear? That’s an ending you didn’t see coming.

It was Arthur, a rage in his eyes you’d never seen, fist cocked back and headed straight towards Micah’s face.

“Arthur I wa-”

The fist connected with a satisfying crunch, breaking all 107 bones in Micah’s face, how would you know, you never went to school. You backed up, clutching your side and scrunching your face in pain, opening one eye to see the hell storm raining down upon the half naked man in front of you.

The beating seemed to go on and on, until finally Arthur eased up, panting and stumbling back from Micah. His face found yours and you would have been frightened by the amount of blood on his face and arms but you were so relieved.

Arthur rushed to you and cupped your face again, looking you up and down.

“He didn’t-?” he couldn’t bear to finish the sentence and you shook your head quickly. Arthur nodded at you and hung his head as if steeling himself. Micah stirred behind him and Arthur looked back murderously, whipping his revolver out and aiming it at him.

“Arthur,” you blurted out, it was the first thing you’d said since you got shot.

He stopped, looked to you and the rage in his eyes diminished. He re-trained the gun and let off a shot. Micah cried out in pain and promptly passed out from shock.

“Come on, darlin’,” he whispered gently, picking you up bridal style and carrying you back to camp.

Several people rushed up to meet you, most of them with guns out. Sadie was first, giving the two of you questioning looks.

“Micah’s out there,” Arthur said, throwing his head in the direction of the devil, “you might want to go patch him up.”

The color drained from Sadie’s face and she ran into the woods.

Dutch caught up with you two near your cot.

“What the hell happened, Arthur?” he asked, helping him lower you down in the bed.

“Micah decided to get handsy with our girl here,” he said quietly and you already felt yourself succumbing to sleep, “so I shot his balls off.”

Dutch looked disgusted and backed away involuntarily, “Arthur I’m wounded he broke our trust.”

“I told you he was no good,” Arthur stood up and pointed a finger to where Micah still presumably was. He wouldn’t say any more on the subject, he felt the point had come across nicely.

“I apologize for not listening to you,” Dutch said, having the grace to look sheepish. He looked at you for a moment and put his hands on his hips. “We need to get out of here, fast.”

“We need to move west,” Arthur said for the thousandth time, “Blackwater be damned.”

Dutch looked at Arthur again.

“You’re right,” he finally said, wiping a brow, “we’ll head to the Grizzlie’s passed Valentine and lie low for a while before heading back into New Austin.”

It wasn’t the best plan, but at least they’d be getting out of the damn swamp.

Dutch put a hand on your shoulder and left you and Arthur alone. Arthur sat by your side.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he finally managed to say, head in one hand.

You reached out and grabbed his hand, making him look up at you. You were sure you looked god-awful, red eyes, disheveled hair, torn up clothes. With the remaining strength you had, you tugged on his hand, pulling him closer to you.

“Kiss me,” you said when you thought he was close enough to hear your strained voice.

He did, and you fell asleep.

#arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #cw violence #cw non con

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sky-daybreak · 5 years

Text

Arthur knows grief. It's been a part of his life for quite a while. His parents, his dog, all the other people they lost along the way. He knows guilt and self-doubt and the quiet, but knife sharp voice in the back of his head wondering if he could have done more. If things would be different, would be better, if he'd just been faster, smarter, had paid more attention.

He tries not to listen to the voice, at least, most of the time. Arthur knows, too, that he can't afford doubting himself too much. Not in fights, not when it comes to protecting everyone he cares about. He's also well aware that sometimes, for him not to listen to that voice, not to give in to the grief, he can't stay unoccupied.

It's not easy, not by a long shot, but he manages. He keeps riding, shooting, robbing, barely sleeping. Doing chores other people normally take care of. He accepts more requests for things, goes out to do some ridiculous stuff like collecting herbs that take him over a day to find, most likely getting into trouble along the way. But he does it, because he can't allow himself to think.

It's there though, in the back of his head, those he loved and lost. And ever since he's come back from that horrible shipwreck, that mess of an island, the horrible mess that's been the bank robbery, he can feel loss looming more over him. It shadows his steps, clings to the corners of his vision. It's there every time he steps into camp and doesn't get greeted by Hosea, every time he thinks about people to take along for a coach robbery and realizes that Lenny is gone.

Grief clings to his chest like oil, darkening everything. It weights on him like a joint-aching fever and makes breathing hard, as though he's got kicked in the chest.

So he rides and works, until his hands feel even rougher than before, his shoulders harder with sunk-in tension and more muscle. Until he's too tired to dream in the few hours of sleep he gets and he keeps tasks at the forefront of his mind so he can always direct himself once he wakes up. Always has somewhere to go, something to focus on. Moving and moving, so he can't stop and acknowledge the hurt and how much he sees the shadows of people lost. Of Hosea, who has been a father to him, of Lenny, who was such a sweet and smart kid.

Arthur notices Hosea's absence the most. Notices it in so many big and small ways it feels like it's constantly chaffing at his heart and throat, making his head hurt at times.

He sees it in other people too. Sees it in the way Dutch's gaze has gone far darker than before and how the man turns around, mouth open as though he's ready to ask, consult or speak to Hosea, only to freeze at the sight of nothing.

Sees it in the way little Jack stands there with his book, looking lost and tries to find someone else to read with. Sees it in the grief all around him, in the way everyone tries to adjust to two important people missing.

It feels like they're all walking around shadows in camp, can't quite adjust to it, as if they lost a limb too, and there is a subtle ache in Arthur's chest. Always there and he can't shake it, no matter what he does. It's not just his coughing, he knows that. This pain goes deeper than that. But, he handles it, in a way. Manages to keep his grief at the fringes of his awareness.

Until Sadie presses a small, wooden box into his hands, while he sits away from camp.

"It's Hosea's." She says quietly, voice rougher than usual and Arthur can't bring himself to look at her, feeling frozen in place. Breathing becomes painful, as grief rears its head with all its might, clawing up his chest and making his heart bleed. His throat tightens to the point of hurt and Arthur honestly feels like he suddenly can't breathe.

"He wanted you to have this." Sadie's voice grows even quieter as she speaks and Arthur opens the box. It's pictures. Pictures of them through the years, some Arthur hasn't even seen before. Dutch laughing, Arthur lying asleep in the shade, his horse steeling his hat from his head. Of Hosea fishing, obviously made by Dutch.

Most of them though, he remembers. Remembers the times they visited a studio, cleaned and dressed up for the occasion. He remembers Hosea pulling out the camera to photograph them on their horses, to photograph them with gorgeous mountains and flat lands in the background. Of endless skies and seemingly endless langs. Photos of camps and parties, of people who accompanied them through their lives. Most of them though, are from Arthur, Dutch and Bessie.

The memories are there so fast, Arthur can't fight them and under the pictures, he sees a book, old and worn. He remembers Hosea reading it to him. Remembers it as the book where he mostly learned to read because he loved all the stories in it so much. Remembers it being Hosea's favorite as well and how often he let him borrow it.

Sadie is there the next second, catching the box that falls from his numb fingers as he presses one hand over his face, trying his hardest to choke back the sounds that start to crawl up his throat, his sight blurring until it leaves nothing but formless blobs of color. Warm, rough hands, far slimmer than his own but easily just as strong, lightly and near cautiously come to rest on his shoulders.

Arthur doesn't know why that is what gives everything the last shove, but he knows the next moment he cries, hand still pressed to his mouth and eyes closed tight. He's half choking on his muffled sobs and hitching breaths and his whole body shakes with how tightly and tensely he tries to reign it all in.

Sadie hugs him close a moment later, his head resting against her belly, hat pushed away to fall to the ground and one of her arms clutch at his shoulders, the other starting to card through his hair. And it hurts, his heart. It hurts so damn much.

Sadie doesn't say anything. Just holds him as he cries, near bowed over him, her fingers running tirelessly through his hair, her other hand gripping his back, anchoring him. She doesn't promise him things like that he'll be okay. She doesn't try to cajole him with words like it will go away. Sadie doesn't tell him Hosea is in a better place. Because while the latter might be true, Arthur knows grief. He knows love. And dear god has he loved Hosea, who became a sort of father to him, more than anything else. And Arthur misses him, more than he could put into words.

#rdr2 #rdr2 spoilers #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #sadie adler #grief #i'm hurting from the game and i had to write this #i'm so sorry #hosea matthews #i am not okay with what happened #my writing

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sayofchains88 · 3 years

Text

Chapter four: Alex's responsibility by OrangeLetters88~

Clarence and Dr. Carol sit together in the medical bay. "So let me get this right...so you were declared the apostle of existence? A new queen is coming?"

Clarence shows the key he was given from the Crystal Queen. "I mean there is a flipping fairy bouncing around the castle right now!"

"Hmmm...that is fair I guess...Christian carries the eye thing too, but he must touch the pommel to retrieve his consciousness?" Dr. Carol asks taking a drag on his cigarette.

"Are you literally not letting anyone in here?" Steel asks opening the door to see Clarence.

"Nope I am not...too much shit going on for me right now." Dr. Carol says slightly irritated.

"Should you really be smoking in here?" Steel chides Dr. Carol.

"This is my domain, please let me be..."

Steel rolls her eyes striding over to view Christian who is covered despite his eyes slightly open. "He has been un-moving for days. Sadie has been kidnapped back by Samuel...what else could be worse?"

"Looks like Alex's group is going to get bigger at this point..." Dr. Carol states looking at the door sighing to himself unable think much.

"You know Christian stated before how Alex felt different to him? This must be part of the Crystal Queens plan. I just have a feeling." Steel replies.

"Like this was meant for Christian to move forward as a warrior of the pentagram?" Clarence responds. "But who are the others?"

"I will guess we will learn..." Dr. Carol chimes.

Ava pops in the room out of nowhere. They look at her in her more childlike form; she walks over to Christian where Steel is seated. "Master is trapped, maybe if he can communicate with the pommel itself he can come out of it."

"Is this a living sword?" Steel questions Ava.

"I can help you, but somehow we have to connect to Christian and find the pommel, but best bet is through his master Alex." Ava explains. "Alex should be able to find the pommel's spirit...but Steel is connected to Alex so we might be able to find them all."

"Me? I am connected to Alex?" Steel inquires blushing.

"You are who he goes too. I can connect you to his heart. Let's meditate please." Ava sits down. She touches Steel's hand; she falls into a deep sleep leaning against Ava's shoulder.

Their surroundings are only darkness. Ava takes Steel's hand, they slowly walk together down what seems like a really long walk way. They see a dungeon dimly lit with Alex blindfolded. He could feel their presence. "Steel, why are you here?" Alex asks shocked.

"Christian is in coma Alex...please help me and his fairy Ava find Christian and his pommel!" Steel says grabbing for his hand. Alex hesitates at first then decides to take her hand pulling his spirit through the veil.

"Christian is in trouble...I can't just let him suffer. I am his master!" Alex says taking off his blindfold tossing it to the ground.

"Are you okay there?" Steel asks concerned.

"They make me work hard sometimes, but I am mainly in the dungeons so I am fine, but what is this about a pommel?"

"Christian's soul is lost. If we can find the pommel then the Crystal Queen can resurrect him and the sword. They share the same consciousness."

"Wait...Christian has obtained the book of nowhere??" Alex replies amazed about to cry, Steel gently pats his shoulder.

"He is growing up it seems, but he didn't want to get it at first. He is worried sick about you...he needed to get the book to go to participate in the games here soon at Samuel's, but his sword and the book was stolen before he could fully merge."

"You have got to be kidding me..."

"He is in the medical bay as we speak."

"Hold on to your hats you two! I am locating the pommel first!" Ava shouts excited. They pass through something like a warp. They could feel their bodies shift under their feet. "This is my other self. Her name is Ria, I cannot exist without her, but she is now in coma too."

They land in a meadow of flowers. "Christian was fated for a solider of the pentagram. I understand now." Alex says aloud to himself.

"Yes he was, but also savior to slaved kind. He can now null witches spells as well disable them from making the symbols ever again. In the deep future he will be side with sapphire queen's warrior." Ava illustrates. She notices he is becoming sad. "Do not worry Alex; you have many journeys together before anything like that happens. Her sapphire queen will not awaken for decades."

"Anyways what are we looking at?" Alex asks as they saunter up to the spirit of the pommel lying over a sword.

Ava glides over to Ria picking her up. "It's no good...we have to look for Christian's spirit first. They bonded the sword. Samuel knows better."

"So that's why! Ava what is going to happen if we cannot find Christian?" Steel challenges.

"Then we need to go to Samuel's retrieve the pommel in person...there is no other way. Steel will have to bring Christian to star events since she has a head book, but let's see Christian first if we can revive him! Hold your hats again!"

"This is it! Thank you for your consciousness Alex!" Ava shrieks laughing. Alex stunned how everything is barren wasteland in Christian's conscious environment. "Remember this is literally only his mental scape. Whatever you talked about last time hurt him."

Christian sits on his knees looking up a gray sky. He is covered in dried rose vines. The only color in the room was the blue fractals in his eyes shining. He is speaking un-readable words. The vines seem to be living.

"I did this to him?" Alex asks Ava. "I just...I didn't know at the time he would take it so hard."

"Sometimes we don't fight it when we feel there is no hope. You are his hope since he became a vampire. Alex words are powerful things. Sometimes we need them to fight." Ava implies Alex lack of self-confidence. "If you are not fighting then how do you expect Christian to fight this?"

Alex makes his way over to Christian. He tries to remove the vines, but is pricked. "It's okay I am here now. I need you Christian! I need you to fight this!"

The more he would pluck the vines, the more they would grow in its place. His hands covered in pricks from pulling them off Christian. He is still un-moving. He dips to ground trying to take them out from the root.

They ensnare Alex squeezing him. Some reason it activates his slave seal. He cries out as the volts consume him. "If I give up I won't ever get to see you become a knight of the sapphire queen...I know about Sadie who you proclaimed your wife Christian!" Alex grunts through pain. He stretches his arms standing firmly trying to fend against the vines crawling up his arms and legs trying to stop him.

"I won't give up any more please! Please Christian listen to me! The pommel is bounded, you need to break it! You need to free Sadie!"

Steel wants to help, but Ava stops her. "This is Alex's problem...not yours."

The vines recede from Alex allowing him movement. He runs up to Christian once again. He starts to tear them out one by one. "Even if you hate me forever...sometimes we have moments of weakness...it...it was wrong of me tear you down like that...I always forget you all look up to me on what to do next. You don't know what to do and I should be teaching you!"

Christian's eyes start to water, tears stream down his face; the vines start climb up his face slowly. Roses start to grow; the vines start to turn green. "Christian forgive me so I can start to fight where I am trapped as well! Were friends, we could be siblings unmistakably...you always have my back..."

Christians hands start move removing the vines himself to grab Alex's hands. They slowly descend into the ground. Alex hugs Christian causing a meadow of flowers to appear in front of them. "I wanted to give up Alex...I couldn't take it after I thought you just wrote me off..."

Alex embraces Christian, his face reddens with tears. "I am not giving up anymore...I was selfish...I hurt you most of all..."

Christian collapses" I need to admit...I pushed the pommel away when Sadie had me touch it...now what will happen to me?"

Ava appears over their head separating them. "Ria will die and you will die if you don't accept the pommel. You must be feeling drained right now and that's because she was fated for you...I beg you please accept Ria so she will awake..."

Christian pauses a moment before answering. "Take to me Ria..." Christian replies looking at Alex. Ava jumps up and down happily.

"All's aboard who is coming aboard!" She yells bringing them all back to Ria who is in a deep sleep. Christian moves forward walking calmly to the sleeping Ria. He touches her shoulder.

Hey eyes gently open. "Hey...look I am sorry about before. I know you got upset, but I am ready for accepting you and Ava. Please forgive me.."

She smiles at him. "I chose you for your kindness and I still feel you are able to wield me with honor. Please accept my grace. For now I can awaken you, but the real power will be given when you find me. Thank you..."

She closes her eyes as she clasps both her hands around his right hand. "It is time to wake and find me Christian..."

He feels immense power surge through him. They both disappear. "What happened to Christian?" He asks Ava.

"This is where you and Steel must go now." Ava intertwines her fingers between Alex's. "You are a vampire equipped with everything needed to leave, but I understand if you wait for Christian soon to go to Samuel's...please don't feel self-pity anymore. Vepar is inside you waiting for you to beckon him...you can do this Alex."

"Yes..."

Steel awakes first darting over to Christian's bedside. "Christian..." his eyes open peaking up at Steel. He sits up dizzily. Only one eye is glowing now.

Ava walks over to Christian bowing. "Together we are Ava-Ria, my humble master. I am whole now. I hope you will be able to get the best use of me." She transforms into an older adult version of herself. She leans into the medical bed to kiss him. "Your eye is now stable master."

He blushes. "I am so tired though, how long have I been without blood?"

Clarence comes over with a small bag of crystalized blood in the shape of a flower. "You should apparently try this."

Christian bites into the flower all the sudden feeling everything surging through him. "What is this? It tastes like nothing I ever had before."

"The church got destroyed and I had to walk through a long ass tunnel to get back home. This is a gift from the Crystal Queen even after death." Clarence replies. "But Sadie was kidnapped when I pushed her out. Somehow people knew we were there."

"Samuel will be getting the ass kicking of his life." Christian says pounding his fists together.

https://www.wattpad.com/1075557057-chronicles-of-alex-fighting-against-eternity Please support my works if you like them please~!

#original character #original story #vampire #drama #fantasy #eternal

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cantstopthesignal2005 · 4 years

Text

A Loss

Robert Jones had slept in past sunrise, a surprising deviation from the norm. His routine would begin as the sun broke, his dog Sadie waking him with fervent panting and pawing, so he could go for a walk with her. As he rose, he paused and whispered to himself, “No!” He rushed from the foot of his bed, his joints creaking, into the living room. As Robert feared, Sadie was lying supine, perfectly still. He clutched his mouth in awe as he took note that her chest had been neither rising nor falling. “Sadie,” he cried in between his staccato breaths. With Sadie gone, he didn’t have any obligations, or regular company. Sadie had been Robert’s only consistent companion for the past five years; as her eyes begged pathetically for a treat or a venture outside, it gave Robert a reason to stick it out long enough to make sure she was tended to. Now, Robert thought, I don’t have to feed the dog anymore. With a stoic determination, Robert fetched the spare white sheets from the linen closet to wrap his friend in. On his back porch was a shovel he used to dig out a space just deep enough for old Sadie, heaping the soil and grass over her, a single, silent tear falling onto his creased and wrinkled face. Robert walked back in the house and, under a hot stream of water in his kitchen sink, washed the earth from his hands. His breakfast was buttered toast and black coffee, his appetite all but gone. Life would be going on, he thought, regardless of whatever tragedy or inconvenience fell at his feet, so he should resume his day all the same. Robert drove into town, hoping to shake the melancholy the house now seemed to radiate. He aimlessly perused the shelves of Berg’s Grocery, which he appreciated for being sparsely frequented. Everyone at Berg’s seemed to have no desire to engage with Robert beyond the standard minimum, which was fine by him. There was nothing he needed in the store, he decided, and took his leave. Driving around, he was compelled to go to his local dollar theater to catch a movie. It was a murder mystery, from which he took a passive enjoyment. As he left the auditorium, he noted a flock of young children whispering amongst themselves, pointing at him, throughout the lobby. Their conversations overlapped. Robert growled contemptuously as he walked out of the theater. Robert was faintly aware of the folkloric reputation built up by the children of Blighton. He was known as The Creep from Mill’s Mount, on account of his reclusion and surly demeanor. Robert retired from his job, and, effectively, from society. He took umbrage at the prospect that he was required to play the same games as everyone, feigning politeness and geniality for the sake of others. Robert also seethed at the prospect of ending up like any of the simpletons that relied on one another; dependency, he told anyone that would listen, was just a refusal to take your fate into your own hands. He bristled on the return drive home. The dull ache of his loss sharpened as he reached the house. Robert noticed a sedan parked idly in the driveway; clocking the license plate and cream-colored paint job, it registered as belonging to his ex-wife, Bonnie. Robert steeled himself away, anticipating a confrontation for any perceived slight. Walking inside, bewitched by the savory scents of her cooking wafting through the house. “Bonnie!” “Yeah, it’s me!” “Woman! I know it’s you!” “What you hollerin’ my name for, then?” He walked in and saw her, dressed in periwinkle blue, stood over her food, focused on the perfect balance of seasoning. “What you doing in my kitchen?” “Cooking your supper, what else?” “You over here . . . got the potatoes, chicken . . . got the spinach . . . you know, Thanksgiving’s on a Thursday but it ain’t every Thursday.” “You not funny!” “Woman!” “Man!” They shared a deep laugh and brief embrace. She looked into the dark brown eyes of the man she once loved so dear—still loved, if she was honest—and caressed his ebony skin with a tender stroke. “I heard about Sadie,” she said, contrite. His expression worked its way swiftly from ecstatic to grim to curious. “How’d you hear?” “Your neighbors got my number, case something goes wrong on the days I’m not here to feed you. Told ‘em they were to call me at the first sign of trouble. They see you burying her and they tell me what’s what. I told em it’s fine, I’ll handle it, wasn’t nothing sinister. It’s just Sadie.” “Yeah,” he said, twisting his mouth into something cruel. “It’s just Sadie.” “Robert, that’s not what I meant. I know you loved her. Loved her as much as you could.” “I did.” “Wash up, I’ll finish supper, we’ll talk over the meal.” Robert took a shower and began to resent how vulnerable Sadie might have made him. How she might have struck his armor, leaving a chink to bare him, body and soul, to the world he shunned. How he’d become soft in the middle since taking care of her. He felt weak and foolish. Robert emerged from the bathroom, steam billowing behind him. He ambled slowly towards the kitchen to see Bonnie humbly setting the table. He reminded himself that Bonnie was one of the good ones, that her smile didn’t contain poison, no blade ready for his back when he turned away. “Sit down, old man.” “Woman, hush.” Bonnie was one of a handful of people that was fluent in the dialect of Robert’s mercurial need for facetiousness or seriousness. Their kids, Johanna and Jamal, were not so lucky and grew up believing their father hated them. She was able to coax Robert out of his lows, though he felt guilty for burdening her. They shared a silent meal, Robert’s bites slow and methodical. Bonnie abruptly began, “You know, Johanna was asking about you the other day. Said ‘how’s pops?’ I told you were fair to midland. You know. A lie.” “I’m doing just fine, Bonnie. You can tell her pops is just fine.” “You could tell her yourself.” “She wants to talk, she has my number. Same with Jerome. Thickheaded boy.” “They have jobs, they’re going to school. They’re preoccupied. You used to remember what being busy was like.” “I keep plenty busy, Bonnie.” “Your neighbor Robin says—” “Ain’t none of the neighbors damn business how I’m spending my days, god damn it!” “I just hate the thought of you here, by yourself, not taking care—” she paused to swallow the lump in her throat and choke back her tears. “Talk to me, Robert.” She had a way about her, it had diminished significantly in the intervening years, that would break down the walls Robert so steadfastly built. Her powers, she realized, were not entirely gone as he let out a resigned sigh. “The world . . . that’s starting to terrify me.” “You been letting the world gentle you for a while, now, Robert.” “But it’s changing now . . .” “Always was.” “Not like now,” he declared in a tone that suggested he didn’t want to debate or be contradicted on the matter. The temerity that Robert both admired and detested in Bonnie began to rear its head with a vengeance. She shook her head and bit her lower lip, informing him that she was far from finished discussing his retreat from society. “You been in the house too damn long. And now Sadie’s gone. And I, you know, I’m not always gonna be there. You seen more of these four walls than you seen of anybody. You not talking to nobody . . .” “I’m talking now.” “You’re in a city that’s breathing . . . bursting with art, commerce, people. And you’re choosing your time to dwell on regrets? To cut wires? To be alone? That’s not healthy, baby.” “It’s my life, I’ll live it as I choose. Thank you very much.” “I want to know that that dog wasn’t the last straw,” she demanded, through a quaver. “I want to know you’ll keep trying.” Robert stared vindictively at the only glimmer of love in his life, disdainfully watching her cry. “Bonnie, I’ll thank you to leave my house.” He crossed his arms, nodding as to certify it was for real this time. Bonnie slowly stood up, her shoulders slumped from a melancholy he seemed to feel obligated to impose on her. “I don’t want these visits anymore. I can cook for my damn self.” “Don’t say that. Don’t do that.” “I was fine before you come ‘round. And I’ll tell you what, I’ll be fine once you leave. But you got to leave.” Bonnie indignantly grabbed her effects and items and walked out on the ungrateful bastard she once called a lover. The time she spent on him, she knew, was fruitless. She wasted her younger years loving him, trying to rehabilitate him, only to find him stubborn and unchanging. Bonnie always expected to be welcomed back with no tension, no words of contrition. And she knew he would expect the same within a week. However, the way he dismissed her this time was different. There was a finality in her voice that, previously, had been absent. She drove off with tears in her eyes, never knowing if she’d see him again. Robert wrapped up all the food Bonnie cooked him and turned the lights off. He shut out the streetlights as he closed his blinds. No one was around to ask him stay up a little longer, or to wake up a little earlier. He was free, he thought. He was his own man. For once. He dreamed about trees towering over him as he wandered through a forest, lost. The guide that brought him was nowhere to be found, despite having turned his back for only a moment. He was lost and past the point of no return. A crashing boom traveled from the front entrance to Robert’s room, waking him with a start. The sound of shattering glass popped his eardrums. Robbers. He clutched his blanket, gripped with fear and desperation. He prayed to a God he didn’t believe in that they would get startled to find his door wouldn’t come open when they turned the knob. “I didn’t do anything,” he said, reasoning that no harm should come to an innocent man, and begging the hoods invading his house would see it similar. Their murmurs became louder, more pronounced. They jiggled at the knob, and Robert’s chest began to seize. The intruders kicked and battered the door until the wood burst into splinters. They walked with ease to his bed, carrying none of the valued possessions he kept in the living room. Intruders, Robert thought to himself. Their actions were not owed to avarice or desperation; they were lashing out from boredom, hoping to find something to sufficiently fill whatever void plagued. “I didn’t do anything,” Robert shuddered. They looked to one another and silently agreed to take the plunge, lifting their legs in the air, combat boots and brass knuckles bludgeoning the still body, bones and gray matter exposed over his withering body. As the body took its last sip of air, the intruders looked to one another. Their expressions remained static and realized that they could derive no satisfaction from taking its life, not even a fleeting moment of joy. On to the next, they agreed, and began knocking over the kerosene lamps Robert kept around the house. They set the house to blaze, ignoring, as they were sure everyone else would, the resulting smoke and embers.

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kp-reading-blog · 7 years

Text

Best Served Cold: A Short Story by Jasmine Silvera

Best Served Cold is a short story by Jasmine Silvera from her KP world of Death's Dancer. It fills in some backstory about the world and serves as a great introduction for new readers to try it out!

About Best Served Cold

Best Served Cold takes place after Death’s Dancer and features Azrael’s enforcer Gregor Schwarz writing wrongs and settling scores with a new ally.

A Note from Jasmine Silvera

It always delights me that people responded so well to Gregor, Azrael’s enforcer, from Death’s Dancer. He was one of my favorite characters to write. This story was initially intended to be the prologue to his book, but the timeline doesn’t work so I had to cut it. I hope readers will enjoy this “slice of life” from Gregor’s day. Or night, as it were.

Best Served Cold

The ancient pug, wheezing as he inspected each cobblestone in the sidewalk, snuffled in alarm and raised his head. His ears twitched upward. When the dog splayed its legs and urinated in place, the stooped woman quit patting her pockets for a match and crowed with delight.

“Dobře, dobře, Ferda.” She praised the dog, the hand rolled cigarette bobbing on her lower lip.

Accustomed to more meandering searches for the perfect spot, she thanked her luck, pocketed the unlit cigarette, and turned for home. Her thoughts raced ahead to her bed, warming under the electric blanket, and the novel waiting beside it. She looked back. The dog stood rooted in place, staring fixed into the vast darkness across the street.

Under the new moon, the dense bushes and trees cast Riegrovy Sady - the expansive city park straddling two of Prague's oldest neighborhoods – in velvet shadow. The silent street lined with parked cars formed a no-man’s land between the lit sidewalk bordering apartment buildings and the sweeping mystery of night.

“Ferda!”

He began to bark. Through rheumy eyes, the woman watched his hackles rise. He circled once and raced to the edge of the sidewalk, growling.

“Co tam máš?” she asked the dog, not waiting for clarification before attempting to calm him. “Nic to není.”

When the bushes on the park border stirred, he fell silent. His nose twitched. His vocalization became a high-pitched whine. He backed slowly between his owner's feet, and lay down.

“V klidu,” she murmured, voice trembling. Was she reassuring herself or the dog?

The long nights of her childhood returned to her in a rush, evenings spent at the hearth of her grandmother, listening to fairy tales from the old days. She rubbed her neck absently, thinking this was the kind of night Likho might choose to roam. Had the dog's early urination been the unexpected boon which would lure the goblin?

Old stories, she chastised herself, to scare children and amuse fools. Still, her heart hammered at speeds unhealthy for her age. She squinted into the shadows, calling out a threat to notify the police, as she clutched her walking stick tighter in one hand. The bushes rustled again, as something moved - something bigger than a dog and lower than a man. The next morning she would swear she hadn’t seen a long nose, a set of yellow eyes, and a black-plumed tail.

Tonight was not a night for self-deception. “Vlkodlak,” she breathed.

Ferda chose that moment to break and run. Tiny claws scrambled on the squared off stones, before stubby legs propelled him toward their flat.

She hurried after, waving her stick, and muttering about big, feral dogs. When she looked over her shoulder, the bushes were still again, and the park silent.

***

The wolf moved between the trees of the city park, leaving the fear-drenched scents of woman and dog behind. He was larger than a wild wolf would have been, a uniform black from nose to tail, except for his startling eyes. He kept to the shadows, like a manifestation of their depths, moving with purpose and awareness beyond the lupine mind, as he alternately stalked and raced along the underbrush.

Behind him, a man from another century kept pace as an ordinary human could not have. Dressed in black from head to toe, a long coat flared behind Gregor like a cloak as he ran. Between his shoulders, a vague suggestion of steel coalesced at his back.

That was our street. He paused as they veered away from the curb and the distantly keening dog.

The wolf bared his canines, his mental voice human. I'm not giving an old lady a heart attack, so you can take a shortcut.

Eyes the color of a winter sky flashed with humor. Have it your way, Markus.

Come now, isn't this nice? The wolf's tongue lolled from his mouth, lips pulling back to show teeth in an uncannily human expression. Night air, no moon.

Gregor could think of half a dozen ways he'd rather spend the shortest night of the year, but this opportunity was too good to miss. It would have been much nicer in the car. Faster, too.

The wolf sat back on his haunches and scratched absently at one ear with a hind paw. Nice enough to justify the hair on your seats?

Not that nice.

The wolf watched the man take the lead before he rose to follow.

Gregor glanced over his shoulder once and tried not to imagine canines at the back of his neck. The long way, it is.

They emerged on the other end of the park, slowing to a brisk walk on the uneven streets. The wolf fell in to a perfect heel at his left knee. To the casual eye, they bore a fleeting resemblance to a businessman taking his very large dog out for a final walk of the night. But casual eyes weren't the only ones about in the city this late. And no one who recognized him would have dared to pass on the same side of the street.

Still, there was his quarry to consider. It would not do well to spook her and ruin the whole evening. And fate only knew when he'd get another perfect chance to settle a score. Two birds, one stone.

Without looking up, the wolf asked, Going to tell me who we're hunting?

You'll see soon enough. Gregor checked his watch. Look, I know these joint patrols were Azrael's idea.

The wolf paused to sniff at the wheel of a Jaguar. He lifted his leg, before moving on. Gregor's mouth twitched irrepressibly.

The wolf glanced at him. What?

Appreciating your choice in targets.

The wolf sniffed. They continued on. Look, Greg, you and I aren't on the best terms.

Gregor's jaw clenched. The wolf snuck a look, and his ribcage expanded as he issued a lupine chuckle. It was disconcerting.

You should know that I asked for you, specifically, Gregor said.

That silenced his companion. A member of the Allegiance of Necromancers that controlled the world divided into in eight territories, Azrael had chosen Prague as his seat. How business was conducted in his capitol city set the standard in his region, and Azrael knew it.

Azrael's patrols were a regular duty among the warriors who made up his aegis - the elite corps of warriors given immortality to fight at his side. They worked the city at night making sure any non-humans behaved according to the strict code the allegiance had impressed on them to keep them from disrupting the human population.

The addition of the only three werewolves in Prague, as well as the gift of telepathy which allowed them to communicate, was new. The wolves were intimidating enough with their preternatural size and speed. But their resistance to magical influence and intelligence made them true allies. Inclusion had also been a gesture of good faith to the pack. Giving them more visibility among the supernatural denizens of the city enabled them to better protect the coven they served.

Most of the aegis had taken to shared patrols, appreciating the advantage a massive set of teeth could provide to any trouble they encountered. Known on the streets as the Black Blade of Azrael, Gregor preferred to work alone. Azrael had been surprised when he asked for this assignment, and the pack's alpha as a companion.

Gregor might have asked for the youngest wolf tonight, but he was guarding his mate as she neared her time. Even Gregor would not interfere during that sacred event. Plus, he suspected the eldest and the middle brothers of being the ringleaders in the mischief with the cake. The youngest's wedding had simply provided opportunity.

Now, it was Gregor's turn. And opportunity was everything.

As they closed in on their destination, Gregor commented idly, Did you know, unlike German and English, the word for werewolf in Czech translates to ‘wolf and coat’? Since I can't have my pelage, I thought I ought to at least have a companion who matched my attire.

You have some balls. Markus bared his teeth, and the hair on his spine flared into high relief. The ‘coat’ in Vlkodlak refers to fur, not clothes, anyway.

When Gregor stared, Markus’s bared teeth relaxed into that odd lupine smile again.

Everyone assumes Toby’s the smart one. The wolf cocked his head. But I know a few things, Old Man.

I assume nothing. Gregor said cheerily at the confirmation that he had picked the right brother after all. And yes, I am old enough to be your great-great, one more I think yes – grandfather. Now, we've arrived.

Gregor assessed the storefront at the base of a neoclassical building well past its prime. The windows glowed an invitation with gold light. The yeast and sugar aroma thickened the air outside the door.

The wolf's nose twitched. He rocked back on his haunches in surprise. A bakery?

The man smoothed his coat, and the sword blinked out of visibility at his back. Indeed.

The door resisted slightly under his hand, but a muttered word and the locks slid away. He walked in, as the bell above the door tinkled brightly, holding the door for his companion. The wolf paced the shop, lifting his nose to scent the four small cafe tables and the counter. He circled back, as a small woman in her sixties came bustling from the kitchen, her arms and apron dusted with flour.

“We are closed,” she said in a flurry of Czech, before coming to a stop. “And no dogs!”

Her eyes widened with recognition.

What are we doing here? The wolf’s head lowered.

Having a cookie. Now, be a good doggie and be quiet.

“Promiňte nám paní.” He beamed smoothly, continuing in Czech. “When I heard how special the bread was, I could not wait until morning. Permit me?”

The woman trembled approached the glass display case. “Mr. Schwarz, these are from yesterday. Too old. If you tell me what you like, I will send an order to the castle directly. Freshly baked.”

Gregor watched her carefully, assessing the offerings. He was certain her age was an illusion. It was no wonder she had gone undetected for so long. He shook his head, surveying the case with hands clasped behind his back. “I am not a patient man.”

He made his selection seem random enough, all the while watching her face. She was good, but not even half his age, and still too close to her human birth to have shed the details of body language which revealed exactly what he was looking for. He paused before a dark loaf, flecked with something resembling pistachios.

“I'll have that one,” he said, indicating with a look.

“But, sir,” she said. “We are known for our rosemary bread. This is just a rustic loaf I make for the old timers.”

“I do so love authentic cuisine,” he said with savage cheer, straightening from his examination so swiftly she jumped backward. “I will take it.”

She lowered her eyes. “Of course, sir. A moment, please.”

He waited as she withdrew the loaf, carefully wrapping it in paper, and slipping it into a paper bag. She set the package on the counter. He reached into his pocket and chased the jingle of coins.

“How much?”

“No, sir,” she said. “It is my honor to bake for the necromancer's man.”

Gregor bared his teeth in the mockery of a smile. “I insist.”

He slid a few Czech crowns across the counter, the silhouettes of the Charles Bridge glittering silver as they caught the light. Snatching the bag, he ripped into the paper. Crumbs scattered over the clean floor as he tore the bread in half. He glanced at the wolf. “Sit.”

Markus flattened his ears and showed enough teeth to make the woman behind the counter recoil.

Gregor laughed. “Good dog.”

The woman sucked in a breath. Gregor flung the chunk at the wolf. Massive jaws snapped twice, and the bread disappeared.

Delicious. She's good. You have a perverse sense of –

The wolf's voice cut off. His eyes darted up to the man, before narrowing at the woman. A low, uncertain growl reverberated through his chest. He sat back on his haunches and his tongue spilled helplessly from his jaws. Whining, he sank to the floor. The change began before Gregor’s eyes.

Gregor was moving before the wolf's strangled cry became a human voice. He hurdled the counter, reaching for the semi-automatic holstered under his coat with one hand and the necromancer’s throat in the other. He pinned her to the wall and the air left her chest in a rush.

“Adelaide Haase, you are under arrest for violation of your license,” he snarled.

“I only make it as a defense for the elders,” she choked, glaring at the gun’s muzzle. “So they are not taken in confidence by those duplicitous creatures.”

“You know who I am?” It was a question offered with surprise, rather than boast.

As Azrael's Head of Security, his face was synonymous with the necromancer's rule. The position afforded respect, but he had earned the fear which accompanied the recognition on his own.

She nodded, and he felt her swallow against his palm.

“Yet, you lie to me,” he said, glancing at the now-incapacitated wolf on the floor.

Markus was stuck between his forms. His body was human, but his hands were still mostly paws, and his feet haired with wolf pelt. His head maintained most of its lupine features, even in human shape.

Gregor turned his attention back to the young necromancer. “A licensed necromancer not practicing in favor of owning a bakery was strange enough to attract attention. But the loaf worked fast, so you're clearly not out of practice. That kind of spell work takes more than a few pastries to support.”

She met his eyes. “I don't know what you're insinuating,”

He pitched her across the room into the tables and chairs, sending them clattering to the floor. “Where are the others?”

“There are no others!” She managed to get to her knees and elbows much faster than a woman her apparent age should have.

His expression turned thoughtful. “Your buyer seemed to think you sold in bulk.”

The necromancer’s eyes darted around the room, betraying her.

“She's casting,” Markus growled in warning.

Gregor lunged and grabbed her by the ankle, flinging her into the wall. She slid down, unconscious.

“Not anymore,” he announced, snatching a cloth off one of the remaining tables and tossing it in the general direction of the man’s haunches. “Keep an eye on her?”

He gave Markus credit for remaining functional. The man levered himself to the fallen necromancer's side, glancing around for a weapon. Gregor handed off the gun on his way behind the counter.

“Try not to kill her,” Gregor said as an afterthought. “Azrael would like to have a word.”

Markus managed a decent grip with his more hand-like paw and grunted assent.

Gregor passed through the swinging door to the kitchen. In the silent space, he appraised mounds of unfinished bread and bowls of half-mixed fillings, which had collapsed when Adelaide was rendered unconscious. Apparently, the necromancer was also using her power to do the bulk of the baking. There was work here for four people, but she was the only one in the shop.

Except, she wasn't.

His eyes swept the room. It was a tidy kitchen, but no matter how clean, a bakery always accumulated a fine layer of flour dust in the oddest of places.

Though not a creature of magic by nature being bound to a necromancer had its advantages. Centuries of service had taught Gregor a few things about sensing power. If a little bit of Azrael's had rubbed off on him over time, he used it to his advantage.

He followed his instinct to the blank wall. However, now that he was looking for it, the break in the flour where the wall met the floor seemed obvious. As well as the slight semi-circle of white dust left by the opening and closing of a door where there should be none.

The sword at his back became solid only when he reached for it. A symbol of his vow to Azrael and a gift of power, the blade coalesced like black smoke as he drew. He touched the still translucent tip to the wall. It went solid instantly at contact with power other than itself. He murmured the words of the same unlocking geas he'd used on the door outside. The wall gave up its hidden door with the sound of reluctant lock tumblers sliding into line. He sheathed the blade, grabbed the newly visible handle, and pulled.

The hard light of the kitchen spilled into the hidden room beyond. He made out half a dozen bodies, after overcoming the pungent reek of fear and animal. The mix of skin and feathers and fur was tangled and matted with captivity. Six pairs of eyes stared up at him, some from human faces, some from the faces of the animals they had been. Mostly birds, a few mice, and even a tabby cat. All lured with crumbs, and captured to be traded or sold.

Gregor crouched low, and the captives shrank away from him. He exposed his palms and spoke in slow, formal Czech. “You're free now, by command of the Necromancer Azrael. Your captor will be punished for her crimes. Our people will be here soon to offer you succor, should you require it.”

He watched their expressions, fear and hopelessness falling away as his words registered. He repeated himself in German, English, and Dutch, suspecting one of the leggier birds was a heron common in the Netherlands.

He heard the front door open, and Rory's voice at the counter. “What the hell happened to you, Mark?”

Markus' reply was too low for Gregor to catch. Rory had to duck to enter the kitchen, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Is this about the bloody cake, mate?”

Gregor shrugged. “He’ll live.”

“The Consort is going to lose her mind.” Rory sighed.

“I'll see her in the sparring ring, at her convenience.” Gregor said pleasantly.

“She’s going to gut you.” Rory eyed him with the patience of familiarity.

“She may try.” Gregor showed teeth.

Rory’s brow rose. “Azrael will be happy to do it for her. I hope it's worth it.”

“Always.” Gregor snugged his coat and changed the subject. “You secured Haase for transport?”

Rory looked insulted. Gregor apologized with a shrug.

“I've called for a recovery team to pick them up.” Rory took in the little room and its huddled occupants with a frown. “Terrible business, this.”

“And Markus?”

“In the Rover, pissed as hell.” Rory chuckled, shaking his head. “Go. I'll stay until they’re sorted. Try not to rub his nose in it too much.”

“That's no fun.”

Gregor strode out of the bakery, brushing a bit of flour from his lapels. Aelfir, Azrael's Nordic bruiser, prodded the revived necromancer toward the transport vehicle. Gregor paused to check she was bound and warded to keep her from attempting escape. It was a cursory check. She knew she was done. Her head hung low in defeat. Azrael's punishment would be severe, and every supernatural in his territory would know of it. Gregor did not waste pity on her.

Next, he walked to Rory's Range Rover and opened the back door. Markus was curled up on the seat in a blanket. With a shudder, his body tried to transition to wolf and failed. He groaned and shivered wildly. The bread forced the transformation, but arresting midway it was a nice trick.

“Don't worry,” Gregor purred at the shape-shifter. “It will wear off in a day or so. Perhaps Mommy has something which can speed it up “

“You're a real dick, Old Man, you know that, right?” Markus managed a snarl, his eyes stuck between wolf muddy yellow and a more human shade of hazel. “I should have let her turn you into a toad.”

“I am grateful for the warning she was trying to cast,” Gregor said. “There are six shifters free to return to their lives, thanks to you. Consider us even.”

“Even?”

Gregor's smile widened. “For the Schwarzhirsch.”

Gregor and the wolves had a rocky start, but the pack had made a peace offering in the only way they knew how—a practical joke. The joke, a cake in the shape of the stag in Gregor's family crest, was made from red velvet. Markus had taken particular pleasure in hacking the thing bloody and handing out forks.

Gregor decided revenge was best served cold, and slightly stale. Markus glared up at him, but he couldn't keep the corner of his lips from twitching upward.

“This is just the beginning, Old Man,” Markus promised. “Welcome to the family.”

Gregor closed the door on his laughter and strode away.

A flat black Audi roadster vibrated slightly at his approach and the headlights winked on. Finally, the replacement for his beloved automobile had arrived. He hoped he wouldn’t regret acquiescing to Azrael’s insistence on electric. The engineers had assured him he wouldn’t suffer a loss of performance. An undead boy leapt out of the driver's seat, holding the door as the car chimed a familiar, pleasant greeting.

“Up past our bedtime, aren't we, Dr. Sato?” Gregor asked, wondering what the Consort's attaché was doing delivering his car.

“Lord Azrael thought it a good idea I start participating in patrols,” Tyler said. He corrected himself at Gregor's scowl. “Taking on additional responsibilities.”

Gregor wondered how much of Tyler's being here was Azrael's idea, and how much Tyler’s own. The boy seemed determined to rise from his position as attaché to something more substantial.

“I take it he's keeping the Consort out of trouble all by himself.” Gregor smirked, sliding into the car.

Tyler flushed. “The Academy, sir. It's the Summer Showcase. Issy's friend is performing.”

“The martial artist,” Gregor pondered.

“Trinh,” Tyler said, a little too sharply.

The dancer had made a point of cornering both men. In their brief interaction, she'd announced it did not matter how old either was, she would cut them into too many pieces to be recovered, if they harmed Isela Vogel.

The idea that Gregor would, or could, harm the Consort was laughable at best. His life was hers now, as it was Azrael's. He didn't have to like it, but he would obey it with every fiber of his being. Such was his vow, not just the one he'd taken to Azrael. Still, he'd been too charmed by the fearless eye contact be offended by the threat. Apparently he hadn’t been the only one.

“She's too much woman for you, little one,” Gregor said, eyebrow raised. “Perhaps I'll catch the second half. If I hurry, I may make the end of intermission.”

He slammed the car door in the younger man’s face. He slipped the car in gear and swung away from the curb. On the way, he woke up his favorite florist with a call, arranging for a delivery of roses to meet him at the theater.

The florist spoke around a yawn. “The card, Sir?”

“To new beginnings.”

Death's Dancer

Check out Death's Dancer, the world where Best Served Cold comes from!

Summer Solstice

Death's Dancer short story is also featured in the Kindle Press Anthology Summer Solstice. You can get it from Instafreebie for free!

#SFF

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sayofchains88 · 3 years

Text

Chapter three: The Crystal Queen by OrangeLetters88~

In front the weathering abandoned church Christian is the first one to open the door to the building. He is feeling morose. Ever since the event he hasn't felt like eating or chatting with anyone, Dr. Carol decided to keep him the rest of that night under careful watch.

A deep tiredness washes over him; Sadie follows behind him closely then Clarence in the back. "You know...I didn't want to say anything Christian, but when I first met you I had a feeling you were my fate..."

He doesn't look at her at first. He hesitates till she grabs his hand. "I don't want to be here..."

She could feel the sudden weight of his sadness silencing without questioning. Christian presses softly against her back. "He went a lot of things recently. Just give him time Sadie."

They make it to the alter where the white coffin stands in the middle of the church in pristine shape. The rest of the church falling apart, Christian can feel a strange wind drag him forward.

"I know why you are here dear Christian. Don't be afraid."

"You were expecting me?"

"Of course, it is written in eternity your fate from the first time you met Alex. You are the shield of your clan. Now you must close your eyes, but before that I demand your conviction to my honor young vampire..."

Christian pulls out his butterfly knife opening his wrist letting his blood drain out against the coffin due to the coffin being covered in chipped away blood. The blood rushes so quickly he doesn't have a chance to meditate instead collapsing over the side over the coffin.

Sadie tries to go to him, but Clarence stops here shaking his head to leave him alone afterwards showing the medical box he brought in case. She at looks him slightly annoyed.

She appears to Christian. She is absurdly beautiful, ruby red lips, long white robe, long fangs, her hair is blonde and in a messy bun. Her heart bleeds against her contrasting white dress. "I sense you are not happy...I swear to you. I will do everything I can help you. You need to be honest with me Christian..."

"There is so much pressure on me...I feel like I am the wrong person..."

She paces around Christian who stands straight. "You know it is okay to have doubts, but it's not just Alex who is waiting for you. There is many waiting for their freedom. You are truly the only one. If you didn't become a vampire...they will never be free."

"What do you mean by that?

"Why do you insist on Sadie to be your wife?" She smiles gently. He thinks about it for a second.

"I don't...know? It just came out of my mouth. I am an idiot..."

"It is because you are meant for each other. I assure you. You were born kill Samuel not Alex. His reign is coming to end..."

"Impossible, it is not me..."

A sword appears in her hand from nowhere. "You are shield of the earth for a reason. Samuel knows his end approaching. I will be giving you the tome of nowhere on top that the sword of earth. You can dispel witches magic and break the slave seals. You are now endowed with honors..."

Touching the sword he feels a surge of energy through his body. "Now wake up!"

The sword and book lies against top of the coffin. Christian wakes up to Clarence wrapping his arm. "What the fuck...who the hell who decided this fate...wasn't I just worried about Alice?"

"Sometimes our starts can be less than stellar, but it doesn't change what we are meant to do in our lives." Sadie says picking the sword up and handing it to Christian. She takes hold of the grip whereas Christian lays hand on the pommel. The scabbard falls to the floor.

The book opens to a blue fairy who wraps herself around the blade. Christian drops the sword. He just stands there. His eyes turn teal like a blue fire burning in the midst of night.

Christian is un-moving for more than five minutes. Tears fall down his cheek before he moves towards Sadie touching her chest where the slave curse is.

Robotically he places his whole hand against her naked skin. You can see the seal's words unravel into the air. "Sadie you need to catch him!"

"Wait what?" She says dumbfound. He falls like a ragdoll as Clarence daftly is able to grab his him. He stares at the ceiling with his mouth open, his eyes slowly close. "Christian was able to cure me? The vampire queen has this power?"

"Do you feel free Sadie?" Clarence asks happily.

"He is now my husband..." She whispers. "He doesn't have to participate in the games, but we need to go so we can free everyone..." Sadie says crying into her hands. Clarence pats her back. She slings Christian over his shoulder.

"You are free...we will free your sisters too."

Sadie grabs the sword and book trailing behind Clarence. The whole church starts to shake, the ceiling crumbling. "Get out of here first!" Clarence pushes Sadie outside before he could make it with Christian. The ground starts to sink under them.

"Clarence! Christian! Nooooooo!!" Sadie screams. From behind she is detained by two of Samuel's men who take the sword and book from Sadie's hands.

"They are dead. Give it up already." One of the men snickers.

"No! Christian can't die! He needs to save us!" Sadie cries out. She stomps on their feet, but is pulled back into an unmarked van. She grieves wailing out loudly as it pulls out.

The church has collapsed down far into a well place tunnel which lines with how it fell. "Clarence...Clarence wake up...you have a long way to go. You can't die yet..."

"My lady of the crystal...I could never die...as so you beckon me..." Clarence sits up in the wake of destruction of the building.

"When it is over...please re-build my body...you are now my treasured saint. You are the apostle of vampire kind. It is my will...go now my dearest apostle. Retrieve the sword of earth for Christian..."

"My queen..." Clarence looks around to see Christian unconscious, but his eyes slightly open burning like a blue fire. Like a fractals of a kaleidoscope. He pats Christians face to make sure he was alright. "Christian...hey man we need to get out of here..."

His forehead bleeding, but his body unable to give any signals for help not even a twitch in sight; Clarence more amazed he was untouched, but he notes he was picked as an apostle of the saint vampire queen. "Steel is not going to believe me..."

He sits Christian up tying his handkerchief around his head to stop the bleeding before coaxing him to piggyback. He looks upward through the large crater before walking to see the coffin tilted to the side. The ashes spilling out, he takes his blood vial pouch to pick the ashes up before gently sitting them inside the coffin sitting it up right. "Forgive anyone who desecrated your resting place my crystal queen..."

The wind starts to blow so hard that Clarence he had to stop moving for a second. The air stops. The tunnel is long and constantly has to crouch to move. Clarence finds he himself has to stop often due to cramps or hard to adjust Christian.

A couple times he had to dip his legs in very large water puddles. His suit ruined by the time he makes it to a large oasis deep into the tunnel. He lays Christian down propping him against a tree. He takes his small canteen to fill it up from his belt.

He drinks a lot before he lays Christian back making sure he keeps hydrated. The blue fairy comes out. Unlike Steel's fairy, Christians is wearing a long slip. "Hey down here!" She snaps bowing.

"You are his fairy?"

"He is in coma, he was supposed to fully touch the pommel...the crystal Queen is scared for his existence, but knew Samuel would do this, but now I must give your book."

A book hits Clarence on the head. "The book of existence?"

She laughs. "I mean yes, this will be your life line. You now serve the Crystal Queen...her heiress of blood demands you to protect the shield and sword of earth. This is your first test. The sword was meant to be stolen by Samuel. Clarence this is your fate."

"What exactly is going on?"

"Doesn't matter what is going. You have a duty apostle of existence. The shield and sword of Earth needs to touch the pommel."

He sits back sighing. "Seriously...Alex's little group is made of eccentrics, but seems to be fated and has made me fated..." Clarence says kicking his legs.

"You being forced into vampiracy was your fate. Do not blame anyone for that please. Her crystal queen has been waiting for this a long time. She tests those who are perfected to her whims. I was fated to guide Christian, but for now I am here to help you."

All of Clarence's cigarettes are soggy. He tosses them to the ground aggravated. "How are we supposed to even get out of here??" He shouts.

"We need to go further. There should be cave dwelling vampires here who serve her heiress."

"Fine...but are we almost out."

She nods her head. Clarence picks Christian back up. "By the way call me Ava."

"Shut up Ava...please..." He says slightly irritated. About an hour in of traveling, Clarence spots someone out of the corner of his eye.

"Weary travelers we heard of your arrival!" A man shouts from the top of the spiral staircase.

A ton of women and men dressed in white dresses, white tops and slacks while each wore a unique scarf or sat it like robes against chest in varying colors of red. A beautiful blonde with braided hair takes Christian. "Excuse me do not take him please..." he says carefully taking him back. "Can you please just show me the exit?"

The blue fairy closes her eyes making herself bigger. Her unclothed feet gently never dirtied under the floor of dirt. She out stretches her arms giving a huge smile darting between them all tugging their hair and examining their features. "These are the peoples of the Crystal Queen themselves! They live off the lands and their blood comes from a crystalized blood that comes from the coffins buried above! She blesses her peoples with thy divine blood which is filtered through the solidarity of earth!"

A little girl hands Clarence a crystal flower. "The blood of earth...you will feel revived."

A man takes Christian from Clarence who is startled. They lay him in a huge lacquer black coffin covered in red spider lily. They fold his arms. Welcoming Clarence to the dining room, large baskets are filled with crystal flowers of the hardened blood substance.

"But you still eat food?"

"Of course we do! We were blessed to be able to enjoy human delicious bounties." A lady says laying large dinner rolls on the table. Another man plops are large roasted deer on the table.

"I cannot eat human food...but it smells delicious." He replies feeling sickly to the smell.

"We knew when we looked at you, but you may carry some of the crystalized flowers with you only if you wish apostle of existence."

"How did you know?" Clarence states shocked. Ava pops out of nowhere.

"It is dictated in texts of her crystal queen." Ava shouts.

He walks outside to see Christian for the first time ever in his life sleeping in a coffin. He feels a knot in his throat. Ava once again appears out of nowhere while Clarence picks Christian up. When sticking his hands in the red spider lily's they start to glow.

He feels he is being sucked into them. Things start to stretch. He looks around his surroundings. "Welcome to palace of death apostle of existence. Right now is your first test. You will have three tests before you can reclaim Christian's sword and book from Samuel."

Everything is black surrounding Clarence. A path of blue fire orbs open before him. He runs forward to see Christian holding his sword, but he is grayed out covered chains. A bush under him is blue roses.

"You must curious why you are seeing this. This is the core of his soul, but if you fail he will die...but you also will die." The voiceless entity explains. "You see her crystal queen doesn't just you have a title. You both prove you are worthy of her presence."

"What am I supposed to do?" Clarence says in shock. A staircase leading up is made spotlight. He walks up the stairs. He observes a field of red spider lilies far as the eyes can see. In the middle contains three entities. They are statues. Samuel, Christian and Elijah stand in different positions.

"One of them contains the key of existence, In truth they could have been just any statues, but these are conjured from Christians mind that includes he himself. This should be easy for you if you indeed an apostle of her crystal queen..."

He stands still closing his eyes, breathing in and out slowly. He makes the triangle of his element in his mind holding his fingers out. He sees a faint glow inside of Elijah's mouth. He pulls it out. BING BONG.

"That is indeed your key to communicate with her highness; you must never lose that key. Your life depends on it. Please exit to the stair case back into the lobby."

He comes down to see Christians face is slightly laced with color instead of being gray. The roses are now yellow instead of blue. He hangs the key around his neck.

"Christian now has some color on his cheeks, would you look at that? Anyways you need to push into his chest this time. Don't worry he is fine."

Clarence pushes into Christian's body; he is a doll it seems. Behind him is a door. A little girl is crying on the ground with her stuffed animal.

There is no cue this time. Clarence nervously walks over to her. He can tell right away by her smell she is human. Something sends him into bloodlust automatically he dunks his head down so his head is leaning into her chest.

"Is there something wrong mister?"

"N-n-nothing, you are a good girl aren't you sweetheart." He says smiling. He gets up walking away mournfully. "I am sorry...I can't do this to a little girl...I accept my fate..."

BING BONG Clarence looks up, his nose running from wanting to cry. "No you are correct. We do not harm smaller children. Please proceed down."

"Precede what??" Clarence yells as he tumbles down a chute that activated under his feet. This time Ava is front of him. "Hello Clarence! I want to inform you there is no third test."

A woman comes from the shadows. "I was mainly messing with you, but in a way I was looking for certain aspects from you. Truthfully, we often read too much into things right in front of us which is dreadful."

"So we are okay then?" Clarence asks relieved.

"Yes, I am so sorry, but when you wake you will be shown out of my peoples den. You are my apostle of existence. One day I will need you when the Sapphire Queen awakes. You will fight with four others to protect her. For now you are awakened to meet the others, but not yet..."

"Sapphire Queen? What will happen to you?"

"I will finally be able to rest and she will be able to stop wars of man and vampire. She is the soft voice reason and her beauty will rise beyond comparison. She will make Kings jealous, but she will always be a Queen alone."

"What about Christian? When will he awaken?"

"Samuel stole the sword. I cannot help you there... make sure to rest the pommel in his hands and I will resurrect his awareness which is trapped in his heart. I am counting on you Clarence. Goodbye..."

Clarence awakes on top of Christian who is lying inside the coffin with Christian. He spits out the red spider lily which somehow made it to his mouth. He lifts Christian out of the coffin once again lifting him on to his back.

A woman comes out giving them a sack of crystalized blood. "Please follow me."

He makes his way groggily over to a large door that opens slowly through an electronic button. "Thank you." He says before leaving.

Clarence realizes very quickly that basically he is back near the castle. He is very tired before he fully makes it back to the house trudging through the fields of flowers. Steel can see him from the distance running over to him.

He falls over into the long grass releasing Christian from his grip plodding into the soft meadow. Steel joins him. She embraces him sticking her arms around his waist and brings her hands up to his face. He is so tired he doesn't notice she is touching his face. "I am so glad you are back safe..."

https://www.wattpad.com/1075064632-chronicles-of-alex-fighting-against-eternity Please support my work on wattpad please if you like my works~

#original character #original story #vampire #drama #fantasy #queens

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