Chapter Text
When AJ followed Daisy and the rebel, who introduced himself as Cobalt, into the tent she felt a veil of mana around the tent. The sudden wave had her own mana acting up, straining to escape her skin, yet she was already drained. It hurt. Cobalt and Daisy didn't react to it at all, proving the theory Fairy had about only people with mana being able to sense it. The reminder of Fairy threatened to bring back more memories, but AJ forced them and the pain down to focus on the mana veil instead.
Only someone with mana could cast a mana veil, obviously, so there had to be some kind of mana user in the camp. There were rumors of dragon riders among the rebels, but no one, including AJ, knew how many there actually were or who they were. As she walked through the veil, she got the sense that it was Commander Daggers’.
“Thank you for bringing those papers tonight,” the Commander said, turning around.
He had a dark green scarf wrapped around his head hiding his hair and lower face. The only facial feature AJ could see was his dark brown eyes. He wore a similar brown jacket over a cream shirt with brown pants as the other rebels in camp.
“It was so difficult. We nearly died! But I was so brave and saved us both!” AJ told him theatrically, trying to distract herself with her curiosity about how he'd react.
“Rook’s being dramatic. We ran from two slow guards for five minutes.” Daisy deadpanned, not giving the Commander a chance to respond, and thus ruining AJ's fun.
“Let me have my drama, Blondie,” she complained playfully even as pain shot through her bones again.
Daisy rolled their eyes and handed the papers over.
“Thank you Daisy. Cobalt will take you to a tent to rest. I have some more work for you here in camp, but that can wait until morning,” Commander Daggers told them as he took the papers.
Cobalt left the tent with Daisy following behind after a short nod. AJ didn’t show it, but she was anxious to escape the mana that was still trying to tear through her body.
She went to follow, but was stopped by the Commander saying, “Rook, I’d like to speak to you some more.”
The request caught AJ by surprise, but she quickly came up with a confident excuse as to why she had to leave.
“Y’know, commander, I’m supposed to stay with Daisy to keep them safe. So I have to go.”
Commander Daggers took a deep breath and closed his eyes as if bracing himself. When he opened his eyes again, they were the wrong color.
“Not even for an old friend?”
The voice was too high. Too soft. The eyes were too light. Too familiar.
AJ knew that voice. Those eyes. She knew them better than she knew her own.
Her face paled. Her eyes widened. Her breath caught.
“D-Drift?”
“AJ.”
Drift was standing right in front of her. She was right there. Golden eyes peered out at her between green cloth, but AJ didn’t need to see the rest of her face. She memorized it years ago.
“How could you AJ!” Drift spat. She took a step forward, shoving AJ’s shoulder as she did, causing her to stumble back.
“You knew how much I cared for you! You knew that I didn't want people to know! Yet you kept throwing it in my face! You threatened my worst fear knowing that it would make me run away!”
Drift took another threatening step forward. As she did, the scarf fell down around her neck. AJ wanted to stumble back again, but her feet felt stuck. They were stuck. The earth below her feet had softened, then hardened again, leaving her feet immobilized
“You told me it was all a game! Do you even realize how much that hurt? How could you?”
Drift’s breaths were hard and angry, her expression twisted with betrayal.
Neither girl spoke for a long time.
Finally, AJ asked, “W-why are you here?”
“I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” was Drift’s curt reply.
AJ fell silent again. She didn’t know what to say. What could she say?
“Why, AJ? Why did you chase me away? Why didn't you ever try to figure out where I was?”
The hurt in Drift’s voice was so evident. The betrayal shone in her eyes.
“And don't even try to tell me it's because you didn't care,” Drift added, “I know you better than that.”
“I-I was scared.” AJ found herself blurting out the truth before she could stop herself. “I was scared about what I would do to you.”
Pain sliced through her again, but she forcefully pushed it away, hopefully before Drift noticed it.
“AJ-” Drift whispered before AJ cut her off.
“I didn’t want you to get hurt while working with me. I was so worried that everyone else would find out that you were working with me and take out my mistakes on you. I didn’t want your secret to be revealed and make everything so much worse for you. And I was so scared that everything else was a lie.” The last sentence was a whisper. “I was scared that I let myself fall for someone unreachable and I would get hurt. Again.”
“AJ,” Drift said again more forcefully.
AJ fell silent, her gaze dropping to the floor. She withheld a wince as liquid fire seemed to race up her legs.
“You’re wincing. What’s going on, AJ?” Drift didn’t sound angry anymore. Instead, concern filled her voice.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” AJ lied through her teeth.
“Don’t lie to me,” Drift commanded. She put her fingers under AJ’s chin and tilted her head up to force their eyes to meet. Drift hadn’t done that since.… Actually, AJ couldn’t remember. Even before the argument, AJ had been avoiding her.
“I see you.”
AJ was taken aback. Those had been some of the last civil words they'd exchanged.
“Tell me what's wrong AJ.”
AJ opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. How could Drift care after everything? It had to be some kind of ploy.
AJ set her expression into the blank hard mask she’s grown so accustomed to. Finally, in a steely, calm voice she responded.
“Let me go, Drift.”
Drift seemed surprised by the sudden shift in AJ’s demeanor. She evidently hadn’t expected AJ to see through her ruse.
The ground loosened its hold and AJ stepped out.
“And next time, don’t pretend like you still care.”
AJ walked out of the tent, the mana veil suffocating whatever lies Drift spun next.