Chapter Text
After five long days, and four very long dark nights, Mercury decided it was time to stop running. Even if his legs were up for four more days of non-stop use, his stomach and body needed a break. Not to mention his mind.
He was in a wooded area, like much of the rest that he’s past since yesterday afternoon, when he finally reached the end of all… her work. His mind jumped onto Emerald. He didn’t want to think about what happened. After Cinder was defeated, Emerald- she just changed. She still didn’t accept it when they got back to Salem’s layer. But when they were asked how the plan folded out, Emerald spoke. She took it all on herself, blamed her attacks, her thoughts, her feeling, her power, her youth, it was all her fault.
But it really wasn’t.
We couldn’t have done anything about it. Like the damn kids we are...
Emerald accepted holding herself responsible. And she completely broke knowing that Cinder was gone and believing it was because of her. Emerald saw something in Cinder that Mercury couldn’t have seen. She really did idolize her.
No, she was- she’s in love with her.
Mercury’s mind went numb. How could anyone love someone like that? Someone so bitter, and hateful, and manipulative. For months, he waited for Emerald to see Cinder’s true character, and how someone like her would never allow love into her heart. He knew the type. He sighed out loud and decided not to blame Emerald, it takes a while to see someone as they really are under our own glorified expectations.
Took me years.
But when Emerald came sobbing back to Salem about how she was to blame Salem couldn’t have agreed with her more.
Mercury tensed his stomach and grunted his teeth, yelling before kicking the closest tree to him and completely shattering it.
That FUCKING SALEM. She knows that Emerald is no way responsible for Cinder’s fall, neither of us are! She just wants to keep using her and she’s manipulating her own love-
He suddenly took out a huge breath and straighten his back. No matter how many times he thought it, and said it, Emerald had already made her choice. He turned the opposite way he was running from and kept doing so. He wasn’t going to get swallowed by another adult’s trick. He had seen enough of that ride to know how it would end.
Why did I even get a ticket for this in the first place?
Something started beeping in his backpack, which made him stop and swing it around to open. He opened the bag and turned off the reminder. Nothing he was used to with his, but that thing that he picked up a few weeks ago had a reminder inbuilt that he couldn’t turn off. He didn’t understand why it would have a 'dislodged function' reminder though, it was pretty annoying to say the least. No matter, soon he’ll have it out of his hands, if he played his cards right. He was heading to Mistral.
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The take off to Atlas was just in two weeks, but it felt much longer than that. Yang knew it took awhile for these things to happen, but she was itching to get to the other relic. Unlike how Wiess felt about the whole ordeal, Yang couldn’t wait a bit.
Dammit, we would be there right now if I didn’t have to wait for that stupid package!
Mail and messaging took much longer these days then ever.
After Yang’s encounter with her mom, or Raven, she felt like it was her responsibility to protect the rest of the relics, like most of her friends. Although its power and awe was somewhat out of her understanding, once she held one herself, feeling the weight of it pulling on her soul while staying physically light... She realized right away that it could never go into the wrong hands. That’s just the kind of power she felt from it.
Still, the extra time gave them an opportunity to send messages to the other kingdoms. Sun was able to get into contact with the rest of his team, who will hopefully meet up at Atlas with them. And team CFVY has already been marching across the lands and will be joining them within the week. They sent ravens and huntsmen across the continent to send word and search for other fighters. Which was what she was in the middle of doing right now. She did a wheelie on her bike just for shits and giggles before entering a small village, finally ending the never ending forest she drove through within the last few days. She parked her bike near the entrance and got off.
When talking to the town's people, she wasn’t too surprised to hear that there were no fighters or at least no fighters that were willing within the whole area. However, she did hear some gossip about a thief in the woods who hit up the bakery and meat carvers five times in the past two days. They all assumed it was some desperate outcast, but no one's been able to spot them. And since it only started two days ago, no one believes it was someone from the town. Yang agreed to help them out.
She waited till nightfall. From what she understood, the crook stole enough for a family feast of two days. Unless he wasn’t working alone, he probably wouldn't hit up the village that night. But Yang was determined. She hoped that maybe the amount of supplies would slow them down. Maybe they are not that far off to begin with? She climbed the highest tree and stood on the top.
“Bingo-Bango”
Maybe a mile or so out she could see the tiniest bit of silver smoke leaving the valley of trees. A small campfire, probably about to go out. She hopped down to the grown and went over to her bike.
She rode towards the fire, cutting the engines and hiding her bike under bushes when she got close. She climbed another bark and jumped from tree to tree, wanting to make sure that they couldn’t hear her, or her bike. She searched through the top branches to find the tiny campfire with one person laying next to it sleeping.
The coat over him covered his face but she could tell it was a man. As rain started to drizzle the man woke up a bit, only to turn his stomach close to the fire as if he was cradling it. Yang felt bad for him, a lonely traveler with no shelter from the rain. She studied his campsite. Some bits of firewood, a backpack next to him along with a large sack. Nothing told her that he had ever gone to that village before. She felt the demeanor of a lost mut who didn’t have any ties with any village when she looked down at him.
Eh, it could be him, but she couldn't just jump to conclusions, she had to see him in the act. He really didn’t look like a well-fed traveler from this point. Sneaking up and taking a look into his stuff wasn’t something she wanted to do if she was unsure. Even if it turns out he was stealing food, she didn’t want to turn him in to the village. A hungry desperate man does not deserve jail time, but she also concluded that anyone who would risk a night of grim-infected woods would be a capable fighter along the Atlas journey. She even swore she's seen a pair of combat boots like his before. In fact, she wanted to avoid a fight with this stranger at all cause, and sneaking up on his camp might not give off a good ‘Come and join or battle!’ vibe. But blackmailing? Now that was her favorite method of negotiation.
She watched the man as he suddenly stretched onto his back, his cloak lifting just enough to see his mouth, a stream of droll went down his chin.
“Cute.”
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She had waited all night in the trees, only going back once to check on her motorbike and get something to eat. After a few hours into the day, he woke up next to his defeated campfire. He stared at those coals for what felt like an eternity before grabbing his stomach, Yang also felt like she could hear his grumblings from up here. He went for the sack right away and that's when Yang got excited.
Finally! I’ve waited all night you know.
It suddenly occurred to her how much time she had been wasting on this guy who could just be some random dude trying to camp in the woods. How much time she’s wasting instead of looking for other huntsmen. But when he started dumping out the sack, her face lite up. Nothing but fine meats and loaves of bread.
“Good morning!” the man exclaimed to the food with opened arms. He was happy to have something to get his mind off of- well everything. Eating never solved problems but for lord’s mercy did it ever help. If he were ever to fell in love to anything… it had to be food.
Yes, only food
Before placing a roll of salami into his mouth he felt something off in the air. Quickly he got to his feet and backflipped back right before someone crashed into the place he was just sitting in.
“Looks like you’re in trouble now!” Yang's arms were crossed and she was smiling so hard she had her eyes closed. When she opened them however she meet familiar dark grey eyes. Her face twisted as she recognized his face, to which Mercury gawked to respond:
“Fuck. I’m in trouble now.”