Archive of Our Own ^beta

Darkness stretched in all directions. There was no sky and no ground. Yami stopped breathing but his lungs did not burn. There was no need to breathe here. There was no light but his body was visible and unobscured by shadow. There was no breeze but he could smell ash and sweet herbs in front of him and blood and torches at his back. “This place…” he murmured in the language he spoke before he came to Clover Kingdom. It was familiar but his memories of it existed on the edge of his subconscious.

Behind Yami, Vangeance slowly materialized. His body was just as visible despite the lack of light. His eyes fluttered open and gazed about the endless darkness. His heart did not speed up or beat at all and fear did not grip his stomach. This place was familiar, but more as a feeling than a conscious memory. He reached out, expecting to touch dark magic, but there was no magic or mana to grasp. His gaze settled on Yami. Sobs and whimpers echoed behind him. A rooster crowed in the very far distance beyond Yami. Vangeance licked his lips. They seemed to be alone.

Yami looked down at his hands and then closed them slowly. His gaze turned to Vangeance. “I can only save one of us.”

“I’m always prepared to die.” Vangeance approached Yami. “Before you go, I want to say something.” He slowly took Yami’s hand, giving Yami ample chance to pull his hand away if the touch was unwanted. “I’m sorry.” He held Yami’s gaze. “I told you that you weren’t my friend when you probably were and I caused a lot of problems for you. That was my own insecurities and weaknesses.” His grip tightened and he kissed the back of Yami’s hand. “I’m glad we existed in the same lifetime.” He let go of Yami’s hand. “Goodbye, Yami.” He stepped towards the smell of ash and sweet herbs.

Yami immediately grasped Vangeance’s wrist, his grip tight, tethering. “Who said I was going to save myself?”

The wails and sobs continued to echo. The smell of ash and sweet herbs intensified. Dark magic faintly pulsed as mana gathered, swirling around both of them as it built.

Yami let go of Vangeance’s wrist. “The only one of us I can save is you.” His fingers slipped through Vangeance’s hair and behind his ear, resting along the base of Vangeance’s jaw. Vangeance did not move away. Yami kissed him, soft and lingering. Vangeance moved closer, resting his fingertips on Yami’s hips. He took a breath.

Vangeance’s eyes opened. Torchlight flickered on the walls and ceiling of the laboratory in Spade. The floor was cold and wet. Everything smelled of blood and flame. Sobs and wails echoed against the stone walls. He opened his mouth but he could not muster even a hoarse whisper. He needed to move. He needed to act. He could not wait. His body ached too much to move. His mind could barely focus. He flexed his fingers and slowly moved his hand across the floor until it reached Yami’s cold, limp hand. Vangeance wrapped his fingers around it, but it did not warm or respond to the touch.

Fleeting memories of endless darkness and soft lips rushed through his mind. Vangeance weakly tightened his hold. Emptiness gripped his stomach. He closed his eyes, trying to settle his soul and call his mana. He had to do this before he lost consciousness or forgot about that place again. He could not let Yami die.

~

The first time Yami touched the endless darkness, he was only a junior magic knight. It was a year after Morgen died and one of several missions Julius sent Yami and Vangeance on together since that death. One of the first ocean storms of the year spiraled steadily towards Clover Kingdom’s eastern shore, threatening ports, towns, and farmland. Upon the Wizard King’s request, Julius sent Yami and Vangeance to a farming hamlet in the common realm with the mission to protect the crops and livestock while also providing any additional assistance to the residents. They arrived yesterday afternoon when the sun still shone between bands of rain, and woke up to rain sprinkles that became a steady drizzle as the morning continued.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. The wind gusts grew steadily stronger. They did not have long until the most dangerous part of the storm arrived. Yami’s boots slapped through the water already starting to puddle in low-lying areas. He paused when he arrived at the edge of a field.

Vangeance stood in the center of the vegetables. His eyes closed and branches wove from his fingers across the crops, creating a shield against wind and debris. The magic lit Vangeance against the darkening clouds. He breathed deeply as the woven branches reached the ends of the field and then he created the center of the weave until it elevated his feet above the crops. His grimoire retreated and his eyes opened. His lips turned upwards slightly, though his ki remained rather gloomy. “Is the hamlet ready?”

“Yeah,” Yami said. “They said they’ve got room for only one of us at the church. I’m going to go stay at a hunting cottage near here, so you’ll probably want to head to the church soon.”

Vangeance glanced in the direction of the hamlet, his lips pressing together in a fine line. Ever since he arrived, he heard the disparaging whispers and comments about Yami from the residents. He doubted there was not enough room for both of them at the church. Those people were the last people he wanted to shelter with during the storm. “We should stick together, don’t you think?” His gaze returned to Yami.

Yami did not look away. Vangeance seemed sincere but distant as always. It was hard to tell if it was the mask or just Vangeance’s nature. Yami sighed and pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. “Do what you want.”

Vangeance followed Yami. Lighting drew closer and more frequent. The wind gusts continued to increase. The air pressure seemed to thicken and grow. The humidity made the cottage’s door almost impossible to open and then the wind made it almost impossible to close.

The cottage was stone and its heavy shutters protected the windows. There was only one room but if they needed extra protection, there was a brick-lined cellar dug into the earth that could fit at least three people. Yami flopped down on one of the benches at the table in the center of the cottage. Vangeance sat diagonally across from him so both of them could put their feet up on the empty parts of each other’s benches. Yami lit the candle on the table with a match.

The rain slammed against the roof and spilled to the ground from the eaves. Thunder shook the walls. The air pressure grew more uncomfortable and the wind gusts continued to strengthen. The candle occasionally flickered. Time passed but it was impossible to gauge how much. Their stomachs rumbled. Vangeance reached into his grimoire pouch and retrieved a handkerchief tied very tightly. “One of the farmers gave me some food.” He undid the knot and unfolded the cloth. There was bread, cheese, and greens. Vangeance carefully split everything equally and set the food on the cloth between them, letting Yami pick which portions he wanted first.

They each made sandwiches with half of their share and saved the other half for later. The rain drummed louder. The wind howled higher. The air pressure pushed down until they could feel it in their bones, teeth, and brains. The storm only seemed to grow stronger. There was no reprieve. Vangeance returned the food to his pouch. Yami lit up a cigarette. The candle continued to glow. Neither needed to fill the room with needless chatter. It was almost pleasant despite the air pressure.

Abruptly a rumble sounded in the distance and the ground began to shake, gaining intensity as it drew closer. Vangeance’s shoulders tensed. Yami almost bit down on his cigarette.

“Tornado,” they said simultaneously.

“I’ll open the door.” Yami rushed to the cellar entrance. He pulled on the handle but the door did not budge in the humidity.

“You first. I’ll follow,” Vangeance said and grabbed the other side of the handle and yanked together with Yami using all of their strength. The rumble grew louder and the shaking more intense. Finally, the door opened.

Yami jumped down to the cellar floor. He moved so Vangeance had a clear jump. Everything went dark.

When Yami’s eyes opened, everything was still dark. He lay in a puddle of water not quite high enough to drown him. He sat up and reached out with his hand, touching shelving and bottles. He was still in the cellar. He was alone. He retrieved his matches for a source of light, but they were wet and useless now. He sighed and climbed up the ladder. Instead of the wooden door, a large stone from the wall sealed the cellar. Yami pushed with both hands until the stone moved aside and he could pull himself out of the cellar.

The cottage must have taken a near-direct hit. All that remained was the fireplace. Stone and roof littered the surrounding area. Rain tapered off into sprinkles as the storm raged in the distance. There was no way to know how long it would be before the eye wall arrived and the storm resumed. Yami shivered. “Vangeance!”

There was no answer, but Yami did not expect one. He started running in the direction that the tornado would have gone. What were once simple puddles were as deep as his boots were tall and occasionally past his knees. There were no sign of Vangeance’s branches in the fields. There was no pulse of mana nearby or signs of his ki. The clouds began to turn colors even though there was no other sign of the setting sun. Yami did not have much time before it would be too dark to see. “Vangeance!”

No answer. Yami stopped and gazed in all directions, pausing when he spotted a body lying on a downed tree nearby. He ran towards it. Vangeance laid on his back staring up at the sky unblinking. Mud streaked his mask, skin, and clothes. His chest did not move. His heart did not beat. His body was cold but not stiff.

Yami held his breath without realizing until his throat and lungs began to burn as he gasped for air. The sky continued to turn colors, shading Vangeance in an eerie fuchsia.

The first time they met, Vangeance sat on a log in the forest surrounded by small birds. His smile was cryptic and sharper than it was lately. When they went on overnight missions, they would make a fire and stare up at the moon and stars while one of them kept watch and the other tried to sleep. Sometimes they traded creepy legends as wolves howled in the distance. Vangeance always shared whatever food he had fairly and freely with no caveats. Even distant and aloof, it was nice to have him around on missions.

Yami frowned. His chest tightened. For a moment, he remembered Nacht carrying Morgen from the family manor just as Yami’s feet touched the yard and his broom disappeared into his grimoire. Morgan’s body was just as cold, just as limp as Vangeance’s body was now, but Morgen’s eyes were closed. Yami helped Nacht burry Morgen under an empty headstone with no coffin.

Vangeance’s eyes continued to stare upwards. His lips remained parted and his chest completely still. Yami reached out slowly, his fingers hovering just above Vangeance’s eyes and then his hand dropped to Vangeance’s chest and he began compressions. The natural mana around him seemed to condense and gather. “Live. Dammit,” he hissed. “Live!” Mana kept accumulating but not quite manifesting in the human realm. Thunder echoed in the distance. The wind began to increase and rain sprinkles spit generously from the sky. “Live!”

Dark magic grew in the infinite darkness, swirling around Vangeance’s soul. He closed his eyes and let it wrap around him tightly. The scent of rain and mud filled his nose and lungs.

Vangeance gasped. He rolled onto his side, landing on his knees in the mud and spit out rainwater. His body heaved with each breath. Awareness of infinite darkness faded from his mind as he became more aware of the mud under his hands and the tree at his side. He was completely soaked and could not stop shivering. His gaze swept the land. Lightning flashed in the east. Thunder drew closer. Sprinkles became a drizzle. The storm would resume soon.

“We can’t stay out in the open,” Yami said. He removed his cloak and cast it over Vangeance’s shoulders. It was just as cold and wet as Vangeance’s clothing.

“There’s a barn nearby if you don’t mind animals.” Vangeance rose to his feet and wrapped the cloak around his hands and arms to help them warm. He was still very pale but not as pale as when Yami found him.

They headed down a muddle footpath. The air pressure began to build again and the lightning and thunder continued to draw closer. They made it to the barn before the storm resumed.

~

The first time Vangeance reached into the infinite darkness was years later. He was a senior magic knight unknowingly months away from promotion. He stood beside Yami on a cliff on the west coast of Clover Kingdom with the ocean crashing against the rocks below. The Heart Kingdom was barely visible through mist along the horizon across the water. The breeze rustled Vangeance’s mask and tugged at Yami’s black cloak.

“The dungeon should be below our feet,” Vangeance said. “Master Julius said that the entry should be clear of debris.”

Yami closed his eyes and a pulse of dark magic radiated outward from him. His eyes opened. “The tide won’t return for a while. We won’t be at risk of drowning.”

They flew on brooms down to a large eroded opening in the cliffside and entered a long, damp tunnel. Vangeance led the way, a small world tree growing from the palm of his hand so it lit their path in a golden glow like the realm of the gods.

Natural rock created a staircase leading them deeper and lower into the cliff. Water dripped from stalactites and created small puddles at their feet. The natural staircase led them to a cavern at the base of the cliff. Ocean water ebbed to their left and two tunnels disappeared into darkness ahead to their right.

“If you were going to hide a copper scroll, would you pick the creepy dark tunnel with the terrible mana or the creepy dark tunnel with the horrible mana?” Yami mused.

“The one with the most life,” Vangeance said as he watched crustaceans skitter across the floor. “They say that the last scroll found depended on following the path with the most plants.”

Centuries ago, the first copper scroll appeared promising significant treasure if someone found all thirteen scrolls along with instructions on how to find the second scroll. Each scroll found afterwards led to significant treasure and had information on the next scroll. If this copper scroll still existed, it would be the tenth.

Crustaceans and mollusks seemed to line the walls of one of the tunnels, leading the way towards a blue glow that pulsed with weak, eerie mana. Eventually the tunnel opened up into a dungeon filled with relics, coins, and sculpture. The blue glow cast enough light to see easily but its origin was not obvious. Yami moved towards the left and Vangeance to the right. A sea otter dove under an ornate table. Coins littered the floor. The blue light made spotting aged copper near impossible.

Vangeance scanned a row of statues, each in a grotesque pose while a larger statue faced them standing straight with its palm outstretched. It held a scroll in its other hand. Vangeance ran his fingers along the scroll. It was metal and the engraved words were in an older dialect of Clover’s language. “I found it!” He let his magic sweep the large statue, but he could not detect any threats or traps. He carefully freed the copper scroll from the statue’s hand. It was like the other copper scrolls, not particularly light or heavy, nor thick or thin. Vangeance held the scroll up to the light and gazed at a depiction of a bird with many feathers etched into the center of the scroll.

Mist gathered. The hair along Vangeance’s arms and the back of his neck rose on end. His body tensed instinctively. ‘Get down! Don’t breathe!’ Patri said in his mind.

“Get down! Don’t breathe!” Vangeance repeated loudly and knelt in the coins, clamping his hands over his mouth and nose. His eyes stung and his mind seemed to spin. The mist rose high into the air and gathered where it would disturb any standing humans but spare the sea creatures in the dungeon. Vangeance shut his eyes. He kept his fingers firmly against his nose. Statues toppled meters away. Dizziness gripped him but he kept still. His lungs burned. His nose stung. He was not sure how much longer he could continue to hold his breath.

‘It’s safe to breathe now,’ Patri said.

Vangeance gasped for breath. He swatted at a crab trying to fight the cuff of his uniform. “You can breathe now, Yami!” he called out as soon as he could. He got to his feet, slipped the copper scroll into his grimoire pouch, and froze. Everything seemed too quiet. Everything seemed too still. His stomach tensed in warning. Crustaceans scurried along the coins. The sea otter scampered off down the tunnel. “Yami?” Vangeance barely waited for an answer and took a step up onto a table nearby so he could see as much of the dungeon as possible. Several statues lay toppled on the other side of the dungeon. He carefully stepped onto a pile of treasure and then onto the first toppled statue. He ran along it to the next toppled statue and the next until he finally jumped down from the next to last toppled statue. “Yami!”

Yami laid face down on the last statue. He did not answer or move. Vangeance rolled him over and gently eased Yami down onto the floor. Yami seemed to be asleep but his chest did not move and his heart did not beat. Vangeance’s branches curled around Yami but there was nothing to heal. Chest compressions did nothing. Yami continued to lose warmth and his eyes remained closed.

Vangeance’s heart pounded in his chest and thundered in his ears. Emptiness gripped his stomach. His throat tightened and his breath shook his body. “No…” he barely whispered.

The first time Vangeance saw Yami it was at the Grey Deer’s funeral for Morgen. Rain poured but Yami stood straight and steady, barely blinking as Julius gave a eulogy. When Vangeance finally met Yami properly in the forest a few weeks later, Yami was still quiet, but seemed warm. The warmth only seemed to grow. As time passed, Yami became more talkative, laughed openly and freely, and sometimes teased Vangeance slightly. He flopped down beside Vangeance at the large round table in the hideout during special dinners and stood shoulder to shoulder with Vangeance at state functions. They went on countless missions side by side and always returned safe to Clover Kingdom. Even in the darkest moments, Yami was there. It would be hollow without him.

Vangeance continued to kneel at Yami’s side. He would need a spell that could carry a body long distances. Branches grew from his body and wrapped around Yami before immediately disappearing. There were other options. There had to be. Legend said that Yggdrasil reached all the realms from the world of the gods to the depths of the underworld. There was no reason that world tree magic could not do the same. Vangeance placed a hand on Yami’s chest, gathered his mana, and closed his eyes. If he could create a tree that could transcend the realms, if he could touch Yami’s soul before Yami chose to die, if…if….

A glow pierced through the infinite darkness becoming roots stretching until they reached Yami’s soul. They were bright, warm, and resonated with Vangeance’s mana and ki. The smell of sea and stone beckoned. Yami touched the roots and they wrapped around his wrist. He breathed deeply and opened his eyes.

They were still in the dungeon. Yami lay in a pile of coins and Vangeance leaned over him, hands pressed firmly to Yami’s chest. Vangeance’s eyes remained closed and his mana continued to resonate. Yami could not look away as he watched the glow of Vangeance’s spell mix with the blue glow in the dungeon. Mana warmed Yami and resonated throughout his body. His hands lifted and hovered above Vangeance’s hands a moment before slowly returning to Yami’s sides. “You don’t have to work so hard at it, I’m not dead.” It was a joke but an involuntary shiver shook Yami from somewhere deep in his soul.

Vangeance’s magic dispelled. He stopped leaning over Yami and sighed deeply. “Thank Yggdrasil.” His shoulders relaxed and his heart finally stopped racing.

Yami stood and ran a hand through his hair. He gazed at the toppled statues and then at the dungeon. “Did you find it?”

“Yeah.” Vangeance stood and shook out his cape. He pressed his lips together. Yami’s balance seemed steady and his arms and legs seemed to move without stiffness. The blue light did not cast a reassuring color to Yami’s skin, but made his dark eyes sparkle at certain angles. Vangeance’s shoulders relaxed further. “We should go.” He did not want to find out if the poison mist was a recurring problem or a trap that neither of them could detect. He was not sure he had the mana needed to save either of them from such a fate again so soon.

Yami followed Vangeance through the tunnel. The blue light faded and the cavern soon appeared. They headed back up the natural cave steps, careful not to slip on the slick stone. Yami glanced back over his shoulder at the darkness below. It almost made him remember the scent of ash and sweet herbs. It almost made him think of roosters crowing. He shook his head to clear it and followed Vangeance into the sunlight.

~

Snow swirled around the castle in Spade. The torches continued to flicker in the laboratory. The floor still seemed too cold, too wet. Sobs still echoed. Yami’s hand was still too limp and too cold. Vangeance pulled mana from the books, papers, wooden tables, and his body, concentrating all of it into his hand. His eyes remained closed and sweat slid down his face. He had to imagine roots extending downward through to the right realm, the right path, the right soul. He could still reach Yami. He had to reach him.

Memories threatened to distract him. Whispered words in front of campfires under the stars. Sitting beside each other on a bench seat in taverns, their knees almost touching while other captains talked and laughed after a meeting. Standing shoulder to shoulder in front of both of their squads for a joint training session while the sun shone on their faces and blossoms filled the trees. Always sharing, never quite touching, gravitating slowly, steadily closer to each other.

Vangeance’s grip tightened on Yami’s hand as much as it could. He continually shivered from cold almost imperceptibly but he did not dare let go. He could not retreat. He would reach Yami.

~

Yami continued to walk forward through the infinite darkness. The smell of ash and sweet herbs grew stronger. The rooster seemed closer and he could almost hear a river rushing in the distance. A golden glow slowly lit the darkness from behind him. Yami stopped walking. Sobs echoed faintly. Blood tinged the air. The glowing mana tried to make roots but it was much too weak. Yami reached up and let it twist around his fingers and hand. “Don’t throw away what I gave you.”

The mana continued to stubbornly twist and tighten. Yami did not move. He did not want to. He closed his eyes and let the mana continue to tighten and warm, transforming slowly into roots that were almost like fingers holding fast and weak to his hand. Yami barely breathed through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth. Broken marble lay cold at his back. Someone blew their nose. Sobs continued to echo. Slowly Yami’s fingers intertwined with Vangeance’s fingers and he gripped Vangeance’s hand as tight as his body would allow. Each breath was a little stronger, but he could not find the energy to open his eyes. Everything ached. He wanted to sleep.

Nearby, Mimosa wiped her eyes with her handkerchief. She sniffled and then froze. “Were they… Were they always holding hands?”

Sobs slowly lessened. Everyone stared.

“They’re shivering,” Noelle said. “The dead don’t shiver.”

Mimosa’s grimoire opened and her vines pressed gently against Yami and Vangeance’s necks. She gasped and then her grimoire flipped several pages forward. Plants began to cover Mimosa and several vines grew from her body wrapping around Yami and Vangeance, filling the room with the warmth and fragrance of the spell.

Slowly the color returned to Vangeance and Yami’s faces as their shivers abated, and their breathing became less shallow. The grip on each other’s hands tightened. Their eyes remained closed. The mana built as Mimosa’s mana weakened, helping tether their souls to the human realm.

“Wow, Mimosa, your magic is incredible,” Asta said.

“I didn’t bring them back,” Mimosa said. “I can’t heal death, but I can keep them from dying again.” She kept healing until she had barely any mana left. Everyone was at their unsurpassable limits. Thankfully, the war was over.

~

When Yami opened his eyes, he stared up at the sky through a clearing in a forest. A cool breeze rustled through the trees and leaves slowly descended to the forest floor. Warm fluffy cotton kept him off the ground as the sun worked its way towards the horizon. Faintly he remembered the endless darkness, the ash and sweet herbs, the rooster, and the river. He shivered from something other than cold and sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair. He wore simple white clothing and his feet were bare. The mana of the land kept him warm.

Vangeance slept beside Yami on the same large piece of cotton. He also wore simple white clothing and nothing on his feet. His eyes remained closed and his breathing even. His hair reflected the sun. A leaf settled down onto his shoulder.

In the back of Yami’s mind, he almost believed that Vangeance was in the infinite darkness with him. He almost believed that they kissed. He almost believed they kept each other from finding out what lay beyond the darkness. Yami plucked the leaf from Vangeance’s shoulder and cast it aside.

Vangeance’s eyes fluttered open. The breeze swept over him and the air seemed too fresh. He sat up hurriedly and gazed about the clearing. Nothing looked familiar. The atmospheric mana was strange and too warm for the weather. He tensed.

“We’re the only people here,” Yami murmured. “Nothing seems threatening.”

Vangeance’s gaze snapped to Yami and then his shoulders relaxed slightly. He breathed deeply and adjusted his sitting position so it hurt less. “Where are we?”

“No idea.” Yami checked himself for pockets but there were none, let alone cigarettes and matches to use. “Doubt it’s the afterlife. I don’t think that’s supposed to hurt.” His entire body still ached and stung. It was tempting to flop right back down on the cotton but he was tired of lying down for now.

“If it didn’t hurt we wouldn’t fear it.” Vangeance’s eyes scanned the horizon. His arms trembled a bit in pain. “But, I don’t think this is death. Death is a vast, endless darkness with no air and no plants.” It was speculation, but it felt very true.

Yami breathed deeply and let his shoulders relax even farther.. “Sometimes there’s light.”

“Sometimes you’re there,” they both said at the same time.

The sun began to set. A flock of geese flew in formation overhead, honking to each other about the upcoming landing. Vangeance smiled softly. “I had a dream I talked to you in endless darkness. Your magic wrapped around me and when I opened my eyes, I woke up in the castle in Spade.” His smile disappeared. “You were too cold, too still. So, I closed my eyes and dreamt I traveled the realms to find you.” He held Yami’s gaze and the small genuine smile returned. “I’m glad it was just a nightmare or if it wasn’t, that whatever spell I used worked.”

Yami frowned deeply. “I had a dream like that too. Sort of.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Only I was alone and this light showed up and started dragging me upwards. When I woke up, I was in so much pain I think I just passed out again. Pretty sure it wasn’t here.”

The clouds began to turn a variety of yellows and oranges. The breeze rustled the tree branches. Owls greeted each other from their territories.

“There was more to my dream,” Vangeance said, “things I should tell you in person.” He licked his lips. “I’m sorry. I caused a lot of problems and I was wrong when I said we weren’t friends. I’m glad we got to live in the same place at the same time, and I’m glad we were able to survive everything that happened with the Dark Triad.”

Yami snorted quietly. “We already got over that. Nothing to apologize for or get sentimental about.”

“I also want to kiss you.” Vangeance did not look away.

Yami held his gaze. His mind went blank and then began to spin. It was a long time since he kissed anyone or anyone offered to kiss him.

The sunset grew more intense. The owls continued to call. Vangeance held his breath. He would not take back his statement or avert his gaze.

“Then do it,” Yami said very quietly.

Vangeance leaned up slowly, adjusted his angle ever so slightly, and kissed Yami. Their eyes closed. Yami’s fingers ran through Vangeance’s hair. Vangeance grasped Yami’s shirt loosely to steady his balance. The kiss deepened and then they broke apart and tried to catch their breaths. Vangeance bowed his head. Yami made a tired noise in the back of his throat and then flopped back down against the cotton. Vangeance fell with him.

“We are going to continue this later,” Yami said. He was too tired and sore to do anything but lie down now.

“Definitely.” Vangeance let go of Yami’s shirt and rolled onto his back.

Clouds drifted through the sky and the colors of the sunset began to fade. Whispers spread through the forest. Several feet approached, twigs snapping and animals scurrying in their wake. Yami and Vangeance sat up again just in time for their squads to burst into the clearing, all but launching themselves at their captains in relief. The sun disappeared below the horizon and everyone helped Yami and Vangeance to the Heart Kingdom’s palace where supper waited. Time stretched out before them for resting, healing, and making the future whatever they wanted together.