Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Looking down at her map, that looked like it would fall apart at any moment, was frustrating. Veronica worked her ass off to get this map in the first place. She followed leads and rumours to hopefully find the resting ground of a mythic arrow that returned to the sender at will.

It was a long mission to find a stupid map that was confusing as fuck to read. It showed her landmarks that she does not recognize even though she’s travelled all around the hidden city.

Signing, she took off in a direction that she assumed to be the right one. Comparing her knowledge of the hidden city and its history, she hopes that the map is leading her towards the mushroom forest.

After travelling for hours, Veronica reached a hill. Looking over it, she finally reached some crumbling ruins. The pyramid-esq structure was covered in purple mops and looked as if it would fall at any minute. It had walls that ascended to a flat peak and had what looked like a hole splashed through the roof. Just looking at it sent Veronica in a frenzy of trying to figure out what century it was built in and who built this magnificent structure.

She took a deep breath in and out through her nose to try and calm her racing mind. Veronica shook her hands and flexed her fingers around her bow. Taking one final breath, Veronica swung her bow behind her back next to her quiver of arrows. She slid down the steep hill gracefully, landing and continuing onwards.

She reached the entrance and stepped inside. It felt as if stars formed inside her eyes as she looked at the stories engraved in the wall. From the language used, Veronica decrypted exactly what century it was carved in.

The stories of The Creator match with the time period as do the style of how they recited the story. Veronica followed the story retelling how The Creator created the Hidden City and the mystic power The Creator supplied the Yokai with. The story ended with The Creator at the heart of the hidden city forever laying, supplying the lands with mystic energy.

The next story was exactly what Veronica was looking for.

The Forgotten Mystic Arrow.

It was rumoured its resting place was where it was created and also destroyed. The story followed the pierced together rumours Veronica managed to find.

The arrow was created by one of The Creator’s scientists, that term was definitely not used but it was the one passed around to talk of this person. They harnessed some mystic power into an arrow they crafted themselves. The arrow has engravings on it, Veronica is SO excited to find out what they mean. It was rumoured that the scientist put them there to hopefully make the arrow indestructible.

From the rumours she's heard, the arrow being indestructible was not the case.

There was a fight, of course. This was history, people could never get along. The fight ended with the arrow being destroyed with a shit ton of magic energy about 600 years after it was being made.

This was a rumour of course so Veronica hoped it was just that.

She turned on her flashlight and made her way deeper into the ruins. The entrance led to a puzzle of sorts that had a question on the wall and whichever answer you chose was the door you went into. With her knowledge of the Hidden City’s history, Veronica answered the question easily. She chose the door to her left and walked through.

Now that led to a maze. Veronica groaned at the sight. Her feet were hurting and she was so done moving, hoping to sit in front of those relics and decrypt all the ones she didn't have the time to go through. Solving the maze took longer than Veronica would ever admit so she thrutched forward, slumping a bit just wanting to go home.

The maze ended and an open room was revealed. There was a descent in the middle that looked to be where the scientist spent most of his time. The light from the destroyed ceiling was shining onto the centre of the room. There are what looked like stone tables knocked over and overgrowth covered the destroyed area.

A stone shrine rising in the direct centre of the temple was where the arrow was supposed to rest. The light shined on it perfectly, demonstrating the beauty of the carvings on the lower part of the shrine.

Veronica approached the shrine carefully, making sure she watches where she steps. She crouched before the shrine and ran her gloved fingertips over the engravings. Wanting to feel the very old stone, she ripped off the glove with her teeth to feel the indents and groves of the shrine. She giddily took off her other glove and tucked them in her belt. Carefully, she placed her full hands on the stone and slid them up the beautiful carvings. Veronica slid her hands until they rested on the flat top of the shrine where the arrow was thought to be made.

The top was a multitude of circles in different designs, circling a carving of the forgotten languages symbol for arrow. She traced that with her fingers as well with a grin on her face.

Snapping out of her focus on the engravings with a shake of her head, she looked at the shrine with a more thoughtful eye. Veronica noticed what looked like handprints on the top of the shrine. The handprints were huge compared to hers. Hesitating, she lightly placed her hands on the engraving.

The handprints glowed a magnificent green, igniting the excited look on Veronica’s face. She squealed as the top opened and the mystic arrow levitated from the inside. The arrow was basked in a green light shining from the bottom, it was the most beautiful thing Veronica has ever seen.

Without thinking, Veronica put her gloves back on and reached to grab the arrow.

As soon as she crossed the threshold of the light around the arrow, the room let off a piercing screech and started to shake. Veronica quickly grabbed the arrow and made her way to the exit. The exit to the maze shut with a clang , locking her in the room.

Panicking, she looked around for another exit. Looking up at the ceiling, the giant hole was her best option. She was scrambling on how to get up there, then she noticed the sound. A slow ticking that was getting faster and faster. She snapped her head to the source and saw the shrine flashing a bright red.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!”

Her feet pounded on the floor as she made her way to a pile of rubble. All the while the ticking was picking up pace. Climbing was a process, the pile was not stable at all. It was sliding between her fingers as she tried to find a grip.

The ticking was faster than ever.

Just as the ticking stopped, Veronica was almost at the top, her hand grasping the last stone to pull herself up.
Freezing, she turned towards the shrine. Looking at the red glowing stone with wide eyes and slowly started to pull herself up to the ledge of the opening.

A blast of mystical energy washed over her. Her hair and cape flapping in the wind it created and holding on for dear life. She looked over to the shrine seeing it flashing a blue colour. The ground all around the centre was opening and giant stone knights were rising up. As they settled on the ground floor with a shake of the room, their visors flashed a brilliant blue before settling a vibrant red.

Veronica quickly pulled herself up onto the ledge and readied her arrows.

Just as she was about to shoot one of her arrows, a bright blue portal was opening in front of the shrine. A turtle Yokai stepped through with a casual energy displayed. The bright blue bandana over his eyes was almost the same colour as his portal behind him. His sword rested on his shoulders casually as he looked around the ruins with a grin.

“Empty place, full of enemies? Perfect for a Thursday afternoon!”

The stone knights snapped their heads in his direction and charged. The turtle in blue yelped and hightailed it towards one of them, cutting the beast in half. The light on its visor dimmed until the red was gone.

By his reaction, Veronica came to the conclusion that he had no idea she was even in the vicinity. Veronica thought she could possibly high tail it out of here easily, judging how he started to fight the stone knights easily.

Her subconscious fought back and she shot an arrow right into the visor of one of the knights about to strike Blue.

He shouted in surprise and turned towards her with a grin and a thumbs up. Veronica grumbled but continued to shoot them from her perch. Their fighting styles clashed a bit. Blue went towards a knight Veronica had aimed at, leaving her to change trajectory to not shoot him and miss entirely.

“You know I was always wondering how an arrow flies through the air. Then it almost hit me!!” Blue yelled at Veronica in her perch.

“If that’s your way of telling me to get a better aim, shut it!” Veronica punctuated her shout with a bullseye to the knight in front of Blue.

He turned to her with wide eyes and his signature grin. Blue started laughing a bit at Veronica’s sudden increase in knights knocked out.

The stone knights began to dwindle and Veronica started to descend from her perch. She slid down the pile and shot the last couple knights in their weak spot, ending their lives. Veronica didn’t notice one of the stone knights coming up behind her, but her unknown partner raced to her.

“Look out!”

Blue tackled Veronica, cupping her head on the landing. He placed her down and immediately parried the hit from the stone knight, then slashed it down.

Panting, Blue sheathed his sword and turned around. He offered her his hand with a smile. Veronica looked up at him mesmerized.

He just saved her life.

Her small, isolated life.

She grabbed his hand and he helped her up.

“You saved my life.”

“You bet I did, I wouldn't be a ninja if I didn’t.” Blue responded with a grin and a wink.

“You also shit talked my aim.”

Blue sucked his teeth, looking a bit bashful.

“Oh yeah, I totally did that too.”

Veronica shook her head with a small smile and turned to look at the damage of the ruins. She surveyed the room as Blue stood in the middle on his phone. She couldn’t stop glancing at him. Veronica had so many questions.

Did he make that portal?

Where did he learn his skills?

Is he actually a ninja?

Finishing her scope, Veronica walked up to the relaxed turtle Yokai.

“So how'd you find me?” Veronica asked with her hands on her hips.

Not looking up from his phone, Blue answered. “There was a big spike of mystic energy my brother picked up and sent me to investigate.”

Pocketing his phone, he continued. “So glad I did, I got to meet this beautiful archer who I swept off her feet.” Blue leaned towards Veronica with a grin.

“Oh really?” She crossed her arms and stood firm with a smile on her face.

“Yeah and I saved her. You could almost say, she was an aquiver when I saved her.”

Veronica giggled. “I’m surprised you know what that word means.” She started her way to the hole in the ceiling.

“Hey! I know words!” Blue followed her and started to climb after her.

“Oh? You know words.” Laughing, Veronica hauled herself up onto the ledge of the hole.

She had her hands on her hips smirking at him as she watched him climb. With a grunt, he pulled himself up and stood up.

As he turned to her about to resort back, Veronica stuck out her hand.

“Veronica.”

He looked down at her hand for a second then shook it with a grin.

“Leo.”

Chapter Text

Veronica was walking through New York, typing on her phone. She smiled down at a funny message Leo sent while a sharp breeze touched her exposed face. Veronica tugged her scarf around her neck and her beanie snug on her head. 

Fall was approaching in New York and it was getting pretty nippy outside. She was almost bundled to the nines. Beanie, scarf and multiple layers were worn as she left her house this morning. All was missing was her gloves she accidentally left on the kitchen counter.

Giggled at a meme Leo sent her, she continued walking down the crowded streets of New York. She pocketed her phone in lieu of going into a coffee shop and ordering a nice warm drink. 

Ordering didn’t take as long as Veronica thought it would but the barista’s took a bit longer with what looked like a long line of tickets to complete. Veronica sympathised with them and dropped a couple extra bills into the almost empty tip jar. The only other money in there was also from her. 

She grabbed her drink from a very tired barista and thanked them with a grin. Heading out of the shop, Veronica hummed a song that was stuck in her head. She stopped at the street and just looked on, nursing her cup. Taking a sip of that warm drink and looking at the busy streets of New York was peaceful. 

All of these people had lives, had thoughts and dreams. They had places to go, people to see, things to do. During moments like these, Veronica likes to imagine what they are doing, who they are. She signed happily and took another sip then felt a buzz in her pocket. 

A message that read,‘Look up’.

Veronica chuckled and looked up at the roof across the street. She could see Leo up there waving at her in a coat with his hood up. Shaking her head, she types a quick reply then heads across the street. 

Veronica headed into the alley next to the building and looked for a way up. Leo looked down at her from up top and motioned her to wait. A bright blue portal opened in front of her and with a smile and a shake of her head, she headed through carefully so as to not jostle too much in the vortex. 

Stepping onto the rooftop was colder than the alley. A sharp burst of wind pierced through a small gap in her scarf causing her to shiver and nuzzle into her scarf a bit. 

“It’s way colder up here, just so you know.” Veronica informed Leo while fixing her scarf for what felt like the fifteenth time this morning. 

“Yeah but it doesn’t bother me at all!” Leo stood all heroic with his hand on his hips and his signature Leo grin. 

A sharp breeze made Leo flinch and shove his hands in his pockets. Veronica Laughed at the sight. 

“So much for doesn’t bother you.” 

Veronica took another sip and sighed at the warmth it brought through her body. Leo looked at her with a pout and crossed her arms. Smiling at the sight, Veronica offered a sip to Leo. He hesitated but took one anyway. 

With Leo nursing her drink, Veronica shoved her hands in her pocket and went to the edge of the rooftop. She sat down near the lip of the building then leaned on it, propping her head up to watch the life of the city. It looked like the lunch rush was starting soon. 

Leo sat next to her leaning his back on the lip and took another sip of her hot drink. 

“Why do you like watching people so much?”

I guess through the weeks he's known her, he has noticed her little quirk.

“They all have lives. Have you noticed that?” 

“Yesss?” Leo looked at her confused. 

Veronica saw it out of the corner of her eye but didn’t turn to make eye contact, opting instead to look on at the multitude of people going on with their lives. 

“Isn’t it crazy? They all have lives and thoughts and things to do. And they’re all different! Not one life the same as any other. Also, I like to imagine what they're doing, who they are and what shaped them. It gets pretty funny sometimes.”

“Really?” Veronica turned to look at him with a smile and a nod. Leo turned around, shook his shoulders back and sat up, suddenly looking pretty serious. “Okay, what about that guy? The one with the weird looking coat at the crosswalk.” 

Veronica spotted him easily. The stranger's coat was huge on him and looked like it was poorly stitched together rat fur. She giggled at the sight.

“Oh yeah. That guy,” She sat up and leaned away from the edge. “He went to school for business but only uses his degree to sell watches on the side of the street. That’s why his coat is ugly and big so it can fit all his watches and businessmen secrets.” She finished with a smug grin looking at Leo. 

He burst out laughing and placed down Veronica’s drink. Through his laughs he managed to ask a question. “Okay. Ha! Do businessmen- do they actually have secrets?” 

Veronica leaned close with a smirk. “You didn’t know? All they learn in school is how to be greedy, a dick and the businessman secrets. Like how they actually survive a boring 9-5 job.”

Leo’s laugh stifled into giggles. “You know I’m pretty sure that guy is having a sale.”

“Oh really?” Veronica smiled and leaned against the lip of the roof facing Leo.

“Yeah, he’s selling his watches for 50% off. They work perfectly half the time.” 

Veronica shook her head and hid her smile behind her hands, looking away from him. She spared him a look and laughed at his stupid happy grin on his face. 

Looking away while trying to cover her laugh with shaking shoulders, she responded, “That was the worst joke I’ve heard in my life.” 

Leo chuckled. “I can hear you smiling though, so I did something right.”

Veronica chuckled, grabbed her drink and stood up.

“Come on, jokester. Let’s head to my place, I’m cold.” She held her empty hand out to Leo, who looked up at her with a smile. I swear this boy never stops smiling, it was infectious. He grabbed her hand and Veronica hauled him up with an oof. 

“Holy shit, you're pretty heavy.” 

“It’s all these muscles, bebe!”

“Yeah, okay.” Veronica responded with a smile and an eyeroll. “Come on Leo, help me down.”

Leo unsheathed his sword and cut open a portal. He stepped up to it and motioned Veronica to go through with a bow. 

Veronica laughed. “Why thank you, good sir.” She did a small curtsy and walked through. 

Leo had a love-sick smile on his face and followed her through. They ended up in the alley beside her apartment. This was the farthest Leo has gone after dropping her off at home after some hangouts. The idea of seeing how her home looked made him a little excited. 

“Here, stay down here. I’ll go up to my apartment and open my window leading to the fire escape. I’ll be quick.” Veronica waved, then headed around the corner to the front door. 

It took a bit but then Leo noticed Veronica’s head poke out of one of the windows. She smiled at him and motioned him up. He climbed the fire escape effortlessly and slid inside Veronica’s open window.

The room was a living room with her kitchen attached. The front door was directly across from the window he entered. There were bookcases lining the wall of the window. Looking closer, Leo could tell they were mostly all of Veronica’s nerd history books about the Yokai and the Hidden City. He rolled his eyes with a chuckle and surveyed the rest of the room. There was a big window facing the road that had Veronica’s TV sitting in front of a stand. Her Nintendo Switch was displayed on the floor and her old looking couch sat in front of it. There was a coffee table with lots of clutter, from individual papers and pens, to books and her laptop open. 

Veronica’s kitchen was pretty small. There was an island attached to the wall kinda separating the two rooms. It wasn’t very spacious but had her essentials. The hallway was next to the kitchen leading to what Leo assumed was her bathroom and bedroom.

Leo spotted Veronica’s bow and arrows leaning against her kitchen counter. He also spots her sitting on one of her bar seats, leaning on the counter and scrolling through her phone with a bored expression on her face. 

Walking up to her to lean against the island next to her, Leo notes the smile she sends her way. She smiles when she looks at him. That’s it. She just made his day, his week even. A dopey smile on his face, he puts his elbow on the counter and leans his head on his hand. 

Veronica gives him a weird look while still smiling. She places her phone down and turns to him. “What’s with that look?”

“Just admiring your beauty.” Leo mumbled, then realised exactly what he said. His face flushed a deep red and looked away with a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of his neck. 

Veronica laughed and tried to cover it with the back of her hand. Her face was red as well. Well, not as red as Leos.

“Alright Casanova, let me make us some tea so we can warm up then we’ll test my mystic arrow like I promised.”

Leo continued to look at Veronica with a red face as she went to the kitchen and took her kettle out. They continued to chat for a bit about everything and anything, the red on both their faces not fully disappearing. The whistle of the kettle brought them out of their conversation about what the best cookie is. 

“Chocolate chip is a classic, it’s the best cookie.” Leo argued with a wave of his arms. Veronica handed him his cup and he thanked her, blowing on it a bit, never taking his eyes off of her. 

“But, have you ever tried a double chocolate chip cookie? Those things are bomb!” Veronica grabbed her own cup and motioned he follow her to the couch. 

“Okay, change of topic. Did you actually live in the Hidden City as a human?”

“Yeah! My Dads unofficially adopted me, their Yokai. You’ll have to meet them sometimes! Anyways, my dads had cloaking broaches so we visited New York lots so I know about human stuff but I never went to school at normal school.” Veronica put air quotations around ‘normal’ with a roll of her eyes. “Instead I read a shit ton of my dad's books. One of my dads is a historian and I’m hoping to follow in his footsteps.” Veronica gave Leo a thumbs up and a closed eye grin.

“That’s awesome! You could say I’m trying to follow my own dad’s footsteps while also changing it a bit.” Leo rescinded with a small laugh. 

“Yeah, I’m not following his exact footsteps either. I mean look at my bow.” Veronica chuckled and covered her mouth. “I don’t think I could even see my dad going out adventuring like I do.”

“Speaking of your bow…” Leo trailed off and bit his bottom lip while looking excited. 

“Oh my god, you’re too impatient.” Veronica rolled her eyes with a smile on her face and grabbed both the empty cups on the coffee table. Leo stood up and followed her to the kitchen where she placed them in the sink. 

Looking at Leo, so excited and rocking on his feet back and forth, was pretty infectious. Veronica hasn’t seen him this excited about something ever. Except the time Veronica mentioned she’s seen only a couple of the Jupiter Jim movies. She had to promise him that they’d have a movie night sometime soon.

Her coat and rest of her winter gear was hanging on a hook by the door. She went over there and suited up, knowing because it’s gotten later, it’s gotten colder. Veronica snagged another scarf and tossed it to Leo who caught it and put it on. 

Smiling at him, Veronica grabbed her bow and quiver, swung them on her back and motioned for Leo to head up to the roof. He zipped out of the room onto the fire escape pretty fast and Veronica only laughed at him and followed. 

They made it to the roof quickly and Veronica pointed out the dummy she made just for her archery. Leo stood at a distance and cheered her on.Her shoulders were a little stiff from overuse but she pushed through. 

She took a deep breath and readied her stance. “Okay. 3, 2…” Letting go of the arrow is something Veronica has done thousands of times and it never gets tiring nailing the dummy right in the face.

Veronica turned to Leo with a smug look on her face and he merely rolled his eyes with a smile. Crossing his arms, Leo looked away with a blush on the tops of his cheeks. 

“Okay that was with a normal arrow, now try your fancy one.” Leo turned to look at her, his cheeks still a little red, and motioned to the mystic arrow with her bundle of arrows on her back.

“Oh yeah, that one! The one we risked our lives for.” Veronica commented sarcastically and grinned in Leo’s direction. She pulled it from her quiver and readied the shot. The arrow glowed a magnificent blue. “Okay, so I haven’t been practising as much cause this old mystic makes me anxious. Be prepared to doge.” She let go of the arrow, the blue blur sailing towards the dummy.

Leo uncrossed his arms and turned his head. “What do you mean dodge?” The mystic arrow suddenly changes direction and heads right at Leo. “Oh SHIT!” He had to duck and roll in order to not get hit. 

Veronica gasped and covered her mouth. “Holy shit, Leo!” She rushed over to his direction then stopped as she noticed that the arrow shot back towards her. “Oh fuck!” She ducked, putting her hands over her head. The glowing blue arrow zipped over her head then she heard a thump. 

The arrow had somehow managed to land right in the centre of the dummy’s body. The two looked at the dimming arrow for a couple shocked seconds then turned to look at eachother. Suddenly, they started laughing so hard that Leo was rolling on the floor and Veronica had tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Veronica took a deep breath and continued to giggle, “We almost died.” She finished with a snort that sent them both into another fit of giggles. 

“Okay, okay, okay.” Leo stood and tried to stop laughing. He stumbled over to Veronica and kneeled in front of her. “That was funny, but are you alright?” Leo smiled at her and put a hand on her shoulder. 

Veronica’s laughter died out and she nodded with a big grin. “You?” It didn’t look like the arrow nicked him at all. 

“Yeah, I’m alright. Here.” Leo helped Veronica up. “You know what V?” He turned to walk towards an AC unit and scrolled through his phone. 

“What?” Veronica questioned as she went to reach the mystic arrow from the dummy. Cleaning up was quick and by the time Veronica grabbed her stuff and placed it on the floor by the fire escape, a soft song started to play. 

I- want a- Sunday kinda love.

When Veronica turned around, she saw Leo with a stupid smile on his face and a hand extended towards her. She giggled and walked over to grab his hand. He guided her hands to rest over his shoulders and placed his hands on her waist. Veronica didn’t notice how much taller Leo was than her until this moment. He was about a head taller than her so she comfortably rested her head on his shoulder. They swayed as the song continued.

And I want a Sunday- kind of love-, oh yeah-, yeah

Leo sighed happily and rested his head on top of Veronica’s. They didn’t feel the need to talk and as Veronica started humming the song, it was the perfect moment. 

The sun was starting to set behind them. Neither of them realised that they spent an entire day together. They didn’t notice the time until the song ended, another played, and they stopped swaying just holding each other on a rooftop. 

A perfect moment indeed.