Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Once, the world was ruled by dragons. Their giant bodies and prowess with fire helped keep the world warm and healthy. However, dragons, as strong and mighty as they were, were horrible leaders.

The age of dragons was filled with chaos. Petty wars, started over pride, happened constantly, nations getting caught into battles that had nothing to do with them. Dragons didn't care about their people's needs or politics. It wasn't long before the other races banded together to end the rule of the dragons. The dwarves, with the help of the race of men, built huge ballistas and powerful weapons that could combat the strong defense of dragon scales. The elves and the avians had the skill and quick wit to use these weapons up close.

The dragon leaders did not fear the world, having surrounded themselves with people who sang their praises day and night, feeding them misinformation to parley their favor.
The nation's betrayal came as a shock too late.

So. the dragons died out.

And the era of frost began. It was brittle and cruel, with all people fighting over food and fire. Warmth was a distant memory, and some even claimed they missed the era of dragons.

The age of frost ended with the appearance of the Phoenix.
Or, more precisely, the mighty race of the Phoenix. Their fire brought warmth and light to the people, their feathers bestowed magical healing properties, and with their wisdom and wit, they taught all races and creatures many things. After many many years, they became the most renowned and respected race, even starting a council in which all were welcome to join.

But all was not as bright as it seemed.
For one day, during a council of nations, a Canary who had been trapped in the mines for many a year came forward with alarming claims: that the phoenix were simply birds who had borrowed their power from an evil otherworldly source that wanted to watch the world be consumed by flame and war.

The Canary claimed that in destroying the world, the Phoenixes could come back, rising from the nation's ashes. Their regenerative properties and apparent immortality made them unbothered by war and death.

Although many wanted to doubt these preposterous claims, the Canary also claimed that it had seen many phoenixes teaching the cave-dwelling elves and dungeon-loving dwarves how to control their "otherworldly powers". The Canary also told the council that the phoenix's 'powers' were stolen from the souls and ashes of the long dead dragons.

To make matters worse, it claimed they had been overseeing the creation of dangerous machinery that was powered by a bright red dust found deep underground.

The Canary had even brought proof of this, throwing a canister of it on the ground for the council of nations to see as it exploded in a menacing puff of red smoke.
Some members of the council laughed in response. Some seemed worried about how even such a small quantity could make such a deadly explosive. Some dwarves shifted uncomfortably on their feet. Some elves avoided the curious gaze of onlookers, and some birds and avian folk flicked their wings with nervousness.
Tension was thick in the air as everyone waited for something to shatter it.

Finally, the king of the phoenix stood, spreading his large fiery wings and glaring down at the Canary with sharp red eyes.

The Canary was small, but unafraid, for the horrors it had seen in the mines and deep below the earth prepared it for this. And compared to them, these red eyes and haughty wings were naught.

---

Jimmy's day started like many others had. With Grian waking him up.
Well, waking him up was a bit of an under-exaggeration. It was more like... torturing him to consciousness.
He frequently visited Jimmy's modest house, landing on the balcony with practically no sound at all, inviting himself through the closed (and locked) doors easily, carrying pots and pans from a very quick stop in his kitchen as he approached the blissfully unaware sleeping lump that was Jimmy Solidarity.

"Wake up!!! Up and at em!!" Grian yelled, slamming the kitchen utensils together, cackling as the most horrendous metal sounds filled the room.

"Today's your big day, Timmy! No time for sleeping in!" He sounded way too happy about this, especially because Jimmy wasn't sleeping in at all. In fact, his alarm probably wouldn't go off for another 5 minutes.
Jimmy didn't know this, however, and groaned, now conscious as he turned onto his side, folding his pillow over his head. Grian tossed the pans down on the bed, now bored with that form of annoying Tim, and plopped down himself, purposely halfway on Jimmy's legs.

Jimmy let out a huff of annoyance and rearranged himself to get Grian off of his poor legs, kicking him lightly as he did so. They stayed quiet for a minute after that, until Jimmy's wings flicked in a nervous way that Grian knew a little too well.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, smacking his arm with an atrociously big wing. "Don't tell me you're nervous."
Jimmy mumbled something that Grian was unable to hear thanks to the pillow folded over his head.

"Tim?" Grian leaned over him, frowning. "Don't tell me you're sick."
That's when Jimmy saw his opportunity. He moved slowly, turning to make eye contact with Grian.
Unfortunately, he was unable to hide the slyness from his face, and Grian quickly realized something was off, wings puffing.
"What are yo-"

He was cut off by the hard thump of a pillow straight to his face. Jimmy couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled out of him when he moved the pillow to see Grian's very irritated look.

"And to think I was worri-''
He was cut off with another thump as he was hit with the pillow once more. "Alright, that's it!" He squacked as he hurriedly reached for one of the pans he had set down nearby.
"Woah!" Jimmy called, all bravado suddenly gone. "Hey, G- Wait a minute. Let's talk about this. GRIAN-!"

–

By some miracle, they managed to stumble into the academy somewhat on time. (And if that miracle somehow included Grian grabbing Jimmy by the arms and half flying, half falling with style through the windy streets, well… No one needed to know that.)

"Today is the last day I do that." Grian gasped from where he was sprawled on the Academy's balcony ground. It was a place they had used to sneak Jimmy into school after the main gates closed many times. There were many balconies littered around the campus. Some were for studying, some for teachers to have a private respite, and some, like this one, for plants.
"Yeah. You can say that again." Jimmy was sitting nearby, catching his breath and appreciating the cool breeze. There were all sorts of wild things blooming here. They landed under a particularly large leaf, which not only gave them shade, but hid them from the avians that flew around the campus, reporting those that were late and locking the gates as the day started. They were only able to sneak in since Grian already had his wings, and being an owl, was a very quiet flyer.

"Well, aren't you excited?" Grian asked, wings spread out around him as he stared at the tall spires of the academy, reaching as if to steal just an inch of the sky.

"Well, yeah. Of course." Jimmy stood up now, straightening his bright blue jacket as he offered a hand to the other avian with a bright red sweater.
"I wonder what kind of bird you'll be." Grian said as he took his hand, helping himself up.
Grian was, specifically, a barn owl. His dusty brown and white wings were much bigger than himself. He was the academy's first owl avian in quite a long time, so of course, everyone was quite excited about it. Jimmy didn't mind what he got, he just hoped it wasn't anything that would make him stand out too much. He was quite uninterested in all the responsibilities tied to becoming a rare bird.
"Only one way to find out." He said, scooping up his bag from the ground and turning towards the entrance to the balcony.
"Good luck!" Grian called, turning the opposite direction to leap onto the railing. He had already graduated two years prior and had a library and delivery job, which sounded boring to Jim, but Grian swore up and down that Jimmy would not believe the things he saw.

"Me and Pearl will be watching from the crowd!" He added, snickering.
"You two better not pull anything." Jimmy said with a wince, remembering some quite embarrassing past ceremonies.
"Whaaatt? Us? We'd never!"
Jimmy waved a hand in his direction– knowing without turning around the annoying grin that he'd have on his face.
He secured the bag around his shoulders and pushed open the doors. He heard the nearly silent flap of Grian's wings as he leapt off the balcony behind him.
Jimmy walked inside.
Here goes nothing, he thought to himself.

Once a month, the great avian academy chose a student that had dutifully fulfilled their studies and gone above and beyond with their achievements to grant them their wings.

Now, every avian was born with wings, sure. But they were small and white, devoid of personality and definitely too weak to even consider flying.

Which was why, during the ceremony, the legendary phoenix egg gave every avian wings to accept. Their wings were a perfect representation of who they were. Which is why this entire thing made him a bit nervous. Jimmy Solidarity didn't really know who he was. Would his wings help him finally figure it out? Or would it further alienate him from himself? It was too much to think about. He figured he just needed to experience it to know.

He sighed as he stood behind the curtain, waiting for a professor to call him into the auditorium. After the ceremony, Jimmy would be trained to use his wings properly, and then go on his phoenix-given quest. Once he returned, he would graduate from the academy as a full-fledged avian. Then he could do pretty much whatever he wanted. Credentials from this academy were basically a golden ticket to anywhere, since avians were quite useful for most occupations. Being able to fly was not only impressive, but useful. Almost any job could find use for a person with wings. Not that he knew what exactly he even wanted to do, but his friends all seemed to have plans, so maybe he'd just stick with them for a while. Just until he found something that clicked.
After a bit, a blond figure poked her head behind the curtain. "You ready?" She asked, golden eyes staring straight through him.
"Yeah, ready as I'll ever be." He said, stretching his small wings out one last time.

"There's no need to be nervous." False said, as she took his bag from him, moving to hang it on the wall. "You've done great as a student. I'm positive you'll do even better as an avian."
"Wha- Well, thanks." He replied, surprised by her heartfelt words. "But.. what if the eg- phoenix is wrong?"
Her eyes narrowed for a moment, but then she shook her head.
"The phoenix doesn't make mistakes. Not about this." She crossed her arms and studied him. "You're thinking of it like the egg chooses what you are, Jimmy."
He made a confused face. "Isn't that what this is?"
His teacher let out a noise that could have been a laugh. "Of course not. It just brings put what's inside of you outside."
He had to think about that for a minute.

"Anyways." She said, "This is your big day, Jimmy. We all know you've waited for it long enough. Come on." She waved at him and turned, disappearing behind the curtain.
"Right behind you." He said, and stood, deciding he wasn't going to give himself any more time to worry about it.
Your life starts now, Jimmy Solidarity, he thought, and stepped through the curtain.

--

When Jimmy was young, he flew.
That's what they told him, anyways, but he doesn't remember it being anywhere near the mystical and sacred experience that flying was supposed to be.
It wasn't uncommon for young avians to try to fly. A lot of kids thought they were invincible anyways, add in wings that were nearly the size of their body, and the tall winding paths that made up the capital, and it was a recipe for disaster. Jimmy claimed that it wasn't on purpose, rather necessity. But adults loved to talk about the young boy who flew, not fell, out of the tall peach tree not far from the academy.
The day had started off normally enough. Jimmy had gone to hang out with Pearl and Grian. The twins had basically adopted him as their younger brother, and they did everything together.
It was a warm day sometime during spring. The air was dry and brittle, uncommon for this season, but they were kids. They didn't have any idea about boring things like weather patterns or hazards.
Outside of the city gate sprawled a huge forest, and in that forest was a big birch tree. There were thousands of birch trees, but there was only one the trio had dubbed as 'their spot'.

They went there often. The branches were low enough for even young Jimmy to grab with ease, so they hung up hammocks on them and stayed out there for hours at a time, talking about the sky, food, adventures they'd have, and people they might be.
Today, though, Grian wanted to go a bit farther. Technically, they were only allowed to the birch tree, since it was quite close to the city with a decent sized clearing, and easy to spot for an adult from the city gates. But there was a small stream nearby, and Grian insisted that as long as they kept in view of the water, they'd be able to get back easily. Pearl eventually agreed, and Jimmy didn't see any reason to object, especially when Grian said he'd found a fruit tree not far ahead, and Jimmy could have the first pick of fresh peaches if he came.
The stream was barely a trickle, a testament to how dry the day had been. But a muddy path was good enough for them. And easy enough to follow back, so they continued on.
The birch trees slowly turned bigger and darker, and right before Jimmy could suggest that maybe they had gone too far, Grian's wings puffed up, smacking Pearl in the face as he happily pointed.
"There!"
Nestled between a small oak and a tall spruce was a peach tree. The fruit was too high for any of them to reach, but Jimmy had been promised the first pick, so he rushed forward.

"Grian, give me a boost!" He said, looking towards the lowest hanging branch, calculating where he'd grab from there.
"Wha- are you sure?" Grian made a face. "I could climb up there myself."
"But you said I could pick." He pouted, and Grian relented.
"Alright, alright. Just.. don't get stuck or something." He turned back around.
"Pearl, could you-"
"Yeah yeah. I'm way ahead of you." She interrupted. "I'll watch the stream."
She sat down, long brown hair falling around her. It wasn't that they were afraid it would somehow disappear, more like they would just lose it. The water had dried out, and what remained was a quite dry mud path, easy to miss. She would also be a look out in case an adult came by and asked why they were so far from the city.

"Get me some good ones!" She called out as Grian crouched in front of Jimmy, allowing him to crawl up onto his shoulders.
Jimmy did so quickly, focused on the branches far ahead, the juicy ripe peaches staring down at him in a way that seemed taunting.
"Ow, Tim! Watch the wings!"
"Oops! Sorry." Jimmy managed to say, focused as they both stood up slowly.
closer... a little closer..!
"Got it!" Jimmy called as he wrapped his arms around the branch, using his legs to help kick himself up. He managed to worm his way into a sitting position on the branch while Grian rubbed his wing dramatically.
Jimmy looked down with a frown.
"Did I really kick it that hard?" He asked, brown eyes apologetic.
Grian kept up the facade for a few more moments, and then the clearing was filled with his laughter.
"No Tim, I'm fine. I don't even feel it anymore." Jimmy stuck his tongue out at him, annoyed that he fell for it.
"I want that one." Grian continued, pointing to a red and orange peach not far from where Jimmy currently sat.
"Yeah, well. Too bad. You said I get to choose first." He looked around at his options. The one Grian pointed to did look very sweet. He stood up carefully and started to make his way over to it.

"What! Timmy!! That one's mine!" Grian pouted. "I- oh, I'm really regretting what I said about letting you pick first."
Jimmy was about to grab the one Grian wanted when he saw an even bigger yellow one a little higher up, hidden from his view. He gasped, and Grian's shrill voice filled the air.
"What? What is it? Don't fall!"

"It's fine." Jimmy said, too focused on the even bigger one to roll his eyes. He reached as high as he could, wings stretching in anticipation. Then, his hands closed around the fruit, and he tugged.
It fell into his hand without issue, and after a quick inspection to make sure nothing was on it (a hard lesson he had learned many times before) he bit into it, holding it in his mouth as he grabbed the one that Grian wanted.
He tried to tell Grian to catch, but the fruit in his mouth caused it to come out as funny muffled sounds instead. Thankfully, though, it got Grian to back up a bit and look up at him.

"What are you- oh! For me?" He asked.
Jimmy nodded, dropping it for him. Grian easily caught it, smiling as he inspected it. "Ah yeah. This one's perfect. Do you see any Pearl would like?"
Jimmy took a bite of the fruit and pulled it out of his mouth as he looked around, appreciating the juicy sweetness. He saw a bright red one on another branch, and stuck his peach back in his mouth as he navigated to it, easily scooping it from the branch and dropping it down to Grian. Grian caught it easily as well, and brought it over to where Pearl was sitting while eating his own.
Jimmy sat on the branch as they all munched away, enjoying the company and the shade.

--

They ate way too many peaches. At some point, Pearl had climbed the tree as well to pick her own, and Grian had taken her spot in watching the stream.
Now however, she sat at the base of the tree. Arms and wings spread out as she layed in the dusty grass. Grian did the same, not too far away, still keeping an eye on the path.

"It feels like it's almost getting hotter." Grian said, airing out his red shirt.
Pearl frowned. "Yeah. What's up with that? Isn't it almost like. Six? It should be cooling off by now." Now that they mentioned it, Jimmy realized he was really hot too. He was sweating and thirsty, despite all the juicy peaches he had just eaten and the shade he’d been in.
Grian had a weird look on his face. "Wait. I thought it was only three. How long have we been out here?"
"Well, we haven't been here too long, considering the sun is still up." Pearl said, standing and walking away from the tree, looking up towards the tall branches. Grian also stared upwards. But the trees were high and thick, and they couldn't quite see the sky.
"I don't think the sun has gone down, at least." Pearl mumbled. She didn't sound too sure.
The trees that had recently brought them peace and shade now sowed worry in the older avians' guts.

"Jimmy, can you see the sky?" Pearl asked, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.
Jimmy made a puzzled look, tilting his head and staring upwards. Well, that was weird. He couldn't see the sky. Unless...
"Hold on, let me climb a bit higher." He said, standing up.
He did so, wings flapping as he grabbed and climbed repeatedly, until eventually, he broke through the leaves at the top and...
Froze at what he saw.
It took him a moment to process, but there was fire. Fire everywhere. The sky was an ugly red and gray, and the smokey air made him choke.
He looked around and saw the capital, farther than he thought it'd be. In almost every direction he looked, there was a bright deadly flame, jumping through the trees. It would reach them soon at this rate. And Jimmy was old enough to know that the flames cutting them off would be very bad.
He heard Grian and Pearl's voices. They seemed far away, so he ducked back under the leaves, coughing as he tried to climb down.

"What did you see?" Grian asked. He stared at Jimmy as he climbed down, dark eyes wide.
Jimmy tried to hide the panic in his face, but Unfortunately, he was never as good at that as them, and their shared look made him realize he failed.
"Fire." He choked, giving up on pretending to not be frightened. "It's everywhere." Grian's eyes widened, and Pearl was at the bottom of the tree in a flash.
"Climb down!" She called up to him. "It's time to go."
Grian turned, and grabbed at the branches of another tree, climbing up with surprising speed. He was going to try to map out a safe way back to the city, Jimmy realized with a jolt.

Pearl called him again and he looked back down at her. Was the tree always this high? He gulped, no longer very appreciative of the peaches.

"It's ok!" Pearl said, waving for his attention.
"Just climb down slowly. Don't panic. I'm sure everything is fine." Pearl's words managed to calm him down a bit. He trusted her and Grian. He knew they wouldn't let him get hurt. He took a deep breath- and then started coughing.

"Cover your face!" Pearl added quickly, pulling her purple shirt over her mouth and nose to demonstrate. Jimmy did, and then started climbing down. It was slow, and Pearl was hiding her panic well, besides the fact that her wings were fluttering nervously.
Grian appeared not long later, running up to Pearl and saying something Jimmy couldn't hear from his height. They talked a bit in panicked whispers, distracting Pearl from the fact that Jimmy hadn't moved any lower. He was about twelve feet up, but looking down was always worse than looking up.
"Uh, guys." He squeaked, and both of their eyes focused on him, expressions sharp.
"Jimmy, just jump!" Grian said, agitation obvious. "You climbed up there-"
"Yeah but climbing up is a lot easier than climbing down!" He yelled, and his eyes flicked to Pearl, who was now staring at something behind Jimmy, her red eyes wide. He turned, and was greeted with orange flames, flickering their way towards him, eating the tree so quickly it was almost mesmerizing.
Mesmerizing, and hot. Very very hot. Jimmy let out a squeak as the flames approached him at terrifying speeds. His wings started flapping in a panic, fluttering to avoid the fire. Unfortunately, the oxygen from that action only fueled the flames, and his brown eyes were quickly enveloped by orange.
A part of him was aware of the frantic scratching of bark as Grian climbed, unafraid of the fire and more scared for Jimmy, who he had let climb up there in the first place.
Another part of him knew Pearl was there. Screaming for him to jump, promising to catch him, arms wide.
But mostly, Jimmy knew fire. He felt it as it caught onto the short sleeve of his blue jacket.
Burning as it grabbed his wing, the white down feathers new kindling for it to take and burn and leave nothing but ash.
He also realized there were much worse things than gravity, much worse things for an avian than the ground.

So Jimmy leapt.

Now, if he had only jumped, Pearl probably would have caught him. Even though he hadn't called out, she was ready. Ready to try. Even at the expense of herself.
If he had only slipped down, Grian could have heard it, looking up to scoop him into one of his arms. Grian wasn't much bigger than him, so they probably would have both fallen, Jimmy landing on Grian in a lump of feathers and limbs, and, sure, it might have hurt a bit.
But Jimmy didn't fall. He flew.
He kicked off the tree, running down the last flameless branch, and jumped, flapping his wings like crazy, one of which was still burning slightly.
Pearl always told him later that he had flown. It wouldn't surprise him if she was the one who started spreading the story about the boy who flew as he burned, mirroring the great phoenix race of old.
More accurately, though, he fumbled his way through the air, body not yet big enough to completely outweigh his wings, but his wings weren't trained for flying yet either, so their muscles were weak and small.
Jimmy faltered in the air, like the universe wasn't sure if it should allow this or not.
Then the adrenaline ran out, and he felt the extent of his burns. Some avian part of him also knew he was falling, before he really felt it.
He yelled now, frantically trying to use his wings again, but they wouldn't listen, muscles and burnt feathers spent. He tumbled through the air before hitting the ground hard, like a dragon of old, burning as soldiers shot it down.
Pearl reached him first, mentally kicking herself for not trying harder to catch him, but she had been completely blindsided by how far he had gotten. It shouldn't have even been remotely possible. She reached him quickly, sliding on her knees as she got close, scared to unfurl the wings covering his face and torso.
Grian was close behind, coughing from the smoke as he approached

"Tim?" He asked gently, reaching towards his wing to brush off the ash and soot.
Jimmy's wings recoiled harshly at the touch, and he groaned.
It was then Grian realized with horror it wasn't ash, and that his wing had been burnt badly.
"Jimmy, can you hear me?"
He turned, letting his wing slowly uncover him.
"Ow." He said weakly.
Pearl laughed in relief, a breathy elated sound.
She was cut off by the loud crack of a large tree falling to the ground.

"We need to go." She said.
"Right." Grian responded, standing up and turning to observe their surroundings. The clearing was hidden in smoke, the raining ash getting caught in the tree branches as more trees went up.
Thankfully, the fire seemed to be moving away from them, but it was headed towards the city, cutting them off. Grian bit his lower lip in thought. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to follow their previous path. He didn't want to trap them somewhere worse, but they needed to get back to the city. A sudden cry from behind him made him turn to see a pale Jimmy and Pearl looping his arm over her shoulder.
"I think his other arm is broken." She said, voice a worried whisper. Grian glanced towards his other arm. It was bent at a weird angle and littered with small burns. He winced.
"Don't move it." He instructed Jimmy.
They gave him a look, like that was a stupid thing to say. Maybe it was. Grian was kind of panicking, though.

"Right." He said again, tugging his shirt over his mouth and nose.
"Let's move then." He sounded more sure than he was.
Jimmy looked up towards the dusty orange sky, visible because the leaves that covered it before were now burnt beyond recognition. He gasped, stopping Pearl who was practically carrying him. The small gesture sent needles up his arm, and he cried out, his good wing flapping to disperse the pain.
"Look." He wheezed out when Pearl looked at him. Pearl turned skywards, and yelled.
"G, wait!! Look! Up!"

Grian turned back as soon as he saw what they were talking about, swinging his arms wildly to get their attention.
"Down here!" We're down here!"
Four avian guards saw them, their armor reflecting the bright orange flames. After a few quick words between themselves, one broke off and the rest descended.
This is where Jimmy's memory really starts to fail him. He remembered the color of many different wings, the wind in his hair, the spike of sudden pain and the lingering of burns, the smell of smoke, the soft whispers voices promising that he was okay now, and darkness.

When he woke up a few days later, Grian and Pearl told him that they had gotten the lecture of the century, and none of them were allowed outside of the city walls for a long while.
Not that there was much out there anyways, since a good portion of the forest had burned down. Nobody even knew how it had started. The only thing people seemed to agree with was that a fire that large during a spring day was very strange. That, and the fact that they should have seen signs of the burning hours before it was ever a threat to the capital.
Jimmy never really volunteered to climb a tree first after that incident. The memory of pain wasn't easy to forget, and even now, some of his nightmares were filled with smoke and the color red. Needless to say, he went about his days avoiding fire whenever he could.
Instead of lectures, Jimmy constantly got told that it was a miracle he didn't break his wing. He wanted to argue that breaking his arm was worse, since he actually used that every day, but he learned to just smile as they ruffled his hair and moved on, keeping his opinions to himself.
Thankfully, the trio's friendship had only gotten stronger after that. Pearl eventually forgave herself for not catching him after he assured her it wasn't her fault, and his arm healed without any lasting damage. Grian- well. Grian didn't like to talk about it. But he assured them he was fine, (and made jokes about the incident) enough to the point where they had let it drop. And Jimmy still hated fire, if the scar on his arm and wing were any testament to that.

----

Now, here he was. Many years later. Standing in front of the mythical golden phoenix egg. Waiting just a moment longer for a moment he had been waiting for his entire life.
Jimmy was finally going to get his wings. He scanned the crowd. Even though this happened about once every 4 weeks, it was always a big event. Lots of avians always came to see a student gain their wings. It was a moment of pride for all avian folk, a “welcome home”, some would even say.
It wasn't hard to spot Pearl and Grian in the crowd, holding a big sign that said Jimmy in bold letters with lots of doodles of various wings and bird types (They all had different opinions about what species his wings would be). He could see Mumbo there too, cheering loudly now as he looked at them. How embarrassing, he thought.
He smiled at the sight.
Jimmy looked back towards the egg, and False, who stood in front of him. She called everyone to attention, her large eagle wings spread out with pride and authority.
She began her speech, and if he was being honest, Jimmy didn't really pay too much attention to it. He was staring at the egg, its golden light reflecting his face and the wide ceiling of the auditorium. Beautiful fractures of light surrounded his head and threw colors everywhere.
It was all very distracting, so who could blame him?
Besides, It was the same speech he had heard a hundred times, just with some minor details changed to make it more personal. He had watched students get their wings in this auditorium so many times now.
Finally, he wasn't just watching. He was living it for himself. It was his turn.
A sudden pride swelled in his chest, overwhelming his doubts and nerves.
For everything he had done to get this far. For the wings he hadn't gotten yet. For the person he was, and would be.
And then False said the words he'd been waiting for.

"Jimmy Solidarity, please step forward, and gain the wisdom of the phoenix."

Jimmy didn't need to be told twice, and he stood quickly, hesitating only slightly as his hands gently wrapped around the smooth golden surface.

He stared into his reflection.

And then the world shattered.

Chapter Text

The world was shattering. He didn't really know how else to explain it. The shard of light seemed to stab him, and he was overwhelmed by golden light. Had it been this bright for other people? He couldn't remember. He couldn't move.
A voice spoke to him in the chaos. It sounded powerful. It sounded dangerous.

"There you are."

It sounded angry.
Images started to flash through Jimmy's head: things and places and people he had never seen before.
A twisted dark tunnel with horrid screeches echoing throughout.
A person with red eyes, screaming his name as they reached for each other.
A blond man in a hood, laughing hysterically
The feeling of freezing cold, and fire.
He recoiled sharply from the painfully familiar heat, attempting to let go of the egg once more. Jimmy wondered briefly what he looked like from the outside. Why did nobody step in to help?
The voice turned into a cruel laugh.

"A canary!" It said to no one in particular.
"Oh, how rare! How wonderful!" Its voice twisted with spite at the last word.
Jimmy could feel the fire getting closer, trying to claim him, trying to change him.
"I think I have just the perfect coal mine for you..."
It trailed off, and Jimmy felt warmth blooming in his chest, felt the wings on his back starting to grow and change.
And he knew, deep in his gut, that this was a very bad thing.
He knew that if he let this happen, it would destroy him– burn him from the inside out until he was nothing but a hollow husk. It would curse him until not even his bones remained.
He felt the comfortable warmth in his heart growing hotter, and Jimmy made a choice. If this was the only way to get his wings, the only way he would ever be able to fly… He didn't want it. He couldn't do it. Not like this. Past experiences aside, none of this seemed right. Why had he never thought about how strange it all was? Your fate being decided by an egg of a long dead race.
Jimmy gathered his strength, took a deep breath, and rejected it. He smothered out the fire in his heart and pushed the phoenix away.

The creature's shock was apparent, he felt it echo in his being. Jimmy doubted it had ever felt anything besides open arms, welcoming it to change and curse whatever it wanted.
It sneered and tried again, like Jimmy had made an ignorant mistake. The pressure surrounding Jimmy became much stronger than he was prepared for, and he doubled over with the weight.

"Do you think you can really reject me? Reject what you are?" It screeched, fury and heat mixing into something nearly unbearable.
"Pushing me away and denying your destiny will not change your fate, Jimmy Solidarity. This is the quest chosen for you. This is your path. This is your story. Your life!"
Now Jimmy was angry too, fueled by the flames and chaos. He couldn't talk here, couldn't argue with this phoenix in its domain. But he could fight in other ways.

MY life is what I choose it to be! He thought. Even if he didn't really know what he wanted, it was something he'd rather find out for himself. He wasn't going to listen to some egg of an extinct race telling him he would suffer. That he should suffer.
With all of his strength, he pushed the phoenix away from him. He pictured dousing the pathetic bird in flames, fire sputtering out and leaving nothing but dust. The phoenix hissed, drawing back from the hostility. Jimmy took advantage of this, giving one more big shove.

The egg snapped backwards. The pillar it sat on tilted back as Jimmy fell the opposite way, his head hitting the reflective marble floor hard as he was thrown from the mental space. It took him a minute to regain his senses. He groaned as the high ceiling of the auditorium came into view, dizzy as he sat up and looked around. The huge room was abnormally quiet, much quieter than he had ever witnessed it. He thought for a panicked moment that he had gone deaf, but then he noticed everyone was just transfixed on something else. He followed their eyes, frowning at where False was crouched over something, shielding it with her wings from the worried gazes of onlookers.
"False?" Jimmy said, stumbling a bit as he stood up and approached.

She looked up at him, golden eyes wide and furious, blonde hair framing her face, hiding her sneer as Jimmy saw what he had done.
The phoenix egg lay in front of her, shattered into hundreds of pieces. Golden liquid spilled around them. It was all over False, he realized. Coating the inside of her wings, turning the brown feathers gold. It pooled around his shoes too, and he stepped back in shock. Jimmy gulped.
"False?" He said, fear and regret suddenly gripping him. What had he done? "I can explai-"
He wouldn't, though, because what was left of the egg suddenly caught on fire.

Jimmy jumped back now, wings fluffing and eyes widening. A part of his brain told him that something was wrong. His wings weren't right, but he couldn't exactly focus on that when in front of him, his old teacher disappeared behind huge golden flames. The golden liquid acted like oil, and the fire burned quickly.
"False!" He yelled, putting a hand in front of his face to block the smoke. But there was no smoke, as he was starting to notice.
Common sense, past experiences, and maybe an avian part of him were telling him to run. But he couldn't leave her here. Not when he was sure all of this was his fault. He knew other people should be here soon to help, but they were taking too long. It was like the fire was leaping through the air, catching visible and invisible things on fire, uncaring what it burned. He reached forward hesitantly, fingers flinching as they neared the flames. Maybe they weren't hot. He thought, pupils wide despite the light.

Then he heard False scream, and could smell her hair starting to burn. Jimmy froze, fear overtaking him. He knew he should run through and grab her. He knew he shouldn't be standing still, gaping at the golden flames like he was a child stuck in a tree all over again.

Jimmy Solidarity knew what he should do, and knew what he had to do. But he couldn't. He couldn't do it.

Jimmy heard someone scream his name, and he finally moved. Not forward, but backwards, stumbling over himself as he realized how close the fire was. He hit the ground hard for the second time today as he scrambled back.
Avians now started to swarm the center of the auditorium, guards with titanium armor reflecting the flames as they gave each other nervous looks, also hesitant to brave the flames. Most of them remembered all too well the fires that scorched the land all those years ago, claiming the lives of many avians and burning even a part of the capital city.

Then one broke through them, a large bucket of water in their hands. They threw it on the flames, causing a break in the fire. Two other avians then nodded at each other, and then ran into the golden light.
Jimmy felt someone grab his arm and help lift him up. Still dazed, his wide eyes met Grian’s dark purple ones, illuminated by orange.

"I- I couldn't-" Jimmy stuttered out.
"It's- It's too late now. We need to go." Another scream interrupted them, and Grian yanked Jimmy away before he could look, racing them away towards the far exit of the auditorium. As soon as they started running, Jimmy wasn't able to stop, his fear overtaking his bravado. He caught up to Grian before long, being much taller than him, and Grian let go of his arm as he dashed past.
"Go! Pearl and Mumbo are right outside!" Grian called, and this made Jimmy stutter into a stop, turning around so quickly he nearly slipped.
"No! Grian-" He called, out of breath from running, blond hair plastered to his forehead.
"I need to help them." Grian said, gently, like he was talking to a child. Like he was telling a younger brother the eldest needed to go away for a while.
"It was my fault!" Jimmy blurted, voice raising. "If anyone should help them, it should be me!"
He was marching back towards him now, fighting the swarm of people that were flooding in his direction towards the exit.
"Well, you couldn't!" Grian yelled back. The sting in his words made Jimmy freeze, brown eyes wide. They both knew he didn't mean that. But it hurt. It made Jim hesitate, and Grian took advantage of that. He kicked off the ground, wings spreading as he took flight above the crowd. Some Avians were flying, but the other exits were high above the ground, and Grian wasn't in anyone's way.

Too low for other avians to hit, but much too high for Jimmy to reach.

"Grian-" Jimmy choked out.
"Jimmy." His voice was calm again. "Go. Now. I'll be behind you." Grian turned his back to Jimmy now, who was just standing there again, shocked that Grian had used his actual name.
"GRIAN!" He yelled, blinking out of his stupor and rushing forwards as Grian flew away. The flames were everywhere now, and while some people pushed against him, he could get through. He could-
Someone grabbed him. Their arms looped under his and hooked his shoulders, dragging him back. He attempted to get them off, kicking and flailing his arms.
"Let me go!" He screamed, voice high like it got when he was angry. They didn't, so after a moment of thinking, he grit his teeth and slammed his head backwards. It hit something solid, and a pained yell reached his ears.

"Ow! Jimmy- Stop!" A familiar voice said, and Jimmy felt a sharp intentional kick to the back of his leg.
"Pearl? Ow-" He stopped fighting as much now, wings still flailing wrongly as he continued to be dragged back.
"Pearl, Stop! Grian went back-"
"I know! I know. He'll be fine."
"You don't know that! You don't kno-"
"Jimmy." Pearl said. Voice shaking slightly as she paused tugging him, nails digging into the sleeves of his shoulder. "Grian will be right behind us. He's got this. You need to get out of here. We need to get out of here." Jimmy realized with the quiver of her voice she wasn't just saying this for him. Her hands were shaking slightly where they sat against his arms.
It made Jimmy realize that he was still just the little boy that Grian and Pearl had to save from himself.
Jimmy stopped fighting Pearl. He let her tug him to the exit as he watched helplessly where the golden flames destroyed the everything and the nothing in their path.

-----

Tango was having one of those mornings. Of course his alarm didn't go off on the one day he needed it the most, causing him to wake up late and send him into panic. He grabbed the schematics for his project in a flurry of movement and nerves racking his brain for anything else he could have possibly forgotten before rushing out of his dorm. His hair was still a mess, (but hey, it usually was), and half of the items that should have been in his satchel were in his hands.

He dashed down the halls towards the stairs, cursing himself for the hundredth time about choosing to live at the top of the mountain as he shoved papers and various knicknacks into his bag. It'll have a great view, Tango! It'll help you stay inspired! Pfft! What a joke. A real unfunny one at that. He ignored the weird looks some people gave him as he flew down another flight of marble stairs. So maybe he had muttered that last thing out loud. Whatever. He was used to their weird looks anyways.
He ran a hand through his mussed hair, trying to untangle any knots that no doubt formed when he was sleeping. It clearly wasn't working, so after the third time his fingers got stuck, he gave up, looping his hand around the strap of his bag.
At least he was nearly at the lift. The lift that was, he realized with panic, closing without him.

"Wait!" He called out as he broke into a run. "Stop the lift! Please!"
An arm poked out of the metal cage that was the lift, stopping the doors from closing. Tango squeezed inside quickly and doubled over, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. This lift led to one of the deepest parts of the mountain, only three levels above the redstone mines. Missing it would have added at least another 40 minutes to his already extremely lengthy commute.

"Tango?" The other person in the elevator asked, voice tinged with a familiar sound. He stood up to look at them, breath still heavy.
Ah, great.
"Oh. Uh. Hey, Zed." Tango was gonna try and pull this off casually. "Thanks for… stopping the lift."
The man with sheep features blinked at him. "No problem."
Tango turned away, awkwardly drumming his hand on his bag as he stared at anything that wasn't Zed.
"Tango?" Zed asked, clearly trying to get his attention.
Tango was very quickly realizing there was only so much an elf could pretend to be thoroughly interested in a metal door frame, so he swallowed his pride. This was making him look stupid anyways.
"Yes..?"
"Why are you headed to class so late?" An idea seemed to pop into his head as he said this.
"Ohh, did you forget something?"
Tango wasn't going to take this golden opportunity and throw it away.
"Yeah! Yeah. I forgot my... uhhh." His voice trailed off as he looked at Zed. His eyes trailed up his freckled face, past his curled horns, up to his steel blond hair. "Goggles!" Tango blurted upon seeing his head, at the goggles nestled in the curls.
Then he realized.
"Ah, crap! I forgot my goggles!" He knew he was gonna forget something, dashing out of his dorm like that.
Oh, he was royally screwed now. His palm met his face in frustration.
"Woah! It's fine, I doubt anyone took them." Zed said. It wasn't reassuring.

Tango inwardly made some very frustrating sounds that almost could have been words.
"I'm not worried about that." He groaned. "I just-"
"Hey, isn't that your project?" Zed interrupted, and Tango gave him a very tired look. Then realization dawned on his face. "Your project! Tango, you're LATE?"
"Yes." He answered, throwing his hands up in the air. "I am very, extremely, terribly horribly late."
Zedaph just stared at him in shock.
"How?" He finally asked.
"My alarm didn't go off. I don't know why. I clearly set it last nigh- what?" Zed was giving him a look that said he wanted to make a comment but maybe shouldn't.
"The..." Zed trailed off.
"The what?"
"The clock you made..?"
Tango was thoroughly unimpressed now. He raised his eyebrows at him, expression deadpan when the lift stopped roughly, door beeping as the cage opened. It saved Tango from having to respond to that with words, and he wasted no time dashing out into the cavern.

Deep within the birch covered mountain that lay between the dwarf kingdom and the home of the elves was a mine. Within that mine, lay an academy. The upper floors, above ground and nestled in the peaks were the dorms, libraries, and living areas. Deep, deep down below, many races gathered to learn about mechanics and redstone.
It was everywhere down here, small veins of it running up the huge gray walls, large clumps lighting the dark spaces far above from where they stood at the bottom. Far too high to mine, but not too far to ignore.
There were also carts and heavy machinery everywhere, and Tango easily dodged out of the way of one an elf with blue horns and ghostly blue wings was pushing, looking across the rail tracks both ways before crossing.

"Wait, Tango." Zed called after him, sprinting to catch up. Tango could hear him trying to stifle his laugh. He rolled his eyes, catching a glimpse of the large pulley high above his head as he did so.
"I don't want to hear it from you today, Zedaph. I have had quite enough of this morning."
"Afternoon." He corrected.

This is finally what pushed Tango to explode.
Not really in the sense that he started yelling or getting violent. More like, literally. His head went up in flames, ruining the hair he had spent a lot of his commute attempting to fix. "Zedaph!" He said, mouth burning and eyes glowing red.
Now Zedaph really did laugh.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry." He said, still giggling.
"Here, let me." He leaned up and poked the center of Tango's golden headband. The blue stone clicked as it touched his forehead, filling his head with the thought of water.
Tango grit his sharp teeth, shaking his head as the cool stone cleared his mind.
"Great." He muttered, rage gone as quickly as it came, "Now I smell like charcoal." Thankfully, the main chasm was full of moving carts, bustling students, and miners shouting callouts, so their little incident wasn't widely noticed. Tango once again ignored the few weird looks he got as he turned and started down a familiar stone hall.
"You kinda alw- you know what? I have decided not to finish that." Zed said after Tango shot him a look midway through his sentence.

They eventually made it to their classroom, Tango flicking his tail to kill off the last of the embers from earlier. He stood nervously in front of the door, his hair was back to being dry, eyes back to their normal crimson. Ash had settled on the front of his uniform, and soot smudged his face. He looked exhausted. He had woken up half an hour ago.
Zed stood behind him, feeling a little bad about the teasing, but they had known each other for long enough to know he only meant well.

"Going for two hours late?" Zedaph asked, voice light.
"I am...." Tango started, contemplating, his hands tight around his satchels strap. "Afraid of our professor." He finally finished.
The metal door suddenly moved open, making Tango jump.
A disheveled dwarf stumbled out, Redstone smudged all over him, and goggles resting lopsided on his horns and short brown hair as he turned towards the two of them with a big smile on his face.
"Tango! Zed! Woah, Tango... You alright, dude? You look-"
"I know!" Tango cut him off. "I know how I look. It's a great representation of how I'm feeling, actually."
Impulse shot Zed a questioning look. Zedaph tilted his head in the direction of Tango's bag, where half of his rolled blueprints still stuck out.
"He was supposed to present after Etho." Zedaph explained, saving Tango the humiliation of doing so twice. Impulse's eyes widened.
"Oh."
"Yeah." Tango said, "Also, Zed ticked me off. So I kinda..."
"You erupted?! Tango..."
"I know. I know! He did it on purpose!"
"You can't let him get to you! It's a test. That's the point of it."
"Yeah, but I've been having a horrible morning." Tango whined as Impulse pulled out a writing pad and pencil from one of his many pockets, scratching something off a list.
"Afternoon." Zed corrected.
"Don't you start with that again!" Tango bit back.
Impulse turned and headed back into the classroom, still writing.

Tango went to follow, but hesitated, fear gripping him. Zed elbowed him as he passed.
"Come on, Doc is probably getting his caff. Or. Whatever he drinks. Probably something with redstone mixed in."
"That wouldn't surprise me, honestly." Another voice joined in as Tango got over himself and headed inside. Etho was packing his things, white hair pulled back in a high ponytail, black mask over his mouth, as always. They once joked it was because his northern elven blood made him sensitive to the underground. But, in all honesty, Tango didn't think Etho was sensitive to anything.

The classroom was quite spacious, half of it separated by a stained reinforced glass wall, where they could safely experiment with dangerous materials in the sight of a professor without worrying about a cave-in, or destroying something important. There were big rows of tables that worked as desks, in front of large comfortable chairs. At the far end of the room, sat a large obsidian slab. Doc was not behind it. Tango sucked in a breath of relief as he headed to his spot, paying attention to his classmates' conversation only after he had pulled his blueprints out of his bag and organized them inside the table in front of him.
Impulse had apparently finished writing about Tango's failures and was asking Etho where he was headed next. This caught Tango's attention.

"Oh yeah," Zed interrupted, saving Tango the trouble. "How did your presentation go?"
Etho spared a sympathetic glance at Tango before answering. "It went well. Doc approved everything, actually. He said he was going to go tell the headmaster himself about my trip."
"Trip?" Tango asked, face scrunched in confusion. "Wait, what even was your project? You never told us." Etho shrugged, a small chuckle escaping him.
"Guess you'll find out when I get back."
"You told me I could see before you left!" Tango said, a bit shocked.

"I said you could watch my presentation," Etho clarified. "But it seems you had more important things to do."
Tango shot Zed an Impulse a warning look before they embarrassed him further by explaining to Etho that no, he had actually been asleep, and then sighed, grumbling about Redstone clocks as he finally sat down.
"Yeah, you might be a household name in Aveera by then." Impulse continued the original conversation with a chuckle.
"Aveera?! The avian kingdom's capital?" Tango let out a whistle. "You're headed far!"
"Good luck with that," Zed butted in. "You know how they feel about redstone."

"Hey, not all of us!" Another voice joined in, Skizz's white wings fluffing up as he entered. He always wore his uniform wrong, sleeves rolled too far up and short black hair disorganized, a bit of snail gel the only thing keeping his head from looking like a complete war zone. (Not that Tango had any room to talk.)
Skizz shrugged his bag off his shoulders and flopped down in his usual spot next to Impulse.

"Do you count, Skizz?" Etho teased.
"Yeah, you didn't even get your wings." Zed added as dodged the heavy bag tossed at him.
"I did too!" Skizz rebutted. "How many times do I have to tell you guys! Dove! D. O. V. E. ! You know? Harbinger of peace, love and beauty? Yeah. That's me."

Tango shook his head as their entire group laughed.
They had this banter often. It was followed by a comfortable silence as Zed handed Skizz his bag back and Etho finished shoving his books into his satchel.
"You know, I'm gonna miss you guys." Etho suddenly said, looking around the room.
"I didn't think I was gonna leave so quickly. It's kinda all hitting me right now."

Everyone stared at him. A sinking feeling was starting to grow in Tango's gut, and he knew everyone else was feeling it too. He also knew if he thought about it too long, his day really would be ruined beyond repair.
"Yeah." Tango said, before anyone else could get sappy. "And I'm gonna miss you guys too." A few confused looks shot his way. "Because once Doc gets back none of you guys are ever gonna hear from me again."

Skizz was the first one to laugh. Impulse snorted.
"Honestly, though," Zed said, leaning his head onto his hand. "You’re about the last person that I'd expect to forget to refill the Redstone in their alarm clock, Tango."
Tango gaped at him. He was shocked beyond words, and his face was heating up uncomfortably.
Impulse sighed. "Here we go." He muttered.
Skizz sat up, realizing Zed was being serious.
"WHAT?" He yelled, his laughs taking over him again. Etho had his hand on his head in disappointment (or disbelief. Tango wasn't sure. Maybe both.)

"Also, nobody tell Doc, but he forgot his goggles too-" Zed was cut off by Impulse, who didn't quite reach him in time, hand over his mouth awkwardly now that he had already finished his sentence and thoroughly leaving Tango out to dry.
Now Etho laughed. "Oh, Tango.."
"I said I didn't want to talk about it!" Tango glared at Zedaph before burying his head in his blueprints. Some part of him wanted to admit that this was funny. But he was also pissed off. He felt a soft tap on his shoulder a few moments later. He was tempted to ignore it, but he wasn't actually that mad, so he looked over.

Etho had taken the seat next to him, leaning on it wrong with his arm outstretched to give him something. Tango glanced down at it and gasped.
"What? Etho- I can't take these."
The white haired man shrugged, mask hiding most of his expression. "It's not like I'm going to need them anymore," Etho said. It almost fooled him into thinking this was no big deal.
Hesitantly, Tango reached up and took the goggles from Ethos hand. They were way nicer than his; ones he had put together out of scraps and purely for function. Etho had made his own, the strong dark leather of the headband complimenting the ruby red shine of the goggles.

"Are you sure?" Tango said again, holding them up against the lantern hanging high above them, watching wide eyed as they sparkled.
How did they sparkle? He wondered.
"I'm sure." Etho said, patting his shoulder as he stood. For a moment he looked like he wanted to say something, but instead Etho just nodded at him before turning away.
Tango didn't waste anymore time admiring the goggles, and hastily put them on. They rested on his head comfortably. That's when he noticed everyone else had gone quiet, and he looked up, noticing Etho had headed to the entrance, where Doc was telling him something enthusiastically. Doc was a tall man, with goat-like features, green skin, and lots of cybernetic implants. (All powered by Redstone of course.)
However, where Zedaph's horns curled around his head like a ram, Doc's horns were a lot taller, reaching much higher before curling around his ears. He was already tall, so needless to say, he was quite intimidating. It wasn't like he got mad often, but Tango was still trying to somehow deactivate his fight or flight instinct when Doc looked around the class, clearing his throat for attention.

"Etho has some big news to share with everyone." Their professor announced, unknowing most of them had just discussed it. "He's headed to Aveera to continue his engineering. Let's all congratulate him!" He clasped Etho's shoulder as he said this, beaming at his star pupil.
Etho gave a little awkward wave to the class, his gaze focused on his friends. There was the hum of clapping and the murmuring of congratulations around the room.

Then he was gone. It was like Tango looked down at his empty desk for a moment to try and think about what to say to his professor, and when he looked back up, Doc was teaching the class like usual. He ignored the pang in his chest at the realization that he didn't know when he'd see Etho again, and tried to focus on the teaching.
Today they were wrapping up his several month lesson on finalizing a tunnel bore. Things such as final checks they should make on the redstone for safety. Tango's group was supposed to finish presenting their final projects today, since they had all finished the other testing already. Then, they were off into the world to do great things. There wasn't a big graduation ceremony here, that's just not how the school did things. Especially since this was technically an academy you came to after your primary school, to learn even more things.

As the class started wrapping up, Tango's panic slowly faded into acceptance. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen, he supposed. It was too late to do anything about it now.
Eventually the clock on the wall rang, a low familiar rumble.
Everyone began to collect their things and file out of the class, but Tango stayed seated, bracing himself.
"Good luck." Skizz muttered as he passed. Impulse gave Tango's shoulder a friendly pat as he followed him.
"We're gonna be at the Cafe if you survive." Zed added as they left, and then they were gone.

Tango lifted his head from where it was buried in his arms on the desk. Then, he pulled his blueprints out from the table and pushed them into his bag. He sighed, the blond locks in his face getting pushed back from the breath. Tango ran a hand through them nervously as he headed towards where Doc sat at his desk, organizing papers.
"Hey, Professor..." Tango said, swallowing hard.
Doc looked up, red eye trained on him.
"Well if it isn't mister Tango Tek." He said, and Tango couldn't really get a read on his emotions. "I hope you managed to take care of whatever distracted you this morning." Doc signed a paper and tucked it under a stack as he said this. Tango decided it would be wise not to admit his actual reason for being late.
He gripped his satchel, trying to alleviate some of the tension inside him before he did something embarrassing like catch on fire during class. (It wouldn't have been the first time.)

"Yeah.... I'm really sorry about that." He bit his lip. "Would there be any way I could still present my work to you?"
There it was. The make or break question. Either he would get another chance, or he would get a zero. Safe to say he would quite possibly be screwed if he failed this. It's not that he was bad– he got good grades. It was always the presentations he fumbled. Something always went wrong in the strangest, most unpredictable ways.
"How does tomorrow after class sound?" He asked it in a monotone voice as he continued writing, as if he just hadn't given Tango the chance of redemption of a lifetime.
"Yes!" He said, a little loudly. "Yes, that's perfect. Thank you! Thank you so much Doc! I'll be there!!" Then he was dashing out of the classroom, as quick as a rabbit.
"You're gonna love what I have!"

Doc chuckled as he watched him dash out of the class and into the stony corridors. "I'm sure it will be wonderful." He said, signing a paper with Tango's name on it and the words Graduation Approval and placing it in the finished stack.

Tango was flying through the huge stone corridors, laughing as he went, dodging carts and people and the occasional swooping avian. He ignored more looks. He figured he was probably sparking. It happened sometimes when he was a bit overwhelmed with a sudden emotion.
He was going to have to borrow some of Impulse's clock Redstone, he thought, ducking under a pallet of wood and ignoring the dwarf who shouted at him to stop running. He did slow down as he got near the lift, feeling much lighter than when he stepped out of it earlier. There were a few other students waiting near it, which meant he hadn't just missed it. Good.

It wasn't long at all until he saw his friends, sitting around their usual table at their favorite Cafe, high above the Redstone caves and the stress they brought from far below. The Cafe had a large balcony, and it was golden hour. The soft orange lighting covered the tables and redwood walls, giving everything a dream-like look.
Impulse saw him first, a big smile on his face as he waved Tango over.
Looking at his friends, covered in gold, feeling his dreams in the bag near his waist, Tango thought to himself, Hey, maybe this day hasn't been so bad after all.

Chapter Text

Within a large dark corridor, a lone figure strode. The room was tall, the walls made from some dark reflective stone reminiscent of obsidian. They were rough and uneven, giving the illusion that the building was buried deep underground. The only proof that this was a lie were the huge tinted windows on one side of the massive walls. 

If one were to indulge their curiosity and peer outside, they would only be met with more questions, and the lingering feeling of gazing into oblivion, their brain fighting to comprehend something they never should have seen. 

The figure in dark robes stalked through the halls with a purpose, undaunted by their size and used to their abnormality. Low hanging lanterns flashed orange reflections off of the figures' horns, uncovered by the hood on their back. 

They quickly turned down a smaller hall, bursting through the doors at the end of the corridor. 

More hooded figures were gathered, discussing things in hushed voices. One sat above it all, gazing at the scene with invisible eyes. 

Some turned towards the outburst in disapproval. Some scoffed with a practiced arrogance. 

"You said no one would get hurt," the one with the horns hissed, dragon-like wings unfurling in anger. The 'leader' looked unbothered by this outburst, their hooded chin resting on a hand.

"We said no one would die," It clarified. Its voice sounded like hundreds of spiders crawling on metal, or a heavy summer rain hitting a pond during a storm. This answer did not seem to please the one with dragon features, and they charged forward with a guttural growl. 

Some of the others spurred into action, bodies seemingly floating or teleporting in front of the intruder. 

"We had a deal!" They said, eyes flashing with fury. 

"Yes. And we would have upheld it. But you lied to us, little eye." 

Teeth bared at the mention of that name, but the leader continued.

"You didn't tell us who he was." 

The little eye had barely opened their mouth to protest when they were interrupted again.

"Don't bother lying. There's no way you wouldn't have known." The leader then waved their hand, seemingly bored with the conversation.

"His fate is unchangeable. What happens next has to happen. There's nothing either of us can do about it now."

"We'll see about that." The eye grumbled, turning away. 

One of the bystanders grabbed them as they did this, dark clawed hands gripping their cloak near the throat and pulling towards them angrily.

"Haven't you learned your lesson with trying to change people's fates?" It hissed. "Or is your hunger for your loved ones blood not yet satiated?"

The horned one's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Say that again." They said, voice barely above a whisper. "And I will paint this room red."

Darkness within the hood stared at them as the pressure in the room escalated. Dragon wings flapped in indignation, the paper-like scratching sound the loudest thing in the room. An evil grin spread across the eye’s face, promising to give back a portion of the suffering they had experienced.

"I quite preferred it that way." 

"Enough!" The leader interrupted before the pin could drop. They stood up now, like the display of dramatics was starting to bore them. "You know how this ends. I don't need to tell you not to step in. You know if you do the consequences will be much worse. And we won't be able to save you this time." The hooded figure let them go, disgust evident in the action. The dragon entity relished in it– all of their hatred. They hated them too. 

"You are dismissed, little eye." The leader said, sitting again, like the action of standing and yelling was exhausting. "Leave us." 

The troublemaker listened without incident, leaving the room much calmer than before, as whispers and the gazes of too many eyes followed them out. 

But appearances could be deceiving, and chaos stormed behind their eyes.

_______

Jimmy didn't think this day could get any worse. 

They sat outside the academy, leaning against the tall white stones near the gate as they waited. 

For news.

For Grian. 

For anything, really. 

Pearl had her head resting on her knees as she sat, back resting on the marble. Mumbo's head looked up towards the stars in breaks between the cloudy sky, expression unreadable. After the chaos, none of them had really spoken. 

Jimmy didn't know what to say. He knew all of this was his fault, but he didn't really feel like 'sorry' covered it. Only guards or faculty had been allowed back inside, so none of them had any idea what was going on. They could only speculate if False and Grian were alive, or if the fire had even stopped. He sighed, causing Pearl to glance over at him. 

"Jimmy." She suddenly said, sitting up like it was the first time she had actually seen him all day. 

Maybe it had been. He gave her a questioning look. 

"Your wings!" 

"Oh, yeah I-" Jimmy paused mid sentence. What had happened to his wings? He stood up, stepping away from the wall to spread them. They were still too small for him to see without a mirror, but they did seem bigger. He looked towards Pearl and Mumbo, who shared a glance. 

"What?" He said, suddenly self conscious. 

"Did... Did the phoenix tell you what type of bird you are?" Pearl asked. 

"They look good!" Mumbo cut in, hands in front of him like he was trying to physically defend himself from this conversation. "Uh yeah..." Jimmy's throat suddenly went dry as he tried to recall earlier events. "A- a Canary? I think. That's what I heard." 

Mumbo's face twisted in confusion at that. Pearl let out a little, "huh." She stood up and took a few steps toward him. 

"May I?" She asked, hand raised. 

Jimmy nodded, turning away from her again. 

He felt her hand brush his feathers. They fluttered in response to the touch, feeling new. "It's strange..." Pearl said. "It's like they started to grow in..." She trailed off, unsure. 

"It's like they started to grow, but stopped." Mumbo finished, having stood up in Jimmy's blind spot and was now also standing behind him. 

Jimmy made a face. "What does that mean?" 

"I... it's hard to explain." Pearl said. 

"Do they hurt at all?" Mumbo asked, poking his wing.

Now Jimmy really was confused. 

"No? They feel a bit strange, but I assumed that was normal. Do- do they look like they should hurt?" Jimmy asked, nervousness creeping into his chest again. 

"I think so." Mumbo said. It was followed by an ow as Pearl assumedly hit him in the arm. 

"Maybe you should head home and check for yourself." She said with a sigh. There was no mirrors nearby, so that would be smart if he wanted to see them. But Jimmy didn't want to leave. He turned, tucking his behind his back as much as he could. 

"I'm not leaving." He said, slightly offended. 

Pearl suddenly looked very tired. "Jimmy. We're not doing anyone any good by just standing around. One of us might as well get some rest." 

Jimmy crossed his arms. "What about Mumbo?" 

Mumbo looked surprised that the topic of conversation had switched to him, even though he was standing right beside them. 

"I left some dangerous things in class. I need to be able to move them as quickly as possible if the fire gets there." He said, scratching his head. Jimmy had no doubt that Mumbo was just as worried about Grian as the rest of them, but Mumbo was usually always worried about something, so he wasn’t acting any differently than usual. 

"We'll come get you the second we learn anything." Pearl said, putting a comforting hand on his arm. 

He glanced at her. Pearl was shorter than him. He had never really realized it. She had always been taller and stronger and braver than him in Jimmy's mind. 

"Promise?" He said weakly, the exhaustion of the day finally starting to catch up to him. "No matter what you hear?" 

Pearl gained a very serious look. Then she nodded. "No matter what." She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze before letting go. Mumbo gave him a nod. "Don't worry about it too much, Jim. Everything will be fine, I'm sure."

Jimmy managed to nod. He really wanted to believe that. He wanted to go home and collapse on his bed and get woken up by Grian's noise ten minutes before his alarm actually went off, because today was his special day, and everything had just been a bad nightmare. 

"I'll see you guys soon." Jimmy said, and then turned to leave. 

It wasn't long before he stumbled into his small house, breathing deeply as he caught sight of a flash of yellow in the mirror. Jimmy didn't give himself time to overthink it, stepping in front of it and spreading his wings out from behind his back. 

It took him a moment to understand what he was looking at. He turned around, looking at where his wings connected to his back. Strange, he thought, hand running through them. Close to his back, the feathers were a dark red. farther down, his secondaries were a bright yellow. He supposed that was the canary part he was told about. His primaries were also yellow, but the color faded to white the closer to the ends it got. He frowned at these feathers. They were very fluffy, they looked like his old wings. So this is what Mumbo and Pearl meant. He realized. He brushed his hand through his other wing as well, but didn't notice anything strange besides the identical colors. 

He flapped them, once. Twice. Testing. 

His new wings were bigger than his old ones, definitely. But Jimmy was tall. He wasn't sure if these new ones would be able to carry him. At the very least, he didn't want to test it right now. Or anytime soon for that matter. The thought of flying after today gave him a sick feeling in his gut.

Content with the fact there wasn't some horrific winged monstrosity sticking out of his back, Jimmy got ready for bed. He fell into it in record time, falling on his stomach and letting his wings spread around him. 

Then he was asleep. 

Jimmy woke up in the middle of the night, startling awake from a particularly bright nightmare. He sat up, rubbing his eyes as he gained his bearings, taking a moment to separate real life from the cruel heat of his dream. A glance towards his alarm clock made him aware that it was very early. 

He frowned at it, wings shifting behind him– he wasn't used to their size yet. 

Pearl should have been here by now, He thought, alarm bells going off in his head. Maybe she had come and didn't want to wake him, he finally figured, looking around for a note she might have left. 

Something dark shifted in the corner of his eye, and his head whipped towards the kitchen.

Then Jimmy had the horrible realization that maybe he wouldn't have woken up at this time naturally, nightmare or not. He squinted. Was it his imagination? The last thing Jimmy needed right now was hallucinations. He stared towards the dark direction for a bit longer. 

When he didn't see or hear anything, Jimmy swung his legs out of the bed, feet hitting the floor gently. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering if he should attempt to go find Pearl and Mumbo at this horrid hour. He hoped they weren't still outside the gates.

A floorboard creaked loudly. 

Jimmy froze. 

That had definitely not been a hallucination.

He knew exactly what floorboard that was, a dislodged wooden one where the kitchen met the living room. His wide eyes stared towards the noise. 

"Pearl?" He asked the darkness. His voice was higher than he would have liked, so he cleared his throat and tried again. 

"Pearl, is that you?" 

Silence. 

Jimmy couldn't possibly imagine a thief breaking into his house at this hour. Not only because the chaos yesterday had been enough for– he was sure– nearly all avian folk, but also because he didn't have anything of value enough that someone might want to steal. He stood up, grabbing his blue jacket and slipping it on. He kept a steady eye on the entrance to his room as he reached for where he always put his bag. 

Jimmy's hand closed around empty air, and it took him a moment to remember.

False had taken his bag.

It was still in the auditorium.

The auditorium had burned.

False might be dead.

Jimmy swallowed hard as these thoughts hit him consecutively, each more jarring than the last.

Another noise from deeper inside the house made Jimmy reassess his priorities. He couldn't think about the events from earlier right now. 

He had to go. 

Going meant facing the noise.

Jimmy did not want to face the noise. 

He had faced much worse.

He eventually got over himself and stepped towards the dark hall.

Jimmy made it to the kitchen, eyes adjusting slowly to the darkness. He still couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. He knew he could attempt to light a lamp, but he did not want to see any fire for a long time after the events of yesterday. Actually, Jimmy didn't want to see another flame for the rest of his life. 

However, no lamp meant making it to his balcony without light. Jimmy steeled himself, sneaking around the counter as quietly as he knew how to be. At the very least, he did his best to avoid the creaky floorboards. 

Moonlight cascaded on the floor from the doorway to the balcony, casting the entrance to the room in an eerie glow. After staring at it for a while, Jimmy decided to run for it. Whoever was here with him seemed to be further inside– closer to his front door– and he'd rather take his chances escaping from the balcony than attempt to confront them.

Jimmy braced himself, exhaled, then dashed for it. 

He reached it in record time, yanking open the door and feeling the cool night air rush to greet his skin. The clarity and comforting sound of crickets below made him start to think that maybe everything had been his imagination. The silence in the house was palpable. 

Then he heard it. Footsteps approaching. They were going faster than he knew how to deal with. 

He slammed the door shut and turned around, leaping up onto the handrails. His wings opened and- and- he fumbled.

What was he doing here?

It was something he had seen Grian do countless times. Spread his wings and jump off. But Jimmy wasn't Grian. He hadn't flown. Not with these wings at least, and the ground felt far away. His house was only a few stories up. 

It probably wouldn't kill him. But Jimmy still remembered the snap of his arm as it broke his fall. Remembered the pain that came after. It made him hesitate. He did not want to feel that again. Not now. Not ever. 

Unfortunately, while Jimmy had been battling with himself, the intruder had snuck up behind him. They grabbed the scruff of his jacket, pulling him down off the rails roughly.

Jimmy flailed, wings useless and flapping in a frantic manner as he attempted to fight them off. The arm holding his jacket let go, but moved to put him in a chokehold. He attempted to cry out, but something covered his mouth and nose. Jimmy knew better than to breathe it in, and held his breath as he attempted to elbow them. His arm however, hit his own larger wing instead of the intruder, and he grimaced at the pain- breathing in a gasp as he did so. He wrestled a bit more, panic surging through him as he realized his mistake. 

His vision was already starting to blur.

It was a useless fight, and Jimmy was out in a minute, wings behind his back slowly going still. 

The shadowy figure then tossed him over their shoulder and leapt off the balcony, copper wings flashing in the moonlight.

____

Tango actually woke up on time, thanks to Impulse's generous donation of his clock. 

A knock came at the door when he was busy packing the necessary gold bits for his project. He wasted no time answering it. 

"Hey, Impulse!" Tango said, face lighting up with his sharp toothy grin as he saw his friend.

"Hey, bud!" He replied as Tango let him in. "Good morning, I'm glad to see you're awake. You all ready?" 

Tango gestured to where he was packing everything, tools and vials spread about his counter. "Just about. How did my clock work?" 

Impulse let out a laugh. "It was decent. I mean. It woke me up- didn't it? I just couldn't get it to shut off."

Tango gained a thoughtful expression. "Did you refill the redstone?" He asked, grabbing Etho's–his goggles and putting them over his head to loop around his neck. 

Impulse looked at little surprised. 

"Yeah, I mean, it was practically empty, Tango. I figured that's why it didn't work for you." Tango let out a hum. 

"That could have been it." He agreed, deciding against telling him that *he* thought it didn't work because he had left it sitting the wrong direction when he had gone to bed. It sounded a little crazy, but the clock never worked for Tango if the back had been facing the window the night before.

"Yeah, if you fill it to the brim, it has a hard time shutting off. Not really sure why." Tango finished packing now, grabbing his bag and tossing it on his shoulder. 

"Maybe it's the access to power." He mumbled thoughtfully. 

"I don't see why you don't just make another one." Impulse said. 

"Like, I get it's sentimental to you, but... We could just make a new one together. It's not like we're not still friends." 

Tango thought about Etho, no doubt halfway to Aveera now.  

"Nah." He said. "It's not one of my priorities right now. Besides, It makes my life more interesting." They both headed to the door, Impulse pausing to grab an apple from Tango's counter and give him a questioning look. 

"I think your life is plenty interesting already." Impulse said. Tango cackled. 

"Oh well, we're nearly done anyways. Let's just finish things off with a bang."

Impulse took a bite of the apple. 

"Let's not, actually." He decided, mouth full. 

Tango laughed as he locked the door behind him. He fought off the feeling that he was forgetting something again, knowing he had triple checked everything he needed for his presentation.

"The future is bright, Impulse!" He said enthusiastically as they headed down the hall.

"The future is bright." He agreed. 

Outside, the morning started to spread the wonderful colors of the sunrise, like water spilled onto a painting. 

Tango thought that it might be the most beautiful fire he'd ever seen. 

Chapter Text

Jimmy had found out how his day could get worse. 

He woke up, extremely groggy. Thankfully, whatever had been used to knock him out hadn't been very potent, because he didn't feel dizzy or sick. Jimmy sat up, taking in his surroundings. Dark deepslate covered the walls, which were surprisingly well lit for the one lamp that hung from the ceiling.  

He wasn't caged or chained up, which he figured was good, but he also couldn't see a clear exit to the room, which very much confused him.

He tested his wings, stretching them slowly. They seemed fine, besides the throbbing from last night's incident. He reached back to rub the sore part where he'd hit it, sighing. 

After a few minutes, a part of the wall opened, saving Jimmy the trouble of trying to figure out where the exit was. A figure stepped through, a dark coat covering his features. It had intricate golden designs on it, which reminded him of something he couldn't quite place. Jimmy sucked in a breath, unsure of what they wanted with him. 

The figure wasted no time and tugged off his hood, revealing gray blue eyes and a brown beard. 

"Sorry about that mess earlier, mate." He said, voice smooth. "It was nothing personal, I assure you." 

He saw a flash of copper as he moved, something mechanical and strange attached to his back. Jimmy's eyes widened.

"Pixlriffs." He said, confusion mounting by the second. 

A ghost of a smile crossed the man's features, seemingly impressed that Jimmy remembered him. He offered him a hand. 

Jimmy took it after a moment of deciding. He wasn't exactly over this man sneaking into his house and kidnapping him, but he wasn't arrogant enough to deny help either. Also, he was very sore.

He took the hand and stood up, dusting himself off. 

"I remember, you had a class on mechanics." Jimmy said, eyeing him again. He remembered now that his coat was similar to the other faculty of the academy. Except where theirs were usually a creamy white, his was a deep stone black. The golden designs were the same, however, which is what had jogged his memory.

An unsavory expression crossed the man's face. "Yes. Well. We all know how that ended." 

Jimmy almost laughed at the memory despite the strange circumstances. "Birds and Redstone don't exactly mix." 

"I beg to differ." Pix answered, wings spreading with indignation 

They were quite intricate, and if Jimmy didn't know better, he would have said they looked man-made. Looking closer, however, you could see that while the feathers may have the sheen of copper, they were still feathers. The level of detail and the tiny moving parts would make anyone's head hurt if they stared at them too long, Jimmy knew from experience. He looked away. 

"So, why exactly did you kidnap me?" Jimmy asked, eyes glancing towards where the exit was hiding itself again, stone grinding as the bricks realigned. 

Pix seemed to remember, and he turned briskly, grabbing a pack from one of the wall hooks Jimmy hadn't noticed before and moving a couple bricks in succession. 

"I didn't kidnap you." He said, matter of factly. The wall moved to reveal a small storage room, filled with barrels and chests. "I was saving your life." 

This made Jimmy pause. 

"From what?" He said, brain swirling as he tried to think of someone who would want him dead. 

Pix stopped filling the bag with items Jimmy couldn't see to give him a curious look. 

"You kind of broke the academy's most prized possession?" 

Jimmy gulped. "And– and they want me dead for that?" He hadn't even thought of that. Mad, sure. 

Expelled, maybe. 

Arrested, even– worse case scenario.

But dead? 

Jimmy thought that was a bit much. 

"Well, not all of us, clearly." Pix swung the bag over his shoulder, and walked out of the makeshift closet. "Some of us think this was supposed to happen." He twisted another brick, and the awful grinding returned as it closed. 

That was food for thought, but Pix didn't give him any time to chew. 

"That doesn't matter right now. We just want to know one thing." The bricks stopped the grotesque grating sounds, and the room was suddenly very quiet. "Answer something for me, won't you, Jimmy Solidarity?" 

The single lantern hanging from the ceiling seemed to flicker. 

Jimmy bit his lip, not wanting to break the silence.

It wasn't like he had a choice. He was here, not imprisoned, but still trapped until Pix showed him the exit. Which Jimmy assumed he'd only show if he told him what he wanted to know. 

So, he nodded.

"What did you see?"  

Jimmy's throat suddenly felt dry as he recalled yesterday- had it really only been yesterday?

He let out a breath. 

"You wouldn't believe me." 

Pix tossed the bag to Jimmy's feet, satchel hitting the ground with a clang. 

Steel blue eyes stared him down, a brow raised in a dare.

"Try me."

______

Jimmy wasn't sure how much Pixlriffs actually believed him. Considering the fact he had let him go- with a pack of useful supplies in addition, gave him a bit of hope. 

The entire situation was quite unfortunate. Pix had told him he couldn't return to Aveera. Not even to tell his friends goodbye. Apparently they still hadn't put the fire out, and the leaders of the Academy were scrambling to find something to pin the blame on.

Which, of course, could very easily be Jimmy. Pix had heard that False had survived– not without some scarring, and no one had seen or heard from the owl avian since that night. Jimmy didn't want to leave like this– he knew it would make Pearl even more stressed out. But he also knew that going back would be much worse, for him and his friends.

So onto his mysterious 'quest' he went, trekking through a part of the forest he was unfamiliar with to get to some dude that could help him dissect his vision and figure out exactly what it was he was supposed to do. 

Jimmy knew, somewhere deep in his bones, that his quest had something to do with that stupid egg. He wouldn't get out of all of this nonsense just by smashing the thing on the ground. (Not that he had done it on purpose.) He just hoped whatever it was would fix this mess, and everything could go back to normal soon. 

Even with his muddy thoughts, it was hard to be upset on a day like this. Strolling through the birch forest while the midday sun flickered through the leaves on the trees was soothing, in a way. His feet followed the stone path loyally, and bird song kept him company.

Eventually, by following the path, the forest thinned, and he ended up in a clearing. Aveera was a nation built on tall peaks. He knew this. So it really shouldn't have surprised him when he was greeted by a large cliff. 

It did, though. He could see another cliff not far, where the path continued, and between, suspended over the chasm by goodness knows what, there was a red hut. 

Jimmy's stomach flipped at the sight. It was clearly the only way across, unless you could fly.... 

He supposed this was where he was supposed to go. Ignoring the fact that this was the only way to go. 

He stepped out from under the trees, glancing upwards towards the sky. It was a bright blue day, barely any clouds in the sky. According to where the sun was, Jimmy supposed he had been walking for about two hours now. 

He had been keeping a comfortable pace, though, and the forest was cool and shaded for the beginning of summer, so he wasn't tired.

He was halfway to the bridge when a shadow flew over him. He looked up, panicked, but other than catching a flash of blue, there was no sign of anything. 

Jimmy inwardly groaned. He was getting really tired of sneaky avians. Actually, he was getting tired of avians in general. Himself included. 

Not seeing anything else out of the ordinary, he stepped onto the wooden bridge. It looked like it hadn't been used in years. There were large holes where rot and termites had had their fun, and a few boards were missing, but at least it was steady. Not nearly as bad as those super thin wobbly bridges that were barely more than tight ropes he heard about often.  

The handrails more or less seemed to work properly too, his hand brushed against the frayed wood gently to steady himself. Hearing a bird call made him look up as he crossed, only to see a crow watching him from the roof of the red house.

 There were lots of them, and now that he saw one, he saw them everywhere. Whoever lives here must be a real weirdo, Jimmy decided, ignoring the birds as they seemed to share a laugh to a joke he was not privy to.

It wasn't long before he reached the entrance. A hesitant hand reached up and rapped on the warped door. 

Nothing. 

"Hello?" He called hesitantly, taking a step back to see if there was a way around the house to the other bridge that didn't involve him going inside. "Anyone home? Uh.. Pixlriffs sent me." 

The porch ended quite abruptly, much to Jimmy's disappointment. He grabbed the handrails and peered over the edge, curiosity getting the better of him because he couldn't figure out how this house was being held up. 

His questions weren't answered. All he could see below were jagged cliffs, some covered by a thick fog which hid the faraway ground from view. 

He was much, much higher up than he anticipated. Which shouldn't have made an avian nervous, but Jimmy was turning out to be anything but a normal avian. 

He turned back towards the house only to come face to face with another hooded figure. He knew it wasn't Pix immediately, since the hood was higher on their head. He could see the face of a man with a bright blue eye and bandages covering the lower left side of his face. His right eye was also covered by a dark eye patch, hiding it from view.

It was quite a terrifying sight, and Jimmy let out a yelp as he jumped back, wings jumping with him and hitting the rail. 

He winced at the pain and the noise that echoed through the cliffs.

The man stared at him for half a second more, and then broke into a laugh. Like he wasn't the scariest thing Jimmy had seen all day. The man continued to wheeze, covering his mouth as they turned to coughs. Jimmy probably would have found his laugh contagious if he wasn't thoroughly annoyed.

"Yes. Haha." Jimmy said, mock amusement rich in his voice. "Very funny. Let's all terrify the poor Canary today, wouldn't that just be…" He trailed off when he noticed the man had stopped laughing abruptly when he said that, blue eye squinting at him.

"Did you say a Canary?" 

Jimmy hesitated. So far, that title hadn't brought him any good news. It had just slipped out, and he wasn't really sure what to do now. 

"Uhhh.... yes?" He also knew he was a horrible liar.

The man blinked at him, perhaps surprised by his honesty. 

"Interesting." He said, amusement twinkling in his eye as he turned around. "Alright, come on in. Let's get this valiant quest of yours figured out." 

Jimmy followed him as he opened the door with ease and stepped inside, ignoring the part of his brain telling him that he had seen this man before. 

"That was unlocked the entire time, by the way." He said with a chuckle.

Jimmy wasn't sure how to react to that. It's not like he went around just opening private doors to see if they would open. 

This avian was confounding him already, and he had known him for all of four minutes. 

Jimmy noticed now the man had large Blue Jay wings, sticking out of his cloak but kept close to his back. He had pulled his hood off now that he was inside, and Jimmy could see his short blonde hair.

The inside of the building was even more of a wreck than the outside. Various knick knacks covered the walls, things like fans and art from far away places that Jimmy couldn't place. Shelves overflowed with rocks and jewels and other shiny trinkets. Lights hung in random places, reflecting the jewels and making strange colorful patterns in the wall. Jimmy couldn't help but think of the fire hazard. It smelled like some sort of stew was cooking, and Jimmy vacantly realized he hadn't eaten since he left Pix's fortress. 

"My name is Martyn." The man said, weaving through the clutter with a practiced ease. 

"I assume Pix already told you that." 

"Uh, no, actually." Jimmy answered, dodging a low hanging strangely colored jar. Upon closer inspection, he saw it had a huge green eye in it, and Jimmy averted his gaze, uncomfortable with the way it seemed to stare straight through him. "But he did say you could help."

They left the room and headed into a different one, separated by a curtain of beads. He thought that was nice, until he noticed the beads were all colored to look like eyes. 

Yup. Jimmy agreed with his past self as he brushed through them. Definitely a weirdo.

The next room they went into was noticeably darker. There was a table in the center with a large slab of a strange reflective metal. Moss covered the wall, the blue lights on it being the only thing that illuminated the room. He could make out a shelf of potions and vials on one of the walls as well.

Jimmy had never seen anything like it. He had so many questions.

"So." Martyn said, heading to the other end of the table across from Jimmy. "Ready to find some answers?" 

A mix of excitement and nerves pooled in his stomach. 

"Yeah. Let's do it." He sounded braver than he felt, for once. 

Martyn reached up and tugged off his eye patch, revealing an unnerving purple eye quite different from his blue one. It shimmered green and had a cat-like pupil to it. Jimmy couldn't help but stare. 

"You see why I don't just walk around with this visible." Martyn said, without even glancing at him.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry." Jimmy mumbled, averting his gaze towards the strange reflective slab. 

Martyn shrugged. "All good. I stare at it too sometimes, to be honest." His relaxed behavior made Jimmy lower his guard a bit, and he decided to ask a risky question.

"Are the bandages related to that as well?" 

Martyn seemed taken aback, and Jimmy felt the surge of regret at asking it.

Until Martyn chuckled. 

"Ah. No. Those are from an unfortunate soulmate incident." 

"Soulmate?" He asked, perplexed. It was something he had heard about in passing. People rarely muttering about theirs .. usually while nursing some sort of injury. 

Martyn glanced up at him, a flicker of purple that stayed on him just a moment too long before it returned to the table.  

"Yeah. We might see yours in a few moments, actually." 

"What?" Jimmy asked, startled. His eyebrows raised along with the pitch of his voice, wings fluttering nervously as he stepped back. "Oh no... I don't think I'm too interested in that." 

All of the things he was tied up into at the moment were enough already, the last thing he wanted was to have to worry about someone else's well being. 

A warning echoed in the back of his mind, after Grian had returned from his quest different.

"Never go looking for the other half of your soul." He had warned him, a crazed purple glint in his eyes. That was all he ever told Jimmy about his quest. 

Martyn snorted. "Unfortunately, that's not really how it works, buddy."

Jimmy's mouth pressed into a line. This didn't really count as him looking, did it?

Martyn stared at him, purple eye staring through him, making the skin on his neck prickle.

It felt like someone was watching him from behind. 

"Ready?" 

Jimmy just nodded, not trusting his words. The man smiled, and it was a bit unnerving.

Then he bent over the slab, did something with his hands Jimmy couldn't see, and the room exploded with light. 

Jimmy had a hard time making out what he was seeing, honestly. There were yellows and purples, the reminiscent thought of stars brushing your skin, the colors of darkness, and feeling of flame. He reeled away from the last thing, trying to ignore the flashing images by looking back at Martyn.

The man's eye was moving faster than he could keep track of, flipping between the images with a practiced ease and a twinkle of amusement. 

Like he was watching a story unfold he already knew the end to. 

Jimmy saw a gold string drift across the room. He felt a tug on his hand, and looked down to see a tie on his pinky finger. 

He looked back up, at where it might lead. Who it might lead to- curiosity getting the better of him.

Martyn seemed to sense his questions, and he looked towards him, the rope catching his eye. A wicked grin spread across his face as he reached up towards it. 

"Wait!-" Jimmy called as his hands seemed to beckon it closer. The string wrapped around his hand and Jimmy gasped as he pulled. It yanked Jimmy as well, sending him keeling over the table to stare at the reflection- at the person inside.

He saw a man– an elf? That seemed to be tinkering on something, focused as his mouth moved, assumedly explaining something to someone nearby Jimmy couldn't see.

That, or he was muttering to himself like a mad man. Jimmy couldn't really hear anything. He had blond hair, the bangs at the side of his head were long and uneven, reaching past his pointy ears and chin.

Jimmy also noticed a tail swishing behind him, orange and fluffy. And the red eyes. Very red eyes. They reminded him of an unfriendly bird, and he suppressed the urge to shiver.

Jimmy watched with a bit of horror as the elf pulled out a vial of something bright. 

Lava.

He began to pour it into his machine. He seemed completely unbothered by it. Completely unafraid of the hazards. Jimmy felt his wings twitch slightly, wanting to move and escape, but he couldn't look away. 

Unsurprisingly, a bit of the lava spilled out, splashing on to his unprotected arm. The elf let out a sudden surprised cry, dropping the canister. 

Then Jimmy felt it. 

The burn.

He gasped, stepping back from the slab and clutching his arm. He let out a surprised cry as the pain only worsened. 

It burns- it burns it burns it burns-

Suddenly, a laugh distracted Jimmy, startling him from the pain. He looked up, blinking back the tears in his vision to see Martyn cackling, hands steady on the table to keep him from falling. 

The laugh continued, bubbling into something Jimmy thought was a bit evil. He wheezed and coughed, the image around them flickering and disappearing. The last thing Jimmy saw go was the golden string, tugging him gently once more as it faded. 

Unfortunately, though, the pain did not stop, and Jimmy stood up now, looking for something to stop the horrible burning. He glanced at the shelf of potions, then at Martyn still struggling to catch his breath. He bit his lip as he scanned the shelves, looking for a familiar red. 

Jimmy wasn't an expert on potions, but he did know the basics. Knew which ones were good, which were harmful. 

Finally, seeing a bright orange one, he dashed for it, still gripping his arm. 

The bottle was in his hand in an instant, cork popping off with desperation. He heard Martyn sit up, but the avian didn't try to stop him as he dumped the thing in his mouth. 

After a few terrifying moments of Jimmy thinking maybe this potion wasn't what he thought it was, he felt the pain in his arm subside. He breathed out a sigh of relief, staring at the red mark that was left. 

"Sorry about that." Martyn said, taking the potion from him and moving it to another shelf full of empty bottles. "You have to understand, that was pretty funny from my perspective."

Jimmy resisted the urge to snap at him. 

"How was that funny?" 

Martyn grabbed his eye patch.

"Ah right. Allow me to explain." He put it on. 

"But first, how about some lunch?" 

He didn't wait for an answer, and instead headed out of the room. 

Jimmy wasn't feeling very hungry at the moment, but he knew he should eat. He shook his head and turned to follow the bluejay, the image of a golden string and a blonde elf refusing to leave his mind as he spared one last glance at the strange room before following Martyn. 

Chapter Text

Weird things were happening to Tango. Very weird things. 

He finally stopped fiddling with the bandages wrapped around his arm, the rough paper-like texture slipping from his fingers. A sigh escaped his lips and he glanced out of a window in his dorm towards the blue sky.

"You're lucky some scrap of your immunity must have stayed strong, otherwise that lava would have burned straight through your arm." Doc had told him while wrapping it hours ago, his accent reassuring and slightly worried. 

Tango could feel his tail swishing angrily behind him as he mulled over today's events once again.

His presentation had been going so well, everything working as it should have. He had nearly been done too; he only needed to add some lava he carefully collected months ago to make the components run.

How was he supposed to know something he had his entire life could have just stopped working one day?

The most worrying part was how rare it was. Zed had helped him check countless records and files after it happened, and neither of them had found anything about a blazeborn elf suddenly losing their immunity to fire. None of it made any sense. 

He was supposed to be resting, but he was sitting at his desk, staring at the birds outside his window as he tried to cobble together some answers. Answers he wasn't going to find by sitting in his room by himself. 

Tango kicked back on the chair he sat on and promptly headed out, satchel on his shoulder and determination in his eyes. His door locked with a soft click behind him, almost as if it was saying goodbye. 

Tango found himself wandering the fields at the base of the mountain, dodging the busy bodies of all the volunteers that were helping set up festivities. A celebration was held at the base of the mountain every year for the new graduates. The festival included games, jousting, music, and all sorts of fun things Tango usually missed out on to study or tinker. 

The spring weather was being kind to them this year, and the warm afternoon sun bathed the grounds in golden light. Tango took a moment to appreciate the falling petals of pink and orange flowers that fell off the trees high above, hanging off the mountainside by their strong roots.

Eventually he found the tent he was looking for, hearing familiar laughs before he even saw them.

"Hey guys." Tango said, unable to muster up enough energy to sound excited. 

Today had been a long day.  

Impulse and Skizz stopped their joking, turning to greet him. Skizz was busy nailing the top of the white tent together, and Impulse stopped spectating him to come say hello. 

"Hey Tango!" He said, grabbing a canister of water off of the nearby table and taking a swig. 

Skizz spared Tango a glance. 

"What's wrong?" He asked, brows furrowed as he turned back to his task. "Your tail's all droopy." 

Tango hadn't noticed until he said that, and now it moved, wrapping around his waist in an almost nervous gesture.

Impulse and Skizz shared a worried look.

Alright, definitely a nervous gesture.

Skizz stopped what he was doing, placing the hammer gently on the table. 

Impulse wiped the excess water from his mouth, hiding his frown. 

"Did the presentation go that bad?" He asked gently. 

Tango scoffed. His tail unfurled itself as he started to pace in a small circle, trying to let out some energy before his head did it itself. 

"It actually was going great!" He said, ignoring the small "Uh oh," from Impulse. 

"Until?" Skizz said, crossing his arms. 

Tango glared at no one in particular. 

"Until I went to add the lava me and Impulse painstakingly collected, and it nearly burned straight through my arm!" He paused to let them process that, still pacing. 

"Wait." Impulse said, a confused look on his face. " You got burned ?" 

Tango could tell Skizz was trying really hard not to laugh. 

"What kind of joke is that, Top?" Skizz managed to wheeze out. 

Tango could feel his head and tail starting to heat up. He sighed. 

"I wish it was a joke." He said, as he lifted up his bandaged forearm to show them. His frustration dispersed a little when he saw how Skizz went slightly pale. 

"What?" He asked, no longer laughing. 

Impulse looked thoughtful at that, but didn't comment.

"That's what I wa-" He was cut off by a sudden cough, the dry sound harsh on his voice. After clearing his throat, he tried to continue. 

"It was so random. I was just-"

Tango made a face as he coughed again.

What on earth was he choking on? There was nothing in his throat.

"I-"

Skizz and Impulse were waiting for him to continue patiently, eyebrows furrowed in slight worry,

Tango suddenly found that he couldn't breathe .

He gasped for air with a gurgle, a hand going to his throat. 

What was happening? 

Tango could feel the oxygen entering his mouth, but it was like his lungs were rejecting it. Like he had become a fish, thrown forcibly onto land.

His vision was getting darker, tinged at the edges by red. He tried to focus on the grass in front of him, the green blades swinging softly in the wind. They were so peaceful compared to his raging mind. 

Skizz and Impulse were closer now, panicked expressions on their faces as they tried to figure out what was happening. 

All at once, Tango had a revelation. 

A fish out of water. 

Ah. He thought bitterly. 

He had figured it out much too late. 

There was one last attempt at air, a quiet choking plea to the universe, and then everything went very, very dark. 

_______

"I don't understand how any of this is funny." Jimmy said matter-of-factly as he set his empty stew bowl down. The wooden table in front of them was surprisingly clean for how cluttered the rest of Martyn's hut was, but at least the clutter meant that Jimmy had lots to look at while he and Martyn talked.

He was also more than happy to be out of the gaze of the giant eye which sat suspended in the other room. (Which Martyn had told him- much to his dismay, was a dragon's eye.) 

"Well it's mostly the chances." Martyn continued, pointing at him with his spoon. 

"Usually when a bond like this happens, if one of the two people has an immunity to something, they both gain it. It's about a 75 to 25 percent chance, in my personal experience." 

Jimmy stared at the empty bowl, unsurprised by the low ratio. In fact, he wouldn't have been surprised if they had been way lower and hadn't worked in his favor. 

"That," Martyn continued, "coupled with the fact that at the exact moment your bond activated, that poor blazeborne elf decided to work with something he's no doubt been comfortable around his entire life..." He trailed off, cackling again. 

Jimmy just felt bad. He was glad there had been a fire resistance potion nearby that he'd somehow managed to down before things got really ugly, but guilt still crept in. It looked like Jimmy had interrupted something important. 

"Wait." Jimmy said, soup bowl temporarily forgotten. "Did you say blazeborne elf?" 

Martyn had finished his food as well, and now stood up. 

"Yeah. It wouldn't surprise me if you had never heard of their race. They're pretty rare these days." He took his bowl from the table and moved to the kitchen. 

"Allow me to give you a little history lesson, Jimmy. Blazeborn elves aren't from around here. As in- our dimension." 

Jimmy sat up straighter at that. 

"What- you mean like... the Dragons?"

"More accurately, like the Phoenix." 

Jimmy frowned, wondering why he had never learned this. It seemed quite important. 

"Like I said, theyre quite rare. Not only for that fact, but also for the fact of their lungs-"

Martyn suddenly cut off.

"Fact of what?" Jimmy asked, now invested and annoyed by the pause. 

Martyn suddenly appeared from behind the wall, face pale and blue eye wide. 

"Wait a minute. Didn't you say you were a canary?" 

Jimmy rolled his eyes, uninterested in the avian’s theatrics. "Didn't we discuss this already? Yes." 

"Oh no. That might be a problem" Martyn mumbled, dashing across the room and towards the entrance with the beads. 

Jimmy caught wind of the seriousness of the situation now, and stood up, following him, hesitating only for a moment as he pushed past the strange eye beads again. 

Martyn was still mumbling to himself, frantically looking through the shelves on the wall at the potions and other strange but useful looking objects. 

"If he knew this, why would he tell me to....." Martyn muttered, trailing off. 

"Wait, what's going on?" Jimmy said, avoiding his eyes from the slab on the table. 

"Uhhh... Alright." Martyn said, looking more and more panicked by the second. 

"Don't panic." 

Jimmy braced himself. 

"But you might die in the next few minutes."

"What." Jimmy said, forgetting to phrase it as a question. 

"What!?" He said again, voice higher and a bit louder. 

Martyn turned back towards his shelves, searching quicker, his wings twitching in impatience.

It was like on cue, Jimmy stopped feeling air enter his lungs. He started coughing, grasping for the table as he fell to his knees. 

Martyn's searching became more frantic, and Jimmy could hear the sounds of things falling to the ground

He heard him curse, but it sounded distant.

There was a garbled choking noise as Jimmy tried to fight the otherworldly-like force that blocked his breath.

A shattering noise filled the room, but Jimmy's eyes were too blurred to see what it was.

There was a thump as Jimmy fell again, wings cascading over his back and onto the floor.

Then there was silence.

___

Tango woke up staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. There was a dull ache in his head, and the loud sound of a machine and manual breathing filled the room. The sun was pouring through a large window, much further in the sky than he remembered it being. 

He sat up, noticing with some shock that the loud breathing was coming from him. 

The memories from earlier came back to him in a rush, and he startled, reaching for his face. 

His hand was met with hard metal. A mask, then, since he could still feel his own mouth underneath. That began to explain some things. Almost . 

He swung his legs out of the bed, realizing with a start that he was in Impulse's dorm. 

So if this was Impulse's room, where was Impulse? 

His question was answered when he made it out of the bedroom to see the dwarf preparing some food, busying himself over the countertop.

Tango kept a hand on the wall as he approached, not fully trusting his limbs yet. They felt a bit like jelly. If jelly wore a mask and was sentient. 

Tango sat down on the stool calmly, tail swishing behind him to attempt to get his friends' attention. 

Impulse finally turned towards him upon hearing an exhale, the quiet sound made louder because of the filter on the mask.  

"Tango!" He said with a little jump. 

"Jeez, You're awake! I didn't even hear you." 

Tango didn't respond, not yet wanting to talk. He feared from the way his throat burned that it would be a fruitless attempt. His red eyes stared at Impulse with an intense expression, trying to ask him questions without speaking. 

Impulse seemed to understand, and paused his food making to give Tango his full attention.

"You really scared us for a minute there. Are you feeling alright now?" 

Tango nodded. 

He looked a little unsure, but continued.

"We both realized what was happening right as you passed out. Thanks to that, Skizz was able to get you to the medical wing really fast. By the time I got over there, everything was under control." Impulse paused for a moment, averting his gaze. 

Tango knew him well enough to know what this meant, and his tail thrashed angrily. 

"Nothing much besides that. It's a good thing you told us this could happen years ago. Things could have been much much worse if we didn't know what was going on." 

Tango knew Impulse would continue to ignore him and change the subject unless confronted directly, so that's what Tango tried to do. 

"Skizz." He said, testing his voice. His throat felt like someone had poured lava down it, but it didn't hurt to talk as badly as he was expecting. "Where's Skizz." He asked again, voice burned through. 

Impulse stiffened, and then sighed. "He's... He's still in the medical wing.

Tango froze. 

"Why?" He already knew why. He wanted to hear him say it. 

"Well, he managed to fly you there really quickly, but…." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You were. On fire. Nearly the whole time." He winced a little as he said this. Like he was the one who got burned.

"I didn't know until I got there. You know I'm more resistant to your fire, so I should have been the one to take you there. But there wasn't any time- and you.. you weren't breathing, Tango. And sure, we knew this could happen, but that doesn't mean we expected it." He trailed off, realizing he was having a one sided conversation. 

"I need to apologize." Tango wheezed out, deciding to blame the lump in his throat on the chaos earlier. 

"It's fine." Impulse answered with a sigh, leaning his arms on the counter. "It' sounds worse than it is, honestly." 

Tango had a feeling he was just saying that. They had both seen how destructive Tango's flames could be. Both knew what fire did to avians, but Tango also didn't feel like arguing. 

"Besides. It's not your fault." 

Tango shot him a glance.

The sound of fingers tapping against the countertop was the only sound for a moment as Impulse studied Tango's bandaged arm. 

"I'm thinking this has to do with the incident earlier." He said with a nod towards it. Tango blinked in confusion, momentarily forgetting that had happened today. 

The sound of oxygen became louder as Tango realized what he was saying. He flicked his tail in an effort to tell him to continue without speaking. 

Impulse winced a little, as if remembering something unpleasant. 

"You might have been cursed." He said, like he barely believed it himself. 

"Cursed?" He asked, voice like sandpaper and red eyes curious. 

Impulse shook his head. 

"I don't know too much about it, honestly. But the symptoms are all lining up. 

Tango could feel himself heating up, exhaustion battling anger inside of him. 

Who would want to curse him?

Well, he had a few ideas about that, actually.

"Do you think it's someone after blazeborns?" The question came out quiet, but they could both feel the room heating up. Impulse could see a faint trail of smoke coming from Tango's mask. 

"I.... I don't know. It would be horrible, but it would explain some things."  Impulse said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. 

"Then I'm going to kill them." Tango hissed. "Whoever did this… They're dead."

Impulse watched his tail with a practiced patience, letting Tango express his emotions while making sure he didn't catch his dorm on fire. 

"Do you think it was Scar?" Tango asked, the cruel smile on his face covered by metal. "The way that bastard ran off to the elf kingdom… I should have known!" He reached a hand up to run through his hair, recoiling sharply when it burned him. This made him even more upset, and the whirring of the fan on his mask got louder, the oxygen trying desperately to feed the flames inside. 

"And that's enough of that." Impulse said, leaning over the counter and tapping the jewel on his headband. 

Tango felt the familiar cool sensation run through his head, although it was much more welcome than it had ever been before. 

He really hated this.

Impulse sighed again. "We don't know for sure if this was intentional. We'll just have to wait and see." He looked up to see Tango's response, and was met with droopy eyes.

"Dont worry too much. We'll figure it out." For now, I think you should rest up more."

Tango almost wanted to argue, but he was tired. Too tired to really care any more right now. He supposed that's what nonstop burning for an unspecified amount of time did to someone who couldn't handle fire anymore. 

"I can head back to my dorm." He mumbled, really not wanting to.

Impulse laughed. "Tango, bud. You're half asleep right now. I'll take the couch! It's really fine. Go back to the bed." 

Tango realized his eyes were half lidded, and he sighed, the sound once again exasperated by the mask. He waved a goodnight and wandered back to the bed. 

He was asleep as soon as he hit the pillow. 

That night, Tango dreamed he was in a forest. Flames licked the edges of his vision, making him uncomfortable in a way he had never been around them before. After wandering through the identical trees for a while, he stopped in front of a large birch. A small yellow bird sat perched on one of the branches, and it stared at him with seemingly no worry about the fire around them, just out of their reach but definitely growing closer. 

He locked eyes with it, their small beady eyes staring at him with a clarity he'd never seen in an animal. 

He shook off the feeling of deja-vu, and prepared to greet it. He wasn't really sure why- it just felt like the polite thing to do. 

Before he could however, a voice entered his mind, like a pebble dropped in an empty well. It ricocheted through the chasms of his thoughts, promising much worse than just a headache if it continued. He knew without looking it was the bird warning him. Canary. The bird was a Canary? How did he know that ? His thoughts refused to answer when one word echoed through his brain loudly, consuming everything else with panic.

"Run."  

Chapter Text

A black crow perched on a tree near the red hut, staring inside at the scene before it with curiosity.

The two bird-like humans seemed to be arguing about something. 

One, with blonde hair and yellow wings, stood up from where he had been laying on the couch, asleep just a few moments before. His wings were messy, his feathers sticking in all different directions. 

The other one stuck his hands up in a defensive gesture, blue wings flicking as he tried to explain what had happened. The canary was not very impressed by what the bluejay had to say, and bit back with his words angrily. 

His anger was understandable, though. He had almost just died. 

The crowfather's look alike scoffed, giving up with his attempts of a normal conversation. Nothing about this situation was normal.

For one of them, at least .

The crow’s head turned in a questioning gesture as it continued to watch the audible scuffle. The small white branch shifted slightly as it hopped closer, entertained. Green leaves rustled, and sun shone through the new openings in the foliage, shadows dancing over the ground. The crow couldn't hear them from this far, their voices not reaching far beyond the glass of the closed window but it recognized the sight of fighting by the way their wings puffed up and their faces twisted in sudden anger. 

It only seemed to get worse with a few minutes, and the crow, if it could speak, would have told you it had seen a flash of red eyes as the Canary spewed something uncharacteristically harsh, an arm cutting through the air angrily. His voice raised with something ignorant and feathers drifted to the ground with the sudden movement.

There was a moment of tense silence, and then slowly, the one with blue wings reached up towards his uncovered head, tearing off the bandages holding it together. 

The crow cawed, taking off suddenly from its perch, the invasive sound joined in by several of other crows in the area, filling the quiet of the clearing with a malicious sounding laugh. 

Jimmy recoiled harshly at the sight of Martyn's face. Or- more accurately, what used to be Martyn's face. Under the bandages, rot covered chunks of his head unevenly. It was a sickly green, the splotches giving away to show the flesh and bone underneath. Jimmy thought for a moment he might have seen a white flash of a tooth. 

His hand rushed to his mouth, fighting the sudden urge to gag. 

Martyn studied the shock on his face. He seemed to relish in his discomfort. His blue eye glared daggers at him, and Jimmy was suddenly grateful for the eyepatch covering the unnerving purple one. 

"My soulmate," he said through gritted teeth, "Is a monster." A floorboard creaked as Jimmy stepped backwards. Martyn was terrifying. He looked like he should be dead. He looked like he was dead.

"So what does that make me, Jimmy?" 

Jimmy just stared, not sure what to say. Not sure how he had even gotten in this situation in the first place. The anger that had possessed him moments ago was, frankly, uncharacteristic. He couldn't remember a time in recent memory he had been that angry.

He didn't even remember what he said to warrant Martyn's response. Something about unfair soulmate pairings. 

"I- I'm sorry." Jimmy finally muttered, swallowing down his discomfort. He definitely wasn't going to tell Martyn that right now, he was the one who looked like a monster. "I didn't mean to..." He trailed off, unsure if he had meant it. 

Martyn sighed, the sound murky and tired as he turned away to tug the bandages back into place without Jimmy's prying eyes. 

Jimmy just stood there for an awkward moment, unsure of what to do again. "I... I should probably go." 

He knew what he needed to do now. There was no need to stay here any longer. His quest was really, quite simple. Find a new phoenix egg to replace the one he had broken. The best place to look would probably be the old island where the Phoenix's capital used to be… before the resident volcano went off and covered the island in ash.

First thing was first though, the elf with the bad enough luck to be soulbound with him deserved a warning, and maybe even an apology. 

Martyn had left the room, but now returned, handing him a large backpack. 

"There's a map to the portal I told you about, along with some other useful things inside." Jimmy avoided his gaze as he took it with a nod and a mutter of thanks. 

"Good luck." Martyn said.

They both knew he was going to need it. 

____

Tango was used to having vaguely threatening and immersive dreams, so he shook off the way that thinking about the bird's black eyes stared straight through him when he got up and stretched that morning. 

He had seen that specific one countless times now, anyways. It no longer phased him.

Although, if he really wanted to think about it, he would have noticed how this time, Tango could actually feel the pressuring heat of the flames, like the dream knew he was no longer immune to them. He could also nearly make out the tone of the voice that came from the bird, it sounding more familiar each time he slept. 

His mask whirred as he headed into the kitchen, turning the oxygen into something more dangerous, but healthier for his otherworldly lungs. He supposed he was going to have to get used to the unnatural sound. It wasn't like the air was completely unbreathable, but it definitely wasn't something he wanted to test the limits to. Not while the events of yesterday were still very fresh in his mind. 

Impulse supervised Tango while he ate, and he tried to be more appreciative than annoyed at his worried gaze. He knew it was for the better. He knew it. He didn't like it, the feeling that his friends were worried about him. Or that he was a danger to himself somehow.

The new process of eating was slow and frustrating; mask off, bite, then mask on, held in place with his hand as he chewed and swallowed. Process repeat. 

He got through it without incident, although much slower than he was used to. 

Afterwards, he decided to go find Zed, promising to meet up with Impulse and Skizz and help them with the last minute festival setup later. The final projects were over, so there was a window of time all the students could just relax before the celebrations. Tango, however, would not be relaxing. He would be trying to find answers. If he couldn't find them here, maybe it was time to follow in Etho's footsteps, and travel to a faraway kingdom. 

____

Jimmy was not lost. 

He really wasn't. That was the shocking part. The map Martyn had given him couldn't have been clearer, and he had managed to follow the precise directions easily enough. Needless to say, things weren't going badly for him today. Which was surprising, considering how this week had been for him. He pursed his lips, looking up from the map towards the big puffy clouds in the blue sky. 

He knew he wasn't far from the location of the hidden portal that the notes on the map and Martyn had told him about, but his pace wasn't exactly speedy. Jimmy kept getting distracted by the views that came with being up so high, and the lack of trees after leaving the forest hours ago left the open sky for him to freely gaze.

He blamed the avian part of him for how many times he had caught himself staring at it now, wondering how it would feel to dive through the clouds. The thrill that must have come with sailing between the jagged sharp cliffs or between the large trees. 

It was the first time he really had felt such a longing. Avians always felt that pull towards the open air, towards the sky and flying. Grian had tried to explain to him before, what it was like to not be able to fly for long periods of time. The unbearable itch in his wings. Jimmy had never really felt it. Now he did. He figured that was another thing he had that stupid golden egg to blame for. He hoped the itch would leave him alone once he left the kingdom and returned to the protection of the trees. 

Jimmy would earn his right to fly soon enough. 

Eventually, he found the hidden alcove in which the portal sat, the unnatural purple light reaching from the obsidian as if to try and lay claim to the overworld, to drag it inside and feed its gaping maw. It was in a small cave, hidden by vines. He brushed them away, stepping inside. The cave was wide enough to walk around the portal, so that's what Jimmy did, stepping softly thanks to the moss on the ground. If it weren't for the map and the unnerving sounds the large portal made, he doubted he ever would have been able to find it. His eyes brushed over the lichen covering the dark purple obsidian, reflecting the purple glow from the center against the stone walls.  

Observing it brought the carvings on the wall to his attention. There was text in what he assumed was an ancient language, since he didn't recognize it. There were also drawings.

They were crude and hard to make out, but Jimmy could see what looked like a small bird with beams? shining out from it. He followed the wall, curious to where they led, his hand brushing the old stone mindlessly as he did. A large part of it was covered Ivy, and it made him pause. 

The drawing of beams clearly led underneath them, so after a moment of hesitation, he reached up and grabbed the ivy, tugging hard. 

They didn't budge, so Jimmy grit his teeth and kicked the wall, yanking the green and brown plant. His hands burned for a moment with the pressure, and then it released, the vines falling free around him. He dusted one off his shoulder, wings also moving to knock off the few that had fallen on them. 

Jimmy paused at what he saw: golden light all landing on one entity, a doodle that was very obviously a large dragon. It's mouth was open, but it wasn't spewing fire. More unreadable text covered the walls, making Jimmy wish he paid more attention during his linguistics classes, even if something in his gut told him they wouldn't have taught him anything about these. 

He wondered if there were more cryptic drawings littered across the other walls, but the ivy was much thicker in the other places, and he wasn't in a mood to do gardening today. He wiped the thin veil of sweat that had collected on his forehead and headed back to the entrance to the cave, preparing to enter the portal from what he assumed was the correct way. He wasn't sure if anything different would happen if he entered from the other way, but he did not want to find out.

He steeled himself, gaze sweeping the portal once more as he stepped forward. His eyes glossed over more text, carved harshly in the dark stone. This time in a language he could understand. Almost. The text here seemed to be much newer, but scratched up. The only words he could make out were, 

'Watch always,-- or be -lost.' 

Above it sat a crude drawing of an open eye, a horrid scratch running through it. Jimmy had a creeping feeling that was not an accident. It looked like someone had dragged a knife through it. He tried to ignore the shivers that ran through him. This cave was creepy, and he had stayed here long enough. 

Time to move on, and for the sake of his own sanity, not think about the things he had seen too much. 

Jimmy hopped a bit on his heels, preparing once more to leap in. There was a dark stone bordering the entire portal, which meant he was going to have to step up through it. He breathed deeply. 

In.

Out.

Jimmy jumped into the portal, the purple light swallowing him whole. 

Jimmy didn't know what he expected, honestly. Nothing as anticlimactic as what actually happened, that was for sure. 

The drop of stepping out was a bit bigger than when he stepped into the portal, and his wings fluttered on their own, his body telling him he was falling. 

He was not, however, and his foot hit solid ground hard. He attempted to take a few steps to alleviate the pressure on his leg, and then was greeted with a very tall brick wall, much closer than one would like a brick wall near their face. He skittered to avoid it, slipping as he did so and falling with a very manly yelp. 

Thankfully his large backpack broke his fall, but his wings sent a stab up his spine, telling him they were not very thankful for this. He briefly lamented the few feathers scattered around him, (how many feathers had he lost today?) as he reached painfully to the lower part of his back. 

Nothing felt broken or seriously damaged. That was good.

He sighed, standing up to observe his surroundings properly.

The room was actually a hall. It seemed to only go one way, a large tunnel many feet taller than him, with an identical red brick wall stretching as far as he could see. It was long, the edges of what he could see covered in a thick red, blocking any possible exit from view. His wings flicked, mirroring his unsure feelings, and he flinched at the movement. Yeah . Those might hurt for a little bit. 

Jimmy knew about the nether. Of course he did. He had paid attention in class. For the most part. Whenever Pearl wasn't throwing rolled up pieces of paper at the back of his skull, or the teachers weren't shooting daggers at him with their eyes for no apparent reason. 

Point is, he knew it was a dimension quite different from his own, with different rules, and how the residents adhered to different hierarchies. He knew it was a faster way to travel in the overworld, if used correctly. He also knew that while the races down here weren't too fond of the surface, the phoenix race of old had been able to broker a treaty between worlds. As long as the overworld creatures stayed in their crimson stone tunnels, the nether folk would stay in their world, unbothered by the struggles and actions of the overworld. 

Out of sight, out of mind , he supposed.

Jimmy trudged along the tunnel. If not for the strong stone foundations, he was sure this thing would have fallen into disrepair a long time ago. That being said, with the dust that he kept kicking up, and the dark cracks that reached through the walls and ceiling, it was apparent that no one had been through here in a very long time. 

Which made him wonder, as he stepped carefully around a large busted piece of the floor, avoiding his gaze from looking at what was outside underneath the hall.

If the creatures of the nether knew about the abandonment of the Phoenix. Of what had occurred on the surface world all of those years ago. 

Maybe they didn't care.

Or maybe the Phoenix had come here to stay, his thoughts continued. 

That certainly would be interesting. Jimmy wondered why they had never brought that up in class. 

Suddenly Jimmy stopped in his tracks. 

Every time he had thought like that the past few days, it had been something about the Phoenix. That was weird. 

That was definitely very weird.  

Something like suspicion creeped up his spine. Things weren't adding up, and some people were going to get asked some serious questions when he got back to the academy. That was for sure. 

His long and boring trek made him wonder if this was actually faster than walking in the overworld. The hallway was covered in a strange fog that he could only see from far away, but he could tell by the way his breath came in ragged gasps that the air here was not good for his lungs.  

Another large fissure made Jimmy pause. This one split the floor and wound up the wall in a particularly unfriendly shape.

Jimmy's hand brushed the wall opposite of the opening, the bricks rough but comforting on his palm. He crept across slowly, stepping over the fissure with caution. From this angle, it was impossible not to see the world outside. The light that previously illuminated a part of the wall stone now illuminated him. It was bright, much brighter than the tunnel, and it took a moment for Jimmy's eyes to adjust to the harsh orange light.

In the distance, he saw rows of large red hills, some dotted with crimson plants that Jimmy figured must be trees. Falls of lava covered and filled the space between the landscape, the heat was palpable, even from this distance. 

There were flying creatures that made Jimmy stop and stare, curious about how they could float so effortlessly without wings. He also realized the tunnel must be much more elevated then he originally anticipated, to be able to see them at all.

Jimmy thanked his past self for not looking down when given the chance earlier. Another flying creature passed, this one much closer, and Jimmy froze in sudden fear, bright yellow wings stark against the contrast of the bricks they were sprawled against. It continued without so much as a glance toward the tunnel, but Jimmy didn't exhale in relief till he cleared the fissure. It was enough for him to decide he had seen more than enough of the nether. 

The last thing Jimmy needed was to break some hundred year old contract and start an interdimensional war by being seen from outside the tunnels. He dashed now, ignoring how his lungs burned. There was an end to this thing somewhere. He just had to get there, and it was nothing personal, but Jimmy really did not want to meet the locals. 

___

Papers swirled in a quiet part of a library, the now afternoon sun illuminating all the dust as a growl filled the silent space. 

"None of this makes any sense! We've-" Tango yelled, cut off when Zed slapped him on the arm. 

"Hey, shush! I can't get kicked out again." 

Tango sighed, flopping down on the chair as Zed picked up the papers Tango had tossed. 

"None of this makes sense," he repeated. Voice a quiet whisper as he now realized he did not want to get in trouble with Zed at this library. The faculty knew Zedaph. Which was definitely not a good thing, for a school as large as this. Tango did not want to know the details of what this man's track record for this place consisted of. 

"How is there nothing about this? We've been here for hours." 

Zed was quiet as he stared up towards the towering cream colored bookshelves, reaching high above both of their heads and past the deck on the second floor. He was wearing his glasses, the thick round frames distorting his eyes and face into funny strange shapes. It would have been funny- like it usually was, if Tango wasn't frustrated. 

"We definitely haven't searched all of them." He said it like the fact it was, but Tango didn't like the way he seemed to insinuate that he would, if given the chance. 

"We're not going to find it here." Tango said, still not used to the way his voice sounded muffled. 

"We'll no doubt find something !" Came Zed's chipper reply. 

They had been here for hours searching the tomes and learning about all sorts of different and, frankly, quite terrifying curses, and Tango was getting quite restless. At least Zed seemed to be enjoying himself. He wasn't one to pass up on a learning opportunity. 

"We should have looked here and used one of these on Scar." Zed said, having returned to the cluttered table and began stacking some of the books they had gone through, a wicked grin on his face. 

"Would have saved a lot of time. Would have been much more efficient too!" He glanced around like he was making sure nobody was watching, before holding a hand to his mouth and whispering "plausible deniability." 

Tango rolled his eyes with a scoff. 

"I wouldn't be surprised if this is all his fault in the first place, honestly."

Tango snatched one of the strewn about books on the table and briefly ruffled through the hefty volume. The dark hardcover had the face of a dragon on it, purple eyes glowing and reminiscent of smoke. His eyes caught something while flipping through the pages, and he stopped it by using his thumb, suddenly curious. 

It had a drawing of a golden bird, light beams shining from it to a large dragon with a gaping maw.  

A phoenix, maybe? Stealing a dragon's power somehow? He opened the book wider, setting it onto the table, now invested. 

Tango remembered his dream. 

Maybe it wasn't a phoenix at all, he thought, wondering briefly if the dream might have meant something more than just his usual nightmares about fire and mysterious birds. Although it was improbable, considering the colored flames that lined the outside of the pages and surrounded the feathered creature. A normal bird couldn't handle fire. Everyone knew that. His hand brushed the page, finger resting to point at the avian, the rough coloring a stark contrast to the smoothness of the rest of the paper.

"Tango, you listening?" 

Tango's head snapped up, eyes landing on where Zed was picking up the large stack of books he had gathered up. 

"Uh.. sorry. What was that?"  

"Did you find something?" Curious wide eyes glanced over to where Tango was still pointing. 

He pulled his hand away from the book sharply, surprising himself with the motion.

"Ah, no." He said, the book shutting easily. He ignored how the dragon on the cover seemed to watch him.

Zed didn't seem to notice Tango's strangeness, which he had always been thankful for, and he had turned, tossing the extremely large stack of read books onto a cart. They landed on it with a loud bang, earning them a shush from upstairs. Zed ignored them, then began separating the stack, evening out the weight of the cart. 

"I was saying maybe we're just looking in the wrong section." He said, breathing harshly to move a clump of hair that had gotten stuck behind his glasses. 

"Maybe it's not a curse."

Tango frowned, resisting the urge to sigh as he stood up. 

"What would it be, then?" He asked, humoring him while he stacked the remaining books that lay strewn across the table. 

Zed placed a thoughtful hand on his chin, arms now free. 

Before he could answer, however, Tango felt a sharp pain shoot up his left leg. 

He cried out, more so from the surprise than the pain, earning them another angry shush from upstairs. This time Zed shot a glare in their direction. 

"You alright?" He asked quietly. Zed had grown more used to the random pain Tango kept feeling than Tango had, and they both knew he would be happy to help if he needed anything. 

"I'm fi-" He was cut off by another twin spike of pain, this time in, in his back? Honestly, it felt like he was having pain for a limb he didn't have. He didn't tell Zed this though, because it sounded insane. 

"I'm fine." He grit out. The pain passed pretty quickly, it didn't seem like anything serious, but Tango hated not knowing why . 

The pain once again reminded him about the incident yesterday, which made him think about last night, and last night made him think about this morning. He suddenly dropped the books he had been gathering. 

"Zed! I forgot I told Impulse that I'd help fill in for Skizz!" He whisper-yelled. 

Zed's eyebrows raised, slightly amused. 

"Ahhh, I see! Leave me to the cleanup." 

Tango sputtered. "Wait, no-" 

He waved him off with a hand and a laugh. 

"I'm kidding! Go help. There was something else I wanted to check anyway." 

Tango resisted the urge to grab the dragon covered book when Zed reached for where he had dropped it. 

Weird book. He thought to himself.

"I'll let you know if I find anything." Zed called, already heading off with the cart. 

Tango decided to ignore how he was headed to the banned books section, and not the other nearby shelves where they had collected the equally cursed volumes. 

He simply chuckled to himself as he headed towards the exit, hoping he wouldn't have to hear yet another story of how Zed once again got banned from the library. 

_____

Jimmy was surprised how easily he found the academy. Even more so by how little security there was. He practically walked right in, the tall quarts and copper wall and gate that served as an entrance was wide open. The singular guard- a goblin of some type, simply nodded at Jimmy as he passed. Jimmy thought they looked half asleep. He supposed it helped that he looked the right age to be attending school here, and surely the guards can't memorize every student's face, but seriously ? With a huge backpack on his back and a map in his hands, Jimmy didn't think he could look any more out of place. Not to mention his miscolored messy wings. Which were seriously starting to get sore, along with his shoulders, both unused to carrying a heavy load for such a long period of time. 

He ducked off the winding stone path that led up to the stairway at the base of the mountain, slipping the bag off and reaching back to rub at his shoulder blades. He could only imagine what a mess his wings had become in the past two days. He was going to have to take care of them soon. They were bigger now, so he knew it was going to be even more difficult to preen them.

He stared down at the large backpack with a frown, wondering with the soreness in his back and the aching of his feet if he really had to put it back on. He looked beyond the very large potted plant he had found himself behind, wondering the chances of it being stolen if he left it here. 

After remembering Jimmy's luck with low percentages, he decided to hide it a bit better, and then head on his way, taking a mental note of the surrounding area so he wouldn't forget where he left it. 

A huge pack would make him further stick out here, and that was not something he wanted to do. Mostly for the fact that he didn't want to be questioned for why he was here, ( because that was an entire can of worms he did not want to open on a stranger.)  

His steps felt much lighter as he crossed the cobbled path, and the sun was beginning to set, casting a glorious light onto the side of the mountain and the various buildings atop it. 

Jimmy's goals here were to find the blazeborne elf he had seen when Martyn uncovered their bond, and while he didn't really have a solution yet, it was his top priority to find a way to break this soul tie. 

Well, no. He supposed his top priority was finding the egg. As annoying as this bond was- the rash on his arm still burning, a testament to that- he didn't think it would kill him, and his quest was the reason he was really out here in the first place. 

This train of thought made him stop in his tracks. 

Would it kill him?  

If one of them died, would the other be killed as collateral? 

Jimmy gulped. 

He should have asked Martyn when he had the chance. Maybe it was time to reassess his priorities. First thing was first though, he had to find this mysterious blazeborn.

Jimmy was running out of energy, and patience. A celebration was at hand, which almost explained the lack of security, but also made it way more difficult to find a single person. It was crowded, but not to the point where Jimmy couldn't look at everyone properly. Maybe the elf wasn't really the partying type, Jimmy started to think as he weaved through another set of brightly colored tents. He wasn't sure if it was worse or better for him that the celebrations hadn't officially started yet. From what he had seen and heard from asking around, it sounded like they would later that night. Which, Jimmy lamented with a glance towards the night sky, would be any minute now.

An idea was beginning to brew at the edges of his brain, something unpleasant but, he hoped, efficient. He wasn't actually too sure how this whole bond worked, but considering he had felt random pain in random places ever since the lava incident, he assumed all pain was shared. That meant if he were to do something extremely stupid, it could tell him where his soulbound was located. Probably. He bit his lip, staring at the decent sized log in front of him. 

He regretted this already. 

Before he could overthink it and process how stupid this plan really was, he pushed the knee height log over and onto his foot. The hiss of pain he let out didn't surprise him, he had been bracing for it. but considering the yell of pain he heard from a distance, someone else had not. 

He moved his foot, the log rolling off easily, and then dashed towards the sound before he could lose where it came from. 

He stumbled a bit as he ran through the brightly colored grounds, because, ow, that really hurt. Maybe he shouldn't have smashed something he needed to walk , but, he thought a bit selfishly, it ended up being worth it. Behind a purple tent he hadn't thought to check, there was a small grassy slope. Near the bottom the grass was taller, and two people were conversing. 

Jimmy recognized the elf he had been looking for, except now he was wearing a mask of some sort. He sat on the ground glaring at his foot. An avian with white wings and scarred arms was attempting to help him up, asking with a tinge of amusement if he was alright. 

The elf answered with some completely incomprehensible sounds that didn't sound too pleasant before taking the avian's hand and standing up, slowly testing the pressure on his foot. Jimmy tried to suppress a wave of guilt at the sight. He didn't think it had hurt that bad.

"Anyways," the elf said, long tail swishing behind him. "I was going to apologize." 

The avian with black hair seemed taken aback. "What? For what? None of this is your fault." 

Red eyes winced. "You don't know that."

There was a moment of silence, and Jimmy suddenly felt very weird for just standing at the top of the slope, watching their private interaction like some sort of stalker. 

He should go say something. Introduce himself. He was frozen. Right now really did not seem like the time to interrupt. 

Surely this elf hated his guts for the past few days, anyways, Jimmy's brow furrowed with the thought. It wasn't like he had any answers to give him.

Hey, sorry about the pain! Yeah I basically dropped a huge log on your foot just so I could hear you yell and find where you were. Only to then watch you from a distance. Oh and by the way, I don't even know what this is really! Or how to fix it. And if I die, you might die too. Probably.  

Yeah. No. That didn't sound like a good first impression. Jimmy took a step back. Maybe it would be better just to figure this out on his own. All of his pep talks of morals and giving this elf some answers were in a battle with doubt and anxiety, and they were losing. Badly.  

Jimmy's feet stepped over a soft part of soil too close to the edge, and it crumbled beneath his weight, giving away and falling unceremoniously down the hill.

In retrospect, Jimmy didn't know what happened. He was taking a step to leave, and suddenly, he tripped, slipping on the dirt he didn't see because he was still busy watching and doubting. 

It was like fate had stepped in to screw him over. He grasped at the nearest tent wildly as he tried to move his weight in the opposite direction of the slope. It was to no avail though, because gravity had already claimed him. Thanks to his useless flailing however, he was now falling backwards instead of forwards– in a way he could catch himself. He yelped as he somersaulted over the grass, tumbling head first and rolling to a clumsy stop in front of them both face first in a lump of yellow feathers. 

____

As soon as Tango made eye contact with the avian that had (quite impressively) crashed in front of him and Skizz, he knew. Red eyes met brown, and somewhere, something in him just knew .

Knew what though? Tango couldn't have answered that if you asked him, but somehow, it seemed like the least confusing thing that had happened to him in the past three days. 

The first thing Jimmy ever said to Tango was

 "I'm sorry."

It came out quiet, and so genuine that Skizz looked between them, probably assuming they knew each other already. 

Tango stood there for a moment, shocked. Then pain registered, and he gasped, stepping back. It was gone as quick as it came, but it had been everywhere, like he had been pushed off a rocky slope. 

Despite this, he shook it off, crouching down to help the stranger. He didn't like the way his eyes stared at him with such sorrow. Like he had met him before in another life only he remembered, and broken his heart or something. 

"You alright?" Tango asked him, casually reaching out a hand. 

Skizz was still there, looking between them, confusion radiating off of him like humidity at a lake, but he kept his thoughts to himself, mouth pressed into a line. He probably saw what Tango did. A tired looking avian who's wings looked a mess and feathers stuck out in every which way. With messy blond hair, sad brown eyes, and scratches and dirt all over him, like he had been traveling for days. He also had a bandage over his arm, and for some reason, this made Tango frown under his mask. 

"I'm…. I'm not mad at you?" Tango offered, and it unintentionally came out like a question. Thankfully, it seemed to snap the avian out of whatever trance he had been in, because he laughed, shaking his head. The aura of sadness was still evident as he took Tango's hand and helped himself up.

"Sorry about that, again." He muttered, hand brushing through his hair nervously. Then he seemed to remember how introductions worked.

"I'm Jimmy, by the way."

Tango gave him a nod. "Tango." He answered, hoping the mask didn't muffle it beyond comprehension. 

Skizz looked between them like he was watching a ball game. 

"What the hell just happened?" He said, white wings puffing.  

Tango just laughed, the sound loud and chaotic and welcoming. 

Somewhere nearby, a crow took off from its perch, silent this time as it took to the dark skies.

Chapter Text

A figure flew across a wooden table, sending the items that were scattered messily on it crashing in every direction. 

They recovered seemingly quickly, but stood up shakily, using the table as support and ignoring the blue feathers that slowly drifted to the ground around the room.  

He laughed as the other hooded figure approached, leaning their weight on the now clean surface, seemingly unimpressed that the avian had gotten up so fast. 

"Well, that's one way to say hello." Martyn said, feeling blood trail down his nose. He reached up and wiped his face, smearing the red across his mouth. 

Ah, that was a bit more than he expected.

"Where is he." The hooded figure asked, their dark horns reflecting the moonlight that streamed from the window. It didn't sound like a question. It was phrased like a demand.

"Tsk tsk, it's always business with you. Where's the small talk?" Martyn said, his hand that was supporting him deftly slid across the table to one of the few remaining items on it. "Where's the tea and crumpets?!" His hand wrapped around the metal, and a knife sailed through the air towards the figure. They deflected it with an armored wrist easily, and the bluejay hid his disappointment. He knew the eye wouldn't die that easily. Well, whatever. It was just to buy him some time anyways.

His nose was still bleeding, he realized distantly as he licked his lips and tasted iron. He was going to get an earful for that, which aggravated him more than the injury itself. 

"Fine. You're right." They said, like they almost felt bad for throwing him across his own hut. But he knew better.

"How's Ren?" They asked casually, and Martyn swore he felt the temperature of the room drop. Swear he could see their evil pointy grin from here, wishing for any sort of violence. 

But Martyn was nothing if not quick with his tongue. 

"Pretty good actually!" He knew they were egging him on. It was only fair to poke back. 

"How's Sc-'' 

He didn't even get the words out of his mouth before he was shoved back in a blur of motion, that metal wrist pressing against his throat as his back hit the wall with a force that made him grit his teeth. 

"What did I tell you about saying that name?" They said, barely above a whisper, feigning calm. Their fury was obvious to Martyn, however. Really, they were too easy to make angry.

"And who broke the rules first, hm?" The blonde asked, finger dramatically twirling to point at the one whose dragon-like wings were spread wide above their shoulders. 

"Like always."

Their response was simply silence, like they realized they had been the one aggravated and no longer wished to play along with his tricks. Martyn resisted the urge to sigh. How boring. Even cursing him out would have been funner. It was like nobody wanted to play his silly little games anymore.

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual."

Their purple eyes bore into him from under the hood, and the expression they gave him would have been enough to petrify anyone with a weaker spine. 

Thankfully, Martyn had a very strong spine. As shown by how little it was hurting after being thrown across a table. 

"You should be thanking me, actually." Martyn continued, cocking his head to the side. 

"You were supposed to keep him here ." They hissed. "Not let him wander off. And definitely not show him our portal." 

This information surprised Martyn. "How do you know about that?" He asked, genuinely curious. 

The figure removed the metal from his throat and turned, now frustrated with something that wasn't the bluejay. 

"He's a Canary. Not exactly known for their stealth, are they?" 

Martyn bit his tongue to stop from laughing. 

"Did he get spotted? Really?" 

The hooded figure's dragon wings ruffled uneasily, which was answer enough.

"Who cares?" Martyn said, dusting himself off and putting some distance between him and the asshole in a hood. 

"That's nothing you can't handle." 

Their hand moved from where it had been resting on their chin, expression growing aggravated again, no doubt because Martyn was the one who stated that. 

"Sure. It's an easy fix. But it causes more delays. And if I wanted delays, I wouldn't have come to you in the first place." 

Martyn decided to take that as a compliment. 

"Sorry. He was starting to tick me off. All this whining about his soulmate. Blegh. Quite like you in that aspect." Martyn said. He expected them to snap again, honestly. He wasn't blind to the violence that bubbled under their skin, itching for any chance or opportunity to escape. Just another thing Martyn helped them with, he assumed. 

They just shot him a look.

"You're one to talk."

Martyn simply shrugged, entertained. 

"What parts did you tell him?" They asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the house like an ivy. Martyn had just put a candle on the center of the table, finishing with his task of putting everything he knocked off back. It ended up being more organized than it had been before. He supposed that was a plus, even if it was because some things had broken. 

He didn't answer, but his smile was just as clear of an answer. 

" Martyn. " they hissed. 

"Oh relax, he probably forgot most of it anyways."

" Probably ?" 

"Well, he didn't break as badly the second time." 

" Second? What the hell did you-" 

"Listen, it was too weird, ok? I couldn't just-"

"You fragmented him?" Their voice raised a pitch in clear panic. 

Martyn was surprised that hadn't thrown him again, but they started approaching slowly, and that scared him a lot more than the quick flashy anger he was used to. 

"Listen to me." Martyn managed to get out before feeling the reality around him start to flicker and glitch.

Not good. He thought.

Martyn fell to his knees, the gravity in his head making his body feel like it was being crushed.

The inside of his head was shattering, colors too bright and memories flashing through his head faster than he could comprehend. 

Someone grabbed his face, their claws digging into his rotted skin as they forced Martyn to look at them. Before he met their many horrible eyes, Martyn sent a desperate mental apology to the one tied to his soul. Even though he knew they couldn't hear it, before his sight was enveloped with purple. Then the screaming started. 

Martyn was standing in front of the table, a candle in his hand. It was the last thing he needed to pick up from when he had been.. thrown across it minutes before.... he jolted with a start. 

"You!-" 

"Not so fun, is it?" The hooded figure was looking at their nails as they patiently waited for him to piece his mind back together.

"How dare you use that on me. Are you insane? You know what could happen! You could do a lot worse than kill us." 

Martyn caught the expression they gave him, purple eyes unimpressed. 

He laughed. They really were crazy. Beyond crazy, even. So far beyond any logic or sound mind.

It was good, he decided. Good to be reminded of that– of who stood before him.

He shook his head, placing the candle back onto the center of the table with a shaking hand.

"As I was trying to tell you." He said, the splitting headache making it difficult to grasp his previous thoughts. 

"It was like it didn't affect him. Like I was just confirming something he already knew." 

There was a pause.

"What?" The dragon-like person before him sounded truly baffled. 

"That.... that's not. That shouldn't be possible." 

"Looks like someone spoiled it before us." Martyn said with a shrug. 

They suddenly turned and left, opening the door with a quickness that startled some of the crows outside, setting them off so their calls echoed through the valley.

"Where are you running off to now?" Martyn called, more frustrated than curious. There was no way they were going to catch up to Jimmy now. Who knows how far ahead he was, thanks to the intel Martyn gave him. 

"Answers." Was all they said. "Stick with the current plan." 

They turned quickly, eyes boring into him. 

"And for the love of the universe, Martyn, do not deviate again." They hissed. "Or I will kill you. And while I'm sure you don't care, Cleo doesn't seem to deserve to get murdered for your stupidity." Then he was gone, taking off into the night sky. Large dark wing covering the stars, the dark silhouette shooting across the sky. 

Martyn rolled his eye. "Another lovely chat." He muttered, heading into the kitchen to make some tea, rubbing his back as he went, because, okay, so maybe it did hurt a bit.

____

Tango attempted to kick in the door again, half hoping to hear the lock shatter and the wood splinter. It didn't, and he suppressed an annoyed sound with some levels of success. 

He had made the absolute genius mistake of leaving his key in his dorm when he left yesterday morning. He was having trouble processing all of the things that had happened during the small time frame. Especially about how he could do something so stupid. Well actually, knowing himself... he cringed a bit. Yeah. It checked out.

He considered trying to climb in through the window, but his room overlooked a sharp cliff, and getting resubmitted into the hospital wing of this school so soon was not something he wanted to do. 

He heaved a sigh, giving up for the moment and turning around to lean against the door, sliding to the ground with a small thump. 

Jimmy seemed nice, as strange as the avian was. Impulse had offered to show him where the guest inn was for visitors, and while Tango felt he should have gone with them, he was very tired, and sore, and had a headache that made his head feel like it was shattering to pieces. Not that any of that mattered at the moment, since he couldn't even get inside his dorm. 

Sitting there alone got him thinking, and thinking about the past few days made him realize how helpless he felt, which made him frustrated. At the very least though, Jimmy definitely knew some things that they didn't, which meant he might finally be getting some answers tomorrow. 

Footsteps reached Tango's ears, and sure enough, Skizz soon turned around the corner, eyes widening slightly when he saw the elf sitting, defeated by his own front door. 

"Tango? What are you..." realization dawned on his features. 

"Did you get locked out again?" 

Tango stood up, an exasperated laugh that didn't quite sound right through the metal on his face escaping him. 

"What gave you that idea?" He snarked. 

Skizz made a motion with his hands that said move, and when Tango did, he grabbed the handle with a practiced focus, leaning his shoulder against the wood as he prepared to attempt to break in. Tango frowned at the bandages that covered his arms, looking away as guilt crept over him like a fog. 

Skizz grunted as his shoulder jammed into the door, and Tango finally heard the sound of the lock breaking. It was a crisp snap, and it caused Tango to let out a breath of relief. It didn't sound like the wood had been damaged. 

Skizz opened the door for him, gesturing inside the dark room with a warm smile. 

"Good thing we're neighbors, huh?" He said light heartedly. "What would you do without me?" He chuckled, but Tango didn't laugh back.

"How many times is this now? Six? Seven?"

He would probably be dead without Skizz, frankly. It was a sobering thought, and it helped him overcome the embarrassment he felt whenever he wanted to apologize. 

"I'm sorry." He said, trying to ignore the lump that was forming in his throat.

"It's just the door, dude. Don't worry about it." He said, turning to hand him the door knob in his hand. 

"No- no. Skizz. I didn't mean the door." 

Skizz finally saw his face and paused. 

"Oh, Tango…" 

"Impulse told me what happened. I know what I- and I'm sorry."

"What, you mean these?" He raised his arms, the white cloth brightened by the moonlight spilling into the room.

"Dude. Come on. Cut yourself some slack! Besides, they don't even hurt anymore."

Tango didn't believe that, considering the burn scar on his arm still hurt, but he pretended to, for Skizz's sake. 

"Well. Still. I'd probably be dead if it weren't for you, so."

Skizz's eyes widened. "Woah! Hey, don't talk like that. You're fine. I'm fine." He grabbed his arm and looked into his eyes intensely. 

"We're fine, yeah?" 

Tango nodded after a moment. "We're fine." He repeated. Maybe if he said it enough, he would believe it. "We're good." 

Skizz smiled at him, patting his arm as he let it go. 

"Good." 

____

They were all sitting around the small Cafe table, which was a bit crowded thanks to the extra chairs they had to add to include all of them, and the surplus of breakfast items on top. 

Jimmy was eating like he hadn't touched real food in a week. Which, to be fair, he probably hadn't. 

He looked a lot better than he did yesterday, wings clean and feathers looking more organized. It made Tango notice the unique coloring on his wings: red and yellow and white. Skizz had said all avians were unique. Tango wondered what kind of bird he must be then. Surely one he had never seen before. His hair was fluffier too, and he was wearing a new forest green cloak. It hung over one shoulder comfortably as they ate. 

When deciding on the food, Jimmy hadn't made any requests, which made Tango even more curious. 

"Are you allowed to eat anything?" He asked out of the blue, and Jimmy stopped munching on his fruit to give him a curious look. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Skizz cut in, also confused. 

"Jeez Tango, is that how you start conversations these days? I think you've been underground too long" 

Tango ignored him. He was feeling a lot better this morning, which was making him braver. They were also waiting for Impulse, who had just entered the Cafe, spotted them, and was headed in their direction. Zed had a last minute project to clean up he needed to do, so he wouldn't be joining them this morning.

Maybe it was the hope that the new day brought, or the way the sun reflected off the wooden and stone counters of the cafe and made everything seem more friendly, but Jimmy, for some reason, decided to humor him.

"I'm just an avian. I can eat whatever." 

“Huh,” said Tango. "Even...." He trailed off, and, feeling playful, pointed at the chicken on the table. 

Skizz busted up laughing, and Impulse sat down.

"Why wouldn't he be allowed to eat chicken?" Skizz cried out. Impulse seemed to understand what they were talking about and snorted. Jimmy looked dumbfounded, like he was trying to figure out if he was joking. "I'm.. I'm sorry?" 

"I mean, he kinda looks like one." Impulse said quietly. 

Skizz's mouth dropped, and he smacked Impulse on the shoulder. "Dude, what the– you can't just say that?!" 

"I'm not a chicken!" Jimmy said, quite chicken sounding, unfortunately for him. 

"Yeah!" Tango jumped in, not really sure why he felt the need to leap to Jimmy's defense. "What, have you never seen a chicken before? If anything, that's Skizz." Skizz let out an offended gasp, and Tango felt a sharp pain shoot up his leg. 

"Ow! No kicking!" He yelped, kicking back. Impulse glared at him. 

"That was my leg." He said, unimpressed. 

"Oh. My bad." He tried again. Jimmy flinched and dropped the grape he was holding. 

"Oh shoot, I'm sorry-" but before he could finish, he felt a sharp pain again. 

"Ow! Skizz!" 

"What?! That wasn't me?"

"Ok. Sure. Impulse?" 

Impulse just sighed. "I haven't kicked anyone."

"So we're lying now." Skizz said smugly. 

"I'm sorry about this." Tango said to Jimmy, a serious expression on his face. "They're crazy."

"What? I- Tango started this! I just got here!" Impulse barked. Tango felt someone kick him again, and he slammed his hands down on the table. 

"No kicking!" He hissed, not noticing how Jimmy flinched with pain again. 

The café’s silence suddenly hung in the air, and someone at another table cleared their throat. 

The awkward silence lasted a moment before it was broken by laughter.

Jimmy joined in, the clear sound surprising the whole table. 

Noticing him, they all realized just how stupid this entire interaction had been, and they all continued to laugh like school children, though surely quieter. They were getting some unfriendly looks. 

"You guys are...."

"Hilarious?" Skizz asked

"Jerks?" Impulse added 

"Weirdos?" Tango offered

"Fun." Jimmy said, eating another grape with a faraway smile. "I was going to say fun." 

____

"So let me get this straight." Skizz said, leaning forward to rest one of his bandaged arms on the table. "You broke something important, and as your” 'academy assigned quest'- he made air quotes sarcastically- "they want you to go find a new one." 

"And along the way you got scammed by a bluejay with the promise of more information, and ended up cursing a random bystander. Which happened to be Tango." 

Jimmy grimaced. "That's the gist of it." 

Impulse didn't add anything, he just stared at the new blond with a thoughtful expression. 

Tango let out a mechanical breath. "Well that explains the crazy past few days I've been having." 

"Yeah.. I'm sorry about that." 

Tango recalled the anger he felt a few days ago, but looking at the avian, who was clearly out of his league with this whole quest thing, he couldn't muster up any anger. Not that it really lasted all that long without a good reason anyway. 

"What curse is it exactly?" Skizz asked, his fluffy wings rearranging to get comfortable from where he was sitting. 

Jimmy shifted, and the gesture wasn't lost on Impulse. 

"Well, I didn't exactly catch its name." He said with a nervous chuckle. "But you've probably been feeling a lot of random pain recently, right? That's why." 

Tango was so thankful to finally have some answers, he didn't even care about the specifics. His friends, however, asked some of the important questions for him. 

"I guess the only question now is… how do we break it?" Skizz said, flicking a fruit stem onto the plate in front of him. 

Three pairs of eyes turned to the man with yellow wings, who glanced at them all with an expression that seemed to get more panicked by the second. 

"I.... uh..." Jimmy gulped. "I'm actually... not.. I'm- not too sure?" He seemed to shrink a bit. 

Skizz chewed on his lip, leaning back against his chair. 

Tango rested his face on his hand, the cool metal a stark difference from the warm morning air. He resisted the urge to sigh, but his tail flicked in slight annoyance. 

"I might be able to help with that." Impulse said, breaking the silence. 

Jimmy's face lit up instantly, like he had offered to take a heavy bag off of him he had been carrying for ages. 

"Or, more specifically, I know someone who could probably help you with that. They definitely know something about this, at least." 

Skizz shot him a look. 

"Oh no..." he muttered

Tango sat up. 

"Wait. Why are you two looking at me like that? Who is it?" 

"You're not gonna like it..." Impulse said, finally taking his eyes off Jimmy to glance apologetically at the elf. 

Realization hit Tango suddenly, like a bucket of cold ice water being dumped on his head. 

"What?! Him?" He hissed. "Absolutely not."

"Tango..." Impulse said, like he expected this reaction. He probably had.

"I'd rather just suffer." 

"Wait, who are we talking about here?" Jimmy said, brow furrowed like he was slightly afraid to ask. 

"Scar." They said in unison, with varying levels of spite. 

Jimmy's brow didn't unfurrow.  

"Do you happen to know a Scar Goodtimes?" Tango asked, leaning back to cross his arms. 

Jimmy squinted in thought. 

"I.... No. No I don't think I do." 

Tango's crimson eyes stared at him like he was trying to dig through his brain for the truth. Fortunately for him (for once) Jimmy was not a good liar, and the truth was written on his face. He really didn't know who that was. Tango, seemingly satisfied with that, turned away.

 "Consider yourself lucky." He said with a snort. "That guy is a real fraud." 

Jimmy wanted to ask what the history there was, but he felt like this wouldn't be a good time. 

"So... Where is this Scar?" He asked instead. 

"Probably running around scamming people, never staying in one place because he has too many enemies. That coward." 

Skizz shot Tango a look. Tango shut up. 

"Last I heard he was in the elf kingdom. Owns a shop there, apparently." Impulse said, ignoring the why didn't you tell me this glare from Tango. 

"Alright, and what exactly am I supposed to ask this Scar?" Jimmy asked. 

"We." Tango said suddenly, nearly cutting him off. 

"Huh?" 

"We. What should we ask him." 

Jimmy blinked at him. 

"I'm going with you." Tango clarified. 

Skizz nodded as Jimmy shook his head. 

"I think that would be a good idea."

"No way." Their voices overlapped. 

"No way?" Impulse asked. 

Jimmy pushed his chair back like he was about to stand. 

"I did this. It was my mistake, and I'll fix it."

"Sure, but that doesn't mean you have to do it alone." Tango said. 

"You all have a life here. You have..." He swallowed. "I'm not going to tear you away from it just for some stupid problem that I caused."  

"If what you told us is correct," Impulse stepped in, "this could be Tango's life in danger, here. That doesn't sound stupid to me." 

Jimmy recoiled. "Well– of course. That's not what, I-" 

"Besides." Skizz cut in before Jimmy could recover, "This is Tango we're talking about here. There's no way he could just sit around here while someone else solves his problems for him." 

Tango nodded sharply. "I'm not interested in staying here, stressing about what's happening or worrying about dropping dead randomly."

Jimmy sighed. They all knew who won this debate. 

"Also," Skizz said, reaching for some of the uneaten bread. "There's no rules about the academy's quests saying you have to do it completely alone.” He took a bite. “What kind of quest would that be?" 

"A pretty lonely one, I'd imagine." Impulse answered with a small smile. 

"It's decided then." Tango said, standing up with authority. 

"We leave tomorrow morning." 

"At dawn!" Skizz added for dramatic effect.

"What? Are you a sociopath? No." 

"Who gets up at dawn? Because you definitely don't, Skizzle." Impulse snorted

"We leave at a normal morning time." Jimmy added before they could start again. 

"Well, it's a normal morning time right now." Impulse said with a frown. "Why even wait?" 

Silence filled the table. 

"That's… That's a good point." Jimmy said. 

"Fine." Tango rolled his eyes,

"We leave in like five minutes." 

"Woah. See, now that's way too fast. What exactly are you planning on packing with that time frame? You won't even make it back to your dorm." Skizz joked. 

Impulse nodded in solemn agreement. 

"Oh, screw you guys." Tango said with an eye roll. 

"We leave some time in the near future?" Jimmy offered. 

"We leave some time in the near future!" Tango repeated with the confidence he lacked. 

The near future looked bright indeed. 

Chapter Text

On a platform atop a large tree, a girl with moth wings was watching the world end. 

Her soft brown hair fluttered in the wind, her pale blue eyes were wide and her face was twisted in a confused sadness. An expression perfect for someone who was watching themself lose everything. 

"How did this happen?" She said, unsure of anything besides the lump in her throat. The dried blood on her hands, and her heart, beating drums in her chest. 

Black tousled hair swayed from the man behind her, and his red and black wings, so similar to hers, fluttered because of the wind that came from their height. 

"You don't really want me to answer that, do you?" He choked out. He had the same expression as her, after all. 

In response she simply crouched down, her arms reaching around her knees as she curled into a ball. 

He wasn't good with comforting people, really, but he sat down next to her, placing what he hoped was a reassuring hand on her shoulder. At least they were together.

“I don’t know where they are, Mumbo. I don’t know if they’re okay.”  

The other avian was quiet. He didn’t know either, but he did know that his heart broke with the way her voice cracked as she worried about her brothers.

“They’re okay, Pearl.” he replied quietly. 

He didn't know. They both knew he had no idea. Logically, it was likely Grian was dead. They had heard and seen nothing about him after he had gone back into the flames. Neither of them had any idea about Jimmy. They had gone to his house only to find the lock on the front door broken and the balcony door open, the yellow curtains swaying gently in the late morning breeze. But Pearl didn’t need logic right now. She already knew all of this. She needed comfort. 

Together, on a wooden watchtower, high in the air, as the frayed old wood dug into their hands and the sun above them was briefly blocked by the wings of avians fleeing, Mumbo and Pearl watched a kingdom burn. 

____

"Are you sure about this?" Impulse asked him, arms crossed as he leaned against Tango's cluttered desk. 

Tango looked up from where he was studying the fullness of a vial of Redstone dust. 

"Yeah, I'm sure. Why?" He placed it in a special compartment of his bag. "I know it seems rather sudden, but even you agreed this is the right idea." 

The dwarf shook his head. "No.. not about that. I could tell you were itching for a reason to get out of here before Etho even left." 

Tango swiveled to face him, because he had a feeling he knew what Impulse meant by it.

You're running away. Why?

He didn't give Tango time to respond to the imaginary question. "I mean about this avian. He's not telling us everything." 

Tango raised a brow. "It's a bit hard to tell a bunch of strangers 'everything' when you've known them for less than a day, don't you think?" He scanned his shelves for anything else he might need on the trip. He wasn't sure how long this would take, but he hoped he'd be back before they cleared the old seniors rooms for the new students. If not though, he was sure he could trust his friends to take care of his stuff. 

"You know what I mean." 

"I see your point. But he seems nice. And who knows what he's been through these past few days. You know why Skizz left that academy."

" He seems nice isn't a good reason to drop everything and leave the country suddenly, Tango." Impulse said, seemingly ignoring the second part of that sentence. 

"No." Tango agreed, annoyed at how naive that made him sound out of context. 

"But knowing you could die at any moment because of some accidental curse is."

Impulse's eyes stared at him intently, the yellow tint contrasting against the dark brown. Tango thought he saw a dash of purple as well, but he blinked and it was gone. 

"You could die any moment anyways, if we're talking like that." 

Tango stopped packing to stare at him.

"What's the problem here?" He asked, not liking how dark this conversation had suddenly turned. 

Impulse seemed to not either, because his shoulders slumped a bit as he sighed. 

"I just… I don't have a good feeling."

"So, you want me to stay?"

He grimaced. "No. I wouldn't ask you to do that."

"Then what?" 

There was a pause. 

"Just– don't trust too easily." 

“The avian?”

“Anyone.”

Tango bit his tongue to stop the sarcastic response that attempted to worm its way out. If they wanted to talk about people hiding things from him, Impulse couldn't play saint. Who knows how much he actually knew about Scar and whatever else was going on. He definitely knew things Tango didn't, but Tango didn't want to argue with Impulse. Didn't want to leave with a bitter taste in his mouth, or the memory of his friend upset with him when he thought about him during the journey. So he swallowed down his pride. It wasn't like Impulse was saying this for no reason. Tango had been too trusting before, and it had gotten him hurt. This time, if Tango made a lapse in judgment, Impulse wouldn't be there to help him, so he understood his worry. 

He replied with what he hoped was a reassuring nod. 

"Okay."

____

Jimmy didn't know how to feel about the sudden shift in his plans. A part of him had hoped that maybe the person he was bound with would care enough to want to come, but he never thought they actually would, and want to so adamantly at that. 

Jimmy was helping to watch over Impulse and Skizz's tent while Impulse helped Tango with last minute packing. 

The year end celebration was in full swing, and Jimmy was glad to be able to witness it. The bright wreaths and plethora of flowers made the white tents pop with colors. It was beautiful, and Jimmy was surprised that Tango was so ready to leave in the middle of it. When he asked him about it earlier, though, Tango just said he wasn't a big party person. 

Skizz was busying himself with some last minute decorating, and Jimmy didn't really have any ideas for small talk, so they sat in comfortable quiet. Of course, there were plenty of sounds coming from the other parts of the fair grounds, louder as the day grew warmer and more people got there, so it wasn't an awkward silence. 

It wasn't long before the dwarf and the elf returned, although this time Tango had a large bag around his shoulder and all sorts of useful small packs tied around his outfit. Jimmy hoped none of them contained any lava or dangerous substances, but he wasn't too hopeful on that front. His golden hair was fluffier, like it had been brushed, and it contrasted with his red overcoat nicely. His mask was also shinier, and it reflected the early morning sun sharply. He was- quite literally- a bit blinding to look at. 

"You ready?" He asked the avian. 

Jimmy sat up so fast he nearly went straight back down again. His wings fluttered clumsily as he found his balance. "Ready as I'll ever be." He muttered, slightly embarrassed. And then a louder, "Oh. Uh, Yeah!" 

"Take care of yourself." Skizz said, patting Tango's plated shoulder. The elf nodded at him, red eyes softening into what he assumed was a warm smile.

There were no hugs, no tears, or dramatic goodbyes. Jimmy guessed they had already said all that they needed to to each other. 

There was a pang in his heart as he remembered the lack of goodbyes he had given to his siblings. How he still had no idea if Grian was even alive, or how worried Pearl was about him.

He was trying not to miss them. Which, as hard as it was, meant not thinking about them.

Jimmy picked up his large backpack from where it sat next to him, and loaded the heavy thing onto his shoulders. He was starting to think there was actually no way he was going to need this much stuff, especially if the number of cities and small settlements on the map Martyn had given him was true. He had sorted through it last night, when Skizz had shown him a guest room.

It had a large tent, some flint and steel, plenty of preserved food, water, a forest green cape that doubled as a hood (which he was wearing now), a sleeping bag, a knife, a compass, and some other survival tools he wasn't sure he'd ever use and would probably end up selling once they reached the elf kingdom. 

He already had pulled out the map, and with Skizz's help, had plotted a course through the winding forest that made up the borders of the elf kingdom. Jimmy had never been there, but he had heard of the huge city built upon the trees and welcoming of all species and people. Supposedly it was a utopia, different from the 'redstone maniacs of the stone hills' and the 'cultic school of avians obsessed with dead traditions'. That's what the notes on the map had said at least, and Jimmy had laughed nervously as he failed to block it from Skizz's vision, but the man had just shrugged in response to reading it.

"We all have our quirks, I guess." He said, and continued to trace a path through the trees.

Now that they were leaving, he picked it up from the table, frowning at the red lines. It wasn't like he doubted Skizz's abilities, but neither Tango or Jimmy had ever been there before, and a path was easy to follow when looking down at a map but Traversing a dense forest with no visual aid or landmarks would be difficult for anyone. Especially Jimmy, who had gotten lost in the city he had grown up in before. Many times. He just hoped Tango had a really good sense of direction. 

____

Tango had a horrible sense of direction. He wasn't sure if it was some result of being born in a wacky dimension, or from living underground most of his life, but for an 'elf', he was not very comfortable under trees. 

He wanted to talk to the avian with him, maybe learn a little bit more about the person he was going to be stuck with for a while. Like asking how he had accidentally cursed him, but Jimmy had very enthusiastically handed him the map as they set off. So Tango was using all of his focus trying to figure out if these squiggly lines were purposeful or just a result of Skizz's shaky handwriting, while also not trip on the surplus of roots and other things that littered the forest floor that he chose not to look too closely at. 

Tango still heard the avian behind him though, the sound of feathers rustling as he avoided the lower branches and the sound of rocks tumbling over one another when they were kicked. With how dense this part of the forest was, Tango regretted their choice to not travel several more hours out of the way to the main road between the two nations. According to the quickly scribbled notes on the map near the main trail, however, it said that traveling on the main path was like painting a sign on your back with a huge target; asking very nicely to be robbed. Tango scoffed at that once he read it. 

"What's up?" Jimmy asked, unable to identify the tone of the strange noise that had come from Tango's mask. 

"Oh, it's just-" He hadn't expected. . hadn't expected what? For Jimmy to talk to him?  

"The map here has quite the, uh... sense of humor." Jimmy quickened his pace until he was walking by him, head leaning over to read the note. 

"Oh, haha... yeah. He's... not that funny once you get to know him." 

Tango blinked at him, footsteps pausing.

Jimmy took a few more steps, but turned when he saw Tango wasn't keeping pace with him. 

"The... The map?" Tango asked.

Jimmy seemed to realize what he meant, and he laughed, hands waving. 

"No, no! The- oh my- the man I got the map from. It's not my map! Or well, it is now…. But I didn't steal it! He-" 

Tango laughed too, cutting him off mid sentence, which set them both off. Two lost souls, now bound, filling the crowded quiet forest with the jarring sound of joy. 

"You know, for a second, I thought you were saying you could hear the map, and I had agreed to quest with some crazy person." They set off again, steps with new energy. Tango kept laughing in short bursts that sounded almost like coughs, but thankfully, Jimmy didn't seem bothered by the noise. 

"So... What did you do?" Tango asked, now that the air between them didn't seem as awkward. 

"What did I do?" He repeated. 

"Yeah. Before you accidentally cursed me and decided to go on some noble quest to fix it." He knew Jimmy had a way more important main goal, but that wasn't exactly important to him. 

"I. Uh..." He seemed to falter for a moment. "I was a student, I guess?" 

"Oh, like me!" 

"Yeah, I suppose." A chuckle. "But I'm not studying anything specific." Jimmy reached up and moved a large branch out of their way, waiting until they were both past it before letting it swing back, the sharp wood slicing through their shadows.

"What about you?" 

They had discussed a bit about themselves earlier, at breakfast, but Tango wasn't going to blame Jimmy for trying to make small talk, or not remembering the details of three different peoples lives from earlier.

"Oh, you know. Just another one of those redstone maniacs." 

The avian chuckled, and a comfortable silence followed between them, broken only by the crunching of fallen leaves and sticks under their boots.

Jimmy was a bit taller than him, and it was a bit annoying, in an endearing way. Considering how elves were usually a taller race, Jimmy was the outlier here.

Oh well, at least he could probably use Jimmy (and his wings) as a nice shade spot if needed. He shook that weird train of thought out of his head as they continued onwards. According to the map, they should reach a smaller main trail they could use to avoid the thick of the forest soon, but for now, the dense forest seemed to stretch out before them, like a hand opening for a small creature to climb onto before being crushed in its embrace.  

___

"So you're just okay with it? Him leaving?" 

Impulse tensed. "Why wouldn't I be?" 

Skizz gave him a knowing look as he leaned his chair back to look at his arms. 

"Are you going to make me say it?" He said, beginning to fiddle with the bandages. 

Impulse didn't answer. He just stared off into the distance, at the now descending sun, still quite high in the sky. 

"Impulse." Skizz paused with rearranging the thin material. 

"Zed is coming." He said like it was an answer, before turning away.

So that was the end of that conversation . Skizz finished untangling the bandages and now stared at the raw flesh underneath. It could have been worse, they told him. It would heal.

The way his right arm shook told him otherwise. 

He didn't regret it. Not at all. But damn, did it hurt. Not just the burns, but the memory of seeing Tango panic, seeing his unconscious body trying to burn everything in a desperate last attempt to somehow save him, like a furnace begging for just a bit more fuel. Like if he was going down, the world should too. He didn't blame him.

Skizz would want the world to burn if Tango died too, but he hoped that nothing bad would happen to either of them, and that avian knew what he was getting himself into. Skizz reached for the salve the doctors instructed for him to apply to his wounds. 

"I don't know what you want me to do about it, Zed. They're both long gone by now. It's been hours." Impulse's voice carried across the tent, to where Skizz was finishing up cleaning up. Him and Impulse had pretty much finished for the day, and were going to enjoy the festival a bit for themselves. 

"Ah, did someone get a little too focused on studying?" Skizz said by way of greeting, but when he saw Zed, his face fell. 

Zed's eyes were wide, but focused. Like a man who had seen a ghost, and was sure of it, despite what his friends had to say. 

"Woah, what's up?" He asked, shooting a glance at Impulse. Usually one shared look told him all he needed to know, but the dwarf still wasn't looking at him. Which in itself was kind of an answer. 

"I found something." Zed said, voice low. He held up a book with a dusty faded cover and the clear silhouette of a dragon. 

"I think Tango saw it too, before he left, but he didn't get to read it as thoroughly as I did. I think... I don't know. I can't prove it yet, but I think he might be in trouble. At the very least, he’s not going to come back the same." 

Skizz froze like a deer in headlights. 

Don't look at Impulse . His thoughts screamed. 

“Where did you find that?” He tried to ask casually, throwing in a chuckle for good measure. It came out forced, and Zed, who had been studying Skizz for a reaction, noticed. The tent grew very quiet.

Don't look at Impulse. Don't look at him. Don't look at him. Don’t look-

Skizz’s eyes betrayed him.

Impulse's face was cold. Alien. And there was that  familiar purple glint in his eye that Skizz hated. 

Zed noticed. He took a step back, fingers tightening on the book. "Impulse?" 

"Zed." He answered. “ Where did you find that book?” 

He looked between them, now unsure. “Why does that matter? Tango is in trouble.”

Zed didn’t trust them anymore. It was too late. They had screwed up.

Skizz shut his eyes. He really couldn't watch this part. Not again . 

"I'm really sorry." He heard Impulse say, and despite himself, Skizz believed it. 

Zed didn't really get a chance to.

—--

"Is he alright?" Skizz asked, voice scratchy. 

"Of course he is. You know they always bounce back." 

Neither of them said what they were thinking. 

One day he might not. What then?

Skizz waited in the dark, trying to ignore the horrid sound of flesh snapping, the sound of wings retracting into the dwarfs back, the grunt as his horns returned to their normal size.

The sounds of a monster returning to human skin . 

"I thought you got rid of all of them." He said to the darkness. He couldn't see him, but he didn't have to. Didn’t want to. Not until he was normal again. Not until he was Impulse again.

"I thought so too." came his response.

There was a sharp scratching sound, and the dark room was lit by a small light. The match reflected off Impulse's eyes.

They were brown and yellow again, and tired. Very tired.

"It's not a mistake I'll make again."

Chapter Text

The avian with the blue colored wings was laying haphazardly on a tree branch, bandaged arms resting behind his head.
"Yeah, well. I'm still sorry." He muttered, blinking away the sun that kept blinding him every time the leaves above him fluttered in the wind.
The redhead at the base of the tree didn't respond, and instead placed the flowers into a vase. Red carnations and hyacinths. They were nice, she supposed. A good addition to her collection, if nothing else. They began chopping off the old leaves and dried stems.
"I don't assume you came all the way out here just to apologize." Cleo finally said. She didn't go outside of the shop often, and even now wore a very large black hat, to hide the sun from her face and her features from others.

It was true though, Martyn rarely came to see Cleo. For many reasons. Splitting their heads was far from the worst thing they had done to each other, but that didn’t mean Martyn didn't feel bad about it.
"I just wanted to see how this place was holding up." He lied, turning away from the traitorous swaying leaves to study the courtyard they were on. The sturdy wood planks hid how high up they really were, nestled in the tall trees of the heart of the elf kingdom. From this height, Martyn could see the range of the huge forest that covered the land, and far to the north from where he stood, the Iron hills stood like small piles of sand, pale and far.
"Also, you said I wasn't allowed to visit unless I brought flowers. So."
"Well, everything is great here." They responded, voice lacking its usual sarcastic tone when directed at Martyn.
"These are nice." They added hesitantly, like she was trying to be nice, but to do it meant fighting herself. "I'm sure Scott will like them too."

Ah, there it was. It didn't sting as much anymore. Martyn was used to hearing that name thrown at him. You might know the feeling of getting hit, but that doesn't mean the pain stops just because you saw it coming.
"Sure." He said, choosing peace. The eye had taken a lot of his fighting biting spite, and Cleo was being somewhat tolerable today. There was no need to egg her on. Besides, like they mentioned, he needed her help.
"Anything else interesting happen recently?" He asked nonchalantly, leaning his head onto an elbow so he could watch as she chopped the flowers. He wondered briefly if she had figured out that he had just picked them on the way. If so, she didn't mention it.
"Eh, well. You know we get strange customers around here often."
"It comes with the business." He said with a nod.
"Yeah. Actually- there was a man that came in recently. An avian."
Martyn’s ears perked at that.
"He looked a lot like you, but his hair was longer, and he had pitch black wings-"
Martyn rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. Trust me, that geezer is old news."
Cleo shot him a look, craning her head so she could glare at him from under the large black hat. The thin dark cloth that usually completely hid their face was opened. It was just them here, after all. Martyn could see his scars mirrored on her face, the rotten flesh uncovered and looking better on her, somehow.
"Anyways." They continued, unbothered. "He said I was nice. That I reminded him of his wife."
Martyn snorted. "What, because you're dead?"
Cleo's head snapped up, their green eyes wide. Martyn couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of him.
Cleo rolled their eyes and threw a recently chopped branch at him. It sailed pathetically through the air, missing him by a long shot and hitting the branch of the tree he rested on.
"Speaking of weird customers..." He prepared to ask, ignoring the "Oh, here we go.." From his soulmate. "You're probably going to get some soon."
"Soon?"
He hummed. "Yeah. Two days? Maybe three. I don't have too much faith in him, honestly."
"That so?"
"Yeah. Honestly, he might not even make it here. I wouldn't be too surprised if he got lost in the woods and killed by some creature."
"Hmm.” They hummed, slightly amused. “Well, who is he?"

Martyn finally sat up, stretching his arms above his head and his wings behind his back.
"A canary." He said, hand grasping the rough branch as he used it to swing down. His wings spread to slow him, but he hadn't been high enough for the need to fly, so he just bent his knees as he landed, evening out the pressure of the landing.
"Who is he, really?" Cleo asked, barely sparing him a glance. They were nearly done with the flowers.
"Someone who will be looking for a way to break the soul bond, of course. Probably with the one he’s gotten himself tied to."
Which was Martyn's way of saying, does it really matter?
Which, of course, Cleo took as something important. They knew each other a little too well.
"And what do you want me to tell them?" Cleo asked, now rearranging the flowers to put back in the vase.
Martyn smiled.

"Show them the way, of course. But maybe let them feel like they figured it out themselves. They could use the boost of morale, I'm sure."
"Hmm. And what's in it for me?" They asked sweetly, finally turning to face them.
Martyn sighed and walked over to the edge of the high wood platform. There was a small border, a wooden wall he stepped easily onto.
It wasn't the safest, but any idiot who climbed all the way up here just to fall off probably deserved it. (Cleo’s words, not his.)

He turned back to face them, back towards the empty sky, and opened his arms almost like someone asking for a hug. If people asked for hugs from zombies.
"Ooh, really?" She said, hands clasping excitingly. "On my count?"
"Yeah, yeah. Your count."
"Hmm. Alright. Anything else I should know before you go?" They dusted their hands on their purple skirts as they approached. He thought for a moment.
"He might be with a Blazeborn elf. Not sure how capable he is, but no doubt the canary is dragging them both down." He resisted the urge to laugh at his own joke.
"Explains why he didn't fly here then. I assume this is for his 'quest'?"
"Yup. You know how the academy is."

"One more thing, then. Answer honestly." She said, finger pointed at him. Her gloves were off, green skin visible. Not that he was judging.
"Always." They both knew he was lying.
"Is this just you getting back at Grian?"
His eye widened, but the surprise was quickly covered by a laugh. It was a cracked sound, brittle and drier than a desert.
"He deserves it." More than you know.
She shrugged. "Yeah. I suppose he does."
Cleo watched him for a moment, head turning like a cat studying a bird before it pounced.
"Goodbye, Martyn." They said, and with an evil grin that rivaled only his own, Cleo placed her hands on Martyns shoulders and shoved him off the balcony.

___

It was tempting, Cleo supposed as she watched Martyn fall from the perch. As promised, he didn't move, and Cleo reached up, clutching the thin chain of the pendant tucked into her blouse as she watched him fall. His wings had spread around him like a blanket, succumbing to gravity. He had that signature unbearable grin, but it was tinged with something Cleo didn’t see on him often. Something like peace.
5
They held the pendant with a thoughtful expression, the metal creating a satisfying texture against their rotted fingers as their scarred hands fiddled with the vial attached.
4
Cleo's hands wrapped around it tightly. Her expression turned to a frown.
3
They could crush it right now. End this nightmare. Free herself, even if it meant permanently chaining herself to regret. One prison to another.
2
Martyn was getting awfully close to the treeline. Cleo sighed.
1
She jabbed the pendant into her collarbone, above her heart. It wasn't sharp, and didn't break the skin or damage the necklace, but it would still complete its purpose well enough.
Sure enough, Martyn felt it, and his blue wings snapped out as he momentarily disappeared behind the dark green of the forest below.
Cleo's breath caught. The bond had a small delay. They might have screwed it up. Martyn could be dead, and Cleo would drop any second now, her own fault coming to personally haunt her.
Cleo's long tied hair swayed in the wind as she peered over the edge with serious eyes.
Then they felt it. The slap of pine needles against their cheek, and the hard feeling of a branch hitting Martyn's left arm.
She saw him finally appear over the treeline again, turning to face her to make some gesture they couldn't see from here. A thumbs up maybe, or flipping her off.
Cleo laughed. She watched his blue wings blur against the sky and the trees for a moment, wondering who was to blame for their thundering heart.
Cleo decided not to dwell on it, and turned, walking over and picking up the vase of flowers. She wasn't blind. Martyn always brought hyacinths.
She studied the purple flowers, wondering, as the dark cloth on her hat loosed and covered her eyes, who was crazier.
The one who fell or the one who pushed?

"Cleo? You out here?" A familiar voice called from the building on the other side of the courtyard.
"Yeah, I'm here." The train of thought was interrupted, left at the tracks and abandoned.
"Is he gone?"
A small smile. "Yeah. He's gone."
"Did he bring what you asked?"
"Yeah."
"Well, tell him to bring marigolds next time. There's too much purple and red in this shop as it is."
Cleo scoffed. "Sure, Scar."

____

"What do you see?" Jimmy called up to the tree.
Red eyes squinted at the horizon from high above.
"Just more trees." Tango replied, tail swishing as he grabbed for a lower branch to climb down. The pine bark was sticky and rough, but he tried to not let it bother him as he slowly made his way down.
They were on the second day of traveling through the woods, and quite unsurprisingly, they had gotten lost. Yesterday hadn't been a lot more than some awkward looks and small talk. When night rolled around, it was clearly getting hard for Jimmy to see (noticeable with the way he kept stumbling about), so Tango suggested they camp out for the night. Tango had his own sleeping bag, but Jimmy had a whole tent. The avian had insisted there was enough space inside for both of them, but Impulse's warning had rang through his head, so he offered to take the first watch instead.
Now it was about midday, and Tango was a bit too frustrated at the fact that he had been the one that had gotten them lost to really have any meaningful conversations with Jimmy.
The avian didn't seem frustrated at all by their predicament. In fact, besides going quite pale when Tango had suggested they climb a tree to get a better vantage, he had been nothing but pleasant.
That being said, Tango wasn't blind to how Jimmy kept his distance, or sometimes looked at him with a deeply troubled expression. Like he needed to tell him something, but didn't know how to say it. Or, Tango thought again, that he knew him somehow.

"There was some sort of rocky hill I saw to the south. I think it would be smart to head that direction." Tango said, finally jumping to the ground. He stood up and dusted his hands off, wiping the sap onto his pants.
Jimmy was squinting at the sun through the trees high above. Maybe he was trying to figure out the time? Or maybe it was just an avian thing.
"Do you need the sky?" He blurted, surprising both of them.
Jimmy turned to him, brow furrowed. "Pardon?" He blinked as he realized what Tango meant.
"Oh. No.. I just..." He shook his head.
"It's nothing. I think that's a good idea too." Jimmy said, tugging his compass out of a pocket while Tango picked up his bag from a branch he had hung it on to climb up.
"South... this way." He heard Jimmy mutter before turning completely around and start walking in the direction Tango had mentioned.
Tango watched him for a moment as he walked away, the sunlight dancing over his miscolored wings and making them look like a raging inferno.
What are you hiding from me, bird boy? He thought with a flick of his tail before following.

____

It wasn't long before they reached the top of the stone hill. Jimmy assumed maybe a long time ago it had been a building, considering the unnatural way the stone was crumbled and the fact that there were no trees growing over it. Jimmy was studying the terrain, his steps slowing now that they were over the top. He looked over the valley, looking for any sign of anything that wasn't just more trees. He should have guessed that the elf kingdom would be well hidden. Which was his mistake, he supposed, reaching up to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Tango, who had been right behind him angrily grumbling at the map, was nearby. If the sound of his footsteps was any hint. Jimmy could see the sky clearly here, and he was thankful for it. Even if it meant the sun was now openly glaring at them. So the summer heat would be early this year. Jimmy thought. Of course it would.

Jimmy realized with a start when Tango passed that he was still staring at the map, and about to walk right off the crumbling stone platform.
"Wait- Tango!" He interrupted, thought forgotten. He reached forward as Tango stepped onto a loose rock.
Tango looked up too late, and they both realized he was about to fall.

In retrospect, Jimmy probably overreacted, but he couldn't control the way his gut lurched in fear with the image of Tango stumbling down the rocks. It would be very painful. For both of them. His hand brushed something on Tango's back, and he grabbed it like a lifeline and pulled him as the elf began to stumble forward. The rush of adrenaline made Jimmy yank harder than he meant to, and he barely avoided Tango as they both fell backwards onto the hard white stone.

Jimmy sat there for a moment, heart beating like a drum in his chest. He finally looked over at Tango, who was laying sprawled out, map still in his hand and eyes wide at the sky. He blinked.

"Ah! I'm sorry about that!" Jimmy got up quickly, offering the elf a hand.
"Sorry? I was the one staring off into space." Tango said, expression unreadable as his eyes stayed glued to the sky. He finally moved, leaning up onto his elbows to look at Jimmy.
"Thanks." He said, like an exhale of relief as he took his hand. Jimmy hoisted him up, and Tango wasted no time stepping over to peer over the edge he had nearly fallen down. Jimmy glanced too, although from a safer distance. The rocks crumbled and then sharply fell off, creating a small cliff. Beneath that lie more scattered earth and stone, along with some sticks and shrubs.
It probably wouldn't have killed them, but they definitely wouldn't have come out unscathed.
"Thank you." Tango said again, expression serious as he stared at Jimmy.
"It's nothing." He said, realizing that Tango thought he saved him just because he was his travel partner. Which– he would have. Absolutely, but.... this felt different, and maybe a little deceitful.

He really needed to figure out how to tell him the truth.

____

Tango didn't think he could hate this map more, but it nearly leading him off a cliff had definitely done the trick. He had shoved the darn thing deep into his bag after that, grumbling all sorts of incoherent things as he did so. The thing he was happy about, however, was the fact that Jimmy had saved him.
Sure, maybe it hadn't been life threatening, but it made him feel more comfortable with the avian. In fact, it made him feel a little bad for having his defenses so high in the first place. This didn't mean he was clear of all suspicions of course, but Tango knew that at the very least, he could trust that Jimmy wouldn't let him wander off a ledge like a moron. It was a comfort.
They decided to eat lunch and take a small break on the rocky outcrop, and then it was back on their way.
Jimmy gave him a curious look as he watched him remove the map from the equation when they had finished repacking everything and were about to leave.
"I'm done with that stupid thing." Tango said as an answer. "It's time to trust my very trustworthy and foolproof elf instincts."
Jimmy gave a little hmm, smiling as he followed him.
"Aren't you a blazeborne elf though? Do they have forests in the nether?"
Tango chewed on the side of his cheek for a moment, pondering that. He wasn't sure if he had ever told Jimmy he was a blazeborne, but he decided to put that away for another time, because there was something more worrying about that query..
"That's… That's a good question. I don't actually remember."
"Oh." Jimmy paused. "Sorry... were you born in the overworld?"
Tango almost laughed. Of course he wasn't-
The elf stopped in his tracks, brow furrowed.

"I...."
He didn't remember.
He had memories of before the academy, and his teen years, but before that, it was pretty fuzzy. Impulse was there, though. Impulse had always been there. That reassured him.
As weird as it sounded, he was getting a headache just thinking about it, and Jimmy was staring at him with wide eyes, like he had stumbled over one of his inventions and sent some core piece flying into a wall and shattering. Tango cleared his throat.
"I don't have a lot of memories from being a kid." He said with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, that’s normal for netherborne races.” His tail flicked against his will.

Jimmy just nodded, an apologetic frown on his face.
"That's alright! I- I don't really remember my parents either. It's always just been me and my siblings."
They had continued walking again, and now reached a clearing.

Tango turned left. Jimmy followed.
"You have siblings?"
"Mm-hmm! They're a real pain sometimes."
Tango thought about his friends. He wondered if it was similar."I can imagine. Are they younger?"
"Ah, no." He said, almost sheepishly. "I'm actually the youngest. Grian is the shortest though, so who knows. He could be lying." His nose scrunched.
Tango chuckled, pushing a branch out of his way.
"They didn't want to come with you?" Tango asked as they continued. He was pretty sure Skizz had mentioned that the avian academy’s quest rules didn’t have a problem with companions. Even encouraged it, in some specific situations.
Jimmy didn't answer.
Tango turned, surprise coloring his features as he saw the pained expression Jimmy had on his face.
Oh. So that's what that felt like. "Oh. I'm sorry- I didn't-"
Jimmy was quick to wave him off, a smile quickly replacing the worry on his face. "It's fine. It's kind of a funny story. Embarrassing, really."
Tango had a feeling it really wasn't.
"I'll tell you about it sometime."
"Sure." He replied, not really knowing what else to say.

Tango's boot suddenly became very cold, and he quickly glanced down at it, realizing he was standing in the middle of a stream.
He let out a very unmanly sound and jumped across, slipping on the bank as he did so and landing hard on his tail. He crawled a few more feet away from the water until his back hit hard bark. Then he exhaled, the fan on his mask whirring with the action.
Jimmy just stared at him.
"Are you okay?" He finally said.
Even though he said it tinged with concern, embarrassment washed over Tango. He probably looked crazy. He busied himself with tugging off his boot so Jimmy wouldn't notice the way his face had turned red.
"I- Yeah. I'm fine. Great!" He cleared his throat. "Sorry about that."

Jimmy studied the stream, crouching down to run a hand through it.
The sunlight breached the trees and was making the already clear water sparkle with shards of light..Which , admittedly, made it very beautiful.
Tango still hated it.
Jimmy was refilling his water can as realization dawned on his features.
He really did wear his emotions on his sleeve. Not that Tango had been paying attention or anything. Besides, he assumed he was the same. His boot was dry enough, he figured. He put it back on.
"Ohhhh!" He finally said, brown eyes landing on the elf. "Does it hurt you?"

Tango now had a dilemma on his hands.

He rubbed the back of his neck and leaned his other arm on his knee. "Yeah! Yeah. Only after a while though. So, uh, we're fine."
Jimmy then jumped over the rocks jutting out of the water, wings unfurling and sticking above his head from under his cloak as he did so.
"Well, don't worry. The way we're headed, there aren't any main waterways blocking our way to the capital."
He reached out a hand to him. Then suddenly squinted.
"Unless of course, we are very very lost. But I don't think we are. Yet."
Tango took his hand and allowed the avian to pull him up as he waited for the pin to drop. Waited for the mocking.
But Jimmy just turned, hand returning to the strap on his pack. "So, which way now?"

If he wasn’t wearing a mask, Jimmy could have seen how Tango gaped at him. That was it then? No judgmental stares or doubt? Jimmy didn't even laugh at him. It was hard to imagine, yet here was the proof, right in front of him.
Jimmy had clearly seen him afraid of water. afraid of something so common, so necessary. Yet, he hadn't bat an eye. Just asked if he was okay and then reassured him that there wasn't more.
Even Skizz sometimes laughed about Tango's reactions to it suddenly raining, or when a nearby creek overflowed and covered the college yard in a puddle of water.
He swallowed hard, cringing as he remembered how he said he'd kill the one who cursed him.
"How about... How about you choose?" Tango answered, thankful for once how the mask muffled his voice.
"Right, then." Jimmy decided after checking his compass, taking the lead.

That night, Jimmy offered once again for Tango to take the tent, while he took the first watch. This time, Tango accepted.

The next day, they took turns choosing which way to go. It wasn't the best idea for getting unlost, and they both knew it, but they were also having fun though, despite the circumstances. Stumbling through the nearly endless forest and guessing the names of the strange plants and creatures they saw (and tried to avoid.) Was quite entertaining, they found.

Somehow, Tango felt like he wasn’t as badly affected by the curse now, either. It didn't feel like he could just drop dead with Jimmy here. Like in some stupid way, Jimmy wouldn't let it happen. It was still there, and he knew it wouldn’t just get better, but still. Maybe it was the company of someone new, and the promise of having a solution nearly in sight. Tango could have sworn he had been hurting less. Sure, he still barely knew Jimmy in the grand scheme of things, and it was probably connected to how he pulled him back before he could fall.
Regardless, he was learning more about him. They were learning more about each other. Which topics to avoid in conversations, and what jokes made the other laugh. On one hand, Jimmy seemed to laugh at all of Tango's sassy comments and snide remarks (especially the ones directed at inanimate objects). On the other hand, when Jimmy made a lot of self-deprecating jokes, Tango didn't really laugh.

It was nearing midday again, Tango noticed with the color and direction of the sunlight that filtered through the tall trees. It was somehow even thicker here, and it was hard to tell what time it was with the dark pines and other trees that stretched high above them. The trees were getting taller, but Tango wasn't exactly sure if that was a good thing or not. He supposed it meant they were getting somewhat closer to the capital, by some degree, but he was weirded by how indifferent that made him feel.
When they had entered this forest, Tango had wanted to do little more than leave. Now, there was some sort of peace he felt under the trees, about walking and joking with this new company. He found that he didn't really mind how long it took to get there. He knew it had to happen eventually, but who knows what would happen when they got there. Best case scenario, Tango would be cured from his curse, and then they would go their separate ways. That shouldn't bother him. It didn't bother him, but he was going to enjoy the present as best he could knowing it.

Jimmy grunted, which tore Tango's attention away from the green sky. He had been leading, which meant it was his job to clear a way through some of the denser branches and brush. It wasn’t an easy job to do without any sort of blade, but they had managed so far.
Tango could only see bright wings, because the rest of Jimmy was hidden by the thick brush he had somehow dug himself into in the past few minutes.
"You alright?" Tango asked, looking for some way to get closer without getting in the way.
Jimmy stumbled back, wings fluffing in a frustrated gesture as he knocked the needles and pollen off of them.
He wiped his forehead, a frown on his face.
"There's a big clearing on the other side of this plant wall. I can see it." He put his hands on his hips. "There's a small den here, but the brush is just too thick."
"Is there a way we can go around?" Tango asked, knowing the answer just by looking around. This was the least cluttered part of the 'path' they had chosen for themselves. They could turn around and go back the way they came, but just thinking about that made Tango agitated. Something about turning around felt like giving up. Which wasn't happening. Not on his watch.
"Let me see what we're dealing with here." He muttered, crouching into the den that Jimmy had opened up.
Sure enough, there was a small cave-like room in the shrubs, but the wooden vines blocked the back, creating a wall of sorts. Green leaves grew on them, promising more difficulty since it meant the plant was healthy and strong. He could see the clearing on the other side though, which immediately piqued his curiosity.
Yeah, there was no way they were turning around now.

It took a while, but eventually, by taking turns, they had managed to wear down and wrangle quite a bit of the plant out of the way. It was Jimmy's turn, and Tango was enjoying some water from his flask when the avian called for him.
"Tango! I think I almost got it!"
He quickly tossed his closed flask into his bag and headed over, squeezing into the small green alcove. It wasn't exactly big enough for both of them, but Jimmy moved his wings out of the way as best as he possibly could, and Tango just hoped they didn't hurt with the way he pushed them into the sharp plants surrounding them both.
If he was in pain, he didn't show it, instead focusing intently on the brown wire-like wood in front of him.

Tango couldn't see the mess of branches in front of them very well, but he could tell just from a glance that Jimmy had gotten a lot out of the way.
"Alright." He said, no doubt feeling Tango right behind him, trying and failing not to brush his feathers.
Before Jimmy could continue, Tango heard a strange growl from behind them. He turned to investigate briskly, bristling at what he saw.
A large creature stood near where Tango had been taking a break moments before, blocking their way back. It resembled a panther, but its fur was dark red, and it had two very large front teeth, pointing upwards like tusks. By the way its face was pulled back into a snarl and its spiky tail was thrashing, he could tell it was not happy. It was so angry, in fact, Tango wondered what they had done to personally offend it. He looked around the bush again, closely examining his surroundings. His crimson eyes landed on a pile of old bones, half buried in a corner.
“Oh no.” He said.
“What is it?” Jimmy asked, unable to see what Tango could.
“Uhh…” Tango was trying not to panic,but he could feel his heart rate double.
“There is a very angry looking cat like creature and I think we mightbeinitshouse!”
“What?!” Came Jimmy’s response, wings fluttering, smacking Tango as they did.
“We need to go! Flee! Right now!” He looked back at the animal, who was now walking in circles, dangerous black eyes staring them down. At least it hadn’t pounced yet. Tango did not feel confident in either of their survival if it decided to come inside and personally say hello.

"I think I got it." Jimmy said. "I just need you to push me."
"Push you?" Tango repeated with a frown, not taking his eyes off the feline. "What about your wings?"
"We don’t have time to worry about that right now!” Jimmy said, voice raising several octaves. “They'll be fine!" He added, tucking them close to his back as he said this. His cloak had been shoved into his bag because of how annoyingly warm this alcove was. If it was warm to Tango, the elf hated to think how it would feel for an avian. Not to mention a very small space.
Maybe he should have helped more. These were thoughts for when they weren’t moments away from being mauled in the middle of big foresty nowhere.
A heavy exhale brought Tango out of his thoughts as Jimmy heaved a branch out of the way.
“Ready?"

Tango brought his hands above Jimmy's back, under his wings. There was a warning echoing in the back of his mind. Something about how Jimmy would get out first, and how he could very easily leave him behind if he wanted. But there was also the memory of a shout, of Jimmy’s fingers grasping at any part of him desperately. Pulling him back towards safe ground.
"Yeah. Ready."
Jimmy heaved another branch.. "Ok, now!" He heard, and Tango pushed. There was a little pushback, and Tango hesitated a moment before settling on a decision.
He shoved.
Jimmy fell forward and out of Tango's reach, somehow managing to grab the branch he'd squeezed through in an attempt to hold it open for him.
"Come on!" He called, out of breath.
Tango tossed Jimmy's huge bag through first.It hit the ground behind the avian with a dusty thump. Jimmy then brought a foot up, kicking the wall of remaining vines from the outside as he continued to try and hold it open.
"Tango!" He said, in a way that was clearly stating he was losing his grip, and knew that if it fell back, Tango would not get it back open by himself.

Tango wanted to jump through as easily as the bag had, don't get him wrong. Only problem was Jimmy was now blocking the path that he needed to go through.
He wasn't too sure how to get past without barreling him over.
"Tango, you'll be stuck on the other side." Jimmy said. Was that of fear in his eyes? Before he could figure it out, his gaze shifted to behind Tango’s shoulder, and his face paled.
"Yeah, I know! I-"
“It’s charging!” Jimmy yelled. Tango could hear it, the thump of its pounce close behind him. The feeling of hot breath on the back of his neck. Soon he’d feel the claws, he knew. He’d hear the teeth ripping into his throat.
Tango had to move. He knew it. Jump towards the avian or at least turn around and fight, but he was frozen. He could see his reflection in Jimmy’s eyes, a mirror of his terrified face. So that was fear in his eyes.

Determination suddenly filled them, replacing the fear like a tidal wave. Jimmy reached forward, grabbing Tango by the collar of his maroon jacket and yanking him through.
Unsurprisingly, he crashed into the avian, sending them both tumbling down the small decline into the dusty clearing in a poof of feathers. The branch Jimmy had been holding snapped back, smacking into the giant cat as it lunged, and its pained sound echoed in the quiet forest. Tango rolled off of Jimmy unceremoniously, collapsing onto his back and staring at the opening in the trees where he could see the sky. This was a bit of a familiar moment, he thought, slightly amused.
His heart rate slowly returned to a normal speed, and his breaths gradually sounded more like a living thing and less like a machine. His sides burned from the feeling of sharp foliage. His back too, which made him worry for a moment that he had gotten scratched- but he didn’t dwell on it for too long. That was a problem for future Tango, and strangely, it felt like the pain from his curse. Close but slightly muffled, and throbbing faintly.

Jimmy had sat up, and was looking at the foliage they had fallen through. The beast had attempted to reach through with a very sharp clawed paw, but it quickly realized this was a pointless endeavor, since they had rolled too far. It gave up with a hiss, turning and strutting away.
Tango dared to look over at Jimmy, and the avian looked back at him, blinking with shock.

Jimmy had saved him again.

Then his face broke into a smile, and Tango couldn’t help but laugh at the sudden change in expression. It was like the sun had suddenly come out from behind the clouds after a long rain. It was only another heartbeat before Jimmy laughed with him.
“Take that, you stupid tiger!” Tango called, sitting up to holler at it properly. It was gone, but adrenaline was still filing out of Tango’s system.
“Oh, Tango?” Jimmy said curiously. Tango tilted his head as he looked at him again, the question on his face.
“You’re on my wing.” He said, like it was barely inconveniencing him.
Tango yelped and got up as gently as he could, unsure if dusting it off would be some attempt at an apology. Some feathers came off anyways, and he pulled his hand back sharply in shock.
“It’s fine.” Jimmy said, chuckling. It was his turn to laugh at Tango’s upset expression.
He stood up, stretching them high to prove they were fine. “See? They don’t even hurt.” Tango nodded, relieved.
Jimmy then stepped toward him, pulling a large yellow feather off of where it had somehow gotten stuck on the plate on his shoulder. He smiled apologetically at the elf.
“They get everywhere. Sorry about that.”
“I don’t mind.” Tango replied, maybe a bit too quickly. “They’re nice.” It was a fact more than an opinion. Tango hadn’t gotten the chance to ask him what type of bird he was seriously after breakfast that morning, but his wings had lots of colors, and Tango had been around enough to know that was rare. Jimmy blinked at him, like it was his first time hearing that. Like he had never thought of them like that. He studied the feather for a moment, twirling it in the sunlight. The base of it was orange, making it almost look like a lit match in the light.
“You can keep them then.” He said softly. Tango met his eyes. They looked a little sad. “As many as you want-If you want.”
Tango opened his hand. “I do want, thank you very much.” He attempted a light hearted tone to shift the melancholy mood this conversation had suddenly turned.
Jimmy placed the feather in his hand, and then turned away. Tango didn't waste any time with tucking it into his jacket, telling himself he’d figure out some better place to put it later.

Surprisingly, the large path they had found themselves on was none other than a main road that led to the capital, as the signs they found after walking for a bit told them. To make things even better, they were close. Only a few hours more of walking. It filled Tango with equal amounts of excitement and some strange dread.

Soon this would be behind him. Nothing more than a memory of some adventure he nearly had with someone who was equally special as they were far. The only proof that they existed besides one’s bright memories was the feather he had kept, even after all this time.

That’s what Tango thought, anyway, but who knows what the universe had planned.

Chapter Text

The Canary stood unafraid before the great Phoenix king, awaiting his response to these accusations. The rest of the council gazed onto the scene with worried and suspicious eyes. It felt a bit like waiting for the first snowfall. Like the world's last quiet breath before winter truly arrived and silenced everything.

“Why do you do these things, little Canary?” The Phoenix king finally asked. “Do we not live in an era of peace and prosperity? Do we not all thrive under the hearthstones of the phoenix’s fire?” 

The Canary thought for a moment before answering, since this response had caught it off guard. It had expected denial for absorbing the dragon's souls, like a nervous laugh or a bubbling brook. Or anger about its secret army, red and all consuming like the lava far beneath the surface.

“There will be no peace if you attempt to bring the dragons back.” The canary finally said, wings ruffling slightly.

“And why would we do that?” Came the response, now high and mighty and sure, like the Canary had originally expected

The Canary took a deep breath before answering, bracing itself for the uproar its response may cause.

“Because your race is dying.”

____

Jimmy continued to find himself in situations that were way over his head, and despite what he had told Tango multiple times, he had absolutely no idea what was going to happen at the elf kingdom. There was a nagging at the back of his brain, some dread pooling in his stomach, like he was forgetting something important. Or like something bad was going to happen. Whatever it was, he figured he was just going to hit it head on, like every other situation that had led him to this point. 

Only this time, it would be different. Some way. Somehow. Because he wasn't alone. 

His gaze shifted from the dried meat chunk he’d been cutting towards his elf companion. Tango was circling the tent he had been setting again, tail thrashing as he once again tried to figure out why it was leaning on the flat area of ground he had picked for it. 

The sun had barely set, so there was still a purple hue from the sky, and little glowing bugs were all around them, giving the clearing a soft light. 

They knew they were close to the capital now, with how large the trees continued to grow. They could have pushed a little harder and probably made it before dawn, but Jimmy couldn't see in the dark as well as Tango could, and neither of them wanted to run into any more creatures in the dark. Not to mention, Scar's shop would definitely be closed by that time, so either way, they'd have to wait. They chose to camp out for one more night in the forest. 

Not that Jimmy was in a hurry. Sure, he wanted answers, and going to the elf kingdom meant getting closer to his main goal of completing his quest, but... He was having some sort of fun at the moment, as chaotic as their days had been. There were also the stories Tango told him by the fire some nights, or when they caught that rabbit and realized that neither of them could kill it, even for the idea of fresh meat. 

Then again, whenever he started thinking about the present too long, he started to feel the guilt.

Jimmy had lied . He had lied to Tango about a lot of things, and he knew that if Tango asked him about it directly any of these days, Jimmy wouldn't be able to dodge it anymore. 

Which meant that Tango would no doubt be upset with him, and their fun little crusading through this forest would abruptly come to an end. They would go their separate ways. Which was a shame, really, because Jimmy rather liked this Tango fellow. 

Well, of course you do. an inner voice said. He's your soulmate. Jimmy shoved that down, annoyed with how much it sounded like his brother. 

He continued cutting away, trying his best to be careful with the knife. He glared at a particularly rough part, telling himself he was definitely going to be buying some pre-cut dried meat at the elf kingdom. 

Jimmy was also still trying to process what had happened earlier. It wasn’t really like him to be the one to move in those types of situations, but something had been different in that moment. Maybe it was how he saw himself– figuratively and literally – in Tango’s eyes. Maybe he had seen the way they softened in some sort of acceptance. Maybe the way he looked at him in that moment reminded him of Grian. 

And the way he had lost him moments after.

Maybe he just wasn’t ready to lose Tango yet.

Tango suddenly let out a pained cry, and Jimmy snapped out of his thoughts. The elf was looking at his hand with a shocked expression, and Jimmy braced himself for the pain that he knew would come– the pain that he realized he was already feeling. 

“Are you okay?” Jimmy tried to ask nonchalantly, staring at the red liquid that pooled on his hand.

Ah, and he thought he was being careful. 

“I’m fine.” Tango’s reply came, followed by his metal sounding sigh. Jimmy wiped his own blood off of the knife, silently cursing himself. The internal yelling only got louder when Tango plopped down on the wooden stump next to him. It hurt, but he now had bigger problems. He quickly hid his bleeding hand behind his leg, closing his fingers in the process. Guilt washed over him when Tango flinched, looking at his hand again. The light was dim, but Jimmy could see the mark as it appeared, a thick red slash where Jimmy had missed with the blade.

Wrong hand. He thought, giving Tango a smile. He felt his blood soaking the stump they were on.

“I honestly can’t wait for this curse to be broken,” Tango said, exasperated. He finally put his hand down, leaning back to look towards the quickly fleeing sunlight above. The last wisps of purple that were disappearing like a fond memory, and the stars that were coming out like a new friend.

“Yeah?” Jimmy swallowed hard.

“Yeah. It’s the worst.”

“I can imagine,” he said. He probably would have laughed if the sting on his palm wasn’t taking all of his focus. Jimmy resisted the urge to recoil when he felt Tango’s tail brush his hand. He really hoped it was dark enough. He hoped Tango didn’t look down. 

“Well, we’ll figure it out. You’ll be free soon.” He felt Tango’s eyes on him, but Jimmy was looking at the stars. At the break in the endless green sky where he could see the heavens.

They sat there for a moment, lost in their own thoughts like the clouds in the sky.

“I’ll take first watch,” Jimmy said, standing up before Tango could notice anything was wrong. He did anyway, even if Jimmy couldn’t see his frown. 

“But you did yesterday.” 

“I insist,” he said, kneeling over his bag. Surely there was a first aid kit in here somewhere. He hoped. The pain was really kicking in now. He could feel tears pricking the corner of his eyes. “You should rest up if your hand is bothering you. We have a busy day tomorrow.” 

He would have marveled at his own hypocrisy if his bag hadn’t leaned a bit and caused him to automatically reach to catch it. Jimmy bit his lip hard to stop any pained noise from escaping as the rough material collided with his wound. 

Tango however, hissed sharply a few moments later. “Ow! Not my lip too!” 

Sorry. Jimmy thought. 

“Fine, I’ll sleep first,” he said, heading towards the tent. “Time to literally sleep in the bed I made,” he muttered to himself. “Night, Jim.” 

“Night!” Jimmy called back.

His good hand finally closed around some bandages, and he sighed in relief as he pulled them out. He was fumbling around the bag for some sort of antiseptic when he heard Tango mutter from inside the tent:

“Once I find the fool who’s really behind this..” 

Jimmy froze, waiting for the rest. It didn’t come, but it didn’t have to. 

He stared blankly into the dark forest for a few minutes, rolling those words around in his head.

Tango hated him. Well, no. Not yet. But he was going to.

He was definitely going to.

____

The elf kingdom was huge. Tango realized that was a bit of a slow realization. This was the capital, after all, and the trees here were bigger than any plant he had ever seen. In fact, he was sure they wouldn’t even fit in the underground of the redstone mines. 

Still, when they finally came to a clearing in which the capital was visible, both of them stopped in their tracks.

They were elevated, and in the distance, was by far the biggest tree any of them had ever seen. There was an entire city nestled in its branches, and many bridges that connected to other large trees, where other houses and districts lie. Huge lights and various buildings also hung, suspended in the air by strong tethers. The city was still aglow with pre-dawn lights, even though beyond the forest, a pink sunrise was expanding over the horizon. It was by looking at this sight that the duo realized they had not in fact been on the main road, because the large bridge that led to the city was connected to a path different from their own. 

Which explained the lack of people they had run into along the way, and how hard it had been to find in the first place, Tango assumed. 

They appreciated the view for a bit longer before heading towards the main path. It didn’t take long, thankfully. The half an hour walk through the heavy foliage was made more annoying by the throbbing in Tango’s hand, but they were there soon enough. It didn’t hurt as badly as it did last night, but the mark was still there, like some sort of phantom scar. 

It made him wonder for about the millionth time what kind of curse he was dealing with here. It had really felt like someone had just slashed a knife through his palm and forgot about the blood.

He shoved these thoughts to the back of his head as they approached the huge blazers marking the entrance to the capital.

The pair let a big cart pass in front of them , and they both watched it with little disguised astonishment as the driver calmly crossed, his horses going forward calmly like they had done this a million times before. The bridge was made of wood, with little overhead cover but stiff fence railings on the sides. Now that he studied it closer, Tango realized it was simply a repurposed tree with modifications. He let out a little ‘huh’ as he passed through the large open gate, smiling faintly at the large “WELCOME ALL” sign above. 

Once he entered, the elf noticed that his companion was not behind him.

“Jimmy?” He said, turning to look at the avian

Jimmy was staring at the lit blazers with an intense frown, the flame dancing over his eyes. It was then Tango remembered hearing that avians usually hated fire. 

He approached, waving a hand in front of him gently.

“Jim?” He asked. This time, it got his attention. 

“Oh. Right. Sorry,” he said. He reached up to his head and pulled his cloak hood over his head, hiding the wings over his ears.

“You know how you… don’t like water?” He asked quietly. 

It only took a moment for Tango to understand. He looked at the blazers again thoughtfully. They were very large and the flame was wide, but they were tall. It wasn’t like someone could fall into one or get caught alight easily, but Tango also knew fear wasn’t rational. 

“Alright. I’ve got an idea.” He concluded, turning back towards the avian. He circled him briskly, making sure his wings were tucked underneath his cloak. Satisfied with what he saw, he extended a hand. 

“You trust me, don’t you?”

Jimmy hesitated, brow still furrowed. “Yeah. I trust you.” 

Tango nodded at his outstretched palm. “Then I’m gonna need that hand, bird man.”

Jimmy somehow frowned harder, chewing on his bottom lip.

He eventually gave him his hand, hesitating and then switching which one halfway through. Tango didn’t pay any mind to the action. “Good. Now close your eyes.”

“Tango…”

“Ah Ah Ah! Trust. ”

He closed them.

“Now, do you want to know a secret fact about fire?”

“What’s that?” Jimmy asked, peeking at him through an open eye

Tango moved his hand so he had a firm grip on his wrist.

“It can’t catch you…” He turned and tugged Jimmy’s arm

“If you’re faster than it!” Jimmy only stood for a moment, but then let Tango drag him, eyes squeezed shut as they passed the large flames. They ran, Tango keeping an eye on Jimmy to make sure his wings or anything else didn’t catch. “Flee!” He called, laughing. “Flee with extra flee!” Even Jimmy laughed at that, eyes opening now that he could hear the thump of wood under their feet.

They ran for a good while after that, until they were close enough to the massive city to see the avians flying about, leaving and entering their floating domains.

Jimmy’s hand slipped out of his as Tango doubled over to catch his breath. Jimmy did the same, leaning up, his face turned towards the sky. His hood had fallen back down in all the commotion, and Tango could see the way the wings on the side of his face flicked, and the way his blond hair stuck out in every direction like some tussled chick.

“Thanks.” He said, once he was able to speak. Tango barely heard it over how loudly his mask was whirring, the fan struggling to keep up with how much air he was inhaling. 

“My pleasure.” He said, stifling a cough.

___

Tango was still amazed at how big the city was. He constantly kept sidestepping things to stop himself from tripping, because he was staring at some intricate architecture or trying to figure out how the giant hanging lights were powered. The sun was up now, so they were off, and the streets were busy with a morning rush. The welcome sign hadn’t been wrong, though– as far as he could see, there were all sorts of people everywhere. 

There was an avian selling some sweet smelling goodies, and Tango paused to appreciate the moment. Usually he didn’t like such crowded spaces, or so many loud competing noises in a small area, but there was something nice about this place. Something good and warm about the atmosphere. For the first time in a very long time, he met the eyes of others, and was mostly met with kind smiles. Even though he never explicitly felt unwelcome in the iron hills, this was different.

Unfortunately for him, the avian selling the sweets noticed him looking very lost. 

“Hello!” He greeted Tango warmly as he approached, cart in hand. The man had dark skin and warm brown eyes. Tango regarded him for a moment, eyes drifting to his puffy white wings and ignoring the small pang that hit his chest when he saw them. He hoped Skizz was doing well.

“Care for a cookie?” The man asked brightly.

____

Tango walked away with a bag of cookies. As amazing as they smelled, he didn’t feel too inclined to pull off his mask and begin the arduous task of eating at the moment. Maybe he’d just give them to Jimmy. Speaking of Jimmy, Tango hoped his task of trying to find Scar’s shop was going better. 

It had been the avian’s idea to split up, under the assumption they could find it faster if they weren’t tripping over their own feet, and Tango could also find an Inn for them to stay at. Tango assumed Jimmy just didn’t want him to see Scar, which he wasn’t really too sure how to feel about. He would like to promise that he wouldn’t explode or lose his cool, but he couldn’t. Not really, and it wouldn’t be fair to Jimmy if he did make that promise and wasn’t able to keep it.

Tango tried not to let it bother him too much though, since he rather liked this city so far, and wasn't too fond of the idea of getting banned from it the first day they were here.

Then again, Tango wasn't blind. Jimmy had been acting weird lately, which Tango couldn’t begin to guess was about, but he had noticed the way Jimmy had recoiled last night when Tango’s tail brushed his arm. Maybe he just wanted some space. Or maybe he had decided that this whole duo thing they had going on really wasn’t his style, and as Tango shuffled around the city like some lost tourist, he was hitching a ride with some traveling salesman’s cart to get out of here and ditch him.

As he thought it through, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn’t imagine those brown eyes to be that deceitful. 

Not sure where he was going and once again lost in his own thoughts, Tango turned a corner and ran into something big and dark. He crashed into the ground, more shocked than hurt.

The thing he had crashed into, turns out, had been a huge pair of dark wings. They resembled a crow’s, with the way the feathers sparkled in the morning sun, hundreds of colors hidden behind a dark gate until sunlight hit them like some sort of key. 

The person they belonged to quickly turned, looking at Tango with surprised blue eyes. 

“Oh! Sorry about that!” He exclaimed, reaching down to help tug him back up to his feet.

“Ah no, I should have been watching where I was going.” Tango replied, hoping the mask didn’t distort his voice too much as he stood up.

The man had long blonde hair, tied into a bun behind a large green hat.  His face was a bit scruffy, like he hadn’t shaved in a few days, and his eyes looked tired but not unkind, like he had been traveling for much longer than anyone should. 

“It’s no problem.” He said with a smile. “Are you lost, by chance?”

“Ah, yes, actually. I seem to have gotten a bit turned around.” Tango replied.

“It’s a big city.” He said with a chuckle; “It happens.”

“I’m looking for Scar’s shop? Is it near here?”

He frowned for a moment, wing flicking. “Well, you’re heading in the completely wrong direction for that, mate . It's behind you. About two blocks on your left and up another level.”

“I see.” He replied, making a mental map.

“You seem nice, so I’d be careful if I were you.” The man said, eyes serious. “The people who work there are a bunch of scammers.”

Tango resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Oh yeah. I know, trust me.” He ran a hand through his hair, hoping Jimmy was smarter than Scar. He winced at the answer his brain gave him. 

“I should go.” He muttered, red eyes shifting back to the avian. “Thanks again. Er- may your travels be kind to you! Or, uh. Yeah.” Tango said, giving him a thumbs up and then running off quickly before the awkwardness could kick in. 

____

“What do you think?” Philza asked, shifting his gaze from the blazeborne to a crow that was perched on a roof nearby. 

The crow stared at him with intelligent eyes, turning it’s head to the side slowly.

Philza laughed. “Misfortune, huh?” His arms crossed thoughtfully. “So that's how it is.”

“Are you talking to yourself again, old man?” An upbeat voice interrupted. 

“Ah, you got the supplies. Good.” Phil said as a way of greeting, turning to look at the man that had approached, a large bag swung over his shoulder and pink braid swaying in the morning breeze.

“Course I did. What were you laughing about? Someone else’s misfortune again?” Techno’s heavy boots thumped on the wood as he got closer, the sound contrasting his welcoming demeanor. “I thought we talked about this.”

Phil laughed. “I met another netherborne, actually.”

His companions eye’s perked up a bit at that. “Oh? A piglin?”

“Blaze, I believe.” 

“Shame. Pretty sure we’ve gone to war a few times.” 

Phill scoffed. “Like you would know.”

“Hey. I may not have been there, but I know my history. Anyways, are you ready?” he asked, cutting off the banter.

“Yeah. Let's head out.”

Techno nodded, and the avian and the piglin headed towards the entrance to the kingdom, leaving the town as stealthily and confidently as they had entered.

And perhaps they, too, bought some cookies on the way.

_____

Jimmy had found Scar’s shop easier than he had anticipated, and sat outside so he could reapply the bandages on his hand before going in. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any sign of infection or it getting worse, so now all he had to worry about was not injuring his palm further. There was also the matter of hiding it from Tango, but Jimmy figured he wouldn’t have to worry about that for much longer.

After he was done, Jimmy exhaled sharply,  like some way of steeling himself before he approached the large wooden door, grabbing at the golden handle and pushing it open. Or- he would have. If it hadn’t been locked.

Jimmy tried it again, shaking the handle like it would somehow come open if he tried hard enough.

“Oh come on.” Jimmy said, exasperated. They were so close.  

“Hey!” He heard someone call. A man with pointy ears was poking his head out of the nearby window. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but we don’t open for another ten minutes.” He said simply.

“O- Oh.” Jimmy sputtered, embarrassed. Of course they were just closed. 

The elf pointed to the large wooden door in front of Jimmy.

“It says on the sign right there. Can’t make an exception, even for cute avians, I’m afraid.”

“Right! Right. I’ll uh- just wait out here then.” Jimmy said, stepping back with an awkward laugh. 

“Thanks.” The man said, with sweetness that Jimmy guessed was artificial. Not that he could tell very well. The window closed with a small thump, and Jimmy took this time to scan the door for that sign.

Sure enough, there were the hours, right underneath the giant sign hanging off the roof named ‘Magic Mountain Collectables.’ Jimmy sighed, returning to where he had been sitting before, a knee height wooden barrier that held various plants inside. 

“Jimmy?” He heard a familiar metallic voice call around minute seven of his counting. He looked over at the noise, a smile finding its way to his face when he saw Tango.

“Hey,” Jimmy said, moving over to make space for the elf to sit down if he wanted. He blinked in slight surprise at the notion, but then did so, leaving room between them.

“You found it,” Tango said.

“Yeah. Guess we both did.”

There was a small silence, and Tango’s tail swished as he thought.

“Oh!” He said suddenly, pulling out a small finely packaged bag. “I almost forgot, I got y- us some cookies.” He handed the neatly wrapped package to Jimmy.

“Woah, thank you.” He said, carefully untying it.

 He wasted no time reaching in to pull one out, blinking in surprise at the clearly broken sweet. 

Jimmy could have sworn Tango’s face turned red, but he quickly looked away, and his hair covered the small area of his face could see without the mask.

“I… may have fallen.” He muttered.

Jimmy laughed, letting the warm morning sunlight warm him inside and out. Tango joined in too, like he knew Jimmy didn’t mean it at his expense. The fall would have explained the harsh flash of pain he had felt around minute three of counting, but he was glad Tango was alright.

“How did the Inn-searching go?” He asked, tilting the bag of cookies in his companions direction as he took a bite of his own. Tango cleared his throat and noticed the bag outstretched to him. “It went well. I found one not too far. It seems nice.” He was staring at the cookie bag thoughtfully, and Jimmy noticed why. He was about to apologize when Tango reached up and pulled one out. If Jimmy hadn’t already eaten his, (hey, they were really good) he might have guessed the damaged one Tango pulled out was originally the other half of his.

He might have laughed at the irony. But Jimmy didn’t notice this, too curious to see if Tango would actually eat it, or if he was just being polite. 

Without any fanfare or announcements, Tango reached up to the strap near his ear, and after a shaky exhale, pulled the mask off. 

It wasn’t like this was something major, but Jimmy hadn’t seen his face. Not in person anyways. He usually found some excuse to leave him alone when they ate during the trip, or it was simply too dark to see. Not that he was even looking.

There was nothing overly extraordinary about Tango’s face. He wasn’t hiding any crazy scars or facial hair, but still. The smile he gave Jimmy, lopsided and genuine… It was like it completed an unsolved puzzle in Jimmy’s mind. He had the whole picture now. Tango then coughed, quickly shoved the cookie in his mouth, and snapped the mask back on. The moment was over even quicker than it began, and time passed like he hadn’t just flipped Jimmy's perspective on his head.

“Why do you wear it?” He asked, whispered, finally. It was like lifting a weight off his chest. 

“Why?” Tango looked at him thoughtfully. “Because I have to, of course.”

Maybe Jimmy was staring at him a little too intensely.

“You didn’t have to before.” He was still talking quietly, and Tango had to strain to hear him over the fan on his face.

“Before?” Tango asked slowly, eyes widening as he repeated it. “Before what? ” 

Jimmy froze. They had both caught his mistake.

"Jimmy?" Tango asked, eyes sharp and brows pinched. " How long have you known me?" 

There was a loud noise, and Jimmy recoiled sharply, looking over at where the sound had come from. The door to the shop had opened, and the elf that had told him about the sign stepped out, staring at them both with his brows raised. Then he turned and flipped the sign to open. "We're open now." He said matter of factly to them. 

Jimmy wasted no time standing up quickly to head inside. 

He let the blue haired elf lead him inside, ignoring the way Tango's vexed expression bore into the back of his head. 

He knew it was wrong to leave him like that, when questions were no doubt flying through his head faster than a bird with clipped wings fell from the sky, but everything in Jimmy told him that this was going to go horribly wrong. He had told Tango to find an inn because he figured this entire conformation was going to blow up in his face so badly that he would end up fleeing from the elf kingdom. 

He was never planning on staying here. 

This was just a miscommunication that Tango was probably overthinking, but Jimmy couldn't find the courage to explain. 

He would learn soon enough. He would learn, and then he would hate Jimmy, and then Jimmy would lose him. Maybe Tango would curse his name like he did Scar's. Maybe he'd try to kill him. Jimmy felt horrible for thinking it, but his nerves had been torn to shreds thinking about it ever since it happened, and he took some solace in the fact that one way or another, this would be over soon. 

"I'm sorry." He muttered under his breath. He really was, too.  

____

Tango decided he should stop staring at the back of Jimmy’s head and follow him inside, but his face was still twisted in confusion as he stood up. Tango was getting answers after this, one way or another.

The shop was very different from how it looked on the outside, and for a moment Tango wondered if he had stepped into the wrong building, because the space inside was deceiving. There was a high ceiling, with some sort of rotating metal orb that produced most of the rooms light. Surrounding it, there were large circular bookshelves. It was unclear if those books were for sale or decoration, but Tango felt they would be a pain to get down either way.

Shelves lined the walls, with so many inventions and knick knacks Tango felt like if he started looking at them closer he would never stop. Probably stolen, though , he thought bitterly.

Near the entrance there were also mannequins with snazzy outfits and a hat rack with a plethora of all sorts of different types of headwear. Tango studied one in particular with a long purple dress and large dark veil attached to their abnormally sized hat. It seemed to have orange hair, but Tango decided he had bigger questions than why Scar had decided to give a mannequin a wig.

“You two are here early,” The elf said, his long blue hair was pulled back into a braid, which Tango watched swish as he moved behind the large main counter in the center of the room. 

“You must be looking for something important .” His green eyes sparkled as he looked at them, focusing on Jimmy.

“Er- yeah… something-”

“ Someone. ” Tango interrupted, because Jimmy was clearly getting distracted. “We’re looking for Scar.”

“This is his shop, isn’t it?” Jimmy added. He was still avoiding Tango’s gaze. 

The elf stared them down, eyes flicking to something behind them both quickly before he met Tango’s gaze again with a sharp smile. 

“You're looking at him!” He said, leaning a hand on his chin and continued to study the pair like he could see right through them. Tango felt Jimmy finally glance at him, but he didn't take his eyes off the elf. He almost sounded like Scar, sure. But Tango knew he was looking at a completely different person. They might have the same green eyes, but this man’s were much lighter, with slit pupils. Their builds were different too. Where Scar was muscular, this elf was lean. Scar was also much taller than him. The person in front him was around the same height. There was also the clear matter of hair. Scar’s was short brown. This elf had long blue.

“Ah, that’s great.” Jimmy said. “We’re trying to-”

Tango stepped in front of him, eyes boring into the green eyed phony.

“ Is this some sort of joke? ” He wasn’t even sure why he was starting to get mad. Maybe it was how easily he lied. Maybe it was the way he was looking at them both. Maybe it was because of how easily Jimmy believed him. He didn’t even have a scar. 

“Whatever do you mean?” He asked innocently. 

“Tango…” Jimmy started, looking at him like he was afraid of the direction this interaction was taking.

“You’re not Scar.” Tango said, crossing his arms. The temperature in the room was rising drastically. Tango didn’t feel it. 

The elf cocked his head curiously. It reminded Tango of a cat. 

“I’ve met him.”

The elf’s smile faltered- if only for a moment. 

“Ohhh, did you say Scar?” He said, eyebrows raising. “I thought you said Scott. That’s me.” He offered him a hand, the smile returning. Tango didn’t step forward to take it, and Jimmy didn’t move past Tango to shake it either.

“Where is Scar?” Tango repeated. Demanded . 

“Ah, yes. This shop's dear founder.” Scott said, stepping back from the counter and tapping his face thoughtfully. “Unfortunately, he's been out for a while. I’m in charge now”

“Out?” Tango hissed. “ Out where?” 

Scott was still grinning as he leaned over the counter, like he was going to let him in on a secret, green eyes boring into Tango’s head. 

“I’ll tell you.” He said quietly, hand cupped around his mouth.

Tango stepped forward so he could hear him, ignoring Jimmy’s grunt that sounded like a wait.  

“You really wanna know?” Scott asked.

Tango wasn’t going to entertain him, but Jimmy’s “Yes.” Was answer enough.

“He’s dead.”

Some part of Tango knew his head had caught ablaze, with the way Scott’s eyes widened and Jimmy called his name. Most of him didn’t care though. How dare this elf try and toy with them. How dare he lie, and claim this shop as his own. 

Don't get him wrong, Tango hated Scar. But he also wasn’t blind to his talents. There was no way he was dead, which meant Scott was lying, and Tango hadn’t trekked for days constantly in pain from some curse to be lied to and messed with when the answers he wanted were within his reach. Very much within his reach, he realized, grabbing for the elf.

“Tango! Wait-” Tango heard Jimmy call, but he didn’t interfere any more than that. 

“I think you need to cool off.” Scott said, stepping back. Before Tango’s sharp hands could grab him, he heard Jimmy call to him again. 

“Behind you!” 

He didn’t have enough time to turn before he felt a sharp blow to the back of his head, and the world went black.

____

A very tall person was standing over Tango, their face hidden by a large hat as they watched the blazeborne crumble. Jimmy had been too shocked by Tango’s head catching on fire to notice the mannequin move, so he watched with grit teeth as Tango fell.

Jimmy knew what was about to happen. He had been here before. There wasn’t any time to get any answers out of this mess of a situation, but maybe Jimmy could prevent some further damage.

He dived for Tango, barely catching him before he hit the ground. The flames on his head were dying out, returning his hair to normal. Jimmy was thankful for that, at the very least, but he still diverted his gaze from the flicker. 

He quickly checked that Tango’s mask hadn’t become dislodged as he wrapped his wings around them both, forming a cocoon of sorts. It was only a moment before he also felt it. The hard plank of wood that had hit Tango in the back of his head, and Jimmy passed out as well, Hoping his sad attempt at a shield would keep them somewhat protected. Or at least stop Tango from burning down the entire shop, if worse came to worst. 

In Jimmy’s experience, it usually did.

____

“Well. That went well.” Cleo said, deadpan as they stared down at the feathery lump.

Scott was making a face. “How was I supposed to know they’d already met him?” He pouted.

“You can drop the voice.” Cleo giggled. 

“Ah, right.” Scott replied, clearing his throat. 

“That is quite annoying though. Martyn failed to mention that.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Scott said, resting a hand on his hip. His accent was back. “Now that I think about it though, he had only met the avian before, right? That’s what you told me. So it makes sense.”

Cleo let out a little hmm in response. “Yeah. It checks out.” 

She poked the avian's wings with a sigh. “Still gets rid of a lot of our fun though, doesn’t it? Shame.” 

“Shame indeed.” Scott echoed. 

He had walked over next to Cleo and now crouched down, slowly attempting to move the large wing. “Kinda sweet how he tried to protect him, though. As late as it was.” 

Cleo laughed. “Are you kidding? He looked absolutely terrified of him when he charged at you, if you ask me.” They responded.

Scott blinked at her. “Oh, really?” He had successfully moved the wing, and now looked at them both. Thankfully the blazeborne’s fire had put itself out, but there was still a glare over his closed eyes and a thin trail of smoke coming from his head. Cleo couldn’t see the avian's eyes, the parts his hair weren’t  covering were hidden from how he leaned on the elve’s shoulder.

“Well, I’ve never met soulmates who didn’t have something overly complicated going on.” Scott said with a chuckle. “Wanna help me move these two?” 

____

Jimmy awoke staring at a purple eye. His head was hurting, throbbing so badly it made him bite his lip, and the parts of his brain that weren’t screaming in pain were shooting off alarm bells.

“Martyn?” He muttered, brain still fuzzy and eyesight blurred. He blinked a couple times, and suddenly, the eye was gone, replaced by a dark veil. The person with the large hat stepped back, and if Jimmy had more consciousness, he might have noticed how offended they looked.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remember what was going on. How was it possible for a head to hurt this much? It was almost like– right. 

The bond. 

The bond. Tango. 

Where was Tango?

His eyes snapped open, and thankfully, the world was a bit clearer this time. A quick survey of the room accompanied by the thick smell of dust told him he was still in Scar’s shop. This had to be some back room then, or something. The person who he had seen upon waking was standing in front of the door, talking to the elf they had met earlier. Scott. Jimmy remembered his name. His hands weren’t bound, but he definitely didn’t want to stand yet. His eyes finally landed on Tango, and he exhaled in some sort of relief. He was still out cold, head bent in an uncomfortable angle as he rested against the wall. Jimmy’s throat went a little dry when he noticed that his hands were tied, the rope leading to the base of a nearby wooden pillar.

He wondered if their captors knew how little that would affect the blazeborne if he were to wake up. Clearly not.

He wondered if his knife was still in its small holder in the back of his belt. 

He wondered if he was brave enough to use it.

“You awake?” Scott said, noticing how Jimmy’s eyes flicked between them and his soulmate. “Good. Let’s talk.”

“Where is Scar, really?” Jimmy asked first, licking the dryness from his lips.

His captors glanced at each other, having some wordless conversation with only a glance.

“He’s dead.” Scott said again. “We’re not lying about that.” 

Jimmy frowned. “How?” From what he had heard of this Scar fellow, he didn't seem easy to kill. 

“Killed by his own rotten soulmate.” The one with the hat said, making an amused ‘tsk’ as they said it. 

Jimmy paled. “What? How -”

“Ah ah ah, our turn for questions.” Scott interrupted.

Jimmy figured that was fair, so he quieted.

“Let's all introduce ourselves, this has all gotten out of hand so quickly.”

Jimmy also figured that was fair. 

“I’m Scott. This is Cleo.”

Jimmy nodded. “I’m Jimmy.” He muttered. “That's Tango.”

“Wonderful!” Cleo said. “Now that we’re acquainted..” She reached up and pulled the veil from one of her eyes. It was bright purple. A chill crept up Jimmy’s spine. So he had seen a purple eye. Was this some common condition for weirdos?  

“Why were you looking for Scar?” Cleo asked. Jimmy had a strange feeling they already knew the answer to that.

“We were told he knew how to break the-” Jimmy glanced at Tango. He still seemed unconscious. “The curse .” He finished. 

Scott looked between them both, realization dawning on his features.

“Let me guess,” Cleo said. “You want to kill him?”

Jimmy recoiled so harshly his wings hit the pillar behind him. “ What?”  He asked, offended and horrified at the thought.

“Hey, we understand complicated-.” 

“No- no! That is definitely not why I’m here.” Jimmy interrupted her. 

“But he doesn’t know you’re soulmates, does he?” Scott said thoughtfully.

Jimmy froze. “How did… How did you-”

“Just a hunch.” He said with a smile, but even Cleo blinked in surprise.

“Don’t worry, we can keep secrets.” He added with a wink. 

Jimmy somehow really doubted that.

“Lucky for you though,” Cleo continued, “We also know how to break the bond.”

“Tell me.” 

Chapter Text

“You think I don’t know what you’re doing?” The dwarf asked, unimpressed. 

“I really don’t know what you could be referring to.” The hooded figure responded, but Impulse unfortunately knew him well enough to hear the smile in his grating voice.

“More importantly, why is he here?” The one with blue wings pointed towards Skizz, who was standing near the entrance, arms crossed as he studied the horizon. They were standing in the tent. Celebrations were dying down, and although the night was still young, Impulse doubted anyone would be interfering with this meeting. Still though, Skizz guarded the entrance faithfully.

“He goes where I go.” Impulse said. He knew he already knew this.

Skizz stuck his tongue out at the blue jay, and Impulse had to hold back the laugh at his friend’s face.  “Back on topic..” 

“Hey- why are you in this form?” He interrupted.

“Martyn.”

“Right. Sorry. Genuine question though.”

“I dont know.” Impulse replied cheekily. “Why do you hide your arms behind those bandages?”

Skizz made a little “Oooo” sound quietly behind them.

Martyn pulled off his hood, blonde hair spilling out and resident grin in full view to terrorize him. 

“touché.” He replied. 

“Does he know about your little scam business you and your soulmate have got going on?” Impulse asked directly. 

A blink was the only sign of shock from the jay, but before he could open his mouth and deny it, a new voice interrupted. 

“Do I know about what?” The one with dragon wings asked. 

Martyn whipped around, and Skizz jumped, staring at from where he had been guarding the door to where the figure had appeared out of seemingly thin air.

Impulse hadn’t noticed him enter either, and had jumped a little, if he was being honest, but that was information he was going to keep to himself. 

Information he was not going to keep to himself, however, was whatever sketchy thing Martyn and Cleo had going on. 

“I think there’s some new scammers in the elf kingdom. And one of them is in this room.”

“Hm.” The dragon said, turning towards Martyn.

Martyn frowned. “I haven’t done anything outside of orders, alright?”

Silence.

“Stop looking at me with those eyes.” Martyn said. “Haven’t you ruined my week quite enough already? My back still hurts from last time.” 

Impulse would love to continue harassing the schemer, but he was using all of his focus to once again not laugh at Skizz’s baffled face.

“Whatever. We have important things to discuss.” 

Martyn relaxed just a bit, and the action wasn’t lost on Impulse. 

“Skizzleman. Leave us.” The dragon continued. 

Skizz frowned, gaze shifting to Impulse. He knew Skizz didn’t usually attend their meetings, and frankly wanted nothing to do with this group of outcasts, but he was here for Impulse. To support him in any way he could after what he– what they had done to Zed. 

“You can go, Skizz. I’ll see you later.” 

Skizz met all of their gazes, sighed, and then stepped outside of the tent. 

“Don’t eavesdrop.” The hooded one said.

“Or we'll have to break your mind!” Martyn added in a sing-song tone. 

“Oh, shut up!” Skizz called, as his footsteps and muttering trailed away.

“Says the one with the broken mind.” The third member of the party said, reaching up to tug off his hood.

Martyn let loose a dramatic gasp. “Wow. What's your problem?” 

Short sandy blond hair clashed with tired purple eyes. 

“How long have you been a dragon?” Impulse asked with a frown as he looked at him.

Grian’s eyes widened as he looked down at his clawed hands. 

“Ah.” Was all he said.

Martyn went a little pale. “But you were– when we fought days ago–”

“Days?” Impulse asked, bewildered. “He’s been in that form for days?”

“A week at least.” Martyn said, not taking his eye off of Grian as he began shifting. 

His dragon wings seemed to shrivel, and then grow into long brown and white feathers. The many horns on his head retreated, and Grian grunted in pain. Yeah. Impulse was glad Skizz wasn’t here for this. 

Martyn seemed to wince. Impulse understood the feeling. He could barely stand after a single night of being in his other form. 

“How are you even alive right now?” Martyn asked. For once he didn’t sound sarcastic.

Grian laughed, somehow . Even as he collapsed to the ground. 

Impulse let him fall, but then he stepped forward, looping an arm around him and setting him down properly on a chair. 

“Pure spite.” Grian said. His nose was bleeding. 

“What did you call this meeting for?” Impulse said. Him and Grian were not friends, but they also didn’t share the angry fire of hate that Grian shared with Martyn. 

The three of them were a strange group, to say the least. Impulse supposed they were co-workers, in a way. They usually didn’t get along and stayed in their respective spaces away from the others. Which is why Grian calling them here was so intriguing. Grian didn’t ask for help. Which meant at the very least, this meeting would be quite interesting. Impulse decided he didn't want to miss it. Not that he really had a choice, though, since he had summoned them to the Iron hills, which was his unspoken domain. 

Grian spat out a mouthful of blood. 

“An intervention.” He answered.

____

Jimmy wished he hadn’t asked. He honestly should have expected it would be extremely complicated. He had simply thought it would be similar to how Martyn had activated the curse in the first place. A dark crowded room with some weirdo, some magical items, maybe a headache for good measure, and then no more golden string haunting his dreams. Simple as that. Turns out, Jimmy was once again, very wrong. 

They told him. 

Oh they told him, alright.

They told him exactly what he needed to do to break this curse. What they needed to do. When they had finished, Cleo had (way too happily, in his opinion) told him that they now owed them both a stupid amount of coins.

Jimmy had managed to somehow convince them that first they needed to explain how to break the curse to Tango, who was still knocked out. Speaking of being knocked out, Jimmy could feel the way Tango’s neck was starting to cramp. 

“I'm waking him up.” Jimmy announced finally, heading over to Tango as he dug the pocket knife from his belt. He blinked away the sudden dizziness he felt as he stood up.

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” Cleo asked. “He caught on fire . We’re in a closed building.”

“ Wooden building . ” Scott added. 

Jimmy hated how he paused, hand hesitating above the rope on Tango’s wrists. His throat was dry. It had been since they told him how to break the bond.

Then his eyes rested on the knife in his hands. On the bandage underneath it, wrapped around his palm. A train of thought crossed his mind. Something about scars and letting go. Something about faults and hurt and owning up to your mistakes.

Did he think meeting Tango was a mistake? 

The thought hit him like cold water. He didn’t have an answer for that. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to have an answer for that. 

“Just don’t make him mad again.” Jimmy said. 

“What? My mere existence made him do that.” Scott replied. He could hear the frown.

“No, it was you lying.” Jimmy’s next words died on his tongue. He hates liars.

“He should know too.” Jimmy settled on, finally, as he very carefully began to cut the rope. “Just… Don’t- don’t tell him we’re… Soulmates.” He didn’t need to look behind him to know the two were exchanging looks again. “I’m going to. I- I just haven't got around to it yet.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Cleo said. “On one condition.”

—

Tango woke up to brown eyes. 

Jimmy’s face was pinched with worry, but Tango couldn’t really think about him with the pounding in his head. His neck hurt too, and it took him a moment to remember where he was. He gasped, mask kicking in overdrive as he breathed in, hands reaching toward it to make sure it was still on and in one piece. 

“Hey, it’s fine! You're fine.” The avian said, hands up in an almost calming gesture. He attempted to ask a question, but the combination of his drowsy state and mask whirring, not even he heard it properly. He took a deep breath. His throat was really dry. 

Right. He remembered grimly. He had caught on fire again. 

He had erupted right in front of Jimmy. 

“Sorry.” He managed to mutter. 

“Wh- What?” Jimmy asked, frown evident. 

“I’m sorry.” He said again. He felt like he was about to pass out again. The world was spinning. Had anyone- ah. Right. Skizz and Impulse weren’t here and Jimmy didn’t know about it. After a moment of brief hesitation, Tango brought his palm to his forehead. It hit the gem, as intended, and his thoughts were quite literally flooded with all sorts of unpleasant visuals of water. 

Unfortunately, this did nothing for his headache, and Tango hissed because of the pain and the visuals. 

“Tango?” Jimmy said, worried expression as he pulled his hand away from his face. 

It had probably looked like Tango had just hit himself in the face. 

He probably would have laughed at that, if he wasn’t gritting his teeth. 

“Are you alr-” Jimmy suddenly recoiled sharply, wincing in apparent pain. He stood up, stepping back as he rubbed his forehead. 

Tango took this minute to gain his bearings. He breathed deep, focusing on the light on the ceiling. It was flickering, so Tango assumed it was powered by some sort of insect.

The pain slowly dulled, and he was able to recall the exact order of events correctly.

“Jimmy?” He said. It was coherent this time. “Where are... The shop owners?” He would have liked to stand up, but he had a feeling that wasn’t exactly a good idea. 

Thankfully, they didn’t seem to be trapped in any underground prison, because afternoon sunlight spilled onto the wooden walls from a small window like a can of overturned paint.

With the light, Tango was able to finally notice that Jimmy, for some reason, had gone a little pale. 

“Are you alright?” He asked.

The avian shook his head as if to clear it. “Yeah, yeah. I’m great.” He wandered over to the door. 

“Scott and Cleo went to– uh…. I actually don’t know where they ran off to. They’ll be back, though.”

Tango saw this as an opportunity. He stood up slowly, approaching where Jimmy was looking at the door rather thoughtfully. 

“Now’s our chance, then.” He said, and Jimmy turned to look at him. 

“Chance..?”

“Yeah. Let’s get out of here before they come back.”

“Wh- We can’t just leave Tango, they have information on how to break th- your curse.”

Tango scoffed; “We don’t need their help. I’d rather figure it out by myself.” 

“Tango…” Jimmy sounded exasperated. 

“If they lied about Scar, who knows what else they’ll lie about. Come on, Jimmy. You have to see how this is a scam.”

“I…”

“The only thing in the book they haven’t done yet is charge us.”

Jimmy went very still.

“ Jimmy.”  It was Tango’s turn to be exasperated.

“Hey! I didn’t give them anything. Yet.”

Tango sighed. “Good. Then let's go.” 

Jimmy, for some reason, was still hesitating. Now, it wasn’t like Tango didn’t value Jimmy’s opinion, but he had known Scar. 

Scar, who had betrayed him and scammed him out of multiple of his own inventions.

Scar, who had left him to drown . If he could do that to someone he had known for years, Tango did not want to find out what his associates would do to someone they had just met that day. 

So before Jimmy could convince him otherwise, he grabbed the avian by the wrist and pulled Jimmy after him, and they fled from the shop and into the crowded late afternoon streets.

—

“An intervention?” Martyn nearly scoffed. “Have you forgotten our job here?”

Grian straightened from where he was sitting. “Ah, of course. I forgot that you of all people would leap at the chance to be a catalyst for the end of humanity.”

Martyn bristled, but before they could continue, Impulse spoke. “Get to your point, Grian.” 

The owl sighed, heavy weight now apparent on his shoulders. “There is an elf and an avian headed to the elf kingdom right now. They might already be there. I know you both know it.” 

Impulse chewed on his cheek, and Martyn had no visible reaction besides the crossing of his arms. ”And if they figure out how to break the bond…”

“If they figure it out, they’ll break it.” Martyn said. “What’s the problem with that?”

“You and I both know that’s rarely how that goes.” Grian hissed. 

“Maybe they won’t.” Impulse interjected. Three eyes turned to him. “Maybe they can learn to be happy with it.” 

Grian looked away, apparently finding the dirt on the floor much more interesting. Martyn laughed. Once, maybe, it was a nice sound. Now, it was rough, high and infested with the sound of rotted lungs. The laugh of an absolute madman. Impulse decided. He rolled his eyes as he pointedly ignored the avian. 

“Ohoho! For a moment I thought you really were as crazy as us!” He wiped a tear from his eye. “I forgot you have no idea what it's actually like.”

Impulse knew Martyn, for all of his talk, would not win in a fight against him. He didn’t even have the ability to shift into a dragon since he was stopped by his soul bond. Impulse knew if he wanted to, Martyn could be dead in a moment. 

Impulse also knew that, unlike Grian, he had self control, and didn’t let Martyn’s crass words get under his skin. It annoyed him, sure, but not nearly enough to send Martyn flying. Him and Skizz had spent a long time setting this tent up, after all. 

“ You forget, Martyn,” Grian said quietly, finally moving his gaze from the dirt. “That he is just as crazy as us.” 

Impulse shifted his gaze at him, and Grian’s black eyes met his. There was something there, something underneath the layers of scheming and secrets. Something like caution . Something like fear.

“He just hides it better.”

“Why did you call us here, Grian?” Impulse tried again.

“I want to stop them, before it’s too late for any of us.”

“Why?” 

Grian seemed taken aback by the question. “Because… You know why! They’re trying to bring them back.” 

So that was the excuse he was using. “Yeah, and won’t you be free if that happens?” 

“Won’t we all be free?” Martyn jumped in.

“Sure.” Grian answered, wings shifting. “If freedom to you is an ashen wasteland devoid of any life besides yours.”

“I thought you wanted the world to burn.” Impulse said.

Grian made a face. “I…” He looked a little conflicted. 

Checkmate. “What's really going on here? Why are you trying to stop them? Do you know the avian or something?” 

Grian made no move to answer, so Impulse turned to the less savory option. “Martyn?” 

Sure enough, the bluejay was all too ready to spill Grian’s secrets. “You could say he knows him, yeah.”

Grian shot him a dangerous look, made worse by the blood still on his face. “Don’t-”

“Jimmy is Grian’s brother! Little brother, to be exact, and he’s extremely curs-.” 

Grian dashed, a flash of black and purple, but Impulse saw it coming before he even asked, so Grian never reached the jay. He got close though, and Martyn whistled at the clawed hand inches from his throat as he danced out of the way. 

“Impulse.” Grian said. The dwarf let him go, his own scaly clawed hand returning to normal.

“Grian.” He said, as Grian stumbled. “Isn’t he your friend? They’re linked, Impulse. If Jimmy dies, the elf dies too.”

Impulse was thoughtful for a moment. 

“I trust Tango. He’s gotten himself in and out of much trickier situations. Besides, I haven’t completed my task here yet.”

“You don’t seem to understand the situation here, Impulse. He’s cursed. He’s a canary.” Grian spat, “If they go down there, they will not come out .” 

“I personally think you’re projecting here a bit, aren’t you, G?” Martyn quipped. He had stolen Grian’s chair, and had his face leaning on a hand. Grian flinched at the nickname, but he didn’t move from his spot sitting on the floor. Impulse assumed he couldn’t.

“Afraid you’ll have a recreation of a certain unhappy memory?”

“Martyn, if he goes for you again, I’m just going to watch.” Impulse said. That shut him up. 

“I’ll think about it.” Impulse finally answered, handing Grian a handkerchief to wipe the blood off his face because man, it was really unsettling when he was just sitting there not saying a word.

“I’ll help!” Martyn said, singsongy. “I want to see if this ends any differently than I saw it happen, at the very least.” 

 “It will.” Grian finished wiping his face, and stood up slowly. “ This time I’ll change fate .”

—

Could they be called streets if the entire city was suspended on a tree? Jimmy wondered.

Well, whatever they were walking on, the paths were crowded. Too crowded, honestly. Much more so than this morning. It had been hours since they had ran off from Scar’s shop, and had spent the day exploring the city. Jimmy had finally sold a lot of his unnecessary items and bought a smaller backpack. Tango had, much to Jimmy’s dismay, bought several forms of TNT and a bright red dust, which he instructed Jimmy to keep far away from the explosives at all cost. Jimmy agreed, since he wasn’t trying to lose a wing any time soon, and had shoved it as deep as he could in his new leather bag. 

Now they were wandering around, trying to find an inn that wasn’t somehow fully booked and also avoid Scott and Cleo. They were looking for them. Jimmy knew it. He may have fulfilled their condition in not telling Tango the truth about his curse, but Jimmy knew they still wanted to be paid some exorbitant amount. Jimmy had heard them talking about it. He had the information. He knew how to break it. Now he just needed to tell Tango, and…. Well, that's as far as his plans had ever gotten. They were supposed to get here, fix this, and then split ways. 

Jimmy hadn’t known it at the time, but to break it, you needed to have both members of the bond present. Which would be hard to do without explaining everything. Unless Jimmy just kept lying, but Jimmy didn’t like to lie. Besides, his mind was becoming a maze trying to remember what lies he had told at this point, trying to make sure his actions lined up with the tall tales he had woven. It was exhausting, and he very much wanted it to end, at this point. Even if it meant Tango hated him. They would be stuck together for a while now anyways, whether either of them liked it or not. 

All of these thoughts spun in Jimmy’s head as Tango led them around the city. They both knew they were very lost at this point, but they weren't exactly thoroughly looking for the exit either now that night had fallen. What baffled Jimmy was the amount of people that seemingly just appeared out of thin air. Clearly there was some huge celebration happening, but whenever either of them asked about it, the people around just said this is what every night was like. 

“Maybe they’re mostly nocturnal.” Tango had said earlier, and Jimmy didn’t have any better reasoning. 

The good thing about all these people was the cover they provided. Jimmy was sure he had seen a flash of a long blue braid or a large hat on multiple occasions, but he and Tango had always been able to avoid them by hiding behind others. 

The problem was, in the end, Cleo and Scott knew this city way better than Tango and Jimmy did, and if this continued, Jimmy didn’t really think they could avoid confrontation for very long. 

Not that he thought those two had any legal high ground to arrest them with, which he supposed was one good thing about running from people that didn’t obey the law, but then again, if they didn’t obey the law, there were worse things that could happen to them than getting arrested or kicked out of the city. 

Tango came to a sudden stop in front of him, and Jimmy nearly barreled into the elf.  

He turned around, red eyes wide. 

“Back!”

“What? What’s up?” Jimmy said, trying to peer over his shoulder.

“Jimmy, they’re right there!” He whisper-yelled. Jimmy only needed to see a flash of a large hat to be convinced, and they both turned back and dashed away.

Tango wasn’t sure how long they ran, dashing around people and carts and running across so many bridges he had lost track of what part of the city they were even in anymore. This place was huge. He just hoped Jimmy hadn’t sold his compass earlier. 

They finally stopped in a large circular pavilion. There were people crowded all around it, making a ring. Loud music was playing, and Tango realized as he caught his breath, hand on his gut to soothe the cramp and tail flopped on the ground, that they were dancing.

Jimmy was looking at watching them, a whitsful expression on his face. “It’s like this every night?” He said, and it was nearly lost to the overwhelming sound of song and cheers.

Tango heard him, though, and he knew what he meant. A place that truly welcomed all? With more shops than you could ever hope to buy at, food and goods from every corner of the world, and celebrations every night? This place sounded too good to be true. 

It probably was, but Tango didn’t want to stick around long enough to start to see the cracks in the porcelain.

They watched the dance circle for a while, as people joined in, arms looped and laughing as they just barely avoided stumbling on each other. It looked fun. 

“Do you wanna join them?” Tango asked. He wasn’t even sure how he meant to phrase it, but it definitely didn’t come out like an invitation.

Jimmy blinked out of his trance. “Oh.. No. I don’t think now is exactly a good time.”

“I could keep watch?” Tango offered, and Jimmy laughed. “I appreciate it, but I’m fine. On that note, I think we lost them.” 

Tango’s sharp eyes surveyed the pavilion. He couldn’t see them, but it wasn’t like they exactly stuck out among all of the very different folk that were here. “Lets circle around and do another check, just to be safe.” Tango suggested, and Jimmy nodded in agreement, beginning to walk the other way. Tango turned too, and quickly lost sight of the avian behind the crowds. 

Even if Scott and Cleo managed to find and corner them here, Tango suspected they couldn’t do too much, considering the amount of people here. Not that Jimmy thought they even wanted to hurt them, based on what he had told Tango during their shopping spree, but Tango didn’t trust them not to do something crazy one bit.

He circled the group of dancers, admiring how the warm light from the fires high above colored the scene like a memory. He weaved and dodged through people, nodding hellos and excuse me’s while scanning the crowd. He had nearly made a full circle when he noticed he should have run into Jimmy by now. His frown was hidden by metal as he turned in a small circle. Maybe he had just missed him. His search yielded no results, and Tango let his feet carry him around as he scanned everyone again, even closer this time, worry beginning to gnaw at his gut. “Jimmy?” He called, knowing as it failed to make it through the filter on his mask that it was a pointless action. Still, it was as if the universe answered his plea, because he laid eyes on his companion moments after. 

“Jimmy!” He called, pushing through the crowd. “There you are. I-” The relief that had begun to flood his system froze as he saw who was standing in front of Jimmy. 

Cleo and Scott somehow had cornered him, which was almost quite impressive, because the large area they were on was a circle. They had their backs turned towards him, but Jimmy’s eyes met Tango’s from in front of them. 

The avian gave the slightest shake of his head. Tango understood, but he still cursed under his breath as he dived behind a group of passing people.

Distraction, Tango. Think! No explosions. He racked his brain as he followed behind the dancers, and as they stepped in and joined the ring, a very stupid idea began to grow in the recess of his mind. 

—-

Cleo was more annoyed at the fact Scott had insisted they follow around the pair all day than the fact they hadn’t paid for the information given. To her, Jimmy’s payment of letting her peer into his head was more than enough, but it was understandable, she supposed. Scott hadn’t seen what they had. Hell, he wouldn’t believe her if they told him, she was sure.

So they both had trailed the two around town, keeping tabs on the inn’s they stopped at and what they sold to who. All in all, it was pretty boring, and Cleo was sure they were losing potential customers by randomly closing the shop all day and playing wild goose chase. 

Thankfully, it was over now. Jimmy was inches away from practically giving away his entire (now smaller) backpack over to Scott, and they all knew it. That was, until Jimmy’s eyes met something behind them, and Cleo turned. Their vision was obscured by their hat, but it was something Cleo had had a long time to adjust to. Still, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. A flick of a tail maybe, but it clearly belonged to a group of dancers headed towards the main circle, so she didn’t pay it much mind. Besides, There wasn’t much Jimmy’s soulmate could do at this point. If he was even here, which Jimmy swore (quite unconvincingly) that he wasn’t.

“Jimmy, come on. We’re simply asking for you to pay for the services we provided.” Scott continued. 

“Well,” Jimmy laughed nervously. “That’s actually a funny story, because Tango seems to have run off with all of my money...”

“Nice try. Stop changing the story.” Scott tapped his foot. “Besides, you two are soulmates. He wouldn’t.”

“ He doesn’t know we’re soulmates.” 

Scott glared.

Jimmy gulped. “I’ll pay for it eventually, alright? I will. As soon as we break the-”

“Nope! Sorry. That’s not how this works.”

“Ah, really? I don’t remember seeing any fine print anywhere…”

Scott was getting frustrated, as good as he was at hiding it. Cleo was getting frustrated just by watching them. This conversation was no longer going anywhere but in circles. Quite like the base on which they were standing.

Jimmy was surprisingly good at this. It reminded her of another very annoying avian. 

“Enough of this.” Cleo said. “Jimmy. Pay us, and we will leave. Don’t, and I’ll break Tango’s mind.” 

Scott quickly caught onto their bluff, but his unsure glace told her all he thought about that idea. 

Jimmy now stepped back, but he didn’t look any more panicked than he did a few moments ago. 

“Tango was right.” He muttered. “You two are crazy liars.”

Scott sighed, but Cleo had gotten the information she wanted. 

“He’s here.” She said. “Jimmy saw him minutes ago.” 

Scott perked up, green eyes surveying the party. “So we take Jimmy and go.” He said. “He’ll have to come to us.” 

Cleo chewed on her lip, wondering again if this was worth the trouble. “A ransom, huh?” their day had been pretty boring. “Sure, why not.” 

Jimmy stepped back again, but he was running out of places to run, and Cleo knew from Martyn that he couldn’t yet fly. “No way, I’m not going anywhere with you two.” 

“Shame.” Cleo said, taking a step forward with Scott.

Before they could reach him, all the music suddenly cut out, and a clear but scratchy voice took advantage of the new silence. 

“Jimmy!”

Cleo blinked in shock, their gaze all turning towards where Tango was standing on top of one of the huge drums where the musicians were playing. His hand was outstretched, as if Jimmy could reach him with no problem, like distance wasn’t an issue. Even more interesting was the fact that he wasn’t wearing the mask Cleo hadn’t seen him take off. His sharp grin was visible for all, and Cleo could see from here the glint of chaos in his eyes. 

Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing. That bastard.

Everyone’s eyes shifted to the three, and Cleo and Scott stepped back from their quite predatory stance.

“Will you dance with me?”

There was no real spotlight , but there didn’t need to be. Mostly everyone’s eyes were glued to Jimmy, waiting for his response. Tango used this opportunity to bring the mask up to his face, inhaling deeply. So he did need it. 

Cleo wondered if Jimmy even realized what Tango was doing here. Probably not. He looked completely shocked. The light reflected in his eyes, and Cleo thought for a moment they were glowing as he looked at Tango. 

Gross . She was about to tell Scott they cut their losses as Tango jumped down, crowd moving out of his way as he put his mask back on. 

“In fact, my friends here are a little shy, but how about we all dance!” He called, his mask making his voice muffled but louder. 

People were all too happy to oblige, and one moment, Cleo was standing next to Scott. The next they were swept away into the fray of the people. 

Cleo got one more glimpse of Tango, extending his hand dramatically once more. The avian took it, his head thrown back as he laughed.

Cleo ignored the pang in her heart at the sight, as the music started again and she was whisked away by the night.

—-

Someone was watching these events all play out with a bemused expression, leaning against one of the tall copper blazers. His hood was down, since he didn’t want to look suspicious, and his eyes followed a certain pair. Now he knew these last few minutes had been quite chaotic, but unfortunately, some were not yet satisfied, and well, he would be a liar if he said he wasn’t one for dramatics. So with an excited flick of his wings, he dove into the dancing ring.

Dancing was a lot harder than it looked, as it turned out. By some miracle, Jimmy didn’t trip and bring Tango down with him. It was fun though, in between the bursts of panic. The light he saw in people’s eyes as he passed, switching linked arms as they switched partners, the laughs he heard echo into the open night, his mixed in. He might have even called it magic, and it was all quite distracting. It wasn’t very long at all until his eyes stopped looking for Cleo and Scott, and within the rhythm, he let his guard down. 

Cleo knew from experience that getting out of a dance circle in the elf kingdom was much harder than getting caught in one, so she allowed herself to be swept away with the crowds with the arm loops and music and silk and hair flowing in the fiery light. Scott also had accepted his fate, it seemed, with the way his braid flew as he spun. He shot them an exasperated look for a moment, but quickly turned back to laugh at whatever his dancing partner had said. 

Moments like this were strange to her. She loved the elven capital, of course, which is why they chose to stay here.

But there were moments like this, where the dark silk covering their face would dance in the wind, and people would get a glance at what was underneath. They could never hide their shock after that. Their fear and doubt.

There were moments when Cleo spun by herself in these celebrations, long purple skirts flowing wide around her, people dancing and singing all around, where the light fell on the scene and made it feel like a dream. These were moments, where Cleo felt more lonely than she had ever been.

Grian swore he would never come back here. He gazed up at the large sign on the wooden building, a grim expression on his face. Grian had promised a lot of things. Mostly though, he ended up being a liar. The fool with the blood smeared hands.

Despite his better judgment, his hands grasped for the door. It was locked. Grian swallowed hard, and hesitated. He didn’t have to do this. He knew it.

He reached for the key under his hood.

Martyn was a lot of things. Some of which, he was proud of.

A liar. A prankster. A bastard. 

Some of which, he wished were not true.

A loyal hand. A liar. A soulmate.

He saw Cleo, alone within the crowd. It looked like they were dancing to their own song, separate from this world. And Martyn knew in the way that his other purple eye was on her face, that he was the only one who saw the loneliness hidden under that thick curtain. 

He knew it because they were one and the same.

Martyn was a lot of things, but he didn’t ever want to be a murderer again. 

So he stepped forward and reached for Cleo’s hand. 

Chapter Text

Zed was used to seeing very strange things. The unexplainable and wacky were part of his everyday life. If you asked him when it started exactly, he wouldn’t even be able to give you a straight answer. Like Tango, he was used to the strange looks and worried glances he got from his classmates. Unlike Tango, though, Zed felt like he actually did deserve it. His love for science and experiments had put him in some very strange situations, (and gotten him banned from quite a bit of places, but that's besides the point.) As weird as he was, Zed still had his friends. 

He always had. 

Until Etho graduated, Tango decided to run off with some avian without even saying a proper goodbye, Zed started having nightmares about Impulse, and Skizz stopped being able to look him in the eyes for some reason.

The fact that these things had all happened in such a quick timespan left Zed with a lot of alone time, and alone time meant he was thinking. 

And the more he thought, the weirder everything got. Why couldn’t he remember the name of the avian that Tango ran off with, and why did his memory blur his face? Why is it, when Zed slept, he was often woken up by the dreams of one of his best friends turning into some terrifying monster he didn’t know how his brain conjured up, and the feeling of being watched by hundreds of eyes?

Zed had had weird dreams before. Many times, in fact, but that mixed with the way he flinched at the purple glint in his eyes when he looked in the mirror, and how he hadn’t seen Impulse and Skizz in days … Something was off.   

Now, where things were off, it was Zedaph’s self proclaimed duty to investigate. So that’s what he did. First things first, he checked his journal. Sure enough, the day Tango left didn’t have an entry. Which was very strange. Tango was one of his best friends, and even if he had been upset about him leaving, he would have noted it down. So why didn’t he?  

What was also strange was the fact that Zed hadn’t even noticed the missing journal entry until today, nearly 4 days later. It was true he had gotten very sick that night, (Skizz and Impulse said he must have eaten something bad at the celebrations,) but in his experience, while some fuzzy memories were not uncommon when you had been sick, blocking out an entire day was definitely not normal. 

After, frankly, too much thinking, Zed arrived at the library, where if his memory served him right, was the last place he had been with Tango. The last clear thing in his head. The way the light hit the shelves told him he was here later than he was on that day, but it was still bright, and the dust particles danced and fell through the light like some party was happening he was not invited to. His fingers crossed over the bounded old tomes as he looked for anything that sparked his memory. Why had they been here? Right. Curses. Tango had been cursed by some ailment neither of them had ever heard of, so they came here to study. They had learned about all of them. All of them that were recorded here, at least. 

His dusty fingers brushed over open air, and it made him pause. Blank spaces were not uncommon for a university library, but Zed didn’t like the way his fingers slightly trembled over the emptiness. 

He brought his hand to his head, at the headache that was beginning to form in the back of his skull. Zed took a step back, looking up at the tall shelves.

Since when had curses become such a popular study subject? He wondered, looking at the amount of missing books. He didn’t have much time to truly dwell on that, since there were bigger questions plaguing his mind.

What had they learned? Why is it that Zed could remember picking so many of these books, but when he flipped through them briefly, all the words were new? 

Where had he gone after this? Impulse had said he had told them he had gone to eat, and then came looking for them after he had started to feel ill. That didn't make sense to him. In what world would he go off and party , when Tango was going to leave and still wanted answers? 

Why didn’t he say goodbye? This question made him freeze in the warm sunlight.

There was a feeling in his gut. Alarm bells going off in his head echoed and mingled with the pounding. 

Where was Tango?

If Impulse and Skizz were lying to him, which was a horrible thought to entertain, but he had to imagine the worst case scenario here- that meant they could be lying about anything.

But why? 

He didn’t know. He couldn’t possibly think of a motive right now. Honestly, Zed had no idea what he should do in this situation. Even if he wanted to accuse his long time friends, he had no concrete evidence of any kind, not to mention Skizz was a good alibi, and Zed had always been seen as an eccentric student. He knew it, even as his heart fell. Nobody would believe him.

“Zed?” A voice interrupted his thoughts, and Zed stopped moving, hand still on his face. 

He knew that voice, knew the sound of his footsteps. He swallowed hard. 

Speak of the devil, He thought. 

“What are you doing here? You can’t be here!” He said. It sounded like he had been running. 

Zed’s voice was very dry as he turned to face him. “Why not?” It came out barely above a whisper.

“What do you mean why not! Zed, did you not hear the announcement?” 

“What announcement?” He said with a frown. Impulse took a step towards him, and Zed couldn’t stop the way he involuntarily took a step back. Now Impulse frowned, a worried expression on his face. “Oh, you must have been focused again. Zed, a fire broke out on one of the lower levels. We gotta get out of here.” 

This information threw the sheep hybrid into a completely new loop. “What?” 

But before Impulse could answer, there was a scream from an upper floor, and both of their heads shot in that direction. Sure enough, a bright orange light reflected off of the walls. 

So Impulse had told the truth about that. “I thought you said it was on the lower floors.” Zed blinked. 

“It must have moved.” He said, his face pale. “Let’s get out, before it blocks the exits.”

Despite his doubts, worries, and the red flags that just kept piling up by the minute, Zed nodded, and followed the dwarf as he dashed out of the section. 

Above them a few moments later, the wooden sign that marked the floor’s section caught alight, and the word CURSES burned quick and bright, falling to the ground with a loud crash.

____

Grian expected the floor to creak as he stepped inside. It did, like an exhale of breath. Like a welcome home. Things were different though, too. Scar never had that many mannequins. There were more books, and a new shelf to accompany them, even though the old one was somehow still holding up after all this time. He went farther inside without a thought, hand brushing the familiar wood on the counter. 

There was a hall to the left that led to storage rooms and what used to be a small bedroom, but Grian wasn’t interested in that. He turned right, to the small door practically hidden along the heavily decorated wooden wall. The knob turned easier than he expected, and there was no creak as it opened. 

They must have gotten it replaced, then, he figured. The thin staircase, however, was just as dusty as usual, and Grian remembered why he would usually fly to the second floor, skillfully dodging the chandelier and landing in a blur of feathers, just to see Scar clutch his chest dramatically.

“Oh! Grian! You can’t scare a poor man like that.”

Grian would roll his eyes; “You are neither poor nor a man.” 

Then Scar would smile. With a grin that was just a little too sharp for an elf, and eyes that seemed to glow in the back of your head even after you looked away.

Grian shook off the memory as he reached the second floor, his owl wings brushing the door frame as he turned into the foyer, and froze.

His eyes were hidden under a hood, but his mouth dropped open slightly, shock evident in every visible feature. 

Flowers. Flowers covered the walls. That he had expected, to some degree. There had been flowers here before. He hadn’t expected any of them to be alive anymore, let alone….

No, they weren't all alive, there were just too many of them. The floor was covered in hyacinths and lilacs and poppies. They hung on the walls, petals drifting around him. 

“What?” He couldn’t help but choke out. He waded through them, a million questions in his head. There were yellow flowers too, buttercups and marigolds. Most of them were blooming, seemingly alive and well, even better than he remembered, but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how .

There had always been magic in this shop, but Grian thought he would have known about this. He had known about all of those secrets, once upon a time.

Well. Almost all of them. 

Grian finished his turnaround of the room, and his shielded eyes landed on a table. It was surprisingly clear of flowers- with how crowded the rest of this room was, but it had several thick books resting on it to make up for that. Grian recognized Scar’s old record keeping book, and his hand reached for it, recalling how Scar had always lied about the numbers anyways.

Maybe he just wanted to see his handwriting again. Maybe time had stolen it from his memory.

His hand stopped midair when his eyes fell on the picture frame resting on the middle of the desk. His reach shifted, and there was a familiar tug in his heart at the feeling of the golden frame, but when he turned it around to look at the photo, his heart dropped like a boulder in a landslide.

He thought he knew which picture it was: him and Scar in that cursed desert. Scar had his arm around Pizza, their llama, while Grian sat on the animal, yelling at Scar because he had taken his shirt off again, his face twisted in a glare because the sun was so hot that day. Scar had traded some of their precious sand to get Bdubs to take the photo, which even then they both had known wasn’t a good deal. Scar never voiced any regrets about it though, only joy, so Grian mostly kept his opinions to himself.

But the photo was now covered in sharp red lines where someone clearly had gone through and vandalized it, turning something familiar into a red mark that marred his memory. There was a scribble over Grian’s face, and a large eye drawn on his forehead. They had drawn a large hat on Scar, but there was a line across his neck, like someone had cut off his head, and through Pizza, there was a comically large arrow. Grian dropped it in shock, stepping back with bile in his throat. 

That’s right. He remembered why he was here now.

No more of this nostalgia tinged with regret, no more of this failed powerless watcher, stuck watching his loved ones die. 

Scar was dead. Scar was gone.

Jimmy would not be next.

___

Cleo saw him as she twirled, and it nearly made her stumble, thinking for a terrible moment that her lonesome thoughts had somehow summoned him. “Martyn!” They said, barely hiding the shock. “I thought I told you to bring me something useful next time you come.” 

“Didn’t I?” He said, hand still outstretched, Cleo hesitated in taking it, but his face was unnaturally serious. 

“What is this about?” She asked, quieter. 

“Just act natural. You wanted a dance partner right? I could tell.” From under the dark cloth, Cleo sighed. They took his hand. 

Martyn looked around as they danced, seemingly scanning the crowd for someone. “Aha! So they are still here. That’s good.”

Cleo squinted. “Good for who exactly?”

Martyn lifted their hands, and Cleo took the invitation to spin, skirts flowing dramatically. Some people cheered at the action, and Martyn used the noise as a cover for what he said.

“For Grian.” 

Cleo almost tripped again, cursing not exactly under her breath. Thankfully Martyn had expected this reaction, and used the motion to spin them both around, making it look intentional. Cleo was as thankful as she was pissed. 

“Why is he here? Does he know?” She hissed. 

Martyn was scanning the crowd again, but they didn’t miss the way he was chewing on his cheek. “He might….”

“ Martyn. ”

“He might know something- I don’t know exactly. He’s very good at keeping secrets.”

“Not nearly as good as you think.” Cleo scoffed, also scanning the faces of everyone here. She made eye contact with Tango for a moment, his red eyes bright in the night’s light.

“So you came here to warn me? Is that it?” 

“Not just that…But I need Scott to- ah, good. He’s seen me.” Martyn’s eye focused on her now. “Grian’s headed for the shop. I don’t need to remind you what he said would happen if he ever went back there.”

Cleo cursed again, letting go of Martyn, too stressed to think about dancing anymore. Scott was behind her, she knew by his voice, even if Cleo’s brain was very far away, and they didn’t hear whatever they were about to start bickering about.

“Scott.” Cleo said. He had noticed how she had stopped moving. “Scott, we need to leave.” 

“You’re telling me. They ran out of decent drinks an hour ago..” 

“We need to leave right now.” 

Scott’s green eyes flicked between the two soulmates. “Alright then, let's go. You can explain on the way.”

“Toodles!” Martyn called as Scott and Cleo dashed away, pushing themselves through the mass of dancers. Cleo made a mental note to push him off of another building later.

Tango, while he was enjoying the festivities, also saw very clearly when Cleo started dancing with a strange man, an avian who stuck out to Tango for some reason- and then quickly ran off after whatever he said to them, Scott in tow. The man turned to them, blond hair dancing in the light, and met Tango’s eyes as a grin spread across his face. A chill crept up Tango’s spine at the eye contact, but then his view was obstructed by more dancers, and after the blur of movement passed, he was gone. 

“Did you see that?” Tango asked as the song died down. 

“See what?” His feathered companion asked, turning around to study the crowd. 

“Cleo and Scott left, I’m pretty sure.” 

“They did?” Jimmy asked, spinning to scan everyone he could see. “Oh, that’s true, I don’t see them anymore." He laughed, and Tango smiled at the sound despite the worry gnawing at his gut. What could have possibly made them run off in such a hurry? 

“Should  we leave then? Before they come back?”

Tango’s eyes returned to Jimmy. “Yeah. That’s probably a good idea.”

Jimmy nodded. “You got it! I just left my bag over there, let me go grab it real quick.” He stepped away before Tango could say anything more, and Tango looked around for the strange avian again, ignoring how much cooler his hand seemed suddenly.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned, ready to make a joke about how quick that had taken him, but the person it belonged to was not Jimmy. 

A cold blue eye seemed to stare straight into his soul.
“Hello, Tango! Would you like to know a secret?” 

__

It didn’t take long for Jimmy to find his bag. It was exactly where he had left it, behind one of the tables stacked with food. After a moment of contemplation, Jimmy grabbed two of the skewers. A fruity one and a meat one. It had been hours since they had eaten, so Tango had to be hungry after all of that dancing. He would take whichever one the elf didn’t want. 

He smiled at the thought of Tango’s reaction to food as he returned, but stopped in his tracks when he saw him. 

Martyn had an arm around his shoulder, like they were the best of friends, even if a closer look would reveal the vexed expression Tango had, red eyes wide and brows furrowed.

Martyn saw him, and his smile grew, even as chills crept up Jimmy’s spine. 

He had a feeling he should definitely interrupt whatever this was, and promptly stepped forward to do so. 

But then Tango’s eyes found his, and Jimmy suddenly couldn’t move. It was an expression of hurt. Of betrayal. 

Jimmy opened his mouth to say something, but then he heard Martyn say the cursed word. 

Soulmate.

No. No- not like this. He didn’t want Tango to hear this from Martyn of all people. 

Scratch that- he hadn’t bargained away pieces of his memory like some sort of currency to make that deal with Cleo just for another rotten person to come and ruin it all. 

“Jimmy?” Tango said, Martyn still smiling at him with chaos in his eye. He sounded hurt, even if Jimmy knew he wasn’t. Not physically, at least. 

Jimmy dropped the skewers and set his jaw.

And then he ran.

___

More than anything, Tango was confused. Over the slight hurt and clear betrayal he felt, Tango couldn’t wrap his head around why. 

Jimmy was his soulmate? What did  that even mean? Why hadn’t he told him? Was he ashamed? Is that what this had been about, the entire time?

Martyn– that’s what the avian had called himself–  laughed as he watched Jimmy run, even as Tango reached for him. “Wait! Jimmy!” 

Tango went to chase him, knowing how easily he could lose him in this crowd, and wanting answers from the source and not some weird mummy looking creep who smelled of rotting leaves, but Martyn showed no interest in detaching his arm from Tango’s poor shoulders, and practically held him in place. 

“Don’t worry.” He said, voice still lowered and much too close for comfort. “I have a way we can get him back quickly.” 

Tango fought with the warning in his gut, the beating of his heart that was racing much faster than he thought it should. The scar on his hand seemed to pulse with pain.

“How?” He asked with a squint.

Martyn blinked at him. “Shall I do it now?”

Tango’s throat was dry. “The sooner the better.” 

His face broke into an evil grin. “You don't like to waste time, hmm? I respect that. Alright then. Sorry about this. Not really, though.”

Before he could ask what the hell that meant, Tango felt something cold and sharp.

The fans on his mask stopped moving, sudden and sharply, like an exhale of breath as the avian stabbed him in the back.

____

Cleo could see the glow before they even reached the shop, their breath heavy and footsteps pounding on the wood paths. 

She knew they were too late before they even saw the building, but her fears were realized when she actually saw it. 

Beyond saving would be a generous sentiment, because Cleo couldn’t even see the building underneath the raging inferno. The only thing she could see was the sign, which had just lost it’s rope support, and now crashed loudly to the ground. Which brought her attention to the figure in front of the inferno. Her stomach dropped.

“You!” She spat out. 

He turned slowly, dragon horns reflecting the orange light dangerously. His hood was off, his eyes glowing. He didn’t look human at all. Not that she would ever make the mistake of seeing him as anything but a monster. 

“Our shop.” Scott said, panicked eyes reflecting the light. “Cleo… Everything was there.”

“It was never yours.” Grian said, suddenly much closer to them. “ None of it. It was never going to be.”

In the distance, the trio heard a horrible otherworldly screech. It sent goosebumps up their arms.

“That’s my cue,” Grian said, not even bothering to fake a smile. Cleo blinked and he was gone. 

More people began swarming the area. Some elves attempted to put out the blaze that was several times higher than the original building, some others did their best to stop it from spreading to the main tree and other buildings, and some, like Cleo and Scott, could do nothing but watch.

Splendid. Cleo thought, even as the sarcasm dripped through her head like a poison. Someone was dearly going to pay for this. 

Chapter Text

He knew running wasn’t going to solve any of his problems. He knew it with every thump of his footsteps on the hard wooden bridges, with every heavy uneven breath made even more difficult by his choked up throat. 

He knew running was just making this worse. He needed Tango to break the bond. Or- Tango needed him? Either way, he was going to have to confront this sooner than later. But if running delayed that even a little bit… He recalled the way Tango’s head caught alight when he was angry, and the way his eyes glowed. The tiredness that mixed with the ash on his face and  afterward that made for a truly pathetic sight. Not that he had any room to really talk. 

Jimmy thought he made good time in escaping, with the way he weaved through people. It was unnaturally smooth for him. A glance behind his shoulder revealed that Tango wasn’t following, and that filled him with as much relief as it did disappointment. 

Until he slowed to catch his breath and heard a gut wrenching scream. 

There was some part of him that knew who it belonged to, even before he felt the sharp pain that made him stumble. Jimmy cried out as he fell, wings spazzing as his arms braced his fall, the sharp wood digging into his skin. 

He rolled over to avoid the other pedestrians, breathing hard through his nose as he resisted the urge to scream as well. People were looking at him strangely, but he couldn’t bring himself to care at that moment. What on earth could have happened? He hadn’t even been gone for five minutes.

Right. He had left him with Martyn.

Some elf asked if he was alright, and even though it sounded distant, Jimmy found the strength to stand, his body screaming in protest for actions he wasn’t taking. The pain was coming from his lower back, but he clutched his stomach for some semblance of comfort as he smiled at the stranger, choking out some reassurance so they would turn and leave. They did, and he waved with his free hand as they went their own way, muttering about young people and parties and drunks. 

He stumbled into an alley, ducking behind some crates as he leaned against the wall and slid to the ground.

There was very little light here, and Jimmy’s bright miscolored wings folded around him in some sort of sad cocoon. He couldn’t hear the music anymore. 

Jimmy ran his hands through his hair, trying and failing to ignore the pain in his abdomen and the feeling of fire on his neck. 

What should I do? He wondered in a frenzy. Go back? 

Tango was clearly furious right now, but he was also hurt. Jimmy should help him. He needed to help him. But the thought of standing was making him dizzy, and he swore he could already smell smoke. This injury also didn’t seem life threatening- at least- Jimmy didn’t think so… and if they weren’t going to die , maybe he could afford a few minutes alone.

The moon came out from behind a cloud, and a beam of white moonlight brushed the wall near him. The scene momentarily pushed him back from his panicking, but the light wasn’t even on him. He reached for it without really thinking or purpose. It brightened the alley a few inches from his reach, and the realization that he couldn’t grasp it even though it was right there at the edge of his fingertips made a dry laugh escape him. 

He withdrew his hand, still laughing at himself. At the absurdity of the situation, at how much the universe clearly hated him, at his own cowardice. 

The laughs bubbled into chokes as he noticed the tears streaming down his face. 

Somewhere in him, a dam that had been holding back for weeks finally crumbled, spilling his pain out into the world like a flood and drowning everything else out.

Alone, in a dark alley, wings protesting at his side wound in his back, where the moonlight never reached him, Jimmy sobbed.

_____

Martyn liked to think he knew a lot about people. How to dance on the line of harassment and humor, how to press their buttons at just the right moments to get what he wanted, and very importantly, where to stab them without any long term (physical) damage. 

He didn’t know much about Tango, but if he had the rage he assumed he did, this plan was going to go fine. 

Even if Tango screaming loud enough to cause people to start running without even looking behind them and then promptly catching on fire weren’t exactly on Martyn’s list of how he thought this was going to go, hey - he was a people person, so he was sure he could figure it out. 

It wouldn’t matter how smart he was if he was burnt to a crisp though, so Martyn took his small dagger from where it was lodged into Tango’s back, and stepped away with haste, intentionally wiping the elf’s blood on the front of his light shirt. 

Tango hissed as he whirled towards him, the sound distorted and wrong thanks to the metal blocking his mouth, and Martyn would be lying if he didn’t say the glowing barely contained fire and very sharp eyes glaring him down weren’t intimidating, though there were other orange headed people in this world he feared more. So Martyn dodged and weaved, wings dancing out of Tango’s grasp like how a person might tease a cat with a toy. He pushed the large copper blazers over coyly as he led the elf around the dancing circle, now quite empty of people. 

The stage was theirs, Martyn thought with a smile, and he was going to give the dear audience a show.

Because even if there were no people here besides them, there were always those who witnessed. Those that watched.

__

Tango didn’t see what the blasted blue jay was doing until it was too late, and the two were surrounded by fire that was spreading to the trees at an alarming rate. He didn’t care as much as he thought he should, though, because Martyn had trapped himself here with him, and Tango was very intent on returning the favor of a knife in the back. 

He didn’t want to kill him , Tango thought as Martyn realized there was nowhere else to run and turned towards him, fear in his eye. 

Oh no. He wouldn’t kill him, since Tango knew this anger wasn't only here because of Martyn- but it was going to hurt . 

Martyn stumbled, lifting an arm in some defensive maneuver as he fell backwards. 

“Hold on, let’s talk about this?” He said, his nervous laugh barely audible beside the crackle of flames and the roar in Tango’s head. He grabbed the jay’s arm, the fire in him twisting in some sort of satisfaction at the way Martyn cried out in pain when Tango’s scorched claws burned through his bandages and broke the weak rotting skin.

Tango recoiled from the fire’s will- to claim and steal and take and take until there was nothing left, and his mind came into contact with his other feelings.

There was concern there, in the back of his head. Confusion and….something else too, a heavy grief that didn’t seem like his own. It made him stop in his tracks. It flooded his senses more efficiently than the stone on his head, and he could feel his fire sputter. 

Jimmy?

He couldn’t even think of the right question to ask, couldn’t choose between the storms that were battling inside. To burn, or drown? To rage with blind revenge, or to choose grief and confusion? 

He was coming back to his senses slowly, starting to feel the blood on his back and the waves of pain. Could Jimmy feel that too? 

Before he could even really think about that, Martyn noticed he was slipping. Tango figured he would just run away, but something dark crossed his expression, and the warning bells went off in his head, but he pulled his arm away a moment too late. 

If Tango wasn’t fighting several battles at once, maybe he would have noticed the sharp object that Martyn placed in his closed hand before he twisted it harshly to the side. Maybe he wouldn’t have pushed back so hard. Maybe he would have expected how the trickster's arm went slack, and maybe, he could have stopped the way Martyn’s dagger entered his own gut. 

Instead, Tango recoiled sharply, removing the blade with the action as he stood, horror in his eyes. Martyn was laughing- damn him, but it was lost under the noise of fire consuming everything in its path. 

He felt his hair fall back onto his shoulders, the adrenaline and fury wearing off, and suddenly, Tango could feel everything. The full feeling of the stab wound in his back, the heavy breathing in his lungs, that alien grief again, and Martyn's blood on his hands. 

The dagger clattered to the ground with this realization, and Tango didn't know what to do. 

Martyn was grinning at him, even as blood dribbled from his mouth. 

Tango stepped back, pain lacing up his back and arms as he did so. He couldn't feel the back of his neck, he realized dryly, and he had a bad feeling he had burned himself again. 

Darkness was starting to pool at the edges of his vision.

Someone screamed, and Martyn's laughter mingled with the sound and echoed in his head as he closed his eyes.

His brain was spinning. Someone yelled, an angry shout, and he realized what was happening when an armored elf grabbed him roughly by the shoulder. They cried out, drawing back their hand from the heat, and Tango failed to hold in the dry laugh that freed itself from within. 

“Be careful.” Martyn said as another armored elf helped him up. “He’s a netherborne.” 

“It means you’re dangerous.” Another guard said. He had large dark armor and a face that was hidden by a large helmet. “And will be treated with the necessary precautions.”

He drew his sword, the large thing making an intimidating noise as it left its sheath, like what cutting down a shadow might sound like.

“Now stand down. You’re under arrest.”

_____

Impulse had wanted to go with Grian, despite how he had made it sound. He wanted to trust that Tango would be able to figure this whole thing out, but he also knew his friend’s track record. He knew his temper. He knew his fire, quite similar to the library burning in front of him. 

Which is also why he hadn’t gone. He was no stranger to the way that anger burned, and being the focus of that rage was something Impulse never wanted to experience. 

Zed was on the ground, leaning against his arms in the cool grass and breathing heavily from their escape as he and many others watched the raging inferno. 

The library sat at the base of the mountain, just a few floors above the entrance of the school. It was made mostly of marble, so the burning was coming from inside. They couldn’t see much more than the thick black smoke that escaped from the large windows and took to the skies like an injured bird, along with the occasional bright orange flicker. 

They had escaped rather easily, but Impulse didn’t like the way he had found Zed. He hadn’t planned for him to be there, and if he couldn’t properly plan everyone’s movements, things were going to get messy very soon.

If there was one thing Impulse should have known, it’s that people were unpredictable. His brain conjured up a dark haired man with a big smile and blood on a golden stopwatch.

Even people close to you, he thought bitterly, shaking the thought from his mind. 

Maybe even especially them.

Movement caught his eye, and Impulse turned to see Skizz bounding toward them. The smell of smoke clung to him, but he raised a scarred arm in greeting as he approached, even if there wasn’t much of a smile on his face. 

“Impulse! You’re alright!” He said, and Impulse heard Zed stand up behind him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I had just gotten there when the announcement went off.” He ignored the feeling of Zed’s eyes on the back of his head.

“That’s a relief, I-” He blinked in surprise. “Zed?!”

“Hey, Skizz.”

“What on earth were you doing in the library?”

Zed frowned, eyes flicking between the two of them with an unsure expression. “What, is it a crime to read now?”

“No- no, of course not. It’s just that.. You usually go earlier.” Skizz said, rubbing his neck. After an awkward pause, Skizz added; “I’m glad you’re alright.” 

Zed nodded, guarded expression dropping. “Yeah, it’s a good thing Impulse found me.” 

“I just hope everyone else got out too.” Impulse said, glancing again at the smoke pillars. 

“What about you, Skizz? Were you inside?” 

It was a casual question, but Impulse stiffened. “Huh, me? Oh- no. Thankfully. I was passing by the hall headed towards the cafe when I heard the announcement go off. Apparently they're not evacuating the entire school.” 

“They’re not?” Impulse said, a bit shocked. “What on earth counts as an emergency to the board?” 

“Me, apparently.” Zed mumbled, and Skizz snorted. 

Impulse just hoped Zed couldn’t smell the smoke on Skizz, or the sweat on his upper lip. At least he didn’t look at Impulse this time.

—

“What do you think he meant?” Skizz asked, and Impulse had to admire the audacity of him to be asking questions when they were sneaking around a place they definitely shouldn’t be in.

After glancing around another bookcase and not seeing anyone, Impulse decided to humor him. 

“I don’t know.”

“Didn’t you read the book? What if he’s onto something, and Tango really is in trouble?”

Impulse paused. “I didn’t read it.” He whispered. 

“What? You’re kidding.”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” Impulse moved forward, avoiding the moonlight that spilled over the ground as he cut off the conversation. 

Unfortunately, Skizz was only a step behind him. “You mean we’ve just been burning this book without ever checking the contents? Impulse-”

“Skizz. Sometimes you don’t want to know how a story ends.”

“But what if we could change it?”

Impulse couldn’t help the bitter laugh that bubbled out of him, even as Skizz glared at him for the sound. It still smelled like smoke in here. Like ash and fire and regret.

“No, Skizz. We can’t.”

They kept moving through what was the library, scanning the shelves for the item they were looking for. There was a group of elves in armor stacking some of the surviving books onto one of the few standing tables. Guards . He signaled to Skizz, and the avian turned back. It took some time and skill, but they managed to go the long way around them, heading to a higher floor.

“Do you always do exactly what they tell you to?” Skizz asked, and Impulse sighed. 

“Skizz.”

“I know, I know. You’d be dead without them and now you have cool dragon powers and blah blah blah.”

Impulse turned to shoot him a glare. The avian glared back. “But come on, dippledop, There’s a very clear villain here.” 

“Who, me ?” 

“You know that’s not what I meant, they’re using you.”

Impulse knew that. He kept moving. 

After wandering around with more silence, Impulse flinched at the sudden sharp elbow to his back. 

“Ow?” He asked, but when he turned, Skizz was pointing across the room. Between the burnt and broken shelves, a large yellow book sat undamaged upon a cracked case. 

Skizz nodded at him with a smile, like they weren’t standing in a crater of their own making.

Impulse nodded back, and Skizz quickly left, white feathers disappearing behind the wall where they had come from and quiet footsteps only getting quieter.

Impulse moved as close as he could without disturbing the guards nearby, gossipping about which redstone maniac could have done it. 

He waited in the shadows until a loud crash echoed through the silent keep, followed by a loud high pitched yell. A part of him nearly laughed, imagining what his friend was doing, but he stayed focused. 

Sure enough, the guards looked at eachother, and then headed towards the noise. 

He wasted no time, tugging the key out of his pocket as he reached for the tome. Up close he could see it was once probably a nice gold color, but despite being on a higher shelf, there was nothing really special about it. The text on the side was too faded to read, but he knew it wasn’t in a language he could understand anyways. His fingers grasped the spine, and Impulse opened the book, flipping as fast as he could. 

There. Page 327. There was a shape cut into the next several pages, creating the perfect pocket for a key. A key that was still there. He exhaled in relief, hands grasping the cool silver as he replaced the real with the makeshift. He had only seen this key once, so his fake was pretty inaccurate besides the bluish silver color, but he figured it would work well enough. With some difficulty, he shut the book, even as he heard footsteps approaching.

___

Skizz fought off the urge to run as he doubled over, catching his breath as he leaned against a tree. Of course one of the few avians that lived here had to see him break that window. He was pretty sure he had lost him in the forest, but it would be very bad for him if they had seen the color of his wings, or worse- him flying. He heard the sound of wings cutting through the air above him, and he crouched low, hoping the thick bushes would cover the light of his white feathers. He hoped Impulse had completed his task. 

___

The guard climbed the steps alone, muttering about crazy people who burnt down libraries and even crazier avians that left their post to chase them. The board was still saying it was an accident, but he didn’t believe that for a minute. An accident would have been contained way faster, and, it was harsh, but he felt like an accident would have left more people hurt. It was all too weird. Well accident or not, now he was here, working overtime. Guarding this seemingly random side room. Why was he guarding it? Excellent question. Too bad he didn’t ever question the higher ups. Not out loud , at least. 

He whistled as he turned the corner, already bored without the avian who was stationed here with him. The guard paused at the sight of the room, squinting slightly. Yup, just as he had left it. He hoped the avian caught whoever made that noise and got back soon. They were having such a nice conversation about the best foods to bring to a cookout. Oh well. Guard work was guard work. 90% of standing around and 10% of the wildest things that someone could see. Not that he had seen anything wild himself yet, but he had definitely heard stories. Stories he hoped to be able to see for himself, some day. 

For now though, it was overtime in a very burnt and very random sideroom.

___

“I don’t know about this, man. It sounds like all kinds of bad idea.” Skizz was frowning at him. 

“Didn’t you just tell me last night that I shouldn’t just blindly do everything they tell me to?”

“Well, yeah. But I didn’t mean make your best friend do it either!”

Impulse stopped dangling the key in front of him. It was the next morning,and they had both gotten away scott free. A little too scott free, if you asked him, but he didn’t want to jinx that by bringing it up. 

“Fine. You’re right. You shouldn’t have to do any more of my dirty work.”

Skizz looked a little conflicted. “Why are you switching up all of a sudden? I thought you trusted Tango.”

Impulse frowned. “You weren’t supposed to be listening to that conversation.”

“Off topic.” 

Impulse rubbed his tired face. “I read it.”

Skizz’s eyes widened. “Wait, really? You have one just lying around?”

“ Had. ” Impulse corrected before he got any ideas. “And I didn’t read all of it. Just enough to give me nightmares.”

Skizz nodded, face serious. “So it’s bad, then.”

“If we’re under the assumption that the book is some prophecy about him, yeah. But I’m still not convinced. There’s too much that doesn’t add up.”

“Isn’t that how it usually goes? It doesn’t make sense until it does. Not that I want it to be him.” His eyebrows suddenly raised. “Maybe it’s about his soulmate. That bird guy.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too. Either way, it’s important I check. Especially since I don’t have orders to not interfere yet.”

Skizz sighed. “Fine. Give me the key.” 

“Are you sure? It can wait.”

“No, it can’t.”

 Impulse opened his hand.

“They’re going to notice the one you put in is a dupe sooner than later. Not to mention, I still don’t know if I was seen.” Skizz said with a frown as he took the silver tool.

“Yeah, well, make sure you don’t get caught with this.”

“Obviously.” 

Impulse nodded, even as worry gnawed at his gut. “Alright. I’m gonna head out. Grian and Martyn have probably already gotten there, and who knows what chaos those two are planning.”

“Be careful.”

“Yeah. You too. And watch out for Zed. He knows more than he’s letting on.”

“So I noticed…” Skizz muttered as Impulse left.

Impulse just hoped he’d make it to the elf kingdom on time.

_____

“Martyn. Where is he? I don’t want to ask again.”

“Geez, all the work I do and this is the thanks I get? I help save your brother while, what– you go and burn down my soulmate’s shop?”

“It wasn’t theirs.” 

“Right. My bad. Your soulmate’s shop.”

“My soulmate –”

“Which is it, Grian? Is your soulmate dead? Or is it his shop? Because it sure can’t be both.”

Grian went silent. 

Martyn sighed, tossing the roll of bandages onto the night stand next to him. 

“Sorry.” He muttered, even though they both knew he really wasn’t. “I thought he’d come back for Tango because of the pain. Guess I should have known better.”

“He doesn’t handle pain well.” 

“So I noticed.”

“... I should go look for him.” 

“Good luck with that. I’m going to sleep. I’ve earned a good eleven hours, at least .”

—--

The night air was warm, but Grian wasn’t sure if that was because summer was in full swing or because of the several fires the capital had faced tonight. Thankfully, it seemed like both had been contained rather quickly. Turns out the kingdom built upon trees had very extensive safety procedures for fire related incidents. Which was good, because he had no interest in burning this entire capital to the ground. 

He knew it would be pure luck to find Jimmy in this maze of wooden roads, but he tried to take a realistic path from where the dance circle had been held. 

It was late, and there weren't many people around. So few, in fact, that he ignored the urge to pull his hood even lower onto his face. 

“Jimmy?” He called out. It came out quieter than he wanted, so he cleared his throat and tried again. There was no response. 

It was going to be a long night . 

_____

“Name?”

“Tango Tek.” 

“Sorry, that was muffled, could you remove your mask?”

“No.” 

“Alrighty then, Mango Tik. You’ll be kept here until it’s confirmed whether the avian you stabbed has recovered from the attack and how much damage was caused from the fires you started can be calculated. Is that clear?” 

He was too tired to argue. He just nodded, red eyes sullen and downcast. 

The man with the blue and orange fish-like features who was signing the paperwork nodded to the guard next to him, and he tugged Tango along by a cuffed arm.

The cell could have been worse, Tango figured, even as he was roughly thrown inside. He didn’t make much of an effort to fight gravity, so his knees hit the stone ground hard, tail flinching at the impact.

There was a cot against a wall, a bucket in the corner, and a small barred window near the ceiling. How nice, he thought sarcastically. All of the essentials. 

Something caught his eye, and Tango looked up to see a golden feather slowly drift to the ground in front of him. He blinked at it, forgetting that he had kept several since the day Jimmy said he could. 

He reached for it, but it danced out of his reach, resting on the cold stone under the window. 

Tango wondered again if Jimmy had felt the knife in his back. If he could feel Tango’s scraped knees right now. He wondered if the sadness he was feeling right now was because of Jimmy. 

He wondered if Jimmy had any right to be sad right now.

Then the moonlight came out from behind the clouds, and flooded the cell with its white light. It covered Tango completely, and he blinked harshly at the sudden change in darkness. 

The feather sat just outside of the glow, in the shadows caused by the bars in the window.

And Tango realized maybe it wasn’t Jimmy that was sad at all.

Chapter Text

Somehow, Jimmy had fallen asleep. He blinked the tiredness from his eyes as he unfolded his wings and lifted his head. 

It took him a moment to remember why his eyes were heavy, why he was sitting in an alley. It came back to him in a rush, between one breath and the next. He scrambled to stand, ignoring the stiffness in his muscles and aching in his wings from sleeping outside. 

He lifted his arms to stretch, grateful that the capital here was a safe place, when he felt the pulse of pain from his lower back.

Tango.

Jimmy’s yawn died halfway. Where was Tango?  

He left the alley, shaking the sluggishness from his legs as he looked around, fighting the rising panic that he would be here waiting for him. He wasn’t, of course, and Jimmy swallowed hard. 

Dawn was coming, the sky alight with hints of purple and wisps of pink clouds. It wasn’t cold, exactly, but he tugged his cloak over both arms regardless.

The grief he had last night was still there, but the flood had passed, leaving only a dampened mess of rubble behind. 

He kicked those feelings away for the moment, because he had bigger problems. Even if the thought of finding Tango made his heart freeze in fear, the thought of not finding him was much worse. After looking around, he decided to head back to where he had left the elf. He probably wouldn't still be there, but maybe Jimmy could find some answers.

_____

Grian sat up from where he was hunched on the guardrail, stretching his legs before he jumped down. He was tired. The sun was going to rise any minute now, and his search to find Jimmy had been unsuccessful. Which had led him back to the dance circle, thinking Jimmy would return to look for Tango. He hadn’t though, and Grian was beginning to think he wasn’t even in the elf kingdom anymore. Maybe he really had seen his opportunity to leave and took it.

That’s what Martyn was convinced of, but Grian knew his brother better than that. Which left only a few worrying possibilities. 

One, he had somehow found where Tango was, and went to break him out. This one was unlikely, but not impossible, especially if Jimmy had returned here only a few minutes after he originally left. Even if Martyn hadn’t seen him, it was possible Jimmy had found out what happened to his elf companion.

Two, Jimmy had gotten lost and possibly checked into an inn Grian had already visited- or one he hadn’t. This one he felt was the most likely, but it meant he was going to have to circle around the capital again and check each one individually. Which, if he was being realistic, was something he was too exhausted to do at the moment. Still, the idea of losing Jimmy’s whereabouts was worse than being tired. Not to mention, being well rested meant having to accept his actions, which wasn't something he wanted to dwell on. 

Orders were orders. He thought. Yeah, right. Since when?

The sound of someone approaching pulled him from his thoughts, and Grian turned to see his little brother, like he had known he was worrying and came to quell those thoughts himself.

He looked surprised, but wary. Grian knew it had only been a few weeks since he had seen him, but Jimmy looked older, somehow. His wings- Grian had forgotten about his new wings. They weren’t as big as his, but the colors on them were quite extraordinary.

“Who are you? Where’s Tango?” He said, and his voice was Jimmy’s, even if it sounded a bit more sure, and a bit more upset than he was used to.

Grain almost choked on air. He had expected a lot of different responses, but all of those had assumed that Jimmy would know him if he saw him.

Had Martyn really broken his mind to such an extent? That he wouldn't even recognize his own brother? A wing flicked of its own volition, mirroring his inner turmoil. 

Suddenly, on seeing this action, Jimmy’s demeanor changed. His wings dropped a bit, and his expression went from guarded to skeptical. 

It was then Grian remembered he was still wearing his hood, and the cloak nearly fully concealed his wingspan. He must look like Martyn like this, he thought, disgusted. 

He reached up and yanked down his own hood, watching as a multitude of emotions flashed across Jimmy’s face in a short span.

“Grian?” 

Grian gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Hey, Tim.”

____

Turns out the person that would dearly pay was no one but herself, which- honestly, was how these things kept going for them, you’d think she’d start to see it coming. 

Here she was though, getting half carried, half dragged by Scott to her apartment, which, when she bought it- really loved the views that came with the heights. It seems she lacked the foresight to see how getting so high while suffering a stab wound would be quite inconvenient.

She was going to kill Martyn for whatever he had gotten himself into this time, consequences be damned. Even if the thought of Grian stabbing him as punishment for warning them about the shop made her blood run a little cold, she told herself it was because her blood was already cold. They were dead, after all. If the pale skin and rotting flesh didn’t give that away. 

“Are we alright?” Scott asked, green eyes looking at them with a worried expression.

“I’m- Yeah. We’re alright. Did you ask something?” 

“Thinking about what you’re gonna do to Martyn?” He teased. “Yeah, I was gonna ask if you’re ready for the stairs.” 

Cleo frowned at the steep thin wooden stairs that led upwards around the tree and to her modest home. 

“You could stay at my place, you know.” 

Cleo knew. He had mentioned it before as well. They also knew that Scott was barely hiding his exhaustion, and lugging Cleo to the other side of town would not do either of them any good. “We’re almost there, it’ll be fine. Just don’t drop me off the cliff, would you?”

Scott made a pained expression, like he knew it was a joke but couldn’t bring himself to laugh.

“Or do!” Cleo continued. “It’ll get rid of Martyn for both of us. Saves me the trouble.”

Now he laughed, a snort kind of sound as he let go of their hand around his shoulder to wipe the sweat from his brow. “Alright, come on then.”

–

Somehow, they made it up and inside with little incident. There were a few stressful moments because that stairway had no railings and was definitely not made for more than one person at a time, but Martyn seemed to have gotten himself patched up, so it made things easier for them. Which was good, because even though she was dead, Cleo could still feel Martyns’s pain through the bond– and bleeding out did not seem like a fun way to go. 

Scott had left after being sure his friend wasn’t going to drop dead the second he stepped outside, and now Cleo was left alone with her thoughts. Which was rarely a good thing. They had promised Scott they’d get some rest, but sleep had always been hard for her since she had been disrupted from her eternal rest. She rolled around again, ignoring the dull ache in their gut. Martyn’s heartbeat was so damn loud too, which didn’t make any of this easier- but he rarely did.

Eventually Martyn’s exhaustion caught up to them, and Cleo drifted off.

____

The sun was filtering through the leaves in that magical way it did in the afternoon, and Cleo was walking down a worn path they had been on a thousand times before. The weight of silver white armor was familiar, as was the tune she let guide her. It was cool- too cool for summer, or even spring, but the bite of winter hadn’t yet creeped in. 

“Joe.” Cleo said, approaching where the man was sitting lopsided on a rock, lyre in his hand and apple in his mouth. 

“Cleo!” He said, which, through the apple, sounded more like a sound a hungry cat would make. 

“I thought you said you weren’t coming.” 

Cleo ignored that, choosing to unfasten her sheathed sword and toss it into the grass.

They followed soon after, collapsing onto a soft patch away from the rock and the sword. 

“Rough day?” Joe asked, finally sitting up and taking the apple out of his mouth. His long brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and he smiled at her through the beard on his face. The action sent a pang through her chest for some weird reason. 

“Jevin got lucky during our sparring match and decided to get a big head about it.” Cleo said, reaching up to run a hand through her messy braid. They frowned as they pulled a twig out of it, and sat up, sending a silent apology to Gem as she undid it. Unsurprisingly, a good portion of it was tangled into knots now, so she got to work, ranting about her day as Joe filled the clearing with his above average tunes, occasionally offering wisdom Cleo did not want but maybe needed anyways. 

Afterwards, Cleo laid back in the grass, listening to the new segment of the song Joe had been working on, letting the sun dance over her eyelids and the world pass around her. 

“Oh, this is one I don’t see often!” A voice Cleo did not recognize said, and their eyes flew open, alarmed at how close it sounded.

There was nothing, no one new in the clearing, and no heartbeat but her own in her chest.

Well that was a strange thought. How could her heartbeat be anything but hers?

“Joe, did you hear that?” 

“Hmm? Hear what?” He paused with the music. 

“I-nothing. I thought I heard a voice.”

“A voice?” He frowned at her, worry tinged in the corners of his expression. 

“Nothing. Forget it.”

He slowly started the song again. “You know Cleo, I’m not going to judge if you’re hearing voices, but maybe you’ve been taking on a few too many night patrols.”

Cleo scoffed. “You know we aren’t defended by a dragon. Someone has to protect this kingdom.” 

Joe let out a little laugh. ”Spoken like a true knight.”

Cleo groaned. “Fine! It’s because Jevin has been taking more- and don't you dare tease me.” She hissed. “And there’s rumors that when the dwarves visit next spring they’re going to give gifts to the kingdom's strongest knight. No doubt some shiny new armor and weapons.” 

“And the strongest is quantified by night shifts?” Joe asked, turning to look at them. A strand of hair fell over his eye.”

“Well, it sure doesn’t hurt.”

“Hmm..”

“What?”

“Isn’t being the queen’s favorite knight enough?” 

Cleo felt their face heat up. “I am not!”

“Sure, sure…” He said, unconvincingly. 

“Well, maybe that’s just because I’m the funniest. Besides, I would never use her favor for an unfair advantage. Where’s the fun in that?”

Joe nodded like he expected this response, fingers plucking at the strings again. It all seemed so real.

What? Cleo thought, once again baffled by her own thoughts. Of course it was real. Joe was sitting in front of her, probably sore from how long he had been lounging on that rock. Speaking of sore, Cleo could still feel the bruises from her tussle with Jev earlier- That ass. She felt the autumn breeze on her skin, the sun that warmed her armor, and the birds chirping in the trees. Of course this was all real.

Why on earth wouldn’t it be?

___ _

Impulse hated flying at night. Actually, Impulse just hated flying in general. He was a dwarf. He felt he belonged under the rocks and stone, where redstone and gold flowed through the mountain walls like rivers in a forest. The sky was alien to him, the wind nipped and clouds weren’t just cold- they were wet. Which of course, he knew in theory, but experiencing it first hand was something quite different. He didn’t like being stuck in this other form either, where rough scales invaded his skin, his horns were much heavier on his head than he was used to, and his teeth felt too big for his mouth. 

So he made it to the elf kingdom in a little less than a day, if only because he didn’t want to stay in that form for any longer than absolutely necessary. 

He landed a decent distance away from the main bridge of the capital, far enough to where the guards that protected the bridge at night wouldn’t see him coming. 

He shifted back quickly, gritting his teeth and leaning against the tree to fight the rising nausea. 

This was always the worst part. It was in moments like these he wished the abilities that had been gifted to him were more similar to Martyn’s, without the curse of being able to shift.

Unfortunately for everyone he knew though- they never liked seeing the same thing twice. So here he was, a horrid monster because the person tied to his soul, the one who was supposed to care more than anyone else, had-

No. He wasn’t going down that road today. It was much too early for those thoughts. The pink hues were filling the sky, peeking through the forest and giving him some sort of energy. 

Maybe the sky wasn’t too bad after all.

____

“You look….” Jimmy started, unsure of how to finish his thought.

“Cool?” Grian offered, and Jimmy frowned. 

“Tired.”

Grian snorted. “You should see yourself.”

They were sitting on the guardrail now, which was little more than a thick wooden fence if he was being honest, but it served its purpose well enough. He had rushed to hug his brother as soon as he had realized it was him, proven further by the way Grian squawked and tried to worm his way out of it. Now they sat, appreciating how the sun rose. Jimmy would have loved to stay that way, but he had too many questions. Too many other worries.

“I don’t suppose you’ve run into an elf with red eyes and a mask recently, have you?”

Grian looked at him, black eyes unreadable. “Ah. Your soulmate, right?”

Jimmy blinked to hide his shock. “Yeah, but wait- how do you know about that?”

The owl hesitated. “I… I may have run into Martyn.”

Jimmy couldn’t help the way his expression turned sour.

“Trust me, Tim, I don’t like him either.”

“But you know him.”

“Unfortunately.”

Jimmy was quiet for a minute. “You have a soulmate too, don’t you?”

Grian sighed. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Fine. Just tell me where he took Tango then.”

“I… “

“Grian, I know how to break the bond. We both need to be there to open the door.”

“Yeah. That’s what I’m worried about. You have no idea what’s down there.”

Jimmy stewed on this. “Do you?”

Grian looked far away for a moment. “Unfortunately.” He said again, quieter this time.

“Then tell me, and we can be prepared.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Then come with us.”

And Grian laughed , even if the sound was breathy and panicked. “I- no. No. I won’t go back there. I can’t.”

Jimmy forgot how talking to him about his own quest was akin to conversing with a brick wall. “Fine. Then I’ll figure it out myself, like I have been this entire time. That’s the point of the quest anyways, isn’t it?”

Grian bristled. “ Alone?”  

Jimmy faltered. “Well, yeah, I have Tango, but he doesn’t know-” Jimmy’s words died. That's right, he did know, now.

“I’m not talking about Tango , Jimmy. I’m talking about me. ” 

Jimmy opened his mouth, and closed it again, unsure of how to respond to this sudden frustration. 

“Do you have any idea how many strings I’ve been pulling behind the scenes just to meet you here? And what- now you want to throw all of my work away for some-”

“Watch it.” Jimmy said, an alien sort of anger starting to flare from the flooded wasteland of his emotions. “At least Tango’s been with me this whole time! At least I knew-”

“Forget about the elf!” Grian yelled, the wings on his face spread and a purple glint in his eyes. “We didn’t plan all of this just so you could break him out an-”

“Break him out? ” Jimmy stepped back, away from the guard rail. “What on earth did you...”

Grian realized his misstep, and his eyes went wide as his wings dropped. 

Jimmy’s brain began to put together the pieces, and the picture it was making was going to make him sick. 

“Martyn.”

 He could see the way Grian swallowed hard. 

“You’ve been helping Martyn . Instead of me.”

“Jimmy, this is my way of helping you.”

“He STABBED me!” 

Grian flinched. “He stabbed Tango-”

“That’s the same thing, Grian! Don’t you realize everything is shared?”

Grian found his resolve again. “Exactly! Everything is shared, Tim. That means death ! And if you go down there, one of you will die. That means BOTH of you will die! Is that what you want?” He breathed heavy, and Jimmy fought to blink the tears out of his eyes. 

When was the last time they had argued like this? He couldn’t remember.

“I thought you were dead.” Jimmy said quietly. 

Grian stopped, looking completely taken aback. Jimmy noticed the tears in his eyes too, at that moment. 

“I said I’d be right behind you.” He muttered, defeated. 

“And then you weren’t, and they said no one survived, and Pearl- oh, stars- Grian- does Pearl know you’re okay?”

The way his eyes widened told Jimmy all he needed to know, and Jimmy had to fight the rising nausea at the thought of Pearl alone in the avian kingdom, wondering where on earth her brothers had gone. At the thought of her grieving them when they were alive and- for the most part- well. 

“Grian.” Jimmy said, and it was disappointment and grief and worry all in the same breath.

“I know! I know. Shit . I need to go back.”

“You need to rest first.” Jimmy said with a frown, because even if he was angry at him, the bags under his brother’s eyes were somehow even worse than his own.

“She’s gonna kill me.” Grian said, looking a little pale. “And Mumbo’s going to help.” 

Jimmy snorted, anger bubbling away like the ocean tide. “Well I won’t say you don’t deserve it.”

Grian stopped his mutterings to shoot him a glare, but the venom that was between them had just about dried out. 

“Yeah, just wait till she catches you.” 

Jimmy stopped smiling very quickly, face going back to serious.. “Yeah.. You should go back. Right now.”

“Before I do, promise me you won’t go to the deep dark.”

“Grian.”

“I’m trying to protect you, Tim. Tango is safe, so you can focus on your quest.”

“Oh right, my much safer quest of finding and successfully stealing an egg from a race that’s been dead for a hundred years.”

Grian looked conflicted. “That is safer, believe it or not.”

Jimmy didn’t. He threw his hands into the air, exasperated. “”Maybe I need Tango, and not the other way around.”

“Jimmy. You can find him when you aren’t bound by the quest.”

“And what, leave him to rot until then?” He didn’t trust Martyn, not at all. That man would probably get bored and hurt Tango just to get to him- or entertainment. He could not figure out why Grian would ever agree to do anything with that avian. Not to mention, any hope of salvaging his friendship with Tango would be long gone by then.

But Jimmy also knew this conversation wasn’t going anywhere. So Jimmy decided to do something he was getting nearly decent at, with all of the practice. Jimmy decided to lie.

He groaned, putting a hand to his face so Grian couldn’t read it.

“Fine.”

“What?” Grian blinked.

“Fine. I’ll get the egg first.”

Grian was silent. Jimmy moved his hand to see his expression. He was squinting at him. “What? Did you want to argue more?”

“I- no. Not really.” 

“On one condition.” Jimmy hastily added, remembering how negotiations were supposed to go. 

Grian straightened, eyeing him seriously.

“You need to help us break the bond. And apologize to Tango.”

“That’s two.” He frowned.

“It’s one and a half.”

Grian sighed. 

“You don’t have to go in with us, but you need to tell me what's down there.”

“Ugh, fine.” Grian waved a hand. “Hurry up and get that replacement then.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going.” Jimmy said, stepping back over to the ground near the railing where he picked up his bag and swung it over his shoulder. 

“Good luck with Pearl and Mumbo.” He said, and Grian just nodded. “Be careful, would you? The isles…”

“Are safer than the deep dark?” Jimmy finished.

“Well, yes.. But you’re not going to like them.”

Jimmy frowned for the hundredth time that morning, but before he could ask what that meant, Grian had given him a little salute and leapt off the railing towards the green leafy sea.

_____

Impulse sat in the shadows, hood pulled over his head and out of sight from where Jimmy stared after his brother. 

For the first time, Impulse felt like he had close to the full picture. Grian’s motivations made sense. Jimmy was cursed, and he, like any older brother, was trying to make sure he stayed safe despite this. Impulse stroked his beard as he thought. It was a real shame. Tango was Impulse’s friend, so he wasn’t about to let the elf stay locked up for a quest that had nothing to do with him. Still, it was strange. If Grian was worried about Tango getting hurt, why wouldn’t he tell Impulse to watch over him, like he had been doing? Was it because Impulse had refused his initial offer to come here with them? He didn’t know. He didn’t know where on earth Martyn was now either, but he figured he wouldn’t have gotten out of stabbing Tango without a few new scars at least. Tango he wasn’t too worried about, since Jimmy was walking around quite fine, with only a slight wince every few steps. Which he was quite often, with how fast he was walking away now. 

Impulse made sure to trail him from a far distance, curious of what choice the avian was going to make here. If he left, Impulse would find and break Tango out himself. If he tried to help his soulmate, Impulse would offer his assistance. Either way, he alone would deal with whatever consequences the eye decided to dish out. He could handle it.

____

Everything was real. Of course it was. This was Cleo’s life. This is where she grew up, had her job, her family, her life. It was all she had ever known.

They knew that, but there was something in the corner of her mind. A fog, of sorts. Something that felt like a lie. 

They trudged through the main gates with a frown. Joe had taken her half assed excuse of being tired and having night shift and let them leave early. Not that he ever wouldn’t, but it was nice that he didn’t push, and just told them to rest well. 

Some people greeted her as she stalked through the main gates, but mostly, people saw the expression on their face and left them alone. 

There was someone that caught her eye, a well dressed man, leaning against one of the white stone archways. He was watching them, and his eyes were an unnatural sort of ghostly blue, brighter than Jevin’s stupid hair and more piercing than her sharp iron sword. He was flipping a coin when they made eye contact, and he smiled with teeth that were just a bit too sharp when their eyes met. Then a cart passed between them, and he was gone. 

Cleo rolled her eyes. Great. First voices, now  fae. Maybe she really did need more sleep. 

They debated it for a moment, running a hand through their hair as they approached the armory. Surely Lizzie would want her to get rest over hearing about how boring their day was, but something tugged Cleo towards the main entrance of the castle anyways. 

Whatever, Cleo would make this quick.

She nodded at the guards in front of the hall, before approaching and knocked at the heavy wooden doors at the end of the carpeted hall. One, two, pause, one.  

“Come in!” She heard the call. The door opened, easily for its size. 

“Your majesty.” Cleo said, not immune to the smile that tugged at her lips when she saw the queen. Her friend

Lizzie smiled at her, bow in hand and arrows lodged into the small dummy across the room and on the balcony. 

“Cleo! How was your day? You’re early.” 

“It was fine.” They responded, choosing to think about the present instead of the past, where a sigh escaped her lips. “Lady Lizzie, I thought we talked about this.”

Lizzie avoided Cleo’s gaze, taking her bow over to hide away in her massive closet. 

“Like I said.” She repeated. “You’re early.”

“We have an archery range for a reason, you know. Or did you want that for the elves that visit once in a blue moon?”

“Oh, ha ha. Come to tease your Queen, have you?” Lizzie laughed, unamused. “No. It’s just different.”

“Different how?” 

Lizzie paused for a moment, looking for the words. She was called the Queen of Summer for a reason, and Cleo was constantly reminded of that when she looked at her. She was wearing a peach dress today. It was long and faded into a nice orange color, befitting the season. Her bright pink hair was decorated with the orange leaves that had begun to sprung up because of the weather, and was tied in a long braid, her two signature buns resting on top of her head.

“Ah, it’s nothing.” She finally said, walking towards the dummy she had set up to pull out the arrows buried in its skull. 

“She doesn’t know her lines.” That voice from earlier tsk’d, and Cleo froze. “She doesn’t know them because this hasn’t happened before.” They said thoughtfully. “You decided to go home. Go to bed. So Queen Lizzie never had this conversation with you. How intriguing.”

Cleo shook off the fear that crawled up her spine and made the hair on their neck rise, remembering why she had come here in the first place.

“Where have you been hiding this thing, anyways? I haven’t seen it.” Cleo said, stepping past Lizzie to help her yank the arrows out.

“You have to promise you won't tell.”

“Fine.” 

Lizzie looked a little too proud as she gestured for Cleo to pick it up and lug it over to her wall, where a large painting of a cherry blossom tree rested. 

“My lady..” Cleo said as the Queen tugged on the frame, opening it to reveal a small room on the other side. Room was a generous term. It was more like a cubby, barely enough room for one person to hide. 

Lizzie took the dummy with surprising strength, shoving it into the box and slamming closed the painting door. 

“My lady-” Cleo said again, like a parent about to scold a child. 

“You promised you wouldn’t tell.”

“I’m not telling the guards. I’m telling you. You know that’s for emergencies.”

“Ugh! The only emergency that ever happens here is breakfast being late for the court.”

“Your majesty..”

“No dragons care about this place! We’re an ant hill to them. Even the dwarves only come and visit when they want something.”

“My lady.”

“And those frost elves- they’re our biggest problem, I know. But it’s nearly winter, and they don't cause problems after-”

“Lady Lizzie!” Cleo said, resisting the urge to shake her shoulders. Her name got her attention, and she sighed. 

“It’s protocol for a reason. This cubby has saved us before.”

Lizzie looked away with a frown. “I know.”

Cleo knew this was the right thing to do, but it still hurt to see her friend down. 

“This isn’t about the dummy, is it?” Cleo asked softly.

Lizzie just backed away. “You never told me about your day.” She said, diverting the whole conversation. Cleo groaned inwardly. She was too tired for this. They almost relented. A dummy in the safety cubby for one night, what could go wrong? But there were alarm bells going off in her head, and a sense of dread in their heart. Cleo was not a trusted knight for compromising. 

So they marched back over to the painting and lugged the dummy back out, much to Lizzie’s obvious frustration. 

“My day was boring.” They said, ignoring the pout on the queen's face. “I was tired from my patrol last night and got into an argument with Jevin after we talked.” Cleo sighed with this, blowing an orange curl out of their eyes. “It ended with a duel in front of the new recruits, in which I very much ate the dirt.” 

Cleo dragged the dummy back out to the balcony, listening as Lizzie failed to hold in her amusement. 

“We’ll just put it on the balcony for now, alright?” Cleo said, trying to find the most inconspicuous place to put the stupid thing. 

“Fine.” Lizzie said, and Cleo had a feeling it was just because she didn’t want to carry it back, but whatever. A win was a win. 

“Now, what’s really bothering you?” Cleo asked. Lizzie’s blue eyes just blinked at her before looking away again. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” 

“You know it’s my job to make sure you’re safe and happy, my lady. Don’t you want me to do my job?” 

Lizzie frowned. “I just don’t think it’s anything serious yet.” She muttered. 

“Well let’s make sure it doesn’t get to that point.”

“It won’t.” Lizzie said, and Cleo crossed their arms.

“I promise it’s nothing as serious as your thinking, Cleo.” She said, and despite Cleo’s better judgment, she relented. 

“You’re tired, right? Go rest. I relieve you of your duties for the day.” 

Cleo thought about arguing again, but the feeling of dread was gone after they moved the dummy, and the ache in her shoulders was getting too much to ignore. She wanted to do nothing more than return her armor and head to sleep.

Cleo gave a curt bow. “I will take my leave then. Thank you then, my lady. Have a good night.” 

Lizzie watched one of her most trusted knights leave, the raging fire that was Cleo turned away, her armor reflecting the newly rising moon, and Lizzie prayed that one day, they would forgive her.

Cleo awoke to the sound of a horn. The kingdom’s warning horn, she realized with a start, throwing the blankets off of herself and rushing towards the door to her room.  

The fae they saw earlier was leaning against the wall, blocking their way. His blue eyes were still bright. Much too bright for the darkness of late night. He didn’t have any coin this time, or sharp smile, but he studied Cleo like a cat, curious of their next move.

Fortunately for him, Cleo had much more important things to worry about than this creep. It was still dark, she could tell by the way no cold blue light filtered through the window that this was no drill. 

“Move.” She said darkly. 

The man jumped a bit, looking behind himself before he realized that Cleo could see him. He reached up, patting his own chest, seemingly surprised that he was real. Cleo was not amused, and reached for the dagger she kept strapped to her thigh. 

“Oh, hey now! There’s no need for-” 

The blade went through his head, causing him to disappear into smoke, but not before they saw a flash of blue wings. 

Cleo let out an annoyed sound before tugging her dagger from where it had lodged itself into the doorframe, before pulling open the door and stepping into the night.

Chaos was the only way she could describe the scene. It was late- or very early, but many people were scurrying around the courtyard, which was well lit thanks to the amount of people carrying torches. She spotted the general, Gem, sitting atop her huge black and white horse, shouting orders to the other knights.

She marched over to her friend, ignoring how underdressed she felt as most people passed around them with all of their armor on.

“Gem!”

She turned as quickly as she could atop her horse, pale white armor glinting and making the reflective light dance over her large moose-like antlers. 

“What’s going on?” 

Even with the dark seriousness behind her eyes, she managed to quirk the corner of her lips up into a half smile. “Nice of you to finally join us, Cleo. That was the third alarm!”

Cleo chose to ignore that comment, and instead pushed her hair out of their eyes. 

“The queen is missing, and those blasted ice loving elves were seen in the city. We have everything locked down until-”

Cleo’s head snapped up in alarm. “Missing?!” 

“We have reason to believe she was taken.” Gem momentarily averted her attention to a knight who was asking something about the last patrol. Cleo couldn’t hear him. The world around her had gone very quiet. 

“Cleo!” 

Their head turned back to the general, who had a somewhat sympathetic look in her green eyes. “I need you to focus. You were the last one to see her. Did you notice anything strange?”

Cleo racked their brain, going through their earlier interaction. 

“No. I didn’t…” Their eyes widened.  “Oh. Oh no.” 

Gem’s expression was unreadable, but Cleo could already feel the guilt creeping in. 

“Focus, Cleo.” Gem said again. “Find your squire and suit up. We need your help.”

Cleo nodded, wasting no more time as they dashed towards the armory, long red hair flowing behind them like a river of fire. 

She passed Jevin, leaving as they entered. He pat her on the shoulder, and they shared a nod between them that said more than words could.

__

“You think she could still be in the castle?” Gem asked, gnawing on her lower lip. She was still sitting atop her massive horse, waiting for news from the several teams she had sent through the city. 

“I… It’s worth checking. This all just seems too strange.” Cleo responded. Their neck was starting to get sore from craning to look at the general, but at least her armor was on now.

“It seems like a distraction. I agree. There’s no way those elves could have snuck through every single one of our guards. But… a distraction for what ?

"No idea, but finding her majesty should still be our main priority.”

Gem nodded, understanding. “Agreed. You may go.” 

Cleo briskly headed off towards the castle, only pausing when halfway across the courtyard, she heard a familiar voice yell out in panic.

“DRAGON!” Jevin yelled from where he was on top of the wall. Cleo grit her teeth. 

“Dragon! Approaching from the north!” He called again.

As if to thank him for the introduction, a horrible roar echoed through the city, freezing many of the knights in their steps as they looked towards the black sky with fear that seemed to be etched into their very bones.

“Man the ballistas!” Gem’s voice rang out in the silence, followed by the sound of heavy hooves. 

“Get the archers on the wall! Swordsmen, get the citizens inside! Spearmen, with me! Defend this kingdom until!”

“Until the last ember dies!” The knights called back, rushing out of their stupor to where they were needed. Cleo called out with them too, and then steeled herself. 

Find the queen. This was her duty, and she would fulfill it faithfully.

She felt the dragon land even from inside the castle, not far from the queen's hall. The ground shook harshly, nearly knocking them to the ground. Cleo took a moment to steady themself against the wall, surprised when they saw their own breath. Wasn’t it only autumn? Why on earth was it suddenly so cold? 

It must be a frost dragon. Cleo thought, even as a memory of studies reminded them that species hadn’t been seen for hundreds of years.

Well, that wasn’t important now. Her priority was finding the queen. 

The halls were empty, all of the knights other places and personal evacuated, so Cleo ran through the halls with no interruption besides the dragon outside, who kept shaking the castle with its attacks and sent Cleo to the ground, covering their ears from the sound of its horrid screeches.

Finally, they reached the queen’s chambers. Cleo burst through the door they had knocked politely on so many times, coming face to face with….

Nothing.

The room was empty besides the several figures lying motionless on the ground. She checked every single one of them. Elves with cold blue skin and foreign armor. They were all dead. 

Cleo approached the painting, heart going berserk in her chest. 

Please. Please, please .

Upon grabbing the corner and feeling it loose from the wall, Cleo swallowed hard before yanking it open. 

Something fell forward, and Cleo caught it without thinking, falling back with the weight.

“Your majes?-” Cleo’s voice died in her throat. 

This was not the queen. 

This was a dummy used for archery practice.

“What?”  They choked out, confusion taking over. No . No! Why was this here? They had taken this out! They had…. 

A voice replayed in Cleo’s head. 

“You decided to go home. Go to bed. So Queen Lizzie never had this conversation with you. How intriguing.”

Cleo threw the dummy off of her, anger and confusion raging. Where was the queen? Where was her friend who she had grown up with? Who had confided in Cleo about her fears of becoming a leader? Who sparred with them until other royals found them and dragged her away because it was improper? Who yelled at them when Cleo first used honorifics?

Something approached from the corner of her eyes. Cleo glanced up to see the fae man again. He had an unreadable frown on his face. 

“Shame. I really was hoping that would work.”

Their brain had been too frazzled before, but now Cleo could connect the voice that had been haunting to the scarred face in front of them.

“Who the hell are you?” Cleo hissed. “Where’s the queen?” 

He turned, kicking one of the elven weapons. It didn’t move, and he frowned at the stillness. 

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t have time for this.” Cleo said, exasperated. She stood, glaring once more at the room. “I need to find her.” She headed toward the door, but then stopped, turning around and marching towards the balcony. 

“You don’t want to do that!” The man called, which only strengthened their resolve. 

Cleo stepped out, ignoring the way the sounds of battle grew louder. She would assist them soon. 

The training dummy was still there, right where they had left it.

The dummy was still there.

“W- what? How?”

“You cannot change the past.” The voice said, and it was tinged with a profound sadness.

Cleo glanced over the kingdom, dread seeping into her being, followed by the vague feeling of deja vu. The city was burning. 

That didn’t make sense. If it was burning, why was she so cold? Nothing made sense until Cleo saw the dragon take flight. It was huge, with black scales that shimmered blue and orange in the light. It took off, clearly weakened as it took to the skies above the castle, attempting to flee.

Cleo heard it, even from this distance. The order from Gem to shoot. They saw Jevin fire the huge black steeled arrow from the ballista on the wall. 

They heard the ear destroying scream from the beast as the arrow found its mark. 

Heard the way Jevin yelled her name as he realized what he had done, at what was about to happen.

Cleo watched the dragon fall towards the castle, towards where she stood, as the giant shadow enveloped the kingdom, and finally understood.

You cannot change the past.

It didn’t stop instinct though, and they dashed back inside foolishly. The strange fae man was gone, unsurprisingly, but Cleo didn’t need him here to let her know that she was utterly screwed. 

Not knowing what else to do, Cleo ran. Even as the ceiling collapsed and she was swept away with gravity and stone.

___

Cleo awoke in darkness. She felt it, the brick and mortar all around her. The heavy dust that choked their breathing.

There was something wrong. Something very wrong with so many parts of her. They could feel it, but couldn’t see anything.

“I hate this part.” A voice that was not her own said.

Blue eyes crouched in front of them. 

“I really hate this part. I’m sorry. I know I can’t change it, but I can’t watch it again.” He looked very sad, like he knew what this felt like. “Would you like to wake up now?”

“Wait. What happened to the queen?” 

“I…”

“Tell me, please.”

“I don’t know. I only know what you know.”

Cleo couldn’t stop the tear that fell down her cheek and onto her broken cracked armor. 

“I die here, don’t I?”

Silence followed. Cleo swallowed. She tasted blood. “Wake me up now, then.”

“Rest well then, dear knight, and know that you were beloved.”

____

Cleo woke up with a scream. It tore from her broken heart like fire from a dragon’s cruel throat.

Rest well. 

She remembered everything like it was yesterday, and not a hundred years ago. They remembered the shock and disappointment on the blonde man’s face when he found her. 

Remembered the words sketched into the stone of a broken castle wall, of a kingdom nobody knew anymore, or cared enough to make any history about. 

Rest well, dear knight.

Oh, how Cleo had tried.

Chapter Text

The phoenix king laughed, but the sound was scratchy and void of joy.

"We're dying? And how do you know of this?" The king asked the Canary, but to the rising panic of the other races in the room, he did not try to deny it.

"I know many of your secrets." It said, puffing its chest out, not with pride or arrogance, but with confidence. The red gaze the Canary shared with the king was enough to relay that they both knew it could ruin the entire race's reputation right here. It had already brought proof of these claims. The majority of the people here would believe the small bird.

The phoenix had been thoroughly called out.

The Canary, for the most part, was bluffing. It didn't know why exactly they were secretly suffering so much to simply survive, even with the remnants of power from the dragons. It had heard rumors though, something about the air being unsuitable.

"So, what do you plan to do?" What is your goal here?

The Canary looked thoughtful for a moment, ignoring the murmurs and whispers of the crowd and the way the large drapes on the open aired walls fluttered gently in the breeze.

He stared at red eyes, summoning his courage.
"I wish to make a deal."

_____

It wasn’t like Jimmy had wanted to lie to his brother. He hadn’t wanted to lie to anyone, actually. Lies were a spider's web he constantly kept finding himself as the bug trapped inside.
Jimmy didn’t want to lie, but Grian was clearly exhausted, Pearl and Mumbo were probably worried sick, and he was not going to leave Tango… again.
He flinched as he recalled the memory of the warm dance, the fiery cackle that was Tango’s laugh, and the cold bricks against his wings when he sat alone.
No, he was going to find him, and properly apologize for everything.

Finding him meant finding whatever cage Martyn and Grian had left him in, though, and while they had been around the city, Jimmy didn’t recall seeing a prison anywhere.
Jimmy chewed on his lip as he wandered through the streets, wondering how weird it would be to ask someone.
The road he was on split off, one path stooping upwards towards the higher trees, and another that stayed on this level, leading to what Jimmy knew was a shopping district. There were guards posted there, he knew, and having no better plans, he headed that way.

Jimmy was a few turns away from the large city center when he noticed a figure standing, blocking his path. He had decided to take a shortcut through the thick roots and back alleys he and Tango had run through when they dashed away from Cleo not long ago. He paused, throwing a glance behind him. No one. Alright, that meant they were here for him, but it also meant he had an exit if needed.
The figure was large, and was wearing a hood. Jimmy didn’t think he could take him in a fight and win, (not that he really thought that about anyone), but at least their cape wasn’t that blasted purple.
They wasted no time with dramatics, and reached up, tugging the hood down.
A familiar face greeted him with a tired, tight smile.

“Oh.” Jimmy let out an exhale. “It’s you.. Impulse- right? You scared me. I thought I was about to get mugged or something.”
“No mugging here today.” Impulse said with a chuckle. “Quite the opposite, actually. I thought you might need some help.”
Jimmy approached with a nod. “Yeah actually, I-”
Several things dawned on the avian at once, like the sun illuminating all the shadows as it rose.
“I….”

Impulse tilted his head to give him a questioning stare. Were his horns bigger?
“Hey.. How did you get here so fast?” Jimmy asked, swallowing.
He didn’t even look phased by the question. “You guys got lost, right? Sorry about that. I told Skizz to watch where he marked.”
“Oh.” Jimmy said, struggling to do the math in his head. “No, I don’t think that was Skizz’s fault. I’m just bad with directions.”
Impulse laughed again, but Jimmy’s guard was still very much up. “But if you were here earlier…” The avian muttered, and Impulse stopped laughing.

“Don’t overthink it. I said I’m here to help.”
Jimmy sighed. Not being able to trust anyone was exhausting.

“You don’t know where he is, do you? I do.”
Jimmy’s eyes snapped up, trying to read him.
He couldn’t, of course. “You do?”
He hated how desperate his voice sounded, so he cleared his throat.

Impulse didn’t make a comment on it, and instead turned to look out at the clearing. “Well, I know how to find out.”
Jimmy had a bad feeling in his gut. “How?”

“I’m just gonna lure one of the guards over here, and then-”

“What!? No way. We’re not hurting anyone.”

“I’m not going to hurt him- who do you think I am?”

“I have no idea, honestly!” Jimmy whisper-yelled back. “But something tells me you’re gonna do something I’m not gonna like.”

The dwarf went quiet for a moment.
“Do you have a better idea?” He finally settled on.

Jimmy stood a little straighter, wings puffing from under the cloak. “I do, actually.”

_____

“There is absolutely no way this is going to work.” Impulse said as they walked into the clearing.
“Sure it is. You look strong.” Jimmy responded, walking awkwardly now that his hands were tied behind his back.
“Look?” Impulse muttered with a frown Jimmy couldn’t see. “And me looking strong isn’t the problem here! It’s you… looking… The opposite.”
“Excuse me?” Jimmy asked a little loudly. They were approaching a guard now, who was waving away a citizen she had been talking to. Impulse decided to just go with it, and shove Jimmy just a bit. “Quiet.” He said, panicking slightly as the avian nearly tripped.

Impulse nodded at the guard as a way of greeting. “You wouldn’t happen to know where the prison is here, would you?”
The elf blinked at him, serious eyes visible through her helmet., probably wondering why; if he was a bounty hunter, he didn’t remember where the bounty board was.
“I got lucky with this one.” He said, gesturing to Jimmy. “But I’ve only been here a few times.”

Was this too much talking? It felt like a lot of talking.
Thankfully, the guard just nodded. “You’re going the wrong way.” She said, pointing back the way they came. “Shopping district is on level five. Bounty board is down on two.”
Impulse nodded his thanks, turning and nudging Jimmy away.

Alright, so that was easier than he expected. Maybe this avian deserved more credit than he had been giving him.

___

“Do I need to go over the plan again?”

“Yes.” Jimmy said without missing a beat, not taking his eyes off of the explosives sitting in the bag.

“They aren't going to blow if you look away, you know.” Impulse said, and Jimmy could practically hear his frown.

“I know, yeah.” He replied, finally looking up. “I just don’t really get the part where-why I have to light them?”

“Because I need to find out where they put him. Unless you know how to find and read those logs?”

Jimmy fidgeted with his hands. “I just… I don’t do very well with fire.”
Impulse blinked in surprise. “But.. Tango is-”

“Yes, I’m very well aware that Tango catches on fire on a seemingly regular basis! That’s not something I like to think about.” Jimmy hissed, saying the second part so fast it almost sounded like one word.

There was a quiet between them for a moment, and the only sound was the chirping of birds that fluttered through the branches high above.

“My brother once said opposites attract.” Jimmy mumbled. “I guess he was right.”

“I guess so too.” Impulse said, finally. “But I don’t think you two are that different.”

Jimmy wanted to argue. Tango hadn’t ever accidentally cursed anyone or lied to him. He was smart, and inventive, and knew what he wanted. Jimmy wasn’t like him at all.
But Impulse didn’t give him much time to argue. He passed him with a pat on the shoulder, picking up the bag as he went. “I’ll light them, then. But you have to keep watch.”

Jimmy nodded. “Deal.”

_____

The small yellow feather was soft against his fingers, light and airy against the dark heavy confines of this place. Tango wasn’t even sure how long it had been. He had fallen asleep at some point, and now sunlight was forcing its brightness through the barred window. It illuminated the room, showing him that most of the cell was actually wood.
Knowing he was in a tree almost made him wish he could alight on command and set this cell ablaze. However looking at Jimmy’s feather that he was mindlessly twirling around his fingers, he felt like even if he could- he wouldn’t.

It wasn’t that he thought the avian was going to try and get him out. Tango was sure Jimmy was far, far away from here. He couldn’t even bring himself to be mad at that fact either. Sure, it sucked that he had run off, but at least one of them seemed to have the sense to avoid Martyn.

There were too many questions flying around his head, all fighting for a perch.

His fingers spun the feather particularly intensely, and it twirled out of his hand, drifting away and landing in the sunlight.
Tango watched it for a moment, as the trick of light made it shimmer and change from red to a yellow so bright it looked white. He blinked, blowing a strand of a hair out of his face in disbelief.

Maybe he needed more sleep, he thought with an invisible frown. He reached for the feather, but right as his hand brushed the golden down, a loud boom echoed through his ears.

“What the-”

The entire cell suddenly shook, noise finally reaching him, and at the same time, a hot white pain dashed across his arm.
Tango felt his stomach drop as he put two and two together.

“Jimmy.” He breathed.

_____

Acid, Jimmy decided, was not something people should just be able to spit. Elf or hybrid or whatever that thing was otherwise. He bit his lip as he dashed behind a doorway, clutching his arm as guards sprinted past towards the noise. It had been minutes, but it still burned. At least it wasn't the same arm Tango had poured lava on, he supposed with a glance at the scar that peeked at him from under his cloak.
He sent Tango yet another mental apology as he tugged his hood on and dashed the way the guards had come from.

All things considered, Impulse and him had been very successful. Impulse had insisted blowing up a part of the reinforced armory would be the best, where the building wouldn’t catch on fire and no one would be seriously injured. Probably.
Apparently they had greatly underestimated the strength of the explosives Tango had managed to get his hands on, and the fact that some might be in the armory as they went to do this. So, Jimmy had gotten acid spat on him from a very friendly guard with scales for skin. Impulse had knocked them out for him, and then they had set them off, nodded a goodbye and then went their separate directions.

Most of the cells were dark, and Jimmy only spared them a passing glance as he dashed by, ignoring the people who looked at him suspiciously and the requests to be let out.

It wasn't that he knew where Tango was, exactly, more of he knew where the elf wasn’t. He would have thought himself crazy if he had let himself think about it, but it was almost like there was a tugging in his heart, telling his soul which way to go.

Jimmy made eye contact with many behind the metal bars, but none of them had the bright crimson eyes he was looking for, so he didn’t pause.
Something in the path caught his attention where a fluffy orange tail sat, resting on the ground outside of a cell. Jimmy rolled to a stop, catching his breath as he turned to look in.

Tango was leaning against the wall, sitting. He was twirling something in his hands that Jimmy didn’t see besides a quick flash of yellow.
When their eyes met, Jimmy felt a lot of things at once. Mostly, he felt shame.
Jimmy cleared his throat. “Hey.” He said, stupidly.

“Hey.” Tango said, leaning his head back against the rough wooden wall. “You came back.”

“Of course I did.” Jimmy said, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. He wanted to apologize, but now didn’t seem like a good time. “Are you- did you.. Wanna get out of here?”

“Now?” Tango said, throwing him a glance that Jimmy could recognize meant he was smiling. “Aw, but I’m sure they were just about to serve me a five star breakfast.”

There was still that unspoken tension between them, of questions and answers, frustration and apologies, but they were both doing their best to ignore it. So Jimmy chuckled as he passed a small pouch to him through the bars. “I’m going to help distract them. When you get out, head to the-”
Jimmy jumped when Tango grabbed his wrist instead of the pouch, gently turning his arm to look at it. It took him a moment to realize why.
“Oh. That, right. It was my fault. I… The redstone dust- it, uhm. I kinda spilled it all over the place, and this guard saw-” He was blabbering, and Tango wasn’t saying anything, so he shut his mouth.

“So, the pain I was feeling this whole time….”

Jimmy didn’t meet his gaze. Tango took the pouch, but didn’t let go of his wrist yet.
He balled his hand closed, fingers digging into the still fresh scar.

“Jimmy. Let me see your palm.”

He swallowed.
“Jimmy, I-. I need to see for myself. I need to know… Please?”
Jimmy sighed, opening his hand.
Tango went very still. The only sound for a moment was the fan whirring in the elve’s mask, which Jimmy realized- with no small amount of terror- had a small crack in it. It cut through one of the fans, stopping it completely.

“It was yours.” He finally said, barely above a whisper. Jimmy only heard it because of the single fan making everything quieter.

He felt his grip loosen, so Jimmy pulled his arm back. Tango didn’t even seem to notice. He looked like he was running through his memories, and he had a pained look on his face.
“All those times I- shit. Jimmy, I am-”
“That doesn’t matter now.” Jimmy cut him off. He could hear several footsteps approaching. “The bridge.” He said, looking at Tango intently. “Meet me where we first saw the city.”

Then he dashed off, thankful for how when the guards shouted, it drowned out the sound of Tango calling his name, telling him to wait.

_____

Tango cursed again as he watched Jimmy’s green cloak disappear behind a corner.

He was being given a chance to escape, so why did it feel like he was being left behind again?
He stepped back, away from the guards as they dashed past, barely sparing him a glance. Tango covered the pouch with his tail even so until they were gone, and the chaos inside subsided.
Then he picked up the pouch, pointedly ignoring the scar on his hand as he pulled out one of the lockpicks.

Questioning Jimmy was going to be difficult, but breaking out of here? That was going to be easy.

___

“Don’t tell him you saw me here.” Impulse had said. Jimmy had given him a suspicious look.
“Why?”
Why indeed, Impulse thought as he vaulted over a table in the guards mess hall. That was the golden question, wasn't it? If Impulse knew why, well. None of this would have ever happened, would it? Not to him, at least.

He finally spotted a door, but made a dash in a different direction to throw off his pursuers. It worked a little too well, and he almost laughed at the elves' victorious faces as they blocked the hall he was heading towards. Of course, that hall led to the cells, which he was trying to keep the guardsmen away from, so he turned at the last minute, feeling the air around him snap and his feet slide against the unpolished stone floor, as he shifted and changed directions faster than he should have been able to.
He reached the door easily, opening it with ease and blinking away the harsh afternoon brightness.

The fresh air gave him a burst of energy, and he ran with a newfound speed, ignoring the yells behind him. A noise to his right caught his attention, where Jimmy lept from the slanted roof and onto a tree, and then more or less fell out of it, landing in a way that looked quite painful.
Impulse considered stopping to help, but they had already decided to part ways, and Jimmy was no longer being chased, so Impulse went a different direction, dashing into an alley.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been running. It felt like hours, but the sun had barely moved from what he could see from between the huge leaves.
They had lost him several times, which had given him time to catch his breath and empty his pouch of water, but he knew they were starting to lose interest. Either that, or soon, he would have much bigger problems on his hands. So Impulse dashed through an open boulevard, reached the wooden fence that acted as a barrier, and with a final two handed wave behind him, tipped over the side and fell.

____

Jimmy finally stumbled into the small clearing, exhaling loudly. The sun was nearly at the horizon, but from where he was, the giant trees covered its sharp golden light, and casted the area in shadows.
He didn’t see anyone after a second glance, and his heart dropped.

Jimmy was alone.

“Hey Jim.”
A voice said. Jimmy turned, but there was no one behind him either. “Tango?”
“I’m up here.”
Jimmy craned his neck. Sure enough, Tango was resting on a branch on one of the tall oak trees. He turned to look at him, leaning on his arm as he let his tail fall below the leaves.
Jimmy allowed himself an exhale of relief when he saw him.
“Oh, thank goodness. I thought…”
“Thought I was gone.”
Jimmy went quiet. “Yeah.”
Tango let out a little “Hm.” Before turning, leaning on his back to stare up at the cacophony of leaves.

“Jimmy… We need to talk.”

Chapter Text

For all of the bluejay’s faults, (and there were many,) Grian was appreciative of Martyn’s idea to use this portal for transportation. It had been abandoned by the watchers for some reason beyond him, and yet the path between the entrances was mostly fully functional, and safer then many of the other nether tunnels he had seen.

There were many of them scattered all across this underworld domain. They were all hidden, of course, in accordance with the treaty the netherborne had made with the phoenix when they had been in charge. 

Nether travel was very rare these days, however, due to the lack of anyone upkeeping the tunnels. Not to mention, most people either did not know about them or thought the ability to get to a destination a few days earlier wasn’t worth the risk. 

Grian listened to the way his footsteps clicked down the maroon stoned path. He was walking loudly on purpose, of course. He didn’t like how silent these tunnels were. It made his thoughts much too loud. Even as he stepped through the portal, Grian had a bad feeling in his gut. Leaving Jimmy behind was not something he wanted to do, but an angry Pearl scared him more than an unsupervised Jimmy. 

He recalled the way Jimmy averted his gaze when he said he’d go for the egg. A frown tugged at his lips. The thought poked at him again. Was he lying? The footsteps paused on the stonework, plunging the tunnel into complete silence. 

Until it shattered with the sound of a laugh. Yeah, right. Jimmy lying? The thought was so absurd Grian really started to question his exhaustion. He would sleep as soon as he got out of here, he decided as he peeked outside of the crack in the wall. There was nothing. Not a single netherborne in sight, so he jumped over the fissure with ease, dashing back into the shadows. The opening was a lot smaller since Jimmy had come through here, thanks to Grian covering what he could of the opening with the thick red vines that grew here.

Besides, even if Jimmy had lied, what was he going to do? Now back in the dark, Grian’s thoughts wandered again. Even if he somehow knew where the elven prison was, Grian doubted Jimmy could do anything about it. 

Unless … No. He and Martyn had a deal, and Impulse was far away. He let out a shaky sigh. Everything was fine. His plan was working. They could beat this curse. 

He could almost see the portal now, the alien purple glow reflecting off the walls, lighting the way and beckoning him closer.

Two more steps, and he suddenly heard what sounded like large gears moving. 

They slammed into place, somewhere out of the avian’s view. 

Clank.

Grian swiveled his head around. There was nothing. He was in a nearly completely concealed brick tunnel.

Clink.

A sinking feeling started in his gut. He didn’t know what was happening, but he knew he needed to get out of here. Now. 

He started running, and the sound of his feet on the hard stone and the thoughts in his head were both drowned out by the sound of the machinery.

Click!

Grian dived towards the portal as all of the sounds stopped all at once. He squeezed his eyes shut as he jumped through. 

He kept them closed when he landed on his back with a grunt, too afraid for a moment to open them. The air was still stale. The light behind his eyelids wasn’t any brighter, and he couldn’t hear any birds chirping. His wings were not happy with this position, though, so he finally cracked them open. 

Grian’s eyes were met with dark red bricks. He was looking through the portal, which had been completely shut off, leaving him in the dark. 

Grian was still in the nether. 

The portals were off.

Shit.   

_____

A crack echoed through an eerily silent chamber, the brittle sound bouncing off the large walls and making Zed jump. He should not be here, his thoughts yelled at him for about the thirtieth time that night. Zed pushed it away, like he had the other times, and stepped into the open corridor.

The mountain was home to many, and the academy that rested on its heavy back reached not only deep within the ground, but high above it as well. The school’s top professors were a part of a board that made the decisions for the academy and had the final say on the students' graduations. Their meeting rooms were located in the finely carved stone structures that were built high above the rest, snug upon the high peaks.

So when Zed saw Skizz taking a rarely traversed path up the mountain, he followed. He had been keeping tabs on the avian since Impulse had disappeared, and this was the strangest thing had done in days, so of course he had. What was he supposed to do? Sit and wait for his questions to answer themselves? He thought not. Curiosity was a tool that helped living creatures discover. Helped them ask, and yearn for an answer. That’s how he saw it, anyway. 

Besides, Zed really wanted to ask Skizz some things without Impulse staring them both down, and this seemed like a good opportunity. Finally. 

Zed's curiosity only grew when Skizz did not head towards the board members’ quarters. As he looked behind him one last time and instead headed behind their meeting chambers, towards some vines on the rocky outcrop. 

Zed ducked behind the rock he was hiding behind quickly, but when he looked back up, Skizz was gone. 

He waited a few more moments, and then dashed towards where he had last seen the avian. The stone wall was dark. Darker than it should be , Zed noticed, pushing some of the vines out of the way. They were sharp, and thorns dug into his hand, but Zed didn’t even notice, too excited by what he saw. A tunnel. An opening. One he had never seen or heard of before! How exciting. He thought. Even if his gut fought off the dread. 

Something was down here. Something he did not want to see.

But that was the problem, wasn’t it? He did want to see.

He wanted his curiosity satiated. Wanted answers to fill the gaping void he constantly kept finding in his head. Zed wanted answers. 

And he would question the cost of them afterwards.

The cave was thin, and led upwards. Eventually the rough stone of a cave turned into carved, well worn bricks, and the basement led into a huge– well, Zed didn’t really know what kind of building he was in at the moment.

He thought it should be brighter, with the huge glass stained windows that depicted tales of old might. Humans slaying dragons, queens getting crowned, knights making deals with the flaming birds of legends. 

But when Zed thought about where this was on the mountain, starting to question why he had never once seen these huge stained glass windows from the outside, things started to get strange. He didn’t have enough pieces to complete this puzzle yet, so his main goal stayed the same. Follow Skizz.

___

Skizz had a weird feeling about all of this, even more so than when he did anything Impulse asked him to for that weird cult thing he was stuck in. 

What were they called again? The gazers, or something? Whatever. He didn’t really care. He’d be lying if he said they didn't freak him out though, just a bit. 

He knew Impulse would never erase his memories. Never edit them or wipe his mind, but knowing he could. Knowing they had to Zed…. It didn’t sit right with him. 

Twenty Seven . The number played over in his head. 

That’s how many times Zed had gotten close to figuring out the truth. He was right there. He was so unbelievably close, each time. It baffled Skizz, how quickly the sheep hybrid was able to figure things out. 

And if you asked Skizz, he would tell you in a worried whisper, that somehow, each time, Zed might be figuring it out faster.

But Impulse didn’t ask Skizz about this, so he kept that worrying theory to himself. In fact, Impulse didn’t ask for his help very much at all these days, which is why he practically jumped at the chance to do this. He didn’t actually even know what he was supposed to be doing with this key, but finding the door that went with it seemed like a good start. Along with not getting caught. Naturally. 

Which is why, when he stepped into a long hallway out of the main room, and that weird feeling came back, Skizz checked behind him for what had to be the hundredth time that night. 

You’re paranoid, Skizz. He thought to himself, even as the small wings near his ears stood on end. 

Impulse hadn’t told him much about this place. Hadn’t told him much of anything related to the beings he owed a life debt to, only that the less Skizz knew, the safer he was. So Skizz didn’t pry. Too much.

So Skizz ignored the dusty books with the dragons and eyes that they were always burning. He ignored it, the feeling of being watched by a thousand eyes that he felt sometimes, alone, or when Impulse looked at him. He kept his mouth shut when Tango said he thought he was cursed. He looked away when Impulse turned into something Impulse wasn’t. Something wrong.  For himself, and for Impulse, Skizz closed his eyes. He didn’t acknowledge the color purple. 

He twirled the key in his hands around. The metal was cold, even though it had been in his hands for hours now. He turned down another hall, hoping he wasn’t getting lost. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a curved stairway that curled up, through the mountain. His wings brushed the cool stone as he climbed the tight space, recoiling. 

The sound of a second pair of footsteps made Skizz freeze. He looked behind him, heart racing and making it hard to hear. He closed his hands into fists, the cold key helping him focus. 

He stared at the wall. It was too dark, but he could almost make out his own shadow, a little farther down the stairs. He stared at the entrance, wondering if he imagined the noise again. 

It was silent.

Skizz put his fists down. 

Then his shadow moved. 

And Skizz had the horrible realization that it was never his shadow  at all. 

Skizz swung, and, fine- yeah. Maybe he screamed a little too. 

His fist connected with something, and the shadow fell, disappearing behind the rounded stairs. 

The familiar cry as they fell didn’t reassure him, though, so Skizz slowly stepped down after them.

_____

Alright. So that might have been his mistake . Zed thought after the stars cleared from his vision. He sat up slowly, rubbing his jaw as he contemplated running. Skizz was rounding the corner now though, and Zed wasn't confident in his abilities to outrun an avian after falling down a flight of stairs. 

“Alright, who sent yo-” Skizz's voice died out when he saw who was in front of him. “Zed?!” 

Zed would have loved to give a chipper reply, but his face hurt too much at the moment to reply. 

Skizz muttered something about not being surprised as he approached, tugging his arm to pull him up. 

“Are you alright? I'm sorry. If I had known it was you..”

“You would have run.” Zed finished, finding his words again now that the pain in his jaw was fading to a dull ache.

“No! No. Why on earth would I avoid you?”

Zed tugged his arm free, squinting at him. “Why indeed.”

Skizz avoided his gaze. “So… Funny seeing you here.”

Zed almost wanted to laugh. “Skizz.” He said instead, voice serious.

“What? How am I supposed to-” He sighed. “Fine. You want serious? I'll be serious. Why are you following me?”

“I think the better question is… why are you sneaking around forbidden zones in the middle of the night?”

“Forbidden? We're in a university.”

“Sure. And I'm sure the board would love to know you've been wandering around these abandoned caves past midnight.”

Skizz glared at him.  “Are you trying to blackmail me?”

Zed shrugged, leaning back. “I don't see why it has to come to that. I just want to see what you're up to.”     

Skizz seemed to consider it for a moment, twirling something in his hand thoughtfully. Zed noticed it when it reflected the corridor's little light. Before he could really think about it, he had snatched it from Skizz's hand. 

Skizz let out an offended sound, but for a moment, he was too shocked to do anything.

Zed took this moment to inspect it. It was small, and he could feel intricate shapes carved into it. 

What was it? He lifted it up, trying to get it to catch some sort of light. 

It was too damn dark in here. 

The moment passed, and Skizz was reaching for it. Zed danced out of the way, avoiding his reach. 

“Zed.”

“It's a key!” He realized, finally, twirling it round. “Ohoho! This just got more interesting. Where on earth did you get it? Do you know where the door is? Oh– if it even is a door. Is it a chest, maybe? Some sort of-”

“Zed!” 

He cleared his throat. “Right. Sorry.”

“Give it back.” He said. The avian had given up trying to catch him, Zed was too tricky. 

“Give what back?” He said, blinking.

Skizz stared at him, incredulous. “There is no way you're doing this right now.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Now Zed did laugh, as crazy as it probably made him look. “Fine. Sorry. I'll give it back when you show me what it goes to.”

Skizz was quiet for a moment.

“If you even know, that is.”

“I know where it goes!”

He turned towards the hall, and then back towards the stairs they had come from. “I think.” He muttered.

“Well, that's no problem.” Zed replied, passing him and heading up the staircase he had been knocked from moments before. “I'll help you find it!”

Skizz was watching him, frown on his face.

“Oh, come on.” Zed snickered, “It'll be an adventure!”
The avian sighed, stepping in front of him to lead the way. “Fine. But if we get caught, I'm ditching you.”

“Fair enough.” He replied, shoving the key in his pocket as he followed.

They continued down the hall, and their silhouettes were swallowed by the dark as their footsteps grew quiet. The hall was desolate and empty, almost like it had been that way for a century. 

Like they had never been there at all.

____

Tango’s face was scrunched in that funny way it did when he was confused. Jimmy wasn't sure when he started to recognize them, but he could place most of Tango's expressions. As best he could with half of his face covered, at least.

“Wait.. So, that day, during my presentation…”

Jimmy cringed. “Yeah. That was me. Sorry.”

“But then… You said you saw me? How?” He ignored the apology. Probably because he had already forgiven him several times and told him to stop several more. 

Jimmy exhaled thoughtfully. “I actually don't really get that either. He was supposed to be showing me my quest, but…”

He rubbed his head. “I think it was a giant obsidian slab? There might have been a bowl of water.”

Tango blinked at him.

“You know, my head is really fuzzy whenever I think about that day. The entire interaction is blurry. Is that weird?”

Tango leaned back on the rock he was sitting on, tail flicking thoughtfully. “I suppose it makes sense. It was a pretty stressful day for you right?”

Jimmy ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. You could say that.”

“And it was a while ago.”

“Yeah.” Jimmy agreed again. 

Tango made a gesture with his head to the rock next to him, and it made Jimmy realize he had been pacing. He nodded, sitting down next to him with a silent thanks. 

They were hushed for a while, as the world continued around them. Sunlight flickered through the trees, and birds fluttered through the branches, reaching for the sky. 

Jimmy had told him nearly everything now. He was relieved to finally get it off his chest, and even more so when Tango didn't seem angry. 

“So then you found me.” Tango muttered. 

Jimmy met his eyes, and their first meeting rushed to his head. He looked away. “Then I found you.” He repeated.

Tango’s head snapped up, as if suddenly remembering something. “That means you hurt your foot somewhere nearby. What on earth happened?”

Jimmy stood up quickly, pretending to have to stretch his wings to hide the way his face was turning red. “That's- well- I.. Uh..” He sputtered. “I don't remember. Must have been something stupid.”

Tango raised an eyebrow, but didn't push it.

“So then.” He said, sitting up in a less relaxed manner. “What do we do now?”

Jimmy blinked in surprise. “T-that's it? You don't have any more questions?” 

“Hm? Well, not at the moment. We were together for most of the time after that.”

“Oh. Yeah”

“I mean if I think of anything, I'll just ask you later.”

“Later?” Jimmy perked up.

“Well, yeah. I mean, unless you don't want to talk about it again-”

“No, no, that's fine, ask whatever you want. I just..”

“What?” The elf asked him, expression vexed.

“You.. You aren't leaving?” Jimmy hadn't meant for it to come out so quietly. 

“Leaving? What?”

They stared at each other for several moments, both caught in what was clearly two different plans being out in the open. 

“I… I thought you..” Jimmy swallowed. “You don't hate me?”

To his credit, Tango actually seemed to think about it, even as he looked taken aback. “ Hate you? Jimmy… How could I hate you? How could anyone hate you?”

Now it was Jimmy's turn to not know what to say. “I… But I-”

“The way I see it, some stupid egg said you were cursed, and Martyn saw someone who was very clearly having one of the worst days of their life and decided to make it worse. That wasn’t your fault.” He interrupted, standing up and crossing his arms.

Jimmy wasn't convinced. “But.. all the shared pain…”

Tango responded by rolling up his sleeve. “And who hurt us first?”

The avian frowned. “It's my fault your fire immunity got canceled, Tango.”

“I mean, I guess. But I also said some... unpleasant things about someone I didn't realize was you-”

“Which I deserved.”

“What? No. Jimmy.”

“Well, I-”

“Shut it!” Tango said, cutting him off.

Jimmy was stunned into silence. His eyes flicked from the elves face to his hair, but didn't make any move to back up. It had only seemed to light for an instant, and he wondered if Tango noticed it at all, with how intensely he was looking at him.

“Alright. This is how this is gonna go. You're gonna stop apologizing, and blaming yourself for the direction that leaves fall. I don't hate you. Not even a little bit. Sure though, I'm upset for the way you took off when Martyn told me, but I get it. I said a lot of things I didn't mean, and you lied. And we both hurt each other. And we're both sorry.”

He took a deep breath.

“So from here on out, we're even.” 

Jimmy didn't even have the words. He had no idea how to even begin formulating a response. He was glad Tango said it. It felt like the weight he had been carrying alone all this time got lighter. 

Like someone had forcefully taken the heavy thing weighing him down for days, and he could breathe anew. It was a burden he wished to be free of but would never ask anyone else to take. 

“We're even?” He breathed.

“Yeah. And we're a team. And I'm not going anywhere until we break this thing. Together.” 

The elf offered the avian a hand. 

The phoenix offered the canary a deal. 

Jimmy took it.

“Alright.” He couldn't help the relieved smile that spread onto his face.

“Together then.”

____

Zed was, by no means, afraid of the dark. At least, he never thought he was. But there was something wrong with these long forgotten stone halls, something darker than the darkness that flooded the abandoned corridors and constantly made him look behind. It got worse as they continued, and Zed almost regretted following Skizz. Almost.  

He continued on, though. Because he hadn't stolen that key for nothing, and if this entire thing was making him uncomfortable, then he was probably close to some form of answers. Answers he wasn’t going to let anyone take from him.

Not even Skizz.

Eventually, after what felt like hours, Skizz let out what sounded like a relieved breath. It was a stark contrast to their silent traveling, so it got his attention rather quickly.

“What is it?” Zed asked, stepping forward to his side. 

There was a large room in front of them. It was unique to the many they had been through that night, for one reason.

Light .

There was a beam of it. Moonlight, from the looks of it. It illuminated the walls, where ivy grew in from the many cracks, and carvings sat in some unreadable language. Zed would have been interested in deciphering them if there wasn't something else that was absorbing all of his attention. 

A door sat on the far end of the room. Unlike the rest of this place, it was cut from a large black stone that almost seemed to steal the light from the room. It was such a stark contrast Zed would have assumed the door got here long after the place was built. But no. That wouldn't make any sense, now would it? It was almost a sarcastic thought, as he and Skizz shared a look.

Not that Skizz could know what he was thinking.

“You ready, key boy?” He asked, and Zed appreciated his attempt at humor.

“‘Course.” He mumbled, not really listening. 

There was something on the other side of this door. Something that seemed to call to him. Something not unlike a siren, he thought, shaking the strange feeling of being watched off of him.

He stepped forward, into the room and through the beam of light, where he paused for a moment, squinting at where it was coming from. 

He couldn't see the sky, but that was definitely a reflection of the sun that attacked his eyes. 

“Hey, Skizz?” He said, a frown tugging at the end of his lips. There was one major question that had been plaguing his mind since they entered this place. One piece wasn't fitting anywhere. 

“What's up?” He responded. He wasn't far, looking at some of the strange symbols and things on the wall. 

“Where the hell are we?”

Skizz frowned at the light. “I.. Well to be honest I thought this place was…”

“Was what?”

“I’m not sure it makes too much sense.”

“Try me.” Zed said, desperate for anything that wasn't what his brain was telling him. 

“I figured we were in the mountain.” 

Zed went still. So it was the same then.

“But…” Skizz continued. “That doesn't really begin to explain the windows, does it?”

Zed made a sound of agreement as he approached the door, slipping the key out of his pocket. Skizz hadn't really tried to take it back, and Zed thought he knew why. Nobody would want to traverse this place alone. 

Probably because it didn't feel like they had been alone the entire time they were stumbling around in the darkness, but that wasn't something he wanted to dwell on at the moment.

Unlike the rest of the door, the keyhole was a bright gold color. It made finding it easier, he supposed, but he couldn't see too much of a purpose for it besides that. 

He put the key in with ease, ignoring how his brain wished for it to not fit. The way he almost wanted it not to turn. To reject it. Reject him, so he could convince Skizz to leave and try and forget about this entire night. 

The lock clicked.

The door opened on its own accord.

Zed buried his fear. His uncertainty. He wanted this. He wanted something more than his friends avoiding his gaze and trying to figure out why his memories weren't lining up with what everyone was telling him had happened. 

Zed didn't wait for Skizz. He stepped through.

___

To say he was a bit disappointed was an understatement. The only strange thing about this room, besides the intricate patterns of lines and redstone dust scattered all across the tile floor, was a large- Well. Zed didn't have the first clue of what that could be, actually. 

It was huge. Dark black reflective stone that reached much taller than he was. It was hollow, almost like some sort of doorway.

A doorway he didn't have a key to. He thought with a slight downward turn of his lips. 

But, there was something here that he did understand quite well. He toed at the line of red dust, trailing everywhere. There had to be a pattern here, somewhere. Something that lead him to a switch or button or-

“Zed!” 

Zed looked up, where Skizz was staring at him with his arms crossed. “Ah, sorry, what did you say?” 

“I said we're leaving. I showed you where the key went.”

Zed grinned. “Rightio you did.” He reached into his pocket again, tugging out the key and passing it to the avian. “And I said I‘d give it back. So there you are.”

Skizz twirled the thing in his hands once before looking around the room with what Zed knew was a worried expression. “This place is giving me the creeps.” He muttered. Zed wondered if he could see something he couldn't. 

“You mean you just came down here to open the door? Seriously?”

“Yes.” Skizz wasn't fazed. 

“What- b- Skizz, do you even know what this is?”

The avian's gaze drifted back to him slowly. “Do you?”

Zed turned, studying the decorated tiles and the sleek obsidian. Yes, that's what it was. Obsidian. 

It was singing again, he noticed. Some distant chime that sang reminiscent of freedom. 

What was it though? That was the question. Could Skizz hear it too?

“I don't.” He admitted. 

“Exactly. Which is wh-”

“But! I do know redstone.” 

Skizz finally noticed the dust that filled the room and clung to their boots.

“Then you should definitely know we shouldn't mess with it if we don't know what it does. ” He said in a frustrated whisper.

Zed raised his hands in surrender. “Fine. You're right. Let's go then.” He walked past him, toward the exit, where he stopped in front of the door. 

Skizz turned to follow him, relief flooding his expression to such an extent that Zed suddenly felt guilty. He leaned down and scooped up a pile of redstone to inspect. “Aren't you curious though? Even a little bit?” 

Skizz paused. “No. And for what it's worth, I think you need to hear this story about a curious cat. Come on, I'll tell you on the way out.”

Skizz passed him, and Zed stood up. 

After a moment, Skizz turned back to look at him. 

“Ah. I've heard that one plenty of times. A cat's got nine lives.”

Skizz laughed. “Yeah. Too bad we don't.”

There was a pause. 

“You know though, Skizz. There is one story I'd love to hear.”

“Yeah? Which one is that.”

“Why you and Impulse are doing this.”  

To his credit, Skizz's face didn't change at all. Or maybe it did, and Zed couldn't see it in the light, and didn't notice it over the siren call blaring in his head.

“I don't know what you're talking about.” He said finally. Quietly.

Zed could have argued. They both knew he wasn't stupid. Coming down here was strange enough, but with everything else Zed knew… Everything he didn't know. Well. It was an estimated guess. 

He had asked, and Skizz had denied. 

Which meant he was going to have to find out for himself.

Before Skizz could react, Zed ran. He took off towards one of the walls, kicking up dust as he went. He heard Skizz yell. Heard him start to chase. 

Zed reached the wall and slammed the camouflaged button he had noticed when scanning the room. Skizz's footsteps paused as the floor began to light up, all of the redstone paths coming alive and lighting into beautiful patterns. Zed didn't stop to appreciate it. It wasn't done.

He cut through the middle of the room, leaping through the obsidian gate to reach what was behind it, sprinkling the dust in his hand with a practiced ease as he went. 

There . He noticed, with no small amount of satisfaction. The repeater sat in a corner, dusty and unused. He kicked it right as a line of redstone lit up nearby. The repeater did its job, and it was only a moment before the area behind the portal was lit with a soft red glow as well.

Skizz called him again, but Zed barely heard it over all the noise in his head. He could almost make out the sound…. was that a bird song? 

He met Skizz's eyes through the gate. He looked mad. More than that though, Zed thought he looked scared. His brows were furrowed, and he was watching the obsidian with a face that said he expected something bad to happen. 

Nothing did though, and he finally sighed.

“Zed.. What the hell was that?” He muttered.

Zed- a little embarrassed that nothing had happened, was looking at the ceiling. The singing had stopped, suddenly and violently. It left a headache in its wake.

“Shame.” He finally said. 

“Shame?? Zed- that could have been hooked to explosives!” 

He was right of course, but Zed shrugged. “Seems a bit over complex if they just wanted to blow someone up, don't you think?”

Skizz didn't look amused. “Can we go now, mister dramatics?”

Zed's shoulders slumped a bit. “Yeah. Fine.” 

“Thank you.” Skizz said, letting out another breath of relief as Zed approached.

Clank! The sound seemed to echo in the large empty space. They both froze.

Clink! 

“Oh no.” Skizz muttered, taking a step back. His eyes widened as he looked at him, panic clear on his features now. “Zed! Move! You're on the-”

Click!

Zed saw himself. For a moment, in the reflection of the obsidian. 

He didn't hear Skizz's warning. Only the quiet, pleading chirp of a bird, drowning out every other noise in his head.

The world went bright, then dark, and then red.

Out of all of these things, there was one thing that worried Zed the most.

In his own reflection, Zed’s eyes had been glowing.

An eerily bright purple.

Chapter Text

Zed thought about it, for a moment. About going back. Portals were little more than a door, in the grand scheme of things. All he would need to do is step back through.
He thought about it, as he stared at the purple gate from where he sat. Skizz was no doubt waiting for him. He chewed on the inside of his cheek.
Would the avian follow? Surely he had to. Surely Impulse wouldn't want any loose ends to be running around between dimensions.

This portal was the same size as the other, huge and towering much taller than himself. He wasn't sure what he'd expected on that front. Zed finally turned away from the doorway to inspect the corridor he had found himself in.
Unsurprisingly, the room was big enough to fit the portal, and it was long, resembling a grand hall. Zed knew where he was. Or, he assumed he was in the nether, so he investigated with caution, since he knew about the treaty between the netherborne and the overworld.

The tunnel was huge though, and built with sturdy black and gray stone. He didn't look too closely, but Zed didn't find even a crack anywhere that showed even a hint of the burning underworld he was in.
The singing that had invaded his mind had stopped, which was both a comfort and an itch under his skin. Like Zed was supposed to know what to do by now. Like he was supposed to know where to go. He didn’t, of course. But if he wasn't going back…

There was only one direction this hall went. He couldn't see the end of it, thanks to the red and gray fog that rolled on the ground and polluted his vision.
Zed looked back from where he had come, if only for a moment.
The gate still pulsed and writhed, but no one came through.
So Zed blew a curl out of his eyes and stepped forward towards the mist.

____

Tango couldn't sleep. Which was more surprising than it ought to be, considering all he had learned today.
They were even now, he kept telling himself.

He turned over again, for what was probably the hundredth time since he had laid down. The fabric of his sleeping bag ruffled against his skin, and although it wasn't uncomfortable, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. His mind started wandering again, and he wasn't sure how long it was until he felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his lower left leg.

Tango sat up in a flash, cursing at the sudden pain.
What in the- oh. Jimmy.
Jimmy, who was supposed to be keeping watch, supposedly right outside. But Tango hadn't heard a thing, and he didn't want to assume he had been that lost in his own thoughts.
It only took a moment for Tango to escape the sleeping bag and tug on his boots, but in that moment, Tango felt more flashes of pain. A sting on his face, a scrape on his arm.
Tango’s frown deepened. Was Jimmy running? It almost felt like it.
Poking his head out of the tent didn’t give him any new information. It was dark, and they were under tall trees that blocked the moon, making it impossible for Tango to see what time it was. One thing was clear, though, it was much too early for this. Or late.

“Jimmy?” He called out into the darkness. Which, he knew wasn’t the smartest idea if he was being hunted by something, but Tango didn’t have any idea where his soulmate could be. There was no response, of course. Not a single sound besides the ruffling of leaves in the breeze.
Tango surveyed his options. He could run blindly around the forest, hoping to go in the right direction and find him, or he could sit here and worry. The blazeborne huffed. The answer was clear.
After thinking for a moment more, Tango grabbed his bag of explosives and took off into the shadows of the trees.

_____

Skizz ran a hand through his hair, expression only growing more stressed by the moment. Zed wasn’t coming back. He knew that. He had found out too much, and when he had told Skizz in a moment of trust, Skizz had denied it. He had betrayed him. Proved him right. It hadn’t been the first time, but now Skizz wondered if it might be the last.

He stared at the portal dancing with color and calling him closer, and Skizz wondered if he should just let him go.
Maybe Impulse would just forget about it. Maybe Zed would leave and never come back. He wanted that as much as he didn’t.
Even as he thought it though, Skizz knew that wasn’t going to happen. Hell, he didn’t even know what was on the other side of that portal. There was no way he could just let Zed go alone.
The avian let out a string of frustrated slightly unintelligible sounds, before fluffing out his wings and leaping through the purple writhing wall.

Crashing into the parallel world, Skizz immediately noticed two things. One: It was hot. Obnoxiously so. From the second he entered, he could feel the boiling heat claw at his skin and face. Ah, how he had not missed this place. And two; It was huge. The area they had stumbled into was bigger than any nether tunnel he had ever been in.
That didn’t sit with him well. Something this big had to be important, and it was his job to keep off the radar. Maybe the best course of action here was to knock that blasted sheep hybrid out cold when he found him, and drag him back to the academy.
First thing was first though, Skizz had to find him. He pulled some cloth over his face to help stop himself from choking on the thick air, and tentatively stepped into the crimson shaded mist.

_____

The bag hit him in the gut, and even though it was empty, the rough leather made him grunt.
He admits he might have milked the pain a bit when Cleo shot him a nasty glare, but hey. He was still recovering! Being stabbed required proper rest to get back on one's feet. Rest that Cleo was intent on disturbing, it seemed.

“Pack.” She said. Commanded. Just one word, but a word Martyn had been dreading for months.

“What? Are you serious? Now?”

“You needed to complete the deal you had with Grian, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“And that’s what you were doing, right? Not just screwing around, I hope?”

Martyn chewed on his cheek. She had him in a bit of a checkmate here. “Well, yeah, but it’s not over until-”

“You got stabbed for him, Martyn. What more could you possibly owe?” He got a gist of their expression underneath the heavy cloth they wore and sighed. She looked almost desperate. It wasn’t an expression he was used to. It wasn’t one he wanted to get used to.
“Unless you enjoy working with him..” Cleo said, evil laugh threatening to bubble out.

Martyn was out of his bed in a moment, shooing the zombie out of the inn room he had rented. “Fine! Fine. I’ll pack. We’ll go. I was getting bored anyways.”

He watched Cleo laugh as she left, walking down the hall. “We leave tomorrow. And don’t even think about running again. You aren’t getting out of this. We had a deal.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I don’t want to be stabbed again so soon, believe it or not.” Martyn said, frowning.
He knew this day was coming as soon as they arrived here. One day, when things went bad for their little business, and Cleo had learned enough about the present day to fit in, they would go. Return to that place, and find the answers the zombie had been looking for since before they had died.

Some might think it was cruel to make someone like his soulmate wait so long. But Martyn wasn’t like most people, and– more honestly– he was a coward. He didn’t know what they would find there. Didn’t know if the answers they would find would satisfy them.
But mostly, Martyn didn’t want to go back.
He swore he wouldn’t, after all.

Cleo was still walking down the hall. She waved back at him without turning, like they knew he was still watching. Martyn scoffed as he closed the door to his room, staring at the door’s handle as his mind schemed.
He swore he wouldn’t go back, but…

The silent room was filled with the sound of his bitter laugh.
Well, it looks like he had also sworn he would.

So what would it be, then? His soul, or his heart?

_____

Jimmy didn’t even really know what he was running from, only that one moment, he was wandering away from the tent to investigate a series of strange sounds he had heard in the darkness of the ever expanding woods, and then the next- there was a whistle and the sound of something sharp digging into the bark behind his head.

Jimmy didn't even check to see what it was. It could have been an arrow, or a knife. Whatever it was, his flight kicked in, and he dashed- stupidly, deeper into the woods.
Maybe he should have ran back towards the tent, but logical thinking was thrown out the window the second he heard the pounding of footsteps behind him.

If Jimmy was the type of person to curse, he would be right about now. There were multiple people chasing him, that much he could tell by the sounds of footsteps thundering behind him. That was all he needed to know for the adrenaline to really kick in, and Jimmy ran.

By some miracle, or curse, the avian could see better in the dark then he had ever really been able to. Maybe it was because of Tango, and their bond.
Speaking of, Jimmy suddenly felt something stab his leg. He tumbled with a cry, rolling down an incline and barely missing bashing himself into several trees. His pursuers seemed to pause, and for a moment the only thing Jimmy could hear was his own erratic breath. The only thing he could feel was the stabbing in his leg and the echoing pound of his heart.
Was it an arrow? It felt like a knife. He felt blood trailing down his ankle.

“Great, now we've lost him.” He heard, and it was closer than he would have liked. The avian attempted to move himself behind a tree, away from the voices, but the thing that was lodged in his leg bumped something, and the avian had to slam a hand over his mouth to stop himself from yelling out in pain. He succeeded in moving himself behind the tree, and only slightly relaxed when he felt the rough wood against his wings. That was, until the voices continued.

“He can't have gone far. I know we hit him at least once. I'm missing an arrow.”
So it was an arrow, then.
There was a moment of rustling, searching behind the nearby trees. Jimmy held his breath. “Should we get the dogs?” A different voice asked.
“No.” one with the rougher voice said. “They don't know when to stop. We need the canary alive.”
“Well… It's a last resort then.”
The voices started to trail away, and Jimmy allowed himself to breathe. Slowly. If only to get his rabid heartbeat under control.

Good news: they needed him alive and they weren't after Tango.
Bad news: he was pretty sure they were definitely after him, and Tango was going to be hunted by association once news of their curse was out.

He needed to find him. It didn't take a genius to know that being alone right now was not a good idea. Jimmy frowned at his leg. At least he knew that was an arrow sticking out of it now. It hurt for sure, but he had a feeling it could have been a lot worse. It wasn't even going all the way through, and he didn't think it could have broken anything. That was a feeling he knew too well.
Jimmy reached for the tree behind him, and counted to three before he hoisted himself up.

___

Climbing up, Jimmy realized, was much more difficult than tumbling down.
We're even now. He recalled, and it felt like a punch in the gut. So much for that. It was like Jimmy was trying to make Tango hate him.

He had been through worse than this pain, sure. But that didn't mean Tango had. It didn't mean he should.
He paused his climb, resting his hand on a branch to catch his breath. Sweat clung to his neck, and he could feel his hand shaking.
Which way from here… He pondered, ignoring the pain pounding in his leg.
It was during this that Jimmy suddenly felt a very cold chill, like a breeze from the top of an ice capped mountain.
Despite it being night, the cold wasn't something that was usually thought about when one was being chased.

Jimmy felt goosebumps that stilled his shaking arms.
That's what it was, he finally realized. It wasn't natural. He was being watched.

The feeling that overtook him was akin to a bird not quite seeing the fox that lurked in the underbrush, but suddenly feeling the need to take to the skies.

Jimmy looked around, and saw the source of the unease. Unnaturally sharp blue eyes that seemed to glow were staring at him from atop a branch not far from where he was standing. Making eye contact with it was like falling into an icy lake, knowing there was no escape from the cold depths.

The canary should have flown away ages ago.
It's a shame this bird was flightless.

The fox pounced.

_____

Zed was disappointed. He wasn't sure what type of building this was, but as grand as it all was, it appeared to be little more than a hallway.
The sheep hybrid scoffed at the large obsidian gate that mirrored the one he had entered from, scanning for a way to power it up. After some investigating and mutterings about needless dramatics for little more than a fancy hallway, Zed finally found what he was looking for. A switch behind one of the tall blackstone pillars that held up the tall ceiling. It blended in the fanciful carvings, but from its location, Zed made an estimated guess on what it was for. The switch was stiff from years of unuse, and when it finally turned, a loud thump echoed through the large silent chamber.

He straightened, ears flicking as they listened for the now familiar sound of the gate powering on.
It was only a moment before he heard it, and the red hazed room lit with the glow from the portal. He hadn't seen it from this side before, so Zed took a moment to appreciate the way the depthful carvings around the began to glow a beautiful purple. The singing returned to his mind, and Zed realized how quiet and empty it had been before. How lonely he had been without it.

Yes. The sound was beautiful and harmonious, and he found himself humming along to it as he approached the portal.

“Zed?”

His humming stopped, and Zed turned slowly towards the sound. “Ah! Skizz! I knew you'd come.” He greeted the white winged man.

“We aren't supposed to be here. You've had your fun, let's go back.”

Zed had far from had enough fun yet. “Not supposed to be here?” He frowned. “No, no. This place was made for us! Don't you feel it?”

Skizz suddenly looked very defensive. “All I feel is uncomfortable.”
Zed frowned. Could he really not hear the singing?

“What are you talking about? Zed- what the hell is happening to you?” The avian took a step towards him. “We need to get out of here. Now. Something is very wrong.”

“Ah, so now you want to protect me, do you?”
Zed didn't need his whole face to see that he was hurt by that comment.

What a wonderful actor. He thought bitterly. “Alright Skizz. How about this.” Zed took a step backwards, towards the sweet comforting arms of the unknown. “Let's play a game. If you win- if you can catch me, I'll go back with you. Let you and Impulse wipe my mind again, and pretend to be my friend until I figure it out once more. I promise. I won't even fight you at all.”

Skizz stood a little straighter. “And if you win?”

Zed just smiled at him, purple eyes glowing in excitement. “You're it.”

And the sheep hybrid laughed as he fell backwards, letting the portal envelope him once more.

Chapter Text

Dust. That was Skizz’s first thought. Somehow the air here was harder to inhale than in a separate dimension he wasn't made for. He had chased after Zed, of course, as tempted as he was now to really just let him go. The sheep hybrid had already promised to go back with him once, and look how that turned out. But the fear of the known- of what his best friend might do to him if he lost Zed… That was worse, somehow. Worse than the fear of the unknown. Worse than whatever they might find down here. 

Actually- Skizz wasn’t sure they were down anymore. His sense of direction was all screwed up. Usually his avian senses told him which way was up quite accurately, always pointing him towards the sky. Now though, it was like they were telling him he was up. High in the sky. Not that he had any idea. The room he was in was very, very dark. It could have been a closet, for all he knew. For some reason, the huge portal he had stepped through wasn’t emanating its purple glow very far, as if the light was being absorbed by the darkness of the bricks around him, like ink finally getting a taste of light for the first time in a century and swallowing it all without restraint.

“Zed?” He called into the unnatural darkness. The portal flickered. Skizz swallowed, his throat like sandpaper. Before he could think about it too much, Skizz stepped forward, trying to take comfort from the sound that his boots made on the heavy stone. He wished for the hundredth time that night that he had a torch right about now. 

There was no reply, but he wasn’t sure he even wanted one. With more bravery than he felt, Skizz once again stepped into the darkness.

_____

The knife twirled through his fingers with a practiced ease, and he did it now more out of habit than necessity, as he watched through his bangs at the two people near the fire. 

“I told you, if you stop screaming- we’ll take the blumin’ gag off and talk like civilized people.” His partner said to the blonde avian that was struggling in his grip. The winged man nodded, but still attempted to pull away, eyes not really on either of them. 

The silver knife slipped from his hand intentionally, digging into the dirt near his feet. 

“Joel. The fire.” He said, long silver hair slipping past his shoulders as he sat up. 

Joel threw him a questioning glance. 

“He doesn’t like the fire.” 

Joel blinked in surprise, and turned towards the avian, who was now looking at him. 

“Mm Mmmay Moel?” He asked. 

“Oh for the love of-” Joel backed up a few paces, away from the large open flame, and removed the cloth over the avian’s mouth.

“Did you say Joel?” He asked again. 

“Yeah, that's me, Bounty. Who’s askin?” 

The avian gaped at him. 

“Is there something on my face?” Joel asked, crossing his arms.

“Have you lost your mind? I know you have your jokes- but this…” 

“What in god's name are you talking about?” 

Etho watched this all take place with a bemused expression hidden under his mask. 

“It’s me, Jimmy.”

“Yeah. I saw the posters. Jimmy Solidarity-  wanted for arson, murder, vandalism, acts of terror, breaking a kingdom’s most valuable artifact and subsequently the last gift to this world from the race of the phoenix, etc. I’ve heard all about you. Who hasn’t?” 

“Y.. Your friend?” 

Now that was interesting, Etho thought. But he kept his opinions to himself.

Joel, for his credit, stepped back, removing his hand from the avian's arm to look at his face better. Not that the lighting was good, but the fire was giving him something to work with, at least. 

Etho also took this moment to study the avian. 

Jimmy Solidarity. The avian academy’s most wanted criminal, and currently- his and Joel’s top priority bounty. 

A lot had happened since Etho had left. The feeling of the scar over his eye suddenly felt heavy. A lot indeed.  

He wouldn’t be surprised if Joel had known this criminal before, but… Even if so, that was a while ago. And with the state he had found Joel in.. well. He wouldn’t be surprised if Joel didn’t remember anyone from before then. He might as well be a new person.

Jimmy was looking at him too, there was sweat and dirt on his face- probably from all the pointless running and tripping he had done to get away from them, but there was something besides fear in his eyes. Something like determination- or honesty.

Joel must have seen it too, because he snarled. “I’ve never seen you in my life.” 

It felt like ice cracking, Etho thought. He still refused to say anything. 

Jimmy looked hurt. He looked confused. Then his expression on some sort of acceptance. “Ah. I see. You’re trying to protect yourself, aren’t you?” He breathed a shaky laugh. “It’s okay. I-”

“You think I need any protection from you?” He took another step back. “I really have never met you. You’re out of your mind.” He scoffed in disbelief, turning his back on him and strutting back towards Etho and the fire that warmed his back, knowing that he would keep an eye on Jimmy.. “We better add gaslighter to his list of crimes.” Joel muttered to him, and a ghost of a smile hid under his mask at the remark, despite the serious air that threatened to choke them. 

“Wh…” 

If Etho had known what was coming- he would have interrupted. Unfortunately though, cryo-born elves were never gifted the power to see the future. 

“Joel, where are your wings?” It came out barely above a whisper.

The ice shattered.

___

Impulse turned on his bed again, unable to fall asleep after hours. It was weird that he couldn’t find Skizz, but it was a big school, and he was a busy student- especially with what he was trying to help Impulse with, and on top of that, Impulse hadn’t given gim an exact date and time he’d be back. 

But no matter how he tried to convince himself- his body refused to fall asleep. What really worried him, more than not seeing Skizz at his dorm, was the fact that he couldn’t find Zed either. 

That was what was driving him mad. The fact that he couldn’t find any sign of either of them. He would go looking, but he had no idea where to even start. No clues either, considering everyone he’d asked said they had gone to all of their classes that day. 

Impulse chewed on his bottom lip. 

No clues… Unless they had gone to investigate the key that Impulse had given to Skizz.

He turned again. Why would Skizz bring Zed with him to that? Impulse didn’t have all the pieces. He couldn’t even see the whole puzzle. 

With a sigh, Impulse sat up, brow furrowing in determination. He was tired of this false projection of power. Like he had any idea what was really going on. He was sick of having to hurt his two friends that were still here just to protect them from something much worse. Especially when they always just ran right back to the danger. 

Impulse stared at his sword, hung up on the wall. At the broken clock next to it. Maybe it was time for him to do something drastic. Maybe he would regret it, but hell. What was one more regret?

____

Jimmy swore he felt the temperature drop.

“What did you just say?” Joel said quietly, turning back to face him. It was only because he turned to walk away that Jimmy was able to put together what was bothering him their whole conversation. Joel’s large gray and green wings, the ones he had worn with such pride after returning from his quest- were gone.

It was impossible to tell if they were simply bound under his vest and shirt, or if they had been… Jimmy gulped. No. That couldn’t happen to an avian. To have one's wings stolen from them was a fate worse than death for an avian. A dishonor you could never return from. That couldn’t happen to someone like Joel. Not the Joel he knew- who was fearless and loud and charismatic. Who would even want to hurt him like that? Surely no avian.

Now unsure, Jimmy was afraid to ask it again. He could feel a drop of sweat roll down his face as he met eyes with Joel’s companion- an intimidating elf he had purposely been ignoring after he had given him that scare in the forest, and once again the freezing unnatural blue of his eyes stilled him to his core. He gave him a sign. The slowest shake of his head. It read like a warning. Like an entire kingdom wanting his head would be the least of his worries if he asked it again. 

Jimmy gulped.  “Wh… Who put a bounty on my head?” 

Joel’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not what-”

“The avian academy. Who else?” The elf interrupted. Jimmy thinks his name is Efo- or something. He heard Joel mumble it on their trek here. 

“Why would the..” He let that sink in for a moment. “But I’m doing the quest they gave me!” 

Efo raised an eyebrow. “Did that quest involve you breaking the phoenix egg?” 

Jimmy frowned, but stood up straighter, suddenly feeling snarky. “Well considering my job is to find another one- I’m going to say yes..?” He actually had no idea. That felt like a loaded question, and of course he hadn’t meant to break something that valuable. If anyone else had been in his position, they would understand. It wasn’t his fault. Probably.

Joel scoffed. “That’s your quest? To find a replacement?”

Jimmy’s wings twitched at his tone. “Yes. Is that so hard to believe?” 

There was something deep in his chest that hadn’t been there for a while now. A hope. A hope that if he kept them busy enough- distracted enough, Tango would come for him. He hoped, at least, that his soulmate had felt the scratches of sharp branches and rocks on his arms, and wasn’t snoozing away while he was getting captured. 

“Well it doesn’t make any bloody sense. There was nothing wrong with the old one.” 

“Well how do you know that?” Jimmy bit back. Joel’s frown deepened. 

Efo let out a little “Hm..” 

“Come on guys, be honest. Do I look like the type of person capable of all of that stuff? Intentionally?” 

His two captors shared a look. He knew how he looked right now. He knew how he always looked. It wasn’t far from the truth, and yet somehow, a simple wanted poster had convinced people that he was a horrible person. Who knew how many people now too, Jim thought, chewing on his lower lip.

“Well, whether you did it on purpose or not isn’t up to us.” Efo said calmly, crossing his arms. 

“Yeah, we only care about the money.” Joel added, a bit too proud of the fact. Efo shot him a slightly disappointed look, but didn’t argue.

“So.. What. Are you two just planning to drag me all the way back to Aveera? By yourselves?” 

“We know a shortcut.” Efo said, no doubt before Joel could spill all of their secrets. Jimmy knew he wasn’t the best at keeping them if it meant getting the upperhand in an argument. Unfortunately, it looked like Efo did too. Shame. They were a good team. Somewhere in the back of his mind Jimmy wondered if they were soulmates too.  

“Why? Are you planning on making things difficult for us?” Joel asked, seemingly unaware of the mental chess game Etho and Jimmy were playing. Little did either of them know, Jimmy didn’t even know how to play chess. He was simply bluffing until Tango found him. Eating the pieces while Efo wasn’t looking, one could even say.

Jimmy shrugged. “What if I fly away?” 

They both blinked in surprise. Joel sputtered. 

“You… You can’t fly.” The silence between Efo’s words was loud. “Can you?”

“Don’t be a fool, Efo, he didn’t finish his quest. We don’t learn how to fly until after we get back.” 

“Oh. It’s not, like, instinct?”

“No, it’s like– like a right? But you have to earn it. It’s complicated, man.”

“We..?” Jimmy asked. 

Joel’s mouth snapped shut. 

Before he could do anything about Jimmy calling him out, however, something small blurred past his vision, and an explosion knocked Jimmy and Joel to the ground, filling the clearing with smoke. 

“What the-!” Joel spat as Efo rushed to pull him to his feet. “Who the hell would be setting off explosions-”

“In the middle of the forest.” Efo finished, much calmer.

Jimmy couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of him, even though there was a fear slowly overtaking his bones. A fear of heights and flame licking the trees and turning the sky red. Even though his arms were tied and he was stuck sitting in an open clearing, Jimmy laughed as the smoke covered his features. 

Because Tango had found him.

___

Etho had no idea what to expect from the highly wanted criminal Jimmy Solidarity. He didn't expect someone with such a long list of crimes would be easy to bring in. Especially alive, but that’s what the poster had specified very clearly. So that was the goal. Etho had expected, to some degree, that it would be difficult. He definitely hadn’t expected the avian to look how he did. Young and nervous and maybe a little bit haunted. He had no idea Jimmy would have known Joel. Or, at least claimed to. That was something they were going to have a talk about later. 

But for now, Etho pried his knife out of the dirt as he lugged Joel to his feet and the two circled the smoke that now surrounded them, back to back and knives drawn. 

Jimmy had gone silent after his maniacal laugh, but Etho swore he felt Joel shiver. 

“Maybe this is above our paygrade.” His partner muttered. 

Etho let out a little tsk tsk. “Backing out at the first sign of danger? I expected more out of you.” He felt an elbow jab into his ribs. “Pix said he would be alone.” 

“He said he left alone.” Etho corrected, eyes widening as something round rolled in front of him. He kicked it hard, before taking the chance to study it. He knew redstone. 

It exploded into red smoke a safe distance away, and Etho breathed out a sigh of relief, discussion with Joel forgotten. That could have gone much worse, but they weren't in the clear yet.

“We need to get to Jimmy before they do.” Joel said. 

Etho had considered their bounty lost the second the clearing filled with the avians laughter, but he agreed. It was worth checking. Joel put his knife back and drew his sword as he dashed towards where they had left the avian, and Etho followed silently, mere steps behind. 

It wasn’t long before they made it, but as Etho expected, the avian was nowhere in sight. The ropes that held him had already been cut and left behind.

Joel cursed. 

“He was stalling.” Etho stated, impressed. Maybe he was someone capable of all those atrocities, if he could lie to someone like him so easily. 

The smoke was clearing, and Joel suddenly pointed towards the treeline. “There!” 

What Etho saw made him freeze. His eyes widened, confirming his fears as Tango turned around, barely even glancing at Joel before he threw something in their direction. 

A lot of words crossed Etho’s mind at that moment, a lot of questions, but mostly curses. Curses because he knew Tango. And if he knew Tango, this was going to hurt.

“Joel! MOVE!” 

Joel whipped to face him, probably surprised by his intensity. The explosive tumbled to a stop between them, just slow enough for them both to see the fuse near its end. 

“Oh for the love of-”

The match struck, and the last thing Etho saw was Joel, and then red.

—

The walls were singing. That was the only way he knew how to describe it. It was like a tangible path that only he could see, layed out for him specifically. Like it wanted him here, and wished to welcome him with open arms. Zed followed the trail the song had so graciously laid out for him with eager steps, dancing and twirling as he went, swaying to the song only he could hear.

He knew Skizz wasn’t far behind him, and deep down, Zed knew exactly how this was going to end. Maybe that’s why he skipped through the voided halls, ignorant to how the dark stone seemed to inhale the light. Maybe that's why he didn’t quite catch the way his laugh bounced off the walls and echoed, the shadows twisting it into something cruel and frightening. 

Eventually, he was led to what the song wanted to show him. 

A huge room, befitting a castle hall, but where there would probably be a grandiose long table for feasting, instead there was a huge dark… What was that? An egg? Zed cautiously approached it, circling the oval shape with a curious expression.

It was too dark in this room to make out the details besides the general shape, but to say it was several times larger than himself would be an understatement. Being connected to a school of mechanics, Zed wondered if this could be some hidden top secret project. It would explain the larger than life portals and halls. They clearly needed a way to transport the thing, and didn’t want the students finding it.

The sheep hybrid reached a hand forward towards the dark shape, curiosity tugging at his bones and singing out to his soul. He stopped when he heard the rapidly approaching footsteps. 

“Zed? Are you- Woah! What the-” Skizz stepped towards him around the giant oval, head craned to take it all in. He seemed more distracted by the giant mysterious thing than he was capturing him at the moment, which Zed decided to take full advantage of. 

“What do you think it is? Why do you think it’s here?” He asked, careful to stay out of the reach of his avian hunter. “And most importantly…” Zed said, eyes catching on an elevated surface. 

“What do you think it does?”

___

Skizz decided to answer all in one go. “I don’t know. But if they hid it this well… I don’t think I want to.” He blinked, noticing that Zed had slipped away again and frowned as he continued to rotate the obelisk. It was huge, easily bigger than several houses. Maybe it was a ship of some kind? Even if that didn't explain its smooth round nature, Skizz's brain was scrambling to find some explanation. “Zed? Could you stop running off, dude? I’m freaking out over here.” He said, hoping honesty would cause Zed to be a bit more merciful.

“I’m right here!” Skizz glanced up at the platform Zed had found himself on. There was a ladder attached, which explained how he had gotten up so quickly. It looked like something that offered a good view of this thing from above. 

Skizz shifted on his feet. For once, he fought his avian instincts to go higher. He had a feeling he didn’t want to see. 

Besides, Zed was still frowning. Maybe it didn’t offer as many answers as he thought. The sheep hybrid still waved at him, though, and it reminded him so much of different times that it sent a pang through his chest. Skizz didn’t want to do this, he realized. He didn’t want to be here at all. 

This was the last time he volunteered to do some suspicious job for Impulse, he told himself. 

Skizz had no idea how right he would be.

Eventually, Zed got bored with just staring at it without getting any answers, so he climbed down. 

Skizz was also getting tired of this little game they were playing. He wanted to go home. Selfishly, he wanted to go to bed and very pointedly not think about what Impulse was going to  do to Zed when he found out about this. 

“Zed, I’ve been thinking.” Skizz said, rather loudly, because Zed was purposely staying on the opposite side of the giant spooky oval. 

“Have you now? Without Impulse?”

Usually, that would have been a funny jab between them, a joke about how Skizz was rarely ever seen without Impulse. Or vice versa. 

But now, it carried a different type of bitterness. A certain unfamiliar sting. He wondered if it had been intentional. 

“Yeah.” He brushed it off. It was warranted either way. “Maybe… Maybe I could convince Impulse to let you join us.”

There was silence. 

“You could… I don’t know. Aren’t you interested in this stuff? You are more than me, that's for sure.” He could only hear the sound of his own footsteps on the polished stone floors. “Zed?” 

“Why not invite me before?” 

Skizz sighed. “I wasn’t in charge. I don’t know everything he does, believe it or not.” 

“And if you couldn't convince him then, what makes you think you can now?” 

“Well, you seem dead set on getting yourself into dangerous situations either way, and..” Maybe they were doing more damage like this. “Maybe it’ll be better. This way.” Skizz finished.

Zed was silent again. Skizz approached the curve of his path a little quicker, bracing himself for a jumpscare as he turned. Zed was there, a few feet ahead of him- eyes still glowing that haunting magenta. They were pulled wide, and his jaw was slack. 

“Zed?” Skizz asked, and then noticed the hand the sheep hybrid had on the oval. 

Of course it was only a matter of time before he started touching things, Skizz thought angrily, approaching him. “Zed! Don’t touch it- what are you thinking? What if it has- I don’t know, alarms or something?” 

Zed pulled away, as if being struck, and the unnatural glow in his eyes faded. 

“Skizz… You have to feel this.” He said, barely above a whisper. 

“Absolutely not.” Skizz whisper yelled back. 

“I’m serious. It. It feels-”

“I dont care if it feels like a river of flowing gold- I’m not-”

Zed grabbed his wrist without warning and pressed it against the wall. 

And every muscle in Skizz’s body froze. “Wh..”

He ran his hand along it, morbid curiosity getting the better of him. “Zed.. What the hell is this?” the feeling was rough, unlike what he thought it would feel like with the low light hiding the ridges.