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Chapter Text

"It would not be enough to kill Japeth. It would not be enough for Tedros, because he wanted to see the snake suffer, to see him break. He wanted vengeance, because Japeth deserved nothing else."

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-Tedros' POV-

Tedros hated the snake. He loathed him with every fibre of his being. He had every reason to, because since Japeth, the lying snake, terrorized the forest with his twin Rhian, he had only losses to mourn.

First, his best friend Chaddick died. He bled to death in the white snow of Avalon, thanks to that serpent. Then the scims killed the members of his family. After he was finally able to forgive his mother and Lancelot, Japeth took them away from him. Japeth also had the blood of many of Tedros' friends on his hands. Among them his court mistress Lady Gremlaine, his classmate Millicent, Betty and many others. Even Professor Dovey, the most famous fairy godmother in the whole forest, died by his hand!

Every time Tedros thought of the two lying twins, he felt anger rise up inside him. Rhian had been a conniving fraud who deserved to die, but his brother was even more dangerous. Japeth was a soulless monster who enjoyed killing innocent people. But now this monster was sitting on the throne of his kingdom, on his throne, and was one shot away from destroying the forest.

Just thinking about it almost made Tedros crush the weapon in his pocket. Stop. He had to calm down, because if he lost his temper now, it was all over. He let go of the object that he had already unconsciously put pressure marks on. The moment had not yet come to use its potential. But soon. He would need it when he charged into battle.

Tedros had a plan to lure the false snake out of its territory. Then everyone would see that he was the true heir and his rival was the false snake.

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A few days earlier, he had finally learned the whole truth, but he could not yet fully comprehend it. Too many secrets had come to light that he had never thought possible.

For one thing, he had learned the truth about his loyal knight. Chaddick, who had fought and died for Tedros, had been the true heir and his brother. He was Arthur's eldest son. However, he had been brought up in secret and so could never know the truth during his lifetime.

Moreover, Tedros had found out that his own father had been in love with his court mistress, Lady Gremlaine. Only one question had arisen in Tedros' mind: Had his parents ever really loved each other? After all he had seen, he was no longer so sure.

He had also learned some good news: Japeth was not his father's son. So the snake was not his brother either. Fortunately. However, he was the son of the schoolmaster. The son of another monster who had nearly destroyed the Endless Forest not so long ago.

While Tedros struggled to accept this terrible news, he suddenly had an illusion before his eyes. A memory from the past had come back to him. It concerned him, Merlin, his father and the Green Knight, who had also played an important role in the twins' story.

Long ago, Tedros had received a lesson from Merlin. He had often lain awake at night after it, but at some point, he had repressed and forgotten it. Until now.

It was his last lesson. Tedros had been allowed to choose one. Instead of asking why he was allowed to choose, he had asked the question that had been bothering him for a long time. Regarding immortality. How could he lose his head and still live? Like the Green Knight. Never have to worry about being decapitated.

Merlin's answer had been unsatisfactory to the nine-year-old. Instead of admitting defeat, he had asked for Merlin's spell. He had never received it, but now he knew why: Merlin had already used it up. Nevertheless, his childish self had been outraged. He had wanted the wish so badly back then, because he wanted his old life back, but especially his mother.

Back then he had returned empty-handed from the endless forest. Moreover, after that, things had gotten even worse, because after only a short time he had been left all on his own. Abandoned by everyone he had once loved. Nevertheless, he had fought. He had learned from his mistakes and built a new life. He had to endure so many trials, so often had to distinguish enemy from friend, truth from lie and good from evil.

However, in the end, he had made it: he had his family back, he had found friends he could trust, and along the way, he had found the love of his life. Everything seemed perfect. But the perfect end was not granted to Tedros. The snake did not allow it. Instead, thanks to his father's past and Japeths desire for revenge, he had to watch everyone around him die. However, this time would be over after the competition!

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Before the final challenge, Sophie had developed her own plan to knock the snake off its throne. Since no one objected, everybody quickly accepted her plan. Tedros, however, had abstained, because he had another plan in mind.

Instead of naming it, he reached into his coat and felt for his weapon, an apple. This one contained far more than just a pleasant sweetness and vitamins. Tedros knew that a great power emanated from it. The power of a wizard.

He had received the wish from the Lady of the Lake to fulfil his plan. She no longer possessed magic, but she could still help him save the forest. Tedros' plan depended on it, because the wish had been his reassurance. In case Japeth came up with his treacherous tricks and Excalibur crowned him king. Tedros knew that if he could not draw the sword, he would die. At that moment, the wish could have saved him so that he could have held his head in his hand just like the green knight did then. Past is present and present is past.

He had been aware of the risk. The lady at the lake had already lost her magic. What if the wish did not work and he really died? Then Excalibur would choose the snake, and that would be the death sentence for everyone. Unfortunately, there were other risks to this plan. If everyone thought, he was dead.... He hoped that Agatha would not get a shock. Still, he had to go through with the plan. Otherwise, he would never become the true king.

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But then he saw the emptiness in Sophie's eyes. What had shaken the usually strong witch of woods beyond so much? His faithful companion no longer behaved as usual; instead, a world seemed to have collapsed for Sophie. She was only an empty shell, without feelings and joy, while Tedros felt the rage rising inside him.

The realization astounded him. A person was missing. A person who had meant more to Sophie than she wanted to admit. Hort. This could only mean one thing: Another strong, loyal, faithful friend- dead. Killed by the snake. This monster just could not disappear from their life.

It would not be enough to kill Japeth. It would not be enough for Tedros, because he wanted to see the snake suffer, to see him break. He wanted vengeance, because Japeth deserved nothing else. Not after everything he had done to Tedros and his friends. In that second, a new plan formed in his mind. An evil plan. Tedros would take revenge. Play the snake. Take everything from Japeth. Destroy him. For his friends and himself.

However, he told no one about it, especially not Agatha, because she would have stopped him for sure. Her soul was too good for this world, even if the revenge was on a soulless monster. Instead, he prepared on his own. Fortunately, everyone still had some time, because it would be quite a while before Japeth arrived with his army at Sugar Chateau East to meet the Sugar Queen.

While most went to eat, Tedros stayed behind. He was grateful to the young wizard that his hat had cooked and thus provided a distraction. Meanwhile he could go over his plan again in his head. Alone. He even skipped dinner for that.

"Can we talk to you for a minute, King Tedros?" asked a young evergirl, however. He turned around to face several first-year girls who quickly surrounded him. So much for quiet. He watched as Agatha and Sophie disappeared into the lounge, chatting, and turned to the girls. Inwardly, he sighed; that were the pitfalls of being a popular prince.

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After escaping the annoying questions from the first-year girls, he used the last few seconds to get his thoughts in order. Tedros continued to avoid Agatha; too much was at stake. He could not let her take away his confidence in his plan. Instead, he hid in a small chamber and took a deep breath.

I am ready. I am prepared. Nevertheless, the doubts inside him threatened to overwhelm him. Was his plan justified? Was it still good? He shook his head vehemently. No, no, he would do it. He would get his revenge. In the end, he would be the hero who had defeated the villain.

Horn signals sounded from outside. Immediately Tedros pulse began to race. The moment had come. Now everything would decide. As he entered the living room, he nearly flew over the students running around headlong. He could not be angry with them, because he saw the fear in their eyes.

He himself held himself upright and tried to play the strong leader. While at the same time, the blood was rushing in his ears and he could hardly concentrate. The sounds around him blurred and he heard only his own demon in his head. The plan will fail. You will lose. In the end, everyone will be dead. 

Because of you .

Instead of paying attention to his thoughts, he ran for the door. Now or never. However, his princess was still standing in the middle of the room. He needed to show her that he would win, that his plan would work, concurrently he also needed her courage. One last time, he looked at Agatha. No backing down. "Remember what you promised me."

Then he turned around and opened the door. Bright sunlight shone in his face. The screams of his princess and best friend pursued him as he faced thousands of weapons. He tried to reach for his sword, but he reached into the void. He had forgotten he didn't have one. Damn. 

"Tedros, no!" The desperation in Agatha's voice sounded like his own.

Though he suppressed it, for the white horse of Camelot was already striding leisurely towards him. Just the sight of the fake king on his back made him angry. How could someone murder his brother and then pretend to be him? Japeth really was a monster, just like his friend, but the two of them would only play a role as ghosts in horror stories after the contest. But all in good time, first he had to get Japeth to give up his claim to the throne.

His last attempt to stop Japeth from usurping the crown had gone wrong. He had won the second test, yet he had lost a very important family member. He still missed his mother very much. Nevertheless, today Japeth had to give up the crown. Because Tedros had realized in Aric's disguise how much Japeth was attached to his friend.

Japeth set down directly in front of Tedros, separated only by the gate of the chateau. When the disguised boy stood in front of him and stared at him with the green-blue eyes of his dead brother, Tedros took the floor.

"I make you an offer you cannot refuse, King Rhian," he began. His voice sounded firm. The lion in him began to stir.

Meanwhile, a grim smile appeared on his rival's face. "Are you afraid to lose, little snake?" mockery dripped from the latter's voice, but Tedros smiled to himself. Nor you smile.

"Quite the opposite. I am sure that I will emerge victorious today. In the end, Excalibur will decide in my favour, because the truth will come to light. It always becomes known. Sometimes it just takes time, but today everyone will learn the truth about the king's goals. How he tricked everyone to get what he wanted. Even his own brother."

Japeths expression did not change; the allegations did not move him. However, his army in the background held their weapons a little more hesitantly. The guards whispered among themselves. Tedros picked up only scraps of words: Prison, king's brother, Sir Japeth, lie. But it was enough to triumph inwardly. Apparently, he had achieved his goal with the chosen words. Stirring up mistrust seemed to be easier than thought.

"The rightful king will sit on the throne because the false recruiter gives up his claim to it. But I know that actions count more than words, so I did not come empty-handed," whereupon he reached into his coat and brought out the wish. While holding it up, he slowly turned around so that everyone could see him.

The whole clearing became silent. Everyone stretched his or her heads closer to look at the object. Tedros' friends in the background also slowly came closer. To continue playing hide and seek would be pointless anyway. However, when they saw the apple in his hand, they took a step back, startled, and whispered to each other. Only Merlin froze, because he had understood. The eighteen-year-old stared at his student with wide-open eyes. Otherwise, Tedros gained only puzzled looks, quiet laughter, and stares. He did not care.

Then he saw Agatha. His princess frowned as she clung to Sophie. She stared at the apple, then at Tedros. Then at the apple again, as if trying to figure out Tedros' plan. It was the apple he did not want to share, the one he still needed. That is what he had told her. Agatha needed to understand that this apple had a greater meaning than it appeared, but she did not understand. She was as confused as everyone else was.

Even the snake seemed confused, though Tedros thought he saw a certain twinkle in its eyes. "An apple. An apple as a wonder weapon that wants to stand against the truth. Against Excalibur, the greatest weapon of good? What secret power does it hold - superpowers to defeat an army of 1000 men, or a quick way to win the contest? I did not know it was possible to stoop so low. Now I am overcome with fear. The best thing for me to do is to retreat right away".

The sarcasm had an effect, loud laughter echoed across the square until Tedros' loud shout silenced it. He continued to speak in a booming voice. With the voice of a lion who was sure of his victory.

"This apple is just a cover. Otherwise, everyone would want to put their fingers around it. Because everyone wants to fulfil their greatest wish. Be it wealth, power or love. Even immortality would be possible." He stared at the apple as if it were all his hope before turning his gaze back to the enemy. The amusement in the snake's eyes was gone. Instead, Japeth looked thoughtful and Tedros continued directly.

"Or to escape death. Bringing friends back to life. Change fate." Japeths eyes flashed briefly, he could no longer hide his desire. "You could fulfil every wish. Even the one of the so-called king. The right end of the contest: the heir on the throne and the other candidate reaches his true goal.", he paused for a moment. By now he had everyone's attention again. "At least, if it's still relevant. Rhian, are you willing to tell the forest the truth? In exchange for love?"

His loud voice echoed through the ranks and triggered a mass reaction. Japeths troops looked back and forth between the two contenders in confusion. They did not believe Tedros, but his troops knew he was going through with his plan. There were piercing shouts, surprised gasps, or loud voices asking if he had now lost his mind. But he did not look back. "Tedros!" Agatha shouted to him. Then he heard footsteps approaching.

"Aggie, stay here!" shouted Sophie to her, but she did not hear. Seconds later, a cold hand grabbed Tedros'.

He averted his eyes from the snake and looked his princess in the face. Her eyes sparkled angrily at him, "What are you doing? You cannot play into the snake's hands. He will bring him back, he will bring Aric..."

"Teddy, this monster doesn't deserve love. He deserves only death. Why haven't you listen to my plan? He could have been dead already!" Sophie seemed to have followed Agatha and was now standing at Tedros' side as well. Although both of them tried to talk to him, he no longer paid attention to them. His gaze was focused on the snake. Japeth eyed him with a fixed gaze, his emotions unreadable. There was no telling whether he would go along with the plan, but Tedros hoped so.

When the knights of the eleven had explained to him in the course of the second test how he could push Japeth from the throne, he had not believed them at first. Japeth should give up the throne? For love? But he had learned his lesson, and now he used his knowledge. He just played the rules his own way. He took his hand from Agatha's and extended it to the snake through the gate.

"The wizard wish against the truth. Your wish against the crown."

Japeth hesitated for a moment. His gaze swept over the two girls next to Tedros before he turned his eyes back to him. A wicked smile played around his lips. He grasped Tedros' hand, sealing the pact.

Meanwhile, Tedros' expression remained rigid. But inwardly he was pleased. The first step had been made. The bait had been taken. Now his plan could proceed to the second part.

Chapter Text

"Aric was more important to Japeth than anything else. Love or life? He would always choose the former."

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-Japeth's POV-

As a child, everyone had once dreamed of being a ruler. To be able to command people. To live in abundance and never have to worry about money. But at some point in life, other values took over. Values like love, even for so-called monsters.

Japeth had hated Arbed, and he could give plenty of reasons why. First of all, it had been his mother who had taken him and Rhian there. She had abandoned them both. Every time he had been in the facility, he had thought of her. She had left them both alone when they were 9 years old! He had loved her so much, but in the end that love had not been enough.

He had also despised the school itself. The dean, Brunhilde, had wanted to make the boys good, he had understood that very quickly. But Japeth did not want to be a brainless Ever, he wanted to be free! However, this woman had had a few tricks up her sleeve to make the boys submissive. 

A good example was the interior of the two-storey building. It was- interesting; any Nimmer would give it a wide berth. Then there were the lessons and the many pointless rules laid down by his teacher. While he had tried to remain steadfast, he had kept wondering what plan she was actually pursuing. To drive the boys crazy? He hated everything about this place; the whole school was too good for a troublemaker like him.

Rhian had annoyed him too. He had often complained: 'It was your fault that mother had left us both'. As if Rhian was innocent, after all, her mother had abandoned him too. Of course, Rhian had been the good twin. The light. The popular, smart, perfect boy. The child a mother could only dream of. Japeth, on the other hand, was the opposite, hated and always misunderstood, but he still loved Rhian, he was his twin brother after all.

But, he had not wanted to leave Arbed House, because one person made up for all the pathetic and annoying. His best friend. Aric.

He had been the only one who had really understood him. Aric had accepted him. He had helped him through his darkest moments. He had been there for him. More than his own family had ever been, because his mother and Rhian had conspired against him over time. They had given up on him long ago because he was a monster. But Aric had shown him the truth. He was not a monster. He was just a boy, and with him he could be who he really was.

Aric had made life worth living. It had been worth it to be in that awful school, to slog through the lessons and to put up with all the annoying students and teachers. Because they had made it through together. Japeth would have done anything for Aric and Aric would have done anything for him. Japeth's life might not have been perfect, but he had his best friend - until the day Rhian made sure Japeth lost him.

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There had always been tension between the three of them. Rhian had hated Aric from the moment Aric arrived in Arbed. Rhian had called him a monster and forbidden Japeth any contact with him. Japeth had been offended, he had finally found a friend, a real friend, and Rhian had begrudged him that. Japeth had simply ignored Rhian's demands. Rhian had been too busy with his friend Kei and their eternal, nerve-racking role-playing games anyway. How had he even gotten the idea? As if they were both King Arthur's sons!

However Aric had not remained silent, for as much as he liked Japeth, he detested Rhian. 'Rhian is not worthy to be your brother'. Yet Japeth had been Rhian's twin. They were connected in a way that only twins could comprehend. Japeth had told him that, but Aric had just snorted. He had not believed him; after all, Aric himself had not had the best experience when it came to family ties. 'He's a rotten liar. He'll manage to drive a wedge between us one day if you don't give up on him!'

In the end, Aric had been right. One day Rhian had approached them. He wanted to have a word with his brother because he had not been happy with the relationship between Aric and Japeth for a long time. That day, Rhian had gone off on Japeth, blaming him and Aric. He had spoken of their 'disgusting friendship'. Japeth had not even been able to hit back, so Aric had seen only one way to help his friend. With Aric's dagger, the argument turned into a fight and in the end, Rhian had been seriously injured. Later it was said that Aric had attacked him on purpose. But only the three of them knew the truth.

Japeth had known there would be serious consequences the moment Aric had plunged the dagger into Rhian's head. No one violated one of Brunhilde's '10 moral rules' without consequences. Still, he had hoped the punishment would not be too severe. That hope was quickly dashed.

Banishment. That was Aric's punishment. Separated from Japeth forever and sent back to the forest.

Rhian could have saved Aric; all he had to do was forgive him. Japeth knew that his twin was the good one, the one who would forgive. Good forgive. Rhian had always wanted to go to the magic school. To become an Ever. So he should have acted like one. But on the day his best friend's banishment was voted on, Japeth had to face the bitter truth. Rhian was not an Ever. He was not good.

No pleading had helped then, not even begging. Rhian had voted to banish Aric, making sure that Japeth would be left alone from now on, with his friend only as a memory. Japeth had hated Rhian after that, but he couldn't leave him either. Not even when Aric had asked him to go into exile with him. His brother was too important to him. They had a blood bond that lasted forever. But looking back, he wished he had agreed to go with him, because if he had left immediately...

Instead, he had given Rhian another chance. He had stayed with him and later supported his plan to take over Camelot. As the snake, Japeth had suffered many setbacks, but he kept fighting. Not for Rhian, nor for himself, but for Aric. Rhian had promised to bring the person he loved most back from the dead in return for his help. What Rhian did not know: That person was Aric.

It was him that Japeth wanted back. Aric had died after the banishment. He had been murdered. He was dead. Dead because Rhian had not forgiven him and had voted for the banishment. Dead because no one had allowed Aric and Japeth to be friends. Dead because everyone thought, Aric was a soulless monster when all he really wanted was love and acceptance.

Just like Japeth. Aric had given him both, and more than that, he had stirred feelings in Japeth that he had never known before. He had felt a bond with Aric that had been stronger than just a friendship, because he had felt love for him as well. And even though Aric had never said so, he knew that Aric had loved him too. He liked Japeth very much, but he never wanted to show that he had feelings. Feelings are weak. In order to remind himself again and again that men have to be strong, he had his mantras. Boys don't cry. It was his favorite mantra, and one that Japeth had heard enough of.

But Japeth knew that Aric was only afraid. Afraid of being left again, of being alone again. Just like when his mother had abandoned him. But Japeth would never have left him alone of his own free will! It had been Rhian's fault that Aric had to leave! The golden son had managed to destroy a love. Had Rhian been good after that?

No, even if Japeth had hoped so at first. He had done everything, really everything for Rhian.  Several times Japeth had almost died while his brother had been romancing his new love, Sophie, in the castle. While Rhian enjoyed the life of a king to the fullest, he himself had suffered much pain! But in the end, Rhian had betrayed him.

Japeth had known in that second that he should have left Rhian then. But it was too late, even for an apology. Because Rhian would never have brought Aric back, Japeth had killed him in the end. Japeth missed his brother, but Aric had become more important to him than his own twin.

Only for Aric had he been able to go on. The thought of his return gave him strength. Strength to disguise himself as his dead brother. Strength to fight his enemies. Strength to expose deception and see through evil tricks. Strength to be victorious in the end.

Now, at last, the time had come for Japeth to bring back his best friend. Finally, his work would pay off and he would truly see Aric again after so long.

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All preparations had been made. He had traveled to Foxwood to retrieve the sword. To Chaddick's house, the house of the true heir. But on the way, his troops were stopped by Mongos. Of course, he knew immediately who was behind it, but if his rivals thought such a diversion would stop him, they were idiots.

Shortly thereafter, he learned of the Sugar Queen, who also laid claim to the throne. He paused for a moment. Would he have another rival on the verge of victory? Then he reached for his neck. He felt the small piece of cloth between his fingers. Japeth had Chaddick's bloody tie. With the blood of the true heir, he would be able to defeat this enemy as well.

Instead of riding directly to Excalibur, he took a detour and rode to the Sugar Queen's house with his army of over a thousand men at his back. He sat tall in his saddle and acted calmly, as a true leader should. Just as his brother, Rhian had done as king. Since he was posing as him now, he had to act like him. However, inside, all he felt was the excitement of finally seeing his best friend again.

When he arrived, he found himself in front of a large chateau made entirely of candy. He took in the glittering sugar walls and frowned briefly. The building reminded him of Arbed, for it seemed to be all appearances. Just like Brunhilde with her lessons and good deeds, while in reality her students were all evil. His entourage surrounded the building. It seemed empty, but Japeth rode closer and waited.

Suddenly, life came into the house. The door opened and a blond boy ran out whom Japeth recognized immediately. Tedros. 'Of course, I could have guessed that', he thought. He was not even surprised. Tedros and his friends had gotten in his way more than once with their crazy ideas, but that was exactly what made the whole bunch of them so dangerous.

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Japeth was sure they had one last trick up their sleeves, just like he had with his tie. When he saw the prince rushing out in such a hurry, he wasn't so sure for a moment. Nevertheless, something about the prince surprised him. It was the certainty in his voice. Tedros never spoke with such conviction. Where did he get this certainty from?

Impossible. The prince was holding an object in his hand. It was an apple, but Japeth immediately saw its power. Only one force could have such power - a Wizard's Wish. He stared at it, greedily. Where did the prince get it?

Japeth had already thought about searching for a Wizard's Wish. For one thing, the whole competition was so fraught with difficulties that Japeth was not sure if he would even see the coronation. For another, no one knew if the prophecy of the One True King was true. What if no one could be rescued from death? Then it was all for nothing!

However, Japeth had no idea how to get such a wish. He knew of only two living wizards: Merlin, who had granted the Green Knight his wish, and the Lady of the Lake, who had lost her power thanks to Japeth. The latter, however, must have had one last spark of magic in her and granted Tedros her wish.

For the first time, Japeth saw his victory fade. Until now, he had almost always been one step ahead of Tedros, but now Tedros could simply kill Japeth once Japeth was king. However, something made Japeth wonder, why would Tedros show his weapon? What was he really up to?

Tedros' voice echoed through the ranks, "Bringing a friend back from death." Japeth's breath stopped for a moment. Aric.

Tedros continued to speak, revealing his plan: Truth against Wizard's Wish. Surrender for love. Japeth thought he was dreaming. Would Tedros really grant Japeth's wish if he told the truth and let Tedros become king? If that had really been his plan, Japeth would have agreed in a heartbeat.

He would gladly give up the throne if it meant being with his friend. He had never wanted to be king, he had left that task far too willingly to Rhian. Japeth didn't want to pretend anymore, but as king he had to be friendly and pretend to be interested in the other forest kingdoms. He liked the snake role better. However, in the end, he had to imitate his brother. The good king. The Lion.

Still, something stopped him. He knew how cunning Tedros was, otherwise he would have defeated him long ago. He could hardly imagine that this one would willingly play into his hands.

But what choice did he have? With the help of the Wizard's Wish, Tedros could defeat him instantly if he just got close to the sword. Tedros also needed a confession or proof that Japeth was not the son of King Arthur, or he would never be the rightful king. So Japeth could protect himself by surrendering completely, but from the beginning he did not fight for himself, but for Aric.

There was only one way to achieve his goal. He had to agree to the terms, but a memory flashed through his mind. The scene that had washed up in his thinking place a few days ago came to life again. Again, he saw the disguised Aric standing in front of him, talking to Japeth. 'They kill you Japeth. They kill us both- I don't want to be brought back to life to die a more unnoble death I suffered the first time .'

Tedros had said that, and he definitely meant it. He would deal the deathblow. How could Japeth protect Aric from Tedros? By making his own rules. Tedros could play games, but Japeth had perfected them long ago. He was the snake, after all, and if Tedros refused, he would draw the sword in the end. Because Aric was more important to him than anything else. Love or life? He would always choose the former.

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He agreed and took Tedros' hand. For a moment, he saw relief flash in the prince's eyes. Then Tedros was about to remove his hand from Japeth's and step back, but Japeth leaned closer, ignoring the girls.

"On one condition, little snake. I don't trust you any more than you trust me, and I could kill all your friends in a heartbeat. You know that. Fortunately, they're all in one place now. So you better stick to a few rules, unless you value being alone," he whispered.

"None of you, nor any of your friends, may attack us. Otherwise, you will be destroyed. Besides, then everyone would know who the real snake is. Because evil attacks and good defends. However, we can avoid a massacre, for I would leave your friends in peace as well. For that you must swear. Swear out loud, and the throne will be yours, you power-hungry little prince."

The prince did not answer; his hand froze in Japeth's. The turmoil of all the people washed over them in waves and waves. Meanwhile, the two girls tried to kill Japeth with their gazes, but Japeth just smiled mischievously at the angry black-haired princess. "You know who would be at the top of my list." Then he pulled back and let go of Tedros' hand.

For a moment, Tedros seemed to freeze. Had it been too much? Then the prince looked into Agatha's eyes and tried to reassure her. "Remember what you promised me, Agatha."

"Tedros-"

"Do you trust me?" She fell silent, admitting defeat. Sophie, on the other hand, clenched her hands into fists. The witch prepared to attack Japeth. "Don't do it, Sophie." Tedros squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. Sophie stopped and looked at the prince, but he was already nodding to Japeth. Both girls sank down, discouraged.

"I, Tedros Pendragon, swear that no harm shall come to my rival and his friend at my hands or those of my friends. Or he may deal with me as he pleases." Tedros' entire crew held their breath. Their leader had just led them to their doom.

Japeth, on the other hand, felt relief rising within him, for he had achieved his goal. A king could not break his promise, especially not the son of King Arthur. The former king of Camelot, the ruler of the greatest ever-kingdom of all time. Aric and he were safe. "I swear the same", he swore. He could leave his rivals alone if he never had to see them again.

The prince stared at Japeth and waited. Japeth had to make the first move and show the truth. He sighed and dropped his mask. His magic transformed him back into himself, the boy with the pale skin and wild copper curls. All the while, he kept his ice-blue eyes fixed on the prince. Fearless.

Excited cries rose, but Japeth was oblivious to them. He had eyes only for the apple. At last, Tedros handed it to Japeth, who looked at the Wizard's Wish as if it was a trophy. Finally. He had done it. After all the work. After all the killing he had to do.

He held the apple high in the air and spoke his deepest wish. The wish of a boy who had lost everything and would now get his life back.

"I wish for Aric Lesso to come back from the dead."

Chapter Text

"Rhian and I didn't always spoke the truth. But we told everyone what they wanted to hear, what they needed to hear. Doesn't the lie become the truth itself then?"

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-Tedros' POV-

Tedros stared at the apple in Japeth's hand. It was time to play.

His plan had worked well so far: He had gotten the snake to give up his claim to the throne. Then he ensured that Japeth revealed his true self. Now Japeth had to show the truth, and the end of Tedros' plan was the snake's death. However, although Tedros knew that the snake would not back down, Japeth's demands made this part of the plan more complicated.

Originally, Tedros had planned to kill the snake at its weakest moment. But thanks to the pact, he was not allowed to intervene himself. Still, Japeth would lose. Even if Tedros had sworn an oath, there were other rulers who could harm the snake more than Japeth believed.

The apple shone brightly and seemed to glow. The Lady of the Lake's magic was working after all. For a moment, Tedros had thought it would not be enough. The apple changed color. It was violet, like the sadist's eyes.

Who would now be alive again. Thanks to Tedros. The prince had struggled with whether to go through with his plan. Sure, he wanted to inflict the same pain on Japeth that he had inflicted on him over and over again, but at the same time he never wanted to see Aric again. There were too many bad memories of him that haunted Tedros' mind.

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The first time Tedros had seen Aric, he had been grateful. Aric had come at a time when Tedros had almost lost himself. Instead of blaming himself, he had inwardly cursed Sophie as a witch. At the same time, he had begged for his princess and had become incapable of thinking for himself. Meanwhile, the entire boys' school had slowly rotted from the inside.

But Aric had gotten them all back on their feet. Thanks to his dark aura, no one had dared to rest. He had brought discipline and order. And he had been one of the few who had accepted Tedros back then. Thanks to Aric, Tedros had had the strength to fight the women. Tedros even looked up to Aric. But Tedros soon realized: His strong ally was a monster. A monster who only wanted death and torture. Aric's torture still haunted him. He still remembered the pleasure of Aric cracking his whip on Tedros' back again and again. It was then that Tedros realized that this boy could never feel anything.

When Aric had fallen in battle in his third year, Tedros had been glad. A boy with no feelings except hatred had no right to be alive. Tedros knew Aric. He knew the boy had never shown a single positive emotion in his life. He did not believe that Aric and Japeth could be such good friends. Maybe Japeth had seen something in him, but Aric would reject him. That had been Tedros' plan; to bring Aric back and show Japeth the truth.

Because Tedros wanted to destroy Japeth's hope. Aric would show that he was just a soulless monster and didn't really want to be with Japeth. And then, when Japeth realized that his whole plan was pointless, Tedros would kill them. Then everyone would know that Japeth was the snake and he was the lion. Then Tedros would finally take his rightful throne, and the Endless Forest would be free of both monsters forever.

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The whole place seemed quiet, everyone frozen in place. On the inside, however, a storm was brewing. Merlin nibbled at his hat, while the first graders grew pale, unsure if they were ready to face a monster that they had only seen in fairy tales. Meanwhile, Tedros' former classmates gave Tedros deadly looks. "I told you all along we should just kill him," he heard Hester say to Anadil. Loud enough for him to hear. Reaper nodded. Tedros didn't even dare look at Agatha, his shame was too great.

He began to sweat. What had he done? Why had he helped Japeth bring back the violet-eyed, muscle-bound, heartless sadist? Why had he even come up with this plan? He should have just killed the snake, but now he had to deal with two monsters. Filled with horror, he waited for Aric to show up. But Aric never came. Tedros sighed, relieved to know that the Lady of the Lake's magic had not been enough after all. Thank goodness!

The apple had returned to its natural red colour. The magic was gone. At the same time, Japeth's face turned the same shade. He approached threateningly, his smiling face distorted. "Where is he?" The scims were already swirling ominously on his body. But he didn't dare use them yet. He wanted answers. Answers Tedros didn't have.

"I don't know."

But inwardly Tedros smiled. The Lady of the Lake herself had said that her magic was only enough for a real wish. Yet Tedros had thought that Japeth's wish was powerful enough. So much the better; the sadist would rest in his grave, unable to terrorise his friends. And Tedros would never see him again...

"Boom!"

The sound came from behind Tedros. He turned slowly towards the Château. The door. It was closed, Hut someone had thrown himself against it from inside. Tedros was confused. Wasn't everyone outside?

"Boom!"

A second time, the person from inside tried to force the door open. The whole situation reminded him of his first year at school: that was when Sophie had blown up the Circus of Talents, and that day everything had gone to hell. Tedros' friends tried to get away from the door as fast as they could, but there wasn't much room. They found themselves crowded together in front of the Château .

"Boom!"

The sound grew louder as the figure tried to summon more strength. But the door held. Whoever was still inside was and remained trapped. All of a sudden the sugar door glowed brighter, as if it began to melt. Slowly it dissolved into a river of liquid sugar that flowed across the floor. The purple finger glow faded and the latecomer stepped out. Tedros went pale.

The person wore black leather breeches, tucked into black leather boots. The upper body left no doubt of its fitness, while the sleeveless muscle shirt revealed tight biceps. The spiky, raven-black hair contrasted sharply with the pale skin of the person now stepping into the sun. The violet eyes were slightly squinted to avoid the sun's rays.

Tedros felt sick to his stomach, even though his original plan had been for the monster to return. The students seemed to be shocked as well. In their trance, they tried to back away from the door. In doing so, they unconsciously made way for the snake. Japeth had run straight to his friend. "Aric."

The boy had no time to look around. He was already being pulled into an embrace that would have broken several bones in a weak person. "Is it really you this time?" Japeth asked in a slightly cracked voice, his eyes closed tightly. Tedros raised an eyebrow in surprise. His deception seemed to have made more of an impression than he had thought.

Aric did not answer. It seemed that his vital functions had ceased again, and the snake had noticed that as well. "Why don't you say something? Show me that you... are really you," Japeth finally managed to say, his voice choked with tears.

"J-Japeth, but how-" Tedros had never seen the sadist struggle with words before. He would have thought that Aric would give Japeth the cold shoulder right away. But Tedros witnessed an unimaginable moment as Aric continued to stammer. "Y-you were still in A-Arbed-." Then Aric fell silent before he playfully slapped the snake's arm with his fist, "Rule number one: boys don't cry, Japeth, I thought you knew that by now."

Japeth just smiled as the tears continued to stream down his face. "At least now I have proof that you are not a fake."

This statement seemed to puzzle Aric. He turned his eyes away from his friend, took in his surroundings and froze in his tracks. A thousand pairs of eyes were focused on them. He quickly pulled away from the hug and stepped back. For a moment, shame flashed in his eyes.

Narrowing his eyes, the boy looked at his best friend once more. "Japeth, what's going on? Why are there so many people?", he hissed. His hand went to his belt and reached for the dagger. The students retreated even further. Tedros knew it would be time. Before Aric could hurt anyone, he stepped closer.

"Been a while, Lord Aric."

He had caught his attention immediately. Aric raised an eyebrow. "You're still alive? I was hoping the schoolmaster would kill you or you'd manage to finish yourself off," he taunted, but Tedros replied instantly.

"Says the right one. The last time I saw you, you were quite dead." He paused for a moment. "But your lying, slimy friend here apperently saw something in you that nobody else did. Much has changed since then." He left it at that, while Aric crossed his arms.

Then Tedros turned to the snake. Japeth's face had taken on some color and a smile played around his lips. "But now we come to the second part of the deal, snake", Tedros brought up. Japeth glanced briefly at Aric and then nodded at Tedros.

"You claimed to be the descendant of someone who never bore anything like the same blood as you. Together with your brother, you have covered the entire forest with lies. Furthermore, as the snake, you terrorized many kingdoms to spread fear and terror. You have hurt, deceived, and killed people. Even your own brother. And then you pretended to be him and claimed the throne for yourself."

Aric gave Japeth an astonished look. But then he smiled. He smiled? That bastard! Japeth, on the other hand, let the accusations wash over him in a calm manner.

But in the background, the forest leaders had awakened from their trance and immediately rushed to the king to get the truth from him. But Tedros could feel the trust beginning to crumble. "King Rh-Japeth, is the false prince speaking the truth?" asked the giant of the frost plains.

"King Japeth, what does he mean?" "King Japeth-"

As the forest leaders shouted in confusion, Tedros stared at the snake and waited. Meanwhile, he felt Agatha step to his side once more to support him. Tedros relaxed a little. No matter what happened, they were going to get through the next few minutes together.

The rules have been clear. Wish against truth. Crown against love. It was Japeth's turn to fulfill his part of the deal or Tedros would attack Aric immediately. But Japeth remained calm. He knew the truth would infuriate the forest leaders. But if he lied, Tedros would kill him. Of course, Japeth could fly off the handle and play the merciless snake, but that would only make the truth more profound. Besides, he wouldn't stand a chance against so many people.

So he had no choice but to tell the truth. Under the loud voices of the forest leaders and the stares of Tedros and his friends, Japeth finally gave in.

"I am guilty."

All the forest leaders held their breath. Their former king had suddenly become their enemy. The king became the Snake. The truth was revealed. The next step of Tedros' plan had been successfully completed. Now only the final act was missing - the most difficult one.

"But I had every right," Japeth went on. "It was Rhian's thoughts and will that made him your king. Everyone knows that the Storian writes his own stories. But these are only for a small group of people, the Chosen. Only those fortunate enough to attend the School for Good and Evil have the chance to live extraordinary lives and achieve glory. But many of us never went to that school. Who will write our story, who will save us? Not the Storian, that's for sure. But Rhian promised to protect you.

Was the snake a trick? Yeah, it was. But there is always trouble coming into the forest. Relying on a single pen to write the forest's stories at its will would lead us to doom in the long run. Just as a weak king brings ruin to his people. But Rhian had been a strong king, standing up for his people because he himself had come out of the nothing. Like you. You trusted Rhian because he stood for the same thing you all fight for: Justice. Equality.

I, too, had trusted my brother, the lion I had wanted to help. But in the end, he betrayed my trust and broke his promise. He left me no choice. He had promised to grant my wish if I helped him. But now I've fulfilled it myself." His gaze shifted back to Aric, who stared at him with his violet eyes, before he continued: "Rhian and I didn't always spoke the truth. But we told everyone what they wanted to hear, what they needed to hear. Doesn't the lie become the truth itself then?"

The forest leaders paid relatively little attention to Japeth's monologue, though. They didn't trust a snake, even if it was telling the truth. Instead, they turned their attention to Tedros. "So you are the true heir of King Arthur?" Tedros did not even have to nod before the leaders ordered their troops to attack the snake.

Tedros had intended to kill Aric from the beginning. When he least expected it. Now that the leaders knew the truth, he would have done the forest a favor. Unfortunately, the pact prevented his plan. He could not risk his friends' lives. But he was not the only one stirring up hatred against the snake. The forest leaders and their guards. They had all suffered at the hands of the snake, and now they wanted to see him suffer.

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As the guards approached the two boys, Tedros stepped back. It was no longer his battle. He knew that a strong king would always strike the final blow against his enemy, but as a ruler, he also had to protect those who could not defend themselves. He couldn't put his friends in danger, so he called them back as well.

Meanwhile, Aric had drawn his dagger and was ready to strike. But Tedros knew that he would be defeated. Even Aric had no chance against a force of that size. The warriors approached with a loud roar. They were about to attack, raising their swords only to recoil in fear, some of them dropping their swords. Scims shot towards them. Like a thousand blades. Meanwhile, their master stood calmly.

"No harm to each other? Who is the liar now?" asked Japeth in a threatening voice. "Who is the snake now?" But Tedros shook his head and smiled victoriously as he slowly approached Japeth. He paid no attention to the fact that each of the warriors was guarded by a sickle, ready to strike at the slightest movement. Now it was his turn.

"I honor the pact. My friends and I will not interfere. But the guards are not part of the pact. They have been loyal to you so far, haven't they? To the king." Japeth's eyes narrowed; he had been tricked. Tedros was standing before him now. "But if that is how you wish to see it: I am a snake as well. Because I don't play by the rules."

Tedros saw the tie flash on the back of Japeth's neck again. When Japeth had leaned against him earlier, Tedros had wanted to leave immediately. But then he had seen something. A piece of cloth with the C barely visible through all the blood: Chaddick's tie. So that was what Japeth had intended to use to beat Tedros. Tedros hadn't been able to remove the tie before, because it would have been too conspicuous. But now the time had come.

In a flash he took off Japeth's tie, picked up a sword lying on the ground and whirled around. He wanted to plunge the sword into Aric's chest. Aric had no time to react. The sword came at him. Finally, the sadist was going to die and the weapon- was deflected by a scim.

The sword flew a few feet, and the guards nearby quickly scattered in shock. Tedros froze. He himself was as good as dead. But Japeth stood motionless. Like a statue. He seemed to be thinking. Seeing his chance, Tedros set the tie on fire. Now, at least, the snake could no longer be king. Suddenly, however, the scims began to change until they were pitch black. The king's robe changed back into the snake's suit.

The snake was back, and he was out for revenge.

Chapter Text

"For the first time, the snake fought with true passion. Alongside the human who meant the most to him. It changed both. They have become stronger, better. Unbeatable."

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-Tedros POV-

Tedros quickly pulled Agatha into his arms to protect his princess. But instead of attacking them, the scims flew in all directions. Faster and faster. At first there was no discernible pattern. But soon it became clear that they were circling the troop. Tedros grabbed Agatha even tighter. There was no way he was letting her go. Meanwhile, Agatha was looking around in fear.

"What's going on, Tedros?" she asked, but he didn't say anything because he didn't know how to answer.

In an instant, a cyclone of scims formed and surrounded them. Tedros tried to figure out who was inside this slimy prison. Were they all trapped inside? Where were those two monsters? But he couldn't see much because it was getting darker. The scims storm blocked out the sunlight.

But he could hear the prisoners screaming in terror, until the hiss of wounded scims broke through the excited cries. He knew immediately where the sound was coming from. Some scims had been hit and wounded from the outside. As a result, they separated for a moment. Light came in, and for a second, warriors and rulers were visible outside. Tedros was relieved: Not all had been captured.

This small victory also gave the other warriors outside the tornado a new sense of courage.

They were determined to rescue their rightful heir from the hands of the enemy. With a shout, they all attacked at once, together and united against the Snake. They had only modest success. A few scims were hit and died, but the other little eels moved closer together. They got faster and faster, and soon the attackers had no chance, so they gave up, discouraged.

It became completely dark inside the storm. Still, Tedros closed his eyes. It was time to face the truth. He had lost. He did not deserve to be king. Because of his desire for vengeance, all his friends would die and so many more innocent people. It was he, Tedros, who was guilty. He was the real snake. Now Tedros was desperately waiting for the death blow.

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The tornado dissipated. Without opening his eyes, Tedros heard the scims disintegrate and flow back to their master. Silence. Was he dead? It took a few seconds before Tedros dared to open his eyes. He was surprised by the sight before him. He was not dead, but he wasn't in the same place. Yet he recognized the place.

Seeing no danger at the moment, he carefully let go of Agatha. "Agatha, look..." she seemed to freeze for a moment before she understood and opened her eyes.

They were immediately filled with tears when she saw that her prince was unharmed, and she kissed him passionately. "Tedros, we're alive!" Then she recognized her surroundings: the black night sky with the green, jagged stars and the equally green clouds. "The snake's thinking place? Why are we here?"

"To be killed in secret," a voice answered. Hester came towards them in a rage. Anadil and Dot were only a few steps behind her.

"You don't think the snake will let us live, do you? Now that he has no further use for us. Tedros has managed to make it even easier for him to kill us," Anadil added, her eyes narrowing, "or have his friend murder us." Her rats scowled at Tedros.

"Then why haven't they killed us yet? They had the chance, didn't they?" interjected Dot thoughtfully.

"The snake doesn't play by the rules. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here", Hester replied firmly. But Dot was right.

Had Japeth meant to keep his word?

Tedros didn't know how to answer, so he looked around. He immediately saw the havoc. The tornado had taken many people with it, including guards who had fought for honor. The gnomes, who had only been followers of their king Tea Bean and who had been swept away with him, looked around in uncertainty. Unfortunately, many of the first graders were also dragged away. They tried to put up a strong facade, but looked more like frightened rabbits. At the same time, all the fourth graders seemed to have entered the thinking place, for Tedros saw them coming toward him.

He felt a little sick: There were so many innocent people here, but none of them deserved to die.

By now, their closest allies had joined them. "I hope you have a good explanation for your actions," Reaper said sourly. The cat started to say more, but Nicola cut him off.

"More importantly: Does he have a plan for what we're going to do next? You've thought about that too, I hope?"

No, he hadn't. How could he have known that the battle would take place in the snake's thinking place? According to his plan, the monsters would have been dead long ago, and he would have been king. But now he was forced to find another way.

He saw the anger in the eyes of his friends. He saw how all of them, Evers and Nevers, would have liked to kill him because none of them had a plan how to proceed. Even Agatha didn't seem to know what to do. Sophie, on the other hand, was introverted again, since she had seen Aric and Japeth together a few minutes ago. She was probably thinking about the love she once had. Since no one had a solution, Tedros turned to the only person who could save them.

He looked hopefully at Merlin. The wizard had solved so many tricky situations in the past that he would know the answer to this one. But he seemed distracted, staring intently into the dark sky, littered with love scribbles. "Merlin?" The eighteen-year-old turned to Tedros, startled. "What are you thinking?"

Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly, looking thoughtful. "How is it even possible to bring so many people into a thinking place? It requires an enormous amount of magic, even I can only manage twenty people at most."

Tedros simply groaned: "We know the snake is strong." Merlin always spoke in riddles. Why had he actually expected to get a clear answer?

But now the wizard looked directly at him, his eyes piercing him. "Tedros, now that the snake has reached his goal, he has grown stronger. With love at his side, he is almost unbeatable. We must stop them before it is too late. Otherwise, the forest is doomed."

Before Merlin could speak, they heard the sound of footsteps. High above them, two figures emerged from the green clouds and approached them with deadly calm. Conversation fell silent and all turned to face the snake and the sadist. They stopped at the edge of their cloud and Japeth spoke.

"In the forest, actions have great consequences. You thought you could outwit me, little prince, but you have built on fragile ground. It won't help you to make your minions work for you first and then sneak up behind them. No king can win with deceit and lies. You broke the rules, but now we play by them; you attacked us, now it's our turn to defend ourselves."

His scim suit vibrated with anticipation as Aric raised his rusted dagger. The snake's gaze slid to the weapon and a wicked smile flashed across his face for a moment. Then he became thoughtful before speaking to his friend in a low voice. The latter shook his head indignantly and replied something. Japeth gave a short sigh and nod, which drew a small smile from Aric. Then they both turned back to the group below.

Immediately, Tedros' troop got ready. They all gathered their strength to charge into battle. A whole army against two monsters. They could win. They had to win. Tedros saw his friends glowing their fingers, the younger students holding their weapons in the air; kitchen knives, sugar shards, or rocks, and the guards clutching their swords tighter. Then he gave his embattled princess a quick look, which she returned.

The battle could begin.    

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At first, no one knew how best to proceed. Aric and Japeth had not left their cloud, waiting for their opponents to attack. The guards tried at first. But Japeth distracted the clouds with his thoughts, while his bloodthirsty friend stood beside him, waiting.

With that, the first guards began to fall from the clouds. Meanwhile, the other warriors froze. Tedros called to the wizard, "Merlin, are the guards returning to the forest?”

Merlin nodded tensely: "Yes, even the snake's magic is not enough to kill the guards this way." Tedros heaved a sigh of relief before Merlin could finish his sentence: "But he can kill us in plenty of other ways."

"If we don't die by dagger first," Nicola interjected.

"We just have to kill them faster than they can kill us," Hester retorted, swelling her demon. That was the incentive for the rest of the fourth graders: they raised their fingers in the air, ready to cast spells.

But in the meantime, their opponents had prepared as well. With lightning speed, they jumped down from the clouds that had already shifted and approached the guards and students. Normally, such a large force should be able to defeat two people in a short time. But they had no chance. Japeth and Aric fought in perfect unison; while the flying scims kept the fighters at a distance and distracted them, Aric attacked anyone who got too close.

Suddenly, Tedros understood what Merlin was trying to tell him. For the first time, the snake fought with true passion. Alongside the human who meant the most to him. It changed both. They have become stronger, better. Unstoppable. But at the same time, Tedros saw that neither of them had yet killed a single human. Weren't they planning to kill everyone?

In a short time, they had disarmed the majority of Tedros' army. They drove the guards over the edge of the clouds to return to the forest. Meanwhile, the scims threw the little gnomes, who could not protect themselves, down from the clouds. This was also the fate of most of the first-years. Some students lasted longer, but even students like Bodhi and Laithan, who had already gained some experience in sword fighting, finally succumbed.

Meanwhile, Tedros stood in the middle of the battlefield. He tried to understand what was going on while trying to keep the scims away from him and his princess. He had to defeat the monsters finally. And quickly, before people were seriously hurt. Up to that moment, Japeth didn't seem to have any intention of killing people at all. But he could always change his mind. Agatha, she would be the first, the snake had said. Tedros had to protect her!

But then Tedros noticed something. His princess was no longer with him. Cautiously, she approached the snake and his liege. She was holding something sharp in her hand. A dagger. Tedros froze for a moment before running after her, cursing under his breath and fending off scims at the same time. Where did she get that?

He tried to keep up with her quick movements, but the other fighters and the flying scims around him made it difficult. He dodged a group of charging guards and fought three small eels that attacked him as he passed. When he had vanquished them, he realized that he had lost sight of his princess. Where had she gone?

As Tedros' eyes searched for her, he realized he was being watched. A pair of ice-blue eyes bored into him. Japeth gave him a wicked smile before turning his full attention to the prince. The majority of the scims continued to attack the fading power of the guards, sending them back over the abyss of the clouds and into the forest. But a small group of scims had taken up position near Japeth.

With a quick signal, they flew toward the prince and surrounded him. "I really trusted you, little prince, and wanted to keep the pact. You could have gotten the crown. And yet you attacked us. You tried to steal my love. This is evil. You are evil. But I was only defending Aric and myself. I didn't kill anyone, did I? Lion to Snake, Snake to Lion. You are a snake now, just like my brother was one. And the fairy tale is true: In the end, it is the lion that kills the snake.”

It was then that Tedros knew they had lost. There were only a few people left in the thinking place. All the guards, first-years, and gnomes had been defeated. Some of the fourth-graders had been forced to surrender as well. Anadil had protected Hester's demon from the sickles. She sacrificed herself by falling from the clouds. Vex and Bron couldn't avoid a swarm of scims, and Kiko fell from the cloud with Reaper while trying to save him. Even Merlin was nowhere to be seen. But Tedros thought he could see the clouds moving in the background.

Meanwhile, Aric had attacked Sophie and now raised his dagger to kill her while the other students tried to stop him. But Sophie's dress turned into an impressive war dress with a breastplate, off of which the dagger bounced and fell out of reach. Aric froze for a moment. Finally, Tedros' friends had managed to make a crack in the facade, for Japeth's attention had been focused on Tedros all along.

His friends seized the opportunity to attack Aric. In doing so, they overlooked the fact that Tedros was trapped as well. Sophie, however, took a quick look at Tedros and her eyes snapped wide open. She understood at once and wanted to let out a witch scream in order to save him.

But it was too late. The scims were already flying towards Tedros, determined to kill the prince once and for all. He had no time to scream. The last thing he saw was a silver object flashing behind Japeth. A dagger. In the hand of a dark-haired person. Tedros' savior. His princess. Agatha.

She must have snuck up behind Japeth while he was busy with Tedros. The shift in the cloud formation. Thanks to Merlin, she had been able to hide in the clouds. She raised the dagger and quickly brought it down on Japeth. The dagger struck flesh, piercing the body that was in front of her. But it was not Japeth. The scims froze just in front of Tedros; he had not yet been hit by them.

"Aric?!" Japeth gasped in shock.

Tedros' plan had been fulfilled.

Chapter Text

TW: mentioning suicidal thoughts, blood, and death

"Japeth had never seen Aric so weak, and it frightened him. The truth was obvious: he was about to lose his friend, after he had just gotten him back."

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-Japeth's POV-

Japeth saw the dagger coming at him, but it was too late. He closed his eyes and braced himself against the pain. It did not come; instead, he heard a gasp. The weapon was piercing something, and it was not Japeth.

He blinked slightly and then widened his eyes. No. The scims froze just before they were about to bore through Tedros. The dagger was piercing the body in front of him, only lightly penetrating Japeth's chest. Blood dripped from the tip of the dagger onto him. It was Aric's blood.

"Aric!"

He must have thrown himself in front of Japeth at the last second, saving him. But... "What did you do?" he stammered, ignoring the sudden silence around him. He couldn’t care less. He didn't care about his enemies, because the only thing he could feel was his newly healed heart being torn apart once more. Aric was hurt.

At the beginning of the fight, Japeth had asked Aric not to fight with him, but in the end, he had given in. Why did he let Aric fight with him? He was supposed to protect him! Japeth saw Aric freeze - he would hold on. He saw the dagger pierce his friend's heart- it was only a stab. He saw more and more red blood flow from the wound- he would survive!

But Japeth knew the truth. He knew what a fatal wound looked like. He had enough experience of killing people. Just with a wound like this... But Aric was strong! His will was unshakable. But now he wavered a bit. The pain seemed to drain him of energy. Japeth reached for Aric's body to support him, but Aric shook his head and tensed his muscles. As stubborn as ever.

Meanwhile, the princess pulled the dagger from Aric's chest and dropped it to the ground, eyes wide. The shock made Agatha freeze, her big brown eyes staring at the wound. She couldn't believe that it was her fault. The purest soul of good had murdered a human being. A sin, even if it was in self-defence.

Japeth could kill her now and do her the same harm she did Aric. In the process, he would also give Tedros a taste of what he had been through. All he had to do was move his sickles- but his motivation was gone.

Aric's body collapsed completely, but Japeth was ready and held him. Inwardly, his thoughts circled around the boy in his arms. He had never seen Aric so weak and it frightened him. The truth was obvious: he was about to lose his friend after having just gotten him back.

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When Aric had emerged from the house, Japeth's thoughts had been erased. Everything that had bothered him was gone. Rhian's death, the whole competition and the future no longer mattered; all he saw was him. How much he had missed that boy with the ghostly pale cheekbones, the spiky hair, and the eyes that shone like amethysts!

Only a few days before, he had been forced to reveal a disguise that represented his friend, because Tedros had thought he could fool him that way. In fact, Japeth had almost trusted him and let himself be guided by his desires. To see Aric again, to hold him in his arms and let all worries fade away, would have healed him for a second.

But his heart knew the truth. This boy was not Aric, even if he pretended to be. How Tedros could imitate Aric so perfectly was a mystery to Japeth. From the fearlessness of the scims, to the deep voice, to the whole demeanor - Japeth had believed the boy.

But he also had his doubts until the end, what if everything was fake? He had to be sure, because Aric's life and his own depended on it. If his enemies tried to deceive him, they would pay for it. There was only one question that could separate the truth from lies. Only the real Aric would know their secret. Only the real Aric would know his own rules.

As much as Aric cherished Japeth, he was ashamed of his own feelings. Japeth had learned this one night at Arbed when the two of them had snuck out of the house to escape the clutches of their dean. They found themselves sitting on a bench near the school, staring at the sky. It had happened that night in the moonlight.

Japeth was glad that he had found a friend in Aric. He was his only friend, his best friend. But he felt that he had deeper feelings for Aric, because wanting to kiss your best friend was not just friendship. In the light of the moon, he had finally dared to try. He had approached Aric, who was sitting relaxed next to him, and their lips had come closer and closer - but Aric had rejected him. He had just sat back in silence and had shook his head. A very clear "no".

Japeth had been hurt, but he understood and forgave him at the same time. Aric was ashamed of himself and his feelings, which did not fit into his image of a strong and brave boy. Because Japeth knew, that Aric felt the same way, but why couldn't Aric admit it at that moment? Couldn't he accept how he felt?

Japeth's enemies knew of their deep bond, but no one knew the rule. Aric had settled it that night. Never, under no circumstances, was Japeth allowed to kiss him. The rule saved him in the end, because it allowed him to expose the betrayal. But Japeth hated it. If Aric had accepted his feelings then, it might never have come to all the moments that followed.

After that night, they had tried to hide their deep connection, but one person was never fooled. Rhian knew, and one day he asked outright. All three had lost that day. Rhian his brother's trust. Aric his home and best friend, and Japeth his true love.

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Now Japeth was about to lose him all over again. He slowly lowered Aric to the ground, who just groaned. Meanwhile, the other fighters lowered their weapons. The fight was over. Agatha had joined her friends and was crying against Tedros' chest.

Japeth dropped to the ground beside the dying boy and cradled him. His scims carefully covered the wound. However, they could not stop the bleeding. Japeth felt tears well up in his eyes; Aric had only a few minutes left.

"Boys don't cry," Aric stammered, holding out his hand to wipe away his friend's tears. Japeth gently took it halfway in both hands. He tried to reassure him, but Aric continued directly: "You have to stay strong. For me." Japeth's eyes watered even more. "Thank you Japeth. You are the only one who accepted me," he smiled weakly and then pressed his lips tightly together. The pain seemed to intensify. A depressing emptiness spread inside Japeth.

"Aric, no, you can't go. Not like this, not after everything I've given." It was the same with the fake Aric. He had also begged him to stay. Because at that time he had already known that Aric would leave for good, but this time it was much worse.

"That I ... can see you once again ... Japeth. It makes me happy. I'm not afraid of death. Because this time ... you are here." Despite the pain, he tried to smile at Japeth once more, then closed his eyes. Japeth's heart stopped for a moment. NO! It couldn't end like this!

"There is... one thing... I cannot take with me... to my death... again", Aric gasped with closed eyes, spitting out a red liquid. Blood. A cold hand gripped Japeth's heart. He loved the cold, but now he longed for the warmth that Aric's closeness had always given him.

"You are my... best friend... but also... so much more." His words came out even more chopped up. Japeth tried to offer him some comfort, but at the same time he tried to keep him from continuing to speak out of pain.

"Shh-"

"I love y..." Then he fell silent, Aric no longer moved. His heart, which had just begun to beat the same as Japeth's, had stopped.

He was dead.

"No, NO!" Japeth whispered before screaming. He let out a loud cry of despair. The other students had watched in horror, but now backed away. But Japeth did not care that his enemies saw him so weak.

Instead, his gaze was fixed on his dead friend. He stared into the calm features of that remarkable face. Aric had only been this relaxed around Japeth. He looked at the spiky hair, remembering how he had tousled it again and again. He saw the pale cheeks and remembered how he had touched them. It had been the most intimate gesture he had been allowed to make with Aric. And he could feel his fingers caressing the cheeks, as if of their own accord. But the fiery look that always followed that gesture did not come.

Finally, he heard sounds beneath the desperate sobs. Without lifting his head, he looked in the direction of the sound. Tedros seemed to have sensed his chance. A moment ago, he had seemed worried as he tried to calm Agatha. However, his trance seemed to be over. He let go of Agatha and walked slowly towards Japeth. He held a sword in his hand, ready to strike the monster's deathblow.

But Japeth was not ready to leave yet. There was one more thing he needed to do to find peace. How many times had he lay awake at night and cursed himself because he had never kissed him. Breaking Aric's rule just once, no matter how much he liked him. But now he would do it. As a last act of love.

He lifted his head. That made Tedros move faster to cut off Japeth's head. But then Tedros hesitated as Japeth moved his face closer to his friend. Slowly his lips approached Aric's, who could not object this time. To a last act of love.

All the bitterness and hardness that had driven Aric to his first death in the end contrasted with his lips. They were soft and still slightly warm, as if the last heat had gathered in them. Japeth felt his cold heart warm for a moment.

It felt right, as if their lips belonged together. As if they belonged together.

But they would not. Fate struck again, and so he pulled away from Aric's lips and ended the act of love by resting his head on Aric's upper body. Now he was ready, for his hope was scattered to the winds. He could no longer become the one true king and bring Aric back. He had lost. His whole body shook and he felt his bones ache. His mask was gone, his strength was vanished. The snake was defeated.

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Japeth waited silently for Tedros' strike. He was ready to be freed. But the death blow never came. No one made a move. Japeth could not tell who else was in the thinking place. Aric and he had defeated most of the soldiers and students and thrown them from the clouds. But Tedros' best friends were still there. They stood close to him, waiting. So was Japeth.

Why doesn't he attack? What is holding him back? Japeth wanted to leave this world and be free. At Aric's side. If it was only in death that they could be united, then he would welcome it. That was why he raised his head in a pleading manner and looked directly at the prince. For the first time, it was not with mockery or hatred, but with a great sense of desperation. He tried to say something, but his mouth was so dry that it took him several tries: "P-p-please-"

Tedros stared at him, his expression embodying the same uncertainty the prince had often shown. But this time it was inappropriate. Tedros should release him and play the lion who killed the snake at least once!

The prince did not move and Japeth suddenly understood. Tedros was not going to kill him, so he could only put himself out of his misery. Slowly, a scim detached from his suit and flew to its master's eye level. The snake looked at it with dead eyes. The scim, on the other hand, looked pensive, as if unsure if this was the right plan. But it was the last way, and Japeth did not fear it, for he had nothing to lose. He closed his eyes as the scim hovered at the height of his broken heart. Just inches aw

One last time, he laid his head on Aric's chest to inhale his scent once more. Aric's unique scent that he could never put into words, but that had always made him feel at home. Now it gave him the courage to take the next step, the last one.

But at the same time he sensed something else, a second heartbeat. Aric's heartbeat? No, Aric was dead. He had died before his eyes. Japeth wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or if he was already dead, maybe Tedros had struck after all? He didn't know. To be on the safe side, he would use his scim again. He kept his eyes closed and prepared himself. Now. After a quick sweep of his finger, the scim came at him.

Instead of the expected pain, he felt a liquid dripping down his throat. "What the..." He snapped his eyes open. Wine red blood fell to the ground. Meanwhile the scim was stuck in a hand that was right next to Japeth's neck, almost piercing it. Japeth instantly recognized the pale hand. It could not be. This was far beyond hallucination.

"I'd rather not," the person replied, and Japeth lifted his gaze to look into a pair of violet eyes in shock. "You saved my life, again", Aric said.

"How is that possible?", Japeth managed to whisper.

"I think we both know," he whispered back, trying to straighten himself slightly. Japeth let go of him and gave him enough room. Aric ripped the scim out of his hand and let out a short groan.

As Japeth stared at the wound, he noticed that Aric's hand was growing back together again. The wound under his scims bandage was shrinking as well. Aric's body was healing! After a short time, all the injuries were gone. How was that possible? Japeth had only one answer, for there was only one power that could have done this.

The kiss!

Japeth's face approached Aric's again. Slowly and carefully, because he was not sure how his friend would react. When their lips touched, all fear vanished. Japeth felt an irrepressible power coursing through his body. Like a blazing flame, both powerful and beautiful. Like a ray of light that illuminated his darkness and filled him with hope.

He pulled his lips away from Aric's and lifted his head slightly. He knew he would be crushed. He knew Aric too well. But the latter was frozen like a stone. Then he realized that Japeth wasn't the only one present. His eyes narrowed slightly and he opened his mouth to speak. Now Japeth would be reprimanded, but then Aric saw the look in Japeth's eyes and closed his mouth again. He did something Japeth never expected. He grabbed Japeth's neck and pulled him down. Their lips touched again.

The kiss was different. Instead of the hesitant meeting of their lips just a few seconds before, the kiss was now filled with passion. Japeth felt himself starting to heat up. Gone were the shyness and embarrassment, as unbridled emotions surged through him. Love, shock, desire. When Aric's tongue dared to move forward, he could no longer control himself. He gasped for breath before running his hands through his friend's hair. At the same time, he sensed the desperation behind the kiss. They both knew that it might be their last.

All too quickly, Aric pulled away from Japeth, as if he had become aware of their situation again. But his voice was still far away. "Japeth," he whispered quietly.

Japeth would have preferred to hold him longer. Finally, Aric allowed himself to feel. But it was time for one last fight, after that everything would be settled. Slowly he pulled his head back, stood up swaying slightly and helped Aric to his feet in the same movement. Instead of letting go, he held on to him while his scims supported them both.

Japeth was ready. His strength was restored. His hope regained. His purpose returned. He would defend Aric to the last moment.

Once again, he would not let his true love die.

Chapter Text

"Then we'll attack that entire wood. Burn it to the ground. And go down in history as the most feared Nevers. As the Nevers who did everything to stay alive."

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-Japeth's POV-

When Japeth turned his eyes back to his enemies, he almost had to laugh. They were in a state of complete shock. The terror in their eyes surpassed the horror they had felt after each of his murders. If only he had known that a kiss could disable Tedros' powers!

Even though Japeth and Aric could attack at any moment, they stood rooted to the spot. The entire group seemed unable to believe that this kiss had brought Aric back to life. Well, Japeth had to admit - he didn't believe it either. But he thought it was brilliant, that it must be terrible for Tedros to see his two worst enemies healed by the power of love. Japeth's inner demon grinned. The greatest force of good had changed sides. Good had lost.

Japeth was also delighted by Tedros' distorted face, for it seemed that Tedros was very jealous. The king of jealousy. It seemed that Tedros had realized that his relationship with his girlfriend was a bizarre one. Finally. Thanks to "The Tale of Sophie and Agatha," Japeth had known this for a long time. Too often, Agatha and Tedros had distrusted each other and made strange choices for lovers. True, that was not his problem. But now he was pleased to have provoked such a reaction from his enemy.

All in all, Japeth seemed to have stirred up a lot of emotions in his enemies that day. Japeth's suicide attempt seemed to take them all by surprise. Of course, they had expected that Japeth would not give up so easily, and that was what he had planned. But he had to admit it: For a brief moment, he had given up. It was as if he had forgotten Aric's plea: ‘You have to stay strong - for me.’ But seeing him lying dead in front of him ... it was like the world was ending. Fortunately, his moment of weakness was over.

Because Aric had returned. And it made Japeth very, very happy to be at his side right now. He could feel all his strength returning. Of course, he had lost a lot of scims in the battle. But he didn't need healing. All he needed was his best friend.

Japeth looked into Tedros' eyes and waited. The prince did not move. He seemed to have turned to stone since Japeth had brought Aric back to life. Tedros reminded him so much of his old classmate Kei that Japeth became angry. Rhian's best friend had also been like a statue most of the time. But Kei was already dead. Just as Tedros would be in the end.

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After a while, Japeth got tired of waiting. Were the kisses really that frightening?? He cleared his throat to get his opponents' attention back on him. As if to remind himself of his goal, Tedros shook himself briefly.

Then, with a smile on his face, he took a step forward. "The moment we have just experienced may have been unexpected, but it will not change the facts. For it is time to face the truth, Snake: you can no longer be king. You have lost. If you leave this room, you will be hunted for all eternity. But you can't stay up here forever. So your end will come sooner than you think."

Japeth raised an eyebrow as if he didn't care. The only problem was... he knew that Tedros was right. And he hated to admit it. Of course, he hated that the truth was already out. Aric and he couldn't win because everyone despised them. All the forest leaders knew about Japeth, about his true nature.

If Aric and he left the Thinking Place, they would be hunted forever. One day they would fall because there were too many people in their way. And even if they killed them all and burned everything, they wouldn't stand a chance against the entire forest.

After all, there was a reason why Japeth had made the pact with Tedros. But he could have foreseen that Tedros would not be a man of his word. He knew Tedros' fairy tale. One of the main reasons for all the conflicts was Tedros' mistrust. Towards everyone. Always. Still, Japeth had hoped. Because it was his only chance to have a normal life. To have a new beginning. With Aric.

Now he had no idea what to do. Was it all for nothing? But now Japeth had Aric by his side. Together they would emerge victorious from this battle. Most important: he would protect Aric, no matter what. Japeth was about to order his scims into a scim shield when Aric moved. Quick as lightning, he snatched the bloody dagger from the ground and ran over to Agatha. "Not so fast," he shouted as he held the dagger at her throat.

Tedros froze for a moment, then looked terrified into the eyes of his princess. At the same moment, Sophie was about to lunge at Aric, but he pressed the dagger lightly into Agatha's throat. An unmistakable warning. "I could do to her what she did to me. For my own protection. And to protect my friend. I'd just have to squeeze harder ..."

"Stop it ..." Tedros shouted desperately in Aric's direction, then turned to the snake. "You're monsters, both of you. But the whole forest will know the truth sooner than you can imagine. Kill us. But the truth cannot be hidden. You will end up dead. Both."

Tedros thought he had won. That they would both die. But Japeth had sworn to protect Aric. Now he knew what he had to do: "Have mercy on Aric's life, and I will surrender willingly. Kill me for all the world to see. And you will be the lion that struck down the snake. Then you will win the contest and be the respected king," he tells Tedros.

He immediately gets a dirty look from the side. "What are you doing, Japeth? We can beat them. Together. You are not one to give up. You're the snake," Aric hisses at him, still holding Agatha. Japeth paused. Yes, he was no Ever. Thank goodness. But he would do anything for love. In that respect he seemed to be one of the good ones... He would do everything to protect Aric.

"Japeth, I would kill them for you. For us. You know that. Together they have no chance against us," Aric tried to convince him. But he didn't have to convince him, because Japeth was just playing. As if he wanted to die now that Aric was back. But for now he had to keep playing. He made a sad face and continued: "We can't win. Not with the whole forest against us." He hoped that Aric would see through his game and play along.

"We'll attack that entire wood. Burn it to the ground. And go down in history as the most feared Nevers. As the Nevers who did everything to stay alive“, Aric said with a fiery look in his eyes. In his heart, Japeth agreed, it sounded like a good story. But he shook his head, "Aric, we wouldn't stand a chance..."

"So we just give up, no revolt?" Aric snapped back. Why didn't he realize that Japeth was just playing? He wouldn't just give up after all he'd been through. But Aric understood nothing. Instead, he slowly became thoughtful and asked quietly, "Why don't you want to fight, Japeth?"

"I don't want to lose you like that. I don't want to see you suffer again," Japeth replied sadly. He was honest for the first time. He really couldn't lose Aric. A tear even stole out of the corner of his eye and ran slowly down his face.

Aric followed it with his eyes and paused for a moment. Then he took the dagger from Agatha's neck and threw it into the cloud. He pushed Agatha away from him, who was immediately caught by Tedros as he crossed his arms. "Fine!"

Meanwhile, Tedros' troop watched them suspiciously. Needless to say, they had noticed. How would they react? Tedros smiled grimly again before he said: "I wouldn't let you live, monsters don't deserve to live. It was as clear as day. That was why Japeth would never surrender to Tedros.

Japeth quickly replied, "You are a monster yourself, and you know it. Who was it that attacked us? Besides, you have done evil things in the past. You tried to kill people. You started a war, and you betrayed many people. All for your own sake. And such a boy shall be king?"

Tedros' smile faded. Yes, Princess, you are not as innocent as you seem. Immediately, Japeth continued, "You have killed people, just like your mother." Aric cut him off, "Or the boy who was a gargoyle." Japeth looked at Aric, confused. What was he talking about? But he didn't really care, so Japeth continued talking to Tedros: "You ruined a lot of people with your actions. That's true. This was not Aric's or Rhian's or my fault. Yours, too. But now you can make it right. Let Aric live. Show that you can be a good leader.“

Tedros tried to block out the accusations, then asked incredulously, "So you're going to give up? At the cost of your life?" Aric looked pained, but Japeth nodded, "Yes. If you leave my best friend alone. Kill the snake in your story and close the chapter forever. "

Everyone seemed silent for a moment, wondering if Japeth was telling the truth. But he was lying. The snake in Japeth was already dead. He didn't want to fight anymore. He just wanted to be free. With Aric. But there was still a battle ahead of them. So he had to put on the mask one last time.

Tedros seemed trapped in his thoughts for a moment. Meanwhile, Japeth watched the other students behind Tedros, including Nicola, Beatrix, Rina, two witches and Raban, discussing quietly among themselves. At the same time, Sophie and Agatha turned to Merlin, who was looking at the prince thoughtfully. Japeth wondered what was on the wizard's mind. The wizard always had an eye on everything, somehow. What did he know that no one else knew?

But now the moment had come, for the others were distracted by Japeth. He himself was being watched and could not make his scims fly fast enough. But there were other ways.

Slowly, one of the scims moved away from Japeth's back, snaking down his leg and then to the ground. It was barely visible as it approached the dagger through the thick clouds. But someone noticed. Aric, his arms crossed the whole time, saw the scim and his eyes lit up. He knew what to do.

The scim slipped under the dagger and lifted itself. The dagger flew up with the force of the scim. Right into Aric's hand as he leaped forward. He grabbed the dagger, took aim, and threw it straight at Tedros.

It all happened in an instant, and Tedros wouldn't have had a chance because he was focused on Japeth. They all had. Except Merlin. The wizard seemed to have seen through Japeth's game all along, and he reacted instantly.

Before the dagger could pierce Tedros' heart, a cloud stepped between them. The weapon was stuck in it. Why the hell were those clouds so thick? In an instant, the cloud formation changed and Japeth could see nothing. Suddenly he saw the students, all flying towards Japeth and Aric on separate clouds. They immediately surrounded them and pressed their fingers against their necks. It was too late.

"You think I don't see through your game, snake? But you don't stand a chance. No snake is going to survive”, Tedros raised his voice. He landed his cloud right in front of Japeth and Aric and held his sword in the air with a grin on his face. "Because real Lions beat them every time.“

Cursed little prince. Now it was truly over. Would Japeth have been able to save Aric if he hadn't attacked Tedros? Probably not, since it was Tedros they were talking about. The word "promise" was and would remain a foreign word to him.

And now Japeth had to break his promise. He could not protect Aric. He hoped that at least they would be together in the hell that awaited them.

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Japeth and Aric waited side by side in silence, only glancing at each other. Japeth knew Aric was angry, and he wished there was something he could do to calm him down. But he didn't know what. How could he calm his best friend when he knew they were both about to die? He had the urge to say something, anything, but his mouth was dry.

How do you deal with knowing you are going to die? Japeth didn't know, and instead he looked into Aric's eyes for a moment before his gaze went to his lips. A last kiss would be nice...

But Tedros was already stepping onto Japeth and Aric's cloud, sword in hand. A second later, Japeth felt the cold metal on his scim suit. It would all be over in a few seconds. Suddenly, Japeth felt sorry for killing so many people, for they all had a right to live somehow. But he did not regret it. At least now he was with Aric for a short time. And that was worth everything.

Chapter Text

"The rules of our forest seem rigid. But in reality, they have always been mixed. Everyone can be good and evil at the same time and find their true potential."

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-Tedros POV-

Tedros held the sword at Aric and Japeth's throats. This time, the monsters would die for real. But Tedros was not satisfied. They both looked so broken. How must it be: Give everything and still lose? Yet these two were the villains of their story. They deserved this ending.

Do they really?, his inner voice whispered. Tedros had witnessed the emptiness in Japeth's eyes at the time of Aric's death. It had sent shivers down his spine. He had seen in that second that Japeth had no one left. He would have been completely alone. At that moment, the hope in his heart had also been a dead loss. Tedros really had defeated the snake.

But then he had seen how the power of love had brought the sadist back to life. Through a true love's kiss. A power that only pure good possessed. Until that moment. Tedros had been jealous. How do they deserve this love? -Through mutual trust, completely. A thing he and Agatha still had problems with.

Tedros knew then that he would not have stood a chance in a normal fight. The greatest force of good had changed sides. But the truth had already been spoken. So both would die either way.

Tedros raised the sword a little and was about to cut when a voice called him to his senses. His better half. "Wait, Tedros!", cried Agatha. What does she want? He lowered the sword to his side, turned to face Agatha, and was about to give her an angry look. Why now? But she had already grabbed his arm. With a strength he would not have believed she was capable of, she pulled him away from the condemned.

"What are you doing, Agatha?" No answer. Agatha just held him as they flew away on a cloud. Damn it, Merlin. Why are you moving the clouds? He looked back and saw that most of his friends still had Japeth and Aric in their clutches. However, the wizard and Sophie were coming to join them, flying on a cloud of their own. The quartet was quickly reunited.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Tedros angrily. "Don't you have any idea what I'm doing here? I was on the verge of saving the whole wood forever."

Agatha just shook her head sadly. "Tedros, wait a minute", she tried to calm him down. However, he tried to free himself from her grip, but in the meantime, Agatha had become angry as well.

"Tedros!“ she shouted. Tedros froze for a moment. Agatha saw her chance and continued: "We grew up knowing that in the end the hero would kill the villain and save everyone. That is how every fairy tale ends. In books, there is always a clear line between good and evil. But in reality, the line between the villain and the hero has long been blurred. Just look at our fairy tale. It's the best proof of that."

Tedros looked at her with wide eyes. Slowly, his anger faded. Agatha was right; their story had shattered the boundaries. For nothing was as it seemed on the surface. Agatha, the one he had hated and dismissed as a witch, had become the greatest legend of good. His princess.

His best friend, Sophie, was a witch who had always pretended to be a princess and had finally discovered her true self. But now Sophie had become a loyal ally. She was willing to sacrifice herself for her friends, especially for Agatha. All of Tedros' friends and family had helped him. They had all helped Tedros, but they had also failed him and made him suspicious.

They all were not just good, nor were they just evil. They were human. Were the two monsters not all evil as well? No, he cannot change his mind. Not this close to victory.

"Agatha, these two are the murderers of several of our friends. They betrayed us all. There is no good in them. They are the blackest of souls and have no right to live." Agatha ignored Tedros' outburst and continued speaking. Her voice had calmed down a bit by now.

"There is no such thing as black and white. Instead, there are infinite shades of gray. There is a glimmer of white in even the blackest soul. Everything goes together, because if it weren't for the black sky, you wouldn't be able to see the stars. Just like good and evil go together and can exist side by side. Must exist together.

Tedros, please give them another chance. Japeth was right about one thing: He didn't really attack you. He was just trying to protect Aric. I understood that the moment I plunged the dagger into Aric's chest. I knew immediately that Aric's death was a huge mistake. In that second, I felt that we were all going to be victims of vengeance. But you know very well what happened. And the kiss proves that they are more than just murderers. Maybe they can truly save each other.

Sophie had been silent until then, but now she had a say in the matter. She wanted to help her friend: "Rhian told me that he wanted to vanquish evil from the forest by giving love to all people. Whether through a friend, love, or just an animal. At first, Rhian's wish seemed so absurd, so naive, that it could never come true. But the moment you see it with your own eyes, you begin to believe it. When the two darkest souls are united in true love. They deserve that love."

Agatha nodded at what Sophie had said, then continued herself, "Somehow I think they just wanted to be together. All the time. We don't know their whole story. Nobody ever knows the whole story in a fairy tale. That's why in fairy tales there are always such big differences and misunderstandings and recriminations. That is why the hero and the villain are separated at the end, even though they all deserve a happy ending.”

In a way, Agatha was right. Was it fair to judge them at this point? Tedros knew the history of both of them. He knew how they had both killed without blinking. And yet... He didn't know everything. It could be said that there were two different people standing before them now than they knew. Tedros took a quick look at his enemies. They were holding hands now. As if to encourage each other.

Had the protagonists of his own story been different ones, Tedros himself might have become a monster who wanted to bring death to two lovers. To a couple who had done everything they could for love. Because Tedros knew that love makes people do anything. If Agatha had been dead, he would probably have hurt someone as well…

Tedros just didn't know what to do. Too many thoughts were running through his mind. Love, death, hatred, vengeance, forgiveness, justice - "What do you intend to do now, my king?“, Merlin spoke up. He had been watching Tedros the whole time, and he noticed right away that Tedros was becoming pensive.

Well, Tedros had already seen the snake's head roll before his eyes. But could he really do that? That would make him a monster himself. Suddenly, a plan began to form in his mind, and he finally realized what his true task as king was. He wanted to be a good king, and he had always thought that a king should be a symbol of order. But since he had been with Agatha, his view of the world had changed, and he knew that a good king must also be a merciful king.

Tedros began loudly, "I have made my decision." The rest of the group looked at him expectantly as the quartet flew toward them. Tedros walked over to his enemies and continued to speak in a loud voice: "I will do what is right. But not in this thinking place."

For a moment, Japeth stared at him, broken. The snake no longer had the strength to fight. Then Japeth took one last look around the room. As he looked at the carvings in the sky, a small smile appeared on his face. He lifted his hand and began to circle the scims around the others. Once again, darkness descended upon them all before they made their way back into the woods.

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Tedros knew they were definitely back in the woods even before he opened his eyes. For he heard Empress Vasilla's loud voice, or rather, her scream: "They're back! What happened?!"

The moment had come to show all the forest leaders the entire truth. With a sigh, he opened his eyes and looked at the whole troop. He could see all the injured guards standing together, helping each other. Most of them seemed to have only minor wounds. In fact, Japeth and Aric had not attack them brutally.

The same was true for the small gnomes who had gathered around their king. But they seemed to be really scared. Reaper's attempts to calm them down were in vain. All the turmoil seemed to be too much for them. Poor things. Meanwhile, all the students ran to Tedros and his friends. There was much cheering and rejoicing that the prince was still alive. It meant that they had won.

But suddenly they stopped. For the two enemies were also in the group. They were still alive, even though they were broken. Knowing that they were going to die, they clung to each other. At that moment, everyone realized: It was time to face the truth.

Knowing that everyone was waiting for his word, Tedros began to speak: "The true snake is exposed, the hidden truth is revealed.” The last quiet conversations faded away and everyone tried to understand the speech. But what Tedros wanted to say, needed to say, would probably never be heard in the back rows. Just then, eighteen-year-old Merlin pressed one of his stars to Tedros' cloak, and immediately Tedros' voice grew louder. Thanks, Merlin.

"We all heard and saw how the whole forest was deceived. So many innocents have died. So many creatures have been hurt, made homeless and robbed of their hope. You would get the death penalty for even one of these acts.

He paused to look at the two boys who had now separated. They still stood close together. As if to protect him, some of the scims clung to Aric's arm. A gesture that reassured Tedros in his speech. This is the way.

"Therefore I will do justice." Tedros continued to speak even as he saw Agatha freeze next to him. Trust me as I trust you, Agatha.

"But first we must deal with the past. The rules of our forest seem rigid. But in reality, they have always been mixed. Everyone can be good and evil at the same time and find their true potential.

I was born a prince, and I was very grateful for that. Because of that, I never had to suffer physically: Real hunger and not having a roof over my head are foreign to me. But that is what many of us have experienced because they grew up very poor. We, the rich, usually didn't care. But my father fought for his people and tried to make sure that all of them would have the same kind of opportunities. Just like Rhian tried to be a good king.

But our entire wood is built on rules. Rules that do nothing but create differences and divide us: Putting the rich above the poor. Just look at how Camelot fell apart after my father's death. In addition, kings are worth more than knights. After all, kings are to be worshipped, while everyone else can become a mere footnote.

There are a lot of other rules, as well. In recent years, the Magic School has been divided first by gender and then by age. For further segregation. Our whole life is characterized by such divisions.

But the most important rule of our wood is the one between Good and Evil. Good loves and forgives. Evil rules alone. Or doesn't. Because with the passage of time, the good has gained the upper hand.  And none of us ever mourned that the evil had died and was gone. We thought: They deserve to die. We even enjoyed it.

But in the end, I realized the truth: Everyone has the right to live because everyone has a core that is worth living. Every single living being. Young or Old. Girl or Boy. Poor or Rich. Good or Evil. Though it took me a long time to realize and accept it.

When the villains in my story died, I felt relieved because evil was temporarily out of the world. But I had to realize that the supposedly justified deaths only had consequences. Because killing leads to more killing. Take something away and something will be taken away from you. Revenge is one of the most important motives in fairy tales. It was only through the murder of Aric that the snake was really born and caused pain. And pain causes pain. Give evil and you will get it back. A vicious circle.

But we must break this vicious circle. That is the only way to achieve everlasting peace. Because there is another way: Happiness gives more happiness. Give love and receive love in return. Grant everyone a second chance. Then we will understand that everyone makes mistakes from time to time and yet is capable of change.”

The whole group listened attentively to Tedros' words. He knew they were all looking at him, but he could only see his righteous princess. His lovely princess, the purest soul of good, who now looked at him with tears in her eyes as he continued:

"I too had several chances, despite many mistakes. I have been very lucky: My princess has never given up on me. I had insulted, mocked, left and humiliated her. But Agatha has always been there for me. Although I tried to kill her. I could have been the villain of the story, but she forgave me, over and over again. That cannot be taken for granted.

She made me the person I am and the person you see before you today. Agatha showed me that no one is all good or all evil, but that everyone is a living individual. We all make mistakes. We all do things that we later regret. And yet, each of us is a living being who can change.

So I'm removing the snake and sadist roles from my enemies. To give Japeth and Aric a second chance. A chance to start a new life. Away from the roles they used to play."

An awkward silence followed, no one knew what to say. In the middle of it all, Aric and Japeth froze. But no one else seemed to move either, so they immediately noticed the light coming in. A human figure slowly emerged from the bright light. Tedros blinked. Suddenly, a tall person with short blond hair and blue eyes was standing in front of him, holding a crown. Tedros recognized the person at a glance.

"Father, but how?"

But by this time, King Arthur had begun to speak aloud, "A contest. Two to fight. Three tests. The end is near." All were spellbound as his words echoed across the square. Everyone knew who stood before them. Tedros started to run to his father, but Arthur looked at him and asked him to wait a moment. Arthur continued:

"The test foresaw that one of them would come out a winner and the other would die a loser. But here we see two victors. One as the victor of the crown, the other as the victor of love. The lion has spoken and has passed his test to become king. It is now up to him to become King of Camelot.”

With these words, King Arthur stepped forward and placed the crown on Tedros' head. Tedros froze as he hugged his father. He felt so real to him. "I'm very proud of you, Tedros", his father whispered, gently stroking his back. He wanted to reassure Tedros, for tears were streaming down the young king's face. How Tedros missed his father!

"Dad, is it really you?"

Arthur nodded, making Tedros cry even more. "But, Tedros, now is the time for you to become king. Show them that you are the one true king.” Tedros nodded, reluctantly pulling away from his father and wiping the tears from his eyes.

Then he turned to face the group.  They all looked at their new king standing before them. And Tedros felt him. He could feel the power of the lion rising within him. With a smile on his face, the old king stepped back and nodded. "The time has come to pull the sword." With these words, everything around Tedros began to light up.

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Tedros found himself standing in front of a house. It was a two-story, plain yellow building with blue bricks scattered on the ground. Something had obviously destroyed the roof. Tedros saw the reflection of light through the hole in the ceiling. He knew immediately who it belonged to: Chaddick's family.

King Arthur had accompanied him and was already on his way to the house. Tedros hurried to catch up, but stopped short. He saw a boy sitting on the veranda, staring at him and the king. He recognized the ash-blond hair and gray eyes at once. Impossible. "Chaddick?" he asked, gasping. But just then another boy ran out of the house. He looked a lot like the first boy. Now Tedros realized: They both looked like his best friend, and yet they were different.

They were his brothers.

"What happened?" a third voice asked. The woman, who moved quickly in front of the two boys, looked very much like Tedros' old court mistress. The memory of Lady Gremlaine and her death immediately came to mind. But this woman had to be the mother of both of them. And she seemed to know who she was facing.

"King Arthur?!" she cried, startled, and stopped in her tracks. He just smiled and walked through the door. Ignoring the dirty looks of the boys, Tedros quickly followed him. He had seen from their lion pins that they did not like him, the rebel. But they would soon know better.

The moment Tedros entered the house, his eyes went straight to Excalibur. It was stuck into the blue bricks of the roof in the middle of the room, illuminated by the sun. Breathless, Tedros paused for a moment: now was the time. Then, as Arthur was already standing next to the sword, he walked over to it. Gathering his strength, Tedros gripped the hilt with both hands.

But in that second, memories flooded his mind: Of the failed coronation, when he had been unable to pull the sword. Of half a year of desperate attempts to draw it. Of how he had tried again and again and still failed. He felt the old despair trying to overwhelm him. You won't make it, again. But then he just drew. The sword jumped out of the stone as if by itself. Finally.

The light caught in it as he raised it to the sky. Combined with his crown, his appearance was that of a true king. The members of Chaddick's family gathered before him seemed to agree. "I don't understand," Lady Gremlaine said before she and her sons fell to their knees. Tedros was aware that now was not the time for answers, for it was time to return.

Tedros nodded to his father. They were back in the light. The brightness forced Tedros to close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he saw that he was back with the others. King Arthur and Chaddick's family were next to him. They had a very confused look on their faces as they surveyed their surroundings. The whole place seemed to be in deep discussion, but now there was sudden silence.

Tedros raised the sword to the sky. A glow surrounded him, enveloping the crown and Excalibur. It was clear to all: their new king stood before them. At first, no one moved. Then Tedros saw one forest leader after another fall to his knees. His eyes continued to wander to his friends, who looked up at him from the ground. Even Agatha was on her knees, a small smile on her face. There was pride in her eyes as well.

As Tedros saw himself, the new king, being honored, joy flowed through him. Then he looked a little further, but he could no longer make out the two sadists. None of the group was standing, they had all fallen to their knees before Tedros. A silent uncertainty washed over him: Where the hell had they gone?

Were they hiding to attack at the right moment? Were they going to kill him? Had Agatha been wrong about them? His heart stopped. Agatha. He must warn her. Quickly he turned to his princess. Evil always struck when least expected. How could he trust them? They were monsters!

But then he stopped. He looked at her and smiled to himself. Yes, it seemed that people could change, for a few minutes ago he would not have thought that these two would bow to him. They found themselves among the kneeling people honoring their new king, hands clasped. Beneath all the anger, there was gratitude in their eyes. Gratitude that they were alive and had been given a second chance.

Tedros knew that his first step as king had been taken. But the question of what had become of the trial remained open, for Japeth was still alive. Tedros turned back to Arthur, who rose at his request.

"It has been said that the winner will take Excalibur, and the loser will die. How could this trial end, Father?" asked Tedros.

"By doing something I was never able to do," King Arthur replied, sounding proud as he spoke.

Tedros was confused; his father had been able to do everything. "What do you mean, father? What have I done that you never could?"

"You forgave. You could have killed them both and still been the hero. But you showed courage and proved yourself to be a true ruler. One who respects all living things equally. One who gives everyone a second chance." With these words, King Arthur began to vanish. His time seemed to be over. "Forgiveness is a great gift, Tedros. Never lose your heart, and your future will be glorious."

Tedros panicked. He didn't want to lose his father again. "Please don't go," he begged, reaching out to grab him. But King Arthur had already become a ghost again, and only the wind breathed his words: "You will be a great king, a better than I could ever have been.”

With these words, Arthur's spirit left the forest and ascended into the sky, knowing that the future he had sought for years could become a reality. A future where everyone is accepted. A future where the differences that made them who they were were used to strengthen, not weaken. A future where all could live together.

With one last smile, Arthur looked down at his son. Proudly. The future he had seen had come true. Then the darkness enveloped him.

Chapter Text

"What if it was only because of all the adversities in his past that Aric had learned to trust Japeth? Perhaps otherwise he would never have gotten over his shame and would always have believed that he didn't deserve to be loved. "

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-Japeth's POV-

Exploring the Endless Forest was more fun than Japeth had ever imagined.

Sure, he had seen many places as part of his previous mission. But the visits where he haunted kingdoms as the Snake were usually not fun. After all fighting was not like exploring new territory. Besides, Japeth had always been under a certain amount of pressure, and his own thoughts threatened to overwhelm him:

On his rides, he had often thought of the best way to spread fear and terror so that the kingdoms of the forest would become docile. But at the same time he was in no mood to play the snake again and again, fought and defeated by the mighty lion. Looking back, Rhian had always enjoyed defeating Japeth. How annoying…

Still, Japeth often thought of Rhian. Especially since his death. Even though Japeth didn't want to admit it: He missed Rhian and his way of being. Despite all the arguments, differences, misunderstandings and lies. After all, he had been his twin.

Besides, Rhian's death had left him with a lot of other responsibilities. Of course. First of all, the competition; rather than just bringing Aric back, Japeth still had tests to pass. The trials had been one thing in particular: annoying, because he had to deal with his pesky enemies and their stupid plans. But all evil must suffer, right?

To make matters worse, Japeth had suddenly found himself with a woman at his side. Him, with a wife? He hated Sophie, and the two of them should have gotten married? - that would have been Rhian's job! But with Rhian's death, Japeth had shot himself in the foot. What a shame.

Anyway, the wedding never happened. Sure, Aric probably would have just killed Sophie when he returned. But then there would have been a lot of embarrassing questions to answer: Why did Japeth's wife disappear right after the wedding? Such questions are best avoided.

But for most of the time, the only thing on Japeth's mind was Aric. How Rhian had banished him from Arbed. How Japeth had last seen his friend with a wicked, pinched look on his face. A look that was an attempt to hide the despair underneath. A look that had haunted Japeth all the way up to this moment. In his mind, he had longed for Aric all this time. His hope had been that the plan to take control of Camelot would succeed. That he would be able to bring Aric back to life. The constant thoughts nearly consumed him.

As a result, he had paid almost no attention to his surroundings in the past. But now he was finally able to put all those thoughts aside and just look at the forest. In this way, he was able to catch a glimpse of just how beautiful the forest could be. But best of all: His best friend was with him.

Aric hadn't seen much of the forest yet and was looking forward to every new area he saw. He had been out in the forest before, after his first years in the cave, but then he had mostly stayed in the dark. Looking back, Aric could not remember where he had been before being raised by the Mahuts. Japeth also remembered that they had never crossed the border during their time in Foxwoods. And he remembered that Aric had gone straight to the School for Boys after getting banished.

But now he was free to roam the woods with Japeth. Together, Aric and Japeth were able to explore the forest and visit places that neither of them had ever seen before.

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It had been two weeks since Tedros had been crowned the new ruler of Camelot. Although Japeth, like all the boys of Arbed, had initially despised the prince, and later even loathed him, his hatred was now tempered.

This was because Tedros had forgiven both him and Aric and given them a second chance at life. He had allowed them to start a new life, and it was only because of what Tedros had done that he and Aric could now live in peace. They can have a better life. A wonderful life.

Tedros had released Aric and Japeth after his speech and coronation. The forest leaders had been very unsatisfied. No surprise. But that didn't stop Tedros from taking them under his protection. The new king knew that if he did not, the two would have a difficult life ahead of them.

Everyone held a grudge against the snake for the killing of so many innocent people. They were all afraid that the snake would take their lives too. But, as Tedros pointed out, Japeth and Aric were just two normal boys now. Two boys who deserved to live  normal lives. Japeth thought the same.

If they were killed, there would be consequences. No one would willingly turn against the king. Except for Aric and Japeth, who had done exactly that. But now they weren't what they had been... and they had rules: Tedros still hated Japeth and Aric because for being responsible for the deaths of many of his friends. Needless to say, the feeling was mutual. So Tedros had ordered them never to come near him again.

That had been fine with both of them, for they had wanted to leave as soon as possible, and Japeth had wanted to put the chapter of the King of Camelot behind him. Just gone. Away for good. Away from all obligations, away from the constant reminder of his murders, especially Rhian's death, and away from his damned enemies.

Where would his and Aric's destination be? Japeth didn't know yet. But he already had the right company, so the destination did not seem to matter to him at all. At least as long as he was with Aric.

Killing or torturing people was also forbidden. But the deep despair and anger that drove them to do it no longer existed when they were together. So why continue to torture and kill? To be killed? No. After all, they could still cause mischief and trouble in secret. Whenever they felt the need. Just like the old days. Nobody needed to know.

After Aric and Japeth had agreed, they had been part of Tedros' group for a short time. Together they tried to put another spin on the whole coronation thing for the forest. The forest leaders had been given an oath that they would never tell the truth about what had happened, while the press had been fed a white lie:

Japeth had been asked to write a final message on behalf of his brother with Lion's Mane. In it, he had described how Rhian had seen his future: He had once again become a loyal knight of King Tedros, who would rule the forest from now on. Japeth had ended the message by praising Tedros and remembering the good old days. But in his heart, he had not believed that only one of them would believe the lie. As if!

At first, he was right: the people wanted their lion back, the one who had fought for them. They'd assumed that Tedros would turn the forest back into a place where the little people didn't matter. But they were wrong.

Before there could be rebellions, they saw a king who travelled the kingdoms and stood by the people. Tedros listened to people's problems and gave money to the poor. He wanted to give meaning to everyone and a second chance to the wicked. Like Aric and Japeth. Create a new wood. And most likely to make his father happy too.

That Tedros gained the respect of the people for what he had done, the two soon learned from the other residents. People liked to talk. Usually all kinds of gossip, but now they talked about the young king and his friends.

Of Sophie and Hort, for example. Japeth thought Hort was dead, but good, one less casualty. Or about how the whole school instead of the castle had celebrated the wedding of the greatest ever-couple of all time. By eavesdropping on some very talkative women, they found out why: All the lion decorations had apparently been removed from the castle. This had made Japeth laugh for a moment. Nobody, really nobody, except Rhian, liked those pompous decorations. Surely the castle would look better without them.

They were also hearing gossip about Merlin's death. But that was that kind of gossip that would probably remain gossip forever. After all, the wizard was not one to give up easily.

Japeth and Aric had also heard from the more serious conversations among the townspeople that Tedros had received praise for his deeds after only a few days. While not much was said about Rhian, who had apparentlyremained in Camelot as a knight, everyone hoped that Tedros would pay them a visit.

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After the coronation, Aric and Japeth had hurried to get away from their former enemies. They decided to explore the forest first, since there was no home for them anyway. But after the coronation, they had remained in Foxwood first. Before leaving Arbed forever, they had wanted to see it once more. It had been a very short visit, since they had only seen it from the outside. But that had been enough.

On the way there, Aric had told Japeth about how he had fallen into a deep hole after he had left Arbed. It had nearly destroyed him from the inside. As time passed, he had felt nothing but hate. A hate that had finally driven him to his death. But in truth, it was only his grief that he couldn't let go of because he had missed Japeth so much.

"It wasn't until I had to leave you that I realized how much I was attached to you, Japeth. Of course, I never told anyone. I would rather die as the sadist everyone thought I was than go down in history as a wimp. " Aric said, laughing bitterly at his last words. Then he continued in a low, almost sad voice, "But I guess I've always been the same on the inside. I wanted to be with you so much. I even wrote you more often..."

Japeth raised an eyebrow. "But I never got a letter from you."

Aric nodded. Anger flashed in his eyes. "I already had a suspicion that our dear Dean had intercepted the letters -" he said sourly.

"What did you write?" Japeth asked with interest.

"Oh, nothing that important...", Aric replied evasively, but Japeth had already become very curious. What had Aric wanted to tell him?  Japeth was just about to ask him again when the Arbed House came into view. Since Aric seemed so lost in thought, he decided not to ask anymore. Later on, he had forgotten about his question.

After their departure from Foxwood, the first stop on their journey was the kingdom of Bloodbrook. Aric did not want to be in the kingdom where he was born, so they were just passing through. After that, they were on their way through Fourpoint, bypassing Nottingham along the way. Rumor had it that the witches had taken Nottingham as a trio of sheriffs, and they really didn't want to run into them now.

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They talked all the time, catching up on the past few years:

Aric told him about his time in school. How he had entered it for the first time and how impressed he had been by the magic, even though he would have preferred to be there with Japeth. How he had quickly realized that he didn't like the people and that they were afraid of him.

He also talked a lot about his time as Dean. How he had started to teach and to order around. Or how he tortured student after student in the Doom Room. But even after all that he still had a lot of feelings in his heart. Even though he had acted like a monster, he was still a boy.

He talked a lot. It was as if he had no one to talk to for the last few years. Which was probably true. The only thing Aric had no words for was his death. But Japeth could understand: Coming back from the dead must be very frightening, even for people like Aric. But Japeth was too interested in what Aric had felt to remain silent.

„What was it like to die and then come back?" he asked carefully.

Aric winced for a moment before he spoke.: „It was weird. I know I collapsed in pain on a battlefield and then suddenly woke up in an unknown place. In a prison of sugar. And as soon as I rejoiced in my freedom, I was overwhelmed."

"Hugged," Japeth corrected him with a grin, which brought a small grin back from him.

"Yes - but I felt really disarmed for a moment, because I didn't expect this to be a reality. I thought I was dreaming," Aric replied honestly.

Japeth laughed bitterly, "It definitely wasn't a dream, and in the middle of it, it was even too horrible to be a nightmare.. Luckily, everything ended well. I just never thought that Tedros would actually spare our lives.“ Aric nodded to Japeth.

"Yes, but I think that's more thanks to Agatha."

That's true. Agatha gave them this chance for a new beginning.

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Japeth told Aric everything that had happened after Aric had to leave Arbed. It took him almost a whole day to tell the story: Starting with the last few months he had spent in Arbed, until he had finally been able to leave, up to the moment when he had finally been able to get Aric back.

By the end of the day he was exhausted from talking. Although Aric had asked a few questions, he had done most of the talking. At the same time, he enjoyed telling Aric everything he had done for him. It made Aric realize how much he really meant to Japeth. Maybe it would help him to feel loved.

Japeth was also happy to finally have someone to talk to again. In the old days at Arbed, he had been able to tell Aric everything that was bothering him. After all, they had been the best of the best friends. But since Aric had been banished... He had no one to talk to about his problems. Of course, he could have talked to Rhian. But he didn't. Because as soon as Japeth started to talk about Aric, he blocked. And because Aric was the only thing on his mind at that time -  One day Rhian was gone anyway.

But now Japeth could finally tell someone what was bothering him: How he had found out about his true past and how he had to keep it a secret. Because, well, Japeth would never have gotten Aric back if Rhian had known that her father was the schoolmaster. Or to talk about his guilt and how much he missed Rhian (Although Aric couldn't understand that - he still hated Rhian).

They talked about their parents too, whom both of them missed in their own way. Although they had talked about them many times before, this time was different because Aric had met his mother again and killed her. He had also gotten to know Japeth's parents at the school as well, as he told Japeth.

Aric had immediately recognized his friend's father in the young schoolmaster: The same ice-blue eyes, the same lean build, even a similar voice - so he had probably been the first to know the truth about Japeth's past. This knowledge made him follow the schoolmaster. To have a piece of his friend with him, even if it was just his friend's father. Evelyn had also been a part of his life at school, but he had always hated her: Damn man-hating fake snake.

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As they talked, they finally came upon a narrow path that led to a larger, fluorescent green clearing. They had arrived at Sherwood Forest. After spending the last few nights in the wild, they were finally able to sleep in a normal bed. At long last!

Japeth was glad. He finally had what he had fought for so long: Aric. His best friend. His true L-

"Are we staying the night?" the latter asked from the side, snapping him out of his thoughts. Aric's gaze drifted to Japeth, who took a second to answer under the intense glow of Aric's violet eyes. Those eyes were simply too captivating to ignore.

"Yes - but first we should visit Marian's Arrow. There should be enough people there to avoid being spotted." Aric nodded his head in agreement.

"All right."

Even though they had been acquitted, they preferred to keep a low profile and go out among the people as little as possible. But a normal night was really overdue. The many nights outdoors, one sleeping while the other stood guard, had sapped their strength. Now they could finally get some rest and relax - together.

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Sherwood Forest was a magical place, even Japeth had to admit that. Especially now, at dusk, the forest seemed to glow. Countless small lights lit their way, so they quickly found their destination and entered. The tavern was filled with all kinds of drunken men and women, determined to make this night their own. But the two of them just grabbed a bite to eat before making their way to one of the tree houses.

When Japeth lay down on the bed and invited Aric to lie down next to him, Aric backed away a bit and finally went out on the balcony to look at the forest. Japeth sighs. It would probably take a while for Aric to feel completely comfortable with him. Aric was too stubborn and too much in the past. But at least they were together now.

They have talked a lot about the past years. But the events that had brought Aric back to life and the intimate moments that had followed had not been mentioned by Aric. Japeth hadn't brought it up either, because he wanted to give his friend the time he needed. But at the same time he longed to touch Aric's lips again. To hold him close again.

At least through the kiss, Japeth had the certainty that the love was mutual. And he hoped that it was only a matter of time before Aric would confess his love. He truly hoped that. During his time at Arbed, Aric had always been ashamed of his love, but he didn't have to be anymore. After all, no one, really no one, could object. All those who had once had something against the two of them were gone now.

Japeth rose and stood beside his friend on the balcony. He could feel the scims relax and slowly approach Aric. They clung to his arm to feel the warmth of his body. A small smile crossed Aric's face. But he continued to stare at the forest that came alive in the darkness. "There's something about this view."

Japeth nodded. "It wasn't a bad idea to come here." He bit his lip and looked at Aric. Then he continued, even though Aric probably didn't want to hear the following: "But I don't care about that view, what's more important to me is to be here with you."

Finally, Aric turned his eyes away from the view and back to his friend. He gave him a smile that sent flashes of lightning through Japeth's body and froze him at the same time. Who would have thought that a smile could immobilize a snake? Inside, he felt his emotions rise again, and this time, he was unable to suppress them.

Japeth moved closer to his friend. He could feel the warmth radiating from Aric's body even before their lips met. He was electrified, overwhelmed with lust. But at the same time he was afraid that Aric didn't love him as much as he loved him. The kiss the other day had shown otherwise, but Aric's inner walls were thick, very thick.

Japeth was afraid. His fear was that Aric would never be able to open himself to love. For so long Japeth had been haunted by the memory of the day he had almost kissed Aric. And Aric had rejected him: "Don't ever do that again. Never, ever again."

What if he rejected him, what if... but Aric didn't push him away. Never, ever again. The days of the "no kissing" rule or other boundaries were over. Instead, Aric pulled Japeth closer so that their lips touched.

For a moment, time stood still as they kissed in the green glow of the forest. As a child, Japeth had read many fairy tales where love changed the heroes. How they blossomed and had the greatest sense of happiness. Now he was one of them.

Japeth was happy, really happy, and a thought came to him that he had never had before in his life. What if it was only because of all the adversity in his past that Aric had learned to trust Japeth? Perhaps otherwise he would never have gotten over his shame and would always have believed that he didn't deserve to be loved. But his death had been a change for the better in that respect. Aric finally allowed himself to feel. For the first time, Japeth was able to appreciate his own story. In the end, he was reunited with Aric!

Shortly after, they stopped kissing and looked at each other, breathing heavily. Aric's eyes were filled with affection. He hugged Japeth and stroked his scims, which were vibrating with joy. They had always been in love with Aric, much longer than Japeth himself knew. Too eager to kiss Aric again, Japeth felt his face heat up.

But Aric had already released him. Japeth knew not to push too far, because Aric had just given in to his feelings. "Are you all right?" he asked him gently, placing his hand on Aric's cheek. Aric froze for a moment. Then he nodded his head slightly. Japeth smiled a little, but then Aric took Japeth's hand from his cheek and guided it back. Immediately, Japeth felt the lack of warmth, while some scims still clung to Aric. He forced himself not to look sad. Why is Aric doing this to him?

"You asked me what I wrote to you at school...", Aric began tensly.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. We can do other things, like causing mischief or teasing others. As usual." Japeth said this because he did not want Aric to suffer while he spoke. But at the same time, he was curious to hear what Aric would say. And then, Aric talked:

"I have written you many letters. Some of them were unimportant, but this one letter... I really, really wanted you to come back to me. I was so desperate, so angry at everyone. But not at you. Because you are the one who made me who I was. I used to think that I was weak when I was with you. That my feelings made me weak. But when I went to school... I realized you were my strength. Everything changed me; the school, the people, being rejected again. It planted all the darkness in me that eventually became my undoing. But you, Japeth, you were my light to the end.

You are the reason why I was able to fight until the end. I really wanted to come back to you. After killing my mother, my nemesis, I wanted to come back. But I was never able to, and in the last second before I died, I knew that I would never be able to see you again. That was the moment I gave up.

But here we are, together. After all we've been through. Finally. And it makes me whole again. Because you saved me."

Japeth was so touched by Aric's confession that tears welled up in his eyes. Slowly, a tear trickled down his cheek until it reached his lips. Aric watched the tear as Japeth opened his mouth, "I know, I know, boys don't cr-“  

But at that moment Aric pressed his lips to Japeth's. He kissed the tear away and interrupted Japeth at the same time. Japeth took this kind of interruption with great pleasure and kissed his friend even more passionately than before.

------------<>------------

The next morning, they walked through the green woods of Sherwood Forest. The light was refracted by the tall trees, but it gave the forest an otherworldly green glow. Aric and Japeth had already left the forest to explore new lands and begin a new life.

And as the rays of the sun accompanied them, Japeth felt his heart overflow with love. The evil within him was healedand his heart was whole again. Wherever the future took them, they were ready. For Japeth could think of no better place than where he was. At Aric's side, for Aric was where he was at home.

He was his home.

Chapter Text

"He had tried to bury the past, day after day. To suffocate the pain. To forget the last years that had meant so much to him, until he had lost everything again."

------------<>------------

...

sweet

...

That was the first thought that came to his mind. It smelled sweet. Like cotton candy, toffee and bonbons. A smell that could not be missed. This place could have been a blessing for children.

It just made him cringe. Disgusting. He loathed sugary treats. Their sweetness always seemed artificial, phony, false.

Like a certain someone, he had known.

Nevertheless, he didn't care about the smell. Or about the wimp. There were other things that mattered. Like where he was.

He opened his eyes quickly, but found himself in total darkness. He cursed for a second until he had an idea and the room was flooded with a violet light. Raising his glowing finger, he took in his surroundings and burst out laughing.

What kind of nightmare is this?

It wasn't just the smell of sugar in the air. Everything around him was sugar.

Looking around the sugary storeroom, he began to think. Where had he been lately? What had he been doing? How did he get here? He tried to remember, but his mind was blank. The memories of the last few weeks seemed to be erased.

"What the hell is going on here?" he hissed to himself as he slowly sat up, his legs stiff. "Damn, when did I ever get this weak?" It was as if his bones and muscles had rusted. As if he hadn't moved in months.

Something was wrong here, and he was going to find the answer to it. But first, he had to get out of here! So he moved quickly towards the door of the room, hoping to find clarity on the other side.

Suddenly, his steps came to a halt.

A sting. His head began to burn. Indescribable pain filled his entire being.                                             

So much pain...

He tried to hold himself up, not to let the weakness get the better of him. But in a matter of seconds, he collapsed to the floor. The room plunged back into darkness.

But before he could even get a scream out of his mouth, the pain was gone. All traces were gone. It was as if it had never happened. And yet something remained in the back of his mind.

Memories. His memories of the last weeks. Suddenly they were back.

He remembered that he last been on a battlefield, where sweat, blood and smoke mixed into a unique scent. War. For that was what had happened lately: the war between good and evil. Between young and old.

The war in which he could have finally achieved his goal: to kill his mother. It would have been the perfect opportunity after his last, often half-hearted attempts had failed. After all: What kind of man would poison his enemy?

The days had flown by. The whole school had prepared for the fight against Good. He remembered how the students had sweated through his classes, begging for a break.

When the day finally came, he was thrilled to see Prince Dumbface again. To wipe the smile off his face. Incredibly, he had referred to Tedros as his "master", even if only as charade. As if this prince was better than him. Ha, as if! He was going to show him who was in charge.

But plans never work right. Of course, his mother had to stand in his way.

She hadn't hesitated to catch him and tie him up. His own mother! His pulse was racing. Of course, he knew that she had replaced him long ago. But the memory of talking to her made his anger boil up again.

How could she do this! How could she leave him again? And put the others above him! What had he ever done to deserve such a thing? Why?

Stop. He couldn't let his memories get in the way again. Wherever he was, he had to get out of here. Now more than ever. He had to return to the battlefield to finish what he had started.

Because, unfortunately, he hadn't finished his work. Not yet. But he will kill her, coldly and in pain. Especially after her appearance in the hall. This was the time he would finally take revenge on his mother for what she had done to him.

Quickly, he rose from the floor and flashed his finger. With a few long strides he was at the door, opened it and stepped into what looked like a comfortable living room.

It remained a mystery to him how he had gotten from the battlefield to here, after all, the war must still be going on. Of course, if everything had gone according to plan, they would have been victorious long ago.

Hah. Instead, he'd almost been captured together with Sophie. With the impertient little Sophie. But thanks to her stupidity, he had escaped that fate. Thank goodness. The witch was gone and he was free.

And then...

Suddenly, he remembered facing his mother. The memory of her wide-open eyes made him smile for a moment. She really had thought he was gone forever.

What a pity.

At that moment, he had run towards her. She had never been so wrong. When he was done with her, she wouldn't even have time to beg for mercy.

They had fought. That was the last thing he remembered, but... What had happened after that?

Pain? He collapsed? Everything hurt? He had been...

Certainly, he had won the battle. But why did he wake up here and couldn't remember anything?

Well, could it be possible? Maybe she overpowered him and locked him up. He quickly snorted. No. There was no way she could have beaten him in a fair fight. And yet... Just to be sure, he checked his arms and legs for injuries, but he could find none. Everything looked unharmed. Relief washed over him.

Wait a minute...

There had been some injuries among the students last week. Rafal's new queen had seen to that. Normally he wouldn't have cared. Wimps only learned from pain. Unfortunately, he had received a few cuts himself.

But his skin was not scratched at all. Confused, he touched his forehead, only to freeze in the middle of his movement. This couldn't be.

Hester's "creep" was gone. The wounds he had suffered in the ice chamber had disappeared. Instead face felt normal again.

Healed.

Only…no one could heal in a matter of hours. But at the same time, he realized that all traces of the war were gone: No blood, no dirt, just clean clothes.

What the hell is going on?

No one would have healed him on their own. So his situation allowed only one answer: he was dreaming. The whole scenario had been created in his mind. He laughed out loud.

It was just a dream.

A nightmare teaching him how not to do it. When he woke up on the morning of the war, he would end it as soon as possible and kill his mother. Without all those in-betweens. And then he would leave the school forever.

He would return home. To him. To.... No. There was no point in such thoughts.

Besides, he still had to wake up! Right now! He quickly closed his eyes, but when he opened them again, his surroundings were the same as before. Candy furniture around him. No war. No other people at all.

What- What if he was awake?

But who on earth would have taken care of him? No one, really no one liked him. Everyone would be only too happy to see him dead and gone.

No, not everyone. There might be someone who would have missed him.

...

‘You can't even say his name,’ his inner voice mocked.

...

"Japeth."

The name was nothing more than a soft breath, but still, the smallest spark of hope flickered in his heart. Gritting his teeth, he continued on his way. Damn it! He had really wanted to close this chapter a long time ago. Japeth was gone. Japeth had left him and he would never return. He had to let him go!

But he missed him so much.

With tunnel vision and clenched fists, he rushed through the hall until he reached the entrance. Without hesitation, he rushed to the door. Finally! This was his way out of this bittersweet prison.

As he was running towards the door, he heard a muffled scream from outside. Was there someone there? He was already at the door, trying to open it, when he heard another voice from outside. But it was barely audible, for whatever the building was made of, it was soundproofed. As if it mattered. He would be out soon anyway.

He pulled the handle. At long last he would know where he was. Who had imprisoned him-

The door didn't open. Of course. That would have been too easy.

But brute force had always done the trick for him. He tried to break open the door with a well-aimed blow, but the door held tight. Only a loud "boom" could be heard. You've asked for it, door. He tensed his muscles and threw all his weight against the door. Nothing happened. Damn door!

"Let me out of here!"

But there was no reply. Apparently, the people outside couldn't hear him either. Damn it! He started to get really angry. No one would just lock him up like this. Especially not in a building like this. There would be a price for that.

But first, the door.

Growling, he turned and walked back through the hall towards the kitchen. He stopped in front of it and turned around. He kicked his foot into the floor and then charged at the door as hard as he could. With that kind of force, he could have knocked anyone over.

The damn door stayed on its hinges. Of course it did. The door must be magic. If not, it would have shattered at the slightest touch. So it seemed that brute force could do nothing against this door.

But maybe magic would work? He placed his glowing purple finger on the door and began to radiate heat. And indeed it did. The door seemed to melt under his spell. The sugar syrup flowed in rivulets across the floor.

Satisfied, he stepped out of the door. But he immediately squinted at the sun. Damned sunlight! He had no idea that the sun was going to be so strong. But as his eyes slowly adjusted to the new surroundings, a thought occurred to him.

The sun had returned. Shining brightly in the sky. Whatever had happened: One side had definitely won. At least in his dream. Did he want to know which one?

"Aric."

He froze.

It wasn't the scream that had startled him. It was the voice. Because he knew it. Only one person could pronounce his name like that. But that was not possible. He couldn't…

Aric couldn't finish his thought because he was hit with full force. What the hell...? He wanted to face his enemy, but his eyes were still adjusting to the sunlight, so he couldn't see much yet. Still, he was determined to grab his dagger. To stop his attacker. To kill him.

But in the end he never grabbed his weapon because his opponent wasn't attacking him. No, he... embraced him?  Despite the fact that a much colder body was pressed against him, he could feel the warmth rising within him.

Could this person be...?

Arms that felt like home. A voice that would haunt him even in his dreams. A coldness that made him sweat and sent shivers down his spine.

"Is it really you this time?" the person croaked. He was still clinging to Aric. But he couldn't find the right words. Instead, he looked at the boy before him for the first time. The copper curls and the ghostly pale skin were burned into his memory. He knew, even if he could not see the icy blue eyes, that this was his best friend.

Japeth was here.

Now Aric was overwhelmed by all the emotions he had tried to keep out of his life since leaving Arbed. Hate, joy, sadness, pain, longing.

He had tried to bury the past, day after day. To suffocate the pain. To forget the last years that had meant so much to him, until he had lost everything again. In the end, he had never really succeeded. But Japeth was here now.

"Why don't you say something? Show me that you... are really you," Japeth said now, hesitating. Hearing his friend like that hurt Aric. So vulnerable. But at the same time he was very confused. What did Japeth mean? Who else could he be?

Aric opened his mouth to speak only to have his voice come out in a crack. Shit. "J-Japeth, but how?"

How could he be here? After all, Aric had had to leave him behind and had gone to the boys' school. More than a year had passed since then. "Y-you were still in A-Arbed..." he stammered. Why was Japeth here? Why had he run away from the boarding school? He had been safe. In Arbed. At home.

With Rhian.

The thought of the liar immediately snapped Aric out of his thoughts. He quickly overcame his misgivings and let his anger rise against Rhian. It was all his fault.

Suddenly, Aric became aware of his surroundings. Or rather, the feeling of tears streaming down his face. Obviously, they weren't his. Crying was a sign of weakness. He wouldn't cry. Never again...

But Japeth was crying, and that hurt Aric very much. He didn't know what to do. So he just said what came to his mind: "Rule number one: boys don't cry, Japeth, I thought you knew that by now.

Then, with a grimace on his face, he slammed his fist down on Japeth's arm. Immediately there was a hiss. Aric's grin widened as his eyes slid to the sleeve. Yes. Those little eels... He had missed them. Just like their master.

Even if there were still unanswered questions in his mind. Even if Aric was still stuck with Rhian. Even if the whole fight wasn't over yet. Maybe everything would be okay after all. Right?

"At least now I have proof that you are not a fake."

Aric immediately looked back into Japeth's icy blue eyes. He frowned imperceptibly. Once again he had asked him that puzzling question. Who the hell would Aric be if he was not himself?

But at that moment, a cold shiver ran down his spine. Intuitively, he turned his head and scanned the area around him. He went into shock...again.

Countless pairs of eyes were focused on him and Japeth. What the fuck was going on here?

A feeling of desperation spread through him. As soon as he had been able to see Japeth again, there were already other people who did not want to allow their friendship to continue. They were separated again. But he didn't want to lose his friend again. Quickly, he wanted to hold on to Japeth, but he stopped short.

When did he become so sentimental? He instantly felt ashamed. He shouldn't feel this way. Never ever. Aric quickly pulled away from Japeth. He immediately missed the warmth. Overwhelmed by his own feelings, he became angry and hissed at Japeth.

"Japeth, what's going on? Why are there so many people?"

He looked around. There were over a thousand creatures: over a hundred Guardians of Camelot (he immediately recognized the crest Rhian had often drawn). Plus people who seemed important. There was also a horde of ugly, tiny creatures. And students.

Wait, students?

He looked at the group more closely. Yes, they were definitely students. He even knew some of them. So they were all still alive and they didn't like him very much. Quickly, he grabbed his dagger. Just to be sure.

They all stared at Japeth and Aric. Horror was in their eyes. Some of the students had even started to back away, leaving Aric even more confused than before. What had happened here? And how did Japeth know all these people?

He wanted an explanation. And he wanted it now!

------------<>------------

"Been a while, Lord Aric."

Someone approached and Aric groaned. Why him? It was Tedros. Aric had hoped he would be dead by now. But of course. It had to be the wannabe prince.... of all people who could play a role in this scenario. (Only Rhian would be worse).

But Aric certainly paid no attention to the liar. For Tedros' claim was, in all seriousness, that Aric was dead... Dead.

Ridiculous!

However, Tedros wasn't done yet. He had only reached the "second part of the deal". And that just consisted of more made-up stories. Aric quickly realized that Japeth was the villain of Tedros' tale. The Snake. Terrorist, killer and king all in one.

Aric didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What an indignity to make up such childish stories. Japeth was no angel (thank God). But he sure as hell wasn't a king. That honor was reserved for mighty Rhian. 

Aric had already given up on Tedros. But then the whole troupe started to put on a big show. Like a lost flock of chickens, the mighty clucked all at once:

King Japeth, King Japeth, King Japeth!

Aric could barely hold back a groan. He was sick of this lie. Who had come up with this idea? Aric waited eagerly for Japeth's answer. He would end the game. Absolutely.

"I am guilty."

Wait...

What?!

Startled, Aric's eyes flicked back to Japeth. What the hell, dude? Why do you lie too? Then he realized something. Japeth was wearing a suit of gold and blue. The hues of Camelot. Why Camelot? The kingdom of King Arthur, the greatest hero of good?

Wait…had-had Rhian been right? Were he and Japeth the sons of King Arthur after all? He brushed it off. No, they were not. Never.

But why then?

That was when Japeth broke into a speech. When did he start talking like all those fancy boys? Talking and talking? Aric frowned now. Long monologues always annoyed him. Force was a much more effective method. The old Japeth would have agreed. But this one prattled on about noble things. Justice here, equality there. Or about a school he never went to.

What had become of the old Japeth?

Then he went on to praise Rhian. What a good king he was. The lion. Blah blah. Aric knew better. Rhian was just a gushing liar who had enjoyed getting Aric banished from Arbed. No one but Aric had seen his demonic grin and wink when Aric had to leave.

Why Japeth still clung to Rhian after all this time was beyond explanation. Japeth had forgiven Rhian for everything he had done. Always had. Even Aric's banishment didn't seem to change that. Had he agreed with Aric's banishment in the end? Because it seemed like he didn't care...

Was the boy still Arics friend?

Aric looked around. He wanted to get out of here. Right now! Leave the scene, fight again, forget everything. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare. But it was impossible. This was more than a dream, he knew. Even if he had taken drugs, he couldn't have imagined something like this.

Still..

He wanted Japeth back. The real Japeth.

"He left me no choice." Japeth's icy blue eyes bored into Aric's and he glared back. Japeth had truly murdered Rhian? Japeth had killed his oh-so-beloved brother and finished Aric's work? No, not for a wish. Aric had known Japeth long enough to know that.

Or rather... had known him. After all, since when had Japeth been a king? What had happened in the year between Arbed and the war? What else had happened? Too much to remain unchanged. Like changing attitudes and sides, for example...

No, don't think like that! Japeth was here. And he did evil things. That's all that matters, right?  All Aric had to do was bring him fully back on track. Back to the true path of evil.

Back to his side.

That was the moment when the guards began to move. Of course, the troops have changed sides. A few words from the Golden Sunshine Boy and they all changed their minds. Like puppets.

But never mind. Finally, Aric could fight for real again. A thousand men against two. He drew his dagger immediately. The troop didn't stand a chance. He straightened, aiming at a little guard. His first victim.

Thousands of daggers flew past him at that moment. Straight at the guards and stopped in midair. No, not daggers. Scims. Aric looked at Japeth, who was aiming at Tedros. Actually, a very good idea. Time to drive a dagger into Tedros' flesh.

Aric was about to attack Tedros when a scim curled around his arm. A warning. All right. So Aric waited. Watching as Tedros strutted towards them and let Japeth do the talking.

That was the mistake.

Everything happened in a split second. Tedros turned and grabbed a sword. Aric's reaction was too slow. So he gave Tedros the perfect opportunity to kill him.

Damn it, Aric! You wanted to kill Tedros!

Now he gets slaughtered by Tedros, of all people! But the pain never came. His heart wasn't pierced at all. He wasn't even hit. For the scim around his arm shielded Aric. It shot forward, deflecting the sword.

Aric's heart skipped a beat. The scim had saved him. Japeth had saved his life. He cared enough about Aric to help him! But before he could think too much, he snapped back to reality.

Now Tedros would pay. Time to finish the game. Aric looked at the prince and tightened his grip on the dagger. Tedros was holding something in his hand. A second weapon? But just before the object burst into flames, Aric saw what it was.

A tie.

Okay, now Aric was totally lost. What the hell was that about?

But at least it brought Japeth back to life. He finally moved. The suit turned black and scims snaked around him. Aric grinned. That was more like the Japeth he knew. A hundred percent improvement. He looked like the Black Death. Prepared for his duty.

------------<>------------

Scims surrounded the group in a flash, encircling them all. Sudden darkness, combined with a deafening hiss, quickly left silence in its wake. Nervousness began to seep out of everyone.

Except from Aric.

Hah. Pretty smart move, Japeth. It gave Aric the ideal opportunity to attack Tedros. He playfully twirled the dagger around his finger a few times. Out of the corner of his eye, Aric watched the blonde. Tedros panicked and scanned the area. He searched for the evil. Aric's face grew grim. He was only too happy to complete the task.

He made the first move. Now you will get what you deserve. Prince.

A cold hand on his shoulder stopped him in his murder. Frowning, he turned to Japeth. What did he want now? Aric's patience had been exhausted for minutes. He couldn't have a conversation now. No, he had to give free rein to his anger, otherwise he would go crazy. And no one wanted that.

"What?!"

Japeth withdrew his hand as quickly as if he had been burned. He looked at Aric for a few seconds. His eyes were wide before they filled with understanding. He leaned close to Aric. "I have something better in mind. Something you will like. Trust me."

Aric's anger melted away. Their eyes met quickly. Faces twisted in sync in a mischievous smile. Ah. Aric had already feared that Japeth would try to stop him. After all, he had changed. But his doubts seemed to be unfounded. The gleam in Japeth's eyes was a telltale sign.

It was time to take up old hobbies.

"What plan have you hatched?" Aric asked. Japeth opened his mouth quickly, "I..."

A loud shout rang out. Aric turned his head to see who had interrupted them. His grin grew wider. In the background, the soldiers tried their best to save the rest. Useless effort. They'd probably never had to deal with magic before.

But watch this. It actually flashed for a few seconds. Aric was 'impressed'. He even watched for a few seconds as the Scims took care of it. Then he turned back to Japeth, crossed his arms and nodded.

"I'm taking us to a place where we can fight better," Japeth explained.

"Where?" Aric never got an answer. The darkness swallowed every sound. And them as well. Aric was forced to close his eyes and within seconds they were gone.

Nothing remained but darkness.

------------<>------------

This place is different. This was the first thought Aric had when he opened his eyes again. He examined his surroundings. The house, the forest, the others - all gone. Instead, a pitch-black sky stretched above them.

The paradigm shift should have alarmed him. Instead, it made Aric feel safe. The night sky brought back memories of better times. Of the many hours he and Japeth had spent on the roof of Arbed. Turning night into day. Hours studying the constellations. Sharing secrets. Poking and joking and teasing. And just enjoying it. Side by side.

Those were Aric's most precious memories.

But the sky was different than he remembered. Someone seemed to have added a little magic to the place. A bright glow of snake-green stars illuminated the place. The points were sharp enough to rival Aric's dagger. Then Aric looked at the clouds, which were also snake-green. Plush soft as sheepskin. And magical too, because normal clouds don't carry people.

Amazing. Aric turned around, his mouth agape. By now his head was spinning. Why was this place so familiar? Why did he think of Japeth when he saw the spheres?

If he had looked closer, he would have recognized the engravings as well. And understand everything. The problem was that he couldn't look without squinting. His eyes hadn't adjusted to the light. Not yet.

So he turned to the other boy. Japeth smiled at the sky, but without a trace of surprise. Surely he knew more. "So where are we?"

"In my thinking place. Also called Celestium." Celestium. Aric ran the word through his mind several times. Suddenly a thought struck his mind.

"Hey. Why haven't we been here before? This place is amazing. Besides, it would be the perfect hideout. Say: Did you never show it to me on purpose?" He came closer and closer to Japeth's face. "Didn't you want to take me to this secret place?"

"N-no! Yes!" Japeth defended himself, stuttering, his face flushed. Aric grinned mischievously. Nothing pleased him more than teasing Japeth. Japeth slapped him, but there was only laughter.

"Idiot. Anyway, I discovered this place later. By then you were long gone. And besides, I did not know that I could create one myself. You know, you need wizard blood. Since I never knew my father, I had no idea that I had it. So the discovery was a bit of a surprise," Japeth hesitated for a moment.

Aric suspected what was coming. And his intuition did not disappoint.

"I am the son of Rafal. The schoolmaster who ruled the school for centuries." Japeth spoke hastily, nervously waiting to see how Aric would react.

Aric just shrugged and nodded. He had expected this answer. After all, he had eyes in his head. Rafal and Japeth were similar. Very damn similar. One look at the young teacher was enough. Icy blue, mesmerizing eyes, a razor-sharp smile, a teasing voice. And the evil deeds spoke for themselves.

But the revelation was not the end of the problem. Tedros and his entourage were still out there, lurking somewhere in the depths of Celestium. Aric was sure of it. And there were still some questions that he wanted to have answered...

"So what now?"

"I have a plan. Listen to me, Aric," Japeth said. Aric nodded. When it came to planning, Japeth was the smart ass. Aric always preferred to use his strength instead of his head.

"Go on then!"

"We have two missions: to win, of course. But that shouldn't be too difficult." Aric gave him a mischievous smile, which encouraged Japeth to continue. "But that's only half the battle. We also have to show that Tedros isn't who everyone thinks he is. "

Aric's brows went up. He knew that Tedros was just another manipulative jerk. And it was a shame that the prince was the center of so much attention. But why was it so important now? "Why not just kill him now? End of story."

Japeth shook his head and gritted his teeth. Aric groaned. Come on, Japeth. Don't be a grinch. "Why not, huh?"

"Because if we did, the whole forest would come after us."

And that would be a problem, why? "Like that would stop you, Japeth."

Japeth's silence was enough to answer. Aric would have liked to smack him on the head, just to get those idiotic thoughts out of his head. But he didn't. Maybe Japeth just needed a little encouragement.

"Come on. We're going to win this! No one can stop us. My banishment should have ended our friendship. But look. We're still here. Together. Alive."

Aric's words missed the mark. Completely. For Japeth did not regain his strength. Quite the opposite, in fact. His shoulders slumped, his head dropped. It was as if the energy had been drained from him. But then he lifted his eyes a little, and Aric was about to take a step back. Japeth's feelings were visible in his eyes. Pain. Grief.

Desperation.

Why did Japeth feel this way? "Japeth, what is wrong?" Did Aric say something bad?

"Aric," Japeth's voice was barely more than a whisper. His eyes glittered suspiciously. "You were d-d-dead. Really d-d-dead. You have no idea what I did. F-for-you! I d-d-did everything, really everything. A-and..."

Aric wanted to laugh. He wanted to cry. Scream. Shake Japeth. Just to bring him to his senses. Never, never could this be true. Japeth was joking. He just had to. Japeth thought he could go on teasing him. And eventually laugh at him.

But... He played too well for that. Even Japeth has his limits. Still. It had to be a joke. It could only be a joke!

"I cannot bear to lose you once again."

"How? How could I have died? Why am I still alive? What the hell is going on?" Aric didn't want to get angry. He didn't want to take his frustration out on Japeth, who was obviously uncomfortable. But he couldn't help it.

"Explain this, Japeth! Why are we here? What happened? Does Tedros have a point? Are you the liar? Was every word true? Why? Why is everything so damn complicated?  Can't people talk straight? Can't anything be good?"

Aric had long since lost his composure. At that moment he was pacing around Japeth for the fifth time, pulling at his hair. He could have gone on like this forever. Maybe until he destroyed the cloud. But then Japeth's hands closed around his arm. Holding him still.

"Aric!"

He froze instantly. There was an undertone in Japeth's voice. An unnamed warning. Aric dropped his head in embarrassment. How stupid! He wanted to slap himself. For verbally attacking his best friend like that. He didn't deserve it. Not at all.

Japeth's grip loosened, but Aric still couldn't look in his direction. "I'm sorry, Aric. For all. But now is not a good time to talk. I'll explain everything to you later... everything, really everything. You have my word..."

He took a deep breath. Then he lifted Aric's chin. "I just want you to know: Everything I've done... I've done for you."

Their eyes met again. Aric watched Japeth's face flush, and he felt his own face grow hot. Those damned feelings. They were far too close. If one of them didn't say something soon, something stupid would happen.

Fortunately, Japeth knew how to save the situation. "But after everything I've done, they won't stop until we're both dead. That's why we have to expose Tedros' true nature. Otherwise, neither of us will live long. We must show the forest that we're worth living.”

Aric's mind went back to the moment and he nodded slowly. "Okay... so we attack?"

Japeth let his hands fall from Aric's face and turned away from him quickly. "Yeah. Time to attack."

Immediately they started to move. They had wasted enough time. Judging by the voices, the troops seemed to be slowly waking up. As they walked, Japeth explained how he planned to proceed. "First off, no one gets killed."

Aric's eyes shot to Japeth. Why? He wanted to object, but Japeth didn't let him get a word in edgewise. "No. Don't look at me like that. It wouldn't do us any credit. Besides, it would take far too much power, and then we wouldn't be able to attack our main target."

Tedros, right.  Somehow, Japeth was right, even if Aric would never admit it out loud. Still... "What do we do with the rest? They were quite a few."

"Trifles. All of them, including Tedros’ so-called friends. It shouldn't be a problem to hurt them and toss them out into the sky. Out of sight, out of mind, get it?"

Aric nodded once. He still didn't understand why Japeth wanted to pursue this plan. But he trusted him. No time for other plans, anyway. They had reached the end of the cloud and the destination and looked down at a cloud formation. In the middle of the clouds was Tedros group. All of them looked up in fear and anger.

When Aric saw that, he smiled. Finally. Instilling fear and terror was one of his favorite pastimes. Together with Japeth he enjoyed it even more. Besides, it had been far too long since they had last fought or caused mischief.

Quickly, he grabbed the dagger in his belt and held it aloft. A glance at the blood-stained metal suddenly brought back memories. Of the night he had won the dagger and Japeth as his friend:

It had been shortly after his arrival in Arbed. Back then, he had never thought that he would ever find a friend. After all, he was of a different kind. Also from this bookish, silent redhead. He had never been more wrong. Cause, in truth, they were both restless troublemakers. Both thirsty for more fun in life.  Both could get rather cocky. And both loathed boarding school.

But he understood that only later. To be precise, that very night. Both had independently decided to break out of boarding school. But soon they had involuntarily formed a team. And they had run off into town. Went their separate ways, but found each other again. Aric also smashed storefronts for books and the knife that night.

The guards almost caught them for that. As punishment, they would have had to suffer Brunhilde's punishments for all eternity. But it hadn't come to that - fortunately.

But even if they hadn't wanted to share this adventure, it had been the first step towards their friendship. Otherwise, they might never have spoken to each other. They might never have stayed up all night telling each other their stories. And realized: They are so much alike that they can only be friends.

In the end they had decided to make a blood oath one day. Friends forever. Two monsters, united in their friendship, against the rest of the world. Together for all eternity.

They had never managed to make their vow. And yet, this night had been one of Aric's best.

Japeth's eyes fell on the dagger and his face lit up. Did he remember this night as well? But then Japeth's smile slowly changed to a thoughtful look. Aric's smile faded. It seemed that another problem had arisen. And he didn't like it. Not at all.

"Aric, I think you should stay out of this fight."

Was Japeth serious? Did he really refuse to let Aric fight? And let Japeth have all the fun while he sat quietly in the corner? Aric shook his head roughly.

"Don't even think about it. Never ever. You can't forbid me anything. I won't let you have all the fun. Ha. I got a better idea. Let's just call it a game: Whoever beats the most opponents wins. Deal?"

Japeth sighed and nodded then, a little annoyed. Ha! Victory. Aric gave Japeth one of his best smiles and saw Japeth's mouth curl. Then they both turned back to the enemies.

Aric let his eyes wander over the group. He wondered which of them could be a threat to him. But then he saw who the warriors were. Gnomes so small he could trample them, students who couldn't even hold their weapons properly. This had to be a joke. Then he cracked his fingers. At least they will win.

The guards attacked first. But they didn't get very far. Because of Japeth. "Hey, not fair! You have a head start," Aric hissed indignantly. Japeth grinned at him for a moment. Then he turned back to his hands, telepathically pushing the clouds further apart.

"Don't worry. You'll still get your chance. But Aric, let's make one thing clear: I will win. As usual." With that, Japeth ran. Right onto the track he had laid out.

It took Aric a second. Then he ran after him. Damn it! Fortunately, he soon caught up. When it came to fitness, he had always been the better one. The two of them jumped down. Always head to head. Both were determined to be faster.

Aric's whole body vibrated. He was too excited to finally fight with Japeth again. Back in Arbed, they had fought many times. They even had combat training in school. The only useful class. Brunhilde was determined to teach them how to defend themselves. But Aric and Japeth had always used it to practice their skills.

Now they would finally be able to use those skills. Tedros probably thought that they couldn't fight. Hah, wait until Tedros' face crumbles. For they both knew exactly how to fight with scims and daggers. And as a team, they were unbeatable.

Aric enjoyed taking out one fighter after another. But the enemies were still too weak. Some gnomes even jumped out of the clouds by themselves. No sign of ambition. Aric sighed to himself. He didn't want any children's quarrel. He had come here to fight for real.

At least this was a distraction. When you were trying to avoid dying, you had no time to think about previous deaths. Especially not one's own.

------------<>------------

Aric mentally counted every enemy he sent over the clouds. He was fast, no one could keep up with him. At the same time, Scims were flying everywhere. Doing Japeth's work. Everyone and everything in their path was hit. Except Aric.

Aric plunged his dagger into the leg of a guard who screamed in pain. When Aric pulled the dagger out again, the warrior staggered slightly. This made it easy for Aric to catapult the warrior over the clouds with a single, powerful punch. 163.

He turned and stopped. A group of gnomes stared at him with wide eyes. Their eyes widened even more as he slowly approached them. But looking scared would not help them. They tried to grab onto anything. Without success. Within seconds, the entire group plunged screaming into the night sky. Aric counted 168 now.

Aric had a good lead and was confident he would win. Just to be sure, he looked over the crowd for Japeth. But he was stopped. A group of first years seriously thought they could beat him. They didn't have a chance. Not against him. Aric disarmed the smaller boy and pushed him against a larger one, sending them both down. 169. 170. Their friend watched them for only a moment. Fatal mistake. 171.

The field was thinning. Oh, great. He was finally in. But then one person in particular caught his eye. Tedros. He didn't even notice Aric, as he was too busy scanning the area. Again and again.

Was he looking for someone? But whether Prince Dumbface was looking for his princess, the blonde witch, or one of the others, Aric didn't really care.

It was time to let the other fourth graders fly. So he turned to the other students. Some he knew from school. Some he didn't. But one person in particular caught his attention. Hester. Time to make amends. He was walking towards her when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

Someone was approaching. A blonde-haired, green-eyed girl dressed in red. He turned his head and his blood immediately began to boil. Sophie. Impertinent little Sophie. What a coincidence. He turned to face her. Perfect.

"Sophie," he called her name. He pretended to smile before letting out a dramatic sigh: "Can you believe it? I had hoped we would meet again some day. I only wish it was under different circumstances.” With your blood on my dagger. Surely Japeth would accept one victim. And if his dagger slipped...

Sophie paused and gave him a smile that made his stomach turn. "Aric, darling, you don't seriously think that you both could win. You're going to lose, you and your friend, the phony snake."

All right, enough pretending. Aric was sick of playing so he approached her threateningly. But she didn't move. What a fool. But the other students realized what he was trying to do. They rushed him, weapons and fingers raised. Too slow. They had their chance.

He lifted his dagger and slashed. Finally, this witch would be eliminated. Even if she made it too easy. He had expected a little more resistance from the witch of woods beyond.

That was when the dress started to change. His eyes almost popped out of his head. What the hell was that dress? The dagger bounced off the hard metal and flew away. Aric followed its flight before turning back to the others. His cheeks flushed.

Damn it! He was unarmed, and all seven students were coming at him. Arics eyes darted quickly to the side. To Japeth. Aric was about to call him for help. But when he saw Japeth, his fear vanished. Simultaneously, his face twisted slightly.

Well timed, Japeth, well timed. For he had Tedros on the ropes.

Aric turned back. "Well, well. I'd better save your precious little prince. Looks like we're going to win after all. Surprise, surprise," he whispered to Sophie. His face contorted.

Sophie turned around, her eyes wide open. Too late, bitch. Aric was about to turn away from her. To reach for his dagger. Then he saw something flash. Something in the green clouds, behind Japeth. Something silver. Something very sharp.

It took him a millisecond to figure it out. Then he ran frantically. No! Aric lunged at Japeth, trying to shout. But he couldn't. No sound escaped his mound. No! He was too far away. Too late. Japeth would not have time to dodge. The only option was to...

Aric didn't think as he threw himself in front of Japeth. How would he stop the weapon? His dagger was still in that cloud. But...

He couldn't let his best friend die! Japeth had done everything to save him.

Now Aric would protect him.        

------------<>------------

The dagger hit the mark. Or, to be more precise, Aric's heart.

He felt no pain at first. The shock paralyzed him. Then he felt the first sting and suddenly it all came back. The pain that had ended. The memories he had lost. Memories of his first death. He saw it. All over again.

Aric and his mother had fought. They had punched and thrown things and hit each other. They had done anything to stay alive. But in the end, his dagger had been the weapon that had made the difference. Aric remembered how they had fought for it. Neither of them had ever been close enough to land the final blow. But then he had done it. He had landed the blow. And then the pain had come. The pain he could feel right now.

Tedros had been right all along. Aric had been dead. He was about to laugh, when suddenly the pain increased.

            Pain

                   Pain

                                Pain

                                                          PAIN

                                                                                               PAIN

All thoughts left him as the pain took over. What had happened?

"Aric!?" He heard a voice but couldn't make it out. Who was speaking to him? "What did you do?"

It took a moment for Aric to realize. It was Japeth. Japeth was speaking to him. And his tone was one of utter desperation. Aric looked down and saw that the dagger was still in his chest. Crimson blood dripped to the ground.

Then he remembered. He had thrown himself in front of the dagger to protect Japeth. Aric had become Japeth's personal shield. And he had done his duty...

‘What did you do?’

Saved your life. Saved my best friend. Aric wanted so much to give Japeth an answer. But no sound came out. His mouth was parched. But if he couldn't speak, at least he had to stay strong. For Japeth.

It hurt.

He couldn't give in to his weakness.

But the pain was too strong.

                                    Don't be a weakling!

It was tearing him apart!

He had to stay strong. He had to stay strong!

He couldn't stand it anymore-

Aric swayed slightly and was immediately supported by two hands. It felt good to be held by Japeth. And yet he was not allowed to feel this way. He couldn't let his feelings get the better of him now! Aric quickly pulled away from the embrace. He had to stand on his own two feet. For Japeth.

In a blur, he saw the dark-haired princess in front of him. Ah, that's how it is. In the end, it was always the ones you least expected. With a tug, she drew the dagger.

PAIN

The scream was already up his throat. It was one thing to be hit by a weapon, but quite another to pull it out again. The pain was worse, much worse. But Aric managed to stifle the cry. Stay strong. STAY STRONG.

Aric's vision went black, his muscles gave out. He could not stand it any longer. All he could feel were the cold arms that held him. Like a loving embrace. Japeth gently placed him on one of the clouds. The cloud was softer than the bed where the girl from 'The Princess and the Pea' lay. But it was no match for Japeth.

The agony robbed Aric of all his senses and his concentration. He only became aware of Japeth when he pulled him back into his arms. Slowly something slimy covered the wound.

The scims tried to help Aric in their own way. They couldn't stop the bleeding, but they could buy him a few more minutes. Time Aric would need to thank Japeth.

His eyes slid to Japeth. The first sentence was already on his lips. He just couldn't get it out. Japeth's bright, ice-blue eyes had gone dull. Tears stood in the corners of his eyes, beats away from falling on Aric.

Aric had to comfort Japeth. Damn himself! He hadn't helped Japeth, only to cause him more problems! Japeth needed to calm down. Had to stay strong. For himself and for Aric.

But Aric's words were useless. Hot tears streamed down Japeth's face. Within seconds, Aric was drenched as well. And then he knew: Japeth wouldn't be able to stay strong. Not again. Not this time.

‘I cannot bear to lose you again.’

Just a few minutes before, Japeth had spoken his innermost thoughts to Aric. Now Aric understood what he meant. If Japeth was dead... no, he couldn't imagine it. Most likely he would have terrorized the whole forest at first. But eventually he would have collapsed.

After all, that was why he had saved Japeth's life. Aric wouldn't have done that for anyone else. Only for Japeth. For his best friend. The only one who ever loved him.

"Thank you, Japeth. You're the only one who accepted me." Aric tried to smile. But he just couldn't keep it on his face, no matter how much he wanted Japeth to believe he was okay. To distract him from the truth. But the pain was growing more and more intense.

Time was approaching...

Japeth seemed to feel it as well. He begged Aric. Begged him to stay. Aric wanted to grant him every wish at that moment, to see his smile at least once more. But that was out of his reach.

Grief spread through him. He didn't want to disappoint his best friend like this. He couldn't leave him like that! So broken...

But he had no choice.

"That I... can see you again... Japeth. It makes me happy. I'm not afraid of death. Because this time... you are here."

He was just saying that to put Japeth at ease. Because in fact he was afraid of death. He didn't want to die. Not again. But it was better to be near his best friend than somewhere else. He let his eyes sweep over his best friend one last time.

Marble white skin, speckled with drops of blood, copper hair, black scimsuit. Then he looked into the eyes. He couldn't describe Japeth's eyes. But they were the same eyes burned into his mind for so many years. Eyes that were now devoid of any kind of mischief. Only despair remained.

With extreme effort, Aric managed to smile once more. And then he closed his eyes. Forever. But before he could rest, he had to confess his feelings and tell the truth. A truth he had known all along. Even though he had fought it so hard.

Ever since they both had met, they had been drawn to each other. There were feelings. Feelings that should never have existed. And yet never stopped and only grew stronger. Night after night. There were dreams that dealt with Aric's loss when he wouldn't acknowledge it during the day. Letters he had written without ever receiving an answer. The fear of being forgotten...

All this was an expression of his true feelings, which went far beyond the feeling of friendship.

Aric had to tell Japeth. He had to. After all, he knew how broken Japeth had been when Aric had lied to him in the past. Rejected him. Even mocked him. Lied that he didn't love him... All because of fear. Even now he was afraid. But he had to be honest with him now.

"There is... one thing... I cannot take with me... to my death... again," he began. With each word, his mouth dried up and his voice trailed off. Seconds, only seconds remained.

He choked and spat blood. It was the most disgusting experience he had ever had. It made him feel like a piece of shit. But he had to finish the sentence. For the last time, he gathered all the strength he had left: "You are my... best friend... But also so much more."

"Shh."

The sound of Japeth's voice stopped him for a moment. His hand moved up Aric's arm one last time. And Aric could not find a better light in this darkness. Japeth was his light. He gave him strength. In his arms, Aric felt safe.

For the first time since he was a little boy, he allowed himself to truly feel again. Affection flooded his heart. Passion for all that united them. Starting with their love for pranks and games. From joking to fighting. Warmth for Japeth's unwavering trust. Until the last second. Love for the best friend who had become so much more than a friend over the years.

All these feelings in one sentence: "I love..."

Then everything became dark.

...

Chapter Text

"The Scims froze, Japeth froze, the whole damn fucking forest froze. Meanwhile Aric raised his eyebrows; this was never meant to be serious."

------------<>------------

The thrust served its purpose. Aric's blood splattered all over the place. His last breath of life had been sucked out of him. And at the end of it, the pain had released him into the eternal darkness.

In short: He had died. Again.

When he regained his senses, he felt a peaceful emptiness that filled him with a serene void. Was this how it was going to be in heaven, all calm and tranquil? Then the heavy clouds inside his head dissipated, leaving his mind clean. No. He, Aric, murderer and personal torturer? There was no way in hell that he was going to heaven. Never ever.

He would rather betray Devil himself and make all evil suffer. And then one day, Japeth would come home to him. And they would be united again. That was so much more to his liking.

And then the numbness began to slip away. All of a sudden, he was aware of his surroundings once more, and immediately he could feel his emotions fighting with each other.

In a matter of seconds, his chest burned like a fire, his muscles clenched and his body shook. Would he have to feel the same pain as earlier, as a welcome gift from hell? But then the pain vanished as quickly as it came. All that was left of it was a mild stinging sensation in his chest. What's going on here?

Then something else hit him that made him stop thinking. His lips tingled and became juicy as his pulse slowly quickened. An odd feeling filled him. Aric couldn't really make sense of it, but was it really better than suffering?

But that was the moment when he realized it. His heart was pumping, loud and clear, rising as if for a race. But it had stopped beating, hadn't it? How could he be still alive?

"-lease."

Aric almost missed it. It took him a second to realize that it was him. The cracked, hoarse, thin voice was Japeth's. So he was here, how, when? And why was he talking that way? Aric had never heard him like this. Making jokes, nasty remarks or laughing with Aric? Yes. Totally devastated, on the brink of committing suicide? Absolutely not.

For a second, Aric was tempted to snarl at him. But then the compassion that lay beneath it took over. Within seconds, the only word burning in Aric's mind was a whisper of 'please'. The sound of Japeth's voice was nearly a tear in his heart. Aric wanted to get up, even though he still couldn't move at all. His body was vibrating with agony. But he had to go and save Japeth from himself!

Then he felt himself being weighed down. He was only a second shy of moaning-that was where the wound was-but he didn't. He was done weakening. In the midst of his mild delirium, Aric heard a low hissing sound. A scim. It circled around his head, uncertain, waiting. What was it waiting for?

Aric opened his eyes slightly and looked at the eel. It was slightly bent, tilted in Japeth's direction. Hmm... Aric allowed his eyes to wander over to Japeth's side. He was completely defeated, without the last shred of pride he usually showed. As if he would give up. Japeth moved his trembling finger, and the scim arched even more than before. As though preparing for an attack.

And that was the moment when it struck at Aric. No. Japeth was ready to give up. To kill himself!

No!

Aric's hand shot forward, reaching for the scim. But his grip was in vain. He saw the scim heading straight for Japeth's neck, ready to make a clean cut. Without a second thought, Aric reached out with his other hand. He was able to protect Japeth twice. At the last moment, he managed to shield Japeth's neck with his hand. This prevented the razor-sharpened eel from hitting its target. Instead of Japeth's neck, it pierced Aric's hand. Gritting his teeth, Aric watched as the blood oozed out. Drip by drip, the blood trickled down his hand onto Japeth.

"What the..."

Aric's eyes darted to Japeth. The blood seemed to baffle him. He waited for Japeth to put it all together, but instead he shivered. Shaking like aspen leaves, Japeth stared at the immobilized scim. Japeth obviously couldn't believe that his suicide attempt had been prevented. Especially by the one he had never expected.

But Aric had to stop Japeth from doing something downright absolutely stupid. As usual.

"I'd rather not."

He almost laughed as Japeth's icy blue eyes flashed back at him. If Japeth could see himself, with his eyes as big as a plate and his mouth in a giant O, he would surely be in stitches as well. But now was not the time for that (maybe later). Other things mattered now. "You saved my life, again."

"How is that possible?"

Good question. Aric was indeed already dead. Not even magic would have been able to save him from that. Such things were only to be found in fairy tales. Wait a second...there was one possibility...

A feeling of warmth, a quickened heartbeat, a tingling on his lips, as if something had touched them. Or someone.

"I think we both know."

Of course, for a year he tried to suppress these irrational feelings, to stay strong... to harden himself. Only to have his feelings prove to be his salvation in the end. 

He suddenly realized how close Japeth's face was to his own. His stomach immediately twisted. Japeth was too close for comfort. Aric quickly averted his eyes. Much, much too close!

With a jerk, Aric straightened up and ripped the scim from his hand. Ouch, bloody hell. The thing had managed to dig a pretty deep hole into his skin. But it would heal in a few seconds, if Aric was right. Lo and behold, seconds later, his pale hand was free of any scratches.

And so it was clear: Japeth had revived him - with a kiss. Damn it. The revelation affected Aric more than he would ever admit. He didn't even notice how Japeth gathered all his courage. Only when Aric felt the young man's lips on his own was he catapulted back to the present.

It felt good.

Aric was barely aware of Japeth's pulling back and his uncertain look at him. What the hell had just happened?

It felt just right.

And then he felt them staring at him. Shit. Aric's thoughts cleared and he got his emotions back under control. For they weren't alone, Tedros and his fantastic friends were there as well.

And they saw everything.

Aric immediately tensed up, his eyes narrowing into slits. This was exactly why he feared hated his emotions. Because they weren't right at all. Evers love, Nevers will stay alone. That was the most important rule of the forest, before anything else. That was why he couldn't do it. He wasn't allowed to kiss Japeth. He couldn't show that he had feelings, that he had a weakness.

But he needed that feeling again.

Then the glacial, deep, ice-blue eyes appeared in front of him again. The decision he had just made crumbled in front of him. The look in Japeth's eyes was the same as it had been that night. The night that he had forbidden Japeth to ever kiss him. That night Aric had once and for all lied to Japeth - and to himself.

They had made a pact to be honest with each other. And what had Aric been doing? He couldn't even speak the truth. He could not even stay strong at all. He was just too weak.

Weak.

No! Aric was not going to let that happen to him. He pulled Japeth's head back to him forcefully and brought their lips back together. He didn't give in halfway. He never did. He could do this, he will face his fears head on.

In a matter of seconds, he deepened the kiss and felt his entire body begin to tremble. The feelings threatened to overwhelm Aric. And for once in his life, he let them. It was so wrong - and so right - at the same time. Aric pressed himself closer and closer to Japeth, making them both gasp for breath. But he had no sense of that, for he hungered for more, more and more.

And then he plunged his tongue into Japeth's mouth. The intoxication of the sensation was such that he had no sense of anything around him. All he could feel was heat, lust, and Japeth. His hands in his hair...

It should never end.

But he came to his senses far too quickly. What the hell was he doing here? They could not let the weakness overtake them, they had to keep fighting. But what did it look like? The two villains down on the ground. All soft and weak. Kissing?!

No! It couldn't go on like this any more. The feelings were wrong. Feelings that crushed him like an enormous weight. He had to get rid of them, couldn't tolerate them anymore. Not now. Not ever.

But this was the best feeling he'd ever had.

He pulled away from the redhead, albeit reluctantly. But one look into the blue crystals of his friend was enough for him. In a moment, he was back under the spell again. "Japeth."

Once again, his mind shut down and he couldn't form a coherent sentence, just a stutter. Damn. Japeth's vision blurred before he began to slowly pull his head back. This was not the time. They quickly stood up and armed themselves.

Now was the time to settle old scores.

------------<>------------

"-you can't stay up here forever. So your end will come sooner than you think."

Aric rolled his eyes. Yeah, sure enough. He had been patiently waiting for Tedros to have his say again. Waiting for the lord to notice: 'Oh, I guess I don't stand a chance after all...' (what an unexpected surprise).

But of course, Tedros still thought he could get further by making more threats. Only a pampered Ever could have really believed such a thing. It should have dawned on Tedros in the last few minutes that he didn't stand a chance in the long run. But he also claimed that rising from the dead was 'unexpected'. Unexpected? Huh.

Pathetic.

The group had thought they could kill Aric again - he was sure that had been the plan - but, hah, the plan went damn fucking wrong. Too bad! And Tedros still believed it was possible to kill them? Phew, absolutely not. To Aric, Tedros had lost what little credibility remained.

But a sideways glance at Japeth told Aric that he was thinking about Tedros' words. Really? Aric just rolled his eyes again. Enough with the hypocrisy.

Aric's gaze fell on the blood-stained dagger that had been buried deep in his chest a few seconds ago. Now it was time for him to pull the strings. Because Aric could play this game too. The only question was whether or not Tedros would be able to save his friend as well. His hand around the dagger, several steps forward, the wrist twisting. And then the dark-haired princess was powerless as she writhed in Aric's grip.

"Not so fast."

Tedros' eyes widened and he shivered as Aric's voice reached him. Hilarious! You're making this way too easy for me. But Tedros' reaction was not alone, as Sophie immediately lunged at Aric. What a hero. Aric responded by plunging the dagger lightly into the trembling girl's flesh. As her breathing accelerated, a smile formed on his lips. "I could do to her what she did to me. For my own protection. And to protect my friend. I'd just have to squeeze harder ..."

"Stop it..."

Stop it. Aw, that's so sweet. Tedros is trying to protect his girlfriend from the naughty, nasty, wicked boys who are trying to kill her. As if the prince's reaction was any different before. But now, once the pages were turned, it mattered. Well, of course it did. After all Tedros was the prince while Japeth and Aric were the bad, badder villains.

But oh, high and mighty lord Tedros, don't you see? You're losing.

"You're monsters, both of you," Tedros spat, followed by, "You will end up dead. Both." Huh? We'll see about that. Don't make promises you can't keep, dear prince. Aric looked at the prince with a evil grin on his face and squeezed a little tighter…

"Have mercy on Aric's life and I will surrender willingly. Kill me for all the world to see."

Japeth... Aric had to fight to keep himself from groaning. He was growing tired of the constant back and forth. On the one hand his friend was fighting with everything that mattered, beyond everything and nothing, while on the other hand he just wanted to give up? When it was so obvious Tedros was bluffing? As if he would spare Arics life in exchange for Japeth's oh so honorable sacrifice.

No. To fight was to win. Violence never lacked victory. "What are you doing, Japeth? We can beat them. Together. You are not one to give up. You're the snake."

Japeth had become too much of a mush for his own good. It was time to teach him the right principles once again. "Japeth, I would kill them for you." He received a sad expression in return. Very well then... "We'll attack that entire wood. Burn it to the ground. And go down in history as the most feared Nevers. As the Nevers who did everything to stay alive"

That was what they had sworn to do. The oath they had made to one another many years ago. A promise that had never been meant to be broken. Japeth was supposed to keep it, but he didn't. "Aric, we wouldn't stand a chance..."

For God's sake Japeth! Aric should have kicked him in the stomach, but he backed down in the end. "Why don't you want to fight, Japeth?"

"I don't want to lose you like that. I don't want to see you suffer again."

When Aric wanted to win a fight, he did. He was far too stubborn to ever admit defeat. But now he had to surrender because Japeth played dirty. After all, he was really starting to cry now. All right, you have won, Japeth...

Aric threw his dagger down in anger. "Fine!" With all his strength, he pushed the would-be princess away from him. At least she stumbled and almost fell over before Tedros could catch her. Great, Aric wanted to see Tedros crying out loud... but instead Tedros laughed in relief. Of course he did. His girlfriend was still very much alive after all. Why didn't Aric just kill her at once? Why not?

"I wouldn't let you live, monsters don't deserve to live." Oh, Tedros felt mighty again. But Aric could only scoff at this stupid nonsense, was that really such a big surprise?

"You killed people, just like your mother," Japeth interjected. Wow. It seemed that the gargoyle was not the only victim of Tedros. This was interesting. Tedros wanted to slaughter the monsters, hah, then he better start with himself.

Because Aric knew a lot. Students tended to try to talk their way out of their torment. Not that it would do anything, of course. But in this way, Aric had gotten to know everything about the ones he was fighting. He knew all their weaknesses.

Aric wanted to roast Tedros, but Japeth already did him the favor. "You ruined a lot of people with your actions. That's true. This was not Aric's or Rhian's or my fault. Yours, too." Aric hid his smile. Good job, Japeth! Feed him the truth!

But Japeth's next words stopped him in his tracks. "Let Aric live. Show that you can be a good leader." Japeth... you cannot be serious...

Mistrust crept up on Tedros. "So you're going to give up? At the cost of your life?"

I don't want to lose you, Japeth.

Don't leave me! Please don't abandon me again.

You're important to me. 

"Yes", Japeth answered.

Hadn't Aric just said that Japeth's death was not an option for him? Hadn't changed one bit. What was he supposed to do alone, with his only friend dead? Besides, Tedros wouldn't leave him alone. Japeth had to know that! How could he even have the temerity to suggest such a thing?

Angry and deeply hurt at the same time, Aric glanced halfway behind Tedros. It was at that moment that he caught sight of something dark on the ground. Aric glimpsed it out of the corner of his eye.

Wait...

A grin spread across his face. Wow. Respect, Japeth, even I was fooled this time. In fact, Aric had really believed that Japeth was about to give up. But the scim approaching the knife proved otherwise.

Cold-blooded death.

Not bad. This was much more to Aric's taste. He watched as the scim tilted its head towards him and then slid under the dagger. It took him less than a second. Japeth even left the death blow to Aric. And Aric had really doubted Japeth? As if Japeth would change, after all he was his best friend for a reason. Aric would have to make an apology to him after this. But one thing at a time.

Nothing would stop Aric this time. There was no one out there who really had an eye for him at all. From time to time only one boy had looked at him. But he was a friend of Tedros', so how dangerous could he possibly be?

Aric leaped forward and aimed the knife straight at the heart of the prince. With all of his pent-up rage, he gripped the knife even tighter and hurled it at Tedros. It would pierce his heart. And then, at last, he would never be seen again.

But as usual, things went apeshit.

------------<>------------

Aric's thoughts were still focused on the best way to get them out of this mess. Tedros wasn't dead after all. On the contrary, both Aric and Japeth had the cold metal at their throats. Just as Tedros was on the verge of a final strike - for all eternity.

Why did there have to be a damned mage among Tedros' friends who could change Japeth's Celestium? But naturally, Good would have an ace up his sleeve. Aric gritted his teeth in annoyance. It should have been Agatha's death when he had the chance. Now, once again, Good would win and Evil would lose in a bloody catastrophe. As usual...

Aric wanted to say something, but he was at a loss for words. So his eyes met the icy blue one more time before he turned away. No, Aric couldn't bear to look at Japeth. Not when Japeth was in such a shattered state, destroyed to the very marrow.

It shouldn't have ended that way.

As they waited for the ultimate blow, memories flooded Aric's mind. How he had endured alone in that cave, freezing, starving, hoping, only to lose it all in the blink of an eye. Compelled to leave Arbed and return to the deepest darkness of the woods, in the same cursed situation. How he had lost the way and died then.

As Tedros raised his blade, Aric felt a cold hand sliding into his own. He squeezed it tighter and tighter, trying to soothe Japeth. Forgive me for not being able to keep my promise...

"Wait, Tedros!"

The pressure of the edge vanished into nothingness as the sword was drawn back.  And with it, Tedros, as the princess pulled him away. The cloud containing Tedros and Agatha moved, and immediately Sophie and the wizard flew after them. Within seconds, they were out of earshot, leaving the rest of the group to stand back in bewilderment.

Aric's brow furrowed and he pulled his hand out of Japeth's to cross his arms over his chest. What was the point of this? A little tete-a-tete before the killing? He almost chuckled, but only almost. He had better things to do, so he tried to tear himself away. Without success. The other students had both him and Japeth in their clutches. Oh, great.

So he looked back at the quartet, who seemed to be in the middle of some kind of heated discussion. The others followed his gaze as well. "What are they doing?" a girl's voice whispered behind him, her brown finger barely penetrating his skin.

"Talking. Look harder, Dot!" Hester interjected, nearly digging her fingernail into Aric's vein. Meanwhile, her demon was perched on her shoulder, grinning maliciously at Aric. He was baring his teeth, pesky beast!

"Yes, but what for? Wasn't it all set up?" It was Ravan who asked the question. Aric recognized the hoarse voice immediately. Ravan had often ended up in the doom room to get a proper education about his naughty behavior.

"Agatha knows what she's doing. I'm sure," exclaimed the girl Aric had never seen before. The others nodded weakly. They obviously had no idea what the hell was going on. So the wildest theories began to circulate. Aric immediately zoomed out, groaning. Couldn't they just keep their mouths shut? Just leave me alone...

Lacking something better to do, he took one another look at the cloud. Can they not finally set him free? If he and Japeth were going to die, it should at least be a quick death.

But then his eyes were drawn to something else entirely. How could it be that I had not noticed this before? Aric's heart doubled within the space of a beat. The same letters scribbled across the sky, over and over again.

J+A

"We need to show who's calling the shots." Saying that, Aric jammed the knife into the tree, drawing a horizontal line. Then a half-arc followed, ending in a 'J'. Japeth stood beside Aric, watching his friend's movements in awe "What are you doing, Aric?"

Aric's eyes drifted over to Japeth as he slowly drew another line. A clean cut to the bottom completed the '+'. "Initials, of course. Here," he said with a grin as he held the knife out to Japeth. He watched as Japeth's face lit up and grinned even more. The other boy took the knife and eagerly began to finish the engraving. J+A

"We should leave a mark wherever we go. Let them know that J and A did this."

Now all of Celestium was made of the three letters. J+A. Again and again. It was a sign of the promises that had been made and that could never be broken. "Japeth," Aric whispered softly, his voice cracking slightly. Japeth reached for his hand without saying anything. Aric gripped it tight. To be honest, he didn't want to die at all. There were still so many things he wanted to do with Japeth. But time was of essence, there was Tedros...

Gritting his teeth, Aric's gaze was back to the distant cloud. It was, in fact, getting closer and closer. Tedros raised his voice, finally answering the unspoken question “I will do what is right. But not in this thinking place."

Aric scoffed. So this was why they had stayed away for so long? To ponder whether tiny little Tedros would be strong enough to act like a man? Do what was ‘right’.

Well, then go save the forest, oh mighty Tedros.

------------<>------------

If only I had slashed harder. Aric's face twisted into a grimace as he ran his eyes over the others' wounds. The whole thing would have made some sense if he had killed one or two of them, or at least left permanent scars. But time was running out. The end had come, this time for real. No one, no one would save him, because Japeth would die with Aric. All was going to end in nothing...

At that very second, Aric felt cool arms around him, which - against all common sense - immediately calmed him down. "I'm sorry, Aric," Japeth whispered.

Aric nodded, an attempt at a small smile, without success. "Thank you, Japeth, for everything."

He let the embrace linger for a few moments. But the looks of the forest creatures bothered him so much that he finally turned away from the intimate touch. Japeth reluctantly let him go, but a few scims quickly crawled up Aric's arms. All right, you can stay here.

Aric stretched his finger slightly, watching with delight as one scim wrapped itself around it. The sight of the miniature eels eased Aric's discomfort in a heartbeat and brought back memories.

When Japeth burst in, Aric was crouching in his room, practicing his dagger stabs. "Aric, look!" His eyes widened and he dropped his dagger in surprise. It hit the floor with a loud thud. Aric hadn't expected Japeth to charge into the room like that. But he did. With a few steps, the redhead crossed the room until he stopped in front of his friend. Aric's eyes narrowed, what did Japeth want from him?

"Wha-?"

"Ah, dearest Aric, I'm sorry. I never meant to interrupt your well-deserved rest." Japeth grinned as Aric looked at him in annoyance.

"What's wrong?" Instead of answering, Japeth put his hands on his hips and glared at Aric. As if Aric knew what Japeth meant. He did not. "Come on, hurry up. I'm hungry," he replied, picking up the dagger.

"I've been practicing. Watch this."

Aric slowly put the dagger down and crossed his arms. "Okay?" Japeth stretched out his arms and a swarm of scims disappeared. Wow, Japeth could make his army fly. Is this new?

But soon Aric understood why Japeth was so happy about it. The herd of scims had returned, but not without some booty. They had managed to drag two plates of dinner, chicken and rice (as so often). Carefully, they let the plates fall into the outstretched arms of the boys. "Whoa!"

Aric took a hand from the plate and held it out to Japeth, "Not bad, well done!"

Japeth pounded his fist against Aric's, his face turning a little redder with joy. "Yeah!"

"It was only through the murder of Aric that the snake was really born and caused pain."

Aric was so lost in his memories that he was startled by Tedros' approach. Will you stop talking about me? What are you up to, Prince? Nobody likes speeches, they're always the same. Justice here, wonderful, great people there, truth, lies, equality, blah, blah, blah...

Aric let his eyes wander over the heads of the others. The eyes were bright, the mouths slightly agape. They were like little children just waiting to be fed something sweet. How damn dumb.

Suddenly anguish began to creep into the scims wrapped around Aric's arm, as they shivered and trembled. Aric shot a confused look at Japeth, but Japeth remained stubbornly focused on Tedros. What was Tedros talking about? Aric concentrated on Tedros' words once more.

"So I'm removing the snake and sadist roles from my enemies. To give Japeth and Aric a second chance. A chance to start a new life. Away from the roles they used to play."

The Scims froze, Japeth froze, the whole damn fucking forest froze. Meanwhile Aric raised his eyebrows; this was never meant to be serious. In any case, the spectacle was ridiculous. And yet everyone seemed to fall into the trap.

Adding to the surrealism, a figure suddenly appeared from heavens. It looked like a god, but turned out to be none other than King Arthur himself. Who was already dead. What really? This cannot be taken for granted.

"A contest. Two to fight. Three tests. The end is near." Oh, another one who could only speak in riddles. Aric's eyes wandered over the man's physique. He looked strong, decent, and real. Aric wasn't sure if he should find that fascinating or frightening.

"One as the victor of the crown, the other as the victor of love."

Love. Aric's eyes went to Japeth's flushed face. Hah, gotcha. But when Japeth's enchanting gaze bored into Aric's eyes, his heart and face warmed a little too. Love... Aric quickly turned away, relieved that nobody was watching them. Fortunately, all eyes were on Tedros, who seemed to be the new king from now on.

After the speech and the crown it became crystal clear for everyone. But before the rulers could thank their oh-so-great king who seemed to have become a saint, he disappeared. Lost in the light, just like King Arthur, leaving the people utterly confused.

"King Arthur?!"

Aric snickered. Congratulations. You've just reached the Jackpot! How hilarious.

"What is happening here?!" A short, plump man stepped up to where Tedros and King Arthur had just been standing. Aric glanced at him. Hey, I know that dude. That was the King of Foxwood.

Aric's face turned into a bitter smile. Japeth and Aric had already tricked him once. In an attempt to rid the kingdom of the Patriarch, they had smuggled poisoned food into his chambers. Unfortunately, there were still tasters, so the king did not die and only grew richer and heavier. But now he was only a few meters away from Aric. The other leaders suddenly woke up from their paralysis, inspected the place and looked around in fear. Their saints, however, remained missing.

"They're gone!" "They're getting the sword." "Was that really King Arthur?"

The voices blurred into a single gibberish until a high voice shone through. "These monsters did it!" In an instant, the entire group was fixated on Japeth and Aric. "What have you done to our king?"

Aric scowled, crossing his arms. All of them had seen that they had not even moved at all. But of course it had to have been them. Because kings were too blind, or so it seemed.

"Murderers! Black magicians! Monsters!"

Aric was about to comment on these completely out of the blue accusations when someone stepped forward. "That is enough, all of you!" The accusations died down and the forest leaders turned their attention to the dark-haired girl. Agatha was holding the star that Tedros had put on a few minutes ago. Ah, that was why she sounded so much louder and stronger than usual.

"Tedros is not dead, I'm certain of it. On the contrary, King Arthur has just said that Tedros is the king and that he now has to go through the final test. To become the true king, he must do his duty." She paused for a moment and pointed at the suspected murderers. "And while Tedros is not here, no one kills anyone. We just wait."

Aric shot a surprised look at the princess. Agatha defended them? But the forest guides actually let them go, whispering to each other. Although their displeasure with the situation was obvious.

"Aric." He looked away from the pack and into the young man's icy blue eyes, his thoughts racing. "Japeth, you really believe Tedros is telling the truth?" Japeth ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "Yes. No. Don't know? But I haven't given up hope yet."

Just as Aric was about to answer, another beam of light was unnaturally refracted. A glance was enough to identify the newcomers. Tedros, King Arthur, and a family with two sons who looked like... "Chaddick?"

Japeth shook his head. "He's dead."

Aric turned his eyes back to the young prince. Tedros' head was crowned and he held a sword. Excalibur. Aric recognized it immediately and apparently so did everyone else. Because in seconds they were all on their knees to thank Tedros.

But Aric just put his fists on his hip. No way. I'm not going to bow down to someone who almost killed me. Never ever. Just then a hand grabbed his left fist and pulled him to the ground. Aric wanted to give Japeth a dirty look, but he immediately shook his head. 'Not right now.' Japeth pressed Aric's hand tightly, reassuring him. All right then.

Hands clasped in the midst of all the do-gooders, they waited for Tedros' last words.

------------<>------------

Children of the Woods

I, Rhian of Foxwoods, hereby renounce my claim to the crown. The past few weeks have been hard on all of us. Misunderstandings, jealousy, and war have torn us apart.

But now we have finally cleared the stage. The competition between me and my opponent has come to an end.  I have decided to resume my old duties and continue to advise the young king. Just like in the old days.

This will be my last message to you. Behave yourselves well, and blessings will descend upon you all.

All praise and glory to the one true King Tedros.

"As if there was a single person out there who would take such a thing seriously." Aric stood at Japeth's side and watched as he wrote his last words with the pensharpened scim. ‘Lion's mane’, it was called, a ridiculous name at that.

Japeth smirked at him and waved his finger to transmit the message to the skies. "People believe anything the king says."

Aric rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face. "You are not the king."

"But I was”, Japeth remarked.

"King Rhian.”

"Only in another form."

As they exchanged words, they drew closer and closer until there were only inches between their faces. Aric's eyes lingered on Japeth's rosy lips. He did not respond to Japeth's last words. Japeth's eyes followed his and he moved even closer, ready to close the last gap between them...

"I think the message is quite acceptable," Tedros' voice rang out, ending the moment. The two boys backed away and quickly turned to face Tedros. They watched in dread as the new king and his entourage approached.

"I could have done better. At least there would have been a chance that someone would have taken it seriously," Sophie muttered. Aric started to laugh as he saw Japeth's face darken. But when he realized that he was laughing in front of his opponents, the fun was over. It was time to get rid of this place.

Narrowing his eyes, Tedros turned to Japeth. "Enough of this charade. Get out of here right now. And remember, break the rules and you will cease to exist. You will not escape twice."

Haha, as if Tedros could catch them. And if Arics knife accidentally missed (or hit) the target, he couldn't help it. Ignorance is bliss, eh?

Japeth nodded to Tedros, "One more thing, King, don't expect me to thank you," then he turned and started to leave with quick steps. Aric was fast on his heels, but with one last turn of the head. "The next time we see each other, I will not play nice. Until then." Then he followed his friend into the endless forest.

He once dreaded the day he was dropped off in the forest. But now he was too happy to face its darkest depths and secrets. To leave all of his troubles behind him and to set out for a new future. Together with his best friend, who smirked at him.

"First stop, Aric?"

Chapter Text

"Aric, always remember that you are worth all of this. You are my other half, my life, my world. I would never betray you for anything."

------------<>------------

"Hey Japeth?"

The two boys lay side by side on the smooth forest floor, staring up at the sky. A myriad of stars lit up the night, bathing the two boys in a bright glow of sparkling splendor. It was a peaceful night; the shadows of the endless forest lay deep in the darkness, keeping a low profile. At the same time, not a sound rang through the forest as the two boys enjoyed the waning hours.

The few hours between dusk and night were time for conversation. Until one of them had to stand watch, for it would be foolish to let their guard down. Somehow, Aric still believed that Tedros' troops would ambush them once they were unguarded. But before then, they would talk.

Japeth lifted his eyes from the stars and turned his head toward Aric. A pair of icy blue eyes bored into the purple-eyed boy. "What's wrong?"

Aric kept his eyes glued to the starry night sky. On the one hand he didn't want to ask the question, but on the other hand he was dying to know. Hopefully Japeth wouldn't freak out. "How did you feel when you heard about my death?" he asked rather quickly.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Japeth freeze and Aric close his eyes grimly. Aric, you idiot, don't add insult to injury. He quickly backtracked to keep the excess of pain at bay, "You don't have to..."

But Japeth was already speaking again, albeit reluctantly.  "I... I... I haven't known for a long time. I-"

What? Aric's first thought was to let it go, but his nature prevailed. He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, is that how you see me? Just another henchman, out of sight, out of mind? Not even worthy of a second thought, while he struggles alone?"

Aric fell silent. He did not want to blame Japeth, but somehow the fear hit him anyway. Somehow he was waiting for Japeth to leave him one day. Get tired of him, just like Rhian had always predicted

But Japeth countered immediately. "What? No! Listen to me." He paused for a second, weighing his words, "You know very well that Arbed was actually an enclave. Once inside, it was difficult to break out and escape. Especially if you were forced to work overtime for misbehavior."

Aric suppressed his dark thoughts and nodded his head in non-verbal agreement. Of course, he knew exactly what Japeth meant. After all, neither of them had been able to see much of the outside world because of their antics. Learning through suffering was Brunhilde's motto, though she dismissed it as learning to become a better version of oneself. As if imprisonment or more chores would do any good..

"Besides, I doubt she knew that you were dead- No, she definitely did not. If she had, she would have announced it all over town and enjoyed seeing how we reacted. Especially my meltdown. ‘Woo-hoo, one despised student dead, the other devastated’. Score!"

Aric's face twisted a little at Japeth's statement, and he finally turned to Japeth, who smiled at him. Deep inside, however, a darkness seemed to be gnawing at him. The joy never reached his eyes, as if the whole truth was hidden in the darkest corner, never to be told.

Did Aric really want to know the truth? Yes, he did. "But how did you find out? If everything was shrouded in darkness?" Aric shot a piercing look into Japeth's eyes. Demanding for an answer.

"Through the 'Tale of Sophie and Agatha'," Japeth replied, not lowering his gaze an inch.

But Aric had noticed Japeth hesitating for a second and knew there was more, so he went on. "Well, well, through fairy tales. I didn't know you were into that sort of thing."

"If it concerns my best friend, then it concerns me. Unless..."

Aric's laughter died. "Oh... I get it."

Japeth's eyes twitched. "No, you don't!" Stone-cold, icy blue eyes bored into Aric's. A look so demanding that Aric felt guilty. He didn't want to...

"You have no idea how angry I was about what your mother did to you! How the whole school treated you." Japeth snapped. "And then Professor Dovey put the symph-bone in-in-in..."

Japeth's anger faded instantly. Instead... oh no. Aric really hadn't meant for this to happen. The sparkle in Japeth's eyes was impossible to miss. Slowly, Aric reached out and took Japeth's trembling, shaking hand. "It's all right, Japeth. It's-"

Japeth immediately pulled away and sat up rather violently. "No, it's not all right. Do you have any idea how the hell I know?" Aric shook his head uncomfortably. If he'd known how hard it was...

"Right on the street, in Foxwood. I had to get something for Rhian, and I don't even remember what! I heard her scream while I was waiting. 'What a monster! Who kills his own mother?'"

Japeth's voice rose several octaves as Aric fell silent.

"I knew it was you. I knew you had taken your revenge. I didn't even knew you were at the school. But seeing you achieve your goal made me proud. So damn proud.” Japeths cry became little more than a whisper. “But then I had to face reality, Aric. I had never felt so... empty."

Tears welled up in Japeth's eyes at that moment. The old Aric would have been enraged. But the new Aric was aware of what his best friend had been through. He moved closer to Japeth and gently pulled him into a tight embrace. Japeth immediately clung to him, letting his tears run down his face. So much for drying the tears.

But that's okay. Aric had no idea how much Japeth was trying to hide from him. But he knew that his best friend had such grief in him. He had to get rid of it! And as long as Japeth wanted him by his side, Aric would help him.

------------<>------------

"You married Sophie." Aric said without further ado. The days had passed as they had continued on their way to Sherwood forest, the first milestone. Japeth had tried to explain the last months, but a lot had happened. Too much for Aric to keep track of.

Japeth shook his shoulders. "I know." Then he fixed Aric with his deep, penetrating blue eyes and became silent. As if waiting for his answer.

It took a few seconds, but then Aric suddenly processed the fact. Wait…WHAT. He thought he had been hit by a train and his eyes widened. "You're married to a girl. To Sophie!"

Japeth laughed a little as he patted Aric's shoulder. "You know I had no choice."

Right, the master plan. The fact that Japeth and Rhian had come this far surprised Aric, to be honest. But the forest seemed to have been thrown off balance by the fact that Excalibur was stuck in the stone because the true heir, Chaddick (Aric really hadn't expected that), was still alive.

But even so...

Japeth raised his eyebrows at Aric's silence.  "Oh, come on. I would never willingly marry a woman. Fortunately, that role always went to Rhian. He would have been a perfect match for a sneaky, cunning little witch. But then I... I kind of shot myself in the foot with the... murder. Even so, I never wanted to play the part and get a wedding kiss.”

Wedding kiss? Wedding KISS! Aric flinched for a moment, then his expression went dark and he turned away. He had to go back and kill Sophie. She didn't deserve to be with Japeth.

"Aric? Where the hell are you going?"

"Back," he replied brusquely and began to take large steps.

"Why?" came the question from behind him.

Aric turned to see Japeth standing still, his eyes narrowed. "I have to make use of my knife."

Japeth's eyes widened for a moment before a smile formed on his lips. "But you don't mean for that blonde witch, do you?", he asked rather sweet.

Aric just nodded vehemently. If he had known earlier... He turned and stormed off, expecting Japeth to be on his heels. He had to be angry with her, too, right?

But when he heard no footsteps beside him, even after several seconds, he turned back to Japeth. He was still standing in the same place, grinning and with his hands on his hips. Oh great... Half angry, half confused, Aric shot back at him. "What?"

"Oh, you're jealous. How cute."

What the hell?! Aric stared at him, mouth agape. "Absolutely not. I don't get jealous. Especially not over something like this!"

Japeth approached Aric, laughing, his eyes glittering with mockery. "And you're always telling me I'm corny."

Aric crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "Oh, right. You think you're so great. Making false claims and thinking you'll make it."

Aric was not jealous, right? Right?!

"Isn't that what I do as your best friend? Competing with you. Joking around and roasting you to death?" sneered Japeth, then his eyes flashed as his smile turned evil. "Still, know this: I got married and kissed a really beautiful woman. And she thought we were in love. I could have easily enjoyed my life in a different way if I hadn't gotten you back."

Aric's chest began to hurt more and more with every sentence he spoke. His face twisted slightly. This wasn't serious, was it? Aric had to kill Sophie. Now more than ever. Before Japeth would get distracted and leave him for Sophie!

Aric quickly turned around to leave on his own - after all, Japeth would not help him - when Japeth grabbed his arm. "Aric! I was only kidding, of course. You know that. Don't you?"

Staring into the glowing forest, Aric kept his mouth shut. How long would it take to get back to Camelot? Japeth threw a look of disbelief at him. Then he turned Aric around and placed both hands on his shoulders. Aric didn't answer, but just looked down at his feet, furious.

"Aric. I conspired with my brother to take over Camelot, even though I knew we weren't Arthur's children. I tortured, killed and terrorized. I spread lies and fought my brother every day as a charade. In the end, I even stabbed him to death with Excalibur. I married a woman and resisted the plots of Tedros’ forces. And on and on and on. But you know what?"

Observing the mud on the forest floor, Aric did not answer.

"I've done all of this for you."

Slowly, Aric lifted his head and peered at his best friend. Japeth's icy blue eyes were full of affection. "And most of all, I would do it again. Anytime. In a heartbeat." Japeth's eyes sank a few inches lower. "You won't get rid of me that easily. You're far too important to me for that."

You're far too important to me for that. Aric's face heated a little. It was a crime that Japeth could arouse such feelings in him.

"Aric..." Just in time, Japeth's trembling voice brought him back to the present.

Aric saw Japeth lean forward. He in turn leaned back. "So you said you were going to help Rhian? How did that happen?"

With that question, Aric ended the moment. Japeth's slightly glassy eyes cleared and he leaned back, eyes wide open. "Rhian? Oh yes... Rhian. Honestly, I don't know."

Japeth's face burned red. Aric would have laughed if his wasn't unnaturally hot. Those damn emotions. 

"And yet," he stated proudly, "it was you who killed him in the end." Finally Aric was over Rhian. At long last, Japeth had chosen him over that imbecile of a brother of his.

Japeth winced. Obviously, he was much less pleased than Aric. "Well..."

"Come on, you know how it happened, tell me! How did you stick your sword in that foolish idiot?" Aric asked with great interest.

Japeth's face turned to stone. "I don't want you to talk about him that way. I had no intention of killing him, and now I will honor the dead. Don't talk about him again, Aric.”

Aric's pride crumbled, revealing the jealousy underneath. He had thought that Japeth was finally... "So? Not happy with me after all?"

Japeth's stiffness eased and his eyes darted back to Aric. "Of course I am! What are you on about?"

"You left me in the lurch. You let them throw me back into the forest and did not follow me. You stayed with your rotten brother, and even now you put him above me. So tell me: How am I supposed to take your words for granted?"

Japeth's grip loosened slightly as his face turned ashen. "Aric I- Doesn't that mean anything to you? That I gave up everything?"

Somehow the comment seemed to hit him more deeply than usual. Had Japeth been in a similar situation before? Still, Aric couldn't let it go.

"Well, even if you did. You invested in the wrong person. The whole world shows that I'm not worth it and once I believed it. Maybe you should drop the act and go back to the girl you left behind, or weep on your brother's grave for making the wrong decision."

This time Japeth did not laugh when the subject of girls came up, "What? No, No I would never want to be with her or Rhian. The only one I want to be with..."

Japeth stopped and stared at Aric. "Since when do you listen to people who don't care about you? Your mother left you, I know. I did too, even though I never wanted to. And I would go back in time if I could, okay? I've already told you that I care about you. More than about anyone else. Why can't that be enough?"

Japeth dropped the hands and spun around. "Well, I cannot do you any good if you do not have faith in me. Still..." He turned once more, a gentle smile on his face. "Aric, always remember that you are worth all of this. You are my other half, my life, my world. I would never betray you for anything."

Aric wished he could say something, anything. What do you say when you hear what you've always wanted to hear? When you were finally accepted? Aric didn't know.

"Come on Aric. If we want to reach Sherwood Forest before nightfall, we have to hurry."

Aric wanted to reach Japeth. He didn't want Japeth to get angry with him. He didn't want to be alone. Aric wanted Japeth to know how much he needed him. How much he loved him. That he was so scared and just wanted to be loved for once in his life.

But in the end, Aric just watched as Japeth walked away. It took him a few seconds to decide to follow him .

------------<>------------

All around them, Sherwood Forest glowed in its most beautiful hues. Yet it seemed as if those colors had become even more powerful at the very moment of the kiss. But even that could not compete with the many emotions that flowed through Aric's mind as Japeth and his lips met once more.

Aric was so disoriented. Somehow he wanted to punch something with his fist, just to stop thinking about it for a moment. But at the same time he had a strong desire to stay in this position. He was scared and yet felt the last of the panic leaving him. A chilling heat coursed through him. Everything in his life had been thrown out of balance in those few seconds.

But there was one thing he was certain of. It felt good. And yet…was it for real?

What if Japeth would still leave him? Aric didn't want to think about that, but the fact that he was being abandoned over and over again was doing something to him. It was slowly eating away at his soul, until there was nothing left of him but a cold shell. If Japeth left him again, the last bit of humanity would leave his bodily wreckage.

Japeth's hand touched Aric's cheek. "Are you all right?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice, caring in his eyes. This was when Aric knew. Japeth was here with him. Without Rhian, without any hate or fear. He hadn't left Aric, quite the opposite, he had done so much for him. Japeth was here, standing by Aric's side.

And healed Aric's heart.

Finally, Aric let go of the strings that kept dragging him down and let the emotions flow.

„You asked me what I wrote to you at school..."

------------<>------------

"What should we do now?" Japeth asked Aric, but never got an answer. Aric needed some time to get rid of his euphoria. It remained a mystery to him how he had gone from the fear of being abandoned to his current self in such a short time. Barely a few minutes had passed, just a few kisses. When had I become that corny?

"Aric? Aric, are you still in there?"

He saw Japeth's icy blue sparkling eyes peering into him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "W-What? Uh, yeah."

Japeth chuckled slightly. "I had no idea I could embarrass you like that."

Aric immediately blushed and groaned. "Knock it off, Japeth. This is absolutely not funny.”

"Yes, it is." Japeth's laughter didn't do Aric any good. Not in the slightest bit. The deep vibration made Aric's whole body glow.

His face turned even redder within seconds. "Japeth..."

"What is wrong with you? Are you at a loss for words because you're so surprised by my unbeatable kissing skills?" Japeth teased.

What the hell? Aric choked and coughed. Japeth slapped him on the back and burst out laughing. How dare he! But Aric knew how to defend himself. "Just so we're clear, you're a decent kisser. But by no means breathtaking."

A lie. An outright lie. Especially considering the fact that Aric had lost his composure, his voice, and seemingly all of his credibility in a matter of seconds. Over a kiss.

Japeth put his hands on his hips. "Oh yeah, because you have so much experience, 'Mister, I don't want any love'!"

Aric mimicked Japeth's stance. "How can you tell? Maybe I am experienced like you. Maybe I've already kissed someone and it's only in the dark side of the novel", he stated.

Japeth's smile faltered. "W-wait, what?"

Aric started giggling again. Hah, finally Japeth was flustered, whereas Aric had regained the upper hand. Japeth punched him in the stomach, but he kept giggling. “Who? Who am I supposed to be kissing?"

Japeth's eyes glistened. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe Sophie?"

Aric's laugh got a little choppier as he narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, sure, to imitate you or what? And Sophie? Nah, I'd rather burn to death."

"Didn’t you check the book? It says Sophie thinks you're hot."

What? Japeth's smile turned to laughter as Aric's eyes widened. Soon they were both laughing so loudly that it scared away the birds that had come to join them. "Very funny, Japeth. But never. They're just classic girls who think only in terms of looks.”

"Yeah, right. Like you don't care about looks," Japeth scoffed, looking at Aric's tight, color-coordinated clothes.

They had gone to the stores to buy new clothes for Aric. But they always left with the same stuff. Tight-fitting sleeveless shirts, skinny pants. "If you want less attention, maybe you should consider less tailored clothes," Japeth had claimed, but Aric had just shrugged. He just loved the tight, dark clothes that made him look intimidating. He would never get rid of them.

Aric shrugged and Japeth continued, smiling. "Well, maybe we should start simple: boy or girl?"

"Do we really have to this?" Aric groaned.

Japeth grinned wickedly. "Yes. Well probably a boy…Hort, then?"

Aric scoffed. "Are you kidding? The boy didn't even have the guts to get in my face."

Japeth paused and Aric hoped he would stop asking questions. But Japeth did not do him the favor. Instead he leaned toward Aric, teeth flashing. "Ravan?"

"I will not answer your questions."

"Vex?"

"Japeth!"

Japeth's face twisted into a grin before he leaned even closer to Aric to whisper in his ear, "Tedros?"

Now Aric had had enough. He bridged the last few inches and kissed Japeth again. Japeth was only too happy to give in. "Maybe this was my plan all along. To get you to kiss me," he replied mischievously between kisses.

Aric's fist hit his arm. "You son of a bitch."

"Well, I'm Evelyn's son," Japeth shrugged, while Aric's face darkened. Evelyn...damn man-hating fake snake.

Still… "Yeah, but you're pretty decent", Aric stated.

"Oh? That out of you? Well, thanks." Japeth's smile widened as Aric's eyes narrowed. Crap. He wanted to protest, but yawned instead.

Japeth laughed and grabbed Aric's shoulders, pushing him down onto the bed. "Come on. Let's call it a day." Aric would have complained, but he was too tired. It had been a strenuous day.

Lying side by side, they faced each other, noses almost touching. It was a pose they had already adopted back in Arbed, much to Rhian's annoyance. Japeth gave Aric an intense, pensive look. "You still haven't answered my question properly. Am I an excellent kisser?"

Aric let out a feigned sigh. "Nope."

Japeth immediately wrapped his arms around Aric and pulled him close. Kissing him with all the passion Japeth could muster, another rush of adrenaline coursed through Aric's body and he was instantly awake.

He was only too happy to stay that way. But once again he wondered. What if he had accepted Japeth in the first place? Confessed his feelings that very night?  Would everything have been different?

But it did not matter now. For they were here. Together.

Japeth pulled away from Aric and gave him a smile. Reconsidering your decision?"

"I might, if you put a little more effort into it."

And Japeth did.

------------<>------------

"I did not know that you were desperate for love as soon as you opened up. If someone had known, you wouldn't have been labelled a monster." Japeth taunted, laughing as he walked next to Aric.

Life was going quite well for the two boys. Weeks had passed since their departure, and as their journey continued, everything became more endurable. They learned how to survive in the woods, found fascinating places, and improved their relationship. Soon they would leave the land they knew behind to reach new lands.

To begin something new.

And even though Aric knew that Japeth would not leave him, he felt the sting in his heart every time he was out of sight. Even if only for a few minutes to pee or to go hunting. But after Japeth left him for half a day because he had to do ‘something’, Aric actually started to get frightened and kissed him senseless when he came back.

That was how they ended up here.

"But luckily no one knows or will ever find out. And you can't talk because it's your fault," Aric remarked. "You made me this way. Except when I'm around you, I don't act like this at all. So corny, lovelorn and weak."

Imitating a shocked face, Japeth opened his mouth wide. "What's that supposed to mean? That I'm your weakness?"

"That may be. But on the other hand, you are also my strength. And I allow myself to be weak because of you. "

Before Japeth answered, both faces grew slightly red. "Let no one overhear that. Everyone would think you've changed from a nasty animal to a venerable Ever."

Aric flashed his teeth. "Oh? They won't think of that when my knife pierces their hearts."

Japeth's laughter was palpable. "Aric, you can't just go on a killing spree," he retorted.

"Oh? My list is a lot shorter than yours, Snake."

"So now we're getting nasty." Japeth moved a little closer to Aric. "Sadist."

Aric laughed and slapped Japeth's arm, sending the scims into a hiss of indignation. They flew at the boy, circling around him. "Hey!" Aric shouted as the scales latched onto him and caught him in their grasp.

Japeth smiled mischievously. "Your own fault."

Aric flashed his teeth as he tried to stare Japeth down. Maybe he would let him go if he stared at him long enough. "Come on, Japeth. Let me go."

Japeth crossed his arms, looking rather pleased with himself. "I have all the time in the world. Got nothing better to do at the moment."

Aric's attempt at a breakaway from the slimy chains was in vain. "No, be honest, what do you want me to do?"

"Better ask what I want to do," Japeth said. He leaned forward and brushed against Aric's muscular abs, making the other boy groan as he found himself unable to pull away. But did he really want to?

"Japeth-" The redhead grinned as his hands went lower and lower...leaving Aric flushed crimson. Yes, he could not pretend not to feel that.

But somehow a thought popped into his head and made him remember something. "Wait, Japeth. I know what else we have to do," he stammered.

"What? You're actually withdrawing from the game?" Japeth mocked, but not with full force. Was he worried that Aric didn't like it?

Well, time to clear the air. "Never ever.” Aric shook his head."But we still have a longstanding promise to keep. And somehow I feel that if we don't do it now, we're going to keep forgetting about it.”

Japeth seemed to think for a moment, then the grin returned to his lips. Some scims released the violet-eyed boy, while others still clung to him. Not that he had any complaints, of course.

"You're talkin' about the oath," Japeth stated. It wasn't a question, and Aric nodded promptly.

"Forever friends, huh?“, Aric laughed. „Damn, you coming up with that on the first night is hilarious in retrospect."

"I was just happy to have a friend," was Japeth's defense. But he didn't really need to elaborate. Aric knew exactly what he was saying. As if he was any different.

"Me too. Me too. Now, after all these years, it's the right time. Isn't it?" Aric quickly pulled out his knife and held it up to the light.

Both boys looked at it, then Japeth nodded. "My turn."

Aric started to hand him the weapon, but Japeth shook his head. Instantly, a scim detached from Aric's arm and flew to eye-level. If Aric didn't know better, he would say that two creatures were staring at him, waiting calculatingly.

He extended his arm. The eel shot forward in a flash, but didn't sting half as hard. To be honest, Aric didn't even notice it as he watched the scim fly backwards. Japeth snatched it from the air and let a drop of blood trickle to his lips.

While many people would be repulsed by the sight of another person's blood, Aric watched in fascination as Japeth swallowed it. For some reason, he could not stop watching.

Somehow he managed to pull his gaze away as soon as Japeth's eyes burned into him. "Finger," Aric demanded, holding out the knife.

"So bold today, eh?" Japeth shot back, but placed his finger in Aric's outstretched hand. Gently, very gently, Aric made a small crack, stopping only when Japeth flinched.

Hopefully he hadn't hurt him. Any human could fall victim to injury or death. Even by Aric himself. But woe to anyone who would hurt Japeth!

Japeth was his. His and his alone.

Suddenly an idea struck him. Aric stared into the deep oceans of Japeth's eyes. Let's see how he reacts to this. Aric tightened his grip on Japeth's finger and brought it to his lips. Slowly he began to suck on it, watching with amusement as Japeth's face grew increasingly red. "A-A-Aric-"

Aric took his time and only when he had enough did he let go of Japeth's thumb. "What?" he asked, sly and cunning.

Japeth looked away in embarrassment, watching the trees in the background. "N-n-nothing. Nothing at all!"

Aric came back into Japeth's view, taking in the flushed face. He grinned. "Come on, spit it out! Nothing to hide, right?"

Japeth looked like he didn't want to, but in the end he did it anyway. "I enjoyed it."

When Aric's smile brightened like it would light a room, Japeth closed his eyes, his mouth a single line. It was obvious that he was ashamed. Not that he had any reason to be, but there was nothing better than embarrassing Japeth.

"We'll see what we can do about that."

------------<>------------

Time passed. Weeks turned into months as Aric and Japeth continued their journey. It was then that Aric stopped counting the days of his new life and turned them into the memories he shared with Japeth. Aric could not tell how much time had really passed, but did it make a difference?

All his life, Aric lived in fear that he would be left in the woods to die. Whether from malnutrition, evil hunters, monsters lurking in the shadows, or loneliness. All his life he expected the next day to be worse than the day prior. Especially after losing his best and only friend in the courtyard.

But for once in his life, everything seemed just right.

Time heals everything, they say. Even the deepest wounds. Aric had always laughed at that. Never, never in his life would he stop grieving over almost anything. Never think about helping others find themselves in this phony world. Never think about stopping his lust for blood and eternal destruction.

But one day, life changes.

It just needed time. Time for reflection, time for healing. Time to live again, far away from the old pattern. Because killing someone changes you, and not in a good way. Once you start, you will see the potential in getting rid of someone this way. But ‘pain begets pain’, as Tedros once said.

Japeth wanted to go back one more time and apologize to everyone for everything that had happened. Especially to his brother. 'I must pay one last visit to his grave,' he said. Which only caused Aric to frown for all eternity.

Well, almost everything changes, Aric corrected. At least his anger towards Rhian certainly did not.

He liked the fake Sader twin so much that he would raise him from the dead, only to kiss Japeth senseless in front of him (or do even more), wait for Rhian to understand that he had lost, torture him until he apologized to Aric for causing so much trouble, and then kill him again.

Needless to say, Japeth was not pleased when Aric explained his plot.

Even though Aric hated the idea, they will return one day. Hopefully not too soon.

People come and go on their quest to redeem evil. Hiding in the smallest towns, lurking in the shadows of the woods, carving out little lairs wherever they can find them. People who, through neglect, lack of love, or out of jealousy, hatred, and anger, have been sent on their evil paths.

Somehow, Aric could still see himself in those screaming, yelling, and torturing boys. And he always remembered how Japeth used to throw tantrums. Just to get some attention. Just to get love.

Well, welcome to the dark side of the story! To those who are forgotten and neglected. The shadows.

Fortunately, they both managed to escape the trap. By having each other. Because as over time their first, uncertain crush had blossomed into something much, much more powerful:

Love. True evil love.

Still, it wasn't easy to accept at first.

When you say you're best friends, girls and women alike think you're easy to catch, easy to exploit. But saying you were dating always seemed so damn weak. Too many questions and the constant “Well, they can't be that bad if they're in love." If there was one thing that Aric was: He was not a weak man!

The labeling of the relationship had become downright tiresome, but one day Aric finally allowed the title "couple".

After all, how could he not grant Japeth's wish? All it took was one look at his icy, sparkling eyes. Add to that the whole young man; lean muscles in his damn tight-fitting suit, fluffy amber waves perfect to grab while kissing, and growing affection via mini slimy things that actually seemed to know more about their love life than they did. But espacially his snarky, dark soul, how he was able to put up with him-

Aric often went crazy when he was with Japeth. Japeth was Aric's soft spot. His boyfriend. Sometimes he still couldn't get over the fact that he and Japeth were together.

But all in all it was fantastic, wonderful, amazing and he loved every moment of his life.

He was alive again. A salvation after the damnation he had to suffer.

Aric picked up his whip and began to walk out of the room. Somewhere far away, in the darkest depths of the woods, he left their little cobbin behind. To reach Japeth, taking his hand with a sly, knowing smile, on the verge of fleeing with him to look up into the starry sky of his favorite snake's thinking place.