Chapter Text
The silence of the room was horrible. All that could be heard was the loud thoughts dancing through Travis’ tired, worn-out mind. Thoughts that he never remembered he had. He was aware that he couldn’t recollect much of his early childhood: he chalked that up to it, perhaps, being incredibly boring. The only memory he seemed to have of his younger years, that he knew about before the whole… catastrophe, was his mother passing away. Hell, even that memory was unclear. The loneliness he felt did not relieve the struggle.
Everything was overwhelming. The memories, the feelings, the very real pain he is experiencing all over his limbs. It was a lot to take in.
So he continues to let his mind run wild in a desperate attempt to organise his brain. Sitting quietly, head lolled to one side, he mused his ideas and memories of the past and present.
What made now different? How did the events of not too long ago change him? Why did it even happen?
Only one of those questions could be answered.
It happened because he is himself: Travis, a Valkrum, a Demon, cursed soul, a host.... Ignorance was a key factor in all of this. "Ignorance is bliss” as they say. So it did happen, even if how it happened and how many people it affected did not go according to that monster’s sick plan, it did happen.
He hated knowing this, knowing it now and not before. Maybe, he was taught of it before and was forced to forget. He didn't know.
Dwelling on maybes hurt him. Not physically, no. He was already drowning in guilt and sorrow. The adding of speculations on how the outcome of the horrific events could be different was not making anything better.
He leaned forward from the uncomfortable hospital wheelchair they insisted he used. It was stupid that they made him use it; he was able to still walk, even though it made his bones pop and ache. His chest was leaning upon the metal barring that outlined the glass balcony of the massive building. Arms that were bandaged, bruised and, battered were crossed and hugging his lower torso somewhat.
Blue, sunny skies never looked so dreary before now.
The building was on one of the more larger islands of Starlight. It was also one of the few that — after the event that had occurred — was currently housing people that weren't just employees or the odd stray guardian force member. It was almost a hospital of sorts, though it did have a few other (unnecessary and unimportant) uses.
—
Blue hair clouded his vision. Katelyn, her eyes were red, cheeks and nose too. Tears fell down her cheeks as she sniffled silently.
“You know,” blue eyes looked at him with jubilance that contrasted the previous one of sorrow, “if that was my last breath…”
A weak chuckle escaped his exhausted frame.
“I’d want you to be the one that takes it away.” Teeth shone through his smile, it probably looked more akin to a grimace.
“Travis,”
Travis’ face was suddenly being held with one hand as another went to prop up his torso. His right hand grabbed her arm with desperation, thin black fabric was the only barrier that was blocking his fingers from grazing her skin. They both needed this affection. Her tear sodden lips connected with his own. Damp warm cheeks brushed up against his as she held tightly onto him. Both were afraid of letting go too soon. Faces becoming equally flush as the nanoseconds ticked by. Shoulders became less tense as they held one another close. The coldness of the white floor and the high skies breeze cooled down the heat of their bodies. The sweet kiss lasted too long yet not long enough for either to be satisfied with the idea of catching their breaths.
Travis' chest rose with each intake of air.
Katelyn watched him for a second: she saw the laxness of his muscles and the drained eyes, the ripped cloth of clothes that did not belong to him, the way he struggled to look into her eyes for long and gripped too tightly onto her arm. Too much had happened. Too much had happened to him. He always tried to be cheerful. Right now, it seemed like a struggle to keep even the soft smile he had.
A wet breathed chuckle broke her out of her musing
“I should almost die more often”
His eyebrows furrowed as his eyes grew watery, “I’m sorry…”
She caressed his cheek with her gloved thumb. Her warm exhale hit his face as she shushed him. There was no need to be sorry.
“Rest for now, I’ve got you.”
That was all he needed to hear. He let the exhaustion take control.
The white haired flirt was completely unaware of the look of adoration Katelyn was giving him. And how violently the Celestial Cannon began to shake moments after.
—
After about half a day of the centre island crashing down into the deep turquoise of the ocean, they had come to question him. They had taken him, Aphmau, and Aaron to this building in order to figure out a narrative they can push to the public. A narrative that justifies what went off without shining the spotlight on them. A narrative that pushes the blame away from almost everyone and lies about the Guardians Force's success.
Unfortunately, for them, this was proven to be an incredibly difficult situation. Aaron had sustained great injuries and as a result he did not remember crucial details about his entire life. Aphmau was in a constant state of drifting in and out of consciousness, making it a challenge for her to provide the Guardian Forces any meaningful information that they deemed helpful. Travis was woefully unhelpful in this endeavour as he was in a state of shock, confusion as well as grief. It was growing increasingly complex with each passing moment for the Guardian Forces to accumulate a believable (and quickly made) white lie to present to the population.
—
It was on the seventh day that the Guardian Forces made a statement about the Ultima. They managed to scrounge up enough information to present a lie to people.
“A tragic incident has occurred over the past few days on the Starlight islands. The long sort after Ultima was discovered on the islands over the past month. During which the islands were under a strict blockage carried out by the Guardian Forces. In that time, a regiment was dispatched to the islands to find and capture the Ultima and his relatives.”
They said, putting all the blame onto the Lycan family: Aaron, Melissa, Rachel, and Derek.
“The Guardian Forces had as much knowledge as anyone else. Our soldiers have been using Starlight as training grounds with permission from the Starlight CEO. It was my pure happenstance we were here when the Ultima went on his rampage. Our soldiers fought valiantly against him. Once he was finally cornered, he transformed and went berserk. Tragically, many innocent people lost their lives during his rampage…”.
They continued, taking no accountability for their actions.
It's understandable that they wouldn't tell the public the whole truth. How would they be able to give an adequate explanation to everything? How would they explain the existence of the cannon to the people, the existence of the demon warlock and the idea of Irene's lost soul fragment being a real thing to the public.
They wouldn't be able to.
So they continued the lie that was previously thrusted out to the public. A lie that they made half true with their actions, a self-fulfilling prophecy — which they then expanded upon.
—
Day seven was also the day that Aaron officially went home, his injuries had been treated, there was nothing else that the medical team could do. They had provided all that they could, time was now the best medicine for him. So, with memories still gone, eyesight non-existent, and all that had occurred hanging over his head (even if he couldn't remember it), he went with his sister.
Himself and Aaron were like two sides of the same coin. A curse passed from kin to kin that made them childhood bedtime stories for the ordinary. Eyes that could have ghastly catastrophic repercussions, one for the body, another, the mind.
However, neither could affect the other. He had learnt this when Aaron had looked at him back when he had no control over his body. The red eyes of the colossal wolf looked into his own and… nothing had happened to him.
He had seen what was left of the crowd that had been ushered to watch.
The Guardian Forces, the reporters, and all the rumours had spoken about how ‘The Ultimas’ eyes were meant to hurt, how victims were most likely to die then live. If you survived, your anatomy would be that of a werewolves. Yet that never happened to Travis. A symptom of them both being cursed he assumed.
It had made them enemies involuntarily due to Michael.
—
Micheal.
Micheal, the demon warlock, was the cause for this.
That thing had done the same to his dad that he had done to him. It made him reflect on how he saw his dad. That man had made the hardest decision that anyone could have made up on that cannon.
Allow his son to die or let himself be killed.
He sacrificed himself.
Now the threat was no more
With a heavy sigh, he got up from his unnecessary wheelchair, hobbling his way to Aphmau’s room, he needn’t think any more about this. He just needed his friend.
—
“Hey,” Travis hobbled into the rooms that housed Aphmau.
“It's been a while”, a weak smile appeared, “not alone buddy.”
Travis reciprocated the soft smile.
The walls were the same as his, the layout was the same as his, the hospital gown was the same as his. It almost felt as if he had never left his own room. Were it not for the ache in his limbs and the joyous face of a friend, he’d have assumed he imagined the greyish blue corridor.
Aphmau laid in her hospital gatch bed, the head part propped up further than the rest. Her black hair was in a simple yet rather messy plait. Tanned skin now a faintly sick looking paler tone. Despite her weakness, she appeared as bubbly as ever!
She truly was the light in the fog. This was a distraction they both needed and deserved.