Chapter Text
Yellow had always loved the sound of gears turning, the soft hum of circuits coming to life. There was something so simple about it—predictable, even. Unlike people, machines never made her guess. They worked how they were supposed to, and if something went wrong, there was always a way to fix it.
Unfortunately, her current situation was far from controlled.
The morning sun was barely cutting through the dense forest canopy as their group trekked through the underbrush. The path ahead of them was uneven, full of gnarled roots and loose stones that made every step a potential hazard. And, as usual, Yellow had fallen behind—too focused on the worn map in her hands to keep up with the others.
She could hear Blue’s voice from up ahead, laughing at something Red had said. The sound made her heart do that weird fluttering thing it always did when Blue laughed, but she quickly shook it off. Focus.
Yellow adjusted the goggles on her forehead, squinting at the map, trying to make sense of the faded ink lines that crisscrossed across the page. They’d been following this thing for days now, and every turn seemed to lead them deeper into this gods-forsaken forest with no sign of the relic they were after.
"Anything new?" Blue’s voice suddenly cut through her thoughts, and Yellow looked up to find her standing just a few feet away, leaning casually on her bow.
Yellow shook her head, biting her lip in frustration. “Nothing we didn’t already know. We should be getting close, but...”
“But it’s not exactly a straight path,” Blue finished for her, a knowing smile on her lips.
Yellow let out a sigh. “Exactly.”
“Well, you’ll figure it out,” Blue said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world, like she didn’t even doubt it for a second. “You always do.”
Yellow felt her cheeks warm slightly, the quiet confidence in Blue’s voice doing that thing to her again. She cleared her throat, turning her attention back to the map. “Yeah, well... I hope you’re right.”
Blue chuckled softly, and Yellow could feel her gaze lingering a little longer before she turned to rejoin the others. Yellow’s stomach flipped as she watched her go, but she quickly stuffed the feeling down. There was no time for distractions, especially not now.
She scanned the map again, calculating their distance from the temple where the relic was supposed to be. If her measurements were correct—and they always were—they’d reach it by nightfall.
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By the time the sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the forest, the temple finally came into view. It was half buried in the side of a mountain, its stone walls covered in vines and moss. The entrance was dark, a gaping mouth that seemed to swallow the fading light.
Yellow stood back, letting the others take in the sight while she calculated their approach. This was the part she hated—going in blind, not knowing what traps or dangers awaited them inside. She would’ve preferred another few days to study the layout, but time wasn’t on their side.
“Looks inviting,” Red said, sarcasm dripping from its voice.
Second, always the calm one, just adjusted their shield and nodded. “We’ll be fine. Stick to the plan.”
Yellow nodded, though her mind was already spinning with possibilities. She was trying to run through every worst-case scenario when she felt a nudge at her side. She glanced up to see Blue standing next to her, her eyes fixed on the temple ahead.
“You good?” Blue asked, her voice softer now that they were out of earshot of the others.
“Yeah,” Yellow replied quickly. “Just... making sure everything’s in place.”
Blue smiled, that warm, reassuring smile that always made Yellow feel like everything was going to be okay. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this.”
Yellow wanted to believe her, but the knot in her stomach wouldn’t loosen. She just nodded and pulled out one of her gadgets—a small orb that could scan for traps. If there was anything dangerous inside, she’d know soon enough.
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The temple’s interior was cold and dark, the air thick with dust. Every step echoed off the stone walls as they made their way deeper into the maze of corridors. Yellow kept to the back of the group, her eyes scanning every corner, every shadow for signs of danger. She had her trap scanner in one hand and her wrench in the other, ready for anything.
The tension in the air was palpable. Even Red, who usually cracked jokes in situations like this, was quiet.
It wasn’t long before they reached a massive chamber, the relic resting on a pedestal in the center. It was a simple-looking thing—an old, weathered stone tablet, covered in strange runes that Yellow couldn’t quite decipher.
“That’s it?” Red asked, its voice a little too loud in the stillness. “Doesn’t look like much.”
To this, in the corner of her eye, Yellow watched Green shift his weight from side to side, obviously uncomfortable.
Yellow was about to respond when she heard it—a low rumble, like the sound of rocks shifting under pressure. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively raised her trap scanner. That's what he was worried about.
"Uh, guys?" Yellow’s voice trembled slightly as the rumble grew louder.
Before anyone could react, the floor beneath the relic began to crack open, and from the darkness below, a massive creature began to rise. Its body was made of stone and vines, with glowing eyes that burned bright like fire.
“Move!” Second shouted, raising their shield as the creature lunged toward them.
Yellow’s heart raced, her mind scrambling to find a plan, but everything happened too fast. The creature’s roar echoed through the chamber as it swung one of its massive arms toward them, sending debris flying.
She barely had time to think before Blue was at her side, her bow drawn and aimed. Yellow’s stomach flipped again, but she shook it off.
The creature's roar echoed through the temple, shaking the stone walls as it lumbered forward. Yellow’s mind raced, quickly analyzing every detail of the beast’s massive form. Thick hide, claws the size of swords, and eyes that burned with fury—this thing was built for destruction.
Think, think, she told herself. There had to be a weakness.
“Fan out!” Second’s voice snapped through the air. Yellow didn’t hesitate. She darted to the side, sticking to the shadows as her eyes darted over the creature’s body, trying to pinpoint a vulnerable spot. Her fingers itched for her tools, but in the heat of the battle, all she had were her wits.
"Go for the joints!" she yelled, spotting a gap in the creature's armor near its knees.
The others moved on instinct. Blue, always quick to trust Yellow’s analysis, drew her bow and fired an arrow straight at the beast's leg. The arrow thudded into the creature’s knee, right where Yellow had predicted, causing the beast to stagger with a guttural snarl.
That’s it, Yellow thought, her heart pounding. We can do this.
Nearby, Red was a blur of motion, her small figure dodging the creature’s wild swings with ease.
Yellow’s mind whirred, analyzing every move, every detail, calculating the best way to take the creature down. She was already pulling out her tools, preparing to set up a trap, when she heard Red’s voice.
“Hey, birdbrain!” Red called, glancing up at her feathered friend. Its animal companion—a sleek, dark-feathered bird—soared overhead, chirping frantically as it circled the battlefield. Red grinned and turned to Yellow. "He's got it covered."
The bird continued to squawk at her. “Yeah, yeah, I know!” it muttered under its breath, darting forward to slash at the creature’s unprotected leg. The beast roared again, trying to swipe at her, but Red danced out of reach with a laugh.
Yellow’s eyes flickered toward Second, who held their shield high, always a step behind Red, ready to protect her if things got too close for comfort. The two of them had fought together so many times, it was almost like they could read each other's thoughts.
"Just keep it distracted!" Second called, their voice calm despite the chaos around them.
Yellow nodded, already moving to set up her next plan. She rummaged through her pack and pulled out a small device—one of her own inventions. A burst grenade, designed to release an energy pulse that would destabilize anything within its range. She tossed it from hand to hand, calculating the timing.
But the beast was relentless. It charged forward, its eyes locking onto Green, who stood a little farther back, his hands clutching his instrument—a custom-crafted lute he’d been tinkering with for ages. Yellow’s breath caught in her throat.
Green’s gonna play? Here, now? she thought, watching him intently.
Green took a deep breath and strummed a low, vibrating note. The melody echoed through the air, almost too soft to hear at first, but it wasn’t the sound that mattered—it was the effect. The creature’s movements slowed, its limbs growing heavy, as if the music had reached into its mind and clouded its senses.
Yellow’s heart pounded as she watched Green’s magic take hold. The creature’s roars grew more sluggish, and its strikes became less coordinated.
Purple, staying hidden in the shadows, seized the opportunity. She darted out with quick, precise movements, her small knives flashing in the dim light as she landed strike after strike on the beast’s weak points. Yellow caught a glimpse of her—silent, deadly, like a shadow given form. Every cut she made was calculated, and when the creature tried to retaliate, she was already gone, slipping back into the darkness.
It was mesmerizing.
Yellow’s focus snapped back to reality when she saw the beast stumble, its knees buckling under the weight of its injuries. Now’s the time, she realized.
She lobbed the burst grenade under the creature’s feet, and with a sharp click, the device released an energy pulse that rocked the room. The creature’s roar turned into a shriek as it staggered back, dazed and weakened.
Blue was already in motion. Yellow’s eyes flicked to her as she notched an arrow, her movements smooth and deliberate. The arrow glowed faintly in the low light as Blue released it, the shot finding its mark right in the beast’s chest. There was a split second of silence before the creature let out one final roar, collapsing to the ground with a thud that shook the temple.
The room went still.
Yellow let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, her body still tense from the adrenaline. Around her, the others slowly regrouped, checking over each other for injuries and exchanging quick nods of reassurance.
“Well,” Red said, brushing some dust off her sleeves, “that was fun.”
Yellow gave a half-hearted chuckle, though her mind was still racing, calculating all the things that could have gone wrong. If Blue had missed, if my grenade had gone off too soon, if Green’s magic hadn’t worked… The scenarios spun in her head, each one worse than the last.
But Blue’s gentle voice snapped her out of it. “You okay?” she asked, walking up beside her.
Yellow blinked, realizing Blue was looking at her with concern. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said quickly, waving her hand. “Just… thinking.”
Blue gave her a small smile, her eyes soft in the fading light. “You always think too much,” she teased, but her tone was gentle, affectionate even.
Yellow felt her cheeks warm slightly. “Someone has to,” she muttered, but there was no bite to her words.
Blue’s gaze lingered for a moment, and Yellow felt something stir inside her—something warm, yet unfamiliar. But before she could even begin to make sense of it, Second called out from across the room.
“Let’s move. We’ve got the relic. Time to get out of here before this whole place comes down.”
Yellow tore her gaze away from Blue and nodded, her focus snapping back to the task at hand. She could analyze those strange feelings later.
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The journey back to their camp was quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts. By the time they arrived, the sky was painted with the soft hues of twilight, the first stars beginning to peek through the canopy of trees overhead. The fire was already crackling as they settled in, and Yellow finally allowed herself to relax, though her mind kept drifting back to the battle.
She felt Blue sit down next to her, their shoulders just barely brushing. Yellow kept her eyes on the flames, not trusting herself to look at Blue without the strange warmth creeping back into her chest.
“You did great today,” Blue said softly, her voice barely audible over the crackling fire.
Yellow shrugged, trying to play it off. “Just doing my job.”
Blue nudged her gently. “You always say that, but you know you’re more than that.”
Yellow glanced at her, her heart skipping a beat at the earnest look in Blue’s eyes. She opened her mouth to respond, but the words got tangled in her throat. Instead, she just nodded, feeling the weight of Blue’s words settle over her.
The fire flickered, casting long shadows across the camp, and for a moment, everything felt still—like the world had paused just for them.
But that strange warmth returned, spreading through Yellow’s chest and making her heart race in a way she wasn’t quite ready to confront. Not yet, anyway.
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The night passed in a peaceful lull, the fire’s warmth lulling them into quiet conversations. But beneath the surface, the tension of the day lingered, and the weight of the relic in Yellow’s pack felt like the beginning of something far bigger than any of them had realized.
* Love is not definite,
* And is therefore not definable.
* It is characterized by every hitched breath,
* Every almost-accidental brush of a hand,
* And every strayed gaze.
* It is something unrecognizable for someone like her.
* What is something undefinable?
* Perhaps, math. Does it exist? What is its purpose, if not definite?
* Really, what defines undefinable?