Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hello hello! I am the creators of this thing (Obviously LOL), and I present to you.. Okay yk what nevermind I literally just said it in the title.

But, with that aside, I should probably explain some stuff.

Firstly, the five main ships I will be using are:

• Natalia (Ophelia & Natalie)
• Xavira (Xavier & Ezra)
• LiAnthony (Liane & Anthony)
• Michlotte (Micheal & Charlotte)
• And RorVince! (Rory & Vincent)

To determine which ship will feature in each one-shot, I'll use my trusty wheel of names to decide! (I'm sorry it's the indecisiveness LMAO)

Please note that any/all characters that are featured in this book are my OCs. I'll (hopefully) share a separate book where I show what they look like as well. (Also just in case if someone wants to draw them, although that'll probably never happen lmao- Just remember to credit me while doing so! ^^)

Lastly, here are the prompts I'll be doing!

1.  First Impressions
2. Stargazing
3. Angst (Can be anything)
4. Morning
5. Beach Episode :DD
6. Childhood
7. First Kiss ^^

Okay idk how to end this so byeeeeeeee!!

Chapter Text

Day #1: First Impressions

Pairing: LiAnthony (Liane x Anthony)

The dining hall was full of chatter and laughter. Everyone was back where they once were, and they were more than happy to see each other again.

So many Miis were doing so many things at once, it was so hard to keep up on what was happening.

Ophelia the mage was conversing with Natalie the warrior (Filled with slight notes of flirting). Ezra the imp playfully fed Xavier the cleric as the latter was knitting an eye patch for himself. Kendall the cat (without warning), then pulled the two of them in for a hug, much to Xavier's frustration. Rory the flower was busy refilling some of the others' drinks and sliding them across the table for their respective owners. Micheal was excitedly bragging about.. Whatever, while Charlotte the princess was listening happily.

And there he was- A scientist sat at the end of the table, eating by himself.

Anthony didn't really mind having to be alone. In fact, he liked it quite a bit. Although he was willing to help others if necessary, sometimes he just needed a moment to recharge.

However, the scientist never really fit in with anyone here. He didn't have someone he could go to if he actually wanted to chat. Sure, there was Ezra, but he hated the imp's guts. There was also Ophelia, but she wasn't really "His" person to turn to, if that made sense.

So, Anthony just did what he always had done- Stay behind and watch everyone else do their thing.

But his attention soon shifted to.. A blue-haired girl sitting just across from him.

She looked almost exactly like Micheal- Just without the high-tech equipment and longer hair. The girl wore a royal blue outfit with a puffy skirt, and a bow that was the same colour to match.

While she looked like an outgoing girl from the ensemble, her expression said otherwise, as the stranger kept glancing over at Xavier and Ezra, having this look of envy on her face.

"Is she jealous of Ezra?" Anthony thought, "..Why would she resent him, though? Out of everyone here?"

Anthony couldn't help but cringe at the thought of wanting to take the imp's place. He tried his best to understand, but oh boy, does he despise Ezra.

His inner thoughts were stopped when the stranger got up from the table and left. Somehow, no one noticed her leave except for him.

Feeling a hint of concern, Anthony got up as well, following the girl. Hopefully he didn't seem like a creep.

Hiding behind the corner of the hallway, the scientist could see the stranger enter her room. She didn't come out.

So, Anthony walked down the hall and up to the door that the girl went through, and knocked on it.

"Hello?" He asked, remaining professional, "It's Anthony. Are you busy?"

He didn't expect an answer, and was ready to just leave. But to his surprise, the girl responded.

"A-Anthony? Like.. The scientist from Ophelia's second group?"

"Er.. Yes, that would be me," Anthony replied. "I noticed you left early. Is everything alright?"

"..."

The girl opened the door. Her eyes were puffed up and turned a light red, and tears were pooling in them. She was trying so hard not to try.

What.. Happened?

"..No," She muttered.

The two of them simply sat beside each other on the ground, with Anthony listening to the stranger vent.

"So.. Do you know Xavier?" She asked.

"Kind of," Anthony replied, "Is he one of Miss Ophelia's friends?"

"Y-Yeah.. He was also, um.. A friend of mine since we were kids."

"Oh."

"Mhm. He would always come over and visit."

"I see.. I also noticed you were looking over at him and Ezra."

"..."

"I'm guessing something happened between you three?"

Anthony, smart as he is, knew exactly what was happening. It was clear this girl had a crush on one of them, most likely Xavier. However, he played dumb so he wouldn't potentially overwhelm her.

"Kind of.." She sniffled, "I-I remember when Xavier and I were young.. My parents told me that we'd get married when we both got older."

Well, that's just splendid. She was born into a goddamn arranged marriage. Again, Anthony's doing his best to help her, but Miis are born to make their own decisions in life, not to follow a measly rule that their family made.

"And I'm assuming that didn't work out?" Anthony asked her, trying to get rid of his irritation.

"Yes, he.. When we all reunited at last, a couple days ago, I was still sharing a room with Xavier at the time. But then, I found this.. Letter." The girl explained, "It was from Ezra, and it looked like it was written back when we were still travelling through Greenhorne."

"Mhm.."

"A-And.. When I read it, it said.. It said something like 'I love you' at the end.."

"..."

"I-I couldn't believe it- The boy I love.. He's in love with someone else..! Someone who's p-probably a criminal!"

She nearly burst into tears. Now Anthony could see why she was so jealous. And she had every right to be. (It's actually just Anthony being biased, since, you know, he hates Ezra-)

However, bias aside, there was a part of the story that Anthony kept thinking about: The arranged marriage. Did her parents shelter her this much to the point that she actually *believed* Xavier loved her back? This whole time, too? Stuff like that doesn't work in real life. Well, for the most part.

"..Is an arranged marriage what you really want?" Anthony asked.

"Wh-What do you mean?" The girl sniffled.

"Love in real life is created when you have a genuine bond and a developed trust for someone where you feel truly safe with them," The scientist explained. "But when placed in an arrangement, that bond is essentially forced onto you. If you want a relationship founded off of real love, you have to take your time with it first."

"But what about my-"

"Your parents made their decisions. Now make yours."

The girl sat there in silence for a moment, deep in thought about what to do. She didn't want to break the promise that was made, but she also wanted to have control over her life for once.

"Ah, I nearly forgot- I never asked for your name.." Anthony said.

"Liane," The girl replied. "Y-You said your name was.. Anthony, right? That's a nice name.."

The scientist looked away, trying to remain stoic. "..Thanks," He said back. "Your name's kind of pretty, too."

Liane wiped the tears from her eyes and stood back up, with Anthony doing so as well. "Thanks for talking to me," She muttered, "I.. Think I feel better now."

Anthony nodded. To him, it didn't matter if Liane wouldn't feel better now. He knows that just having somebody to talk to will help one feel less alone in the long run. Even if it's for a short while.

"We should head back now," Anthony said, "The others will likely worry about us.. Especially Ophelia."

Liane chuckled, her sadness suddenly disappearing. "Pffft- Yeah! She's so anxious about everyone these days. If she finds out we've gone missing, she'd totally freak out!"

Anthony gave her a tiny smile in return. "Then we better hurry up."

Chapter Text

Day #2: Stargazing

Pairing: Natalia (Ophelia x Natalie)

It was nighttime. Natalie was in the stable, sitting next to the party's horse, Rio, while brushing his fur. Even if she knew (or just thought) that he couldn't understand her, the warrior still talked to it like it was her friend.

"Hey, you think Charlotte ever gets like, burned out?" She asked, "Think about it- She's constantly forced to run in heels, she always wears this super tight corset, and she has to prepare tea for every single fight just in case one of us runs low on MP. All that while having to balance a tiara on her head!"

Natalie let out a sigh as she continued. "Actually, I think everyone here has got some weird stuff to deal with. Xavier never gets enough credit for his healing abilities, I'm pretty sure Liane's mic gets damaged during battle, Anthony's always talking about people getting in the way of his concoctions and then complainin' about how 'they got poison in their lungs' or whatever.."

The warrior rambled on and on about everyone.

"..Oh, and Lia," She spoke up when Ophelia popped up in her head. "The girl just needs a break, man. She's always so paranoid about the well-being of everyone."

Natalie then felt.. Genuinely concerned. "It wasn't too much of a problem before, but now? Yikes.. Every day has something new to stress over."

Almost as if she jinxed it, though, Ophelia entered the stable. She looked visibly shaken up. This wasn't good.

"Lia? What're you doing out here?" Natalie asked, as if she wasn't wide awake in the middle of the night as well, "And.. You alright? You seem.."

Natalie trailed off. Ophelia simply averted her eyes away from her and sighed. The warrior then immediately knew what was up.

"Oh, you, uh.." She muttered, "..Another nightmare?"

Ophelia was forced into the spot as the leader of the group. And that led to a boatload of unwanted pressure & trauma from losing her friends over and over and over again. Apparently those anxieties manifested themselves into horrifying nightmares, where the mage would be forced to witness those horrors all over again.

Ophelia sat beside her, nodding. Rio snuggled up next to the two, a look of worry for his owner on his face.

"I wish I could use that sleeping spell on myself.. I found out it gives you good dreams." Ophelia said quietly.

"I'm all too familiar," Natalie replied. "One time you used that on me and I had a dream where I reunited with Velvet again.. And then I woke up & realized everyone else was knocked out during battle."

The warrior chuckled a bit at the end, but it sounded more forced than anything. Especially after the mention of her owl.

"But seriously, Lia, is there anything I can do to help you? Anything at all?"

"Mm.." Ophelia buried her head into Natalie's shoulder, "Maybe.. You could tell me more about the constellations?"

Rio jumped up happily at the mention. He loved going outside at night, and it seemed he loved the stars just as much as Natalie did.

"See? Even Rio's on board," The mage joked.

"Eh, why not?" Natalie answered, "Pretty sure the sky's gonna stay clear for a while."

Ophelia grinned in response, grabbing onto her girlfriend's hand and running out excitedly, with Rio cantering behind.

"Wha- HEY-" Natalie couldn't even react.

The trio ended up sitting on a hill a little far away from the inn they stayed at. It was close enough to see the moon in its full glory sitting amongst the stars without going to the edge of a cliff.

"Right here's probably good," Ophelia said, sitting down on the grass.

Natalie sat beside her, and so did Rio. Together, the three of them stared up at the night sky, littered with tiny little sparkling stars. Tonight was the perfect time, because Natalie could see a few shapes being formed from them.

"Sooo.. Where's the Little Dipper again?" Ophelia asked.

That was a lie. The mage knew about the constellations already- She just wanted an excuse to spend time with Natalie.

"See the Big Dipper?" Natalie asked, pointing upward, "Follow the handle to that right star over here. And you'll find it."

"Wait, I see it now.." Ophelia said in reply.

"Y'know, I thought you already knew about this stuff."

"Oh, I just, uhh.. Forgot!"

"You really aren't a good liar, aren't you, Lia?"

"Eheheh.. Whoops!"

Ophelia made a sheepish smile and shrugged her shoulders, making Natalie laugh. Rio suddenly stood up and nickered, indicating for the two to pay attention to the sky.

"Hm? What's that, Rio?- Oh! Nat, look!" Ophelia jumped up to her feet and pointed up eagerly, "A shooting star!"

"Wait, really?" Natalie looked up as well. "Hey, what do you wish for?"

"C'mon, Nat, you know the tale- Don't say your wish out loud!"

"Ah, right. Forgot. Then, I'm sure as hell not spilling my wish."

"Good on you!"

"Pfft- 'Good on you'? What, am I gonna get a gold star now?"

"Yeah! As soon as we get home, I'll make you one!"

Both girls laughed at their own conversation. The mage then decided to use this opportunity to flirt with Natalie.

Wrapping her arms around her and closing her eyes, she warmly smiled,

"..How come you manage to be so much prettier than all the stars in the sky?"

Natalie's face turned red, before she spoke back.

"Oh, shut up," Little did she know her newly-ingrained grin would never leave her the following day.

Chapter Text

Day #3: Angst

Pairing: Xavira (Ezra x Xavier)

Ezra stood by himself, in his room at the inn.

It was kind of weird how, even at the top floor, he could still hear everyone's sorrow downstairs.

It was like a cycle, almost- First it was just dead silent. Someone would speak up, before they started crying. Then another person would try and comfort the first, only to start crying as well. And then, everyone is crying. They only stop because of exhaustion.

And then.. It's back to silence. The cycle begins anew.

...

..Where.. Where did he go wrong?

The imp had just seen Xavier a few days ago, maybe a few hours. Hell, maybe even minutes. Ezra couldn't remember. The shock was still clouding his memory.

But as far as he knows.. Nothing was wrong. Xavier seemed completely normal up until now. His illness was practically gone. 

So why did it have to come back just when everyone forgot about it?

The worst part is that the cleric couldn't even say goodbye. He just.. Collapsed. And died right there..

..When did this start?

Ezra tried to think- It was just another fight. Him, Xavier, Ophelia and Micheal were all together, battling a group of goblins. Xavier was just about ready to attack, before he felt a sharp pain in his entire body & his legs gave out- Just before he fell to the ground.

Ezra nearly gagged at the flashback. Hearing his late lover's cries, seeing his pained, tortured expression, and witnessing him writhe in helpless agony shattered his heart all over again. There was no bloodshed, but it still felt so gruesome.

Before long, the other three retreated, with Ophelia carrying Xavier in her arms all the way back. Everyone back at the inn crowded the four of them, flooding them with questions. "Is Xavier okay?" "What happened to him?" "Are you sure it wasn't from an attack?" And so on. Ezra could hardly breathe from how closed-in everything felt.

Anthony didn't actually come from a medical background, just one of psychology, but being the smartest here, he could almost instantly tell that it had something to do with Xavier's condition.

The cleric had succumbed to his disease. He was dead.

And now.. Ezra is here. Back in his room, and what used to be Xavier's room.

Alone with only his mind to accompany him now, the imp closes his eyes as his entire time with Xavier during his adventure starts to play out all over again before him.

Their first ever meeting. Their talks. Their laughs. The letters they'd sent to each other when Xavier told him he was going away. The love confessions over said letters. Their reunion. Their cuddles. Their happiness. Their sadness. Their highs. Their lows. Their everything.

Ezra then looked over his shoulder.

His wings..

..Back when he was little, he remembered how well he used to fly with them. His mother always said he was the best flyer in the family.

If his wings were as strong as they were today.. He'd fly away. He'd climb out the window, and just fly away. From every single trouble he had, he would fly away from.

And then.. He'd go up to the highest part of Miitopia, and look over to see the world beneath him. Even the seaside, Galados Isle.

When he was a kid, way before the monsters had ever inhabited that place or had been possessed with someone's face, he'd carry his friends and fly over to that isle. He missed the thrill of sneaking past the guards and climbing over the fences before making up cool and funny names for fake identities, as well as rolling around in the sand and getting specks of them all over himself before cannonballing into the water.

And of course, he loved to hear the tales as well. There was this elderly woman who always sat on a bench just by the sand, and little Ezra would come over to her and listen to her stories. She never ran out of those to tell.

Most of them were about the ancient tribes of Galados who once inhabited this land. Ezra always thought they were cool.

But now? All of those happy memories that he cherished were for nothing. They're gone now.

They're gone.

They're gone.

They're gone.

They're.. They're gone.

They're gone.. They're gone.. They're gone..

They're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone they're gone th

Ezra began to panic, feeling his breath's pacing pick up drastically. He held a hand to his head and ran it through his hair as he knelt down to the floor, trying to ground himself in a way. However, it was to no avail.

The imp clasped his hands together and wrapped them around his neck, despite the fact that he wasn't suffocating. Must've really felt like he was.

But Ezra was drowning. He needed a way out.

His hand darted across the floor before he grabbed his pitchfork and pulled it up to him, looking in the faint reflection of the weapon, trembling in his grip.

All of a sudden, he was back.

His childhood traumas weren't over. He was back in that forest, a place he shouldn't be in. There was this metallic scent of blood that pervaded his nose, and he could swear his vision was getting blurry.

Was Ezra dying as well? Or was it just an effect from his panic? So many questions, so little time.

The imp then placed the sharp end of the pitchfork over his stomach. It's time. It's time for him to do it. The world is full of awful, ignorant, selfish people, and they are going to pay for all they've done.

But.. As soon as he was about to take his life..

"..Ezra? Are you okay? We're worried about you.."

Chapter Text

Day #4: Morning Routines

Pairing Chosen: LiAnthony (Again wowowoooo!!)

Liane stretched her arms out in her bed, before rolling over to face Anthony. However, she was disappointed to find out that he wasn't laying down next to her. He must've woken up early again.

Feeling frustrated that her boyfriend was yet again overworking himself, she decided to go and find him.

The pop star groggily forced herself up and slumped out of the covers, making her way down to the first floor of the inn.

Finally, she found Anthony in the dining hall- The place he'd usually go to at around 4 AM to study. He'd always sit at the end of the table, too. Not close enough to be easily spotted, and not in the middle where the most chatter and chaos happens when everyone is there.

However, instead of seeing the scientist toil and slog through his work again, she noticed that he was.. In the center of the hall, with a very, VERY poor attempt at cooking something. Seriously. The frying pan somehow broke in two.

"Anthony?!" Liane rushed over to help, "What happened here?"

"M-Miss Liane, what are you doing up at a time like this?" Anthony tried to change the subject.

"And why are you up too, mister? How come you nearly burnt the kitchen down?" Liane shot back.

"..."

"..Ah, sorry, I'm not one to get so angry!-"

"It's okay. I'm.. Actually pleasantly surprised."

"How?"

"You never really seem to be the type to snap at somebody. I suppose the whole 'Stand up for yourself' advice I gave to you last week must have helped greatly."

"But I- Yeah, you're right.."

Liane put a hand on her hip and turned her head to face the mess. "But.." She spoke, "What were you even trying to make here? And why were you of all people making breakfast for us?"

Anthony sighed. This was gonna sound selfish. "I.. Actually planned on making food for you alone." He answered, much to the pop star's surprise.

But Liane took it a lot better than what Anthony expected.

"Awh, really?" She smiled warmly. Her appreciation felt genuine, "You're so sweet, Anthony!"

Anthony, being Anthony, was about to deny his generosity, before Liane cut him off.

"O-kay," Liane laced her fingers together and stretched her arms out until she heard a crack, focusing herself. "I'll help you clean this up. Once we're done, nobody will know that you ever burned this place down to start with!"

After a short while spent fixing the place, Liane stood back and admired the two's work. It still wasn't in the greatest of quality, but at least it didn't look like someone blew it up and then tore its remains to shreds.

"..What about breakfast, though?" Anthony asked the pop star.

"Let's worry about that later," She replied. "You've spent way too many mornings here."

She is 99.9% sure that he once went here even earlier than 4. Like, probably at 1.

"How about I take care of you for the morning this time?" The girl steered him towards the exit as she spoke, "You're always so busy.. You need a break!"

However, the scientist still tried to protest. "Miss Liane, I'm fine.." His voice was quiet, though. His words of defiance didn't really mean anything.

Liane didn't listen. Instead, she guided him back in the lobby. "You go get yourself ready, I'll be right back, 'kay?"

Finally giving in, Anthony just responded with a small nod before heading upstairs by himself. Jeez, this girl just wouldn't give up, would she?

Liane slid back into the dining hall's kitchen (with style, because of course) and prepped some.. What was it called again? 'Warming Soup'? She didn't know this stuff, she's not a chef. (But hey, at least the entire kitchen isn't at risk for.. Okay, you probably get it already.)

She found the ingredients stuffed inside a chest her and the party found in Powdered Peaks alongside other food recipes. Quite odd for her to make soup for breakfast.. Well, it's probably no harm, right? She's seen weirder stuff.

(..Like that one time Ezra decided he'd eat a two-star devil's food cake at 12 AM.. He was hyper for two days straight after that.)

Once the meal was ready, Liane cheerfully made her way up to her & Anthony's room, whistling all the way.

Unfortunately, she forgot to knock. Which.. Meant that she found out that the scientist didn't even get ready and decided to work AGAIN behind her back. This guy..

Liane's eyes were half-lidded and her eyebrows furrowed. "You need to work on your whole studying habit." She simply said.

Chapter Text

Day #5: Beach Episode!!!!!!!!

Pairing Chosen: Xavira

Xavier fidgeted with the pink outing ticket between his index & middle finger as he sat in a small white folding chair for him to sit in. The seaside was the perfect place for him to rest and unwind, especially after another adventure.

There was no one else there except for the person he was going with. Normally the cleric would find the quiet unnerving, but there was something so soothing about the only noise to accompany him being the lapping of the ocean waves hitting the shore.

Although his moment to himself was interrupted when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck.

"Xavi!!" It was Ezra.

The imp was always so energetic, especially around Xavier. It was no wonder why; Ezra felt the safest around him.

"O-Oh," Xavier was mildly caught off-guard by him. "Hello, Ezra.. What took you so long?"

Before answering, Ezra had pulled up a heavy-looking bag from behind him, full of (mostly unnecessary) beach equipment. "Ta-daa!" He exclaimed.

When his efforts were met with silence, he shoved the bag into Xavier's face, and repeated what he said with more aggression. "I said.. Ta-DAAAAH!"

"I-I think I get it, Ezra," Xavier lightly pushed the imp's hands down. "But.. Y-You didn't have to bring so many things.."

"Wait, so you're telling me I came all the way here, risking breaking my spine in 14 different ways.. All for nothing?" Ezra looked.. Dramatically shocked. As if he had just been betrayed. (And in his point of view, he did..)

He maintained his dramatic-ness by.. Falling to his knees on the sand. "And then I'll have to force myself to drag this thing all the way back.. Why must you do this to meeeeee..?" He whined.

"W-Wait, I didn't mean to-!" Xavier didn't realize that Ezra was just being sarcastic.

"Pfft-" The imp got back up & dropped the act once Xavier fell for it, "You know I'm just messing with you Xavi!"

"Besides, I can just leave this here," Ezra plopped the bag next to the chair. "Now c'mon! We got a whole shoreline to explore!!"

Xavier's shoulders dropped. "Right, just.. We can't go any further than here. I-If other people see us together, they might get their suspicions.." He replied.

"Oh, don't get all worked up over that!" Ezra tried to stay positive, but he knew exactly what the cleric meant. Most imps were tarnished for their upbringings outside of Miitopia. Hell, anyone who was raised where Ezra lived were slandered against. And if they were caught with a cleric of all people, one of them would surely be killed.

"But Ezra, you know how the people can get! I-I know that there's a new law about welcoming people like you into Miitopia, but there's still some residents here that don't agree with those laws.."

"Xavi, you worry too much," Ezra then turned.. Oddly empathetic. "I got your back every step of the way, okay? I promise that nothing bad'll happen to us!"

The imp grinned, and the cleric couldn't help but return his smile.

"Okay," Xavier gave up. "Let's go."

"Yay!" Ezra bolted off, running so fast he nearly flew. "Betcha can't catch me!!"

"Wha- Hey! Come back!" Xavier laughed as he chased after him. He forgot that he had an illness that slowed him down for a split second.

Unfortunately, the imp was way too caught up in the fun, and he tripped over something buried in the sand, alerting Xavier.

"E-Ezra?? Are you okay?" The cleric rushed over to his side and checked for any injuries. Luckily, Ezra was fine.

"Wait, Xavi, look," Ezra sat up and dug through the sand, and saw.. A small glass bottle with a note inside. "It's a bottle!"

Xavier's eyes widened a little. "Do you think it's a treasure map?" He asked.

Ezra gasped. "Maybe! OK, I gotta open it!! In three, two, ONE..!"

The imp popped off the cork lid and unfolded the sheet of parchment. However, what was written down on it was.. Disappointing.

"..It reads 'Better luck next time'." Ezra had little to no emotion when reading that aloud.

Chapter Text

Day #6: Childhood

Pairing Chosen: RorVince (Rory x Vincent)

There was a mild drizzle outside where little Vincent grabbed onto Rory's hand and pulled the other boy somewhere.

"C'mon," Vince exclaimed. "Hurry up! This place is super cool!"

When Vincent stopped running, he showed Rory a small stream alongside a tiny bridge made of rocks ingrained into the ground.

"Just across this bridge.." Vincent began, carefully hopping onto the rocks and passing over to the other side of the stream, "..Is me and my friends' secret hiding spot!"

"Hiding spot?" Rory asked, more so to himself. Vincent never told him he had a.. Hiding spot. What was he even hiding from?

Vincent gestured for Rory to go across the stream with him. "Don't worry! You'll be fine, my friends and I did this a thousand times!"

..And.. Why did he need to do this a thousand times?

Whatever, it's probably nothing for Rory to wrap his head around. He had to catch up with his friend! He carefully stepped over the rocks and crossed the stream with ease.

"See? That wasn't so hard, right?" Vince asked.

"Yeah.. I guess it was!" Rory lightened up, "Now.. Where exactly do we go again? Or is this the spot?"

"Oh, nonono, we go even further down this dirt path here.." Vince pointed to the trail before the duo.

The two of them strolled down the dirt road, most of the walk being quiet. But that changed when Vincent initiated the chat again.

"..Do you ever feel.. Scared that someone will tell on you? Like.. Even when you didn't do anything wrong? And that feeling just comes up for no reason?" He asked.

"Mhm," Rory answered. "Every time I get into a fight with a classmate, I'm scared that they're gonna tell my mom about.. Y'know."

Vincent lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned in closer to Rory so no one would hear as he replied, "Like.. About your gender?"

Rory merely nodded. He felt uneasy talking about his gender in public. Even if he knew that his mother was back at home, and the tapping of the rain hitting everything would be enough to mute him, he still felt like his mom was behind a tree, or a bush, listening in closely. Watching his every move.

Vincent was the only one who knew about Rory's home life. While he didn't actually enter the other boy's house, just from what Rory implied gave him all the answers. Vince just wanted to take Rory, scoop him up into his arms, and just run away into this secret hiding spot with him. Where they'd make their own new home together, one that was much safer and more loving than any home Rory had ever been in.

Ironically, this inspired Vince himself to open up as well. Albeit he didn't quite understand everything about his situation yet, he could sense that the reason why he and his 'friends' had to flee here all the time.

"I think.." Vince began, "One time, when we came here.. I heard my parents talk about these knights..?"

Vincent fidgeted with his fingers. "But I don't get it," He continued. "Why do those knights wanna get us? Do they hate us that bad?"

Rory sighed. Being the more mature of the two, he knew exactly why. "Those knights, they don't just hate people like you. It's even more than just hate. Something a lot worse." He explained, without revealing too much about those soldiers' true intentions.

The soldiers were sent by the old queen of the late Mystica, Grace Improbus, to exterminate everyone that came from 'The Unspoken City', from what Rory was told by the adults around him, a place where dangerous creatures & infamous criminals ran amok. Grace, ever paranoid about the loyalty of those around her, ordered an army of soldiers to hunt down everyone who traveled outside of that city, especially her home kingdom.

As such, those outsiders would be forced to evacuate and hide in this little area, hidden deep in the forest. Nobody was spared from the attacks, not even the smallest of children. The outsiders would flee so often that it felt like an everyday chore. No wonder why Vincent didn't understand.

"..Hey, look! There it is!" Vince cheered up and pointed in front of him, where both boys saw a tiny pond with a large rock just beside it.

Vincent scurried over to the rock and climbed up on it, sitting comfortably at the top. He looked back at Rory, patting his hand on a spot just to his right, offering part of the top.

Rory smiled and ran up to the rock, trying to climb up as well. However, the rain made it very slippery, and his grip loosened, causing the boy to fall into the pond.

"AAAH-" Rory's shriek was cut off by a loud splash as he plunged into the water.

"Rory?! RORY!" Vincent wasted no time in getting off the rock and diving in and grabbing onto Rory's arm, which was deeply submerged in the pond.

The duo got out safely, with Rory having to spit out a bit of water after climbing out of there. Good thing Vince saved him- Rory could have drowned very quickly if it wasn't for him.

Speaking of Rory, the boy wrapped his arms around Vincent tightly, crying out of a mix of fear and happiness. "Y-You.." He choked out his words, "I- Th-Thank.. You.."

Vincent hugged the other boy back, feeling his eyes water as well. He couldn't really say *why,* he just started to cry as well.

After a moment, Vincent wiped his eyes and led Rory back to the rock, but didn't try to climb up this time.

"I was gonna show you what it was like to be up there," He explained. "How you'd feel like the king of the world!"

Rory felt an unexplainable warmth when Vince referred to him as the 'King' of the world.

"But we don't need to go up a rock to prove that," Vincent hugged him again. "I have a king right here!"

Chapter Text

Day #7: First Kiss 💕

Pairing Chosen: Michlotte (Micheal x Charlotte)

...

..Resurgence.

Have you ever heard of it?

In the heat of battle, when Micheal was knocked down so badly that he lost all strength to get back up again, he could merely watch as the rest of the party fought on for him, slipping in and out of consciousness.

The tank felt guilty. He usually had the courage to remain standing tall, even after taking a nearly fatal blow. But this time, he couldn't. He lost all motivation to do so.

He needed to fight back against those monsters. For his friends, and for Charlotte. But he felt nothing. He felt exhausted. For now, he'll just wait in silence, hoping that somehow someone will magically heal him. Though in reality, he didn't really want that. Micheal didn't want to get up. Why should he, anyway?

So.. He just waits.

And waits..

..And waits..

..And waits.

How long has it been? Only two minutes have probably passed, but it felt like hours. It was getting harder for him to open his eyes. The world was starting to spin, even if he wasn't moving. His vision blurred, blinding everything into obscurity. Someone should probably heal him now, right?

Wrong. In a way, the dizziness he was experiencing just felt right. He was burned out from his mind being constantly flooded by ideas upon ideas upon ideas. It was about time he rested.

Yet it seemed his absence only made everything around him worse. He watched helplessly as his allies fell, hitting the ground alongside him. The only one left standing being..

Charlotte. His love.

Or.. Was she? Micheal had a very obvious crush on her, but he couldn't tell if she felt the same way.. Whatever. Now's not the time.

Even if Micheal was on the verge of passing out, he could hear one thing through the ringing in his ears. It sounded like.. Sobbing. Was Charlotte crying? If she was, then who could blame her? She just lost everyone in battle. She can't revive anyone. So what else can she really do?

Charlotte's vengeance wasn't something one would see very often. Normally, she was a shy yet considerate girl, known for her delicate soul and generosity. She forgave others very easily, almost concerningly so. Her kindness was something that Micheal quickly fell deeply in love with.

So seeing her snap and finally stand up for herself feels simultaneously like a breath of fresh air, and like a jab at the heart. The tank was glad she was able to speak her truth, but now? Micheal didn't know what to think.

But.. How, though?

How did it take so long to break her?

How did this not happen before?

How was she so able to suppress these emotions? If she even could?

Just.. How?

But as she grows stronger, the enemy does as well. But Micheal remains faithful that she'll win.

He's heard of stories like these before. He's seen people like Rory manage to get rid of a group of monsters all on their own, right? Surely, Charlotte would-

..Thud.

Micheal could see the princess collapse in front of him.

Have they all.. Lost?

...

..No.

This isn't over. Not yet.

He won't let it happen.

The tank felt an unexplainable surge pass through him, and his eyes shot open. It was like his body moved for him. An overwhelming boost of energy, and suddenly he was back on his feet.

All he knew was that he needed to fight on for her.

But how Micheal managed to actually defeat the remaining monsters was something that he didn't even understand himself. But he did it. He won. For the party.

When everything was over, he just sat there, and waited for everyone to get up.

And, ironically, the first person to get their strength back was Charlotte. Probably because she fell last.

"..M..Mike..?"

"Charlotte!" Micheal rushed over to her and held her in his arms, careful to not hurt her. "Charlotte, a-are you okay?"

"Yes," She quickly regained her ability to speak. "Um.. Thank you, Micheal.."

Micheal blushed. "I-It was nothing.." He stuttered out his words.

Charlotte responded with a weak smile before holding onto his hand. In a brief moment of bravery, she wrapped her arms around Micheal's neck and kissed him.. Wait, what?

She.. She kissed him. Right then and there.

What did this mean? Did she like him? Does this mean they're a thing now or something??

Thankfully, Charlotte gave an answer after she let go.

"..I love you," She muttered.

...

..Well, that just happened. Micheal, anxious as he was in that moment, just nodded. Stupid, stupid, stupid, who the hell NODS when someone admits their love to them??

The fight ended as you'd expect- Everyone else gets up, takes a moment to recover, and then continues travelling, like always.

However, Micheal and Charlotte stayed behind on purpose. Just for an excuse to (Awkwardly, yet also kind of happily) hold hands. Lucky for them, the inn was just around the corner.

"There it is!" Charlotte exclaimed as she led everyone inside.

Micheal just smiled. He had never seen her so excited.

Suppose resurgence does a lot of things for you, huh?