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Mia’s head is pounding. The cold, humid wall feels like human world concrete, especially when being slammed against it. It's the second time she's been unceremoniously thrown around today, and probably not the last. She has bigger issues at hand though, and she knows she'll be lucky if the worst thing that happens is being roughed up.
Gargona grabs her arms, bending them further behind her back than is necessary for her own amusement. The snake coils around her wrists, and as soon as she lets go of one arm Mia turns around as much as she can. It's useless in the grand scheme of things, but she feels better not having her back turned to the dark elf.
“Aww, what's the matter? In over your head?” Gargona keeps glancing at her wrist, not quite believing how lucky she is today. Mia shifts uncomfortably, the snake holding her arms straight behind her back and making her feel like she’s one wrong move away from her shoulder popping out.
“Maybe you should avoid water-related idioms.” Mia tries to be a smartass, but she's feeling too vulnerable for it not to sound slightly shaky, having had her bracelet snatched a couple minutes ago. She didn’t expect most of the uneasiness to come from the idea her parents’ last-ditch effort to guide her is not in her possession anymore. She tries to banish the thought. If she starts crying for her mother she might stumble enough to join her.
Gargona picks up the small tremble in her voice. She doesn't know how or why she had that magic in her possession, the elves are quite crafty after all. What's important is that it's gone. That this annoying pink pest is suddenly faltering because she took it away, and with that, the reassurance she always has a way out. She glances at the cornered girl with a growing smile. “You look smaller than the day I first saw you, it's almost making me nostalgic.”
She does feel near helpless, like she did at that moment, but Mia forces her head up. “That's what you miss? Not the part where you had a rank, an army, where you mattered?” One she took from her, though she’s not going to reveal the specifics. She certainly doesn't need Gargona to know just how much of Panthea's downfall, and any subsequent defeats, was her doing.
Gargona stops smirking, her hand shooting out towards her throat and pausing a few inches away. Another snake hisses warningly, slithering around Gargona’s hand before inspecting the elf’s neck. Mia predictably stiffens, she's defiant, but not nearly stupid enough to try and fight her off. Gargona lets the creature wander for a moment, coming close to her jugular while she gives the girl a pointed look.
After it's clear she's gotten the message not to push the topic, or her scarce luck, Gargona recalls the snake. She puts a hand on her shoulder, leaning forward to talk to her eye to eye. “Luckily, you get to answer for that now, along with every other problem your little friends caused me. Isn't that fun?”
“I have nothing to answer for; we did nothing wrong and you know that.” Mia snarls, not to avoid her anger but because the idea they are guilty of self-defense is wild to her. Almost as wild as considering their constant attacks a political matter and not senseless cruelty.
“You're weak. Elves should be exterminated. It's not my fault you're being difficult about the inevitable.” Gargona’s statement makes her blood run cold. She expected vitriol, but she'd foolishly hoped there was a reason for it. One that could be explained and then steered away from blind hatred, but what can she say against someone who sees their very existence as a personal offense? The dark elf tuts at her condescendingly. “Oh, Mia...”
That makes her eyes snap up to Gargona's again with even more distrust. She can probably count on one hand the times she’s said her name instead of finding nicknames and insults like she's undeserving of one. Gargona's hand tightens on her shoulder, her face mockingly gentle. “Don't be so naive, you know it's only a matter of time before you're crushed under Lord Drakon's foot.”
Gargona can see it in her face, she knows she can't argue against some of that logic. Of course, Mia knows this will be hard to win. This might not be over even if they get Drakon off their backs this time. Not when they're only ever playing defense and Dystopia never takes any of the damage. For Gargona, seeing her eyes dart, out of her element and lacking a sharp retort, is wonderful.
Despite this, Mia’s expression doesn't crumble, she doesn't let it. Gargona might think she's winning, but only because she's utterly ignorant. She has the oracles, and Yuko and Mo have all the heart crystals. That's why she's in this situation. She’ll cope as long as they live to see another day. “No, it’s not. You have me, you win the battle, but that's it. They're far away from you.”
“Maybe.” Gargona agrees with suspicious ease, at the end of the day she doesn't need to physically hurt them right now. “But you're more than enough to get our point across.” Her long, polished nail comes dangerously close to her eye, before tapping her nose. “After all, your boy king and his guard love you almost as pathetically as you love them.”
She lowers her voice conspiratorially, like she's talking to a child… which she kind of is. “Poor Mo, he must be suffering, watching me strangle his island. Can you imagine what he'll do when he finds out you're dead because he led you here? Hm, maybe Yuko will feel worse, being the very best and knowing she still wasn't good enough to save you. Aren't you going to miss them terribly when you’re gone?”
Oh, that's not fair, and Gargona loves it. The statement does seem to hit Mia right where it hurts. Of course it does, she's so desperate when it comes to protecting them Gargona almost feels sorry for her. Before she can keep taunting her a few of the bug men appear, hauling what looks like an oversized bird cage.
“Excellent.” Gargona smirks, pulling the girl by her arm and shoving her into the cage, the cramped space only allowing her to kneel uncomfortably. There's a sadistic spark in her eyes at her looks down at her through the spiraling bars, before gesturing for the bug men to drag the cage back out to see Lord Drakon's illusion. “Come on, firefly. Everyone wants to chat with you.”
“Are you sure you're ok?” Mo glances down at her, hovering around the girls. They didn't stop flying until they reached the safety of the palace. Safety is a strong word, nowhere is safe these days, but they’re used to the fact it’s a relative concept. Mia's sitting with Yuko, Sara's slumped beside them on a cushion, not as used to running for her life like they do on a daily basis.
“They didn't hurt me.” While their standards for ‘hurt’ are grave, considering their jobs, he can tell she's not fine. For one, her head is practically snuggling into Yuko's shoulder. Mia doesn't get tired easily, and while she's not averse to touch by any means she rarely gets clingy, even with Yuko.
Mo crouches down at the girl’s level. His hand rests on her arm comfortingly while Yuko moves a few hairs away from her face. “You're pale. Didn't they feed you?”
Mia sends him a look. Considering their mortal enemies' morals, it's an obvious no. He still needed to ask though; the fact they starved her shows she wouldn't have had the odds in her favor if she'd stayed there any longer. Yuko sends him a worried look, clearly thinking something similar but trying not to dwell on it. Onchao used his horn to heal the scratches and soon-to-be bruises on her as soon as they met up, but the unicorn's magic can't replace actual sustenance for long.
“Xolana!” Mo calls out to the girl, having seen her around the palace when they flew in. Sure enough, her blue pigtails appear by the doorway in seconds. Her face falls when she sees Mia looking like her body lacks just about everything it needs to function.
Mo knows she’s worried about her, but right now he needs Xolana to move quickly, so he gestures sharply in the direction of the palace kitchens and she runs out again. Sara is still clutching her hand, not knowing what to say and choosing not to overwhelm her. She hates being bombarded with worried questions when she's hurt, Mia knows that, so she shows the same consideration.
Xolana appears at the door again at record speed, having grabbed just about as much water and sweets as she could carry and handing them over to Yuko and Mo. She glances at Mia again but tries not to act distressed. There are a few younger elves poking their heads by the door. Of course, the worry comes from empathy, but that doesn't discount the fact she needs to be alright to protect them and bring the oracles. Xolana spots them, turning around and leaving in their direction. She can still be heard quietly reassuring the kids that Mia is only a little under the weather as she closes the door, but the friends block out the echoing noise.
Mia’s eyes widen as soon as she can see and smell the food. Despite this, her body is more desperate for something to drink, so she all but snatches the glass from Yuko’s hands and starts to down it. Mo has to pull the glass away for a beat, so she won't pour it over herself or cough half of it out. “Easy... Hey, Mia, listen to me. It's not going anywhere but you'll hurt your stomach.”
“Onchao.” Mia points out as she bites down on a treebark truffle, all but inhaling it before reaching for something else while she’s still chewing. He knows what she means to say is that Onchao will simply heal her if she gets a stomachache. Her manners aren’t exactly spotless right now, and if she didn’t look so relieved to eat he’d be joking about his mother telling her off. Probably not a clever comment anyhow, considering that if his parents were here and the situation wasn’t dire, Mia could still do no wrong in their eyes.
Everyone smiles at that, even Sara, who doesn't know the unicorn well but has heard story after story involving him. They can't argue with the point, as is usually the case when the witty elf sets her mind on something. Yuko runs her hand over her back. “There's our girl, you’re right, as always. Eat as much as you need, we need to see some color on your face again.”
Mia munches on the food for a bit, before glancing at Sara, who is making a valiant effort not to show she's reeling after living her first adventure here. Saving her, no less. “I'm alright, everything's fine. You need to eat something too; you're not used to all the excitement.”
Sara huffs, not knowing whether to hug her or smack her upside the head for choosing to fret over her right now, but still accepts the muffin she places on her hand. Mia makes it a point to choose it because she'd told her about those, and Mo regularly snatching them from the palace kitchens. It's a foreign world, so she tries her best to make it feel familiar with her anecdotes. Sara grips it so hard she crushes it a little. “Mia, are you sure you're fine? I mean, I felt snakes all over you. That's-”
“Normal enough around here.” Mia reminds her fondly, reaching to grab one of her hands again so she can squeeze it for support rather than murder the sweet treat. “And I'm okay now, thanks to you.” There is an insane amount of pride in her voice. Despite Sara notably not enjoying new anywheres she still came here and became the reason she's even alive right now.
Sara smiles, bashful but mostly utterly relieved. Mia stressed the dangers of this world, and despite knowing them well she still got into a very precarious situation. It's a scary thought, and they're lucky everything turned out well. Mo frowns at the floor, his mind running through the logistics to avoid anything remotely similar happening again. “What happened? Not how you're doing now. What did they do?”
If she didn't know better, didn't trust him wholeheartedly, his tone would make her straighten up. He's not angry at her, that much is obvious, but it's clear he's not going to believe they simply ‘didn’t hurt her.’
“...they... They weren't going to be nice, Mo.” She starts trying to minimize it, because cruel people will simply behave cruelly. He doesn't want her to bury anything to protect his feelings when nothing happened to him. He needs to know some of it, so his mind won’t wander to grim scenarios.
“What did they do?” Mo repeats, kind but still inflexible. If she were feeling up to it, she'd tease him about the royal tone when he starts to boss people around. She squeezes the other girls' hands for support. She's with her friends, and as much as Mo’s being insistent this isn't an interrogation. Not a similar one to what she just went through.
Mia thinks for a moment but ultimately yields, closing her eyes for a second or two before looking at him again, wanting to get through it like it's a list of ingredients. “They threw me around and their ragdoll-looking boss didn't like me, so he told them not to let me eat, or sleep. Dax and Gargona were just being annoying about wanting to know stuff.”
Annoying is not the most accurate way to describe how they, in between interrogating questions, taunted her with painfully elaborate hypotheticals about just how her friends would fare. The logic being that they should inform her of the several ways they could meet their demise since she might not 'get' to witness it herself. She shakes those memories away, getting the feeling she'll have to keep beating them with a stick every time they show up in the back of her mind. For the rest of her life. She'll probably not enjoy people playfully startling her the same way after they'd hit the cage to jostle her awake when she looked too tired, either.
“Didn't like you.” Mo repeats as a statement rather than a question, even if he wants her to elaborate. Lord Drakon does not actually know them like his minions do, so him 'disliking' Mia does raise several other questions as to how much they know about them.
“He offered me a job. We didn’t see eye to eye.” Mia states plainly. Yuko scoffs at the autocrat's audacity. To think she would even say a word against the royal family or the elves as a whole, least of all betray them, is ridiculous. Mia would certainly refuse it in every way imaginable… which explains this outcome perfectly.
“Did he...?” Sara asks, even whilst unfamiliar with the villains, she can tell their plans weren't to keep Mia alive indefinitely.
“Yeah, he got tired of my antics pretty quick.” Mia tries to bring in some much-needed levity, she can be nothing short of a headache when she wants to be. It does seem to momentarily amuse her friends. Momentarily. She won’t bring up how she was a hellion because inconveniencing their enemies was the only thing she could do to keep helping them. She looks up to the ceiling and then glances down again, making her mind up about another part of the story. “I don't want to talk about the how.”
How they'd openly discussed how sharp their axe was or how long it'd take to squeeze her airways until they glanced at the bright green pit and settled on it. Then there’s the matter of them deciding to keep her alive for their boss to probably rip apart himself if they got Onchao, a fate she doesn’t want to imagine. She could give them a rundown. She survived going through it and will handle the consequences it has on her, but she knows seeing the look on their faces if she parroted back everything they said would crush her. She’s simply not ready to put it out there for the people she loves to be hurt by it when she doesn’t even know how to feel.
Mo looks conflicted, just as Yuko does. Sara extends more grace to Mia in the 'talking things out’ department. They know not to dig too deep into each other's wounds when the other one says no. “You don't have to.”
Her tone is firm enough Yuko and Mo nod along, forgoing the idea of pushing for details. They'll respect the fact that, even if they desperately want to know more, Mia is only a fan of emotional conversations when she's the support and not the one opening up.
Mia's relieved at the silence, nodding along as if approving the fact they won't push. She takes a moment to swallow back down the justification she'd been preparing just in case. Her voice is a mix of emotions, but thankfully relief seems to be the dominant one. “And I really don't want to see that guy's face again.” Or hear his voice, or feel the suffocating, acidic smell of that place.
Yuko and Mo chuckle ruefully, sharing the sentiment. They all process the information for a couple minutes, then Mo clears his throat, looking at Mia directly. “Can we talk?”
There's a moment where the other two girls silently question why. The fact Mo's asking Mia for a moment is enough for them to get the hint it's a private conversation, though. Yuko squeezes Mia before getting up and extending her hand to Sara. She searches around for a second, grabbing Yuko's wrist and then sliding her hand into hers. They start to walk out, Yuko talking to distract her from the situation with some Centopian fact or another. Mia can feel her heart swell at the sight of the similarly fiery girls getting along so well. No matter what happened, they're ok.
Mo sighs, rather than sit beside her in the now empty space he kneels to keep talking in front of her. To apologize. He grabs her forearms gently. “I'm so sorry, Mia.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Mia corrects immediately, and he chuckles humorlessly, having expected her devoted response. He sees things differently though, especially as the current king.
“No, I do. I should've imagined that could happen instead of not even checking to see if you'd be okay, it's my job to protect you too.” Yes, they were all blindsided by Gargona having figured out the bracelet schtick wasn't a one-time trick from years ago, but he was in charge. He should've thought of the possibility. Sounded the alarm that it could go wrong before she even did anything.
Mia's expression softens, her heart breaking at seeing him reject the comfort he's looking for unless she somehow blames him first. “Mo, it's no different than any other mission any of us has gone into. I knew what I was getting into, there's no way I'd blame you for it.”
“Mia, you almost...” Mo tries to make sense of it, the situation feeling worse than their usual danger due to the fact they, he, allowed her to get herself caught.
“We all know the risks. I'm going to die somehow at some point and I would've been glad to do it for you.” Mia interrupts, her voice a little thick when she reminds him of the fact. Maybe this is a responsibility issue. One his new and hopefully temporary title is causing, so she tries to not sound like she's swearing loyalty to a monarch. “You'd do the same for us.”
He has the decency to look ashamed at the hypocrisy. He would undoubtedly go through anything for her and Yuko. Yuko would for them as well. It's just the way it is. He still dislikes thinking about either of the girls being hurt just because they'd do it willingly.
His mouth is a little dry, a thousand emotions flashing on his face. He almost sent his dear friend into her early death. His confidant, something those tyrants tried to take advantage of by turning Mia into nothing more than a source of information to drain dry and dispose of. He won’t ask if she said anything, he wouldn’t be upset if she’d had a moment of weakness, but he knows she didn’t. She would simply never talk. He can’t help but question whether trusting her, knowing her loyalty is absolute, means he’s been condemning her to this. Predetermined to ignore self-preservation for the kingdom’s sake no matter what it costs her.
Mia takes one glance at him and lifts her arms, making a soft grabbing motion with her hands. They have grown a little less physically affectionate than they once were, it just happened over time. She hugged Sara and Yuko already, though, and now is probably a good time for one of their uncommon cuddles.
He smiles, weary and tired. She's doing this to cheer him up, but he knows she also desperately needs a hundred hugs and then some to soothe the new bad memories. He squeezes her tightly, the soothing, calculated pressure making her relax immediately. His hand rubs her shoulder blades, taking a moment to remind himself she’s right here. “You were so, so brave. And you didn’t deserve any of it.”
After being told the opposite several times, the statement feels very bittersweet. She has this idea that she could’ve saved herself some trouble if she’d been smarter. She tells herself he’s the one telling the truth, it’s his word against Gargona’s, and therefore she believes him. Not behaving like an angel with the man attempting to conquer Centopia doesn’t make his cruelty her fault. Or Mo’s. She wasn’t asking to die.
“It's really not your fault either.” Mia whispers against his shoulder just to drive the point home. He’ll never truly believe that, just as she might not feel like this is completely behind her. It saddens him, that she's suffered enough heartache and she still comes by willingly to suffer more for their sake. He's rational enough to know it's, in theory, Drakon's fault. That they can only react and make the best of their situation. That doesn’t make him feel better in the present.
He runs a hand over her head, smoothing out her pigtails. He can't help but think they suited her coltish innocence from a couple years ago more than they do now. Then again, he and Yuko aren't faring better in the whimsy department. He presses a kiss to the side of her head and squeezes her a while longer until they finally let go.
“Want to call the others and drop the crystal off?” They still haven't seen how the heart crystals will react once they're fully reunited. She's curious about the reaction the magic will have, and it's a good, hopeful distraction to keep going. He nods, helping her up and shouting in the direction the girls left in. “Guys, come on, let's go check on the heart crystal!”
When Mia and Sara leave, he goes through another round of reassurances with Yuko. She's obviously affected by almost losing her best friend, but she's thankfully not suffering the same amount of guilt he is. Or, at least, not the same kind of it. She looks pained, but she didn't have the same burden to protect her as if they'd been on a battlefield. Not the responsibility he has to be the last word about everything that happens around here.
He visits his parents' comatose bodies like he usually does before going to bed. They look peaceful, if he ignores the ugly bruise-like marks on their hands, courtesy of the night vine. Mo tells them everything, for once just slightly grateful they can't share their own opinions. They love the girls, and he's not sure how they'd react to what he'd allowed Mia to do to get them back. He knows they wouldn't have liked the idea, even if Mia had begged them to let her risk her neck for the crystal. Then again, he wouldn't have been as desperate to get the last piece if they hadn't been the first to fall victim to the poison.
They would've known what to do, how to act before there was a need to sacrifice anyone. That's why they were the king and queen, why they're the parents. He's only stumbling around in his father's shoes by comparison. Mia and Yuko tell him regularly how proud his father would be, but as he clutches his mother's hand, he can only imagine how disappointed he'd look. King Raynor wouldn't have risked one of his key players, and if he were ever willing to do that it would never be her. It'd be out of the question.
She's not a tool, not to any of them, but if they lost her they probably wouldn't be able to protect Centopia. He can add that to his guilt, the fact he could've also doomed the rest of the island. The strange mix of personal and political in their friendship had never bothered him before. That it started as a 'work' thing to help them and they happened to get attached quickly, just like she did. The questionable act of using someone who’s become part of his family as his line of defense definitely eats at him now. She barely has anything but them, it’s not fair to let her bear so much when she’s practically incapable of saying no. All for him to avoid going through the same loss she did.
This part of the palace is empty right now, no one can see him, so Mo grabs a pillow and lays down by the foot of their bed. He knows he should probably let it go, tomorrow will bring its own set of problems. Dragging today's moral conundrums into the next day and the next is going to pile them all up. He can't afford to lose efficiency because of his emotions, not when so many people depend on him to function.
For all her blatant efforts to distract him, Mia did manage to make him remember something: The heart crystal is complete, only needing to be assembled. He didn't get to celebrate that much, but the idea that this nightmare is on its last leg and he'll get his family, Centopia as he knew it, back soon is comforting. With that thought the fatigue sets in, his eyes staying shut longer and longer every time he blinks. He only has to cope for one more day, something he's repeated in his head countless times to keep looking forward. It's almost over. He just has to hold on one more day. Just one more. His crisis over being the worst friend and king he could possibly be can wait until everything’s stable again.
His sleep isn’t all that restful, and he wakes up before dawn so no one will find him acting like a toddler. He gets dressed in the same monotone routine and only pauses to glance at the thrones before heading out to find Yuko. It’s easier to avoid people questioning why he doesn’t sit in his father’s place if he’s helping around in the crater, far away from it.