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Azure had run off into the forest giggling about three hours ago. No one had gone after him.
Which…would normally be a cause for concern, most likely, but not for him! He had done this dozens of times, ever since he really could be running off into the forest. He’d learned that he was never really chased after, and when he returned back to the village, it was always a drastic “oh, of course!”
After all, Spawn would never let one of His children fall into danger in His woods, right?
He adjusted his hat, plucking out twigs and leaves as he continued onwards, squinting through the shadow on his face to stare at every piece of foliage he could, running through information he had in his head about what kinds of plants they were. He had already established himself as the village’s main gardener, and so he knew he needed to have everything memorized. He didn’t want to disappoint Amarah, after all!
At one point he took a step and broke a stick he didn’t realize was there.
And then, something squeaked. Squeaked and promptly went tumbling to the floor. Azure turned to face the noise, staring at a pale person on the ground in oversized robes. Newcomer robes, he observed, so it made sense as to why he hadn’t seen them before. He squinted as he stared, trying to recall news of more people joining the commune, and he thought he recalled two people and their young [ ] joining. Ah. This must be [ ].
“DON’T HURT ME!” [ ] shrieked, covering [ ] face with [ ] arms, “I’M SORRY I DIDN’T KNOW THESE WOODS WERE OCCUPIED–”
Azure blinked. And then promptly realized he was coated in shadows and probably still had twigs and leaves all over him. Oops.
“H-Hey!” he quickly stepped out of the shadows, hands up, “I’m not going to hurt you! I didn’t mean to startle you, sorry!”
He held out a hand to [ ] to help [ ] up, staring as [ ] blinked at him for a few solid moments before taking his hand and shakily pulling [ ] to [ ] feet.
“I…apologize for the outburst,” [ ] quickly dusted off [ ] robes, “I’m…still getting used to…modifications.”
Azure blinked, noticing that the sides of [ ] head were bandaged. Ah. Removed head-wings. And of course [ ] also had to deal with the new tail.
“They kept me inside for a bit longer than they usually keep others, apparently,” [ ] explained further, “Worried about me, I suppose. Something about me being sickly and not reacting well to…everything.”
Azure hummed sympathetically, but then firmly nodded, “Well, you don’t have to worry about being sickly anymore! After all, Spawn will certainly heal you!”
There was a flash of momentary doubt across [ ] face before [ ] hummed back, “If He does, I suppose I owe everything to Him, don’t I?” [ ] gave a little laugh.
“Oh!” Azure practically trilled, “Now that you’re out and about, we should get to know each other! I’m Azure!”
“I’m…” [ ] paused, gritting [ ] teeth and glancing away somewhat, “Well I don’t know if that’s…if I’m…I have a name, but it’s not really…mine?”
Azure stared at [ ] for a few moments before everything started to really slot into place. The robes that covered a bit more than most, the choppy clearly self-cut hair, the hesitance to share [ ] name–their name.
“That’s alright!” Azure smiled at them, “Spawn loves all His children, regardless of whatever silly words they use for themselves!”
They blinked for a minute before smiling right back, laughing, “Well how can He know to love me if I don’t have a name for myself?”
“Then we’ll just have to give you a name!” he nodded at them, reaching down to quickly pick up the basket they had dropped when they’d fallen, handing it back to them, “Tell me some more about yourself, and we’ll figure it out from there!”
“You don’t really have to do this for silly little me,” they looked away, moving their head like they would have hidden their face with a head-wing had they still had it, “but if you insist, I…”
They took a breath.
“My mama told me I was born too early, and that that made me tiny and sick, but she also said that my papa has some sick people on his side of the family, so I also probably got some of it from there. My teachers told me that sometimes that happens, but I never really learned how because I was always too sick to go to school.”
Azure listened intently, trying to figure out pieces of everything that could lead to a conclusion.
“And then I got…really sick just a bit ago,” they tugged at their hair, clearly a nervous habit of some kind, “I don’t remember a lot of it, which makes sense, because it was…really bad, and my mama says that sometimes when things are bad we just…forget, because that protects us.”
“So you’re saying that you nearly died, but you lived it, and now you’re here?” Azure questioned, watching them nod firmly in response, “So this is your second chance at life, even before you got here under His watchful eyes! That’s…really something special!”
“It is?” they questioned, tilting their head, “I just thought it was quite sad.”
“There’s nothing to be sad over about having two shots!” Azure grabbed their hands and spun around, knocking the basket out of their grasp again. It was fine, it was empty. “That means you’ll just understand His teachings two times over!”
He paused, stopping the spinning once he realized what he just said and the fact that he was spinning around an already off-balance person.
“TWO TIME!” he abruptly shouted, laughing, “That’s it!”
“Two Time?” they questioned, before they stared blankly for a minute, eventually dissolving into laughter, “Two Time! That works!”
“And if you find it doesn’t, we can just try again!” Azure assured, picking up and holding the basket again.
“Well,” Two Time dusted themself off, smiling, “I can’t see me getting rid of it. My first friend gave it to me, after all!”
“First friend?” Azure questioned, “We’re friends?”
“Of course!” Two Time trilled, “You helped me with something I’ve been struggling with for months, so we’re friends! As…long as that’s okay with you?”
“Yeah!” Azure nodded, “We’re friends!”
And with that, the two wandered off into the forest, Azure excitedly pointing out flowers and plants and animals, telling his new friend all about every inch of the forest he’d known ever since he could properly think about the world. He showed them exactly how pretty everything was, and exactly where the forest ceased to be under His protection and began to grow into the hold of the dangerous wild, where far too many scary things lurked. He assured them that he’d protect them if anything ever went wrong, but he was quite sure nothing would.
He was glad when they didn’t question him quickly moving past a clearing that he frequently saw in nightmares that he could never put a proper reasoning to why he disliked so much.
Instead, he led them to a large field of flowers, spreading his hands out.
“And this,” he trilled, “Is my flower field!”
He paused.
“Well…I guess it’s yours now too! Because we’re friends!”
Two Time stared around in wonder as the field was bathed in the orange light of the sunset, mouth agape in awe.
“I’ve never seen anything so pretty…”
“And now you’re welcome any time!” Azure confirmed, nodding, “So you can enjoy it over and over again as many times as you like!”
A voice in the distance caught his attention. Oh. He supposed it was late.
“AZURE!” the voice called, “ARE YOU HERE? HAVE YOU SEEN–”
“I’M OVER HERE, PROPHET AMARAH!” Azure called, “AND I FOUND THE NEWCOMER, DON’T WORRY!”
Amarah stepped out from the trees, as calm and collected as he always looked despite the fact that he had just been shouting.
“Ah,” he was clearly smiling through the head-wings that were covering his face as he approached the two, “Good, there you both are.”
“I was just showing them the forest!” Azure explained, “And–and I gave them a new name!”
“Oh?” Amarah hummed, very luckily seeming to immediately get the situation, “and what is your name now, dear child?”
Two Time peered out from where they’d partially hidden behind Azure, nervously humming, “T…Two Time?”
“Two Time!” Amarah trilled with a nod, “What a wonderful name! And it suits you quite well, doesn’t it?”
“Because the events of my life mean I’ll understand His teaching…two times over” Two Time squeaked out, “That’s what Azure said!”
“Well you’ve picked some quite good company, Two Time,” Amarah laughed, “Azure is possibly the most devoted of us all, perhaps even rivaling myself at times!”
Azure shied away at the compliment, hiding his face with his hat.
“Now you two,” Amarah turned back to face the direction of the village, “We should be heading back to the village. Dinner is almost ready, you know.”
Azure grabbed Two Time’s hand with a smile, leading them to follow after Amarah.
Azure was twelve when he and Two Time met.
He was fourteen when he realized he was in love with them, and they were in love with him the same.
He was sixteen when he was told in whispers what really happened to his parents and why that clearing in the forest haunted his nightmares.
And now he was twenty seven, standing in that flower field at night, holding a bouquet of flowers he had grown himself.
He had spent the last who knows how many years slowly but surely stealing money from Amarah. Amarah ensured that the village–the cult had their own form of currency, so anyone who fled would be broke when they escaped. But not Azure. He was smart. He was going to use the money to go from hotel room to hotel room, slowly working his way across Robloxia until he managed to make his way to the HQ, where he would tell them everything.
And at his side would be his beloved.
He stared down at the bouquet, smiling faintly at a silver ring that was hidden in the flowers. Tonight he would ask two very important questions. Both of which he desperately hoped he would hear a resounding yes to, even if the second question of leaving this place behind was terrifying.
But it would be alright. They would be together, and at the end of the day, they would eventually be safe. Him and his nightshade, facing the world together. It would be tough, but they’d make it, no matter what happened.
He had asked Two Time earlier in the day to meet him in their flower field, and Two Time’s eyes had widened with something implacable, but he didn’t think to question it. He had much more to focus on. So much to be excited for. He’d ask them the questions, and then they’d walk off hand-in-hand to where Azure had the money stashed, and then they’d be free. They could run off and start their new lives. Azure wanted to get a job as a botanist somewhere, using that phytokinesis he had recently decided to let himself start trying to hone again.
Speaking of phytokinesis.
The flowers around him let out a resounding whisper, something…tinged with fear. Uncertainty. He could understand their fear, knowing this would be the last night they’d see him. He hoped someone else would take care of them, or that they’d be alright on their own.
But then when he listened closer, he realized they weren’t whispering in fear for themselves. No, this was…fear for him.
He turned just in time to see Two Time step out from the trees, expression unreadable yet dark.
“Two Time!” he eagerly called, waving, “Hello, my Nightshade! I have some things to ask you!”
They didn’t speak as they stepped forwards.
“...Two Time?” he asked over the fearful whisper of the flowers that he knew the one he was speaking to couldn’t hear, lowering his hand, “Nightshade?”
His eyes caught the glint of silver metal on their belt.
Their dagger. The dagger they only ever took out of its place in their home for rituals.
Oh. He understood their look now.
He knew what was coming. The flowers whispered even louder in fear.
Yet, he couldn’t find it in himself to prepare to fight back. He couldn’t hurt them, no matter what.
He simply had to accept that he was too late.