Work Text:
Lay it on (it on, it on, it on)
Now that I can see (now that I can see)
Couldn't bare to talk (to talk, to talk, to talk)
Without the will to breathe (without the will to breathe)
Didn't hear the strength within your words
And what they mean
You were watching over me (watching over me)
A lone tree stood tall and strong upon a cliff’s edge, its massive branches reaching high into the bright blue sky with lichen gently swaying in the wind hung from its grand limbs, roots reaching deep within the earth to provide stability to this beautiful old specimen of a creaking willow.
The blonde mage knelt before it admired it in all its grandeur, his heart aching knowing exactly why this willow stood here which was at war with the peace that surrounding its resting place. Taking a deep breath he clutches his golden staff gilded in metallic vines and a beautiful lily atop, another inhale follows before Scott finally speaks.
“Hello Nom.” The words feel heavy as they leave his lips, even though it had been a century’s worth of time standing beside the willow it felt like everything with the Creaking King happened merely yesterday. Straightening up slowly ancient aches send pain ringing through his bones, feeling his age beside the grave of one of his first dearest friends. “I miss you.”
The same greeting he has given a hundred times over on his annual visit here still weighs on his soul, his fingers trembling as they reach forward to trace the engraved words upon the headstone slowly getting wrapped in the willow’s roots as it expands. Its hard to hold back tears thinking of his visits here where he would tell the tree of everything that had happened the past year up until the anniversary of his death, some visits were much more sorrowful than others as Scott’s circle of friends grew smaller due to the curse of them being mortal where his elven blood meant he would continue to bury friends as his lifetime surpassed theirs several times over.
Glancing over at the grave of Nom’s sister, a tear manages to escape and trail down his angular face, his memories bringing forth the day he attended her funeral to be buried directly beside her brother. Queen Katie had been beloved by so many people within the Kingdoms, both Blue and Red, and had lived a long and fulfilling life protecting those who called these lands home before natural causes granted her a peaceful end. She was one of the last of Scott’s youth remaining, her passing brought back a whole range of complicated feelings five years ago and he takes a moment to focus his magic into his hand to renew the bountiful bunches of plants atop where she rested.
Gripping his staff tight once again he balances his stance before the willow that stood tall above them, protecting the clearing as it always had in a perfect imitation of the one it grew from. Taking a few grounding breaths, Scott centers himself while he prepares to cast a spell he had been devising for moons.
“This reckless idea is for you, my knight.” Mumbling to himself as he smirks, flowers burst from the grass below and begin to crawl up his legs drawn to the magic he had begun to gather within himself.
Energy rushes through his body to the point he felt like he might explode, the wind picking up and whipping his blonde locks around as nature heeds his call to fill him up to the brim and then some with its primordial power. Struggling to contain it he releases one hand to reach forth and lay his hand against the trunk of the massive willow, searching deep for any signs the soul of his friend still resides within. Sweat beads upon his forehead as his desperation rises, unable to find any fibre of Knight Nominalgravy despite holding more power than he ever had until the faintest hint of hope flickers and shines deep within its core.
“There you are, I can always count on your stubbornness holding on.” Scott mumbles while his arms shake, forcing all the magic he had gathered deep into the willow in front of him to encourage Nom’s soul to reform from the scattered threads it had slowly become over the past century. “Come back to me Nom, your mage is missing his knight. I didn’t spend thousands of hours studying just for this to not work.”
He can’t help the sass that follows his pleading, remembering exactly how their banter always thrived best with an edge of sarcasm following each sharp word despite the wide grins on both their faces as they poked fun at each other.
Suddenly a twinge of evil intent awakens within the magic, Scott narrowing his gaze as he glares at the willow ahead of him. “I see you…”
It takes a lot of careful work to remove the Creaking King’s entanglements from his dearest knight but he eventually succeeds, ripping it out from the trunk to toss on the ground before him where he surrounds it in green nature magic to contain it for now as he works to rebuild the soul he intended to save. Once the taint is removed Nom’s pieces are easier to stitch into one whole soul once more, Scott praying his energy holds out as he carefully puts his friend back together before summoning nature once more to rebuild his body from the environment around him.
The massive grouping of various flowers surrounding the blonde mages feet weave together before him around something as he cradles the essence of his friend ever so close to his chest once it emerges from the trunk of the willow before him, reminding himself to keep one eye on where the emerald-green bubble containing evil hovers as he waits for nature to finish its work.
Nom’s soul is nearly blinding in its brightness, a whirling mass of gold mixed with the bright leaf-green of Scott’s magic held near Scott’s heart where he had always rested, the mage reminding himself to keep breathing steadily as his energy drains into what the mass of flowers had constructed. Once they retreat a perfect replica of his knight remained, clad in armour drawn from the metals of the earth below with his eyes closed, awaiting the precious thing Scott still held.
Not daring to think he had been successful yet, he nearly collapses as he kneels by Nom’s side, his staff clutched in his other hand the only reason he kept his balance while he checks over his work one final time. Finding nothing amiss, he prepares for the scariest part of this spell, fusing his soul back to the mortal form he coaxed from nature Herself.
You can hear the call (the call, the call, the call)
When trouble's on the way (when trouble's on the way)
Who said the beast was gone (was gone, was gone, was gone)
He was only just away (only just away)
Trying to find peace in always knowing
I was never really free
You were watching over me (watching over me)
Scott groans as his magic nearly runs dry, hurrying his movements as he reaches forth to press the manifestation of his knight into Nom’s chest directly above his heart before letting his hand rest there waiting for signs of life once more. His shoulders tense as his own heart pounds against his ribcage, praying with everything he has this wasn’t for naught as he wasn’t technically defying death. Nom’s own soul had been wrapped up with the Creaking King’s for so long in that willow the mage could only hope he would see this as freedom and not be disappointed, nor would there be any type of consequence from this spell as he was simply rescuing Nom from the fate he had fallen to.
“Come on, you stubborn bastard.” Scott pleads, moving his fingers up to press at the side of his neck waiting for any signs this worked. “I found a way to give you a second chance…come back to me please.”
The first pulse against his fingers Scott doesn’t quite believe…until its followed by a second…then a third.
A gasp of breath is what draws Scott’s gaze upwards to those same dark coffee eyes he watched disappear over a century ago, classic smirk across his handsome face as he meets the mage’s emerald stare. “How can I not when you ask me so nicely.”
“Oh Nom!” Scott lets himself collapse into Nom’s waiting arms, who groans but then chuckles.
“How in the hell…do I even want to ask?” He coughs out, holding the mage tight as he slowly sits up, easily taking Scott with him until he rests in his lap safely encircled within the strong arms he’d miss sheltering in for many, many years.
“It’s a long story.” Scott’s voice is wobbly with emotions, still coming to terms with the fact all those hours had lead to this success he tightens his grip until Nom lets out a pained noise. “Oh my goodness, sorry!”
“It’s okay, Christ you have grown stronger.” Bright with joy they meet each other’s eyes once more. “How in the hell did you do that?”
“Hours upon hours of studying, a hundred libraries scoured and so many inquires to all walks of people and species.” Scott laughs, hardly able to take his eyes of his knight, his heart at peace for the first time in so, so long. “And…well…a lot of determination.”
“How much time has passed?” Nom’s observant nature peeks through, hesitancy taking place of the joy while Scott feels his chest tighten thinking about the news he was now responsible to repeat.
“I will tell you but first may I ask how much you remember?”
“Standing here feeling the Creaking King’s influence wrap his claws deep within my organs before I became part of that tree and then nothing more…its all a blur.” They turn to the willow behind them, Scott clambering to his feet before helping Nom to his own, spotting the green bubble of magic he had forgotten about.
“One second.” Scott holds out his hand and summons it closer, Nom watching all with an astonished expression as the mage manipulates it until it hovers directly before him. “You’ve caused enough trouble, become one with nature once more and heal instead of spreading your malicious intent and tempting words.”
A soft gasp comes from his right as Scott raises his palm before sending it directly back into the willow he had just pried Nom’s soul from, walking forward until his hand rests against the tree for one last read of its energy, giving a tired smile when all is well in the ancient trunk he stands before. His legs give out as his magic runs dry, Nom barely catching him before gently lowering both of them to the ground once more to lean against the trunk with Scott carefully cradled under one arm.
“Alright, explain.” Nom demands, his voice leaving no room for excuses Scott reaches out to grasp the brunette’s hand, needing that grounding touch as he prepares to tell the story of a lifetime.
“Well…its been one hundred years since I lost you…”
The rest of the morning and the entire afternoon passes while the blonde mage explains between the knight’s frequent questions, reminding each other they are there when they mourn those time stole from them. It hits them both hard when Nom realizes whose gravestone rests beside him, Scott comforting him as he sheds tears over the sister who had forgiven him in the end and loved him in the many years since. Mae had died about twenty years ago from an unfortunate fall they both couldn’t help but find a bit of irony in while they shared the burden of sorrow, a beautiful and meaningful afternoon despite mourning those who had passed.
As the sun sets towards the horizon they had lapsed into silence about an hour ago simply enjoying each others company while Nom absorbed all the changes, Scott slowly gaining some strength as he sat beside his knight. Eventually he sighs, the mage getting to his feet using his staff before holding a hand out to help Nom up.
“Now, would you give me the pleasure of finally sailing with me? You promised me!” Scott playfully teases, Nom wiping his cheek one more time before he gets up using the mage’s hand.
“I did in fact say I would.” Pausing for just a moment to stare back at the tree that had housed him for a century, Nom’s face grows troubled while Scott reaches forward to take his hand again.
“We will be back, I always make a point to come back here on the day of your death…well…until I pried you from it I suppose.”
“That is something we didn’t discuss, is there any sort of drawbacks from raising the dead?”
“I mean…you weren’t actually dead you were fused with a tree, I stitched your soul back together after removing the Creaking King’s influence…”
“You say it like its a normal thing to occur.” Nom’s deadpan delivery makes Scott giggle causing the knight to crack up too, after a round of laughter he shakes his head. “I wasn’t kidding about you becoming stronger, both physically and with your magic. Its fucking impressive.”
Scott gives a small bow for dramatic effect also to hide his blush, straightening up once more Nom holds out his elbow for Scott to wrap his free arm through, both taking a few steps before Nom takes another look at Katie’s grave.
“I love you Katie—” Stopping mid sentence Nom locates a dagger before going to her monument, Scott following him over watching him carve the same sentence into the stone with repetitive slashes until its deep enough to read. Placing the same blade in front upon the bed of blooms, another tear falls as Scott places his hand upon his shoulder in a comforting manner. “I will see you in a year, promise.”
After a few more heartbeats they leave together towards where Scott’s vessel waited, planning to spend a night within the Blue Kingdom before they set sail at dawn. Neither were sure entirely where, Nom had expressed interest in tracking down 4CVIT which Scott agreed too happily having not seen the blue slime hybrid in a little while. Perhaps they could travel the ocean, maybe they would take up a quest, an entire mortal lifetime lay before them in the form of Nom receiving a second chance and it was a beautiful uncertainty to feel.
“Thank you Scott.”
“Always Nom, you know I have your back.”
“And I, yours.”
With the will to look to away
When I was falling down
Crawling in the dirt
Is it fair enough to say
That I needed you through the crazy pain
Of living here with all this hurt
And what I feel (what I feel)
All I touch and how I steal (how I steal)
The fantasy was far too real (far too real)
Oh, and I let it slip away (let it slip away)
Didn't hear the strength within your words
And what they mean
You were watching over me (watching over me)