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alphashley14 · 1 year

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One of Us

A Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated/Mystery Skulls Crossover

Chapter 17

Get in the Car

“Oh!” Ricky exclaimed, hardly able to suppress his surprise. “Your daughter? She uh…” Ricky looked down at the thing in the hole and tried to patch up his reaction. What’s the polite thing to say here?! “-She looks just like you.”

That is not the polite thing to say here, you idiot!

But Mystery just laughed as he gently re-buried the head. “Don’t fret, I can see why one may be confused. Shiomori wasn’t my child in the sense that most people would think. But I took another living thing, created her of my blood, and raised her as my own. What is a daughter if not that?” He explained, patting the soil firm again.

“Sorry for not being all whimsical and shit, but I’m going to need a better explanation than that,” Ricky said.

Again, Mystery laughed that fox-like laugh of his. “I should think so! Where to begin? Shiomori wasn’t a particular kind of Yokai per say. She was actually the product of an experiment of mine. I was trying to create an extremely dangerous yokai (at least to humans) called a Jubokko. But instead the result resembled a hodge-podge between a Jubokko, a Furutsubaki no rei, and a Kiyo. And I know you don’t know what those are so long story short, Jubokko and Furutsubaki are tree yokai and a Kiyo is the female equivalent of an Oni, which is a creature akin to goblins in western lore. Following along?”

“Not about the yokai stuff.”

“I can refer you to texts later. That information isn’t entirely important. Anyway - skipping to the end, Shiomori and I parted ways when I joined Mushi, and there was a lack of communication that led to… a lot of anger. I imagine Shio believed I had forsaken her. I ran from her for years, until she caught up with us. I tried to appease her, to stop the fight. But Vivi didn’t know about Shiomori, and she was attacking us. So she killed her.”

“That’s awful,” Ricky said, at a loss. “I’m sorry.”

“It does make me extremely sad, but I am not and cannot be angry with Vivi over it,” Mystery said, ears drooped. “She gave Shiomori the chance to live and leave, but she just kept coming. Vivi was protecting me and the fight came to be through my own doing. Really, the fault is all mine. So why should I forsake one daughter for the death of another?”

“You consider Vivi your daughter?”

“By all intents and purposes, they are my friends. But I can’t help but consider all of the Mystery Skulls, Vivi especially, to be my children in a way. I watch over them, protect them, had a hand in raising them, and their futures are ever on my mind.”

“So… if Shiomori is dead, then what’s with all…?” Ricky gestured to the planted tree and all of the adornments around it. “Is this her grave?”

“Not exactly. Death is not always as final to a Yokai as one may think,” Mystery replied. “Shiomori has easily regenerated from losing limbs, being cut in half, and even being beheaded. Vivi knocked out Shiomori’s weak point - her heart. But it wasn’t destroyed. So after the fact, we found where it landed and put it back inside her body. The energy’s weak, but it’s still there. She didn’t regenerate immediately, but she could still come back. I don’t believe she’s entirely gone. Rather, she’s in a sort of hibernation. The issue is that it could be decades before she’s strong enough to wake up again. So all of this is the least I can do to make up for what I did to her. I can’t change the past, but I can make better choices going forward. So until she wakes up, it’s my duty as her creator to keep her safe and to speed the process of her healing and awakening along as much as I can.”

Ricky made a face, and what he said next sort of just slipped out. “With what? Miracle-Gro?” WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?

But, completely serious, Mystery replied, “And my blood, yes.”

Ricky blinked at him. “Oh. Of course. I should have known.”

And again, Mystery just laughed.

They departed from the conservatory side by side - Mystery wanted to tell the whole story to everyone so he didn’t need to repeat himself. They found the others back in the lounge, where Vivi had made everyone tea and Scooby was finishing off a tray of rice crackers.

How that dog was fitting any more food into his body after that huge dinner was beyond Ricky. But then again, he’d read somewhere once that dogs didn’t have that part of their brains that told them when they were full, so maybe Scooby just ate whatever food he came across no matter how much he’d eaten. Then again, Ricky reeeally wasn’t one to judge in his position given that just the sight of the food was making his (or rather Shaggy’s) mouth water. Maybe he was missing that part of his brain too.

No but seriously, the kid had to have some kind of condition.

“Hey guys,” Vivi said, bringing the group’s attention to their arrival.

“So… everything good?” Fred asked.

Ricky looked over at Mystery, and they spared each other a smile. “Yeah, we’re good,” Ricky said.

“Where is Lewis? Has he already departed?” Mystery asked.

“Yeah, he said goodbye. You just missed him actually,” Daphne said.

“Hold on. I’m missing something. Where did Lewis go?” Ricky asked.

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As much as Lewis had been able to calm down over the course of the past few hours, his anxiety was flaring with a vengeance and he could feel his energy destabilizing once again as he drove the Mystery Skulls van through the backroads, bound for Destroido.

Had you asked Lewis when he was alive whether or not ghosts drove cars to get places, he would have laughed and said no. They have like, magical powers. Why would they drive? Now that he was a ghost however… long-distance teleportation takes a lot out of a ghoul, okay?!

But such thoughts weren’t exactly on his mind at the moment. Rather, he couldn’t stop thinking about what might be waiting for him at his destination.

Arthur got caught.

They hurt him.

What if Ricky and Shaggy lied?

Mind you, it wasn’t that Lewis doubted Arthur’s abilities nor that he mistrusted Ricky or Shaggy. It was just that Artie was so… So…

Selfless.

Small.

Fragile.

Strong.

Important.

Sweet.

Smart.

Loyal.

Caring.

Thoughtful.

Cute.

Lewis’ flames flickered at that last thought and he quickly shoved it out of his mind. Arthur? Cute? I mean sure his eyebrows are shaped like hearts and that front and center patch of brown hair sticks up like the antennae of a doodlebug. Okay, so Arthur was pretty cute. But not like that kind of cute.

… Right?

Lewis turned on the radio to reorient his thoughts, and the CD that he’d put in earlier today picked up where it left off.

“Baby youuu got me wrong… Let me siiing you my songs… Let me shooow you where I been… Let me teeeell you everything! Let me take you with meee~! Mmm-mmmh! Let me take you with me~! Let me take you with meeee~! I’ll take you some place far. If you get in the car… (Right now.)”

Fuck, it would be nice to be able to just toss Arthur in the car and go. But he couldn’t exactly do that. And what Lewis wanted right now didn’t matter anyway.

“Ooh, -Drivin’ down the highway with my baby! Ooh, windows down, music up, it makes me crazy! Ooh, driving faster than we ever been before! Has it. Ever felt this good? Ooh, driving down the highway with my baby! Ooh, windows down, music up, it makes me crazy! Ooh, driving faster than we ever been before! Has it. Ever felt this good?”

Whatever was waiting for him ahead, Lewis was going to be whatever Arthur damn well needed him to be. Whether that be a sword, a shield, an ally, a spy, or a friend.

“Baby, you got me so misunderstood. We're driving down the highway like I told you we would, Taking you places that I can't explain my actions, If you think I don't know, I gave you no satisfaction. I keep tellin' you-”

-And not just because Arthur was his best friend. Or because they’d known each other for as long as they could remember. Or because Arthur was there for Vivi and the Peppers when Lewis couldn’t be.

“Ooh, -Drivin’ down the highway with my baby! Ooh, windows down, music up, it makes me crazy! Ooh, driving faster than we ever been before. Has it. Ever felt this good?”

No. This was more than favors between friends. This was repentance.

“Ooh, -Drivin’ down the highway with my baby! Ooh, windows down, music up, it makes me crazy! Ooh, driving faster than we ever been before! Has it. Ever felt this good?"

Saving his life is the least you can do, you piece of shit. Because after he looked after your girlfriend and your family while dealing with losing a limb and going days without sleeping looking for you, what did you do?

You tried to kill him.

And you almost succeeded.

An image flashed through Lewis’ mind, of the shock and horror that had been in Arthur’s eyes the moment his best friend dropped him to what would have been his death.

Lewis shook that image away. Lewis may have been a ghost, but for three years he had been haunted by the what-ifs of what could have followed that moment.

He never wanted to see that look on Arthur’s face again.

Lewis would not let that happen.

“Baby youuu got me wrong. Let me siiing you my songs. Let me shooow you where I been. Let me teeell you everything!”

Lewis’ thoughts wandered to Mystery, and the story he was telling back home by now. God, he just hoped that conversation went well.

“Let me take you with meee! Mmm-mmmh! Let me take you with meeeee~! Let me take you with meeeeee-e~! I'll take you some place far. If you get in the car-”

Lewis turned the radio off.

Before long, the trees along the road turned black and decayed as the van entered Destroido’s polluted grounds. Lewis drove off-road and parked the car in the poisoned forest, parking as far away from the facility as possible while staying reasonably close. He used a bit of magic to cover the vehicle with mutated or decaying shrubbery and placed a glamour over it to make it unnoticeable, then drifted in the form of a pink mist through the anomalous forest until he reached the same hilltop he and the others had stood and argued upon only hours before.

Destroido Corp. was a truly dismal, ghastly place. Mystery didn’t like it, that was for certain. Being a Mori, every moment he spent in these woods rubbed his fur the wrong way. And using any of his related powers here felt like chugging battery acid with how polluted and mutated everything was. Though Lewis knew he hadn’t said anything about it because he didn’t want Ricky to feel bad.

It was hard to connect the Ricky Lewis had met today to the Mr. E who had put ruin such as this out into the world. Not that Lewis should really be surprised. He knew Ricky had done a lot of things he regretted. But he was trying to do better. So maybe after Arthur took everything back and they didn’t have a curse, a crazy parrot, or an evil eldritch deity to deal with, Ricky could do something about… this.

But, that would be Ricky’s choice to make and his mess to deal with. For now, Lewis’ place was at his friend’s side.

Come to think of it… Lewis didn’t know what adult-Ricky looked like. He’d seen pictures of the original Mystery Inc. as kids, he knew Ricky wore a striped shirt and a purple jacket with a red ‘E’ seal on it, and somebody had mentioned that Ricky had long hair. So he had that to go on.

Let’s see. If I was Arthur pretending to be Mr. E… where would I be?

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

“That’s right! Arthur wanted to talk to Lewis!” A whole new stab of guilt hit Ricky at the mention of Arthur. Ghosts, ice magic, and yokai had kept his mind so occupied that the guy living his Hell who was in the process of saving his life had somehow managed to evade his thoughts. “So that’s what Arthur meant by that,” Ricky said, pushing through. “But he couldn’t tell us at the time because- ahhh, I see. Wow. It’s going to be really easy for Lewis to get into Destroido. I most certainly never thought to ghost-proof the place. Nor would I know how. And I doubt Professor Pericles would either. So, Vivi? Any idea what Arthur may need him for?”

“Well obviously, Lewis is a lot more powerful and more intelligent than the Dead Beats - no offense, guys.”

The dozen or so Dead Beats who were hanging out around the room made noises and gestures of mock-indignation, pretending to be offended. Except for one, who stuck his tongue out and nodded in agreement. But his buddy next to him smacked him upside the head and he quickly joined in with the others’ protest. Ricky snorted.

“There are any number of reasons Arthur may need Lewis for something,” Vivi said thoughtfully. “It probably has something to do with his escape plan, but I can’t be sure. If there’s anything Arthur needs done that would take a bit more finesse than the Dead Beats’ capabilities, then he’d need Lewis. Whatever it is, Lew will tell us when he gets back or in the morning, depending on whether or not we’re asleep when he returns. I mean it is past eleven.”

“I just hope he’s okay,” Ricky sighed.

“Hey, don’t worry,” Vivi said with a forced smile. “Arthur’s a really capable guy. If he says he can do it, then he can do it!”

“But?”

“But what?”

“That did not sound very firm, Vivi. So where’s the but?”

Vivi sighed. “Arthur… makes bad choices when it comes to his own health and safety. He is really capable but… his self-preservation isn’t exactly great and he cares about other people too much more than his own life. I believe in him. Really, I do.” Then she cringed. “Buuuuut this is the guy who once speedballed two Red Bulls and his pain meds and then didn’t sleep for five days so-”

“Heeey! I believe I owed you guys one more story!” Mystery quickly and loudly butted in before Vivi could completely dash everyone’s faith in Arthur.

But Ricky didn’t let him. “Wait no- no. I’m sorry. He did WHAT?”

“What the hell was he thinking?!” Velma cried.

“Let’s just say he makes poor life choices and leave it at that,” Vivi said, realizing her slip-up.

But then something possessed Mystery to make it worse. “Vivi, he saw cracks in reality on the third day. We found him in the attic trying to speak to his past lives. I’d say ‘poor life choices’ is an understatement.”

“Oh my God I’m gonna die…” Ricky uttered with sheer horror.

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I’m going to kill him…

Deep within the labyrinth that was Destroido, Judy was silently seething. She snatched up another piece of equipment and furiously went about the process of taking it apart and putting it back together again. Checking their trapping gear was a regular activity she shared with Brad. A peaceful, habitual chore that they could do together, perfectly in sync.

Usually.

“Judy! You used the wrong screws in the Spangleheimmer 3,000! Do you have any idea how disastrously this could have made a trap fail?”

“At least I didn’t forget to check the tension on the iron cables, Brad!”

“I already apologized for that, Judy.” Brad snapped. “Or is there still wine in your ears keeping you from hearing me!”

“Enough, you dummkopf!” Professor Pericles snapped, fluttering between them.

“You sure are one to talk, Professor Pericles. That little button of yours was supposed to solve our Ricky problem once and for all!” Judy sneered.

“Und it has,” Professor Pericles insisted. “No matter how defiant he pretends to be, at the end of the day he is powerless.”

“Is he?” Brad and Judy both asked at once.

“Last I saw him, he didn’t exactly seem powerless, as you said he’d be!” Judy grumbled.

“If I wasn’t so angry, I’d be impressed,” Brad said. “I didn’t even know Ricky had that in him, much less in his position.”

Neither did I, Pericles realized with a jolt of anger - he really didn’t like not knowing things.

“Makes me wonder what else Ricky might ‘have in him’” Judy mused. “I guess it’s true what they say, Brad: You can only push someone so far.”

I pushed my sweet Ricky too far, an old voice whimpered annoyingly and pathetically in the back of his mind.

No, No. Professor Pericles had worked too long and too hard to allow such weakness to stand in his way! Ricky was simply… scraping out his last traces of defiance. He was broken. BROKEN. And with Cassidy dead and the kinder firmly against him, outside these walls he had nothing. What choice did he have but to stay with Pericles, where he belonged, and to do as he was told?

“For now,” the Parrot said, “We shall give Ricky the space he so desires. But we are at too important a stage of my genius plan to allow such insubordination to thwart a single step. Perhaps I have allowed Ricky too long a length of chain. He will need to be controlled much more closely.”

“What do you have in mind?” Judy asked gleefully.

“Let us just say that by the end of it, Ricky shall regret ever showing such disdain for my generosity,” Professor Pericles sneered. “When I am done with him he shall-”

But Professor Pericles stopped short.

Because that’s when the cold pierced through his feathers like a thousand needles. Involuntarily, his feathers puffed up in an attempt to conserve heat and his breath- what?

Professor Pericles exhaled experimentally and felt a different sort of shiver run through him as a puff of visible, condensed air left his beak.

Brad and Judy were shivering too, looking around in confusion and fear. Each of them wordlessly grabbed a weapon and stood, back to back, the hairs on the backs of their necks raised. With a few beats of his wings, Pericles flew up to land on Judy’s shoulder.

Something in the air had changed. As if someone was here- something- What was that? In a reflection, Brad could have sworn he’d seen a face glaring at him. But it darted out of sight. Was it a hallucination? Or something more?

That’s when whatever it had been dissipated, the tension in the air disappearing and the cold fleeing the room just as quickly as it had come.

What the fuck?

Was zum Teufel?

Maybe Ricky… needed to go on the backburner for now.

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

“Jeepers… that’s awful, Mystery.” Daphne said once Mystery was done telling the kids about Shiomori.

“You killed her, Vivi?” Velma said, looking at Vivi in a new light.

“Three years ago was… a big night. For all of us.” Vivi said, putting the tea set back on the tray. Daphne got up to help her with it.

“Oh,” Ricky said, the timing dawning on him. “So… it happened around the same time Arthur lost his arm. And Lewis…” Ricky trailed off as Vivi wordlessly took the last couple of cups from Daphne and skedaddled out of the room.

“Please tell me I didn’t say something wrong,” Ricky groaned.

“You didn’t,” Mystery sighed from where he was lying in front of the fireplace. “Three years ago is a difficult time for any of us to talk about. And we struggle with what we can and can’t tell you without giving away more than we should for Arthur’s sake.”

“Like we get that though,” Shaggy said. “It was like, major for him. I wouldn’t want other people sharing stuff like that about me either.”

“Seriously. Don’t push yourselves to tell us any more than you’re comfortable with at a time. We may not know what happened three years ago, but I think we know enough that it’s even worse than what we’ve been through,” Fred said.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Mystery said, slightly raising his teeth in anger. But this time no one flinched, because it was on their behalf. “Trauma is trauma and it isn’t a game of top trumps to see who’s ‘had it worse’. How it happened does not change the fact that everyone here has known pain. In one way or another, we have been lied to, used, and our worlds have fallen apart - permanently in some cases.”

There was a pregnant silence as his words sank in.

Fred remembered all too well the nagging anxiety that had stabbed at him when he’d pieced together his Mayor-Dad’s lies, and what he’d done to the Original Mystery Inc… then the agony that had pierced him when he’d learned who his real parents were. Then how close he’d come to losing Daphne forever… Perhaps it was the fresh wound from his father’s betrayal that made him almost numb to it when his “real blood” chose the treasure over him.

Daphne remembered all too well the way her heart had crumbled when Fred broke off their engagement and left Crystal Cove. The words “Mystery Incorporated is dead” rang through her ears for days afterward, and she cried so much that she nearly ran out of tears to shed. And of course her parents had been little help. In fact Daddy had seen fit to rub it in that he’d never approved of Fred. Then Baylor Hotner had- … Daphne knew he was an idiot. A monster and a criminal. But Daphne really had liked him. And that he’d just been using her from the start… hurt.

Shaggy remembered all too well what it felt like to be ripped away from Scooby and the others. Time and time again forces outside his control seemed to try and take his dog away from him. Velma. The robot dog and Jason’s Mom. Supervillians, and then his own parents- …Military School had been… rough. Separated from the gang and from Crystal Cove. Scoob sent away to live on some farm. And knowing that his own parents, who were supposed to love him more than anything, had sent him away in an attempt to “fix him” had made it all the worse.

Scooby remembered all too well what it had felt like to lose Shaggy and the others over and over again. Being locked away like some animal in the Animal Asylum. Being sent away to some farm while the others were falling apart and Pericles was alive and could hurt them without Scooby there to look after his kids! Then Nova- Scooby had gotten the gang back… He didn’t know if he was ever going to get Nova back.

Velma remembered all too well how crushed she’d been when the gang blamed her for the breakup. A tumultuous game of tug-of-war had gone through her head for months afterward. Should I have told them about Angel sooner? Was it my fault? Why didn’t I fight harder? Why was it so easy for them to turn their backs on me? What else could I have said? When Crybaby Clown showed up, forming an alliance with Mr. E and Marcie had served as a welcome distraction. Marcie… telling her she had to leave the gang had been the hardest thing Velma had ever had to do. She felt this… ache in her chest that she’d never felt before and she was still figuring it out. As for Mr. E: of course Velma now knew why, but he had purposefully kept them at a distance back then. No matter how much Velma tried to make it clear that she and Marcie were his teammates, not his employees, he continuously treated them like the latter. And you know what? She didn’t ‘know’ Mr. E very long (at least in person), but she’d been disappointed by the ‘real thing’ in comparison to the Mr. E who had sent her friends clues and playfully teased them over the phone. Since Mr. E- Ricky had apologized and Velma now knew about the eldritch god that had been playing with his head and parts of what he’d been going through at the time, she felt… a sense of closure in understanding why he’d acted that way. But that didn’t erase the sting she’d felt at the time.

Ricky remembered-

Without saying a word, five heads slowly turned to him at once. And by the way he trembled, clutching the edge of the couch with white knuckles, staring ahead with eyes that were seeing horrors both long-past and not-so-long-past… they all knew at once what he remembered all too well.

Velma tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder, and flinched when he jumped. But the haze of momentary panic cleared when he looked at her, and she gave him a comforting squeeze. Ricky gulped, taking a deep breath, and appreciatively placed his hand over hers with a smile.

Next to Velma, Scooby laid his head on Shaggy’s lap and the boy started stroking his dog’s head. On the other couch, Daphne scooted closer to Fred to lean on him, and he for once got the hint to wrap his arm around her and pull her closer.

“Fortunately for us, humans are extremely social creatures,” Mystery said, repeating his earlier words. “And unfortunately for our enemies, nothing has the power to bring people together like shared pain. To think that pain makes you stronger… humans really are incredible,” Mystery said reverently, but then his brows furrowed and his ears drooped. “I only wish that I had realized that sooner.”

“What do you mean?” Velma asked.

“You were right to distrust a nogistune,” Mystery said with shame. “Up until now, you have gotten to know only one side of me. Others are… darker. But they are a mere shadow in comparison to the monster I once was.”

“Until you met Mushi,” said Fred.

Mystery nodded. “Let me tell you everything - lay my sins bare. So that when I tell you that I am being honest and my intentions are sincere, you will believe it. I only ask… that you judge me for how I have grown, and who I am now. Not for who I was.”

The six mystery solvers looked at each other, then with a nod they all agreed.

And the kitsune began his tale.

Aaand that's a wrap on chapter 17! The people have spoken overwhelmingly in favor of Lewvithur, and tbh I can't exactly blame you. They're so cuuute. This chapter is, to me, kinda underwhelming. But it reeeally nicely sets up chapter 18. I sort of think of it as the prelude leading into chapter 18. Which ya'all are gonna love, btw. Still, I liked writing it. And I did have some fun. I was intending for this chapter to be at least mostly light-hearted (hence all the jokes), and I couldn't resist the opportunity to make a reference to my favorite Mystery Skulls fancomic, "Mother-like friends." IDK what about that comic makes me laugh so hard, but apparently it's my exact breed of humor. Shout-out to its creator, huppupbup. And thanks to the talented voice actors who gave it a voice. I also liked checking in on Pericles, Brad, and Judy. Like, let's not forget that they exist. And cracks are beginning to form. Also Lewis giving them a lil scare was so satisfying to write. Eat it, birdbrains. 😈 I really don't know where that mountain of angst came from at the very end of this chapter, but I'm happy to have it. With how much Ricky and Mystery Skulls angst is in this fic, I think it's important that I not forget or skim over the fact that the gang has been through some shit, too. The wait for chapter 18 shouldn't be very long. It's like, totally done (and it is a doozy!) I just need to make a couple of edits. Though I might make ya'all wait just to give me some time to work on chapter 19, which I haven't even started. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I can't wait to share the next one with you!

Chapters 1-16 of One of Us are presently posted on Archive of Our Own.

Chapter 17 should be posted on Ao3 within the next 24 hours.

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the-sundry-system · 30 days

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Wed, Feb 21st, 2024

Part 3

hunith seemed a little shaken, but was handling it well. kin had explained it as best she could, as gently as she could.

the mother was obviously distressed at having learned her son's heart had stopped for nearly a minute, but simply said she knew he had been through a lot, and survived worse - even if merlin didn't often tell her the more harrowing details of his life anymore.

she did her best to understand the circumstances and reassure the elf that she wasn't upset at Arc. "creatures who are starving don't think of possible food as anything other than prey. the fact that your friend did, even while sick, says a lot," she had said.

what did truly upset her, however, was how long Merlin had been gone. it had been nearly half an hour, and she kept glancing at the door.

"do you think something happened?" she asked. "what if he fainted?"

"I'm sure he's alright," Kin reassured. "but I'll go look for him."

"oh, I couldn't possibly ask you to do that on your own-"

"I'll be okay," she interrupted softly. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," she winked.

so now she reaches the edge of the woods, assuming that's where the sorcerer would go to get some privacy.

she rolls into the bushes slightly, grateful for her augmented wheels. once out of sight, she glances around. once she's sure no one is looking, she bends over and takes off her boots and socks. using her arms to scoot forward in her seat, she sinks her feet into the soil.

taking a deep breath, she takes a moment to feel the magic around her. it courses through her numb legs, and with a smile she transforms into a fox.

sniffing the air, she picks up on Merlin's distinct scent and starts to track it.

the forest is relatively quiet, and there's a sort of energy that's hard to describe. the birds watch her from the trees, curious and wary.

within minutes she sees a bit of raven hair sticking above the brush. when she steps through, she sees the sorcerer sitting against a tree, oddly still.

it's reminiscent of one of her own past experiences, but she pushes it down in favor of trodding closer.

his eyes are closed, cheeks wet. the grass around him is dead, and in his hands he holds a black feather.

Kin steps on a twig, and it cracks beneath her paw.

Merlin opens his eyes in surprise and looks down at her. "Kinny. what are you doing out here?"

"it's been a while. your mother is worried."

"oh," he responds. his voice sounds empty.

the fox sniffs the grass briefly, then looks at the feather. it has silver specks in amongst the black, like stars in the night sky. "Arc visited you." a statement, not a question.

merlin inhales harshly as he looks at the feather, too. opens and closes his mouth a few times, then lands on: "yeah. yeah, they did."

kin considers asking what happened, but by the look on his face decides not to. maybe later, when his feelings aren't so intense. "we should get back."

"okay."

the two stand up, and start to make their way back to her wheelchair and his hometown.

"is she mad?" he asks after a bit.

"no."

"of course not."

"just worried."

"I figured she would be."

a bit more silence.

"we should have lunch," kin says. "it's been a long journey. i saw a berry bush on the way."

"alright." Merlin tugs on his sleeve. "what kind?"

"blackberries."

"we could make a pie."

"merls, I think that's the best idea you've had in a while."

he laughs.

they walk some more.

"too bad Stiles isn't here," he says. "he'd love a slice."

the fox chuckles. "he is a sucker for berries, that one."

"well, we'll just have to go into a sugar coma in his honor."

by the time the pie was baked and mostly eaten, the sky had grown dark, giving the appearance of sunset.

"do you think it'll rain?" merlin asked.

"not sure," Kinsley replied. "these clouds don't feel... natural."

the sorcerer glanced at her, before looking back at the sky. "I was thinking the same."

"it'll be nighttime by now, outerworld."

"you think it's bleeding over somehow?"

"maybe, if Arc's involved."

merlin tensed at the mention of the name. they were the only two people still outside, as everyone else apparently did think it would rain, and hunith had chores to do that she refused to let them help with. even so, just the two of them, he tensed.

"what happened?" kin finally pressed. "in the woods?"

it was quiet for a moment as the sorcerer searched for a response.

"not much, honestly. they were watching. they gave me a kiss. flew away."

him avoiding her gaze wasn't lost on the fox. "something tells me it was more than that."

"yeah, well..." he grunted, rubbing the side of his neck.

she had noticed his new mannerisms. she knew why he did them. she didn't say anything more.

"as soon as your mother is done, you should go inside and get some sleep. I'm sure Arthur will be here soon enough to apologize."

Merlin snorts. "Arthur rarely apologizes. his ego is too big."

she smirks, shaking her head. "he will this time. even if it takes a bit for him to get his head out of his ass."

he grunts again, but wordless.

"you did do the noble thing after all," she teases. "fucking stupid, but noble."

"oh I've been known to be both," he says, "but so has he."

"two sides of the same coin..." she murmurs, before turning around in her wheelchair to go inside. "don't stay out here too long. you may have been stubborn enough to come all the way out here, but getting sick from being out in the rain won't be good for you."

"okay," he murmurs, looking up at the clouds. "you think arthur will be alright?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," she says as he opens the door for her. "he'll be protected. by you and by Arc."

when he hears the door close, he reaches into his pocket, feeling the feather and the cloth there.

water droplets start to fall, and he puts his other hand out to catch some in his palm. when it starts to fill, he brings it up to his lips and drinks. thunder cracks across the sky.

he sighs, still facing up. "I don't know if you can hear me," he whispers, "but if you can, Arc..."

the water starts to dampen his hair and his cheeks. drops fall on his lips, and when he closes his eyes, cling to his lashes. "I miss you. and I love you."

he lowers his head, and the rain trickles down his neck, under the blue cloth, soothing his skin. "and I'm sorry too."

with that, he turns around, and steps back inside.

the thunder breaks again, a rumble, and the wind wails softly like a lonely cry.

#original post #personal #merlin #arc #kinsley #hunith #arthur #stiles #tw death mention #vampire #esque #magic #angst #conversation #kitsune #comfort and clouds

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