Convulsion

❀ ʙᴏɴᴜꜱ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ: ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ❀

Gwendolyn (Set during the time of her travels with Richard.)

"Are we there yet?" I have to bite my tongue to keep myself from releasing yet another groan, to resist the urge to turn around and smack Richard.

"It's our third day of travel, of course we're almost there."

"Well, you said we were almost there yesterday."

"Well yesterday we weren't at the Transfer Point. Now we are." I pause, scanning the dark area around us. It's as silent as ever since we're still in Timberleaf Woods, but we've reached the Transfer Point. Set within a clearing in the trees ahead of us is a large, stone compass, engraved with the markings and enchanted with the Stardust that will allow us to travel. I can feel it from here.

"Why did you stop?" Richard finally catches up to me, moving to stand by my side. I raise my eyebrows, nodding towards the canopy above our heads.

"Guardian Richard, I thought I taught you to observe your surroundings." He laughs, a sweet sound that makes the silence in these woods more bearable. These last few days have been... hard, to say the least. Every time I bring up the Elemental Gems or the Gloaming, Richard will change the subject. Every time he talks about us, I have to get him to stop talking. It's a back and forth that's surrounded with a mix of our feelings, which can't be good. I'm not supposed to have any.

Neither of us have moved, and rather than studying the woods or the Transfer Point or any possible threats, I've switched to studying Richard. I've been letting him wear my cloak ever since we started travelling together, but for some reason he still looks worn out. His eyes have a rather tired aura, and his hair is more tangled and free than usual. He's not exactly the same person he was before, not since...

"Are you done observing your 'surroundings'?" I freeze, watching as he smirks and turns so that I have a better view of him. "I'm fine if you look a little longer." I move my eyes up and down but then bring my hands to my face, blocking myself from view as I swivel the other way. Not this again.

"That wasn't my intention-"

"Aw, did I get you flustered? That's the fifth time today, and it's only the third mane quarter." I scowl when he laughs, moving closer and wrapping his arms around me from behind. I can feel heat moving towards my cheeks, but I'm glad he can't see my face when he speaks again, burying his head into my shoulder. "You know we don't have to do this. You don't have to go to this ceremony, you don't have to..." he drifts off so I slowly drop my hands from my face, frowning even though Richard is so close.

He still wants me to quit. Of course he does, as I referred to him earlier, he's a Guardian. I... I was a Guardian too. But not anymore. I have to do what my father wants, that, or be killed. I'd rather take my chances with the Gloaming, but Richard is making everything so much harder. Why, why did I have to grow feelings for him? I can't kill him, I can't push him away. I can't seem to do anything the way I'm supposed to when he's around me. I let him hug me for a while, studying my arms while he holds me.

My burns have gotten a lot better. Ever since Richard, well, made them, I haven't been able to feel the pain as much. Not with the layer of water I've been keeping around them all the time. I admit, it's tiring, but it's better than the alternative. And Richard's bands have been keeping him in check, keeping his powers at bay. Although lately, he hasn't tried fighting against me. He's been acting more like he is right now. Which is... a bit strange.

I squint my eyes at his hands, which are holding each other in front of my stomach. I place my hands on top of his and I can feel him tense up, but I'm not doing this for the reason he thinks I am. His bands. I carefully lift his wrists, straightening up. Richard senses the change and lifts his head from my shoulder, but I keep a firm grip. His bands. How did I not notice before? A cold smile reaches my lips as I study the small sliver in the metal, the scars in his skin from the cut he made. He did this with my Thunder Stone, didn't he?