Big Book of Rythna One Shots

In The Moment (N)

TW: PWP, Set After Blackrock Exploded

Lalna was working quietly in the sorting room. Night had fallen already but he refused to sleep. The room was lit up with a few torches and the soft glow of machines. He was fiddling with one of his machines and he accidentally cut a wire. The whole thing started to smoke and Lalna cursed quietly under his breath as he ran to the other side of the room. There was a small explosion and machine bits flew everywhere. There was a black mark on the floor where his previous machine had been. He sighed. Then he froze as he heard a low chuckle from somewhere in the room. His hand unconsciously went to grab a sword that wasn't there. He cursed a he realized he didn't have his sword or armor on him. He had taken them off and put them in a chest somewhere. "Hello?" He questioned, hoping he was just hearing things. There was a sigh and then someone walked out of a corner that was darkened by shadow. Purple eyes shone out to meet his. "Rythian?" Lalna questioned, backing up. "Remember you signed a treaty." Lalna warned. A few weeks after Lalna had captured Rythian in his force-field; Ridge intervened and had everyone on the server sign a treaty of peace. At this point, the treaty was too late and the damage at Blackrock had already been done. (The nuke)

Rythian walked over to the black mark that had once held a machine. He looked at it with an almost sad expression. "You should never cut the red wire." He said. "That will almost always cause an explosion." He leaned back against a chest and looked at Lalna, "You should have connected the red and green one. Would have had your machine up and running in a second." He said, giving him a smile.

Lalna huffed and went about looking for parts to rebuild his now lost machine. "What do you know about science?" He grumbled.

"A lot more than you think." Rythian muttered.

"Why are you here?" Lalna asked, glancing at him while he scavenged through his chests.

"What I can't drop in on an old friend?" Rythian asked, feigning hurt.

"No, not when you tried to kill said 'friend'." He said. Rythian could practically hear the quotation marks in his voice.

Rythian scoffed, "Well, you did kill me first... and Zoey... and-"

"Alright I get the point!" Lalna said, glaring at him.

"Not to mention the nuke you put under ou-" He cut himself off. "...my base." He said, a flash of pain going across his face.

"How is Blackrock by the way?" Lalna asked, walking over to the crafting table with a bunch of things in hand. "And Zoey?" He added.

Rythian winced at the name, "Um..." He trailed off. "They're gone," He said looking away. Lalna froze. The half-done machine lay forgotten as he turned to see the hopeless expression on the other man's face. Rythian gave him a smile that could only be worn by a broken man, "I'm alone again." He said his voice breaking.

Lalna's heart went out to the man and he found himself wanting to hug the broken man. To pick up the pieces and put him back together like a puzzle... to make him whole again. Lalna blushed at the sudden thoughts and dismissed the thought with a slight shake of his head, thankful that it was too dark for Rythian to see his face. He turned back to the machine and continued working. However with him being a scientist, curiosity won over, "What happened?

"After Zoey cut the red wire I fixed her up and... she took Teep and left." He said, not meeting Lalna's eyes.

Lalna paused his working and set down the parts. He turned and saw tears threaten to spill over in his eyes. He had never seen Rythian so... raw before. Usually he was angry or trying to kill him. Even before the fighting started Rythian was always just blank. Nothing like he was now. He looked so... lost. And no one else but him was seeing Rythian like this. He didn't think anyone else has seen him like this. The thought of that was rather endearing. Rythian turned toward Lalna and saw him staring at him. Lalna cleared his throat and blushed a bit, "I didn't mean for that to happen. I'm sorry Rythian." He said. "I know how much you loved her." There was something about the way the words felt on his lips that he didn't like. They felt... wrong.