You don't look familiar.
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Belos clenched his fist, a red aura surrounded it. (Y/n) began to feel heavy. She couldn't move. She felt frozen.
She looked down to see her feet becoming stone.
"Wha-WHA?!" She yelled in fear as her legs began to hurt worse than ever felt before. "Agh!!" She screamed in fear.
Hunter, The Golden Guard could only watch. Watch as his new partner was petrified for taking the blame for him.
No. She was more than just a partner. She was his friend now.
They'd laughed together. They'd swam together. They'd smiled together.
She made him happy. Happier than he'd ever been. He'd had so much fun with her in the short time they'd known each other.
But in the two days they'd known each other, Hunter found that he was happier than he'd been in the last 16 years.
She was his first and only friend. And she was going to be turned to stone before his eyes.
He would be lonely after this. What were the odds that he'd smile like he had, again?
What were the odds he'd find another person like (Y/n)? A person who wanted to be his friend?
"Wait!" He yelled on a whim, "Don't you think petrification is rash?! She didn't know the rules! No one ever told her!" Hunter pleaded. "Turning her to stone is insane!"
"You dare oppose me, Hunter?" The Emperor turned his head and glared at his nephew.
The Golden Guard trembled under his intense glare. "Y-yes! It's only her second day in the coven! She shouldn't be petrified! Please!"
Hunter looked to (Y/n), catching her smiling at him. She smiled.
Even though she was being turned to stone. She smiled at him. Her smile said "Thank you." And "Goodbye."
She accepted her fate. And she did it for.. Hunter. She was willing to take the punishment that was meant to be his. But why?
Belos tightened his fist, speeding up the petrification.
Her legs were already stone. Now it was spreading to her chest. She tried to scream out in agony, but her vocal cords were already stone.
"Uncle, please!" Hunter begged on his knees. He couldn't lose his only friend.
Belos smirked under his horned mask, letting go of his clenched fist and undoing the petrification.
(Y/n) let out a groan of relief, feeling her body relax. Her body fell limp and she lied on the floor.
"Let this be a lesson to you, Hunter." Belos said, only for Hunter to hear. "Stay in line. Or else Miss Silver Scout gets hurt."
Hunter froze. He felt like he'd just been petrified to stone with this new realization that, if he messed up, his new friend would be punished.
"Y-yes, Emperor Belos. I understand." He nodded quickly.
Hunter ran over to (Y/n), picking her up bridal style and running out of the throne room.
He ran and ran down the halls. His heels click clacked against the hard marble floors. He ran until he reached his room.
The thick wooden door drew closer and closer. Once Hunter was close enough, he threw the door open and gently placed (Y/n) on his bed.
"Are you okay?! Do I need to take you ti the Healing Coven?! What do you need? What can I get for you?!" He frantically asked, pacing back and forth.
"H-hunter, I'm fine." She said, sitting up.
"Are you sure- wait. How'd you know my name?"
"I heard Belos say it. Heh, looks like he ended up telling me your name~!" She giggled with little energy. She was exhausted.
"You're an idiot." He grunted, earning an exasperated chuckle from (Y/n).. "Why did you do that?"
The girl took her mask off, then took her partner's mask off. She smiled at him. She liked seeing his face.
"I wanted to." (Y/n) said, using Hunter's words against him. "I thought the punishment would be that you'd get yelled at. So I took the blame because you didn't deserve to be berated. But then, I found out that the punishment was petrification. So I doubled down because you don't deserve to die just because I'm a bad influence."
Hunter was speechless. "You... were willing to be petrified to stone for me..?"
"I see how much you love this job. You don't deserve to be punished for my stupid choices." (Y/n) looked into Hunter's mesmerizing, magenta eyes, "And besides, you saved my ass back there. You were willing to risk your job to save me."
"Of course I was! You're.. the first witch my age I've talked to. You're my... first.. real friend. I couldn't lose you."
(Y/n) felt her shoulders drop. "Your first real friend..?"
The sad boy nodded slowly, looking away.
His partner wrapped him in a tight hug, burying her face into the crook of his neck.
Hunter's face felt hot and his brain went fuzzy as he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. That feeling of an embrace was relieving for him. It made him unravel and let his guard down.
"(Y)-(Y/n).. I don't know why, but.. I feel safe around you. I feel at home, comforted. Like I've known you for years, despite only meeting yesterday."
"Maybe we have known each other for years.."
"What do you mean?"
(Y/n) let go of the embrace. "Maybe we were friends in another life. Soulmates if you believe in that kinda thing."
"Soulmates, huh?"
"Soulmates." She smiled at him.
He felt like he'd melted when he saw her smile. Seeing her smile made him smile. It was contagious.