{Yn POV}
Arcadia is quiet as Douxie pilots our ship down towards hex tech.
Almost too quiet
I let out a gasp as Douxie lands the ship and we jump out, being met with ice and fire covering the street before us.
We had landed in what looked like the aftermath of a battle.
"No! No, no, no. No, no, no! No! Claire! Steve! Nari!" Douxie calls out as he runs through the front door, me following close behind
"What happened here?" I ask quietly
We hear a grunt and we look over to see Krel stuck in a block of ice
"Krel! No," Douxie rushes over and blasts him out of the ice
"Oof. Couldn't stop them. Took Nari," Krel says, trying to explain what went down. He suddenly spots something, "Oh, wait! He can show you,"
He limps over and grabs a robot head.
"Wahoo! How are you, buckaroo?" The robot says
Krel projects the recording on the screen
We see Krel running and screaming as ice and fire is shot through the air.
The camera moves and shows the order advancing on everyone.
I hold my breath as I hear their screams and watch them get struck down one by one
Toby gets a hold of the camera and talks to it.
"This looks like the end! I leave my classic VHS action movie collection to my nana!"
The camera suddenly cuts out as Belloc stomps on the camera
"That's all fo-," the robot begins to shut down," beep-boop," and with that the robot was dead
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen! No! Oh, please tell me there's something in here to help," Douxie rushes out as he runs to a nearby table, pulls out Merlin's book, and begins to flip through its pages anxiously
"You don't need the book to tell you the answer, Doux. Merlin was clear. If the Order has Nari, we can't let them get the Seals, or it's arcane Armageddon," Archie says to him, standing in his way to stop his frantic reading
"But I can't just leave our friends to die!" Douxie argues
"It's not easy being a leader," Krel says.
I notice him still shivering so I cast a small fire nearby.
He gives me a small smile in thanks as he tries to warm himself up.
"The Order will never stop coming after the seals," Archie says
"We'll spend the rest of our lives running," Douxie says
"Save our friends or save the world? You have to make a decision," Krel says stepping forward, "We're out of time!"
Douxie doesn't say anything. He just walks up to the front door and looks out.
I don't say anything. The decision is hard enough as it is.
Instead, I just walk up to Douxie and hold his hand in mine.
My hand is shaking in fear. I knew it was.
But I needed him to know I was with him. No matter what.
He looks over at me and we meet eyes before we both turn to look out at the debris outside.
I feel him squeeze my hand almost as if for reassurance.
Douxie then pulls something from his pocket and he suddenly seems to get an idea
"Or maybe... time is all we have,"
He lets go of my hand and rushes back to the counter, me following behind
"Alright, here's what we are gone do,"
-Time Skip-
"Alright, here we go," Douxie says nervously, giving me a nod to tell me he was ready
I cast a spell on ourselves, allowing us to teleport a holographic version of ourselves to the order's castle
We could see and hear them, they could see and hear us
"Arcane Order, Hisirdoux and Yn are here!" Douxie announces, gaining their attention
I can see our friends trapped in ice surrounding the two members but I ignore them for now
Skrael ignores us at first, turning back to Steve and causing the boy to let out a shriek in fear
"Ah-ah-ah-ah--! Hold your hexes if you still want these," I say, gesturing to the seals Douxie was now holding in his hand
Skrael lets out a gasp
"The Genesis Seals,"
The two turn their attention to us
"You want them? Well, come and get them. We'll be at the cafe," Douxie instructs, making the seals disappear with magic
"Don't be late," I add on causing bellroc to snarl as I quickly end the spell
Once we end the transmission we head over to where Krel was placing the finishing touches on Douxie's design
"Your designs were complicated, but I'm 98.442 percent sure that this will work. Akiridion tech and magic are so compatible! Who would have thought?" Krel says, handing us the contraption with excitement in his voice
I hold it up, inspecting it as the glow from the Akiridion tech lit up my face
"Well done," I say to him, handing the contraption to Douxie
"No turning back now," Archie says to us
"Wasn't planning on it," Douxie replies
"It's now or never," I add
"Arch, pass me those salad bowls, then head out," Doux instructs, "Krel, prep the airship,"
"I'll always follow you, Doux, but this could be a huge mistake," Archie says warningly
I pet his head comfortingly
"'A wizard doesn't make mistakes- he makes unexpected possibilities.'" Douxie says, quoting Merlin
Archie gives a nod before handing us the salad bowls and flying off
Krel heads off to prepare the airship leaving Douxie and me alone
Douxie lets out a sigh and without a word pulls me into his arms for a hug
I hug him back tightly, my head resting on his shoulder as I feel his rest on mine
Douxie had not fought me when I told him I'd be joining him in trapping the order
He knew I was capable
I knew he was capable
Neither of us wanted the other to be there
We didn't want to lose one another
"We fight together, we go out together," I whisper softly
Douxie hums as he pulls back, lowering his head and pressing our lips together
I run my fingers through his hair as he pulls me closer by the hips
We pull away after a bit, breathless
"Together to the end," He says to me
With that Krel calls out that the ship is ready
Douxie and I look at each other once more before nodding and heading towards the ship, hand in hand
-Time Skip-
{Douxie POV}
I wait in the dark, our table set up as we watch the door, waiting for the order
I glance over at Yn
She was scared, I could tell by the look in her eyes and the shaking of her hand
I was scared too
I didn't want her to be here, but I knew I couldn't do it without her
I look back to the door and my gaze hardens as the order approaches
It was time
They creep in, the bell on the door ringing out
"Milords and ladies... gather round! Test your luck with the Lad of Fortune," I say as yn turns on the lights and drops the banner above me
I gestured to the three salad bowls on the table in front of me
"Find the Seals, win the planet," Skrale and Bellroc look at each other before approaching the table. I begin to move around the bowls, "Keep your eyes on the prize. Round and round it goes... Now, choose," I say gesturing to the bowls
Bellroc doesn't hesitate as she lowers her staff above the middle bowl
"That one,"
I smirk at them
My calm demeanor hiding the fear
"Are you absolutely positive?" I say egging them on
"Enough games! We have made our choice," Bellroc shouts before lifting the bowl and springing the trap, "Argh! What is this strangeness?" They shout as they struggle along with Skrael in the trap
"It's a miniature Heart of Avalon. Scrapped it together out of bits of the old one," I say as I summon my staff in the form of a guitar, "I call it... 'Hisirdoux's Eternal Time Trap!'" I say announcing it to them through my microphone with a smile, strumming a chord for dramatic effect
"You dare meddle with the forces of time?" Bellroc accuses me
"You lack the power to control such an instrument," Skrael adds
"My whole life, people- Arthur, Merlin, you- have been saying that. And I believed it so I never tried. But my friends helped me realize, my love, helped me realize," I say as I look over to Yn. She gives me a soft smile and I return my focus to the order as I strum once more "I am strong enough. I am Hisirdoux Casperan... successor to Merlin and protector of this realm! With Yn by my side, we will stop you," I say strumming throughout
I let out a laugh as Yn slams her staff into the ground, opening a portal below the trap
"You want the Seals? Go get 'em!" She shouts at the order, tossing the seals into the portal she had just opened
"No!" Skrael shouts out
"After them!" Bellroc instructs before the two dive into the portal after the seals, the portal closing after they had gone through
"Bon voyage, buttsnacks!" I say saluting them
I hear a laugh and I look over to see Yn bent over, laughing loudly
I smile at the sound
It had been way too long since I heard her laugh like that
"What are you cackling about," I ask playfully
"Buttsnacks, huh?" She gasps out, "It seems Steve is rubbing off on you,"
My smile falls at this, causing her to laugh harder
"Ha ha," I say sarcastically, but I can't help the small smile that escapes
She then stood up and wiped her eyes, calming down
"Alright, time for the next phase of the plan," She says with a smirk
I nod and we head back to Krel and the ship
{Third person POV}
The knight walks across the room
Claire and Morgana glare at him as he walks past the ice they were trapped in
The other guardians of Arcadia were trapped around the room, all encased in ice
"Watch over them, beast. I'll secure the forest child," The knight instructs beast Jim as he takes the ice Nari was trapped in and walks off to another part of the ship
Claire turns her head away from the Knight's retreating figure and stares at Jim from her ice prison
"Don't stare at me," Beast Jim says to Claire
"He calls you a beast, but I see you. I see you in there, Jim," She tries to reach him
Jim just ignores her and walks away
"Hold on, big guy. I'm about to bust you out. Agh! Cheap lighter!" Steve shouts as he tries to light the lighter in his hand
Suddenly a blast breaks Arrrgh out of his ice prison
"I did it! Sir Steve is your savior!" Steve shouts in surprise, thinking the blast had been from him
"Helpful as always, Steve," Archie says as he flies in
Archie then begins to blast the others free from their ice prison
Beast Jim notices and lets out a roar
Arrrgh turns Jim around before punching him, knocking him to the ground
"Please stop, Jim!" Arrrgh pleads, but Jim just jumps at him
While Jim was distracted, Archie continued to free people from the ice that held them
"Don't make me hurt you, Master Jim!" Arrrgh continues to plead as the two brawl
Jim gains the upper hand and knocks Arrgh to the floor
"Wingman, no!" Toby shouts, rushing up to Arrrgh
"No!" Claire shouts out
Beast Jim advances on Toby, but Toby looks at him sternly putting his arm out to try and get him to stop.
Jim doesn't stop, but suddenly music is heard
Jim covers his ears and roars as the music gets louder
Douxie walks up to him, strumming his guitar
"How about a little music to soothe the save beast?" He says as he moves his hands and smashes Jim across the face with the body of the guitar
Jim groans as he is knocked to the ground, unconscious
"Is everybody all right?" Yn asks as she runs in
"Douxie! Yn! I'd hug ya, but I can't move my arms," Toby shouts with joy as he shivers
"Where is the Arcane Order?" Claire questions as she stands up
"I have them preoccupied," Douxie answers but lets out a gasp as Morgana rises from beside Claire, "What's the Queen of the Apocalypse doing here?"
{Douxie POV}
I let out a gasp as I see Morgana raise from beside Claire
"What's the Queen of the Apocalypse doing here?" I shout out
I look over my shoulder and move my body to stand in front of Yn
I would not let Morgana hurt her again
"What I should have done long ago- deal with my brother. Get your injured to safety," Morgana says as she begins to float in the air, but a blast from behind me shoots her down causing her to slam into a wall and fall to the ground, groaning in pain
I whip my head around to see Yn with her hand held out
"Yn-" I say quietly but I don't make a move to stop her as she walks up to the witch
She grabs Morgana's neck and holds her up against the wall, a ball of shadow magic forming in her other hand
Yn growls out but doesn't say a word
"Yn! No!" Claire shouts as she reaches out towards Yn
No one else says a word as Yn ignores her, closing her hand tighter around Morgana's neck as her magic grew larger
Morgana says something but I couldn't hear it
Suddenly Yn drops her and looks down at her crumpled form, the magic in her hand dispersing
I look on with worry
Yn turns and walks away leaving Morgana to rise into the air once more and fly off into another part of the castle
I reach out to say something but she shakes her head softly
I see the tears building up and decide to discuss it later
I then remember why we here
"Nari! She's not here with you?" I say as I look around, not seeing her among the group
"They locked her up somewhere. Douxie, did you get the Seals?" Claire tells me
"Uh... I'll explain later. Let's go," I say to her, deciding it best not to tell them I had given the seals to the order
"Grab Jim," Claire instructs
"Got him!" Arrrgh tells her, picking up Jim and carrying him over his shoulder
I lead everyone out onto a ledge and whistle, signaling to Krel
I wince and cover my ears as the sound of metal scraping against rock can be heard
"Whoa, whoa! Whoo-hoo! Whoa! Sorry, sorry! I'm still getting the hang of it," Krel says as he rises in the ship, looking guilty
"All right, everyone on board. Krel will take you down to Arcadia. Yn and I have to get Nari, see my plan through to the end," I say looking over at Yn
She nods before walking ahead of me, leading the way into the castle
I walk up and grab her by her shoulder causing her to stop as I turn her to face me
"What happened," I ask
{Yn POV}
"What's the Queen of the Apocalypse doing here?" I hear Douxie shout out
I turn around and look to see her standing beside Claire
Douxie moves his body to stand in front of me protectively
I just stare at her, anger building up
"What I should have done long ago- deal with my brother. Get your injured to safety," Morgana says as she begins to float in the air, but I let out a blast of my shadow magic, shooting her down and causing her to slam into a wall and fall to the ground, groaning in pain
Douxie whips his head around to see my hand still held out
"Yn-" I hear him say quietly but I don't acknowledge him as I walk over to Morgana
Douxie doesn't make a move to stop me
I grab Morgana's neck and hold her up against the wall, a ball of shadow magic forming in my other hand, ready to kill her one final time
I growl out but don't say a word
I have nothing to say
"Yn! No!" I hear Claire shout but I ignore her
I close my hand tighter around Morgana's neck as the spell in my other hand grows stronger
Suddenly Morgana gasps out
"Ple- ase, I ne- ed to -ake this ri- ight,"
I drop her, looking down at her crumpled form
I let the magic in my hand die out
"I don't know why, but her words had stopped me in my tracks," I say, explaining what had happened to Douxie
I can't meet his eyes as I look down at our feet
I feel his hands squeeze my shoulder before releasing them
He raises my head and forces me to look at him
I expected him to be mad at me for attacking her
But he just looked sad
Tears ran down my face
"It's ok," He says
I broke, falling forwards into his arms as he catches me, lowering us both to the ground
I cling to him as he holds me close
"It's ok," He whispers
I begin to calm myself down, eventually pulling away
"We have to finish this," I say to him
Morgana wasn't important anymore
Getting Nari was
Douxie nods firmly before raising and helping me up
We then ran through the ship in search of Nari
But as we ran I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen
-Mini Time Skip-
"Nari!" Douxie and I shout as we finally find her trapped in ice
We rush up to her and Douxie blasts her out
"Oh, thank you. Though the order will surely rip your soul to pieces," Nari says as she shivers slightly
I bend down in front of her, summoning a fire in my hand to allow her to warm up
"We need to work on your pep talks," Douxie says and Nari smiles at me gratefully
"Douxie! Douxie! Seems the Order's back from time, which means we're out of it. Hurry," Archie shouts as he flies in
Douxie nods before grabbing Nari and rushing out the door
I follow behind, staff in hand
"Nari, you must keep running. Never stop. You can't let the Arcane Order-," Douxie instructs when suddenly a bang is heard behind us
"Nari!" Bellroc shouts
We all stop in our track and look to see Bellroc and Skrael standing there
I move so I am in front of both Doux and Nari, gripping my staff firmly in my hand
"...find you," Douxoe finishes, "Go!" He shouts and I glance back to see him using magic to fly Nari and Archie away
They rush out with Douxie and I following behind
The order runs past us, knocking us to the ground, their focus on Nari
Douxie quickly casts a doorway in front of the order, blocking their way to Nari
I cast another doorway behind us
An infinite corridor
"What is this?" Bellroc shouts as the pair run through and emerge behind Doux and I
They turn back and try to go the other way
"An Infinite Corridor? Agh! Beginner's magic. You think this will hold us?" Skrael says to us
Bellroc shoots fire at us but I hit it to the side with my staff, sending it through the portal and causing it to hit the order
"Buttsnacks!" Douxie name calls
"You will die for this!" Bellroc says menacingly,
"That was kind of the plan. But it was worth it so that my friends- and Nari- could get away," Douxie says as he summons his staff
We both rise, standing side by side as we faced the order
"Even without us, they will stop you. This may be our final stand, but it is not the end," I say to them as I look over to Doux
"I love you buttsnack," I say to him
"I love you more my love," He says back
With those final words
We charge
-Time Skip-
I let out a groan as I rise from the ground
Everything was in pain
"She's awake!" I hear Toby shout from beside me
"Yn- I'm so sorry," I hear Claire say
"Sorry- For what-" I groan out before my vision clears and I see her standing in front of a body
My eyes widen as the familiar blue hair stands out
Blasts echo through the corridor as Douxie and I dodge
Shards of ice flying through the air
No words escape my mouth as I stumble forward
Douxie summons a rune as a shield as we both stand behind it
I trip over the uneven ground, causing my body to ache even more
I look at him and we both smile softly before turning to the order
I raise my hand and combine my magic with Douxie's on the rune
Bellroc blasts us with their staff but we meet their blast with our own
I finally reach him, collapsing next to his body
Our combined magic pushes theirs back, but they add more power causing ours to falter
Douxie takes down the rune as we both roll to the side, dodging the blast
I hover my hands over him, afraid to touch him
I rise from the ground and use my sword to deflect a blast from above but a shot of fire hits my legs causing me to shout in pain
"Yn" I hear Douxie shout
I feel as though a weight is pushing down on my chest, my breathing labored
Douxie pulls me behind a pillar as we both try to catch our breath
"Foolish child, you have lost! Thanks to you, we have the Genesis Seals. The Summoning is nigh!" Bellroc says as they pace the room looking for us
I try to summon my magic but it sparks out, I feel myself weakening at just the attempt
Douxie and I decided it was time, our last stand
We rush out from behind the pillar, our bodies moving in synch as we formed another rune
"Tenebrius... exellium!" We shout, letting out one final blast at the order
Tears fall from my eyes, I don't even register the faint black color as my anger and pain built up
We both shout out as the order counters our blast with their own
But the order was too strong
"Goodbye, my friends..." Douxie whispers
"Goodbye," I echo
Douxie moves his body and hugs me to his chest, blocking me as our magic fails and the order's magic blasts us
I could hear the others sobbing behind me and all I could think about was Douxie
I couldn't comprehend anything as we fell toward the ground
Douxie was no longer holding me
I knew he was falling beside me
As we grew closer to the ground I felt a blast of magic before it all went black
Memories flashed through my head
When we first met
When he helped me after Morgana's betrayal
When I first realized I loved him
When we spent time together as the centuries passed on
The cafe
The bookstore
His music
They all flashed through my brain
It all built up and I let out a scream
All the pain
All the love
All the anger
Came out in that scream
Magic burst from me, but I didn't pay any attention
As my screams died down into sobs I allowed my body to collapse forwards, my head laying on Douxie's chest
The last person I had
Was gone
{Douxie POV}
I open my eyes trying to catch my breath
I look around to see I was in Merlin's workshop
"Uh...? Wha...?"
Surprisingly I didn't feel any pain
I felt my body to see I was still all there
I look around to see Yn wasn't there
If this was the afterlife, it means I was able to save her
I let out a sigh in relief as I lay back down on the table
"Mordrax's miracles! If this is the afterlife, I must surely be in-," I start before a voice interrupts me
"Hello there, boy,"
I bolt upright and look over to see Merlin standing there
"What? Master! You're- you're not dead!" I say, shocked to see him
Merlin lets out a laugh
"Magic may be mastery over life, but I am most certainly deceased. You saw me vaporize into soot. The question really is... why are you here? Hmm?" He asks me as he inspects the time map
I don't have a response as I just walk up to a window, reaching out and staring at the light
"I see you translated my grimoire," Merlin says
I grow annoyed at him very quickly
"You wrote it in Draconic!" I accuse
"Ancient Draconic. You figure it out, didn't you? Though you somehow did the exact opposite of my extremely specific instructions," He informs me as he approaches me
"Wha-?" I start but I let out a laugh, "Uh, I knew you wouldn't approve. But I came up with my own plan. No regrets,"
Merlin smiles at me fondly
"Yes. I can see you no longer need my validation," He starts as he walks through the workshop. I follow behind, "Remember when I told you that magic is mastery over life? Nine hundred years you've guarded this realm with Yn by your side. You've disrupted time, freed ancient beasts, fought to save one life at the risk of countless others because you believed every life was precious,"
He walks over towards the portrait of the four of us and I look on from behind, tears starting to form at his words
"And still... despite such relentless hardships, you managed to protect those dearest to you. My, Hisirdoux, what a life you've lived. What a wizard you've become,"
I let the tears run down my face as Merlin approaches me, holding my face in his hand
I just looked up at him, at his smiling face
I let out a choked sob as I reach forward, hugging him
I feel his arms hug me back as we just stayed there for a few moments
"Time to be off, then," I hear a voice say
Merlin and I pull apart and I look over to see Morgana standing before us
"You were a foolish old man, but you had good taste in apprentices,"
"Morgana?" I say shocked to see her
She walks towards the exit and stands before the door, Merlin walking up beside her
I dry my tears on my sleeve and take one last look around before joining them
It was my time to go
The door before us opened revealing a wall of light
I couldn't help but think of yn
She would be mad at me when she learned I saved her
But I knew she'd be ok
I begin to walk forward, following the two into the light
I stop as Merlin's hand suddenly raises in front of me
"I'd say you have to join us, but you've never listened to anyone else before, so why start now?" He tells me
"Alas, I fear the age of wizardry ends with us," Morgana says to me
"But you will carry on in the world of man with Yn by your side. You must protect Nari no matter what. And keep Yn safe, you two need each other. Promise me that, and don't..." Merlin says
"But, Master!" I say, confused
"...'But, Master' me," I let out a laugh at Merlin's words
"Good luck, Master Wizard," Merlin says as he walks forward, the light encasing him as he gives me a rick signal before disappearing from my view
Morgana pauses
She turns to me with a smile
"Tell Yn, that I'm sorry," She says before walking forward, the light swallowing her as well
I give a nod to them
"Safe travels, Master Wizards," I say as a different light encases me
"Eh...?" I say as I wake up
I see Steve, Archie, and Claire standing above me
"Douxie! You brave, foolish boy," Archie says
I also feel a weight on my chest and I look to see Yn's head on my chest
I move my hand slowly and touch her head softly
She bolts upright and looks over at me
Black stains ran down her face and there was another crack on her cheek
But I ignore it all, smiling at her, glad to see her face once more
She lets out a sob before launching herself at me, hugging me tightly
"I thought I lost you," She sobs out
I let out a groan as the motion sends pain throughout my body
Even with the pain, I don't make a move to move her, rather I use my arms and hug her back
After a few moments, I make a move to sit up and I feel arms helping me
Yn moves back a bit but doesn't leave my side as she sits beside me
I look back to see Steve supporting me as I raised my body
"Everything hurts," I say as I finally get into a sitting position
Pain echoing everywhere
"I can't believe you're okay," Claire says, tears in her eyes
"Barely! Seems you're the one with nine lives. And don't you ever do that again," Archie says to me as he takes his turn to hug me
I lean down and rest my head on his
"Yeah, I swear to Merlin-" Yn threatens
I let out a pained laugh
"Don't worry, I don't plan to die again anytime soon," I say
Claire then helps me to stand as Steve helps yn
Once I was standing I noticed the crater I was in
The grass below me was gone
The trees in nearby areas were all broken and burnt
I could see bits of F/C flames on the grass outside the crater and I glanced over at Yn
She was grunting in pain as she leaned her weight on Steve
Claire then speaks, distracting me
"Happy you're alive, Teach," She says
"Yeah!" Steve echos
We begin to walk forward but I wince back
"Easy. I just came back from beyond the grave. But wait, where's Jim?"
Everyone then parts and the now human Jim comes into view
"Mordrax's miracles. It seems I've missed a lot," I say with a slight laugh
"Same, but glad to be back," Jim replies
I then realize something
"What about Arthur?" I ask
"Squished," Arrrgh replies
"Indeed. And I'm afraid with their demise, Excalibur..." Blinky says, gesturing towards the sword sticking out of the rocks
"Is right over here!" Toby shouts in excitement, trying to pull the sword free but filing, "Okay, I just had to try,"
"What of you, Master Jim?" blinky says
"What?" Jim asks in confusion
"Jim, Blinky's right. With Arthur gone, someone needs to wield Excalibur," I say, agreeing with the troll
"Who better than the Trollhunter?" Claire adds
Jim walks up and tries, but fails to pull the sword
He backs away unsurely
"But without the amulet, am I still the Trollhunter?" Jim asks unsurely
"The amulet doesn't make you the Trollhunter, it just helps you realize it," Yn says
Gaining a bit more of my strength I pull off of Claire and walk up to Jim on my own
"Yn is right, this means nothing, Jim. If I've learned anything, it's that we don't draw strength from magic artifacts like amulets and swords. Our strength is something far less enchanted, but no less special- our friends. We are the protectors of this world. That's why I made the gamble I did: because the only way to stop the Arcane Order and save this world... is to do it together," I tell everyone
"Are you sure our Douxie came back from the dead?" Claire asks, inspecting me as Archie jumps onto my shoulder, "This one is super sappy,"
I shake my head with a smile on my face
"Cheeky," I respond and everyone lets out a laugh, "It's time Nari and I got a move on, before the Order catches up,"
I use my magic to stand our ship upright
"You're leaving? Already?"Claire asks shocked
"Yeah, you just finished a whole speech about saving the world together," Steve says, walking forward without yn
I notice this and look to see her walking into the woods
"Where are you going?" Jim asks me
"I promised Merlin I'd keep Nari safe, which means taking her far away from here. Don't worry, I'll be seeing you champions of Arcadia soon enough." I explain, "But first there's something I need to do,"
With that, I rush off after Yn
I find her curled up beneath a tree
I walk forward slowly and sit down beside her
"She wanted me to tell you she was sorry," I say
Yn looks over at me in surprise
I see the realization in her eyes as she looks back toward the ground
We stay silent for a few moments
"Yn I-" I start, trying to tell her that I needed to go with Nari alone
"I know," She interrupts me, "You are going to take Nari somewhere safe, but you need me to stay here,"
I keep my eyes on her as she finally lifts her head and looks at me once more
"I waited centuries to be with you, I can wait a little longer for the sake of the world," She says with a smile
I pull her into a hug as she hugs back
She then pulls away after a few moments
"Just promise me, promise me you'll come back," She says
I get an idea from her words
"I can do better than that," I say using my bracelet to create a pair of rings
They were simple, Blue and F/C swirling together across the band
I hear her gasp softly at the sight
"I have known you for roughly nine hundred years. I have loved you for roughly nine hundred years," I say, placing the ring on her finger and mine on my own, "We haven't gone on a single proper date but I know that you are the only person I need in my life. With this ring I don't promise to come back, I guarantee that I will. Because nothing can take me away from you. Not even death so it seems," I say with a slight chuckle
Yn laughs at my joke and looks down at the ring
She looks back up at me and we share one last kiss
It wasn't an engagement ring and she knew that
It was a promise
A promise that once this was over we would be together
We would finally go on a date
Maybe in the future get married
But for now, it was our way of saying that no matter the distance
No matter the time
We would always
Find our way back to each other