"Tell me what he was like."
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"You'll never make it. Said a familiar voice. (Y/n) was sure she'd heard it at least once somewhere. "'Cause you guys are losers!"
It was Mattholomule. A young boy (Y/n) had seen around Hexside when she and Hunter had hid there from the Emperor's Coven. Next to him was another student they'd seen when they camped out at Hexside—Barkus. Though they'd hardly seen or met either of them.
Skara was the only face they truly knew. She was their Flyer Derby teammate just a few months ago.
The trio lead the other seven back to Hexside, which was apparently where a safe haven was being held.
"Since the Golden Guard- I- I mean, Hunter, told us about the Emperor's plan for the Day of Unity, Principal Bump allowed students and teachers to camp out at Hexside." Skara explained as they walked.
"We thought we could handle whatever the Emperor threw at us, but when the draining spell hit, we realized things wouldn't be so simple." Mattholomule added. "After the adults recovered..."
"That's when the Collector's spies showed up. The grudgeby team snuck out and tried to hold them back, but.."
"It didn't work. Bump and the adults were turned into toys and taken away." Mattholomule explained. And (Y/n) couldn't help but think the same had happened at the orphanage with Ms Adeline and the kids. Or worse, if she'd been taken from the kids and the kids were left to fend for themselves. "We've been hiding here ever since."
As they walked, the feeling that Ms. Adeline and the kids had been turned into soulless puppets gnawed at (Y/n)'s mind. She'd already seen Ollie as a puppet. Who's to say he was the only one? She gripped her red stained skirt as an attempt to focus her mind on something else. Don't think like that, (Y/n). She berated herself.
Hunter noticed (Y/n)'s distressed look, but was hesitant to help her. Did she need his help? Would she even want it? He didn't want to add to her burdens. So he gave her space, hoping that's what she needed.
They came across the familiar cemented walkway of Hexside. And walking through the forest to gaze upon the school, they realized Hexside looked just as bad as the center of Bonesborough—all run down with graffiti and debris scattered about.
"We did a little redecorating these past few months.. so let me welcome you to... New Hexside!" Skara told them as they revealed the school, opening the doors.
But the inside was just as bad as the outside, if not worse. The students ran around with no order—swinging on lights, fighting for supplies, sleeping on hammocks supported by abomination goo.
A fireball was launched Luz's way with barely any warning, only a measly 'heads up!" was said.
And the cafeteria was no different than the entrance hall. They'd turned it into some kind of market place. "T-shirts! Get your T-shirts!" One vendor shouted. "Bootleg candy! Now that your mama's a puppet, it's time to eat that candy!" Another said.
The seven led by Skara and Mattholomule walked into the main hall where a statue of Principal Bump was placed. Mattholomule, Skara and Barkus all saluted the statue, but (Y/n) stood there, confused. Why was Bump's statue skateboarding? And why was the name "Princy B" engraved on it?
Soon, the students who walked around the halls gathered to see the new set of seven that had stepped foot into their school, instantly recognizing most of them. They gasped and talked about them as if the seven were celebrities.
But their moment was interrupted by the sound of the PA system. "Ahem, attention! Would Captain Tholomule escort his guests to the council chamber? And do it now!"
"Wait." Gus gasped. "Has Tholomule been your last name this whole time?!"
Mattholomule shrugged and lead them to the gymnasium, which was now the council room. In the new council room was Jerbo who was stood talking to a pink haired, three eyed girl, Bosha.
Bosha was sat on what looked to be a throne with two brand new faces standing beside her. One was a shorter littler person and the other was a much much taller, bigger person.
Jerbo tried to plead to Bosha, asking her something that the seven standing by the entrance couldn't hear, but the smaller, littler person convinced Bosha to not listen to him, "President, if I may be so bold..." She said to Bosha.
Luz raised an eyebrow at the title Bosha was given. "President?!" She exclaimed. Who the hell would elect Bosha of all people to be the president??
Bosha listened to the smaller, littler one and dismissed Jerbo.
"Did take any of our ideas??" Mattholomule asked Jerbo. The tall boy said no and stalked away to go take care of the kindergarteners.
Mattholomule sighed and stepped up to talk to Bosha, "Bosha, we found-" Before he was interrupted by the smaller, littler person clearing her throat. Mattholomule groaned in disgust, as if this was a common occurrence he had become sick of. "Allow me to introduce, Student Body President, Bosha, and her trusted guards, Miki and Rouka." He said, his voice filled with spite and an eye roll or two.
"Welcome to new Hexside!" Bosha said with a twirl of her grudgeby ball. "Home to the future of the isles and stuff."
Luz began to yell at Bosha, "What the heck is going on here!"
Amity immediately backed Luz up, beginning to rant and ramble, "Yeah! Hexside doesn't even have a student council! I would know; I kept trying to organize one, but Bump thought I was too obsessed and-"
"Alright girl, take a breath." Willow said, calming Amity down. The purple haired Blight let out a defeated exhale, doing as Willow said to.
"And who are you two?" Gus spoke up next to Hunter. He glared at the smaller, littler person to Bosha's right and the taller, bigger person to Bosha's left.
The shorter one, Miki, piped up, "My little sister and I were traveling for the Day of Unity, but found ourselves hiding here after the.. incident. Bosha brought us in so we helped her establish order over Hexside."
"Now, we are flourishing!" Bosha boasted. Though it really wasn't something to boast about. Just as she spoke, a pack of kindergarteners ran through the halls, holding pitchforks and torches, chasing after the upperclassmen.
"Tell my story!!" Amity's brother, Ed, yelled as he was dragged away by a five year old.
(Y/n) stared at the scene wondering if this was what Bosha called 'flourishing'.
"Well," Luz said to Bosha with a nervous look on her face, "first of all, I'd like to introduce you to my mama, Camila!"
Camila put up her two arms, striking a strongman pose.
"And honorary Hexolio, Hunter!" Gus smiled at Hunter, giving him fingerguns. Hunter blushed as (Y/n) joined in on the fungergunning.
Luz strode forward, "Long story short, we're here to help. We're gonna rescue everyone from the Archives and save the Boiling Isles!" She triumphantly said.
And then there was the awkward silence of rejection, followed by a cough from one of the guards, which only made the silence more awkward.
"...not the reaction I was expecting." Luz mumbled.
Miki walked forward and began talking. "As the leader, the safety of Boscha's subjects is paramount." She said.
(Y/n) paused. Subjects? Are her fellow classmates her subjects??
But nevertheless, Miki continued, "And this is a suicide mission! After the horrors our own Grudgby team faced-"
"Ugh, quiet! I don't need to hear that again! But... Miki's right. We're staying put." Bosha said, leaning back in her throne. Why does she have a throne again? She's president, not queen... (Y/n) thought.
Luz spoke, "But-"
"And that's that!" Bosha exclaimed, throwing the eight out of her counsel room.
"What just happened?!" Luz stood there, puzzled, having not been given the time to process.
Mattholomule groaned, "It's been like this ever since Miki and Rouka showed up! We want to fix stuff around here, but... anytime we suggest something, Miki threatens to throw people into the Detention Pit."
"The what." Camila's face dropped. Pit he said?
"Maybe there's another way... I don't know how to get into the Archives, but... we may be able to get close. By teleporting directly into the Titan's skull!" Luz said, and everyone else gasped. "Mattholomule, where's the photo room?"
The aforementioned lead them to a sealed off wall, telling Gus to check if the coast is clear. And once Gus gave the go ahead, Mattholomule drew a large circle spell on the wall, making it part in half, and opened a secret passageway. "This, is where me and Jerbo had been trying to come up with plans to make Hexside more livable." He said.
The other seven walked into the photo room. Developing photos were hung around and some were pinned to a cork board.
Willow looked at the cork board, finding a picture of her and her dads. Tears welled in her eyes as she felt lost and scared, like a little kid who got lost at the fair. The world had suddenly felt so big and so empty without her parents. "Keep it in, keep it in." She repeated to herself.
Willow kept looking at the cork board, eventually spotting a picture of Hunter with Flapjack. It was from the day he and (Y/n) had come to Hexside and played Flyer Derby. He looked so happy and carefree.
Willow took the picture down from its place on the cork board and brought it over to (Y/n).
She gasped in excitement when she saw the photo. "Ohh! I remember this!" She exclaimed, trying her best not to let the voice in her head remind her that Flapjack and Pip were no longer with them.
"Alright," Luz said to Willow. The latter put the picture of Hunter into her pocket and turned her attention to Luz. "Time to take a walk down memory lane."
(A/n): Just wanted to say thank you for sticking with my story for 61 chapters so far. I love writing for you all. Seeing your guys' comments on the last chapter after such a long hiatus really brightened by day. This story has been my favorite to write and I've loved writing every chapter. So thank you so much for your support.
<3