WRNING: Hello there! So,I must warn this chapter it's not like others. It changes a little the dinamic. There is a mayor character that gets hurt, not too explicit, and it really is not the main point of this chapter, it' s just a neccesary action to develope the story. But if you don't like this sort of fic, please just skip this one and see you friday. If not, I hope you like this chapter! As always, I don't ship, might be OOC and Thanks for reading!
It was the last day of the break, next morning Darling had to go to the edge of the forest to meet with Apple to keep up the charade and reunite with her family, so they had to make the best of it.
Since Ramona had gone back to the reserve, it was just Cerise and Darling wondering in the woods with a basket from the picnic they just had.
"So when did you decide to wear the armor?" Cerise asked while watching her step in the depths of the forest.
"I found it in the shack and I figured I could do it"
"Where did you learned how t fight, though?"
Darling chuckled "Have you met my brothers? Daring can't refuse a challenge and Dexter is always in need of a sparring partner to train, so I learned from them"
"But your dad is the greatest teacher"
"Yeah, and he refused to allow his little girl to participate on the joust" she grabbed a stick from the ground moving it as a sword " 'my little girl can't get hurt' " she imitated his voice " ' she is as delicate as a blossoming flower and should be treated as one' and all that" she smiled shaking her head "If only I could tell him I beat his prodigy's son record!"
"Then he would truly lock you in the tower" Cerise joked.
"I know he would" she moved the stick around "luckily my brothers wouldn't mind and they allowed me to play with them. But I took a real liking into it. Not waiting to be rescued and being the one to offer the help really feels like the right thing for me. I love being the hero, I love that I can do so much more for others"
"Sound like you found you passion"
"I only wish passion and destiny were synonyms" she cut through the fallen leaves with the branch.
Cerise smiled, but suddenly it dropped and she stood really still. Her ears started to move under her hood "We have company" she said in monotone.
"Who?" she asked walking towards her when suddenly Ramona was in sight, but for some reason, none of the sisters was glad to see each other.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Darling walked in her direction, noticing the hard expression on her face.
"We were just about to ask that" came the voice from a wolf teenager, a beta, no less.
Then Darling understood the tension "The pack" she mumbled.
"Good, you know us" another one called, there were at least four of them "Then you should know this is our territory"
"But as always, a Little Hood had to be the one to cross the boundaries"
Cerise pulled her cloak an inch lower trying to control all impulses.
"Hey cousin! Looks like we found just the perfect match for the evening, and I was fearing it would be a boring day"
"What are you doing in the dark side of the forest?" Ramona asked her voice cold and dry, she was keeping the appearances, but the question was honest, why have they gone in there?!
Cerise kept her chin down "we are just going back to the valley" she answered, truth being, they had been exploring the dangerous areas for a change, but they were unarmed and unprepared for this.
"You better get going and never come back!" Ramona yelled the threatening warning, but that didn't cut it.
"Just like that?" the beta teen asked "I say we take a trophy home" he ran towards them trying to snatch the hood"
"No!" Ramona yelled stretching an arm, her facade was fading. The tension was too high.
"No?" he repeated skeptical.
Ramona growled "That is my destiny to fulfill" she said in her deep voice.
All the pack started to cheer "Alright!, that's a Bad Wolf right there"
"Come on, make them understand they shall never come back to our territories!"
Both sisters were shacking but they knew they had to make it convincing. Ramona walked slowly in her direction, with a shake of her wrist her long claws were now out dangerously sharp.
Cerise breathed in unevenly, nodding discretely, just embracing herself for what will come next.
"Believe me Hood, this is far worst for me" she said trying to keep her voice cool.
A tear dripped down Cerise's cheek, she clenched her fists and held the hood tighter than she ever had. Just when Ramona raised her hand, Darling jumped in the middle of both, facing Ramona with arms extended protectively.
"Out of the way!" yelled Ramona loudly taking a step closer to Darling "Not the time to be the hero, Charming"
"I am not trying to, but your sister has to know you would never hurt her, that she is more important than your destiny"
Ramona gazed back"If they find out-"
"Yes, I know, so be the Bad Wolf they expect to see...but don't be it on her, be it on me" she closed her eyes "come on, just do it"
"Darling-"
"You asked me to protect her when you couldn't, right now you can't protect her, so I will"
"I-I can't, they-!"
"Come on Bad Wolf, aren't you supposed to be the most dangerous villain?!" Darling exclaimed loudly for the pack to hear "Can't you take out a Royal?" she enticed heating up the argument"you only go after little girls lost in the woods?, I am a Charming, Royal by blood, descendant of the most famous heroes, so what is it going to be?"
"Come on Ramona, teach her some manners!"
"She is begging for it! Put her in her place!"
"The crowd awaits" muttered Darling "I know you will hate yourself if Cerise ever looks at you in fear, I know you can't fulfill your destiny and you know this is the only way to keep both your secrets safe, so let's be it"
"Darling I-!"
"Do it!" she screamed, triggering Ramona's wolf instincts, she felt threatened and cornered, now the beast was coming out. Sharp claws stroke the skin of her shoulder like four blades of steel.
A scream of pain was all that was heard before the pack ran towards the deep part of the forest cheering and celebrating. "Now you know, don't mess with us!"
Ramona's eyes turned back to normal as she saw the red dripping from her claws. She backed away terrified gazing at the fallen hero that was clutching on the ground. She was being protected by her younger sister and suddenly Ramona felt utter sorrow and for the first time, despair. She hurt a friend and was expected to do much worse to her own sister, she saw herself as a monster. Ramona couldn't do anything but to turn around and flee with the pack.
"Are you insane?!" Cerise ripped the fabric of the table cloth to clean the wound "What were you thinking?!"
"I was thinking that, this couldn't be you" she pointed at the wound and then groaned "it burns" she shut her eyes tight "I've been burned by dragon's fire and it was less painful than this"
"Claws have that effect on flesh" she pressed her eyes fighting the tears "you didn't have to... that was my burden to carry not yours, and now you are-" she sobbed a little.
"Hey, hey, it's fine I... I couldn't let you play your part, not after what you told me"
"I'm sorry" she hugged her. Darling struggled a little under the embrace.
"It's fine, that's what friends are for, your would have done the same for me" she smiled "You actually helped me escape my destiny more that once" she tried to laugh despite the awful pain "Call it even?"
"I am in debt" she cleared her eyes "my hero"
Darling offered her most sincere smile, she loved the tittle on her friend's lips "At your service" she tried to chuckle, but another wave of pain washed over, it was truly a challenge not to break in tears.
"Come on, I'm taking you to my house, we have to take care of those cuts" Cerise stood up taking Darling's arm to wrap her around her shoulders to help her up.
The recently named hero moaned biting her lower lip "wait, just give me a sec" she took a deep breath
"Are you alright?" Cerise asked concerned
"Yeah, I just feel a bit numb"
Cerise alarmed a little by this, but made no comment about it "The faster we get you to the cottage the better" she helped her walk carrying most of her weight, it was a harsh difficult way back and the bleeding didn't seem to slow down. Once they made it to the house, they noticed Red wasn't home, she had left a note saying she had gone to visit Granny. Cerise laid Darling on bed rushing to the bathroom for medical supplies.
"I don't want to stain your bed sheets" Darling called sitting on the bed holding her arm close to her body.
"You think I care?" she came back pushing her softly on the mattress while she took the lid off the bottle "I need you to bite into something real hard, because this is going to sting a lot"
Darling clenched her jaw and nodded biting into her sleeve.
"One, two..." she poured the liquid making it erosion on her skin. Darling suppress a yell and whimpered trying to stay still.
"I know, I know" Cerise pressed the cloth against the wound pinning her down so she wouldn't get hurt further"It will be all better now"
Darling started to relax once the pain washed away. All the tension faded, now she was just truly tired. She panted a little freeing her sleeve from her mouth. "And I though Princessology was unbearable" she tried to smile, but it had no effect on her friend. She tried to sit assisted by her "Are you alright?"
Cerise huffed "I am the one supposed to ask you that" she passed a hand in front of her eyes to clear them "I am so sorry Darling, you shouldn't have been in the middle of this, it's my fault, I should have played my part like I was supposed to"
"Cerise, no" she cut it "you are not meant to follow your destiny, not like this" she tried to meet her gaze, but Cerise looked away "Ramona fears hurting you just as much. You can't go through with this, you know it as well as I" she paused "And I won't let you do it" she said determined. Cerise was taken aback by the strong remark "I mean it, Cerise Hood"
"Darling I..."
But she held a hand up "I won't be a Damsel in Distress, and you won't be the Hood that gets outsmarted" she gazed deep into her eyes "do we have a pact?"
Cerise was wide eyed "Do you mean...?"
"I will do anything in my power to help you find your own happily ever after"
"And I will never allow you to be the weak character they want you to play?" she continued
"Hexactly. We watch for each other, however we can and for as long as we can" she raised a brow defiantly "Pact?" she repeated, her palm still standing tall.
Cerise answered the gesture taking her hand "Deal"
"Great" she let go of her then smiling sheepishly "you mind helping me first? I can't feel my fingers"
Cerise chuckled taking a bandage out of the drawer "Yeah, try not to move" she cut the now ruined fabric of her shirt and healed her hero.
For the rest of the day they stood in, even though it was the last day of break. Because, even if the vacation came to an end, their alliance had only begun.
Well, thanks and I hope to know what you thought of it! Friday will be the last chapter for this "Break" Serie, but hopefully it won't be the last of this series of one shots. As per usuall, I appreciate your support with all the favs, follows and great reviews. See you friday!