So in my Covid-19 self-isolation boredom I decided to look back over my past Fanfiction stories and weep over how utterly awful they were, when I came across an old +Anima/The Moral Instruments crossover I'd started years ago (Previously called City of Anima). While it was awful, I liked the idea, and decided to give it another shot. I've nearly written it all so I promise that this time I will actually upload the following chapters until completion.

Just to let you guys know, if you're from either the +Anima fandom or the Mortal Instruments fandom and you're not familiar with the other, you don't really need to know about them to understand what goes on, I'll do my best to explain anything so that it's hopefully easy to follow.

Enjoy!

Magnus was first on scene when he got wind of a bit of hassle down the dirty alley between a quiet betting shop and a closed café in downtown New York at 1:32am on a Monday morning, the shadowhunters joining him swiftly after receiving his urgent call for backup.

He was a jogger. Well, he was before his body stretched out into grotesque forms and his jaw elongated to reveal rows and rows of razor blades for teeth. Magnus hated the demons that took on the form of a mundane, they were always so unassuming, and you never knew what you were dealing with until they transformed.

And it was not backing down.

Jace and Alec were doing their best to tire it, but then it decided to call all it's little demon buddies to join in the fun.

Great.

A large spider-like demon with blades for feet crawled down the alley towards them, its red bulging eyes twitching as it tracked their movements. Another demon dropped from the roofline of the betting shop, it was mostly humanlike in appearance, only its head was twisted at a very unnatural angle, and her limbs began to stretch and ripple as the muscle underneath grew to obscene amounts.

"Fuck" Jace said, digging a blade into the thick skin of a nearby demon as they backed down towards the dead end of the alley. They were quickly being outnumbered, and the shadowhunters were exhausted. Alec swung a blade into the demon's eye, which popped, splattering congealed blood across Jace's face.

"We need to do something" Isabelle said, her sword embedded into the abdomen of the spider demon.

"Magnus" Came Clary's urgent voice, and the Warlock looked over towards his red headed friend to see her running over to the wall down the side of the café, he jogged over to meet her, shoes sliding on the blood and guts and goodness knows what else that coated the grimy ground "We need a portal to get us out of here. We're outnumbered" Clary said, a sense of urgency to her voice.

"Uhh guys" Came Jace's voice, and the pair glanced towards their friends to see another demon had joined. It was massive, its rippling torso filling their only exit from the alley, it came running towards them at an alarming speed, the claws on the end of its fingers scraping against the stone flooring.

Clary didn't hesitate, she pressed her stele against the brickwork of the wall, the design for the rune flowing from her mind and down to her fingertips as she guided it across the rough surface. Magnus had his palms pressed against the wall, eyes closed and mumbling under his breath. The surface rippled under his fingers and upon the completion of the rune, the wall shone a brilliant white, blinding light.

The ground was soft when they landed, soft and warm. Although the softness didn't help Clary who ended up with a very heavy Jace landing on top of her, his elbow digging painfully into the small of her back. From the noise Isabelle was making to her left, it sounded like she didn't have too light of a fall either. Winded, Clary rolled onto her side, her back screaming at her and eyes narrowing at the sharp pain. "Sorry" Jace uttered, flashing a cheeky grin. She rolled her eyes.

The sudden silence was interrupted with a shaky hiss of pain. The side of Alec's hoody was slick and wet, the fabric clinging to the right side of his waist where his hand was pressed, and when he pulled it back, it was wet with blood. Both Jace and Magnus leapt to action, Magnus gently lowering him back down to the grass, while Jace gingerly peeled the torn fabric up to reveal a jaggered cut stretching from under his right arm and twisting towards his naval. It was shallow but bleeding profusely, the redness making Alec's already pale skin look even paler. "I'm okay" Alec hissed "Wasn't quick enough, must have got me while I jumped through the portal"

The clink of a buckle and Jace produced his stele from his pocket "Sorry" He uttered before pressing the point into his parabatai's clammy skin and drawing an Iratze, which shone a pale light before sizzling into nothing. Well, the torn edges of the wound knitted together into a pathetic scab, which thankfully did stem the flow of blood. But the mark was still there, angry and inflamed. It looked like a toddler with dodgy hand-eye coordination had got hold of a red marker.

"That's odd" Isabelle exclaimed, and the others nodded with an equal amount of puzzlement. Jace raised the stele again but Magnus brushed him off, instead pressing a lean tan hand against Alec's torso and muttering under his breath. With a shimmering pale light the wound slowly stitched closed until all the remained was a thin silver line that shone faintly in the overhead sun. The pain clearly eased for the deep furrow between Alec's thick eyebrows softened, and a sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"Why isn't it working. It's like the effects of the runes have been dimmed" Jace huffed in frustration, stuffing his stele back into the pocket of his pants in frustration "That's the first time that's happened"

"Fuck knows" Magnus replied with an equally frustrated voice, and it was only then the others noted how utterly exhausted their Warlock friend looked. His normally immaculate eyeliner was smeared down onto his cheeks like a long-lost member of the band Kiss. His previously sleek silk shirt was badly creased and clung to his damp torso. Clary shot him a sympathetic look, opening a portal that large really had drained him badly.

Alec pulled his hoody back down, which only proceeded in ripping it more, he sighed mournfully "That was my favourite one"

"No offense Alec, but it was on its way out anyway. The demon did you a favour" Clary piped up, and Alec shot her a hurt look. She was never that sassy before, Jace's attitude was clearly a bad influence on her.

"Uhh…Magnus, Clary?" Isabelle interjected. Despite the frantic struggle they'd just escaped, Isabelle remained relatively unscathed with exception of a single coil of inky black hair that that had escaped her overwise neat ponytail. Although Isabelle always had an uncanny knack for looking pristine despite anything that was thrown her way "Where the hell did you send us?"

With a pause the others took in their surroundings. Grass. Long fine grass – at least knee high. There was a wide expanse of picturesque turquoise sky stretched above them, in which the blinding midday sun shone down upon them. It was only then that the realised how humid and hot the temperature was compared to the drizzly and hazy New York weather they had left behind. Behind them a dense woodland of tall pine-like trees stretched towards the heavens, the air filled with the sound of musical birdsong. They seemed to be sprawled on some sort of hill edge, which rolled down into valleys and hills before them, the fields closer to them perfect shades of emerald, although those in the distance appeared more of a sandy hue. There wasn't a single concrete structure in sight, in fact, there didn't seem to be any sort of structure at all. No stale air filled with exhaust fumes and pollution. No rats fighting over scraps of half-eaten McDonalds burgers.

They all looked at Magnus who held his hands up in response, eyes darting from the large bird that was swooping in the sky above them to the stream that wove between the fields in the distance, the water shining like liquid silver "Seems like the portal relocated us to a different location…"

"No shit sherlock" Jace muttered, ending with a whimper when Clary prodded him in the ribs "Well we're definitely not in New York anymore" she replied more helpfully than the blond beside her.

"I just opened a portal. Didn't really have time to think of where to send us" Magnus plucked a daisy from the grass, the petals quivering in the gentle breeze "I was mainly concerned with getting us out of there alive. And as I was saying before I was very rudely interrupted by a certain someone, it's not anywhere I recognise" he ended with a pointed look in Jace's location who didn't seem to notice. Or care. It was probably the latter.

"So, we're in another part of the world?" Alec questioned curiously. He glanced around at the location around him, it was beautiful. He wasn't really one for outside spaces, preferring more cosy and dark locations such as libraries and cafes, but this place really was quite something.

"Maybe Europe?" Isabelle's dark eyes glittered "I've always wanted to go to Europe. They have some fantastic shopping locations. Paris especially. You definitely can't beat the clothes that come out of France"

"Sorry to disappoint" Clary interrupted "But this doesn't look the place Pior would open a store"

"Dior" Isabelle corrected with thinly concealed annoyance.

"Same thing" With a roll of her eyes Clary tugged at her wild hair, her slim fingers catching on the tangles "Although we might still be in America. Who Knows? It's definitely not the type of scenery I've come across near New York. There's not a takeaway in sight"

"Oh god. I haven't got my backup hair gel on me" Magnus exclaimed. He paused and raised a hand to his limp hair before shooting Alec a worried look "How bad is it?". Alec cocked his head on one side, shooting him a comforting look but otherwise saying nothing.

"Couldn't you just magic up a portal. You know. Take us back?" Interjected Jace with a little flurry of his hands "Can't be that difficult"

"After what just happened, I'm happy to have a bit of peace and quiet" Clary, the ever-present voice of reason answered "And besides. I can't make a portal on my own, and Magnus obviously needs to rest before doing something like that again" She glanced in his direction "How long will it take you for your powers to replenish?"

"Judging by the fact that we are in an unknown location. Perhaps even in a different time. And somewhere that seems to deplete the effects of magic. I reckon after two-three days of days rest I should be strong enough to get us back" Magnus replied.

"Two to three days" Jace echoed, eyebrows raised, and Magnus nodded in response.

"A portal big enough for all of us to get through, and one to get us such a distance, requires a great deal of energy. While I am truly wonderful, and exceedingly powerful, a creature as great as me does have some limitations" Magnus responded gaining numerous groans from the others "Three days in an unknown location without a change of clothes. Great" Isabelle uttered bitterly.

"So you're lost" A new voice stated. Startling the others witless. Jace let out a squeaky cry of fright and grabbed his girlfriend's bicep. Oh she wasn't going to let that one go. With a rustle from the undergrowth a shorter figure emerged and glanced at them with concern in large and innocent coco-brown eyes "It's easy to do here. I once got lost for a day and was so hungry I ended up eating an apple. Well I thought it was an apple. Turns out it wasn't and it gave me stomach ache. Aha!" Bending down, he plucked a meaty mushroom growing off the side of a decaying log, placing it carefully in a ratty straw basket hanging from the crook of his elbow. It joined the small collection of others inside "I hope that's not a poisonous mushroom, they all look the same to me"

"Who are you?" Alec asked cautiously, his hand hovering over his concealed stele. This boy, despite his oddness, didn't look like a threat, but it was always better to be safe than sorry in his opinion. Demon's could take on the appearance of anyone. It could be another case of the early morning jogger they'd just escaped from.

"Cooro" He said it like it was obvious "My favourite food is apple pie, oh, and cheese. I like the colour red, like red apples. My favourite season with Spring because the air is cool but you have good visibility and-"

"We just wanted a name, not a Tinder profile" Jace interrupted with an exasperated sigh. Like Alec, his hand lowered away from his weapon. This boy was harmless, completely and utterly harmless. "That would be called paedophilia, you can't have a 12 year old on a dating site" Isabelle interjected airily, to which Cooro said "I'm 13 actually. What's a Tinder?"

"Ignore them Cooro" Clary said his name slowly, the word unfamiliar in her mouth "We accidentally got lost, and we're not sure where we are…?"

"In Astaria of course" Cooro grinned "Only the best place in the world. Astaria has the best apples. You don't look like you're from here though" he ended, glancing warily at Magnus's neon streaked hair.

"As…taria?" Alec spluttered "I don't think there's a place called that in America, or even in the world for that matter. Maybe Austria? Austria has scenery like this" The others nodded at his statement, while Cooro shot them a thoughtful look "I've never heard of America before. Or Austria" He pronounced the worlds slowly, the words not coming naturally "We're in Astaria, on the South side, that's why the weather is so nice. There's Astaria and then Sailand to the West, although if you want to go to Sailand you've got a long way you need to walk, and you need to cross Moss Mountain"

Clary swallowed thickly, the others were quiet "Do you have a phone we could use Cooro?"

He tilted his head to one side, the movement making a few strands of fluffy hair fall over his sunkissed face. There were a couple of multi-coloured feathers tied into his braided hair "Phone?"

They all gave each other a worried look, Jace uttering a quiet "What do we do?" between them.

"Look Cooro, I don't know how to explain this…" Magnus wiped his sweaty hands down the legs of his leather pants, trying to collect his thoughts "We were in a place called New York, and then we've ended up here, and we don't really know where this is. We can get back home but I need to rest before I we can do that" He glanced up at the boy who gazed back at him, hoping that his very confusing explanation he provided would try and get him to understand their situation.

Cooro chewed his lower lip thoughtfully, his right hand pressed to his chin "How did you get here?"

The shadowhunters looked at each other. How on earth were they going to explain this one?

"We took a wrong turn" Jace responded slowly, hoping that this strange but friendly boy would take this whole thing at face value. Cooro paused for a bit, before a bright smile appeared on his face "Oh! And you said you're from New-Yolk?"

"New York" Clary corrected "But yes"

"That's strange" He replied eventually "I don't know why you're suddenly here. I thought you were all dressed strange. But I don't mind, I'm a bit strange too" Isabelle glanced at what they were wearing, all-black outfits consisting of leather. Black heavy combat boots. Apart from Magnus that was wearing skin-tight purple jeans and a gold shirt. Cooro however, seemed to be dressed in a loose-fitting brown tunic and blue pants made from the same matching material, his footwear brown leather boots that had seen a great deal of wear. Under his sleeveless tunic he wore a simple red shirt with detached sleeves, the colour faded and the fabric soft from continued wear. There were black tattoos on either shoulders, swirling lines that curled into coils. Some sort of runes? Although they weren't runes that they hadn't seen before. The whole outfit was simple and looked handmade. Rustic. Like something that would be worn by a Medieval townsperson. If the other people that occupied this world dressed like Cooro, she was beginning to wonder if they were in a different time period altogether.

Alec sighed and ran his hand through his mop of hair, and Magnus slid an arm around his shoulders comfortingly. Even though he wasn't in pain anymore, it was clear that the current situation was causing him a great deal of stress. He raised a hand and rubbed away a smear of mud from the side of his face, and Alec shot him a small smile. Cooro glanced at the pair curiously.

"Don't worry about them" Jace said, moving his eyes away from his brother. The last thing he wanted to see was him and his sparkly lover making flirty eyes "It's what they do". Cooro smiled, nodding, although he wasn't too sure what the blonde man meant "I'm Jace by the way, she's Clary. That's Isabelle over there, that's Alec, and he's Magnus. You wouldn't happen to know anywhere we could stay for a bit. I mean we won't be any longer than a few days. Magnus needs to rest before we can travel back home. Somewhere like a hotel? Although we don't really have much money on us. So somewhere cheap would be good"

Cooro's eyes lit up, and he glanced over his shoulder into the dense woodland "I guess you could stay with us. You seem like nice people. And I mean if it's only going to be a few days". Cooro was way too trusting, Jace decided, he wouldn't willingly open his home to a group of strangers kitted out with weapons. Although this whole situation felt like a dream. Maybe it was a dream? "Husky might be able to help you out. He might know where New-Yolk is"

"New York" Isabelle corrected under her breath.

Jace snorted, laughing "Husky, what kind of name is that?"

The others shot him a glare and Jace held his hands up in surrender, although he was still trying not to laugh. Cooro frowned, the first time an expression like that had appeared during their meeting so far "If you're going to be mean I don't think I want to help you"

"Ignore him, he's kind of a dick" Magnus rolled his eyes "We'd really appreciate your help. It would be nice to clean ourselves up and figure our what the hell we're going to do. And besides, I'm actually so hungry I think my stomach might eat myself any second. Do you have any food we could have?"

"Ooh yeah we have lots at the moment. I got a loaf of bread from Ashville yesterday and there's still a bit left, lots of fish, and apples too! And there's lots of mushrooms that grow around here too, they taste nice with the fish. Although not as nice as apple pie of course, although I haven't had an apple pie since the Autumn last year-" The others scrambled to their feet, following Cooro who vanished back through the dense vegetation, still rambling about food. They still weren't quite sure if it was okay to take Cooro up on his offer, he seemed okay, but he was definitely odd and they'd only just met. But it was a better prospect than roaming around this unknown landscape until they found somewhere they could stay. And the thought of a house and a warm bath where they could freshen up sounded wonderful.

The woodland, thankfully, didn't seem as dense and it initially was, and it provided them with shade from the overwhelming heat of the sun. Their clothing was great for fighting and protecting their bodies, but it certainly wasn't breathable in this hot climate. They could weave between the trees with ease, occasionally moving the stray low-lying branch from their way. Cooro navigated the area like the journey ingrained into his brain. Despite being 13, it was clear that he was physically fit – his body was retained the gangliness of a young teenaged boy, but he had muscular legs and arms, the body of someone who did a great deal of physical labour. He had a hatchet in a little leather pouch attached to his belt – perhaps some sort of lumberjack? Magnus frowned as his lovely nubuck leather shoes sunk into the soft dry earth as he walked. He wished he'd worn his more robust boots today.

Jace reached out and firmly grasped Clary's hand in his as they walked, her skin was soft and slightly damp with sweat. But comforting. "You okay?" he questioned quietly, and Clary glanced back at him, nodding. "Yeah I'm okay. I'll just be glad once Magnus can make us another portal. I feel like I've taken a hell of a lot of drugs. This feels like a dream"

Jace snickered "Tell me about it"

"And after the damage you did to my back when you landed, a nice comfy bed sounds good too" She winked, and Jace laughed, uttering a quiet apology.

The tree's cleared into a spacious, but sheltered clearing in the woodland, the floor covered in a carpet of thick grass. There was the sound of running water, originating from a stream trickling through a small pebbled area just seen through the vegetation in the far corner. It should have been scenic. "Oh my god" Isabelle gasped quietly, taking in the scene before her. It was clear that this little area had been occupied for a while, there was a makeshift canopy made from some sort of thin cloth tied to the tree's overhead, casting an area of shade over a smaller area that housed a couple of makeshift beds, one beige blanket and another white. A small crackling fire occupied a space in the middle, a couple of upturned tree stumps nearby, obviously some sort of rustic seating. The smell of cooking food hung in the air from the fat fish skewered on the sticks propped over the fire. Magnus raised his eyebrows in shock, and Clary glanced around – looking for some sort of building. Some sort of house. Heck, even a wooden hut.

"They live here" Isabelle whispered "Like in the open. Like cavemen. Like not even in a house"

"I think you'll find it's called camping" Alec muttered, ignoring the dirty look his sister gave him. Although he was just as shocked as the others. This looking like more than camping. There were clothes strung up on lines between the tree's, the earth around the fire had been burnt bare from continued use. It was clear that these people had been here for a while. There wasn't even a caravan! The thought of sleeping under the stars gave him the heebie jeebies, he liked the comfort of his bed too much. Or rather, Magnus's bed.

Cooro rummaged around in a bag at the end of the one the beds and produced a bundle of cloth, he shook it out to reveal it was a badly creased shirt "Here you go!" He chirped cheerfully, throwing it in Alec's direction which he easily caught "It's a bit big for me so it might fit you. I don't mind you borrowing it".

Alec looking down at it. Judging by the size it was going to fit like a second skin. It was also red. Alec hated red.

"Husky. I got the mushrooms. I'm hoping they won't be poisonous this time" Cooro called, hand cupped around his mouth "Oh. And I made some new friends. They're staying with us. I hope that's okay" he paused, and added as an afterthought "I already said yes"

After a few minutes there was rustling and a slim figure emerged from the direction of the water, back first, dragging a small net filled with glistening fish "I swear to god Cooro. If you've befriended the crows again I will kill you. The last time you brought them back they ate all our bread. It isn't cheap you know" the person said in a surprisingly deep, slightly coarse voice. They felt like there was a story behind that statement, but they didn't dare ask. Things were already strange enough without the addition of crows.

"It's better this time, they're people" Cooro giggled. And his companion, presumably this Husky person, turned their head so fast Isabelle was surprised they didn't get whiplash. He (they thought it was a he, although it was honestly quite hard to tell), narrowed their eyes and assessed each of them in turn, scowling with particularly fierce intensity at both Isabelle and Clary "Where the hell did you find that lot? Especially girls?" Okay, definitely a guy then.

"We're actually here you know. We can hear you" Isabelle piped up, and he shot her a look, clearly displeased.

"They need help. They were somewhere, and now they're here. But they don't know where we are, even though we're in Astaria. But they need to rest before they can get back home to somewhere called New-Yolk. Alec hurt himself too, although the Magnus did something and it went away?" Cooro explained as if the jumble of words that came out of his mouth made sense "And just because they're girls doesn't mean they're bad. Nana's a girl"

"New York" Jace corrected "It's New-York not New-Yolk"

"Nana's different" Husky replied eventually, ignoring the newcomers, before turning to look at Cooro "Are they…well…you know?"

"I don't think so. But they feel different. Not that kind of different, but a different kind" Cooro offered as some sort of answer. The shadowhunters glanced between themselves, again, they felt that there was something they didn't know behind the statement, but they weren't quite sure what to make of it. Husky nodded slowly and inspected them with the kind of scrutiny that made them squirm. He seemed to be the same age as Cooro, maybe slightly younger, but the two boys were like chalk and cheese. Cooro was stockier and stronger, whereas Husky was slim and lean, and slightly shorter than his carefree companion. Cooro had darker features, deep honey tan skin, brown eyes, and black hair styled into some sort of shaggy cut, pulled into a small neat braid at the nape of his neck. Whereas Husky had skin even paler than Alec's, bright blue eyes, and jaw-length bobbed hair the colour of moonlight. Magnus wondered if they had hair dye wherever this place was, it had been years since his hair was silver.

Husky sighed, dropping the net of fish and crossing his arms in front of him – he was carrying some sort of fancy stick in his gloved hands, decorated with ornate banding of silver "How do we know you're not from the Astarian government. We're just travelling, we don't mean any harm"

"We don't even know where Astaria is" Alec replied "And wouldn't you have thought someone from the government would look a bit more put-together?"

Husky cast another eye over them, obviously just noticing their unusual clothing for the first time. Some sort of leather garments? Although theirs was black and bulky, clearly not made for the humid Astarian Summer heat. Their shirts were also stained, and he swore he saw a splattering of red across the blond one's face. Blood? They didn't have the neat and tidy appearance of the government, in fact, he'd never seen anyone that dressed like these people did – yet alone speak that with peculiar accent. Cooro was still looking at him with those pleading eyes, he always wanted to help people, Husky thought bitterly with a sigh.

"I have to agree. You look too shifty to be the involved with the government" Husky commented.

"Thanks" Jace replied sarcastically.

"Can't you just go somewhere else?" Husky remarked, eyebrows arching. Magnus rolled his eyes, for one child he sure had a lot of sass.

"And where do you suggest?" Isabelled bit back, a bit irked by his attitude "Because, like your more friendly pal over there explained, we don't exactly know our way around here"

"I don't really care. As long as it's not here" Husky huffed and stomped over to the fire, prodding the flames with a stick, which spat out amber embers in response. Cooro pouted sadly at him, eyes large and lower lip wobbling.

"Wouldn't it be nice to have some people around?" Cooro said, and Husky ignored him completely.

"They don't have anywhere to go" The black-haired boy continued, pouting intensifying.

"They could work too, help with collecting fruit" Cooro sighed, and Jace nodded "Yeah, we can pick mushrooms or whatever"

Husky paused and eyed them warily, before glancing over at Cooro.

"You can stay as long as you help out with the chores" He waved a noncommittal hand towards them and Cooro let out a little squeal of happiness, clapping his hands "It's been ages since we've had guests Husky, I'll go slice some bread!"

"And just so you know, I still don't trust you. Do anything out of line and you're out there on your own" Husky called, raising a thin eyebrow at them.

"Just ignore him. Go wash up and we'll have dinner sorted for when you come back" Cooro chirped, ignoring the sour look his feisty friend sent him.

The shadowhunters looked between themselves and shrugged, a wash sounded like a good idea, even if it was in a river. The two young teens were odd, but they seemed harmless, and now that they thought about it, they were quite hungry too.

"Thanks" Jace replied, appreciatively. Husky nodded briskly and ran a hand through his wet hair. In fact, it looked like he'd just been swimming. He was wearing an all-black outfit consisting of tight leggings and an equally as tight sleeveless crop-top, his hair slicked back with water, revealing deep blue earrings in his ears. He was decidedly pretty for a boy, all delicate features and large, almond shaped eyes. The juxtaposition of his deep voice to his appearance really was quite comical. Pretty but with a sour personality, just like Jace, Isabelle chuckled to herself.

"Make sure you don't go too far, there's a waterfall at the end of the river" Husky supplied before turning away. Cooro gave them a wave before rummaging around in a sack, producing a loaf of bread wrapped in parchment paper.

Despite their initial concerns, the river was actually incredibly refreshing, the water warm in the sun and deep enough to come up to their thighs, although past the waterfall it opened out into a large expanse of a lake. Clary was knelt on the edge, head down and pouring handfuls of water over her hair. Isabelle winced at her and instead decided to shed her jacket and run some water up her bare arms and over her face. There was no way she was going to wash her hair in river water, especially without her beloved shampoo and conditioner. Magnus raised a hand to his own hair, fingers crackling with energy, before frowning and lowering it back down. It was easy in New York to just magic his way into a new outfit, he'd forgotten he was stuck in a place that sounded like Austria, but definitely wasn't Austria. And that he needed to conserve his energy if they were going to get back home anytime soon.

"I can wash your hair if you like. I promise I'll do a good job" Alec supplied, a false sense of optimism in his voice.

"I love you babe, I really do, but I don't trust you washing my hair" Magnus replied grimly, and instead pulled a comb from his pocket, trying is best to remove the tangles.

Jace however was fully submerged in the deeper end of the river, back facing them, his clothes in a heap on the grass. "I hope you're wearing underwear" Clary called, and Jace shot her a cheeky grin over his shoulder, turning to face her. The water reached his waist, but unfortunately it didn't hide everything.

"Oh my god, cover yourself up" Isabelle gagged, shielding her eyes. Magnus rolled his eyes. He'd seen better.

Alec meanwhile had spent the majority of the time eyeing the shirt Cooro had supplied him suspiciously. He honestly hated red, it was his least favourite colour. But then he looked at his beloved tattered hoody in his other hand. He'd had it for three years, and the black had faded into a lovely shade of worn grey. Although he was sure Magnus would disagree with that statement. With a sigh he managed to pull the top on, and as he guessed, it was too tight and pulled snugly across his broad shoulders. It was also short-sleeved too and revealed his arms which littered with runes. He wanted his long-sleeved hoody back.

Behind him Magnus whistled "You look hot. Shame we're not alone. I'd bend y-"

"Please don't finish that sentence" Isabelle interjected, rolling her eyes.

An hour has passed since they'd left for the river, and they returned, their skin pink from being scrubbed but feeling a hell of a lot better since they've shed their jackets and cleaned the dried blood from their skin. Cooro greeted them with a smile, and the others saw that they had laid blankets out of the ground around the fire.

"I like having people around" Cooro grinned, flinging his arms open. Clary gave the friendly black haired boy a smile, it was hard not to love him. Sure, he seemed way too friendly and trusting, but it was clear he had a big heart. Husky seemed a bit more reserved, and was eyeing their runes with slight suspicion, but otherwise seemed like a pleasant guy too. There were large leaves on the ground around the fire, on which there were an assortment of cooked vegetables and homemade bread. Jace must have pulled a look because Husky gave him a sideways glance "It's not poisoned" he said sarcastically.

"I know, I know. It's just different" Jace replied, he joined the others on the ground and eyed the food cautiously. It looked okay. And the fish looked quite good "It's just really different to the food we have back at home"

"In New-Yolk? What is it like" Cooro piped up, remembering the conversation from earlier.

"New York" Alec clarified "It's a city, so lots of buildings. Everything's kind of built up, lots of roads and cars" Husky and Cooro glanced at each other, puzzled, but Alec continued "It's very modern. The food is good, lots of different types. Although Isabelle's food is pretty shit"

Isabelle spluttered "I'm not that bad" The other shadowhunters winced, remembering the concoction she served them last Tuesday. There was no way that strawberries and beef belonged in the same dish, especially not with whipped cream on top.

Cooro nodded along with the conversation, grinning as he reached for a fish from the stick over the fire. The other's eyed the fish for a few moments before taking one for themselves "Senri's a great cook, and Nana too – she makes really tasty pastries" He said between mouthfuls of food.

"Nana? You mentioned her name earlier" Clary said, trying not to laugh as Jace gingerly poked the fish. Husky had descaled and filleted the fish prior to cooking, but it didn't seem like cutlery was something they used here, or something that the two boys used, as they were just tearing pieces off with their fingers.

"Senri's the best cook. I didn't like snake before I met him, but he sprinkles some stuff on them and somehow he makes it taste really good" Cooro said, and the others were suddenly glad they'd been served fish and not reptiles "They're our friends, Nana and Senri. But…something happened in the last town we were in and we got separated"

"What happened?" Jace asked curiously. He'd been brave enough to try the fish, and thankfully it was quite tasty. Although he did miss the luxuries of cutlery and crockery.

"Stuff" Husky shrugged, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth "Stuff happened, and we got separated. We're waiting here until they come back. We don't normally stay in one place for so long, but we can't leave them behind" Cooro nodded in agreement and added "We stay together forever. We can't leave them behind"

"How long have you been waiting for them?" Magnus asked, and there was a small moment of silence.

"Three months" Cooro replied, a flash of sadness crossing his face. Jace whistled, eyebrows raising "That's a long time"

"They're worth it" Husky replied briskly, throwing the makeshift leaf plate from their food into the fire, which blackened and sizzled in response "It'll be warm tonight so you shouldn't need a blanket, we usually take nights in turns to keep an eye out. Cooro will go first and then I'll take over" He looked at them expectantly, and Jace paled.

"You mean we're sleeping on the ground" He asked, and Husky just gave a pointed look to the blankets on the ground in response "We're not exactly anywhere near an inn. Nor do we have enough money for one. Do you have enough money for one?"

Jace groaned. At least there were blankets to sleep on. Magnus was eyeing the floor as if it was lava. Great. Just great.