To 8Ball3- Try harder XD The unicorn bit is, like, one calm moment for these brats ^_^ And I guess she is kind of mom... don't tell her that though, she'll be offended :P


"Run!"

"I am runnin'!"

"Run faster!"

"Wow, never would've thought of that!"

"If you two stopped arguing, we could get out of here faster!" Ruby scolded.

"Panic, panic, panic!" Raijin flailed, crashing through the undergrowth. Louisa ducked a low-hanging branch, Huxley jumped a protruding root. Ruby and Storm were ahead of them.

Raijin threw a glance back over his shoulder, wailing. "It's getting closer!"

That much was obvious. The crashing and splintering of trees, the thuds of its body on the natural obstacles of the forest, its grunts and bellows as it charged after them. "I just wanted breakfast!" Raijin protested, wheezing.

"What did you say it was?" Louisa called, summoning her sword.

"Minotaur!"

"Don't tell me you're going back to it!" Ruby reprimanded.

"You got a better idea?"

"Yeah! Run!"

"We are runnin'!"

"DUCK!" Huxley bellowed. They skidded to a halt, all sinking into crouches. A tree rushed overhead, the resultant gust messing their hair. It slammed into the ground, branches leaving gouges. "Go left, go left!" Huxley demanded, flinging his arm in that direction. He grabbed Raijin under his arm as he sprinted past, Ruby and Storm hot on his heels. Louisa matched their speed, but went right instead.

"LOUISA!" Ruby screeched, dismayed.

"Won't be long!" Louisa called over her shoulder, diving back into the treeline. She smelt the Minotaur before she saw it, rancid meat and dirty animal fur. It was yanking another tree from the ground, the dryad flickering as she desperately threw pinecones at it. "Hey!" Louisa shouted, charging at it. It grunted, letting the tree go to swing at her. She stabbed forward, the edge of her blade slicing the back of its hand and down to its wrist.

It screamed, bringing around its other fist. Louisa dived to one side, its fist crushing into the earth. It snorted, furious, jerking its arm to free itself. She came up behind it, sinking her blade into the bend of its knee.

"I'm here!" Huxley shouted as it fell forward, throwing its hands out to catch itself. Huxley swung his axe wide, catching it in the shoulder. "What are you doing?" He demanded incredulously over its head.

"Killin' it, I think!"

"Then aim for the head!" He wrenched his axe free, swinging again. The Minotaur caught it before it cut into its neck, its small glowering eyes fixed on Huxley. "Oh." He said, a second before it grabbed him in one giant fist and began to squeeze.

Ice flooded Louisa's veins. Her vision clouded. Screaming rang in her ears, a flash of bronze-gold. Huxley dropped to the ground, still encased in the beast's hold, but no longer attached to the beast itself.

The Minotaur howled in pain, clutching the bleeding stump of its arm, severed at the elbow. Louisa screamed right back at it, stabbing and slashing again and again, at its face, its chest, its remaining arm, unrelenting. It staggered back, struggling on its injured leg. It tried swiping at her again, tried lowering its head to charge her. She cleaved its horns in one wide cut, throwing her elbow back and stabbing forward. The blade rattled off bone and tore through flesh. The bull-man went limp, its limbs folding in. She wrenched her sword free, stepping away as it fell to its knees.

It toppled forward, crumbling. It was a pile of ashes before it hit the ground.

Louisa's chest heaved. The gory point of her blade sunk to the earth, gripping the hilt with both hands, arms shaking. She looked over at Huxley. The arm had not turned to ash and he was throwing himself out of its slackened grip, disgusted and sickly.

There was a crashing in the bushes to her left. She whirled around, aiming her sword in that direction.

Whoa! Storm whinnied, alarm. It's just us!

"Are you two OK?" Ruby panicked, rushing first to Huxley to help him up. She then turned to Louisa, freezing when she realised the sword was still pointed at her. "Hey, hey, easy now. Eeeaaasssyy." She soothed, hands spread placatingly. Louisa inhaled shudderingly, blinking hard. The point of her sword fell to the earth again, gaining a spattering of ashes on the bloodied metal.

"We heard thunder!" Raijin interjected, popping up in front of Louisa. He studied her face carefully. Her brow furrowed, staring at him, still trying to catch her breath.

"You," Huxley stumbled into view, holding his ribs with a wince, "you…" He waggled a finger at her, wheezing. He motioned at his eyes, widening them dramatically. "Glowing." He managed.

"Glowing?" Raijin echoed, head swivelling between Huxley and Louisa. "What do you mean 'glowing'?" Louisa bowed her head, fingers slackening on the hilt of her sword, unfurling a fraction. Green sparks snapped across her palms. Huxley jabbed a finger at them, waving at his eyes again.

"That." He nodded frantically.

Louisa's sword shrank. She stood straight, taking a deep breath. She regarded them for a moment, detached, thoughts elsewhere, but not through her doing. Huxley was talking to the other two, they were trying to talk to her. She heard nothing, ears ringing. She blinked and she didn't see them either.

"Well," Arnie smiled, "that's one way of doing it."

"Like you could do better." She remarked.

"Like it's hard?" He smirked that crooked, wry smirk and she shook her head.

"Shut up, Arnie."

"Make me."

"Um, Lou?" A hand on her arm. She opened her eyes. Ruby was holding her arm carefully, wary of any more green sparks. Huxley and Raijin were hovering nearby, the former still holding his ribs tenderly. Storm was between them, huffing worriedly. "Arnie… isn't here, Lou."

"What?" Louisa croaked. The world tipped one way, then the other. Ruby caught her one side, Raijin on the other. "N-no," she shook her head again, something coppery and foul residing on her tongue, "he was… he was just here, I saw him."

"We didn't." Huxley said gently. He was hunched over, hugging his ribs carefully. "It's just us here."

"But I saw him."

You need to rest. Storm said, stepping forward. Come on.

"But Arnie was… was right here. I have ta find him."

He's not here, Lou.

"Yes he is! He is, he is, he is!"

No, he's not. Storm's ears lay back, her eyes flickering nervously between Louisa's face and the ground. Reluctant.

She remembered then. She realised she was crying, but it did not feel like tears. The warmth on her face, the dampness on her fingertips when she touched her cheek- she did not see tears. Liquid crimson blurred over her skin. She could not wipe it off. She clawed at her jacket, sobbing desperately, but the blood only grew. It was on her hand, on her face, on her clothes. The smell of it was so thick, cloying her throat with that foul coppery taste. She gulped for air with a cinch around her windpipe, shadows wriggling at the edges of her vision.


They let her sleep. She clearly needed it. Raijin and Storm sat with her, making sure she was nestled in blankets, comfortable. Her sleep was fitful, brimmed with murmurs in a language they didn't recognise, flinching and head shakes.

"Wish she had a little window to her head." Ruby sighed, stoking the flames. She was getting better at starting their campfires, but still left the cooking to Huxley. He hummed in agreement, rummaging through their supplies. His crushed ribs had been fixed up with the wonders of ambrosia and was returning to his usual duties with gusto. "Wonder what happened to that Arnie kid."

"She'll tell us if she wants to."

"I know." She sighed again, scratching at her chin. "What's for dinner, chef?"

"Beans. Or… beans. Or beans."

"Mm. Got any beans?"

"Fresh out."

"Damn."

"Uh, watch your language. Raijin's listening."

"No, I'm not!"

"You're always listening."

"That's lies." Raijin nodded seriously. He was sat with Storm's head in his lap, providing much needed pets for the anxious pegasus. "On a completely unrelated note, I have been listening. To Louisa, anyway." He added at their dubiously amused exchange of looks. "I don't understand everything she's saying, but I think she's… she's saying sorry?" He scrunched his face, tipping his head to one side. "Something about a Cyclops and that she's sorry." He rolled his head to study Louisa's face, pouting. "No idea what language she's speaking." Storm snorted, ear flicking. "Thanks, that was incredibly helpful." He patted the pegasus. To the other two, he mouthed still no idea!

"Maybe she'll feel a bit better once she's slept." Ruby suggested. "I, for one, would feel a lot better if I had some food."

"I am working on it, Princess." Huxley stuck his tongue out. "Raij, you good with beans?"

"Beans, beans, good for the heart, the more you eat, the more you-"

"Raijin!" Ruby scolded. Both boys snorted and dissolved into giggles. "Oh, you're disgusting." She huffed, wrinkling her nose.


Louisa.

Louisa!

LOUISA!

"No!" Louisa sat up, shivering and sweaty. Raijin was beside her, also waking at her startle.

"Wh-?" He yawned. "What's up?" He faced her, eyes still closed sleepily. To her left, Ruby was stirring, squinting around at them. Huxley was sat by the fire, watching worriedly. "You OK, Lou?"

"Who-? Who-?" She stammered, gulping, mouth like sand. Ruby handed her a water bottle, groggily sitting up. She was grateful for the drink, a little warm and a little old, but like nectar on her parched throat.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ruby asked gently, dutifully wiping sleep from her eyes.

"Someone called me."

"No?" Ruby glanced over at Huxley, who shook his head. "No." She confirmed. "No-one called you."

"They did!" Louisa insisted, wiping her face on the blanket. She felt cold and clammy, and hot and bothered, a rather unpleasant mixture. "I heard them, I-"

Louisa!

The reaction around the group was instantaneous. The trio stiffened and looked at each other, looked around their little camp into the all-consuming darkness beyond their fire. "See!" Louisa implored. She planted a hand on Raijin's shoulder, using him as leverage to stand. Her legs were as cooperative as slabs of jelly, but she managed to stay upright.

When the voice called her again, her stomach twisted. Her vindication at being right shattered. She found herself holding her sword, with no recollection of summoning it.

That was Arnie's voice.

Arnie was calling her.