Two weeks passed without much change. Daichi and Iwaizumi trained Hinata to build his strength and use his new sword, sometimes gathering a crowd when Iwaizumi and Daichi would spar after.

Suga often came and watched, sometimes calling Hinata over to him between exercises to talk, touching his shoulder gently as he told him his observations. Hinata always felt more powerful, more invigorated after he talked with Suga, and would run back to his two teachers ready to go. After, Suga and Daichi would chat quietly, Suga apparently having forgiven him and instead deciding to befriend the captain.

Kageyama also made appearances, providing someone for Hinata to spar with that was closer to his strength. Though Kageyama was leaps and bounds ahead of him in experience, Hinata was quickly catching up with skill, and their bouts lasted longer each time.

Oikawa only attended twice; once to pull Iwaizumi to the side and speak with him quickly, the other to watch Kageyama and Hinata spar. He stood directly by Suga and spoke to him quietly throughout, often making Suga frown or look defensive. Today, he had made his third appearance.

"Wouldn't you agree, Suga-chan?" Oikawa asked loudly after Hinata had pinned Kageyama to the ground in their thirteenth bout.

Suga rolled his eyes and Iwaizumi shot Oikawa a look but didn't say anything. Hinata, ever curious, listened in. Kageyama, ever wary, raised an eyebrow at his superior.

"Agree with what?" Daichi finally asked, satiating everyone's curiosity.

Oikawa sighed dramatically and draped an arm around Suga's shoulders. Suga tried to shrug him off. "I was saying to Mr. Refreshing that Chibi-chan is making such progress, it's almost like magic!"

Kageyama snorted in a way that Hinata took as a jab at his skills, and was ready to challenge him when Oikawa spoke again.

"You know, they believe they already have Moon, they just need Sun to prove it," Oikawa said gently. Suga shot him an incredulous look.

"And you think Hinata is Sun?" he asked. Hinata froze.

Oikawa stepped close to Suga, raising his hand to Suga's neck. His fingers caught on the chain of the pendant Suga always wore, lifting it up so the stone was no longer hidden under Suga's shirt.

"Isn't he?" Oikawa let the pendant drop back onto Suga's chest. It seemed to glow in the dying sunlight. "Those smart enough to notice would immediately recognize this. You've been suppressing his powers to keep him hidden."

Hinata was staring at Suga, eyes flicking between his mentor's face and the jewel laying against his chest. "Wait, you're saying I'm Sun? From the story? That's real?" Suga nodded, not meeting Hinata's eyes. "You're joking, you're all joking with me 'cause I'm a ray of sunshine-"

"How long have you been doing this, Mr. Refreshing?" Oikawa asked, cutting Hinata off. Hinata fell silent, still utterly confused. Oikawa and Suga were speaking with full sincerity, and he could feel the power emanating from the pendant around Suga's neck even from where he stood, now that it was out in the open. But him?

Suga sighed. "Since before he came into my care. His mother asked me to bear the pendant as they weren't able to. Hinata's powers were much less prominent then, so we never interacted much until he came to me."

"Wait, I have powers?" Hinata asked, and Suga nodded. Then: "... is that why you took me in?"

Suga turned to face him. "I will admit, that was part of it. Your parents requested it of me, should anything happen to them. But, from the few times I did see you, I knew you were good and kind, and would have taken you in no matter what, Sun or not."

"Suga-chan," Oikawa piped up again, "We mere beings are not meant to bear such a burden. Even you would eventually succumb to it. It's killing you."

Everyone in the immediate vicinity froze. "Suga-san!" Hinata exclaimed, looking horrified. Suga sent him a smile.

"Eventually, it would kill me. A little slower than it would someone else, yes, but it would. It's a burden as a Seer I can bear, but not without consequences. This pendant has caused me great pain since the day I put it on, and will continue to until I take it off or am dead. It is to remind us that it is not natural for a Seer to be in possession of the pendant, that we should return it to its rightful owner. At this point, the pain is just back ground noise; I'm used to it."

Hinata rushed to his side and wrapped his arms around Suga's waist. "Suga-san, I'm so sorry."

Suga hugged him back tightly. "Don't apologize, Hinata, none of this is your fault."

After a moment, Suga turned back to Oikawa, Hinata letting go and staring up at him. "Oikawa, who is Moon?"

"It's a boy named Tsukishima Kei, from Karasuno. He and Yamaguchi-kun were childhood friends, and were taken from their village at the same time."

Suga narrowed his eyes in what seemed to be confusion, then spared a quick glance at Kageyama and Daichi, who stood nearby looking shocked, mirroring the faces of everyone around them. He met Oikawa's gaze again and finally shook his head. "You can't just deliver Hinata to them. If they already have Moon, do you know how destructive they could be under the wrong people? I won't let you do this, Oikawa-"

Oikawa's back stiffened and his face became stony. "You won't let me? Sugawara-san, you seem to have forgotten the real reason we're going back to Shiratorizawa. Hinata-kun was just a bonus, but you were the reason for this whole thing. As friendly as we've gotten, don't forget who's in charge, and who you are to us. You're the prize to be given to our dear leader to complete his collection. Just think of that before you tell me what I can and can't do."

He turned on his heel and walked off, limping slightly. Iwaizumi swore under his breath and followed him, casting a quick look back at Daichi to tell him to clear everyone out. With a quick order from Daichi, the soldiers around them dispersed, leaving he, Hinata, and Suga in the now-empty practice space.

Suga bore no expression on his face, but his jaw was tense and his hands clenched into fists. He had been staring in the direction Oikawa had gone, and only looked down when Hinata gingerly laid a hand on his arm.

"Suga-san?" he asked quietly.

Looking startled, Suga flashed him a bright smile. "You probably have lots of questions for me, Hinata, let's go back to Kuroo and Kenma and see if they need anything while we talk."

"Suga-san, are you-"

"I'm fine Hinata, come on let's go see if we can be helpful!" He took Hinata's wrist gently and started pulling him off towards the medical tent.

Daichi and Hinata exchanged a look; Suga was being overly cheerful for what had just occurred.

"Suga..." Daichi began gently, but Suga stopped with his back to him.

"It's not like I forgot what was to happen to me, Captain, so please don't concern yourself with the lowly Seer you've captured. I'm just a captive that forgot his place," Suga said, bitterness lacing his tone. With that, he walked away, leaving Hinata to trail after him and a stunned Daichi in his wake.

"I thought you were friends with Daichi-san?" Hinata asked carefully.

Suga smiled at him sadly. "I thought so too, but Oikawa did a great job of reminding us who we are to these people, and I find it hard to be friends with people who are giving me away to a tyrant and endangering you."

Hinata fell silent until they reached the mouth of the med tent; Kenma was busy with a patient so they settled down outside, and Suga slowly lifted the pendant from around his neck.

"So, questions?"

Millions of thoughts buzzed in Hinata's head. His life had been turned upside down in a matter of minutes, and he still didn't fully know what it all meant.

"Who am I?" he asked finally.

"You are Hinata Shouyou. You were brought into this world like any other, with the love and happiness of your parents, and were chosen to be the bearer of the Sun pendant."

"Why me, though?"

Suga smiled. "This process works in mysterious ways; even I don't know all of it. I had a Vision concerning you just after you had been born, told your mother, and looked out for you since then."

Hinata imagined six-year-old Suga, his imagination only producing a shorter version of the twenty-year-old Suga, telling his mother all about her first child. Six-year-old Suga, already burdened with the world, with Hinata's pendant. Hinata's face fell, but Suga sent him a kind smile.

"But I do know this, Hinata. You were meant to do great things, and you will. Sun or not, you are a great person. I believe that whole-heartedly."

Hinata took a deep breath in and eventually smiled back at Suga. "Okay. I don't quite get it, but I think there isn't much to get, right?"

Suga laughed, and then started speaking. "Hinata, this is the pendant of Sun. It augments your powers, makes you stronger, and enhances your natural abilities. It's full of your extra power, that's how I kept you hidden for all those years. I siphoned off what I could through touch. Now, you'll have to be careful with how you use it."

Suga pressed the pendant into Hinata's hands, but didn't let go of it yet. He leaned to whisper in his ear instead.

"You need to get out of here. Tonight, if you can. You can't be taken to Shiratorizawa, or that would be the end of the world as we know it. Stay in the forest, and stay safe. You have enough skills to survive."

"But Suga-san, what about you?" Hinata exclaimed, but grew quiet when Suga shushed him, looking around for anyone who may have overheard.

"No, I can't come. I'm the reason we're going back there in the first place; if I went missing there would be a search. If it's just you, they'll likely leave you alone as you aren't the main priority. Just get far away. I'll be okay, Hinata."

"Suga-san..."

"I'll be okay. As long as I know you're safe, I'll be okay."

Tears welled up in Hinata's eyes, but Suga just smiled gently at him.

"Hinata, I need you to listen to me carefully. When I let go of this pendant, I may faint. The things I've learned to live with over the years are suddenly going to be lifted, so the shock will be great. The first thing you need to do is put that pendant on and hide it. Get accustomed to the excess energy and power before you do anything else.

"If I don't wake up quickly, take me to Kenma and leave me to wake up on my own; go and pack your essentials. You know how to pack a survival bag, hide it in the tent with Kuroo and Kenma's bags. If I'm not awake by nightfall, don't wait for me. Go at the first opportunity, take Sho and escape."

"Suga-san, I'm scared. I'm so sorry," Hinata whispered.

"Hinata, you are good and kind, and deserve any and all happiness that comes to you. Do not mourn me, but enjoy your freedom. Stay safe, Hinata," Suga said, giving him a watery smile, before removing his hands from the pendant.

He collapsed instantly, falling sideways beside Hinata. He nearly dropped the pendant in his rush of panic, but remembered Suga's instructions and slipped it around his neck.

The rush of power overwhelmed him. He felt like his blood was on fire, but he felt complete, like the pendant had been the missing part of him he didn't know he had. Slowly, he subdued the power, pushing it out to his fingertips, to his toes, dispersing it. While he was still buzzing with energy, it was no longer suffocating him. He tucked it under his shirt and out of sight.

Getting Suga into Kenma's med tent was harder than expected. While Suga wasn't a large man, he was still taller than Hinata and awkward to carry by himself. He managed to loop one of Suga's arms around his shoulders and hauled him inside, interrupting Kenma who was patching up a gash on Yahaba's arm.

"Suga-san collapsed!" Hinata said, taking Suga to the nearest sleeping roll and depositing him there. Kenma quickly tied up the bandage he had been wrapping, cleaned his hands, and hurried to the bedside.

"What happened?" he asked, taking one of Suga's wrists in his hand and checking his pulse.

"Over-exertion, I think," Hinata said, fumbling a little on the words. It wasn't exactly a lie...

Kenma did a few more quick tests on Suga, checking his vitals, before standing up. "He needs to rest. He will wake up, but I'm not sure when. Will you run to let Oikawa know what's happened?"

Hinata looked down at his feet. "I probably shouldn't. Oikawa-san and Suga-san had a fight; I don't think Oikawa-san would want to see me right now."

"I'm heading over there, I'll give him the heads up," Yahaba said from where he was still sitting. "Am I good to go, Kenma?"

Kenma gave him a few more instructions on the proper care of his wound, but let him go a few moments later. "Is there anything else I should know, Shouyou?"

Hinata shook his head, avoiding Kenma's eyes, and then excused himself from the tent.

The sun was slowly setting, so he quickly made his way to Kuroo and Kenma's tent to back his bags. Kuroo was thankfully absent; as much as he felt he could trust them, Hinata didn't want anyone else getting in trouble for his disappearance.

After packing saddle bags and a pack full of survival gear, and ensuring that his sword was in top condition, he stashed them away amidst the other bags in the tent before making his way back to the med tent.

Suga was still out cold, but Hinata sat beside him quietly and said his final farewells. He was determined that this would not be goodbye, he would see Suga again, and soon, with both of their freedom.

His next stop was to see Sho and ensure he'd been fed and watered. The two of them had a long journey ahead, and Hinata almost felt bad for stealing Sho away from a place where he was cared for each night and surrounded by other horses. He stroked Sho's flank and the neck of the dapple grey mare beside him while running through an equipment list in his head, preparing for the night ahead.

Meals were eaten, fires put out, and Hinata eventually found himself alone in the tent. Kuroo was with the higher-ups at their nightly meeting, and Kenma was still with Suga in the med tent. About an hour later, he heard familiar footsteps as Kuroo and Kenma returned together. Hinata feigned sleep as they stopped to talk outside.

"Is Suga still unconscious?" Kuroo asked.

Kenma nodded. "I don't know what could've caused it, unless it's related to that pendant. He's not wearing it anymore."

"Do you think...?" Kuroo's sentence trailed off, and Hinata knew they were talking about him now. "He's gone through a lot today. That's a big topic to just drop on someone."

"Shouyou is strong, he'll be fine no matter what comes his way," Kenma replied, and Hinata's chest swelled with pride. "Was Oikawa mad?"

"About Suga? Livid. He hates what we're doing, but he can't not do it. We have to go through with this, and he has to maintain his control. Iwaizumi told me after that the fight with Suga took a lot out of Oikawa, that he only played the power card to ensure no one would undermine him. On top of that, there's the whole situation with Kageyama. He hates it, I mean, we all hate it. Ushiwaka has everyone under his thumb; he can do what he wants and gets what he wants. Right now, he wants Suga in his possession."

"What about Shouyou? Have they said anything to him about Shouyou?"

"As far as I know, he doesn't know yet. A surprise for Ushiwaka, when we get back to the capital." It was silent for a moment. "I want to go back to Nekoma."

"So do I."

Hinata cracked an eye open and saw that they were hugging each other tightly. Kuroo's shoulders were shaking a bit as he wrapped himself around Kenma. They stayed like that for a long time until finally Kuroo straightened up and they walked away, Kenma likely going back to the med tent to spend the night there. Kuroo returned after a few minutes. Hinata feigned sleep again as Kuroo entered, curling up in the blankets he usually shared with Suga.


Hinata guessed it was around two in the morning when he roused himself. Kuroo was fast asleep mere feet away, curled up like a cat. Hinata carefully maneuvered his bags out from their hiding places and silently left the tent, leaving behind a quiet 'thank you' to Kuroo. He'd been nothing but kind to Hinata and Suga throughout.

He encountered no guards as he made his way over to the horses, and gently woke Sho up from his dozing state, putting his tack on quickly and as quietly as possible. It was only when he was securing his saddle bags that Hinata heard someone. He hid and silently prayed whoever it was wouldn't notice that Sho was fully equipped to ride.

Kageyama was moving silently among the horses, also shouldering saddle bags. He stopped where Sho stood, obviously confused, before moving on to the dapple grey mare beside him and dropping his bags.

"What are you doing, dumbass?" he whispered loudly. Hinata made no sound, and Kageyama sighed. "I can see you."

"How?!" Hinata whisper-shouted, jumping up from his hiding place.

"Hair," Kageyama replied curtly. "Where are you going?"

"Where are you going?" Hinata countered, crossing his arms.

He received a snort in response. "Haven't you heard? Oikawa-san is being threatened by me being here. He might be replaced by me soon enough. I'm getting out of here before he feels too threatened. What about you?"

"I - I'm escaping. Suga-san told me to. Aren't you going to try and stop me?" Hinata asked.

Kageyama laughed, short and bitter. "I just told you I'm abandoning my post in this military faction, why would I waste my time and energy to stop you? Besides, you won't last a day on your own in these woods."

Hinata made to protest, but remembered where they were and the circumstances surrounding their meeting. "Come with me, then."

"What?"

"We're both running away, might as well run away together. Come with me, we can split up later if we really need to."

Kageyama hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded. "Tack my horse then, I need to get something else." He walked away before Hinata could protest, leaving him to mutter under his breath about assholes with a superiority complex.

When Kageyama returned, Hinata had nearly finished tacking his horse. He was having trouble in getting her to take the bit; she shied away at every available opportunity.

"Here, let me, she's a little nervous about this," Kageyama said, taking the bridle from Hinata and gently laying a hand on her nose. He whispered to her, something Hinata couldn't understand, before she opened her mouth and allowed the bit to settle behind her teeth. It was the first time Hinata had ever seen Kageyama be so gentle with another living thing.

Once Kageyama was ready to go, his freshly retrieved bow and quiver of arrows across his back, they slowly made their way to the edge of the camp. Their horses were thankfully silent as they moved between tents and wagons.

Kageyama motioned for Hinata to mount his horse, quickly got his bearings, and did the same. Hinata glanced back at the mess of tents behind them, silently promising to return for those he cared about, to save them, but his vows were cut short.

Daichi was staring at the two of them, eyes wide and hand on his sword at his hip.

Kageyama swore, ready to bolt, but Hinata stared back at Daichi, frozen in place. Then, as if by some miracle, Daichi purposefully turned away from them and walked in the other direction as if he hadn't seen a thing.

"Let's go," Kageyama said, and they were off, riding towards the trees and into the dense forest, the camp falling far behind them.


Notes: *drops this and runs*

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