Lost and Found

(Prompt: Lancer goes missing. Susie freaks out, others comfort/help her understand her feelings.)

"Oh, thanks Susie! So glad you could come to the library with me and help me sift through dusty books! Boy, am I glad you didn't jump into the Dark World while I dealt with Berdly's nonsense and…"

The wind howls past your ears as you careen down into the void.

"Ugh…so much for a group project." You shake your head, the light glimmering around you. With books in hand, you feel gravity begin to pull on you once more, the pale blue ground below coming into view. Clinging to the stack of literature, you feel the impact shoot through your legs and up into your chest, a familiar sensation that you never could get used to.

You shake your now azure hair to the side, meandering down the hallway. Hard to get a feel for plummeting down into the abyss, hoping the beam of light would slow your fall every time. It was the kind of necessary step to the process you never quite felt confident in.

With a sigh, you drag yourself around the corner, lifting the heavy books to your chin as they hold close to your breastplate. You begin to hear the telltale buzz of the vibrant town, Darkners likely going about their day with the usual amount of fervor and chaotic drive. Dust from the entryway begins to fade as you step into the town proper, greaves clattering against the thoroughfare.

With a yawn, you heave the books up once more, peering around the colorful stack.

You freeze, eyes going wide.

Before you is the town you've come to know by heart, but in near tatters, as if a storm had thrown itself against the entire kingdom. Once colorful displays were now toppled over, flung across the street, many of which with chunks missing from the violent collisions. Your eyes scan the walls of buildings, claw marks having dug into the sides as if an animal had clambered up to the rooftops. The path itself was trampled, any sense of direction through the town now lost in what appeared to be some kind of stampede.

You hop backwards as a Hathy rushes past, following along a number of other Darkners flowing throughout the kingdom. You peer out towards their destination, watching as one of the residents directs the others down each corridor, fiercely demanding they scour the area.

You blink, coming back to yourself as you place the stack of books off to the side. Slowly, you begin reaching to your side, thumbing the hilt of your sword. Whatever being was causing so much destruction, you wouldn't be caught off guard, that much was for-

"KRIS!"

You're thrown off balance, nearly falling to the ground as you're slammed against the entryway.

"I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS AND I CAN'T FIND HIM ANYWHERE NO ONE CAN ANDIDON'TKNOWWHATTO-"

Your arm is nearly crushed between scaley palms as you shake away from the dizzying impact. Peering down, you begin to drown out the barrage of words, finding Susie clasped to your arm. You blink, watching as she continues to chatter on, her hands soon moving from your arm to your shoulders, quickly wrapping around you in a rather uncomfortable hug.

A sigh echoes from down the hall, "…hello Kris."

A soft padding approaches as Ralsei comes into view, his hands clasped behind his back. With a flash of movement, he adjusts his glasses, a tired look in his eyes as he glances down at the dragoness.

"Wha-" You stammer, "Is everyone okay?!"

The prince flashes a weak smile back, "I believe so. Though, there is concern as to where Lancer is at this time. We haven't been able to find him since we awoke this morning."

You squeak as the scaley form wraps tighter, "We have to find him! He could be lost or hurt or…I don't know!"

You wince, desperately looking towards the robed caprine for guidance.

Ralsei gently lifts his hand out to the dragoness, only for his fingers to curl back as she shudders against you, "Yes…well, we've been searching for him since this morning. I'm not sure where he could have gone. Normally I wake him for breakfast, to which we share a peaceful meal in my study before he…erm, sets his bike on fire." His lips turn inwards for a moment, "It's…his routine." Ralsei shakes his head, "That or Queen fetches him and goes to the café. Though neither of us were able to find him, in his room or throughout town. I asked a number of residents if they had seen him, but no one seems to know of his current whereabouts."

You hear the sound of your armor beginning to bend before you're suddenly released, a desperate breath of air escaping your lips.

"His room! Maybe he's under his bed! Did anyone check under his bed yet? He gets stuck in the hole underneath there sometimes when he's sleeping!"

You and Ralsei stare at the scaled girl, both sharing looks before she starts to sprint away.

"W-Wait, Susie!" You bellow.

She spins around, "I'll be back in a second!"

The mauve girl dashes from sight. You sigh, quietly picking at the claw-shaped indent on your breastplate.

"Erm…w-welcome back?"

You glance back at Ralsei, an awkward smile gracing his fuzzy face.

"…right. So, Susie did all of…" You wave your hand in front of you.

The prince's shoulders sink, "Yes. Though she didn't hurt anyone, or destroy any property that can't be replaced!" He pauses, placing a finger to his lips, "Though the marks from her climbing the walls of the café may be difficult to repair."

You shake your head, beginning to follow down the path, Ralsei in tow.

"Does…does she normally act in such a manner? I don't believe I've seen her in this state before." He chatters on at your side.

You shrug, "Not really." Your movement slows, "Well, there was the one time I was sick and had to stay home from school. She…knocked on my window."

You pass through the castle's gates, yanking open the ancient oak doors as they echo through the courtyard.

"Oh, well, that's perfectly understandable. You two are friends…though I suppose she could have knocked on your door? B-But the window is fine too!"

"…it was my bedroom window." You turn down the stony hallway, climbing up each darkened step carefully.

"And…that's-"

"My bedroom is on the second floor."

"Oh."

You pass through the archway, moving past the familiar blue and pink doors. A swirling L comes into view as your hand circles around the pitch-black doorknob, an ear-piercing squelching sound reverberating throughout the hall.

You dully peer through the room, eyes suddenly going wide as you find the dragoness in the corner, an entire bed lifted above her.

"W-Whoa, Susie! Put that down! Just…somewhere!" You yelp, dashing into the room.

She glances at you, worry in her eyes as she hesitates, soon dropping the bed back down onto the floor with a thud.

"S-Sorry I…uh, he's not under there. I checked the holes. Checked the other ones, even checked to see if he was hiding under the covers. I know his bike goes there, but…"

Susie grasps her arm, shrinking away.

You sigh, glancing around the room before pacing towards the dragoness. With a slight squeak, you drop down onto the bed, staring up at her. She watches you carefully, nervously adjusting her spiked bracers. With one last huff, the dragoness spins around, flopping against the bed as you're lifted a few inches from the impact.

You watch as Ralsei nervously approaches, wringing his hands, "S-Susie? Are you alright? I know you're worried, but I'm sure we'll find him. It's just a matter of time and-"

A loud grumble echoes through the room as Susie lifts off the bed, sitting on the edge, "But what if we don't? What if he went outside the town? Like, he's done that before. He could've gone out where we haven't explored. There could be other Darkners out there, someone that would…" She squeezes her eyes tight, "Or maybe he wandered too far from the fountain. He could be a statue right now and we wouldn't even know."

The dragoness flops back down atop the bed, her claws digging into the blanket.

"W-Well, I'm…I'm sure we'll find him!" Ralsei flashes a genuine smile back at the girl, the expression soon fading from inattention, "I…oh! While you and the others search for him, I could work on a divination spell! I know there are a number of guides on utilizing magic for finding others. I believe I have the reagents in my study. It should be a simple matter of gathering everything and we will be able to locate him."

"…'kay."

You lean over, studying the blank expression on the girl's face, turning back to Ralsei with a shrug. The prince weakly smiles.

"I promise Susie, we'll find him. I will do everything in my power. I'll be back in a bit with everything for the spell." The mage turns back towards the door, glancing back on last time, "We will find him."

The door closes shut with a soft click, leaving you and the dragoness in silence. You lean forward, gently squeezing the tips of your gauntlets, listening to the girl's shuddering breaths. You shut your eyes tight for one last moment, allowing yourself to drop back against the bed's surface at Susie's side.

"…pretty scary." You mutter.

"It's not…" She mumbles, "I'm not scared."

You nod, staring at the ceiling.

"I'm not! I'm just…like, he could be in danger and we don't even know! We don't even know if he's in trouble. When his dad was being an asshole or when he turned into a statue, we knew. Now we…"

"Don't."

"Yeah!" Susie bellows, "Just want him to be safe. I don't like the idea that he's hurt or scared or…ugh!"

The dragoness slams her fist into the bed's surface, a slight clang of metal reverberating through the room from the bed's springs.

"…shouldn't feel like this. He's just some kid. And I'm acting like an idiot, whining about it."

"…not an idiot." You place a hand to your chest, tapping the surface of your breastplate.

"Sure feel like one. This isn't…me. This isn't what I do. It's stupid."

"…not stupid."

The dragoness growls, flipping to meet your gaze, "Then what the hell is it then?"

You let your hand drop down onto the blanket, a weak smile meeting the girl's fury, "Means you care."

Her eyes soften as she looks away, limply falling back onto the bed's surface, "…course I care. Or…well, like, who wouldn't? He's just some kid. You'd have to be some kind of messed up not to worry."

"Plenty of people wouldn't worry. Or care as much as you do." You lightly bump the girl's hands, her claws brushing against your gauntlets, "Just means you've found someone that means something to you. It's a good thing."

"Psh, doesn't feel good. Almost tore the town apart looking for the little guy."

Your eyes narrow, "Yeah…but it's still a good thing. Having people you love and want to see safe is important. Makes things more real, gives you something to be better for." Your eyes flutter closed, "Doesn't make you weird or messed up. Means you care about someone, and they probably care about you too."

You feel a shuffle at your side as Susie buries further into the mattress, turning to face you.

"…don't got a lot of people like that. Feels weird." She weakly states, "You got people like that? People you'd freak out over if they went missing?"

You open your eyes, finding the girl hovering close, her mane caressing your shoulder.

You shrug, "My family. Mom, dad, my brother."

Susie rolls her eyes, "Obviously, you dork. I meant, like, not family."

You feel your throat tighten for a moment as you quietly cling to the blanket below, "…you."

You swallow sharply, the silence hanging for much too long.

A small snort breaks the painful moment, building into a full-blown chuckle as the girl smiles down at you.

"Yeah? That the best you got? Of course me. And Ralsei, and Noelle, all of us." She shakes her head, "I better be one of those people."

The dragoness falls back against the bed, closer. You flinch, calming the reaction as you notice a scaley arm sweep from above you, sinking around your form. In seconds you find yourself being pulled tightly to her chest, buried in her arm and struggling to brush away loose mane from your eyes. A burning heat swells in your features as you hide underneath your curtain of hair.

A deep rumble echoes from the dragoness' chest, "…don't ever disappear on me, got it?"

You nod, a soft smile breaking across your face.

Your eyes begin to close away to darkness once more as you curl against the girl. You begin to fade as a crackling sound begins to permeate the space, your eyes going wide.

"Sh-Shit! Is that the bed? Ah crap, I thought I put it down okay…" Susie bellows.

The surrounding warmth leaves your mind and body as the dragoness hops from the bed's surface. You're suddenly yanked from the blankets and sheets as the dragoness pulls you up and to your feet.

"Damn it, gonna have to ask Ralsei to fix it later." Susie bites the bottom of her lip, "Whatever, lets go see if he's got the spell ready yet and-"

Another crackle echoes into the room, louder, from behind you. You twist around fast enough to spot a puff of dust carry out from the wall, a single brick wobbling before being pushed out entirely. With a loud thump, the brick slams against the floor, leaving a pitch-black hole.

Before you can even open your mouth, a swirling cowl appears within the darkness, soon bobbing up and outwards as a smaller Darkner pours forth.

"What-" Susie drops down, scooping the rotund prince up, "Lancer?!"

"Susie!"

"Lancer?!"

"Susie!"

"Alright..." You mumble, pinching the bridge of your nose, "Are you okay? Where were you? Why were you in the walls?!" Your voice picks up in tone as each question brings another, more important idea to mind.

"I was in the walls. The walls are okay." Lancer nods confidently, opening his arms wide towards Susie as the girl immediately drags him into a tight hug.

"I…" You take a deep breath, "Yes, I can see that. Why were you in there?"

Muffled sounds emanate from the dragoness' chest as Lancer attempts to speak.

"Uh…Susie?"

"Huh? Oh, right, sorry!"

She frees the Darkner from her hold, allowing him to drop to the floor.

"I was sleepy and I couldn't find anywhere to go. So, I went into the walls." The rotund boy groggily wipes his eyes.

"You went into the…why didn't you just sleep in your bed? Or…" You glance down at the various gouges in the floor, "…the holes."

"Oh! Well, my it was my bike's turn to use the bed." Lancer smiles up at you.

"…but the bike isn't here."

"They get up pretty early."

You blink, "Okay…don't you sleep in the giant holes you make sometimes?"

"Yes."

"…so why didn't you?"

"Occupied."

You open your mouth, trying and failing to form words, only finding success after multiple attempts, "Okay. So, all of them were occupied? By…" You peer into one of the holes, recoiling as a salsa-like substance burbles out, "…yeah. So, you went into the walls."

"Yep! And I slept really well! There was this wooden beam that kept my neck at a ninety degree angle the whooole night!"

"But…wait, so…okay, but that's not-"

"Hey Lancer, you want breakfast?" Susie cheerfully beams down at the boy.

The rotund prince bounces in place, rushing to the door, "Can we bring toothpaste boy? And Girl Dad?"

The dragoness nods, "Totally. Just gotta go find them."

"Hrm, they can be tough to find. But toothpaste boy always comes out when I gas up my bike inside the library, and Girl Dad always seems to be around when there's yelling. Especially his yelling."

The door creaks open as Lancer begins to shuffle out, gently waving at you.

You stand, frozen in place, a migraine beginning to form within seconds.

"Come on, breakfast!"

Susie slaps you on the back as her arm circles around you, pulling you close.

You tear yourself away from the thoughts screaming in your head, heat once more flaring in your cheeks. Peering up at the girl, you notice a calm smile on her face, her fangs shimmering in the dim light.

"…you okay?" You mutter.

The dragoness' grin fades as she glances down at you. She hesitates, a pensive look twisting her features until she pulls you closer, your face buried in the crook of her neck.

"…better." She awkwardly drags you onwards and out the door, smile returning to her maw, "Now come on, breakfast!"

You squint, "It's like, 3 PM."

"Shut it, it's breakfast."