"Thank God...", Emma whispered as she ran as fast as possible to get to John. "Crazy son of a gun might pull through after all.", Logan huffed as the rest of the Talons followed Emma.
They went into the tower, with the others taking seats as Haku emerged from the hospital curtains, looking at Emma with a tired smile, "It has been hard and long to keep him alive. The cut on his face, that will scar, I'm afraid. I managed to salvage his cyborg eye and leg with Jason's help...His arm, that Scroop guy completely gutted it through bone and muscle. It's a goner. His stump has to be healed first before he has to be fitted for a cyborg arm. Thank the gods that Jim is related to Silver as a nephew-uncle for the blood loss of the arm was great, but the transfusion helped out wonderfully.".
Emma exhaled in relief, "How long will he has to rest?", and Haku sighed, "With the stitches and all, it will be a couple of weeks, and I know Silver is the type of person who doesn't like to be bored, but I am sure you will find a way to keep him occupied.", with a chuckle, "Well, I will not keep you waiting, go ahead.".
"Thank you... Haku.", Emma quickly wrapped her arms around the man and held him in a tight hug. "Just doing my job, Emma... same as you. Be aware, don't try that with John right now... you might actually end up killing him and that isn't a figure of speech.", Haku advised.
"Right, right... stiches and all, I know.", Emma said as she took a deep breath. Haku smiled and pat her shoulder, "And oh, your orders?", and Emma smiled, "You and the rest here, clean up the mess. Use the traitors as kindling if you must. I'll stay with John.".
Jim looked at Emma, "The horses are tied up to the gate, should I take them to the stables?", and Emma nodded, "Yep, see if you can find hay and such for them. Eilonwy, see if you can assist in the kitchen. The freed prisoners truly need nourishment, next to the animals. Don't even bother if you see them batting around a hairless cat for fun if they hadn't yet of making her a meal or simply killing her off.".
Jason smirked, "Cruella's punishment.", and Jim grinned, "Uncle Silver will be very glad of that. Get in there, Emma. Don't keep him waiting. We got this.", leaving the tower with Eilonwy to follow Emma's orders.
Zuri grinned, "I'll be in charge of the cleanup. See ya later, Emma. I or someone else will bring a meal to ya.", leaving the tower as well, with the others winking at Emma before following Zuri out.
As Haku closed the door with a glance at her, "There's a pitcher of water and some cups if he needs water, alright?", and Emma nodded, and then walked on, pushing the hospital curtain with her hand as she passed under.
"John...", Emma muttered as she saw him. He looked barely awake but at least slightly better than he did when she last saw him. Looks like Haku and the others cleaned him up at least.
"Hey...", John gave a weak response; he obviously was using quite a bit of energy that he didn't have at the moment to talk to her. "Seeing how... I'm still alive at least... we won today, didn't we?".
Emma nodded, "Yes, we did. Apparently, Lady Fortune's looking out for us today. All prisoners are freed, and the enemies are dead with an exception if she hasn't been eaten already.".
John blinked in surprise, "Oh?", and Emma smiled as she walked to sit beside him, "Cruella is now an ugly hairless cat forever.", with a wicked look.
Smiling widely, "Lass, that's marvelous! You truly are cunning as you are beautiful.", John looked at her, and Emma chuckled with a barely unseen blush, "Thank you, John...Do you remember what you said? Back there in the courtyard?", wringing her hands anxiously as she bit her lip, holding her breath slightly.
"Hard to forget... it was the last thing I thought I would ever be able to tell you.", John admitted as he sighed. "It's the truth though. I love you, Emma... even if you could do much better than an old, broken scoundrel like me.".
Emma looked at him, and reached out to caress his cheek gently, "First, you're not old, you're barely 40! Second, I couldn't care less if you're broken, John. Your cybernetic limbs have been a wonderful asset to you, and to me. I love you for your heart, your soul, your personality, and heck, even your jokes!".
"You're just saying that, lass.", John said as Emma rolled her eyes. "What exactly would I have to do to really prove what I'm saying to you right now?", Emma gave a small chuckle as she gently brushed her hand on his head.
John looked at her, and used a bit of his remaining strength to lift his left flesh arm to place his hand over Emma's hand, sighing heavily, "What about your Earth? I mean, when this war's over with, I suppose you would want to go back there...", looking resigned, "This is home for me...I ain't leaving Jim or Enchantia...".
"Then it's home for me too.", Emma told him. "Home's where you make it, and personally, I feel I've got more reasons to stay here than to go back to Earth.", she admitted.
"Reasons?", John raised an eyebrow as Emma smiled. "You, for starters.", she leaned in to kiss his lips.
John had to admit that he had a couple of crushes on girls and had a brief fling with a woman not long before he lost nearly his life, his eye, and his leg, and since then, he hadn't been around women romantically for a long time, and he eventually gave up.
But when Emma came into his life, almost immediately from the first moment they met, he realized that it wasn't either a crush or a fling, but something more, and admittedly, it scares him, but right now, in this moment when Emma is kissing him, he's more alive than he has ever been.
Sensing that Emma hasn't had much experience in kissing men, maybe due to her soldier lifestyle and all, he happily and passionately began to teach her how to kiss by kissing her back as he gently used his flesh arm to caress Emma's hair and neck.
The two of them were gentle, much more in Emma's case since John easily could take a turn for the worst any second if things got too rough; he would need a week or so of him improving if she wants to put more passion with it, but for now, this was fine for her and for him.
After a minute of gentle snogging, Emma pulled back, looking at John with warmth and love in her eyes, "You believe me now, John Silver? And don't think that I ain't going back on my word.".
"No, after that, I can't say you're lying.", John chuckled as he groaned a bit in pain. "Sorry.", Emma apologized.
"It's alright... I just need rest, that's all... that spider really nearly got me for sure this time.", John sighed.
Emma saw that the stretcher bed is more than enough to fit her alongside John, "I would use some rest myself, mind if I join you?", and John shook his head with a smile, watching Emma scoot over gently after pushing off her boots, and laid on her side, with her head resting on his flesh shoulder.
Emma rested her hand on the spot where John's heart is beating underneath, and she spoke softly, "I really thought I lost you, John...", finally letting go of her tears, "I'm so sorry that I didn't stop Scroop from cutting your arm...", not taking her eyes off the stump on John's right side.
"Eh, no real loss now. Once you lose a limb; losing the others isn't as much of a pain if it comes to that. You sort of get used to it.", John admitted as he leaned closer to her as best as he could. "Besides, not like there was much more you could've done then; you were needed elsewhere; Cruella would've perhaps escaped, the prisoners slaughtered, our forces defeated if not for your efforts.", he said.
Emma sighed, "That's very true. I hate war but doing a good deed a day in this war, well, it inspires hope in others, and saving this castle was sure a huge, good deed...I and my team only has been here for perhaps 6 months when this war had been going for four years!".
John gently squeezed her shoulders with his flesh arm, kissing her temple as he deeply breathed into her scent, seeming to think a bit as Emma looked at him curiously, "John?".
"Sorry, just... it honestly sounds like this will never end... and I worry now that you might not be so lucky as I was there." He now was feeling even more pain, if Emma lost her life; more than likely now, there wouldn't be too much for him to keep going with. Sure, Jim might keep him going a bit, but now...
Emma sighed deeply, "John, you seem to forget that I am a soldier through and through, and sure, our modern weapons are all used up, but thanks to your training next to others, we're getting good in swordsmanship and all, and plus, Pippa, Logan, and now me, we got our dragon forms. But true, dark magic is essentially an unknown to the team including myself, but we have learned since then through our journey throughout the provinces.".
Emma then kissed his shoulder softly as she didn't want to move her head slightly for John is acting as a really soft and warm pillow, "And yes, it's true that we may die, but listen good, John Silver. I'd prefer to die a happy woman in love than someone who hadn't been loved. You make me alive, and you make my life more meaningful than ever. If it was possible to know the future for just a day, and if that day is a battlefield, and we die, like on the courtyard out there, I'd be happy to spend the night before that day with you.".
John gave a small smile as he nodded. Nothing more needed to be said about that; his eyes said it all to her as he leaned for another kiss. The two of them just laid there as John quickly fell back asleep; his body aching for the chance to at least heal with the rest that came from it.
"You just take it easy, John... we're going to win this thing for sure... and then we can have the rest of our lives together.", Emma whispered as she kissed his cheek.
A while later, Zuri came in, ready to report the current situation, and saw Emma and John sleeping and cuddling, with John holding her protectively and Emma smiling in her own dreamland as she kept her hands on John's chest. Zuri smiled, realizing that her leader has finally found someone in her life, and grabbed a blanket to keep them warm and content, not blaming them for being so exhausted.
She decided to leave them up until mid-lunch, and headed out to inform the team and all, figuring that Emma and John would want to tell them of their relationship at their own time.
Still, it was one bright moment in a dark storm that the Talons were in; despite the victory they had achieved, the dark armies still remained strong. One thing that was for sure and Zuri knew it, and knew the others probably were aware of it too, was that this war was only going to stop by going straight for the head.
It's about the end of March, almost spring. The Talons knew that if they get the smaller heads of this great, evil side of the war, the less enemies they would worry about. So far in rumors and prior knowledge, there's Tremaine left in Andalasia, Clayton in Congo, along with perhaps a couple of other villain minions. Narnia is pretty much clean as they knew, thanks to King Mickey's campaign, but Scar and Frollo is getting bolder from their base in the Dark Black Mountains as spring is approaching.
Four days of horseback south, Tremaine's claimed kingdom, Stronghold Cadiz, it used to be Ferdinand's kingdom, but with Tremaine and her group of mercenaries that she borrowed from Gaston, the castle is depressing and acting like a prison more than ever, especially to her grandchildren that she got from her own daughter, Drizella, and Ferdinand's deceased brother.
Right now, she's communicating with Frollo via a version of the magic mirror, but with dark magic, in her bedroom, while petting Lucifer, her devious cat.
"So, it is true that Cruella is now dead?", Frollo responded, the man stood before a fireplace that he used for his communications. To him, Tremaine was made of pure fire and her voice echoed from the flames.
"More than likely, they overwhelmed her forces and now sing of their victory. A victory that they very well achieved as their losses were very miniscule compared to the loss of Cruella and almost all of her forces. Only a few stragglers have returned to spread news of the defeat.", Tremaine spoke coldly and steadily.
Frollo frowned furiously, "That's quite troubling. What about Medusa?", and Tremaine sighed, "I've attempted to call her last week when she left a message, a strange message that is...She spoke about an army right on the gates. Said that she will be on the run. And then nothing.".
"That's quite strange, Tremaine. What about the shields? They must have been strong enough to keep them out!", Frollo proclaimed, and Tremaine nodded, "I believed that as well, Frollo, but I felt the shield of Medusa's place fall within the week's end, destroyed with light magic. I am still feeling the shield of Cruella's castle, but it's getting weaker within each hour...".
"Both overwhelmed then... and more than likely dead... At such a fast rate.", Frollo tightened the grip on his palms to where his knuckles were turning white.
"It's now becoming very concerning; with how quick they can strike and achieve victory. I would've expected months if not several weeks of siege; but their strikes are so quick and shatter almost any defense before it could truly be mustered.", Tremaine admitted.
Frollo sighed heavily, "It couldn't have been King Mickey's forces. General Scar reported that the northern section of Narnia is slowly being overtaken by his army, forcing King Mickey's armies back through they are stubbornly fighting back. I have heard things from the captains of the rumors about a new group of allies for Enchantia herself, let alone reported to be dragons of all things!".
"I've heard those same whispers too. Damnation, here we had those forces on the run, pushed to their final strongholds and now it's beginning to look like we'll be experiencing that ourselves!", Tremaine took the glass she had and tossed it at the wall, causing Lucifer to jump in fear.
Frollo raised an eyebrow, "Peace, Tremaine. Is your shield all enforced with dark spells and such?", and Tremaine smirked, "Everything I've thought of, yes. Blood-boiling curses, nightmare spells, body-cutting spikes at every corner, you name it. And I sacrificed too much to be queen of my own castle! I will not fail for I am the strongest dark witch since Maleficent and Narissa.", her dark green eyes gleaming in cruel delight as she focused momentarily on generating purple/green fire in her hand, glad that she didn't need a foolish wand to do her incredible, powerful dark magic.
"I would recommend you go even further than that. If you think that you're well protected, you're not. That's my advice.", Frollo said as he leaned back a bit. "In the meantime, it would be very worthwhile for us to quickly understand who exactly these allies are and where they came from.".
"Perhaps break them by hitting where they call home?", Tremaine gave a small, dark smile. Frollo smiled wickedly, "My thoughts exactly. Perhaps they have come overseas from one of the islands below Enchantia. Or even further beyond that...".
Tremaine hummed lightly in thought, "Or perhaps hitting where the allies are tied to. After all, from rumors and such, they've said to have traveled through Fantasia, Corona, Arendelle, and now Andalasia. One or all of them must have lovers or friends, perhaps a family member or two, yet I doubt they would dare bring family into war if they have heard of our strong armies and techniques.", knowing that she has been keeping her grandchildren out of the war for they are barely two years old.
"Striking where it hurts truly would perhaps turn the tide right back into our favor. The only issue being is we're still mostly in the dark in terms of finding their weak spots... at the moment.", Frollo curled his fingers.
Tremaine nodded, "True. Luckily, I have spies within the mercenaries Gaston loaned me. There's a town right smack in the middle of the forest between the four kingdoms. This group would happen upon the town sooner or later. After all, they would need rest, and such between stops during their travels. Too bad that Jafar's dead. We would have gotten great aid from him. Who knows what would have happened to that genie he had?".