Author's Note: I was really worried I wouldn't be able to get this up on time as I've been super busy irl. But I did, and I'm super excited for this chapter :).

The jungle was quiet – serene almost. Giving the illusion that no danger had ever existed amongst its diverse foliage. Overhead the birds flitted and chirped as the soft sound of running water filled the clearing and the golden light of the sun filtered through the trees. But that did not put the young yordle at ease. Stopping under the cover of the trees, he warily eyed his silent surroundings for danger before limping towards the river.

In his right hand he clutched his dart-gun, ready to use it at a moment's notice. His left dangled uselessly by his side; blood running in rivers down the appendage and obscuring the damage from sight. It was the reason he had stopped. The reason he had needed to stop.

Satisfied he was at least somewhat safe, he diverted his attention to washing out the wound. He allowed the task to consume his mind. Every minute detail hyper-focused on as he carefully washed out the exposed flesh. Because if all his attention was on cleaning away the blood, then he wouldn't have any to spare on what had happened.

Methodically he worked, cleaning out the excess muck before wrapping it tightly in his ruined shirt.

His ears flicked at the rustling of a nearby bush and he immediately turned with his weapon at the ready.

"Woah, easy there," shouted a heavily-accented voice.

The yordle stilled, staring in surprise at the strange being before him. The fat cat-like creature just grinned back at him. They wore a sewn together waistcoat and sophisticated top-hat that contrasted sharply with their eerie, yellow eyes and wide, toothy smile.

"Pardon the affright," the stranger tipped their hat. "But it was my perception that you could use some assistance."

The accent reminded the yordle of many of the sailors found at the city's port (though he had never heard one use such eloquent language before). Still, he did not lower his weapon. "I don't want any help."

The stranger's grin widened. "Come now. You expect me to believe that you have no desire to alter your recent calamity?"

The blow-gun lowered. "Nothing can change the past. I deserve my fate."

He turned away. He didn't want to think about what had happened, let alone talk about it. The sudden need to move surged through him. To where he didn't know. He just knew he couldn't stay here any longer.

As he took off, however, the stranger's voice followed him. "You'd leave the others to their fate?"

He broke into a run, but the voice kept up; the wide grin glinting through the trees as he raced through the undergrowth.

"Are you really that selfish? Condemning the rest because you think you deserve it."

It was wrong. Their fates were already sealed. Nothing could change that. Never could he forget what had happened to them.

"Stop it," he sobbed, running faster. He wanted to go home. He didn't want to think about what had happened to them.

"Only a killer would be so heartless."

"Go away!" his cry was desperate – directed at both the voice and himself.

He just wanted to forget.

He stared wide-eyed at the wild scenery around him. In many ways it was similar to the forests inside the Sablestone Mountains. Still thick, lush greenery in every direction. Still the quiet hush over everything except for the birdcalls and the occasional rustle of moving creatures. But it was so different too. The air felt charged and exciting. New, colourful plants grew around them, while much larger, unseen beasts lurked just out of sight.

Next to him, Milli gazed around with a cautious wonder. In front of them, Davis ploughed ahead enthusiastically before almost colliding with their commander as he came to a stop.

The grisly, old scout turned to the cluster of recruits with a serious expression. "From this point on you will obey every command myself or my Lieutenants give without question. You've all proven yourself to be talented scouts, but this place is beyond anything you've ever experienced before. There's a reason this area is off limits to everyone but the military and approved caravans and expeditions. The dangers here are unlike anything anywhere else in Valoran. Only a few can survive in its environment. Welcome to the Kumungu Jungle yordles. Let's hope it's a good learning experience."

He yelped as a dark-grey shape with gleaming teeth snapped onto his leg, pulling him down and towards the massive creature. Terror filled him but before he could do anything, there was a loud crack. It yelped and he found himself hauled backwards and to his feet.

"Keep running soldier!" He looked up to see Roxanne, her face tight as she dragged him along just behind the others.

Pain jolted through his leg every time he put weight on it but he couldn't slow down as they twisted and turned through the undergrowth.

Just a little bit further, he told himself. A little bit further and they'd be ok. The mountain path through Sablestone was just up ahead. If they could get through that then they'd have a chance.

Rocky cliffs soon came into view through the foliage and he felt a rush of relief. Only for it to plunge to the soles of his feet as they came to an abrupt halt. The yordles stared in horror at the recent landslide blocking their path. Those nearest the mountain frantically started searching the steep walls surrounding them with a growing sense of dread.

"Sir! What do we do? We're trapped!" Roxanne pivoted to Commander Rodney.

His expression darkened as he pulled a pair of dual blades from his back. He turned to stand alone in the entrance (now their only exit) as howls rang out nearby. "Not on my watch we're not," he responded grimly.

He slowly opened his eyes, only to close them against the bright light.

Where was he?

Curious, he squinted; slowly allowing his eyes to accumulate to the light. His ears shifted but the only sound to reach him was a periodic beeping. Wherever he was, he was alone.

A sharp, clean smell filled his nose; bringing with it a strange sense of familiarity. Unbidden, a blur of images came to mind. A smaller version of himself trailing along after a peach-coloured yordle down a clean, white hallway. Himself and another yordling sitting at a table in a room filled with the smell of coffee and antiseptic as several yordles bustled by with brief waves.

Oh, he was in the hospital.

Wait. Why was he in the hospital?

As his eyes adjusted, he was able to look around. Almost immediately, he noticed the bandage up his arm and the drip in the other.

Ah, that's why.

His musing were broken when a nurse walked through the door. She paused in surprise before quickly recovering.

"You're awake," she smiled, walking up to the side of the bed and pressing a button. Then she turned to him. "I'll need to check your vitals."

"Of course," he said placidly. From what little he had seen of his injuries, the cream yordle already knew his stay here was likely to be long. Long enough to wait until after the nurse had done her job to ask what had happened.

She worked in silence, efficiently getting most of his stats down before she asked softly, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine," Teemo answered. "Though I suppose that's because of the pain medication more than anything else," he added jokingly as he watched her check his arm.

"That's what they're supposed to do," the nurse gave him a short smile, quickly writing something on the chart before turning back to him. "But that's physically. How are you doing emotionally?"

"Fine I guess."

"Are you sure?" The nurse asked concerned. "It's okay if you're not."

He gave her a confused look but before he could answer the door opened again.

"Dad!" he beamed as the familiar chocolate-brown yordle entered.

The older man returned his smile, relief evident in his eyes as he came to sit next to the pale teen.

"You're awake."

"So I've been told," he grinned, before his attention was once again drawn to his arm. "How long have I been unconscious?"

Miles sighed. "It's been two days since we found you at the edge of the forest."

That caught the yordle by surprise. He looked up startled, "I was attacked? Here?"

His dad exchanged a look with the nurse. "That's what we were hoping you could tell us. You don't remember?"

Teemo shook his head, a frown creasing his features as he tried to remember what could have caused him to end up in the hospital. Instead all he drew was a sense of unease. "I… the last thing I remember was having dinner at Brandy's with you."

"Teemo," the boy felt his eyes being drawn up at the gravity of his father's voice, "that was three months ago. You went on a mission with the other recruits to the Kumungu and no one else has returned."

The pale yordle felt his stomach lurch as frightening feelings clawed at the back of his mind. Then, just as quickly, he felt himself involuntarily shove them away. "Oh ok."

Surprise returned to the nurse's face while Miles frowned. "You're not concerned?"

He received a look of confusion, "About what?"

The older scout stared hard at his son. Despite the years, Miles had always been able to tell when his boys were lying. But try as he might, he could see no deception in Teemo's face.

Unease stirred in the old yordle but he didn't let it show. "Don't worry," he said instead. "We'll talk about it later."

"Teemo!" Tristana's voice rang out. The late afternoon sun highlighting her and the two boys just behind as they practically exploded into the teen's room.

He smiled fondly, "You guys didn't need to come see me."

"Well duh, we were going to come visit. We were worried." Tristana grinned as she sat on the end of his bed.

"Are you okay?" Rumble asked before Ziggs pushed eagerly in front of him.

"Did you see Kindred?"

Teemo shook his head, "Not that I'm aware of. And I'm fine. Honestly, I mostly feel restless being stuck in here."

Rumble snorted, "You might want to get used to that feeling. They're probably not going to let you out for ages."

The pale yordle rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know."

"So, what happened?" Now that the three friends were situated comfortably, the blue girl asked what all of them had been wondering. "How come you disappeared for three months? And what happened to the others?"

Teemo blinked as he was once again reminded of just how much time he was missing. "Oh right, three months," he mumbled. "I still can't believe it's been that long. What's the date again?"

"It's the sixth of June."

"The sixth?" His head shot up. "Don't you guys graduate on the eighteenth? That's less than two weeks away!"

The other three exchanged looks. "Ah yeah," Ziggs spoke up. "We do. But right now we're more worried about-"

"And Trist!" The teen turned his excited eyes to his friend. "You would have found out about the Megling's course by now, right? How'd you go?"

The girl gave him a confused look as she answered automatically. "I got in."

Teemo didn't seem to notice her hesitant tone. "That's great! I always knew you could do it!"

"Dude," Rumble cut him off, looking between the teen in the hospital bed and his confused friends, "don't you care about the fact that you've been gone for three months. Or the fact that your troop is still missing."

Teemo blinked at him slowly. "I don't…" panic welled up within him but for the life of him he had no idea why, "…understand."

He shifted self-consciously under their incredulous looks. "What are you talking about?"

"Teemo," Tristana felt a sinking feeling in her gut as she realised there was something was not quite right with their friend, "are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he answered automatically, his gaze gravitating to his injured arm.

"Well you don't look it."

The teen's head came up to glare at Rumble upon hearing his mumbled comment. "Excuse me?" his voice had a hard edge to it.

However, Rumble had never been one to back down from a threat. Meeting the scout's glare with steely determination he pushed on, "You heard me. You disappear for months and then when you finally get back the first thing you ask about is school?"

"So I'm not allowed to be interested in your lives because I'm in the hospital?" Teemo had no idea why this line of questioning was making him so angry and defensive but it was.

"Not if you're using it as a way to dodge our questions," the rusty-blue teen countered, getting up into the other's space. "You disappeared! Do you have any idea how worried we were about you? And now you just want us to pretend like it didn't happen? We thought you were dead!"

"I…" Teemo's flight or fight instincts were screaming at him. Telling him he needed to run. Needed to fight back. Needed to do anything to escape this situation. The feelings coming so strong they overran his thoughts. He couldn't think straight. Couldn't articulate any come-back.

"Enough!" Tristana pushed Rumble back. At her glare, the volatile boy relented, allowing the female to turn back to Teemo. In a gentle but pleading tone she spoke, "Look. I don't know why you don't want to talk about it. But it's obviously affecting you. So please, let us help you. You know we've always been there when you needed us. Don't shut us out now. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the scout's reply was forced and guarded.

"Teemo please," Tristana moved closer, touching his wrist.

"Don't touch me!" The pale yordle lashed out, claws catching on the girl's cheek and leaving a deep scratch behind.

Tristana pulled back, hand automatically going up to the bleeding cut as hurt and disbelief filled her features. Across from her, Rumble's eyes narrowed and he started forward, only for Ziggs to catch his arm. The quiet yordle took the glare directed at him with a quick shake of his head. Then, he motioned to their hurt friend causing Rumble to stall in surprise.

"What?" Teemo asked, touching the tears flowing down his cheeks in confusion. "Why am I-? I don't-" his incoherent words ended in a sharp sob as the tears flowed faster.

Tristana hesitated for only a second before her expression hardened. In a flash she pulled the boy into a tight hug as he continued to cry uncontrollably.

Behind them, Ziggs and Rumble exchanged a worried glance before moving closer.

With each ragged breath and escaping tear, Teemo felt an unknown weight on his soul being chipped away. The blind panic and tumultuous emotions in his mind slowly receding so when the tears finally stopped, he was left numb and clearer-headed than he had been since he'd woken up. His breathing began to even out but Teemo didn't pull away. Instead he stared over his friend's shoulder with hollow eyes.

"They're all gone. Aren't they?"

"You don't know?" Ziggs asked before he could stop himself, earning a glare from Tristana.

The pale yordle didn't notice as he slowly shook his head. "I don't remember anything," he said quietly, a slight edge of panic in his voice.

With a sigh, Rumble relented. "They could be alright."

However, Teemo just shook his head. "I don't think so. Whenever I think about them I get this heavy ache in my chest. I don't think… I don't think anyone else is coming back." His voice broke a little at the end prompting a tighter squeeze from Tristana.

"You still have us," she told him.

"Thank you," he whispered, pulling back with a shuddering breath. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

With an exaggerated hand wave, Ziggs brought his hands up to his face. "Stop. You're going to make me blush."

For some reason, the action caused the pale yordle to break into hysterical laughter. An uncontrollable sound that gently lifted the last of the heaviness from his chest. Still grinning he quibbled, "We wouldn't want that."

Letting out a long breath, the teen turned to Tristana, ready to ask her more about her placement. "So Trist-oh!" Contentedness quickly turned into concern as he peered closely at her face. "What happened to your cheek?" So concerned he was with his friend, he never noticed the shocked looks Ziggs and Rumble sent each other.

With a neutral expression, Tristana lifted a hand to the scratch before she forced a grin. "Must've happened when I was training. You know how focused I can get."

He shook his head, "You really need to take better care of yourself."

"I'll try."

Sorry for responding so late to everyone's comments last chapter. Like I said, life's been pretty hectic right now. But it's slowing down so I should be on time for next chapter :).