AN: Soo, it's been a couple of years, but here it finally is! Chapter 2 of Visions, aha. Okay, I admittedly started working on a sequel pretty soon after I posted the first chapter, but I didn't like what I originally did, so I kinda gave up. A couple of years later, I reread the story, and was honestly surprised about how much potential there was that I just never took advantage of. Which finally led to this...that I've kinda held onto for a while as well. The rating for this was originally K+, but for the reasons I put in the summary, I've moved it up to T, 'cause this one is a biiit darker than the first chapter. Hope you all enjoy!
"People are not to be trusted."
The last words his mother gave him before she vanished. Despite how much he had grown to hate her, those words had always stuck to him. Thus, he found it hard to trust people. No matter how much he wanted to at times. No matter how much he wanted and told himself that he did indeed trust Doug.
But still, when Arthur had woken up the next day, he half expected the entire town to suddenly know about his...visions, that he had told the redhead dwarf about.
He had been on edge at first, feeling like now that he told one person, everyone would somehow know. He wasn't sure if that was because he had no faith in Doug to not let it slip out, or if it was because he was so used to only him and his father knowing that he was simply just insecure over the matter.
Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that he just couldn't trust people in general.
Either way, the day had gone by no differently than any other, and no one treated him differently.
Nothing changed at all.
Anyone who didn't really know Doug would think that he would be awful at keeping secrets. Despite the fact that Arthur knew this wasn't the case, even he was wary at first. Just because the redhead dwarf's mannerism was so...laid back and cheerful, and he acted so open, that sometimes even Arthur was actually fooled by it.
But Doug wasn't as open as he appeared to be. Obviously, he could actually keep secrets. After all, he had been secretly working for the Sechs for a while and no one knew about that. He had every intention to help take down Ventuswill at one point. Despite how open Doug acted, he only ever showed what he wanted people to see. He was...excellent, at keeping secrets.
When Arthur decided to finally poke around town and left his office, the redhead dwarf had called after him, greeting him in his usual cheerful manner.
Arthur figured that Doug would bring up yesterdays events and start loudly gushing about the visions. The prince had wondered if Doug would talk excitedly about it as long as the streets were empty. Even if they were, Arthur was still paranoid that someone would somehow overhear them and find out. He was always anxious that if he so much as thought about his powers while he was in front of someone, they'd see right through him and suddenly know everything, as silly as it sounded.
Doug didn't talk about it so obviously like he had expected though. He had only jokingly asked Arthur if he'd win the Autumn Harvest Festival, tomorrow. And surprisingly enough, Arthur didn't feel as tense as he expected to. If anything, he felt more at ease by Doug's subtle teasing, and for once, he didn't feel so alone and shut off. For once, someone understood a part of him that no one was supposed to know about. And as terrifying as that was, despite the words screaming in his head that people were not to be trusted...he liked it.
He had told Doug that it didn't take a fortune teller to know that Frey was going to win again, and Doug just laughed harder at that, before the two bid their farewells and went their separate ways. That was as much as Doug had even acknowledge about the visions. Other than that, he didn't talk to Arthur about them, and he didn't treat him any differently. Things were still normal. Or perhaps better than normal.
It had been a week since that day. Since Doug found out about his long-kept secret. Though really...ever since Frey had saved Ventuswill, he rarely had visions anymore. Mostly due to the fact that Frey wasn't going out and risking her life as much now. Even when she did go out, most of the enemies she fought would be a breeze for her, and if they weren't, it wasn't like there was a loved one in danger that pushed Frey to do anything reckless.
And though he did still occasionally have dreams about random events that would take place in the following day, he could rarely tell them apart from normal dreams...until they actually occurred, of course. He tried not to pay any mind to those, though. The deja vu he'd feel during conversations was sometimes irritating, but it was much preferable then watching someone he cared for suffering a brutal death before his very eyes.
Perhaps he had always been so disturbed by the images he was forced to see during his sleep, that he never truly realized how much of a blessing it was to see how it happened.
He didn't realize-not until now, sitting up in bed covered in sweat and gasping for breath, racking his mind to remember what it was he just saw.
He didn't remember.
Why didn't he remember? He always remembered his visions. Unless it was just a dream...?
But no, someone...someone died.
Someone was going to die, but he couldn't remember who it was.
His eyes widened at that cold realization, and he swallowed down the nausea he felt climbing up, placing a trembling hand on his forehead through his bangs. He didn't remember who it was, but someone's life was endanger.
No, he couldn't let anyone down...he needed to figure out who it was somehow. How long did he even have until it was going to happen...? Or...what if it already did?
With these messy thoughts running through his mind, he quickly stumbled out of bed, changing into his normal attire in seconds and charging out of his room. The scenery around him blurred by as he rushed down the stairs and out of the restaurant, running through Selphia without even thinking about where he was going. And he didn't stop until he finally made it to the general store. Still, he didn't take much of a moment to breathe, as he quickly knocked on the door, subconsciously noticing that the store hadn't open yet.
He waited for a few seconds, panting for air in the harsh cold, and when there was no answer, he frantically knocked again.
After another moment, the door finally opened up, and thankfully, the person he wanted to speak with was the one who had answered.
A tired looking Doug squinted at him in confusion through bleary eyes, his red hair messy. Clearly, he had just woken up. "Arthur? Dude, it's three in the morning...what's up?"
"Ah-my apologies. I hadn't realized how early it was..." He fixed his glasses nervously, feeling slightly embarrassed that he was in so much of a panic, he failed to noticed that the sun wasn't even up yet. Still...this was a life or death matter, so either way he would've came over. Not that...he exactly knew why he was going to Doug for advice.
To be fair though, even if he did bother writing a letter to his father about this, it would take far too long for him to receive it, and this was too important for Arthur to just wave off and try to figure out by himself. He needed help now, and Doug was all he had. Rather or not he could trust Doug with this didn't matter anymore, considering he was the only other person who knew his secret and a life was on the line.
"Seriously? What's so urgent that you came all this way in such a rush?" Doug asked, furrowing his eyebrows at him.
Arthur lowered his gaze to the snow covered ground, remaining silent. Now that he thought about it, him and Doug only ever directly talked about this once, when he had to tell him the truth. Sure, Doug would make light hints about it when they were alone, but those were always brief, so it wasn't like they had actual conversations over it. Even when he told him, he didn't go into much detail...he had never talked a lot to his father about them, either, so just the thought of explaining his problem to Doug now and asking him for help like this was more than just a little uncomfortable.
Still...it needed to be done.
He took in a deep breath, before hesitantly answering the dwarf. "I...had another dream."
The redhead widened his eyes in response. "O-oh, like..." He glanced around to make sure there was no one else around, before turning his gaze back to Arthur, who gave a small nod of confirmation.
"Wait, is it seriously me, again!?" Doug yelled out in disbelief.
"I'm...not sure." Arthur reluctantly told him, still avoiding eye contact with the dwarf.
"Arthur, what do you mean 'you're not sure'? I thought those things were a bit more vivid than that." Doug urged him, a frown forming on his lips as he stared at the prince with concern written all over his face.
"They usually are...very vivid. But today..." Arthur shook his head, finally looking up and meeting Doug's silver colored eyes. "Someone is going to die, and for once, I'm unsure of who it is, or when it'll take place! I don't remember anything...Doug...I'm not sure what to do."
There was a moment of heavy silence, as Doug just continued staring at him in horror. But finally, the redhead dwarf shook his head and sighed, regaining his composure. "Well, let's start with getting you inside. It's freezing out here!"
Arthur simply just nodded in return, and Doug moved away from the door so he could step into the warm building of the general store. After Doug shut the door back, the two headed upstairs and sat down on the table in the second floor, neither of them saying anything at first. Arthur knew he was most likely supposed to start, considering he was the one who dumped such information on Doug after abruptly showing up so early in the morning. But he didn't even know how to begin, or what there was to say. So instead, he just stared blankly at the table.
And naturally, Doug broke the silence for him. "So...you seriously don't remember anything you saw? But you know someone's going to...to die."
Arthur nodded in response, finally looking up at the dwarf and willing himself to speak. "I know I had a vision, and I know it was of someone dying...or getting seriously hurt at the very least. I just can't recall any of the details..."
"Okay...but are you sure it wasn't just some kind of nightmare?" Doug carefully asked with a small shrug.
"It didn't feel like a nightmare, Doug. My visions have always felt different than that. And even if there was any chance of it having been just a dream, I can't shrug this off." Arthur told him sternly in return. Perhaps harsher than he really meant for it to come out as.
"Alright, alright, I hear ya." Doug quickly replied, raising a hand up in defense, and the prince only felt worse for getting irritated with him upon seeing how tired he still visibly looked. Obviously his hair was messy, but his eye-bags were noticeable right now as well. "Still, they sound a lot like how dreams work, and even with vague dreams, you end up remembering some details about them. Soo, maybe we just need to jog your memory? I mean, there's gotta be something you can remember, right? Like, a place, or person, or something."
Arthur fell silent, considering the possibility. Usually when he had these visions, it was like he was actually there, watching it happen before his eyes. So when he woke up from them, it felt more similar to memories. Something that he actually saw happen - that would happen, unless he did something to prevent it. He never had this problem before...but it'd make sense if he could eventually remember some of the details of this vision, even if couldn't right now. It was worth a try, at least.
He nodded, taking an unsteady breath and closing his eyes as he tried to remember anything from the vision he had when he fell asleep hours ago.
Still, he was drawing blanks. He couldn't remember anything. Nothing but the sense that...
Someone in Selphia was going to die.
His sapphire eyes snapped open, but he wasn't staring down at a table, anymore. He wasn't even in the general store. He was...somewhere else.
...In the forest?
He saw Frey fighting some monsters, but they seemed to be too much for her, and she was completely surrounded. The portal to the Forest of Beginnings that they were coming from was too far away from her, and the enemies kept her from being able to move past them.
She was able to eventually get the upper hand and swung one of her swords at a few of them at once, successfully defeating the line that had blocked her in...but there was another pouncing at her from behind. One that she was completely unaware of.
He tried calling out to her, but his weak voice couldn't reach through the distance...
Suddenly, the scenery before him changed, and he was in the clinic, next. He couldn't see much, though, as it was all blurry and vague. And Doug...
Doug was crying, teeth clenched together and hands balled up into fists by his side.
"Arthur? Arthur!?"
The blond haired prince glanced up, the scene before him suddenly being torn away, and he met Doug's silver eyes instead. Doug was leaning right in front of him now, hands on both of his shoulders, having literally shaken Arthur out of...whatever that was.
"What happened, man? You just completely zoned out on me." Doug explained, a concerned look in his eyes.
Arthur furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Did he just...have another vision? While being conscious for it this time? Was that even possible?
"Arthur? You still with me?" Doug continued to ask, frowning at the silence the prince had returned.
"I..." Arthur shook his head slightly, finally finding his voice. "I saw something. Another vision, perhaps."
"What? You only get those when you're sleeping, though." Doug was quick to point out, letting his hands drop to his side and taking a step back from the prince now.
"That's always been the case..." Arthur looked down, trying to think past the throbbing headache he suddenly felt coming on. "What's happening to me?"
"Hey, nothing might be necessarily happening to you. I mean, it sounds to me like your whole visions thing is pretty uh...unexplored, considering you mentioned before that you didn't know how to control it. I mean, just a hunch, but your dad is the only one who knows about this, right? And I'm assuming he never bothered helping you figure it out?" Doug asked, sitting back down at the chair across from Arthur.
A quiet sigh left Arthur's lips, and he nodded in response. "We never exactly spoke much of it, he just ordered me to never tell anyone. I suppose he wanted me to ignore them and pretend they didn't exist."
Doug scoffed at that. "Yeah, I don't know why. I mean, dude, you can protect so many people with those powers. Just the other week, you saved my life!" He sheepishly scratched the back of his head, then. "But uh, anyways...what did you see this time?"
"I'm not sure." Arthur answered, frowning as he tried to focus on the messy images he had just seen. "I saw a forest, and I saw Frey...she seemed to be struggling against a swarm of monsters, yet I can't even recall what they were...and then there was the clinic..." He shook his head, lowering his gaze to the floor. He didn't want to mention the last bit, but he supposed every detail mattered, here. "You were crying."
Doug frowned at the information, taking a moment before finally responding. "So...you think it's Frey, then?"
Arthur shook his head again. He hated how unsure he still was. He didn't know, and if Frey wasn't the one who was in danger, then they couldn't prevent whoever it actually was from being hurt. They couldn't be wrong about this, they had to be right. "I'm not sure, but...who else could it be? Even though I still can't remember the details, I doubt I'd see something incorrectly." He pointed out, mostly to reassure himself, than anything. "Yes, of course. Frey has still been going out to fight from time to time. It was naive of me to believe that she was somehow safer, now. At the very least, we must warn Frey not to go out." With his mind officially made up, he stood to his feet to head back downstairs.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going!?" Doug exclaimed, standing up and rushing to stand in front of the stairs, blocking it from Arthur. "Look, I'm freaked out by all of this too-by the fact that Frey's life might be in danger, but what are you going to do, charge into her room while she's sleeping and order her to stay in town for a while?"
Arthur blinked at him as something clicked in his tired brain. Right...Doug had already said it was three in the morning, so everyone would still be asleep for now, including Frey herself. He supposed he was getting so worked up over this, he kept forgetting. All the other times he had visions before, it'd terrify him, but he also understood that losing his composure wouldn't help save his friends either. At least then, he also found comfort in the fact that he knew when and how it'd happen as well. Now, though...he didn't have that sort of information to rely on, so of course he'd be worried sick. In a way, he felt blind.
"The best thing we can do is just find her first thing in the morning, but we still have two hours or so till then, so we might as well go back to bed." Doug explained, crossing his arms.
"Of course." Arthur agreed, looking down and fixing his glasses. From the stress of worrying about Frey, he doubt he'd get any more shut eye tonight though. Even if he did, he was wary of what he'd see...even though it would most likely help them. Perhaps he'd just stay up working instead.
"But you probably won't be going back to sleep now, will you?" Doug abruptly asked, as if he had just read his mind.
"W-well, I mean...I'll manage. There's no need to concern yourself with me." Arthur quickly brushed him off, not wanting to bother Doug anymore then he already had for tonight. Especially not with something so trivial like rather or not he'd go back to bed.
"Arthur...I mean, you could just stay here and hang for a while, I wouldn't mind that either. Besides, it's just like, three extra hours, and it's probably a good idea to be up before everyone else anyways." Doug pointed out with a small shrug.
"It's fine, really. You should get whatever sleep you can as well." Arthur reassured him, offering a small smile in hopes of easing his concerns.
"Dude, I probably had all the sleep I'm getting for tonight after everything you just told me." Doug blurted out with a groan, running his fingers through his hair. "Honestly, I think I'd be too stressed to, and even if I did I'd just have nightmares about it!"
"Oh, uhm...my apologizes." Arthur told him, adverting his gaze to the floor. He didn't exactly regret telling Doug-in fact, it made him feel slightly better, like he wasn't the only one that had to carry this huge weight on his shoulders anymore. Still, he was so caught up in being afraid of not remembering his visions, he didn't even consider how Doug would take the news. He never had to share the burden of his visions with someone else like this before, after all. Yet...he didn't really feel guilty for it either. Not as much as he felt strangely comforted knowing he wasn't completely alone in this.
"Wha-don't apologize! I mean, I'm glad I know anyways. I'm glad you told me. After all, it means I can finally help out and protect Frey from any harm too!" Doug cheerfully explained, raising a thumb in the air despite how tired he looked, and the smile on his face seemed way too forced to be real. Still, Arthur supposed he was just trying to keep the good energy up, so he returned the smile with the best he could conjure.
The grin on the dwarf's face faded then, and he looked down instead. "Hey, uh...I mean...hm." Doug trailed off, looking like he struggling to decide something.
"Hm? What is it?" Arthur urged him, frowning in confusion.
"It's just...does stuff like this happen a lot?" Doug suddenly asked, looking back up to meet Arthur's sapphire eyes. "I mean, waking up terrified that one of your friends might actually die? That's gotta happen a lot, right? Especially when Frey was going out all the time fighting, and stuff. I did notice you used to ask her if you could tag along a lot, and that was why, wasn't it?"
Arthur stared at him, taken aback by the question. Still, he hesitantly nodded in response. "Of course...though I would see others every once in a while too. Like Forte, or someone getting...hurt in some other way. A townsfolk, or traveler wandering out to the woods and getting ambushed out there, perhaps. But more often than not, it was Frey."
"How often?" Doug asked barely above a whisper, furrowing his eyebrows in-concern, maybe?
"I...too often." Arthur finally answered, shaking his head and adverting his eyes from Doug.
"And you just dealt with that...? I mean...all this time, you kept all of this a secret while you've been watching your friends die like that on repeat, unsure if you could even prevent it or not. And you never told anyone, you just acted fine. That had to have been horrible, man." Doug muttered, running his fingers through his already messy red hair, again.
"I suppose, but...well, at least then I could see it all clearly. I knew who it was, where it'd take place..." Arthur closed his eyes, breathing in. "I could tell when it'd take place."
Doug looked up at him in surprise. "Whoa, really!? I didn't know you could tell when they'd happen too!"
"Well, not always, but sometimes they were so vivid and clear, and for some reason I would just know the exact time it was supposed to happen. Other times, I'd estimate off of what color the sky was...if there was a sky or daylight in the vision, that is." Arthur explained uncomfortably, pushing his glasses up. It was still odd to talk about, and he wasn't sure if the dwarf's enthusiasm made it easier, or even more difficult.
"Oh. Still...I imagine having all that information didn't make you feel that much better about it..." Doug pointed out, frowning. "I mean, sure, you knew if one of your friends were in danger, so you could actually save them from any harm. And that's pretty awesome that you have the ability to protect them, but on the other hand...I just couldn't imagine having to deal with all that, 'cause you still had to watch it happen! Especially if I was all by myself, that'd be horrifying. How did you ever get any sleep, knowing you might see something?"
"I-I mean..." For a moment, Arthur was completely at a lost for words. He was surprised Doug was being so sympathetic about all of this. Not to say it was surprising coming from him...but Arthur supposed he never realized how sickening his own situation was. He always just sucked it up and took it on as he would any other task. He never even questioned how any of his friends would react if they were to find out about it, because he never allowed himself to think about the 'what ifs'. It was as simple as they just couldn't find out. "Sometimes-on the nights I wanted to stay up later to get more work done, I'd sleep anyways...in case I had another vision."
"What?" Doug asked in utter bewilderment.
"Well, my visions are warnings. I couldn't just ignore them, especially if a life was in danger. They were the only comfort I could seek in knowing if Frey, or anyone else for that matter, would be okay. And if they weren't, then I could prevent it. But I have visions, I'm no time traveler. If I failed to save someone, I would never get another chance. And..." Arthur looked over to Doug to meet his eyes. "She wasn't backing down on her responsibilities, so I couldn't either."
Doug just stared back at him in complete shock, mouth hanging open, slightly. Finally, he closed it, eyebrows furrowing together as the corners of his lips curled up into a smile. "Geez...I always knew you were a dedicated prince, but this is something else." He spoke, sounding somewhat breathless. "You sure are brave, y'know that? I don't think I would've ever been able to manage, knowing I might have to see something so gruesome and awful happen to someone I care about and accepting it as my job anyways...I mean, I dunno, maybe that's weak of me, but I don't think just anyone could do something like that. And definitely not alone."
"O-oh, erm...well, thank you." Arthur mumbled, quickly looking down and readjusting his glasses. And he didn't have to look back up to know Doug was still staring at him intensely. He could practically feel the other's gaze burning right through him. Still, he wasn't saying anything, so Arthur reluctantly glanced back at Doug, giving him a quizzical look as to silently urge him to speak his mind.
The redhead dwarf just stared for a moment longer, before scratching the back of his head and looking away sheepishly. "I don't...I don't want you to deal with this kinda stuff by yourself anymore, though. Vivid-gruesome visions, or blank ones, day time or three in the freaking morning...it doesn't matter. Just always come to me as soon as you wake up from them from now on, 'kay?"
"Hm? Why?" Arthur quickly asked, eyes widening in confusion.
"It's just too much for one person to handle!" Doug quickly pointed out, glancing back at him to meet the prince's gaze. "I get it, you've been dealing with these visions your entire life, apparently. But that doesn't mean it makes things easier. It might even be worse on you because of that, and you're always so busy with other stuff too. Its gotta be a lot of stress for you. So if I can help in any way, even if it's just by hearing that something terrible might happen, then...I mean, if talking about it would help...if I could share the burden in anywa-"
"Thank you." Arthur interrupted Doug, seeing as the dwarf was stumbling over his words so much and having a difficult time explaining his feelings. "I...I appreciate that. And I think I might just take you up on that offer."
Doug chuckled in return, immediately looking relieved by his response. "Good, I'm glad!"
"Of course, in return, I expect you'll continue to not speak about this to anyone?" The blond haired prince asked, giving him a more serious look now.
"Hm? Well duh, I haven't said anything yet, have I?" Doug pointed out defensively, though a grin still played on his lips. Arthur gave a polite smile at his words. "Just checking. It wouldn't be good if my secret came out, and I'm still not used to this, you know." He lowered his gaze to the floor, frowning. "I'm not...exactly used to trusting people."
He could feel the redhead staring at him for a moment, before Doug finally spoke up again, his words hesitant. "Well, you can trust me. Promise!"
Arthur smiled, glancing up at the dwarf. "I do hope so."
Concern and perhaps sadness, was clear in Doug's silver eyes, but he gave him a soft smile in return. "Anyways, uh-I guess I ought to make us breakfast. I'm starving, and we gotta get a head start on the day, don't we?"
Arthur nodded in return, though he still felt uncertain about staying. "Are you sure? I imagine Blossom will be up very soon, and you know she'll get suspicious. Perhaps it'd be for the best if I were to take my leave, now."
Doug walked past Arthur, going over to the stove instead and shaking his head. "Nah, its fine. We'll just tell her that we couldn't get much sleep so we ran into each other in town and decided to hang out for a bit. You're cool with omelets, right?"
"Yes...that'll do just fine." Arthur told him, sitting back down at the table and unsure of what to do now. He supposed the best course of action would be to try to remember anything else from his vision-or maybe try to trigger another one in hopes to get a clearer picture of things. After all, he knew Frey was going to be fighting in the woods, but did that really mean she'd be the one getting hurt? What if something happened to someone else in Selphia, and she was merely trying to save them? What if his vision just directed its attention to her instead of whoever was actually in danger for some reason, similar to how he'd get visions about a random event in the day rather then anything important? And even if not, then where would she be at in the woods? In the case they couldn't prevent her from going, he'd have to know which area she'd be in to reach her, and there was a lot of areas in the woods, some much further away from town then others...
He felt the pain in his head getting more intense, but he ignored it, staring down at the table surface in hopes of seeing those woods again, instead. Still, nothing except his headache that only grew happened. No images, no strange feelings, nothing. Just the sound of Doug cooking breakfast.
He furrowed his eyebrows. He had to see something, he needed more information. He knew Frey was fighting-
She was fighting, seeming to be struggling to keep the enemies off her back. Still, she seemed desperate...scared.
Were they too much for her?
Arthur blinked, and just as quickly, he was left with nothing again, unsure of what just happened. That...felt like the same thing he saw already, but...did he just have another vision?
Suddenly, the taste of iron left his tongue, and that's when he realized he felt something leaking down his nose. He quickly wiped it off with his hand and widened his eyes at the sight. Blood?
Again, he couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with him. He knew Doug said his visions were most likely just that unexplored, but still...he always relied on them for years, and they always showed him when someone was in danger. They had been consistent, so he assumed he had a pretty good grip on how they worked. But now they suddenly stopped showing him things, and he was not only getting them while he was conscious, but also getting headaches and nosebleeds because of it? No, something felt wrong with them, with him. This wasn't like he was learning more about it, it was more like they were changing. Why? Why were they changing?
"Alright, foods done!" Doug piped up cheerfully, suddenly placing a plate of omelets in front of him and forcing him back out of his thoughts.
"Ah, thank you." Arthur quickly replied, wiping the blood off on his outfit and looking up to give the drawf a small smile of gratitude. Doug's eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, furrowing his eyebrows. Still, he backed away, serving his own plate and sitting down at the table, again. "You look really pale. You okay?"
"I'm fine...just tired." Arthur answered, avoiding the dwarfs gaze as he started eating. After all, he didn't exactly feel up to telling Doug about the nose bleeding and headaches...they were probably nothing to be concerned about anyways. It could've simply just been him pushing himself too hard with his visions, and right now they both had enough on their minds.
"Maybe you should go back to bed." Doug quietly muttered under his breath as he poked at his eggs.
"I thought I heard talking." Another voice spoke up in that moment, and Arthur and Doug both looked up to see Blossom walking out of her room and staring at them in surprise. "What are you doing up already? It's barely even five in the morning. And..not that I mind of course, but it's a surprise to see you here, Arthur. Especially when I imagine the rest of the town is still asleep." She pointed out warily.
"O-oh, yes, it is quite early still, isn't it?" Arthur sheepishly responded, quickly glancing away from the elder woman and readjusting his glasses.
Blossom only raised her eyebrows at that remark, and Doug cleared his throat then, speaking up instead. "Yeaah, coincidentally enough, me and Arthur both couldn't get much sleep last night, so we kinda bumped into each other an hour or so ago and decided to hang out for a bit."
"Is that so?" Blossom asked, continuing to glance between the two of them suspiciously.
Arthur nodded in response, though he still felt too uncomfortable to meet Blossom's eyes. "Indeed. I had planned to just take a stroll around town and try to get some paper work done, but Doug insisted that I should eat something. I do apologize for the unexpected visit, though."
"Oh, I don't mind at all! Forgive me if I came off as rude just now, but you're more than welcome to come by, anytime." Blossom gently reassured him with a kind smile.
"Do you want me to cook you breakfast, Granny Blossom?" Doug cheerfully asked her, and Arthur assumed he must've been using the question as a way to get off the subject.
"Oh, don't be silly, Doug. I can cook for myself. You just eat and don't worry about me." Blossom reassured him, turning to the stove now, and Doug flashed Arthur a smirk, followed by a thumbs up. Arthur smiled back at him, before the two went back to eating.
Eventually, Blossom sat down as well with a hot bowl of milk porridge, and the three made small talk as they continued eating their breakfast. Still, the air felt odd. Perhaps that was because Blossom knew him and Doug were hiding something. It felt like she knew, at least. Or maybe Arthur was just being paranoid. Maybe he just felt so uncomfortable with the situation that things felt tense to him. But it wasn't like he ever came over to Doug's house this early in the morning either, unless they had a sleepover party, so of course she probably thought this was strange. They all knew it was, even if they weren't saying it.
So as soon as they were all finished, he volunteered to help clean the dishes and immediately left the building afterwards, biding farewell to Blossom.
"Ah-Arthur, wait up!" Doug called after him, catching the door before Arthur could shut it all the way.
"Hm?" Arthur turned to look back at the redhead dwarf in surprise. By now it was six in the morning, so everyone should be waking up soon. Though Frey didn't usually climb out of bed and go straight to the forest, so he didn't feel rushed to check on her just yet either.
"Uhm...what are you going to say to her?" Doug asked quietly, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Blossom wasn't around, or at least not so close by that she could hear exactly what they were saying.
"I'm not sure what I should say...though considering it looks like there will be a snowstorm either today or tomorrow, I could use that to my advantage and tell her to stay warm indoors for that reason." Arthur explained, looking up to the dark grey sky overhead.
"Ah, yeah, that should work!" Doug was quick to agree, grinning in return. "Hey, I'll do my best to keep tabs on her too, so don't worry so much about it, alright?"
Arthur nodded, smiling as he met the redhead's eyes again. "Yes, thank you, Doug."
And he tried not to worry about it. Yet he couldn't focus on work, or anything for the next following hours. He just kept thinking about the things he saw. The pieces he was still missing. Especially after talking to Frey, he had an even stranger feeling that he couldn't quite place. Something just wasn't right...
He stared intensely at the papers on his desk, as if he was watching his visions playing out before his eyes again. Yet still, he couldn't see anything.
"Ah, by the way, it's getting colder, and I do believe there is a snowstorm approaching. I suggest staying indoors for the next few days." He had added casually, after successfully making small talk with her.
"Oh, alright then, that's fine! I planned on trying out new recipes for a while, anyways. Things have been so calm lately, I'm enjoying slowing down for a change instead of venturing out all the time." She had told him with a light giggle.
It was then that she mentioned it, Arthur realized she really didn't go out much, anymore. Every once in a while if a towns member needed her to, sure, but even that seemed rare. She also felt a lot more...at peace these days. Happier.
It was for these reasons, something inside him was no longer certain that it was Frey. It was a strong gut feeling, yet he couldn't help but wonder if he only felt that way just because she was enjoying herself in town as of late. He knew that didn't mean anything...it would make even more sense, on the contrary. She might be getting rusty on her fighting skills, and if that were true and she went to a dangerous part of the woods right now...
"Arthur?"
The prince quickly looked up upon his name being called, only to see Margaret standing over him with a plate that had a sliced sandwich on it. "Are you alright?" She asked, tilting her head at him.
"I'm fine. Thank you." He replied, pushing his glasses up and meeting her light blue eyes.
"You look really tired. Are you sure?" She asked again, concern laced in her voice.
"Ah, don't worry about me. I just didn't get much sleep last night is all." Arthur brushed her off with a light chuckle.
"Well, maybe you should just take a nap, then. It doesn't look like you're getting much done right now, anyways. Though, at this rate, you might start burning holes in those papers with how hard your staring at them!" Margaret pointed out, putting her free hand on her hip, as she'd often do when she was lecturing him-or anyone, for that matter.
Arthur lowered his gaze back down at the papers scattered about on his desk at her remark. He supposed he really wasn't doing much, other than just sitting here. But he needed to focus. "Oh, it's alright, I should get back to work, actually. Thank you for your concern though-and bringing me lunch, I do appreciate it. And...I'll see about turning in early tonight."
Margaret still looked upset, but finally nodded at his promise. "Yeah, okay. Just don't push yourself too hard." She placed the plate on the edge of his desk that actually had the space for it then, before turning to walk back out of his office and to the restaurant side of the building.
Briefly, he couldn't help but wonder if telling her the truth would ease her concerns any or just make it worse. On one hand, she'd understand what was wrong with him, and that there was more to worry about then just his health. Yet on the other hand...would she be more up torn over that? Wanting him to just get some rest, and constantly being concerned for him and whichever persons life was in danger?
He shook his head, picking up one of the sliced sandwiches and taking a bite out of it. It would definitely make things worse, there was no point in even considering it. After all, Doug was already getting stressed out over his visions. If Doug would freak out over something like this, then of course Margaret would, too.
It didn't matter, he couldn't tell anyone else about this, anyways. It was already bad enough that one person knew.
He somehow managed to focus enough to get work done for an hour or so, before his mind started to wander, and he became anxious again.
He had told Frey not to go out for a few days, and she said she wouldn't. But if it wasn't her, than someone could still wander out to the woods. But surely no one would do that, right? Frey was the most likely to go out, and while the others in town might venture into the woods every once in a while, they wouldn't dare do that when the temperature was clearly dropping, right?
Arthur sighed, finally giving up on his paperwork for now. He had to check on everyone, and it seemed pointless to just continue sitting here if he wasn't going to get anything done. So he went out and visited everyone in town. Thankfully, since most were taking baths or gathering at Porcoline's, it wasn't like he actually had to go to their houses directly to find them. He would've though, if it meant insuring that everyone was safe.
It was sunset by the time he finished, and he stepped out of the castle, having just finished talking to Clorica, Vishnal, and Volkanon. He had also saw Frey again, which was a good sign. He breathed in the cold air, looking up at the cloudy grey sky overhead. That was pretty much everyone...
"Arthur!"
He looked over to the voice in surprise, and his eyes fell on Doug, who was running up to him. "Hey, man, everything okay?"
"Doug...yes, everything's just fine." He answered slowly. "What about you? I mean...did something happen?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing like that. Just finished up shop for today. Was gonna head to the bath house, now. I have been keeping watch on the entrance to the forest all day though, don't worry about that!" Doug told him, waving a hand in the air enthusiastically.
Arthur smiled in response, finding his exciting personality calming to his nerves. "Well, I do admit, it's been on my mind quite a bit today. I just finished checking in on everyone, in fact."
"On everyone? Dude..." Doug shook his head, sighing. "I mean, I guess I don't blame you. Better safe than sorry, anyways. So, how'd it go? No one missing?"
"Of course not. And...it does seem like Frey has every intention to focus on other things, rather than venturing out." Arthur explained, frowning as his mind went back to his earlier thoughts.
"What's the look for, then? Isn't that good news?" Doug asked in confusion, staring at him warily.
"It should be, yet it just makes me worry even more..." Arthur admitted quietly, looking down to the snow covered ground.
"Well, we'll figure it out, alright? We just gotta stay sharp, and maybe what you saw won't even happen." Doug reassured him, glancing around their vicinity to make sure no one was close by enough to overhear them. Even though he didn't straight out say "visions", or anything, Arthur still appreciated how careful he was being.
"Yes, I hope your right..." Arthur muttered, fixing his glasses and trying calm himself down. Stressing about it wouldn't get them far either, after all. Really, he should take a page out of Doug's book, here.
"Yeah...anyways, you should really rest up, man. You look beat." Doug told him with a smirk, and Arthur looked up at him, smiling warmly in return. "I suppose that makes the both of us, then."
Doug chuckled at that, before raising his hand up and waving. "See ya around, Arthur! And try to sleep well tonight."
"Goodnight Doug!" Arthur responded with a nod, before turning to head back to Porcoline's. And, as he promised Margaret, he did turn in early for the night.
Still, he found himself staring up at the ceiling, deep in thought and unable to fall asleep. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to sleep. What he might see...no, it'd be a good thing if he saw anything at all. He needed to, in case it helped him figure out who was in danger. He rolled over onto his side, feeling completely restless. Even though he knew he had to, it wasn't like he could just make himself fall unconscious, either...
He sighed to himself, closing his eyes and trying again anyways. He rolled onto his back, and-
Suddenly he felt himself falling, the leaves crunching beneath his body as he hit the ground hard. Monsters were all around, more than there should've been.
Frey tried to fight them off, but she was struggling. He watched as the mushroom monster attacked her from behind, as she had been too preoccupied with the Trick Mucks in front of her.
He watched as they continued surrounding her, hitting her repetitively as she fell to her hands and knees. She screamed, coughing violently as she curled in on her side. They continued attacking her, blood everywhere...
"Frey!"
He tried to move, but he couldn't-
"Frey!"
He finally managed to pull himself up into a sitting position, though looking around for Frey or the monsters, he realized...he was in his room. In his bed.
He snapped his head up when the door opened then, a scared looking Margaret rushing in. "Arthur, is everything alright? I was just stopping by to make sure you weren't up working late, when I suddenly heard screaming." She explained, glancing around the room before fully looking towards the prince.
He stared at her in utter confusion, trying to pull his messy thoughts together. Was that another vision? He felt fear spike in his chest as his mind went back to the image of a beaten up Frey, limp on the ground, autumn red leaves all around her. That's when images flashed before his sapphire eyes, again. Autumn red leaves crunching beneath his feet, Trick Mucks everywhere. And he saw Frey calling for him as she tried to fight them off...
He grimaced in pain, and he could feel the warm liquid running down his nose.
"Arthur?" Margaret asked again, and he looked up to meet her blue eyes. Those images...they were more visions. Yet they felt so intense...and the headaches and nosebleeds...it was happening now, wasn't it?
He wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand, quickly scrambling out of bed and grabbing his glasses off his desk, putting them on. "Margaret, find Frey." He told her hastily.
"What? Why, what's going on?" She asked worriedly in return.
"I-I'm not sure how to exactly explain it right now, but she's in danger. I need you to look for her, just in case." Arthur tried to explain, turning to look at the blond haired elf who stared back in confusion, her eyes wide.
"In case what...? Arthur, you were sleeping. Whatever it was you saw, it was just a nightmare." She told him instead, shaking her head as she spoke.
"It wasn't a nightmare...it was a vision." Arthur admitted reluctantly, glancing away from her.
"A-what?" Margaret asked incredulously.
"Margaret, please, we don't have time for this." Arthur quickly pointed out, instead. "Please, go look for Frey. I'll be out in just a moment, alright?"
The elf girl still looked hesitant, but thankfully nodded in return, turning to leave the room instead. As soon as she left and shut the door behind herself, Arthur changed into his normal clothes, before rushing outside as well. Immediately, he found himself shuddering at how cold it had gotten, and the wind was clearly starting to pick up, the snow getting heavier as well. Running down the dark streets and reaching the entrance of the castle, he found Margaret bursting through the doors that led out of the building. She frantically looked up at him, her blue eyes wide with fear. "She's not in her room! She should still be sleeping at this hour!"
Arthur's heart skipped a beat at that statement, but he swallowed back the fear for now. This wasn't the time to start freaking out, he just needed to find Frey. "I believe she might be in Autumn Road. I must go save her."
"W-wait, I'll go with you!" Margaret exclaimed before he could run off.
"No, you need to get Doug. Inform him of the situation, alright?" Arthur ordered her, and she stared back at him, looking reluctant, and slightly confused. Still, she nodded without any questions, her lips drawn down into a frown. "Okay, fine. Just...please be careful, Arthur!"
The blond haired prince nodded, before quickly turning to the entrance of the woods and running as fast as his feet would take him. It was hard to properly see his surroundings due to the dark atmosphere, but...it didn't matter. Frey was in danger, so he needed to keep running.
Thankfully, he knew the woods fairly well, what with all the time he had spent traveling with Frey in them. As he was running however, he tripped over a stick hiding in the grass, losing his balance and falling onto the ground. He groaned, quickly pushing himself back up. Just as he started to get to his feet again though, his vision blurred, his head pounding as the saw the mushroom-like monsters surrounding the area. "Frey..." He whispered under his breath, vaguely tasting the iron in his mouth as the images continued flashing through his mind. He never had such intense visions before...though he supposed he wasn't used to having them while being conscious, either.
He tried to breathe through the pain as he stumbled to his feet, continuing to run through the woods. It really was happening right now, wasn't it? He gritted his teeth at just the horrible thought. He couldn't let her get hurt. He couldn't let this happen...
He was only half aware that he was easily catching the attention of dozens of nearby monsters, but he couldn't bother to care, pushing his hands against one of the many trees around as he continued running, panting for breath as more images swarmed through his mind. Images he couldn't even make sense of. He grimaced as the pain worsened, his surroundings around him barely visible anymore as everything began to blur together.
Eventually, he heard the loud crunching sounds of leaves under his feet, and glancing around his vicinity, he realized he finally made it to Autumn Road. But he hadn't reached the area Frey was in, yet. Even though the images he saw weren't clear, he could feel it in his bones. He knew where to go precisely. He gasped for breath, taking another turn deeper into the woods as he continued sprinting. And eventually, he skidded to a halt, looking around. This was it, this was the place.
"Frey!?" He called out, looking around desperately as confusion began to set in, because he didn't see her, anywhere. He knew this was supposed to be the place, but...
Suddenly, he felt himself being shoved to the ground as something rammed right into him, interrupting his thought process. He winced, moving to sit up, but he was attacked again, and this time he could see it was a Trick Muck that had jumped at him.
He struggled with shoving the monster off of him, rolling to his feet and turning to face it, pulling out his staff. He had managed to land a blow on it, however he was knocked down again from behind, his staff falling out of his grip as he fell to the ground once more. His breath left his lungs as the pain in his head suddenly grew sharper then, the scene before his eyes blurring, again.
He saw the Trick Mucks surrounding the area around him...
Arthur widened his sapphire eyes as the cold realization hit him hard. Of course...Frey wasn't here.
It was never Frey that was going to die...
It was him.
"Arthur!"
The prince looked up weakly, and through his hazy vision, he could see Frey standing near the entrance of the area, a little in the distance with Trick Mucks between them. Just like in his visions.
"F-Frey..." He gasped under his breath, though he felt dizzy and tired. And he knew he was most likely poisoned by those Trick Mucks...Perhaps that was why he suddenly felt so disoriented, though the flashing images of his visions weren't helping in the slightest with that.
He was an idiot...if he hadn't ran in without thinking, than none of this would've happened. Frey had been fine, but now he was putting her through all of this, because of his recklessness.
He watched as Frey viciously pulled out her dull blades, rushing over to fight off the Trick Mucks. Arthur tried to sit up, as the ones that had been attacking him charged after her, instead. Looking up at Frey however, he saw another one of them moving from behind her, and his eyes widened with fear. "Frey! Frey, behind you...!" He called out to her, yet...his voice was too weak to make it past the distance, and Frey was too occupied with the monsters in front of her that she didn't look his way at all. Despite how strong he knew she was...they looked like they were too much for even her. Or maybe she was so stressed out that she was just struggling more than she normally would've been.
And there were just too many of them...
Meanwhile, he couldn't do anything, he was weak...all he could do was watch as more of them surrounded her...
"Take that!" Another voice suddenly yelled out, charging at the monster behind Frey and slicing their sword right through it. Arthur glanced over to the person in shock, his eyes falling on the redhead dwarf, who had his sword and shield pulled out. Thank goodness...
"Get him out of here!" Frey shouted to Doug as she continued fighting off all the enemies.
"Just back off if they're too much for you, alright?" Doug told her in return as he sprinted past the herd of Trick Mucks, skidding to his knees in front of Arthur and sheathing his weapons.
Arthur vaguely heard her saying something else in response, but...he couldn't make out the words. He felt too tired and drained to stay conscious, no matter how hard he tried to fight the darkness that kept creeping into the corners of his vision, threatening to take him under.
He thought he heard Doug saying something that felt directed to him, but he wasn't entirely sure.
It didn't matter. He was too weak to speak, anyways.
He felt Doug hoisting him onto his back, and he grimaced as they started moving, feeling incredibly dizzy, and so tired...
He blinked blearily, hearing rushed voices all around him. He saw the walls and ceiling of...the clinic. They were in the clinic.
Just like what he saw in his visions...
He looked around, and though everything was spinning and all too blurry, he still saw Doug staring down at him...he was crying.
Arthur felt his chest clutch painfully at the sight, and he wanted to say something to comfort his friend, but...
He was too weak.
.
.
.
The first thing Arthur felt was the throbbing of his headache. He groaned, reaching up weakly to massage his forehead. Just lifting his arm up proved to be difficult, though, in his sluggish state.
"Arthur?"
The prince cracked his eyes open at the sound of his name, despite how heavy they felt, and looked up to see Doug sitting on a chair by his bedside. He looked tired and miserable, but still smiled when Arthur met his silver eyes. "Hey. How're you feeling?"
"I...think I'm alright." Arthur responded groggily. "Doug, what happened?"
"Well, your visions came true. Just...not in the way we expected it, I guess." Doug answered solemnly, glancing away to stare off into the distance. "You got pretty hurt."
"Ah...right." Arthur muttered, looking up at the ceiling as the memories slowly returned to him. "But I'm alive."
"You almost wasn't." Doug told him heavily. "I thought I lost you for a second there, seriously."
Arthur glanced over to the dwarf at his words, and though Doug still wasn't looking at him...he could see it. His eyes were red. He frowned. "You were crying..."
Doug finally met his sapphire eyes then, his silver ones still shimmering with tears. "Well, duh, I was worried about you! What, you think I'd only cry for Frey, or something?"
"Well, no, of course not, it's just...I apologize. I should've been more careful." Arthur said instead, feeling...strangely guilty for worrying Doug so much. He must've worried them all.
"Yeah, you got that right." Doug huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair he currently occupied.
"Where was Frey?" Arthur asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to make sense of all of it. "I mean...she had been missing, Margaret went to her room to check, and everything."
"Yeah, but she didn't check Clorica's. Apparently it was too cold for her to sleep, so Frey went to hang in her room, and the two ended up falling asleep together." Doug shook his head in exasperation, running his fingers through his already disheveled hair. "I was trying to prepare for the fact that she might be hurt, or worse...but when she came up to me and Margaret just before we headed into the woods, asking us what was going on...that's when it finally hit me. It wasn't Frey who was endanger, it was you."
"Yet, if I had just proceeded with more caution instead of charging in there without even thinking like that..." Arthur began, shaking his head slowly.
"Hey, you can't blame yourself for what happened! I mean, you were worried about Frey. We both were." Doug quickly reassured him. "And...you've...never had a vision about yourself before, have you?"
Arthur was slightly surprised by the question, but still, he shook his head in response, and Doug sighed sadly at that. "Yeah, thought so. When you were out, I was thinking that...maybe the reason you couldn't remember the vision was because for some reason, it's less vivid when it's about yourself and you can only really focus on others getting hurt. Or...or well, maybe when your powers were trying to warn you, you subconsciously ignored it. After all, you're always worrying so much about others rather than yourself. Maybe you thought you'd be fine, so you didn't focus on it as much. And maybe that's why you couldn't remember it when you woke up, which uh, led to you thinking someone else like Frey was in danger."
Arthur stared at him, speechless by his conclusion. He didn't even know what to say to that...but perhaps Doug was right. He honestly wasn't sure. He supposed he wouldn't be worried if he had a vision about himself, considering it should be easier to avoid the danger knowing it'd happen at all. But to the point that he'd completely forget about it and end up assuming that it was someone else who'd get hurt?
But...that pretty much was what happened, wasn't it?
"You know, when I think about it like that, I can see why your dad didn't ever help you with your visions. Why he wanted you to ignore them and pretend they didn't exist." Doug continued brokenly. "I mean, in the end, you only got hurt because you were trying to protect someone else."
"Perhaps that's what he was worried would happen, but I don't care. I was able to protect others too many times in the past because of them. And I couldn't...I couldn't live with myself if I saw someone I cared about getting hurt and didn't even lift a finger to prevent it." Arthur found his voice again, his words firm. "This was just one time. And it was my own fault for being so reckless, for not being able remember my vision. This could've all been easily avoided, had I just been more careful."
"Dude, seriously, you're the one that got hurt! Stop blaming yourself for that." Doug lightly snapped at him. "Though...I'm not saying you should stop paying attention to your visions, alright? I'm just saying you've got to start taking better care of yourself more and stop worrying about everyone else as much. It's because you always think you have to protect everyone and put them first that you almost lost your life this morning."
Arthur stared at him in surprise, before finally nodding in agreement. "I know...I suppose it's just, well...it's my responsibility. I'm the one who gets premonitions when someone will...die. I suppose I'm just too used to waking up to my friends dying, to the point that when I first wake up after getting a vision-especially one I can't even remember, I assume the worst."
The redhead dwarf sighed in response, a hint of frustration clear on his face as he glanced away. "Yeah, well, we're gonna have to work on that. But hey," He smirked, turning back to Arthur. "Least next time you get a vision you can't remember, we can just assume it's about you!"
The prince couldn't help but smile in return at that. "I'd like to not jump to conclusions about these things, but I do promise to be more careful next time."
"How about you be careful all the time? I know you were probably just as reckless when you were out fighting with Frey in the past, too." Doug chided him in return.
"That was different. I mean...Frey's life was on the line, Doug." Arthur quickly pointed out in defense.
"Yeah, doesn't mean you have to get yourself killed instead, though!" The dwarf groaned in response. He met Arthur's eyes then, though he looked hesitant as he continued. "Oh, uh...there's something I should tell you, actually."
"What is it?" Arthur asked warily, frowning at how upset Doug suddenly seemed.
"Uhm...I'm sorry, man, I didn't know what to tell them. I mean, I wasn't sure if you'd even be okay. There was like, a lot of blood coming from your nose, and Margaret and Frey were both asking a ton of questions. I...didn't know what to say...other than the truth." Doug blurted out, guilt written all over his face. "And uh, you know, a lot of other people were starting to crowd around at that point-the whole town kinda knows now."
"Oh...well, I guess that's to be expected." Arthur responded, furrowing his eyebrows together as he tried to process the news. He thought he'd feel more anxious if this were to ever happen, yet right now, he didn't really feel much at all. Perhaps it'd just take a moment for it to sink in for him.
"Wait, seriously?" Doug asked, staring at him in surprise.
"I mean, I knew Margaret and Frey were bound to know the truth by now. Especially Margaret. I had told her Frey was in danger, and well, that I had a vision. The whole town, though...admittedly, that's fairly overwhelming. But again, it's my own fault for freaking out the way I did." Arthur pointed out, offering a small and sheepish smile.
"Well, I could've told them something else. I should've kept it a better secret." Doug spoke, frowning and somehow only looking more guilty.
"I don't expect you to struggle and lie to your friends like that, Doug. Especially in the kind of situation you were in. Besides, I...suppose they all deserve to know the truth. I just hope word about it doesn't spread among the tourists and outside of town." Arthur explained, looking back up to the ceiling.
"I'm not too worried about it. I mean, they all get it, you know? They promised to keep it a secret and not talk too much about it. And, yeah, Kiel's not the best at keeping secrets, but...I think it'll be fine. You just need to focus on getting rest, though!" Doug told him, smiling cheerfully now. Arthur could tell by the way it didn't reach his eyes that it wasn't a real smile, but after all the stress he had been through, the prince was impressed that he was even trying to act fine and reassuring at all. He supposed that was just how the redhead dwarf was, always trying to act okay and be strong for others...
"You should as well. You never went back to bed, did you?" Arthur asked him, trying to blink away the tiredness that burned his eyes.
"Did you expect me to after almost dying on me, like that?" Doug asked with a playful smirk.
"Go get some sleep, Doug. I'll be alright, now." Arthur told him seriously, and the redhead sighed, before reluctantly standing up. "Yeah, yeah, fine...get better soon, alright?"
"Of course. And...thank you, Doug. For everything. You're a really good friend." Arthur told him hesitantly. He just wanted the dwarf to understand how grateful he was to have him around and help support him with his powers. Yet, apart of him feared he was acting a little too vulnerable.
"Yeah, no problem. You're a good friend too!" Doug replied, giving him one last smile and wave before turning to leave the clinic, and Arthur finally allowed the darkness to take him in, as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"People were not to be trusted".
The last words his mother gave him before she vanished. He couldn't help how those words stuck to him since that day, how he never could let anyone in again afterwards. It had became a reflex to keep so much distance between him and everyone else, even after he found people to really consider friends.
And yet, after telling Doug about his powers, he only felt happier than he had been in a long time. Despite everything in him screaming that he couldn't trust Doug with this secret, that maybe he should try to close him out...
He found that he didn't care, anymore. He wanted to trust Doug, and the redhead had tried so hard to keep his secret, to help him when he needed it the most.
Doug could be trusted. And perhaps he was too tired to be thinking straight, but he believed the rest of Selphia could be as well.