"I was trained by the Gods!"
Maka groaned, ignoring Blake's foolish answer to what had been her genuine question. That's what she deserved, asking him the question in the first place. Around her group, the air was warm. Flowers had begun sprouting in fields, rather than beds, and as they walked through them, petals joined the breeze. "I think you're a damn liar."
"Don't blaspheme me, you'll be cast from my heaven." Blake's nose was turned up, echoing her own pose, and her frown deepened.
"The Gods didn't fall from the sky to teach you how to hold a blade."
"Maybe not directly, but I've never had a single lesson, and I've beaten every man that stood in my way!"
"Not every man." Kid spoke from where he was leading, looking back with a straight face. Maka snorted while Blake spat curses at the Prince, challenging him to a duel and a fist fight at the same time.
"Damn cheat-"
"He didn't cheat."
"Dweller, how could you betray me so?"
"Well for one, stop calling me Dweller and maybe we'll see about my loyalty to you."
Blake choose to ignore her completely, looking behind him. "And what about you, Soul? Who taught you how to shoot an arrow?"
Soul shrugged, fingers grazing the arrows in his quiver. "No one, I guess."
"I don't believe that for a damn second! There's no way your wee little Hell Child ass picked up a bow one day and could shoot it in milliseconds! Not even you're that good."
"Actually," Soul frowned, "I am that good. So watch your mouth before I shoot an arrow through your boot and leave you here."
"Did your instructor also give you asshole training as well?"
"Alas no, that was Hell." The Hell Child gave a brilliant grin that was more snarl than smile, and kept walking. Blake made a face at him, turning to face him.
"Then who taught you the bow, huh? Someone had to."
Soul closed his eyes in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Gods of Sea and Sky, why are you like this?"
"Because I didn't have an instructor to teach me, so my foray into the world of absolute asshole isn't as polished as yours. And I'm curious. Should I decide to place my masterful hands on a bow one day, who do I have to find to teach me?"
"Me, you idiot."
Blake laughed, running a hand through his hair, leaving it wild behind him. Maka rolled her eyes, listening to the men act like children. But, now she has to admit she was curious. Who was the archery master who taught Soul?
She hadn't known many archers in her life, but she had seen plenty showing off in small tournaments or market places. They had all been exceptionally talented at hitting their marks, but Soul was almost otherworldly talented. Whoever has taught him must be someone to be feared.
Soul simply scratched at the stubble growing on his face, clearly disinterested. That would have to be something she came back to, when they had more time for her to properly annoy him into giving her an answer. Blake seemed to realize he had hit a dead end as well, so he turned his attention back to Kid. "What about you? Can you shoot a bow?"
"Not well. I think my best was I could hit one in three."
"Which basically equals dead out in the field, huh?"
"...Yes basically." Kid sighed, and Soul grinned, flipping an arrow between his fingers.
"You're all hopeless long range, huh?"
"Be quiet Hell Child." Soul grinned at their angry growls, arrow twirling between his fingers. The winds picked up, stronger than they had been before. The scent of the flowers were becoming overpowering, and Soul wrinkled his nose.
"That's starting to kill me."
"Gods." Maka barely breathed, pointing a few feet ahead of them. What she had thought to be shrubs were actually the leaves of a flower plant. They twisted and turned around each other, growing from a thick knot of roots in the center. The flowers that bloomed were unnatural in color, vibrant blues and shades of black decorated the petals. They stood in awe, finally noticing how the trees around them seemed to suddenly stretch, becoming taller and taller.
"...How did we miss that."
Maka sighed, rubbing her temple. "This is the center of the Forest, how could we think there wouldn't be something set up to catch us."
"...Good point actually. We have been strangely relaxed since we left the Fae Circle."
"Yeah," Kid agreed, looking around. "After the flowers started growing."
Flowers. Maka walked towards the bush of petals, fingers tracing over the soft petals. Her fingers came away dusted in a soft gold powder, and she was impressed despite herself. "The Forest did that to us...Look, all this pollen? We've been breathing it in since the flowers started."
"... Airborne defenses." Kid blinked, realization dawning on his features. "We can almost absolutely assume that whoever set the trap has been tracking us since then."
"You know," Blake sighed, looking up at the pine branches blocking out the sun. "I'm real sick of being outsmarted by the damn trees."
There was something to be said for patience.
Arachne was not a boastful woman. Everything she had ever done, she has done for justice, never pride. She had never wanted to become Queen so that she could wear a crown and commission beautiful gowns, or adorn herself in priceless gems. No, she had become a Queen so that she could change her world for the better.
Her web was spun far, she had strings in every small village, in every sprawling trade route, in every family glen. It was as though she had thousands of eyes, watching everything that went on in this kingdom. Arachne was not a native of this land, she had been married off to her husband and chartered away from her home. It was expected of course, being a woman in a royal family, but she hadn't expected the culture shock when she has moved.
The King had been very busy in the earliest years of their marriage, but he was always quite happy to see her when he arrived late at night, but she had mostly spent her days alone. Arachne's ladies in waiting were dutiful, yet bland, and she didn't want to spend her days wasting time on embroidery and clothing. Eventually, she would have her husband's heir inside her, and the Gods be willing, she would have a son. Such success from her early on would be sure to solidify her place in this kingdom.
Until then, she spent most of her time cultivating, both her garden, and her spies. She had a troupe of loyal servants come with her when she arrived, and she had spread them to the wind. Her only solace in her early loneliness was the reports of her men, showing her what the day to day life of this kingdom was truly like. She was shocked to discover the amount of red eyed children in their reports.
When she had questioned her ladies about them, they had looked aghast, covering their gaping mouths with their fans. "It's improper to mention them, your highness. The Hell Children aren't to be recognized."
Hell Children. That word had haunted her throughout the night. She had found what little information she could on them in the library, though it didn't tell her much. She knew they were the product of a demon and a human, and some of them might manifest hellish powers at some age. Their purpose was unknown in this world, as they couldn't understand why a Demon would sire a child.
In a show of good faith, the King had offered to let her have her sister come live with them. Medusa was an already well established apothecary, and the King did truly want Arachne to feel at home. When Medusa had walked through the doors, her elder sister had attacked, wrapping her up in her arms. "Sister! I have missed you."
"You must have. I don't recall you having ever hugged me before."
"...The transition has been difficult, for me. The Ladies are kind, but painfully dense, the library won't give me access to any of those decent books, and it takes my spies much too long to find their way back to me."
"Come sister, let's sit. Tell me your woes."
Arachne had brought her up to the plot of land the King had given to her. She had rows of trees planted, barely even budding as they walked past them. She was surrounded by growth, yet she felt nothing. Marriage had been her only job growing up, and now that it was completed, she didn't know what to do with herself. "I feel lost."
"Oh? Big life in the castle not what you dreamed of? Haven't you started a project yet?"
Arachne gestured around them, breathing in the fresh scent of overturned dirt. "I'm growing this garden."
Medusa scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Elder sister, you are a Queen. You shouldn't be growing a garden, you should be governing the people. This is your Kingdom as well! Now, why don't you tell me what you've learned? After all, I know your spies aren't out there watching cows feed."
The Queen considered her words, sitting at the table her servants had set up for them. Medusa sat next to her, mixing up the tea for them. "...My spies tell me this is a fairly normal Kingdom…however, there is a race hidden in the poor villages that I've never seen before."
"Oh? Dwellers?"
"No. Have you heard of Hell Children?"
The corners of Medusa's mouth curved up, baring her teeth. "I have...But only in writings and medical texts. I can't believe this small kingdom has them!"
"What do you know about them?"
"They're Demons themselves, only they're born into their vessel. Absolutely amazing, actually. I would love to see one."
"I suppose it would be easy enough, they've literally infested those villages."
"Infested?" Her younger sister lifted an eyebrow, sipping at her tea. "Dear sister, I believe you found your project."
"Have I?"
"It sounds as though you're infested with Demons."
"They aren't the same thing, are they?"
"I don't know, if Demons are strong enough to overtake the mind of a normal human, imagine how easily a Hell Child would lose to their inner monsters. And there's basically an army growing up in your little villages."
Arachne had been wide awake that night, his sister's warning echoing in her mind when her husband had returned to their chambers, seemingly exhausted as he sat down on their bed. "What keeps you up, Wife?"
"I have discovered something in this kingdom I have never seen before, and I was curious about them."
"What have you found?" He removed his mask as he spoke, and she had felt a blush dust her face. She still seldom saw him without his mask, and she rather enjoyed his handsome face.
"Hell Children."
"Ah yes," He sighed, dropping back onto the sheets, yawn breaking his face. "Those strange little creatures."
She set her scrolls down, crawling over to him. "Do you not fear them?"
"Hm. No? I suppose I haven't given them much thought. Should I fear them?"
"I don't know. I suppose I don't understand their purpose, why the Demons would bother with human women at all. Unless…"
"Yes?" He smiled up at her, eyes expectant.
"What if the Demons mean to create an army, like the Dwellers once tried."
He was silent, thinking her words over while he moved to lay correctly on their bed. Arachne had been floored, surprised he had even expressed interest in her thoughts. She lay next to him, dutifully, having to actively practice being a good side was hard, she could only handle so much at once. "A Demon war would be ridiculously difficult to combat… And something I had yet to consider."
"Wouldn't even see it coming. We should take precautions against this." She had yet to even once mention them as a we before, and she was worried she had stepped over her bounds. Instead, he had thrown an arm around her waist, rolling on top of her.
"And what would you want to do about this?"
"Kill them all." She had barely whispered the words and the King tilted his head, eyes on hers. He had looked at her, eyes narrowed as he read her face.
"Do you think that's best?"
"Yes."
He had trusted her then, whispering for her to write a law, and he would make it so. She never thought she would live in a world where her word would be law. He had shown her what it meant to be a ruler. She has been trusted by him, he had been her husband.
That law she wrote was to save his God Forsaken kingdom, the law she wrote at his prompting, which she penned the night she became pregnant with their first son. That damn law was the one he decided to spit upon. He took a damn Hell Child into his arms, his heart, and their damned bed.
And she was supposed to forgive him?!
How could she possibly forgive him. King be damned, Arachne was not a boastful woman, but she was prideful. Women had to fight hard in that world to be be respected. And that damn, Demon Whore had so easily undone all of her planning.
How could she forgive that?
She sat alone in her garden, silently sipping on her morning tea. The sun crested over the horizon, a warm gold casting over the Kingdom she herself would soon rule. Between the death of her husband, and the interim while her eldest son prepared for his coronation, Arachne would have completely purged the Kingdom of all the damned mistakes her husband had made. She had once made it her dream to watch her husband's whore hang from her garden on Asura's birthday, however it seemed more fitting now to have her die the day her son took the throne.
Assuming her plan went well, that day would be happening sooner than later.
Her blood red lips spit into a smile and she realized she was content, relaxing into her chair. There absolutely was something to be said for being patient.
Wes' eyes cracked open slowly, her head wrapped in a fog.
For the first time in a long while, she couldn't remember what had happened the night before. Her body was sore, inside and out. Her eyes screwed shut at the dim candlelight, and she brought her hand to cover her eyes. In the darkness, her mind stopped screaming, and she took a deep breath. A vicious pang of dread shocked her senses, and she tried to sit up, only to find herself mostly contained.
Damn it all. She was still strapped to that bloodstained table the witch did her experiments on. Wes brought her hand to her stomach, relief flooding her veins when she felt the bump of her child on her palm. Despite herself, she smiled. Though her mind couldn't supply how she had managed to save her child, she was content that she had managed to do so. A quick test proved her legs were still chained, the cold iron resting on her ankles. Her left hand was still bound as well, the joint in her shoulder burned. Yet her right hand was free, resting on her belly. When she brought her hand back up to rest by her shoulder, there was a flash of black.
The center of her palm looked as though it had been cracked, and pitch blackness filled the wound. Slowly, she moved her wrist, finding the same kind of injury on the back of her hand as well. How had Medusa gotten Demon Blood!? She didn't have a single memory of being able to break any chains, just Medusa taunting her as she had lay helpless. Wes took a deep breath, trying to clear the confusion in her head. Beneath her hand, there was another cut on her arm, scabbed over in red.
Clarity hit her hard, and a bitter laugh snuck through her teeth. Apparently, Medusa had scratched at the wrong nerve. Her Demon must've taken over when she got mad enough. Shit, she really didn't have the energy to deal with that bitch right now. There was more than enough trouble she was in without that creature popping up whenever she felt like it. "You could've at least freed us." She sighed into the quiet of the workshop. The answer she didn't expect never came, and she fell back onto the table again.
She was getting tired of this game, as she was certain Medusa was as well. The longer she stayed in these chains, the higher the chance of her death at the Witch's hands. Wes tried to sit up, but the iron held her back down. Her chance of freedom was diminishing quite a bit, the King was dying, her brother was missing, and she was more than likely going to be carved up for Medusa's pleasure. She couldn't escape, and she would have to leave her trust up to the fates.
"Hmm. We both know mommy isn't going to do that, don't we?" She spoke quietly to her belly, smile on her face. "The fates are foolish fickle bitches who don't know who they've messed with, right little love?"
The bump that pushed back against her palm made her eyes well up for a moment, and she swallowed the emotion. "You're absolutely right, this isn't close to being over, and if we could chase away the witch once, we will be able to do it again."
Wes wasn't one for depending on Hell, it never really turned out well, but these were special times. Wherever Soul was, she was sure he had felt the Demon push. This was war now, the witch was going to pay for what she had done.
Medusa would die in a puddle of black blood if Wes had any say in her future.
At the center of the Forest, the trees loomed taller than castles, and flowers grew in bundles the size of shrubs.
It was beautiful, Maka couldn't stop staring as she walked, eyes desperate to take in every sight she could find. Flowers grew in a spectrum of colors, soft blues and bright reds fairer than roses. She knew she was supposed to be keeping her guard up, but there was so much happening around her! She had never felt more at peace before.
Soul was watching the flowers too, eyebrows knitted as he studied them. "They seem familiar."
Kid looked back at them, his foot tripping over a root as he did so. Before he was even able to right himself, the four of them were surrounded by a circle of fire. Swords were drawn quickly, but no enemy showed themselves. "Soul-"
"Can't see anything."
"I am truly done with these damned woods." Blake sighed, taking formation behind Maka. Soul started to shout something, but a figure dropped in front of them before he could even finish his sentence.
They were tall, face hidden in a golden helmet. Adorned in white armor, the figure stared them down, the darkness between the slats resting on each of their faces. In the center of the breastplate, there was a crack, as though something had been stabbed through them. Their very presence caused Maka to break out in goosebumps, and she swallowed hard, grip on her sword much tighter.
Soul began to draw an arrow, and the figure held out their hand. Fire manifested in their fingers, forming a sword and they held it in front of them. "Demon, you will yield."
Soul's arms grew tense, teeth gnashed together as he fought this command. Blake and Maka stared in awe as their archer was suddenly frozen. He snarled, getting some movement back in his arms. The figure focused on him. "Demon you will kneel."
Soul dropped to his knees in front of them, hands dropping his weapon and head bowed. Maka could still see how he shook, trying to free himself. The figure walked towards him, and Maka found herself in front of Soul. "Stop."
"Who are you to command me. Move, child."
"No."
Blake and Kid joined her at either side, swords positioned in front of them. They faced this creature as one, though Maka could feel the fear rolling off of them. "Do you wish me to kill you all?"
"We would rather you kill none." Blake answered, shrugging. They didn't seem to find his answer amusing, and they raised their swords. None of them winced, ready to face death with their eyes on this creature.
When the sword was close enough, Blake held his blade flat, flames licking around it as he parried the blow. Maka rolled out from them, one of Soul's arrows in her and. She drew her hand back, aimed for the crack in the armor while Kid's blade aimed for the hands that held the store.
The figure's sword was suddenly gone, their hand on the side of Blake's head. They drove Blake to the ground, ducking as they did so. The Prince's blade missed them by an inch, and their hand shot out, grabbing Maka by the wrist and throwing her into Kid.
He tried to keep them upright, but once Maka connected, they went rolling back into the shrub of flowers. Gold powder showered down on them, and Maka could feel her head start swimming.
Blake was back on his feet, rooted in his stance with his sword in hand. His face was stone as he faced off with the stranger. Neither spoke, but suddenly blade was clashing with fire, sparks flying at an alarming rate. Soul was still frozen on his knees, but he caught Maka's eye. He gestured to his bow with his eyes.
She dove back over to him, trying to avoid Blake's battle. Kid had regained himself as well, grabbing his own sword. "Kid! Wait!" She carefully pulled the bow from Soul's fingers and used a particularly loud cry from Blake to cover her return back to the Prince. She shoved the bow at him, drawing her own sword.
"What am I supposed to do with this!?"
"One in three, right?" Maka paused a second, inhaling before she dove between the Figure and Blake, surprising both of them into pausing for a moment. Kid had the single arrow nocked, ready to release the string-
"Wait!" Another voice joined them in the circle, and the Maka nearly feel to her knees in relief. This voice belonged to a woman, her body covered in vines and flowers. Her hair was the color of sunrise, a soft pink sheared short. Her eyes were green as the needles on the trees, but harder than stone. "Please wait."
The figure's swords disappeared, but the rest of them held tight to their weapons as the enemy stepped back. They removed their helmet, a waterfall of black hair falling down their back. A woman stared down at them, eyes blacker than night. She regarded them once, then turned back to the other woman. "Why have I stopped?"
The other woman bounded over to them, pushing through formation. Kneeling down in front of Soul, she tilted his head up. His eyes were narrowed as she did so, lips still drawn up into a snarl. The woman smiled at him, pushing his hair out of his face. "Are you...Are you Celeste's son?"
His rage dropped in surprise, and he nodded. "A-aye."
The woman sighed, though her smile stayed. "I always knew that crazy old bat was going to bed that Demon. Warned her a thousand times but she never listened to me once. Worst pupil I ever had, but most talented witch I ever trained." She looked back over at the tall woman, a scolding look on her face. "And what would she have said if you had gone and killed her son."
"How should I have known it was Celeste's son?"
"See, this is your problem Jackie, you slice first and never get to ask questions." The woman helped Soul back to his feet, the rest of them staring in awe as this played out. Her eyes landed on each other theirs, though her gaze fell on Maka's longer. "After all, she shares your blood. You would've killed your sister."
Maka dropped her sword, eyes on Jackie. She was sure her jaw was on the ground as the words came to rest in her brain. Whatever she was, Jackie was one of them too. A million questions flooded to the front of her mind, but Kid beat her to speaking, his own tone incredulous. "Who... are you?"
The woman blinked at him a moment, then gestured around her. "I am The Forest."
The Tree they had been searching for had a hollow carved out in the base.
The bark was sturdy, and it had centuries of runes carved into its surface. Leaves cascaded down from the branches, but they never grew naked. Several different leaves grew from the trees, wide stars and skinny needles, all greener than anything Maka had ever seen before.
Inside, Jackie and the Forest had made their home. Maka and her party walked in a daze, everything had made sense hours ago, yet nothing remained the same now. Soul straggled behind them, eyes resting wearily on Jackie. None of them spoke, for fear of breaking this tentative peace around them. Once they had reached the Tree, the spirit of the Forest sat underneath, gesturing for them to do the same.
They did as commanded, and they all sat in silence while Jackie removed her armor. Once she was dressed in a simple smock with leggings underneath it. She sat down as well, when she moved forward to readjust, Maka caught a glimpse of a branding on her breast. "You must have many questions." The Forest Spirit was looking at her, and she tried to speak.
"Kim, let the girl have a moment." Jackie was staring at her as well, eyes narrowed as she took her in. "I will say, it's been a few decades since I've seen another Saint."
Soul sucked in a breath, and Maka forgot to release hers. "Saint?"
Jackie nodded, crossing her legs. "Back before humans had even inhabited this world, there were us. We are not of this world, and we had found this land near the same time the Demons did. We fought them back, long before there were even creatures to pen our history, we had taken this world, and driven the Demons to Hell."
Soul's eyes were dark as she spoke, and Maka swallowed hard. "Why?"
"Why? Because Demons are driven by nothing other than chaos. They enjoy destroying things just to see what comes from it. They're content to burn the world for no other reason than to see how long the flame will last. They have no purpose on this world, and this land has only thrived since they were banished."
"...How were you able to do so?" Blake asked, rubbing his head from where Jackie had thrown him to the ground. "Demons are stronger than most witches."
"Saints are not your normal magic users, we are drawn by certain forces. There are several bloodlines under this species, each giving way to a specific emotion or vocation. There were thousands of us once, a group of people lead by lawful pursuits." Her eyes fell on Maka. "You are drawn by these same forces, even if you had never known so. Show me your brand." Her voice was commanding, and Maka swallowed hard, tugging her shirt down enough that she could see it. Jackie raised her eyebrows, and the woman called Kim looked over her shoulder.
"First Gods."
"Mercy." Jackie spoke, voice softening slightly. "You bleed Mercy."
"...What does that mean?" Maka asked, and Kim sat down next to her.
"It's one of the smaller clans if I remember correctly. They were all willing to forgive near anything, but even the Merciful have a line that is unwise to cross, and there is an fine line between mercy and wrath."
"...There is a darker side to every virtue." Jackie nodded, hand coming to rest on her own brand. "Yet they tried to govern the world into a better age, free of Demons. When the Humans rose up, there was hope that those who could master magic would be able to connect with those who could not. But we were wrong."
"Humans can't be trusted not to slaughter what could save them." Kim spoke, cheerful smile on her face. "And instead of benefiting, they banished the magic from their realm, as though it belonged to them."
"And they came to you?" Maka asked, head spinning with this new information. Kim nodded, a fond smile on her face.
"I don't know if I knew your mother specifically, but I have interacted with your bloodline since the beginning. When the Humans pushed the Magic users into my leaves, Mercy came to me then. There were maybe four Saints, one of them your clan, and they all spoke to me. They offered to give me power if I would use it to protect those who had lost everything."
"Saints made the Forest." Kid whispered, face paler than usual. Kim waved her finger at him, frown on her face.
"No no, I have been here for centuries. I've watched little kingdoms rise and fall, and I've seen what this world has become. The saints gave me rule, they didn't give me life. They asked me to shelter and I gave shelter, they asked me to feed and I gave food. They asked me to protect and I gave protection. The Saints are not my creators, they are my first Dwellers. They wished for their kin to live and grow, without fear of Humans." Kim's smile soured a little. "So, how did you little humans sneak into my home?"
"Mercy." Jackie answered, gesturing at Maka. "She lead them with her gut, and her gut saved them from slaughter."
"Hmm." Kim hummed, looking at Maka. "She has Forest's eyes, I can't deny that. But you're just a half blood aren't you? What could you do with only a little Saint's blood in you?"
"Apparently enough." Maka answered, breaking eye contact with Kim. The Forest Spirit made a noise in her throat, and turned back to Jackie. Maka glanced up at her apparent kin, suddenly very shy. "Where...Where are the rest of them."
Jackie looked down, frown deepening on her face. "As Demons answer to Hell, we also have masters. I turned against them, and I am a blackened sort. I was dropped from Sainthood."
"How?"
"For me." Kim smiled, looking at her. "When the blood of the fallen Magic Users woke me from my sleep, the Saints asked me to protect. When the Humans entered in after them, I slaughtered them all. This apparently wasn't what the Saints had wanted from me, and they were going to remove my sentience. Jackie wouldn't let them."
"My clan is of Love." Jackie whispered, eyes closed as she spoke. "The Clans of Law, Mercy, and Order weren't pleased with me. Love though, Love understood. Instead of executing me, they excommunicated me. But, there was kindness in their choice. As there was kindness in the Forest. Slaughter was unforgivable, but she loves her Dwellers. She is their home. She wasn't going to let them be hurt anymore."
Blake and Kid sat astonished, their lore of old had been rewritten entirely. Soul sat stoic faced, arms crossed over his chest. "So you live because you happened to kill the right people." He muttered, and Maka had to severely repress the urge to punch him in the face.
Jackie's eyes narrowed on his, scowl on her face. "Silence." The enraged look on Soul's face told her he had been compelled to do exactly that, and there was murder in his eyes. "I know our war is long over, but it was hard fought and I lost many people to you damned Demons. I have not forgotten, nor forgiven a single drop of your blacked blood."
Soul's snarl spoke for him, and Kid cleared his throat. "If I may-"
Kim tilted her head to look at him, a hum in her throat. "You've got Deadman's blood in your veins don't you? You're one of the royalty?"
"...Yes. That's right."
"I can't believe you made it in this far. And what for? I suppose I haven't asked. Why are you here?"
They all looked at Kid, and he swallowed hard. The weight of this long journey had suddenly been compacted into his next few words, and he realized how tired they all were. "For knowledge. For understanding. We came this far because we think there might be a healing rune carved into this tree, and we wanted to trade it for one of ours."
"What rune could you possible have that I don't already?"
"Peace. I've come to offer peace. A Treaty, carved into a rune, that is also carved into the walls of the castle. My father, the King and my mother, the Queen, recognize a mistake after so many years. We lost precious knowledge when the Dwellers were pushed back, and we want to begin to remedy that. We want to see if it can't be repaired."
Kim looked unconvinced, and Jackie looked as though she might start laughing. Maka couldn't blame them, the Kingdom had pushed them back and hadn't attempted to cross their lands in many years, despite the Forest targeting them or not. She couldn't believe that this was something Arachne would want, though, with the King being so ill, perhaps she would offer peace in exchange for a healing Rune. "Well, Little Saint, what do you think? Your heart bleeds mercy, what do his words tell you?"
"He has given me no reason to distrust him thus far, and he had put his life in danger as many times as I have for this mission. I don't see why he would lie." Maka answered honestly, and Kid smiled at her, relief sagging his shoulders. Kim tapped her chin a few times, then sighed.
"I'll think it over, I'm assuming you're in no rush."
"None." Kid answered, clearly afraid to push his luck. Kim nodded, standing up.
"Then I'll give myself some time to consider your offer. You're welcome to sleep here, but do be warned, Jackie won't be as easy to stop next time you wish to be foolish, and I'm even worse than her." Her threat hung over their heads as she turned back towards the Tree. "Goodnight little fools!"
There was no need to build a fire.
Thousands of little fire bugs flew around the center of the Forest, providing enough light to see, but not nearly enough to prevent sleep. Blake lay in the center of the clearing, eyes watching the stars that were finally visible to them again. Kid wasn't too far away, cleaning his blade with meticulous movements, shoulders sagged with exhaustion or relief, Maka wasn't sure.
She plopped herself down next to Soul, who was keeping himself busy fixing a few of his arrows. "Well, did you enjoy the history lesson?"
"Couldn't have hated it more." He answered, eyeing her. She shrugged, looking up at the stars as he worked.
"Do you hate me now?"
"What?" He snorted, hands winding around his arrow. "Hardly."
"Oh. Good. Are you scared of me now?"
"Now, she says. Dweller you were terrifying enough when I thought you were Fae, being some magical fucking Saint doesn't change that at all." He was quiet for a second, then he looked over at her. "Though if you start commanding me around like that I'll change my mind."
"Awh, that's the best part of all this though!"
Soul scoffed, shoving her as he did so. She shoved him back, but he moved his arm, so she fell into his side at the last moment. "You're too easy to catch."
"I let you!" She spat, getting comfortable against him. They were quiet for a few moments, she watched Soul's fingers working on his arrows, the methodical way he would tie the string around the arrowheads.
"Yanno. It makes sense, what you are."
"Really? I still think I'm more Fae than Saint. I mean, they seem all powerful."
"Aye but, I have never met a more merciful person than you." She snorted and he shook his head. "But I'm serious. You could've left me for dead when I was stuck with arrows and no one would have blamed you. You could've left Blake to the sirens and we would've followed you. You treat your enemies with respect and you would rather talk than fight."
"I told you before, it's my sword or my wit. Wit has a better success rate."
"...I suppose I can't argue that." He had one of his small smiles on his face, putting his finished arrows away. Maka watched him for a few moments, looking back up at the stars.
"I'm starting to think survival is becoming more likely than death at this point."
"I'm hesitant to agree, but aye."
"I wonder if the Queen will actually give us what she's promised."
Soul frowned, closing his eyes while he thought about it. Maka was sure that a small estate really wouldn't put the Queen out too much, and she may yet get what she wanted out of this journey.
It seemed far less likely that she would release the King's Mistress. But, if he was healed and everything was back to normal, why would she keep her there? It seemed more likely that she would want her as far away from the castle as possible. Soul kept quiet, chewing on his lip.
"Well, what about this rune? You think Arachne wants peace?"
"Ha! The only thing she hates more than Hell Children are Dwellers. I think she sent her son to lie for her so she can save her King. I doubt she will follow through on any sort of peace. Not in this lifetime." Soul's voice was low, so only Maka could hear him.
She was more than inclined to agree. There was every damned hope in her heart that it was true, though. If the Queen could fix this wound, their Kingdom could become so much more than it was now. They could learn centuries of knowledge from Kim alone, and if they had access to what the Fae knew? The Elves? Even the Sirens! All of them had priceless knowledge. "Is it ignorant to hope you're wrong?"
"Nah," Soul answered, finally gazing up at the sky. "But it would require even an ounce of humanity for Arachne to do this. I don't think she has it in her."
"Maybe she just needs someone to show her some kindness?"
"What? Like a hug?"
"If that's what it takes." Maka wagged her finger. "I don't trust her, I don't trust her Kingdom. But I want to be wrong. I want to be wrong more than I've ever wanted anything else."
"...Aye. Me too."
"So we'll go back, alive, and hope to whichever God will listen to us that we are wrong."
"It's as good a plan as any." Soul agreed, smile on his face. "But if we're right?"
"Sometimes Mercy isn't enough."
Kid's hands shook as he cleaned his blade.
His head had been spinning since Kim had explained her history to them. It was so strange, so completely different than he had been taught. From an early age, the children in the kingdom, rich and poor were taught the Dwellers had tried to take the Kingdom.
Hells, one of the most popular game children played was miming this battle, keeping Dwellers out of the base. Tutors had gone over this battle with him for several years, drilling the history of the Kingdom into his skull.
Could it be possible that they had all been wrong? History was written, and believed. That was the whole point of the pale scribes, hidden away in the castle, preserving history. That was their job, to ensure what had come to pass has been written out. The future was entitled to the past, and it was their job to make it so.
But Kim had been there, the Forest had watched everything come to pass. She had no reason to lie to him, truthfully, she had no reason to humor him at all. His bloodline was remembered by her, but insignificant in the larger picture. The Forest had long since chosen to ignore humanity in favor of her Dwellers, and he couldn't justify her lying to him for no other reason than to make him feel bad.
"You're going to be a wrinkled old man by the time you're thirty if you keep up with the faces." Blake spoke from where he was watching the stars, voice calm.
"You didn't even look."
"I can hear your worry." Blake looked at him upside down, grin across his face. "It's ruining my calm."
"Well, wouldn't want you stressed out."
"No, we wouldn't, actually. I'm much more enjoyable when I'm not absolutely frothing at the mouth with stress."
"...I don't like what you're implying."
"...Was the history lesson a little much for you?" Blake rolled onto his side, holding his head in his hand.
"It is vastly different from what I was taught."
"Well, no shit it is. You're being a dense bastard again."
Kid drew his mouth into a scowl, returning his blade to his scabbard. "Am I?'
"History isn't to be trusted, and books are about as useful as a fine robes on a dead man." Blake scoffed, blowing away a few Fire Bugs as he did so.
"...How do you figure?"
"History is written by the victors. The Kingdom teaches that the Magic Users were terrible and plotted to overtake them, and we all believe it. But there's only writing to prove that right? And that comes from scribes, and scribes work for the King. So...The King writes history to be so."
Kid was silent, the painful truth of the servant boys words settling into his bones. There was no truth in the words he read, and spoken histories had more than likely been changed as well. Bards sent out with new songs to sing, changing the lore as they went. "...How did you come across this truth?"
Blake scratched at his face, rolling into his back once more. "Because it's written that my clan is slaughtering nightmares. Humans one tier above demons, who will yield nothing of worth from their ranks. And that was written by the King. I know of my clan, and I know this not to be true. So one of us is lying, and it's probably not the dead."
The Prince weighed those words heavy in his chest. There had to be a way to verify everything he had learned, either to prove it true, or prove it false. "...How do I find out the truth."
"...Huh. Guess we'll have to figure that out." Blake had a smile on his face, eyes closed as he took a deep breath. Kid's stomach fluttered at his words and he tried to keep his composure. He didn't particularly enjoy how Blake could make him feel like a damn child, excited for snow at a moment's notice.
He didn't particularly hate it either.
Blake woke to rhythmic clapping and an annoyingly chipper voice.
"Come now, little fools! Up up up!" The Spirit of the Forest was flitting around them as they slept, wide smile on her face. Her terrifying guard dog of a Saint stood a few yards away, face disinterested in her master's proceedings.
Soul and Maka pulled themselves up, rubbing sleep from their eyes. The Hell Child made a face at the mess her braid was in, but said nothing. Kid was already awake, mouth set in a grim line as the Kim walked up to him. "Good morning."
"And to you."
"Why are you so tense?"
Blake tried not to laugh, but he was pretty sure this was the most terrified he had ever been in his life. Kid had to agree, but he simply exhaled. "It has been a long trip, and I'm still coming to terms with the fact that we made it here."
"Well, after the first few days, I may have gotten curious. The Sirens didn't stop you, the snow didn't, you did kill a few of my Elves, and I'm not entirely happy about that, but you kept going.
"Marie didn't stop you either. Which means she sees something in you, little fool. There is something about you that made her trust you, and her trust is hard won. So, there must be something to you that I just can't see yet." Kid was silent while she spoke, and she tilted her head. "Why do you want this rune?"
"...My father is dying. And I believe it's the only thing that will save him."
"So, you came all this way, fought all my men, traversed though all my traps, with sheer dumb luck of just having the right Dweller with you, to save the man whose bloodline created this very Forest?"
"Well when you put it like that it sounds foolish." He shrugged, helpless look on his face. Kim's lips quirked into a smile, and gestured out to the trees.
"I am no easy trial, but I am also not the worst. Are you sure you want to open your arms to us? You chased us away once, I promise you won't be able to do it again."
Kid stood taller, trying to channel the ruler in him. "I was given a task, it was to bring peace here, and bring life back to my father. We don't want to lose him, and that means we come to you for help. I know we have to right, and we did this all to ourselves. I know we have done nothing to remedy the wrong we have created, but I'm here to ask for your help anyways."
Kim was silent as she took him in, eyes narrowed, and rather intimidating as she did so. "Hm. What rune offers peace?"
Kid tugged his sleeve up, showing her an inking of a rune. Blake had to do a double take, Soul and Maka looking just as confused. They hadn't known he carried that with him, and Blake had seen him shirtless. Had he simply missed the mark? It wasn't exceptionally big, and he did have other things on his mind at the time. But the mark still made him uneasy. "The mages in the castle created this. I hope it's satisfactory."
The Spirit of the Forest grabbed his arm, eyes traveling over it's shape. "First Gods," she whispered, running her finger over it. "It's old, older than me. Not by much, but…" She looked over to Jackie, eyebrows knitted. "What say you, love?"
"...Fighting is hard. Peace may be a nice change."
Kim turned back to Kid, eyes softer this time. "I'm inclined to agree. Come, there is ceremony to this. I'm choosing to trust you, my little fool, and you're going to trust me back."
"Yes ma'am." Kid shot a look over at Blake, a smile breaking over his face. The Star Clan Survivor shot him a wink as he followed the Forest Spirit back to her hollow. A strange peace settled over Blake, one that he wasn't sure he could name. He was grateful, he supposed, that he wasn't going to die in the Forest after all. Grateful that he wasn't going to be a slave much longer, and especially grateful that they all still breathed.
Soul came and sat next to him, a deep exhale joining him. "I can't really believe this happened."
"I know." Blake agreed, scratching the back of his head. "This is….this is better than I could've hoped for."
He and Soul watched Maka approach Jackie, gaze shy as she looked at the ground. "Oi. What's she up to?"
"She's asking Jackie for help." Soul answered, popping his knuckles as he did so. "That woman can conjure fire into a sword. Little Light thinks she's entitled to something equally as impressive."
"She wants a teacher."
"Aye." Soul nodded, watching Maka talk to Jackie.
"That would mean she'd have to come back to the Forest. Jackie won't leave the Spirit alone."
"Aye." Soul's voice was a little softer now, a small of a smile on his face. "But I think she'll come back when she's done."
"Oh?" Blake nudged him, wicked grin on his face. "Back to some devilishly handsome Hell Child then?"
Soul's glare was so sharp, Blake could swear he could feel it cutting into his skin.
It was nearly three hours before Kid returned.
He was pale, and looked weak as he walked back to them. Maka opened her mouth, but he waved her off, weak grin on his face. "I'm alright, truly, just...Very unfamiliar with magic." His arm where his rune had been was bandaged by a thin leaf, and his other arm had a new one on it, red and raw.
Maka frowned, staring at the new one. "Why didn't you tell us about your rune?"
"My mother asked me to bring it as a peace offering. It's the oldest rune we have, she hoped it would be enough to appease the Tree...Though I didn't really expect the Tree to be alive...And take so much joy in carving into me."
"You should've expected as much." Blake spoke from where he was sprawled out in the sun. Soul rested against a tree, hood covering his face as he slept.
"I had no idea what to expect, though...It all very much lived up to expectations." Kid smiled a little and Maka scoffed, appeased herself with his answer.
"So what now?"
"I suppose, we walk back."
"Oh every Hell," Blake swore, sitting up. "We have to walk back through this gauntlet of man eating Elves and Fae Ale and those thrice damned nypmhs!?"
"How else did you expect us to get back?"
"..." Blake was silent a moment, then looked up. "Truly never thought we would get this far."
"Perhaps," Kim smiled as she joined them, flicking Kid's blood off her fingers as she did so. "If you asked me nicely, I may be able to assist you."
"You're spoiling them now." Jackie tutted, walking back over to stand with them. "Although I suppose they are running out of time."
"Not to sway you in any decision, but supplies are getting low too." Blake ordered, smiling at the two guardians of the Forest. Kim rolled her eyes, but she did press her palms together.
"Fine, you bunch of bellyachers. I'll get you as far as the river, but after that, it's your own responsibility if you live or die."
"Thank you, for all your kindness." Kid bowed to her, gentle smile on his face. Kim did give them all a smile then.
"Well, you weren't the worst you could've been. Tell your mother hello from me, won't you?"
Soul nodded, small grin on his face. "Aye, I will tell her."
"And tell your father we still think she could do better."
"...If you insist."
Kim nodded, turning to Maka. "And we will see you soon, won't we?"
"Aye. You will."
"Then begone, little fools. Despite myself, I have enjoyed your company!"
They landed in a pile of limbs and swears.
Blake was on all fours, dry heaving as the world righted itself again. Kid was lying flat on his back, paler than usual. Maka found herself crushed underneath Soul, who sounded incredibly annoyed that his arrows were strewn everywhere.
"Fucking Gods of Land and Sea, I hate magic." Blake spat into the grass, looking up at the rest of them. Maka tried to wiggle out from underneath Soul, her legs stuck under him.
"That's my side you damned oaf!"
"Bite me, Saint." Soul scoffed, pulling himself up. Kid sat up slowly, looking a little green himself.
"I don't think I enjoy it either, but it's still preferable to walking back." He spoke shakily. They couldn't really argue with him, and it had been kind of Kim to even offer to send them back at all.
They all righted themselves, helping Soul collect his arrows. There was an excitement bubbling underneath them, they could see the edge of the tree line from where they stood. No one spoke, the realization settling on their shoulders as they stared at the light outside of the Forest. "Fucking Hells," Blake blinked, massive grin spreading across his face. "Did we just survive this?"
His words broke the spell, and the emotion broke through the barrier. There were yelps and shouts of joy, cheers and praises to Gods long since ignored. Blake grabbed Maka's hand, swinging her around in a dance, and releasing her right into Soul.
He pressed a kiss against her mouth, smile followed immediately after. "Thank you." His whispered to her in the commotion, and Maka felt her face turn red.
"It was honestly my pleasure."
Blake threw his arm around Kid's shoulder, pressing a kiss against his head. While Kid turned bright red, Blake caught Maka and Soul in his arms as well, a kiss pressed to each other their heads as well. "I can't believe it, but the scum of this kingdom did it."
"Come on then, let's get back to the castle." Kid smiled, gesturing towards the light. The party walked cheerfully, Blake still hollering about how strong they were and how he was absolutely shocked they weren't dead. Maka's face felt as though it would split, she was smiling so hard.
She felt whole, and understood herself better than she ever had. It seemed foolish now, that she had spent so much time putting distance between herself and The Forest when it was truly the only entity that would've been able to help her find what was missing. In more ways than one, she smiled as she slipped her hand into Soul's.
Joy appeared to to be contagious, as even Soul wasn't immune to a smile as they reached the edge of the trees. The sun was bright as they took their step over the boundary, back into the safety of the light. There was still more journey ahead, but there was a hope inside her chest that she would be hard pressed to ignore, and it seemed as though all was well.
Kid was the first to come to a dead stop, Blake and Maka crashing into each other behind him. Before she could even speak, her eyes fell on the man before them. He was tall, taller even than Soul, a hard frame accompanied his height. Dark eyes met theirs from the short distance away he stood. He clapped slowly, a terrible sneer on his face.
"Well," He spoke, and Kid swallowed hard, visibly trembling. "You made great time Little Brother."
Thank you for reading! I know it was a long one! Please feel free to review! :)