At Slug-Burger.
Simone and her coworkers walked out into the sunset after finishing work for the day. "Good work everyone." Mr Spoony praised before he handed everyone their pay. "Remember Noel, you and me are in tomorrow."
"Got it. See you later dudes." Noel waved goodbye as he left. Scarriet soon left as well, followed by Mr Spoony.
Simone watched as Prohyas flew over the tree line towards her. He landed the Golden Broomstick Magisword in front of her. "Hey Squirt." Prohyas greeted with a smile.
"Don't call me that." Simone responded in a surprisingly calm tone as she walked over and hopped on the magisword behind him. She had been more relaxed with her nickname recently. She had tried giving Prohyas a annoying nickname of his own. But he seemed happy with whatever she gave him. Neddy managed to do it without even trying, so why was she having such difficulty? Why was he happy with whatever she called him? And Simone wasn't as bothered when it was Prohyas calling her Squirt compared to anyone else.
"It sure is pretty up here." Prohyas comments. They could see the whole of Rhyboflaven as the sun covered the land with a faint orange tint.
"It always is." Simone responds with a smile. They soon slowed to a stop and just enjoyed the view.
"Where are you Vambre?" Prohyas muttered without realising it. Simone looked at him with concern. Prohyas was growing more and more distrait about his sisters' disappearance, and it was beginning to worry Simone. Every waking moment he wasn't occupied by someone or a mission, he spent running in circles trying to find Vambre. He had started skipping meals, depriving himself of sleep as well as other self-destructive habits. Prohyas did his best to hide this from those around him, but he couldn't hide it from Simone. When she brought it up, Prohyas would try and reassure her that he was fine, but Witchy didn't buy it for a second. Yesterday Simone dragged Prohyas out to the coast for the day. They went to the pier, played in the arcade, surfed with Phibby, and watched the sunset. Just like they are now.
"Prohyas." Simone called, breaking the silence. Prohyas looked at her. "We should get going." She mentioned.
"Oh, right." Prohyas muttered and they continued back to her apartment.
Soon, at Witchy Simone's apartment.
Prohyas landed the magisword outside the apartment complex. They both got off and Simone was handed her Magisword back, before they went up the stairs and into her apartment. Once inside they both sat on the couch while Simone continued to read her gift from Prohyas. She only had a third left. But Simone couldn't focus. She could practically feel the stress coming off Prohyas. Simone glanced at Prohyas and saw the stress on his face. She had tried, and tried to get him to open up about this and talk to her, but he wouldn't, and it was frustrating Simone. She needed a new approach, and Simone could only think of 2. She could either explode on him, but she doubted that would work. Or she could get personal.
Simone took a deep breath and placed her book down. "Prohyas, we need to talk." She announced in a serious tone.
Prohyas snapped back to reality and responded. "About what Witchy?" He asked, playing dumb.
"Cut it out Prohyas, you know what I'm talking about!" Simone shot back with a glare. She then closed her eyes and took another deep breath. Once she had steeled herself she grabbed Prohyas' hand. "Prohyas, please. Talk to me." She pleaded. Prohyas looked Simone and saw the concern in her eyes.
Omnibus appeared in the room in a poof of smoke. "Greets! Omnibus the-" Omnibus was cut off as Simone blasted him in the face with her magic. His entire head and hat was covered in soot.
"Will you ever learn to knock?" Prohyas asked with a irritated tone. Simone didn't look to pleased either.
"Probably not. But I have mission for you!" Omnibus responded. He then noticed the Prohyas and Simone were holding hands. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Maybe." Both Prohyas and Simone answered.
"Anyway I need to you to acquire a glow gecko from The Deepest Darkest Woods, they can only be seen during the night." Omnibus explained.
"But, it's always night in the Deepest Darkest Woods?" Prohyas answered with confusion.
"No, he means nighttime in the whole of Lyvsheria." Simone responded.
"Oh."
"Precisely. While they are invisible their entire life, they give a orange glow at night, that you can use to track them. Good luck." Omnibus elaborated before teleportating Prohyas and Simone into The Deepest Darkest Woods.
Prohyas tries to walk forward but fells a tug on his arm. It was only then Prohyas and Simone realised that they were still holding hands. They both blushed and gave a small chuckle before letting go of each other and looking away from one another.
Soon.
Prohyas and Simone were walking through the woods for any sign of the illusive lizard. When all of a sudden. "There!" Simone called out as she pointed at a orange glow in the top of a tree.
"Good eye Witchy!" Prohyas praised.
"Good." Gateaux repeated from behind them. They both turned around saw he was not alone.
"Can't believe I'm gonna say this, but,... I'd rather it was Morbidia." Prohyas shuddered. "That was weird."
"Well, she's got a serious cold, so I had to make do." Gateaux responded.
"You could have done better if people liked you." Simone remarked with her arms crossed.
"People like me! Lot's of people like me!" Gateaux argued.
"I'm right here!" Glori complained. "Besides,I might know something about Vambre's disappearance." She announced with a cocky grin.
"WHAT!?" Prohyas exploded, his eyes set ablaze and teeth turned razor sharp.
All four of Prohyas' Magiswords!
Glori's face immediately swapped to fear. "Oh no. AAAAHHHHHH!" She yelled with her arms in her air as she ran into the forest with Prohyas chasing her in a violent rage.
"Prohyas, wait!" Simone called out but Prohyas didn't respond. Simone and Gateaux watched in silence until they could no longer see their teammates. "Sooo, you wouldn't happen to be after that Glow Gecko would you?" Simone asks.
"Yep." Gateaux answers.
They both stair at each other for a moment, before the make a mad dash for the tree the glow was coming from. Simone leapt to a branch, but Gateaux blasted it with his magic; causing the branch to snap, and Simone to fall to the ground. "So that's how you want to play it?" She remarks. Simone uses her magic to catch Gateaux midair and threw him into a near by tree.
"Seriously? You're not even qualified to be a witch." Gateaux challenged as he summoned his magical aura.
"I learned enough to kick your butt." Simone remarked as she summoned her own magical aura. They both used both hand to create a magical beam and fired it at each other.
Meanwhile.
Prohyas was relentlessly hunting Glori, who barely manages to dodge the endless barrage from Prohyas' Magiswords. But Glori started smiling. She threw a potion onto the ground and a grass fist launched Prohyas into the air. Prohyas cried out as he lost his grip on his Magiswords and the force continued to lift him higher, and higher. Prohyas slowly began to stop, but he never fell. Prohyas opened his eyes and came face to face with Simone. She was holding him bridal style while standing on her Golden Broomstick Magiswords. "Witchy!? How!?" Prohyas questioned.
From below Gateaux picked himself of off the ground with a bruise on his left eye and fired a magical blast at Simone and Prohyas. The beam hit Simone in the knee and caused her to fall off of her Magisword. Simone tried to use her magic to stop their decent but it wasn't working. "Come on." Simone growled as she grew more and more fearful.
"Witchy." Prohyas called. Simone ignored him as she tried to focus despite her fear. Prohyas grabbed her hand and her in close enough to take the other, causing her to look him in the eye. "You've got this." There was a brief silence before Simone took a deep breath and focused. Her magical aura surrounded them. They began to slow, but there wasn't enough time to stop. Thinking fast Prohyas pulled close and held her tight.
THUMP
Simone rolled off of Prohyas and coughed a little. She had a few cuts and bruises on her arms, but other than that she was fine. She also noticed that they had made a crater. "Not our best landing, ay Prohyas?" Simone joked, but there was no response. "Prohyas?" She turned around and saw Prohyas was knocked out on his back, with spirals for eyes. "Prohyas!"
"I'll watch these two, you go get the gecko." Simone heard Gateaux order.
"Oh no you don't!" Witchy roared. Gateaux and Glori watched in awe as Simone floated out of the crater. "You have hurt my friend for the last time! Now you will pay for heinous crime!" Simone fired a pink beam at Gateaux and Glori. The beam morphed into a pink cage around them, before being hurdled into the air.
"Yikes, remind me not to get on your bad side." Prohyas joked as he climbed out of the crater. But Simone almost knocked him back in as she flew into him for a hug. Prohyas did his best to hug Simone back as she continued to float. As he did he noticed the injuries to her arms. "You okay?" he asked.
"I'll live. How about you?" Simone responded.
"My back hurts." Prohyas responded with a smile before sighing. "Can't believe I fell for that."
Simone stopped floating, but didn't let go of Prohyas. "I'm worried about Vambre too. I don't when, or if we'll see her again. But recently I've been more worried about you. You've been so distant lately, and I've already lost one of my best friends. I don't want to lose another." Simone's voice cracked on the last sentence and a tear ran down her face.
Prohyas let out a few tears of his own. "I can't help but feel like I could do better. I should have found her by now."
"You can't blame yourself. No one's seen Vambre in weeks." Simone reasoned.
"But I'm her brother. I saw her la-"
"Stop making excuses!" Simone interrupted. She pulled away but kept her hands on his shoulders. "You need to stop looking back. There's nothing we cando."
Prohyas sighed, before smiling at Simone. "You're the best friend anyone could ask for." He complemented.
"Aw, shucks."
Later.
Prohyas and Simone entered Witchy's apartment and found a letter on the floor.
To Prohyas Worrier and Witchy Simone. The envelop read. Prohyas picked up the envelop and both he and Simone read it. Dear Prohyas Worrier and Witchy Simone. There has not been a story like yours anywhere else, as such we would like to offer you a chance to appear on the front cover Mercenaries Monthly. By Mercenaries Monthly. Prohyas and Simone looked at eachother in awe before cheering and jumping and hugging in celebration.