Through Thick and Thin

After Terra and Silver finally earned Cascius's complete trust, the three never went anywhere without each other. It wasn't as easy as many would think it is to earn an abused child's trust. They started with telling Cascius that they wouldn't ever leave him willingly. Every day they told him that. They took care of Cascius. Actually, it was more Silver taking care of him than her brother doing the work. She knew the human body better. She knew how to care for others' wellbeing better than her brother. That much wasn't easy either. Cascius, for weeks, kept checking his food for poison or rotten food. Always watched whichever sibling was cooking the meal at the time. He always waited for them to eat first and get through half of their meal before he even took a small bite. They didn't blame him for his caution. They even taught him how to cook as well. When it was Cascius's turn, they didn't hesitate to start eating after all three were served. It began to break his walls down with all the effort they were putting into him. He saw how much they trusted him when they ate the meals he cooked without complaint or hesitations.

They trust him.

Silver had taken it a step further. She complimented him on his skin, or his ears, or his horns. Anything that made him different she reminded him every day that he is accepted. Silver would gush over his horns and say that she wished she had some so that they could match. It warmed Cascius's guarded heart that she wasn't scared of him. He was glad that she didn't hate him.

When people came by to look for him, the siblings always hid him and convinced the hunters that they hadn't seen or heard of him. Even when they were threatened with their sibling's life, they didn't give him up.

He did start to notice things about the siblings though. Strange happenings. When there was a bad storm and the wood they had was sopping wet, Silver had miraculously lit the campfire. One time when they all went on a hunting trip that took them two weeks and came back to a dusty and dirty warehouse, all Terra did was sneeze and a powerful gust of wind blew all the dirt and dust out the front door.

Cascius loved being around the Scarlet siblings. There was just something special about them. Not in the way that he was, but the way they acted. As if they were older than they were. Silver, however, just seemed...warmer. Like her very soul could wrap you in a warm hug and chase away everything bad. That's actually how her hugs felt like. Every time he had a nightmare, she was right there gently hugging him in such a way that didn't make him feel trapped. A way that made him feel safe and comforted. She'd always whisper to him, "You are allowed to scream; you are allowed to cry, but you are not allowed to give up."

He never knew what to say to that.

It wasn't long until Terra had the wonderful idea to learn to fight and use the weapons that they had found. Silver was all for it, wanting to learn how to better protect those precious to her—even though it was only two people. Cascius didn't want to be left behind, and with his growing attachment to the siblings—he wanted to protect them too. They started with exercise and conditioning to build up strength and muscle to perform the feats that they aim to do.

There was a night that there came upon them a terrible storm. The three of them huddled close to the fire away from the pouring rain and thunder. They heard heavy footsteps approaching their hideout. A silhouette of a figure flashed into view occasionally due to the frequent flashes of lightning. When the figure got out of the pouring rain and fully into view, the person took off the hood covering their head to reveal a young male face. He was definitely a teenager. How old? The trio didn't know.

Cascius was immediately on edge and threw his guard up, warily watching. Silver placed her hand on his shoulder gently while keeping her analysing gaze on the newcomer. She didn't see any obvious weapons on his person. Terra showed no outward signs of any kind of reaction other than the quick movement of his eyes landing on the teenager.

It was an awkward stare down to say the least. A teenager being relentlessly stared down by a four year old girl, a six year old boy, and a seven year old boy.

The teenager opened his mouth and took a breath as if to say something; however, he closed his mouth only to open it up again. This time he actually said something. "My name is Mason." He paused for a moment then added, "I'm thirteen…"

"...Cool." All the boys stared incredulously at the only girl present; though, the teenager seemed to be a bit more relieved with her attempt at an icebreaker. He ended up becoming part of their group and Cascius learned to trust another person.

Things like that would happen. People with nowhere else to go or runaways from abusive homes would happen across this no-so-abandoned-warehouse and eventually become a part of this growing group of people. Though hilariously, it was the original three that were the leaders. Even though many others were older, it became an unspoken rule that the three—Terra, Cascius, and Silver—were the people running the place. They placed basic rules down.

We are all a family, so you treat everyone as such.

Whoever you were before doesn't matter. (Unless you are some psycho killer or something. There are some standards.)

Don't ask about what happened to anyone before they joined unless they want to tell you. It's their business to tell.

No stealing from each other.

Finders' keepers.

You earned it, it's yours.

Always tell the truth to the family.

Never betray the family.

These were just the basic ground rules. There was definitely more to come as more situations arose that would force the O3 (original three) to make more. Once someone got a hold of a chess board and everyone pitched in to gather all the pieces, there emerged a chess tournament. It was so funny having an audience and them fighting each other like American Football fans do to each other when the opposite team scores or their own team gets a foul.

This group began learning how to fight, how to efficiently use weapons, how to clean their own weapons and perform maintenance on them, ect. They formed specialized teams and began working together like well-oiled machines—a group that has the underground starting to talk.

They have certainly been making a name for themselves. Many call them "The Grey Knights" because they don't have a care for what is considered "light" or "dark". If there is a person that keeps hurting and killing people, even after they've already served time or have been punished, the O3 will send someone or a team, maybe even themselves, and end the problem once and for all. No more will that person or group wreak havoc on innocents. That is something they will not stand for.

After they heard of the rumors and what the Underground has been calling them, Silver thought it was a great idea to have grey knight chess pieces and use them as their calling. Cascius couldn't stop laughing when he heard it. The pout that he received from Silver was well worth it. Terra continued to give them both knowing looks that he would never explain to them. Whenever they cornered him, Terra would magically come up with some bullshit reason to not have that particular conversation and run away to another part of the warehouse to plan and strategize more missions for other teams.

Over time, there were more happanstances that couldn't be ignored anymore by others. The kind of happenings that caused heads to turn. Magical happenings. Most of it was accidental magic on some traumatized young child's part and some were just too obvious that any magical adults in the organization just couldn't explain it away anymore.

This brings us to the present time in which Terra, Cascius, and Silver all stood in front of the entirety of the Grey Knights.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Squad Captain Asvard exclaimed. He was terrified of the unknown, that is one of the reasons why he ended up in the organization. It was the unknown that brought him here. As in, an unknown threat that took away everything that he held dear and close to his heart. His home, his brother, hise wife, and his children. That threat is still out there today and the O3 are doing everything they can to find it. This threat hasn't taken only this man's everything away. Many of the Grey Knights have, in essence, the same backstory. There are some deviations from it—like the Scarlet Siblings for example—but those are far and few between.

"I don't know what is happening, Asvard, but we are trying to figure it out." Cascius, bless his soul, was trying to calm as many people as he could down. His hands were in the air in a placating motion. Silver and Terra were speaking to the other Squad Captains and Division Heads trying to gather more information. Yes, they did know what was going on. Yes, they did know it was magic; however, since they were so 'young' and they clearly weren't "purebloods" (They always laughed at the thought because essentially, they are) they had to play it off like they didn't know else that would raise questions that they could not answer. Not in the sense that they don't have answers—both knew exactly why they were there in the first place, including the how—but they just refused to open that bag of beans because if anyone found out, anyone with good enough legilimency skills would have the entire playout of what will happen in the next up and coming crucial years.

The Scarlet Siblings and the rest of the world couldnot afford that happening. It would literally mean the end of the world. No-nosed-snake-face and his band of idiots would take it too far and end up destroying nearly all of humanity. Still, the question remained. What were the siblings going to tell everyone? Just telling those not aware of the magical world could cause a major panic. That, or set of whatever was monitoring the Statute of Secrecy.

But Terra and Silver technically aren't part of the "wizarding society". Technically, they could theoretically get away with telling the non-magical portion of their organization. Given most of their members were magicals running from the war and/or left over Death Eaters that were still running around. Forget the fact that their master was "dead", some still operated.

(And hell if it didn't hurt Terra and Silver to know that they were too late to save the Potter's from their devastating fate and the Longbottom's from their toture. It hurt so, so bad.)

Well, looks like it didn't matter about worrying about people panicking. Already many were starting to get hysterical. Silver was just getting fed up with all of it and felt a rush of anger and irritation surge through her body. The building began to shake as if an earthquake had hit the region and grew stronger the more irritated Silver got from the increased panicking of her people.

(And no one could tell her they weren't hers. She helped take them all under her wing and would die in order to see everyone flourish and build their lives back up from the ground zero they started when they came to her, her brother, and her best friend.)

Silver's fists clenched by her sides as her head tilted down to stare at the floor. Her jaw locked so tightly together her teeth were creaking. She stomped over to a barrel, climbed on top of it, and stood perfectly balanced. Her sudden change in tactic drew Cascius's attention away from another squad captain that he was speaking to. He jogged over to Silver until he stood in front of the barrel she was standing on and grabbed her fisted hand in his red one without flinching.

Silver took a deep, calming breath at the grounding feeling of the hand holding her own. She glanced down at the hand and noticed how red it was. That beautiful shade of ruby skin radiating more heat than a normal human being does. She shifted her gaze to the face of her best friend and looked into his pearlescent lavender eyes.

"Breathe." Was all he said. All he needed to say. The rest was understood between them both.

'Breathe for the air upon which that will give you life. For the air that provides oxygen to your lungs and from which goes to your muscles. Muscles that help you stand tall unfailing like you have for so long. Oxygen that is provided to your brain to keep it functioning for your thoughts to be clear and plans to be made.'

She understood it all.

She smiled gently at Cascius and if the building stopped it's shaking, no one made mention of it. "Thank you, my dearest friend." He nodded, though Silver never saw the slightly longing look he gave her when she turned her face to the crowd and yelled.

"Will everyone CALM the FUCK down!?"

It's been three years since the siblings had found him. Since Silver found him. She remains as vulgarly passionate as she did the day he met her. Granted, she didn't cuss nearly as much as she does now, but he thinks that was the influence of Mason who grew out of his shell just like Cascius himself has. Mason has even become the Communications Division Head.

He tries to ignore that strange feeling that he knows will make everything he has worked so hard for fall apart.

(Bodies and blood and the smell, oh godthesmellandthesmilestheevilgrinsthatnevergoawayandlaughathismiseryhe—)

"Stop floundering around like imbeciles and act like the adults I know you are! So listen up!..."

He takes a shaky breath in. That won't happen. Not if he can help it.

"I know most of you are scared! Most of you have the right to be; however, we cannot pretend as if we have no way of figuring this all out! We have an investigation division for a reason! Even a research division!..."

He will protect with every fiber of his being.

"We will find out what is going on her!"

The building exploded. Debris and shrapnel flew through the air as many people hit the floor or was thrown to the floor from the explosion. Fire ate away at the walls and ceiling, engulfing the entirety of the warehouse that served as the base of operations for the Grey Knights. Bullets began to fly as a group of armed assailants stormed the building. They wore casual clothes but had the most tacky black ski masks hiding their faces from view.

Really idiots these day—

Another explosion goes off and people are sent soaring into walls and fallen debris, impaled on equipment, being impaled by flying pieces of wood and metal, heads smashed and blown off by shotgun bullets or concrete and cannonballs The back of Silver's head smashed against the hall she was thrown into by the blast wave and her vision swam as she slid to the ground with the edges of her vision going black and the center fading to white. She could feel her eyes begin to roll back before she started forcing her brain to focus back.

Half delirious Silver hears her brother shout. "Oh come on really?!" She almost wanted to laugh. Cascius didn't help with his input. "Stop blowin' our shit up!" When Silver finally got up from the floor she realized that they were blocked from the rest of their people, who were in the process of escaping, by a wall of flaming debris. Terra, Silver, and Cascius finally got a good look at each other now that it was only really them.

Terra wasfor the most partfine. A few bleeding scrapes here and there, some blood on the bandage that still covered where his missing eye is. He would be fine. He would be okay. Nothing some basic first aid won't fix.

Silver herself had scrapes and scratches from the flying debris. Not only that, but she could feel blood run from the back of her head to the nape of her neck. She can guarantee that she has a concussion. She felt a trickle of liquid slowly move down her leg and saw the large, deep gash across her thigh and hoped it didn't reach a major artery. Though, by the looks of it, she thinks she has a high possibility of bleeding out if something isn't done soon.

Grabbing a glowing rod of metal debris that was sitting in a fire by the cooler part of the rod, Silver ripped off her right pant leg until she could properly see her wound. It didn't look good, but she hoped and prayed that she wouldn't get an infection from this later. Gritting her teeth, she pressed the glowing metal rod to her open, bleeding wound to cauterize it shut. She felt her skin sizzle and boil under the heat while it sealed as she couldn't hold back her deep, heart-retching scream.

Terra's head snapped to his sister and his eyes widened at what he saw her doing. "Silver! What are you doing?!"

"Stah-stopping the blee- f-fucking bleeding!" She screeched back at him through the pain. After she was sure that her wound was sealed decently—it was definitely going to scar but she didn't care, she was aliveSilver threw the piece of metal away into some random direction and heard it clang against the ground.

"There's someone still in here!" The group of three distantly heard their enemies.

"Where?" Another asked. A pause.

"Over there!"

"Shit!" Terra cursed. "Fuck, what are we gonna do now?"

Breathing heavily, Silver gasped out, "H-hell if I kn-know, dumba- hass!"

"Damn, Sil you don' look so good."

"Bitch, I certainly don' feel like it!"

"I hear two of them!" One of the bastardous enemies called out.

"God Damnit." Came the dry response of one Terra Scarlet. "Alright, come on lil' sis." He said as he grabbed Silver from under her armpits and helped her stand up while he put her right arm around his neck so she could get off her leg and give her walking assistance. "You coming Cascius?"

No answer. "Cascius?" He called again. He turned to where he thought he saw Cascius get flung only to see him passed out under some toppled over wood and rock. His lower legs were obviously crushed under the weight. Silver choked out a gasp and whimpered at seeing her best friend in such a state.

"No…" Her voice was so small but seemed to be what awoke Cascius from his unconsciousness.

"Oh good, you're alive." He whispered out, relief obvious in his tone. Blood so dark it was black poured from a wound above his eyebrow and into his eye. His lip was also split and his blood dribbled down his chin and dripped onto the broken concrete floor underneath him. "Go…"

"What?" Was he telling them to leave him?

"Leave me...save...yourselves…" He struggled out.

He was.

"No," Terra said firmly, his lone eye staring him down. "We are not leaving you behind." The glare that Cascius tried to send his way was ineffective as Terra refused to budge. Silver dropped down onto the ground near Cascius and cradled his face in her hands and she began to shed tears and her breaths came out shakier and shakier with each one.

"No.." She weakly cried out. "I'm not leaving you to die here alone!"

"You know...the ones who attacked u... approach—"

"I don't care!" She cried, "I'm not leaving you here! We'll find a way somehow to get you out of here!"

"Silver. My legs...are crushed...and my strength...wanes as...as we speak. I'd only get...only get you both killed...alongside me."

"But…"

"No buts, Silver. " He turned to her brother, "Please, Terra. Take yourselves...and go."

Terra pursed his lips. "You do know what will happen right?" He questioned.

Cascius very weakly nodded. "I do...I promised myself...when you both saved me...that day...that I'd die...for the both...of you…"

"Brother you can't seriously be thinking about leaving him!" Terra closed his eyes and breathed in the smoke-filled air deeply and let it all out with a cough.

"Cascius…we will never forget you. Ever." He responded. Cascius looked relieved.

"What?!" Silver stared wide-eyed at Terra and his completely blanked-out face. "What about all our plans! The parties we planned on throwing! We were gonna get matching piercings and everything! What happened to our planned happily ever af—hey!" She screamed as Terra picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and began running. "NO! Put me down! Terra, please! Put me down!" She begged with a cracking voice.

"Thank you.." She heard Cascius say to Terra.

"No! Please!"

Terra refused to say anything. Though Silver could not see it as she was facing Cascius and not the direction that Terra was running, Terra had his eyebrows scrunched together as he pressed his lips together as well to prevent himself from crying. He had to be strong for his wailing sister. He too was mourning the soon-to-be loss of his closest friend, but he understood what Cascius was doing. He had so much respect for Cascius it wasn't even funny.

He kept running.

Cascius was so incredibly glad that Terra took them and ran. He was glad that they would be able to live on. He struggled to look up but managed to look Silver in her eyes as he was only able to mouth his last words. Her horror-stricken face was the last thing he saw as the flaming building came down on not only him, but his and his friends' organizations' assailants.

And he knew no more.

Silver stared at the burning building while it collapsed as she stood atop a hill with the remaining survivors before she whirled at her brother and started screaming at him.

"We could have saved him!" She beat her small fists against her older brother's chest as she repeated that single sentence over and over again until her voice faded away into her tears. Terra said nothing as he let her cry because he was having the same thought. They could have indeed saved Cascius, but then all three of them would be dead.

Pillars of smoke rose into the night sky as the area glowed from the fires. Ash, burnt flesh, and burning wood was all any of them could smell in the air. They all stood in silence and mourned their fallen friends and comrades and Silver's cries echoed through the night. Terra breathed and said the only thing he could in that moment since he said his last words to Cascius.

"I know."