70. The Huntsman's Return
Mozenrath was reading on the couch in his apartment. Just reading. That was all. He definitely was not waiting.
When the knock came at the door, he rose casually, walking slowly to answer it. All right, he thought as he gripped the handle, maybe I am waiting. Maybe I want to know exactly what is going on. Recent circumstances truly had piqued the curiosity.
Of course, in all likelihood, it wouldn't even be the Huntsman behind that door.
But it was.
"You're looking much better," Mozenrath commented. He meant it in the general sense. As in the Huntsman's left arm was back in its socket and the man didn't look on the verge of total collapse.
"You look as always," the Huntsman replied, and Mozenrath wasn't exactly sure what that was supposed to mean, but it was obviously a compliment, so he stepped aside to gesture grandly at the apartment beyond;
"I believe you wanted to play a match against me."
"That I did."
Mozenrath waved his hand in a cavalier manner toward the counter in the kitchen; a chessboard settled itself there, with black and white pieces lined up in th traditional manner. "I'll even let you play white," Mozenrath said casually.
The Huntsman entered, letting Mozenrath push the door shut behind him. He still bore his dragon-skull helmet, which struck Mozenrath as oddly formal, but then again, he didn't know what to expect out of the Huntsman besides that. He realized he was the one person in the whole base who had seen the Huntsman's face the most, which was truly awkward when he considered how the intimacy that had fostered such a bond was now a thing of the past. He might very well never see the man's face again. And that was only fitting. The past would stay in the past. He had a new face to caress now, one that never hid.
The Huntsman took a seat before the white pieces and Mozenrath the black. "I hope you're willing to play fair," Mozenrath sighed. "I'm not in the mood to cheat around another cheater."
"I would not cheat in such circumstances as this," the Huntsman replied.
This was refreshing. The Huntsman was being straightforward as usual, which was simple enough for Mozenrath to understand. If only the two of them were still friends; that would make it all the more refreshing.
The Huntsman made the first move; as he placed his knight, he said, "You must wonder where I had gone."
"It crossed my mind, yes." Mozenrath responded on his half of the board.
The Huntsman placed another piece. "I returned to my homeworld in an attempt to finally slay the American Dragon."
"And?"
The game was in full swing now. "I went with a specific purpose in mind," the Huntsman continued. "If I succeeded, using nothing but the allies I had gathered on a professional level and the resources I had at my own hands, I would have washed my hands of the WHAM ARMY for good and joined forces with you no longer, not even professionally."
Mozenrath was quite pleased to realize that hearing that didn't even sting. "So this is your farewell."
"No," the Huntsman corrected. "It is not. While on my mission, I had a change of heart." He was surprised Mozenrath was taking this so well. He had half expected a tantrum, complete with literal fireworks.
"And that is?" Mozenrath asked.
"Apart from this organization and on my own," the Huntsman explained, "I failed. I fought alongside supposed brethren who only looked out for their own interests. They abandoned each other and sacrificed me. That is not how I wish to proceed." He wasn't going to sink to admitting that Jake Long had set the standards for him. "To my surprise, I much prefer fighting alongside true companions who will truly work together. I much preferred…you. All of you."
Mozenrath took a moment to think this over, as well as to chart his next move on the chessboard. "So you want to reinstate our friendship," he mused.
"I realize it will not be as simple as walking back into this fortress and asking for it."
"Well, you didn't abandon us when you had the chance and the ambition to," Mozenrath stated. "It's a start."
"I wouldn't have thought you would be so calm about this."
Neither did I, Mozenrath thought. "I've had time to gather my thoughts," he explained. "Also, I'm not a child. I can suffer disappointments without melting down."
No, the Huntsman thought, you cannot. He didn't dare say that out loud, however. The concept of Mozenrath simply having enough time to think it all over was entirely credible; there was probably a meltdown somewhere along the way that neither of them wanted to acknowledge. Besides, who could fault Mozenrath's occasional instability when contrasted with his ambition, his demeanor, his propensity to net results? "Am I to understand I am welcome within these walls?" the Huntsman asked. "Or have I breached your trust beyond return?"
"You're welcome here," Mozenrath told him in a flat tone. "In fact, I might even be willing to say we're friends if you are." Even after moving on and making a new plan, it turned out, Mozenrath had missed the Huntsman to some degree.
Yet it was the Huntsman who first said "I rather missed your company."
"If you're looking for romantic favors," Mozenrath said dismissively, "I would advise you to go somewhere else. I'm currently involved with someone else."
That rather surprised the Huntsman, if only because he wasn't sure who else there was that Mozenrath could become involved with. Though the WHAM ARMY had apparently picked up a new member when the Huntsman's attention was diverted elsewhere; perhaps that held his answer. "I would not want such things anyway," he stated. "I am beginning to think that is what led us to our predicament. Such a relationship was far too volatile and unpredictable. Our partnership serves better as a friendship."
"I'm glad you think so," Mozenrath replied, breathing a sigh of something he realized was relief. Now he was the one surprised the Huntsman was taking news well.
"Out of curiosity," the Huntsman said, "I must ask with whom you are involved."
"Prince Hans Westergard," Mozenrath answered.
"The man you employed during your stay in Hyrule," the Huntsman said for clarification.
"The same," Mozenrath confirmed. "He's a charmer by nature, but that's what I like about him. He's a good conversationalist. Theatrical, but not in an overblown way."
"And I suppose you have elevated him to the higher ranks of the organization."
"Don't take me for a fool," Mozenrath replied. "He still has to earn that if he wants it. Romantically, he may have won me over, but politically, you still have more clout. You technically never left your position in the inner circle."
"You could have switched our names without disturbing Torchwick's acronym," the Huntsman pointed out.
"That's been pointed out to me," Mozenrath stated.
"On that matter, was Hans not also the one who instigated the incidents that spurred Torchwick to call so many useless meetings of the council?"
"I don't care who started it at this point," Mozenrath said, his tone now cold. "Roman and Snatcher have taken a firm stand against Hans and Demyx, and the only way I could get the aftermath of their quarrels out of my space was to send them on a bonding mission."
"You expect them to become friends over their work."
"That's the best-case scenario," Mozenrath answered, his tone a lot calmer. "At the very least, as I said, it gets them out of my space for a while."
"Long enough to host a chess tournament. Which was undoubtedly your idea."
"Am I truly the only one here who would think to set one up?" Mozenrath sighed. "Sometimes I wonder what I see in all of you."
"I am certainly stating the obvious, but I know the feeling."
They looked up from the board to smile at each other on that note. This was nice, Mozenrath thought. Going any further than being friends with the Huntsman was a recipe for disaster to be sure, but maintaining a stable friendship might be just what the doctor ordered. He felt understood.
The Huntsman felt a certain sense of ease as well. This was what he needed: for things to make sense without the pressure of living up to each other's standards and hoping the other would reciprocate. Though he now felt quite the fool for giving it up, he knew well that he needed to have it driven into his head the hard way.
"Checkmate, by the way," Mozenrath said as he placed a bishop.
The Huntsman flinched. He hadn't even seen it coming.
While the Huntsman was nowhere near the challenge Vexen was, he was certainly a better chess player than Hans. Having to play around his style made Mozenrath really think. Given that he had to play the game while processing what the Huntsman had told him, Mozenrath was quite impressed with himself.
As for the decision to let the Huntsman back into his life, that was a simple one. He had already been through the cycle of negativity that followed his initial betrayal. Once he'd made himself numb to the Huntsman leaving, he was suddenly so much less apprehensive to the concept of him returning. When you removed the stakes, there was nothing left to lose and all to gain. Mozenrath knew he could manage the Huntsman tossing him aside once; he was now invincible to that phenomenon. So long as the Huntsman didn't go so far as to actually undermine the WHAM ARMY – say, by turning them over to Maleficent on a silver platter – he could be dealt with in a rational manner.
"If I must be honest," the Huntsman admitted, "the idea to return to my homeworld and revisit my past was actually – "
The end of the sentence was cut off by Mozenrath's scroll ringing loudly. "Hold that thought," Mozenrath said as he retrieved the electronic device.
The Huntsman would gladly throw that thought away if given the chance. It might not be best, after all, for Mozenrath to know how much of his actions were driven by Archibald Snatcher getting to him.
Mozenrath answered the scroll with "This had better be good."
"I missed you too, honey," Hans said from the other end. His voice was hoarse, and his breathing was obviously heavy.
"What happened?" Mozenrath asked, sitting up a little straighter once he caught the edge in Hans' voice.
"We could use an extraction," Hans replied.
"Do you have the sundrop?" Mozenrath asked.
"Not exactly," Hans answered. "It's complicated. Right now, we really just need to get back to base. Also, use your scroll to lock onto our location. We moved a long distance since last time."
"Where ARE you?"
"In the woods a few miles outside Vardaros."
"WHAT is a Vardaros?"
"Look," Hans sighed, "we'll explain everything when you come get us. How's that sound?"
Mozenrath closed his eyes for a moment. "I'll be there," he said tensely, knowing already he wasn't about to like what he would find when he arrived. Then he hung up before prying his lids open, staring right into the Huntsman's own eyes, and saying, "That was our bonding mission team. I have to go bring them back to base."
The Huntsman rose. "Then I should take my leave."
"If you want," Mozenrath told him. "Or, given your current position, you could come with me. If this went belly-up because those four couldn't stop bickering, I might need an extra voice of reason."
"Then I shall accompany you," the Huntsman decided.
Mozenrath slid out of his seat, consulting his scroll before casting a Corridor. He practically stormed through; the Huntsman's footfalls were also heavy as he followed.
They exited in the midst of a forest shrouded in evening shadow, where Hans, Snatcher, Roman, Demyx, and Gothel were still catching their breath after being forcibly ousted from Vardaros.
Hans took the moment to flash Mozenrath a coy smile. "No, really," he said, "did you miss me?"
"There's no time for flirtations," Snatcher broke in. "Lord Mozenrath, what you must understand is – "
"What is HE doing here?" Roman yelled as the Huntsman stepped into view.
"Apparently mediating," the Huntsman answered.
"We'll talk about the Huntsman later," Mozenrath said firmly. "Right now, you're going to tell both of us what happened and why you don't have the sundrop."
"You'll recall that we suspected the sundrop was a person rather than a plant," Snatcher began.
"Right," Mozenrath remembered. "Hence the resurrection." He nodded toward Gothel. "And how's the land of the living working out for you?"
"Aside from the Sneeze Weasel, it's been pleasant," Gothel said with a shrug.
"That thing was called a SNEEZE WEASEL?" Demyx cried. "Who NAMED it? That was more like a…like a Gore Groundhog!"
"Long story short, we got chased out here by a giant rodent after having our asses kicked," Roman explained.
"I think I'm going to need the beginning of the story first," Mozenrath said, perplexed.
"Well, we located the girl easily enough," Snatcher stated, "but her state as a human being is the complication. She's a mind of her own and a fighting spirit. We simply couldn't keep her both alive and still long enough to utilize her in the spell you're weaving."
Mozenrath gave a deep sigh. "I guess I should have expected that once I knew it was a person," he groaned.
"Are there not ways?" the Huntsman broke in. "Imprisonment in a Crystal of Ix first and foremost."
"Well, here's where it becomes a real kick in the ass," Roman grunted. "Guess who got to her first."
"Not Maleficent," Mozenrath whined.
"No," Snatcher informed him, "NOT Maleficent."
Mozenrath's eyes widened. "…The key kid."
"That's the one," Hans confirmed. "Along with his friends scythe girl, green man, talking skeleton, water witch, pink hair, and your archnemesis' wife."
"Don't ever do the nicknames again," Roman groaned.
"If we want her," Hans explained, "you're probably going to have to deal with them."
Mozenrath seized up in frustration, closing his eyes and forcing himself to take several deep breaths before even attempting to say a word.
"Look, can't we find something else to use in the spell besides the sundrop?" Demyx suggested. "There are probably tons of things."
The Huntsman silently agreed, but did not want to risk setting off a blue magical bomb.
Finally, Mozenrath let out a great sigh and let his eyes open again. "We can give up on the girl for now," he resolved. "But we're going to discuss this back at base." He turned back to the portal. "Let's go."
"Don't you wanna know how the Sneeze Weasel ended up in it?" Demyx asked.
"NOT NOW," Mozenrath seethed.
"Mozenrath," Hans said calmly.
At the call, Mozenrath looked back over his shoulder. Hans' cheeky smile did have a somewhat calming effect on him. "What now?"
"For what it's worth," Hans told him, "I don't think you'll be having any more problems between Demyx, Mr. Snatcher, Roman, and me."
"Prince Westergard and Mr. Demyx did reach sort of an understanding with us," Snatcher confirmed.
"Well," Mozenrath replied, "that's good to hear at least."
"Now all you have to worry about is Snatcher and Roman not getting along," Demyx added.
"I'm not even going to ask," Mozenrath resolved before turning his attention back to the portal.
"And what about me?" Gothel broke in. "You're not just going to bring me back from the dead and leave me behind, are you?"
"You come too," Mozenrath groaned. "You've probably earned it."
He waited for no more distractions before marching into the Corridor. The Huntsman followed, and so did the other five.
All seven spilled back out into Mozenrath's apartment. "Okay," Demyx began, "so the thing about the Sneeze Weasel is – "
Mozenrath held up his right hand. "Before anything else," he announced, "I'm calling a council meeting. Founders only." He retrieved his scroll, locating the group text Roman had been using to abuse the privilege.
"And him?" Roman asked, waving the Cudgel accusingly at the Huntsman.
"I assume I am part of the itinerary to discuss at said meeting," the Huntsman admitted.
"Hans," Mozenrath commanded as he typed furiously away, "show the new recruit where she can stay."
"Of course," Hans said, brushing past Mozenrath. He leaned in, planting a kiss on Mozenrath's cheek quickly, when Mozenrath least expected it.
All saw as Mozenrath froze, eyes widening and cheeks flushing.
"Awww, he's in love!" Demyx teased.
"I am NOT in love," Mozenrath grumbled, trying to force the color out of his face and ultimately making it worse.
"Of course not," Snatcher affirmed. "Merely smitten." His grin was altogether too smug.
"Just meet me in the conference room," Mozenrath grumbled.
The Huntsman realized he didn't much like seeing Hans kiss Mozenrath, even though he had no reason to be bothered. After all, he certainly didn't want Mozenrath in that way anymore. It was too much to be bothered with. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he simply didn't like Hans' face. Something about it struck him the wrong way: not in its composition, but in the way he carried his expressions. All the same, the Huntsman knew better than to raise a fuss. Hans had his place here in the WHAM ARMY, and he was making Mozenrath happy. The Huntsman would have to be all right with him on a professional level. Besides, he certainly didn't want to be cause for another bonding mission's necessity.
Without another word, he stalked out of the apartment to make his way downstairs, with Snatcher and Roman in tow. Once Mozenrath finished sending the text (which also vibrated the Huntsman's, Snatcher's, and Roman's scrolls, but they didn't bother checking), he simply teleported himself down several levels.
...
It took until sundown for the citizens of Vardaros to be completely assured that the vagabonds that had intruded upon their Goodwill Festival weren't coming back – at least not that day. Those who weren't busy tending to wounded or mourning dead found themselves with relieved spirits because of that.
In the midst of it all was the group of heroes who had been responsible for the banishment: Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra, Sora, Ruby, Papyrus, Stork, Jasmine, Katara, Kazuichi, Lance, and Hook Foot. All of whom had begun not by celebrating their victory but by debating the quality of Eugene's art.
"See?" Lance pointed out, holding up Eugene's drawing. "Compared to the tree you drew, the gopher was enormous!"
"It's called PERSPECTIVE!" Eugene argued.
"Maybe the first thing we caught actually was a gopher," Hook Foot mused. "That would actually make a lot more sense."
"Well, now we have nothing for the grab tomorrow," Eugene sighed, "though given the events of today, I'm not sure anyone's in the right spirit for a Gopher Grab."
"Listen," Lance insisted. "There is STILL time to catch a gopher, and I am GOING to catch a gopher. I'm going to catch the best gopher any of you ever saw!"
"Not if I catch it first!" Hook Foot argued.
"Guys, guys!" Rapunzel held up her hands. "The gopher doesn't matter anymore! What matters is that everyone's safe now."
"Especially you, Blondie," Eugene said as he gently turned to her and pulled her into a light hug, his arms about her waist. "If I'd known Gothel was going to somehow NOT BE DEAD…well, you handled it perfectly, but next time, which better not happen, I'll definitely be there to give her the what-for."
"Thank you for doing everything you did," Rapunzel told him lovingly. She leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss on his lips; he pressed back, a little harder. Her arms found their way over his shoulders.
Those who were in the know could almost hear the actual sound of glass breaking coming from Kazuichi's direction. Kazuichi didn't even have to look to see the six pairs of eyes turning from the kissing couple onto him. He'd been an utter idiot to not even consider that Rapunzel might have already had a boyfriend. One who, judging by that kiss, she was pretty serious with. Now he was stuck with feelings he couldn't erase.
He quickly waved his hands, gesturing for his traveling companions to not draw attention to him.
As Rapunzel and Eugene's lips parted, Rapunzel said, "We make a pretty good team."
Cassandra made a show of clearing her throat. "I seem to recall me playing a part on that team."
"I hate how right she is," Eugene joked.
"Hey!" Lance interjected. "Who brought the Sneeze Weasel to deal the finishing blow?"
"Maybe we planned to do that!" Hook Foot insisted. "You ever think of that, huh? Maybe we knew something bad was gonna go down, so we brought you a Sneeze Weasel instead of a gopher!"
"Suuuuuuure," Eugene replied as he and Rapunzel disentangled from one another.
"Well, we couldn't have done any of it without my newest friends," Rapunzel asserted.
"That WAS a nice save," Eugene said with a point toward Sora.
"Thanks!" Sora replied.
"Eugene Fitzherbert," Eugene introduced. "Adventurer. Hero. Partner of the best princess to ever exist."
"Stop," Rapunzel laughed, giving him a playful shove.
"Sora!" Sora responded. "World traveler, Keybearer, and hero, too!"
"So you've been around the world!" Eugene commented.
"Actually, no," Rapunzel broke in. "He's been to a BUNCH of worlds."
"A bunch of worlds," Eugene repeated, needing a few minutes for that to sink in.
"You're not saying…" Cassandra said, taken aback.
"Yeeaaaahhh," Ruby confirmed. "We're from out of town. WAY out of town."
"You're not from that freaky dimension Zhan Tiri is trapped in, are you?" Eugene asked. "Because if you are, then we are going to have problems."
"I don't think any of us knows a Zhan Tiri," Sora said as he scratched the back of his head. "Anyway, these are my friends Ruby, Papyrus, Stork, Jasmine, Katara, and Kazuichi!"
"Wherever you come from," Cassandra said with a shrug, "we're glad you were here in time to stop whoever those people were."
Lance leaned over to Eugene and whispered, "You don't really believe that stuff about them being from other worlds, do you?"
"Lance," Eugene whispered back, "you and I have seen hair that makes people immortal, black rocks that do whatever they want, and demon art teachers. At this point, I am not about to judge."
"So where are you off to next?" Rapunzel asked.
"I dunno yet," Sora answered. "To tell you the truth, I'm still kinda worried about you. Those weren't even the strongest guys Mozenrath has."
"But what are we supposed to do about that?" Ruby asked. "Just stay here with you forever?"
Stork automatically slapped Kazuichi on the back of the head.
"I didn't SAY anything," Kazuichi growled.
"You must be on a journey too," Jasmine realized. "You came here all the way from Corona."
"YOU WERE FOLLOWING THOSE BLACK ROCKS!" Papyrus recalled.
"They did their homework," Eugene said with a shrug.
"I was," Rapunzel affirmed. "I still don't know exactly where they're taking me. I just know they want me to follow them."
"DO THEY ACT THE SAME WAY AROUND YOU THAT THEY DO AROUND US?" Papyrus asked.
"Well, they used to go kinda crazy whenever I touched them," Rapunzel explained, "but now they don't do an – wait. What do they do around YOU?"
That led to the entire contingent moving toward a cluster of the black rocks, which immediately swiveled to point at Sora and company. As the seven world travelers walked a circle around the rocks, the stones tracked their path like compass needles finding North.
"The black rocks," Rapunzel said in awe. "They're pointing at YOU. YOU'RE my destiny!"
"I was hoping I was," Kazuichi said mournfully, too low for Rapunzel to hear but not too low for Jasmine and Katara to shoot him glares nonverbally telling him to shut his mouth.
"So, uh…" Eugene asked, "what does THIS mean?"
"Maybe it means you're supposed to come with us!" Sora said excitedly.
"You mean leave this world," Rapunzel said nervously.
"It would be a good way for us to protect you," Katara pointed out.
"Besides," Ruby chirped, "you're our friend!"
"Baby, you're like lightning in a bottle," Kazuichi asserted, "and we can't let you go now that we got it!"
Rapunzel's eyes turned skyward. "I was already so afraid to learn what this world was really like," she said softly. "And once I learned I had a destiny to follow…I was afraid of that too. I was afraid I might not come back from it."
"Yeah, that happens," Stork said sympathetically. "Basically, I've learned to keep going even when I'm terrified, or else I'd pretty much get nowhere. Buuuuuut it's up to you."
Rapunzel's gaze traveled down to rest upon her new friends. "When I did explore the world," she said, "I learned how beautiful it was. And I'm still learning that. If I go…maybe I won't come back. But I'll learn what it's like out THERE. And I just KNOW there's so much more beauty to find."
"You gotta come back!" Sora insisted. "We couldn't take you away from your friends and family forever! You'll be back; I promise!"
"There's just one more thing," Rapunzel asserted. "I'm not going ANYWHERE without Eugene."
"Blondie," Eugene told her, "if this is how you can be safe and it doesn't involve me, I'll step aside. That being said, if I CAN come with you, I really, really, REALLY want to come with you."
"Of course Eugene can come with us," Jasmine reassured. "We couldn't ask you to leave the person you love behind."
Both Rapunzel and Eugene blushed and looked to each other at the mention of the L-word.
Kazuichi forcibly put away his reservations. There was a small part of him that wished Rapunzel and Eugene would turn out to be less stable than originally perceived, giving him a shot to win Rapunzel's heart. But the majority of him knew much better. It was Sonia and Gundham all over again – no, something even more tangible than what Sonia and Gundham had. Eugene was the person who made Rapunzel happy. Kazuichi's rapidly beating heart around Rapunzel was his own problem now. And unlike Gundham, Eugene actually seemed like the sort of person he wanted to be friends with.
"What about Cass?" Rapunzel said suddenly. "And Lance, and Hook Foot, and Shorty – "
"Don't worry about us," Cassandra told Rapunzel. "SOMEBODY has to run the Gopher Grab tomorrow, right?"
"You're still doing the Gopher Grab?" Rapunzel placed her hands over her heart, which was practically melting. "But that wasn't even your event!"
"Yeah, well, can't have a Goodwill Festival without it," Cassandra replied. "Provided Lance and Hook Foot can actually find a gopher."
"Oh, I'll FIND you that gopher," Lance insisted.
"And I'LL find a BETTER gopher!" Hook Foot argued.
"Listen, Cass," Rapunzel sighed, "I'm sorry about this whole fight we've been having. Your events really did turn out better, and – "
"Raps," Cassandra said with a sad smile. "Don't worry about it, okay? You're about to go on the adventure of a lifetime. Let's not be wrapped up in a stupid fight. Besides, I might have been a little…rude about how I did the festival."
"Cass," Rapunzel said in a quavering voice, "I need to hug you before I go!"
Cassandra barely had time to utter a "Wha – " before she found herself in Rapunzel's embrace. After a pause, she returned it.
Lance clapped a hand on Eugene's shoulder. "You find me a cool souvenir from out there, will ya?" he requested.
"You know it," Eugene replied.
When Cassandra and Rapunzel parted, Cassandra stated, "But seriously, if someone was that quick to step up and fill the crime lord vacuum in Vardaros, the others and I need to keep watch here and make sure nothing like what happened today happens again."
"Good luck," Rapunzel said earnestly.
"Wait a minute," Stork broke in, shaking his head fervently. "Wait, wait, WAIT a minute! You realize the FIRST THING we were supposed to do on this mission was drop one person off. And now we not only didn't do that, but we are coming back with TWO MORE? Do you even know how DEEP we are going to be in trouble for this?"
"I don't care!" Sora folded his arms. "The Committee can argue with us all they want! We'll fight back!"
"THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT IF THE RULES THEY MAKE ARE STUPID," Papyrus added, folding his own arms, "WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO FOLLOW THEM!"
"What are they going to do to us, anyway?" Katara posed. "Kick US out too?"
Stork gave a deep sigh. "You know, I am trusting you on this. Which I KNOW is a bad idea. But I'm doing it anyway."
"Hey," Eugene told him, "if it's any consolation, almost all the ideas that have worked out for me have been incredibly bad ones!"
That got a laugh out of the entire crowd.
From a distance and atop a roof, they were observed. The watcher knew this wasn't right. The rocks were supposed to have led Rapunzel someplace entirely different. It was almost enough for her to step in and intervene, to say that no, the princess needed to stay on this world.
But she halted herself. She knew better than to argue with the rocks. If they had changed direction, there was a good reason. She would let this happen for now. But if the situation escalated, she couldn't promise to hold back again.
Adira turned her back on Rapunzel and her new friends and climbed down from the roof.
...
Yzma, Wuya, Aghoul, and Mim were quite surprised to see the Huntsman in the room where they held council. Mozenrath had hoped to put off explaining his presence, but Yzma was already turned toward him, giving him a stunned look while jabbing a thumb back toward the Huntsman, and at this, the Huntsman was rolling his crimson eyes.
"He can be here," Mozenrath said flatly. "He's an adult."
"Perhaps one of a minority in this room," the Huntsman added.
"Okay, was that aimed at me?" Roman asked; he and Snatcher had arrived along with the Huntsman. "Because I feel like that was aimed at me."
"And the fact that you do certainly says something," Wuya pointed out.
"Now, as for the reason I've gathered you all here," Mozenrath began, "I recently sent Roman and Snatcher on a mission with – "
"I suppose THIS meeting is about something you actually consider IMPORTANT," Mim was huffing to the Huntsman.
"He never gave up his position as one of our council," Mozenrath reminded her. "Now, as I was saying – "
"Who says we WANT you here?" Aghoul asked. Again, to the Huntsman.
"WILL YOU LISTEN TO MOZENRATH?" the Huntsman bellowed in response.
"No, no…" Mozenrath sighed. "I can already tell we're not getting anywhere until we address the roc in the room. Yes, that is the Huntsman. Yes, he wanted to be in on this council meeting. Yes, he wants…"
The last sentence caught in Mozenrath's throat, and he ended up saying, "You know what? I'm going to just let you explain it."
The Huntsman nodded. Picking up the thread of conversation, he stated, "My dissolution of our bond was a mistake. I do not expect you to accept me as a friend immediately. However, I have…missed your company. And I wish to make reparations."
"Well, isn't that just peachy!" Roman said sarcastically. "Did you all hear that? We're all friends again! We're all just going to ignore the fact that Skullface slam-dunked us all in the trash in the first place! Bring out the sleeping bags, because we're having a slumber party!"
"The reaction I expected," the Huntsman said in a low tone.
"Now, now," Snatcher tried to intervene. "Let's not be hasty in our – "
"You know," Mim pointed out, "I'm suddenly realizing what I REALLY should have been priming that spit for."
"You're still mad?" Mozenrath said in surprise.
"You're NOT?" Yzma asked Mozenrath.
"I made my peace with him calling off our friendship," Mozenrath answered, "I made my peace with him nearly leaving the WHAM ARMY, and I made my peace with his offer to come back as a friend."
That had been entirely the wrong thing to say, and Mozenrath's mistake was immediately slapped back in his face:
"You nearly WHAT?" Aghoul growled.
"I KNEW IT!" Yzma cried, pointing accusingly at the Huntsman. "I KNEW HE WOULD SELL US OUT TO MALEFICENT!"
"HE DIDN'T SELL US OUT TO MALEFICENT!" Mozenrath roared, trying to regain control of the room, as if that had ever worked.
"You thought you could pull one over on us, didn't you?" Mim barked. "Thought you could get the better of us? Well, you don't know who you just messed with!"
"I know quite well who I would hypothetically have messed with," the Huntsman said coolly. "It is because I knew you so well that I wished to return under these circumstances. I had meant to keep my mission secret from all but Mozenrath and Mr. Snatcher, but it seems – "
"Archie," Roman groaned, "what did you DO?"
"Me?" Snatcher said in confusion. "I had no part in this! The most I did was suggest he compare his past to the time spent with us – "
"Which was the goal of my mission," the Huntsman clarified. "To learn if I was better off with or without you. The fact that I returned should give you your answer."
"So we're just tools to you?" Yzma said in disbelief. "I'm not anyone's tool! I'm the one who USES people as tools!"
"It is more complex than that," the Huntsman insisted, doing his best to keep his tone even. "After my failure, I realized the impact created by your absence." He took a quick survey of the room. Mozenrath was obviously frustrated that most of the room wasn't on his level. Snatcher was sympathetic; after all, this had, in a roundabout way, been his idea. Roman was livid, Aghoul was livid, Yzma was livid, and Mim was gleefully livid. Wuya, who leaned back against the wall, was strangely unreadable, and the Huntsman realized she had contributed nothing to the conversation whatsoever since he had arrived.
"You know what's complex?" Mim rebutted. "A spit."
"I do NOT buy this," Roman hissed. "You don't get off that easy, Skullface. You decided you didn't want anything to do with me, and now I'm deciding I don't want anything to do with you."
"I'm still not sure he didn't sell us out," Aghoul added.
"I am NOT YOUR PAWN!" Yzma yelled.
"Listen," Mozenrath growled. "I'm still in charge around here. And I say if the Huntsman wants back in, he gets back in."
"Are you saying we have to like him because YOU SAID SO?" Yzma said in exasperation.
"No," Mozenrath clarified. "I'm saying he gets to sit in on meetings WITHOUT the rest of you harassing him because I said so. How you decide to feel about him is your own business. But I'm trying to get everyone on the same scroll as to where we currently stand in our plan. And the rest of you are putting a personal grudge in the way. So whatever you have to say to the Huntsman about whether or not he betrayed us or whether or not you're all friends can WAIT UNTIL I DELIVER A STATUS REPORT."
He had wanted to touch upon the Huntsman issue in the beginning, but now was seeing exactly how difficult that was. After giving his command, he observed the room growing notably quieter. Outbursts of anger were now simmers that had firm lids clamped on them, which was how Mozenrath wanted it.
"Now," he went on, "as I was saying – "
That wasn't the worst time for Irmaplotz to throw open the door with a tray of cookies in her hand, but it also wasn't the ideal time. It was, however, the time exactly that happened.
"I just made double chocolate cookies!" she announced.
"HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW ABOUT THIS ROOM?" Mozenrath roared.
Irmaplotz ignored the question. "Anyway, I thought you'd appreciate them for your meeting. Take as many as you want and I'll get out of here."
She was met with several stares that informed her she had made some sort of faux pas. Roman bit his lip nervously.
"What?" Irmaplotz asked. "I made these special for you guys. You're not even gonna appreciate them?"
Snatcher slowly, deliberately cleared his throat: "Princess Irmaplotz, while you have made quite a kind gesture, I must decline. As it is, I am horribly allergic to all things dairy."
If there was one thing everyone had expected to be said even less than for the Huntsman to announce he wanted to be friends again, it was that.
"Wh – " Roman sputtered. "You – but – you – WHAT?"
Irmaplotz nodded sympathetically. "I know how that goes. I'm actually allergic to shellfish myself. And peanuts. And daisies, but those aren't food…most of the time. Anyway, does anyone who's NOT Snatcher want a cookie?"
She was met with a chorus of stunned "No, we're good"s.
With a resigned sigh, Irmaplotz said, "Fine. I'm gonna go see if Scarlet wants any." She shut the door as she departed.
The sound that came out of Roman's mouth was a drawn-out and high-pitched "WhaaaaaaAAAAAAA?"
"Am I now something to be gawked at?" Snatcher asked, as all eyes had turned to him.
"You…have NEVER said that out loud," Mozenrath choked out.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE HOOPS WE HAVE JUMPED THROUGH TO KEEP THAT ALLERGY OF YOURS FROM FLARING UP?" Yzma cried.
"All the better I stop beating around the bush with it," Snatcher told her.
"You never beat around the bush," Wuya contributed. "You threw a sheet over the bush, said it didn't exist, and started pounding the ground seventy miles away from the bush."
"I BELIEVE," Snatcher said firmly, "Lord Mozenrath was attempting to give a progress report. We'd best listen to him."
Roman's jaw still hung low off his face. Snatcher threw him a meaningful look, trying to tell him, yes, this is because of you; yes, I am happy with what I did; and yes, we will discuss it later. Roman just managed to pick up the subtext, shutting his mouth and giving him a slow nod.
"Does anyone else want to interrupt?" Mozenrath asked.
Mim put up her hand.
"Too bad," Mozenrath growled at her. "Because I'm not TAKING any more interruptions."
Mim's arms folded back up grouchily.
"I sent Snatcher, Roman, Hans, and Demyx on a mission to collect a Life element for our spell," Mozenrath announced, "and, hopefully, on the way, learn not to cause any more incidents that would result in us all watching Roman get another haircut. While the latter seems to have been achieved, the former was failed. The Life element turned out to be, well, alive."
"You'd think you would have seen that coming," Yzma told him.
"It's a princess, because of course it is," Mozenrath went on, "and that princess has now allied herself with the key kid. That puts her temporarily off-limits. Now, as you all know, I'm hardly a quitter, and there may yet be a way to acquire her. However, it might ultimately be more efficient to find something more…agreeable to add to our spell." He had hoped to potentially scope items out that very night, but given the tensions in the room, he knew it was better to wait it out until attitudes had either calmed down or he had found a way to force everyone to calm down. "They did, however, bring back a new recruit for the team, who you'll see around. That's all."
"You're serious?" Yzma replied. "That's the ONLY thing you called us down here to tell us?"
"Well, I did want to MENTION the Huntsman," Mozenrath admitted. "As it is, you can all go your separate ways now."
Yzma, Mim, Roman, and Aghoul each gave the Huntsman a death glare as they stormed out of the room. Snatcher gave him a shrug. Wuya didn't even look at him.
Mozenrath paused before him to say "That could've gone better."
"It was as much as I expected," the Huntsman stated. "Less, in fact. I had pictured it coming to blows."
"Just give them a night to cool off," Mozenrath suggested. "If this doesn't blow over, I'll fan it."
"You realize what fanning flames does," the Huntsman brought up.
"I already got Snatcher and Roman to stop fighting with Hans and Demyx the hard way," Mozenrath insisted. "If I have to do the same thing on a larger scale, I will."
"Allow me to approach the others first," the Huntsman suggested. "I may just have an idea as to how to ease tensions more subtly."
"Be my guest," Mozenrath told him.
They lingered in the room a while longer, old habits written into their bones, before Mozenrath took initiative and left to find either solace or Hans to talk to. The Huntsman departed soon after, making a beeline for his quarters.
...
When morning dawned over Radiant Garden, the sun illuminated a city torn. Thanks to the interventions of those from the castle, things were prevented from being much, much worse. Many lives had been saved, homes preserved, and businesses kept afloat.
Yet there had also been lives lost, homes ravaged, and wares robbed. Rubble clogged the back streets; search parties roamed alleys calling out the names of the missing. Many gathered in the central square, commiserating with each other over the fact that their houses had been burned or knocked down and they had nowhere to go.
Kairi and Leon stood at the forefront of the castle contingent where the main thoroughfare emptied out into the square. "It isn't fair," Kairi said mournfully. "We weren't harmed at all, and we have more than enough space and food in the castle, but so many of them have nothing now."
"We can rebuild what was broken," Leon told her. "We are the Restoration Committee, after all."
"That will take time," Kairi insisted. "What are they supposed to do until then?"
"I think I know where you're going with this," Leon sighed. "The others aren't going to like it. There's no way we can sort through who we can and can't trust."
"Then maybe we have to stop worrying about letting in enemies," Kairi asserted, "so we can let in the people who need shelter."
This was discussed with the Committee at large, who had pushed to the front of the crowd. It took some debating, but the necessity of the situation worked in Kairi's favor. At last, she strode into the square, crying, "EVERYONE!"
The eyes of the now homeless turned upon Kairi.
"The Restoration Committee will do everything we can to rebuild the city," Kairi explained. "Until then, those who have no place to stay are welcome in the Radiant Garden castle. We have plenty of food and a lot of space."
"Oh, thank you…" A woman stumbled forward, falling to her knees in front of Kairi. "Thank you, Princess…"
Kairi looked back toward her friends. Jaune had made his way to the crowd's front now, and he gave her a thumbs-up.
"Everyone, come with me," she said as she waved them toward the thoroughfare.
The castle contingent turned to lead the way.
"Things're gonna get real cramped with all these damn people," Cid grumbled.
"All the more incentive to put things back the way they were," Merlin harrumphed.
"We're doing the right thing," Aerith commented.
"And if this backfires?" Cid retorted.
"It will have been worth it to help those who needed it," Aerith told him.
...
Neither Roman nor Snatcher knew who should be the first to speak up until they reached the door to their quarters. At that point, Roman piped up, "So I wasn't sure if I still lived here anymore, and if maybe I should start clearing out my things and checking out the other properties on the market, but after you dropped that bombshell on our meeting, I'm starting to think we're cool."
Snatcher opened the door, letting them both inside. "Of course you still live here," Snatcher insisted. "Don't be daft."
"You finally ADMITTED it," Roman said as they walked through the atrium and into the living room. "That means you actually listened to me."
"I always listen to you, Torchwick," Snatcher said coolly. "It's a matter of whether or not I choose to take your words to heart."
"So this is over, right?" Roman said for clarification. "No more dancing around it. No more of Neo having to hide her ice cream stash in case you feel the need to prove a point."
"Consider this severing the final tie I had to what came before this," Snatcher replied. "After all, Lord Mozenrath sees worth proven in other ways besides ingesting the food of the elite."
Roman slumped down in an armchair, letting out a great sigh. "I am SO GLAD we are at this point."
Snatcher took a seat across from him on a lengthy couch. "It isn't as though it's anything to be ashamed of, really."
"Just to be clear," Roman said, leaning forward, "that is you, right? You haven't been swapped out by some kind of shapeshifter? Tell me something only you would know. Wait…tell me where my weak spot is. You know, the place you go if you want to kick things into maximum overdrive."
"At the base of your spine, on the small of your back," Snatcher said confidently.
Roman allowed himself to relax. "Okay. Good. It is you."
"For clarity's sake," Snatcher went on, "though the decision to admit my – " He had been about to say "shortcoming," but in this context, it didn't really seem appropriate anymore. " – allergy was mine and mine alone, you played a fair part in it."
"Yeah, well…" Roman shifted a bit in his seat. "Don't expect me to apologize for trying to kill you to get you to say it." What he meant was: I'm sorry.
"I certainly don't expect you to," Snatcher replied. What he meant was: I know you are.
"So we're back to business as usual?" Roman questioned.
"Exactly where we left off," Snatcher replied.
"Good," Roman said with a nod. "Because I want you to teach me how you did that thing to my face."
"Simple, really," Snatcher responded. What a relief it suddenly was to have the air clear. He should've stepped out of denial a long time ago, really. "You start with the temples – "
Roman slid off his chair, striding toward Snatcher and kneeling in front of him. He lifted his hands so that an index finger pressed to each of Snatcher's temples; "You mean like this?"
Snatcher was taken aback; Roman had quite the sly grin on his face. So this was the reason for the lesson. "Exactly," Snatcher told him, somewhat flustered.
Roman began moving the pads of those fingers in slow circles. "You might wanna lie down for this," he suggested.