The Big Bad Tree (Finale: Part I) WHO: All 10 Chosen WHEN: May 17 WHERE: Central Park SUMMARY: With all the Chosen awake, it's time to do some gardening. CW: N/A
With all the Chosen awake, and with Mateo and Chelo in charge of the strike team and reinforcements back at the hotel, it's time to confront the tree.
As they arrive at the park, the rain has stopped, but the skies are dark and stormy. Night has yet to fall, but the park is eerily silent, empty.
"Time to put theory to test, I suppose," Joaco says.
"Do you think the phrase, 'break a leg,' could give us...uh...luck?" Eli jokes.
"I heard those suck," Alejo replies.
"So, how were you envisioning this...?" Faihan asks.
"We join our hands together and scream, 'Captain Planet,'" Joaco says.
Was it a joke? An instruction? Faihan rolls his eyes, but holds out a hand to Jomana and Alejo.
"So easy to work with." Alejo takes his hand, and he holds out the other towards Eli.
Eli laughs at Joaco's joke, but more out of nerves. He takes Alejo's hand and reaches for Joaco with his free hand. "'Captain Planet, he's our hero.'"
Aslan offers a hand to Joacoâgiving him a lookâand his brother.
"I mean, I suppose it's not the weirdest thing we could do." Wren offers her hands to whoever is by her.
Hakan rubs his eyes, surprisingly calm considering. He hesitates, but takes Wren's hand and then his brother's.
Fernanda takes Wren's hand and offers the other to...Juliet.
(Juliet had already taken her hand, whether she liked it or not.) "Let's love it like Care Bears and shit."
Jomana takes her brother's hand. After a pause, she also takes Juliet's. Just like old times...
"But what do we have to actually do?" Alejo asks.
"Magic, right?" Faihan replies.
"Was granme erra batu Elyssia." Joaco closes his eyes, and his pendant begins to glow a deep purple. His energy spreads to those at his sides, from one crystal to the next, in a daisy chain, like Christmas lights. "Faihan, please sing."
"..." Faihan has an audience.
Jomana nudges him with her elbow.
"Yeah, Fee Fee, sing," Juliet cheers.
Eli smiles at the warmth of his element. He glances over at Faihan encouragingly. "You got this, Faihan."
Alejo squeezes his hand.
Faihan still thinks Joaco should sing instead.
In the silence of this pause, Juliet begins to hum, very quietly. The melody, if you squint, can faintly be understood as the Power Rangers theme.
Well, if she's going to sing Power Rangers... Faihan sighs and sings the first thing that (inappropriately) pops into his head: "Awmndrhear fahe'aw fa bÄhearfaawmnhe hsu oubÄhemn; thoughehth'e fa wh'e shu áşÄthĂŠare fa whĂŠ'lkh'eye."
Their senses may feel suddenly heightened, especially where they are touching (or even close to) another person. The warmth of skin; scent of breath or perfume; the tick of another person's pulse against their hand... Enjoy.
Joaco knits his brow and glances over at Faihan, the strange shiver almost making him squirm, but he powers through, and in tune to the other's melody, he begins to sing, blending together seamlessly.
A radiant bird spreads its wings, its feathers iridescent, and it sets flight towards the tree and its barrier. The magic expands, forming a gaping hole inside the barrier in the shape of a rainbow gate.
Between the rainbow gate and the weird Simurghian song...Fernanda has never experienced such a sapphic moment before. (She may never be the same.)
Aslan regrets reaching for Joaco's hand...and his brother's.
Eli has been low-key worrying what Joaco has planned, but with Faihan's song, it doesn't matter. The future lies ahead of them. They are together. It feels right. At the bird and the rainbow, he gasps and squeezes Joaco's hand.
Hakan never felt this way before. In this life. He suddenly remembers the adventures Nila and MaetĂ got into and how great it was. He grins.
Joaco laces his fingers with both Eli's and Aslan's hands, squeezing them both and flashing the taller one a knowing look before letting go. "So anyway, we didn't actually need to hold hands. I just thought it'd be funny."
Eli nudges Joaco, rolling his eyes.
Joaco shrugs his shoulders.
Aslan stares at Joaco and vibrates at a low frequency, but keeps his complaints to himself.
"The real holding hands is the friends we made along the way," says Juliet, sagaciously.
"The real holding hands...what?" Fernanda asks, cocking her head.
Juliet just grins at her.
Fernanda remembers they are holding hands (as well as the scent of Juliet's shampoo), clears her throat, and relinquishes all girl hands.
Juliet gives her a cheeky wink.
"Pretty!" says Wren. "Do we...go through it now?"
"That's the plan." Alejo draws his sword and shield and ventures forth since this will take a while.
Jomana, too, is armed and ready to stop playing around and get going.
Eli looks at his rival and unsheathes his weapon, preparing to follow everyone into the unknown. He gives Joaco an uneasy smile before looking forward.
Faihan grabs for Alejo to keep him from going by himself. "Will this...rainbow keep it from counterattacking?"
"Yes, that should've neutralized its draining effect." Joaco smiles and nods at Eli before catching up with his brother.
Wren stares at it a bit. She's still new to this whole Chosen thing. Do her weapons materialize when needed, like they did before? Or was she wandering into danger with no weapons or defenses at all? Time will tell! After all, it is more important to see what's inside the tree. It should be wood but...somehow, she doubts it. Unless it's like a really cool treehouse thing?
Well, she won't find out outside, so inside she goes!
Hakan cracks his knuckles and runs to catch up with everyone else.
"What about its punching effect?" Faihan asks, ever wary.
"It can't beat you with energy it can't suck," Joaco replies.
Faihan gives him a thumbs up and goes in with everyone else.
Life has seemingly returning to the greenery at their feet, but it feels like time around the tree has come to a screeching halt. When they get close enough to the tree, they will realize there's a door of sorts at the base.
"Unexpected," Faihan mutters.
"Are we going to Narnia now?" Eli quips.
Joaco returns, "I'm too gay for it."
"I don't like this, but, uh, any other ideas?" asks Alejo.
"Open it and look inside first?" Wren suggests.
Faihan shrugs and reaches to open it. "Watch out for Keebler Elves."
Jomana smirks.
Faihan smirks back.
There is a deep, black nothingness on the other side.
"Disappointing. No cookies," Eli sighs.
"I want a cookie," says Fernanda, quite earnestly.
"...anyone have something to throw in?" Wren asks.
Faihan crouches down to feel into the darkness. He's tried putting his brain into the void at least twice by this point. A hand probably is safer.
Juliet shivers in uncharacteristic silence, but leans forward to peer in over Faihan's shoulder.
The void ripples like water and feels strangely...wet, but Faihan can't see his hand.
Faihan looks around and decides on Juliet. "Hold my hand, and please do not let go."
Juliet snatches his other hand. "Don't fall in."
"Let's hope there's something to pull back out." Holding her hand tightly enough to maybe betray the fear behind the bluster, Faihan makes to step inside.
"Wait, waitâ Why you?" Alejo asks and quickly grabs him by his waist.
"Are...we making a congo line now?" Eli snarks.
"I'm good at holding my breath." Faihan lets go of Juliet to try to free himself from Alejo. The explanation probably doesn't make sense, but he's embarrassed to say he doesn't entirely understand why. He just...thought he should, and no one else seems eager to do it. He presses down on Alejo's arms. "It's a music thingâ Why are you so strong?"
Alejo's grip tightens. "My parents raised me this way."
"I'll go," says Joaco.
"Not you too!" Alejo groans.
"I'll... No. I don't like that at all. It's so...empty." Fernanda shivers, rubbing her arms.
"Let's circle back around to MaetĂ's idea," Aslan suggests.
"Please," seconds Alejo.
Wren starts to look around for a stick, or a big rock, but then it couldn't come back...
"Does anyone have a string on them? We could tie it to a rock to throw in and bring it back. Otherwise we can use a stick."
"I have a lot of...things." Aslan fiddles around with the various odds and ends in his belt and procures a string.
Joaco makes a little rock of darkness. "Tie this to it, then."
Faihan squirms like a cat, but now he's just trying to move out of the way, so Alejo carries him out of the way without letting go.
"Maybe the Chosen of Light can try to, um...lighten the dark?" Eli suggests.
Faihan shakes his head (from Alejo's arms). "I think it's Void, not Darkness."
"Okay so...the opposite of void is everything right?" Eli asks. "Maybe we can toss one of every element in or something."
"We can try doing the previous spell again...or something like it," Faihan agrees. Being able to counter Void was, after all, why Joaco had awoken the remaining Chosen and why he had brought the ten of them here today. "But...we may not be past all their traps yet, and we might be alerting them to the fact we're inside the barrier."
"Let's just drop in the string for now," Joaco says.
But now Faihan has started thinking, and by this point, everyone should know what that means. He continues: "If it's Void, then...there is a possibility that going in could...mean not coming out. Or..."
Faihan is quiet as he orders his thoughts, trying to figure out how to explain the idea that comes to mind.
"I don't really think it's a matter of holding your breath. I think...if there is a chance that you are going into a place that might undo you... Imagine it like a blackhole. You won't necessarily disappear, but you will be reduced to a singularity within that space. You will cease to exist as an individual being of matter, because you are now part of the blackhole's matter. The Void is, strictly speaking, a place of nothing, so not a blackhole...which is...an unbelievable amount of something. But I think there is a danger that going inside it might cause you to lose form and individuality in a somewhat similar way. You will have to maintain a very strong sense of existence, but the person most likely to lose sight of you could easily be you."
It sounds a little left-field, but he's already babbled this much. He decides to finish the thought, but embarrassed at the outlandish and now long-winded explanation, Faihan refuses to meet anyone's eye.
"I think it might be safer to go in if...all of us are really...dedicated to remembering the rest of us. Think of it like the magic of Higher Elements. An emotional spell of protection. If we are very careful to keep each other in our thoughts, we might be able to sustain being inside the Void?"
"So...congo line it is?" Eli jokes.
"Emotional conga line, maybe," Jomana smirks.
"That is a good way to put it. If it's nothingness, being very mindful of each other would be a good counter to it," Joaco agrees.
Faihan looks relieved that Joaco follows. "Let's just take a moment to organize our thoughts, because I have a feeling that...even if there is someone you really love in this group..." He does not say this unabashedly, but blushes a little, feeling hyperaware of Alejo at the moment. "...the Void will be attacking that sentiment with all of its power, in order to consume that person...and you. I don't know what we will face, but just in case, this could be a serious mental battle."
Eli instinctually swallows. He has no more jokes to offer. Instead, he nods and closes his eyes, trying to reflect on his relationships with the people in this circle. The weird rivalry with Alejo and how he still has some respect for the guy. Faihan being one of his closest friends. Juliet always making him laugh. Joaco...
Fernanda makes a scared little noise and holds out her hand. It might be a mental battle, but she wants someone to hold her hand. Because this sounds a lot harder than snakes. "Maybe it should just be one person who scouts...? Someone everyone here has a strongâgoodâfeeling towards."
Deadpan, Aslan remarks, "Your life depends on this popularity contest."
"That sounds stressful," says Wren.
"That sounds complicated, too," Eli adds.
"Not really. The rest of us just think really hard about that person, safe out here where we aren't being mentally beaten down, and that person is free to look around," Fernanda explains.
Juliet nods, taking Fernanda's hand again. "We should all either focus on one person who's going in, or each person think of someone different, so nobody gets overwhelmed trying to think of everybody at once. And nobody is forgotten."
"Thora is right," says Aslan (who mostly remembers their Elysium names; which may or may not inspire confidence in those around him). "We can't all think about everyone at once. It has to be one or the other."
"One weak link in the chain and it might be trouble," Joaco agrees.
"I feel like we're seconds away from airing grievances with each other," Eli smirks.
Faihan considers Juliet's logic and finally sighs. He doesn't like the conclusion he arrives at, but it's the only one that really makes sense. "It should be Joaco. Joaco should go alone, and we will shield him."
He knows, at least, that he will not lose the grip of that thread. If it must be him alone, he will pull Joaco back.
Especially if he's the one suggesting sending him in.
"That'll be easy for me at least," says Fernanda, brightening.
"I will never let go of my brother again, so I think I have to agree with Faihan," Alejo adds, solemnly.
"I didn't know I was this popular," Joaco jokes.
Eli rolls his eyes, "You know the most people here, I think. You better be careful."
"Popular. Iconic. Same difference. We'll have your back." Juliet shrugs.
"Too ANNOYING to forget," Aslan mutters, but he smiles a little upon saying it.
"I totally got this," adds Hakan.
"Now that your ego has been boosted..." Eli grins a little, his eyes glinting.
Joaco cups and strokes his own chin. "I'll be seeing you, then."
Faihan begins thinking about Joaco...
About that hot afternoon at the food festivalâJoaco taking his cans from him, making blush-worthy jokes about "passion fruit," and the silly argument that drove him away. He had seen Joaco before then, but never spoken to him. And somehow, this memory remains crystal clear to him, even now. It was, after all, the first.
He thinks of how excited he'd felt about the date that was not a date (and the disappointment of getting Diego's number instead). But he'd had so much fun (at the time, he couldn't even remember having so much funânot for a long, long time) playing those old arcade games. He'd even won, forcing Joaco to let him open all doors for the remainder of the evening. (He still feels a bit of satisfaction about that.)
He remembers the walk home, revealing his love of the stars and philosophizing on the ocean and the stories people tell about the night sky. Embarrassingly, he recalls asking about Joaco's home life (because he'd wanted to know if Joaco's house was private enough for...private things), but then Nyx had appeared in the bushes, and he flees that mortification into safer memories of inviting Joaco into his apartment (the first friend outside of Kaveh he'd allowed into his home; the first friend he'd made in years), piling his cat-filled arms with Tupperware boxes of homemade frozen dinners and cans of kitten food... He chuckles as he recalls how much Sukkar had loved him, and how Joaco had insisted he wasn't a cat person, just a kitten person, and how persistent he'd been about Joaco not taking Nyx to a shelter.
He'd put so much weight on Joaco liking Nyx; it's funny now. (And only a little embarrassing.)
He remembers the film festivalâthe awkward attempt to ask Joaco to go with him; Joaco explaining how he didn't have any particular movie preferencesâas long as it wasn't too artsy (which Faihan had found surprising even at the time; who didn't have a favorite movie after all?); the smoke and the whispering and the anxiety he'd felt...until Joaco's hand had settled, warm and steady, on his knee.
He thinks about the stag monster in the park, and he even allows himself to remember that moment (the one he has mostly avoided, because it gives him such a chill) when he was alone on the ground, wondering if he was going to die, and the Dark Knight appeared to save him. He'd had a lot of crushes at that time. Joaco's father. Joaco himself. And Joaco, as the Dark Knight. But at least only one of those has ever been revealed... He consoles himself with this.
And then he moves on to remembering how Joaco had held him on the steps afterward...and lied, but also reassured him he wasn't crazy; the cab ride home, and how they both refused to let the other pay the fare (he had met his match in stubbornness); how he'd warned Joaco not to toy with him, that he wouldn't accept another relationship where someone walked away because he wasn't as expected, and how Joaco had teased him for being exactly as expected and said he was Joaco's friend even if Faihan refused to say the same in return.
He recalls that fever-pitch of memory when it seemed everyone was in denial about Elysium, but Joaco believed him: believed that something was happening, that it was realâand more importantly, went out of his way to take Faihan under his wing and alleviate some of that stress.
That day at the beach...is a complicated memory, but one he comes back to often, not just because it was the day he met Alejo.
He huffs softly, reminiscing on how he'd tried to sneak up on Joaco, but he'd immediately been caught; how they wrestled in the water (and Joaco had grabbed him basically just the same as Alejo now, forcing him to concede); how Joaco wore his shirt to swim (which Faihan had also thought was so strangeâand disappointing)... He thinks about coming to after discovering that "Titus" was real and Joaco chewing Alejo out on his behalf. He also remembers Joaco chewing him outâbecoming angry for the first time in Faihan's experienceâwhen he fussed about the medics (too afraid that if he was forced into a hospital, he'd be forced into his parents' jurisdiction).
He'd felt so safe, walking side by side (bumping shoulders), Joaco reassuring him that the present was what mattered...
He starts to recall his awkward confession, but quickly moves past that painful memory, instead shifting his thoughts to Elysium, starting with the day Badr had run into Gaius by the statues outside the school (statues Badr had decided must look like Titus, filling in some gaps that...well). He scratches his eyebrowâearly memories of Badr are still embarrassing for him. But he recalls how Badr simply couldn't accept that same-sex relationships were off-limits in Serenitas. He'd been so sure there must be some mistake, that he'd understood wrongly, because how could that be true? He'd finally escaped Simurgh and his duties, and the first thing he'd heard was that romance was off the table. He'd stood there, interrogating Gaius (who had been very patient with him while juggling that huge stack of books), and then decided the prince must not like him.
And so their friendship had, much likes his and Joaco's, experienced a rocky beginning... He remembers how they fought over Donnersberg and the role of Simurgh in the Shadow Catastrophe (he wonders if Gaius had known, even then, the truth), and how confused and frustrated it had left Badr. They had not, he thinks, understood each other very well. Not yet. But he recalls preparing for the impromptu field tripâBadr had been so scared that they were going to have to fight in a real battle, that he was going to have to handle an object that might have once killed someone, but Gaius had taken him aside to help him find something to fulfill both Professor Zephyr's demands and alleviate Badr's worries. There was friction, but there was kindness, too.
His thoughts return to the present...and yet another embarrassing memory, but one of the very most important ones. It's a fragile but healing memoryâHalloween night.
Joaco had not been out at the time, but the play had demanded he take on a role that was personally revealing. He remembers Joaco confiding in him, and how he'd wanted so badly to say that it would be fine, but how could he? And when he'd admitted how he had come to be where he was, how it was this very thing that had shaped him so badly... Joaco had been so very kind. He had listened to Faihan's truth and accepted it without being afraid of it as a potential. And then he'd fed Faihan and taken him home to meet his abuelita, and it really had been a delicious breakfast. It was the first time that he had been able to really trust someone since the schism with his parents five years ago...and Joaco had shown him that leaning on another person...was its own kind of healing spell.
He recalls how angry Joaco was when he first learned about his father. It had surprised Faihan that Joaco would confide in him like that. More than that, that this stubborn, happy-go-lucky guy would reveal a part of himself that wasn't easy going and under the radar...it had been really moving for Faihan. Trust had blossomed at lastâa gift that would save Alejo at Christmas, because it meant that Joaco listened to him and let him handle things (despite his misgivings)âand so no one had laid hands on the thing that Alejo's pain had twisted him into, and he returned to them, safe and sound.
He doesn't really know how to express how grateful he is for this thing between them. Just thinking about it makes him start to tear up, so he quickly turns his thoughts to another placeâback to Elysium.
He recalls the tea time that finally tore down the walls between themâhow easy their back and forth became when at last Gaius had rejected the doctrine that had kept his thoughts prisoner. Gaius had baked such sweet little pies, and Badr had been so thrilled to finally engage him on these so-called blasphemous subjects. They had spent a long time together, discussing Gaius's theories on Phasma and, too, commiserating on forbidden love.
Maybe Gaius was the only one who had ever been rooting for Badr and Titus. Faihan wishes that Badr had paid attention instead of going out of his way to ignore Gaius's observations. He'd been too afraid that if he did, if he let himself believe... He feared too much that it was one-sided. But Faihan does not let himself return to thinking about where that fear led. Instead, he considers how it was that from that day forth, Badr had trusted Gaius implicitlyâenough to even admit his own sinful consideration of bachelorhood.
Just as Joaco has done so many times in the present, Gaius had taken Badr's hand in his own and eased his worries.
Like Kyo, Badr had not really understood the enormity of their talks. The secrecy was exciting, and joviality and ease of their schooldays only served to draw Badr even further away from the severity of their situation. He had not understood what was at stake, not until it was too late for him to do anything or save anyone. He was, in that way, very much like Faihan. Even when their philosophizing turned seriousâwhen he'd learned the truth about Song and Dragon, and Erlantz and Itzal and Kamaria, too; when it became clear that a world-ending threat stood before themâhe had hesitated, still clinging to the belief that it was just a game between schoolboys.
Before the terrible reveal, he'd suspected the Dark Knight's true identity. And while he had done nothing but worry over it, he did understand that the imbalance of the crystals was a dire situation. There were red flags everywhere, and the anxiety that Badr had been experiencing near the end of those memories was testament to the fact he understood that there was gravity to what he'd gotten himself into. But still, he had done nothing. He ignored his gut and waited for it to play out. If only he had ever listened to Gaius, whoâlike Joacoâwas always suggesting he listen to his instincts. But then, maybe Gaius had always known Badr would not (just like Joaco now). Maybe that's why he felt safe to conspire as much as he had...
For better and for worse, no one has ever understood Faihan so well as Joaco...and Gaius before him.
The mask had literally fallen away, and their happy schooldays ended. Yet in that ending, Gaius had broken his last chain, and Faihan recalls his first contact after his escapeâhow young and refreshed he'd seemed.
And of course Badr had been salty, but even so, they spoke so easily, and despite their misgivings, they confided in one another with little questionâphilosophizing about Void (a matter that was crucial to them now) and considering how they might find the hidden Light Crystal. Gaius had given him reason enough to trust him, maybe even hate him, but Badr had not, and Faihan can only assume that his affections continued even into the past that's locked to him now.
He has been thinking quite a lot about how things might have ended, especially in Joaco and Alejo's timeline. Why was it that Badr agreed to come to Earth? Why did he agree to give away his memories? The cynical part of him insists that it was to escape his failings. That Badr, so overcome with grief, must have wanted to run away. But the optimistic voice that yet lives inside him (a relic of Badr that does not make itself known often, but still exist) keeps suggesting that it might have been an unspoken pact between Badr and Gaius.
Yes, Gaius had broken his trust again at the end in choosing to stay behind, but maybe Badr hadn't been running away from his mistakes, or his losses. Maybe Badr, the eternal optimist, had come to an accord with Gaius and saw their new plan as a new chapter. It required some sacrifice, yes, but despite everything, maybe he somehow still believed that he would find a way to show Titus the world he'd promised, and so choosing to leave Elysium and forget everything, perhaps to Badr, he simply thought of it as a journey to reunite with Titus...with Gaius's blessing.
How has this personâwho does understand him, both Badr and Faihan, so thoroughlyâcontinued to believe in him? It defies all logic, and yet Joaco, just like Gaius, has never given up on him. Perhaps because of that, because it makes so very little sense, he recalls every time Joaco believed what he said (whether it was some small personal thing, or philosophizing about their very world), every time he took Faihan seriously (when no one else would, or should have, for that matter) with complete clarity. Doubt started to shroud Badr's thoughts, and Gaius was there, filling him with renewed vigor and determination (even if it hadn't always been his intent). Faihan had pushed and shoved and tried to make Joaco hate him, to prove that he should be hated, and Joaco had refused and insisted that he give himself another chance, that he deserved a little kindness.
Joaco has put so much effort into someone who has seemingly been a thorn in his side over and over again. And yet they are both here today, able to face this threat, because of it. They have avoided each other and attracted to one another; pushed and pulled... But here and now, Faihan is certain of one thing: if there is anyone in this world that he can trust, it is this complex, ridiculous, stubborn, and wonderful personâthe one he has called Joaco and Gaius...and maybe Itzal, too.
And so, above all things, Faihan trusts himself where Joaco is concerned: enough that he knows if it were only the two of them here right now, he would still bring Joaco back.
And he thinks maybe Joaco knows this, too.
Eli's feelings for Joaco are complex and simple. Simply put, he's loved Joaco through two lifetimes. Complexly, those lifetimes have been filled with what he interprets as betrayal. But the love is stronger. He knows that to be Joaco throughout his many incarnations has been a lonely existence. He wishes Joaco could have a life in which he doesn't constantly have to think of the fate of the world and of those he loves. Eli has continued to hold that feeling closeâeven as Joaco accepted help finally. He has wanted Joaco to have a life in which he does not have to carry such a heavy burden. That is what he's wanted most of all.
Alejo's relationship with Joaco has spanned multiple lives, and in each and every one of them, they have been brothers. Joaco can be stubborn, but he is a big softie despite his claims and actions, and now, freed from many chains, Alejo can love him unconditionally.
Fernanda's thoughts are simpler. Joaco has only been her Joaco for less than six months. But they have been a good six months. She thinks about watching her brothers playing video games, the three of them watching movies together, Eli and Joaco lifting weights and flirting SOOOOO embarrassingly when they thought no one was around, the way that Joaco made friends with all the workers at the mansion and treated them so nicely, about how she lost that bet and didn't get to buy anything for like a week (and it was very hard), dinners with his mom and their dad being so head over heels in love (and how it was so cute how they were like teenagers still, as if the past decades had never happened, and their hearts had never wavered), and about the rare moments when she'd caught him really and truly smilingâlike some mask had finally fallen away, and the person behind it was startling to behold...
Aslan remembers Gaius. He remembers him as the annoyance who always got his hand up before Aditiâwho didn't even have the good graces to be wrong, so that she could supply the correct answer. He remembers competing on exams and evaluations, glaring at him over books in the library, and also being a little excited, because there was someone around who she could compete withâwho made her try a little harder and do a little better. He thinks about the way Kyo looked younger when he came away from their interludes, and how she wasn't jealous, but maybe she was a little sad that Kyo was never so happy to see her. That was love, though.
He thinks about the prince who was always lending a helping hand, baking pies, demurring to his "older" brother. A nuisance. But also the person who had most pushed Aditi to be her best.
"Anyway, please, zero melodrama. Here, take this, Alejo." Joaco puts something in his brother's hand before he turns to look at everyone. "Please be ready, I'm certain they'll launch an attack here soon."
Alejo blinks in confusion and stuffs it in his pocket instead. "Please don't do anything reckless, okay?"
Fernanda offers a thumbs up.
Aslan wants to know what Joaco gave Alejo, but shrugs. He's ready as he'll ever be.
Faihan just nods, concentrating.
With a wave of his hand, Joaco turns around and steps into the door.
Eli gasps, suddenly looking worried, but swallows his nerves. "See you soon! Idiot!" He doesn't mean the last bit, but his throat feels like cotton, and he has to distance himself somehow.
"...attack?" Wren repeats. "From that door or the other?"
"Maybe both?" Fernanda readies her shield.
A low growl can be heard from the distance, but it isn't just a growl, the ground by the tree starts shaking.
Aslan fingers the belt. He'd tried memorizing all the odds and ends the night before, but as the ground shakes, he feels his mental catalog failing.