Archive of Our Own

Jon wasn't sure when the last time he'd seen dawn was. Or dusk. Or night. 

Or any time that wasn't this damn twilight hue. 

He knew it annoyed Sasha and Tim as much as it annoyed him, however he couldn't find it in himself to start up a conversation about the sky. 

'Yeah, because the sky is the weird part of this realm.' Jon could already imagine Tim saying. He'd scrub at the nape of his neck where a thick stubble and tusk of a boar had emerged without even noticing.

Jon's conversation with Sasha would reach the same conclusion, although probably more with a roll of her eyes and a "That's why it's called the Twilight Forest." while fiddling with her antlers that she definitely did not come in here with. 

Not that Jon would even find the courage to drop his prickly attitude here. Since the first moments they'd come through the world portal, Jon had kept up an annoyed attitude, vaguely annoying Tim in of itself. 

Actually yes it definitely annoyed Tim. Jon had even insulted him a few times, which he winced at. Not like he'd apologize. At least not inside the forest.

When the two had met Sasha, the  prickliness hadn't budged. Not even when Jon felt she could be trusted, not even when they'd trekked through woods together, fought enemies together and done everything they could together. 

Jon hadn't dropped the rudeness once. He'd come close a few times but the woods stopped him, whispering secrets down his back and lies to his front, whispering don't trust anyone and enticing him into silence. 

He didn't drop the attitude because he was scared. So very afraid of the woods that had surrounded his whole journey, of the land that was foreign beneath his boots and the mist that sung sweet praises to him that he knew to ignore. He couldn't maintain a positive attitude like Sasha or simply barrel through the problem like Tim. 

So he remained with his prickly attitude as his only defense against these cold unforgiving woods. 

Jon had lost himself in thought as Tim gave a small nudge on his shoulder. They were walking towards the next objective, a small cave that was rumored to be inhabited by the yeti. 

Tim was on his left side, nearly leaving him behind with strong strides, and Sasha was to his right, examining the land around them with a grim determination, cataloguing everything through bright amber eyes. They shone behind her glasses and Jon only wished he could maintain her level of focus. Alas, he could not, and as ever, found himself drifting to the left, into Tim. 

Which is where the nudge came in. 

"Boss? You good there?" Jon wasn't sure what had got Tim latched onto the nickname 'Boss' for the past few weeks but he suspected his insulting "bossy" attitude may have been to blame. 

Tim was frowning at him, Jon realised as he blinked into reality once again. He was really drifting off these past couple of days wasn't he? Lost in thought. 

"Yes, I'm good." Jon replied curtly, noticing that Sasha was also looking at him strangely. Why were they concerned? Sure, he'd been probably more lost in thought and unvocal the last couple of days, but that was his business. 

Tim didn't look convinced. Jon glared at him but missed the mark by a mile so it looked like he was just tired. 

Jon rolled his eyes and broke out of the staring contest him and Tim had gotten into. "I was just recollecting on what Prentiss said." 

It was a half-truth. A few hours before, while they'd walked through the swamp, the conversation had replayed again and again in his mind, constantly.

--

The Lich Queen ripped a hole in the wall beside Tim, making the other boy to fold in on himself, avoiding the hit. However this forced his shoulder into the wall. Jon saw Tim wince from across the room but he had no room to think as Jane Prentiss turned her body towards him and Sasha, pushing her scepter towards them, forcing a sick type of pestilence towards them. 

Sasha ran towards her, ducking quickly and missing the wave of nausea. Jon froze, wavering slightly as he froze while deciding between following Sasha or running for himself. 

Eventually he was too late and Jon barely managed to duck from the fumes the took up the majority of his head, a nauseating emptiness filling up his head. 

'The host, the host, the host.' Jon found thoughts that weren't his filling his head as he nearly collapsed. Tim's eyes widened and despite the intense pain in his shoulder, managed to jump across the battered library bookcases, grabbing Jon's shoulder and forcing the smaller man to drink a greenish blue fluid. "Asast." The shopkeep had called it. "And it heals all misconduct during fights." 

But that wasn't the part of the fight Jon was focusing on. As Jane realised she was losing her only advantage, she lashed out, throwing the harmful dust all over the room and howling a merciless song. 

And then her eyes had locked on Jon. And the singlur raven feather tucked into his hair. And she smiled. 

"You and me-" She started slowly, hovering a bit off the ground using the scepter to beat off any arrows Sasha was aiming to get at her. Jon gulped as she advanced. 

"We aren't so different." She cradled the feather carefully, almost skeletal hands intimately cradling Jon's face with a malicious hand. 

Jon slapped her hand away but the smirk didn't leave Jane's face as she turned to the rest of them. Sasha had managed to land a killing blow yet, even with thick blood trailing from the shot, her smirk didn't leave her face. 

"In fact, you're all with the Twilight now." She was eyeing Sasha's antlers with a knowing eye before taking a glance at Tim's tusks. Jon could have swore he saw Tim's hold back a barely contained snarl. 

Jane began to laugh, right as Tim brought down his axe. Again. And again. 

He hit her body with so much violence and force, an angry spark in his eyes that Jon hadn't seen before. But her smile didn't fade. 

"You're one of us now. Good luck, travellers." Her eyes did begin to glaze over and her speech did keep get interrupted by Tim's axe however Jon found her words speaking straight to his soul. "The Twilight likes you." 

Despite what she was saying, the words were a threat, although not one coming from her. The Twilight liking you wasn't a positive. 

Jon saw Tim's muscles strain as he also absorbed the whole impact of the statement before he swung down with more force and bloodshed than Jon had seen his whole life, chopping her head clean off, the thick blood going everywhere and leaving a muddled puddle in the middle of the tower. 

Jon shared a look with Tim and Sasha. None of them were up to talking on the way back.

--

"Yeah that was weird." Tim folded his arms behind the back of his head, gently ignoring the lighter areas of his hair that Jon was sure had the texture of thick fur. Tim hadn't let him check if they did or not. "Like what she said about us being like her?" 

Jon bit his lip, turning away. "Yes. It was strange." 

"...Do you think its because of the..." Sasha gave a quick glance to the raven feather tucked away neatly in Jon's hair, and then glanced back to his eyes like she was looking at something she wasn't meant to. "...unwanted additions?"  

"Perhaps." Jon wanted to move off this conversation as quick as possible. The thought of becoming like her-

No, he wouldn't even consider it. 

Jon pointedly ignored the feather shedding from his hair as he lagged slightly behind the two other travellers, definitely ignoring the two black feathers that had sprouted in the old ones place. 

Jon didn't think about how the others advancements were spreading slower than his. Nope, he definitely wasn't even considering it. 

The knot that had been in his stomach since coming here tightened. 

They'd set up camp when Jon started to yawn and Tim's steps started getting slower. Sasha dictated enough time had passed that this could be considered 'night' despite the ever present twilight, and a small campsite had been set up, complete with a campfire, several hastily made sleeping bags and a stack of backpacks belonging to each member of the group. 

Jon had wandered off to set up traps for the next morning, as the only food they could access in this place would be from it. They were lucky the venison was nice here. 

Sasha sat with Tim, grazing in the grass with his head on her lap as she filtered her fingers through his hair. They'd been very intimate but neither of them were sure if they were friends or more. They'd both settled the thought with the promise to think about it once they got out of the forest, and resolved to enjoy the company for the time being. 

Sasha watched with wide eyes as something moved in the corner of her eye. It was too small for Jon so she suspected it might be a deer. 

Sasha frowned as a wolf almost ten times bigger than normal entered her vision, sniffing at the corner of the clearing, looking for something.

Tim frowned, wondering why Sasha had stopped running her fingers through his hair and moved his head up slightly so he could see. His eyes widened as he spotted the wolf however Sasha put a hand to his mouth, her eyes only leaving the wolf for a second as she shook her head down at him. Tim frowned but ultimately trusted her and stayed silent and still. 

"That's a Wisp-Wolf." Sasha whispered down to him, voice barely audible. "They usually aren't able to be seen in the nighttime, until they attack." 

Sasha stayed fascinated as Tim's eyes widened. Sasha's curiousity had gotten them into some harsh situations sometimes but he trusted that she wouldn't do anything strange for this situation. Sasha frowned as the wolf sniffed around the trunk of a tree, her eyes widening as the wolf started to locate a berry bush. 

She had not interest in berries herself, as they had all agreed it would be safer for them to avoid anything that may be poisonous and that include glowing berry bushes. But watching the wolf eat them and knowing the Wisp-Wolves were known for their carnivoric nature fascinated her. 

She must have watched the wolf for a whole ten minutes. The wolf must have cleared the whole bush at that point and, as Sasha watched with curiousity, the wolf locked eyes on her. Sasha couldn't find it in herself to look away, despite knowing the hostile nature of Wisp-Wolves. 

And then the wolf turned away and left. 

"Fascinating." Sasha let out a sigh as Tim desperately got up, being held in the same position for a whole ten minutes wasn't comfortable.

"What was that?" Tim couldn't help his own curiousity, despite knowing how close they might have been to death in those past few minutes. Sasha gleamed with excitement. 

"I have no idea but it would be fascinating to study-" 

Tim sighed deeply, going back to her lap. "Maybe in the morning? Once Jon comes back I'm going to bed." 

Sasha deflated at this but she understood. "In the morning. Plus, we might run into another bush of those berries to study, since the wolf cleared off that one." 

"What happens if I eat one I reckon?" Tim shifted himself carefully, noticing his lighter coloured hair (he wasn't going to call it fur in a million years) cropping up around her thigh uncomfortably. Sasha didn't seem to notice however. 

"You can always try. For science of course." 

"I reckon it would taste like a peach." Tim closed his eyes, feeling the tug of drowsiness overcome him for a second. No, he could stay awake until Jon came back at least. He expected Jon to do the same for him after all and he wasn't one for abandoning his buddies... However rude they were.

Sasha continued theorising as Tim replied with a few words every minute. Tim sighed. Sasha wouldn't be able to sleep with theories on her mind so it was possible they'd be here all night.

Jon crotched next the trap, legs already aching from the struggle of the day.

However he was determined to stay crotched so he could tie up the strings from where they'd come loose. Otherwise they'd have no meal for tomorrow.

He was also trying to ignore the glow of light in the distance.

Light he knew wasn't Tim or Sasha. But... something else.

Maybe someone else.

Jon let the string go slack almost unconsciously as he frowned into the distance. 

He would say he had good self-preservation techniques but he'd be wrong. Even as he began to walk towards the light he kept convincing himself it was the smart decision to make, ignoring the part of his brain that suggested this was just a meaningless and possibly dangerous encounter. 

Despite that, Jon edged closer. He'd never seen another campfire before but then again, people who did see something strange usually didn't live to tell the tale. Jon knew he should turn around, go home, maybe report it to Sasha and Tim. 

...but the urge to know what it was and the gentle curiosity that had turned into a need was pushing him forward, through the tree line. 

Eventually Jon reached a clearing, the air getting colder as walked and his breath getting shorter. He was too far in to back out however and he was much too invested to even consider the option. 

The clearing was cold. More cold than the forest around it, and with a blanket of mist on the floor like a blanket. It looked so ominous yet so peaceful and Jon hated to disturb the scene as he stepped through it. 

There was a figure in the edges of the clearing. 

Jon could tell the figure already towered over him and could easily win in a fight, however that didn't stop him from entering the clearing, accidentally stepping on a twig, the snap echoing through the whole clearing. 

Next to them, Jon could see a small campfire, some plants on top of it.

Was that fire blue?

Jon froze and the figure jumped, hunching in on itself. It was a man about his age, with a generally friendly face with ginger hair. Jon found himself wondering if this was another traveller, like Sasha had been and instantly had the thought of inviting this traveller or join their little group.

Despite the fact it had taken them a week to determine if Sasha should join them...

In the man's hands was a collection of  steeleaf ingots. Jon's eyes widened as he remembered Sasha saying those ingots had mystical properties unknown to man and then laughing as he struggled for a full hour to reach one of them from the floor of the trolls cave.

Maybe she wasn't just saying that as a joke...

"Hi." Jon found himself greeting.

"A traveller?" The man asked. Jon frowned, people kept calling them that so-

"Yes. Jonathan Sims. Potionmaker." Jon found his expression melt into the 'dont talk to me, I will bit you' expression naturally. Sasha had joked it was a way to ward off predators, but honestly it just felt comfortable. It wasn't his fault it made everyone so uncomfortable.

"Martin Blackwood." After his introduction, Martin paused slightly which reminded Jon of what he used to do when he first got here and was faced with an impossible to interpret situation. It gave Jon a question. 

"How long have you been here?" Jon asked. Martin gave a sigh, itching the back of his neck. 

"A bit too long." Martin laughing, giving a half answer. Jon wasn't okay with that however, unless he wanted to give up how long her been here, (almost eight months now) he wouldn't push.

Jon frowned. His experience felt simultaneously shorter and way longer than that. 

Martin didn't seem to have any additional traits like the rest of them had, so that was a good sign.

"What... are you doing? Just... travelling?" Martin asked. Jon noticed how awkwardly hunched he was. And how uncomfortable he was. Wasn't a social person, Jon assumed. 

Whatever that wasn't his problem. He rolled his eyes, trying to ignore how he felt like an asshole. It was his defense goddammit! 

"Obviously."

"Where to?" Martin curiously asked. Jon instantly got suspicious.

Why did he want to know where they were travelling, was he a spy, maybe someone sent to kill them or protect the ice king. Maybe he was from another of the bosses they'd killed, here for revenge, maybe that's why the fire was blue it all made sense-

Another part of him suggested that he was just trying to crack the ice. Jon ignored this part of him.

"If you don't want to tell me that's fine too." Martin guiltily said, looking to the side slightly. Jon frowned. He... wasn't pushing?

Maybe that was another plot by Martin. But then again, what would that accomplish? 

"Where are you going?" Jon bit back. Martin recoiled with the force of the question before breathing out slightly.

"I'm just picking up some steeleef. They make good armour." Martin replied. 

Jon squirmed, but couldn't find any hint of lying, or even omission. No, Martin seemed to be entirely truthful.

"The troll hill was right over there if you wanted to check it out." Martin pointed east. Jon frowned.

There had been a trolls hill on the map Tim had, and it was in that direction. 

"I'm going to the Ice Kings palace." Jon confessed, seizing up with fear as he did so. Martin blinked for a second before smiling.

"You're fighting the ice king?" Martin tilted his head to the side curiously. Jon winced and nodded.

"Well, we've already defeated the Lich Queen and the Naga." May as well confess it all now. Martin's eyes grew wide. 

"You defeated the Lich Queen?" 

"It... wasn't an easy fight but yes. We defeated the Lich Queen." Jon refused to mention or even think about Jane's speech. Not here not ever. 

Martin stayed with his eyes wide. Jon accidentally nudged up against him and recoiled quickly.

He didn't miss the awkward motion Martin made, as if he wasn't used to being near someone. Perhaps he wasn't if he'd been in here as long as he implied. 

Or maybe he just didn't want to be near Jon. Both were equally possible.

And then Jon felt a small almost careful nudge on his side and an apologetically smiling Martin Blackwood. Jon found he didn't mind the nudge this time. Now he was prepared for it.

"So... how was fighting the Naga?"

Chatting with Martin was nothing like chatting with Tim or Sasha and while they both were boisterous in their own ways, Martin was shy, reserved. Like him, Jon thought.

It didn't help the friendship that everytime Martin would ask a question, Jon felt the need to put up his walls all over again and lash out. But still, Martin stayed with him, continuing talking for longer than both Sasha and Tim would have normal.

He must really be desperate, Jon thought.

When Jon came back, Tim was standing guard with a packed up campsite and a sleeping Sasha on top of the pile. Jon stared undeterred as Tim delivered a 'I was so worried what the fuck' speech.

Jon didn't tell them anything. Just some lie about the deer traps needing renovating. He didn't feel the need to.

Tim regarded this explanation suspiciously. Jon didn't care.

He didn't need to trust them with this. It wasn't their issue.

Jon and Martin had a few meetings after that. Surprisingly, Martin had liked Jon enough to meet up several times more.

And suprisingly enough for Martin, Jon had liked him enough to agree to meet up with him again.

So they'd chatted a bit. 

And Jon felt his world expand from two people to three people.

They were walking for what must have been hours, Jon glancing at the map every few seconds, trying hard not to fiddle with the mess of raven feathers that had now taken hold above both of his ears. The castle should have been around here somewhere, the map said so. However-

"I can't see anything, Jon are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Sasha enquired, popping her head over Jon's shoulder to check the map. 

"Sash, you've asked that plenty-" Tim began and then stopped. 

Jon looked up from the amber glowing map to see Tim take a step back, eyes locked with something in the distance. He followed that gaze and - 

"Annabelle." Tim let out a growl. 

The woman stepped out of the tree branches, purple ripped robes hung around her figure and glowing eyes fixed on the three. "Well if it isn't my old rivals." 

"Annabelle, what do you want?" Jon was blunt, just wanting to get this over and done with. The less they had to deal with Annabelle, the better. 

And plus, he didn't think Tim could hold himself back from striking her after the five minute mark. Even now his eyes were lit up with a violence Jon was getting used to seeing. 

Sasha wasn't much better, handle on her hunting knife and just itching to have an opportunity to equip her bow. Jon sighed, Annabelle better make this quick. 

"I was searching for the Ice King. Had a few deliveries to run to him." She wasn't fooling anyone. Annabelle stopped messing with the hem of his robes for just a second, smiling at them. 

"Actually, that's was a lie. Sorry about the deception. Although I must get on to those deliveries, I just came here to give my old friends something to help out." 

Jon's eyes narrowed. Friends - as if they'd ever been friends. Annabelle held out a hand and Sasha frowned at the rest. Tim gave a nod and after a second, Jon gave one aswell. 

Annabelle smiled as Sasha looked towards her hand. As soon as she was over there, her eyes widened, taking whatever was in them. She was still suspicious however Jon had neither seen Sasha take anything so quickly. He was a bit worried, and it was clear Tim echoed Jon's thoughts. 

"What did she give you?" As Annabelle dissappeared into the trees again, Sasha held out her hand. It was filled with the berries from the other day, Tim realised although Jon still saw no obvious connotations. 

"Glowing... berries?" 

Tim explained the story, first the wolf and then the usual hunt for them. Jon was deep in thought, before suggesting a theory to Sasha. Sasha shook her head, whispering one back and Jon took it into consideration.

Tim's fingers curled around his axe as he listened to the twos theories. "Can we not just take it as a miracle the wolf didn't attack us and move on? Annabelle clearly means trouble." 

"But these berries may be our way out of here. We haven't studied the ecosystem here enough, these might be a crucial part of it." 

Tim understood where she was coming from, however in his mind he couldn't shake the fact Annabelle had gave them it.. 

And that he was yet to see another berry bush like that since.

They found the ice kings lair after a few days. Jon frowned up at the towering building, its walls made of ice however seeming to reflect every colour of the rainbow, each one singing a different song however unified within the walls. 

There didn't seem to be a single opening in the ice, something Jon found himself desperately wishing for. The only other option that left was-

A sharp crack sound echoed through the forest as Tim's axe hit the ice violently, smashing it to pieces and providing them an entrance. Tim didn't look up at them as he put his axe away, only looking vaguely exhausted. Sasha crept through, not bothering to wait for anyone else as Tim seemed to come to his senses a little and follow her. 

Jon was going to suggest climbing but he guessed Tim's way was also a good solution before following the two inside. 

Sasha was already fighting two ice guards inside, dodging each blow they tried to strike and getting a few hits in with her dagger. Jon considered for a second that may be inefficient before he saw something gleam from her backpack and Sasha had pulled out a glass sword, smashing it against the two, killing them instantly. 

Tim was wildly swinging on the other side of the room, his gaze locked with a guard while two came up behind him. Jon dug into his backpack, producing two potions of harming and sliding underneath the guards, so both him and Tim were locked in by the guards. But Jon had a plan, throwing the potion of harming to the ground while grabbing Tim's hand and pulling him away. Tim got the message and started running out of there faster than Jon with the other boys grip still locked on his wrist so he swung Jon with him.

Sasha caught up to them and they were really in the ice kings lair now, with guards a plenty. Jon fished out as many potions as he could reasonable carry, flinging healing ones to both Sasha and Tim before the room descended into chaos. Sasha took the three guards to the right while Tim took the two ice officers to the left, leaving Jon the middle.

The closest enemy was in the next room. Jon crawled through the gap unnoticed, hoping to make a head start on the next room and throwing some potions of harming down. Maybe a bit too many. Uhm. 

Maybe he'd run out of potions of harming. 

But he wasn't useless just yet. Jon climbed to a vantage point, equipping the bow Sasha had spent an hour teaching him how to use before giving up. 

Before he spotted him. 

"Martin...?" Jon let out a confused breath as he saw a faint image of the boy exiting the room. He shouldn't be distracted right now but...

Jon shuffled through his bag for an invisiblity potion, endless thoughts racing through his head on why Martin could be at the ice kings castle. Maybe it was an illusion, a practical joke by the king, perhaps Martin had remembered they were making an attack and had changed his mind, maybe Martin had been kidnapped. 

Either way, Jon couldn't stop himself from following the misty eyed boy in through the other room, invisible to the naked eye. His armor lay forgetton on the floor and he hoped whatever detour he was making to see Martin would allow him to get back before the other two had progressed to this room. 

"Martin." They were alone in the next room, some sort of corridor like thing  with just the two of them, Martin pacing up ahead, unaware of Jon's presence and Jon running after him, a vague spectre. 

Martin's eyes widened as he turned, staring in stunned silence as Jon barreled towards him, the invisiblity potion wearing off. Had he been following Martin for three minutes?

"Martin!" Jon caught up so him and Martin were only metres from each other. The other boy hadn't moved from his place and Jon could have sworn he saw him shiver. 

"Why are you here, are you okay?" Jon had no idea why the first words out of his mouth were inquires on Martin's physical wellbeing or why'd he instantly gone to grab Martin's arm, to force the boy to face him. It was this movement that turned Martins face from a stunned expression to fear. 

"Jon?" He squeaked out. Jon let go of his arm, stepping a step back, still obviously concerned however staying his distance, almost as if he was hovering nervously. 

"It's okay, my teammates are here too and we're taking down the ice king." Jon explained. The ashen expression on Martin's face didn't move however, getting even more scared. Jon frowned slightly. "... Martin?" 

His voice was hesitant now, at first he hadn't considered anything but Martin not being there of his own will but the more this went on... 

The more he was starting to see just how suspicious it was that Martin was in the castle in the first place. 

He never said he was human, right? Jon had just implied because he looked human and acted human. But now that Jon could see him properly, he could see how the edges of his hair had snowflakes in it, and how his skin was almost frozen over like the texture of ice. How the clearing around them had been so cold when Jon had entered, how he'd refused to tell Jon how long he'd been here. 

Jon stayed frowning at him, realisation dawning in his eyes. "You're from here." 

Martin was still wide eyed. Jon's voice was absolutely impossible to read, just a still empty fact of the matter voice, nothing personal. And then Martin nodded. 

It made too much sense and Jon hated it. The one person who actually tolerated him and-

Martin hadn't exactly lied to him, but when Jon had assumed that he was also a human, Martin just hadn't bothered to correct him. 

 ...it wasn't a lie but it hurt as much as it would if Martin had actually lied to him. 

Jon took a step back. Times he could have died to this creature flashed before his eyes, the fragile trust he'd put in Martin broken in seconds. 

"Jon, I'm sorry, I should have told you I was from here sooner, but you were the first person I'd seen in ages and I just wanted company-" Martin could see the realisation working below Jon's eyes and hunched in on himself even more. 

"Shut up." Jon's voice was barely audible as he hung his head towards the ground, expression still unreadable and tension swelling in his gut. The one person he could trust besides Tim and Sasha and-

Jon looked up and made a desicion. 

"I'm sorry, I didnt expect you to come here until later, I didn't mean for-" Martin was backing away even further, his expression not so much scared as it was guilty, and it killed Jon. He should be scared, he was the enemy and had lied to Jon and he had the audacity to feel guilty about it. 

He should be running for his life. 

Jon moved quicker than Martin could account for. He was mainly the potion provider but it would be unfair to say Jon only had that skill. In fact, he could quite adequately equip a knife, although he'd never got it such close quarters to use it. (Sasha had practiced with him the first few days they'd meet her, helping him work on technique and efficiency.)

(Jon suppressed a shudder while thinking of her smiling face. He'd nearly exposed her and Tim to the... creature in front of him.) 

Jon swiped Martin's shoulder through to the flesh, forcing thick red blood to the surface of his shoulder. It was almost slow motion, the way Martin's eyes widened as he realised what was happening. Jon just grimaced, resolving to aim for the leg next. 

A curse sprung from Martin's lips, "Shit Jon, I'm sorry I-" 

Jon didn't allow him to apologise, instead already swiping at the leg. The shot should have brought Martin to his knees, allowing Jon to finish him however Martin manage to jump back from him just in time. 

"Jon, just listen to me-" Martin tried to reason with him yet again, voice getting firmer, but it was getting clear with every second that his reasoning was falling on uncaring ears. Maetin could have sworn Jon's eyes dilatated like a cats as he focused on Martin's unblemished shoulder. Martin realised what he was doing not a second too late, ducking as Jon's knife just barely missed his fragile skin. 

Martin was in it now. With no weapons (not that he'd want to fight Jon in the first place) he only had once choice left. Well, technically he had two, but reasoning had been thrown out of the window. 

Martin turned and ran, feeling Jon's hesitation for only a second before the other boy started chasing him. But they were on Martin's territory, and although Jon may be physically faster, he did not have the advantage. 

The floor before Jon moved, forcing the adventurer to slip up and fall. Martin whispered a small inaudible sorry to the mess that was Jon's crumpled body before taking off. 

Martin's thoughts were racing. He did really mean to tell Jon he was an ice guard, but every time he considered it, he'd trip up, or back out or Jon's would say something about humans that would just prove how out of place he was and yeah no, it was easier to just pretend and laugh along with the jokes and praises then to have Jon's tediously explain every human intricacy in order to understand a quick joke or fact. 

Now he was paying for that hesitation. With his life apparently. Martin froze at the stairwell, taking a moment to consider before sprinting up the staircase, a choice he instantly regretted. There was nowhere to go up there and it wasn't as if there was many places to hide. Unlike the ground floor, which he could disappear into the forest with and lose Jon's trail easily. 

Martin mentally cursed himself. Jon was on his tail again, which meant there was no room to turn around, and it's not like he could kill Jon, that was just- no, he couldn't do it. 

So Martin kept sprinting up out of breath, barely managing to dodge the knife that somehow seemed to catch up to him every time he thought he was safe. They must have been about thirty floors up by the time Martin felt he couldn't go on any longer. But he had to. The other choice was death. 

Jon had never felt so betrayed. At least with Annabelle he already had a suspicion of her alterior motives, and when she'd split from their group he'd been justified in those beliefs, a sense of vindication filling his veins as well as the added relief that they wouldn't have to deal with her anymore. 

With Martin it was different. With Martin, he'd been thought he actually liked him. His presence.

He should have got suspicious when Martin hadn't left after the first meeting. Hadn't found him annoying, volunteering to meet up with him even.

Jon was so caught up in the euphoria of having someone who actually seemed to like him that he'd forgotten that the Twilight Forest was never the simple. 

They made it to the top floor.

Jon could see the beads of sweat trailing down Martins face and was sure his own face mirrored that same sweat. However he was too full of anger to slow down having caught another small swipe at Martin on the stairwell. Not deep enough to draw blood. 

Martin still had that same wide eyed expression as he turned to face Jon again. His hand were an unusual colour, a fact Jon didn't notice until his own hands had turned the same colour, an icy blue. 

He couldn't move them. 

"I'm sorry." Martin kept apologising and Jon hated it, swinging wildly towards him with the best precision he could manage giving his hands were... like that. Jon noticed Martin's hands were once again glowing that icy blue and spared a glance towards where they were pointed, his eyes widened as he did so. 

"Martin don't you dare-!" But Jon's boots were already covered with a thick ice, rooting him to the floor. Martins expression was pained - 'as if it pained him to do this!' Jon let the thought tear through his mind. 

An unfamiliar noise echoed through the castle and Jon desperately hoped it was Tim and Sasha noticing he'd gone missing. He never should have left them, they should be here, fighting by his side. 

(He should have trusted them.)

The noise seemed to be unfamiliar to Martin too, that is, before his eyes widened in recognition. And fear? 

"I'm so sorry, I'll be right back-" Martin was already leaving and it took every ounce of will Jon had left to not scream at him. Instead Jon managed an array of angry barks and orders, all of which Martin ignored with a pained expression. Jon stayed still as Martin left the room before looking down at his legs with an scowl of disgust. 

Anger still beat through his veins with an undying hum and adrenaline was still very present in his bloodstream. If Martin expected him to give up here because he was stuck, he was miscalculating Jon's abilities. 

Although he was left without any potions, since they were in his backpack abandoned at the second room. Jon gave another scowl, trying something with his knife. 

No, his knife couldn't dislodge this type of ice, especially not while his hands were also locked together. 

There was no options left. 

Aside from- Jon conserved the idea for moment before deciding it would have to do, scrubbing his hands together on the icy floor and wincing with pain on every shot. Still, Jon didn't stop, his hands becoming very raw and rubbery with every movement. He wasn't even through the first half of the ice yet. 

After about five minutes, Jon had managed to crack his hands out of the ice prison, although not without them become very blistered, as well as a rawness Jon had never felt before. It hurt to even exist like this, and he was sure he couldn't hold a knife without dropping it instantly but the adrenaline was still filtering through his veins and he wasn't about to start backing out now. 

Jon started on his feet, the task slightly less painful due to the existence of his boots but his feet still feeling like he'd walked on hot embers by the end of the experience. Jon took a moment to breath, surveying his hands before heading to the stairwell. 

"Tim, Sasha?" Jon's voice boomed through the castle and after a few seconds he heard a reply. 

"Jon? Where are you?" That was Tim, his voice echoing throughout the halls. 

"The top story. They froze my hands and feet but I'm out now." Jon didn't mention Martin and definitely didn't mention the fact his hands now looked like shredded paper. A moment went past before Sasha replied. 

"We're coming up now. Don't move." 

Jon was tempted to. A part of his brain whispered to him. Trust them. They'd do the same for you.

But that part of his brain hadn't been in control since he got here, and Jon completely ignored the instruction, heading towards the last place he'd seen Martin. 

It was a few minutes of walking through almost endless hallways before Jon heard voices, one familiar one not. 

"You might want to reevaluate the decisions on-" The voice was gruff, and seemed to fade out and back in after every few words, like the speaker wasn't actually there. It was a friendly tone however held a deep almost unidentifable second meaning to it. Jon froze as the second voice spoke. 

"I will, I'm sorry Peter I-" That was Martin's voice. Jon's stomach lit up with the same anger from before, his eyes glazing over the with the urge to run after him growing. He couldn't stop himself from instantly pulling out his knife again and running towards the voices, not caring who heard him or Sasha and Tim. He only cared about one thing at that moment. 

He could see Martin a few metres from the edge of one of the castles steep drop offs, the part where the walls just ended and everything around you was air, aside from the ice you were standing on. It was almost like a peninsula.

The person Martin was talking to was unable to be seen and as Jon kept further out from the icy wall he couldn't see anyone aside from Martin. Had there even been a person? It didn't matter, his thoughts went back to the ice guard and he gripped the knife closer to his chest. They'd dispose of him like any other ice guard, it didn't matter.

It didn't matter that now that Jon's anger had calmed, he found he really didn't want to kill Martin. None of it mattered. 

He got close enough for Martin to notice him, the boys eyes shooting up as he stared, stunned, at Jon's small form. His eyes glanced to the knife and then to Jon's scalped hands with a wince. Jon didn't let it bother him, as much as he also wanted to wince. 

"Jon, I'm sorry, hear me out and we can sort this out. I don't want to hurt you and I really meant to tell you about my nature." Martin held his arms out placatingly, like he was tried to calm a wild animal and at the same time took an unconscious step back, closer to the open air. Jon matched his step with one forward, and then another forward and then he was almost at the entrance to the ice peninsula, forcing the boy to take one more step back. 

"Then why'd you trap me in an icy prison." Jon took a step onto the open ice, ignoring the sudden wind howling around him and holding his knife out in front of him, waving it around so Martin knew the threat. 

"You were trying! To kill me! Self defence!" Martin yelled, noticeably upset. "If you would just listen, we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

Jon sighed, his form not relaxing, a small line of restraint on his face. "Sure. Talk."

Martin let out a little breath, his breathing having gotten more shallow as Jon had gotten closer. He took a even tinier breath in as he started to speak, voice slightly higher then before. 

"When I first met you in the clearing I was kind of.... taken off guard? I was meant to be collecting ingots for Peter, to add a little decoration to the armour but then you were suddenly behind me and I-" Martin drew a breath in. "I panicked. And you were already introducing yourself so I figured I'd introduce myself too and then we talked for a bit." 

Martin paused here, glancing around at the air around them almost guiltily. "I- I don't have many friends in the castle here so when you spoke and kept speaking to me I felt... Well, I felt happy I guess. Even if you did insult me. And then you mention me being human and I didn't want to ruin that happiness by contradicting you so I just... went along with it? I didn't want the first person I'd properly spoke with to run away." Martin looked down, a frown appearing on his face. Jon felt himself slightly relax.

It didn't help Jon's 'kill Martin like you would any other enemy' thought process when Martin was in front of him, explaining his own view of events and it - almost - didn't help that Jon could find himself relating to him and understanding his side a bit too much. 

Because Martin also didn't get talked to...

Gah! Why was it this difficult! Jon lowered his knife, perhaps a bit too quick as Martin's eyes went wide again. He made sure not to meet the taller boys eye as he gazed into the endless abyss below them, using his now free hand to stroke it through his feathers. 

"I-" Jon frowned a bit more before looking up at him, posture relaxing a bit more. "I understand." 

Silence lingered for a second before Martin seemed to react, eyes lighting up and sort of bouncing on his toes. "Oh. Uh, thank you." 

Jon felt absolutely awful now, realising his assault on Martin had been basically unaggravated. He also didn't think about the other countless ice guards that were probably just like Martin. Nope, he wasn't thinking about it. 

The wind whipped at Jon's form harshly, like it was almost judging him. He needed to give more of an apology, an 'I understand' wasn't enough for what he did. 

"Martin." Martin glanced up as Jon spoke, his eyes not meeting Martin's except resting on the now slightly bruised and scarred shoulder he'd sliced. "I'm sorry. I should have heard you out first not... gone straight for attacking. I realise why you didn't tell me and probably could have realised it without you outright saying it before if I wasn't..." Jon went quiet, the phrase 'trying to kill you' left unsaid.

Jon bit his lip, preparing for more. "I think... I think I'm just going insane or something. I miss home, I've been in this damn forest for what feels like an eternity and..." Jon finally removed his eyes from the shoulder, meeting Martin's ice blue ones. "... I took that out on you I think. Not just now, but... insulting you. And all that."

"Well, that and the feeling of betrayal I think." Martin added, immediately regretting the words as soon as they came out. However Jon just sighed. 

"That... admittedly didn't help. But I don't think I was ever in a right state of mind to learn of your true nature without... immediately attacking you. Or running" In the clearing, Jon was sure he would have run as soon as he learnt, with no weapons on him without hearing him out. And then now, where he'd immediately gone for the kill. 

"It's- its okay!" Martin smiled weakly. "I forgive you. 

Jon frowned, feeling guilt build in his stomach. The fact Martin felt the need to say that-

"Are you just saying that so I don't kill you?" 

"No! I... I understand." Martin gave another, slightly stronger but still pretty weak smile. Jon felt the guilt get worse. "I would have done that same... Also I'm not the most interesting person either sometimes and... I'm glad you kept coming back."

It did not help with the feeling of guilt. Jon's eyes glazed over only slightly as he looked towards Martin, who gave another even weaker smile as he met Jon's eye. 

"Can... we go into the castle again...? Like now that the confrontations over and all that..." Martin stammered out, Jon just now remembering that, yeah, they were balanced on the edge of a cliff face right. He gave a quick nod, which seemed to quell Martin. 

For living in a towering ice castle, the other boy did not seem to like heights very much. Jon sighed and gave his own shaky smile. 

But as he tried to turn around-
Jon felt a force almost like a shield prevent him from stepping further inward from the peninsula. He frowned. And tried again. 

The force had not dissappeared. 

Martin's face had gone as white as a ghost. Jon finally turned around, frowning at the ice sheet that had been set between him, Martin and the castle. He didn't feel bothered too much, instead giving the ice sheet a tentitive poke discovering, although it looked almost see through and like it would break with any contact, it would not budge easily. Jon put his hands against it pushing, wincing suddenly as he forgot the very harsh burns and taking a few stumbling steps back, near tripping but feeling Martin's hands on his shoulders before that happened. Jon looked up quickly, his fear overtaken by curiosity as he saw Martin was still staring in the same place as before. Jon followed his gaze. 

Behind the ice sheet and standing ominously in the entrance of the castle was an elderly man with a white beard and hair, wearing a large almost human-like jumper if Jon didn't recognise where the fur came from. It was white fox fur, a lovely shade too, only the snowiest white. However Jon knew it was hard to get in large quantities. 

And that is was only meant to be used by royalty. 

Martin took a step back, seeming to forget he was holding Jon's shoulders and forcing the other boy to take a step with him, Jon almost tripping in the process. Only then did Martin look back down, and his eyes shown with so much concern that Jon almost lost himself in them and melted. But he knew how to keep his feelings in a situation like this as he leveled his gaze again with the old man, one who he now knew must be Peter Lucas, ice king. 

"Peter I didn't expect you to be back so soon." Despite his fear Martin brought an icy tone into his voice, something that neither Jon nor 'Peter' had expected, judging by reaction. 

"... Well I didn't expect one of my servant to catch feelings for the closest enemy soldier but turns out we're both wrong." Peter responded in turn. Feelings? Jon felt himself blush slightly as he tried to waiver down the feeling, his blush only getting stronger the more he thought about it. Him and Martin had known each other for a few months, that was hardly enough time-

"Oh adventurer... I didn't mean like that." Peter noticed Jon's blush and put on a pity tone. Jon found this even more embarrassing. His blush did not fade however he was more curious with what Peter had said. Luckily he didn't have to ask, as Peter stepped forward, the ice sheet removed and leaving him as the only thing separating them from the safety of the castle. 

"No, you aren't meant to have feelings at all are you?" Peter leaned forward lazily as Martin met his eyes with a more fierce determination than Jon had seen from, well, anyone. Even Sasha.

Jon felt the blush get deeper. Now was not the time goddammit!

Plus, Peter had just said not like that...

"And? What of it?" Martin cocked an eye as Peter stepped forward. Jon didn't wince as he stepped, taking Martin's lead and summoning a stone cold face. He couldn't take Peter on his own, Tim and Sasha better be quick. 

And when they did come, he'd have to be quick. Make sure Martin didn't get attacked for his mistake. 

Quick as ice, Peter grew angry, Jon could see his left hand almost twitching to connect with Martin's jaw. 'Just try it' Jon dared mentally, his hand going to his own weapon. Sure he'd been at Martin's jaw as well, but that was at least twenty minutes ago and now he was somewhat protective of the dude. Especially because Martin seemed protective of him too. Jon didn't dwell on these feelings, instead 'sorting it out later' and violently repressing his thoughts to a box in the back of his mind.

Instead of attacking, Peter leant down to stare at Jon. And smiled. Jon stared back, determined. "An adventurer hm? Sparky little thing aren't you? Look what you've done to my fine servant, he's got feelings because of you." 

Jon bit back a snarl, feeling both angry and afraid. And trapped. Martin's hands squeezed his shoulders as the taller one kept staring towards Peter. 

"He didn't do anything. I've been wanting to get out of here for weeks now, ever since my feelings came back." Martin glanced. Peter's faux smile dropped.

"Ah, a lost cause already. That's a shame!" He didn't sound too terribly upset. "Was starting to like you Marto!" 

The ground below the two started to shake and Jon's had the feeling Martin just made a terrible mistake. Martin seemed to have the same realisation, his eyes widening and turning towards Jon.

"Was looking forward to sending your friend here into the prison chambers too. Oh well. Sometimes you have to take an insanity inducing experience for a punishment and swap it out with simple manslaughter. It happens!" 

Jon could barely hear Peter's voice as the ground began to get more violent, little cracks appearing below them and suddenly big cracks. Jon was frozen, with nowhere to run and nothing to do he could only watch and the final piece fell and the ice finally broke, sending him and Martin plummeting. 

The air was cold around him and although Jon knew he was heading down, every part of him felt like it was receiving some great pressure. His feathers hurt the most, as they'd newly become sensitive to even the littlest forces. Martin was beside him, going through the exact same thing with his eyes fully closed and his form all crumpled. 

They were going to die. 

Jon felt this realisation in his stomach. He wasn't - he wasn't prepared to die, he still had so much to do, so much to live for. He definitely wasn't going to die in the twilight forest. His friends needed him if he died - God, if he died he'd hate himself. He couldn't leave Tim and Sasha alone in this world, they'd be crushed. 

He hadn't even apologize to treating them both like shit, Jon realised. He'd treated them both awfully but was only realising it now.

He found himself hating his brain. Yet again, the worst time to realise you've treated your friends awfully for eight months.

And Martin... Jon stole a glance to his side, barely seeing the mess of fallen shapes and colours Martin beside him had become. He'd been the cause for Martin's demise. 

He didn't want to die known as a prickly silent asshole! And he was sure Martin didn't want to die as an emotionless stonefaced guard. He'd known the man and in their brief few chats he'd been the nicest and most understanding person Jon had met... The first one who had liked him.

Jon felt a surge of anger, he couldn't allow Martin to die, he couldn't be the reason for his demise! 

He made a choice. Subconsciously, Jon didn't even feel the wings unfurl around him, focused on only how much Martin needed to be alive. Even when he'd fallen closer to the boy and the wings had surrounded both of them he didn't recognise it, his only thought being his regrets and how much he desperately wished the future they were heading towards was different, how he would give anything for a different fate, to come back to Tim and Sasha and apologize, to let Martin met them and show them his shy adorable smile. 

He couldn't even find the strength to repress that thought enough as they fell together, neither of them noticing the slower descent. 

Jon took one breath out and sucked one in, holding onto Martin for dear life. Martin didn't move from his curled position although his expression softened. His eyes opened to reveal clear icy blue ones, with a small spark of confusion and hopefulness on his face. Jon wanted him to keep that expression forever. 

"Jon?" His voice was soft and scared and Jon's heart ached. 

"It's okay, you're safe, you're safe." The words were muttered before either Jon or Martin could process them. Jon had no idea if his words were true, to him they were just wishes and hopeless promises. But Martin took them as absolute truth, his expression slowly softening and his eyes finally realising all the tension they held as he let Jon surround him. 

Jon let him, and even snuggled himself closer, closing his eyes. If he was going to die, he may as well have no regrets before then. 

The raven black wings Jon had sprouted wrapped around the two as Jon himself closed his eyes, waiting for that permanent darkness to hit.

It didn't. Instead, the two found themselves floating down towards the ground, suspended from heights neither of them even dared to dream about.

They reached the ground at a feathers pace ever so gently unfurling from each other as the ground.

"...huh." Martin let out a quiet sigh before instantly collapsing from where he'd managed to push himself. Jon could see out of the corner of his eyes Martin's confusion but was just too relived (or still in a state of shock) to reply. Instead, he let himself sink into his feathers alongside Martin.

He could hear Tim and Sasha's yells from above him. They must have reached Peter Lucas then. Jon felt vindicated in these beliefs once a part of the ice castle started slipping, yep, every boss fight had something dramatic happening, didn't it.

He let himself relax for a few seconds before groggily pulling himself up, letting the reality of what had happened crash down on him all at once.

Oh god, what had he done.

The realisation that he'd saved himself and Martin from certain death was not nearly as pressing as the sudden realisation that the curled up silky black feathers that now surrounded the couple belonged to him. He knew he was becoming more with the forest but, he never expected it to be this fast. Jon's eyes widened, shoving Martin off his wings almost unconsciously as he held the wing in his hands. Martin groggily came to, his eyes blinking as they met Jon's disturbed ones and followed his gaze.

"Oh." His voice barely registered to Jon, as panic blurred the edges of his vision and mind. Martin leant over slightly, his eyebrows creasing at the wings. Then, without thinking, "You've become one of us."

Despite Martin's calm tone, his statement did not help Jon's panic. As Jon twisted towards him, Martin leant back, suspended to see the pure terror in Jon's eyes. He then realised that was probably not the best thing to say. 

"One of us?" Jon's voice was unfamiliar, slightly wavering with both hesitation and fear. Martin's eyes widened, yeah, definitely said the wrong thing there.

"Uh, that just is-" He tried to explain in lighter words before Jon came at him, pinning him down to the ground with the pure terror in his eyes not wavering, in fact it was his body that seemed to be wavering, his whole form shuddering.

"Is what-? Martin, tell me what's happening, that..." Jon glanced towards the wing with wide eyes almost as if afraid it would move if he didn't keep an eye on it. He didn't address it directly, instead keeping his eyes on the space between Martin's eyes and shoulder, emerald eyes not meeting Martin's. Finally he continued his statement. "...those things weren't there before."

His voice was softer somewhat and a tremor filled his body, so harsh that Martin thought the smaller boy's body may collapse any second. Martin realised despite Jon pinning him down he didn't seem entirely conscious while doing it. He took Jon's arms ever so slightly pushing them off him so he had room to push himself up and explain.

Probably not the best time to explain but considering Jon's mental state at the moment, he would only work himself into more of a panic if Martin didn't tell him, considering every option and letting it eat away at his mind. Still didn't mean Martin had to like the option of telling him outright however. Better than the alternative at least. Martin sighed.

"When a human arrives, the forest is on the defensive. They aren't welcomed anywhere and they have to fight for everything they owe, so the forest can get rid of them. But, uh, once you've been here awhile, the forest almost... absorbs isn't the right word it like... adopts you? Accepts you as once of its own."

Martin took a second to glance up at Jon, remembering to breathe at least once during his explanation. Jon looked just as broken as before but now with a stunned expression, his eyes not moving from the wing. However, he muttered a quick, "go on" when Martin had stopped for what he seemed long enough. Martin took another breathe in, preparing himself.

"You and your team... You all are becoming part of the forest. It's a slow process but the process can be sped up if you are one of the forests favourites. If the forest likes to listen to you it will regard you with greater interest." Martin took a worried glance to Jon before continuing.

"There's... There's another way to sped up the process. You can make a choice to be with the forest. This choice can happen near death, uh, lots of warriors from your world knew they were going to die and made a choice at that moment to rather be with the forest than dead. Although sometimes you can make this choice with no existing factors in play, just because you want to stay here or because you don't intend to find an exit." Martin's voice went quieter. "Although that's in very rare cases only."

Jon was silent for a second. Then another. Then another.

The silence was dragging on a bit long for Martin's liking. He raised his head nervously to see Jon still staring at his wings. Uh oh. Not good.

He could also hear the fight from above now that they were both more conscious. It was loud. Martin didn't expect Peter to not go out without a fight of course but the sheer effort that the two remaining humans were going through-

Martin reminded himself that was for later and went to console Jon. He didn't know how long it was until he put his hand on Jon's back, until Jon slowly blinked before collapsing into his chest, how Martin felt his eyes swim with tears for his friends pain. How he almost leant his head after Jon in some show off comfort. How Jon leaned into the touch, not caring enough to put up any more barriers. He was bare and broken, and he hated every minute of it.

"...Thank you." When Martin finally registered Jon's voice, the fire above had calmed. That could be bad. Martin tried not to focus on it, instead focusing on the small collapsed body beside him.

Jon had collapsed after his small show of thanks, and Martin was half tempted to follow him. Today had been a lot for him to deal with, more than he'd ever had to in his life. Martin found himself sinking into Jon's head, using it as a pillow and not minding much as he felt his thoughts slowly drift and his breathing get deeper. He barely even registered the fact he was absent mindedly using Jon's feathers as a blanket. In his defence, Jon was using them in the same way.

Martin didn't mention the part of the forest that would render you more animalistic until you lost all humanity, and force you to join the hivemind of voices and whispers it held. That could be left for future Martin and Jon.

For now they needed a rest.

When the two woke, Jon woke with two warm bodies surrounding him. His eyes opened slowly, blinking at his new surroundings like a new born baby, too exhausted to do much else. That much panicking was exhausting after all.

Martin woke in chains.

"Jon, you are finally up!" Tim reacted with enthusiasm, handing a pair of old rusted done glasses to the man, who slowly took them, with eyes till blinking. Tim's form molded once he put the glasses on it the form he was familiar with and Jon allowed himself one small moment of rest before the rest of the day caught up with him. When it did, Jon found himself lurching, Tim's hand steadying his front and what must have been Sasha's on his back.

He looked across the clearing Tim and Sasha must have dragged him to, seeing a familiar figure chained up. Jon frowned slightly hesitating before calling out to it.

"Martin?" His voice was still rough from the other day and as Martin wriggled slightly Jon could see the other boy had not only chains around him, but a gag. Jon's vision went to Sasha and Tim again, both who were giving Jon a side eye.

"You know him?" Sasha asked, her antlers unmoving as her hair swished with her head. Jon gave a nod, throat still feeling a bit too raw to talk through. Tim gave Jon the same concerned and curious stare as Sasha as they both waited for explanation.

"Uhh, yeah-" It was kind of awkward for Jon to explain in the still half-asleep state he was in, however he tried his best.

He felt a brief flash of fear. He'd have to tell them. And then he swallowed. 

He promised no more secrets. No more rudeness. And hopefully, he'd even his forgiveness.

Jon explained how they'd met - that first afternoon in the forest - or, well, twilight in the forest, as it was always. He explained the last meeting, glancing to the ground while recounting his experience of "going off the shits" as Tim had so elegantly put it.

And then the confession. Martin chimed in for this part, confessing he'd felt too stupid or hopeful or stupidly hopeful to admit what he was until that moment. Jon glanced to Tim and Sasha's face, trying to gauge their reactions, to see them nodding along, Sasha thoughtful, Tim looking guilty. Martin continued.

And then they came to Peter Lukas. It was Jon who continued this part, how Peter had confronted them, how Martin had stood up for them (he darted his eyes to the ground at this part hoping to not betray any feelings but when he glanced back up, Tim was giving him a thumbs up. Jon glared)

Martin waited patiently after he finished, despite Jon's continued silence. What? Did he want Jon to go on, what more was there to say?

Jon remembered the last part of yesterday and bit his lips. Well Sasha and Tim weren't asking any questions and they had already begun to get up, it wouldn't be right to add the worst part of the story. Martin nudged him gently as a prompt before Jon stretched out, aiming to follow in their footsteps of getting up and getting moving. Martin was quick to appear beside him as the gang started moving.

"I'll tell them later." Jon whispered, already replying to the question on Martin's tongue. He'd shared enough for the day.

Martin couldn't argue with that and the group continued, despite Jon having absolutely no intention to tell any of his friends what had happened. 

He'd trusted them with Martin. But... trusting them with the wings, with himself... 

There were too many variables.

Martin was hiding his own secrets, the secret being the forests true nature but unlike Jon, he had the mind to share the secret.

It was halfway through the second day (day? did they even have days here?) they'd killed the ice king and Martin had pulled Jon aside, whispering the violent truth in his ear. 

"Jon..." Martin had looked sad and guilty and Jon felt his heart break. His tough exterior did tend to do that when Martin was around recently. Jon frowned.

"Yes? What is it?"

Martin bit his lip, holding his arms together crossed and nervous. Jon felt a wave of protectiveness that he wasn't sure where it came from. Because of this, his tone came out stricter than it meant to. He meant a trusting caring 'ive got you Martin' but instead he scowled.

"Spit it out Martin, I don't have all day."

Martin looked even more nervous at this. Jon apologized, making sure Tim and Sasha weren't around.

"Since you're a full creature of the Twilight now... You won't be able to leave. The Twilight Forest doesn't like letting go of its own and... now you qualify as one of those."

Martin bit his lip as the information sank through Jon's head. Jon stared up in disbelief before letting the strain in his shoulders collapse, all defence broken.

"I didn't think I could escape anyways. We've been here for months, I doubt... I doubt we could find an escape anyways." Jon avoided Martin's gaze, glancing towards the ground. Martin feel his stomach twist. 

"I'm sorry Jon-"

"I don't blame you Martin." Jon's voice was small. Martin bit his lips before gently taking Jon's hand in his own. Jon jumped at the movement and Martin instantly let go before Jon took the hand back, sinking into Martin and collapsing completely. Martin wrapped his hands around him silent as Jon started to sob. Neither of them talked about it in the morning.
 

They must have walked for hours until they found anything besides the thick forest leaves and trees that surrounded them, but what they did find was worth it. 

As Jon stared down at his map, wondering why the compass hadn't moved from its position in almost an hour, the rest of the group looked up gaping.

Above them was a crumbling structure made of stone brick, although it didn't seem that stable. It was a huge gateway, with the area around it scatter with the bricks of the thing, one brick being almost the size of Jon. That's how big it was. Martin felt his neck crack slightly and brought his head back to the group, nudging Jon slightly when he noticed the man hadn't been paying attention. The effect was immediate and Jon's eyes went up, a gasp lost in his throat.

"I've never seen anything like it." Sasha's eyes were almost gleaming with the view, her neck not moving from the very hard angle it was on.

"I wouldn't expect you to." Martin was the first to break away from the view, choosing instead to stare fully forward, towards the gaping mass the archway left. "Portals are rare nowdays and-"

The effect was immediate. Jon felt his breath catch in his throat as Tim whipped towards Martin, his eyes alight with something. Sasha moved less quickly, pulling her eyes towards the frame and seeing it with a new light. Her brow furrowed.

"Portal, like a portal out of here?! We can leave?!" Tim hounded Martin, poor Martin looking like he'd just angered a wolf. 

"Uh, yeah. Kinda. Those types of portals should take you back to Earth-" Martin didn't even get time to stutter out an explanation as Sasha's voice cut through him.

"How do we activate it?" Her eyes were wide and finally she had turned her head towards Martin. Martin gulped. 

"Uh, that's the thing, we don't really know-"

Jon snapped back to reality as argument broke out between the three. He was still taking it how big it was how absolutely beautiful it looked. He vaguely tuned in to hear the three, Sasha throwing out ideas hoping anything would stick while Tim and Martin provided their best feedback. His brow furrowed. What were they talking about?

In a few moments, he got it. Portals. They were talking about portals. Was this a portal? Jon looked towards the base, his eyes tracing every fine detail. It didn't look like a portal. In fact, it looked like-

"Jon, where are you going?" Martin stared worriedly towards the base of the portal where a familiar figure had started fiddling with it. Sasha and Tim gave each other a look before they followed curiously, Martin in their mix.

Jon was messing with the designs around the base. Sasha opened her mouth to interrupt before closing it again. 

He seemed to be focused entirely on this, not even noticing the others coming up behind him. His brow was furrowed but his hand movements were quick and organised, aside from the occasional jitter, that was just Jon's usual nerves acting up again.

Eventually Jon started biting his lips, hands quick and coordinated working on the statue. With the glimpses Martin could see, he seemed to hold some deep fabric in them, almost like silk. 

Jon paused, silk wrapped around his hand and eyes almost lighting up before pulling the silk as a far as it could go and attaching it to a loose nail that three hadn't noticed. It was only then Jon seemed to notice them, out of breath and sweaty.

"I... fixed it. I think?" Jon paused to look back at his hard work before looking at group again. It was now Sasha's turn to move forward, her hands not touching the string, instead examine outside of it.

"It's some sort of mechanism." She was talking mainly for her own benefit however Tim, Jon and Martin didn't dare interrupt. In the background Tim helped to steady Jon, Martin looking like he wanted to help but that would cross a boundary. Sasha continued, stalking the frame.

"It's all properly attached now thanks to Jon, however-" She paused, spotting something glinting from under the bushes. She brushed it aside to confirm her suspicions. A golden button, with a strange web design around it. It did give her a flashback to Annabelle, but despite her own convictions with the girl, she pressed it, hearing the machine begin to whir beneath her fingertips. She stood back, motioning for the others to follow her until they were a few metres from the machine. It hadn't gone through any noticeable change yet aside from the sound but Sasha was sure-

The frame began sparking as Sasha felt a bone deep pride in her work, and at Jon's cleverness.

Just as the sparking reaching a maximum, they all stood there transfixed. In awe. All except Tim, who seemed to actually realise they weren't watching through a screen and, just as the sparks transfixed into something new, managed to equip his naga scale shield, standing in front of all of them and bracing himself. 

The shockwave was intense, and Tim was sure without the shield they would have died. He looked around, still standing, to his friend who had been tossed to the ground but we're now slowly getting up. The shield went back into his inventory as Tim was sure the blast had receded and they could finally turn their gazes to the end product. 

The portal was a deep blue, looking almost like thick unending water. Jon realised with a start it was the same texture as the one they'd come in here with. There were yellow and red flowers also around the frame now, seeming to be in full bloom despite their immediate entrance. That was also familiar of the first portal.

Tim was the first to step forward, almost holding himself back as he approaching. His head twisted to meet Martin. "This will take us home?"

Martin glanced towards the portal before meeting Tim's eyes and putting his hand towards it. However, instead of the watery texture that it conveyed, Martin's hand collided with the portal, solid like concrete. He gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Yep. I can feel your Earth through there, chatting, laughing."

Tim followed Martin's previous example, his hand going through instead. It did feel like water. As Martin described the Earth, Tim could almost feel it through his hand, every nice feeling he'd ever felt, the sun on his skin, the romance, the friendship... He could cry right now.

Sasha approached from behind feeling the same sense of awe and hope. For some reason Jon stood back, Martin leaving to join him. Sasha was too busy to notice, her fascinated inflating her eyes with wonder. Tim, however, did glance back at the two, beckoning Jon closer. Jon just stuck closer to Martin. Tim frowned. That wouldn't do.

"Jon, get over here, check this out!"

Jon shrunk up more. Tim frowned, taking great resolve to push himself away from the portal and towards Jon, into the Twilight Forest. They were so close to freedom - was Jon scared? Of course, he was probably anxious about normal society after spending so long here. Tim reached out a hand to lay on Jon's shoulder. Jon flinched at this as Tim quickly removed it. Something was wrong.

"Jon? What's the issue boss?" He bent slightly down as if he was talking to a child. Jon looked horrible, bent in on himself leaning heavily into Martin and eyes unblinking and unmoving from the tall twilight grass.

Martin was rubbing circles into his back, a sympathetic glance every few seconds. Tim could hear Sasha's confusion as she finally noticed the situation but he didn't turn to face her, instead eyes staying steadily on Jon, whose face was still unmoving.

Tim glanced towards Martin, obvious question in his eyes. Martin glanced towards him, bright blue eyes meeting deep brown with sympathy, yet no answers. Tim felt his stomach swell as Sasha slotted into place beside him reading the room quickly.

There they stood in an almost circle around Jon, who had switched from unmoving to shaking slightly, eyes still angled towards the floor. It took Tim an incredibly long time to realise he was crying.

Martin kept rubbing circles and singing small praises. Jon had started shaking more severely. Then he spoke.

"I can't..." His words were slurred with tears and ragged and pathetic. Tim almost took a step back at this raw display of emotion from his friend usually so closed off or quiet.

"Can't what?" Sasha breathed out, her voice as quiet as Jon's. Her eyes were fixed on the smaller man, shining with concern.

"I..." Jon broke out in sobs at the moment, his entire body shaking so much, Tim was scared he would crumble. But he refused to, whether due to being held up by Martin or his own will nobody knew.

It was then Martin whispered something into Jon's ears, so soft and Jon nodded, wiping his tears softly yet still not taking his eyes off the portal.

"I think it might be better if he showed you." Martin spoke. With a firm hand, he lead Jon towards the portal, not looking behind to see if the other two were watching. They were.

Jon swallowed, finally looking up from the rough twilight grass to the portal, glowing a dark purple swirl. Then, cautiously and careful raised his hand to it.

He would be lying if he said he hadn't allowed himself a bit of hope. But, as his hand met the portal like it might hit concrete, he knew Martin's words were true. He could feel the states of the group around him but didn't raise his eyes from his hand, not allowing himself the shame of meeting there eyes.

Everything was silent for a few moments. Then...

"Oh Jon." Someone seized him from behind and he felt the familiar curl of Sasha's warm arms around him, compressing him as she leant her head into him, eyes squeezed firmly shut and shaking. Jon shut his own.

Sasha had a million thoughts on her tongue. 'You should have told us,' 'I'm sorry', 'You can still make it.'

She voiced none of them, instead focusing on the small bundle of bones in her arms and squeezing, her eyes slowly filling with not quite tears but liquid that burnt. She could feel her delicate antlers brush Jon's feathers slightly but she couldn't find it in her to care.

Tim stood back, stunned disbelief clear in his expression. That was, until Jon shook in Sasha's arms, on the brink of another breakdown. He felt his form collapse as his dreams shattered all at once. He couldn't leave Jon here.

Jon felt another pair of limbs surround him, warmer than Sasha's, and Tim's head fit nicely over the top of his head, muttering curses although none directed at Jon.

Jon let himself relax, and cry. Martin stayed to the side slightly, his own guilt very present on his face, after all, it was due to him Jon was stuck here. Stuck here with him. This was all his fault.

Jon felt himself sink. He wasn't sure when he had stopped crying but Tim and Sasha hadn't let go, although they had moved to stop pressing him as heavily against them, probably to help themselves be more comfortable. Jon missed the pressure, however what he was currently caught in was nice too.

He sunk more, as Sasha and Tim caught him, slowly moving down towards the ground in one big, kind of messy but comfortable, pile. At one point, Tim's warmth left him for a second - no wait.

That wasn't Tim's warmth. It was a third warmth next to Tim, too outcast to properly be involved but still present. Jon, against his own wants, wearily blinked his eyes open. It was Martin.

Jon let his eyes close again, feeling Martin's eyes on him the whole time, letting the fondness of being watched spread over him. It was actually a nice feeling overall.

Tim squeezed tighter, almost unconsciously, head still buried in Jon's hair. Jon was sure he was already half unconscious, as he wasn't sure how long they'd been here. They wouldn't have the problem of not knowing the time back on Earth. They had the sun and shit, the only thing they had here was the dreaded everpresent twilight.

A time Jon was condemned to for eternity.

"We won't let you stay here alone." Jon was content to let his eyes slip close and embrace that, in the morning, his friends would be gone. However Tim, running fingers absentmindedly through his hair and Sasha, pressing him tightly from behind, didn't seem to be moving.

It was indeed, more comforting than them disappearing. But-

"You guys should go." Jon spoke, voice rusty and eyes blurring. Sasha response to this was to press tighter, and Tim's eyes lazily found his. 

They were yellowed, and Jon's voice caught as he realised that Tim had undergone another change of the forest. A voice spoke at the back of his head. 'Soon they'll be stuck just like you.'

"Don't think we're leaving you." Tim's voice was gruff and eyes blinking slowly in the darkness.

"But-" Jon blurted out uselessly, his mind already panicking. What if the changes were happening quicker now, what if it was already too late. 

"Hey, hey, hey-" Tim's voice broke through Jon's thoughts, a quiet caring whisper. "We can worry about it in the morning, okay?"

That didn't stop the thoughts from racing, what if in the morning they couldn't leave, what if the portal was time activated, what if-

A hand got placed on Jon's shoulder, roughly dragging him out of his thoughts and making Jon flinch. The hand quickly withdrew itself as Jon turned, relaxing when he saw Martin's familiar figure. Tim smiled encouragingly towards him, unbeknownst to Jon. Martin tried his best to put on a reassuring smile.

"It's okay Jon. Tonight, nothing bad will happen. I'll make sure of it."

Jon wasn't even sure if Martin had that power but he said it with such sincerity and hope that Jon felt debating him would be pointless. His words did help to drop the weight. Nothing bad would happen if he fell asleep. His friend were here.

Jon didn't even notice the drop into unconsciousness until he was asleep in Tim's arms, Tim shooting a quick 'thank you' to Martin, who returned it.

The next few days were full of planning. Sasha had examined the portal inside and out and had dictated it would not collapse on them if they spent some time here. It didn't help Jon's mind, but did calm the other three.

Tim had tried every item, recording down results with Martin helping, putting his items into the 'to be tested' pile. Sasha didn't have much on her, as her antlers made it hard to hold a backpack after the first few months, so she had nothing to add to the pile. It wasn't until the third day spent planning, hopeing early while Jon's hope declined, that she remembered.

"Oh yeah, Martin I did need to get this examined!" Sasha was holding something, her messy hair (getting messier by the day, Jon thought, dread piling in his stomach) flowing behind her. She held in out to Martin as Tim and Jon both craned their heads to look.

It was the berry Annabelle had given her.

Martin blinked.

"It's a berry."

Sasha frowned, looking down at it herself before looking back up. "Just a berry?"

"I... I've never seen that type of berry around here, but it looks like an ordinary berry." Martin cocked his head as he brought his eyes up to Sasha's. "Where'd you find it?"

It was then Sasha but her lip, turning away slightly, a scowl defined on her face. "Annabelle Cane."

Martin's expression didn't change, but he did pick up the berry to examine it more. "Uh huh." 

Silence followed. 

"I don't know who that is."

Jon felt the group sigh. They'd already explained her story twice, once to the merchant underneath the Twilight lake, another time to a person caught in one of her traps. Neither of them had heeded their warnings and it wasn't hard to tell what their fate had ultimately been. 

"Annabelle Cane..." Sasha began quietly, "...was the second traveller we'd met here."

She explained, as Martin eyed Jon and then the berry.

Annabelle Cane had introduced herself as a fellow traveller three months into Sasha, Tim and Jon venturing into the Twilight. She appeared alone to Sasha at first, while Sasha shopped. She been at the counter, offering up supplies to the shopkeeper, who didn't take anything. Supplies that Sasha and Co desperately needed. It didn't take alot of convincing to allow Sasha to gain the items. Sasha left quickly, feeling trapped despite the friendliness of the woman in front of her.

Now she realises why she'd felt that way. But at the time, she hadn't recognised the feeling stemmed from Annabelle, instead listing in as one of the forests pulls.

Annebelle had appeared again soon after, introducing herself and offering to travel with them for a few. They'd all felt a sense of dread but again, like Sasha, they hadn't mentioned anything. Maybe if they had, they may still have their items. And Sasha wouldn't have that scar across her back and Jon wouldn't have trust issues.

She'd joined them for a bit. Tim hadn't missed the green sparks from her fingertips and Sasha hadn't missed the way spiders seemed to fill up the tent. 

She'd lead them off course, citing a 'shortcut'. She'd lead them directly into the Dark Forest. Sasha was glad then, that they'd managed to steal from the lich (they hadn't defeated her just yet, but they hadn't managed to gain some items she'd left unguarded). The lichs staff let them enter without the threat of blinding them.

At that point they should have realised the gig was up. But they continued to follow Annabelle deeper into the woods, deeper into the Dark Forest, where everything was black and you could barely see your hands in front of you, where Mist-Wolf's roamed in gangs and would pick off any unfortunate travellers by themselves. They couldn't split up.

Annabelle lead them to the spider king. And introduced herself properly.

As Annabelle Cane. The last Skeleton Druid.

Jon winced at her retelling as she told how he'd been the first to be grabbed by the spider, pinning him in place. He remembered in vivid detail the acid spilling from the spiders almost cartooningly sized jaw, how he'd been paralyzed with fear and, if it wasn't for the quick thinking of Tim, he'd be dead. Or turned to leaves with the Skeleton Druids powers.

Sasha finished with their escape and how Annabelle had been silently helping from the shadows since then, a force they hadn't wanted to confirm yet still got them the best armour and tools. 

What was she planning?

Martin blinked slowly as the story finished up. Most of the group looked uncomfortable with the retelling of their betrayal. Especially Jon, curling up on himself slightly, averting his eyes from Martin's. Martin had to fight the impulse to sweep Jon into a huge hug but he suspected they weren't that close just yet to trust him with that sudden movement, despite how much Jon had been leaning on him and touching him over the past few days.

Dammit, he was starting to heat up, now wasn't the time. The blush on Martin's face wasn't noticeably luckily, and he quickly cleared his thoughts. Now wasn't the time to focus on unnecessary thoughts.

"So we can't trust this, basically?" Martin eventually asked. Tim nodded, a bit more reserved than before.

"That's about it. Oh! And we did see a Wisp-Wolf earring these berries before and it seemed to placate them." Sasha added. Martin frowned.

"They could be some type of drug." Martin brought the berry closer, examining it even further but so much more carefully. "What would Annabelle gain from giving it to you?"

Tim huffed. "She said it would 'help us out' which is utter bull."

However Sasha was already thinking. "Do you think it might help with the portal."

"You're joking Sash."

"It's something we have to consider at least! All possiblities, I'm not leaving Jon stuck here."

Jon turned away when his name was mentioned. Discussing him like he wasn't here was one of the things he thought he wouldn't have to deal with while he was here. Apparently he was wrong. His eyes narrowed as they continued the discussion.

"There's another way, I'm sure of it. One that doesn't involve letting a spider druid, who wants us dead let me remind you, do whatever she wants." Tim's venom was spitting and Martin took a small step back as Sasha took one forward, taking the venom as a challenge. 

"Or we could at least consider it a way. We still don't know what this berry does, and maybe Annabelle's handing us our escape. Maybe she wants us out of her forest so much that she crafted an escape."

"Seemed like she was leading us into her forest last time we saw her. And then trying to kill us."

"Okay then. Maybe this is all just one big plot by Annabelle. We wouldn't know that if we just discard it. Let us run some tests and we can see if it actually might help!"

Tim looked a second as if considering it before letting out a sigh - or was it a snarl - and turning his back to Sasha and the group, tucking his arms together. "I don't trust it. I'm not putting Jon's health at stake due to experiments or whatever."

There it was again. Discussing him when he was right here! Jon felt Martin beside him, leaning against the taller figure slightly, his eyes downcast. He could feel Martin's hands hesitating above his shoulder, unsure if they could comfort him or not. Jon swallowed his pride, pushing his fingers up to Martin's and gently guiding his hand to his own shoulder, taking a small second to acknowledge the chilliness of Martin's hand before adjusting to the temperature.

The argument had sort of subsided, with Sasha and Tim still giving each other glares, not quite dirty looks yet just... confused to the other side of the argument. Jon found himself hunched up as the two eventually agreed to discard it, as they couldn't run experiments unless those experiments were on Jon because they only had one berry, and to experiment with it otherwise would be a waste. 

So Tim went back to flipping through forestry texts that he'd discovered from the lich tower and Sasha went back to running other, unrelated experiments. Martin went back to the support role and Jon...

Jon went back to thinking that this issue would be solved if they just went through without him. Couldn't they see he was just slowing them down? Couldn't they see that day by day they were becoming like him, with Tim's fur spreading through his hair and Sasha's own fur around the ears slowly spreading out. He wrapped his feathers around him slowly, mind working through possiblities. There was a few ways this could go.

He trusted Martin with the first plan, stating his intention to throw Tim and Sasha through the portal while they were asleep. Martin instantly refused but as Jon begged and pleaded, although he wouldn't help, he promised to not tell the others.

Needless to say, that was a bust. Jon wasn't the strongest individual and Tim had woken up as soon as Jon had starting dragging, demanding explanations and getting stammered lies. Tim and Sasha were more alert after that. Martin also wasn't informed of more schemes after that, but that also meant Jon had to avoid him when planning. 

The next plan was to trick them into the portal. Jon had some suspicions about the two's growing abilities, he'd gained the ability to fly once he'd gave in to the forest, however he could tell something was growing in them too. 

Sasha was much more agile than she came in here being. Jon would love blame on the fact they'd had to be faster once in here and so she'd adapted. But no, that wasn't it. She cantered, almost like a horse and didn't even seem to notice, her speed greatly surpassing Tim's and Jon's combined.

He didn't miss the way Tim's eyes would light up when spotting prey either or how he seemed to lock onto a target. It was present in boss battles too, where he'd circle and sprint and attack like an animal, with only one singular goal

So, releasing a normal ram in front of the portal should have made Tim go crazy and run into the portal right?

Jon sighed. Never matter where he was going to get a ram from or how he'd lure it over to the campsite with nobody noticing. And Sasha and Tim were suspicious of him already and making sure to avoid the portal. They'd know instantly. Not to mention he was pretty sure Martin had told them what he had told Martin, although he had no proof of this.

Jon decided on one last idea, stealing the berry out of Sasha's bag one night while they sleep. He was on watch, and though he resented the idea of running away with them not knowing what happened to him, the other option was much worse. The option where they tried to stop and stayed there with the forest slowly taking them over and rendering them stuck. No different than Jane Prentiss. 

He held the berry carefully. There was two things that could happen.

The berry either returned him to normal, allowing him to return to civilisation and live among humans again, an outcome he knew was highly unlikely, but it couldn't hurt to help.

The second option was it killed him. Or brought him to Annabelle or something would incapacitate him. Something allowing the others to not focus on him, to declare him dead and go home. Because, he was the only thing stopping them from going home. And as much as he feared death according to Martin he should be dead already. The fall from the Ice Kings tower should have killed him, it was the forest that saved him.

He was basically already a dead man walking.

No reason to involve Tim and Sasha in that. 

Or Martin.

Jon threw the berry in his mouth. Maybe it was just a normal berry, he thought deliriously. It definitely tasted like one but... as Jon felt his conscience fade out he knew that wasn't true. This was nowhere near normal.

He remembered the Wisp-Wolf. Maybe it was a drug, maybe he was just drugging himself and making the problem worse for Tim and Sasha. He desperately hoped not. He wouldn't want to create more problems. 'Not you've already created more problems by doing this' a voice at the back of his brain suggested and Jon batted it away, feeling the pull into subconscious stronger this time.

He let it pull him, the edges of his vision blurring slightly as the pull dragged him under.

"Where's Jon?" Tim's voice instantly woke Sasha and Martin up, a worried note in it.

Sasha was the first to wake, slow shaking her head to shake some of the leaves out. The trees in the Twilight Forest seemed to drop them every of day and it was a mystery how the entire forest floor wasn't covered in leaves.

"Jon..?" Sasha asked sleepily, going to scratch behind her ear as she remembered how big her "ear" actually was. 

She had noticed the additions of course, how her, Tim and especially Jon with his wings, had all been changing. Adapting, she'd theorised, adaptions that would be perfect for the Twilight, allowing Jon to fly to avoid threats, allowing Tim to face them head on more brutality and allowing herself to sprint faster, either to avoid or get to threats she didn't know. 

And the intrusions scared her. She knew they scared the others, Tim's emotions easy to read and Jon's, although a little more covered, she could still read them well.

She shook her head. No time to be scared. No time to be scared, regretful, or curious. They had a bigger problem on their hands.

"Yeah he's missing." Tim replied.

"Oh no..." Sasha had a deep feeling in her gut, instinctively turning to the backpack where she knew she'd last put the berries and-

'Oh no, Jon...' Sasha sighed, her entire system leaning over the bag. Tim walked over behind her and although she could feel him right above her, she didn't turn. Tim glanced at the bag, before coming to the same conclusion.

"Did he..."

"Looks like it."

Martin woke up to a panicked search party and silent voices, almost muffling themselves. He shook her head slightly, but instead of leaves there was small snow particles. One of the benifits of being a Snow Guard, he supposed. Blinking blearily, he shuffled to his feet.

He found Sasha close to the portal by a small lake. Sasha seemed surprised to see him, almost fully involved in her work. 

"Sasha?" Sasha shocked slightly at the mention of her name, back to Martin and obviously not hearing his approach. She swung around quickly, eyes not quite panicked but getting there and wrists wringing themselves on her clothing. 

"Martin! How did you get here-? Nevermind, have you seen Jon?"

"Jon?" Martin's expression creased at that. "No, why. Did something happen, is he alright?"

"No." Sasha's eyes were downcast. "He went missing and took the berries Annabelle gave me."

"Oh." Silence followed Martin's shock before the words truly sunk in. "Oh. Oh no!"

"Yeah..."

"And he... ran off?"

"Seems like it."

Martin allowed himself some time to be panicked. Jon had run off with an unknown substance given to him by his enemy. Martin found himself cursing Jon, and allowing his mind to process it all. Somehow he hadn't managed to list Jon as an idiot in his mind before this moment, despite all past encounters, eg; meeting random people in the woods alone, running off alone with no armour, challenging Peter Lukas despite having no armour and only a small knife...

Yeah, he should have really realised the man he'd been crushing on was an idiot.

While Martin was locked in thought, Sasha looked up, her eyes narrowing as something caught her vision.

It was a bird. A raven in particular, one flying overhead like it had somewhere to be. As it went, a feather dropped, slowly floating to the ground and Sasha reached out to grab it, managing the grab perfectly and holding the feather by the base. 

It was identically similar to the feathers growing in Jon's hair and newly acquired wings. Like, identical to the ones of the birds here. She had the sudden thought that the bird was Jon before shaking it away. She'd need to do more research.

And she'd need to find Tim.

"Martin, how did you find me here." Sasha turned quickly to Martin, who had switched to curiously and wide eyed wondering just what was going through her head. The question had taken him off guard as he stumbled over his first few words for a second.

"I, uhm. I'm not sure. I saw the campsite was abandoned so I just... saw if I could find you."

Sasha narrowed her eyes. This was some confirmation on one of her theories, that theory being that the Twilight Forest was impossible to navigate... unless you were from it.

It made sense. Annabelle had always managed to find them if she needed to, despite them never able to find her and every part of the forest leading into itself and forcing users to double back, to rewind and swerve to both sides.

And the Magic Map used to navigate it with at least some semblance was made from the feather of a raven. Firefly's knew not to stray too far from the Firefly Forest, Helmet Crabs kept to the Goblin Knight strongholds and rarely scuttled outside of one, Ravens always seemed to know their way to obsidian monolith-

Hang on.

"Martin, can you guide us to Tim?" Sasha might have been onto something, but she didn't want to start testing without Tim present. It was already enough Jon had gone missing.

"But... I'm not sure where he is?"

Sasha frowned. Was Martin unaware of his forest treading abilities or was him finding Sasha just a stroke of luck. She was so sure of this theory, now she was starting to doubt herself-

"Just... try your best okay?" She tried her best to look confident, smiling slightly as Martin lifted himself up slightly under her eyes. 

"I... I guess? But I thought you two split up for a reason. Like to cover more ground looking for Jon?"

Sasha nodded. "I have a theory..."

As Martin treaded through the forest like it was a part of him, she filled him in. Martin nodded along, letting out a soft sound as he came to the same solution as she had once she'd laid out everything they knew.

"Although we still don't know what the berry would do to him- Tim!" Sasha cut herself off as she spotted Tim in a clearing, staring up at something. He turned to her as she ran up to him, greeting him with a hug and a smile. He didn't the same but the smile quickly dropped as he gestured towards the structure he'd been looking at. Martin and Sasha followed his gaze to a towering obsidian monolith. And on the rusted lapis block that sat on top seemed to be Jon. Asleep.

Sasha frowned. There went the big reveal. But she was happy another of her theories had proven to be correct. Although most of it was guesswork and hope.

"I found some berries." Tim whispered gently to Sasha. There they were, resting in the palm of Tim's hand. Sasha cursed Jon, if only they'd found these sooner.

She could see Jon slightly shift, at least she thought it was Jon. It seemed... smaller... No, but it was him right? It had to be. Tim seemed to think it was him.

Sasha saw Martin frown beside her. "I'll handle this." Before she could ask how he twisted, corporeal form gone so he was no different to an Ice Guardian, just small particles of snow falling from a coat of armour. Or, in Martin's case, a wooly coat with falling snow.

He flew directly up the obsidian monolith, to the small lapis platform Jon had chosen to rest, so far that he was out of earshot. Sasha frowned, another theory coming to her head as she turned to Tim. 

"Hey, the other Ice Guardians weren't sentient, right?"

"Hm?"

"Since... Well, I was thinking, Martin was just a sentient Ice Guardian, right? And we've slain countless Ice Guardians. Were they all just like him or...?"

Tim frowned, lips parting slightly as Sasha's words sunk in before blinking suddenly, a horrified expression on his face. "I... I'm not going to think about that. That's..."

"That's messed up." Sasha ended, throwing the idea out of her head with a shake, just as Martin's snowing form came back down carrying a... small bird?

"Uhm, he's..." Martin held the raven out in his hands, a raven Sasha and Tim instinctively Knew was Jon. Under their gazes, the raven tucked himself under Martin's embrace further, revealing his sleeping form.

"Oh." Tim's voice felt empty on the open air. Sasha felt the dread pool into her stomach as she glanced at, well, what was left of Jon.

Because she knew this bird was Jon, as much as she knew this place was not Earth. 

And she wasn't sure what they could do about it.

"Dammit Jon." Tim cursed, hands balling into fists. They'd stuck together for eight months just for him to abandon them last minute. They'd sworn to get out of here together and then Jon had gone ahead and ruining that!

They'd fought beasts together, Jon had protected him in the Naga lair and Tim had done the same for him in the Dark Tower against the Ur-Ghast's fiery tears. They'd meet Sasha together and, as a united front, had managed to escape Annabelle's betrayal against all odds.

He really thought they were going to leave together. They'd made plans, one of those nights where they weren't sure they were ever going to escape Tim had sprouted about what they'd do out of here. Mentioning how he'd always wanted an apartment, to become a publisher and write his own novel series. Sasha had laughed beside him,

What a naive thought, Tim cursed internally. 

Martin frowned, poking the bird with one big finger gently. Martin could see the birds eyes squeeze shut, in a brief attempt of stubbornness to not wake. He sighed. 

"Tim? Can you pass me those berries?" Martin asked, none of his usual nervousness or fear. Tim nodded quickly. Martin took one and sighed. If only they'd found the bush earlier instead of...

Well, they'd be able to experiment more if they found the bush before Jon jumped off the deep end. Martin sighed again before steeling himself. Tim glanced to him, a question in his mind.

"Do you think they'll-"

"-change him back." Martin finished, grimacing. "...maybe." They are rare so... maybe Annabelle expected you to not find a bush of them until it's too late."

Tim snorted. "She didn't even think we'd find the portal. I don't even think she knows what she's doing."

"Or..." Sasha butted in, her eyes narrowed. "...she knows too much. She knows exactly what she's doing, she always has. She doesn't do stuff for the hell of it like the Hydra-"

"-Jude-" Tim interrupted. 

"-or the minoshroom-" she continued.

"-Jared-"

"-she always knows what she's doing. Remember how she lured us into the maze and-"

"-we weren't even the main targets, I know! We were just... extras. It didn't matter if we lived or died because we had already accomplished her goal for her I know Sasha! I know." Tim looked away as his voice trailed off. "I just..."

The raven was so defenseless in Martin's arms. 

"We have to try."

Sasha looked away. After a beat of silence she replied, her voice whisper thin.

"Fine."

Martin lifted one of his fingers holding Jon ever so careful. Sasha paused for a second before her hand come down, opening Jon's little bird mouth. 

This got the raven to wake with a flurry but Sasha was so close. Martin gripped the rest of the raven's body with a grip strong enough to hold steel as Sasha took advantage of Jon's initial confusion and shoved the berry into the raven's beak, forcing it to digest it.

The raven coughed and coughed and Sasha, Martin and Tim waited with baited breath. Sasha allowed herself to hope, just for a second.

...

Nothing happened.

Well, that was wrong. Something did happen. That something being Jon continuing to cough and squirm. Sasha's eyes were alight, her breath short, not even daring to breath and ruin it. 

They waited for what must have been at least five minutes. Sasha couldn't deny each minute they spent waiting was one where her hope faded a little more. She could already see Tim getting antsy and Martin's expression was just depressing. She found herself aching. However she waited as the bird squirmed.

...was this Jon? She knew that this used to be Jon but... could they call him that anymore. He didn't share Jon's appearance anymore, not his memories if the squirming was anything to go by.

Ten minutes had passed in silence. Then fifteen. 

Sasha was the first to turn away. 

Twenty minutes.

"I think it's too late." Sasha said to the silence. Tim was trembling.

"No." His reply left no room for argument. She didn't even try.

An hour. Martin had shifted his eyes to the forest, where Jon had not stopped squirming to get to. He lifted a finger, testing.

Jon would stay if he was still Jon. If he had any semblance of being Jon-

He left, flying off into the distance and Martin collapsed. Restraining a fully grown raven had taken a toll. Nobody faulted him. Tim slunk down to he ground next to Martin, and Sasha was already on the ground. 

Martin extended his arms towards Tim in a hug gesture. Tim blinked, still very much trembling, before accepting. 

They were alone. It was just him, Sasha and Martin now. Soon to be just him and Sasha.

It was four days until they left. Tim hated the fact they were leaving Jon here, hated everything about this place, hated Annabelle. He hated Martin, hated Sasha. 

He hated Jon. Asshole.

The portal was cool to the touch, and Tim didn't hesitate, knowing if he did he wouldn't be able to leave. That his guilt would trap him, that he'd feel so useless-

He stepped through, his feet feeling heavy and for the first time, feeling sunlight - real sunlight - on his skin. It was foreign but so so familiar and Tim embarassed it. Sasha came through behind him as he turned to look at her.

"Tim your horns..." She frowned and Tim reached up to touch them. They were still there. And indeed, hers were too, her antlers shining in the daylight sun and making her seem taller than she would have ever been on Earth. But Tim didn't care much for any of that anymore.

Sasha was pulled into an embrace, his mind melting at the touch on grass, for sun it was all too much. But now Sasha was here and they...

They could survive together. 

"Let's go home." Tim whispered. Sasha agreed.

Martin felt empty. He'd tried his best to help Sasha and Tim through their obvious pain of losing a friend but he'd also felt the pain himself. Which was silly, he'd only been friends with Jon for a few weeks. But... despite that... Jon was really the only true person he knew. Or at least, the only one who had treated him like a friend. Which was sad.

He walked away from the portal, missing Tim and Sasha already. He knew they deserved to go home but he would miss them regardless.

He stopped.

There was a figure, shaking but familiar. Shrouded in darkness and feathers but still able to be seen, wanting to be seen. Martin's eyes widened and he raced forward suddenly.

"Jon!"

Jon was swept off his feet into a hug, feathers surrounding him. But he was human, although shaking quite a bit. Still, his eyes stared up into Martin's in awe and, something else, twinkling in those eyes. Martin couldn't look away. It wasn't an unfamiliar gaze though, it was warm and it was safe.

"Martin..." Jon said weakly and Martin could cry. He did. Martin cried slowly into Jon's shoulder, but Jon didn't seem to mind, instead holding Martin tighter. "Let's go home."

Home... Martin hadn't had one of those since the Ice Castle. At first he thought the portal, but no. Jon couldn't enter there, not now. Not ever. Even he could feel the power of the forest flowing through Jon, grounding him. Keeping him here.

And keeping him safe.

Jon walked to the Castle. The aurora made the ice look rainbow and Martin finally felt safe there. Peter was dead. The Ice Guards were dead... Not gone, but dead. They'd be back. The forest didn't like letting go of people.

That was good. Death wasn't permanent here. It never was, and Martin understood that now. Otherwise Jon would be dead and... he wasn't. Instead he was walking beside him, determined and unafraid.

This was there home. Martin looked up, and found his heart yearned for it, even now. Jon gestured out to him, and Martin grabbed his arms.

Jon smiled and bent his knees, before souring off into the sky. Martin clutched at the arms but knew, ultimately, he would be safe. He would always be safe here. And Jon would too. 

Jon carried them to the highest story, before landing with a crumple. Martin laughed, before settling into the main king's quarters, covering the relatively untouched by snow quarters into a snow paradise. That made Jon laugh and, to be honest, it made Martin laugh too. 

This was their home now. Their part of the forest. And nobody would touch it.

Three years later.

Sasha grimaced. She and Tim knew where the portal was of course they did. They'd spent so much time (seperatly of course, they didn't know each other yet) against that old wooden tree, where petals seemed to fall into the lake (portal) and then disappear. She remembered nobody was there to see her off, and at the time, she'd dismissed it. They'd welcome her back a hero, surviving the Twilight Forest and her discoveries would be legendary.

Yeah. Not quite the hero's welcome she expected when she'd entered society again and people had laughed at her antlers and speed and had examined her all over. And the media wouldn't leave her alone, of course they wouldn't, they needed to check on the freaks of nature emerging from the Twilight. Even then, she thought her family might be happy to see her...

She pushed that thought aside as they walked towards the lake. Tim had already made up his mind and had told her. And Sasha... had done the same. 

It was clear they weren't wanted here. But maybe they could make some good somewhere else.

Sasha held her breath, allowing herself to fall as she'd done all those years ago. Fall back into the Twilight.

Tim stumbled into the lake next to her, gripping his axe so hard his fingers were white. Yet on his face there was a grim determination. 

They were going to kill Annabelle.

There were heaps of berry bushes on the path to her lair, more the closer they got and at one point Sasha was sure they  were just be taunting her. Yet they continued, undeterred. A single minded goal in their eyes, and nothing, absolutely nothing stopping them.

It was easy in the end, to find Annabelle's lair again. Easier even, to defeat her. For all the manipulation they'd heard the last couple of years from scientists and the news, it didn't seem to bother either of them. Didn't even scare them.

And so Annabelle Cane died as she lived. Tim even made a backstabbing joke, and Sasha was too relived to do anything but laugh.

They couldn't leave. Even if they could find the portal again, they wouldn't leave. They weren't going to doom anybody else to this place.

Sasha was the one who started walking towards the palace. However conscious or unconscious it was, her feet lead her through the well worn path of the forest. Tim followed and eventually that unconscious path became a conscious one as they noticed tracks of creatures leading all in one direction. They only found out they were heading to the palace after arriving. 

Tim was the first to make a comment. "Should have known the bloody forest tracks led here. It's probably abandoned after the Ice King died and all the creatures moved in. Probably owned by some other big boss."

Sasha shivered at the thought of killing another boss, such they'd both been pretty fit when they'd arrived but in the years they'd been back they hadn't kept such strict a routine.

Her eyes narrowed as she went to step away. She could have sworn they were being...

Tim leant closer, signalling the 'we're being watched' sign. Sasha was honestly surprised she managed to recognise it, everything else considered.

She watched back, sweeping the landscape around them.

There! Movement from the corridors, there was something behind there.

"Tim? Sasha?" A familiar figure walked out. Martin. He'd changed in the three years they'd been gone. His hair, which had been a light ginger, was now snow white, and his outfit seemed a little less like a guard and more relaxed. It was a sweater, with a few curly words Sasha couldn't make out on it.

Martin was shocked, and taking advantage of this shock, Sasha ran toward, seizing him with a hug. Tim joined them for a bit and they stayed together until Sasha pulled away.

As Martin stood, there could hear another pair of footsteps. Lighter, almost angel light, but still able to be heard. Martin's eyes widened but he didn't look scared. Sasha and Tim went tense however as a new figure stepped out.

"Martin, what are you doing up so late..." Jon asked wearily, a green thick fabric coat hung around his body. Tim and Sasha froze as Jon's eyes lazily drifted towards the before his whole body froze.

"...Jon?" Tim rushed towards him as Jon was still frozen there, cannon balling them both to the ground with a short 'ha!.' Jon eyes were wide, but after a few seconds he allows himself to sink into the touch. Sasha run over next eye wide and alight.

"How? You were a bird, you were... gone." Sasha blinked as Jon stared up at her curiously.

"I should ask you the same question. You were gone you can't be back here-"

"Uh-uh." Tim covered Jon's mouth, muffling his voice. "Our questions first!"

Jon sighed before nodding and Tim took his hand off. They were still both on the ground when Martin began to speak. Jon looked up, meeting his eyes and Martin gave a small nod. Jon closed his eyes.

"It was only fifteen minutes after you left when I found him." 

Sasha drew in a breath. Fifteen minutes? That small amount of time? If they had just waited a bit longer, if they'd searched on held on...

Well, they wouldn't be facing the future they had today.

"...We found out what the berries did." Jon added when Martin nodded. "It was all a plot by Annabelle, as I'd predicted."

"The berries are called glowberries. They provide a filter, to your mind. Allowing you to stay more human in the Twilight, like a boss would naturally."

Tim and Sasha both cocked their head at this and Martin went on to explain.

"Everything in the Twilight Forest, is the Twilight Forest. The birds, the trees, the animals. Even the bosses. There are all connected to the forest."

"There is a will in the animals in our minds, and the will of the forest. Since I was consumed by the forest, the will of the forest in my brain is... well, my will. Eating the glowberries lets me retain the Twilight Forest will, my own will, and keeps me from becoming a bird. If I eat the berries regularly that is."

Sasha nodded. She thought she understood. Enough at least. Martin helped Jon up, before reaching a hand to help Tim, who pulled himself up. She also noticed how Jon seemed to sink into Martin as a support beam. It was kind of cute actually. Very catlike.

Martin started leading them upstairs while talking.

"Uhm, Annabelle has control of the glowberry trade. We grow our own in the castle but there's not enough of them for each of us monthly, so it's Jon's turn to sit out. He'll be a bit sleepy days coming up to the transformation."

Jon lightly slapped his side, a scowl on his face. However it didn't seem to be viscous. "I can speak for myself."

"Okay." Martin gave him a shrug but other than that didn't complain. Jon once again leaned heavily into Martin's side. 

Tim seemed to have noticed this behaviour, because he was giving Sasha eyes. She met them before smirking a bit, Tim smirking right back. 

"Wait, Annabelle?" Tim asked. Martin nodded. Tim grinned, holding a hand to his chest like he was accepting an award. "Well, no need to worry about that threat anymore."

Martin blinked, confused, before Sasha explained.

"We killed her."

Martin looked away and yet again and Sasha and Tim both grinned at each other. However, Jon was frowning at them both.

"That won't... kill her." Martin breathed out. Sasha frowned.

"Not permanently at least. You've... deterred her for a while however." Jon said.

"What! Why wouldn't that kill her, when you kill people they die!!!" Tim gestured in confusion.

"Not here. Remember. We are all part of the forest. Means you return to it after death and the forest respawns you."

Sasha sighed. They should have honestly expected that. It was never that easy. 

"Well next time she resurrects, we'll be sure to take her on." Sasha looked to Tim for the confirmation that she knew his eyes would hold. Since they entered the portal they both knew there was no returning.

They entered what must have been the main dining room of the palace. The walls and floor were still the crystal-like structure of the Aurora Blocks however the main furniture of the place was wood, and growing below the table was a patch of moss spread out almost like a large rug.

Martin sat down, nodding to a woman already sat. "Basira", he acknowledged.

Her skin was dark and she wore a burka around her head, hiding her hair. She was buried in a book, only vaguely noticing Martin's gesture. 

Even stranger, a pair of ram horns, similar to Tim's, laid on top of her head, emerging through the fabric. Sasha nodded just as Martin had done but she didn't care enough to look up again.

"So if we just waited another fifteen minutes..." Sasha breathed out. Her mind was still on that thought, that if she'd just held on a little longer, a little further...

Jon shook his head. "There was no way you could have known. In fact, it was pure luck Martin managed to find me in that time. Otherwise..."

Tim's eyes narrowed as Jon looked away hurriedly. Martin placed a hand on his back supportively, before looking towards Tim, a sigh in his breath.

"Annabelle tried to 'recruit' him. Which meant manipulating him into her personal servant." Martin explained. 

"I- I would have brought it too. If Martin wasn't there. I would have gone with her and be-" Jon shook slightly, curling in on himself. Sasha felt a pang of guilt go through her heat, the third of the day that must be a new record.

"Well, it's luckily you didn't." Tim leaned against his sword.

He spook at the same time as Basira finally said something. "You aren't the only one she's manipulated."

Jon nodded, to both of them, before replying to Basira. "No. I'm not. And for what it's worth I'm sorry-"

Basira just glared at him before exiting the table. Everyone was silent.

"What... happened-"

Jon looked regretfully at the both of them. "Alot has changed since you two left. And... for what it's worth I'm sorry to both of you too."

"For what...?" Tim asked.

"For how rude and disrespectful I was to you both. You didn't deserve that, you were going through the same thing as me and I just... I'm sorry."

Sasha stared for a long minute. "You were a bit rude."

Jon avoided eye contact.

"...but I forgive you." She continued. Jon's eyes widened as he was greeted with a smiling Sasha. And then his gaze switched to Tim, who was looking away slightly.

"You discouraged both of us on multiple occasions, insulted me to my face, refused to trust us both the whole time we were there and put our lives in danger by keeping critical information to yourself..." Tim replied, still not glancing at Jon. Jon looked down, and that's when he found Tim's eyes on his.

"... it's going to take a lot longer than that for me to forgive you." Tim's voice was harsh and cold. Jon tried to avoid running out of the room. But then the gaze relaxed.

"Lucky for us, you've got all the time in the world to make it up to us."

Jon looked up, wide eyed. "I-"

Tim smiled, drawing his axe across his shoulders. Sasha joined in, her eyes burning with a strange sense of determination.

"We're destroying the portal." She said. Jon spluttered for a bit. 

"I- no, you won't be able to leave though!"

Both of them looked at him like he was stupid. Jon abruptly shut up.

"Are you two sure about this?" Martin emerged from the kitchen, speaking for the first time since greeting Basira. Both nodded and Martin sighed.

"Well, I can guide you there but... are you sure? This place is hell incarnate and... if you can leave, you should. As soon as possible."

A snort echoed around the room. "You think we came here with the intention to leave? We knew what we were doing..." Sasha got quieter slightly. "...And we're prepared to bare the consequences."

Martin sighed again. "I'll guide you to the portal tomorrow. For now, I'd suggest you sleep. I don't know what time it was in your world, however here..." He nudged Jon slightly, who was beginning to yawn. "...it's near enough to nighttime here."

Ah yeah. Sasha glanced outside, shivering. She'd have to get used to the idea of eternal twilight again.

...it was worth it if it meant nobody else had to bare the wrath of this place.

Jon was still speaking. "But you can't just trap yourself here, please I-"

"Jon." Tim interrupted, his eyes slightly darkened. "I'm not letting a single other person fall to this place."

"But you'd be trapping so many inside-"

"Jon." Tim's voice was firmer, and not to be argued with. "We were the only two who made it out. Ever. I doubt somebody else is going to make it out if nobody but us has managed it in twenty years."

Jon looked to the side before speaking softly. "Georgie."

"Huh?"

"Georgie and Melanie. They haven't, haven't fully surrendered to the Twilight yet, the only reason they haven't gotten out is you're the only one with the exit map. Without it we couldn't find the portal but now-" Jon cut himself off slightly, his face still enthusiastic however.

"Who are they?"

"...They came a few months before now. Our newest arrivals. Overall there's six of us. Me, Martin, Basira, Daisy, Melanie and Georgie."

Jon continued. "You've met Basira. The ram horns took a while to form, but she couldn't hold out forever. She and Daisy... have been here a lot longer than me. Daisy took her wisp wolf form almost as quick as I did. I've heard she had the same denial about it too, so yeah. We get on."

"Melanie and Georgie have only been here five months. Georgie hasn't been given anything, but Melanie has found a few multicoloured feathers in her hair on occasion. She hates it. They both do."

"They know they'll be subjected to the media and scientists if they leave?"

"Yes. They are prepared for that."

Tim nodded slightly. "We'll lead them there."

.
.
.

Melanie and Georgie, it turned out, were a pair of girls, one tall, one short. It was easy to recognise the shorter as Melanie, the multicoloured feathers sticking from behind the ear was much easier to spot the Jon's black. They had linked hands and, although it was hard to see on their faces, they were hopeful. Tim smiled.

Jon didn't join them. Tim appreciated it. If Jon was there, well the girls didn't like him, and Tim would be subconscious waiting for Jon to beg him to enter it, to go home, that he didn't have to stay.

It was better this way. 

Martin did come. The two seemed okay with that. Basira too.

The whole trip nobody spoke, aside from Georgie and Melanie, who would occasionally whisper to each other. 

He'd given the map to Melanie, who was at the front of the group. The only words she'd said to him had been asking for it. She obviously didn't trust him. Tim obviously didn't mind.

They'd arrived.

Tim hadn't even noticed, his thoughts elsewhere. But now they were there...

His stomach twisted. Were they really going through with this?

Glancing to Sasha, he could see her instantly return his gaze with a shaky nod. She was just as nervous as him.

Georgie didn't hesitate. She entered, hand linked with Melanie's.

Melanie did hesitate. She glanced behind, at both Martin and Basira and then Tim and Sasha. A small wave and a smile was the last glimpse they got of her as she too disappeared.

Sasha was the one to look at Tim now. They both nodded. It was time.

Portal apparently went up in flames easily. Martin was the main source of fire, with Sasha helping. Eventually it turned into some sort of game, with Tim hacking at the portal frame with an axe, Sasha and Martin finding more flammable stuff. Basira stood back, seemingly undisturbed. Tim remembered what Jon said.

She'd tried to hold on for so long. She deserved to leave too, they all did.

But they couldn't. So he'd make sure her time here wasn't all brooding.

Sasha left with her hands covered in ash, Martin the same. "We have to do that sometime again!"

Martin looked guiltily to the side before the biggest smile Sasha had ever seen before emerged from his face. "I know a perfect patch of moss that we've needed to get rid of for a while."

Back at the castle, Jon found himself getting sleeper. He stroked Daisy's fur, Daisy who had transformed already and was refusing to get off his knees despite being a bear sized wolf.

Georgie and Melanie had left. Like they'd wanted to. Sasha and Tim... were back. He'd have to get used to the idea of that but... it was something he wanted for a while.

Him and Martin... Jon glanced at the engagement ring that he'd painstaking made out of steelleef and smiled. They were going good.

Maybe everything did work out in the end. 

Maybe he could finally relax.