Chapter Text
Your heart's a vine that I've bled trying to climb
Yeah, you're making a ruin of me
Try to survive, keep my spirit alive
But like a knife in the woods
Yeah, you hunt down the good in me
But like a knife in the woods
Yeah, you hunt down the good in me, hey
Like a knife in the woods
Yeah, you hunt down the good in me
Saparata sat alone on the edge of his unfinished vacation home. Fluixon had said he was coming to visit and help with construction. Initially, Saps had refused, not wanting Flux to get into any trouble with his leader, since Flux was second in command. With all the political talk on Island Two, he found it hard to believe Flux had enough free time to spend with him building his vacation home. But Flux had insisted, and Saps relented. After all, he couldn’t say no to a friend.
Saps had spent most of his day collecting materials and building the foundation of his home. His muscles ached with the hard work. His hands throbbed from holding heavy tools all day. He thought he deserved a break and to enjoy the view he was working for.
It didn’t take much longer for Fluixon to arrive. Saps saw in the distance from his perch a small boat docked at the shoreline. A few seconds later, Fluixon appeared, his golden tassels swaying on his shoulders to the beat of his footsteps.
“Hey, Saps!”
“Nice getup you got.” Said Saps stared at the purple and black suit Fux had on. The suit was sleek, and the little accents of gold made the purple pop out more.
“Glad you noticed,” Flux did a funny sort of twist in an effort to show Saps every angle of the outfit. “Makes me look important, don’t you think?”
“Your words, not mine.”
“As second in command of Luminara, one expects a certain kind of elegance.”
“You, elegant? I wish I could see the day.” Saps playfully rolled his eyes. “ I almost feel sorry for Luminara.”
“You’ll eat those words someday.” Flux sat down next to Saps. “So, your place looks nice so far. Got a nice floor at least. And those pillars, man, Greek again?”
“You know I’m a sucker for Greek buildings, and last I checked, it is my home, and you offered to help build it.”
“You're right, you're right. When did you start it?”
“Only today. I just got back from Tricolor, but I don’t think I’m gonna get much done since the meeting with both of the Island Two’s leaders is happening tomorrow. Queen Jophiel said she wanted me to be a mediator, and she said you requested me?”
“Of course I did! You’d be perfect.” Flux patted Saps on the shoulder.
“Really? You know I’m not into politics; that’s the whole reason I’m living here, away from all the other nations. That and this beach.” Saps looked down at where Flux had docked his boat.
Saps has scouted most of Island Two, looking for a perfect spot to relax and enjoy nature and the beach away from all the tension and conflict that had been brewing in the last couple of days. While he was scouting, he had made friends with a bunch of different Nation leaders, especially Tricolor, because Queen Jophiel herself had invited him to visit and give him a tour. It was during this that Jophiel had asked him to meditate at the meeting, stating that since he wasn’t a part of any of the Nations, he wouldn’t have bias or favor any nation, allowing for a hopefully peaceful and productive conversation.
“But that’s why you’re perfect. I know you. I know you only want peace and for all the Nations to live in harmony. I see the flowers you’ve planted around the base of your house. You think after being friends with you this long, listening to you yap about plants and flower language that I wouldn’t catch up on at least some of it?” Flux quickly looked back at the white poppies and back at Saps.
It was true. Saps loved nature. Most importantly, the flowers and birds. He liked learning about the different types of flowers and what they represent. The white poppies were meant to represent peace, the white a symbol of purity and light. The color he had chosen to surround himself with. Even now, he wore a white cloak, and his white braided hair that fell just below his waist, furthered this fact. All he wanted was for peace between the Nations, which is why he accepted Jophiel’s offer. If he could do anything to prevent a war, he would do it.
Fluixon, on the other hand, always wore purple, a symbol of ambition, something Saparata had always known about his friend. The new addition was the gold. It emulated the feeling of success and optimism that Luminara would want to see from any high position in their own Nation. Saps was happy for him when Flux got his position as second in command in Lumniara. Flux had asked if Saps he wanted to join, but he declined, wanting to find his own place to call home. The black and gold to his outfit, now presumably given to him for his position, gave Fluixon this glow of confidence, mystery, and protection. He had a way with people that would have them naturally gravitate towards him.
That’s what made them different. While Saps would prefer to sink into the background and only intrude when he needed to, Fluixon loved the attention, the way people looked up to him. Saps was content to stand in silent support for his friend, but never in the spotlight.
“I guess you’re right. I did accept her offer because if there is a disagreement, I would like to prevent it from escalating if I can, rather than doing nothing. I just don’t want to accidentally cause a war.” Saps looked deep into Flux’s dark purple eyes, as if he were searching for something, but he didn’t know what. Maybe he just wanted reassurance that his fears wouldn’t become a reality.
“You won’t. And you know how I know it? Because you would never let it get that far. People love you! They’ll listen to you, even when they're arguing.” Fluixon moved his hands from tapping the ground beneath him and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small paper crane. “Here. I made this for you.” He placed the crane in Sap's open palm. “Just a reminder of what we’re fighting for.” Saps gently held the crane while smiling teasingly at Flux. “That’s right. You’re not the only sappy one here, but this is all you’re getting out of me!”
“Aww, come on, Flux, you can’t spring this on me!” They both had stood up, and Saps playfully hit Flux on the shoulder.
“Nope! Moments over, let’s go build this house!” Before Saps could do anything more, Flux had already fled down to the chest lying next to the base of Saps' home and had started removing blocks. “Where are the plans for this house?”
Saps pulled out a paper from his inventory and handed it to Flux. The paper held the details of the Greek pillars, the flooring, interior design, and the roof. Flux took it and studied it for a moment before continuing his collection of materials and the paper into his inventory.
“How’s being second in command going for you?” Saps asked while also digging in the chest next to Flux.
“Oh, you know.” He waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t always agree with 3Below, but he is sending me to the meeting in his place. I mean, I don’t understand how he can look at the propaganda from Island One and still build that bridge.”
Saparata rolled his eyes, his hair covering his eyes from Fluixon's view. Flux had been going on and on about 3BelowZero’s ‘idiotic and brainless’ idea that Island One wasn’t going to invade. Saparata didn’t agree with a word Flux had said on the matter, and honestly, it was getting annoying. The only evidence Flux had was the propaganda that was made from Island One, but the propaganda had stopped weeks ago. Saps had agreed with 3Below from the start, but Fluixon would hear none of it.
“Well, Island One is struggling. I’d be angry too if I were starving and I knew some people were just handed everything and didn’t have to struggle.”
“Which is exactly why we need to unite all the Nations against Island One! It’s the only way to get world peace.”
“The only way for world peace is war?” Saps quipped and stared at Fluixon.
Fluixon’s dark purple eyes shimmered with an emotion that danced just out of Saps’ grasp, like a secret buried deep within. But in an instant, that spark was replaced by a calm look of mild annoyance, as if the moment never existed at all.
“When Island One invades, we need to be prepared. We’ll have world peace because Island Two will be ready. I'll make sure of it.”
“And how will you do that?” Saps was sick of his spiel. It was always the same. He regretted ever bringing the topic up.
“Because I have a plan. 3Below made me the representative at the meeting. I can use this as an opportunity to get all of Island Two against Island One. And with your mediation, you could help me.”
Saparata started at Fluixon in disbelief. Did he really think that he would help him rally a war? Saps wanted unity between all the Nations but not through hatred. He wanted everyone to live in harmony, trusting each other, not wondering when the other was going to attack. Flux hadn’t even phrased his sentence as a question, like he had expected Saps to just follow his plans blindly. Flux was already going against Luminara's views; their whole Nation was created to be the light of the world, that bright about world peace through the bridge that would connect the two islands.
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, no, Fluixon. No, I will not help you build an army to attack Island One because if we want world peace, we should communicate. We don’t even know for sure if Island One is attacking. All you have is the propaganda that stopped weeks ago. And if I know one way for sure that will start a war is if the border drops and we sail over swinging swords, that any attempt for peace will be gone.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am dead serious.”
A sudden thought came to mind. The oddness from before, the strange attitude bringing up unity, and the paper crane.
“And the paper crane from before? Was that just a gift or a way of trying to get me to agree to your stupid plan?”
He understood that Fluixon had the charm to get what he wanted, but this time, he had gone too far. This was the pivotal line between peace and war; a boundary where lives hang, and once crossed, there would be no turning back. After all, the stakes were now greater than anyone could have imagined. And all of it was resting on his shoulders.
“I was trying to simply show you what we could accomplish! World peace! I thought that's what you wanted. But I guess I was wrong. You can’t see what's in front of your face, you and 3Below! You’re both blinded from the truth!” Fluixon glared at Saps, his knuckles white. Saps had never seen Flux so angry. Especially with him. He’d seen him heated, sure, but never with the hunger in his eyes, never with a look like he would like to stab him and make it hurt. It scared him.
Almost as if a switch flicked, Fluixon changed. His face fell into a straight line, pressed thin as if he hadn’t been glowering over Saps's seconds before. Flux’s hands had relaxed and shrunk into himself. His eyes, which had been filled with anger, had dimmed and hardened. It was so abrupt that Saps questioned whether or not he had really been angry if it wasn’t for his voice resounding in his head like an echo. Sap’s mind filled with words that couldn’t be taken back.
“I’m sorry.”
“I really am.”
“I should have known you would never want to purposely start a war.”
Sap's mouth remained closed.
“But I want you to think about it. Island One is going to invade, and I only want the best for us. That paper crane?”
“It really was a gift.”
Saparata lay alone, watching the stars pass from the middle of his unfinished vacation home. He had tried to continue building, but when Flux left, he took the blueprints and a lot of the building materials, caught up in the moment to return them and Saps had been too frozen to call after him. Just a few hours ago, he had been excited about the visit, but now? It had only made his fears about the meeting increase tenfold. He felt like he was standing on a fragile line between peace and war. One strong gust and he would plunge into an abyss of chaos. He didn’t want Fluixon to be angry at him, but facing his anger was incomparable to the utter destruction of war. The thought of lives lost hung in the air, thick, like a dark cloud surrounding his head. An unrelenting fog that was a constant reminder that if he failed tomorrow, the line would be crossed.
He took a deep breath.
The deeper he sank into his negative thoughts, the more he reinforced the belief that everything was destined to fail. So he focused on being optimistic.
Saps had visited most of the Nations, and the majority of them had all wanted peace. Jophiel was a great example. Saps found it hard to believe that the Queen of Tricolor would listen or even entertain Fluixon’s ideas of invasion. She had given him a list of all the major Nations that would be attending and the leaders. The biggest Nation: The Commonwealth. This Nation made Saparata the most nervous. The five leaders had been having disagreements over the power share, and some rumors were spreading that some could be turning to violence.
Aside from The Commonwealth, The Cass Coalition was the second most powerful Nation on Island Two. He had visited, and many different people had settled there. The Cass Coalition had a democratic society, so most of the major decisions were made by the people. From the citizens he had met, they had all seemed friendly and inviting, definitely not interested in war. Aperion, he knew, was a small town that used to have rumors that they were colonizing Nations, but it had been revealed that this was false. AlkalineAlke only wanted to be left alone, which didn’t sound to Saps as if they would appreciate joining a war effort. The only one left was Luminara, and he knew too well what was going to be said.
He had half a mind to tell 3Below about what Flux was going to do at the meeting, but at this point, it was already too late. There was no way he would be able to sail to Luminara and be at the meeting in time to stop Fluixon from attempting to start a war. And they were still best friends. Even though they didn’t agree on this, their time together meant something. They both looked after each other. The paper crane lay on his stomach.
It really was a gift? He had seen Flux’s tactics before, and this wasn’t his usual style. Normally, he would talk up the other person, pointing out their hair, saying it looked shinier than normal, is that a new pair of shoes? What a pretty necklace! He knew it all. But he never gave anyone anything.
Nothing physical.
Nothing that could tie him to that person. That would mean he cared. So it was a gift. Made special for him and no one else. He gently picked up the crane and held it above his head, so it looked like it was a part of the glittering sky.
It would be his reminder of what he’s fighting for.