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Deep down, Geo knew he was putting his hope in a cause that was over before it could even begin. After all, Geo wasn’t inclined to describe himself as an optimist. Who would be, after dealing with a lifetime of isolation and scorn from both tribes? Exiled for being too big a Geckle and too weak a Munce. Perhaps in a kinder story, Geo’s existence could’ve been seen as a symbol of hope. That even after years of fighting, the two tribes could eventually overcome their differences and be united as one. But the reality was that Geo was nothing more than a fluke, a betrayal of the worst kind for each tribe, born from his parents' daring to seek comfort in the enemy.
So, to reiterate, no, Geo was not an optimist. Worst yet, perhaps he was a fool. After all, only a fool would hope some day he’d magically be embraced by Geckle and Munce alike with open arms. It didn’t matter how many times he faced rejection, for there would always be a naive part of him that yearned for somewhere to belong. A family of his own. And it's that naivety that led him here, sneaking out of the dungeons and onto the palace grounds for a chance of catching a glimpse of the legendary Gilly.
Or was it Milly? Geo wasn’t sure; hardly anyone talked to him long enough to give a straight answer, and it seemed inevitable that the details of Grief-Bringer’s defeat would get muddled through the years.
Geo knew he shouldn’t put stock in rumors. After all, how many times growing up did he hear Munce and Geckles tell themselves that it was only a matter of time before the Master of Earth would return to Shintaro and bring them justice? Back then, Geo took their word as law. Waiting day after day for Milly to come down the mountain and free his people. It was only as he grew older that Geo finally realized Gilly's return wasn’t inevitable. Rather, his people needed something- anything- to believe in or else what was the point of trying to keep going?
But this time around, something felt different . Through the grate in the garden- one of the few benefits of being an exile: neither tribe particularly cared about what Geo got up to. After all, he wasn’t any of their responsibility, meaning he was free to sneak around at his own risk. Only his head was on the chopping block if he got caught.- Geo overheard the guards gossiping amongst themselves. Rumor had it that elemental masters would be visiting Shintaro at the King’s invitation for the Princess’s birthday. The special guest amongst them? The Master of Earth.
It almost sounded too good to be true.
“I’m about to make a big mistake, huh?” Geo muttered. Not that he was talking to himself. He was talking to Milly! … Gilly? It didn’t matter; Geo knew it was a matter of time before he got a straight answer from the woman herself.
Grip tightening on the locket around his neck, Geo resisted the urge to flick it open. He knew what he would find inside, as familiar with the picture of the Earth Elemental as the back of his hand. The necklace was one of his most prized possessions, a gift from the savior of Shintaro herself to one of his parents. He couldn’t remember if it originally belonged to his mother or father, but what mattered was that they left it to him when they passed. Through the years, the locket had been a great source of comfort for Geo. In a way, his only companion. Geo had lost track of how many afternoons he had cracked the locket open, sharing his musings of the day to the portrait of Gilly and the mystery man inside (Geo had no idea who he was, but he found his mustache oddly intriguing. He never met a geckle or munce with facial hair). After all, she had kind eyes. She didn’t seem like the type to judge him for being a hybrid.
Yes, this locket had served him well through the years, but hopefully, he wouldn’t need it anymore. Once he returns it to its rightful owner and pleads his case with Milly, he’ll be hailed a hero, praised by Munce and Geckle for his bravery. For daring to climb out of the dungeon and find them a savior. How could they turn him away now, once he’s proven himself as more than a traitorous mistake?
A lot was riding on this fateful meeting, and as much as Geo wanted to turn tail and run back to the safety of the garden grate, the simple thought of finally being accepted by the tribes pushed Geo to take one step after the other deeper into the palace. Besides, he had done quite a bit of ill-advised exploring when he was younger, so it wasn’t entirely new territory.
Soon enough, Geo found himself at the foot of the elemental master’s bedroom door. Least Geo hoped so based on what he managed to glean from eavesdropping on the guard’s conversation. Even through the solid stone doors, Geo could make out the sounds of snoring. Whoever waited on the other side was sound asleep, which hopefully meant Geo would have an easier time sneaking in.
Cautiously sneaking his way through the door, Geo’s hand instinctively went for the locket around his neck when he noticed the figure sleeping in the bed, sprawled as if they were intent on making use of every single last inch. From the doorway, Geo could make out their thick dark hair and their brown skin- it looked so warm compared to his own purple and the pale skin of the skyfolk- but he still couldn’t quite make out their face. Holding his breath, Geo crept towards the bed, trying his best to keep his steps light, wincing with every minute creak of the floor. But the bed occupant remained undisturbed, not so much as even twitching in his sleep until Geo had finally reached their bedside, turning to their side as they nestled into their sheets. Face completely relaxed and distinctly not Gilly’s.
At least he’s handsome, a shameless part of Geo couldn’t help but appreciate much to his mortification. He was torn between his despair at his dashed dreams of finally freeing his people and his natural admiration for art. Even in the wake of his disappointment, Geo couldn’t help admire the stranger before him. He looked… nice. That was as much as Geo was willing to admit to himself in the moment. Not as reality was finally starting to kick in for the hybrid.
How foolish was he to hope the solution to his problems would just magically appear, that the answer to his people’s liberation could be found in a bedtime story for kids? Unless this handsome stranger was secretly some magical knight ready to save the day at a moment's notice, then Geo was pointlessly risking his life with each passing second he spent up here in the palace.
Turning on his heel to flee, Geo accidentally bumped into the bedside table in his rush, scrambling to prevent its contents from tumbling to the floor in fear of waking the stranger up. Perhaps if he weren’t so distracted, he would’ve heard of bedsheets rustling as the stranger woke up.
“Huh, what in the-?”
Shit.
Geo tried to make a run for it, but even half asleep, Geo was no match for the stranger, who instantly leapt into action and tackled him. As Geo crashed onto the floor- he just knew he was gonna wind up with a nasty bruise- he struggled against the stranger’s grip, attempting to wiggle his way out with no avail. It was like pushing against a brick wall, the stranger not even budging a inch.
“Who are you?” The stranger demanded as he pinned Geo’s arms above his head, his thick brows furrowing together. His gaze was intense, eyes practically burrowing into Geo as he tried to make sense of his mysterious invader and their intentions. Not that Geo could even hurt him if he wanted to- which he didn’t! It was obvious this guy was some kind of warrior. If his build didn’t give it away, his instincts alone did. Geo didn’t stand a fighting chance.
“Let me go!” Geo struggled, panic starting to set in as he realized how quickly his plans had spiraled out of his control. With all the commotion they were making, it was only a matter of time before the guards would come bursting in, and who knew what would follow. Although Geo’s imagination was more than happy to dream up a variety of worst-case scenarios. “I don’t want any trouble. Just let me go, and I'll leave you alone!”
“Why should I believe you? You were the one sneaking in my room- how do I know you weren’t trying to kill me in my sleep or something?” The stranger accused, only to freeze up when he caught sight of a flicker of gold from Geo’s chest. At some point during their scuffle, Geo’s locket had slipped out from beneath his top, opened to reveal its contents thanks to his anxious fiddling earlier. Geo tensed as one of the stranger’s hands reached for the locket, his face slack in shock as he leaned closer, taking the portraits in.
“Mom?”
Whatever revelation the stranger was going through, Geo wasn’t privy to it. His mind was running a mile a minute, torn between admiring the stranger’s eyes (big and brown with flecks of gold and not the point to be focusing on-!) and the need to escape and get out of here before it was too late.
Geo wasn’t sure what about his locket the stranger found so damn fascinating, but when he loosened his grip on Geo’s wrist amid the distraction, Geo knew this was his one chance.
“Get off of me!” Geo kneed the warrior in the stomach, successfully kicking him off. Having learned his lesson once, Geo didn’t hesitate to make a break for it, ignoring the warrior's demands for him to come back. What mattered most was getting as much distance between him and the handsome stranger as possible.
Heart in his throat, Geo's surroundings blurred together as he made his escape to the garden grate, a rush of adrenaline and fear. He only let himself catch his breath when he was safely underground, blood roaring in his ears as he leaned against the wall, desperately trying to get a hold of bearings.
Geo couldn’t believe he was foolish enough to talk himself into such a stupid idea. Did he really delude himself into believing he would meet Milly? That someone like Gilly would really give a hybrid like him the time of day and offer her aid? All things considered, Geo supposed he could just consider himself lucky that he wasn’t caught by any of the royal guard.
Heart still pounding against his chest, Geo’s hand instinctively flew to fiddle with his locket. Only to come up empty. Geo froze, stomach sinking in dread. He began to pat himself down in a panic, desperately hoping he was mistaken.
No, no, no, no, nononono-
His locket was missing. And Geo was all but certain it was still with the warrior.