#and then i just HAPPENED to jump off the island right into the hidden shrine

[ittibittium]

i think i accidentally paraglided myself into an end-game quest of totk this is me accidentally falling off a roof into the ganon fight while trying to see how high i could climb in botw all over again. i havent even done the start of game quests yet or gotten any of the sages KFJDSJKGH

#i was like #im gonna see if i can use this wing thing to get into that cloud over there there's islands in there i wanna see #and then i botched that and got yeeted off the island without my flight contraption but somehow managed to stamina potion my way in #and then when i landed i was like #i cant see shit here #fuck it #blooms arent helping either i obviously havent done something i needed to do before coming here #like when i hot air ballooned into the water temple island but couldnt do the quest because i needed to tell sidon where a water bridge was #and i had no idea where that was so i was like fuck it i'll fly myself up #but anyway i was on the island in the storm and was like fuck it im just gonna jump off and go do other quests then no point being here #and then i just HAPPENED to jump off the island right into the hidden shrine #so i did the shrine #and then i was looking around and there was a goddess statue and i had enough orbs so i was like yeah sure i'll get another heart #and then i saw the doors #and i hit open without really thinking #and i just HAPPENED TO NOW HAVE EXACTLY THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF HEARTS TO OPEN IT #I DIDNT THINK IT WOULD ACTUALLY OPEN WHEN I SAW IT WAS ONE OF THOSE HEART DOORS I WAS LIKE FUCK IM GONNA LOSE MY HP #BUT I LIVED AND IT OPENED BECAUSE I HAD THE EXACT AMOUNT BECAUSE I JUST GOT ANOTHER HEART #and now im at the factory building what i accidentally read was an end game mecha #i have ONE battery charge thing #i havent even gotten more of the charges #i barely even made it to the location #im KJHFDKSJHGJ #debating if i make this or go do other stuff rn #i got one of the legs but #FHJGHFDLKHJ

[firaknight]

Ok my brain wants to talk about Kracko today so I’m gonna!

Kracko is one of many. He’s a sentient cloud being that has the powers of a god. Weird that he’s such a pushover most of the time, right? Well, those aren’t the Kracko. There’s other Kracko out there!! If clouds clump together enough, there’s a chance one can form. Other planets even have one (See: Planet Towara boss fight)!! The original, real, genuine Kracko lives in Cloudy Park! He’s hidden at the top of a really dangerous mountain that’s known to have the most fucked up weather patterns of anywhere on Popstar. There’s a shrine up there he calls home and people go visit him a lot!

While the mountain is dangerous, there’s a path that’s usually very clear that people take. Kracko himself carved it during a fit of rage and it tends to be mostly free of the abnormal weather patterns. It leads directly up to the shrine and its traveled quite often! People leave little talismans on the trees as they pass. The talismans have inscriptions of hopes and wishes from the people who travel along the path. While Kracko can’t grant wishes, he can manipulate weather, so he does pay special attention to talismans relating to that.

It’s also customary to take newborns up to the shrine. Think of it like baptism. People take their newborn child along the path and up to Krackos shrine and ask for his blessing. That child will have his protection whilst in the boundaries of Cloudy Park and will hopefully be exempt from his fits of rage (more on that later). He’s usually very calm and courteous when brought a newborn, since they’re small and fragile and probably scare easily and he doesn’t want to frighten them. However, he wasn’t like this when Ado showed up.

Ado brought Adeleine with her when she fled her home planet, and, while Adeleine wasn’t a brand new baby, she was still little and deserved a chance at habit Krackos blessing, so she carried her up to the shrine. Now, keep in mind that, while Kracko has been alive for thousands of years, he’s never once met a human. Not a single one. This meant that he was more than freaked out at the sight of one entering his shrine. He wasn’t mad! Not at all! But a weird squishy being that’s tall and big and haS A BABY??????? Yeah that’s frightening. Once he realized that baby Adeleine just a little sweetie, he warmed up to her almost instantly. Literally picked the child up and out of Ado’s hands and just floated around to room like a joyous goofball with an excitedly squealing child on him. After that day, Kracko dedicated every second he could get (when he was pissed off) to making sure that Adeleine was happy.

At first, it was small things, like slowing down lightning so she wouldn’t be scared during a thunderstorm, but it quickly grew to “I’m going to give my entire life up for this kid if I have to.” She gets to be a bit older and decides to go run into the forest to play! Problem being that she’s an easy target for predatory creatures like Pacto, which are big enough to swallow her whole if one wanted to. She gets spotted by one and absolutely can’t outrun it. Ado is far enough away to not hear the commotion, but Kracko notices. He may be all the way up in his shrine, but he can just sense when someone’s in danger. Almost immediately, a thunderstorm rolls in and he uses this as a cover to scope the forest, spotting little Adeleine running from a group of Pacto. Without a second thought, he strikes them down with lighting (despite the fact that he could’ve hit her by mistake if he wasn’t careful), flies down between Adeleine and the Pacto (just in case the lighting didn’t do the trick), and then promptly picks up Adeleine and flies her back home. This tends to happen a lot when she’s little.

After the events of Crystal Shards, Adeleine stays on Ripple Star for a few years before returning home to work on art and be closer to friends. Kracko is overjoyed to have her back and adjusts wind patterns and weather to make sure her first few day back are lovely. He now also has a habit of straight up redirecting weather when she’s painting. It’s about to rain? Cool lemme poke a fat hole in the clouds so this kid doesn’t get rained on. It’s cloudy? Lemme break the clouds so more light shows through. Kid wants to paint a storm? Lemme aim one at the stormy barrier around Cloudy Park and maintain a very specific bolt of lightning for an hour so she can paint it. Its pouring rain and she needs to run an errand? Sure thing I’ll just break a hole in the clouds above her and manipulate said hole and clouds so the hole is always over her and she doesn’t get rained on. High winds? Not in my territory :)

He also becomes super protective of her. Susie comes to invade and mechanize Cloudy Park during Robobot (she wants the resources and data since Cloudy Park is a secluded floating island that’s hard to get to) and gets a few Robobot Armors in to try and get things under control. Adeleine steps up to help alongside Ribbon and gets her ass kicked by one of the Armors. It’s at this point that Kracko hits an anger point he’s never hit before. He destroys every single Robobot Armor that made it past his barrier and then goes after Susie, who’s making her way through the barrier and into Cloudy Park. She doesn’t even make it halfway before Kracko ups the strength of the barrier and chases her out. She sustains serious damage to her Business Suit and crash lands not far from Nutty Noon. Kracko proceeds to chase her all the way back to Dreamland and give her a couple extra warning lightning strikes to make sure she knows to stay the fuck out. Adeleine winds up being fine, she’s just got a few bad scratches and a nasty bruise, but she’s otherwise ok! Kracko carries her up to his shrine to keep her safe and stops her from leaving unless he’s positive that there’s nothing that could do her harm (the leg from the Access Ark is just across from Nutty Noon, meaning they’re in harms way 99% of the time).

Moving on from that: Kracko tends to have a bad temper. When he’s angry, he forms impenetrable thunderstorm clouds and rains lightning on Cloudy Park. Said anger comes from losing to Kirby so often but sometimes it’s from other things, like Susie trying to invade his territory. Adeleines house has been struck more times than she can count, but repairs take no time at all. Kracko tends to feel bad for striking homes (he gets blinded by rage and doesn’t realize what he’s hitting half the time. He tries to aim for desolate areas but his blinded rage can take him elsewhere) and works to help by keeping work-hindering weather at bay until said work is done.

Also, to elaborate on the barrier thing:

Cloudy Park has a huge barrier of clouds surrounding it. The clouds hold it up and stop it from plummeting into the land below, and it serves as a barrier to outsiders. Kracko is the one that formed those clouds and maintains them, putting some of his energy into keeping them around. The clouds are usually so thick you can’t see where you’re going, and Kracko uses this to confuse intruders into turning themselves around and coming right back out the way they came. Stops him from having to fight anyone and keeps his bad temper at bay. However, some threats are persistent and don’t leave so easily. Susie and the Robobot invaders were one of these threats. This leads Kracko to use a defense system in the barrier: storms. He fuels his energy into the clouds in the barrier and creates storm clouds out of them. Lightning jumps from cloud to cloud and thunderclaps sound from every part of the barrier. High winds also tend to show up that can push most beings away if they’re not careful. If the threat still persists, Kracko takes on the threat himself. He blends in with the clouds, with only a spike or an eye being visible in the stormy mass. He rains lighting and high speed hail upon the threat until they back off. If the threat even so much as slows down, Kracko ups the force of his attacks until he’s chased the threat out completely. He occasionally takes on a different move: warping the entirety of Cloudy Park to a different location. Kracko may be fierce, but he knows when he’s beat. If he feels his territory is in danger, he can use the clouds and innate magic of the land itself to physically warp the landmass that is Cloudy Park to a different location. He only does this under extensive threat like the Dark Matter invasions. Both times he moved were when he believed that Cloudy Park was at risk of being overtaken by Dark Matter. The warp is fast, taking less than an hour to do. The barrier of clouds around the island fully encase it, creating a sphere of clouds around the landmass. The clouds begin to spin and close in, high winds usually following, and then everything warps. Cloudy Park is physically warped to a new, temporary location. The first time it was the Rainbow Islands, and the second was to the outer reaches of White Wafers, hidden amongst mountains as a secondary protection. While this move usually takes Cloudy Park to safety, it leaves Kracko incredibly weak for a while. The landmass floats very close to the ground (sometimes floating in water to alleviate the stress on Kracko) and the barrier of clouds are weakened to a point where just about anything could get through. Kracko also must return to his shrine to rest and regenerate lost magic used in the warp. It can take days to fully heal up and it leaves Cloudy Park vulnerable to threats. Dark Matter took advantage of that and broke through the weakened defenses to wreak havoc on the landmass. Both times were just a day after the warp. Had the Dark Matter waited a few more days to strike, Kracko could’ve kept Cloudy Park safe.

The warp back is far less taxing, as it’s simply returning Cloudy Park to its original location. Magic is tied to the land that keeps it connected to its origin crater (the crater left from the land rising up out of the ground) and its incredibly easy to find with the right magic prowess. Kracko has such prowess and it’s very very easy for him to warp back. He simply follows the magic that connects the two and uses it as padding for the warp. It takes the magic stress off of him and makes it go faster. The warp home takes maybe 30 minutes at most, but usually less if Kracko is in good health. Once the warp is done, Cloudy Park usually returns to its origin crater and rests there for a day. Magic regenerates incredibly fast when this is done and it allows Kracko to focus on healing up. Since the 2 lands are tied by magic, a naturally occurring barrier forms over the land while Kracko is down to keep it protected while he heals so he doesn’t have to try and maintain his barrier. This connection can’t be done unless one land is weaker than the other. Think of it like trying to stick two of the same magnets together. It doesn’t work. Cloudy Park works the same. If both lands are at full health, they can’t stick together. If Cloudy Park is weakened but the origin crater it came from is at full health, or vice versa, they can stick together.

#fira knight screeches #fira makes braincells #idk why my brain decided to think about Kracko but it’s worldbuilding so I can’t complain djcjnejxkwk #also some Cloudy Park lore is in there too #it’s fun to talk about and work with because the games Cloudy Park is in don’t have much lore on it #it also doesn’t explain their location change. #so I like to think it’s over in the general area of Nutty Noon because it fits in there #but it can warp to other locations. which explains why it’s in different locations in Dreamland 2 and 3 #long post

[courtorderedcake]

Hallow : ch xvii - CSSNS 2019

“The Goblin King was prepared to host the Darkness, stealing Fae women away to their corrupted lands underneath the ground as concubines. The Darkness chose another in his stead, but not before this selected vessel enacted a devastating attack in its vengeance, revealing its hatred & rage. The battle was a lesson the old kings had forgotten; never underestimate an opponent.

Many more lives were lost as they razed over any who dared defy The Goblin King’s will. Only the pure love of our rulers united in matrimony, breaking the Vorpal Dagger, sealed the darkness and the Goblin menace away. The light flourished under their fair rule, and the queen bore a child as pure as moon beams, swan feathers, and starlight. They lived happily ever after, and shall be written in history as Heroes for All Time.”

This is the history Princess Emma memorizes from the day she is born, paraded about and presented only with the highest protection. The palace is a cage she wishes to escape, desperately. Not careful what wishes she made, Emma discovers history is written by the victors - The Dark One has an entirely different version of the events that took place.

Read on AO3 here.

Rated E for explicit themes, Mature situations, and Fae fuckery.

Written for @cssns​

Ch 16 / 28 - In which the Dark One returns in full force.

The princess woke in his arms as the Darkness rumbled its nefarious promises from before, unaware of his protected feelings of relief and happiness. She lived, she was whole, they had won, and she had forgotten that he had loved her with every bit of himself, his true self, before it could be corroded away. 

Then she spoke, her voice dry and hoarse from disuse, and she had said that she must remember him. Remember him as the Dark One. 

Oh, isn't that interesting? Maybe you crushing her heart - killing her, remember? You killed her, by grinding it to powder in your palm - is worth remembering after all. Isaac did say that she would only forget the dreams… He said nothing about the nightmares. 

Killian pulled away, looking at her with confusion in a bid to hide the paralyzing fear that he felt. He managed a noise, but she moaned, only repeating the location. He opened his mouth to ask, but she began to cough, and he realized how long it had been since she had drank anything. Pulling one of the tea cups from a shrine, he collected water from a bamboo fountain in the cathedral. She gulped it down greedily, asking for more, but he slowed her. 

"Too much too fast and you'll be sick." He took the cup, her glared look almost making him smile with fondness. Swallowing back everything again, he let the Darkness begin tearing apart his feelings, feeding them to the fire. 

Wait - oh, vessel, you grow more infantile by the day - you still care about her? 

When I am done, she will never be able to speak your name again without fear. I won't ever stop reminding her that you are mine. 

"I don't… Killian," She coughed again, and he helped her tip the cup past her lips once more. There was a distinct feeling that she was much lighter, a fragility that had not been there before on top of her ritual induced atrophy. "What happened? All I can remember is to get to Agrabah; we have to get to wherever that is. I'm supposed to remember… You, and something else… What exactly took place?" 

She didn't remember. He breathed in, surprised at how sad it made him. That sadness was instantly replaced with anger as he let her go, feeling the pitch black fire in him roar into a blaze. 

When I am done, there will be no doubt about who we are. 

"You didn't bloody well listen to me, again, and ended up being thrown headfirst into more matters of life and death level chaos. If you are trying to get killed, at least give me the shard around your stupid neck so I don't have to sit by and wonder if you are throwing your chance at saving your kingdom away." He scowled, emphasizing his words with a low growl. "And with it my freedom."

"I - I'm sorry, I thought -" 

"Stop thinking then, and just take a minute to wait! You then could have the opportunity to observe that your decisions are going to kill people!" he yelled, and she jumped. 

"But - The barrier -" 

"Oh, aye, the barrier - you did break that at least, coming within a hair's width from the grave for it," he replied sarcastically. 

Emma shook her head. "No, it's still up. I know I destroyed it, but it isn't down. I can feel it. Something is keeping it intact -" 

The cathedral shook, small pieces of the structure raining down on them. Emma stood on shaky legs, hobbling to the door. 

The barrier burned overhead, like it was dipped in magma, holding in place even while its cracks shined bright against the night sky. Outside, they could now hear the screaming of the islanders and the sounds of terror as they ran from something, Killian’s eyes adjusting to see Cruella with her… Pet.

The huge black creature squatted on its haunches, frog-like legs proceeding many long limbs that reached for anyone and anything it could shovel into its maw. Cruella stood behind it, her necklace glowing a bright scarlet even through the thick clouds of green smoke that seemed to engulf her. Her laugh was a giddy cackle, Lilly's parents and Mushu running to meet them at the cathedral. 

Cruella screamed, her hair wild and nails long in the strange orange light of flame. "You fools, you absolute imbeciles! How dare you think I would let any of you go when I could simply drain you all!?" 

Lilly's head was bleeding, a hastily applied bandage put across her forehead, but she ran straight away to Emma and hugged her tight enough to where Emma was set into another coughing fit. It turned into a mixture of laughs as they pulled apart, Emma standing shakily as Lilly talked rapidly. 

"Cruella has gone absolutely batshit and that thing with the husk mask ate all the actual husks, making itself bigger and growing hair. Now it's eating Kitsune and Dragon alike as if they are candy!" She frantically spoke, Mushu coming up behind her, wearing an angry scowl that matched her parent's faces. 

"We have to kill her and it -" Zorro pointed out the set of main doors, directly at Cruella. Another beam tumbled, and he moved out of the way as the front wall came down. 

Cruella turned, her eyes going even wider with insane glee. "My darling huskums, my beautiful creature, turn and look at these morsels -" 

The creature did turn as the cathedral crumbled further, Killian dodging the debris as Emma struggled while she was pulled away by Lilly. The group peered out, watching Cruella lead it towards them as the creature looked on, its arm reaching out towards them. Cruella clapped her hands in glee, the creature’s hand passing over her before coming down in a hard smack, as it drew her into its mouth. 

"No!" she screeched. "I created you! I am your mistress, your owner, you are my sss -" 

Her cries died as she slid down its throat, and it turned back to knock aside another building, picking through rubble to gulp down any hiding islanders. They watched in disgust as it slurped down faces they recognized, before it turned away to knock down another structure and they turned to duck further in the shadows. 

"Alright," Mal said, slowly. "Just the husk creature then."

While the cathedral's main room was destroyed, the hallway off of it where it separated into a small entrance wing remained safely upright, and they moved forward. The King opened a small hidden compartment in a standing pillar, distributing swords to everyone; everyone but Emma, who was struggling just to hold herself up by using the wall. 

"I'll fight without, I'll be okay," she rasped out, closing her eyes for a moment and leaning back. 

Lilly pulled on Killian’s arm. "Is she alright? What's going on with -" 

The Dragon King interrupted the whispered concern. 

"We'll flank it and take it out by slashing the belly and under the arms. Bleed it out as if it were any other animal, and adjust from there. Stay tight in formation, two by two, on its -" 

"Don't hurt it!" Phillip roared, tackling King Zorro. The Dragon King was unprepared for the blow, but was up in a moment with his sword drawn. Queen Maleficent followed suit, both of their steel glinting in the burning air. 

Phillip stood in front of the cathedral door, his arms outstretched. "You can't hurt it, that's Aurora in there -" 

Killian snorted in time with the Dragon King's own scoff. 

"I promise you, Kitsune Prince, Aurora is not the one controlling that thing," Maleficent said, grimacing. She took a step forward, blade raised to Phillip's chin. 

Phillip refused to flinch, squaring his shoulders. "I think I can talk to it, calm it. If I can just reach her -" 

"It ate the husks, Phillip. They walked right into its mouth!" Lilly reasoned. "That's not - I mean, Phillip, come on!" 

Phillip remained immovable. "That was just her body, which is empty. Aurora's soul is in there, I can feel it." 

"Or, you go out there and it eats you too, mate." Killian flicked his eyes towards the Kitsune. "Like it ate Chihiro, Haku, the Dragon sisters from the kitchen -" 

Lilly laughed slightly despite herself, and Phillip glared. He looked directly at the Dragon King who looked pensive. 

"At least let me try," Phillip asked, pleading. 

The Dragon King gave a firm nod. "Go then. Should you fail, we will continue."

Phillip nodded, turning and running out of the cathedral. Emma wobbled slightly, but followed carefully behind, stopping in the cathedral's awning area, watching as the rest huddled to see behind her.

Phillip waved at it, both arms flailing as it drew near at a slow pace, its hands full of writhing people as it threw them down into its gullet as if eating grapes. It finished what was in its dark palms, and slowly turned towards Phillip, its body rippling. 

"Aurora! I know you can hear me!" he shouted, and the creature tried to paw at him with its many hands. Phillip dodged them gracefully, moving back out of its reach. To Killian’s surprise, horror, and dark amusement, the Kitsune began to sing. 

The creature responded instantaneously, its hands and arms all absorbing into its body but for the front two, its mouth closing, and its masked head lowering to stretch towards Phillip while resting on its haunches. 

"See? It's me Ror," Phillip spoke to it, reaching his hand forward. His voice was a strong tenor, smooth and soothing, as the monster reached its hands toward him. "I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam…"

Opening its palms in front of where Phillip stood, it rested them there as Phillip continued, growing bolder. He stepped onto them, and was carefully lifted upwards as if to be studied closer. 

"And if I know you, and I know that I do," he continued singing, "You'll love me at once, the way you did once," 

"He actually fucking did it," Killian whispered, Emma swaying slightly to the soft tune. She leaned against the column, holding a hand against her chest, coughing slightly. He fought the urge to steady her. 

Lilly and her family looked as completely taken aback as Killian felt. 

The Dragon princess shrugged. "I guess Aurora is in there, who would have guessed."

Phillip continued to sing, the creature observing as the island burned around them, and its denizens ran for shelter. "I know you, I've walked with you -" 

With both hands, it shoved Phillip into its mouth so quickly Killian could hear the end note trail off into a yelp as the man slid down its throat. 

"Ah." Killian winced. "There it is."

Turning back to peruse for more victims, the King signaled the original plan was set to go. 

"Emma," Lilly began, worried. "Are you sure you can -" 

Emma waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine. I have my magic, and besides, I think I am due for a stretch anyways."

Lilly looked unconvinced, and Killian felt the same behind his uncaring facade. Emma looked at him, and he looked elsewhere, Lilly glancing between them with a growing scowl. 

"We'll go ahead," Lilly announced, pushing in front of her Mother, Father, and Mushu. "We know the ground here, and should we need to, we can blow fire or smoke to get away, or even change. If the assault works, come into the weak areas with magic and you," she nodded at Killian, "Focus on its regions where it may be weak but it is more dangerous, like the neck. If we aren't successful, we'll blast it with fire and see how that goes."

Maleficent looked surprised, but then shook it off, while Zorro seemed pleased. Mushu only looked proud, and Killian felt a pit grow in his stomach. He had looked at Emma like that once. 

And never again, unless we are proud of how much we've broken her, or how much suffering she endured before finally succumbing. You will never know her without terror: hers or yours.

"That's an excellent strategy, let's go," Mushu said, pulling Lilly's hand into his, much to her surprise. She blushed, but her ferocity didn't wane. "Princess, Dark One, we will see you soon on the field. Luck will be with all of us, Fiore and Ifrit bless us."

The four gave whoops as they ran out to the field, Emma and Killian staying ducked in the entrance where the creature could not see. 

Swords drawn, they moved quickly and with a precision that was dance like, swords casting sparks on the thing’s hard belly and limbs. Only Maleficent and Zorro struck true, Zorro under an armpit then dragged up into the flesh beside, brownish sludge pouring out of the hole that acted as if it was fabric. The arm swiftly pulled into its body, swallowed back like it had been suctioned back inside, the black tears of it dripping to the ground in strips. Another arm appeared elsewhere as its innards continued to trickle slowly out of the wound. 

Maleficent had luck ripping her sword through just under the neck of the creature, throwing her sword hard enough to puncture its chest as it tried to smash its hands and face in a timed fashion where it could shovel her into its mouth. It shrieked at the wound, but plucked the sword out easily as she barely got away. They tried flames on its lower side, but it simply bubbled like tar, seeming to harden any lacerations they might have created. The four were forced to turn, whipping into the sky where the creature stretched unnaturally in its attempts to grab them. 

The thing shielded itself with one hand as the Dragons rained down fire, another of its hands shooting out to grab Mushu, slurping him down with a slick, wet, noise. They flew around again, this time fire almost catching Kitsune alight in the creature’s hold as it ate them with a smashed hand to its face. Landing, they ran for cover as they changed forms in defeat. 

The creature searched for them, but was either unable to or uninterested in finding them while other morsels ran about, Emma and Killian’s hiding spot ripped away as it searched. The thing grinned widely at them, and Killian pushed Emma away as one of its many hands hit the ground where they had been. To her credit, while the princess was exhausted and still confused, she did not hesitate to try and find another hiding place, heading for a small cluster of pine trees. The only problem was that while it had not fixated on any certain target before, it had certainly locked its sights on Emma. 

Ripping the trees from the ground with their roots still dripping clumped dirt, Emma slid down the newly created embankment and continued to run. Killian ran at its black mass, drawing his sword, trying to cut any of its limbs or body. While somehow gelatinous, the thing's body was also hard and elastic, not yielding to his sword in the least. A great hand pushed at him half heartedly as it turned, still focused on Emma as she ran. 

"Swan!" he yelled with vehemence as she dodged another of its clumsy attempts to pluck at her. What the hell was she doing? It wasn't as if the thing was magic proof, her best skill as it were. "What are you -" 

There was panic written on her face, a dead giveaway that something was wrong. Her hands crackled slightly with static the color of sunbeams, but the only effect was her falling forward slightly to her knees, looking at him with wide eyes while taking huge lungfuls of air. 

"Emma?" Lilly called, running toward where the princess sat, Emma just barely rolling out of the way as the husk beast chopped where she was with the side of another of its great hands. 

"My magic -" Emma choked out, knees wavering as she dodged again. "I can't - My magic isn't working!" 

Lilly screamed at her, both of them lost under the bellowing roars that came from the monster's hungry mouth. 

Her attempts to escape its grip grew sloppier as she began to tire, and it only grew more infuriated. A backhanded swing caught her in the thighs, sending her spinning in the air towards Killian, before landing hard to roll on the ground. He drew back his sword and drove it into the meat of the thing as hard as he could, just under the armpit of one of its limbs. It shrieked, a hand stopping from rising to squish where Emma lay prone and unmoving. He sprinted towards her, pulling her up in time to be pressed down against her tightly, one of the black palms pushing him to blanket her body to the point he feared he might crush her. As it lifted, claw-like fingers digging under her, the grip loosened. 

Killian attempted to struggle, to pull them both free, but its tongue wrapped around them as Lilly screamed and he wrapped his arms around Emma protectively. 

Sliding down its throat, pressure increased around them as moans and vibration seemed to come from every direction at once. A viscous liquid flooded over them, muffling noises to an indeterminate buzz, but allowing slow breathing. Emma stirred slightly in his arms and all fear fled him except her waking up only to die like this, to wake up scared and have no hope of rescue from the belly of the beast they rested in, to waste away slowly as Killian could only look on. He would go mad. The Darkness had other concerns. 

What would happen to him, the undying, in this manner of decay? Would he simply rot partially forever until whatever cataclysm took place that was more powerful than the Darkness? Would it be like a whale, some unlucky soul slaying the beast only to find him inside after spilling its entrails? 

It's your fault; all of this is your fault. As far back as the war and as close as you letting her think she had any chance of helping these Elemental beasts. Ironic, but then again, tragic. 

A low gleam came from somewhere nearby, slightly above and a little more than a head's length in front of him. A steady pulse of light was trying to glow, growing brighter with every attempt. 

There was a lurch and a sound that rattled his teeth as they were pushed forward, upwards, then out into the air until his back hit the ground. Emma rested on top of him, still but coughing slightly in her unconscious state, fingers curled into his soaked shirt. When he moved as others fell around him, she nuzzled in closer, murmuring softly. 

Kitsune and Dragons alike fell as the creature seemed to fall apart while vomiting as it unraveled. A light continued to glow from within it, and as it became smaller, it released bright bursts of color that swirled outwards like that of the Northern Aurora. The ribbons of multicolored brightness pulled the creature apart even faster, until there was nothing left of the beast. Where it had been, islanders began to moan and move, all whole and covered in the thick ooze. As Killian held Emma to him, he watched Phillip stumble to his feet as one of the first to stand. 

"What a small intestines," he grumbled, flicking away the slime from his clothes and hands. 

Nearby, a black figure lurched upward, its mask jostling to the side. 

"Philly? Philly is that you?" a woman called, her voice beautiful, lilting melodically. "I've been looking for you for so long!"

Her mask fell aside, and her eyes sparkled brightly. They were an otherworldly blue, almost violet. 

"Ror? Oh Gods, Aurora?" Phillip approached her cautiously as she slipped to her feet, catching her when she almost fell forward. "Is it you? Ifrit praised, I cannot be dreaming…. Please, I -" 

She threw her arms around him, and he stumbled, other voices around then erupting in surprise in turn. 

A woman with red curls ran to a man who's graying hair and mustache were an unkempt mess, both of them practically howling with happiness. 

"Lady, I thought I'd never see you again. I followed after you the next year -" 

The red haired woman's curls bounced as she shook her head, smacking him lightly. "Louie you tramp! Are you daft? Why would you ever do that!" 

Another couple openly sobbed while holding each other, unable to say much more than their names again and again. 

"Roger and Anita. Lilly told me about them. They chose to go together, or not at all," Emma said quietly, startling him. She moved in his hold to let herself down, and he felt the loss of her warmth as if he had crawled into a dark cave. 

Lilly and Emma met together in the midst of everything, hugging each other tightly. Emma picked up the now dimming source of light in her palm, a smooth stone, and looked at Lilly affectionately. 

"You used it all to save everyone. I knew that I could trust you." Emma smiled, and Lilly cupped her cheek as they put their foreheads together. 

"I had to. The magic we would use to exist wouldn't matter if there is no one here to exist." Lilly grinned. A glittering snow began to fall underneath the lingering light show in the sky, covering the landscape in mother of pearl iridescence. The barrier had finally fallen, bursting into the shimmering particles of magic. The princesses broke apart with shock as Lilly began to laugh, catching the powder in her hands. 

Killian walked towards where the Dragon King and Queen were standing, looking at an ancient woman, her bald head and milky white eyes not betraying who she had been. 

Cruella. 

Her body was skeletal, a dark burn where her necklace had been. Her nails that remained were long and still red, but that was the only thing left of her former glory. She mumbled incoherently, laughing softly occasionally at her babbles. 

Killian smirked, looking down at her bald head collecting the falling barrier remnants. 

"Looks like in the end, Cruella became a husk of sorts. How fittingly ironic." Isaac spoke from behind them, the King, Queen, and Killian turning to look at him. Killian glared, his anger growing into rage. 

"I'll care for her. It's the least I can do after all this," he sighed, and Killian launched himself forward, punching the man hard in the jaw. 

"Killian!" Emma shrieked from nearby, as Lilly laughed. Mushu and Zorro held Killian back as he lunged after the man. 

"I deserve that," Isaac slurred. "But you could have been happy, or could have taken her trinket and had happiness that way. I offered options in the worst-case scenarios, and for that you should show some grati -" 

Killian felt the Darkness surge from his anger, ripping out of the Dragon's hold. He punched Isaac hard again, sending the man toppling backward. 

"I owe you nothing, and if I didn't want off this accursed rock, I'd tear you into pieces," Killian snarled. A hand touched his arm and he whirled, Emma staring up at him with startled eyes. 

"Killian, what is going on?" she asked, worry written across her face. "What happened? What is he talking about?" 

"I -" Killian ran his tongue over his teeth. "It's nothing. Go find out where the bloody hell Agrabah is, and how long the journey will be. I'm taking a walk."

He turned on his heel and left Emma confused, not turning even when she called after him. 

 *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

 By the time he had returned, showered, and changed into a different outfit not covered in what could be assumed was husk vomit, a celebration was taking place. Kitsune and Dragons lit fireworks and a band played merrily as barrels of ale were cracked open. 

Mushu and Lilly danced together, laughing joyously, as Queen Maleficent slurred out the names of the returning husks. 

"We welcome back Aurora along with Nana, Roger, Anita, Max, Lady, Louis, and Todd who returned from huskdom. We cannot say how good it is to have them back!" Cheers erupted, the crowd going mad. The returning husks gave bows, lifted in the air briefly by magic. "And we owe it all to the Princess of the United Realms, Emma N'lan, and her partner, Killian Jones of the Blackwater. They repay her family's part in the curse originally laid on this island, and have paid that debt in full."

Emma was seated at a table, not dancing, still looking tired. She gave a wave before draining a goblet. Her eyes caught his, but he turned away, slinking into the shadows before anyone could see he had joined the festivities. 

Heading back to pack their things and prepare the ship, he was surprised by Lilly calling after him.

"What do you need, Dragon Princess?" he drawled out, and she snorted. 

"What I need is for you to come and enjoy the party so Emma doesn't have to sit there and endure it alone." She placed a hand on her hip, looking at him as if he was stupid. "What happened to 'We make a hell of a team'?" 

She imitated his voice in a gruff and overly accented manner as she repeated what Emma had said of them. 

"None of that," he gritted out, "None of it happened. Don't mention it to me again." He nodded at her sharply, and moved to leave. When he had gotten a few brisk paces away, he heard her shout from behind him. 

"For what it's worth, you both seemed happy. Emma even said that she would - "

"For what it's worth, Lilly," he spat, rounding on her. "None of this would have happened if you, your people, Cruella, and Isaac did not try this scheme. You almost…" The words caught in his throat. Swallowing hard, he continued. "You're lucky that the princess lacks any self preservation."

She'll do herself in soon enough, or I'll see to it, and take that necklace since you are so incompetent - 

"I'm lucky she sees the good in everyone who deserves it, you mean?" Lilly shot back, her chin high. "You could tell her, just let her know that you both cared about each other. That alone might surprise you." 

You care about one thing only. The shard, the Dagger piece, the necklace around that silly princess’s neck. We’ll get it, get it, get it and we won't kill her, but we'll play with her and make her wait in the dark. I'll let you see her and hear her screaming as she grows more and more fearful of you by the day. Oh, yes, we will bide time until the blade can be stolen. Then we will kill everyone, but save her for last - 

"No. No one tells her anything. I've made my decision regarding Emma, I'm… I'm backing off. The Dark One has never been able to care about anyone. To think otherwise is a fool's errand."

And you're the fool who runs them, listening to his weak ideas. I am your master and you have been oh so willful. 

 I can't wait to punish you, I think I'll start with her wrists. They're so delicate, easy to break. 

"But -" 

"Lilly. Enough," he growled, his eyes shut tight. The Darkness babbled on with its non stop comments, the noise not a bother to Killian anymore. The thing that bothered him was the heaviness in his rib cage, the feeling of longing the Darkness either chose to ignore on purpose, or couldn't see. 

"Fine." Lilly huffed, but thrust a piece of paper into his hands. "Take this at least. It wasn't as good as yours, but I did the best I could." He held the piece of parchment in his fingers, not willing to unwrap it. 

She whirled around and stomped away, finally leaving him alone; just himself and his ever present parasite. He turned over the words he'd been stuck on that had caused him a visceral, sharp ache. They should not have hurt so much, nothing should if he wanted the Darkness to mind itself. Opening the paper, he let out a hiss of air. The charcoal drawing was not as good as his had been in the Dreamscape, but it still captured Emma's face hitting the sun as she wore a daisy crown. Her eyes were soft, looking at him with affection, her smile so happy. He traced the curve of her jaw, slightly smudging the black line. 

 Alone again, alone forever, but can you imagine how alone you will be when we succeed? I might let you keep a play toy, would you like that? Then you could make sure she never dies, just stays your pet, watching while you destroy everything. 

 Running over them repeatedly to induce numbness, he broke himself against them again and again, like a wave against rock. 

Emma could have died. 

She could have died. 

What if she died? 

The shard would be gone, you simpering half-wit. Stop pretending and actually trying to believe that your fantasy mattered. You were there for less than a week's time and at most ten days; she would never care for you, and we don't care about anyone but ourselves. I'll make sure she lives just long enough to get the shard. To stop your whining, I may just kill her to spare me from more when you beg me not to mark up her skin. 

"I felt like I did care, I felt -" 

You were under Kitsune influence. You felt nothing but a dream, and to think otherwise is a fool's errand. You're the fool, always the fool. She doesn't care about you any longer and you never cared about her. If either of you somehow do, I'll make sure to take action and correct that. 

A memory swam before his eyes, pushed there by the Darkness in a swiftly brutal punishment. Emma's face as his fingers closed around her fluttering heart, the warmth evaporating in his hand as she crumpled to the ground. Her eyes gazing at him with shock, and hurt, and an intensity that made him think she might have felt - 

 Remember what happens? 

The crush and pop bringing him pleasure that flooded his veins, feeding the black hole within him. The revulsion of feeling anything akin to delight as the life in her eyes faded. Crumpling the drawing, he shoved it roughly into his pocket. 

 Remember how good it felt? 

Killian could not escape the cackle that rose in him, the Dark One's maniacal giggles escaping his own lips. 

 There you are. Remember that she was wrong. You can't defeat me, you can't control me. I am you, and you are only an extension of me. 

He did not think of the party or return to the cave, spending the evening awake and somewhere far apart from any other soul, as he'd done before Emma had become a part of his routine. 

 *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

 Emma sat at the ornate table, Phillip and Aurora sitting to her left around the circle, while Maleficent, Zorro, Lilly and Isaac sat to her right next to an empty chair. 

"Should we wait a few more minutes for him?" Maleficent asked, looking at Emma. 

Emma shook her head, looking anywhere but the empty chair. Lilly's gaze rested there for a moment before she rolled her eyes. 

"Good riddance. If we have a meeting on brooding, we can consult that -" 

"Daughter," Maleficent hissed. "Enough."

Emma swallowed hard, trying to settle her reeling mind. It had been almost a whole day, and Emma hadn't seen Killian once. Lilly was in an instant sour temper every time Emma asked if anyone had seen him, and had nothing but negative things to say without saying much at all. Something had happened while she had faced the challenges; she had freed a beast, ended the barrier, released the husks all under the enchanted slumber. The whispers in the village, Lilly's cautious skirting around the topic, and Killian’s outright disappearance made it abundantly clear whatever the blurry outlines of Emma's recollection were, they were important. If she could only remember. 

"I first want to apologize for everything that has taken place here, and our roles in it," Maleficent stated, eyes downcast. "We are ashamed of what we did, the extent we were blinded by Cruella, and our hatred led us to make judgements of you, endangering you because of our feud. If I should meet Regina or Queen Snow, I will apologize until the end of my days. They raised a fine young woman to wear the crown."

Emma nodded, the pang of longing in her heart at her mother's mention somehow feeling fresher than before. "Thank you. Have you thought about who will represent you now that Cruella is…?"

"Yes. We have made a decision, Princess, and we feel you and your -" The Dragon King hesitated, eyes shooting to look at the empty chair, before clearing his throat. "We feel you should be privy to it now instead of later. We have elected Aurora and Phillip to what was Isaac and Cruella's status. Isaac maintains strategic planning knowledge that we cannot go without, but he will only be a voice on this council, or a tie breaker."

Emma sat up straighter, smiling slightly. "That's fantastic news!"

Lilly returned her smile, and nodded. "I thought you might approve. I haven't yet asked about Agrabah, but I also figured this council meeting would be a good place to ask -" 

Isaac interrupted by laughing loudly, as the Dragon King and Queen went rigid. Confusion swept over Emma at their reaction, Lilly, Phillip, and Aurora mirroring her surprise. 

"Yes…" Emma said slowly, watching carefully even as Isaac continued his laughter. "I do need to know about this Agrabah -" 

Isaac's laughter became louder and more raucous as he started slapping the arm of his chair. 

"Oh, oh this is - This is rich! I can't -" Isaac wheezed. 

"Out! Everyone out except the princess." Standing with a roar, Zorro motioned to the doors. 

Isaac's laugh carried through the halls as the others filed out, Emma's eyes following them as the doors closed. She fidgeted with her dress, the loose and gauzy cotton styles the Dragons favored soft between her fingers. Absently, she wondered what Killian was wearing. 

His shirt is soft, thin cotton, light in the warm air. Between her fingers it feels like it has more substance, but there is a bias there. It may feel like more because it pulls him closer to her, his lips harder pressed against her own, chest so close she can feel the breaths he is not taking to instead take her own away. 

"I don't want to lose you," she tells the memory, trying to grip it as tight as she can. It crumbles, no softness or give in her hold. 

With the room empty except for the Dragon King and Queen, silence fell heavier than ever. 

"So…" Emma began, breaking the stillness. Maleficent jumped, as if burned. 

"Did - Er - Your parents didn't tell - Snow Margueryte Whitehart did not tell you of Agrabah?" Maleficent asked, her and Zorro exchanging glances. She laughed, in disbelief. "Of all the strangeness in this world and the realms. For me to be the one to deliver more of your Mother's failures."

"I don't understand -" Emma began, but Maleficent cut her off with a snort. 

"Of course you don't understand. Your parents truly let you fall down here blind. Even your guide could not help you with this, as he would have never unleashed the Goblin's rage there." Maleficent sighed, heavily.

"What do you know of your mother's family, princessa?" Zorro asked, his dark eyes fixed on her own. 

Emma swallowed hard, her throat still tight. "I don't know much. I only recently learned that she was placed as queen, and only because everyone thought she would die."

Maleficent made a weighing motion with her hands, wincing slightly. "Not… Not exactly. Her father was an amazing inventor, and scientist. As was her mother. The two created the separate realms, using Hol control of time and space, the ancient Elemental magics, and other magic techniques unknown to us. It became clear that after a certain number of these realms were made, some were more stable than others."

Zorro rubbed at his eyes in a wince, as Maleficent began to pace. "Some were given away for the 'greater good', which bought your grandparents and mother their title. What use is a title if you are a poor house with no respect? Your grandfather secretly sold off tiny bubbles of realms that could go unsuspected. One of these is Agrabah."

"Of course, there is the matter of who they turned away in turn," Zorro said, quietly, opening his eyes and steepling his fingers. "And they turned away a request from the Goblins for a pocket realm, because of their agreement with the King of the time. Your father's father, and your grandfather."

Maleficent returned to her seat, looking at Emma with a small bit of what Emma thought might be genuine sympathy. 

Emma cocked her head, leaning over the table to lay her face in her hands and steady the sudden shakes that overtook her. 

"Why - But what could the Goblins have been up to then? Surely it was nefarious and my grandparents refused on that principle -" 

The Dragon King and Queen exchanged unsettled glances, something flickering between them that cast a shadow across their faces. 

"That's not important, but what Agrabah became is." Maleficent said, smiling. "It's a black market magic and arcane goods port. You can get in and out with simple magic keys, but the Sultan added another barrier of protection. He wove Djinn magic into the realm’s portal. No threats can get into Agrabah, as anyone who has ill intentions cannot make it through."

"That's - that's incredible!" Emma sputtered. "How did they -" 

"Djinn magic is more ancient than our own, and incomparably more powerful than a Kitsune's or Hol. They are the children of the Old Gods, bound with chains of servitude by the hands of their parentage. They could rip apart the cosmos with a blink, but few remain. They grant three wishes to their masters and are then forced to turn to stardust, learning everything and having the greatest magics as part of them, until such time as they can return or are freed to choose their own existence." Maleficent leaned against her husband, smiling gently. "Very few, if any, have actually been freed. The Sultan married his Djinn after he freed her."

"That's… that's absolutely unbelievable. I thought Djinn were at the very least extinct, if not made up entirely," Emma said with wide eyes. "How will I get in?" 

"That is what we must discuss," Zorro said, standing. He poured more wine into his goblet, offering some to Emma which she refused. 

"Princessa…" Maleficent began, dragging out the word. 

"We offer you our key to go to Agrabah and the location," Zorro said calmly, walking to the window so he stood with his back to her. 

"Yes, I accept, we -" 

"On the grounds that we do not accept terms of allyship, or offer our aid to you in any manner that belies permanence, or expectation of our presence in battle," Zorro finished, swirling his wine. 

Emma blinked, unsure of what she had actually heard. 

"I am truly sorry we cannot come to your aid at this juncture," Maleficent said calmly, giving Emma's hand a squeeze. Emma ripped it away, glaring. "We are just too weak, and too vulnerable. We've voted not to reveal ourselves until we have rebuilt and have weighed our place in the scheme of this war. 

"I saved you!" Emma hissed out, rubbing her tightening chest. "I freed you! You owe me a debt of enormous magnitude!" 

"We owe you a great deal for saving us, this is true," Zorro said, walking back to the table to stand behind Maleficent. "But we must place the continued longevity of our species under the lens of time - the Goblins are a fierce foe. We must place our bets where there is the least risk."

"It is not to say we will not come should you need our aid, but that it is understandable that our situation is precarious and volatile. Should you call, we will try." Maleficent nodded with a smile. 

Emma wished Killian was there, her mouth dry and tears threatening to spill over her burning eyes. She swallowed hard. 

"I suppose there is no debating with you on this, or changing your current decision," Emma rasped out as her throat closed. 

"No," Maleficent said sadly. "No there is not." 

"I accept your terms," Emma whispered, standing and leaving without any other words. 

As soon as the doors closed, Lilly was there with a mask of fury. 

"I promise Emma, I will show up if you fight. My parents may not be willing to declare it, but I declare myself -"

"Lilly, I just…" Emma let out a sigh, before coughing. "I'm really tired. I just can't think straight right now. I can't -" Lilly looked concerned, helping Emma as she began to cough harder, her body shaking. Phillip and Aurora were suddenly there too, as Emma felt herself struggling. "I'm alright, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well, please -" 

"Princess, we the Kitsune will be there, by Fiore," Aurora soothed, Phillip nodding. 

Lilly cut in, her voice raised as Emma tried to push her way through to the waiting sunlight of the terrace. "And by Ifrit's horn, I swear Mushu and I -" 

"Stop, just, stop -" Emma rasped, bursting out into the sunshine with a stumble, directly into Killian. 

He grunted, looking down at her. He seemed as exhausted as she felt, his jaw tensed and his annoyance clear. Pushing herself up as he looked at her with growing irritation, Emma wondered briefly why everyone seemed to be angry with her. 

 "You taste like the sweetest of wines." His voice reverberated through the skin below her temple, before his lips met hers again. 

They broke apart, and he stared at her with warmth, her heart beating faster. 

 It became increasingly harder to breathe, and she wobbled, unable to fully stand. When she reached for him, he took a step back, his nose wrinkling in a way that made the burn in her chest taper into an ache. 

"I'm preparing the ship, did you get the coordinates for this Alibaba?" Killian spat at her, and Emma flinched slightly as she stood. His eyes widened, her fear seemingly upsetting him further, before turning to slits of ice. 

"I - Agrabah - Yes, not yet but I -" 

"Then GET them, instead of stumbling into the only one of us doing actual work!" His face contorted into an expression of hatred as he yelled, Emma trying not to flinch away again. His hands balled into fists, a snarl on his lips. "It's literally you and I on that mish-mash excuse of a vessel, but yes, attend another meeting, Princess. I'm happy to do all the work, sailing and God knows whatever else crops up -" 

"Hey!" Lilly made her way over to them, rubbing Emma's back gently. "Let me go with you then. I'll help." Lilly looked at Emma, who in turn glanced at Killian, smiling at him softly. His expression and vehement glare at Lilly wiped her smile away, her hands beginning to shake as she frowned. 

"Why would I ever let you of all creatures on this rock, in any realm, on my vessel?" he growled. Lilly took a step back, confused. His voice grew louder, and angrier. "You are a spoiled, brash, easily manipulated, inexperienced, and underwhelming brat with no loyalty to anything but your own scaly hide. You can fly now because the Princess freed you; do that instead - And if you feel inclined, take my advice to better the world by soaring straight into a volcano."

"Killian!" Emma admonished, looked at him with a mix of shock, anger, and wide eyed upset. 

"I -" he began, looking as if he was going to round on her too, before dropping his shoulders, and spitting on the ground. "Sorry. This - I'm in a bad temper. I just want to get there, and finish out my services with you. Thank the Gods that this Agra-blah is supposedly only a handful of days away," he said pointedly to her, and Emma saw his jaw muscles twitching. 

"Oh," she breathed out. Her chest hurt, and she rubbed against the skin there as her throat constricted painfully. "I didn't… You don't have to feel obligated to serve me as if you were my knight, or… Listen, let's talk about this later. I don't think that decision should be made like this."

"I made you a promise to finish this out," he said simply, turning away from them to look at the ship. "I think it's best that I let you seek better companions and counsel once we get there."

"I guess it's also better that Lilly not come then," Emma whispered, her voice going hoarse, breathing harder. She turned to Lilly, who was glaring at Killian with darkened eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't -" 

"No, Emma. It's okay. It's not your fault or burden to bear other's weaknesses," Lilly spat, and Killian spun around, looking feral. 

"Whoa!" Emma stepped between them, confused. Her voice was strained, but she coughed, clearing her throat. "Did something happen? What is going on with you two, come on -"

"Nothing!" both of them snarled, Killian ripping away from her to stalk back toward the island. Lilly grunted as he passed in acknowledgement and disdain. 

"I feel like I am missing something big," Emma said after a moment of watching him go. "I know you all keep saying that no one remembers what happened in the rites, but I can't help but feel -" 

Lilly let out a dark laugh, without any mirth. "Trust me. It's better you stop asking, and accept that it's all forgotten. Especially now." 

Emma's chest burned, the cold autumn chill in her lungs almost overwhelming as she coughed, the prevailing feeling that she had lost something important and precious beyond measure. 

 *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

 Killian could not hear himself think, the raucous and jarring noise of the Darkness growing worse as he tried to keep himself together. It had tripled its efforts as soon as he had agreed that it was right; he should stay away from the princess, with the added measure of his removal entirely once she settled into Agrabah. 

THE SHARD, WE NEED THE SHARD YOU USELESS - 

"I don't need anything from her, remember?" he seethed, and let the barbs of it lash through him. "Your bloody words, not mine."

The Darkness howled, doubling its effort to break him. Lilly bore the brunt of his pain with her ridiculous request, his rage sputtering out when Emma looked at him like she had when they had fallen into this world, so long ago. Her questioning and tremulous look disarmed him, the cool air growing colder as any softness he had once worked for died in her emerald eyes. 

He felt sick, and maybe he was. He did not need to sleep, to eat, to have moments of silence or sanity. He did not require them to survive in the hellish state of inward decay the Darkness called this immortality, and did not need companionship outside of its preferred hateful cohabitation. The moments of having quiet, of waking to listen only to whispers instead of shrieks as Emma's breathing marked the passage of time had been a reprieve of clarity that now crippled him in their preciousness. Holding feelings like this from the Darkness as it tore him apart, he wished that he could die. 

The call of his name relit the hatred for his predicament, which grew exponentially when he saw who dared to utter it. 

"Killian, I need a moment. We seek passage to Agrabah, because -" 

"I just told the Dragon Princess in no uncertain terms to fuck off, and you, you both, of all the parties on this wretched pile of sand believe I should play ferry?" He grinned with malice, and Chihiro straightened with a gulp, Haku behind her showing no change as his steely olive eyes saw more than Killian could protect from. 

"We don't ask for you or ourselves, Dark One," Haku stated with annoyance. His gaze shifted, and Killian turned to follow it, finding it resting on Emma. She was sitting, rubbing her solar plexus, and clearing her raspy throat on the end of the docks with her feet dipped in the water. "The princess is displaying the early stages of an illness born of poisoning within the dream state - a poisoned heart, specifically."

Killian laughed, the look of surprise on Chihiro's face making the situation even more amusing. 

"You mean to tell me that you now care about the well-being of the woman you sent to death?" He felt his grin widen into something crooked, the Darkness in his veins crackling with power. 

"You don't understand, please -" Chihiro bowed her head slightly, begging him to listen, even as Haku stood absolutely unchanged in his demeanor. Everything in Killian screamed for him to be broken, for Killian to deal a blow that caused visible damage to the Dragon. 

"We are not without care for the hands that freed us," Haku intoned. "The princess, she is important to you. We offer this in reconciliation for what came to pass."

Carding a hand over his face and through his hair, Killian laughed incredulously. 

Chihiro wrung her hands, her lip between her teeth, eyes cast down. "I know it won't undo our wrongs, but if Emma is ill, if the symptoms she is having are linked to what we believe them to be, she will need special care that only a healer from this island can provide. You will be too far away by the time it progresses -" 

"The part where we are gone, and far away from all of you accursed creatures is the only thing in that statement I give a sodding fuck about. Who knows how you will poison us should we fall for your airs again," Killian hissed, and Haku rolled his eyes. 

"Please, my lord, I am begging you for your lady's and my future Queen's wellbeing," Chihiro bowed lower, prostrating herself. "Did something dark touch her while she dreamt?" 

Killian felt every part of him constrict, his lungs unable to find air. 

 "Killian!" Emma choked out, her heart warm in his palm, the way it fluttered and beat out of control as his fingers bent against his will. Her wheeze at his sudden tightening grip broke him - 

You can always be broken again and again, and then again, vessel. 

"How would I know if the princess was under threat in your rituals? I know Cruella was lurking, amongst several dozen hungry spirits seeking to hurt her - but yes," he growled menacingly, eyes flashing,  "I suppose any manner of things could have had a dark touch on the princess."

"Please, I know you were there with her in her dreams. The Spirits of those who could not return have told us of the strength in your many lives together. We know you had feelings for each other, and we respect your decision to not follow that path -" 

Killian bristled, his jaw tight as he ground his teeth. They all knew. He had to get away from this island before Emma found out the truth. 

"But, if something dark hit her heart, it's like the story of the ancient princesses of Arendelle. Where the Queen of Ice accidentally froze her eldest daughter's mind, giving her greater mastery of the freezing element. She froze the mind of each of her children, and they their own, all but her seventh daughter, Ilsa. Ilsa fell in love with a Merman of the Southern Isles. A. At the time, it was forbidden to marry outside of a tribe, let alone race. Ilsa refused to take her ice magic, and ran away against her mother's wishes…"

Killian barked out another laugh, rolling his eyes. "Does your fairy-tale have a point?" 

"The Ice Queen touched Ilsa's heart, gripped it actually, plucking it from her chest. She performed the ice ritual, but while holding her daughter's heart, a small bit of ice fell on it," Chihiro said, sadly. "The mind can be changed, and convinced that it is alright." She looked at Killian as if she could see through him to the part that felt only the deepest melancholy hearing her tale, her gaze piercing. "The heart knows when something is wrong."

Killian felt a chill run up his spine. Not able to stop himself, he asked the question he needed to know the answer to. "What happened to her?" 

"When a heart is touched by strong magic on any plane, fueled by stronger emotions, it can fall prey to that magic strangling it." He knew the answer, even as she continued with clear sorrow. "The princess froze to death. They believed True Love’s Kiss would heal her, but upon her dismissal of his affection, the Merman swam as deep into the sea as he could, never to be seen again. She melted eventually, some say, to join him."

"I believe it could be another type of poisoned heart," Haku began, but Killian was reeling. He cut Haku off, furious at everything on the island, at what this could mean, and for believing any of these serpent's treacherous lies. Emma was fine. 

"Enough."

Remember the Dark One, she said. Maybe the silly little princess remembers you quite literally breaking her heart? Is that enough for you? 

"Let us at least give you both some herbal remedies, and medicine. Please, for Emma's sake -" Chihiro begged, looking absolutely terrified. 

"For Emma’s sake?" Killian felt as if anger was ripping him apart, something that wasn't dark at all tearing at him to listen while the Darkness collided with it in turn, screaming at him to make them pay. "Enough! You took all her magic, risked her death, risked her sanity, and dare to say her sake? She's weak because of you. Directly because of you! Enough! I have heard enough of your lies, don't even bother. Bugger off."

"If they hit a blow to her heart, she'll die!" Chihiro sobbed. "Do you want that guilt? That you knew she was dying but like a coward, watched her waste away? Don't you care at all?" 

They are blaming you for that silly girl's cough, but surely your closeness and false feelings for the princess didn't cause her injury! Imagine her dying because of you here in the real world. What a pity, truly. Another name on that long list of yours… 

Liam flashed before his eyes as the Darkness pushed, numbing every sensation except his anger. 

"I find that I actually don't, any longer." Killian shrugged, the crooked smile back as he adjusted to the chaos in his mind. "Fuck off, both of you, and don't come near me again."

Chihiro pulled at his cloak and he wrenched away, continuing onto the ship. There the Darkness talked in barbs or crawled under his flesh, the lack of rest pressing into him like sharpened points against his temples. The mundane task of readying the ship as Emma gathered the coordinates provided little comfort, but made the time pass. 

 *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

 Another day passed as the Kitsune and Dragons helped with coordinates, stocking their ship, and providing them an abundance of awards for breaking the barrier. Casks of spiced cider, a wheel of smoked cheese, dried meats rubbed in herbal salts, and satchels of a pepper spiced chocolate sat in the galley, while Emma was gifted an emerald bangle, fine dresses, and silken undergarments. They were also gifted with good down pillows and a beautiful silk divan patterned in roses that Emma could not wait to spread over the bunk. 

Haku and Chihiro had brought her the strangest gifts as they departed, despite Emma's promises that their betrayal was forgiven. Chihiro seemed relieved by this, but still upset, while Haku looked unworried and absolutely aloof in totality about his roles in the rites. Both used hushed tones as they explained what things were, clearly trying not to be noticed by someone. 

The gift they gave was a pressed ball of a ground paste, dried to make it easier to preserve. It reminded Emma of a softer and denser version of a gift she had been given by a courtier, a fragrant fizzing thing to place within one's bathing waters. 

"This is for eating, though," Chihiro whispered conspiratorially. "It is very bitter, but you must take a bite of it three times a day for seven days. Morning, afternoon, and evening. If the taste is too much, gargle with sea water before and after."

"Alright. Thanks?" Emma tried not to sound too perplexed, but Haku stopped her with a firm hand before she could turn from them. 

"Princess, that medicine is as powerful as it gets. I was saving it to attempt to break Chihiro from the rites before your arrival." For once Haku looked momentarily ashamed, casting his eyes to look at her, his mouth downturned at the corners. "I know that what I have done cannot be undone, but I owe you this much: Do not let the Dark One know that you are taking that medicine."

"I tell Killian everything," Emma said sharply, and Chihiro shook her head, hands covering her lips. "Not telling him about this, that sounds -" 

"I know how it sounds, but you must not. He believes our aim is to hurt you." Chihiro shook her head. "I would have gone willingly to the life of a husk, if not for you. It was my pride, honor, and duty. You saved not only me from this sentence, but all those who could have fallen prey to Cruella's plans."

Chihiro took Emma's hand, placing it over her heart. 

"I give you one last blessing, as this medicine will not heal you completely until your magic returns in full." Wind curled around them, carrying soft snowflakes that had begun to fall. Emma breathed out a puff of air, feeling her lungs loosen as Chihiro dropped her hand. "I have given you a soot sprite charm. It will bind to you, and try to stay any illness you suffer with charcoal sprites made from our oldest pines. Should you see soot marks, you will know it is working."

"Um, thanks I guess, but I'm sure this is just a cold. The change of the seasons, stress, traveling, having no healing magic -" 

Haku interrupted Emma's list with a grunt. "No. This is - I wish we were allowed to go with you so we could treat you if need be. The Dark One has refused us." Emma tried to hide her surprise, lips parting in shock. "This is as good as we can give. If you see dark smudges, know that the soot sprites are working. We don't wish ill tidings on you. You have changed our minds, my mind, which is no easy task. You must stay alive, so we can come to your aid against the Goblin menace."

"Wow." Emma swallowed, and Haku bowed his head. "Thank you. Truly." 

"No, Princess." Chihiro smiled, "Thank you. We have a future because of you. We have a chance to see a world that might allow us to create life." She blushed deeply, and next to her Haku coughed as redness creeped across his own face. "We owe you everything and more. You must be well."

Emma nodded, eyes misting as she watched the two walk away from the dock. Lilly approached, and Emma began crying in earnest, hugging Lilly tightly. 

"Are you sure I can't stow away, or meet you there?" Lilly held her tightly, and Emma shook her head. "I just - what if something happens to you? What if you leave the barrier and Nil -" 

"We'll be fine. I'll find a way to safely send word to you when we find what we need there." Emma pulled away, gripping her friend's shoulders tightly. "You… You are like a sister to me, equal only to my friend Ruby. Thank you for everything, my dear friend." 

Lilly laughed, throwing her head back. When she'd stopped, she grinned through happy sobs. "I'm the shittiest sister you could have ever been stuck with, but I am glad you think of me that fondly."

"Hush up, you dingbat."

"It's pronounced Dragon, you uncultured elitist Fae snob."

Emma laughed, coughing slightly as they hugged again. 

"Princess!" Killian shouted, his voice gruff. "Any bloody time now, thanks!" 

"Goodbye, Lilly." Emma let go of her friend, but Lilly held fast. "What?" 

"Just… Killian went through a lot to save you. I don't know why he refuses to care for you after proving it, but you deserve to know that he… You deserve better." Lilly looked at her feet, mumbling the last part of his confession. 

"Wait, what? Lilly, I -" 

"Princess! Now or never!" Killian yelled. 

"One of the most ancient magics of all, that came before even we Dragons, is the need to be close to someone. To… To care about them." Lilly pulled away, cupping Emma's cheek. She leveled her gaze directly into Emma's. "Just be sure to share closeness with someone worthy of you." Emma didn't have time to reply before Lilly waved goodbye, launching herself into the air in her sleek Dragon form. Emma wandered confused back to the ship, unsure why she felt nothing but dread. 

They set off out of the now fog dense cove, sliding through the thick white blanket that would conceal the isle from now on. Emma looked out on the mist as it dissipated into a gray cloudy day, the sea ahead dark peppered with small patches of the sun's rays. The moment they met the open sky, she watched Killian relax slightly at the wheel. 

 "It's where I feel most at peace. I could stare at the sea all day. The only thing as beautiful is you smiling like that at me." 

 "You're easy to smile at, Killian. One might even go as far as saying easy on the eyes." His amused look of false shock made her snort. 

 Batting his eyelashes at her innocently, her laughter made his grin grow wider. "One might say? Which one, hmm? You?" 

 "Perhaps."

 "Is everything alright?" she asked, and his eyes flicked toward her then back to the sea. "Killian, I guess, I mean… I know things aren't alright, but I don't understand why, or why no one would tell me what happened -" 

"Because it doesn't bloody well matter what happened, and nothing happened, so stop talking about it. Stop asking about it, just accept that you will never need to know!" Killian shouted as he advanced on her, his jaw clenched and eyes bloodshot. 

"Something is wrong, I'm not stupid. I can tell that something did happen." Emma raised her chin, and his hands reached forward, fingers going tense until he raised both in frustration. "You're different, you aren't -" 

"Are you sure that you aren't stupid, Princess?" he growled out, beginning to pace in front of her. In the overcast dim, it was easier to see the Darkness as it poured off of him like overflowing steam atop a bubbling cauldron, trailing his movement. Emma let her eyes widen, but quickly covered the rest of her hurt with the anger that followed after. "You rush into danger, you have no self preservation, you trust anyone  -" 

"I used to trust you," Emma interrupted, trying to catch her breath. "The Darkness is overwhelming you like before. I can help you, we can beat it back again. This isn't you."

"It definitely is, Princess. It isn't the Darkness that is pressing questions or throwing itself into danger. I'm sorry that isn't something you accept, just like how you won't accept that nothing happened in those bloody rites. Nothing! But you keep asking, keep bringing it up, trying to find something that isn't there. I used to think you were intelligent, how's that?"

"To hell with you, Killian. Don't come to the bunk tonight. I don't want you anywhere near me with this sort of -" 

"I wasn't planning to," Killian cut her off, with vehemence. "I find that sleeping next to you made me lose the sharpness of my acuity. You will sleep there in the bunk. I will maintain my post."

"Good!" Emma shouted at him, stomping away. "Just great. More room for me to spread out. Good!" 

"It is good, it's better than good!" he yelled back, throwing up his hands. 

"Fine! Shut up about it then!" Emma shouted in reply. 

"Fine!" 

Emma's voice echoed up from the stairs below. "Fine!" 

The door slammed, and quiet fell at last. 

Emma laid down, wondering why she was crying. Partially in anger, but there was something else that made her want to yell at Killian. It sat heavily, dangling itself just out of reach in her mind as if the answer was on the tip of her tongue. He was absolutely out of line, completely disrespectful, every line they had created to make their unstable alliance work torn to shreds by his actions. Worse still was that there was no way to get through to him; he was absolutely lost to her in this mood. Emma screamed into her pillow, for what felt like hours, until her voice was raw. Sleep came with difficulty as her lungs burned, her head swimming with questions. 

 *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

The morning light hit Emma's face, waking her from a fitful sleep. Her dreams were plagued with strange moments of intense deja vu or scraps of nightmares that made her jump awake. Her body felt sore from her coughing when she wanted to scream, her throat still achingly sore. She was in a way glad, her wheezing gasps had not alerted Killian to her distress like her screaming might have. He most likely wouldn't have bothered anyway with how awful he was being, but she wasn't ready to face him regardless. Grabbing the medicine Chihiro and Haku had given her, she stood stretching. She poured a bowl of porridge from the crock in the small cooking station they called a galley, heading up on deck to eat. 

Killian sat near the wheel, choosing not to regard her as she moved toward the front of the ship, beginning to try swallowing porridge down her raw throat. She eyed the medicine with curiosity, peeling back the careful wrapping of waxy paper. Taking a small bite, she turned and retched over the side immediately, the bitterness in her mouth overwhelming. 

"Swan, er… Princess, are you alright?" Killian walked toward her as she swished porridge around in her mouth to cover the taste. "Did you lose your sea legs, lass? Or is it just your wee bit of a bug you've been working on losing since we left the island?" 

"Now you make conversation?" Emma rasped, her voice half a hoarse whisper, and half a shrill hiss of uneasy breathing. The medicine had eased her burning throat where it had touched, but she had swallowed so little. "If you must know, I am feeling unwell. I was given this by Chihiro; it is supposed to help my throat feel less like I've swallowed broken glass and boiling tar."

Killian’s eyes flashed a steely blue, his face souring. Emma remembered Chihiro's warning, shivering a bit as he stalked toward her. The Darkness poured off of him in waves that made her feel more nauseated as she turned her back to him. Taking a large bite of porridge, she bit into the medicine only for it to be pulled from her hands by Killian, who wrenched it away before launching it into the waves. 

"Killian!" Emma tried to shout, but her throat was tight, fighting the mixture of rice, milk, and bitter herbs that made her gag. She swallowed hard, panting in short breaths. "... Why…?" 

"Are you completely stupid? Absolutely, completely, and utterly moronic to a fault?" he hissed, and Emma pressed herself against the shiprail while her knees buckled. "Do you crave dying, you brat? That's it, isn't it? You want to fail everyone and simply can't wait to throw yourself into the next disaster, for hope that it will -" 

"N-no!" Emma managed to groan through her chest burning, even as her throat's soreness began to ease. Her bowl clattered into pieces on the sun lit wood. 

"No? Oh that's precious, truly Princess, so precious. You took who even knows what from the two that poisoned me, and sent you - sent… Who tried to hurt you, and you thought, 'gee, maybe I'll eat this?' is that it?" He gripped her wrist, eyes cold and mouth twisted. "Do you know what you made me - Do you think I want your blood on my hands, even by your own lack of caution? Well? Do you!?" 

"I might do the same! If someone I loved was in danger, I would be desperate." Her throat was still tight, as she spoke in bursts of raspy words. "I don't know if I can say I wouldn't do the same. We both are fine, and so are they!" 

"You think we're both fine?" Killian screamed, his hand grew tighter around her bones, her yelp turned into a squeak. 

"Killian -" Emma whimpered, trying to pull on his fingers to loosen their grip on her. "Please stop, please -" 

"Why would you trust them?" he roared, his grip tighter, and the Darkness pressing on her, pushing itself against the sliver of magic she could feel. "What is wrong with you, why can't you just -" Emma whimpered again, his eyes meeting her own. 

Something in her mind pulled free, her fear turning to fight. Her chest felt as if it might explode from its wound tightness. All of her burned, her body beginning to shake as she reached up to smack him.

"You're hurting me!" Emma wheezed, her bones grinding in his harsh grasp. His other hand caught hers, her limp wrist not much of a threat even as her fingers met his cheek. 

The Darkness receded around him, leaving her gasping while Killian let go of her immediately. 

He looked wild, crunching the broken bowl under his boots, staring at her as she cradled where he had dug in his fingers. She watched him run a shaky hand over his face while attempting to catch his breath, the short puffs bright in the air. 

"What is wrong with you?" she bit out, rubbing at her wrist. He looked genuinely horrified, truly upset, before she pushed past him to head back down below. 

 *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

 Time stretched indefinitely, unbroken by their need to avoid each other at all costs. He tried to make a small offering of an apology by way of a sleeping draught, but Emma fought every urge to slosh it out over his head. If she wasn't as tired as she had been feeling, she couldn't say it was off the table. She was furious with him. Absolutely livid, her body actually going warm with rage at the mere thought of his actions. It was as if they were back at the beginning of their forced comradery, his springs stretched to snapping. Throwing up her hands again, she flopped back into the bunk, turning to scream into a pillow. 

Or attempt to, her throat protesting even the smallest of noises. Her body hurt, coughs rattling her entirely, and her throat was still tight, leaving her with taking painful, wheezing breaths. Her time was broken into periods of rage, exhaustion, sickness, and avoiding anywhere on the ship she wasn't alone. Killian had been obviously distressed when she was near him, the Darkness itself curling around him like some sort of chain when she managed to catch glimpses of it. He didn't speak when she slammed together what she needed, only pretended to be ignoring her while they both cast quick looks at each other. Several times it sounded like he might start to talk, but he swallowed hard or closed his lips into a firm line instead. 

The sleeping draught he placed on the table with no note or explanation meant he had been in the Captain’s quarters, which also meant he had been there when she hadn't or as she slept. Her dreams had been haunted by him increasingly in ways that made no sense to her; how mortifying if a moan had slid past her lips? Or if her choked screaming from nightmares had been heard, and he had seen her begging for his help? If he had come in when she was having one of these many fits, and that's why he was offering the draught… Emma's cheeks flamed at the thought. It didn't help that the dreams were beyond realistic: Emma could feel the details more and more, as if she was there. 

And then there was… Her anger turned itself inside out in her chest, still heated but in a different way. There was the strange wonderfulness that was Killian’s appearances. At first it had been unexpected, but as these dreams progressed further he became a familiar fixture until he morphed into something more - someone more. More often now she dreamed of his closeness and the warmth of him, the feel of his large hands against her skin, his strength physically as he tickled her before stealing a kiss from her lips - 

His lips. How could she be thinking of Killian’s lips when he had hurt her and degraded her like that? Why couldn't she dream of him as he was, an asshole with no feelings but for himself? He hadn't changed, and if she believed he might, his fits of rage made it clear she was wrong. That medicine had helped with her cough and eased the pressure in her chest after an hour or so of swallowing it down, but now it was lost to the sea. Emma wished that it wasn't gone as she rubbed her aching chest. 

Killian knocked on the door, and she scowled even as her anger twisted itself into knots. Standing, she brushed down her skirts, the sudden shift making her dizzy for a moment. Taking a sharp breath, Emma caught herself on the desk until the spots in her vision cleared. When she opened the door to answer, Killian was walking away and turned to look at her. Emma noticed he looked tired, hair more wild and in desperate need of a trim, stubble left to grow into a scruffy beard, and his body language almost unsure instead of feral. 

He stared at her without speaking until she moved to cross her arms in annoyance. 

"I took the maps from my desk. Agrabah is five or so days away pending fair winds," he stated after clearing his throat. 

Emma nodded, turning to go back into the cabin. He should have left a note, not that she wouldn't have ripped it up and left it back outside the door, but he didn't need to talk to her so she had to see his stupid face with his stupid blue eyes - 

"Swan, wait!" Killian stood in the doorway, Emma sitting to listen with a bored face. Her heart raced. He walked towards her looking at her with curiosity. "You still look ill, are you sure you're -" 

"Don't start to worry about me now, since you threw that medicine away," Emma snapped. His face fell, before becoming angry. 

"They poisoned me. There is no way -" 

"Yeah, they did that to you, the immortal one. Not me. They told me to avoid you because of this, to hide that medicine - which worked, by the way - from you. I trust Chihiro. I trust Lilly. I don't trust you like I used to." Her eyes narrowed at him, widening only briefly at the shocked, sad silent nod he gave in reply before retreating. "Why don't you just go."

He stopped briefly at the door, seemingly struggling to speak.

"As you wish, Princess. I just... I'm sorry." 

When the door closed behind him, Emma felt her stomach drop. Taking the sleeping draught's bottle in one hand as Killian had taught her, she popped the cork and took a long swig. 

 *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

 Don't blame me, Dearie. 

 It was another of the Darkness’s long hisses in Killian’s ear as the days ground on. A few days had turned into two weeks due to poor winds and heavy snow. The sea was deep and cold where there was at least no ice to cut through, but the chill in the air was nothing to Emma's cold shoulder. It physically hurt to hear her whimper Nil's name in her nightmares knowing what they entailed, his own sleep non-existent as the Darkness raked him across coals.

You don't need sleep, you great imbecile. You have grown soft, so fucking soft. 

He grunted in reply, looking out over the waves. Snow dusted him as he moved around, pushing it off his deck as he tried to think without the Darkness interrupting. 

Emma hated him, currently. There was no doubt of it with the way she regarded him, and how he had lost his bloody mind. The Darkness was pressing hard against him, exploiting his lack of sleep, his weaknesses, and his fears with ease again. He had told her that he wanted to be free of her, then gone on to catch himself before striking her, and then he had almost broken her wrist - 

You should have gone and broken it. She deserves to know how much you need to be freed of her. Get the shard and leave her, get over your fear of her eventual grizzly death. She's lucky to have made it this far. 

The part of himself Killian hid away from the Darkness had bloomed as he and Emma lost themselves in dreams. Now he escaped to its warmth frequently knowing the Darkness could not follow, to escape it for brief moments. Thinking of Emma dying, thinking of her being sick, thinking of the very idea that he could be the cause of some 'poisoned heart' - the worry could exist in the tiny space before his prison warden demanded he stop caring. 

He couldn't stop caring. Everything reminded him that she wasn't his in the waking world - that he couldn't - that the temptation to comfort her could be so easily given into if he simply laid next to her, throwing caution to the winds the Darkness churned out. 

The sleeping draught had been a peace offering and a salve on his breaking will, an attempt to prevent her from whimpering his name in her sleep as his sanity waned. Hearing her beg for him to help her, the way her whimpers of Nil's name made him irrationally emotional, or the sighs he had only heard her make when his tongue moved past the seam of her soft lips were too much. The Darkness tortured him with the noises, his ears picking them up from across the ship. 

Emma hadn't taken it until his cowardly failure at apologizing to her, sleeping in an almost eerie silence for hours. She woke only to relieve herself and quickly eat, ignoring him as if he didn't exist. She disappeared from the ship as if she was only a ghost. It was lonely, but better than allowing himself to get too close to her again. 

It must have been lonely for her too. As her sleeping increased, she seemed to seek him out more. Being in his presence wasn't enough, and soon she was talking to him again. He ignored her, which made her more persistent. 

"How's your hand?" she asked, still trying to make conversation. He grunted, and she came closer as he hid his wrapped palm. "Stop, let me -" 

"It's fine," Killian growled, but she only rolled her eyes, carefully undoing the bandage. 

"You really shouldn't let it go more than a few days without healing of some sort. You’ll get an infection," Emma said quietly. 

"What," he said tersely, annoyed by the softness of her touch and the way she treated him with gentle concern. "Worried I'll die, Princess?" 

Her lips became a thin line at his sarcasm, and she huffed. "Don't be an ass. I do still worry about you, even when..." Emma trailed off, the corners of her mouth turned down. 

He blinked, and scowled at her. "Don't. Save it for yourself and your problems."

"Killian," she sighed, her breath catching a bit so that she had to clear her throat. "My problems are yours too. We are in this together. Besides, you are such a child when you're sick. Remember how you were laid up for almost two whole weeks after catching some port fever? You were so miserable, the crew and I could barely stand you. You're lucky that I was so patient with you as a pirate."

He couldn't breathe. She remembered. 

They had been together on a ship, him a pirate and her a waif he truly had lov - 

 No. No you didn't. Don't you dare even think that. You know that you were manipulated - you feel nothing. 

 He watched her hum to herself as his palm met the air, the wound foul smelling and swollen red. She looked at it with disdain, but he felt her magic begin to pull away the swelling and the heat, soothing slightly before coming to a sudden stop. 

"That's… I don't understand, my magic should be working?"

Emma blinked up at him, and he noticed she was sweating slightly, her hand shaking as it held his. 

"Are you alright Princess?" Killian asked carefully. "I haven't been sick around you, and you seem… confused. Er, what were you saying -" 

"I don't know…" she whispered, the trembling increasing as her brows pinched together. "I just, I'm so tired. I don't…" She swayed, holding her palm to her forehead. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm so out of it, and I feel tired to my bones. Then my magic isn't working, I just…"

"You're probably just reacting to that draught still, hallucinating all sorts of things." He turned away, refusing to look at her for too long. Rewrapping his hand, he heard her hum in agreement, the noise turning into a raspy wheeze, and then a coughing fit. "Come eat something then go lay down again or have a respite -" 

Emma collapsed, falling sideways onto the deck, hitting hard against the wood. Killian was at her side in a matter of seconds as he cursed, carefully pulling her into his arms to cradle her. Her cheeks were bright red, far more than just sun coloring up close against yellowish pale skin, her forehead radiating heat when he laid the back of his hand to it. How had he not noticed, how could he have not seen how sick she was? 

He had been avoiding her every moment he could; ignoring her, pretending to not hear her coughing, shrugging off her need for more sleep, not wearing a coat in the chill, her lack of appetite - 

Killian let out an even longer string of expletives, a small gash opening on her temple. Helping her down to the bunk, she thanked him in a barely there whisper before almost immediately going to sleep. 

Emma did not wake for hours, his worry evolving into something much greater. She was sluggish, asked for water with a strained voice, coughing herself back into a restless sleep. She seemed to deteriorate quickly, her usual energy replaced by exhaustion, leaving her winded from climbing the stairs or ladder to start. By the time they approached the coordinates of the portal, she could barely pull herself out of his bunk, and her cough had become much more violent. 

Killian found it harder than ever to be in her presence, her pleas for him to comfort her too tempting. He instead made a clear cut schedule that primarily focused on caring for her while she slept, with a few quick checks during the day. 

The Dragons had given them some meat, and he boiled it down over a small flame until it was broth, feeding it carefully to the princess as she attempted to fight sleep. 

"Please, Killian, please don't let Cruella take you from me. I need you here, I need you. Don’t let her hurt you, I can't keep Milah's memory alive …" 

Killian blinked, his hand almost dropping the spoon that he held. She couldn't be remembering, it was impossible. Emma let out another series of fitful gasps, trying to bring air into her lungs. Her back arched, the fabric of her shift shifting to reveal blackness under her left breast. Pushing her neckline aside, he looked down in shock. 

Black fingerprints and a black palm mark wrapped around the top of her chest, as if a dark, sooty, hand had burned a brand into her solar plexus. 

#Courtorderedcake #30th #April #2020 #April 30th 2020 #Hallow #my work #My writing #Captain Swan #Captain Swan AU #captain swan fanfic #captain swan fanart #captain swan fanfiction #CS FF #CSSNS #cs fic #cs fanfiction #CS FF AU #CS AU #CS AU FF #long chapter

[darkspellmaster]

Some Random thoughts on the Shitennou x Senshi story that’s been brewing in my head....

So For things I have so far in regard to the story that I’m working on : Gathering notes and plot since it’s going to have to fit into the main story...ugh why do I do this to myself. 

This is what I have so far: 

The bad guys in this story aren’t going after Usagi and co, but rather they are focused on Mamoru and the desire to keep the Moon princess away from him at all costs. 

Said team consists of One lead, Four Generals under her, and each of them has two to three lieutenants under them. These Lieutenants each create their own monsters to go after the re born Shitennou that they need to kill so that Mamoru doesn’t have any defense against the main four Generals and the Lead bad guy. 

Said Bad guy has a very gray area she’s in. Unlike Beryl this isn’t coming out of a desire to take him for herself. Rather the feelings stem from a family bond, and the desire to protect him from what she perceives as the reason why he could die (or did in reality previously). She also has a Cassandra like situation where she sees things that are coming but can’t fully comprehend them, and because of that her choices allowed her to be a pawn of an aspect of Chaos. 

Her generals all seem to have a desire to serve her above all else, and they are split even as two males and two females. All four wear uniforms that denotes their position. At least one of the females has yellow ribbons in her red hair, which she keeps up in a Chun Lei like set of buns. 

As a side note, I did have names for them, but the list of their names got lost, so now I’m trying to find the right types of stones or minerals for them. 

What I know about the lead baddie is that she’s less of a show off than most other villains have been. More in line with Kamen Rider like baddies than strictly Sentai villains. Her views actually make sense when paired with her past and what she’s seen for the future. Up in the air right now if I’m going to allow them to be saved or outright killed off. Since they’re not out to wreck the earth or anything like that. They just want the Golden Kingdom back up and running. 

At least one of the Lieutenants falls in love with Minako which brings in some dramatic results for the group later on. Not sure if he remains a foe or becomes a friend...all I have to say for him is Poor Minako. 

As for the Shitennou and their history that I have going so far...

Jadeite:  (Last name first, first name second) 

Human name: Yasuhara Kazuhiko -also known by his stage name Oshi Kazu aka the idol NU. 

What I have for his story so far: 

So Kazuhiko is the most well known of the bunch. His father and mother are both actors and work for the movie studios. So, since this is being based more around Crystal’s Dark Kingdom arc, after his death in the frozen North, Kazuhiko woke up to find himself in the hospital forgetting everything that had happened to him previously with Beryl and the others. By the end of the Dream Arc, he’s gotten to the point that he’s back to normal and has been on tour, however he’s gotten sick of being a star and wants something normal. His parents as a deal agree to let him sign up for the former high school that Mamoru went to, while he agrees that, as NU, he would continue his acting and singing career. 

Of course nothing is as easy as it seems, and the Bad guys (who have been tracking the boys since they’ve come to Tokyo again) have decided to make Kazuhiko the first target. 

Jadeite is the only one of the boys that is pure Japanese, though his hair and eyes show that his family has had international blood in their genes. 

He first meets Rei when, during a rain storm, to avoid being chased down by fan girls who were stalking him. Kazuhiko wound up in the shrine, and Rei’s grandfather allowed him to stay inside where he could be warmed up. 

Rei doesn’t trust him very much. 

Usagi and Minako are the second to meet him and they wind up working with him when one of the Monsters of the week attacks his high school. 

Jadeite is also the first to be woken up after he puts himself in the way of danger to protect Tuxedo Mask, once he sees he’s Mamoru who’s become a friend to him. 

I decided that since the girls got planets, the boys should get flowers. I’m not sure why, it just was a sort of “Yeah, this makes sense okay” moment, for their first transformation. 

So Jadeite’s is a Lotus, connecting to his harmonious rank. 

Also he uses ice attacks and has a frozen sword. 

Jadeite can pair up with Rei for a fire/ ice attack, and there are levels that the attacks can go at as their power ups come directly from Mamoru and Usagi. He’s the first also to ask forgiveness of Usagi when his memories return, and the stone comes to him after he shows he’s willing to put his life on the line for his prince. 

As with the other boys he can pair up with the different senshi and create new attacks, and do the same with the boys and Mamoru. 

With Usagi he gives her heart attack a frozen boost. Minako’s chains can freeze someone in place, Paired with Makoto her flower wind becomes like mini frozen knives. Mamoru gets a frozen upgrade when he pairs up with him, allowing him to create an icy flash that can freeze people for a moment or two of time, allowing them to get away or blind them with cold. 

With the other shitennou he tends to cause different results to their attacks. Kunzite’s energy blast can, and does set off an ice barrier when paired with Jadeite. Nephrite’s shadows create portals that let him throw the ice shards in different locations allowing his ice to act as a targeted attack moving where the enemy moves. With Zosite it’s an icy electric attack, or a crystal like bomb that goes off showering ice everywhere. 

Not sure how he and the outer senshi work yet as pairings in regard to their powers. 

He’s also the first one to come help the girls when need be and also is trying with Mamoru to figure out why he and the others are now being allowed to come back after their actions in the recent past. 

Straight up, he is the first to admit having any feelings for Rei, and decides to work at the Shrine as a means of getting closer to her and gaining her trust and friendship. Also funny note, he and Nephrite later get into a selling competition over who can sell the most charms for the Shrine. 

He also tries to help Minako get auditions due to his connections. 

Nephrite: Gakuhara Satoshi -No relation to Kazuhiko

Story I have so far: Satoshi or Toshi for short, is from Hawaii and is North American Japanese and several other mixes -he doesn’t know what his mother’s side fully is, except that they have some Irish in there. His father’s family moved to the states pre-ww2 and they run a restaurant on the main Island.  Toshi is actually in college, and came to Japan to learn more about his dad’s side of the family. 

He works at a catering/restaurant business for his Uncle, and is going to college for business in running a restaurant so he can either start his own or take over his grandparents. 

Toshi rides a motor cycle and is also the most open and energetic of the bunch.

After events of the Dark Kingdom, his Uncle and Aunt found him in a motor cycle crash and, as with Kazuhiko, he couldn’t remember anything that happened. He’s since started up classes again at the same college where Mamoru is studying. Though he’s a year above him. The two actually met during lunch and Nephrite connected to Mamoru right away. 

He met Makoto by chance outside the local flower shop as he needed additional flowers for center pieces for an event that the family business was catering. 

Earlier on Toshi actually gives advice to the girls as they are dealing with the weird goings on with Jadeite but doesn’t get involved until he’s targeted. 

Jadeite is always trying to figure out if he remembers or not, and eventually Nephrite get’s targeted fully, and nearly eaten by a plant. Let’s just say the shadows that he controls don’t like it. 

Unlike Jadeite he’s a bit more brutal when it comes to destroying those that would hurt him and those that he cares for. He’s also the most compassionate of the four, seeing himself as a big brother sort to the girls and even Mamoru and later the other boys. 

He’s 19, unlike Jadeite who’s 17 going on 18. 

The interesting thing with Makoto is while his feelings for her do come back he’s struggling with the fact that she’s younger than him, and also that there’s another guy that likes her who’s closer to her age. So he’s constantly having to check his flirting and jealous streak. 

He and Jadeite can team up to create a dark ice attack using his shadows as a portal of sorts for an ice blast. When teaming up with Kunzite the shadows act as an attack around a shielded bubble or at times are used as a distraction or attack, depending on what Kunzite is doing with his energy orbs. Zosite can use the shadows as a means of carrying hidden crystals that can be flung out from them. 

With Makoto, he can do an shadow and wind/electrical attack on the baddies, allowing them to be held in place while she zaps them. With Usagi it’s boosting her tiara attack or allowing her to make everything go dark if they need to escape. Rei’s fire and his shadows cause a ripple affect with the fire doubling the streght of the shadows allowing them to consume monsters that can be taken down that way. Minako is a tricky one, as it seems to give boosts to the speed of her boomerang. Mamoru has it where he, like with Jadeite, upgrades, and the shadows are part of a smoking La bomber, or give him a shadow sword that can cut through a shadow and allow him to pass through an entry that wasn’t there before. 

He’s also the first to want to jump into action, which can be a bad thing at times. 

Also he likes to tease Usagi about Mamo-chan and the others sometimes have to tell him to knock it off. 

When he’s working his hair is pulled back into a pony tail. 

Also the flower for his transformation is a Rose, for obvious reasons. (I think I picked Rose -this may change later. ) 

Zoisite: Real name -Haruki Jun

Story for him: Okay so Jun’s story is a bit different than the others. While his father is a Quarter Japanese, he’s mostly Swiss and lives with his Mother’s sister who is the Ambassador to Japan. Jun is extremely bright, being right up there with Ami in intelligence. Like Rei he has issues with his father and lost his mother at a young age. Un-like Rei this doesn’t stem from his father being too busy, but rather that Jun is a very anti-social person who was treated badly due to his family lineage (IE: How can you be Japanese when you look so damn white?) by his former classmates. 

After the events where he was killed in the Dark Kingdom, He woke up in the hospital in Tokyo under the watchful eye of his Aunt. He was said to have gotten very sick and had a high fever. 

I’m still trying to figure out if he should be in school later with the girls, or if he’d be in a more expensive school. 

Jun is the youngest at age 15 going on 16, and is in the same year as the Senshi 

Anyway, the first one to meet Jun is Ami and Jun get’s annoyed because she’s in his seat, or so he thinks, at a cram school that he went to with his friends. 

Jun gains an obsession with Sailor Mercury after she saves him from a kidnapping by the bad guys. 

He actually wants to become a fashion designer due to his mother being a costume maker for the theater, and for a while goes out of his way to stage things to make the scouts come to him so he can find out who’s Sailor Mercury. 

Jun has a desire to be the most logical of the group of four, and is also the most serious. 

He has a hard time with his transformation because he feels that he was the one that let Beryl back into their lives as he was the first one to get changed into his Dark Kingdom form. 

Jun’s flower is the lily for transformation (don’t ask me why it’s what came up, still trying to figure if that’s the best for him.) 

Like Jadeite, Zoisite pledges loyalty right away to Mamoru, though he does see Usagi as a bit of a ditz. Over time he learns to love her for who she is and respect her as his future queen. 

I should note he can’t dance a lick and has two left feet. 

He also gets flustered over the fact that he can look more like a girl than some girls, but is okay with doing so for missions to help the girls out. IE, he can be the bait from time to time. 

He’s actually below Nephrite in leader order, but he’s the strategy guy, so Nephrite tends to defer to him. 

The only person that can get him to at all react in any way other then his normally aloof self is Ami, and she doesn’t know she’s doing that to him. 

Jun speaks at least 4 languages fluently. He’s also the shortest of the bunch. 

When it comes to attacks he uses up to three that seem to be the main mix. 

With Ami he has his electricity connect with her water, and creates a devastating steam like attack that blinds people. With Usagi he can create a force-field that is stronger with her moon power, Rei has it where the crystals channel heat around her and allow her fire attacks more power, Minako has those crystals act as a reflective nature that bounce her light attacks around if need be. Makoto gets a force field around her that grants her a higher charge for her oak lighting attack that won’t bounce back on her. 

Mamoru get’s an upgrade with a mirror like attack that allows him to see and hear things from different tech devices and he can use it to get people’s attention about breaking spells and the like. 

Kunzite with Zosite becomes a very strong and possibly overpowering energy attack that blocks out sight and hearing for a while when hit with it. Jadeite as I said above does the whole freeze bomb with him and Nephrite does the whole shadow thing. 

Kunzite: Aikeizawa Noritaka

Story so far: Noritaka’s got a lot going on for him. His mother is from a royal family in Arabia, making him a prince. His father was a Journalist that was covering there. He actually came to Japan to teach, as he wanted to get away from his family back home. He’s the only one that is out of College and is working at Jubaan High as a Exchange Teacher/Student Teacher in History (Or Japanese Classics, or Geography -still haven’t figured that out yet). 

After the situation with the Dark Kingdom, he actually woke up in his apartment in the same building as Mamoru. That’s how he gets to meet him by chance when Chibi Usa runs into him, literally, on her way to visit Mamoru. 

I should note he’s the oldest of the group at age 25. He’s also got the most complex situation with the girls to date. 

Unlike the others who are single, Kunzite is dating Minako and Usagi’s home room teacher and is engaged to her. This throws in a rather rough kink for Venus and him when he starts to recoginze her and his feelings come back. 

Kunzite is the only one that rejects the offer to join the Shitennou and his guilt is eating at him. 

His feelings of loyalty for Mamoru expand to his family (Usagi and chibi Usa). 

He gets jealous of guys around Minako and has to deal with that.

Flower for Kunzite is an orchid, at least for now.  

I can’t say a lot about what I’m planning with him because of the fact that it could spoil things that I want to have as surprises. Though I can say that as a teacher he’s very strict about the girls getting their work done for school even when he’s got his memory back. 

Kunzite does flirt with Venus when they’re in costume, which keeps driving him back and forth about his feelings for her and his girlfriend. 

His attacks with the boys as per above, Jadeite has the ice barrier attack with him. Nephrite can cause the shadows to act as a distraction or attack depending on what Kunzite needs, and overpowering energy blast that removes sight and hearing with Zosite. 

Mamoru get’s a very large upgrade with Kunzite, allowing his sword to change it’s manifestation into something that can draw out the gravity of the earth and use that to hold someone down. 

Usagi gets an upgrade in a similar vain, only it’s reverse and makes them float with her attack. 

Minako and Kunzite have a chain attack where the orbs circle around the heart and pin the person in place while the heart hits them. Rei gains a energy blast in her fire attack, Ami has a force field around her when she’s doing some tech stuff, Makoto get’s some gravity pull on her throwing attack. 

That’s what I got so far. 

#senshi x shitennou #shitennou x senshi #shitennou #jadeite x rei #jadeite #kunzite #rei x jadeite #kunzite x minako #mars x jadeite #minako x kunzite #venus x kunzite #jupiter x nephrite #nephrite #nephrite x makoto #zoisite #zoisite x ami #mercury x zoisite #sailor moon #sailor moon crystal

[moonmeagan]

What to Do In Southern Thailand

Thailand seems to be a hot spot on nearly everyone’s bucket list these days, and let me just tell you, those pictures and glass boat video clips you see online are the real deal. Thailand is a b e a u t i f u l country with mountains to the north and unreal beaches to the south.

Known as the land of smiles, most Thai people are extremely kind and have a truly enchanting culture. Most Thai people are Buddhist and you will see wonderfully ornate temples and “spirit houses” (little shrines of houses on a pillar or tabled platform where Thai people show respect to the spirits on the land) all over the country.

When I visited Thailand I spent about two weeks in south Thailand and visited for the “Full Moon Party” which takes place on the beach of Koh Pha Ngan. Here are some recommendations for the cities that I visited:

Bangkok

The capital city and a true hub for the culture of Thailand. Some travelers or tourists like to stray away from the large cities, but I highly recommend spending at least a little bit of your trip in the capital. Small towns and islands have their charms, but the cities are where the true day-to-day culture thrives. This is where the country’s people live and play.

Chao Phraya River

This beautiful river flows through Thailand’s capital city. You can take a boat cruise down the river to gaze at some of Thailand’s most famous temples and landmarks! Bring some bread along to feed the hungry fish.

Grand Palace

The Grand Palace is one of the most famous destinations in Bangkok. Thailand’s royalty used to live in the palace, but now it is used for ceremonies and as a tourist attraction showcasing Thailand’s history and the beautiful ornate architecture. If you intend to visit the palace, be sure you dress for the occasion! You must have your legs and shoulders covered to enter the palace gates.

Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

Wat Arun is a very famous must-see while in Bangkok. Its style is very unique compared to many temples you will see in Thailand and it sits right on the bank of the river. Entry to the temple is only 100 bhat which equates to about $3 USD.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Markets

Get ready to haggle down the prices of some unique, and often hand crafted, souvenirs and art. Many shop owners sit alongside a canal outside of Bangkok. You must float through the lively canal on a boat and snag your purchases while riding by.

You will find vendors selling street food (canal food?) from their long boats and exotic animals that you can hold and take photos with (for a fee of course). This is a fun and immersive cultural experience that you will likely not forget.

Maeklong Railway Market

There is a hidden market located unconventionally on the tracks of a train. This is a must-see if you are visiting Bangkok! One moment vendors are selling their goods on the sides of the tracks, dangerously close to the railway, and the next moment they are scooping up their items just as the train passes through. Once the train makes its way through, the bustling market continues as if nothing had happened.

When the train comes through, some of the vendors hand them a snack or juice as the train slowly goes by. The shop we visited let me hand off a Thai tea to the conductors:

Get a Thai massage

For about $15 USD I ordered a traditional Thai massage which included stretches, body weight massaging, and pressure point therapy. It is different from a massage in the states and is a great cultural experience.

Koh Samui

Koh Samui, which is the second largest Thai island, used to be a fishing community and is now a hidden gem for tropical tourism. The locals are very laid back and friendly and there are charming accommodations and resorts on the island.

Samui Elephant Sanctuary

You can’t visit Thailand without seeing some elephants! However, I caution you to stay away from people offering elephant rides in the streets. Instead, check out some ethical elephant tourism at a sanctuary.

I visited Samui Elephant Sanctuary and it is clear that the volunteers and owners care deeply for the animals. They do not offer rides, bathing, or anything else that disrupts the elephants’ natural behaviors.

It was about $100 USD for the day, but it includes a feeding experience for the elephants and an included lunch for you! It is well worth it. I encourage you to check them out if you get the chance to visit Koh Samui!

Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park

This beautiful little island off Koh Samui is a great choice for a day trip. There are many speed boat companies that offer day trips to the island for up to around $100 USD.

It is about a 45 minute boat ride to Ang Thong and once you get there, there is a hiking opportunity, kayaking, snorkeling and a gorgeous beach to lounge on.

Beaches

Koh Samui has some of the most breathtaking beaches. When in doubt, sun bathe it out. The sunsets are to die for and they have amazing little restaurants up and down the coast where you can set up camp and enjoy the view.

Koh Pha Ngan

Just a short ferry ride away from Koh Samu is the party island of Kah Pha Ngan! They are best known for the full moon party and the island basically runs on visitors from all over the world.

Full Moon Party

During this monthly celebration of the moon, 10,000-30,000 people come to Koh Pha Ngan to join in on the epic Full Moon Party. Think neon, rum buckets, and fire dancers.

Everyone is there to have the time of their life and there is no shortage of entertainment. There are all sorts of music, food, and drinks. Also be sure to give the fire jump rope a try! Just kidding- please don’t.

Culture Tid-Bits

No foot fetishes here- Make sure not to show the soles of your feet or point with them. It is considered extremely rude in this culture! Do not prop your feet on furniture and be sure to take your shoes off before entering shops or temples. Feet are seen as low status parts of the body and an attachment to earth which causes suffering.

Bow to say hello- It is customary to put your hands together and bow your head when you are uttering your greetings and farewells in Thailand. It may feel a little uncomfortable at first but you will get the hang of it! This is the most polite way to greet the Thai people.

Dress modestly for temples- Make sure you cover your legs and shoulders if you will be visiting temples. You will not be allowed to enter without the proper attire. BYOTP- Many rest rooms do not provide toilet paper. Carry a pack of tissues in your bag for public restrooms! Many countries also charge for some public restrooms. This is the case for Thailand as well, so carry some small coins!

Sà-wàd-dee!

XOXO Moon Meagan

#Southeast Asia #Thailand #Travel #Cheap Travel

[graphicnoveldreams-blog]

Demigod

He was just a student at Blessia Island Academy, which accepts people from all over the world. His little sister goes there too. Nothing unexpected, as she is super smart and the apple of his whole family’s eye, including his own. However, he never expected to turn out to be a demigod. He awoke one night from a strange twisted dream to find that his hands…..were glowing. Freaking. Glowing. It was quite bright in the darkness of his room. How on Earth was he going to take care of this before class….yeah, turns out, it’s pretty easily hidden by gloves. At least the uniform has optional thin gloves. However, that whole night he had dreams of a waterfall on a lake near campus. Even at school that day, he felt compelled to go there, constantly distracted, which is quite unlike him.

After class, he heads to the pond, not sure what to expect. It’s not like it’s a hidden secret pond in the middle of the island’s jungle, it’s right near campus—he himself had eaten lunch by it numerous times. There’s a pool at the base of the water fall that has a mirror-finish polished stone at the bottom. He felt he had to….touch it. With his hands, no gloves on. So he removes his uniform, folds and hides it, and dives in in his undershirt, glowing hands pointed in front. It’s a surprisingly deep lake, but he reaches the stone, somehow……and the moment he touches it, he feels that he is sucked in! And then he pops out of another mirror into an odd area.

It looks like the main chamber of an abandoned shrine. Even the mirror he came out of seems grimy. Probably not best to touch it, he feels like he should be in the shrine, for some reason. He can tell it’s still on the island, though inaccessible aside from the open roof. A thin layer of water coats the floor, but with the construction of the room, it almost seems like it’s supposed to. He wanders the floor, looking around until he comes across a hall off to the side that isn’t blocked off by stone or broken and submerged in water. He heads through and finds a mirror at the end of the hall. It’s rather dark in the hall, due to the grimy walls, but his hands provide enough illumination to see. He touches this mirror again, and it’s somehow clean….as if someone was caring for it, he thought as he once again gets sucked in. He must be deeper in the shrine now, as this room is closed off. Dirty windows high on the walls let in filtered light, revealing dark wood walls and a shining golden floor, and practically a lake taking up the whole middle of the room, from wall to wall. It looks like it’s supposed to be there, at least, even if all the plants at the bottom seem hideously overgrown.

He hears a voice, “Cross,” it says. Whelp, looks like he’s getting wet again. He slips into the water, not diving this time because he doesn’t want to touch the gross pond plants. He swims across and can’t help but feel he’s being watched the whole time. And likely judged too…at least he’s a good swimmer, one of the best in the school (though he never wanted to be in the swim club no matter how much they asked). He reaches the other end, which seems to have a broken altar with an even older mirror and a towel rack near it….with one towel on it, that’s decent. The voice rumbled out again, “Remove your robes,” which is probably a better way of saying ‘take your clothes off’ without seeming like a total creep. Hanging the towel like a curtain, he pulls of his now damp and dirty and a little smelly t shirt and boxers. And suddenly a part of the wall near him seems to come to life. It looks like a giant golden beetle and it jumps on him. He panics and calls out and tries to pull it off as it skitters over him, though it eventually settles and dies down over his junk. Once it is no longer moving, he notices that the bug has pretty much made him new clothes from fibers, a skirt like thing and a small jacket that covers part of his back, all in glistening gold. What the heck. The beetle does not move and for all intents and purposes is now a large belt decoration on his skirt thing. At least the clothes glitter nice when his hands catch the light. He moves the towel and freezes in his tracks. A tiered platform had descended from the ceiling on a moss-covered chain, and like five fish men were staring at him from it. Honest-to-god sort of fat fish men in orange robes. And they were all looking at him. They bow respectably. What the hell. The kid promptly expresses confusion as to what’s going on. They explain to him that he has awoken as a true child of the temple god, making him a demigod. What. And now they will help him awaken his powers. What. Wait did they say they wanted to or they will. He gets his answer as they suddenly all go to their hands and knees and begin chanting at him. Near instantly a splitting pain ruptures across his forehead, focusing in the center. He doubles over in pain and seems to be trapped in the fetal position in gaudy gold clothes with weird fish men chanting in the background for an eternity. Oh hey they stopped….so has the pain. He picks himself up slowly and looks back at the fish men, who now stare at him. The leader of them advises him to look upon himself. He looks down; still wearing the weird gold clothes with the not-alive beetle and hands still glowing more than a Christmas tree. The fish man advises him to look in the mirror by the altar. The kid obliges, and gawks at what he sees. A small grey crystal, like a piece of glass or clear pond, is now embedded in his forehead. Or maybe it just...popped out. Great. Before the kid breaks into explicatives over what just happened, the fish man explains that it is one of his gifts, and now he can travel to the shrine whenever he needs, as long as he has a guest to touch it. Also, he can now breath under water. This all makes sense, as he is the child of the shrine to the god of water, time, and light. They need him in order to revive the shrine and repair it, before the dark forces emerge from the sea. Members of these forces, and children descended from them, are already looking for the kid and his powers. They must get him back to safety before it gets dark, as that is when the beings of darkness will scour the shrine looking for them and the kid. They have already called one of their assistants from outside who alerted them of the kid’s presence to escort him back to the academy. Before the kid can ask any questions, they all point at him and he feels that sucking feeling again from travelling through the mirror. The next thing he knows he is flying out of the lake in his t shirt and boxers. He lands unceremoniously on the grass, tinted orange from the sunset. He hears a familiar laughter and looks up. His….best friend is there, holding his clothes and looking at him. Really. REALLY? He’s their assistant? How cliché. He says that the monks are his uncles and helps the kid on his feet. They had a feeling he might be the demigod for a while. He hands him a headband in silver, matching the colors of the school. Best cover up the crystal when on campus, it’d get weird looks, draw bad attention, and could get accidentally touched and then shit would be bad. He helps his friend get dressed and walks him back to the academy.

Things that also happened:

-his sister eventually goes to the shrine

-he and his friend use the crystal to return to the shrine numerous times

-he uses his new powers to help clear blocked paths of the shrine, including to the main area of prayer

-he finds that one of the people on the swim team is descended from the dark beings. Swimming sports have been corrupted by dark beings for a while.

-His sister is not a demigod, as she is the child of his mother’s remarriage after his father vanished mysteriously. The man he was raised with as a father is not actually his father.

-to awaken his power even more, the monks of the main shrine room have him imitate hand signs that they do, which they have chosen from videos from the 80’s-90’s. It was odd to see a bunch of fish men and a demigod doing air guitar. Also he kept getting left and right confused.

-his friend awakens as a guardian of the shrine and gains a mermaid like tail that is orange with red spots. Also he can levitate now, which helps with moving. More like his body was in the wall like a garden worm. No more classes for him, he has to help rebuild the seal the shrine. He is now being hunted by the beings heavily, due to the fact that his power passively keeps them out of the shrine at night. Only one path to the shrine for them now….and it’s embedded in his forehead.

-the dark being descendant tries to kidnap his sister in an RV and they chase him in his friend’s convertible. Eventually they run him off the road and the RV flips. At least the kid remembers to cover the crystal before entering.

-there were random MMO like bits like a huge f*cking line to the main shrine room, but I just swam past them and entered.

#demigod #main dream #i totally forgot the RV part till I reread this

[mortivern]

Lillie’s wearing a new outfit today. She’s ditched the old Sunday school getup that she had before (that her mom picked out for her apparently?) and has on a new set of…well, they’re kinda schoolgirl-ish clothes, but way cuter. A nice skirt and blouse. She seems way happier. More confident. I guess getting kidnapped by your own family will do that. Or will it? I’m not really sure. Gladion stopped by earlier that morning to drop off the Sun Flute, saying that we would need it along with the Moon Flute in order to summon the legendary beast that would take us to Lusamine. I tucked it into my bag. Hau made a comment that Lusamine must be pretty generous if she would be willing to loan us an ancient artifact. Lillie just sorta looked at her feet. Gladion snorted.

We took the same chartered boat we arrived in over to Seafolk Village, the main establishment on Poni Island. It’s on these floating docks with house-boats tethered to them. It actually reminds me a lot of Pacifidlog Town, which I stopped by when I visited Cadence in Hoenn—both towns that seem to be built into the sea itself. I know Pacifidlog is built on the back of a Corsola colony. I wonder if it’s the same here? Even though it’s a super low-key town and doesn’t seem to be a tourism hub (not a lot of money coming in and out of Seafolk Village, I’d imagine), people here seem super chill, sure of themselves. I really dig it. Hapu met up with us later in the day for some fish and chips (a hearty dockworker’s dinner, she said proudly) and told us our next step was to head to the Poni Wilds. Lillie said she was tagging along and was excited to see it. Hapu said that no one could call Lillie lily-livered! Lillie didn’t get the joke. Hapu seemed flustered. Nervous lesbians.

We rode some Mudsdale that night along the Ancient Poni Path for Hapu’s home. Her grandmother plied us with fried plantains and some sort of salty canned meat cooked up in a fried rice, with malasadas for dessert and Salac Berry ciders the entire time we were sat at the table. I talked with Hapu and her grandmother about our journeys, how helpful Hapu had been lending Vera and I some Mudsdale to cross Ula’ula’s unforgiving terrain. How I looked forward to sparring with her someday! I looked over to Vera to see if she had anything to add, but she was sitting on the sofa in the living room, petting their Meowth. I think she was too drunk to hold a good conversation anyway.

Next morning we woke up to a note from Hapu that she had gone to the Ruins of Hope down Poni Breaker coast. Her grandmother was awake, and made us some egg and salted meat breakfast burritos and strong coffee. When we had eaten and our bags were ready to go, she took our Ride Pager and registered her Machamp. Said he could push boulders for us if need be. We talked about being swept up by strong, muscular men until we reached the coal-black sands of Poni Breaker Coast. The shore stretched as far as the eye could see and then some. Vera elbowed me and said that there was probably a better way to get to where we needed to go than walking, or even riding a plodding Mudsdale through the wet sand. She paged a Sharpedo over and jumped on. I gave chase not long after. We raced around the dark waters of the bay, laughing and chasing each other. The jet streams from the Sharpedo stirred up the sands beneath, revealing glimmering bits of Nuggets and Star Pieces. We dove for them until we were exhausted, then jetted down the coast so that we weren’t too too late to our meeting with Hapu.

When we got to the Ruins of Hope, we found ourselves faced with some sort of….ancient puzzle. Huge stones were blocking our path, but there were gaps in the bridge that looked like they’d fit the stones perfectly. I took this as an opportunity to page that Machamp that Hapu’s grandmother gave us. He swung me into his capable arms and shoved the boulders around until we had clear passage to the back room. Hapu was kneeling in front of a shrine, apparently communing with the local Tapu. When we approached she told us that she had been selected as the new island Kahuna, to replace her dad’s old man, who passed away a few years ago. I offered my congratulations and said that I’d hold her to that battle that we talked about! She grinned that lesbian grin and said that we’d best be heading to Exeggutor Island to find the Moon Flute. Lillie appeared from behind her and said that the Tapu hadn’t made itself available to her and offered no insight as to how to cure Nebby, so that she wanted to tag along with us to see if maybe being near the flutes would do something.

Hapu arranged a boat for us to Exeggutor Island. I hadn’t actually seen one of these in person before, and boy let me tell you, these sentient palm trees are fucking HUGE. And apparently they’re part Dragon-type, too?? They were thrashing around when we got there, the whole lot of them. And no small wonder, since they were being chewed on by a horde of Pinsir! After bargaining with her for ten minutes to get her help, I finally convinced her to chase them off. In thanks, one of the Exeggutor actually gave us a boost to the highest part of the island, which was super helpful since it looks like the path climbing up had long since crumbled. We grabbed the Moon Flute. I couldn’t help but feel like I was gonna be smitten—smote?—I don’t know, given some kind of reckoning by some sort fo deity for just…taking an ancient artifact.

But nothing happened, nor did anything really happen until after we had picked up Lillie from Hapu’s place and headed down the road to Vast Poni Canyon. A row of Team Skull grunts were squatting across the length of the entire row, arms locked, demanding to know where Guzma went and why we had taken him. From above us we heard a deep, raspy voice command them to stop. It was Plumeria, the Skull admin with the bad pink and yellow ska hair. It was interesting to see the grunts react to her presence. It was a mingled fear and adoration, one that I’ve seen many of my younger sibs look upon me with. She was the big sis of the team! She chastised them for trying to chase us away when we were only trying to help find Guzma. They scattered once she told them to find something more productive to do with their time, then pressed two Poisinium Z’s into my hand. Plumeria paused as she passed Lillie, and apologized for treating her the way she had. Lillie nodded curtly, but once Plumeria walked away I saw Lillie smile. Boy oh boy does she ever continue to give me Kio vibes. Speaking of! Where is my sis? I should send her a message. Give her some heads up about what might be happening with this whole Necrozma deal and Ultra Beasts and legendary Pokemon and…whatever else is waiting for us. I’ve gotten pleasantly numb about it to be honest. The edibles that I bought back at Seafolk Village might have something to do with that. I barely registered fighting the Ultra Recon Squad and their Poipole again. They asked if they’d fight Necrozma when it inevitably came, and soon. I said sure. Like I had a choice.

Vera and I led Lillie and our Mudsdale down through the deep, winding Vast Poni Canyon. There were layers and layers and layers of stratified earth, which had to date back several hundred thousand years. When was Alola founded? Somewhere around three thousand years ago? Had to be longer, right? I don’t know, it was weird to think about how long this island had been around without humans, and was I even supposed to be here, were these legendary creatures trying to tell me to just like. Fuck off back to the mainland. Vera kept us moving at a steady clip deeper and deeper into the canyon. She was quick to tell me about little holes and caverns hidden behind rocks or brush, and instruct me to go through and see what was in there. I don’t know if she just wanted to find what was there and keep it for us (or herself) or if she was trying to keep me kind of present and engaged, but it kinda worked. By the time we got to the trial, I felt energized enough to tell Lillie some dirty jokes. She laughed at some of them.

I guess Vera’s reward for keeping a sharp eye out was that she caught a Jangmo-o, a scaly little dragon that thumped its tail against the ground and rattled its scales at us as we approached it. It called for help often—and successfully—but Vera finally caught her in a Luxury Ball. I think she’s still mulling over what to name her. But this nameless Jangmo-o quickly evolved into Hakomo-o, so it must have been right on the brink of evolving when she caught it. I was prepping my team to enter the trial site when Vera firmly put her hand on my arm and said that she’d take the lead on this one, and let me know that I’d be invaluable as backup. I think she could tell I was still not 100% present. And to be honest, I was happy to take a back seat and watch this Hakomo-o violently flinging the attacking dragons away from us. This thing had a dangerous glint in its eye and was unafraid to make its presence known, rattling its scales every chance it could to warn oncoming Pokemon. I was apprehensive about it being a good fit for Vera at first, but really it seems like both of them want to be left alone and will give people plenty of warning about it.

The Hakomo-o battled the totem Kommo-o with all its might, and I swear to you this, the timing couldn’t have been more dramatic, but as this Hakomo-o was down on the ground after taking a direct hit from the totem, it evolved into a Kommo-o as well, locking arms with the totem. Both of them were rattling their scales so loudly that we all had to cover our ears. But in the end, Vera’s Kommo-o overthrew the totem and sent it scurrying for the canyon. We took our Dragonium Z’s and took a moment to sit and rest. It had been a long, grueling day of hiking. We were ready to head back to town, but needed to catch our breath for a moment. Lillie handed out some malasada. I ate mine while I watched my sister cleaning the scales on the Kommo-o, which rumbled contentedly, even though she was keeping a close eye on Vera.

Lillie has her own place to stay in Seafolk Village. Vera said she couldn’t sleep, and was going to spend some time with her new teammate, trying to figure out her name before we headed back to Vast Poni Canyon tomorrow to make our way up to the Altar of the Moone. Why do they spell it like that? Why couldn’t they just say “Altar of the Moon?” I shouldn’t make fun of other languages. I can’t speak another language! I should call Ren. I’m not sure what tomorrow brings. Should I call Mom and Dad? Of course not, that’d just worry them. I think I’m going to pop a few more of these edibles and take a walk along the beach. Clear my head. I mean, what else can I even really do?

#pokemon #vera

[miss-becca]

it’s week 12 out of 15 now. 3 more weeks of university, and 3 days per week. these numbers seem to accurately track where i’m at in my exchange year, but the last 9 weeks could never be simplified into a class schedule. nor could they ever be adequately portrayed by listing out the places i visited, the events i attended and the sights i saw. these things tend to be the reflexive go-to answers when someone asks me how the exchange lifestyles is treating me. they’re the experiences that are the most easily relatable, the ones that fold up neatly into a box, convenient and complete and conversational. this year i’ve learnt that the reality of exchange is neither convenient, nor complete nor good fodder for small talk. and i guess that’s the reason my writing is so much focused on what i do; just like with my huge pile of university assessment which i haven’t started, i’d rather begin by chipping at the easiest job. so i’ll pick up where i left off.

4th november: machikane festival

the biggest annual(?) festival of osaka university, i was super impressed by the level of effort which the students dedicated to this event. from the big entrance arch to the signs of the food stalls to the performances of jugglers, singers, dancers and bands, right down to the smaller details of everyone’s energy and smiles, my own university’s orientation week event really seems lacking in comparison.

following up the pleasant day by walking ishisbashi with a friend (thanks for coming all the way out!) and then eventually ending up roaming the streets of umeda was perfection. uptown osaka never ceases to surprise. who knew there could be a shrine (temple? oh dear..) hidden right in the middle of the shopping street?

5th november: kifune jinja

what a beautiful place, and it would never have been possible without our local tour guide (thank you for inviting us!). the kifune jinja is located up in the mountains, not too close to the city area of kyoto. though most famous for the steps out the front of the shrine, it was the lead up to that climax which made the experience. it was freezing cold, but the water-top lanterns and restaurant lined streets were just wow. worth.

13th-14th november: hiroshima and miyajima

coming back here as a school trip was really a nostalgic rollercoaster. missing the friends i’d visited hiroshima with before but trying to be in the moment was a difficult balance. however, there were new things to be experienced this time. my attention was shifted away from my wallowing self-pity when we had an atomic bomb survivor share her story.

the effects of the bomb were further and wider than i had imagined. when i visited the museum last time, i was choked up by the sight of the remnants of children’s clothing or bento boxes or even hair and nails put on display. there were stories of people who had died years after the explosion from leukaemia or other cancers caused by the radiation. what i didn’t think of was that people could possibly still be suffering directly from it. that children of the survivors could be carrying health problems caused by a war they didn’t fight. that people would discriminate against them. that there would be shame in admitting where they were from and what their parents had gone through.

it’s humbling to see the city now, a memorial of those who were harmed and a people who stand up for the banning of nuclear weapons.

miyajima was exactly as i remembered it, with an extra dash of colourful leaves. the oysters were fresh and the company was fresher.

hall of remembrance

view from our tatami room

dinner

miyajima again

the reddest tree i saw all season

miyajima’s famous oysters

thanks for the ice cream and beer!

lunch

20th and 23rd november: kyoto trips for days

november is the season for seeing japanese momiji (the red leaves), and kyoto is apparently the place to be. so we went again, once to the fushimi inari and another time to (almost) settsu-kyo. ;)

fushimi inari

so much of this

and so many steps

outside settsu-kyo

this was my favourite

and then kyoto city

25th-28th november: tokyo disney

this heading speaks for itself – その週休み、本当にありがとう！一緒に遊びはめっちゃたのしかった！the theme parks are so aesthetic, and i adore the fast pass system they have going.

disneysea

the aesthetics of this place was really something else

and the food was really not bad either

perfectly christmassy too

nabe for dinner to counter the freezing cold

disneyland

breadcones. what a world we live in.

aiba from arashi’s family restaurant was closed when we got there…

tokyo skytree

cake with kazuma and soki to end the trip!

2nd-5th december: okinawa

  okinawa airport greeted me with an aquarium

the bay by my airbnb room

nearly got hit by a car taking this but yay pretty street

okinawa soba – looks really chinese

shuri castle

this tree needs to teach me how to lay down roots

the view from the top

had to take this 20 times to get it somewhat right

hi duck

mango and cherry softcream

accidentally walked all the way down this path and had to consequently walk all the way back up

but there were pretty flowers!

got lost and walked down this pretty road too

the bay at night

kokusaidori – biggest shopping street in naha

taco rice and a live performance as background music

streets were somehow dead by 8

visited the pottery museum with my airbnb host

pottery street

the hole at the top of the vase is in the shape of okinawa island

meow

last meal before leaving naha

first meal with bae and the fam

first time i enjoyed eating goya (bitter melon)

also ate some raw horse

heading to the most famous aquarium of japan!

hello mr. lobster

wishing i was 12 again so i could jump on this beauty of a playground

this boasted being the biggest viewing glass of 2002 hahahah

super needy fish clinging onto a turtle

goya farm

pineapple farm – look at the tiny pineapples thoughh

literally sashimi for days

pretty rock formation

the sign nearby said beware of venomous snakes, but the view was nice

display of the old kingdom of ryukyu

8th december: kobe luminarie

神戸ルミナリエ was an event i somehow heard about right at the beginning of this exchange year, so naturally i was pretty stoked to go. because of sickness (post-okinawa blues), i thought i’d miss out on it, so i was ecstatic to have a friend in kobe agree to meet me and see the lights (yay thank you!). somehow, the evening was beautifully warm and uncrowded, and the show greeted us with some sweet, sweet music too. ;)

from a nearby skyscraper

10th december: christmas usj

this was by far the most crowded day of usj i’ve been to, and oh my word there were so many people i almost couldn’t breathe. we didn’t go on any rides, and only saw one or two shows, but we won a giant snoopy plushie!

yay tree!

tree at night!

dinner at one of my favourite restaurants and snoopyyy

14th december: my first jazz gig

this was. amazing. i was a little nervous walking into a tiny bar alone, but damnnn. misa’s incredible voice (thanks for inviting me!) and the most amazing jazz pianist ever, all wrapped into a lovely christmas night, with a bonus of being able to touch the piano at the end too. :D

23rd-28th december: reunions in the philippines

admittedly, this trip to the philippines entailed very little time spent actually seeing the lovely city of manila. instead, i was spoilt left, right and centre by my hosts (thank you so much for having me!), attending christmas dinners (and just a lot of food related events in general) and meeting families who have now become like family to me. and oh my word don’t get me started on the festive light displays. we spent hours touring neighbouring streets, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the wonderland which we somehow found ourselves in. as facebook has kindly informed everyone, leaving this country was tough and tearful. there’s so much more i want to see, and so many more people i want to meet, and so much family i want to spend more time with – somehow in 6 days, this country transformed from foreign into another kind of home. <3

dawggggg

so many pretty lights in this city

and a casual venice replica

dinner with my new bear family

29th-31st december: mie, ise and kyoto

i was saved from my post-philippines blues by vince coming to see me from korea. ending the year with a road trip to somewhere new with him and my very first friend in japan was absolute perfection. we hit up the nabana no sato illuminations in mie before traveling down to the ise jingu, and finally stopping by the kyoto aquarium on the way to our new year countdown in karaoke bar. めっちゃ笑った、めっちゃ寝た、めっちゃ楽しかった！そうきありがとう〜！嬉しいだよ！

なばなの里

yay reflected trees!

and the light tunnel oh my..

a movie made up of thousands of strings of led lights

the autumn tunnel

outside the ise-jingu

scored front seats to this show outside an udon store

the front of the jingu

somehow booked out the cutest log house for the night

the interior is even cuter

sleeping in the loft

nabe to help us through a cold night

yay kyoto tower

all the joyous in-betweens

then there were uncountable precious moments just in my darling osaka which made the school times more than bearable even when tiredness was overwhelming.

my favourite andyy

tart date #1

after uni/work dinners with soki :D

minami senri park – autumn edition

tart date #2

saizeriya tiramisu :D

care package from melbourne (THANK YOU NUG)!

more after uni/work dinners

and desserts

pie date with the tart date girls <3

gudetama cafe date with my fellow canberrans

first nabe and kotatsu experience ever! thank youu! ^_^

truly the last two months of 2016 were filled with magic and ever-more love from the people around me and not around me. i saw so many places i didn’t expect to see, and spent time with people who i can now count among my most treasured humans. exchange is infinitely more than i could have ever expected, and if so many things could have happened in the last two months, then so much more is also waiting for me in the next two. sometimes i have to remind myself of this to rescue myself from the weight of the impending ending (oops that got a little too real).

but anyhow, this brings us to 2017. it will be the year of returning, of (hopefully) hard work and some australia travels and (more hopefully) out-of-australia travels. i’m scared and excited and sad and super looking forward to the new joys and memories and friendships which are waiting to be experienced!

happy new year! 明けましておめでとう！新年快樂！may we all look forward to a 2017 filled with abundant blessings! <3

day #288: what words can’t describe it's week 12 out of 15 now. 3 more weeks of university, and 3 days per week.

#2016 #2017 #disneyland #family #friends #handai #happy new year #hiroshima #ise #kobe #kyoto #love #mie #ninehoursofkaraokeandthewreckageofmyvoice #okinawa #Osaka exchange #philippines #tokyo #travel #usj