Euphoria (Fundywastaken/Dundy)

Chapter 2

Fundy strutted down the halls, a letter clutched in his hands. He hadn't opened it, too afraid of the contents after reading where it was from. He threw the dining room doors open, walking as quickly as he could to his grandfather. He handed him the letter and stood beside his chair, scanning through the letter over his grandfather's shoulder. His heart sunk.

'War?'

Fundy looked away, letting a shaky breath out.

Philza stood quietly, leaving the room with the letter. The doors shut behind him, leaving Fundy with only the quiet bustle of the maids.

____

Phil had been in his office all day, most likely trying to write a letter in return to the Lucid Kingdom to sort this situation out without conflict.

Wilbur, Techno, and Tommy have been confused and worried about the lack of their father all day. Even more confused when Fundy wouldn't join them in their normal sparring matches out in the garden. None of them knew the dire situation of the kingdom. And Fundy hoped to keep it that way. His father and uncles didn't need to worry about the kingdom after just returning home from the kingdom declaring war.

He stood in the center of the water trying to stay as focused as possible on balancing. Just something to keep his mind off the letter, anything. Fundy's mind wandered, however, to the masked figure in the halls and party in the Lucid kingdom. His jaw clenched. Of course, that was the king. Of course the kingdom would let a faceless man like that as their king. Fundy yelled throwing his arms down and freezing the water around him.

He looked down at the now frozen pond then at his hands. His hands were turning red at the fingertips. He stared a little longer before noticing the small bits of black on the tips of his fingers. He gasped, covering his hands. He walked away from the pond, back to the castle, where it was warm.

Fundy lifted his hand to open the door. His hands looked fine. He stepped back a bit and just stared, not sure what else to do. Just a minute ago his hands were turning black from what looked like frostbite, and now they're suddenly fine.?

He hadn't noticed his hands starting to shake. His breathing picked up alongside his heartbeat. He stumbled back, his hands shaking more than they were before. He fell back staring at his hands as they turned black and began to crumble to the snow-covered ground below him. Fundy began to hyperventilate, trying to hold back his screams for as long as possible.

His hands continued to crumble away. He stared longer. Finally, he let out a blood-curdling scream, bringing his crumbling hands towards him.

Fundy felt arms around him, screaming again as the person pulled him closer. He looked down at his hands, seeing them completely gone. He let tears fall from his eyes; the tears instantly turning into ice the moment they touched his skin.

He shook, feeling cold for the first time ever in his life. He didn't understand it, he never would understand it.

Fundy closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths as the arms around him tightened. He let his mind wander off. The exhaustion in his mind finally catching him, not letting him go. His head fell against the person holding him as he finally fell asleep.

____

Wilbur Slumped onto the couch in Phil's office. He let out a long breath, rubbing his face. He never wanted to witness something like that ever again, not after it happened to Tommy.

Phil looked up at him. "What happened?"

"Fundy had a mental breakdown in the gardens. I have no idea what caused it, but it was so much worse than Tommy's was," Wilbur said, staring off at the wall across from him.

Phil looked up at Wil, dropping his pen onto his desk. It was common for people who were gifted to have sudden breakdowns if they were under major stress, but Fundy looked completely fine just hours ago.

He cleared his throat, cleaning up the stacks of papers on his desk. "I'll have a few of the guards routinely pass by his room for the next few days. For now, I need you and your brothers to meet me in the dining hall for a family meeting."

Wilbur sighed, nodding. "I'll tell them."

The two stood, Phil letting Wilbur out of the room. Phil watched Wilbur walk down the hall, making sure he had rounded the corner, before closing his door again. He leaned back against it, staring at the bottom left drawer on his desk.

He walked over to it, opening it. Once the desk was fully open he saw the contents inside it. A small amulet he himself had made. He had crafted it after Tommy had his first breakdown, prepared for if it ever happened again. Phil took the amulet out of his drawer and hid it away. He walked out of his office, directly to Fundy's room.

Phil entered the room as quietly as possible. Fundy was asleep, good, that would make this easier. He walked over to the side of the bed, unclipping the amulet and placing it around Fundy's neck. He refastened it, letting it go when the amulet was securely around his grandson's neck.

Phil rested a hand on his back, rubbing it. "Get better soon." Phil stood, leaving the room.

The door shut behind Phil, engulfing the room in darkness. The small amulet around Fundy's neck began to glow dimly. The dark blue of the amulet turning to a brighter blue after a few minutes, before returning to a dark blue once again.

Outside the castle in the gardens, the small pond from earlier had begun to unthaw. Inside the castle, a loud cracking sound could be heard. No one, but the king, knowing exactly where it had come from.

The king was, after all, the one to cause the cracking sound.