It Was Your Heart on the Line

Weep for yourself, my man

You'll never be what is in your heart

Weep Little Lion Man

You're not as brave as you were at the start

Rain fell over the huge stone building the current Monarch stood in, fingers tracing Fundy's journal where it sat displayed on a pedestal, A Spy's Diary engraved deep in the leather cover. Drops from the roof landed within the puddles outside the doors, the smell of moisture permeating the air as the Ruler remembered what had been. Reflecting on the poor boy who had been through so much for causes he believed in only to have everyone turn their back on him.

Eret could relate a little too well to that parallel.

Niki had stood at their side a few months ago and mourned what had happened to the fox hybrid, recounting Wilbur showing up half-drowned on her doorstep telling her of his death. They had been quite busy since then placing the finishing touches on their Royal Archives and Foolish had been off completing his Summer Home. Enough time had passed that Eret had hoped maybe if they approached the boy now he would be more willing to listen, several weeks had passed since Wilbur's departure.

Gods know they didn't need a repeat of his father's destruction driven mad by isolation.

The Ruler bothered Foolish everyday to check on his communicator for a death message but none ever came. Their shark totem partner was ever so patient with the Monarch these days, especially since their sight had finally failed them. Foolish stuck very close to their side now, choosing to move permanently into the castle to help with whatever they needed.

Eret felt anxious planning their next few steps but knew they wanted to follow through on that promise to a strong woman to bring Fundy home. They felt responsible for some of the torment the fox teenager went through, after all the Ruler was the cause of the loss of his first chance.

"What's the plan today, Eret?" Foolish's excited tone broke through their thoughts, making them jump a bit. "Oh sorry, didn't realise you were deep in your own mind right now."

"Just painful memories." Foolish made a noise of acknowledgement and rested his strong hand on top of their thin one.

"You still carry so much doubt from events long in the past."

"When those days were filled with bloodshed it stains your soul forevermore with decisions from the past." They comment, lifting their hand to hold Foolish's. "You remember how I mentioned going to find Fundy after we both finished our current projects?"

"Are you ready to do so?" They heard the apprehension in his voice. "This will be your first time leaving the main area of this world..."

Foolish trailed off so Eret helpful added. "Since I lost my sight, yes, but I have you to guide me and I don't know if Fundy will hear you out. I want to talk to him."

"Then I will be there every step of the way. How do you plan to track him down?"

"You are still on good terms with Philza, right?" Eret questioned, thinking of the blonde crow that lived to the North. "I think we will go and ask if we can borrow one of his crows to lead us to the fox boy."

"Aren't you on good terms with them?"

Eret hesitates, unsure of how to respond to that. "I'd like to think I am, especially after helping Techno and Tubbo save Michael but they are just so hard to judge."

"Phil and I still regularly exchange letters still so it wouldn't hurt to go ask." Foolish offers, looping his muscled arm through their thin one. "Call it a trial run since I assume it has been months since you've been through the Nether and now you get to do it blind."