Winter/Huntlow One Shots

The Inner Hunter

When Hunter was the Golden Guard, his mindscape was a never-ending hallway, the memories framed paintings on the wall.

When he was the Golden Guard, the Inner Hunter shared the mindscape with Fear.

He didn't know when he materialized, but Fear was always there.

Fear was small and covered in scars. The physical representation of Hunter's emotional scars.

His eyes could fill with tears at any moment.

Fear was always there.

In the Human Realm, Fear buried himself deeper into the mindscape, sticking near the memories of Belos's abuse.

Once Belos was truly gone, Hunter's fear no longer ruled him.

Fear disappeared.

The Inner Hunter felt...free.

The mindscape transformed from the stuffy hallway into a garden with memory trees and flower fields, the sky the rich blue of the human realm filled fluffy white clouds.

Some days the Inner Hunter liked to just walk through the memories.

Memories of Luz, his sister, of Gus, his best friend, of Darius and Camila, his adoptive parents.

And of Willow. Always of Willow.

Of her soft green eyes, her smile, the way she looked at him, the way she made him feel.

Several months into this routine, the Inner Hunter noticed a new path.

It was cobblestone, and lined with roses and sunflowers.

The Inner Hunter liked to know everything that happened in his mindscape, so this path concerned him.

He walked down it slowly, as it could be dangerous after all.

Soon he reached a clearing.

A figure came into view, sitting on a green metal park bench.

He held a daisy with only a few petals.

"She loves me..." He plucked one petal and it fluttered to the ground.

"She loves me not...she loves me..."

He stared in dismay at the single remaining petal. He pressed a finger to the center of the flower and a additional petal sprouted.

He smiled and plucked the remaining two petals.

"She loves me not... she loves me!"

He looked up and noticed the Inner Hunter.

Like all materialized emotions, this one looked like the real Hunter, but had a few details.

His face was flushed pink, his hair was cut in the way that Willow had cut it during their summer in the human realm.

He was wearing a white button-up shirt and khaki pants, clothes one would wear on a date.

"And who are you?" The Inner Hunter asked.

He smiled. "I am Love."

"And how long have you been here? I haven't seen you before."

"I've been here for quite some time, you've simply never noticed me."

Love's voice was softer and sweeter than the Inner Hunter's, less...annoying, Inner Hunter supposed.

Then he noticed something else.

"Where are your scars?"

Love's face, arms, hands were unscarred.