Fandom Oneshots

Hometown - Aphmau & Guard

I rock side to side, and a little bit back and forth, keeping to the swaying of my horse H/N. Her short white hair brushes against the base of my trousers while my feet, clad in leather boots, remain in the stirrups. I grip the leather reins, gently redirecting her head to the path as she attempts to stray off the path, nipping at the tall, bright green blades of grass. I watch ahead of me as Garroth and Laurences' do the same, bumping into each other when they both pull back to the path a little too hard. A giggle escapes me, my lips turning upwards into a playful smile.

"M-maybe we should-, dude stop! Maybe we should take a break...please?" I laugh, turning to watch Dante struggle to get control over his excessively hungry horse. A sharp whistle from ahead snaps his horse back to attention, ignoring the grass.

"Thanks Aaron!" I shake my head playfully at Dante, turning back around to face forward. Glancing around the semi-dense forest, I spot a small wooden sign staked into the ground, its words covered by moss and vines. Squinting, I make out a capital 'T', the letters 'age', an 'o', and finally a capital 'P' followed by 'is'. I feel myself freeze, eyes widening as I pull back on the reins resting in my hands sharply, effectively stopping H/N. The noise of disgruntlement catches the attention of everyone else, all heads turning to face me.

"You alright Y/N?" Aphmau calls out from a few paces in front of Laurence and Garroth, riding beside Aaron. I take no notice of their worry, veering H/N off towards the post, then hopping out of the saddle, I advance towards the sign, leaning over to brush away the dark, lengthy vines. The Village of Paris. I feel my blood run cold, standing up I take a few steps back in utter shock.

"Y/N? What's wrong?" Garroth questions, and glancing back at the group, my mouth remains open in disbelief.

"I-...Just-..." I stutter out. Gazing back at the sign, I turn towards my horse, quickly mounting it, and veering off towards the small, dirt path.

"Y/N!?"

"Y/N?"

"N/N!?" Multiple voices ring out from behind me, filled with concern and worry. Ducking under some of the lower branches, I urge my horse faster, darting my gaze around the foliage, trying to spot anything familiar. After a few painful moments, we break out into a large clearing, filled with large piles of rubble and debris. Swiftly dismounting H/N, I jog towards the closest mass, tears filling my eyes, as I press my hands over my mouth, holding in my sobs.

"Y/N?" A soft voice calls out from behind me. Turning my head and lowering my hands, I catch Laurences light blue eyes. Glancing behind him, the rest of the group dismount their own horses, slowly advancing towards the both of us.

"This was the village I grew up in..." A deafening silence hangs in the air as my voice trails off. Regrouping myself, I start walking forward, hearing multiple footsteps behind me. Passing destroyed houses, large and small, charred or barely scorched, more tears build in the corners of my eyes, some houses still standing occasionally catch my gaze. And reaching the edge of town, next to a large barren field, a large windmill stands tall, and falling apart. I hesitate, then making my way to the front door, I gingerly push it open.

The building seems untouched, apart from the termite deteriorated infrastructure, with old, worn and discolored furniture askewed around, a small stairway resting on the opposite side, with small dusty frames hanging on the wall. Dodging the table and a few chairs, I reach the bottom of the stairs, placing a hand on the railing, then cautiously, I take the steps one at a time, listening for any unnerving creaks. Coming upon the next floor, I walk out onto the sturdy flooring, taking in the sights around me. A large dusty and sun bleached window with a built in seat, a small crib, a wooden easel, and another table. Approaching the crib, I remove the F/C blanket draped across the opening revealing a F/F rattle and a stuffed F/M/A. Picking the toy up, I look into its black bead eyes, listening as a few footsteps follow me upstairs.

"Y/N? What're you doing-?" Aphmau's voice is cut off by Aaron, placing a hand on her shoulder. Glancing at him, I meet his unclothed eyes, the deep grey filled with empathy and understanding.

"What is this place?" His voice is kind and sincere, allowing me to take a moment to compose myself, taking in more of my surroundings.

"This is the Paris of my childhood." I gaze at the semi sun bleached F/C curtains, attached to the wall with a small piece of fabric, keeping them securely in place.

"These were the borders of my life. In this crumbly, dusty attic, where an artist loved his wife." I smile at the easel, its supports covered with splotches of different colored paints.

"Easy to remember, harder to move on..." I walk over to the table, placing the stuffed animal on it, picking up a small frame, dragging my hand across the glass to see the picture, clearing the years of built up dust.

"Knowing that the Paris of my childhood is gone..." I stare down at the photo, its timing perfectly capturing the bright smiles of the couple and their little girl, wrapped up tightly in a white blanket. A gentle but heavy hand places itself on my shoulder, its thumb rubbing my skin through my top consolingly. I smile, gently picking up the F/C blanket still on the crib, wrapping it around the frame and then maneuvering it into my satchel, along with the stuffed F/A and the rattle. Looking up, I meet Aarons gaze once again, this time closer, wrapping my arms around his middle, hugging him, his arms secured around my shoulder, reciprocating the hug. A few seconds pass before several pairs of arms wrap themselves around us, securing us into a large huddle. A more sincere and happy smile reaches my face. This is my family.