Crowned

Arc 3, Chapter 82: Pessimist, or Optimist?

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The sky was dimly illuminated with dusk's light, the sun had no longer been visible from over the trees. The dusty floor beneath the camp was vacant, everyone was in bed. Not necessarily asleep, but in bed. Or, in a tent. At least. The cold wind which blew through the camp was chilled enough to make one shiver. Pepper sat on her lonesome in the first aid camp. She was still shaken by the whole ordeal that had occurred earlier. She gazed at the small tent opening. The one she was in had a larger one than the others. But the beds were less than comfortable... She couldn't really sleep... And her eye still hurt like hell. Pepper decided that going outside would be a bad idea, so she just hugged her knees, and refrained from thinking about her eye. Despite the pain.

That had been when the tent's entrance opened, Pepper flinched as Fries entered, she kinda just stared at him for a moment. She then spoke bitterly, "Wow... I didn't know High School seniors were your type..." Her voice grumbled.

Fries flinched and put his hands up, "WHAT?! No! No—I—WHAT???" He furrowed his brows, dumbfounded she'd even think that.

Pepper blinked and laughed a bit, rolling her eyes, "Nah! I'm just messing with you..." She grinned. And waved her hand dismissively.

Fries groaned and glared at her, that was anything BUT funny. "Listen—I need your help... While everyone's asleep." Fried murmured in a hushed tone, as to not alert anyone in the surrounding tents.

"If it involves killing someone—I'd rather not get my hands dirty... I got my nails done, like, three days ago!" She said with a scowl, looking at her nails, flipping her hand over to check them.

"What—?! No!" Fries looked horrified and quite peeved, "KID. This is about your friends..." He seethed, pointing at the tent opposite, which made Pepper perk up.

"Balloon and Piper?" She asked suddenly interested.

"It's... Paper... But whatever... Yes! Them. I... I want to help them." Fries said with an unsure smile, he really did want to help. He may get a bounty on his head for this. But he wasn't about to go against his moral code because some idiots wanted money from him... He... He wouldn't.

Pepper hunched back, she didn't really like either of them... But she didn't think they deserved to be locked up in a cage. "They aren't really my friends? But... Whatever. I'll, like, bite. But...Only if you explain what the hell is going on..." Pepper demanded.

Fries sighed, and sat down at the door. He folded his hands in his lap, "My buddies think Balloon is The Wind Crowned." He explained. His face serious.

"The god thing right? I know that much." Pepper huffed, she crossed her arms, "If the card thing I told you back then is part of it—then... Paper got one too." She added.

Fries's eyes widened, he blinked, "Yeah that matches..." He murmured to the side, thinking to himself.

Pepper raised a curious brow. "Matches? Matches what?" She asked with curiosity and a hint of concern in her undertones.

"There's a—Well it's more of a poem then a legend. I always just assumed it to be a children's nursery rhyme, since when I was a child my peers use to dance around the fountain and chant it." Fries recalled, he scratched the back of where his neck would be, "If my memory serves me correctly, it should've went something like;"

Ten cards assigned, add a lie, and one be earned.

From the windows of Devine, each one will learn.

Deep in the darkness the old one descends.

Through adversity and trial, through twists and bends,