Before We Leave

28. You Are ALL Idiots.

(Hey, look! an update. Totally hasn't been... nearly two weeks *sorry ganggg*) 

Juno POV 

The message reached me as I walked through the peaceful gardens of House Blossom. Tulip petals tickled the bare skin on my legs, the long purple skirt fluttering around them. The pair of wings that framed my back, a gift from Darcy to strengthen our alliance, creaked in the wind as it picked up around me. 

A buzz from my communicator brought me back to earth. It was rare I got a buzz from it; my group chat notifications were silenced unless I had a direct tag, and I was rarely tagged in anything. Not having a lot of friends does that to you. 

I mean, it's nice, don't get me wrong. You don't have to worry about people or keeping up friendships or whatever, but it was... weird. Unnerving, to say the least. Evangeline didn't see me as a threat, which was nice. She talked to me sometimes, asking for advice. It's a shame the others see her as mean. 

Ari: @Juno we need you ASAP at Rivendale 

I felt my heart sink. They never asked for help unless someone was injured, dead, on their way there, or needed desperate therapy. And I doubt that Ari would ask my help if someone was dead, she would deal with it herself like the worrying champion she is. 

The wind whipped the sunset strands of my hair around  my face as I raced up the stairs of my castle, haring towards the balcony and launching myself off it, breaking the barrier into a million tiny pieces. The resultant crack resonated through the air like a gunshot, but I ignored it. I could fix it later, my allies were my top priority. 

I glided through the air, ignoring the beeping from the metallic wings keeping me upright. It was obvious to me that something, possibly a bit of flying shrapnel, had lodged itself in the wing and was damaging the circuits. I kept flying, adamant that I would help whoever was in pain, suffering, or needed desperate therapy. 

After a while I touched down, landing roughly on the mountainous terrain of Rivendale. I stumbled, the wind in the peaks pushing me eastward. I clutched my cloak around me, peering forwards and walking through the blizzard towards the tall castle of Rivendale.

Fighting against the gale that pushed it's claws against my form, I walked onwards. The weather was so different here compared to at home, where the sun had been shining and the breeze was soft. It scratched at my face, biting cold, it's teeth dragging down my spine as I shuddered. No matter, I pushed on, shoving open the doors to the castle. 

"I'M HERE!" I called, stumbling inwards and shaking off the snow that lay thickly over my shoulders and wings. 

Ari hared around the corner, arm outstretched to grab me and pull me towards where I could only presume the injured person, or people, was. She didn't slow down, her hand wrapping around my wrist in a vice like grip, skidding as she spun, kicking up a could of dust and pulling me along at breakneck speeds. 

She pulled me into a room, panting. Aalto and Tsuki were crouched over a figure. Hyperion and Indigo were chatting, Caspian and Darcy were chatting and Keith, the advisor for Gilded Helianthia, was looking down at Aalto and Tsuki, biting his nails. 

I moved closer, crouching down with Tsuki and looking down at the figure. The black hair with streaks of white, more pink now with blood. Injuries that patterned the tanned skin, speckled with paler patches like clumps of stars. The bags under his eyes were deeper, shadows more pronounced. 

"Oh, god, Aeron. When did you last sleep?" I said, lightly crossing my legs beside her and pulling out my medical kit. I gestured for her to roll up his shirt and fae did. The injury made me recoil.

A large scratch all down his front, blood still trickling through it. They just looked down at it, chuckled, and looked up at me. "I've seen worse." 

Well, now I'm more concerned! 

I rolled my eyes. Maybe it was just his dark humour seeping through. Maybe he wasn't that alright in the head. I dabbed an antibacterial wipe on it, cleaning the wound before wrapping it up. "Anywhere else?" 

Aeron pointed at Darcy and Hyperion. "Dumbass and Fuckbucket over here got hit." 

I looked up at them. Hyperion rolled his eyes and Darcy sighed. He rolled up his sleeve, showing a small, already healing cut on his arm. Hyperion had a slightly larger gash down his leg that was wrapped in slightly wilting leaves. 

I looked at Tsuki. "Are you alright to look after those two? Take some bandages and get them wrapped up." 

It nodded, taking the bandages I offered abyss and walking over to their friends. They were the only other person I trusted enough to care for people, to be honest. Ari crouched by my side, staring at Aeron with a hint of scepticism in her icy green gaze. 

"You've been gone two weeks." She said coldly. Respect for the injured, woman, do you have none or do you just hate Aeron that much. "What happened." 

Aeron sat up, both to talk to Ari better at an equal level, and to allow me access to the wounds on her back. I don't know how they survived all that. He's stubborn, I'll say that. 

"We were ambushed. Evangeline's guards shot at us as we left. Darcy-" The lack of the nickname sent shivers down my spine. He was known for calling his friends sweary nicknames, not using it normally meant seriousness. "-was caught on his arm. Peri on his leg. I only just got out of a hand-to-hand fight with one. 

"We ran away, into the Forbidden Woods. We walked for days, eventually stumbling on a cave where we hid out for a while, tending mediocrely to our wounds before we felt it was save to return. And, even when we did, we needed to go through Werrenville to get here. 

"The guard's getting stronger. Their attacks more precise. Hyperion and Darcy were cloaked. I wasn't. I got shot, beaten, possibly even stabbed once or twice. But I made it out. And now we're here." 

Ari looked at him again, scepticism still evident in her narrowed eyes. She nodded, standing up. "We'll all get some sleep. You can stay in a couple of guest rooms tonight. Darcy, Hyperion, Aeron and Caspian, you'll be in one. Keith, Tsuki, Indigo and Juno in the other. There's just not room for 8 people in the same one. Aalto's with me. We'll have a proper meeting about this tomorrow." 

They all nodded. Aalto and Keith helped Aeron get up. Ari turned around, muttering something in my ear. 

"He's deluded. Give her some sleep meds, and we'll sort this out tomorrow." 

(FUCKING F I N A L L Y)