Things Lost and Found (a Waglington and Mianite fanfiction)

Chapter 68

The song for Wag's chapter of Amniosis is "Home" by NateWantsToBattle.

Today's Warning Forecast: 100% chance of mind games, mixed anxiety and feelz, and a 50% chance of happy reunions

*Waglington's POV*

Ever since getting a good look at this place from the blood pool at its base, I had been getting major déjà vu. I had seen this place in two of the visions I'd had when I almost died, and I still vaguely remembered the layout. From what I saw, it had changed, and I wondered at that. The outside wasn't glass like it should have been. So the others couldn't see what they were up against. I didn't think to enlighten them until we were already separated, and then my communicator wasn't working.

Perhaps part of my absentmindedness was due to having my connection to Memento so suddenly broken. I hadn't even felt it break at the time, but I was painfully aware of it now. This place was also suppressing my magic in a way that felt suffocating. The others didn't seem to feel it at all. Even if having our bond broken didn't prevent Memento from accessing my magic, I doubted he would be able to use any spells to defend himself at present.

Another part was my steadily growing anxiety. Donella was very good at what she did, and she hadn't been able to split us up without killing one of us. How did this place accomplish it, and what power did it have to do so? Were we really out of danger, or if we stayed apart too long, would we still meet that fate? Or would it just be one of us? It didn't bear thinking about.

Whatever the case, I decided to tell my friends what I knew as I walked into the lever puzzle room. Explaining how I knew was going to be the tricky part. When I called for my friends, I discovered that they had gotten here first. I could hear Tucker and Sonja through the walls on either side of me. Great, we're still separated. I completely forgot about telling the others about the maze as I flipped a lever, causing a chicken to spawn in the glass tube against one wall. "Kevin?"

As I stared at my deceased pet now clucking and walking around, I heard Sonja scream, "Boris, no!" On the other side of me, Tucker was yelling about Sonja being trapped.

Sonja had her favorite pet, and Tucker had his girlfriend. I snickered as I realized that Boris ranked higher than Tucker in Sonja's opinion. Wait, what does that say about me? I have Memento now, and I would still do anything for Martha or my brothers. I thought back to what I had given up to save Matt's life. Surely I love them more than Kevin? I was nonplused as I stared at my former pet.

After reassuring Tucker that Sonja was in fact safe—he had been sounding on the verge of a breakdown—I focused on solving the puzzle. There was a distinct fried chicken smell to the room by the time I ran through the door that had opened. I don't think I'll ever be able to eat chicken again. The wooden tunnel I ran along went through a small maze and quickly turned into a winding tower of parkour. I grinned looking up at it. I've got this.

A few minutes later, I'd reached the top, out of breath but elated that I hadn't missed a single jump. This crypt isn't so bad, I thought as I stretched. Looking around, I found myself in what looked to be a dungeon or prison. The cell doors were all open, and I could see statues of each of my friends in the stone brick and iron barred cells. A ladder came out of a hole in the floor of each cell. My ladder came through a hole in the floor under the staircase that led up to the exit. I didn't have a cell or statue. My smile faltered as I thought about entering the crypt. I hadn't had an assigned path then either. Whatever power ran the crypt had to add a way in for me as an afterthought. Perhaps this place had been meant for only the "sky people". Then why had it let me through the arch in the first place?