A Book of One-Shots

Gone - Xephna - Angst, Death, and Plague

Ship: Xephna

Type: Angst / TW Character Deaths

Imagine Lalna is trying to create a cure for a serious plague which has affected several villages and has now infected some of the Yogs. Xephos volunteers to be the test subject for the cure, though Lalna persists that the process is very dangerous, and they should really get a testificate or anyone else to sacrifice themselves but Xephos insists there is not enough time.

Through the process, all seems to be going well, then it all goes south very quickly. Too quickly for Lalna to stop. During this, Xephos dies. Struck with grief, Lalna sets about fighting the plague with everything he has available, fighting despair at every turn. Yogs dropping all around him as he struggles to find the cure.

In the end, he finds it, having lost all of his friends.

-A/N: I don’t even know if I can deal with writing this.

-Another A/N shortly after beginning to write: Okay this is actually going to be really gross because it’s a plague so if blood and stuff bothers you don’t read this because I’m feeling slightly ill writing this.

- Okay now there’s needles too okay sorry just warning you

He had been locked in that tower for days, working through the nights, not having slept for who knows how long. Every time Xephos tried to convince him to rest, Lalna would shout about how he’d have time to rest when all his friends were safe. People were dying from the plague - and Lalna was afraid of losing the one person he cared for most. Xephos decided he would help Lalna in every way possible, so he set out to gather information from the others scattered across the world. He went to Blackrock first, and found it eerily quiet.

Xephos wore a scarf over his mouth and nose as per Lalna’s request. The iron doors to the castle slid open with little effort. He began to worry. His footsteps echoed down the halls as he moved swiftly to each room, checking for signs of anyone. He reached the top floor, and found one door shut. Opening it slowly, he found Teep and Zoeya. But not the way he would’ve liked to. Zoeya was lying in the bed, her skin pale with the black spots Xephos had grown to fear. Teep was slumped in a chair, with black spots. Xephos wanted to scream, to run back to Lalna’s castle, but he needed to write down all observations. It could help the research.

He moved towards Zoeya first, and pulled out the equipment Lalna had wearily supplied to him. He took one of the swabs and wiped it across the black spot, quickly tucking it into the dish. He almost screamed when he saw that the black spot had torn open, dark blood oozing from it. He gagged slightly, but grabbed a vial and collected some of it.

This is insane.

He gently touched her face, shutting her eyes for her. Teep had the same physical appearance, but Xephos took samples anyway, knowing there might be a difference in how species react to the illness. His mind clouded with the sight of two of his dead friends, he made his way around the castle until he found the hatch leading underground. Climbing down the ladder, he could hear the whir of machines somewhere. The winding stone passageways seemed to lead in all directions, but he found himself in a room with a giant Red mushroom. Not only that, but it had a golden crown. Rythian was in front of it, soft words drifting from his lips.

“Rythian?”

The mage did not look up. His whispers came faster, and he was shaking. Xephos gently touched his shoulder, and Rythian turned to look at him.

“Xephos?” His voice shook, his face was pale. “You- you need to go. You’ll .. the..” he began coughing. “The sickness… we.. she died .. Teep with her… but I didn’t… I…” The coughing became worse, and he fell to the floor. Xephos knelt beside him, trying to keep the mage talking.