MCSM: One Shot Edition

Learning to Care

one shot trade with FanfictionalWarrior
——

Xara spots her heading towards the stables in the middle of the night.

She raises an eyebrow, watching as the girl- Jesse- steps lightly on the dewy grass. Her shoulders are hunched, and she remains quiet, looking left and right and around corners but not over her shoulder. She doesn't notice Xara watching her from the back door. Jesse hasn't noticed Xara from the moment she had seen her escape her bedroom.

Jesse reaches the horses and begins to attach her reins, willing the mare to stay quiet to stay quiet as she neighs softly in greeting at the sight of her owner. "... need to be quiet, girl. I don't want the others to know where we're going."

The horse snorts, staring blankly at Jesse.

"Don't look at me like that. I couldn't ask them to go to the Underneath again. It's too dangerous."

Xara's eyes narrow. The Underneath? What does she mean by 'again'? Is she going back? She decides that it's time to speak up, reaching an arm out to lean against an oak tree. "I hope you weren't planning on going there by yourself."

Jesse squeals and jerks backwards. The horse is shocked by Jesse's sudden movement, and it rears back, belting out in protest. Immediately, Jesse goes to calm her down, whispering words of comfort in a soothing tone and rubbing her nose. The horse calms down instantly, and Jesse glances back to the Order Hall, but no lights have turned on at the ruckus.

Jesse breathes out a breath of relief, then glares at Xara. "A little warning would've been nice."

Xara folds her arms. "Really? Because it looks to me like you were going to go off on a dangerous secret mission to the Underneath without telling your friends." She nods her head towards the Order Hall.

"They'd try to stop me, but this is something I need to do."

"Care to elaborate?"

Jesse sighs, walking to the other side of the white and brown speckled mare and wrapping an arm around the mare's neck. She grips the reins tightly. "Back at the oasis, we left some good people down there, after making a promise to set them free. I just... I couldn't live with myself if I didn't grant their wish."

"Wish?" Xara asks, curiosity slipping through.

"To see the sky again."

The night is relatively peaceful. The moon is shining bright, moonbeams peeking through the leaves hanging above both of their heads. Beyond the trees, the small pond closer to the Order Hall's back door is almost glowing completely blue. Xara glances up at the sky, the stars twinkling down at them, and she nods in understanding. She'd been stuck down there for just as long as the people Jesse is talking about- the Freaky Fred Club?- and to rob them of that wish... Xara can see where Jesse is coming from.

Jesse is staring down at the grass, guilt and regret shimmering in her copper tinted eyes. But somewhere in Jesse, Xara can see determination. A kind of fire that is roaring so powerfully that it's burning everything inside of her. What Jesse had said was truthful: that she needs to do this, and she needs to do it herself.

She needs to fulfill her promise. To honour their wish.

Xara can respect that- she actually deeply respects it- but going alone is a dumb idea. Jesse needs backup. "Alright," She says finally, hopping onto the horse's back. "What're we waiting for?"

Jesse's eyes widen. "Wait, you're not going to stop me?"

"If it wasn't for you, I'd still be stuck down there, and Romeo would still be in control of everything," Xara says admittedly. "I owe you for more than just one, kiddo, and there's no way I'm letting you go back to that hell by yourself."