envy (jay)

It was astonishing how easily you could hide in the dark of the forest, especially in the deed of night. Right here, between two dark oaks, I could sit couched and silent and no one would know I was there. After getting what I wanted from the apartment, I went straight to the forest, not really knowing why or how I knew they would be there. Just knowing it was my favourite place and I'd do best there and it would be easy for me to hide and wait in there. Upon pacing the stables by the entrance, I considered taking Buddy but decided against it since that might be too much hassle and it'd be harder to hide.

Besides, I wasn't that far in when I started hearing voices.

"Something told me you would find out about this one way or another."

I stopped, crouched down low and continued to move forwards, hidden in the shadows of the trees. I couldn't see the falcon but that was definitely his voice. Was he talking to me? He had to have seen me for that. But then I heard someone else sigh.

"I don't have time for you right now. This is something I have to do."

"This isn't your fight anymore. You're not a part of it."

"You're right. You dismissed me, so I no longer have to follow your order's."

I had to swallow back a chuckle. I'd never thought about it like that.

"And this will always be my fight."

"Crugger. That was just as much for her sake. She deserves a proper life, proper childhood, away from all this conflict."

But then I heard something else, a deep grumble of a voice, too far away to tell what was being said. Crugger must've heard it too. "Wait."

And for once the Falcon actually listened.

My breath caught in my throat when I heard another faint voice, one I knew all too well.

"What is it?" the Falcon whispered.

"Cynthia…no."

I heard running footsteps and followed them as quickly and quietly as I could, stopping only when I was close enough to hear her sobbing. Was he hurting her? No. These were sobs of grief, not pain.

"Enough."

Of course he's got there first but I thought I should at least let him start this. It was his fight after all.

I poked my head from around the tree I was hiding behind to see Thia, a few tears still clinging to her checks but smiling to see her dad.

In the distance I could see Troom, holding some sort of sphere in one hand, which he then threw to the ground. Fearing it was some sort of weapon or bomb I hid back behind the tree, not seeing what happened next. But even as far off as I was, I could still the projection around us and I knew it was Serious—our home—the day it was taken from us. Figuring no one would see me with this going on, I slowly crept out from my hiding place and turned towards Thia. She circled around so I followed her course, staying directly behind her so Troom wouldn't see me. I knew he was there but I couldn't see him yet, not until the scene around us faded completely and I saw him lunge forward. She stumbled and fell, which created an opening for me. Without thinking much, I threw the fake wand. It kinda reminded me of when I stood in front of that lazar for her. He swatted it aside almost effortlessly, which left me to just stare at him with complete and utter hatred. Not a shred of fear.

"You."

In his bright red eyes, my hatred was mirrored back to me. I reached for the knife I'd been keeping between the belt loops on the small of my back, hidden under my hoodie, but I didn't need it.

When he came for me, I went to grip the blade but before I could there was a sudden flash in front of me. I heard the sound of steel clash against steel with such force I fell backwards. Before I figured out what happened, I saw the commander standing right in front of me, sword held out in one hand.

"You came here for me. Leave them out of it."

And so he did just that.

They were both so fast, their movements were heard to keep track of.

"This would've been a whole lot easier if you had stayed dead!"

I started to realise just how far behind I was.

"Get back. Get back."

Looking up, I saw Maggie holding up her arm with the others behind her. Took them long enough. Smirking, I got back up and looked back towards the fight.

"You will not do to these people what you did to me and mine."

Part of me wanted to join in and help but another part knew that I would most likely only get in the way.

"Just you try and stop me!"

For a moment, he seemed to lose the upper hand. I saw his sword get knocked out of his grip to land somewhere in the darkness, only for a second later, when Troom tried to strike again with his spear, allowing him to block it with just one arm. "I intent to."

He grabbed the end of the spear with his free hand and spun around, twisted it out of Troom's grip, tossed it aside and I heard it splash into the river.

Up till then I didn't think I'd realised we were so close to the edge.

But this just seemed to make Troom madder and more determined to take him down. From out of nowhere, he suddenly had a gun pointed at his opponent. This whole time Crugger had never raised his voice but just then I heard a shout of pain, saw him fall to one knee.

"Dad!"

Thias cry was even more painful. But just as Troom charged, Crugger started to raise a hand out in front of him, two fingers held up like I'd sometimes seen some ninjas do in movies.

"Noobie, don't!"

There was a flash of bright blue light, made even more blinding by the darkness all around and a feeling that could only be described as pure energy.

This whole confrontation had probably lasted no more than five minutes, those last moments only a few seconds.

When the light cleared and we were all able to see again, Troom was nowhere to be seen. Crugger was exactly where he had been, down on both knees, leaning forward and breathing heavily. I went where Troom had been charging from, only to find myself right at the edge of the forest, the moonlight reflecting in the river around it but not sign of anything or anyone in it.

"Why'd you throw a fake wand, you numpty?"

I turned and saw Noaba coming towards me. "What, I was just trying something…" she threw her arm around my shoulders. "Oh. Ok. Should I maybe try it more often?"

"Mmm, don't get used to it." she said, pulling away.

"Dad?" Thias voice seemed so small and faint compared to everything else. Looking, I saw her standing by her father's side, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he said. "I'll be alright."

Then I started realising something else…Crugger had everything I wanted: I place to call home, where he was in control; a team who trusted, looked up to and did what he told them but even on his own, he had mad skills as a fighter (as I'd just witnessed first-hand); hardly anyone told what to do or how to do it; and perhaps most importantly, he had Thias love.

Perhaps that was why, as I was standing there looking at them together, I couldn't help but be riddled with envy.

"What the heck was that anyway." Sky's voice took me out of my thoughts "That light flash?"

Then all eyes turned to him, still crouched in the grass. Even Thia was looking a little suspicious.

"Dad…what just happened?"

He just sighed. "I hope you like long stories."