The Trick to Life

by Dufa

2. Vanishing Point

Willow doesn’t laugh. She can only shake her head, “I shouldn’t have-”

“Did you bring a notebook?” Cid quickly cuts in.

“I- I think so,” Willow looks around frantically until she finds her pack, “Yes, yes I have one.”

“Good. I want you to write down what we’re about to say. It’ll come in handy later.”

“Ok, ok,” She sounds out of breath as she takes her journal out.

“Um,” Willow quickly goes back into her pack to fish out her pencil, “I’m ready.”

Cid sits next to Willow, “Earlier this year, a group of construction workers, all Jackals, were scouting out the mountains near Vanishing Point for land to build on. But that isn’t quite what they found,” As a teacher, he built a habit of getting particularly animated with his claws even when he’s not lecturing, “They stumbled upon abandoned cabins full of Esterian branded equipment, wired explosives… frozen ponies.”

Willow swallows, but doesn’t stop writing.

“Now you see, the thing about Ponies is that they aren't good climbers. Good scientists maybe, but not good climbers.”

Hays flicks a few ashes into his engraved portable ashtray attached to his gear, “They say Ponies make the best slavers. There are so many of them, and so few to tell them to stop.”

The student and teacher wait for him to continue.

“Sorry, I’m preaching to the choir. Continue.”

“Jackals though, are fantastic climbers. And it’s not just their muscles, they have lungs much stronger than our own. So these construction workers, seeing something weird is going on, they don’t just leave it. They get curious. They start looking higher, they start going deeper than the ponies ever could. Until they stumble on… A cave. A cave with a huge, jet black gate at the back of it. Are you still with me?”

Willow nods, still writing. Cid notices with satisfaction that she’s already engrossed in the story instead of catastrophizing.

“But that isn’t the weird part. Oh no, the weird part is when they return to Vanishing Point. They’re getting completely chewed out by their employer. He’s demanding to know why they’ve been gone out for so long or why they aren't making any progress, and you know what they say?”

Cid takes a coupon out of his wallet, then starts tracing a Rune Path over it with a glowing claw. Willow gives it a cursory glance before returning to the journal.

“They say they found the birthplace of the Jackals. A place from legend, where souls are stored and recycled into new ones. They insist that’s what they found. They swear by it, they go so far as to draw a big picture of the gate, showing every little detail they can remember. When their boss sees this, a Pony who escaped Esteria, he looks troubled. He waits a moment, and says, ‘but that can’t be. That’s impossible. What you drew is the gate to Hell.”

The Rune dissolves the 5 dollar off symbol from the coupon. Leaving in its place, a polaroid photo of a jet black gate. Willow points at red streaks that cover it, “But those are Runes written on it..?”

Cid’s smile grows larger, “That’s right. A Grand Lock Rune in fact. It hasn’t been common since antiquity. It used to be used all the time in castles and city states because it requires several very strong Rune users to activate, and it takes a lot to break it. Well, it used to take a lot,” Cid leans back in his chair, “It fell out of favor when some little kid realized it can be negated with a simple Salt Rune that farmers use to change the taste of tomatoes.”

“...Why?”

“Nobody knows! Isn’t science fun?”

Willow scans over what she’s written, a thought is forming in her head, “Then, you could open it? The gate I mean?”

“I am opening it.”

She closes the journal and strats tracing a Lock Rune over it with her claw, “But, what’s inside? If not Hell, it has to be something important.”

“And that is what we are gonna find out today.”

A trail of Rune particles glitter in an arcane shape on her book, confirming it’s not opening for anyone but her, “That’s… That’s kind of exciting, Cid!”

The general puts out his cigarette and locks it in the ashtray, “Aren't you scared? We were both taught what happens to souls that go to Hell. And if not that, who knows what monstrous evils might lurk in there?”

Willow’s claws rest gently on her notebook, “You said the Estarians are looking for it?”

“Correct.”

She looks directly at the general and without a hint of doubt says, “Then it’s something we should find first.”

It takes all of Cid’s willpower to stop himself from getting up and clapping for her.

The general looks her up and down with a curious expression, “Huh. Well in any case; do what you want until 19:30, then we hike up the trail until we reach Tarturus. We meet up with the rest of the team outside the gate, and we enter at Midnight. Understood?”

“Yes sir.”

Hays gets to his hooves and stretches, “Don’t tell anybody about any of this, and keep that notebook with you at all times.”

“Yes sir!”

He slides the door open, “Now get some sleep and keep Cid out of trouble.”

“Yes sir?”

And then it slams shut, leaving just the two of them. The sound of the train speeding across the tracks doesn’t really hit their ears until that moment.

“...Cid? I’m sorry.”

Cid turns himself around to talk to his student property, “Don’t be. You made a choice without all the information you needed to make the good one. That’s my fault. And? I think you will make a good assistant.”

Willow wears a warm smile while she twiddles her claws, “My Mum is going to be so proud of me.”

Cid blinks. He has a look of shock on his face, like he just realized something important, “You think?”

“Going to a new place, joining a royal mission, hiking through the mountains,”

Cid’s smile slowly turns to a frown as she continues her list.

“Exploring Tartarus, finding something that could change the country… She isn’t going to believe any of it. Skye will be impressed.”

“Yeah, that is a lot for a 17 year old to be doing,” Cid leans even further back in his seat, “Wow.”

“It’s scary when I think about it like that. But I’m here. I’m not in my room thinking about it. I’m just… doing it,” Willow takes Cid’s claw into her own, ”You can’t let me back out of this. I know I’m going to have second thoughts at some point, but you can’t let me go back home. Now that I’m here, I have to see this through to the end. Can you promise me that Cid?”

Cid opens and closes his beak several times before eventually saying, “I promise.”

“Thank you,” Willow eyes a door on the side of the cabin, “A bedroom?”

“With a bunk bed.”

“I need to try and get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Sure.”

Willow heads straight to bed, leaving her supplies and Cid in the main cabin. The teacher rests his head on his fist and stares out the window. There’s a thicket of forest that gradually gives way to a mountainous one. It will be colder in the morning, and Cid realizes Willow didn’t bring a jacket. He’s not sure if she brought lunch, or how much money she has on her. He’s certain the hike will be difficult for her without wings.

An old memory spurs back to life in his head, “I promise you Miss Comrie. From this moment on I’ll protect your daughter from all harm that comes her way,“ And then, with a bitter glare at his reflection in the window, “I promise Willow, from this moment on I’ll drag you to hell and not let go… Lord almighty your mother is going to kill me,” Cid takes his own journal out and writes down an intricate Rune from memory before folding it up and hiding it in Willow’s pack.

***

“Up and at’em Comrie!”

Willow is shook to life by a loud voice, “Bwah..?”

“Unless you want to sleep until you reach the Satyr lands, it’s time to move out!”

She covers her face from the sun with a claw, “What time is it?”

A slamming door tells her the answer is Too Late to be Asleep.

“Fine.”

When Willow finally exits the train, she’s met by a crowd of different creatures, a floor made entirely of noisy metal grates, and most pressingly, a burst of cold air blowing through her, “Augh!” She lets out a very unladylike groan of distress.

“Hahaha!” Cid’s gleeful laughter erupts from beside her.

“It’s not funny,” Willow grumbles.

“Sorry, sorry,” He shifts his dark green bomber jacket off and plops it onto Willow’s back. It’s too big for her so it covers her body like a dust sheet. She must look so stupid right now, but at least she’s warm.

“Hays didn't wait, he went straight into town. Better to not travel in groups right? Anyway, is this place everything you expected it to be?”

Willow moves Cid’s jacket out of her eyes. The girl notices several odd things in quick succession. The first of which is that directly above them, there is no sky. Instead, a cave roof hangs above them. It’s covered in stalactites wedged in between bright fluorescent lights. She then realizes with a dumbfound expression, the entire station is carved from the side of the mountain! And just past the train she can see a vista. A vista that overlooks miles and miles of forest! She feels as if she might even see her home in the distance if she had a telescope. She gets closer to the railing and sees… a town at the base of the mountain.

“Did we overshoot Vanishing Point?” She points out the village miles below them to Cid. There are train tracks going through the town, when they reach the mountain proper they start ascending and wrapping around its circumference. All the metal that attaches the tracks to the mountain almost makes the whole thing look almost like a roller coaster.

“Oh, no. That’s a different town entirely.”

Willow turns around to ask Cid for clarification, “But-” And then she sees what's on the other side of the platform. a cafe, a theater, a drugstore more and more are all built in a giant enclave that again, is carved right into the mountain. Willow can barely wrap her head around it but, this is a town. An actual town! And it looks cozy to boot! Metal street lamps, and potted plants sit alongside intricate cut wall art and it all overlooks a beautiful view.

“I’d say by your gaping maw that’s a yes!”

Willow nods frantically.

“Good, think we should find a clothing store first?”

“Can we?”

“Follow me.”

Willow trots after her teacher into the mountain. They travel down a tunnel that feels more like an alleyway from a high class neighborhood than a cave. They walk past Hippogriffs and a variety of other creatures window shopping and, she’s just as blown away by this as everything else, interspecies couples! She has to force herself not to gawk when they walk past a Parakeet and a Cat nuzzling each other.

“Ah! Here’s a good boutique,” Cid gestures to Willow to follow him in a dimly lit building with a moody looking sign.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I read about it in a travel magazine. It’s a great place for teens apparently.”

Eyeing the bright red ‘Hot Misanthropic’ logo, Willow cautiously follows her teacher inside.

“We should find a good jacket here. I see a few next to the… bandanas. And the piercings. And uh,” Cid stops and takes a moment. A moment to try and comprehend the section deigned, ‘claw warmers.’

He has to laugh at himself, “This really isn’t your style is it? With all your pink- Willow?”

She isn’t next to him anymore. She’s carefully examining the leather jackets at the far end of the room.

Spurred by the onset of a sudden feeling of restlessness, Cid plucks a feather from his plumage. It’s as green and vibrant as they’ve always been. In spite of this, at that moment Cid feels an almost unbearable awareness of the unstoppable march of time. Along with it the discourteous knowledge that it will one day lead to his death.

“They have comic book characters on hoodies!?” Cheerfully erupts from the far end of the room.

“We sure do. Any series you really really like?” A Kirin employee with a torn scarf and a sparkly crimson lip piercing grins at Willow.

The latter slowly rubs the back of her neck, “Ah, haha… I like, Moonage Voyagers?”

Cid is spurred from his contemplation by a poke at his side. His student holds up a high quality midnight blue hoodie decorated with an image of a kitten sitting atop the full Nightmoon, the crescent Daymoon sits beside them, “There’s a part that wraps around my neck so it will keep me warm. Can I..?”

Cid flicks the feather away, “Sure! The Queen gave me plenty of money for supplies, and this certainly counts as supplies, so go nuts!”

It cost 70 dollars.

“Ok. I think we have enough supplies now,” Cid drags himself behind Willow who’s practically bouncing out of the store in her new hoodie.

“Really?”

Cid waves a claw dismissively, “Yeah, I don’t think we’ll be needing anything else. Hays was gonna foot the bill for food anyway.”

“Oh! That’s kind of him,” She says while plucking the glossy price tag off.

“It sure is. I’ll… really owe him one afterwards,” Cid mumbles darkly while slipping back into his own bomber jacket.

“Where is he by the way? Did he go straight to our um, destination?”

“Actually, we have some red tape to cut through first. Our next destination is the Town Hall!”

***

“Only those invited to the meeting can enter.”

Cid crosses his arms, “I invited her.”

The Parakeet receptionist’s face tenses up in frustration, “You don’t have the authority. She waits outside.”

“I can wait!” Willow immediately pipes up.

“For an hour?”

“Sir, she can’t come in. It’s just how it is.”

Cid blows hot air from his nostrils, debating what he could say to convince her.

“I could… look around,” Willow meekly offers, “I can explore town for a little while.”

Cid lowers his body to her level, “You would be alright with that?”

“It’s one hour,” Willow shrugs.

Cid doesn't look convinced, but can’t think of any alternative. The Parakeet is tapping a claw impatiently on the front desk, “Ok. I guess that’s just how it’s gotta be. Don’t go too far away alright Willow?”

“Of course.”

“Good. You’re doing good,” He reassures her.

“It’ll be fun,” And she reassures him in turn.

Nodding, Cid gets to his hooves and follows the receptionist into town hall. Leaving Willow by herself in an empty waiting room.

The girl sort of shuffles in place, not sure what to do with herself. But then her grumbling stomach decides her next destination for her, “Sandwich. I’ll get a sandwich. By myself.”

Willow backtracks to a large circular room with a domed ceiling they passed on the way here. She thinks it might be the tip of the mountain but she’s not sure. She can remember seeing a map, it was somewhere down a circular staircase that went on for far too long. What she is sure of though, is that this place is noisy. Maybe it’s because of the ceiling, but the room felt congested with important looking creatures chatting and trotting and coughing.

“Pardon me.”

Willow whips her head around to astern looking Hippogriff in a suit. Willow’s blocking traffic.

“I’m so sorry,” She jolts to the side, and lets the Stallion struts past. He looks over his shoulder like he wants to say something to her, but decides against it. It makes her cringe. She looks around for Cid on instinct, before realizing she’s alone.

“Everyone here has somewhere to be.”

The girl’s breathing gets faster.

“Maybe I should have just stayed in the waiting room.”

A familiar tightness clamps a hold of her chest.

But then a glint of sunlight catches her eye. From an archway at the far end of the room, she sees the rising sun peeking through the clouds. Her hooves take her there on their own.

The cacophony of the stuffy dome room gives way to fresh air, a still breeze, and silence. She can see the outside of the mountain from here. The wooden houses that dot steep hills and fit in between rustling trees make the outside feel far more rustic than the comparatively modern inner caverns. Most importantly for Willow, it feels familiar.

Remembering a skill her mother taught her some years ago, Willow takes a deep breath while tensing the muscles in her arms as tight they can go. She holds it in as long as her body can take it. Then, she exhales.

Willow looks down at her claw. She’s still shaking.

“C’mon… This shouldn’t be a big deal.”

It’s then, she finds a large mural cut into the wall above the archway. It depicts a Hippogriff knight flying above a chaotic warzone. The soldier tightly grips a golden arrow in his left claw and a silver arrow in his right as he bolts to a castle floating on a cloud in the distance.

It’s an old story her mother handed down to her.

***

A full bucket of water splashes into Skye’s face. The shocked girl blinks bathwater out of her eyes, “Gee, thanks Willow.”

The older sister has an uncharacteristically devilish smirk on her face, “Now I can be the one waking you up at far too early in the morning.”

“But I’m already awake!” Skye flaps her wings to stretch out her feathers, “I thought this was supposed to be bathtime.”

Willow sways to the other end of the shallow tub and returns the bucket to the ledge, “Well with how much you were yawing I was worried you might just fall asleep.”

“Boo,” The younger girl whines, “That’s something Mum would say.”

“Well, if she ever gives you a little sister then you can be the one splashing water in her face,” She gets a bottle of soap and motions for her sister to turn around.

The younger grumbles but complies anyway, “I’d like to splash water in Lark’s face.”

“Is she giving you trouble still?”

“It was playtime and Mister Bjornstrand said we had to play with someone we don’t always get along with. He says we all need to try and understand each other more.”

“Oh no…” Willow already knows where this is going.

“We were playing a board game and she wouldn’t let me do anything! She was doing all my turns for me and kept saying she was doing me a favor. I didn’t get to play at all!”

“Did she really think she was being helpful?”

Skye blows a raspberry, “I kept saying she was being mean but she wouldn’t listen. She never ever listens!”

Willow scratches soap into her sister’s scalp, “...If she keeps upsetting you, splash water in her face.”

Skye’s eyes close, “She’ll tell the teacher and then I'll be the one in trouble. She never gets in trouble.”

“She might not get in trouble, but maybe she’ll learn not to tick you off.”

“...Is that really ok?”

“If you tried your best, and if you’re as kind as you can be and they still won’t leave you alone…” Willow fills the bucket with water and starts gently pouring it on her back, “Well, it would be bad if she keeps hurting you without consequence.”

Skye stares at the soap building in the water, “Maybe if I get used to it-”

“No. Even if it doesn't feel right, we have to stick up for ourselves.”

The younger girl’s voice cracks, “But I could get in trouble Willow.”

Willow hesitates a moment, then puts the bucket back on the ledge, “Can I tell you a story?”

Skye turns herself around in the tub towards her sister.

“It’s called The Devout Castellon. That’s someone who protects a castle.”

Skye nods.

“Once upon a time, there was a glorious Hippogriff queen. She lived in an even more glorious castle that rested upon a cloud in the sky. With her magic power, she could move the castle anywhere she wished, and protect them from the skies.”

“Anywhere?”

“Anywhere! She could go to the desert and search for treasure, or to the ocean and fish, or, well, anything! But there were those who didn’t like that she could go anywhere whenever she wanted, the Ponies. They wanted the power to walk on clouds all for themselves, but They knew they couldn’t defeat her by attacking head on. Not in a flying castle anyway. So they decided to attack from within.”

“What did they do?”

“A pony came to her offering peace, and a bow. An enchanted bow that would find its target no matter how far away they are. To demonstrate, he used the bow to shoot a stag that was miles from the castle!” Willow pushes a piece of soap to one end of the tub, and a second piece to the other. Then trails her claw to each.

“That’s amazing.”

Willow nods, “It was. And the Queen was beyond impressed to say the least. So she accepted her gift… but what she didn't know was that the pony dropped dead the moment he got back home!”

“The Pony did?”

“You see, this bow plucks a tiny piece of life from the one shooting it, and uses that bit of soul as power to find its target. And the queen, strong as she is, grew weak and retired to her chambers after just one evening of hunting. The ponies used that opportunity to attack. And with the queen out of commision, they were like sitting ducks.”

“Like Trish?”

“Pardon?”

Skye points to a rubber duck floating around the bath, “Trish.”

“Yes Skye, like Trish!”

Skye gasps!

“So, with their queen in mortal danger, the Devout Castellan comes in. When he took the job he swore that he would give his life to protect her and her home. And now the time had come to fulfill that promise. He would use the very bow they were gifted to defeat the Pony commander.”

“Even though it would kill him?”

“He was very loyal. And he had a trick up his sleeve. There was a golden arrow kept in a temple down on the surface. It was used by Sara, the very first Hippogriff to reach Valhalla. He hoped that by retrieving it from its chamber, and using it to strike down the commander, he would impress Discord enough to reach Valhalla himself upon death.”

“Did it work?”

Willow taps her claws together, “It was the middle of a grand battle that would determine the fate of the country. Dozens of Ponies and Hippogriffs were fighting from every direction. And the Castellon storms through it all looking for a single arrow in a lone temple. By the time he finds it, the battle is almost lost.”

Skye’s wings are flapping unconsciously.

“With a stoic expression, he pulls back the bow. He stretches it as far as it can be stretched, he aims it towards the general on the entire other side of the battlefield, and in a single moment… He closes his eyes and lets go. When he opens them again, he’s in Valhalla.”

“Wow… So what did he do afterwards?’

Willow’s eyes widen a moment in surprise, “Um, nothing much I would think.”

Skye tilts her head to the side in confusion, “Really? Why?”

“He’s dead.”

“What!?”

Willow looks around the bathroom frantically, clearly taken aback,“W- What’s so surprising? He’s in Valhalla.”

“But he can’t go back? He couldn’t see the Queen or the castle or how it all went?”

“Well, no, but- It’s a learning experience Skye! Even though he lost so much in the process, it’s a good thing he did what he did because he got a much bigger reward at the end!”

Skye crosses her arms, “Mrgh. That’s not a very happy ending. But at least he saved the Queen.”

“She died too actually.”

“Bah!” Skye throws her arms in the air in exasperation.

“He saved the castle though!”

Skye dramatically sinks beneath the water whilst loudly complaining, “That story is so terrible I’m dying tooo- Burblburblburble.”

“Some consider it a classic,” Willow says uselessly.

***

Willow looks away from the mural with a glint of determination in her eye, and focuses her attention on a Stallion reading a book down the hill on a bench. He’s sort of short, very beige, and completely unassuming. He’s wearing a dark blue hoodie of his own, “I’m going to talk to him,” Her cheeks puff out, and she begins her march forward.

Her heartbeat pumps more blood with every clop of her hoofs. He turns her way with a raised eyebrow, what’s he thinking?

“Hello,” Willow begins curtly, then waits for his response.

But he says nothing.

Panicking, she blurts out the following in a single breath, “Do you know a good food place around here to eat and drink but not alcohol more like good soft drinks but mainly I’m looking for local food I think?”

A troubled expression crosses his face, “When you say food place do you mean a Mom and Pop restaurant or like, a food bank?”

“...Either,” She wasn’t expecting this. Her heartbeat rises to her throat.

The Stallion, unbeknownst to Willow, is riddled with anxiety of his own and freezes up in alarm, “Um, I don’t know..?”

“Wait, I’m not poor,” Willow realizes immediately that sounds incredibly pompous and cringes at herself heavily.

The Stallion sees her cringe and assumes he’s just said something wildly offensive, “Oh I didn't mean to assume! I’m so sorry.”

Willow accepts his apology, “Thank you,” Then turns and leaves. Eager to escape from the conversation before it deteriorates any further.

The Stallion hides his face in his romance novel, and Willow hides her face in her comic book hoodie. Nothing has been accomplished.

“Just have to try again, Willow. Deep breaths, deep breaths and I’ll do it right this time.”

***

“I’m sorry, you said Tarturus?”

Cid rests on his arms and lets Hays do the talking.

“That is one way it has been described as, Mr Mayor. And we will be the ones to determine how accurate that is,” The general, unable to keep up his diplomacy face, settles for a years hardened poker face instead, “That is what the Queen will have us do, and what she wants you to be aware of.”

The Mayor clasps his claws together, “Who will be going in?”

“Five individuals. Cid, Myself-”

“Five. Only five?” His words bite, like a parent scolding their child.

It’s Hays’ least favorite kind of authority figure, “That is who is going in. There will be five more on the outside-”

“Pardon my interruption but what is the Queen thinking bringing only 10 creatures into Tarturus?”

“Ask her yourself.”

The Mayor takes off his glasses and wipes them on his shirt before continuing. If you ask either of the other guests, they would both describe it as an entirely performative gesture, “Listen here, if there’s a potentially dangerous thing just outside of my town, I’m not going to let a clawful of creatures go in and release who-knows-what into the wild.”

“You can take that up with the Queen after we fulfill her orders.”

“No no no,” The mayor waves a claw, “Here’s what’s going to happen-”

Hays’ poker face slips, “The Queen-”

“I’m talking now, general.”

Cid snorts.

“Sorry, dust in my nostrils.”

The Mayor gives Cid the stink eye, “Right. As I was saying, you’re not going to just go right on in and open up the gates of Hell right next to my town,” He lets the silence linger a moment in case of another interruption, “You say it’s the Queen’s orders? Fine. But here’s what’s going to happen. I am going to have my best man with you there at all times. If something bad should happen to him and your team, we won’t be prioritizing your support.”

Cid raises his head to attention.

“We will prioritize the safety of the town,” The Mayor declares, “If you can’t handle it, well, those were the Queen’s orders. Unless she has orders to provide backup that I am unaware of?”

“She just wanted me to let you know what’s going to happen tonight.”

The mayor gives Hays a long hard look before saying, “Well. I suppose this is settled then.”

Cid looks back and forth between the two men in bewilderment, “What about Willow?”

The Mayor looks past his glasses towards Cid, “The girl on the news some years back?”

“She’s coming with us. You’re gonna do something to protect her right?”

“And why would I do that?”

“She’s a child.”

The Mayor looks unamused, “Was it the Queen’s orders to bring her into Tarturus?”

“No…” Cid looks away, “It was mine.”

“Being that you seem to have some form of authority over her, don’t you believe you should think twice before bringing a, oh what did you say again? Child? Into that wretched place?”

Cid returns his gaze to the man across from him, this time unflinching, “I did think about it. And I’m telling you to provide proper backup, access to your Guard’s resources, and radios for us to communicate with them.”

The Mayor slowly gets to his hooves, “Have any of you, Queen included, even once thought that maybe this wasn't such a good idea to begin with?”

Hays, still stoic, “Thinking, with all due respect, isn’t what we’re paid to do. We do what the Queen says, and we do it to the best of our ability with the tools we are given. Or we’re fired. As I’m sure you know.”

A bitter snarl curls the Mayor's face, “And you’re saying that if anything happens to the girl I’ll take the fall?”

The general lets a small grin show, “I can only take claim to the words that come out of my mouth sir.”

The Mayor casts his eyes between the two of them like vermin, “Squad D will be on call if you need backup. They will provide the resources you request should they deem them necessary to the situation. And yes, you will have your radios to communicate with them.”

He stomps towards the exit, “Meeting adjourned,” Then slams the door shut behind him.

The general lets his grin turn into a smug looking smile, “Looks like that Willow girl is coming in handy after all eh Cid?”

Cid does not reply.

“What? Having second thoughts?”

Cid shakes his head, “I should just put her on the first train ride back home. This is too dangerous for her.”

“With all due respect Mr Kaner,” Cid lights up a Kirin made Cigarette, “Her inclusion just made this whole operation far safer for the lot of us. At least with Mayor ‘I’m Talking Now’ in charge.”

Cid picks up his things, “If the situation gets to a point where she might be in danger, I’m leaving the mission and taking her home. I can make it up to the Queen later.”

“As long as you get that door open you can do whatever you want afterwards as far as I’m concerned. You’ll get us that far, right?”

Cid sighs, “I’ll open the door. And I’ll pray to Discord that nothing interesting is on the other end.”

Hays chuckles, “Careful who you pray to.”

Author's Note:

Comments

[Forcalor]

Please, don't abandon the stories that you wanted to tell, especially so original

[Dufa]

11845879
Thank you! This might just be the spark I needed