[ Lore ] Something in the Orange

O' bearer of fate, thou whose heart is corrupted by the dark... awake anew under the morning sun and be freed from this terrible dream.

"And here I thought you'd never wake up."

Ren groaned her displeasure at the bright orange light that pierced behind her eyelids, turning her head into a familiar earth-scented warmth. A campfire of cinnamon mingled with her own perfume. She buries her hands into the loose folds of his kimono, arms draped around his neck.

"You're alive," she choked, voice hoarse. Her eyes stung with hot tears but her lips curved in a smile. "I thought you died..."

The man released a few breaths of laughter. "No more sweets before bed," he teased. Ren kicked the side of his thigh. He did not flinch, which served to spark her aggrivation, removing her further from her grief.

"Shut up. I'm serious."

"Well, if I'm dead, so are you."

And yet all seemed as it had been before she fell into that awful nightmare. When he had promised forever and how real it was that they would exist until beyond the end of time. That she would be his magi and he was her emperor.

That was their fate; set in stone.

Ren pried her head from the crook of his neck, letting her violet eyes adjust to the brightness of daylight. As her vision cleared, she could see him. Light auburn eyes concentrated on the path ahead of them. In truth, nothing had changed. No matter how vivid her dreams had been.



"Where are we going?" She asked him, peering around at the strange forest around them. It was nowhere she recognized. The trees were taller than she had ever seen them to be. Even the rukh was more concentrated here than it had ever been with her. "Where is this place?"

If she could have made any assumption, it held a lot more magic than even she could muster with her current skill. Another temple, perhaps.

He paused as if he were contemplating his answer. Though she found it clear in his calm expression that it would not be straight. "Somewhere," he hinted. Ren rolled her eyes. He caught a glimpse of her in his vision. "Trust me. You'll love it." Ren doubted that but there wasn't much choice. She wasn't about to leave him so soon.

"Fine," she barked. "There better be something to eat if that's the case, Natsuhiko."

The samurai cringed at the sound of his own name in full. He opened his lips to say something, closing them tight to seal them back. No doubt to remind her that he was just Natsu but knew well enough that she did not care. So, he sighed.

"Yes, dear."