“The Scourge feeds on the pain of others. Why do you think there’s so many butterflies?”
*
“You…what?”
“I need to go through the portal.”
“Tyrion…you can’t.”

They’ve been doing this for who knows how long, doing the same thing, repeating the same phrases, over and over again. One begging to go and the other begging to stay.

“Diana, you have to trust me please.” Tyrion pleaded once more but to no avail, the swan wasn’t listening.

Why was no one listening?

Tyrion doesn’t remember the last time they’ve been this frightened. They don’t remember the feeling of guilt and disgust as they witness the death of their friend over and over again. Doesn’t remember the last time a compliment made them feel so…so terrible. Doesn’t remember a time where they worried so much about what he said and if people believed him. They don’t remember a time where they had to be careful of how they acted around they’re confidants. Tyrion doesn’t remember a time where they couldn’t trust anyone;even their closest friends,their family.

Of course, they also don’t remember believing a witch.

Odette knew everything about the Scourge and how to stop it. She knew how it worked and how it affected others. She was a witch; a vile and powerful being that only wanted power. Odette was evil…but Tyrion needed answers.

Now Hayden is injured.
Megara is in prison.
And Robinne….

How did they not see it coming?

They needed to fix this, Tyrion needed to fix things.

So why was Diana stopping them?

“I do trust you, which is why I’m saying no.” She replies calmly. It frustrated Tyrion how calm Diana was about this. She showed no pain, no suffering, no guilt. Tyrion was almost jealous of them. They groan in anger.

“That doesn’t make any sense! If you trust me then you should trust me when I say I need to cross that portal!” They shout. Their ears rise with irritation.

“Tyrion,” Diana sighed. Their hand moving to land on Tyrion’s shoulder in comfort. “You know what Rattlebone said. Once you go in, it is difficult to come back. You’ll be stuck there for who knows how long.”

It was true, the portal is one of the many few left in Yaufavil. They’re unstable, which was why they were used as prisons now. The perfect place for someone like-

“Which is why I need to go through.” The knight mumbles. The assassin frowns. Her eyes; for the first time in their confrontation, look sad. They irony almost makes Tyrion chuckle.
“I need to be stuck there…for good.”

“What do you mean? You don’t have to.”

Tyrion doesn’t speak. Their head hung low as the red waves cover their eyes in shame. Diana frowns.

“Are you okay?” she asks in worry.

There’s silence. There’s tension. The cool midnight breeze causes the tips of Tyrion’s tail to rise and Diana’s feathers to fluff up a bit. The swan looks at the knight with concern. Concern for the silent male, concerned for the person in front of her who was tormented by who knows what. Concern for the hero shaking with emotion.

Diana was about to speak before her eyes landed on the shimmer of Tyrion’s sword.

“Let me go Diana.” They said sternly. They tried to look unnerved, to stand their ground. They reminded her of a younger her. A her, she hated to see in anyone. However she also knew that she wouldn’t stand down. And neither would they.
With a heavy sigh, the swan unsheathed her sword and stared at the kid in front of them.

In clangs of their swords colliding brought a sort of aliveness to the quiet night.

*
“Argh!” birds fluttered and soared into the sky as if they heard their pain.
Tyrion pants, their eyes barely focusing on his target, their body feeling like a sword trapped in a stone. They wanted to rest, needed to rest, but they couldn’t. They needed to get to the portal.

“Stand down Tyrion.” Diana’s eyes watched them like a predator at their prey. The knight glared back up at them. With a painful grunt Tyrion rose to their feet, hands shaking as they lifted their swords.

‘Doesn’t she understand that I’m doing this for her? For Apollo, for Robinne, for Hayden, Meg, for everyone!’

Tyrion was tired. But Eagles be damned if they were going to give up.

With a shout Tyrion charged towards their target, their arms ready to swing the silver stick down and pierce through the swan’s feathers. The sword only pierced the green under their feet; Diana barely having to move as the kid was barely moving with effort, only moving and slashing carelessly at whatever was near them.

“Why…why are you stopping?” Tyrion asks through heavy breaths. Their chest rising and falling erratically. “Come on, fight me!” they exclaimed, as they charged once more but barely reached their target. Frustration fueling their fatigue. “This is what you wanted right? You wanted to stop me from leaving didn’t you?” The kid forced a laugh. “Well you did it! Here I am!”
The slashing became small movements.

“Now everyone will get hurt again! I’ll reach my breaking point once more and someone will get injured or get exiled, or die!” They shout, the burning in their eyes becoming almost unbearable, but heavens be darn if they let go now. They were already in so deep, words escaping before they could think it through. Words meant to help the Swan realize their mistake, however it only began worrying her more.

“Everyone thinks I’m the hero! That I know what I’m doing, but I don’t! I don’t know what I’m doing or who I’m meant to be!” The slashing stopped, in its place was a quivering child at the verge of an outburst.
“I don’t know who to be and with everyone telling me I’m something big and important, it doesn’t help…” They looked up at Diana tiredly and with sadness. “How can I be a hero when my actions have caused so much destruction? Everything we’ve done has been nothing but terrible. We’re at war with something we can not explain and I have done nothing but make it worse! I’m a curse! Odette said it best! I’m The-” arms grab a hold of them, pulling them tightly to the body in front of them.

“You’re right,” Diana said softly. A contrast to their tight grip on them. “You’re not a hero. Regardless of what everyone says; what everyone wants you to be… you’re still a kid.”

A kid.

They’re just a kid.

Oh.

Oh.

The stiffness from secrets kept unseen, pain shoved far away in the corner of their heart, exhaustion from years of standing up to serve and protect but never be protected…fell down like stones down ravines. Their legs give out like pillars. The burning stops and the tears rush down almost instantly, they sob. They sob and sob and sob. Screamed and cried in the arms of a sister who’s seen the hands of corruption first hand. Fought the flames of war as a child, knows the pain of loss and sorrow.

Diana understands.
Diana cares.
The Dagger cares.

Oh. Oh what have they done.

“Diana I-”
“Sh…it’s alright. I forgive you.”

Tyrion doesn’t respond. They only hold her a little bit tighter and cry a little bit softer.

They ignore the butterfly near the portal.