Chapter Text
Tired . That’s what Wars was–exhausted, even. If he had his way, the only people he’d allow in front of his court were Legend and Time. They knew how to behave themselves. And at the very least, the rest of his brothers knew to keep quiet and keep their heads down except Twilight .
The captain left General Impa’s office, settling his back against the door with a tired sigh. Twilight wasn’t the one who answered for his behavior. Wars tried to push down the embarrassment of afternoon court. The rancher didn’t bow for Artemis, spoke without permission, and told the nobles to kick rocks. Everything was a reflection on the captain. A humiliating, aggravating reflection.
Wars pushed off from the door, kneading at his brow. His next destination was an easy choice–the kitchen to snag a bottle of wine to take back to his room.
Turning the corner, Wars frowned to see Twilight in his path. The rancher crouched, cooing at a pleased white and gray tabby cat. He babytalked the thing in a drawl so thick Wars couldn’t dream of parsing one sound from the next. His index finger scratched the cat under its chin, his other hand raking across its back.
“You’ll get fleas,” Wars said, his words flatter than he intended.
Twilight glanced up, giving an easy shrug. “Some things’s worth the cost.”
Wars sighed. “Well I’d rather not have them myself so if you could keep them away –”
“You alright?” Twilight asked, rising with a mild frown.
Wars avoided the rancher’s gaze. He despised how perceptive Twilight was at times. It was a talent the captain knew was innate, something he himself could never learn. It was unfair .
“I’m…I’m fine,” Wars said. “Just tired.”
Twilight nodded slightly. “Look, cap’n, I’m um…” Twilight paused, pushing his hand back through his hair.
The rancher wore his Ordonian garb–voider on the left, wool lined sandals, a bandana rolled up into his hair to keep the shaggy curls back. Everyone else was content to dress in the era’s fashion. It only drew more attention to the already infamous rancher for his strange clothing.
“I’m sorry,” Twilight murmured, bringing Wars from his thoughts. “Y’know I ain’t so good with all this um…courtly kinda stuff.”
Wars raised a brow, curious if Time had a word with Twilight. “Did someone say something to you?” he asked, prodding for an answer.
“Mm–Legend. Says I been a like-like.”
Wars drew in a breath through his nose. It was just like Legend to say the things he never could. The captain put on a smile though. Twilight, for all his pride and security, was a remarkably sensitive person. Telling Twilight his true thoughts on the matter would only leave the rancher apologetic and self-conscious. If it wasn’t something to be fixed in five minutes, Wars kept it to himself. Asking the man to learn foreign customs and speak like the rest of them broke that rule.
“It’s alright,” Wars said, lying through his teeth. “They could learn a thing or two about our borderlands.”
Covering the lie in a warm tone of voice, Twilight was convinced. The rancher nodded, some relief coming to his features. He sauntered up to Wars, throwing his arm over the captain’s shoulders. Wars desperately wanted to be alone, but he allowed the friendly affection.
“You ain’t never showed me the stables like you always says,” Twilight sang, prodding the captain.
Wars rolled his eyes, quickly hiding his annoyance under a smile. “Not tonight,” he declined. “I’m tired–I planned on resting until dinner.”
Twilight nodded. “Ah, right. Sorry. You been dealin’ with you’s nobles all day.” The rancher patted Wars on the shoulder genially. “I’ll stop buggin’ you, cap’n.”
Wars nodded, but gave Twilight a stern look. “Be on time for–”
The captain gasped as Twilight suddenly took him by the front of his shirt, throwing him aside. A wooden club came down where the captain once stood with an empty whiff . Wars turned, eyes wide to see masked intruders coming after him. Behind them, two guards–two traitors –stood watch.
Twilight grabbed a vase of flowers from a nearby table, hurling it into the attacker. With a swing of the club, the vase was shattered midair, throwing water, petals, and shards of pottery across the tile.
Wars drew his sword, diving in for a strike. His blade sank into the club, the teeth of its edge catching. With a swift jerk, the captain ripped the club from the assailant's hands.
Hearing a curse, Wars turned to see three more intruders sweeping towards them. More traitorous guards let them through, keeping watch at the other exit. The rancher turned, throwing a wide fist towards a small woman but Twilight hissed in pain as the tallest intruder grabbed a fistful of his hair, jerking the rancher back by his head. The woman and another man grabbed the rancher’s arms and a kick to the back of his knee forced him down.
“Cap’n!” Twilight barked.
Wars turned, anger igniting in his features when he saw his brother restrained. The captain had no time to spare for Twilight, however. He was dealing with two of his own pests. Now unarmed, the first intruder fell behind a second. This one held a spear. Swift movements kept the captain dancing, forcing him back up to the wall.
Twilight fought with his weight at the three holding him, spitting and cussing. The man with a handful of his hair grabbed Twilight’s jaw tightly, pressing the rancher’s head back towards his own stomach. Twilight’s eyes widened as a sweet smelling rag was clamped over his nose and mouth.
A muffled call drew Wars’ attention again. The captain barely dodged the head of the spear, the weapon slamming into the stone beside him. Wars swung his sword back, catching the speared man in the side with its teeth. The man stumbled to the side, clutching at the wound.
Wars panted, turning on the other three. “Release him!” he demanded. “I’ll do whatever you want but let him go!”
Twilight’s eyes burned over the chemical soaked cloth. Its sweetness clung to his tongue, a disinfectant like burn tickling at his throat. Within a minute, he found his head spinning, its weight lolling into his captor’s palm. Eyes open, the rancher tried to recall where he was but all he could take in was some foreign sun-soaked hallway.
“Drop your sword!” the woman holding Twilight’s right arm snarled.
Wars clenched his teeth, but he watched Twilight’s eyes fall into a languid blink. Breathing the chloroform for too long would kill the rancher. Wars spat out a swear, tossing his sword aside.
He yelped as the intruder with the club grabbed him by the hair and pressed the edge of a knife to his neck.
“Hands behind your back,” the little man hissed.
Red in anger, heart pounding, Wars complied. The captain watched as Twilight sagged, his weight beginning to settle lethargically.
Twilight’s head ached. The world turned into a smear, sounds around him growing odd and distant. He felt a warm hand pressed into his face and trying to focus on it, the rancher only succeeded in briefly going cross-eyed.
Wars felt rough rope burning across his skin as his hands were bound in a swift lattice from wrist to elbow. Any struggling only tightened the net of knots and already, his fingers pulsed under pressure.
The man holding Twilight released the rancher’s hair to pet it instead. “There ya go, big fella. Easy does it.”
Twilight moaned out some sound–Wars watched the rancher sink under the influence of the drug. With one last effort at fighting off the haze sweeping across him, Twilight drew his shoulders up into a languid shrug. The rancher’s weight sagged–his head tipped, his eyes fluttered shut, a long sigh left him.
The three intruders released him. Twilight collapsed in a heap on the floor. Fresh air in his lungs again, the rancher managed a weak squirm before he too was bound. The biggest of them rolled Twilight onto his back, fingers tracing the man’s brow. Wars despised the look he saw in the assailant’s eyes. The man picked Twilight up delicately, bowed his head down and placed his lips against Twilight’s forehead.
“ Let him go !” Wars roared as a burlap sack was drawn over his head.
A shove between his shoulder blades, Wars was pushed ahead down the quiet hallway.