Chapter Text
Rasbi frowned as the dull light from her lantern spluttered and sparked for its pathetic life.
She really needs to get Owen or Apo to teach her how to re-light lanterns properly, because whatever she was doing, clearly wasnt working.
A sigh escaped her lips at the thought of Owen, he'd been working so hard recently; it's like she didnt even see him anymore.
Sure she had Apo, and while she wasnt one to pick favourites, she definitely trusted him a lot more than Owen.
Maybe it was just because he was a demon; that her natural instincts made her trust him way more than any of the humans. Or maybe it was just because Owen was way too dependable.
That's usually a good thing, a great thing even! But she couldn't help but let her mind tell her that, he would crack under the pressure and do something horrible.
She didn't know what that thing would be, hell she knew that would never happen. She was a horrible friend for even thinming any of this, she was just making bad things up about her only friends just so she could feel better about how she'd never be like them.
Rasbi would never risk her life in the maze, not in the way Apo and Owen do anway. Rasbi would never spend ungodly amounts of time underground, constantly trying to figure out the way out.
Even if she went down to her and Apo's base alot, with or without him; He would always have more to show for his time than she did.
She would never spend well over half the day standing with a javelin against the entrance to the maze, just to protect those who foolishly wish to enter.
Rasbi would never admit to Owen that her and Apo went in frequently whenever they got the chance.
Rasbi would never be anywhere near half as skilled as Owen or Apo in the maze. She can fight and do parkour sure, but they will always beat her at it.
I mean she even downed both herself and Apo before! She essentially killed her closest friend. Even if they both agreed that the blame was on both of them.
That they couldn't blame just one person, that Apo had set off the tripwire first, and Rasbi had set it off second.
In the moment she was so concerned for Apo, she'd forgotten that he'd set off a trap to get injured, and then she set it off. She knew Apo didn't blame her; but god did she blame herself.
"Rasbi?" A familiar voice cut off her thoughts. "Rasbi! Are you alright? Hey speak to me!" Apo had gotten down, eye to eye, with her. The look of panic and pure concern in his eyes physically pained her. When had she fallen again?
She carefully pulled her into a gentle hug, muttering reassuring words into her ear, what had she done to earn this?
She's only ever messed up but- with the way Apo cares so much, you'd think she had killed one of the monsters that nearly killed Mowhee.
He breathing started to slow down again, slower, slower still. Rasbi realised she'd been crying. Oh.
"Apo? Your uh jacket." She tried to think about how to word this apology. Her voice had sounded rough, like it hadn't been us3d in decades.
"Yeah? What about it?" Apo moved back ever so slightly, so that they weren't that close anymore. "I uh-there's like snot qnd shit on ir now-I'm really sorry-" Well that was a nice apology.
And instead of getting mad, instead of walking away- yelling at her. He laughed. He fucking laughed! "Yeah I can tell, you don't need to apologise though."
"If I cared about that kinda shit, why would I be here in the mud? Why would I willingly get down here to help you?" He made a fair argument.
"Well I don't- you could have like not realised in the dark?" She pouted as she stood up.
"Yeah well unlike you I have a working lantern. Also why are you walking with an empty lantern anyway?" He stood up aswell, pulling his jacket off as they walked towards the lake by Spideys house.
"It wasnt empty at first! It was a really pathetic attempt to light it, and then I fell and I dont know."
"It wasnt empty at first" Apo mocked as they pulled another lantern out of their bag. "Shut the fuck up." Rasbi responded as she took the lantern with a small thanks.
The two hung out for the rest of the night, cleaning and drying Apo's jacket in the lake; and then doing some fishing for a while.
Apparently neither of them remembered to look up at the sky or check a clock. Because soon the sun was rising, and for once, Rasbi truly felt at peace within the maze.
"Fuuuuck." Apo muttered as he leaned back against the rocks. "Whats wrong? Did you stay up past your bedtimee?" Rasbi fell back aswell. The stone got comfortable after a while.
"Shut the fuck up, we're the same age. But no its just that Owen asked us both to go in the maze, remember?" Oh. Yeah Rasbi had forgotten.
"We can't cancel on him because we rarely even see him but- if I die in there I'm blaming it on you." Apo sat up to glare at her. They were joking, obviously, Apo didnt care about sleep not if his hours in their panic theory room said anything.
"What happened to caring about mee?" Rasbi laughed and tried her best to make puppy dog eyes.
"What are you-stop that never do that again."Apo's horror was truly evident as he threw a huge splash of water at her face.
Rasbi screamed and pushed him into the lake, only for her plan to backfire as they pulled her down with him.
Rasbi couldn't fight her smile anymore, At least they'd be refreshed when they went to go see Owen.
"So do you both have armour?" Owen glanced back at the demons, they all knew he'd be willing to give them his armour.
"Yeah me and Apo went mining this morning!" Rasbi smiled, after getting drenched they both decided to mine. Atleast to get something out of the scenario.
"Its Apo and I, Rasbi" Owen playfully corrected her, only to get elbowed in the stomach. He muttered a smal ow that went unheard by the other two.
"Wow Rasbi, where you never taught proper eloquent?" Apo taunted as he adjusted the crown like helmet on his head.
"Why are you both teaming up on meee?" Rasbi cried as the trio entered the maze.
"We aren't teaming up on your Rasbi-" Owen tried reassuring her before Apo cut him off.
"No we're most definitely teaming up on you, Owen's just trying to make you feel better."
"Wha-Hey! Apooo!" And then the two ran off.
A small chase had started within the maze, the deadly maze filled with traps and monsters.
Owen sighed as he began running after them,, sometimes it truly did feel like he was looking after children. They were both eighteen and well, Owen was in his thirties now.
All he could hope was that nothing happened to them. He'd never forgive himself if it did.