Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was supposed to be a simple job... How did it go so horribly wrong?

Of course, things didn't start off that way. Disasters rarely announce their presence with bright neon signs. If they did, they wouldn't be disasters, would they?

Claus was in high spirits as he marched through the southern reaches of Sunshine Forest. It had been ages since he had the opportunity to venture outside the village. His every breath was a blessing in this marvelous place. Each step placated his growing sense of independence.

Desperate to escape the ever-watchful eye of his mother, Claus had accepted a burden of charity. His entire family was staying at his grandfather Alec's house for the week. Unfortunately for them, the forgetful man hadn't adequately prepared for their presence. They were short on several basic supplies, most notably food. In order to last the week, they would need to replenish their stock. To that end, Claus had agreed to pick up supplies from a merchant to the south of the village.

To most thirteen-year-old boys, this would be a terrible burden. To Claus, it was an adventure. Alec's cabin was far to the north, and the merchant was way down south. This was perhaps the furthest from the village he had ever been, and the greatest distance he had ever traveled unaccompanied by an adult. Though, he wasn't alone in this task.

His best friend Fuel had caught sight of him on his way to the village, and asked to tag along. Claus didn't know why he would be interested in this type of busywork, but chose not to question it. He hadn't seen much of Fuel recently. If the other boy was willing to tag along, then Claus would gladly have him.

As they walked, Claus found his eyes drifting over to his companion. Fuel was quite an energetic boy, and one of the few people that Claus dared to call friend. He was the same age as Claus, with deep chocolate brown eyes and matching brown hair. Like most other people in Tazmily Village, he dressed simply, sporting a pair of black shorts and a red and white tee-shirt. His long awkward strides gave him a laid-back aura, which Claus found strangely endearing.

Claus was dressed just as casually as his companion, sporting a pair of orange shorts that near-perfectly matched his hair. He wore a yellow and teal striped shirt, which was hardly good for camouflage, but made him distinctive in his own way. As the climate of Tazmily was fairly mild year-round, their appearance rarely varied much.

For reasons that Claus couldn't quite explain, he found himself staring at Fuel a lot more than he used to. Why would he do something like that? It wasn't like he was gonna forget the appearance of one of his only friends. Yet, for some reason, it was becoming more and more difficult to tear his gaze away from the boy.

It wasn't just the staring either. Some rather odd feelings would sometimes wash over Claus when he caught sight of his long-time friend. His heart would speed up, his face would get flushed, and he'd feel little pinpricks underneath his skin. It was almost as though something was trapped inside him, desperate for a chance to escape. Just what were these strange feelings? Perhaps-

“Uhh... Claus? Are you all right?”

Claus blinked, snapping himself out of his self-indulgent daydream. With a start, he realized that he'd been gazing blankly at Fuel for at least a solid thirty seconds now. Evidently, this hadn't gone unnoticed by his companion. Face heating up with embarrassment, he snapped his head back to the front, desperately fumbling for a response.

“Y-Yeah! Fine! Just got lost in thought for a minute there.”

Fuel grinned mischievously. “Oh? Are you sure about that? You're not scared, are you? Afraid a Fae might jump out of the brush and spirit you away?”

Claus turned back to Fuel, his piercing green eyes narrowing as he glared daggers at the boy. “Ha ha... Very funny. I'm not scared of anything! Besides, the Fae aren't dangerous. They're more of a nuisance than anything.”

“I dunno...” Fuel trilled, not looking the least bit convinced. “There's plenty to be scared of from what I hear. Someone once told me a story about a Fae who kidnapped a few kids from the village, dragging them kicking and screaming deep into the forest. None of them were ever heard from again.”

Claus rolled his eyes. This was so typical of Fuel... Trying to ignite his imagination with all kinds of nonsensical horror stories. As was the case with most things, stories tend to get warped and exaggerated over time, eventually becoming more fiction than fact. His mother had spent nearly half an hour talking his ear off about Fae before letting him go, warning him of the dangers they presented. He was certain that he knew a great deal more about them than his companion did.

“They have a reputation for being pranksters, but it's rare for them to be aggressive,” Claus explained, taking advantage of the opportunity to show off his knowledge to Fuel. “They're living embodiments of the forest. So long as you aren't harming the local wildlife, they'll generally leave you alone. Besides, there's only been a handful of sightings near Tazmily. They tend to stay away from human cities.”

“Well, well, well...” Droned Fuel, casually folding his hands behind his head as he smirked at Claus. “Check out the super genius over here! Know everything there is to know, do you?”

As he extended a hand towards the other, Claus mimicked his self-satisfied smirk. “I think it's you who's scared, not me. You could always hold my hand if it makes you feel better.”

“Tch... Trying to shift your feelings onto me so you have an excuse to hold my hand... That's a Claus tactic if there ever was one.”

Despite his complaining, Fuel ended up giving in. Decoupling his hands from behind his head, he slowly reached over and took Claus's hand. The ginger boy felt himself relax as Fuel's warm fingers curled around his own, linking him with the other boy.

Secretly, Claus actually did want to hold Fuel's hand, and he was fairly certain that the brown-haired boy shared this desire. Of course, neither of them would ever admit it, as they were both far too prideful to speak such thoughts out loud. Teenage boys could be stubborn like that sometimes.

He couldn't remember the first time they held hands. It was quite a recent development though, as they hadn't done it when they were younger. While he might not have been scared, being physically tied to the other boy made him feel secure in a way he couldn't quite articulate. It was just... Nice.

They teased and traded insults with one another at every turn, but none of it was real. If anything, it served as a sign of their deep bond. The fact that neither of them ever held a grudge for the harsh words they exchanged was a testament to that fact. Claus trusted Fuel implicitly. He'd gladly leave his life in the other boy's hands without the slightest bit of hesitation. Though, that made it all the sadder that they didn't see each other as often as they used to...

For the next several minutes, the duo traveled in silence, slowly walking along the well-trodden path through the woods. Claus affectionately stroked the back of Fuel's hand with his thumb as they went. It served as an unspoken sign of his fealty towards the other boy. As they seldom shared such feelings with words, this was the only way he could think of to communicate this fact.

Eventually, Fuel broke the silence. “This is pretty far out of the way for a trader. Who would set up shop in the middle of the woods like this?”

Claus shrugged. “I thought the same thing, but this is where my mom told me to go. Apparently, this merchant is some kind of hermit. The goods have all been paid for, we just have to find her.”

“Her?”

“Yeah, it's a lady. I think mom said her name was... Ionia.”

They only had to walk a few more minutes before arriving at their destination. It stuck out like a sore thumb. Claus had to resist the urge to gasp aloud when he saw it.

Whoever this merchant was, she had the strangest house he'd ever seen. It looked like a giant pink shell that had sprouted out of the ground. The trees themselves seemed to be afraid of it, as no plant life other than grass grew within a twenty-yard radius of the building.

“Wow...” Fuel remarked. “The architect who designed that must've gotten their hands on a few of those special mushrooms that grow on Tanetane Island!”

Claus giggled at that. “Maybe, but we're not here to criticize her taste in architecture. Let's go get the supplies.”

Unfortunately, the two of them were forced to release each other's hands as they approached the house. Most of the people of Tazmily were very kind, but many of them held some rather old-fashioned ideas about that sort of behavior. It was a fact that both of them were all too aware of. Neither of them wanted to risk upsetting the merchant before they'd received the goods. Sometimes, sacrifices like this were a necessary evil. They shouldn't be, but they were.

Cautiously, the duo approached the front door. Claus exchanged a nervous glance with Fuel before raising his hand and knocking on the door, calling out as he did so.

"Uhh... Hello? We're here to pick up a package for Hinawa.”

It only took a few seconds before the door swung wide open, revealing its occupant. Claus took a half step backwards as he caught a glimpse of the owner. She looked shady, her face completely concealed underneath a dark velvet hood. Only the firm hand of Fuel on his shoulder stopped him from retreating further. His steadfast grip served as a reminder of his support. Claus knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the boy would gladly throw himself in between Claus and the merchant if she turned out to be hostile, using his own body as a shield. His protective instinct was strong like that.

“Oh dear... No need to be afraid, child!” The woman tittered gleefully. “It's necessary for me to conceal my face sometimes, but rest assured, I have no intention of causing you any harm!”

Her voice was almost unnaturally serene. It stood in stark contrast to her mysterious appearance. Playful and light, it seemed to reverberate through the air like a song, soothing Claus's anxiety and assuring him that all was well.

“O-Oh... Ok. Sorry...” Claus stammered awkwardly, trying to reorient himself. “Like I said, we're here to pick up a package for Hinawa. Are you Ionia?”

“I am indeed!” She exclaimed heartily. “And you must be Claus! Your mother has told me all about you!” Her head moved, honing in on Fuel. “And who might this other strapping young man be?”

“I'm uhh... Fuel,” spluttered the brown-haired boy, a little taken aback. “Claus is my friend. I'm escorting him on this little errand.”

“Ahh, I see!” She replied. “That's quite wise, these woods can be hazardous to those traveling alone. Oh, but listen to me prattle on! You have a job to do and I'm holding you up! Wait here for just a moment, I'll get what you came for.”

The mysterious woman disappeared in a flash, retreating deeper into the house. As the boys stood in awkward silence, all kinds of strange noises began emanating from within. The sound of drawers being thrown open, objects knocked every which way, and furniture being overturned filled their ears.

Claus was decidedly uncomfortable, and Fuel seemed to concur. He noted that the boy was standing slightly closer to him than usual as the merchant puttered about. It made Claus smile a bit. For all his bluster, Fuel didn't cope very well with stressful situations. His higher brain functions went straight out the window the minute things got out of hand. Claus decided to take pity on the poor guy, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. It was the least he could do.

Eventually, the merchant returned, looking haggard and out of breath. In her hands was a large tan-colored backpack. It was so full that it looked like it might explode at any second. Claus could only assume that it held the supplies he'd been sent to fetch.

“Whew!” She exclaimed, leaning against the door frame for support. “I really need to clean this place up sometime!”

Her demeanor seemed to change a bit then. It was hard to tell with the hood on, but Claus was pretty sure she was casting her gaze between the two of them. After a brief pause, she spoke, her tone far more reflective than it had been previously.

“You two are very close, aren't you?”

Claus was surprised at the question, but did his best to form a response. “He's my best friend. So yeah, we're pretty close.”

Ionia let out a slight chuckle. “I've always been good at reading people. I can see that it's a little bit more complicated than that. Either way, do me a favor? Take care of each other. It doesn't take psychic powers to see that your fates are intertwined. Great things lie in store for the both of you. I guarantee it.”

“I always take care of him!” Fuel exclaimed, throwing an arm around Claus's shoulder. He didn't seem the least bit daunted by her ominous words. “He gets into trouble and I bail him out! It's just how things work around here.”

“Excuse me!?!” Cried the orange-haired boy, shrugging off Fuel's arm and glaring indignantly.

The merchant let out a small chuckle. “I suppose I didn't need to say anything. You two seem to be doing just fine already.”

With that, she handed Claus the backpack, which he accepted. It was so unbelievably heavy that he almost dropped it the second it was handed off. Seriously... Just how much junk did his mom buy from this lady?

Their business concluded, Ionia shut the door without another word, leaving the two boys alone. They stared at the closed door for a long minute before Fuel finally spoke.

“Just what the hell was that all about? She talked like some kind of seer.”

Claus shrugged. “Dunno... What a strange lady...”

Groaning with effort, the green-eyed boy slung the heavy backpack over his shoulders, preparing to make the long trek home. As he did so, he noticed Fuel grinning broadly at him from the sidelines. He already knew what that meant. A snarky comment was about to be sent flying in his direction.

“Need a hand with that?” Quipped the brown-haired boy. “The taller of us should probably handle the heavy lifting.”

Claus huffed with irritation as he did his best to brush off the remark. Fuel was taller than him by one inch... exactly one inch. The height difference was just barely noticeable, but Fuel milked it for all it was worth. It was his favorite way of annoying Claus.

“I can carry it myself,” Claus growled, adjusting the straps to fit his frame. “Just try not to smack your head on any low-hanging tree branches on the way back. I'd be really annoyed if I had to haul both this backpack AND your unconscious body back to the village.”

They traded smug grins as Fuel extended a hand to Claus. Just like that, their little verbal sparring match was over. Once again, the two of them linked hands and set off on their way, not feeling the slightest trace of animosity towards each other. That was just how they were.

After they'd been walking for a bit, Fuel tried to reignite a conversion. “What's in that backpack anyways? It's practically overflowing.”

“Dunno...” Claus shrugged. “My mom didn't tell me. I'm assuming it's mostly food, but I don't want to open it and find out. Like you said, it's overflowing. If a bunch of stuff falls out, it's gonna be a huge pain to repack it.”

They walked in silence for several more minutes. As they went, Claus could sense a growing air of tension between the two of them. Fuel's grip on his hand was ever-so-slightly tighter than usual. A subtle sign, but Claus picked up on it right away. It seemed that there was something Fuel wanted to get off his chest.

Sure enough, he turned to Claus a few seconds later, his features painted with an odd expression that Claus couldn't quite identify. “I'm glad you let me come with you. I've really missed you... We hardly ever get to see each other anymore.”

Claus had to resist the urge to gasp at that. It was extremely rare for either of them to declare their feelings in such a direct fashion. Nevertheless, Claus tried to take it in stride. For all the casual mockery they did, it was sometimes necessary to reign in the quips.

“My mom has been super paranoid ever since the Drago attack,” was the response he eventually settled on. “She's barely let me out of her sight for over four years now. This is the first time she's let me leave the village alone since then. I'd like to see you more often, but your house is outside the village walls. She thinks I'm gonna get eaten or something if she lets me go out there.”

Fuel scoffed. “Well, she needs to knock that crap off. You're thirteen, not five. My dad has been letting me use his hatchet since I was seven! We're plenty old enough to be able to do some things unsupervised. I shouldn't need her permission to see my best friend.”

“I agree completely, but it'll be hard to convince my mom of that. This little errand is a good start. Once she sees that I'm able to do stuff on my own, she might-”

Claus was cut off as Fuel abruptly stopped. His eyes were staring straight ahead, pupils dilated with fear. Following his gaze, Claus quickly located the source of his distress. He inadvertently tightened his grip on Fuel's hand when he saw it.

There was something bizarre standing in the road in front of them. It looked vaguely like a little girl, perhaps nine or ten years old. Of course, this was no ordinary little girl. Her skin was tinted an unnatural shade of blue, and her hair was white as snow. She wore an elaborate dress constructed of countless interwoven leaves of various colors and shapes. Perhaps the most disturbing part of her appearance was her eyes. They lacked any sort of pupil or iris. Instead, they were pure sclera. She looked like she was possessed.

“W-What's wrong with that girl?” Fuel whispered in a shaky voice.

“That's not a girl...” Claus breathed, desperately trying to control the terror working its way through him. “That's a Fae. They're shapeshifters. They can look like anything they want.”

The boys tried to move away, but it was already too late. They'd barely taken a single step before the Fae spotted them. A devious smile formed on its face as it locked onto them. Even with its lack of fully formed eyes, it seemed to have no difficulty seeing them.

“Oh no...” Fuel squeaked, gripping Claus's hand so tightly that his knuckles were white. “It sees us! What do we do?!?”

“Stand your ground,” Claus ordered, trying to assert some degree of control over the rapidly deteriorating situation. “Don't let it see that we're afraid.”

It was a futile effort and Claus knew it perfectly well. The two of them looked like a pair of startled rabbits facing down a wolf. Still, he had to try. Even if it cost him everything, he couldn't let this thing hurt Fuel. He wouldn't allow it! Not in a million years!

As it approached, Claus's mind ran through all the tales of the Fae he'd heard over the years. Most of them painted the creatures as devious tricksters, willing to do anything for a little fun. Others portrayed them as monsters, attacking and killing humans on sight. For their sake, Claus really hoped they were just stories to frighten children. If they weren't...

Something inside Fuel seemed to snap. Once the Fae was but a few yards away, he sprang into action. Releasing his grip on Claus, he lunged forward, waving his hand about like some kind of magician as he screamed at the top of his voice. “Begone wicked spirit! Return to the depths of the forest from whence you came!”

The creature halted its advance, looking surprised for a moment before uttering an odd giggling noise. Then, it spoke. “No... I don't think I'll do that. I'm happy where I am.”

Fuel lurched backwards so violently that Claus had to catch him before he ended up falling flat on his butt. He extended a finger out towards the creature, shaking violently as he tried to form words.

“D-Did you hear that!?!” He squealed. “It talks!”

“Of course I talk,” the Fae replied, putting its hands on its hips. “What do you think I am, a dummy?”

Truthfully, Claus almost reacted in the exact same way his companion did. The Fae's voice didn't match the form it had taken at all. It sounded neither masculine nor feminine, and was most certainly not the voice of a young girl. It was low and droning, seeming to bounce off the trees and reverberate through the air. Most unsettling of all, the words didn't even seem to come from the Fae's mouth. Claus could hear it speak as if the creature was whispering directly into his inner ear. It was the eeriest sensation he had ever experienced.

“W-We just need to get past here,” Claus explained, desperately trying to keep his head on straight.

The spirit tilted its head, placing a hand on its chin as it hummed thoughtfully. “Hmmm... No.”

“No? What do you mean, no?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. I don't feel like letting you pass.”

“Wha- Why not!?!” Exclaimed Fuel, finally managing to right himself.

It shrugged. “I just don't feel like it.”

Claus felt a burst of anger surge through him. Just who did this thing think it was? It might be a spirit of the forest, but that didn't mean it owned the place. They had just as much right to travel through this area as it did. Perhaps it needed to be taught a lesson.

“Listen, thing...” Claus spat, taking an aggressive step forward. “This is the only trail leading back to Tazmily. We have to pass through it if we ever want to get home. There's two of us and one of you. If you don't get out of the way, then we'll make you move!”

The spirit changed its stance, spreading its arms and legs wide as it cast its gaze upwards towards the sky. Almost instantly, an intense gust of wind blew through the clearing, as if summoned by the creature. It was so intense that Claus was nearly knocked off his feet. Gale force winds pummeled him from every angle, whipping his hair in every direction as he desperately tried to keep his balance. He was forced to close his eyes as he was pushed back, his sense of direction completely lost in the swirling vortex of air.

It ended just as quickly as it began. Chaos gave weigh to order as the creature lowered its arms. The winds calmed as soon as it did so, as if the spirit's will was the only thing sustaining them.

Claus and Fuel breathed heavily as they stood motionless, completely caught off guard by the sudden onslaught. The green-eyed boy could feel some kind of intangible force emanating from the creature, like little pinpricks all over his skin. He had no idea what was causing it, but it was clear that this Fae was far more powerful than he first suspected.

“There might be two of you, but I have magic,” said the Fae, returning to its previous stance. “That was just a sample of my power. I could easily defeat the two of you if you forced the issue.”

“Please...” Fuel whined desperately. “We just wanna go home! Please let us pass!”

Once again, the Fae stroked its chin thoughtfully. After carefully considering its response, it spoke again. “Hmm... I think I have an idea! Here's what we'll do: I'll ask the two of you a riddle, and you have exactly one minute to solve it. If you answer correctly, I'll let you pass!”

Claus quirked an eyebrow. “And what if we can't figure it out? Or get the wrong answer?”

The spirit giggled. “I'll still let you pass, but I get to exact a punishment!”

“What's the punishment?”

“I can't tell you. It's my little secret.”

Fuel visibly paled. “No way! Don't do it, Claus! This is how all the old stories go! She'll give us some super hard riddle that we can't solve, and then make us her slaves when we get it wrong! We'll be dragged off into the forest and never seen again!”

The Fae huffed irritably. “Fine, I'll give you a clue: the punishment doesn't involve any sort of physical pain or indentured servitude.”

Claus bit his lip as he considered the situation. This was a trick... It had to be! Why else would this Fae want to have a wager like this? It must have some hidden agenda that the boys were unaware of. The real question was: what was it?

“Or you could refuse,” said the Fae, shrugging nonchalantly. “I won't stop you if you try to cut through the woods and go around to the eastern entrance instead. Though, I wouldn't do that if I were you. You'd have to go off the trail and face all that the woods have to offer. I doubt the local Muttshrooms would appreciate you stomping around their territory. They might decide that a pair of teenage boys makes for a great snack!”

The ginger-haired boy gulped as he considered the spirit's words. Despite its pleasant name, Sunshine Forest could be extremely dangerous to the unprepared. The trails were mostly safe, as the local wildlife tended to avoid them, but there were all kinds of dangerous creatures lurking in the deep woods. If they tried to go around, they would have to face them head-on. Was he really prepared to put himself and Fuel in harm's way to avoid playing the spirit's game?

He decided to get Fuel's opinion on the matter. Turning to his companion, he spoke in a controlled tone. “What do you think? Try to solve the riddle? Or go around?”

Fuel pursed his lips, digesting all the new information that the Fae had given them. After taking a moment to consider, he sighed, shook his head, and turned to Claus with another of those odd expressions he couldn't quite place. “I honestly have no idea. It seems like we have nothing but bad options. You're the smart one, Claus. Go ahead and do whatever you think is best. I'll back you up no matter what you decide.”

Claus smiled wistfully at Fuel's words. It was nice that the boy trusted him with something like this. On the other hand, it meant that both of their lives now rested solely in his hands. This wouldn't be easy...

Taking a deep calming breath, Claus considered his options carefully. The spirit had promised they wouldn't come to physical harm if they failed to answer its riddle correctly. That was assuming it was telling the truth, of course. Even so, there were all kinds of horrible punishments that Claus could think of that didn't involve physical pain or suffering. There was also the fact that he didn't know what kind of riddle the Fae would ask. There were a lot of unknown variables to account for if he decided to try and solve the riddle.

On the other hand, he could try going around. There were far fewer unknown variables down that road, as Claus knew the dangers of the forest all too well... Which was exactly the problem. Venomous snakes, hostile carnivores, and all sorts of other dangers lay in store for them if they wandered off the path. Could he live with himself if Fuel got hurt because he decided to venture off into the woods? No... Probably not.

It seemed that Claus's path was clear. Secretly, he was sure that Fuel would have preferred trying to go around, but was unwilling to say it out loud. Despite this, Claus was unwilling to risk his friend's safety when there was an alternative option. Fuel was just that important to him.

“All right... We'll play your little game. What's the riddle?” Said Claus, wincing as Fuel visibly cringed beside him.

The Fae practically jumped for joy at his words. “Wonderful! I was hoping you'd say that! Now, listen carefully, as I won't repeat myself! Here's the riddle...”

“Your best-kept secrets are plain to me, though I myself am rarely seen. I'm the first one on and the last one off, so important is my role to thee. Embarrassment is an emotion I frequently evoke, though your shame would be far greater without me! What am I?”

“You've got sixty seconds to figure it out,” the Fae finished. “Go!”

Claus's mouth opened and closed several times like a fish out of water. He was beginning to think he'd made a terrible mistake.

“Fifty seconds.”

The words bounced around in Claus's head like a ping-pong ball. None of it made any sense! How was he supposed to figure out something like that!?!

“Forty seconds.”

Heart rate rapidly accelerating, Claus put every brain cell he had to work. Some kind of ship captain, perhaps? That would fit the second clue, but he had no idea how it related to the first or third parts.

“Thirty seconds.”

Claus risked a glance over at Fuel and immediately regretted it. The boy was staring at him wide-eyed, clearly just as lost as he was.

“Twenty seconds.”

This was it... They were gonna fail the challenge! No matter how hard he tried, Claus couldn't even begin to put the pieces together! He was screwed!

“Ten seconds.”

“C-Claus...” Fuel stammered, staring pleadingly at Claus with those big brown eyes. “Please...”

“Five seconds...”

With no time left, Claus decided to make another option for himself. With lightning speed, he reached out and snatched Fuel's hand, staring the boy straight in the face as he screamed a command at the top of his lungs.

“RUN!!!”

Dragging the bewildered boy along for the ride, Claus began sprinting off towards the woods. He had no idea what sort of punishment awaited them, but he sure as hell wasn't sticking around to find out! There was no way he'd let this creepy little spirit-girl get the best of him!

They barely made it five steps before a familiar shape appeared in front of them. Using some kind of magic that Claus couldn't comprehend, it had teleported directly in front of them, blocking their escape. They were trapped!

The blue-skinned creature grinned sadistically as they came screeching to a halt before it. “Time's up! No answer is considered a wrong answer! You lose! Now it's time to pay the price!”

Claus tried to escape, but it was far too late. The Fae extended its pale blue hands outwards, placing a single finger on the chest of each boy. One touch was all it took. As soon as the finger made contact, Claus was overcome by a sense of extreme fatigue.

Fighting the sensation with everything he had, Claus tried to remain awake. The world around him became darker as his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Eventually, it was simply too much. Unable to fight the phantom of sleep any longer, the ginger-haired boy collapsed to the ground, the world around him going black as his eyes slid shut.

*****

“Ugh...” Groaned Claus, rousing from his unnatural slumber.

As his eyes slowly flickered open, the boy found himself staring straight up at the sky. He had no idea how long he'd been out, but based on the fact that the sun had barely moved since he last looked at it, he assumed it was less than half an hour.

Blinking rapidly to hasten his recovery, Claus sat up. To his relief, he felt no pain or discomfort. He was a bit groggy from whatever spell had been cast on him, but with luck, that should go away fairly quickly. It seemed that the Fae had been at least somewhat truthful.

Speaking of the Fae, it was nowhere to be found. Scanning the surrounding area revealed nothing but trees. With luck, this would be the last they saw of it. Good riddance as far as Claus was concerned.

A soft groan from a short distance away caught Claus's attention. Turning his body towards the source, he caught sight of Fuel beginning to stir. A few seconds later, his companion regained consciousness, drawing himself up into a sitting position as he gazed blearily at the ginger boy.

“Claus...?” Droned the brown-haired boy, still coming out of his little coma. “What happened?”

Claus didn't answer him right away. He was far too busy taking in the unbelievable sight that lay before him. The second he got a good look at Fuel, he burst into hysterical laughter, pointing and laughing at the confused boy as he tried to make sense of things.

“What?” Fuel grunted irritably. “What's so funny?”

“D-Dude!” Claus managed through fits of giggling. “You're in your underwear!”

Fuel shook off any remaining grogginess almost immediately after hearing that. His eyes grew wide as he looked down at himself. Sure enough, Claus was telling the truth. Fuel's shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes were nowhere to be found. A pair of bright red boxer briefs were the only thing guarding his dignity.

“GAH!!!” He shrieked, hopping to his feet and looking around frantically. “What the- Where's my clothes!?!”

Claus continued to point and laugh as Fuel's face turned the same color as his undies. His head swung wildly back and forth as he desperately searched for any sign of his clothes. Unfortunately for him, there was nothing. The only thing left in the area was the two of them.

Fuel's agitation quickly subsided once his gaze fell on Claus. His expression went blank for a moment before he too burst into a fit of giggles. Leveling a finger at the green-eyed boy, he unveiled a revelation of his own. “You're one to talk... Tighty whitey boy!”

Any sense of amusement was immediately replaced by a crushing sense of fear. With ice in his blood, Claus looked down at himself. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest as he confirmed the truthfulness of Fuel's words. Claus was clad in his simple white briefs... And nothing else.

Unable to stop himself from letting out an embarrassing shriek of terror, Claus sprang to his feet, wrapping his arms around himself in a futile attempt to shield himself from Fuel's gaze. His face felt like white-hot lava had been dumped all over it as Fuel's laughter rang out across the forest. What in the world was going on here!?!

“T-They're called briefs! And they're totally normal, you jerk!” Claus retaliated, desperate to salvage some small amount of dignity from this horrible mess.

Fuel waved a hand dismissively, his laughter beginning to subside. “Whatever you say, dude. It's not like I care. Besides, it's not all bad! Now you get a bird's eye view of my awesome muscles! Lucky you!”

The brown-haired boy began to perform a series of highly exaggerated flexing motions, showing off his body in a self-indulgent display of vanity. Despite the conceited nature of his little demonstration, Claus couldn't help but feel those odd emotions he'd been struggling with recently begin to flare up again.

Fuel's father was the village woodcutter, and Fuel spent a great deal of time assisting him with his craft. He spent most of his days cutting down trees and splitting logs into usable firewood. While Claus wouldn't call him muscular, all that physical labor was starting to give his friend a bit of muscle tone that he himself lacked. He found himself strangely drawn to it. Though, it had the other unfortunate side effect of making him increasingly insecure about his own meager frame.

Claus couldn't help but stare. The longer he looked, the more intense the feelings became. He'd never seen his friend with such a minimal amount of clothing before. His skin felt like it was covered in little pinpricks, his heart rate sped up, and his face kept getting hotter and hotter. It was too much! He couldn't take it anymore!

Turning away, Claus buried his burning face in his hands, desperately attempting to shield himself from what was happening in front of him. He wasn't sure what this feeling was, but he didn't like it one bit. Why was he feeling this way? What in the world was even happening? Nothing made sense anymore!

“H-Hey!” Came the concerned voice of Fuel, taking note of his reaction. “I'm sorry! I was just messin' around! I didn't mean to upset you!”

Casual mockery was practically their second language. There was a limit to how much each one of them could take, however, and Fuel seemed to realize that he'd stepped over the line. Just as Claus was about to try and respond, a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. His head jerked up and his eyes grew wide as he called out to Fuel in dismay.

“Oh no... The bag! Where's the supplies!?!”

Fuel's expression went from concerned to alarmed as he absorbed Claus's words. Putting aside this little incident, both boys immediately began frantically searching the area, desperate to find the missing bag. Luckily, it didn't take long for Claus to find it. It was partially concealed by some shrubbery not far from where he'd fallen. Yanking it loose from the entangling branches, Claus retrieved his charge.

“I've got it!” He called triumphantly.

Fuel raced over, still panicked. “Did it take anything?”

“No. It's just as heavy as when we started. Seems like it just took our clothes.”

The brown-haired boy huffed, placing both his hands on his hips. The novelty of the situation had officially worn off. Now, it was time for them to start putting the pieces back together.

“So... Is this our punishment?” Inquired Fuel. “It stole most of our clothes? How does that make any sense?”

Claus was about to second his confusion when a thought occurred to him. No... It couldn't be... Could it? All the clues seemed to add up. Could it really be-

“What?” Fuel pressed, noticing his reaction. “You know something?”

“Underwear...” Claus droned.

The other boy rolled his eyes. “Yes Claus, I'm well aware-”

“No, Fuel,” he interrupted. “That's the answer to the riddle. Think about it... It hides the well-kept secret of what's between your legs while rarely being seen itself, it's usually the first piece of clothing you put on and the last one you take off, and it's embarrassing to be caught in your underwear, but much worse to be completely naked. It all fits!”

Fuel opened and closed his mouth several times before taking on a look of grim acceptance. “Oh... Yeah, I guess that does make sense...”

For a long time, they stood there in silence, allowing the information to sink in. It must have been very humorous to the Fae, but now the boys had to find a way to deal with the humiliating situation they'd been placed in. After all, they still had to get home.

“C'mon, let's start walking,” declared Claus, throwing the bag over his shoulder and wincing a bit at the sensation of the harsh straps digging into his bare skin. “We can come up with a plan once we get to the village gate.”

Fuel had no argument, nodding stoically and trotting along after him.

The walk back to the gate was extremely awkward. They weren't holding hands anymore, neither of them even attempted it. Such an action was intimate enough when they were fully clothed, much less like this. Not to mention the fact that they had to hug the side of the trail the entire time in case somebody came along. The southern trail was usually abandoned, so they felt relatively safe, but there was always the chance that somebody could come by. While Claus wasn't relishing the thought of diving into the bushes, it might prove necessary to avoid public embarrassment.

This whole nightmare was made even worse by his infuriating emotions. Claus had to consciously fight the urge to look over at Fuel the whole way. His eyes so desperately wanted to wander over to the other boy... To observe his toned body, watch his confident stride, and drink in his determined expression. He was positively envious of the other boy. Claus was practically dying inside, while Fuel seemed totally nonchalant about being mostly naked in front of him. It was maddening!

Luckily, they managed to reach the gate without encountering another soul. Now came the hard part... Actually getting through it without being seen.

Claus sighed as he dropped the heavy bag on the ground beside him, giving his shoulder a temporary reprieve. “Got any ideas of how we can get through the city unseen?” He asked.

Fuel shot him a dirty look. “Are you kidding? You're seriously considering going inside like this!?!” He gestured down at himself, accentuating his point. “We'll get caught for sure! And then we'll be the laughing stock of the entire town! Is that what you want!?!”

Claus's temper flared as he spat back at the boy. “Well, we have to get home somehow! We can't stay out here forever!”

“Why don't we just go around?” Fuel suggested. “We'll avoid people altogether.”

“Are you nuts!?! The whole reason I agreed to play that game in the first place was so we could avoid that! Do you have a death wish!?!”

“Which was stupid! You should've told that thing exactly where it could shove its riddle and gone around! Now we're gonna be totally humiliated in front of everyone! Thanks a lot, Claus!”

“You let me make the choice, and I decided to try and save your life! A decision that I'm starting to regret!”

They had crept closer to each other as the screaming match intensified. Now only inches apart, they both stopped to take a breath, panting heavily as the heated argument came to an end. Slowly but surely, Claus began to reign in his temper, taking a few calming breaths as he took a step back.

Fuel matched his gesture, his furious expression growing somber as he spoke. “I'm sorry... This is just really stressing me out and I took it out on you. You're right, I let you make the choice. I shouldn't be blaming you for this.”

“No, it's all right,” Claus replied, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding. “We're both anxious. Let's forget about what happened and try to come up with a solution.”

Fuel nodded, his expression turning pensive as he began to do just that. Claus did the same, running simulations of different scenarios and options in his head as he tried to figure out a solution. Suddenly, the brown-haired boy piped up, pointing down at the ground beside Claus as he spoke in a nervous tone.

“Uhh... Hey Claus, where'd the bag go?”

His green eyes honed in on the spot where Fuel was pointing. Sure enough, the bag he'd set down just a minute ago had vanished.

“W-What!?!” Claus cried, probing the spot where it once sat with his bare foot. “It was right here! Where could it possibly have gone!?!”

“Claus! Look!”

Looking up, Claus could see that his friend's eyes were pointed at one of the trees near the village entrance. Scanning the tree, he found exactly what Fuel was referring to. It was... He couldn't believe it!

A small brown monkey sat on one of the higher branches of the tree, idly picking at bark as it lazily swung its tail back and forth. Claus broke into a cold sweat when he saw what was strapped to its back. It was a large tan-colored backpack.

The supplies! That monkey must've swiped the supplies while he and Fuel were arguing!

“Hey!!!” Claus howled up at the monkey. “That's mine! Give it back!”

Temporarily abandoning its task, the animal cast a disinterested glance down at the boys. Then it did something that made Claus's blood boil. It stuck its tongue out at him.

“Listen here whatever your name is! You'd better return that right now or else-”

“Salsa,” Fuel deadpanned.

“What?” Questioned Claus, more than a little annoyed at having been caught off.

“That's the name on its tag. Look there.”

Fuel pointed to the creature's neck. Sure enough, there was a thin blue collar tied around it, attached to which was a small gold tag. It was hard to read at this distance, but Claus was pretty sure it said exactly what Fuel said it did. Salsa.

“Fine...” Claus grumbled, returning his attention to the monkey. “Listen here, Salsa! Those are supplies meant for my family you can't just-”

Not waiting for him to finish, the monkey began working his way to the edge of the branch, completely ignoring him. For such a small animal, he carried the heavy bag with remarkable ease. Then, the worst possible thing that could've happened came to pass.

With a mighty leap, Salsa hopped from the tree straight to the village wall. Claus's blood turned to ice as the monkey clambered over the wall and casually dropped down onto the other side. He was inside Tazmily now!

“AHHH!!! NO!!!” Claus screamed, grabbing two fistfuls of his hair and just barely resisting the urge to rip it out.

“Crap!” Exclaimed Fuel, only slightly less horrified than Claus was. “He's inside the village! We can't get to him now! What do we do!?!”

“Come on!” Cried Claus, heading straight for the small door built into the base of the village gate. “We've gotta catch that little monster!”

He just managed to get his hand on the knob before Fuel stopped him, placing his own hand over Claus's as he cried out in protest. “Are you outta your mind!?! Did you forget that we're in our underwear!?! Somebody's gonna see us!”

“I don't have a choice!” Argued the ginger-haired boy. “My mom already paid for all that stuff! She's gonna kill me if I come home without it! We're just gonna have to sneak through the village without being seen and catch that monkey!”

“Claus... I can't... That's-”

“Fuel... Please help me. I'm begging you! I don't know if I can do this without you!”

He looked to his best friend pleadingly, just barely holding back tears. Maybe Claus was being a bit manipulative, but he absolutely had to get that bag back. His mom would bring the wrath of heaven down upon him if he came back empty-handed. Plus, all their food for the week was probably contained within that pack. The entire family would go hungry without it. There was no danger of anyone starving to death, but he'd be surrounded by aggravated hungry people for the entire week... And that was almost worse!

Fuel looked conflicted, his chocolate brown eyes pointed straight at the ground as he gritted his teeth. Eventually, he broke, just as Claus knew he would.

“Grr... All right!” Fuel growled through clenched teeth. “You're lucky I can't say no to you!”

It was a fact that Claus was well aware of. He smiled graciously back at Fuel in an attempt to hide the grin threatening to spread across his face, muttering a silent 'thank you' as he pushed open the door and made his way into Tazmily Village.

Luckily for them, the southern entrance was almost completely abandoned, and led onto a deserted side street. There wasn't much of anything to the south of the village, as such, almost all of the traffic came and went from the east entrance instead. Main street was just around a corner a short distance ahead of them, but fortunately, the buildings were oriented in a way that completely blocked it from view. Claus could hear the excitable chattering of villagers from the square, but for now, they were out of sight and out of mind.

Spotting Salsa was easy. The monkey was sitting right in the middle of the road about twenty yards ahead of them. It had removed the pack from its back and was trying to figure out how to get it open. Claus said a silent prayer in thanks, grateful for the fact that monkeys didn't know how zippers worked.

Not saying a word, Claus gestured towards the monkey, prompting Fuel to follow him. With that, the two underwear-clad boys entered the city, keeping their heads on a swivel the entire time. Their bare feet made almost no noise on the cobblestone streets, making Claus feel like some kind of shady thief. They passed row after row of shops as they went, the ginger praying with all his heart that nobody was working late today.

Salsa hadn't seen them, continuing to sit with his back turned to them as he pulled and tugged at the pack. Step by step they inched closer, preparing to pounce on the animal and reclaim their property. When they were just five yards away, disaster struck.

The door to one of the shops behind them burst open, and two old women emerged from within. Salsa snapped his head towards the noise, spotting the two boys attempting to sneak up on him. With an animalistic shriek, the monkey took off down the street, tossing the pack over his shoulder as he sprinted away at astonishing speed.

Claus attempted to give chase, but was practically tackled by Fuel. The brown-haired boy forced him into a nearby alley, taking shelter from the oncoming women. Claus just barely had enough time to see Salsa sprint through the door of the town inn before being shoved into the dark alley.

Pressing themselves into the wall, the boys hunkered down. The sound of chattering grew louder and louder as the women came closer. They must have been headed towards the town square, which would take them right past the alley where they were taking refuge. It was clear they hadn't been spotted yet, but if either of them turned left as they passed, the jig was up.

“Don't look to the left... Please don't look left...” He heard Fuel silently whisper to himself.

The orange-haired boy felt a lump of anxiety build in his chest as the voices became more and more distinct. In an attempt to prevent making things awkward, he'd been trying to avoid touching Fuel while they were in such a state of undress. Now, however, he couldn't resist, he needed reassurance. Grabbing Fuel's bicep, he held the other boy tightly as his heart pounded at a million beats per minute.

He could hear every word they were saying now. Claus held his breath as they passed.

“Did you hear that Fuel boy has a girlfriend now?” Said one of the women.

“I had no idea!” Replied the other.

“It's true! He's seeing that girl Nana. Ahh... Young love! It's such a glorious thing to behold! There's so few young people in the village these days.”

“I know what you mean! He's a little bit rowdy, but I think they'll make a cute couple!”

“Oh! Speaking of couples... Did you hear-”

The voices of the women faded away as they passed. They were far too engrossed in their conversation to look down the alley. For now, at least, the boys had avoided public humiliation. Of course, Claus had a few other things on his mind after hearing that little nugget of information.

His face contorted into a disgusted grimace as he turned to Fuel. “Girlfriend!?! You're dating Nana and you didn't even bother to tell me!?! I thought we were friends!”

For some reason, the idea of Fuel in a relationship made his blood boil. Not just because he kept it to himself, but because he hated the idea in general. Claus would almost describe it as jealously.

“Ugh...” Groaned Fuel, rolling his eyes. “Let me make this perfectly clear... I am NOT dating Nana. Her family bought some firewood from my dad, but her parents both caught a cold before they could pick it up, so they had to have Nana collect it for them. They ordered too much for her to carry by herself, so I helped her bring it back to the village. People saw us together and just assumed we were dating. It's nothing more than stupid gossip! Besides, I'd never date a-”

Fuel stopped in his tracks, pressing his lips tightly together as he stopped himself mid-sentence.

“What?” Claus pressed, sensing that his friend was hiding something. “You'd never date a... What?”

“I'd never date... Nothing!” Fuel groused, shaking his head. “Don't worry about it! We're trying to catch a rogue monkey in our underwear! I think we have bigger problems right now!”

He didn't like it, but Claus begrudgingly dropped the subject. They did, in fact, have bigger problems. The longer they stood here, the more likely it was that they would get caught.

“C'mon,” Claus prompted, gesturing towards the street. “They're gone now. I saw Salsa go into the inn. Hopefully we can corner him there.”

After checking to make sure the coast was clear, the boys made a mad dash for the entrance to the inn, desperate to get inside before another door burst open. Lady luck smiled on them, and the boys managed to heave open the heavy wooden door and slink inside before any more people showed up.

They found themselves standing in a short hallway, with a staircase on the opposite end and an open archway about halfway down the hall. Claus just barely caught a glimpse of a brown tail disappearing up the stairs as they came in.

“Over there...” Claus whispered. “He went upstairs. Let's go!”

Just as they were about to pass the archway, the voice of an old man called out from the room beside them. “Bah... I've been waiting for ages! Dinner had better be ready by now, woman!”

“Keep yer pants on, ya old coot!” Screeched a female voice from what sounded like the same room. “I'm cookin' slower every time I hear you complain!”

Claus risked a peek around the corner. The archway led into a living room with an attached kitchen. An older couple that must have been the innkeepers were located within. The man was sitting on a couch in the living room, grumbling to himself. The woman was in the kitchen, making tons of noise as she clattered about preparing food.

“They're just a few feet away,” Claus whispered into Fuel's ear. “We'll be spotted for sure if we try to go past here. What do we do?”

Fuel glanced around the corner and surveyed the scene, whispering back to Claus after he'd had a look. “Wait here a second. I have an idea.”

Going back down the hall, Fuel eased open the door, reaching outside for a quick second before shutting it again. He returned holding a large pebble, giving Claus a knowing smirk as he gestured for him to move aside.

Once he had room to work, Fuel readied the pebble. Waiting for the opportune moment, he poked his head around the corner, taking aim at something Claus couldn't see before hurling the pebble as hard as he could and immediately diving back behind cover.

The sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the inn, causing the woman to screech in anger as she called out to her husband. “What in tarnation are you doin' out there?!?”

“I'm not doin' squat!” The man retaliated. “The vase just fell off the table!”

“What!?!” Came the panicked reply. “The one in the corner!?! That can't be! It's my most prized possession! I stole that from my sister fair and square!”

A flurry of motion could be heard from the other room as they both moved into the living room. What followed was an argument so incomprehensible that Claus couldn't even begin to make out the words. Whatever Fuel did, it seemed to work.

The brown-haired boy gestured for him to move, and Claus complied. As they passed, he caught a glimpse of the couple standing over the remains of a shattered vase, screeching madly at one another as they attempted to assign blame. Their backs were turned, giving them ample time to slip past without being seen. Fuel had done it.

Reaching the stairs, the duo ascended to the second floor without issue. The upper floors were a maze of doors, leading to all kinds of guest rooms where weary travelers would spend the night. There was no sign of Salsa anywhere.

“I can't tell where he went,” Fuel whispered, voice filled with anxiety. “There's dozens of rooms here, we'll never have time to search them all without being spotted.”

Just as Claus was starting to panic, he noticed a series of muddy footprints leading up the stairs behind him. They were far too small to be human, meaning they could only belong to one creature: Salsa!

“Look!” He pointed at the floor. “Thankfully it didn't take the time to wipe its feet! We can follow these to find where it went!”

The trail led them up two more flights of stairs before they found what they were looking for. One of the doors on the top floor of the inn was left ajar, with the footprints leading directly to it. Salsa must have been in that room... Now was the time to strike!

Moving swiftly down the hall, the boys made their way into the room, desperate to get inside before anyone came out of the neighboring rooms. Finally, they had found their target. Salsa was sitting on the bed in the far corner of the room, emitting a series of happy monkey babbles as he jumped up and down. The boys advanced into the room, with Fuel closing the door behind them.

Salsa noticed them right away, hissing angrily at them as he shielded the bag with his body, zealously attempting to maintain possession of the prize. Claus glared at the creature with disdain, as if daring him to challenge them.

“Last chance...” He hissed. “Give me the bag... Now!”

The monkey stuck out his tongue.

Snarling furiously, Claus sprinted across the room, eyes locked on the stolen goods. With a howl of pure rage, he lunged for the bag, hands outstretched. Unfortunately for him, Salsa must have been expecting this. With a powerful leap, he jumped straight over Claus's head, slipping out of his grasp.

The orange-haired boy shrieked in terror as his target vanished. No longer able to control himself in midair, Claus went flying straight over the bed, slamming straight into a small end table. His vision went blurry with pain as the table broke apart beneath him, sending the bewildered boy crashing to the floor.

“I've got it!” Fuel called, making his own move for the bag.

As the monkey landed, the brown-haired boy made a grab for the supplies. Instead of retreating, Salsa jumped toward him, catching him completely off guard. With a screech, Salsa twisted his body as he flew towards Fuel, causing the heavy bag to hit him square in the face. The boy stumbled backwards, losing his footing and joining Claus on the floor as he smacked his head against the wall behind him.

With a triumphant howl, Salsa retreated to the window, sliding it open and preparing to make his escape. Claus shakily rose to his feet, vision still blurry as he called out in a defeated whimper.

“No...You can't...”

Using his superior simian agility, Salsa jumped out the window and began effortlessly climbing down the walls of the building. It was over... He escaped...

Claus blundered over to the window, gritting his teeth as he clutched the window sill. Salsa was now down on main street, completely out of their reach. He strutted curiously around the area, taking in the sights without a care in the world as Claus wallowed in despair.

Fuel came to stand beside him, sighing as he addressed Claus. “You ok?”

Claus just barely managed to grunt out a reply. “Physically? Yes. Emotionally? No. We just got beaten by a fifty-pound monkey... You?”

“Pretty much the same... What-”

“What's goin' on up there!?!”

Both boys froze in their tracks. Claus knew that voice. It was the unmistakable rasp of the elderly innkeeper from downstairs. All the noise they just made must have attracted unwanted attention... They were trapped!

Loud thumping began coming from the lower floors, echoing through the building as though the horsemen of the apocalypse themselves were coming for them. The elderly man was clearly not swift on his feet, but he would be upon them soon. They needed a way out! And fast!

“He's coming! What do we do!?!” Squeaked Fuel, voice full of fear.

After surveying the area, Claus could think of only one way out of the situation. Tazmily Village had undergone a series of renovations over the years. The ancient village well had been replaced with a massive elaborate fountain last year, giving the otherwise unremarkable town an impressive centerpiece. It was quite deep for a fountain, and was located almost directly beneath the window that Salsa had escaped from. This was completely crazy, but it was the only way.

Grabbing Fuel's hand, he escorted the boy towards the window, explaining as he went. “There's only one way! We have to jump!”

“WHAT!?!” Fuel shrieked, pulling away from him. “This is the fourth floor! The fall will kill us!”

“Not if we land in the fountain!” Claus replied, gesturing to the water feature below. “It'll cushion our fall! We can escape from here and go after Salsa! It's the only way!”

Fuel's already wide eyes grew even larger. “Claus! That's main street! There's dozens of people down there! If we jump, the entire town is gonna see us! Our entrance won't exactly be subtle!”

Claus put his hands on his hips, deciding it was time to force the issue. “It's either that, or we get caught by the innkeeper. Can you even imagine what your dad is gonna say when the constable hauls you home and tells him that you were caught breaking and entering?”

Fuel physically flinched at that, looking at Claus as if he were the angel of death itself. “He... He'd skin me alive! There's no way-” He buried his face in his hands, desperately looking for another option that didn't exist.

The sounds of heavy footsteps were growing louder by the second. From the sound of things, the innkeeper had reached the fourth floor. All he had to do now was walk a short distance down the hall and open the door. Time was nearly up.

“Fuel! We're out of time! You have to choose... Now!”

“GAAAHHH!!!” Fuel screamed, grabbing Claus's hand so hard that it nearly cut off his circulation. “Do it! Jump! Now! I'm with you!”

Claus needed no encouragement. Hand-in-hand with Fuel, he got a running start before propelling himself and his friend out the open window. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the boys crossed the threshold and were sent careening into the open air.

Almost immediately, things went sideways... Literally. Claus found himself looking straight up at the clear blue sky as he and Fuel spun through the air, heading straight for the ground as gravity took effect. He'd just barely had enough time to adjust their heading before he lost control. They would land in the fountain, but the fact that he couldn't see made this all the more terrifying.

Fuel screamed like a five-year-old girl the entire way down. A fact that Claus took special note of, as it would be a perfect thing to mercilessly tease him about later. He wasn't paying much attention to that, however. Instead, he was solely focused on the evil monkey that had stolen what was rightfully his. Salsa was still down there, he'd seen him before they jumped. Once he got down there, that little beast would rue the day he was born! Claus would have his revenge! He'd-

*Splash*

Water descended on him from all sides as he sank into the basin of the fountain. For just one brief moment, there was calm. The plan seemed to have worked, as the fall had barely affected him. Judging by the way Fuel was trashing around in the water beside him, he could only conclude that his companion was fine as well.

Moving on the power of spite alone, Claus summoned his strength. Reorienting himself, he swam upwards and broke the surface, emerging from the pond and propelling himself onto the street. Fuel crawled out behind him, gasping and coughing as he took his place beside Claus.

Nearly every pair of eyes in the entire square was aimed straight at them. Every mouth was agape as they took in what stood before them. From their perspective, a pair of adolescent boys clad in only their underwear had just fallen from the sky and straight into the fountain. He couldn't blame them for being confused.

Fuel was utterly humiliated. His face glowed a bright crimson as he wrapped his arms around himself in a vain attempt to shield himself from their scrutinizing glares. Claus felt nothing but rage. His fiery green eyes locked in on Salsa, who was standing a short distance away, looking just as bewildered as the villagers.

“You...” He said, leveling a finger at the monkey. “...Are mine!”

Salsa let out a frightened 'eep' before sprinting off down the road. Claus immediately gave chase, pursuing his prey with the veracity of a starving lion. With no other options, Fuel followed after him, whimpering pathetically as they ran.

Curses and shouts filled the town square as the ginger-haired boy forced his way through the crowd, pushing aside anyone unfortunate enough to be between him in his target. The shock seemed to be wearing off at that point, as laughter began to fill the streets. No doubt this little scene would be on the lips of every villager for months to come, but there was nothing that could be done about it now. Claus had only one thing on his mind: reclaiming his property.

They ran nearly halfway across town, slowly gaining on the small animal as they went. Just when Claus thought it was over, Salsa rounded a corner onto a side street. As Claus turned the corner, he immediately had to stop in his tracks. A young girl of about nine or ten was standing directly in their path, accompanied by a woman who could only be her mother. He'd nearly trampled the both of him in his haste.

As Claus slammed on the brakes, Fuel crashed directly into him from behind, nearly knocking Claus off his feet. Luckily, the brown-haired boy was quick on the recovery, placing a steadying hand on Claus's shoulder to prevent him from falling.

For a long minute, the two groups stared at each other in shock. Eventually, the young girl's face broke into a wide smile as she pointed at them, spluttering out words in between bouts of hysterical laughter. “Mommy! Look! Those boys are in their underwear!”

“G-GAH!” Claus grunted, his self-consciousness kicking in as he tried to shield himself with his arms in the same way Fuel had before.

Speaking of Fuel, he'd taken advantage of the opportunity to hide behind Claus, using his cohort as a human shield to help repel some of the embarrassment. The coward...

“W-What on earth!?!” The woman stammered, looking at them incredulously. “What is wrong with you two boys!?! Why are you running around half-naked? Where are your parents? I have a few choice words for them about this!”

Claus was about to reply when he caught sight of Salsa running in the direction of the village's north gate. There was no time for this! He had to go right now!

Skirting around the woman and her daughter, Claus resumed his pursuit, with Fuel tagging along behind him. As they ran, the voice of the woman called out after them. “Get back here you little hooligans!”

“Sorry!” Fuel shouted back apologetically. “It's too complicated to explain! Please don't tell my dad!”

Leaving the screeching woman behind, Claus and Fuel chased Salsa all the way to the north gate. He immediately climbed over the border wall and dashed into the forest beyond. Claus didn't waste any time pursuing him, ripping open the gate and heading off into the forest.

The chase didn't last much longer. After leading them a short distance into the northern forest, Salsa scampered up a tall oak tree, taking refuge on one of the taller branches. Claus and Fuel collapsed to their knees at the base of the tree, wheezing and coughing as they tried to catch their breath. It seemed like they were in a stalemate. All three of them were too exhausted to keep going.

“That was... Oh my God...” Fuel whimpered, hanging his head in shame. “Half the town probably saw that! We're gonna be in so much trouble when our parents hear about this! Why do I let you talk me into these things!?!”

“You agreed to come along,” Claus replied between gasps. “I didn't think things would get so crazy.”

“I suppose it's my own fault,” Fuel added miserably. “You're a walking magnet for trouble, Claus.”

“Yup, sure am. That's why I'm always around you,” retorted a grinning Claus, prompting Fuel to roll his eyes.

Returning his attention to the task at hand, Claus looked up at the cowering monkey. It seemed that Salsa was just as worn out as they were. He cast a weary glare down at the boys, gasping for air as he clutched the straps of the stolen backpack tightly to his chest.

“Have any ideas on how to get him down?” Claus inquired.

“Oh... I know exactly how we're gonna get him down. We're right next to one of my dad's logging sites. We leave some of our less valuable equipment behind when we call it quits for the day. Keep an eye on him, I'll be right back.”

There was a threatening undertone to his words that made Claus nervous. Still, he complied, keeping watch over the mischievous creature as Fuel retreated into the woods. He returned just a few minutes later, brandishing a large woodcutters hatchet.

Claus's eyes widened as he drank in the sight of the tool. “Uhh... You're not gonna kill him, are you? I'm more than a little mad, but even for me that seems kinda extreme.”

Fuel rolled his eyes. “No, that's not it. I'm not ready to take such drastic action... Yet. Just be ready to move and let the professional handle this.”

He watched as Fuel adopted an odd stance, holding the axe in both hands as he squinted in concentration. Holding the hatchet like a baseball bat, Fuel gave it a few practice swings before committing to his next act. With a barbaric shout, he released the axe, hurling the weapon with all his might.

Claus watched with a mixture of curiosity and fear as the axe sailed through the air. Salsa watched in horror as it came closer and closer. Instead of hitting the animal, however, the axe struck the branch that he was sitting on. With a shriek of horror, Salsa was sent plummeting to the earth as Fuel's axe easily cleaved through the branch, separating it from the mother tree.

“Now!” Fuel cried. “Get it!”

The green-eyed boy needed no encouragement. Racing towards the spot where the monkey would land with all the strength he had, Claus prepared to reclaim his property. Salsa tried to run off as soon as he landed, but was temporarily stunned by the impact. Just as he was about to go sprinting off again, Claus pounced, leaping towards the animal and making a grab for the bag.

Landing flat on his stomach, Claus snatched up two fistfuls of material. He'd done it! He had the bag!

Salsa squirmed and struggled against the straps, desperately attempting to keep hold of the stolen property. Claus was stronger, however, and most definitely not about to let this dirty little ape slip away again.

The struggle was over in an instant once Fuel joined the fray. Letting out another barbaric howl, he lunged at Salsa, kicking the monkey square in the jaw. Salsa flew through the air, squealing in pain as he crashed back down to earth... Hard.

Stumbling back to his feet, the animal rubbed his jaw painfully, glaring angrily at the boys. Completely defeated, he was left with no choice but to retreat. Salsa took off into the brush, blowing one last defiant raspberry at the teens as he went. Claus barely noticed. He had what he wanted.

“We did it!” Claus cried triumphantly, holding the bag aloft like some kind of holy relic. “Oh my God... That was amazing, Fuel! You are amazing!”

All sense of propriety abandoned, Claus let the bag fall to the ground as he lunged at Fuel, wrapping the other teen in a tight hug. Fuel didn't hesitate to hug him back, laughing heartily as they reveled in their victory.

They stayed like that for quite some time, basking in each other's presence. Eventually, Claus became painfully aware of how awkward the situation was. They were both completely naked from the waist up, and Claus could feel the heat of Fuel's warm flesh against his own as they held each other tightly. They were both minimally clothed, and the contact was rather... Intimate.

Fuel seemed to realize this at the exact same moment. With a start, they both pulled away, with Claus immediately spluttering apologies after they separated. “I-I'm sorry! I was just... We were... I mean...”

“N-No! It's all right!” Fuel hastily shot back, glowing red from the tips of his ears all the way down to his neck. “I think we just got caught up in the moment. Anyways... We have what we came for, and the little monster just happened to lead us to exactly where we needed to go. Let's head home now. We both desperately need some new clothes...”

“Uhh...Y-Yeah!” Claus answered, turning his back to hide his own rapidly reddening face as he retrieved the bag. “Let me just get this and we can go.”

Claus had just put his hand on one of the straps when Fuel's hand stopped him, grabbing the other strap and preventing Claus from taking it. Confused, Claus turned his gaze up to Fuel, who was looking at him with a drastically different expression than before. It was almost... Concerned?

“Claus... You're exhausted,” he declared. “Let me carry this for a while. You deserve a break.”

Claus refused to let go, gripping the strap even tighter as he cast a suspicious glare at his companion. “What? You think I can't do it myself? Don't be ridiculous! Just because you're a little bit stronger than me doesn't mean I need your help to carry stuff! I'm not some fairy-tale princess locked in a tower who needs a big strong knight to come save her!”

Fuel sighed wearily, shaking his head. “Not everything has to be an attack on your masculinity. I don't think you're weak... Actually, I think you're the stronger of the two of us, just not in the way you're probably thinking. I'm not doing this because I think you need my help... I'm doing this because I care about you, and I want to do something nice for you. Will you please let me?”

Another direct display of feelings? What was the world coming to!?! Still, Claus couldn't deny the sincerity in his eyes. Fuel was his best friend. Maybe he shouldn't make such snap judgments about his motives. And admittedly, he was pretty run-down at this point.

With a sigh of defeat, Claus relinquished the bag to Fuel. “All right... If you really mean that, then I guess I can let you carry this for a while.”

Fuel smiled brightly, slinging the bag over his shoulder. Claus felt a stab of envy when he saw how easily Fuel was able to lug around the heavy bag. It had taken him far more effort. Maybe those muscles weren't just for show after all.

Without missing a beat, Fuel extended a hand, prompting Claus to take it. Claus hesitated, looking at his friend with unease.

“You sure?” He asked. “We're not exactly, err... 'Decent' right now.”

“I'm sure,” Fuel replied, barely suppressing a smirk. “We've been running around in our skivvies long enough for me to get used to it. It's not awkward anymore. Besides, we're deep in the woods now. Nobody around to bother us. No reason to let a bit of partial nudity spoil a perfectly nice evening, right?”

Claus relented, taking the boy's hand as they set off into the forest. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Claus risked a glance over at his friend. He was smiling casually. Despite everything that had just happened, he could still enjoy a walk in the woods with his friend. Claus smiled at that.

“Umm... Hey Fuel?” Claus asked nervously, breaking the silence.

“Hmm?” Fuel hummed, looking over at him expectantly.

“Thanks... For everything. I couldn't have done it without you.”

Fuel flashed him a smile bright enough to light up the darkest of nights. “Don't mention it. It's like I said before... There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. You mean everything to me.”

Claus had to look away to stop himself from being infected by that smile. He didn't doubt those words for a second, and now, Claus was sure he felt the same thing. Fuel was his everything too.

*****

About fifteen minutes later, the duo reached the outskirts of Fuel's cabin. The log house sat in a small clearing in the middle of the woods, completely isolated from the rest of the world. It had been quite some time since Claus had seen the inside. He was tempted to change that, though he was hardly in a state for a visit right now. Perhaps another time.

“Well... This is my stop,” Fuel declared, dropping the bag on the ground beside him as he turned to his friend. “I'm gonna sneak in through the window to my room. I don't want my dad to see me...” He gestured down to his bare torso. “...Like this.”

Claus smirked. “That's probably a good idea. So... I guess this is goodbye for now.”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Fuel replied, a hint of sorrow in his voice. “I'll see you around.”

He turned to leave, but hesitated before walking away. There was something unusual in his body language, as if there was something else he wanted to say. Claus knew that must be the case. He was familiar enough with his friend's habits to know that for a fact.

“Fuel?” He inquired gently. “Is something wrong?”

The brown-haired boy turned back to him. His eyes were misty and his lip was quivering nervously. It was extremely rare for Fuel to be this anxious. Something serious must be going on.

“It's all right, Fuel,” Claus prompted. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

Fuel didn't say a word. Instead, he took a deep breath before reaching out and taking Claus's hands into his own, gently stroking the backs of his palms with his thumbs. Claus let out a small gasp of shock at the unexpected display of affection. When he looked up to question the boy about this, however, he found the other boy's face mere inches from his own.

And then... Fuel kissed him.

Claus was completely floored, unable to breathe as the boy's lips gently made contact with his own. All the feelings that had been plaguing him recently flared into a single burst of intense passion as he felt the warm lips of Fuel ghost against his own. His entire body heated up, leaving him feeling warm and tingly all over, and yet... He found himself enjoying the experience.

After overcoming the initial hesitation, Claus kissed him back. It was a fairly innocent kiss, lasting only a few seconds, but to Claus, it was almost more blissful than the entire rest of his life combined. Here, in this one moment, he felt completely connected to the one person in his life that he treasured above all others. It was truly magnificent.

Slowly, Fuel pulled away, keeping his hands in place as he smiled gently at Claus. The ginger-haired boy returned the look, gently squeezing his friend's hands as they shared a moment of contentment. His next words were so soft and full of emotion that Claus was barely able to hear them, even at this distance.

“Promise me that you'll visit more often. I miss you, Claus... I really really miss you... My whole world is just a little bit brighter when you're around.”

“I will... I promise.”

The words slipped past his lips before Claus even knew what he was saying. It was such an instinctual response that he didn't need to consider it, not even for a single second. He'd find his way back to fuel... No matter what.

Fuel gave him one last wistful smile before releasing him. Turning his back on the ginger boy, he began the journey back to his house. Claus didn't take his eyes off him the whole way, chuckling softly to himself as the boy awkwardly shimmied his way through the window and plopped down clumsily on the opposite side.

And just like that... He was gone.

Claus collected the bag with one hand while steadying his pounding heart with the other. What was this strange feeling? His head was spinning so much that he could hardly walk in a straight line, and his body felt so light that he feared he might float off into the sky.

With a start, a bizarre slithered its way across his mind. Could he be... In love with Fuel?

He took a moment to add up the evidence. They held hands, knew everything about each other, stayed by each other's side through everything, and now... They'd kissed. Could it really be true?

Claus shook his head in an attempt to purge the whirlwind of thoughts from his mind. He and Fuel would have to have a long talk about this later, but for now, he still had a job to do.

With significantly more pep in his step, Claus began the journey back to his grandfather's cabin. Despite all he'd been through today, he returned home feeling better than he had in ages. He'd accomplished his task, and now had a world of possibilities before him. Maybe his future would be far more intertwined with Fuel than he could have ever imagined...

*****

After a lonesome trek through the forest, Claus finally arrived at his destination. Even before he entered the yard, he could hear the excitable chattering of his twin brother Lucas. Coming closer, he saw that Hinawa, Lucas, and their dog Boney were together out front, with Lucas prattling on and on about something or other. His mother, patient as she was, listened attentively as she gazed out over the ocean, indulging her child's rambling.

Claus let out a frustrated huff. There was no point in even attempting to sneak inside. With so many people staying here, it would be a fruitless endeavor. He'd be caught for sure. Instead, he gathered his courage, boldly strutting up to the trio as though there wasn't anything even the slightest bit unusual going on.

Boney was the first to notice him. The brown mutt immediately raced over, launching himself at Claus in a desperate bid for attention. The ginger-haired boy indulged the dog, stroking him affectionately as the mutt rolled around joyously on his back. Dogs had no sense of shame or embarrassment. Claus envied that sometimes.

His mother was the next to notice him, calling out to her son as he played with Boney. “Claus! You're back! I was-” She stopped dead once she got a better look at him. “For heaven's sake, Claus! Why are you walking around in your underwear? Where's your clothes?”

Lucas burst into a fit of giggles upon seeing him, firing off a sarcastic remark between incessant chortles. “Nice tighty whities, Claus! They look good on you!”

Claus ignored his mother's question and left Boney where he was, marching straight up to Lucas instead. His eyes were alight with wrath as he closed in on his blonde twin. Lucas knew what was coming straight away, trying to evade his brother's grasp. Unfortunately for him, Claus was as swift as a striking viper when it came to 'educating' his brother. Clutching one of Lucas's nipples through his shirt, Claus prepared to deliver one of the most excruciating brotherly torments ever devised.

“Titty twister!” Claus shouted, grinning broadly as he gave the nipple a firm twist.

Lucas squealed like a dying pig as he desperately tried to fight off his cruel brother. His efforts were fruitless, as Claus was much stronger than him. Try as he might, the blonde boy couldn't escape his punishment.

“Oh, suck it up!” Claus sneered, refusing to let go. “This is what you get for teasing me! Plus, you're a total hypocrite! We both know you wear the exact same kind as me!”

“AHHH!!!” Lucas screamed, flailing like a fish out of water. “I'm sorry! Please let go! I'll never make fun of you again! Just please... Stop!”

“Oh for pity's sake!” Hinawa cried, rushing in and separating her children. “You boys are supposed to be teenagers now! I feel like I'm babysitting a pair of six-year-olds!”

“He started it!” Whined the twins in near-perfect unison.

“Enough!” Screeched Hinawa, taking a moment to regain her composure before shifting her hawk-like gaze to Claus. “Now... Answer me. Why in the world are you running around half-naked?”

“I ran into a Fae in the woods. It, err... Sorta made off with most of my clothes,” he explained, carefully leaving out the presence of Fuel in an attempt to avoid over-complicating things.

Lucas and Hinawa's faces turned stony at the mention of the word, 'Fae'. “Oh no...” His mother gasped, taking a minute to digest the information before launching a series of rapid-fire questions. “Are you ok? Did it hurt you? Did it follow you home? Are we in danger? Do I need to go get your father? Tell me what's going on, Claus!”

“Whoa... Slow down,” Claus prompted, raising both his hands in a gesture of surrender. “It didn't do anything else, and I'm pretty sure it didn't follow me. It just took my clothes. I think it was some kind of prank... Or maybe a lesson about hubris... I'm not really sure.”

“Wow...” Lucas chimed in, his annoying giggling starting up again. “You had to walk all the way home like that? That's-” He quickly changed his tune as Claus shot him a stern glare, making a pinching gesture with his fingers. “...Terrible! I'm so sorry, Claus!”

His mother shot him an odd look, tilting her head quizzically. “That's all? Really?”

“What do you mean, 'that's all'?” Claus retorted. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to get these home like this?” He removed the bag of supplies from his shoulders and offered it to his mother to emphasize his point.

Hinawa slowly reached out and took the bag, perplexed expression never leaving her face. Then, she delivered the killing blow. “Why didn't you just put on the extra clothes in the bag?”

Claus's entire world seemed to grind to a halt. “...Excuse me?”

His mother sighed, undoing the zipper and causing an avalanche of supplies to fall out onto the grass. Just as Claus suspected, it was mostly food. There were, however, a few unique items that drew his attention hidden among the rabble. He almost fainted when he realized what they were.

Several sets of clothes, sized for him and Lucas.

“Are you KIDDING ME!?!” Claus screamed, nearly ripping his hair out with frustration. “I had extra clothes in there the WHOLE TIME!?!”

Hinawa let out another deep sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. “You two are starting to outgrow a lot of your clothes. I thought it would be a good idea to buy some more while I was stocking up. Apparently, you didn't notice. Honestly, Claus... I love you dearly, but you can be so thickheaded sometimes...”

Claus was about to let loose another barrage of frustrated howling, but before he could do it, he felt something cold and wet nuzzling his thigh. Looking down, he saw that it was Boney. The ginger-haired boy inhaled sharply when he saw what the dog was doing.

Boney had latched onto Claus's briefs with his teeth, apparently finding some strange doglike appeal to the stretch of the elastic. Before Claus could do anything about it, the dog dug his nails into the grass and started pulling.

With a startled yelp, Claus grabbed two fistfuls of fabric, trying to wrestle them away from the dog. The two were now engaged in a fierce game of tug-of-war, with each of them trying to claim the last remaining shred of Claus's dignity for themselves.

“Boney! Stop!” Cried Claus, terror gripping his soul as the thin cotton stretched out more and more. “Bad dog! You're gonna-”

Before Claus could even finish, a horrifying ripping noise sounded out across the yard. With one final tug, Boney tore Claus's briefs from his body. Claus suddenly found himself holding nothing but air as his boyhood was revealed for all the world to see.

For a long moment, there was nothing but silence. Claus absently glanced over at Boney, who was happily using the remains of his shredded undies as a chew toy. Meanwhile, Lucas and Hinawa were standing in stunned silence. Though, it didn't take long for that to change.

A cacophony of uncontrolled laughter suddenly burst forth from the rest of his family. Hinawa threw her head back, laughing so hard that there were tears in her eyes. Lucas was much the same, practically choking on his own laughter as he pointed and laughed at his exposed twin, and Claus could swear there was a wet patch beginning to form across the crotch of his shorts.

Claus screamed. Not the type of scream that a person does when they're a little startled, but a scream that could wake the dead themselves. Covering himself as best he could, Claus made a mad dash for the house, desperate to get to his room and grab another set of clothes before things somehow got even worse.

Laughter followed him the whole way, with Lucas shouting after him, just barely managing to form a coherent sentence between bouts of hyena-like cackling. “Hey mom! Look! The full moon came out early today!”

Claus's face burned with humiliation as he ran up the steps to the house. Just when he thought this disaster had reached its peak, the door swung wide open. His father Flint and grandfather Alec were standing in the doorway, looking completely dumbfounded as they tried to figure out what was going on.

“What's all the shouting about? What's goin-” His father's words were abruptly cut short as Claus blew past him, nearly knocking the man over as he dashed through the small gap between him and Alec.

“My word!” Alec cried from behind him. “Was that Claus?”

The ginger ignored both of them, sprinting up the stairs as fast as he could and escaping into the safety of his room. He slammed the door shut behind him, leaning against it and breathing heavily as he tried to calm his racing heart.

At long last, Claus's journey had reached its utterly demeaning conclusion. He'd be the talk of the town for months, and his family would almost certainly never let this little incident go. No doubt they would bring it up at every family gathering from now until the end of time. His reputation had been irreparably damaged. Despite all this, Claus couldn't help but be grateful for one single fact...

At least Fuel wasn't here to see that...