#like haha

THE NIGHTMARE OF THE NIGHT. 🦜🌑

aka Jackson at 3AM.

No thoughts.

Only chaos.

Only evil laughs.

HA HA HA 👁️ 🥶 👻

Clover stamped her feet as she lost, not noticing how her words made Akari still.

“Hey, you just gonna stand there?”

The kid had always been pretty silent, speaking only the barest minimum in their few interactions with the bandits, but…

“H-hey! Why are you crying? You won you moron!“

Clover looked around in a panic. What if someone saw the two of them and got the wrong idea? In fact, she could see the kids buddy, Rei, or something? He was making his way up the mountain path, if he saw the kid crying, with her nearby, he might send a team of Galaxy members after them… Urgh, this situation had got out of hand.

Her sisters would know what to do, right?

Having made up her mind, she grabbed Akari, throwing a smoke bomb, and made a run for it.

—

The other two were already back at their hideout, the small cave they called home. It wasn’t much, but it was theirs.

“Hey Clover, any luck today?”

“Um, about that…”

“What do you-“

Charm saw Akari, still sobbing away in her arms and froze.

“Clover, what the hell did you do?!”

“I didn’t do nothing! I challenged her to a fight, I won, and then she just… started wailing out of nowhere!”

“Is she broken or something?” Coin peeked over Charms shoulder, watching them carefully.

“You didn’t say anything to set them off did you?”

“Yeah, you can be a sore loser at times…”

“Hey! That’s not true!”

“Ok, then tell us exactly what happened, and we’ll work it out from there.”

“Well, I lost, like I always do against the brat, and then I said “I bet the Galaxy team actually treat you like you’re with something” and then-“

Akari began to sob louder.

“Agh! Why?! What did I do?!”

Charm sighed. “Ok, I think I might have an idea… set her down, will you? I’ll make us some tea, let’s see if she calms down.”

Soon the four of them were gathered awkwardly around a small campfire, holding cups of tea, the sisters staring at one another at the odd situation they had gotten into with their enemy.

Thankfully, her crying had subsided, but she still sniffled occasionally, face red, and a total mess. No way they could send her back in this condition, not until they got to the bottom of whatever the hell caused this.

“So… Kid, what was with the tears? It’s… unlike you.”

Charm kept her tone even, choosing her words carefully, to avoid setting her off again. It was like tiptoeing around a field of electrorbs.

“What Clover said, about Team Galaxy, it’s… it’s not true…”

“What do you mean? You’re their hero, aren’t you? Clover interjected.

Charm shot her a warning look and she shrunk back.

“No, they… you know when the sky turned red?”

“Yeah?”

“They… Kamado, he… he blamed me. They all did- well, most of them, the professor and Rei didn’t, and Cyllene helped but, everyone else in the village they all thought that… after everything I did for them, they just… threw me aside, like I was nothing. The day I was exiled, it was the worst day of my life, I…”

She sniffed again, eyes watering.

“Wait… what do you mean, exiled?”

They must have heard her wrong. There’s no way they would just, straight up banish a child right?

“They kicked me out. Kamado said that if I hadn’t been such a high ranking survey corps member, he would have had me in chains.”

“Why that-!”

Clover flew up, teeth bared.

“Clover! Calm yourself!”

“No way can I stay calm! What kind of leader does that?! I want to go march into Jubilife and kick his ass!”

Akari giggled a little, visualising the petite youngest sister taking Kamado on in a fight.

“I can’t say I disagree with the idea. Honestly, what a blistering moon calf, anyone with half a brain could see you’re their best member, exiling you is like throwing out the stock for soup.”

Charm considered both her sisters carefully. She too was incensed by the thought of Jubilife abandoning the kid, even if said kid was their enemy and all…

Well. She could find a solution that would benefit them both.

“Would you consider joining us Akari?”

“Huh?” She looked surprised at the offer, almost spilling her tea.

“HUH?! Charm?! What the heck are you doing?”

“While we cannot offer what Team Galaxy has, we can offer a life of freedom, and people who won’t be so hasty to throw you away. Certainly, we’d be blessed to have you on our side. I can say I’d be lucky to have you as our little sister.”

“Um… I…” Akari fiddled with her scarf, at a loss for words.

“Charm, she’s too much of a goody two shoes, no way she’d join us…”

“Yeah… I mean, I’m not against it, but it seems unlikely…”

“Hush you two. Let her decide for herself.”

“Can… can I sleep on it?”

“Of course, Clover, Coin, set up a spare futon if you please?”

“Uh, right away sis!”

With that, they settled down for the night. If Akari found her way nested between the three of them, none of them commented on it in the morning.