ShipRat on Hiatus

It had been just barely a month.

A month since Pyro had up and vanished without so much as a word to anyone. It was just like him, in Scott's experience, something he conveyed at any opportunity. There was no trusting Pyro Dagmeare, no matter how much his heart ached to admit it. The rest of his friends were finding out the hard way the same way he had eight years ago. It hurt, it sucked, but it was the truth.

Worst of all, a part of him wished that he had turned in Pyro to the Professor or one of the guards, told on him about his plans to take the dragon he was tasked with raising and leave with no idea if he would return. Maybe at most Pyro would have been jailed for a few days, confined to the Academy. Maybe it would have been for his own good.

But, what would Pyro's reaction have been? Scott tattling on him like they were kids again, a childish habit he thought he lost until he was suddenly reunited with his childhood friend. Would this have driven them just as far as they currently were? Surely, Pyro could have gotten over it, even if it meant he hated Scott just a little more.

Scott could've handled it, if it only meant he stayed with him for just a little while longer.

It didn't matter anymore. What was done, is done, and Scott couldn't change that now weeks later. Even if the loneliness settled deep in his chest and gripped him just as tight as the chill of his magic did. It was fine, he was fine.

At least, he was for a while.

Eventually, the quiet and the cold were too much. Scott didn't know when it happened, but after too many restless nights from both being unable to sleep and from nightmares that plagued him, he somehow found himself heading to Pyro's room at the end of the day rather than his own.

It had been purely to balance out his own magic at first. Frost lingered on his breath, fingers and nose constantly numb, and if Scott stood in one place for too long the ground would freeze under his feet. So the obvious solution, while the pyromancer was gone, was to just use his unnaturally hot room to warm up.

Scott did not take comfort in the somewhat familiar space, soaking in Pyro's lingering presence in the room as he curled up in the dark sheets of the man's bed. He did not smile when Aurora curled up on the little pile of gold that was Cindy's makeshift hoard. And he did not curl up by the fireplace in the back of the room and pretend the heat from it was coming from him and not just the flame.

He was fine. This was fine.

The days blurred into weeks, and slowly things returned to as normal as they could. People stopped asking him where Pyro had gone, stopped talking about him almost entirely. Almost like he'd never been there in the first place, the only evidence to the contrary being the name scrawled above the door across from Scott's room. Even the heat in Pyro's room was starting to dull, cooling off the more time Scott spent inside it.

Scott was only just barely asleep when a loud banging at the door startled him one night, inhaling sharply into sudden alertness. Aurora had picked her head up, scrambling to the edge of the loft as she stared down below.

He was half tempted to ignore it and try and go back to sleep, about to try and coax his dragon back to bed when the near frantic knocking echoed in the room. It was followed by what sounded like scratching, like claws against wood. Aurora gave an annoyed huff, turning her head to stare at him as if she were asking him are you going to take care of that?

"Right, fine," Scott sighed, throwing his mass of blankets off of himself and reluctantly leaving the warmth of the bed. He made his way down the ladders and set of stairs, he'd long since learned to navigate Pyro's overcomplicated design, and made his way to the door, Aurora at his heels.

Almost as soon as the door was opened, a blur of red crossed his vision as something darted into the room. Scott's attention snapped to his dragon as Aurora let out a small, instinctive hiss, but his eyes widened in surprise as the hatchling was immediately all over the red and orange dragon, both chittering at each other happily.

Wait.. was that?

No, it couldn't be.

"Scott! There you are," Graecie's voice startled him, but not enough to pull his attention from the sudden appearance of his dragon.

"Is that Cindy?" Scott asked out loud, completely and utterly baffled.

There was no way that Pyro would ever let his dragon out of his sight. He was too gods damned proud of the little dragon, it meant too much to his obsession with his legacy. So then… why was the dragon here?

"Yeah, I found her running around in the main hall," Graecie said, and this time, Scott turned around to face her in the doorway to the room. "She wouldn't let me pick her up or take the-"

"Was Pyro with her?" Scott blurted out, maybe too quickly. He bit back cringing at himself, only feeling slightly bad for cutting Graecie off. He didn't care, he had to remind himself, he didn't care, he doesn't care.

"No," Graecie frowned, a whine in the back of her throat in that same way she sounded when she was distressed. "Or at least- I don't think so. Some of the others are looking around for him just in case though."

The sound of the chittering dragons went quiet, and when Scott turned to see them, Cindy slowly crawled towards him. After a moment, to his surprise, Cindy rubbed against his leg before stretching up to paw at him, her claws gently gripping at his pants.

Almost as if on auto pilot, as if it were Aurora, Scott scooped up the little dragon. Cindy didn't hesitate to practically burrow against his chest, curling up in his arms as she let out a deep sigh. He couldn't help but do the same, the warmth from the dragon familiar as it started melting through the cold that lingered. It felt nice, and he could tell that Cindy shared the sentiment with how her eyes slipped closed, nuzzling against his chest.

Gods, something was wrong. He hadn't seen her ever be this snugly with Pyro.

"Scott," Graecie's voice pulled his attention, turning back to face her still standing in the doorway.

Graecie bounced nervously on the balls of her feet, fidgeting with the bells wrapped around her wrist, before motioning towards the little dragon in Scott's arms. "When I found her in the main hall, she had something tied around her but I couldn't get close enough to see what it was. She wouldn't let me near her, she just- she bolted straight here."

Sure enough, when Scott looked down, he wasn't sure how he missed it before, there was what looked like vines tied around Cindy's body that held something that poked out from under her wing. Carefully, Scott lifted Cindy's wing in order to retrieve- was that paper?

Cindy shifted in his arms, wings flapping in annoyance as she huffed. Before she could claw her way out of his grasp, Scott set her down on the ground after he untied the vine from around her. The dragon shook her body, stretching out before sitting down at his feet, staring up at him almost expectantly. Aurora crept up beside the other hatchling, sitting beside Cindy as she also stared up at Scott with a slight confused tilt of her head.

"So what is it?" Graecie asked, crowding into the room to be at his side in order to see the pages he clutched in his hands.

"I don't know… I have a really bad feeling about this," Scott muttered, unfolding the paper. He froze when he recognized the handwriting scrawled on the pages in front of him. Something cold settled in his chest uncomfortably, a sense dread wrapping around his heart.

Pyro's handwriting. Not the neat, careful writing he saw in the fake hatching book. No, staring back at him was something more frantic, like it was written quickly, some of the ink smudged from not drying all the way before it was folded up in order to tie around Cindy.

Scott barely registered the sound of his own voice, not muttering Pyro's words for the sake of letting Graecie hear the note as well.

A list of events, vivid details of an underground cave, a hidden spy camp in its depths, spies and rebels in the academy, a shadow lurking around Pyro and Maddy before capturing them-

Capturing them.

The papers fell from Scott's hand as his eyes went wide, sending the dragons at his feet scrambling away before it could hit them.

"Scott?!" Graecie nearly cried as his knees buckled, and Scott collapsed on the ground.

His heart pounded in his chest, ice beginning to sink into the floor around his hands. Pyro had been captured. The whole time, he'd gotten kidnapped, and no one noticed for a month because Scott assumed he'd left. He'd told people not to worry, not to care about what Pyro was up to.

They'd even found a different spy camp before, had learned that other people had been previously kidnapped. The thought never crossed Scott's mind when no one could find Pyro, when no one could find Maddy. He'd assumed that they'd run off to gods knows where. He told everyone who asked him that this was just like Pyro to up and vanish without a word.

They could have found Pyro and Maddy sooner, but they didn't. Because of him.

"It's my fault," Scott breathed, voice trembling as he screwed his eyes closed. His throat tightened in a way that felt like he needed to cry, but he couldn't. Not anymore. He was too cold for that.

"What's your fault?" Graecie asked, soft and full of concern as she dropped to the floor at Scott's side. He felt hands on his shoulders for a moment before Graecie gasped, "Oh Shepherdess.. Scott you're freezing…"

"It's my fault," Scott repeated, choking back a dry sob that rattled through him. It hurt, the bitter cold that fueled his spells now slowly taking over his body. "I just thought he left, I didn't- I thought-"

The scratching of claws against the wooden floors caught Scott's attention, forcing his eyes open as a warm body pressed against him. Cindy crawled into his lap, huffing as she clawed at his chest. The little fire dragon stared at him expectantly, a sense of urgency that mirrored Pyro in a way that send a spike of ice through his heart all over again.

With a shaky breath, Scott cradled Cindy close on instinct, letting her warmth sink into him. The normally feisty dragon who never let anyone touch her, especially her own rider most of the time. He could feel her rapid, heavy breathing against him, like she was finally able to rest after running for so long.

Oh Gods above, Pyro had sent Cindemeare all on her own to get back to the academy for help. How long had the little dragon been on her own? How far had she traveled?

"It's not your fault, Scott," Graecie breathed, still sitting beside him with her hands still hovering over him. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before touching his shoulder again, like testing a hot stove before her hand settled in place. He could see the shiver that went through her as she did, but she didn't pull away. "You couldn't have known-"

"But I told people not to care," Scott's breath hitched, voice wet with cold tears, "He talked about leaving and not coming back and I… I panicked and I thought it was Tegrith all over again."

Graecie hummed, a small sigh that he didn't need to see the frown on her face to know she was upset. Slowly, she took a breath, and around them both little gold and white lights began swirling around them both.

An odd warmth surrounded him, different from the heat of the dragon in his arms. Rather than a balance to his cold, this was a comforting warmth. Scott felt himself relax, body untensing slowly. Even Cindy's breathing evened out, a quiet sigh and gentle rumble coming from the dragon in his arms.

"There, is that better?" Graecie asked, a hopeful smile spreading across her face.

"A little…" Scott admitted, and even as the calming magic faded, he still felt its effects lingering around them.

"Okay," Graecie smiled brighter, shuffling closer in order to pull him into a hug.

Scott just let her, leaning into her embrace. He hoped the chill of his body wasn't too uncomfortable for her, the little warmth from Cindy still in his arms helped to keep the cold at bay.

"We'll find him," Graecie reassured him, just continuing to hold him. "We'll get some people together and go out looking first thing in the morning."

"And what if we can't?" Scott asked, voice shaking with lingering worry despite the calming spell and comforting hug. "What if we're too late and they've been moved, or worse-"

"We will!" She interrupted before Scott could spiral further and work himself into another panic. "Pyro and Maddy are both so smart, and Cindy was so brave to bring us the letter. Plus, the Shepherdess will guide us, I'm sure of it!"

Scott just nodded, having lost the energy to argue against her. Besides, she did have a point. Whatever happened, wherever they were now, they'd find them. Scott wouldn't give up, he owed Pyro that much.

That next morning, Scott pushed aside his guilt in order to fill Shelby and Drift in on what happened, on what he discovered. They both agreed to come with him and Graecie in their search for their kidnapped friends.

The only other thing to do before they gathered supplies and headed out, was to make sure all their dragons would be taken care of for however long they were gone.

Scott didn't want to risk Aurora's safety, or any of the other hatchlings, just in case things went wrong. Besides, Cindy became practically attached to Aurora after getting back, and Scott didn't want to separate them.

It took days, Scott lost track of how many exactly, but the location and directions written in the note left with Cindy was detailed enough. They all went further than anyone at the Academy had explored before, trekking through biomes they'd never really seen. Scott stayed vigilant every day they traveled, watching for shadows that move too quick or seem to follow them.

Scott pushed on despite the exhaustion that settled in from using his frost path spell to quicken their movement. So they could get to them faster.

They already wasted a month without anyone knowing they were gone, without realizing they'd been kidnapped. Scott refused to waste more time, not when he could do something about it now.

Eventually, they spotted it.

Shelby had been the one to spot it from scouting ahead. A little clearing of tall, thick trees and sitting between them, a pair of cages hung up in the branches on chains.

"Okay, we don't know what's over there," Drift said, looking between Scott, Shelby, and Graecie as he stared ahead at the cages. "We still don't know who's behind this or if they're around, so we just have to be careful-"

Screw being careful.

"Scott! Wait!"

He didn't listen, breaking out into a run towards the trees and the cages held above the ground. His breathing grew heavy, heart beating loudly in his ears. "Pyro?! Maddy?!" Scott shouted, trying to keep the worry and desperation coursing through him out of his voice.

"Scott?!" Maddy's voice, from somewhere above him, and when Scott slid to a stop just under the cages, he saw her hands grab onto the bars, her face poking through it alongside a little white and pink dragon that chirped loudly when she saw him.

"Oh thank the Gods, get us the fuck out of here, please!" Maddy's cage shook slightly as she moved around inside it.

Behind him, Scott heard footsteps slow to a stop as the others caught up to him. "Maddy! Are you guys okay?" Graecie asked, nervously bouncing on her heels as Shelby shot herself up in the air towards Maddy's cage, landing lightly on top of it.

"No!" Maddy laughed, an exasperated sound, "We've barely had any food, and Pyro needs help like now-"

Without hesitating, Scott casted his frost path, creating a platform of ice underneath him as he quickly headed up towards the second cage. "Pyro?" He called out, peering through the bars before his eyes widened in shocked horror.

Slumped against the bars of the cage, Pyro barely seemed to register that he was there. All he got in response was a small groan as the cage swayed slightly as Scott gripped the bars. The fire mage looked so much paler than Scott anticipated, his clothes a bit baggier around his frame, eyes closed underneath a messy mop of tangled hair, and his face covered in thick, overgrown stubble.

"He's sick, I think," Maddy was saying, still pressed against the bars of her cage as Shelby concentrated on trying to get it unlocked for her. "We- our mana got locked when we were brought here. And he's been away from Cindy for so long… It hit him hard, he's been out of it the last couple of days."

"Pyro?" Scott tried again, being careful to not let his ice spread into the cage itself as he looked for the lock. "Pyro come on, wake up."

Another small groan, but Scott felt some relief as Pyro blinked his eyes open, looking around before his eyes landed on him. "… Scott?" Gods, his voice sounded hoarse, scratchy. Whether it was from misuse or overuse, Scott couldn't tell. But it sounded wrong, small in a way that was everything Pyro Dagmeare wasn't.

"Yeah, it's me, I'm here-"

"… Fuck off, Boralith," Pyro hissed out, turning back to how he had been leaning against the bars before and letting his eyes slip closed again. "I'm not in the mood for this bullshit again, just leave me alone."

Frost spread around the bars where Scott's hands gripped the metal, heart thudding loudly in his chest. The harsh snipping from Pyro, he was used to. But this was different, laced with a level of exhaustion that Scott recognized a little too well.

What had they done to him?

"Ignore him, Scott, he's been like this for weeks now," Maddy's voice pulled his attention, turning to see her carefully climbing out of her cage with Shelby's help. "I think he's been seeing shit, talking to thin air and muttering nonsense."

Scott sighed, trying to hide the shake in it as he turned back towards his friend still slumped over behind the bars. Right. Of course.

Readjusting his grip on the bars, Scott tightened his hands around the lock on the door to the cage. He focused his mana, focusing the cold grip that guilt still had on his heart, the winter storm in his mind that hadn't cleared since Cindy got to the academy, and the roaring anger at whoever had done this.

Frost spread farther, faster, concentrated under his fingers as he rapidly froze the metal that kept Pyro imprisoned. Carefully, harnessing the raging emotions, Scott ensured his magic was controlled, refusing to let it spiral out of control as it was prone to do.

As soon as he heard the groan of metal as the ice thickened, freezing it as much as possible, Scott braced himself to rip the lock from the bars. One swift pull, and it snapped off the hinge, as easy as snapping a twig.

Scott didn't hesitate to pull the door open, shaking the lingering ice from his hands before carefully making his way inside the cage. Dropping to a crouch in front of Pyro, Scott carefully grabbed at his shoulder.

Immediately, Pyro flinched, eyes snapping open as one of his own hands came up to push him away. The movement was weak, barely any strength there to actually push Scott out of his space. "Pyro," Scott said, keeping his voice even and firm, "it's me, I'm here."

"You-" Pyro gasped, a slightly pained sound, eyes wide and frantically looking between Scott and the hand still firmly planted on his shoulder. "You're actually here? You're real?"

"Yes, Pyro, I'm here, I'm real," The relief that flooded through Scott was immediate, watching as Pyro was trying to force himself to be fully present, like he was trying to ground himself back in reality. "We got your note, we came as soon as we-"

"You got-" Pyro interrupted, and with a surge of strength, he forced himself upright despite the wince he let out, "Cindemeare. Where's Cindemeare? Is she alright-"

Scott immediately grabbed Pyro's other shoulder, firmly keeping him in place as to not let him injure himself further. "Whoa, slow down," He said gently, "Cindy's fine, Pyro. She's back at the Academy, she's being looked after."

Pyro struggled for a moment, but as quickly as the energy had hit, he lost it. He slumped forward slightly, weakly nodding his head. "Okay… okay. You promise she's alright?"

"Yes, Pyro. I give you my word."

With another weak nod, Pyro let out a shaky sigh before his lips twitched up into a brief small smile. "I knew she'd find her way back… I knew she would…"

For a moment, Scott thought Pyro might have fallen back asleep, his head slumped against his chest, his breathing shallow. Until Pyro lifted his head back up, unsteady eyes meeting Scott's.

It hurt, seeing Pyro like this. The way he looked so small even if he was practically hunched over on himself, his skin a sickly pale color, eyes dulled with the loss of something that Scott couldn't place yet.

"Lets get you out of here," Scott murmured, watching for a moment before Pyro nodded. He readjusted his grip, pulling Pyro closer to him in order to pick him up.

The moment Pyro made contact with his chest, he hissed, a shiver running through his weakened body. "Shit, have you always been this cold?"

Scott paused. Pyro shouldn't be able to feel how cold he was. He was the only one who couldn't.

Carefully pulling back, Scott stared at Pyro for a moment, watching him sway unsteadily with the movement before settling. He lifted a hand to place it against the side of Pyro's neck, ignoring the shudder and small gasp he let out. "Scott, fuck off, your hand is freezing-"

There was no warmth. Not the kind Scott was used to. The fire that had been fueling Pyro's magic, the link between him and Cindy, seemed extinguished. And by the look and feel of things, the flame had been out for a long time now.

"So are you." Scott breathed, trying not to let concern cause his voice to shake.

"No shit," Pyro huffed, weakly pushing Scott's hand away from his skin. He let him. "Our mana was drained and locked when we woke up here. We haven't…" He paused a moment, a shiver running through him that just sent another aching pang through Scott's chest, "Haven't had magic for a while."

Taking a deep breath, Scott just nodded. Carefully, he guided Pyro back against the bars for a moment. He ignored the confused grumbles as he shrugged off his coat, taking off the thick layer of fabric and fur in order to wrap Pyro in it.

Pyro looked up at him in surprised confusion, silently watching as Scott pulled it over his shoulders. The fur seemed to swallow Pyro whole, massive around his thin frame. Slowly, Pyro grabbed the edges of it, pulling it tighter around himself and softly sighed as Scott pulled back.

"This feels like… home," Pyro muttered softly under his breath, sinking into what Scott assumed was much needed comfort and warmth from the coat. It was the best he could offer for the moment, afraid of freezing him further without some sort of thick layer around Pyro.

"It is," Scott replied, just as soft as Pyro looked back up at him. "It's… been changed since my magic awoke, but it's Tegrith made all the same."

Silence fell over the two of them for a moment, a breath of hesitation before Pyro nodded, almost sinking even further into the coat. He looked like he was on the brink of passing back out, eyes blinking slowly and his breathing growing heavy.

"Come on," Scott murmured, going to pick Pyro back up again now that he was bundled up, "Time to go."

Very carefully, Scott wrapped his arms around Pyro, an arm across his back with the other under his knees, cradling him close to his chest as he stood back up. The cage swayed with the movement, shifting momentarily. Immediately, Pyro's hands grasped the front of Scott's shirt, a broken gasp escaping him as he held onto him tightly. There was a wild, panicked look in his eyes, staring at the ground of the cage beneath them.

It reminded Scott, painfully, eerily, of that day in the tower. When a ghost had nearly condemned Pyro to the same fate as his brother.

"Whoa, hey it's okay," Scott reassured softly, tightening his grip on Pyro to hold them steady as he moved out of the unsteady cage and out onto the more stable platform of ice he'd left behind. "You're alright, I've got you."

Pyro swallowed thickly, screwing his eyes closed. His hands shook where they held tightly onto Scott's shirt. "Gods, Scott, just…" His voice just as shaky and quite, barely above a whisper, "get me the fuck out of here. Please."

"Working on it," Scott kept his voice steady, just as soft and reassuring as he carefully made his way down so he wouldn't slide down the ice like he was used to doing. Not when he could practically feel Pyro's panic through the thick layer of fur surrounding him. "Just breathe, Pyro."

Much to Scott's surprise, Pyro listened. Shakily, he took a breath, and slowly, he loosened his grip on Scott's shirt. He didn't fully remove his hands from where they rested against him, but he didn't have a death grip on them anymore.

The moment Scott stepped off the ice and onto the solid earth, he heard Pyro let out another small sigh, relief clear in the sound. Almost as immediately, Drift and Graecie rushed over, Shelby staying back with Maddy as she rested on the ground.

"Pyro! Oh, blessed bells- Are you okay?! Maddy was telling us what happened-"

Instinctively, Scott took a small step back, turning his body as if shielding Pyro from the attention and Graecie's rapid fire worry. It was the last thing Scott knew he'd want was to be crowded in the state he was in. This was not the way Pyro Dagmeare wanted to be seen, or remembered.

Graecie and Drift both slowed to a stop, watching him in confusion. Graecie tilted her head to the side, her big heart making her concern clear on her face. "Sorry," Scott muttered, his grip on Pyro not loosening as he let his body relax a little. Just so that he wasn't actively defensive. "Just... give him some space."

"Is he alright?" Drift asked, shifting only slightly to block Shelby and Maddy's view behind her. Maddy didn't seem to be paying much attention, focusing on Ambi in her lap. Shelby, on the other hand, had been trying to lean to the side to get a better view of what was happening, but seemed to back off when the view was blocked.

Scott glanced down slightly, long enough to see that Pyro had curled further into the pool of the fur coat around him. His eyes hadn't fully closed, but his exhaustion seemed even more apparent, eyes threatening to slip closed with the unsteady focus they held. Whatever energy he had mustered up when he realized Scott was there seemed to have all but slipped through his fingers.

"He's just been through a lot," Scott replied as he looked back up, ignoring the way the fist against his chest tightened. "I think we should get them back to the Academy as fast as possible, get both their mana back and get them recovering."

Nodding quickly, Graecie hesitated, shifting on her feet like she wanted to approach them regardless of Scott's request for space. "I could help! I can give Pyro a blessing, to help him if he's hurting," She suggested, the bells wrapped around her wrist chiming softly with her movement.

Scott just shook his head, "No, no let's just get back to the Academy. I don't want to say here longer than we need to."

"Okay!" Graecie nodded again, turning on her heel to rush back over to where Maddy was sitting, not hesitating to plop down beside her. The faint sound of her voice filled the air as she talked with Maddy, checking in on her and the little dragon in her lap.

"Do you have enough mana to recall you and Pyro both? If not, I think if I help cast it with you, it should be fine," Drift offered, hesitantly taking a step closer towards him.

It wasn't that he didn't think he could get Pyro back on his own. Scott was sure enough in his own learned magic outside of his inherent ice abilities that he probably could regardless of having not done it before.

But, he still hadn't done it before. And Scott couldn't, wouldn't, risk Pyro's safety like that. Not in the state he was in. Not when he just got him back. Not this time.

Sighing, Scott nodded before meeting Drift's eyes. "Yeah. Yeah doubling up is probably the way to go. Just to make sure we get them back safely."

"Right," Drift gave a single nod, a look of certainty crossing her face before she turned around to the other three. "Shelby, Graecie, can you two handle Recall with Maddy?"

"Yup!" Graecie nodded as Shelby stood, offering a hand to Maddy to help her to her feet. "We'll see you back at the Academy!"

Drift walked over to Scott, carefully putting a hand on his arm since his hands were occupied. They shared a look, eyes meeting for a moment before Drift's expression softened. "He's going to be okay, Scott," She said quietly, just loud enough for just him to hear.

Scott sighed shakily, just giving a small nod, before he felt Drift's mana connecting and mixing briefly with his own as they casted the spell together. Purple sparks surrounded them, soft popping filling his ears as the Recall manifested around them.

In his arms, Pyro shuttered slightly with the feeling of magic in the air. Scott instinctively held him closer, which didn't feel possible with just how tightly he was holding onto him. The hands in his shirt tightened, a small uncomfortable whine escaping him. Murmuring soft reassurances to Pyro, Scott couldn't help but be reminded of nights spent helping tend to Igna whenever she was sick. The younger of the Dagmeare siblings clung to him the same way, refused to let him leave her on her own.

They were so different, Pyro had never even met her, but Scott found that he was so like his sister in the littlest ways that it hurt.

In a small flash and shower of sparks, suddenly everything shifted around him before Scott found himself back in the main hall of the Academy. He couldn't help the small sigh of relief that filled him when the familiar interior filled his vision, only relaxing slightly once the magic wore off.

Drift let go of his arm, taking a few steps back. "You should get him to the infirmary," She told him, "He looks worse off than Maddy does, but I'm going to hang back and see what she wants to do when she gets back."

"Yeah," Scott nodded, and began walking off towards the hallway that led deeper into the Academy just as another pop of magic filled the air, the others arriving back behind them.

Footsteps echoed through the empty halls as Scott made his way down them. At first, he kept a normal speed, until he disappeared around the corner and heard the voices of the others fade into silence. He took a deep breath, a sharp inhale, before he quickened his pace until he was all but running down the halls with Pyro still secured in his arms.

For a moment, all he could hear was his own heart beating, blood rushing in his ears as his boots thudded heavily against the carpeted, wooden floors. Then, Pyro gave a soft groan, and Scott felt one of his hands tug at his shirt before weakly smacking his chest, trying to get his attention.

"I know, Pyro, we're almost there-"

"No, Scott, not the infirmary," Pyro wheezed, out of breath as if he were the one who was running. It was followed by a cough, the sound rattling painfully in his chest that made Scott wince. "Please, I don't- I can't… not there."

Scott slowed for a moment, glancing down at Pyro for a moment. There was a pleading look in his eyes, a fear that was so unfamiliar on his face that made even Scott shiver with the way his heart ached at the sight, cold and brutal. "Pyro… you need help, the infirmary is the best place for that," He explained gently, beginning to pick up the pace again as he turned down a hallway and began heading down the stairs.

"Scott," Pyro practically whined, strained and sounding on the verge of tears, weakly beginning to struggle in his hold, "It's too exposed, anyone could find me- Please."

It hurt, to see Pyro reduced to this. The last time Scott had seen him in such a weakened state was when they were kids, both battling a cold that had made its way around Tegrith. Pyro never handled being sick well, that much was still the same.

"I'll stay with you then," Scott said, finally making his way through the wide doorway into the infirmary. "I'll make sure people stay away, give you space. I'm sorry, Pyro, but this is what's best to make sure you're okay."

Pyro fell quiet, leaning his head more against Scott's chest than the his arm. "… Fine."

Scott let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, finding the farthest bed in the room and gently setting Pyro down on it. He shivered when Scott carefully remove the coat from around him in order to get him under the thin covers.

As soon as he was sure Pyro was settled okay, his breathing still deep and sharp with a small wheeze, Scott pulled the covers over his thin, curled up form. "I'll be right back, okay?" He assured Pyro, hesitating a moment before he brushed some of Pyro's hair out of his face, "I'm going to let Nurse Violet know you're here and figure out what to do next."

And true to his word, he wasn't gone for long. Scott gave the nurse a run down of the situation, explained the state Pyro was in, asked if it was possible to separate the bed out from the rest of the room, create the best sense of privacy for Pyro while in such a vulnerable state.

When Scott came back, it was to help Violet set up tall dividers, almost making something like a tent around Pyro's bed. It was better than nothing, just a small isolated spot in the corner of the infirmary for him to rest and recover in for the time being.

"What is that?" Pyro asked cautiously, staring at the little bottle in Scott's hand as he settled into the chair at his bedside once the dividers were up and Violet had finished checking over Pyro's vitals before leaving.

"It's meant to control how fast you get your mana back," Scott explained slowly, recalling what Violet had explained to him when she gave it to him, "So it won't hurt like it would if you got it back all at once."

Immediately, Pyro's eyes widened, and with a surge of strength he push himself upright in the bed, almost like he was trying to get away from the potion. "What? No, Scott- what do you mean control how fast I get it back-"

"Pyro, calm down," Scott eased, setting the bottle on the side table before he leaned over to the bed, gently taking one of Pyro's hands in his to guide him back to lay down. "You've been without it for so long, Nurse Violet is worried it'll do more harm than good for you to get it back all at once."

"No," Pyro insisted, and instead of pulling away from Scott's hold like he expected, he instead grabbed his arm with his free hand. His grip was as tight as he could manage, almost desperately clawing at Scott's sleeve. "No, I can take it. Please, I don't need the potion."

Scott sighed, his expression falling and he didn't try to hide his concern that he knew was written all over his face. "Pyro…"

"Scott please," Pyro pleaded, ignoring Scott's insistence that he be laying down to instead push himself upright. He clung to Scott's arm desperately, just like he had when the cage had swayed. Desperation clawed at him, his voice raw with the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. "Don't make me drink it. I'm so cold Scott, I need my magic back… please… I don't want to be cold anymore-"

It hurt to see Pyro this way, desperate and clinging to Scott like his life depended on it, uncaring of the natural chill that surrounded him. Scott knew too well what it was like, begging for anything to chase away the frost that would never really go away.

He wish he had Pyro's magic instead, to be the source of the warmth he craved.

"I'm sorry," Scott sighed, tugging Pyro closer to hug him tightly. He leaned into it, muffling the small hiccuped cry that escaped him before another cough rattled through him. Scott patted his back and rubbed it soothingly. "After… after you drink it, we'll get you a bath, and then I can go and get Cindy and bring all my blankets- the nice thick ones from home. How does that sound?"

For a moment, Scott was worried maybe Pyro was going to give him the silent treatment, trying to stop from shaking too hard in his arms once again as the silence lingered around them. "Yeah," Pyro choked out after a moment, voice hoarse, "yeah that… that's okay."

"Okay," Scott sighed in relief, continuing to rub gentle circles against Pyro's back.

They stayed that way for just a moment longer, until Pyro's body was shivering too much from the cold of being pressed against Scott for too long and they were forced to pull away. Slowly and carefully, Scott helped Pyro drink the potion Violet had given him, watching as Pyro swallowed it all down eagerly despite having been against it in the first place.

Pyro sighed shakily, and Scott noticed immediately a bit of warmth returning to the space around him. It wasn't to the same strength as before, but it was a start. Gradual, careful, as to not overwhelm Pyro after not having mana for so long.

It also seemed to have given him a bit more of his strength back. Scott just had to support Pyro at his side as they walked from the secluded spot in the infirmary over to the bathroom to the side of the clinic. And just as he promised, he stayed with Pyro for as long as the other would let him.

Once he was ready, Scott helped Pyro into the bath, easing him into the warm water and making sure he wouldn't slip under the water. In comfortable silence, he helped rise Pyro off, lathered his hair in the basic soap the infirmary had stocked and washed the suds out.

For a moment, Scott's gaze lingered on the stubble across Pyro's jaw, messy and patchy in places, far from the clean shaven he had been before.

"It's scratchy," Pyro muttered under his breath, having caught Scott looking.

"I bet it is," Scott exhaled, soft and gentle as he finished washing all the soap out of his hair, his fingers raking through the wet strands. "You can get a proper shave once you're better, okay?"

Pyro just nodded weakly, letting his eyes slip closed as he leaned into Scott's touch.

Scott took the chance to let his eyes wander a little more, really taking in the state Pyro was in. Bruises, mostly faded but still lingering, littered his body alongside healed over scars. It all looked painful, even if they weren't fresh anymore. Guilt clawed at his heart all over again.

Pyro shouldn't have had to endure whatever all this was from, not when it was all Scott's fault.

"I'm sorry…" Scott couldn't stop the words before they slipped quietly away from him, barely above a whisper. He hoped for a moment that Pyro wouldn't hear them.

He had. Pyro blinked his eyes open tiredly, staring up at Scott in slight confusion.

Clearing his throat and looking away, Scott sighed, his hand stilling against the side of Pyro's head. "I'm sorry, it… it's my fault we didn't find you sooner."

"… What do you mean your fault?"

Scott inhaled sharply, pulling his hand away and resting it in his lap. He couldn't look Pyro in the eyes, already anticipating the fiery anger and outburst that he knew he deserved a second time. "I told people not to worry about you, when no one knew where you were," He said, his heart aching with every word. "You just… you told me you were going to leave, and I thought you had. I didn't… I didn't think you-"

"Hey." Pyro interrupted, reaching to cup the side of Scott's face with a hand, thumb brushing away a stray tear that Scott hadn't realized was there. "There wasn't anything you could have done. I… don't exactly have a good track record for these things."

A small, wet laugh escaped Scott as he leaned into Pyro's touch gently, putting his own hand over the other's, before he frowned, still not meeting Pyro's gaze. "That's still no excuse… I feel awful, Pyro… I'm so sorry."

Pyro shrugged, leaning over the side of the tub slightly as he guided Scott closer. He pressed their foreheads together, practically forcing Scott to looking him in the eyes. "I forgive you," Pyro said softly, "If that's what you need to hear, then I forgive you. But it's not your fault, you couldn't have known this was going to happen."

Scott took a deep breath, nodding against Pyro. They stayed like that for just a moment longer before Scott pulled away, wiping his face of any lingering tears. "Lets get you back in bed so I can go get your dragon, yeah?"

In no time at all, Pyro was up and out the tub, clean and dried off before he put on a spare change of clothes Violet had brought them. Scott helped him back into the makeshift room and into bed.

"I'll be right back," Scott promised once again, pressing a gentle kiss against the top of Pyro's head, his hair still damp from the bath, before he left the infirmary.

As quickly as he could, Scott made his way back to the Vulpes dorm, relieved to find the hallways still empty as he did. Once he reached his room, he gathered as many blankets and furs as he could find, tearing his bed apart in order to have enough.

The familiar sound of dragon chittering filled his ears, and Scott turned to see Aurora and Cindy both bounding over to him, looking up at him almost expectantly. "Hi," He greeted softly, hauling the pile of blankets and fur into one arm in order to reach down and scratch the top of Aurora's head, who purred happily at the attention.

Cindy on the other hand, huffed at him in annoyance, turning to stalk off to the door before looking back at him expectantly. Almost as if she knew he'd brought her rider back to her.

Scott let Aurora clamber up onto his shoulders, the dragon settling comfortably in her favorite spot as he headed to the door. "Come on then, let's get you back to Pyro." He told Cindy, watching her carefully as he opened the door to head back to the infirmary.

It didn't take very long, and as soon as they were through the threshold of the infirmary, Cindy let out a small chirping sound before she ran off further into the room, squirming underneath the divider to reach the occupant on the other side.

"Cindy!" Scott couldn't help the smile on his face at hearing Pyro reuniting with his dragon, and when he made his way inside, the little red dragon had already clambered up onto the bed and was sitting protectively in Pyro's lap.

"Thank the gods you're okay…" Pyro sighed, smoothing over the top of her head as she purred gently.

"Told you we took care of her," Scott said as he set the pile of blankets down on the chair beside the bed, letting Aurora scramble down off his shoulders and onto the floor.

Pyro huffed, looking up at Scott without taking his hands off Cindy. "Yeah, well. I haven't seen her in a month, alright?"

Scott winced, trying not to let the comment sting as much as it did, but he nodded. "Fair enough." He hesitated a moment before he gestured to the blankets. "I brought what I think should be enough blankets to keep you warm."

Eyes widening, Pyro carefully leaned over to run a hand along on of the furs on the top of the pile. "You said… these are from home too, aren't they?"

Nodding, Scott brushed his hand away in order to start pulling blankets off the pile. "The furs are, so is this quilt. Most of these are the ones we made together," He rattled on absentmindedly as he began layering the blankets over Pyro's bed.

Cindy crawled up into Pyro's shoulder as Scott worked, and soon enough the infirmary bed looked more like Scott's own bed had before he took it apart for the blankets. It looked cozy, warm in a way that distinctly looked and felt like home.

Pyro settled back into all the covers, sighing in content as Cindy made her way back into his lap and watched Scott carefully. As he went to sit down in the chair beside the bed, Scott was surprised as Pyro's hand quickly grabbed his wrist. "What's wrong?" He asked, worry beginning to build again.

"Nothing, just-" Pyro sighed, tugging at Scott's arm and pulling him closer to the bed. "You promised me you'd stay." Scott nodded, humming slightly in acknowledgment.

"So. Stay with me. Properly."

Scott blinked in confusion for a moment before Pyro pulled back the covers slightly, and with a surprising strength, pulled Scott close. He nearly stumbled, startling Cindy for a moment, but the message was clear.

Climbing into the bed, Scott settled at Pyro's side, letting the other pull him close as he wrapped his arms around him. He pulled the blankets tightly around them both, warmth to fight off the chill from Scott's body. Pyro didn't seem to care, resting his head against Scott's chest as they slotted together just like they used to when they were kids.

The space filled with the sound of dragon chittering, and Scott looked over to see Aurora managing to flap her wings enough to clamber up onto the bed on her own. His dragon made her way over to Cindy, where the both of them settled in the space between Scott and Pyro's legs.

Scott sighed softly, holding Pyro close as the other hummed in content against him. He could tell the moment the other slipped into sleep, his breathing finally evening out as his eyes slipped closed.