Sanders Sides Oneshots

Butterfly Wings (Roceit)

Written: 27th, 28th and 29th October
Published: 26th February
T.W: Discrimination (I'm kind of doing this to talk about how ignorance affects people's mindsets), referring to someone as it.
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"Roman. Janus. Come here." The two 12 year olds looked up from what they had been busying themselves with for the last hour. "I want you both to open up this suitcase."

The wizened figure gestured to a battered, brown box with pealing leather and two rusted buckles. It was truly and utterly...

...mundane.

The curious boys stepped over to it. They both wore brown shorts and white polo shirts but their faces were very different. One had bright green eyes, emerald like trees in the height of spring. The other had one eye brown like wet sand and the other a stormy ocean blue.

Although the second boy's heterochromia looked beautiful, it's story was one of violence. A violence that caused the boy a pain that he was old enough to remember and understand, but young enough for adults to believe that it would never affect him.

Adults were wrong.

So now the orphans Roman and Janus were walking towards the suitcase, both suspicious of what it held. Aspen, the person who took both boys in, never did anything without a purpose. Aspen also never educated the boys in such a simple way as this.

The two boys brought their small hands to the buckles.

Roman took the one on his left and opened it with his right hand. There was a cut across his pinky finger that Aspen said would scar. It was from a metal gate.

Janus took the one on the right and opened it with his left hand. There was a callous on the edge of his middle finger and one beginning on the skin between his thumb and index finger. They were from Janus' excessive writing (Excessive in Roman's opinion, not anyone else's).

With a small click, both buckles came undone. The two used their hands to push open the lid and saw layers upon layers of small, square boxes. They had black bottoms and glass tops, but the important part was what was inside.

"Butterflies?" The boys whispered in unison and awe.

Rows and rows of butterfly wings in every colour and hue. Patterns like woven spiderwebs and dots like ladybug backs covered each surface differently.

Only books told of butterflies, but they never depicted such beauty. The creatures had become extinct long ago. However, the general public didn't know that. As long as they were told that there were butterflies somewhere else, they didn't question it. It kept them happy.

"No. Not butterflies," Aspen said with a raspy voice and an amused smile. "But fairy wings."

From that day on Aspen not only taught the boys Literacy and Mathematics, but the most efficient way to locate and kill a fairy. The two developed a friendly rivalry between each other that could get rather heated at times.

The moment both boys turned 17 they were entered into the guild by Aspen, who had been a prominent member of the community in his youth, and quickly separated. It was not that they disliked each other, but their competitive natures led them to drift apart. 

Each month all members would meet in an inconspicuous inn where they would take out their suitcases. The 10 with the most wings, as they proved that you did kill a fairy, were the ranked and would be payed hefty sums of money. Everyone in the guild desired the high rankings and were desperate to get them and the status that came with acquiring it.

It was on one of these evenings, when the two boys spoke again. They had both been joint in 2nd rank and neither Roman nor Janus was pleased. They sat at a table in the corner, glowering at the top rank hunter leaving the tavern.
"Who would ever let fairy scum work in the guild, let alone be allowed to rank so highly?"Roman growled, still staring daggers into the exit door.
"It expects us to call it by it's name. Patton. Like it's a person." Janus scrunched his face up in disgust as he closed his briefcase.
"How do we know it's not a traitor."
"I don't even think other fairies would trust it. All those wings that it brings...I knew that fairies were monsters, but slaughtering it's own kind like that..."
"Indeed." Roman picked up his suitcase and began to stand. "If only we could beat it."
"What are you suggesting Roman?"
"Well, if we worked together, quite quickly that fairy would be dirt under our boots."

"Clever idea Roman. I never thought your brain could create such a thing." Roman rolled his eyes and stuck out his hand.
"Do we have an agreement, Janus?"
"I believe we do."
The two shook hands. Callouses and scars sealing the deal before the two left the inn.

Over the course of the next month, the two spent many days together. They became close once again and couldn't fathom what had brought them apart before. They worked well and were much more efficient as a team than they had ever been as individuals.

As the two walked up to the counter, they placed their cases on the table and opened them in unison. A flicker of surprise flashed through the bar man's eyes before he began counting.

The two walked into a booth and continued to whisper, their eyes trained on the door, waiting for their main competition to walk through the door.

They waited.

The other hunters waited.

The bar-man waited.

The wind waited.

They waited.

But Patton the fairy never came.

This confused everyone, although, it didn't matter too much to the men as they left the inn with bags and pockets filled with coins, smiles on their faces. Until Janus noticed that he was accidentally holding Roman's case.
"The fairy isn't doing hunting anymore." Janus stopped.
"Yes. Which is good." Roman back peddled to look at his lifelong friend.
"It is. But," Janus held out the case, Roman taking a second before realisation kicked in. "That means we don't need to work together anymore."

Janus looked away, regret in his eyes. Roman's head was running in circles. He needed to say something. This might be the most important something he would ever need to say.

"Yes we do!" The one in yellow whipped his head toward his companion.
"I-"
"Maybe not need, but we would be doing the world a disservice if we didn't work together. We could wipe them out much faster together."
"Would that be allowed?"
"They didn't stop us in there. You've got to admit that it was much more fun together."
"And maybe there is a very tiny part of me that would miss you if we stopped seeing each other."

"So, what do you say Janus?" Roman stuck out his hand. "Do we have an agreement?"
"I believe we do." Janus said with a grin, bringing his hand in to shake.

Once again callouses and scars would seal a deal but this one was much more important.

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I really liked this concept but I think the ending wasn't too great. I hope you people liked it though.

I was thinking of writing a couple more oneshots in this universe, like a prequel one and a short continuation. I don't know if you would want that. Please let me know what you think or if you have any input for it because that would be great.

Take care of yourselves everyone and I hope you have a lovely day/night.

-SiD