*Drifting along on a breeze and a breath

Let me forget the cruel world that I left

Lay here and never get up, no regrets

Curled in the cracks between death

Jester's feet slammed through the water step after step, desperate to reach their goal before it was too late. Although he still wasn't sure when, or even why, it would be too late, his gut screamed for him to hurry back to Juno, his heart racing in response. At last he found his way back to the spot they'd fallen asleep next to each other. Nothing.

His head darted back and forth, eyes searching frantically across the horizon. Then golden waters danced out of the corner of his eye. The waves carried a boot in front of him. Then another. Juno's riding boots. He picked them up and followed where the waves came from, trudging through water up to his torso, determined to find her, or another article of clothing, or even a half-eaten marshmallow. He'd take what he could get at this point.

"Juno?" he shouted. "We have to go! Can you hear me? Juno?"

"Oof!"

Jester whipped his head toward the sound, to a forest of crystal plateaus where the golden waters faded into rivers of different colors: violet, green, blue, and pink. He weaved through the crystal formations following the green river as it carried Juno's gauntlets and even clumps of her hair. Though cumbersome, he picked them up too and bounded around and through the crystal forest. He came across a light waterfall pouring over familiar fiery hair and olive skin, where he saw the flash of a sickle blade swinging through the air.

"Juno!" he called out to her, though she seemed to not notice.

Her jacket hung down over her elbows and her hair was slowly unraveling from its braid, the end of it caught in the crevasse of a cracked crystal.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She finally looked at him. "Oh! I was just trying to wash off. Dumb crystal ate my hair."

Together they grabbed her hair and bunched it in a way where pulling it wouldn't hurt as much, then he took her sickle blade and swiped haphazardly several times at the end until it came loose in uneven chopped edges. Jester didn't breathe a sigh of relief yet, though. He shoved the rest of her armor in her hands.

"Get your clothes on. Hurry."

"My what now?" She cocked her head and just stared blankly at the pile.

Jester stirred uncomfortably. "Just get dressed. We have to leave."

Juno shrugged and casually slipped on her gauntlets, mindless of the urgency in his voice and body language. Impatient, he grabbed the sides of her jacket and yanked them back over her shoulders, even tying it in the front for her while she fiddled with her boots. Then she asked where they were going.

"How should I know? Anywhere but here."

"Why?"

"We're in danger. This world isn't as beautiful as it looks; it's a trap. As much as I can't stomach the thought, going back home might even be safer than this." He turned around and began to walk, expecting her to follow, but stopped dead in his tracks at the next absent-minded thing Juno spoke:

"But I am home."

He turned to stare at her horrified, but she had already walked in the opposite direction and hopped on top of a crystal.

Orion was right. It's already happening. "Stop!"

With a running start he leapt up after her and grabbed her arm before she could play with anything else.

"Don't you wanna play some more?"

"No, Juno!"

"'Juno?' Who calls me that?"

"Y-you do! How do you not-" He grabbed her other arm and stared her down. "Do you even know who I am?"

"Hmm..." She pecked him on the nose. "I know you're fun!"

Aaaaaand she's lost it.

She tried to pull him towards a swarm of jellyfish flying by, but he held his grip firm. She snatched one arm free and pointed at the swarm. "Come on."

"Please!" Jester entwined his fingers through hers. She looked down at her hand in awe, then into his eyes, finally regarding him with her full attention.

"Listen to me. Something really bad is going to happen to you if you stay here. I know this place was supposed to be our own little world, but we can't use it to hide away. We don't need magic to escape our problems. All we need is each other. Do you believe that?"

One hand locked fingers with hers, the other hand outstretched in a silent plea for her to take it. She stared down at their fingers, her vapid grin having long faltered. Her free hand lifted up slowly, feebly, ready to retreat at any moment. But at last she took Jester's hand. Juno the Daring made her choice.

"Yeah...I do."

And, as disgraces and traitors to both their people, Jester Cross and Juno Sagina ran to flee a world of magic once again. Hand in hand they bounded forward hoping to find their way back to the wells. They saw their refuge in the form of several clusters of golden waterfalls in the far distance, and Jester hoped to cosmos they'd be able to recognize whichever one they'd fallen from.

However, before they could close the distance, a gray figure darted past them and blocked their way. Threatening them was a unicorn solid as stone, both in color and in sheer strength and durability. His battle-scarred body and his broken horn loomed several heads over Juno. A single eye and a stitched lump stared daggers into Jester's soul, water lapping in chaotic splashes at the Septarian's ankles as the hardened unicorn slammed his horseshoes into the ground.

"I've got new friends, Bartholomew. Go away!" Juno groaned.

Bartholomew? How did she know his name? If Orion was connected to Eclipsa, then is this unicorn connected to Solaria?

The gray beast snorted her direction. Jester immediately threw an arm up to shield her, though she seemed more just annoyed than wary. Bartholomew muttered through his teeth about how she was a disgrace to her people. To magic.

"Stay away from her." Jester's firm tone of voice earned Bartholomew a stuck-out tongue from Juno. He kept one arm in front of her and the other arm ready to fight at any second. Bartholomew seemed more interested in Jester anyway, taking a step closer toward him.

"You don't belong here."

"You don't say..." Jester was starting to match Juno's irritation. If you'd just get out of our way, we'll gladly be out of your hair forever."

"She can't be allowed to leave, and I can't risk you coming back here someday."

He wanted to listen to his Monster blood and stand his ground, to say "Or what?", to at least do something to prove he wouldn't be moved. But those eyes. That raging thundercloud gaze. The malice in that voice, the menace in that stance. Jester's legs gave way to a tremble as he found himself back at the tower- back in the nightmare -in the Monster Carver's presence.

An enormous splash snapped him out of it. Behind Bartholomew a figure crashed out from one of the magic wells. A bipedal equestrian creature landed with a palm to the ground, a staff extended in the other hand. It stood, white toga flowing in the wind, and lifted its winged staff, twirling it a few times before slamming it to the ground.

"Clockwork Shock!"

A mandela glowed from the golden waters following his roar. A bright light engulfed Bartholomew and the figure, and when it faded the unicorn was the one in front of the wells while the staff-wielder stood in front of Jester and Juno. His sunflower skin and furry horns were splotched with brown spots, resembling a giraffe, with pale blue eyes that regarded the Solarian and the Monster with urgency.

"Jester Cross, I presume?"

Jester's blood boiled. Nevermind the hourglass emblems adorning his toga or the magic he wielded. The regality in his voice was enough of a giveaway.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" he hissed at the Magic High Commissioner.

"My name is Reynaldo. I'm here to help."

"Hm, why am I skeptical?"

Reynaldo ignored his sarcasm. "Omnitraxus saw a vision of you here, but I didn't want to believe it. Do you have any idea how dangerous this place is?"

He sneered for a split second. "No. As a Monster, I'm not supposed to know these things."

Reynaldo took a step closer and raised his voice. "You. Don't. Belong. Here."

The Septarian hesitated for a moment, then growled. "You know what? I'm a little tired of everyone telling me where do and don't belong. If I'm not supposed to be here, then why am I being called? Why is Juno losing herself and I'm not?"

"I don't know." He shook his head. "But you'll lose her forever if you don't leave."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do! Why are you blocking us?"

"Because you have no guarantee she'll return to normal once you go!"

Jester started. He stared at Juno, his words gone. What if Reynaldo was right? What if Orion was right; that there was more danger than what met the eye?

"Just come with me," he continued, extending his hand. "I can help."

Jester snapped his head back toward Reynaldo and spat, "By doing what? Turning us in?"

In a firm tone he leaned forward and said, "You can either leave through my way or risk losing your lives."

Jester balled his fists. No... So many threats. So many propositions and manipulations. And he'd dragged Juno into his life of struggle and blackmail. Whether or not he needed to feel guilty about it, he was still responsible for it. For her. Especially in her current state.

"No! You just stay away from me-" he swept a blissfully distracted Juno into arms bridal style then turned tail and ran once more "-and stay away from Juno!"

Of course he knew it was foolish. Of course he knew they were running from their refuge. But at what cost did it come through Reynaldo's path? At what fair cost did refuge ever come...for a Monster?

*Song: Home

Musical: The Caravan Analogy