I'm back with a new chapter! Not a lot of enjonine in this one, but I hope you'll enjoy it all the same. Your feedback is always appreciated! :)
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Marius turned quietly towards his brothers. "We need to stop them. Something awful is going on here. We need to understand why they're fighting each other. Fate may be in danger!"
Grantaire nodded, his expression deadly serious. "Jehan and I will stop Feuilly; you and Joly take care of Bahorel, alright?"
The gods all nodded. Jehan whispered "On three. One… Two… Three!"
They sprung out from behind the boulders at the same time, running towards the two fighting warriors. Jehan threw himself on Feuilly's shoulders, while Grantaire took hold of the sword and swiftly snatched it out of his brother's grasp. Marius and Joly both tackled Bahorel to the ground, and his weapon fell down with a clatter.
The action was carried out with such a fierce and swift intensity that Feuilly and Bahorel put up no resistance. They went down compliantly enough, and once they hit the ground they lay there, apparently exhausted. Grantaire and Marius shared a concerned look. It took an unimaginable amount of time and energy to provoke such tiredness in a god. How long had they been tearing each other to pieces?
Joly was already fussing over them; while Jehan washed the blood off their faces and bodies with pure clean water that flowed from his fingertips, the god of healing passed his hands over cuts and bruises, swollen lips and black eyes, murmuring softly, pale and focused.
He worked and worked, trying to give them their strength back, but his two brothers didn't seem to improve like he hoped. His frustration was growing, along with his exhaustion: the transmission of strength and health to other gods meant a significant loss of his own energy. His skin had turned ashen, his hands were shaking badly, his breath coming in ragged gasps. No one was paying attention to him though: Marius and Grantaire were exploring their surroundings, looking for proof that someone had been there to cast a spell on the warriors; Jehan was still busy washing away all the blood.
As soon as they made sure that no enemy was near, and that Feuilly and Bahorel were so weak and tired they no longer posed a threat, Grantaire went to fetch their mother and sister. When the goddesses saw the warriors lying on the ground, surrounded by pools of rosy water, they both gave out a cry of distress and rushed by their side. Cosette's hands fluttered from one god to another like busy butterflies, caressing cheeks, smoothing down locks of hair, tracing the line of jaws and noses. Fantine was more collected, although she was beginning to feel a cold and paralyzing dread in her heart. Once she ascertained that both her sons were in no mortal danger, she asked Marius to take Joly away. One look had been enough for her to understand that he had been so focused on healing his brothers that he had almost no energy left. He looked worse than when he had cured Eponine of her blindness.
Joly protested weakly, but Marius shushed him tenderly and took him a few feet away, easing his weakened frame on the ground, his back against a boulder.
"Stay here, I'll be right back, ok Joly?" Marius asked, touching his brother's forehead lightly. A clammy hand feebly grasped his wrist.
"Don't… you have to… don't let Mother give them the breath of life. They are too far gone, they're almost on the brink of death, and-and that's saying something. The effort would be too much… even… even for her. Tell her sh-she mustn't revive them fully… just… just long enough so they can explain… explain…" his voice cracked. His eyes closed, his grip on Marius' wrist slackened. In a handful of seconds he fell asleep, overwhelmed by fatigue.
"Alright Joly. I'll take care of everything, don't worry" the god of love said softly, smiling. He kissed his brother's forehead, then hurried back to the others.
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Her heart was beating so fast she felt like it might take flight. Enjolras – she wasn't quite sure how she knew his name, but she was certain it belonged to him – was studying her, his expression wary.
"How… how…?" he didn't even know what to ask.
She took his hands, drawing reassuring circles on his palms with her thumbs. "I think it's working. This whole reminiscing process. That name popped into my mind and I'm positive it is your name. Soon you'll remember mine." she smiled. "Enjolras." she repeated. "It's a beautiful name."
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"I'll go and watch over Joly. He shouldn't be alone right now." Cosette stated right after Marius reported his brother's instructions. She walked away, while all the other gods formed a circle around Fantine and the two warriors. The Mother placed Bahorel's and Feuilly's hands in her lap. She concentrated for a minute, her breathing slow and deep. The air around her shimmered and flashed pink, and suddenly the two gods woke up, gasping and coughing.
"Wh-what the hell happened?" Bahorel rasped. He moved his head left to right, then his eyes widened and he tried to sit up; Grantaire immediately pushed him back down. "It's fine, you're fine, Bahorel. You're safe" he told his brother.
Bahorel's gaze focused on Grantaire's blue eyes. "R? Where's Feuilly? What's happening?"
"I'm right here" a gravelly voice said. Feuilly had woken up too, his head in Jehan's lap.
"My boys. I'm so glad you're both fine." Fantine smiled, relief washing over her. The effort of bringing her sons awake had weakened her, but the joy of hearing their voices again had brought colour on her cheeks and sparks in her eyes.
"Mother, Jehan, Marius, R… what are you all doing here? Why am I feeling so… ill?" Feuilly asked.
"You mean you don't remember anything?" Jehan asked in disbelief. "We came here and saw you two fighting to the death! That's why you're so debilitated."
Feuilly and Bahorel looked completely stricken.
"I don't… I just remember the darkness. I suppose it was night…?" Bahorel fell silent, biting his lower lip.
Feuilly furrowed his brow, deep in thought. "There was movement, just beyond the boulders. Like a shadow, darker than night itself. I went to check it out…"
"…and I watched you go, and I had this strange feeling that something wasn't right, and that's the last thing I remember!" Bahorel finished.
An uneasy silence followed. Jehan was the first to break it. "So… can we assume that someone cast a spell on you, a spell that would distract you both and leave the entrance of the cave unguarded? For the whole night and part of the morning?"
The two warriors blanched.
"No…."
"Fate! What are we still doing here, we need to get to Fate, NOW!" Bahorel flailed wildly, trying to get up, but his wrecked body would not respond to his will.
"You two can't go anywhere right now, you're still weak! Stay here and rest, I'll tell Cosette to look after you." Fantine said sternly. She looked up to her other children, worry etched on her pale face. "We need to go in, now."
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"Come on Enj, let's get out of here. Something tells me your colouring is best suited for sunny fields of flowers, rather than underground lakes." she smiled.
He looked dubious. "Are you sure? It's beautiful down here, and I can see that you love it."
"I do." she answered. "And being here made me remember something important. I think we should go somewhere you also feel comfortable. You'll see, it will help you too!"
Enjolras couldn't resist her confident, excited gaze. He reached out and entwined his fingers with hers, leading her out into the bright sunlight.