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When he was finally able to force himself to move, Deet had disappeared from view, but it wasn’t hard to follow her blackened trail of decay and ash. Rian’s heart ached for her. It had all happened too suddenly--the Emperor had revealed his power over the Darkening and Deet had not only absorbed the energy but sent it back to the Skeksis, resulting in the Collector’s sudden and violent death. The Skeksis had retreated immediately after and in the chaos of celebration Rian had realized Deet was missing.
He saw the despair in her eyes when she had turned back to look at him. He knew she probably didn’t want to be followed, didn’t want to hurt anyone else, but--he couldn’t help it. He wouldn’t let go of someone else he loved, he wouldn’t run away again.
There has to be a way to help her, he thought desperately.
The trail of death led to a small, shallow cave that had been deeply overgrown with plant life that was now shriveling away, streaked with vibrant purple. He could see her kneeling inside, her back to the entrance.
“Deet?”
“Go away.” Her voice was raspy with tears and exhaustion, so different from her usual chipper lilt. Her ears drooped and even in the dim cave he could see the purple veins that had spread across all visible skin. Her small fists were clenched, spasming occasionally.
“No. I can’t do that.” He took a breath and stepped inside. He didn’t think--he hoped she wouldn’t attack him (he cursed himself for even thinking something so horrible) but he’d seen how vicious creatures possessed by the Darkening had become. What would happen to his precious Deet? When she didn’t move, he took another step and sat behind her. Suddenly he felt helpless and stupid. What did he hope to accomplish? He had no idea how to free someone from the Darkening. Deet had that power, but now she was the one who needed to be freed.
“I killed them. That Skeksis, and… the Mystic tied to them. I killed them both.”
“The… Collector? Deet, that was an acci--”
“It doesn’t matter! I still did it!” She whipped around, eyes blazing with a rage he’d never seen before. Rian shrank back involuntarily. It was still incredibly frightening to see her normally warm brown eyes burning with the same violet energy as the Crystal. Sparks crackled over her hands as she bared her teeth at him. “I couldn’t control the energy and now… this has happened! I never wanted to kill anyone Rian! Not even them…”
“I know, Deet. I know you’re not a killer. It wasn’t you. It was the Darkening… I know you’d never kill anyone on purpose,” he soothed, not reaching for her yet. He could feel the energy pulsing from her, and every nerve in his body shuddered at how wrong it felt.
Huge tears swam in her eyes. “I’m s-scared, Rian, what if it t-takes me like it did w-with the Nurlocs? I c-couldn’t c-control myself before… I was so angry, and scared, I don’t know what I’d do if-if--” She was crying too hard to finish her sentence, and without thinking he reached out and squeezed her shoulder. Limply she fell forward and he steadied her against his shoulder and let her sob, heedless of the unsettling staticy feeling her skin against his produced.
“R-Rian… I can’t go back… w-what if I hurt…?”
“You won’t. I know you won’t.”
“No, you don’t know that,” she mumbled against his shoulder, sniffling. Her hair smelled nice.
“I have faith in you,” he murmured, stroking her back gently. “You’re the most… you’re the kindest and most gentle person I’ve ever known. You won’t fall to the Darkening. You were never trying to kill, and you saved our lives. If you hadn’t absorbed the staff’s power, the Emperor might have destroyed us all. Deet… you’re amazing.”
“But I don’t want this power, Rian… I w-wish there was a way to make it go away, but the Sanctuary Tree said its energy can only be transferred, not destroyed.” She leaned back slightly from him, looking down at her hands. He let out a breath as her ear brushed his, a pleasant fluttering in his stomach.
“Well, maybe if you… made more of that dark lightning?”
“No, that would just damage the forest more… and it didn’t help the first time. I felt like--like it was ripping out everything I had when I was… when I attacked the Skeksis. I don’t want to feel that way again.” She turned her hands over slowly, examining her purple veins. “Maybe… maybe there isn’t…”
“Don’t say that! Of course there’s a way, and we will find it.” He took her hands, squeezing them reassuringly. “No matter if we have to face down every Skeksis in Thra to do it, we’ll find a way, Deet. Trust me, Deet. It’s like you always say, have hope. I still do.”
Deet smiled wanly, squeezing his hands back. She wiped her eyes with one sleeve. “I… I’m glad you’re here, Rian. I know I told you to leave, but I don’t think I want to be alone.”
Rian smiled. “Of course, Deet. I’ll help you. We all will.” Without thinking, he reached up and stroked her cheek gently. Deet stiffened and he froze, realizing what he was doing. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thin--”
“No, I actually d-don’t mind… I just don’t want to hurt you!” Her ears flicked back in embarrassment, violet gaze skipping off to look at anything but him.
“It doesn’t hurt.” Although he could feel the force of the Darkening emanating from her, it certainly wasn’t painful. Merely… unsettling.
“Rian?” Her voice was tremulous. She was looking at him again and it was suddenly difficult to breathe--not just because of her startling violet eyes.
“Deet?”
She leaned forward but didn’t close the gap. He closed his eyes and gently pressed his mouth to hers, heart racing. There was a sharp crackling noise and Deet whimpered softly. Her lips on his were burning but he didn’t care. He cupped her face carefully and tilted his head to properly kiss her. Suddenly, all that mattered was getting as close to her as possible, Darkening be damned.
There was nothing in the world except for Deet. No sound but her small moans and the thunder of his own heartbeat in his ears. Nothing but her sweet scent intoxicating him. Her soft skin, Darkening and all, below his fingertips. The burning was almost unbearable now but he couldn’t make himself let go. He just wanted to kiss her for the next unum, the next trine, the next hundred trine--
Deet abruptly pulled away with a gasp. “Rian!”
“I--” He opened his eyes, the burning ebbing away. “Deet--your skin--” The two stared in awe as the harsh purple receded. She blinked at him, her eyes returning to their deep brown. “Oh, Deet! How--?”
“I don’t know!” They watched silently as the purple lightning crawled over the interior of the cave, leaving dark jagged marks behind. It faded finally, the cave now only lit with the fading daylight creeping between the trees of Stone-in-the-Wood.
Deet stared at her hands, turning them over and marveling at the unblemished skin. The poisonous glow of the Darkening had left her completely. Rian was too emotional to speak, tears of his own welling up as he let out a watery laugh and leaned his forehead against hers. They embraced and more tears were shed, this time of relief instead of fear.
“I don’t understand…” she whispered as they pulled apart, still unable to take her eyes off her hands.
“I have no idea myself,” he admitted. “I suppose we’ll have to ask Aughra… when we get back to the others.”
Deet nodded and abruptly swayed dizzily. “Oh--”
“Deet!”
“I’m alright…” she murmured as he caught her. “I’m just--just tired from everything. Could we maybe… stay here a little longer?”
“Of course.” She tucked her head under her chin and they leaned back against the cave wall. He knew she could feel his heart still pounding under her ear. Today had been… too much. And yet, hope for a future, a future they could be in together, was closer now than it had ever seemed before. He stroked her hair and watched sunlight pass slowly over the forest, content to sit with Deet for as long as she needed. There was no need for words, no stumbling confessions to upset the moment. Those, he hoped, would come later.
Neither of them saw the small, fragile new flowers poking through the blackened ash that had consumed the cave.