Archive of Our Own

Prince Quinlan of Clan Vos of the island country of Kiffu was trying not to panic. He had been on the way to Lothal, planning to pick up some new magical items for himself. He would also be looking for some items for Kiffu and for information. 

It was too bad the best source for magic and magical items were across the continent. It was too bad that he had to travel so far just to get information and more magical supplies that Kiffu could not supply. 

It was the Empire's fault, of course. Scorning magic, banning it in ways that were not approved but allowing their people to do it in certain circumstances. It didn't help that the people across many of the countries were suspicious of magic, suspicious of the people who wielded the magic.

For good reason. Mand'alor Jango Fett went to a witch and wished for a baby like him. Now there were still babies popping up all over the continent, identical in every way. No one could quite pin down the logic behind that one, but that was just the way witches could and would twist any wish.

But those clones had to grow up somewhere. Some were raised by nice people, some were not, and some were left to fend by themselves. Some made it to Mandalore, but Jango refused to claim them if they were not worthy.

Quinlan felt bad for them. He didn't like being a prince. Didn't like the expectations this set on him. But at least he was secure with his family. Secure in the knowledge of where he belonged. Quinlan was at home on Kiffu, and they would always welcome him back.

Technically, he didn't have to be traveling on his own. Or at all. He could send others to get what he needed in his place. But Quinlan liked traveling. He liked wandering.

After all, that was how his teacher, Tholme, had helped him learn to control his chaos magic. Had helped him see a world beyond the borders of Kiffu in a way no Kiffar had seen before.

But that had been when he was the youngest grandchild of the Kings. That had been when his aunts and uncles and cousins were all still alive. Now, he was the only heir to the throne and he would have to settle down eventually.

...he would take his sweet time for that. He wasn't ready, though he knew he would return if it was necessary. He did have an obligation to his people, a responsibility to care for them, if things did go wrong.

But for now, Quinlan was panicking . He had heard rumors that a man with hair like fire was captured by the Empire for some sort of interrogation. He needed to find his best friend, the man he considered his brother. Quinlan did not want his brother to be hurt by the Empire.

He had to figure out where the Empire was holding Obi-Wan. Had to get him out. Quinlan felt the familiar pressure of will bubbling magic of warmth and laughter towards his fingertips and had to breathe. He was lucky chaos magic responded to intent and will rather than emotion, but that didn't stop him from having strong, willful thoughts while emotional. He had to be careful.

First, he would need to restock on supplies. He had his usual weapons in place. He had his money. He had his bottomless bag. And he had his chaos magic. He would be fine, no matter how worried he was about his brother. Obi-Wan could wait a little longer.

He arrived at the nearby town and was met with a frantic man in the middle of the square, begging for help. Everyone was ignoring him, as usual.

Quinlan tilted his head. The man was not from around this town. And there was a touch of magic about him.

And he was begging for help. His brother was missing. Thinking of Obi-Wan, Quinlan sighed and went to do what was right. Obi-Wan would want him to help. And helping others in need, even at personal cost, was what Tholme had taught him from a young age, after the tragic death of his parents.

Quinlan reached out and touched his shoulder. “Hello. Calm down, that'll only make them ignore you more. Come on stranger, let me buy you a meal.” He grinned at the very confused and suspicious look that met his gaze.

“Fine. What's your name?” the man asked with a sigh, following him to the inn.

“My name is Quinlan. What is yours?”

“Fox. Why are you helping me?”

Quinlan shrugged as he opened the door. “I like helping people. Just like you I'm not from around here. And... My brother is missing too. Captured by the Empire, I heard. I wish I had been around to keep him safe.”

Fox relaxed as they sat down at a table in the corner. “Cody is the protector, the Empire took him when he was keeping us safe. They mistook him for uh. The Mand'alor though.”

Quinlan looked at Fox, studied him. “Oh, you are a clone. Huh. I sensed the magic on you but didn't look any closer than that.”

“What do you mean you sensed the magic on me?” Fox asked suspiciously.

Quinlan winced, glancing around. “I have my own magic. I am not a witch, but anyone with decent magic skills can sense that magic touched you. Since you would not be living without magic, I'd say that makes sense.”

Fox stared at him, then sighed. “It makes way too much sense. Thanks for the warning. Now I know who to really avoid.”

“There really aren't that many witches you can trust. Even the good ones will try to twist words so they can give you something you didn't want but technically asked for. There are worse things than accidentally creating a baby pandemic of identical sons.”

Fox stared at him. “Worse than that?”

“I've heard horror stories.” Quinlan waved a hand dismissively. “Like, sometimes a person will wish to be 'desirable' and well. They even get animals coming after them, humans of all types and never get a rest if enough of their body and face are seen.”

Fox winced. “Okay, being a clone from someone else's wish might not be that bad. I'm glad to exist, anyways.”

Quinlan nodded. “I'm sure your brother and your parents think so too. And anyways, I know of worse side effects of someone else's wish.”

“My dads and brothers,” Fox elaborated. “Cody is the oldest, Wolffe and I are basically twins since we appeared at the same time, and we’re three months younger than Cody. And we have a lot more brothers. I don't know how my dads do it but if we find a clone baby, immediate adoption.” He paused, frowning. “Worse side effects?”

Quinlan grinned. “So, my brother isn't even my adoptive brother. We're more... pact brothers. He was sick once as a baby, and his parents took him to the local witch to get him better, as he was close to dying. They asked for the witch to do a bunch of things, comparing it to different elements. And the witch made Obi-Wan an elemental.”

"What do you mean that made him an elemental? Do you mean he has the ability of one element?"

"Every element he was compared to he can handle. Lightning, fire, ice, wind... all of it." Quinlan let out a breath. "You know what, he can take care of himself. He's creative, no one quite knows how to handle him, and just because the rumors say he was taken, doesn't mean he was. I'll help you."

"Wait, seriously, just like that?"

"My instincts say things will work out best if I help you. What happened, exactly?"

"Our dads were getting ready for a move to a safer place. Cody and I were baking bread and other things that would keep for the journey, at our bakery that Pa set up, and... the Empire showed up. Cody didn't hesitate, stepped up, and they assumed. I don't know if they even saw me." Fox fidgeted. 

"I don't know where they took them, I just stayed behind to search while everyone else moved. Dads have the rest of our brothers to worry about. Several of them aren't even ten yet, so it was better to find a place without the Empire nearby."

Quinlan nodded thoughtfully. "I haven't heard any rumors that they got the Mand'alor. The Empire has several bases around here. With just the two of us, trying to figure out which one he's in by trial and error won't work in our favor. Would you say that Cody is good at holding his own? Be able to handle himself as long as necessary?"

"Yes...?" Fox frowned. "I don't really want to leave him to it though."

"I know... but our best bet is to go to Lothal. That's where I was headed before I heard the rumors. There we can find some decent witches to see if they can find him."

"I thought you said witches couldn't be trusted."

"You just have to make sure to close as many loopholes as possible, pay them well, and give them something hard to make so insane. But also, witches are good at creating spells where all people have to do is add what they need and go. Which means they sometimes will sell things, such as a scryer that will help you find your brother."

"Okay. Let's do that. How far away is Lothal?"

"A bit more than a month away, if we walk, if I recall correctly. I... don't always keep track. I suggest we use horses to get from Alderaan to the start of Lothal's territory, then we will take the ship at the river to get to the capitol. That will cut the time down to weeks."

Fox nodded slowly. "That sounds... reasonable. The return trip?"

"Depends on what direction we need to go. Going back up the river isn't feasible, so we'll have to find some other way to leave Lothal."

"Okay. What do we need to do then?" Fox asked, determined.

"Slow down. First, you need to take care of yourself. You won't be able to keep up if you let yourself down like you've apparently been doing. Rest, clean up, eat. I'll find some supplies, and see if there's any rooms available. Then tomorrow we'll see how you feel before buying some horses and going."

"Do you normally buy horses?"

"No, but it's necessary. I'll make sure they get back home after this adventure. They don't deserve to be sold off after being used for one adventure. I usually wander, but I know several people back home would love to have new horses when I'm not around."

"Well, you're the expert. Oh. I should pay my share of-"

"Nah, don't worry about it. I got it covered."

"I feel weird about not helping out though."

"Most inns will let you make things in their kitchen, provided you clean up after yourself, and leave some of what you make for them. You mentioned a bakery? Make some stuff we can have for traveling, and that will help a lot."

"Oh. What do you normally eat?"

"Whatever I can get my hands on. I can make soups, though that's more Obi's speed. I tend to go for more dried stuff or cheeses. I'll make sandwiches if I can. And I'll hunt and gather along the way. Cheaper and easier that way. Less to worry about as we travel. But bread does keep, so make some bread."

"I can do that." Fox was already planning out the best way to do that. He did wake up early in the mornings, so that was the best time. Then the inn would have fresh bread throughout the day. He wasn't as good at it as Cody was. It wouldn't be anything fancy, but it would taste good. His talents lay more in the sweets. He could probably make some sweet things for traveling as well, but they wouldn't keep as long because of the sugar.

Quinlan grinned. "Great, then it's a deal."

Fox nodded. He wasn't sure he'd like this partnership, but at least he'd found someone who could help. Someone who laid out a pretty decent plan, from Fox's limited knowledge of the world.

He was worried though that Quinlan was going to take advantage of him somehow. Though, Fox wasn't sure what he offered besides being a clone. He'd just have to be cautious.

When Quinlan got a room, apparently there was only one room left, just their luck, Fox went up. He cleaned up as Quinlan suggested. He winced at the sight of the scraggly beard. He really did not like facial hair. He took care of everything he could, and felt a lot better for it.

Fox yawned and put everything away before collapsing on the bed and falling asleep. He did not notice that there was just one bed.

Quinlan did notice, when he poked his head in to see if Fox wanted dinner. Seeing that Fox was completely  asleep, he decided to leave Fox be. He had clearly been exhausted, though hiding it well. 

That night, Quinlan grabbed the cushions from the chairs and the spare blanket. He curled up in the nest he made and fell asleep quickly. It was... odd falling asleep to the sound of someone else's breathing. Someone besides those he knew well. 

But he had committed to helping Fox, and that was what he would do.

.

Fox woke up before the sun rose the next morning. He was a baker, and raised as a farmer. His body was used to getting up early. This would be handy now, so he could spend some time making sure he baked some bread and other things for the journey. Some pastries would be okay. Just not too many because they spoil quickly.

He stretched when he got out of bed and started his morning routine. He didn't see Quinlan until he almost tripped over the man. He stopped and stared at Quinlan, curled up on cushions and sleeping peacefully, clutching a single pillow to his chest. 

Fox looked around the room and realized that there was no other bed. Rather than invade Fox's space, Quinlan had opted to sleep on the floor. That was... huh. 

Fox filed that away to deal with another time. He wasn't certain what to make of Quinlan, of this entire situation. But... at least Quinlan was respectful. If a bit exuberant and chaotic.

Wait, hadn't Quinlan mentioned that he could use magic? But what kind of magic? Fox would have to ask, and ask for a demonstration. Once they were on the road. He couldn't risk not knowing and being too surprised in a bad situation to properly react.

Fox spent the morning baking. He spent a lot of that time thinking about Cody, about the fact they were going to have to journey all the way to Lothal, then back to wherever Cody was. Fox had never been more than fifteen miles from home before. The only exception was moving, and even then, home was the supplies they were bringing with them. 

Quinlan joined him a bit after everyone else. He was clearly not a morning person. He was still rubbing sleep out of his eyes. And yet, he managed to be alert enough to be aware when people were walking around him.

He leaned over the pastries curiously. "Oh, what's this?" he pointed to a yellow one.

"Lemon poppyseed. Not super popular, but it's a favorite at home, and the ingredients were here so..." He stared in surprise when Quinlan grabbed three. 

Quinlan nearly inhaled the first one before slowing down to savor the other two. "That's pretty good. Lemon is one of my favorites, you know. Add a little sugar and it's amazing. And actually, Kiffu has a variety of lemon that's a bit like lime and orange combined with lemon. They're this big," he showed with his hands, almost as big as a person's head, "and they're my favorite fruit. They make amazing pastries with that. Amazing desserts and other food all around."

Fox blinked in surprise. "Oh, well, that's good to know. I'll keep that in mind. Better to have food we enjoy on the road, right?"

Quinlan grinned. "That's right! First rule is that it has to survive at least two weeks, second rule is that it is better if you can make it something you can eat for days on end." 

Fox smiled. "Then it's a good thing I made these muffins for the road. They'll last three to five days, usually, before getting bad. Might be a bit stale on the fifth day, but that's it."

Quinlan grinned. "Even better. I knew I would like having you around." He stretched out and shook himself. Now he looked far more awake.

"Have fun with the baking. I'm going to go find us a pair of horses to get us to Lothal. We'll leave in the morning if all goes well."

"Alright. I will see you later then." Fox waved a flour covered hand and went back to focusing on the dough he was kneading. Bread could be so complicated.

.

Quinlan hummed cheerily as he went about his business. He was rather happy that day. Fox was a nice guy. And the muffins were amazing. He wanted to keep Fox around. Yet it was too early for those sorts of thoughts.

But Quinlan could dream. He was a prince. He would have to marry. Although, Kiffu had no rules on who royalty married, so he could marry Fox if he wanted to. And if Fox agreed. All that required was the magic of Kiffu giving its blessing to their union, and everyone would accept Fox as Quinlan's husband, and them as the future ruling couple of Kiffu.

But Quinlan wasn't going to scare off Fox with that yet. No matter how tempting it was. Fox was looking for his brother. He wasn't looking for romance. And why would a baker want to marry a royal? The royal life was far different than the one he was used to. 

No, better to wait it out, and see how truly compatible they truly were. Better to wait and see how this would play out. 

Fox certainly had more potential than anyone Quinlan had met so far. And considering Quinlan was a wanderer at heart, that was actually impressive. Quinlan hoped things worked out.

But he would accept it if they didn't. After all, they were only teaming up to help Fox find his brother Cody. That was it. Fox probably wouldn't have even given him the time of day if he wasn't desperate.

Quinlan shook his head and refocused.

.

Fox was nervous the next morning. It was time to properly set out on their journey. And he had no clue how it would go. Quinlan was still a good person. A gentle soul as one of his dads would put it. He was bright and cheerful, and chaotic, in a way that drew people's attention. But people didn't usually look beyond that.

Fox was happy to hide behind it. He watched Quinlan double check what they had packed, running down the list of things they would need. He affirmed he had packed things on the list. His heart stopped at the blinding smile he got at the end. 

"Alright, then we're ready to go."

"Right." Fox climbed into the saddle, glad Quinlan had gotten up and got the horses ready. Why did Quinlan have to look so good though? He was not out and about looking for men to drool over. He was looking for his brother Cody. He couldn't forget that.

Quinlan smiled at him once more. "Here we go."

And they were off. Fox was a bit off balance at first. He knew how to ride horses. He just normally didn't so he was far out of practice. 

It didn't take long though until he had sorted it out. His horse, Ginger, was keeping up with Quinlan's horse, Clove, pretty well. That was good. He didn't want either of them to have to push their horses too far. 

That first day was rather quiet. Quinlan was content to let Fox lead the conversation. And he could be quiet, it turned out, no matter how talkative he could get. It was actually a bit disconcerting for Fox who had just started getting used to Quinlan. 

But... It was also nice, and thoughtful. It gave Fox more of a chance to talk about his life and hobbies. And talk about Cody.

Quinlan asked many questions, happy to just listen. For all that he was talkative, he was actually rather private. He just talked enough that people didn't notice he didn't talk about himself. Not until they traveled with him for days and started to get to know him.

It was after a stop for a break to stretch their legs and get a drink of water that Fox finally asked a question of his own.

"You mentioned you have magic, but you didn't mention what sort of magic you have."

"Oh... right. It's... actually rather rare, though not quite as rare in Kiffu, but still not common and I'm not used to revealing it to people."

Fox considered that. It was fair to be reluctant to share what sort of magic it was. Not knowing would have to be a big advantage in a fight, after all. And it wasn't like they really knew each other yet. Before he could voice his acceptance of the answer, though, Quinlan let out a sigh.

"But if it came down to a fight between us and other people... it's better for you to know." He focused on the horse and on the road as he spoke. He knew how others viewed his magic, and he had seen several negative reactions. He didn't need to see Fox's face to imagine it.

"I have chaos magic. It's different than most types of magic, and thankfully not emotionally driven. I never know what I'm going to get because chaos but it's always something I need and that works."

"Huh. I've heard of it... Sounds interesting. And difficult to manage... You can't control it?"

"I can control when with willpower, but I can't control how it chooses to manifest. One time I needed a way across a gap in the mountains. And rather than give me something sensible like ropes or something to glide across with, it turned me into a bird."

"Does it work to turn you back, then? Or does that get more complicated?" Fox had to ask.

Quinlan relaxed, hearing Fox be so curious. It was nice having someone who didn't freak out immediately around. 

"Yeah, it does. Turning back is about undoing the magic rather than doing something new, or else I'm sure that would be a problem."

"Oh, yeah that makes sense. Why don't you like telling people? You don't have to tell me, but I was expecting you to say something like you have magic that lets you control the dead or something."

"A lot of people think chaos magic is evil. It's not. But... It is unnatural. There's records of a chaos magic wielder who'd do things like make it rain chocolate and turn lakes into gravy. Chaos. And people don't like chaos, a lot of the time, not when it's that chaotic. And of course, that's on top of people being wary of magic in the first place and not willing to associate with many people who use any sort of magic at all."

Fox nodded. "That makes sense. I'm sorry you have to worry about that though. You don't seem like you could ever be mean on purpose, let alone evil."

Quinlan smiled. "Thanks. I try."

"You try? Not more than try?"

Quinlan shrugged. "I've had my rough spots in life. Usually had someone to pull me out of them but right now... Don't have that. It's been interesting."

"Which is why you were freaking out about your brother being captured by the Empire... you did a fast turn around on that."

"Gotta do what's right first and foremost. Obes would never forgive me if I didn't help you because I wanted to make sure he was safe first. And... focusing on your problem gave me the distance from mine I needed to realize a few things. Including that Obi-Wan probably could escape from whatever they stuck him in if he really wanted. He's got a lot of different types of magic and people don't expect that, assuming they even realize he has magic at all."

"Oh... that makes sense." 

There was silence as both thought things over.

That silence carried them all the way through to making camp for the night. 

When they couldn't find enough dry firewood for a fire, Quinlan sighed and stretched. "Okay, what do we need this fire for?"

"Warmth, light, and to cook."

Quinlan smiled. "I can work with that." He focused on his magic, feeling the familiar warmth and laughter that came with chaos.

He held out his hands, focusing on a need to be warm, have a bit of light, and cook.

A ball of blue fire floated above his hands. 

"Well, better than nothing I suppose." Fox stared at it. 

"It's pretty hot, hotter than the average fire. We'll have to be careful."

"Can you move it?"

Quinlan concentrated. The fire floated away. "For once, yes. I can. Now let's get cooking and get ready to sleep."

Fox nodded. "It's pretty, anyways."

Quinlan smiled. "It is."

.

After a week of traveling, they had fallen into a routine. It was getting easier. 

They still had a long way to go.

But they worked together well and had both relaxed a bit past the typical getting to know another person conversation. 

Quinlan enjoyed Fox's humor and sharp tongue.

Fox found that a bit of chaos actually introduced some fun into his life. He also found himself falling in love with the soft moments with Quinlan. The moments where Quinlan slowed down and played or showed kindness. 

Both of them were desperately not thinking about how they were falling for the other. Denial is a powerful thing.

"How much longer?" Fox asked as he stretched after a long day of travel.

"A long time. Lothal is on the ocean, you know."

"Oh... that is a distance to travel. I had not considered that. I mean, I grew up on a farm and now I'm a baker. Not much room for traveling unless we were moving."

Quinlan nodded. "That makes sense. We'll get there when we get there. Hopefully we can find our answers then."

They set up camp and fell asleep. Quinlan moved so that he was on top of Fox, clinging and yet relaxed without waking.

Fox woke up early the next morning and stared at Quinlan. Well. That was a way to wake up. He didn't have any real reason to get up since he didn't need to bake anything. So he tried to relax and wait for Quinlan to wake up.

Quinlan woke up an hour later. He felt comfortable and not in pain. It was nice. He snuggled into his warm pillow. Wait. Warm pillow?

He jumped. "Sorry, Fox," he apologized as he pulled away. "I can get cuddly at night. That's why I usually take a different area or bed when possible."

"It's okay... thanks for being considerate, but I'm okay with it. I cuddled with some of my brothers for years. We don't do it much anymore, and I kind of miss it."

Quinlan turned to look at him in surprise, then beamed. "Alright. Cuddling all the time it is," he declared.

Fox wondered if he'd regret this. But he was certain that if he did bring it up, Quinlan would stop all cuddling immediately. Might as well give it a try and see what happened.

He didn't really regret it. But it was certainly going to take an adjustment period. 

By the end of the day, Quinlan was all over him, quiet little touches that didn't mean much and yet meant everything. Leaning on him for no reason, cuddling at the campfire, clinging at night... 

Fox found he didn't mind. It was a little strange seeing someone seek out so much physical affection, but it was also nice. Especially how Quinlan leaned on him while working on some letters. 

And cuddling that night, right away, that was amazing. Fox wasn't sure he ever would have given this a try if Quinlan hadn't seemed to need touch.

He actually seemed a bit brighter now, actually. Happier, and cheerful. And this made him several times more chaotic. 

More chaos should have been something Fox hated. He liked his order. He liked following the rules. He liked knowing what to expect.

But with Quinlan? He was seeing a whole different side of chaos he had never appreciated before. How spontaneity could be better than carefully laid plans. How a little chaos could make things fun while still getting the same result.

And it wasn't like Quinlan was backing away from following the rules, like Quinlan wasn't a good person. He just had a different way of looking at things. A different way of doing things.

Fox wouldn't have liked it from another person, he didn't think. But Quinlan was so bright and pure, he couldn't help but fall in love every time Quinlan used his magic to help them along, even if they did have to be careful about it.

Like when they needed a way to cross the river, and they ended up with a sparkling ice bridge that broke as soon as they made it across.

"Well. It did the job, right?" Quinlan said sheepishly. "And no one saw us, so double bonus," he added brightly as he fished some ice out of the river to study, since it was still sparkly.

Fox snorted and grabbed his own piece of ice to look at. "You're right. But why is it so glittery?"

"Oh, you haven't noticed? A lot of stuff that comes from my magic is sparkly. I just like the looks of that kind of thing and my magic goes with that."

"Huh. Well then. It did get us across the river only to collapse immediately so... not that bad."

Quinlan grinned. "Should be the last river we have to cross. The next river we take a boat down to get to Lothal. We're making good time, better than I expected even with horses."

Fox nodded. "Good. The sooner I can find Cody, the better. I don't want to lose him."

"I understand." Quinlan smiled. "I'm sure he'll be fine. If he's anything like you he'll adapt and conquer easily."

Fox felt heat in his cheeks and had to look away from Quinlan's earnest expression.

"He's more resourceful than I am and he adapts way better. I'm not good at adapting."

"Really? You've been doing amazing adapting to my chaos."

Fox shrugged. "I'm terrible at it," he insisted. "Last time we moved it took me months to adjust to everything, and I hated the new house until recently. I don't like changes to recipes. I don't like getting new clothes. I really hate it when one of my brothers or dads decides to change hairstyles or clothes or just act differently."

"Well, most people can't handle me." Quinlan patted his back. "They don't adapt at all. And the fact that you do struggle makes it all the more impressive that you're out here. It says a lot about your character and how much you care about your brother that you are here, despite how difficult you find change to be."

Fox stared at him then back at the horse. "Oh... I hadn't thought about that. People don't adapt to your magic?"

"Nope. If people like magic, my magic is too different from the sort of magic they're used to. Too much for them. It fulfills what I need, but rarely in the way I expect because it cannot be controlled once I call on it. Which means there have been ridiculous things that have come from it that they think are on purpose, or just... can't handle." Quinlan got quiet, getting lost in memories.

"Oh... I'm sorry. You're always just as surprised as I am. And it's not like it's bad. It does what we want... in weird ways, yeah, but we can still travel faster than normal..." Fox frowned when Quinlan didn't respond. 

"Quin?"

Quinlan jumped. "Oh, sorry, Fox. Got lost in some memories."

"...bad ones?"

"Yeah. Unfortunately."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I got Obes to make up for it."

"That's the brother you're looking for, right?"

"Yeah. Well, he's not technically my brother. I'm Kiffar. I think he's from Stewjon? Which is not terribly far from Lothal, actually, but well. His parents made a wish."

"Oh no." Fox remembered the story vaguely but he had been a bit overwhelmed as it was the day he had met Quinlan so he didn’t think he had taken it all in.

"They wanted him to stop being a sickly child and to get that point across compared him to several different elements. Each element they ever compared him to? He's got that magic. Luckily, his teacher found him before his parents could be really stupid, and his teacher and mine were friends, so that's how we met." Quinlan smiled at the memory of their first meeting.

"...that's actually a kind of cool power, controlling the elements. Not sure I could handle that kind of responsibility but, it's cool. And he got that because his parents had a wish. Wow. Wait, if you're not brothers, why do you call him your brother?"

"I would love to be able to control some elements, especially air. That would be fun. Oh. Right. We're brothers by blood oath."

"I've never heard of that."

"Blood oaths are oaths done by pressing wounds together, usually intentional cuts on the palms of the hand, but sometimes it's done on the battlefield so... Yeah. Anyone can make one, but it becomes binding if you have any sort of magic. You'd probably be bound by blood oath if you made one, you've got traces of magic since you're the result of a wish."

"Oh. Okay. So... you two made an oath to be brothers?"

Quinlan shifted. "Something like that. There's... a bit more to my family and life back home than I've told you and I might trust you with it soon, but basically I've lost most of my family over the last several years. The last death really hurt- the cousin I'm closest to, and then I realized that we needed more in the family, just in case, and Obi's always felt... a bit empty since he didn't have family, so we just decided to make a blood oath to be family, and he'd help out our family if something happened. My part is to always treat him as my brother, no matter what."

"Sounds like a good way to know you have family. I like it. But what happens if you go against a blood oath?"

"Depends on the oath and how badly you go against it. Family isn't easily defined so we'd have a lot of wiggle room. But some blood oaths could be to defend the other no matter what, and well, if someone attacked them instead, that'd be a huge betrayal that might even kill them. But usually it just warps the magic or removes it entirely. And since everyone who has magic has a tendency to rely on it to some degree, even if they think they can live without it... well. Better to not betray a blood oath."

"Huh." Fox fell silent for a moment. "So... magic considers you two brothers?"

"Yeah. Well, we haven't tested it, but we assume it works to appear brothers in magic, if nothing else. Which is a nice security. Not sure it really affects anything but I just..." Quinlan shrugged. "I like having family, and I like the security of knowing he's my brother no matter what. And I think he likes it that way too."

Fox nodded. "Well, I'm glad you have that security."

As they continued on, Fox wondered about what secrets Quinlan was still keeping, though he didn't actually blame Quinlan. Keeping secrets was a good idea, anyways, with the way the world was. He just hoped he would be able to earn the trust one day.

There was one thing that worried him. What kind of bad memories around the way people viewed chaos magic did Quinlan have? Bad enough to make him go completely quiet and lost in thought. Which just wasn't usually something that happened with Quinlan. Quinlan was always talking and laughing. Always moving and never so deep in thought he didn't respond when Fox wanted his attention.

Fox put it out of his mind. It would just have to be one more thing that he waited for Quinlan to trust him on. For now... they were traveling, and making good time. 

Which meant that they would hopefully be finding their brothers soon.

.

They arrived on the border of a few countries. They were in Umbara, and to one side there was Mandalore. Another direction was Dathomir. Then there was Korriban and Kashyyk. 

"So... what's the problem?" Fox asked. 

Quinlan sighed. "Mandalore is a divisive country, where you either run into very peaceful people who won't let you carry any weapons in their cities and if you have magic that could cause violence you're watched carefully if they don't know you, and very violent people who love fights and aren't afraid to attack. Dathomir is full of a special breed of witches who do not treat men well, and I just don't like the feel of their magic. Korriban is cold and dreary. Legend has that a Dark wizard did some unforgivable magic there and that’s why it’s like that. Kashyyk is our best option but it is only forests, and the people live in the trees. The trees tend to be way bigger than most, so it's just... difficult. And it's not the most straightforward way towards Lothal... that would be Korriban."

Fox winced. "Okay. So... Kashyyk it is?"

"Yeah. But I can't use my magic the entire time. They're very protective of their trees, and I am not accidentally harming even one."

"Okay. We can manage. What about our horses?"

"I think here is the best place to find someone to get them to Kiffu. We'll want to spend a good amount of time climbing and using their tree paths, after Kashyyk are some smaller countries until we get to the river that turns into the border between Mon Cala and Lothal, then we'll follow it to the capital city by boat."

"Okay, that's straightforward enough." Fox let out a breath. "Let's do this."

 Quinlan grinned. "We'll find someone for our horses, then spend the rest of the day getting climbing practice in... you'll never be able to keep up with me."

"Why?" 

"Tree running is a common hobby for Kiffar. I do it all the time."

"...Well at least that means you're a good teacher."

Quinlan grinned. "I'm glad you think so!"

They sold off the horses.

Fox was not very excited to be getting climbing practice in. He already knew how to climb. But Quinlan was a good teacher and taught him some new techniques that made climbing far easier. 

Quinlan was good at climbing, though.

When Fox asked him to show him how he'd normally climb if he didn't have to worry about Fox, Quinlan took off. 

He was laughing and enjoying himself while Fox gaped at him.

Okay, Quinlan was very good at climbing. Way better than he thought. 

It looked a bit like he was born in the trees the way Quinlan jumped around and didn't even hesitate before jumping between branches.

Fox managed to find his voice as Quinlan hit the branch above him.

"Now I understand what you meant when you said that you would be slowing down for me."

Quinlan laughed, hanging upside down from the branch by his knees. 

"Yeah, it's a bit much. Kiffar are like that though." 

"Apparently." Fox shook his head. "Alright, let's get me practicing some more so I don't slow you down too much."

Quinlan grinned. "Alright!" 

Fox smiled back. He liked seeing Quinlan light up with a grin. He always looked so happy in those moments.

At the end of the day, Fox was tired and a bit sore. He was grinning anyway.

"Alright, I enjoyed that. And we're going to be traveling like that?"

"Yep. There's different ways to do that.  They have paths for people down below, and some in the trees too that they use. I find it fastest if I just do my own way, and you should be okay that way, too. We'll take some of their paths depending on if it coincides with our route or not, and we'll probably find a place to sleep."

"How much slower is travel on the ground?" Fox asked curiously.

"Quite a bit. You see how densely packed the trees are up here? Imagine them on the ground, where the trees are their thickest."

"Oh... glad we're climbing."

Quinlan grinned. 

.

Kashyyk was a nice place, but Fox could not have lived there. He was very relieved when they touched ground just outside Kashyyk.

"Finally!"

Quinlan laughed. "It is a lot, especially for someone with so little experience."

"You don't say."

Quinlan grinned at him. "Alright. We're getting closer. We 'll encounter the river we'll take to Lothal in a week."

"Oh, good. Something else to do instead of constant walking." 

Quinlan threw his arm around Fox. "Yep. Let's keep going. We have the supplies to keep going without worry, and it's just midday!"

Fox huffed and pulled out a honey biscuit. He shoved it in Quinlan's mouth before munching on one himself. 

Quinlan made a noise before he chewed and swallowed the first bite. "Oooh, when did you make these?"

"This morning. I'm hungry, but you're right. I don't want to stop moving. So snack for now, we can always eat more later at a better stopping point."

"You've gotten good at this!" Quinlan squeezed him. "I'm glad. Not everyone can handle travel. It's hard."

"It is, but you're fun to be around." 

Quinlan beamed at him. 

Fox smiled and kept walking.

They walked in companionable silence for a while. Quinlan was humming, but that was normal. It was nice.

Fox had noticed that Quinlan struggled with silences, and that he needed something to fill the space. Fox appreciated it. He wasn't used to silence either, as someone was always talking back home. But he himself wasn't one who liked to talk a lot. At least Quinlan had a way to fill the silence. Fox was slowly learning to fill the silence as well, in little ways he was comfortable with. This time, he joined in humming the song. 

It was nice.

They kept munching on the honey biscuits as they walked. 

And then... 

"Quinlan Vos." 

Quinlan spun, knife coming out.

Fox blinked. He had not seen Quinlan use that knife before. Where had he been storing it?

"Asajj Ventress," Quinlan said coldly. "What do you want?"

Fox raised an eyebrow. He had never heard that tone of voice from Quinlan before. He must not get along with this person. 

"What do I want? There's a bounty out for you, you know. I could collect it and you'll finally have paid me back for everything you owe me."

Quinlan rolled his eyes. "You betrayed me first. You lied about what happened to Tholme. You decided to use me to get what you wanted."

"And you were not the partner I expected, nor did you give me what I wanted."

"Yeah, yeah. You've told me. Multiple times. Just like you to monologue about your problems."

"Just like you to dismiss everything and act like you're in the right."

Quinlan glared. "I am in the right. You just never cared about me, or anyone but yourself. You'd fit right in with the witches of your home country if you weren't so invested in going solo."

Ventress smirked. "Who says I haven't?"

Fox had been watching them in fascination, going back and forth. It sounded to him like Quinlan had the better reason to be angry and go against the reason. 

A movement caught his attention. "Quin... She's not alone."

Quinlan looked around and cursed. "Wonderful." 

Ventress smirked. "This time, you are not going to escape me."

"We shall see about that."

"Having one of the clones changes nothing."

Quinlan rolled his eyes. "I didn't say it did." He drew his sword and held it in a reverse grip.

Fox hadn't seen him with the sword much. He knew Quinlan sometimes practiced with it, but he also knew Quinlan preferred solving his problems in ways that didn't involve fighting. As Prince of Kiffu, he needed to be careful about how others saw him. 

For Quinlan to bring the sword out now, without even attempting to charm his way out of it... Well. That meant things were dangerous.

Fox pulled out the knives he'd picked up in Kashyyk. He had some experience in fighting with knives. He wasn't an expert but he wasn't helpless either. 

They were surrounded by seven others. 

Fox managed to fight off two before a third and fourth disarmed him and grabbed him. 

He struggled and bit their hands, but they didn't let up.

Quinlan was fighting furiously, doing well against the remaining four. Two were out of the fight completely.  So he was just up against Ventress and one other. Matching them entirely without pause, and he might have even had the upper hand.

"Surrender or the clone dies!"

Quinlan froze, looking back at Fox to find him with a knife at his throat. He sighed, sheathing his weapons. "I surrender."

"So predictable." Ventress grabbed his hands and cuffed them.

"Yeah yeah." Quinlan was busy looking over Fox to see how injured he was. He had some bruises and scrapes.

Fox let out a breath as they cuffed him and dragged him over to Quinlan.

Quinlan gave him a small smile before turning to Ventress. "So you've caught me. Where are we off to now?" he asked cheerfully.

"The nearest Empire base. I'm sure they'll want a clone... Who knows when a clone of the Mand'alor might come in handy?" She started walking away.

Fox winced when he was pushed after her, but started walking.

"You okay?" Quinlan whispered.

"Yeah. I'm okay," Fox replied quietly. "Wish I could have fought them off better."

"Eight on two is always difficult," Quinlan replied just as quietly. "Always better to try to run from that fight if possible. But it's not always possible."

"Unfortunately," Fox muttered. "How do we get out of this?"

Quinlan raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not going to give up?"

"Why would I? You have magic, and I've never been one to give up anyways. Not without making sure I've done everything I can."

"Oh." Quinlan smiled. "Then we'll figure something out. First, we need to wait for an opportunity."

"Right." Fox sighed. At least they would be doing something.

They fell silent for the rest of the walk.

Eventually camp was made and they were tied to a pole, ensuring they could not easily escape.

Quinlan tested it and made a face before sighing.

Fox shifted uneasily. He hadn't actually been captured like this before, so it was a new experience. A far too new experience.

They weren't given food that night. 

Fox fell asleep on his side with Quinlan curled up against his back.

He woke up with Quinlan clinging to him and half on top.

Fox sighed and wiggled just enough that he was more comfortable, especially with the chain attached to the cuffs on his hands.

"So, clone. You are awake. How did you come to be in Vos' company?"

"He agreed to help me when no one else would," Fox stated flatly.

"Oh? And now you are going to be given over to the Empire. Surely you would want more?"

Fox shrugged. "I don't trust you. I'm not going to make any deals with  you."

"Pity. Well, I suppose I should warn you about Vos. He is a clingy bastard. Not just physically, though I can see you've already discovered that. No, he clings emotionally too. He will not let things go, and he will keep coming back for more, begging not to be rejected. He is such a fool. As if any one would want to be around his insanity. Have you noticed that he isn't normal?"

Fox rolled his eyes. "I don't really care what you have to say, witch."

"Oh? You don't like my magic? You know Vos has magic."

"And he's not using it to make it harder for us to escape. I saw the runes when you put the cuffs on me."

"Oh, so you're not as dumb as I thought. Pity. I could have used a smart partner, but you've already said you won't listen to me."

"Why would I?" Fox shot back. "You've given me no reason to trust you. I already know you don't know Quin that well at all."

"Interesting you would say that. We dated for a time, you know. He was always keeping something from me, but I accepted it... until his betrayal."

"Everyone has secrets. Sounds like he betrayed you for good reason."

"You would think that... But the truth..."

"I don't care about your truth. I've seen what I need to know. I can wait for the real truth from Quin."

Ventress scoffed. "Very well. You will suffer for it. I tried to warn you." 

Fox huffed and laid there, wondering what it was she thought was so bad about Quinlan. 

Quinlan was wonderful. Nothing like she described, and he was always trying to help. He cared more about other people than himself. It was often to disown detriment but at least he was trying where most people would never try. 

Fox shook his head. No use dwelling on it. Ventress apparently saw a whole different side of Quinlan that did not exist.

Quinlan stirred. He was doing his usual waking up routine until the chain attached to his cuffed hands stopped him short. He opened his eyes with a gasp. 

"Oh... right." He groaned. He sat up. "You okay, Fox?"

"So far, yes," Fox replied. "Ventress tried to get me to join her. I declined."

Quinlan nodded and frowned at the cuffs. "We are in a situation... Need to get these cuffs off so we can escape. Any ideas?"

"You can't use your magic, can you?" Fox asked.

"Nope. I mean I could but it would not have pretty results mixing with these runes. Chaos magic does not play well with even suppression runes." 

Fox nodded. "Thought so. So we just need to bide our time and find an opportunity."

"Yeah, unfortunately. Could take a while. I'm not sure what it'll take short of getting the key to get these off."

"Then we'll have to brainstorm ways to get the key." Fox was determined to see this through. They would get out of this. He was not going to make his dads lose both him and Cody entirely. He was going to make sure Cody was okay, and one day they would reunite with their dads and brothers.

Quinlan nodded. "We have at least a week, if we're headed where I think we're going. We have time to figure it out."

"Good." Fox fell silent, trying to think of ways out of this mess that would cause little fuss and issue. 

Quinlan tried to think of ways to get the keys, but Ventress kept distracting him. 

She was always talking down to him, talking about all his negative traits. Worst of all, Quinlan knew she was telling the truth. He was that bad. Not everyone could handle him.

And she did almost lure him down a bad path of harming others before he came to his senses. Before he realized just how much she was manipulating him. 

She was a piece of work, and Quinlan was normally happy that he was far away from that. 

But now he had to deal with her presence... and worse, Fox was learning all these things about what was wrong with Quinlan.

Quinlan kept his mouth shut and his head down. He didn't want to get in it with her; she was still one of the few people who could get him to lose his temper. Fox didn't need to see that.

The more she told Fox, the more Quinlan just wanted to disappear. 

Finally, the day before they were to arrive at the Empire base, Fox spotted an opportunity, and took it. He waited until everyone was asleep to free himself and Quinlan, then they crept out of there.

"Are you going to use magic to get us to safety?" Fox whispered.

Quinlan sighed. "I can try." He was very self conscious of all the times his chaos magic had backfired on him. But he had to try.

He concentrated on getting to Lothal without a trace. He felt the familiar warmth and laughter of his magic and then... 

"Uh..." Fox spoke, staring down. "What."

Quinaln looked down. "Huh. That's definitely a chaotic way to do it. Come on, let's get moving. We can't turn back until we've crossed Lothal's borders."

Fox groaned. "Fine." He took off.

Quinlan followed. 

They'd been transformed into cheetah. They would be able to make ground in quick spurts, and no one would ever suspect them. There were no prints that went from human to cheetah to be seen anywhere. 

Quinlan didn't talk at all, not even when they got to the border.

It worried Fox. Something about Ventress got under Quinlan's skin in a way he hadn't seen before. Nothing else had ever phased him like this before.

As soon as they crossed the border into Lothal, they were human again.

"That was weird. Let's never do that again," Fox said.

"Can't promise that," Quinlan said quietly, subdued. 

Fox frowned. Why would Quinlan be so bothered by that? It was a joke and yet... Why was Quinlan taking it seriously?

Quinlan tried not to spiral too hard. He didn't want to lose another friend to Ventress, but she was good at telling her stories. Worse, it wasn't like she was entirely wrong either. 

So he was better off trying to distance himself from the hurt this was sure to cause when Fox finally had enough of him, warned by Ventress it would only get worse.

They got on the boat that would take them to the capitol, where they would find someone who would hopefully be able to point them in Cody's direction.

When they arrived in Lothal, no one paid them any mind.

There were even clones of Mand'alor Fett wandering around, proof that no one cared about Fox. 

Fox didn't take much comfort in this. He just wanted to find Cody.

They were never able to make it that far. Quinlan cried out when a sudden arrow pierced his shoulder. He stumbled and fell. 

Fox hurried to his side, only to be attacked and restrained. 

He fought until they were forced to knock him out.

.

Fox and Quinlan woke up in a cell together. Quinlan looked around and sighed. "Darn it... now what?"

"I don't know..." Fox said quietly. "What would they want with us?"

"Could be anything, really." Quinlan sighed. "You never know."

"Oh. Great. Any chance of escape?"

Quinlan started exploring the cell. "Not with my magic. Runes all over the place to prevent that."

"Kriff. Just our luck."

Quinlan huffed. "No kidding." He sat down. 

"Are you okay?" Fox asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"You've been acting differently since Ventress." 

Quinlan shrugged. 

"You know I don't believe a word she said about you." Fox didn't think that was the problem, but it was a good place to start.

"She's not wrong though," Quinlan said quietly. "I am awful."

Fox gaped at him, having never expected that. "You are not awful. You help everyone you can, you helped me even though you had no reason to."

Quinlan wouldn't look at him, leaning on the wall. "I don't trust easily. I don't just share my chaos magic with anyone- only those that stick around me for more than a few hours unless it's a dangerous situation... and that's because outside of my family and a few others... Not many stick around that long unless they have to. And those that do... they leave, usually. Eventually. Ventress is just the one who held a grudge."

"Because she was trying to get you to do things her way and you didn't fall for it."

"I almost did." Quinlan shuddered. "She had me doing little things that I didn't realize were leading up to something bigger... She almost succeeded in getting me to do things I would normally never do."

"What snapped you out of it?" Fox asked, watching him worriedly.

"The children," Quinlan whispered. "Seeing them, I suddenly realized just what we were about to do and wondered how I'd ever fallen for it. I refused to do anything and stopped her plans, and then we had a big fight- magic and all- and she's held a grudge ever since. I would be happy if I never saw her again but she won't leave me alone if she knows I'm anywhere near her. It sucks." 

"I'm sorry. You don't deserve that." 

Quinlan sighed.

"Why don't you believe me?"

"There is a reason I was so worried about Obi... still am but he's probably out of that situation now. We made a blood oath for a reason. He's one of the few people to ever give me a chance, and stick around, without me having to tone down my personality or wear a different mask."

"A different mask?"

"Sometimes I exaggerate. Try to scare people off by being my worst self so that I don't get overly attached... but sometimes people lie. They pretend to tolerate me and then suddenly they can't handle me anymore after months or even years of friendship but they've never mentioned any problems so I never could try to salvage it. They just... held it in and resented me until they blew up and... Yeah. Ventress was right. You don't need to stick around me once we've found your brother." Quinlan pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his cheek on them, still not looking at Fox.

Fox gaped at him. "Quin? Absolutely not. I haven't had this much fun... Ever. A few of my brothers are chatterboxes. Can't get them to shut up. Not Cody, though. And some of them try to get me to talk more, act like me being quiet is a sign and... you've never expected me to respond. You check in on me and I don't mind you filling the silence with your own chatter. It's nice."

Quinlan lifted his head to look at him, stunned and a bit wary.

Fox did not like to see him that way. "Any of my brothers could tell you that I don't take bs from any of them. Or any person in town. Don't tell me my pastries are underdone when you forced me to remove them three minutes early," Fox grumbled under his breath. 

"If I was annoyed with you, believe me you'd know because I'd just tell you to be quiet or shut up. I try to give a reason why but I don't always have one. And the few times I did tell you that on our journey here? You listened. You shut up and respected my need for quiet even though I could tell you wanted to talk. And we get along perfectly well. So stop thinking I'm going to just stop being a friend because your vengeful ex has some biased opinions that hold no water because she's a piece of work." Fox was breathing heavily at the end of it. He wanted to be perfectly clear with Quinlan what his feelings were. He hoped that Quinlan understood.

Quinlan was staring at him in astonishment. "You... really don't mind?"

"No. I don't. You deserve to be able to be yourself, Quin. I don't mind it. It's a nice change of pace and your magic is fascinating. I would love to see more of it."

"Oh." Quinlan smiled at him tentatively. "Um. Thank you?"

"You're welcome. Please don't think so badly of yourself, Quin. You are a wonderful person. You've helped everyone who needs help. You've only fought if there was no choice, you never jumped into fights or anything. Not many people can avoid fights the way you did. I admire that."

Quinlan smiled a little wider. "You're pretty nice yourself, Fox. I don't mind your silence. I just... am not good with silence. It means bad things are happening... the first time I heard total silence was right before my parents were murdered in front of me when I was four."

"What?" Fox gaped at him. "You saw your parents murdered?"

"It was my other grandparents, not the kings, the other ones. They were still mad at my mom for marrying royalty and abandoning them. They were going to kill me but I screamed and desperately wished for them to be gone."

"...uh... do I want to know what happened?"

"They vanished in a cloud of smoke and have never shown up again... so that was fun. That's when Tholme started training me. I didn't just need guidance on the magic... but on handling my own emotions."

"You watched your parents die, nearly got murdered yourself, and you accidentally made the murderers disappear, effectively killing them yourself... yeah of course you needed the extra guidance. And probably to get away from there."

"Yeah. That's how I met Obi... his teacher and Tholme were good friends, and Obi was still figuring things out. We got into so much trouble in those early days." Quinlan chuckled.

"Chaos magic and elemental magic... and your general personality... yeah, of course you got into a lot of trouble." Fox smiled. "Whatever happened to Tholme anyways?"

Quinlan winced and looked away. "He was killed... by Ventress. To get revenge on me."

"Oh. I am so sorry. She's unhinged."

"I know..." Quinlan sighed. "But that's neither here nor there... right now the Empire has us, we can't make an easy escape, and we don't know why they want us."

"Which is a problem... are you going to be okay, though?"

"Yeah, I will be," Quinlan promised. "I just... I just need a bit more time. And we don't have that much time for me to wallow anyways. We need to figure out what the Empire is up to, and how we can get out of here. They've been thorough."

Fox nodded. "That means a wait and see approach, doesn't it?" 

"It does. Ready to be stuck in here for who knows how long?"

Fox sighed, then smirked. "Bring it on."

.

They picked up bits and pieces of the plan from time to time, slowly putting it together every moment they could.

Fox made sure to talk to Quinlan more, get to know him better, and reassure him that Fox was not going to just up and leave. 

Quinlan worked at getting to know him better too, and they both ignored their growing feelings for each other in the meantime.

They got plenty of information. And then...

Obi-Wan was brought in, just days before the ritual.

They tried to disrupt the ritual, but the best disruption came from Cody jumping in at the last minute rather than any of their attempts.

The aftermath quickly showed them that they would be dealing with some long lasting effects from the ritual backfiring.

But at least they were alive. The Empire would not be able to sue them as planned. 

.

It was the night before they were going to leave. Fox spotted Quinlan sitting on the little deck that came with their hotel room. Quinlan was staring up at the night sky. Fox joined him quietly. 

"This is all so weird," Quinlan said quietly. He twirled his finger and watched the little twister spin for a bit before he flattened it. "I can't believe our magic did that..."

"I can't believe Cody and I naturally had some magic to begin with." Fox turned his palm up and stared at the fire that sprung up. "That's still weird."

"It is. It's like relearning magic all over again... I'm glad that I'm no longer alone in having chaos magic though."

Fox smiled. "It's nice. I like having warmth and laughter. It's taking some getting used to, though."

Quinlan nodded. "For how chaotic I naturally am... it was a struggle for me too. It's nice not to be alone anymore."

"It is... As strange as it is... I like being able to use magic, chaos and the elements I got. I'm just concerned about the other possible side effects that were mentioned... we're more connected now?"

"Yeah... that is a weird one. But, I think we can manage that... we have the whole journey back to Kiffu to figure it out." 

"Right... We have to cross the entire continent and get to an island in time to warn them and prepare for the Empire's attack."

"Yep. What can go wrong?" Quinlan asked with a grin.

Fox groaned. "You're ridiculous."

"I'm aware." Quinlan nudged him. "So, you ready for that?"

"Well, we already made it all the way here... what's a few more months of traveling."

"That's the spirit!" 

Fox smiled. "And all the practice we can manage along the way."

"That too." Quinlan wrapped an arm around Fox. "I'm sorry you're not going to be able to see your family any time soon."

"It's okay. I'm not sure where to even start looking for them, anyways... I'm not sure where they would go to stay safe next. Our dads always seemed to pick the most random of places... of course, knowing they know magic too I suspect it's not as random as I thought... but who knows."

"Maybe they'll end up in Kiffu."

"Maybe." Fox sighed and leaned on Quinlan. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. What did I do?"

"You helped me. You're patient with me. And you're making it far easier to accept the magic than it could have been."

"Oh, well, that was easy. I'm glad you're doing okay."

Fox smiled. "Thanks to you." 

"And now it's time for a new adventure. Are you ready?"

"Not really, but what do we have to lose?"

"That's the spirit!" Quinlan impulsively kissed his cheek, then looked away, embarrassed to have acted on the impulse.

Fox lifted a hand to his cheek, stunned. He didn't say anything about it, just looked at Quinlan.

Neither said a word until Obi-Wan poked his head out and asked them if they were going to bed.

They went to bed without discussing it further, both determined to focus more on getting to Kiffu and handling the new magic than anything else.