Time for Rina
"You need to be careful out there," a voice ordered.
Ruby's head whipped around from where she had been staring at an image of Saccharina battling the thunder sorcerers and their storm spirits that had been harassing the Frosted Fleet of the bone and frozen isles in the Unnamed Lands that lay north of the Calorum landmass.
Her sister wielded storm and weather magic as easily as breathing as she dispelled the spirits and called lighting down on the opposing ships, beating her opponents at their own game and Ruby had been entranced by her until the voice at broken her out of her trance.
She glanced at the mirror behind her in her crystal chamber and saw her Aunt Sapphria standing there.
"I died in the Meatlands," the woman said, crossing her arms. "Those fuckers are deceptively perceptive and loyal to each other above all else."
"Technically, we'll be just outside the Meatlands," Ruby countered. "And doesn't that describe Candians as well?"
Sapphria snorted. "Maybe the loyalty but not the perception. We were all so blind."
Ruby scowled and Saphira hissed from where she was coiled around her arm. In her dreams, her familiar was split into its three different forms. Yak had seemed to be content to sit on her shoulder whilst Cerridwen had curled up at her feet. Both of them bristled at the allusion to what had happened.
"I will make sure they all burn," Ruby promised. "They will not hurt Candia."
Sapphria frowned. "Do not become complacent. Your visions cannot show you everything, something that Lazuli and I forgot towards the end, and it was our downfall."
Ruby froze for a second as she was smacked with the reminder. Then, she took a deep, shaky breath and nodded. "Yes, Aunt Sapphria."
Sapphria gave a lopsided smile as she dropped her hands to her side. "I like you kid. You're going to do well."
Ruby grinned at her. "Mostly thanks to you, Aunt."
Sapphria pursed her lips. "Don't dodge the compliment, kid. None of us know what happened to you, but you are driving these changes. We're only giving you guidance."
Ruby frowned. "I wish there was a way I could contact you without worrying about her influence."
Sapphria smirked. "That's why I came today."
Ruby perked up. "Really?"
"Yeah, you think I'd come here just to tell you to be careful?" Sapphria asked, putting her hands on her hips. "It takes a lot of effort to punch through the wall. And I'm not like Citrina, who would spend all that energy just to talk philosophy."
Ruby blinked, temporarily taken aback before she took a step towards Sapphria, her familiars focusing their gazes on the woman intently.
Sapphria smiled slyly, tipping her head forward. "I, of course can't say much, but you remember that book you are reading to help your father?"
Ruby nodded. She'd found it in Lazuli's library, one copy marked with notes and another clean. She'd left the one that Lazuli had marked up at home, as both her and Lapin had agreed to not take any irreplaceable knowledge with them on the trip, and had been trying to interpret the Barbarian spells and arcana that had been transcribed in it, hoping to find something that would increase her father's strength and magical resistance.
"I think you should skip past the section on Storm Heralds, your father can only achieve greater proficiency through his own effort. Maybe you should check the section on the Path of the Ancestral Guardian. I think it would be a good fit for Jet."
Ruby hesitated before she nodded. She hadn’t had time to read the other section, since she'd only fond the book two days before they left Candia but her mind was already whirling with possibilities. She'd glimpsed the activation spell for one of the other Barbarian Paths and though she could replicate it given enough effort, but she hadn't considered bestowing it upon her sister before. She felt like hitting herself. It was such an obvious answer, she should have thought of it. This could be invaluable in protecting Jet. Ruby knew that she couldn't stop her sister from rushing into battle, but the Barbarian resistances would be invaluable in ensuring her survival.
"Right, I can see that your mind is already working that over," Sapphria announced. "So I'm going to leave."
Ruby glanced up at her and her eyes widened. "Thank you, Sapphria."
Sapphria smiled at her before a small frown creased her face. "Just… remember to have fun, kid, alright? I know the visions can make you feel older, but you're still so young. Don't let your life pass you by while you're scheming."
Ruby's shoulders sagged and she whispered, "What I saw… I can never let that happen. I have to save them. I cannot let Jet die."
Sapphria pressed her hand up against the crystal that worked as a barrier for them. "Oh, Ruby."
"I can't. I just can't. I've seen… I've felt what that is like and I can't… I won't do that again."
Sapphria leant her head against the glass. "You."
"I have to protect them. I failed… so much," Ruby admitted. "I was wrong. I was weak. And she died because I couldn't be better. And then she was gone, and I wanted to be dead too."
Ruby took a deep breath. "That feeling… it never went away, and now that I have the chance to stop it, I have to. There is no other option."
Sapphria was silent for a few moments before she spoke, "I understand feeling like you need to do anything to protect you family. But, please, don't forget to live. Don't come in here every night. Just… let yourself sleep. You need a break."
Ruby gave her a thin smile. "I take breaks."
Sapphria gave her a flat look and then sighed. "Good luck, kid. Don't get yourself stabbed by a Meatlander."
----
Three days after that night, Jet burst into their cabin, where Ruby was pouring through the chapter, memorising the intricate spell and the runes that were required for it.
"Ruby! Come quick. We've reached the isles."
Ruby tucked the book into her satchel and came out onto the deck. Jet linked their arms and led them over to the starboard side. For about the thousandth time since she came back, Ruby nearly burst into tears. She'd forgotten what this felt like. This absolute and all-encompassing devotion, the certainty that she would always be someone's first priority. It left her chest feeling warm and floaty.
She was surprised how well she slotted back into the role of Jet's twin sister. She had feared that she would have forgotten. But, for all that Jet and Ruby had stuck together, they had always been different people with different interests and priorities. Just because Ruby's suddenly shifted, didn't degrade their relationship at all. Jet still loved her unconditionally and completely and Ruby felt the same way. And, every day, that cold, throbbing feeling in her chest that had been there since the day Ruby ran across the bridge by herself, was fading ever so slightly.
Suddenly, as they passed the first small, shockingly white islands of bones and frozen food, a deafening crack of thunder rolled through the sky, the clouds darkened above their heads, a thick fog rose from the sea and icy rain beginning to pour down, soaking Ruby to the bone in the space of five seconds.
"What the hell?" Jet muttered, huddling closer to her.
"It's the sorcerers," Ruby whispered, ordering Yak to soar into the sky through their bond.
"Huh?"
"The sorcerers." Ruby turned back and raised her voice. "Everyone get ready! We're about to be attacked."
Jet snapped around. "You heard her! Pick up your weapons!"
"To arms, men!" Theo ordered, as their father unsheathed Payment Day. "Chancellor, perhaps you should take the princesses into the cabins."
Jet snorted as she unsheathed her sword, whilst Ruby unslung her bow from her shoulder, reaching behind her for the quiver at her back. Their father had let them carry weapons on their person about a week into the journey, when they showed that they were competent enough with the weapons not to hurt themselves or others.
"Do you really thing I could keep them there," Lapin scoffed, his tone dripping condescending sarcasm. "Besides, if the ship goes down, it would be best of have them up here to get to the life boats instead of stuck below deck."
Ruby didn't need to look around to tell that Theo to see that he was glaring at them.
"At least, stand back, Princesses!" he ordered, stepping in front of them.
Ruby rolled her eyes, bracing herself as the ship lurched violently against the now choppy sea. However, an icy trickle of worry dripped down her back when she felt Jet stumble beside her.
Right. She had to protect Jet. She wasn't on her own anymore.
Ruby grabbed Jet's wrist and dragged her behind the stairs that lead up to the stern of the ship.
Jet glared at her, betrayed.
"We should take cover now so we don't go overboard. If we get boarded, you can attack them."
Jet frowned. "Boarded? I don't even see anyone."
As if her words had summoned them, a larger island of frozen bones and ice-cream rose up out of the mist in front of them, three ships of milk-soaked fish-bone corral and large, hardened seaweed and tick crustaceans attacking it as two ships made of materials from a multitude of different kingdoms, all caked in frost, desperately tried to fend them off.
The attacking ships appeared to be held together my sleety milk and roiling clouds and looked as if they had risen straight from the bottom of the milky seas. They were clearly attempting to destroy the ships, and the large village on the island they were protecting.
Ruby squinted as the large Candian ship sped towards, spying a band of people on one of the ships that didn't match the blue-clad frost-encrusted sailors, nor did they resemble the dark-robed sorcerers or the milky sea and grey storm spirits that were attacking them. Her eyes caught on a flash of familiar mint green.
"There!" she yelled, pointing to her sister. "She's on that ship."
She stepped forward, nocking an arrow and sending it sailing into the air in a loopy arc, so that it appeared to be falling from the sky when it skewered the sorcerer sneaking up on Saccharina.
The entire ship paused for a second, as they stared at their new Crown Princess, slinging icy spells as she tore through her opponents.
Her father was the first one to break from his stupor.
"You heard her!" he yelled. "Get the fuck over there. That's my daughter."
The entire ship lurched into action in time to pull up alongside the spectral ship that was flanking the one Saccharina was on.
About half the knights immediately jumped onto the ship, her father leading the charge with Theo only a step behind. Before Ruby knew what was happening, Jet was darting forward, dodging around Lapin as she surged across the gap between the ships and into the fray. Ruby had no choice but to follow her, leaping into battle.
For a few seconds, the battlefield froze as the Candians spread across it. Then, half of the sorcerers' forces turned to meet them, moving frantically as they suddenly found themselves sandwiched between deadly opponents. The marauders and the sailors let out a triumphant cry as they realised that the new party was on their ship.
They swept through the ship quickly, making their way across to the Frosted ship as the light blue taffy battleship moved out from the desecrated wreckage left in the wake of their rampage, engaging the one of the remaining ships, which was flanking the other of the Frosted fleet.
"Get this thing moving," her father ordered and pointing to the other remaining ship in the sorcerers' fleet. The frozen calzone at the helm automatically
Payment Day was dripping with black, sticky blood of the calamari triplets he had sliced through.
Saccharina stared up at him, gaping. However, neither had time to speak, as they were all quickly engaged by the remaining spirits that had invaded the ship. Ruby saw Jet take a cut to the arm and automatically held out her arm.
However, before she could cast the spell, her wrist was grabbed by a warm, fuzzy hand. Ruby's eyes widened as she glanced up, managing to recognise her 'attacker' and stopping the dagger mere millimetres before she plunged it into Lapin's chest.
"Remember, Princess, you are blessed of the Bulb. We would not want to do anything to compromise that image," he murmured quietly into her ear, glancing purposefully around and eyeing the marauders and Frosted sailors. "We do not know who we can trust. It would be best to act with caution."
Ruby snatched her arm back but nodded. "Of course, Chancellor."
She sheathed her dagger and bowed her head, loudly muttering some frivolous prayer about life in Bulbian, as she extended her arms and caused a golden light to surround Saccharina, Jet, her father, Theo, Sir Toby and Gooey, healing some of their wounds.
She glanced back at Lapin, ignoring the shocked glances that were thrown her way. He nodded allowing a small smile that only Ruby would have seen against his dark fur to flit across his face.
"Good, Princess."
Then, he turned and swung his lollipop staff, smashing one acolyte across the jaw and sending teeth scattering across the deck.
The battle didn't last too much longer after that. The knights were highly trained, and efficient. Additionally, Lazuli had ensured the Knights of North Gumbar were prepared to battle magic users, and they had kept practicing throughout the years by tackling any rogue mages.
When the last four opponents had been dispatched, Saccharina beheading a sorcerer with her sword, Jet skewering a milky sponge-coral spirit with her pink hard candy sword and her father, cleaving one of the acolyte fathers in half.
Ruby had been forced to sneak up on the last sorcerer and slit his throat, causing sticking pork bun to spill out across the deck. She had gone to shoot him from a metres away but had found her quiver empty. Ruby was too used to Sour Scratch. She would need to adjust to keeping track of her ammo, especially since she would likely not be getting the bow this time around.
As the last sorcerer fell to the deck, the noise died down, everyone waiting to see what would happen, why the strange newcomers had aided in the fight. Ruby, herself, did not quite know what to do as found both her sisters standing within twenty feet of each other for the first time in her life.
Her father was the first to act, stepping out of the crowd of knights and marauders and sailors that had amassed on the deck of the Frosted ship. He stopped barely three feet away from Saccharina, close enough to touch her, but no so close that he was touching.
"You are Saccharina Frostwhip?" he asked.
The last time Ruby had seen Saccharina (in the flesh) she had been at the front of a banquet hall, raising a glass as she toasted to Ruby's health and to a long and prosperous reign with her at her side. She had looked so right, standing there, commanding the attention of her friends and subjects as Cinnamon curled up behind her and gave a cheerful snort to punctuate her declaration.
There was none of that confidence and easy leadership now as Saccharina's nodded, her eyes shiny.
Her father bowed his head, taking a moment before he looked up again. "I am Amethar Rocks, King of Candia, and your father."
Saccharina blinked rapidly and her voice was raw as she asked, "You've come here for me?"
"Yes," her father replied without hesitation.
He blew out a shaky breath. "I did not know about you until one month ago, and I came as soon as I could. Your mother… I could not find her after the war, no matter how hard I tried."
He knelt down in front of her. "I am so sorry that I could not save you, and that I could not save your mother. I am here now, asking for your forgiveness and asking for you to return to Candia with your family."
Saccharina opened and closed her mouth for a few seconds before she threw herself down and onto their father, who scooped her up into a tight embrace.
Ruby felt her heart warm as Saccharina shook with silent sobs in their father's arms. This was the welcome that her oldest sister deserved. She deserved a family. She deserved love. And she deserved the throne.
The moment, however, was broken by Gooey, who crossed her arms as she ground out, "How did you find out about her if you couldn't find anything?"
"Yeah?" Swifty asked in his grating screech. "Your story doesn't check out."
Jet bounced forward, practically vibrating with energy. "You can thank Ruby for that. She had a vision."
This was not news to any of the Candian delegation, but they all still looked towards her, which prompted everyone else to do the same. Even Saccharina and her father pulled apart.
Ruby inclined her head forward, feeling Lapin's expectant gaze on her back. "I was blessed with visions of a Sundae Sorceress who could command the storms with a wave of her hand, and I was shown that she is my sister."
Saccharina blinked at her and stood up, which prompted Jet to leap towards her.
"Hi!" she greeted. "I'm Jet Rocks, the former Crown Princess of Candia."
Behind her, Ruby heard Lapin sigh as Saccharina's face slackened and she drew back.
Ruby coughed loudly and said in Twinspeak, "You sound jealous."
Jet's eyes widened at that and she clarified. "I'm sorry, that sounded passive aggressive. I'm glad to just be a princess. Now I can pursue my true calling as a general, and take over Theo's job as Lord Commander of the Tart Guard without having to worry about the politics."
"I can assure you Princess, my job does not come without political attachments," Theo countered right away, his voice strained. When eyes turned to him, he blushed furiously, and bowed respectfully, but didn't say anything.
Saccharina only glanced at him before her gaze flickered to Ruby. At the silent prompting, Ruby walked up took her place at Jet's side, nodding her head respectfully before she grinned up at Saccharina.
"I'm Princess Ruby Rocks," she introduced. "It is nice to finally meet you, sister."
Saccharina surged forwards and enveloped them both in a hug.
When she pulled back after a long time, Ruby saw strawberry and vanilla tears streaming down her face.
"I always hoped that you would come," she whispered. "I dreamt of you and I saw you and I wished that I could be your sister."
"We now you are," Jet murmured. "And I can't wait to get to know you. Ruby's told me so much about how awesome you are! We're going to have the best time back home! We can show you all the secret passageways and the way and the best way to get to the kitchens at night when everyone's gone to bed."
Saccharina grinned at them, but then her eyes flitted past their shoulders and she drew back, her mouth setting in a grim line.
"I would like nothing more than to go back with you," she started. "But I cannot. I have a duty to my people and I have promised to free the Frosted Lands of these terrible sorcerers who have plagued them for close to a decade."
Her father let out a laugh. "Well of course we'll help you with that. We're not just going to leave you to fight them alone."
Saccharina took half a step back, her eyes widening, "Truly?"
"Unless someone has a problem with it?" their dad asked, looking around.
None of the marauders or sailors were willing to contradict him, nor any of the knights they had brought.
Theo bowed respectfully at his charges. "It will be good practice for the Knights of North Gumbiar. We haven't had to fight opponents like this in a long time."
Her father laughed at that statement. "I knew you hadn't lost that fighting spirit, Theobald."
"I'm looking forward to it!" Jet exclaimed. "I did really well in that fight. I struck my first killing blow!"
Ruby couldn't hold back her snort. "You got hurt."
Jet grinned at her. "But you healed me."
Saccharina raised her chin and looked to Ruby. "Yes, that was extraordinary. Are you skilled in the arcane arts like I am?"
"The Princess Ruby has been blessed by the Bulb above," Lapin stated stepping up to stand behind Ruby to her right. "She has been gifted the power of miracles and visions."
Saccharina recoiled as if she had been slapped, and several of the marauders tensed around them.
"So you'll be ordained then?" her oldest sister asked, her voice and smile now saccharine sweet.
Ruby shook her head as she firmly replied, "No. I was gifted these powers to help serve Candia and its people. I would be wasting them in Brightgarden, where there are already enough miracle workers and paladins. The Bulb would not have blessed me so if it wanted another Primogen of the Church."
Her father walked around and clapped Ruby on the shoulder. "Candia has already lost one princess to the Church. Citrina did not have to be ordained, she chose to be, and it is between Ruby and her faith what path she takes in life."
Ruby grinned up at her father, resisting the urge to throw her arms around him.
Saccharina looked at her for only a few moments longer before her expression warmed into something more genuine, most of the tension easing from her shoulders.
"That is a relief," she said. "I would not want to gain a sister only to have her swept away by duties outside of Candia."
Ruby inclined her head. "I would not leave my people so easily and Chancellor Lapin has been an amazing guide and teacher for me. His advice has been invaluable."
Saccharina turned her gaze to the chocolate bunny standing just behind Ruby, looking over their dad's shoulder.
Lapin bowed. "I have found that there are many ways that one can practice their faith to the Bulb. Everyone's path is different."
Saccharina blinked. "That is a wise attitude."
"And of course your followers can come back to Candia with you," Ruby interjected, steering the conversation away from the topic of faith. "There is land for them to settle in Dulcington and they can stay in the Castle whilst their homes are being built."
Gooey grunted. "You would welcome us?"
Ruby turned to her. "Of course I would welcome people loyal to my sister. It is hard to find good people, and the House of Rocks would be remiss in turning away those who have supported our princess whilst we cannot."
Silence settled across everyone at her declaration for a few seconds before her father moved the conversation forward.
"Well said, Ruby," he praised with a chuckle and a squeeze of her shoulder. "Now what's the plan from here?"
Saccharina hesitated for a moment, obviously surprised at being differed to, but recovered quickly.
"Your support is greatly valued," she said, even as she frowned. "But I do not think it will be enough. The sorcerers are powerful and they are numerous. However, I have heard of a place that might hold the key to success…"
-----
Saccharina stood at the mouth of the Frozen Bay (which was not, fact, frozen but rather made entirely of hardened ice cream and frozen yoghurt as well as a multitude of other frozen goods) as she watched the Frosted Fleet (plus one Candian ship) get ready for battle. She held the fabled Winterscoop, the Spooning Staff at her side. They had found it in the Tomb of Cold, along with the magical ballistas that were mounted on the front of all of the ships.
She felt the bond she now had with the magical artifact and how it amplified her cold and weather powers. Now, she could feel every gust of wind, every cloud, every crunch of ice around her. She sent a silent thanks to her Aunt Lazuli for the vision that lead her to start investigating the Tomb of the last Sundae Sorceress.
The fleet captains were hard at work, preparing for what would be the fight of their lives. Since her stint in the Great Stone Candy Moutnains and along the Candia's borders with Ceresia, she had spent a lot of time in the Frosted Lands (known to outsiders as the Unnamed Lands, thought uninhabitable to most), building her storm and weather magic. Really, it was inevitable that she would clash with enclave of sorcerers terrorising this country and attempting to wipe out the Frosted Fleet.
It was only the Fleets swiftness and their captain's prowess that had had them survive this long, but finally, all the captains had banded underneath her and named Saccharina Storm Captain, looking to her for their salvation.
As a child in the nunnery, abused and alone and so, so hurt, she had never thought that she would be able to do this. But now she was here, magic thrumming under her skin and strong enough to ensure that no one would make her feel powerless again.
Saccharina was pulled from her thoughts as Gooey, Swifty and Jon Bon came to stand at her side. Her most loyal followers, and her closest advisors, for better or worse. Gooey had been with her since the orphanage, Jon Bon had helped her hide when the Church came after her for killing the nuns, and Swifty had persuaded many of the baked goods of the border to follow her.
"Have you seen anything?" Gooey asked.
Saccharina shook her head. "Nothing. We will be going into this battle blind."
Honestly, it was better when she didn't have visions of battles. All she ever saw was a confusing mess of possibilities that clouded her thoughts and made her uncertain.
"Not even about your family?"
Saccharina stilled, her gaze flitting out and easily finding the Candian delegation.
Her father, King Amethar, was standing with Sir Theobald as they both talked at Princess Jet, her sister. No one had liked the idea of allowing her into battle, but the princess had wisely pointed out that keeping her and her sister at the Frozen Bay would leave her vulnerable with so few guards, and take away fighting men from the battle. And she could not stay below deck in a battle, when ships were so liable to sink. So, both princesses had spent much of the last few days getting drilled in battle tactics by their father and Sir Theobald.
The rest of the knights were readying the ship, with Lord Cruller overseeing them. Glimpsing him had Saccharina looking to the sky where Princess Ruby was performing a handstand on the railing of the crow's keep whilst Chancellor Cadbury read something to her. The princess had told Saccharina not to trust the cake, and to never be alone with him, and Saccharina had listened. She hadn't had time to hear the reasonings behind them, but she trusted the girl. She trusted her sister.
"No," Saccharina replied. "But… I have a good feeling about them."
She glanced at them. "This isn't me just being blind and hopeful, is it."
The three shared one of those unreadable looks before they all fixed their eyes on her.
Jon Bon grunted and shook his head whilst Gooey sighed.
"They seem like good people," Gooey murmured. "If their story is true… then this changes a lot."
Saccharina had to agree. Learning that her mother had fallen ill and died had been a complicated fact for Saccharina to digest. An illness causing her mother to become addled had never crossed Saccharina's mind. The information was both relieving yet unsatisfying and left Saccharina with a mess of emotions towards her. She had been bitter for many years about what her mother did to her, and learning one fact could not let her dispel all of it.
But those were thoughts for other times.
"It doesn't have to," Saccharina replied. "The Candians have offered us a place with them. All of us. If you want to stay, that is."
"Of course we're going to stay," Gooey scoffed. "We wouldn't leave you to face the Court by yourself. Besides… I want to serve you. And I also have a good feeling about them."
"Even Ruby?" Saccharina asked.
All three of them tensed. None of her marauders held any love for the Bulbians.
"Maybe especially her," Gooey admitted reluctantly. "She's hiding… something, but I don't think it will harm us."
Saccharina hummed. "I agree."
"I like her," Swifty declared.
Saccharina's gaze snapped to him. "Really?"
Swifty hated the Church above any other in her marauder band. After his parents had been trialled and sentenced for witchcraft, he had never recovered.
"Mmhmm," the gingerbread man confirmed. "She's deadly, and she's not afraid to get her hands dirty."
"None of the Candians are," Saccharina shot back.
"I'm talking about a different kind of dirt, Storm-Captain."
"How do you know?" Saccharina asked, suppressing an eye roll at the title.
"I just do," Swifty said with a shrug. "When you're fucked up, you can tell when others are too. It's like a radar for ruthlessness."
Saccharina looked up at her sister, who was now laughing as she jumped onto the top of one of the sails, her falcon circling above her. She had seen her whole family in battle and new how dangerous they could be, but looking at her family, all she could feel was the warmth of her heart, finally getting what she had wished for most.