Cypress

tomorrow i will come back, leader of the whole pack

Cypress sucked in a shaky breath as Thoth pulled her close; under different circumstances she might have blushed, or laughed. Maybe she'd have been excited - ecstatic even - and absolutely a little hopeful. But right at that moment, all she could think about was relief. He was warm, and real, and he was okay. Her breathing steadied, her eyes closing as she hugged him tight. She was just starting to move past the initial overwhelming relief towards something decidedly more Cy-while-touching-Thoth-like when he released her and stepped back. She studied his face, spotting a plan clicking together in his eyes, and felt her heartbeat knock down a few paces. That's right. Thoth was so smart, the smartest person she'd ever known. He'd get together the perfect plan, and then they could go home, and this would all be some funny story they'd tell someday. They just had to get through the next part, and then everything would be...

She only looked away for a second, just a second and he was gone. An anguished noise ripped out of her throat as she lunged for the place he'd been just seconds ago. Her hand hit empty air and she stood there for a moment, shell-shocked. He'd been right there. Why had she ever let him go? She should have held on to him for dear life. Cypress' breathing became rapid again as she and Danny both looked to the woman.

"You bitch!" Cypress screamed, her face contorted with rage - there was no shortage of fear, and guilt, in the mix, but at least anger she could use. It was better than crying, at least. "Bring him back! Right now, you hear me?!" Her voice broke despite herself. "Bring him back!"

She would have lunged right for the woman had Danny not latched onto her wrist to hold her back. She shot him a furious look, trying to wrestle free of his grip, but he yanked her hard; taking advantage of her going off-balance, he caught her around the waist and hauled her back.

How can we help him if you're dead, Cy? he whispered hurriedly through his telepathy; shoving a picture of just what the pistol could do into her mind. She'd probably heard about them, maybe seen a few, but she didn't know - not like he did. You have to calm down and think. Cypress squirmed in his grip, tears of frustration and worry clouding her vision.

"We have to get him, w-we have to help him. Let me go, Danny!" Cypress choked out, struggling only harder. Her tone turned to a growl as she felt his magic flare. "Don't you dare!"

I'm sorry, Danny replied guiltily, feeling Cypress relax in his grip. Her pained expression slackened as his magically-induced calm slipped over her. A dreamy little half-smile formed on her lips, even while she raged at him through his telepathy. Danny broke their mental link with another pang of guilt. She was going to kill him after this, and he probably deserved it. Still, externally at least, she was calmer now, and that meant it was less likely she'd be shot. And if it was affecting her this strongly, being so closed to the source of Serenity Vibes, maybe there was hope yet that he could calm the woman down too, even just enough to make her lower the gun...

No such luck, it seemed. Danny let Cypress go at the woman's barked orders with great reluctance. This particular power of his was unpredictable, affecting everyone differently and some more strongly than others - and there still some yet who weren't touched by it at all - and he'd only used a little of it on Cypress in the past, like when her sister was in labor or when Alder was missing. That had been just a tiny pinch of magic, just enough to stop her from freaking out entirely. He didn't know how much longer he had until she broke free and tried something crazy again. He obeyed as the woman gestured to the closet, pulling the door open with great reluctance. The Pomeranian wiggled out, tiny, impotent body shaking furiously; it yapped angrily and lunged for his shoes, its yapping only louder as it found itself ignored. Cypress was still exactly as he'd left her when he returned to her side; she was standing still and complacent with a dopey-calm expression. Inside he knew she was fighting a war.

Cypress' thoughts, foggy and rambling as they were, circled over and over in her head. The same thoughts, the same worries. It was going to drive her crazy. Why, why didn't she have even half of the magical prowess her sister did? If Oli were here instead of Cy, she'd have been able to do something. Even dopey Alder would have had a plan by now, would have been doing something. But all she was good with was dogs, and she couldn't even change people into them on purpose! Thoth, where are you? she thought desperately, trying to fight her way back to the surface through the unnatural calm Danny's magic was forcing on her.

Her body obeyed fluidly at the woman's instructions, Danny following suit. They shared a look, Danny's worried, Cypress' enraged under supernatural calm. Was she really taking them to Thoth? Why would she do that? What guarantee did they have they wouldn't just end up dead anyways? And, worst of all, what choice did they have but to go along with it either way?