It was an early afternoon. For once, the two friends weren't working on anything. It might have something to do with the warmth light of the sun coming from the window. They were both sitting in the sunshine against the bars, Ruddiger happily sleeping, lying on both of their laps. Camalia was mindlessly playing with her guitare, while talking to her friend.

-Okay, okay, I bet you won't get this one. What is the "philosopher's stone" ? Proudly asked Varian.

-HA-AH ! Well, I do have it, Ball ! It's a legendary stone that could turn iron into gold.

-And... ? Smirked the alchemist.

-What do you mean "and" ? That's it right ?

-Nuh-uh ! It could also heal diseases and make people immortals ! And it's not "iron" into "gold", it's any "base metal" that can be transformed in any "noble metals". Even if, yeah, it's basically gold people wants.

The music mage pouted and crossed her arms.

-Yeah, well that's what I said. She mumbled.

They stayed silent, both searching for another thing that the other wouldn't know about. It was a game they just invented. They had the idea since they lived such different life, and learned different things. It was a way to have fun and know eachother better.

-I've got one ! Do you know what sburben mean ?

Varian started to think out loud, narrowing his eyes. He was searching in the deepest part of his memory, even if he didn't have the slightest idea what a sburben was.

-Okay, don't tell me anything, I will got it. Sburben, sburben... Is it a plant ? Wait no, probably someone's name... But you asked what it meant so it may be... a place ? No, no, that doesn't hold up. Maybe a concept ? Is it the name of a legendary sword ? Or just a legend...? No... ? Okay no I don't have it, enlight me with your knowledge.

Camalia smile was getting wider and wider as she saw that her friend had no idea what it meant. Finally, she knew something he didn't. She had to pass through twenty questions to get there, but she here she stood. She straightened up, proud of herself, looking at the alchemist with a satisfied smirk.

-Sburben is not a thing nor a legend. It's a curse word. The music mages, which are still outcasts, started using this word when someone of the clan stole fruits from the main tent. The guard heard the noise and entered the tent, expecting a raccoon or a rat. What was his surprise when he found, stealing from the bag...

Varian and Ruddiger, now awake, leaned in, completely invested in the story.

-...His chief ! He screamed "Sburben !" surprised and angry. Sburben was the name of this ancient chief of the music mages' clan. He ran away after being busted out, and the whole clan screamed his name for days, first worried then with anger. "Sburben, Sburben" they said. After a week without the chief, they realized he abandonned them after stealing their supplies. First, the adults were refering to him as the "damned Sburben", when they talked about that ancient story. For the new generation, who never knew Sburben, it was just this word that made the adults angry. So, they thought it was a curse. And they used it that way, even when they learned the real meaning of the word. "Ah, sburben, I stepped on pointy rocks !" or "Sburben ! I didn't find any food !"

-And what about the chief ? What happened to him ? Did he.. did he returned at some point ?

The music mage thought for a moment, trying to recall what the read.

-Mmh, well if he did, it wasn't in the book. And honestly, I think my people would be pretty mad at him anyway.

A short silence followed her sentence. The alchemist widened his eyes as her words sunk in his mind.

-You said it. He whispered.

Camalia nervously laughed at her friend's weird behavior. He turned slowly to her, staring straight into her eyes, as if his brain was still surprised of what it just heard.

-What ?

-You... you said it ! You said "my" people !

The music mage finally understood and she brushed it off as something minor.

-No, no, no, this... this whole time, you always refered them as "they" but this time you said "my" ! This is great ! I knew you felt this way !

Varian started to excitedly babbled about it, a smile streached ear to ear. Ruddiger just sighed, unfazed by the sudden movement, and decided to go back to sleep. But for the girl, it was a very sensitive subject. She tried to stop her friend but he wouldn't stop, too deep in his thoughts to realize how it was affecting her. And after all, he's right, Camalia. It's your people after all. Oh, but wait. You don't even know them. All you ever known was through books. Tsk, isn't that just... sad. A music mage without a clan, without anything, not even a family. No one to teach you, to trust you, to help you, to smile at you. No people to rely on. It's just pathetic, ridiculous... you.

-ENOUGH !

Her shout brutally stopped Varian in the middle of his sentence. He looked at her with worry, and saw that she seemed in pain. Not a physical one, but enough to make her scream at him. Guilt imposed itself in the alchemist heart.

-Camalia I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-

-Sorry, I need some time alone.

She didn't meant to yell. She didn't want him to think she was angry at him. But right now, she just couldn't express what she was feeling. Her chest was sore and her throat so clunched it hurted. Her eyes burned as she tried to avoid letting the tears run down her cheeks. She got up and left her friend's cell to get locked in hers. She immediatly went in her bed and curled up, disappearing under the cover without a word.

Varian felt terrible. He watched her leave without trying to stop her. He felt just like if he messed up as bad as what got him in jail in the first place. It was as if it started all over again. Five minutes ago, they were joking around, and once again, he ruined everything, he hurted his friends, he made the bad decision, he became the villain. It was all his fault anyway, it has always been.

A storm of dark and terrible thoughts was above the two prisonners' head, and for one of them, it is as if the storm had taken the form of two giant black snakes...

They didn't talk for the rest of the day. Camalia didn't move from her bed, not even to eat. But Varian knew she wasn't asleep. Her breathing was rapid and unsteady, and sometime he could hear a faint sob, small sound that was going through his ears like the loudest noise, destroying his heart and bringing thoughts in his brain. Varian didn't really move either, he was still sitting against the bars, thinking all of his actions over and over again, remembering how every decision he ever made were the worst, how he was the worst and he never did anything right. How his own dad was desesperate about him, and how... how he would never see him again, not even to prove him he could change, he could be better, he could be the son Quirin has always wanted.

Untouched by the tension and the sad face of his master, Ruddiger was the only one happily enjoying the sun to it's last sunshine. After the night fell on the cells, and when he saw no one was lighting a lantern up, the raccoon started to see something was wrong. He spotted the abandonned guitare near a very depressed Varian, and in the other cell the vague form of a human being in bed. He let a concerned squeal out and looked up to catch the alchemist attention. Not that he liked Camalia but... okay, yeah he liked Camalia, but even if he didn't, Varian did, she meant a lot to him, pulling him out of the dark sea he was drowning him and showing him a bright side to everything. She was the one that didn't give up on him when everyone else did. Right now, she couldn't help him because she needed help as well, so it was Ruddiger's job to handle this situation now.

He will take the responsability and fix it. He was the one in charge. To be honest, the raccoon was starting to think that they could really not live by themself, it was the second time he had to help them out, and well... he is just a raccoon.

In the darkness, Ruddiger made his way to the table and once he was on it, he reached for the lantern before lighting it up. The sudden light made Varian flinch, and pulled him out of his thoughts. When his eyes finally got used to the glim, the alchemist looked up to see a shadow, standing on the table, paws on they're hips. It was Ruddiger, and he had a determined look. Just like an epic character, the raccoon jumped and nailed a perfect landing before walking toward Varian with heavy and very very epic steps.

-Ruddiger, what... are you doing ?

The question bursted the animal out of his action movie and he glared at his master before pointing at the cell across the corridor. Since his own was being enlightened by the lantern, Camalia's cell seemed as dark as ever. Varian looked down, guilt and sadness making it through his heart once more. But Ruddiger quickly snapped him out of it. By a very simple, very direct and effective technique.

He properly slapped him.

He wasn't really proud of himself for this, but it was the only way. Talking to him wasn't an option for obvious reasons and he couldn't spend the night trying to get his attention. The raccoon putted his paws on his hips again, staring at the boy, that was still in shock because of the slap. He frowned and was about to shout at him but the animal quickly shutted him up with an angry look. For a few minutes the two battled with their eyes until Varian give up. He sighed and leaned back on the bars.

-There's nothing I can do, it's my fault anyway. She... she must be hating me now.

The raccoon rolled his eyes and forced him up. He climbed on the table again. He made him understand that Varian, the one he knew, was kind, perseverant, and dear to the heart of the hurt girl across the prison. And that he never gave up. He didn't give up when his dad got caught in the amber, not when he failed once, and even if it was for bad reasons, he didn't. The boy he knew was smart and a bit reckless, loving and passionnate. So now, instead of crying on a past he couldn't change, Varian will talk to her and fix things. Because for the love of alchemy, he is just a raccoon and a raccoon shouldn't be handling this kind of things. The only things he should be handling would be apples. Lot of apples. Red, juicy, wonderful apples... Man he liked apples.

-Okay Ruddigger that was sweet but now you're just talking about apples.

...Because he's a raccoon that was the whole point of the- You know what nevermind. Varian took a deep breath and turned around to face Camalia's cell. He didn't know what to do or what to say. He felt terrible but how could he apologize ? The subject of her people seemed to be a very very sensitive point, and he didn't want to trigger it again. He bit his lips, hesitant. A nudge on his leg made him look down to cross his raccoon eyes. The animal encourage him to speak.

-Camalia ?

The form under the cover nudged, motivating the boy to continue.

-Camalia, I-I'm really sorry. I know I often overstep boundaries, mostly without realizing it, heh. W-what I mean is that I shouldn't have... I really regret... I understand that you don't like to talk about your people, I don't want to hurt you again, I am just... really sorry.

The music mage moved again, but she didn't answer. For Varian, it was as if she rejected his apology. It was as if all of Corona did. He felt tears forming in his eyes but he shook them away, refusing to let go. He was about to speak again when the girl grunted. It wasn't an angry grunt. She was in pain. She was hurt. Ans this time on, it was physical. The alchemist widened his eyes, eager to break out of his cell to help her, but she was the one with the key.

His eyes fell on the lock and right under it, Camalia's guitare, and Ruddiger on it. Varian kneeled in front of his pet, looking very serious.

-Ruddiger, I need your help. I think Camalia needs her guitare but I can't give it to her. You should be able to go through the bars, if we squeeze hard enough. Could you do that buddy ?

The raccoon military saluted the boy. Once again, the faith of one of those two idiots was on his shoulders. And if the raccoon had to always be the one to save them, then he will. But not alone.