Snakes And Ladders

"Not bad for their" -

- "only" -

- "first time out," Charlene said, looking reprovingly over the top of her tortoiseshell glasses at Flynn.

Flynn scowled at Charlene, still annoyed at her attempts to drag him back into the wider world. She didn't understand what it meant to be the Librarian, the losses and the loneliness, the long nights and empty days.

As Eve and the others gathered around the Crown, Clara hung back, at war with herself. But inch by inch, she edged closer, reaching out for the Crown, heart beating fast in her chest. Her obsession with King Arthur was something she tried to keep hidden, repressed even, but in the face of being confronted with his Crown, Clara couldn't contain herself anymore.

"Hey!" Flynn admonished, slapping her hand aside. "Don't touch! You'll die! Especially with a middle name like yours!"

"What is your middle name?" Ezekiel asked curiously.

"It's Guinevere," Clara said, glaring at Flynn, "you should know that by now."

"Hey, if I can't steal it, I'm not interested," Ezekiel said, shrugging his shoulders. "If it's not nailed down, I'm gone."

"And anyways," Flynn said, frowning at them, "that was a job well done, so... well done!"

They all looked at each other, Jacob catching Clara's eye, making her look away.

"Flynn, what did you do on your first time out?" Cassandra asked curiously.

"I... I recovered the Spear of Destiny," Flynn said uncomfortably."And discovered the real meaning of cheese triangles."

"Now you're just showing off," Jacob said, folding his arms.

"I'm just getting started," Flynn parried.

"Clara?" Flynn asked, making her turn around.

"What is it?" Clara asked uneasily. She'd hidden herself in the Reference section, figuring nobody would figure out where she was, but she'd obviously underestimated Flynn's finding abilities.

"I've got something for that ankle of yours," Flynn said, holding up a cobalt blue decanter.

"Is that magic medicine?" Clara said sceptically.

"I'm afraid so," Flynn said, indicating for her to take a seat on the stone bench.

Against her will, Clara sat down. As Flynn kneeled down in front of her, Clara's gaze drifted over his irregular features and broad shoulders, wondering at the sheer impossibility of him, how it could have been her in his place. Flynn glanced up, catching her eye, making her hastily look away.

"One little dab and Bob's your uncle," Flynn said offhandedly, averting his face.

"I did have an uncle called Bob, actually," Clara said, wincing as his large hand steadied her ankle.

"Really?"

"Really, really," Clara said sarcastically, watching as he unstoppered the decanter, pouring some of the electric blue liquid over her bare skin, a sickly smelling mist enveloping her ankle.

"There you go, all done," Flynn said, getting up.

"Wait," Clara said, stopping him, "can't you do something for Cassie?"

Flynn looked at her for a long moment, before sitting down on the bench beside her, rearranging his long limbs accordingly. "With magic, it's possible," he said, sighing heavily, "but cheating death comes at a price. In the end, I'm not sure it's really worth it."

Clara nodded, something in her stricken face stabbing Flynn through his frozen heart.

"I never wanted this life for you, Clara," Fynn said quietly, taking her hand, Clara tensing up even as she let him take it, "I never did and I never will."

"But that's just it, Flynn," Clara said tersely, "whether you like it or not, this is my life, Library and all."

"You could die, Clara," Flynn snapped, "this is life and death, not snakes and ladders!"

"But isn't it all just the same thing?" Clara argued. "Isn't snakes and ladders just a metaphor for life and death, your fate decided by the roll of a dice?"

"Philosophy and board games are two separate things," Flynn retorted. "Your destiny isn't dictated by chance."

"No, it's dictated by choice," Clara said, snatching her hand from his, "and it's my choice, not yours."

"But you don't have a choice!" Flynn exclaimed. "It's the Library that chooses, not you, and it chose you! It's like Jumanji on a giant scale, it decides for you, there and then, no going back, and you were the first, Clara, and I don't want to see you become the last - I know there are the others but you were the first and I don't want to lose all that I have left, and I'm rambling now, good-bye and good-night!"

"Wait," Clara said again, taken aback.

"What is it?" Flynn said, not meeting her eyes.

"If I'm - we're the last candidates; does one of us become the Librarian if you die?" Clara asked, confused.

"That's the rules of the game," Flynn said formally.

"But what about us?" Clara said, confusing herself even further.

"There is no us," Flynn said, "and this is over."

As he turned to leave her, an alarm went off, startling them both.

"What the hell is that?" Clara asked, getting to her feet.

"We installed a new security system," Flynn said, hastily setting the decanter down on a Danish dictionary, "after the last break-in."

"So we're now in the middle of a heist!?"

"The fun never stops!" Flynn boomed before taking off like a boomerang.

"So how long will it take for them to get past the elevator?" Clara called, running after him.

"The elevator is actually a magic portal," Flynn called over his shoulder, "and it's been disabled from the inside. Somebody's let them in."

Clara slowed to a halt. "Somebody's sold us out?" she said in disbelief.

Flynn faltered to a stop. "I'm afraid so," he said gravely, advancing on her.

"Hey, it wasn't me!" Clara protested, looking at him like he was mad.

"Why were you hiding in the Reference section, then?" Flynn countered. "Were you keeping a low profile, hunkering down until the storm had passed" -

Clara slapped him, hard.

"Oh, Hartley, how I've missed you!" Flynn cried, before pulling her to him, his mouth crushing hers.

For several long moments, all Clara knew was the sound of cymbals crashing together in her skull, her fingers becoming entangled in Flynn's dark hair. Then she shoved him away from her, staggering as she did so. "Are you insane!?" she snapped.

"Yes, I am," Flynn said proudly.

Clara just stared at him incredulously.

"Don't stand there looking like you're working up the nerve to ask me to dance," Flynn exploded, "go and get the others while I get the Crown, and then meet me back in the Reference section."

Clara looked at him for a long moment before catching herself. As she took off amongst the book-shelves, Flynn fondly watched her go, "Ah, Hartley," he said, shaking his head to himself, "you're as mad as a Hatter."

Clara rounded a tee-pee, only to crash into Cassandra, nearly knocking her down. "Oh, God, I'm sorry," Clara cried, "I've been looking for you everywhere" -

- "Sorry to interrupt the reunion, but we've got work to do," Lamia said, stepping forwards, unsheathing her sword.

"Wait," Cassandra said, grabbing Lamia's arm. "We need her to get the Crown."

"Fine, whatever," Lamia said, shrugging her shoulder, "you all look the same to me."

Cassandra let go of Lamia, only to grab Clara's arm instead, steering Clara forwards as Lamia followed them, her sword raised. "Only a Librarian can remove the Crown from its final resting place," Cassandra explained in an undertone.

"But Flynn said it would kill me if I touched it!" Clara hissed, struggling to compute it had been Cassandra who'd sold them out.

"And Lamia will kill you if you don't," Cassandra pointed out in an agitated whisper.

"Well, it looks like I'm trapped between a rock and a hard place, then," Clara retorted.

"And anyways, Flynn was lying," Cassandra said pertly, "he just didn't want you leaving fingerprints all over his precious Crown."

"What's wrong with my fingerprints?" Clara said incredulously.

"They would mess up the shiny metal," Cassandra said childishly.

"Why can't you get the Crown?" Clara snapped. "You're a Librarian as well!"

"I don't see why I should do all the heavy lifting," Cassandra pouted, "especially with this manicure," she added, holding up a pretty paw.

"Enough with the small talk," Lamia spat, shoving Clara towards the display case, "get me the goddamn Crown."

Clara stumbled towards where it lay, before suddenly snatching up a metronome and throwing it at Lamia, who just ducked and laughed.

"You can't defeat us with time, little one," Lamia snarled, raising her sword as she advanced on Clara, "not when we have all the time in the world."

Cassandra hastily grabbed the Crown from its red velvet cushion. "Umm, can we go now, please?" she chirped. "I have the Crown, so it's time to toddle."

"After I've dealt with this diminutive problem," Lamia sneered, backing Clara into some bookshelves.

"You promised me nobody would get hurt," Cassandra said, her voice cracking, suddenly a world away from the prancing, pouting Cassandra of before.

"I never promised you I wouldn't kill anyone," Lamia smirked.

"Mind if I cut in?" Flynn queried, appearing out of nowhere.

"Why are you always in my way!?" Lamia spat, whirling on him instead.

"As I said before, you have such a magnetic personality," Flynn said, sidestepping her as he stepped in front of Clara. Before anyone could react, Excalibur came flying through the air, Flynn catching it with a flourish of his wrist.

"Oh my God, he has a flying sword!" Cassandra squealed, jumping up and down like a little girl. "That's so cool!"

Lamia shot her a withering look, instantly silencing her.

Flynn's gaze fell upon the Crown in Cassandra's hand. "Cassandra... why?" he asked, disappointed.

"The Brotherhood said they could save me," Cassandra said, just as suddenly barely able to speak now, "that only magic could save me."

"But serpents lie," Flynn said, suddenly lunging forwards.

But Lamia backtracked, snatching the Crown from Cassandra's hand and placing it atop her own head, twisted triumph descending upon her features as a smile snaked its way across her face. "And serpents are swift," she said, her eyes suddenly filled with violet flame. Before Flynn could react, she raised her hand, summoning Excalibur to her own.

"Cal!" Flynn shouted, starting forwards.

With a flick of her wrist, Lamia hurled Excalibur at Flynn like a thunderbolt, Clara throwing herself between Flynn and fate, the sword striking her instead. All of time seemed to slow down, her eyes widening with almost surprise, and then she fell to her knees, Lamia summoning the sword back to her side, Clara's blood running down its blade, leaving a crimson trail on the ground.

"Clara!" Cassandra screamed, rushing forwards.

"It's time to toddle," Lamia drawled, dragging Cassandra away.

Flynn just remained rooted to the spot, caught between the Crown and Clara, shock paralysing him.

"Don't just dither, you dingbat," Clara said from between gritted teeth, "go and get that damn Crown" - Her eyes rolled back into her head, body suddenly slumping sideways, hitting the ground, Excalibur wreaking his final revenge after all.

But if the earth ends in fire
And the seas are frozen in time
There'll be just one survivor
The memory that I was yours
And you were mine...