Sean held his breath, watching Wander cautiously make his way across the bridge with his horse following without issue. Illinois moved up to one of the bridge posts, telling Wander uneasily. "I don't think this is a good idea... Come back. We'll take the long way. It's safer." Wander waved a hand dismissively, retorting bluntly. "It's fine. Just a bit windy." Illinois shifted his weight, glancing back at Sean. Sean pressed himself back to the wall as a gust rushed by him. The bridge swayed but Wander still kept moving. Once Wander had gotten far enough out, he yelled back to them. "Come on. This way is faster." Illinois exhaled heavily, turning to face Sean as he asked him gently. "What do you want to do? The bridge or the cave?" Sean's eyes drifted to the bridge, then the cave entrance. Every fiber of his being wanted to take his chance in the cave... but they were in a hurry. Was he slowing them down with his childish fear? Illinois moved closer to him, sweetly informing him. "Say the word and I'll go with you. Just tell me what you want to do." Hugging himself tightly, he started to shake but answered weakly. "Let's take the bridge."

Illinois raised his eyebrows, asking with concern. "Are you sure?" Sean swallowed, forcing himself forward as he told him honestly. "No. But we need to do this as fast as we can. So... just keep me moving." Illinois extended out his hand, helping him approach the bridge. Taking a cautious step onto the old creaking wood. Grabbing the rough dry rope sides, Sean took a deep breath. Staring straight ahead, he stepped forward and inched his way onto the bridge. Illinois moved in behind him, his arms hovering out over Sean's on the rope. Whenever Sean stopped and started to shiver as the bridge swayed in the wind, Illinois would place his hands on his arms and whisper into his ear something sweet or stupid to distract him. Feeling his hands on him helped and his questions or statements were simple enough that he could answer or smile at. They made slow progress but managed to get a few feet from the start. Feeling Illinois' fingers lightly touching his shaking hands, Illinois told him nicely. "You feel cold. I should have gotten you a jacket." Sean smirked, mumbling out. "I'm fine. It's not the wind that has me shaking."

Illinois chuckled just a little. Taking another step, Sean froze as a loud 'snap' sounded and the bridge shuddered. Sean gripped the ropes tightly, stammering out. "Illinois...? W-w-what was that?!" Illinois wrapped an arm around Sean, peeking over his shoulder to look farther ahead. The horse snorted with slight distress and Wander was looking around at the boards. Wander tried to take another step, when a board snapped in half, forcing him to stumble. As his body hit the bridge, causing another board by his shoulder to brake. With a distressed cry, Wander wrapped his arm in the horse's reins as he started to fall through the boards. Sean tensed, yelling out. "Wander!" Sean took a step forward to try rushing toward him to help, but the board under his foot snapped. Sean let out a sharp scream as he fell into it, but Illinois snatched his wrist to catch him. Clinging to Illinois, Sean yelled out. "Illinois! I can't hold on!" Illinois dropped to a knee, groaning out as he tried to pull him up. "Grab me, Sean! Swing your legs up!" Grabbing Illinois' arm with both hands, Sean tried to swing a leg up to brace it on the wooden board that was across from Illinois. Illinois pulled him up enough to wrap his arms under his arms. Sean braced his leg on the board, taking a breather as he felt semi-relieved that he was no longer hanging.

Farther ahead, Wander's horse managed to back up and pull Wander up onto the bridge. Wander got to his feet faster, moving up beside his horse to comfort her. Sean started to shift to get up, until the board that Illinois was kneeling on began to creak and bend. Illinois carefully started to shift back off but stopped. Sean started to ask what he was looking at, when he saw the rope support holding one side of the boards starting to weaken. Glancing back toward the cliff, Illinois cursed to himself. Not wanting to give in, Sean asked him in a hopeful rush. "Can we make it?" Illinois' eyes were not convincing. Licking his lips, he told Sean in a panicked voice. "Grab this side. Quick!" Sean rolled over, grabbing the rail and adjusting his feet to rest on the edge like Illinois. Farther up, Wander hopped up onto his horse and started to coax her into a run. Sean called out to him to stop, but Illinois grumbled out. "He's trying to save his horse." The rope line suddenly snapped and the whole right side of the bridge fell away. Sean screamed as the left side swayed wildly as boards that were still clinging to it weighted it down. One by one the boards slipped from their ties and fell into the massive gorge.

Wander managed to reach the end, his horse leaping in desperation to clear the gap as the bridge fell beneath them. His horse barely cleared it, hitting the ground awkwardly. Flipping across the ground, Wander was thrown from her, but they had cleared it. Sean smiled, then asked Illinois with desperate concern. "Now what do we do?" Illinois shifted to let the boards beneath him fall, then breathlessly told him. "I'm thinking. I'm thinking!" Sean slowly started to shimmy across the ropes toward the other side, telling him shakily. "Ok. You think. I'll keep moving." Illinois chuckled nervously, following him. They got a bit father, when Sean slowed to a stop at the sight of someone standing by the bridge post on the other side. Illinois peeked around him, then cursed as he mumbled out. "Oh, fuck..." Sean gripped the rope tighter, calling out in his nicest voice. "ANTI, PLEASE?! I JUST WANT TO TALK!" Anti took a knee, slowly removing the vorpal blade from the holster on the side of his boot. Sean inched closer, pleading out in his best loving voice. "Anti?! Please...?" Sticking the tip into the ground, Anti turned the blade between his fingers. They locked eyes with each other and for the first time, Sean saw disappointment and pain behind his eyes.

Shaking his head, Anti told him in a distorted tone that carried on the wind. "I know why you've come. You think I'm weak. You're wrong. You ran... I stayed." Sean gawked at him, blurting out. "What?!" Anti pulled the blade from the ground, adding on without any emotion in his voice or features. "This world is MINE! These people are MINE! I won't let you take them back! YOU DON'T DESERVE THEM!" Sean opened his mouth to protest, but in one swift motion... Anti sliced the ropes. Wander crawled to the edge, screaming out to them as Sean and Illinois fell through the air. "SEAN!" Anti stood up, watching him fall with a guarded look. Sean kept his hold on the rope, screaming as loud as his voice could go. Illinois managed to get an arm around him, while still holding the rope with his other hand as they went down. As the rope reached its extension, Sean yelped in pain as his weight caused his hands to slide down the rough rope. The burn from the rope was too much for his hands and he let go. Illinois slid down the rope with him, then slid down more as Sean's weight added to his own. Groaning, Illinois hugged him close, then yelped as his back slammed into the jagged cliffside.

Wander started to climb to his feet, yelling out to Anti. "You fucking glitch bitch! How could-?!" Anti backhanded Wander off his feet so fast that Sean barely saw Anti move. Wander fell to the ground, while Anti snapped out bitterly. "What did you call me?!" Sean clung to Illinois, shouting up desperately. "ANTI! DON'T!" Anti snatched Wander by his little horn, yanking him over to the edge. Wander grabbed Anti's hand just as Anti held him out over the massive gorge. Wander's toes tried to grip the edge of the cliff, while Anti's eyes flared a bright green upon shouting out angrily. "Say it again! I fucking DARE YOU!" Wander clung to Anti's wrist as it held his tiny horn, pleading out. "I'm sorry..." Anti narrowed his bright green reptilian eyes on him, before hissing out. "No, you're not. But you will be." Anti released Wander's horn, forcing Wander to hold only Anti's wrist as his only lifeline. Anti stared him down, then told him grimly. "Now your life is in the hands of something I can't control... Fuck you." Without another word, Anti glitched in place, causing Wander to lose his grip on him. Sean watched in horror as Wander fell helplessly through the air.

Sean started to cry as he listened to his echoing screams. Reaching out to him uselessly, Sean closed his eyes and tried to think of a way to save him. His mind was so distressed though that he was having trouble focusing on just one thing to activate the Ring of Wonderland. However, Anti started to walk away... Only to stop and reluctantly bring his fingers to his lips to whistle loudly. A deep cry bellowed from somewhere below, prompting both Illinois and Sean to look down. From a tower below, something took off and flew steadily up toward Wander. Sean tried to get a good look, but it was hard to see what it was. The thing caught Wander in its mouth by catching his clothing, flawlessly continuing to fly up toward Anti. As it flew by them, Sean gasped. He recognized the large creature. It was a Trico. The Trico flew up to the edge, landing on its bird-like feet and folding its large wings. The Trico was covered in iron armor and its eyes and horns were glowing with the same bright turquoise light as Wander's tattoo. Anti touched the Trico's nose, telling it something before it flew off again with an unconscious Wander. Sean calmed down, marveling at Anti. Anti glanced down at him with a stern look. Then glitched away in the blink of an eye.

Turning a bit in Illinois' arm, Sean grabbed the rope and panted out. "Why did he save him?" Illinois grunted as his grip slipped, straining out. "I don't know. I can't think about that now." Sean tried to hold himself up but regretted it as he slid down the rope a bit from Illinois. Illinois jerked in surprise, shouting out. "Sean! Put your feet on the wall!" Sean shook his head, stammering out. "No! I... I can't! I want to be close to the wall in case... Illinois, help!" Illinois grunted more, moving to grab the other rope. Wrapping his leg around it, Illinois panted and then leveled himself out a bit. Securing the rope, Illinois took a deep breath and tried to pull himself up with one hand over the other as he rolled himself up in the rope. Doing so, wrapped the rope around his waist and took his body weight off his arms. Then reaching down, he told Sean seriously. "Climb up the rope to me. NOW!" Sean didn't like when he yelled at him, but it told him just how imperative it was for him to move. Struggling to climb the wall a bit, Sean grabbed his wrist and Illinois pulled him up a bit more. Holding his hand, Illinois told him as calmly as he could. "Good job, Babe. Now. Do what I did."

Sean blinked, snapping out. "Are you crazy?! I can't! I have no upper body strength!" Illinois tightened his grip, telling him lightly. "It's not about strength, Sean! Use your legs and wrap yourself in it. You can do it! I know you can!" Shaking his head, Sean quickly wrapped his leg around the rope and kept his hand in Illinois' as he leaned out a bit from the rope. Illinois told him to spread his legs and use them to propel his momentum. Sean took a few breaths, then whined as he tried it. Illinois helped pull him up as he rolled to make it a little easier for him. The moment the rope was around his waist, Sean relaxed as the pressure on his arms eased up a lot. Releasing Illinois's hand, he grabbed the rope and asked him through pants. "Now what?" Illinois smirked, giving him a wink as he told him. "Beat you to the top." Sean giggled, watching Illinois roll up the rope a bit more before waiting for him. Sean relaxed, focusing on the task at hand. The more he did it, the easier it became. By the time that he reached the top, the rope was wrapped entirely around his torso. Illinois pulled himself up over the edge first, then reached down to help pull Sean up.

Sitting down, Sean scooted from the edge and then tried to unwind himself. Illinois unraveled himself faster but got so dizzy that he fell to the ground. Sean chuckled at him, taking things slower. Uncoiling the last of the ropes off, Sean pulled Illinois toward the entrance of the cave, asking curiously. "Where did you learn that?" Illinois panted, grinning before replying honestly. "You showed me." Sean scoffed, retorting firmly. "I certainly did NOT." Illinois blushed a little, telling him softly. "Not in this context... no. But you did... something similar." Sean crossed his arms, asking smugly. "In what way?" Illinois moved closer to him, placing his hands on his hips to press him up against himself. Sean blushed but let Illinois whisper close to his ear. "My twenty-fifth birthday. Your bedroom. I told you about my kink for silk? So, you made me unwrap-" Sean quickly covered his mouth, blushing a brighter red as he mumbled out. "Don't... I remember now. Thank you." Illinois removed his hand carefully, then leaned in to press his lips to his. Sean wanted to tell him that now wasn't the time... but they'd almost died. So, he let Illinois take his time.

Illinois backed him up against the wall, claiming his lips more passionately. Wrapping his arms around his neck, Sean moaned a little into the kiss. Which prompted him to heft him up into his arms. Sean giggled, sliding his hands up the back of Illinois' neck. Then knocking his hat off, Sean's fingers went into his sweaty hair to pull on it enough to tilt his head back. Claiming his lips, Sean's long legs tightened around him. It was hard to say just how long they kissed for, but Sean only stopped when Illinois smacked his ass playfully. Breaking the kiss with a little yelp of surprise, Illinois set him down and told him a bit reluctantly. "Alright. Let's go into the dark spooky cave." Sean groaned, resting his head on Illinois' shoulder when he mumbled out. "I don't want too..." Illinois kissed his temple, purring into his ear. "I know. But it's better than falling to our death." Sean bit his lip as Illinois' hand patted his butt under his skirt, before heading to the mural to snag a bone and some clothing. Watching him make a little torch out of it, Sean asked him curiously. "Illinois...? Why do you think Anti saved Wander? Did that seem... Odd to you? And what he said about me..."

Illinois took his hand and started to walk him forward, while telling him honestly. "You'd know better than I. I've never really met the man. He just seems chaotic to me. Who knows why he does it. Amusement, maybe?" Sean shook his head, losing himself in thought as he regaled aloud to himself. "No... The way he said it. It sounded genuine. It was like... he really believes that..." Sean stopped walking as Illinois suddenly looked back at him to finish a bit perplexed. "That you let down the family...? Holy shit. Sean... I think he envies you. Or... wants to be you." To Be Continued...