Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ava sighed and dipped her feet in the sea as Maggie paced behind her, raving.
“Unbelievable. Un-be-fucking-lievable! This is the second time he’s crashed a ship! A monkey could probably fly better!”
“To be fair, you had a big hand in the first one.” Ava said before she could stop herself. Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw Maggie giving her an icy glare. Ava was about to shrink away, when a thought hit her. Unable to stop herself, she snickered and covered her mouth with her hand.
“What.” Maggie asked, the ice in her eyes translating easily to her voice.
“Big hand. You had a big hand in it.”
“Ugh. And of all people to get marooned on a deserted island with, it had to be YOU.”
The venom in that one did make Ava flinch, but she kept going. After all, they were going to be seeing a lot of each other for a while. “Well, only need to build one bathroom at least?”
The two stared at each other, and the wind blew.
“Unbelievable.” Maggie said again, before turning and walking down along the beach.
“You keep saying that word, I don’t think you know what it really means.” Ava muttered to herself, before standing up and shouting “Wait! Wait Maggie!” to the retreating girl.
“What? Can’t you see I want nothing to do with you?” Maggie seethed at Ava as she approached.
“Yes. Yes I can see that. I’ve seen it for a while.” Ava said as she jogged up to Maggie. “But in case you hadn’t noticed, there’s no one else on this island. And we’ll probably survive better if we work together.”
Maggie opened her mouth for a reply, but was interrupted by a blurted “Please!” Stopping, she examined Ava’s face more closely. She was staring down at the sand, and wringing her hands. “I know you don’t like me. I know you may never like me again. But I want to live. And I want you to live. And I can imagine you want you to live. So you don’t have to like me. Just work with me, just for now. Then when we get off this desolate middle-of-nowhere sandbar you can go back to wanting me dead. OK?” Ava finished, holding out her hand to shake. After a moment, Maggie took it. Using her grip, she gently pulled the arm and said “Ava.” Ava looked up from the ground to her eyes. “I never wanted you dead.” Maggie stated firmly, making sure Ava kept her eyes on hers.
“Oh.” was all Ava said.
Maggie held her gaze for a second more, then dropped her hand and turned toward the treeline. “Alright Girl Scout. What do we do?”

Chapter Text

“Well, first we need to find water.” 
“Really? Were you actually a girl scout?”
“No, but I watched this history program once where these entertainment scientists were stranded on a beach with nothing but some adhesive tape.” 
“No way. Did they make it?” Maggie asked, a bit too interested for Ava’s liking.
“They weren’t actually stranded. They just pretended to be to see if they COULD survive with just the adhesive tape.”
“Aw. That’s no fun.” Maggie pouted and looked out over the ocean. 
“Riiiiight. Anyway, water.”
“Found some.” Maggie said. “Found a lot actually.”
“Ha ha. Hilarious. If you want to try drinking saltwater, be my guest. I’m going to find freshwater.” Ava turned and started off into the trees. 
“Hey hey! Wait up!” Maggie called, not wanting to be left alone.

Ava cursed under her breath as her new and annoying horns got caught on ANOTHER vine. Grumbling, she yanked her head forward and shredded the vine, then kept trudging. 
“So, uh, how long are those going to be there?”
“The horns, or the mummy outfit?”
“Both, now that you mention it.”
“Well the horns will be here forever. They grew out of my skull. Part of my skeletal structure now.”
“Oh.” 
“As for the bandages, I ho-”
Ava was interrupted by a sudden ring. Coming from her chest.
“Uh, maybe you should get your heart looked at.”
“I wish it was my heart.” Ava muttered to herself as she parted the bandages over her breasts. Maggie had about two seconds to be embarrassed because Hello, that stage of being stranded on an island doesn’t happen for at least three weeks Ava! before she saw that in the place of Ava’s chest sat a-
“Drawer?” 
“Yep.” Ava said, opening it with the key hanging around her neck(key to her heart a voice whispered deep in her mind, but she pushed it back)and removed a toy phone with burn marks and a cut cord. 
“You know, I’ve heard of being flat-chested before, but this is ridiculous.” 
Ava gave Maggie a scathing glare. “Low blow.” she replied. Sighing, she covered the receiver said “This isn’t going to be a fun conversation.” to no one, then put the phone up to her ear. And immediately reeled back as the unholiest screech Maggie had ever heard erupted out of the phone and cut into her eardrums like a blade. Wincing, Ava put her head back up to the phone. “Hey Wra-no this wasn’t my fault…it was Odin’s fault, he crashed the-…I don’t know what, I was still unconscious after our little RAMPAGE…yes I’m going to get off the island…No I do not want your help…BECAUSE LAST TIME YOU "HELPED” ME WE KILLED A STADIUM FULL OF PEOPLE…just, relax Ok? I don’t want to be here any more than you….Goodbye, Wrathia.“
As Ava hung up the phone, Maggie felt a twinge in the back of her mind. The Tuls section of her mind. Filing that away for dream time, she said "So, what did your heart have to say?”
“Mostly curse words and insults about my intelligence and physique.”
“Oh.” 
“Yep. Barrel of laughs her. Come on, let’s keep looking.”

“So, stagnant water is a no?” 
“Unless you want to vomit for a few days.”
“Oh please no.”
“I figured. So it’s gotta be running.”
Oppressive silence, weighing on them like the humid air. Ava scratched her horns. Maggie brushed leaves out of her hair.
“I guess there are a few things we can talk about while we walk.” 
“Like?”
“Well for one, our long term strategy.” Ava said, ducking a low hanging branch.
“We can attempt to repair our crashed escape pod and fly somewhere, we can build a raft and sail somewhere, or we can bunker down and hope someone comes to get us.”
“Someone being Gil and Odin.”
“Ideally. But do we trust them to get along well enough to come save us?” Ava and Maggie stopped walking and shared a look. 
“We have to go get them.” Maggie replied. 
“We have to go get them.” Ava agreed. “So, how? Escape pod, or raft?” 
“Do you know anything about escape pods?“
"No. Do you know anything about rafts?”
“More than escape pods!”
“Good point. So we buiiiii…” 
Maggie stopped. She heard it too. Glancing at Ava, the two dashed off toward the sound of running water.

Maggie shook her head, spraying water droplets everywhere as she pulled herself out from under the small waterfall. “Oh gods I never thought water could taste so good.”
“Same.” Ava said between pants, having spent so long drinking she was out of breath. “But there is a problem.”
“What?”
“What do we carry it in?”
A silent minute passed as each girl tried to think of a way to transport the water before Maggie snapped her fingers. “I thing the escape pod had some sort of canteen or something in it!”, but her triumphant grin morphed into a sullen frown as she realized someone would have to walk all the way back to the beach to get it. 
“You go.” Ava said.
“What? Why me?” 
Ava only looked at her, and slowly her body began to glow. Soon, Maggie had to avert her eyes. Begrudgingly, she admitted to herself that she could probably see Ava from anywhere on the island and would be able to find her again easily. 
“Fine. Sit tight.” Maggie grimaced as she turned around and marched off. Sure it made sense, but she didn’t have to like it.

“Stupid sand and stupid trees and stupid rocks” Maggie muttered as her tired feet carried her back toward Ava’s light, two canteens in hand. “I’m gonna punch Odin next time I see his stupid face.”
She was about three quarters of the way back when she noticed the light was receding away from her feet. Looking up from the ground, she saw the beacon of light through the trees beginning to fade. “Ava.” Maggie said to herself, stunned. Then, “AVA!” she broke into a sprint, jumping rocks and knocking branches out of the way. She shouted for a bit, but it just made her breathless so she focused on running. She burst into the clearing and spotted Ava leaning against a rock next to the falls. Sprinting over, she was about to put her hand on Ava’s neck before she heard the soft sigh of an exhale. The last of the light faded as Maggie could help but chuckle to herself. “Really? You didn’t get enough sleep on the ride over?” tying their canteens around a high branch, Maggie dropped down next to Ava and leaned back on the rock too. “Well, a nap couldn’t hurt.” she mused as she slowly drifted out of consciousness.