dritavintage

[felicismagic18873]

Beyond the Blaze (2)

Summary: 4 Years old, Alyssa Potter finds her life taking a magical turn as she steps into a world of cute green giants, talking robots and misunderstood aliens. All of it is almost enough to make her forget the probable destruction of her own world.

Word Count:2.7k

As sunshine filled the sky chasing away the darkness, a lady with breathtaking beauty was seen standing at the edge of a dazzling lake.

Her white-gold hair flowed around her porcelain-like face as the wind blew through them. Her lips resembling red of an autumn leaf lifted up into a small smile as the soft wind caressed her face. Her beauty seemed ageless and impossible, like crafted out of pure magic. That should be the case since this was one of the 12 witches that Hecate chose as her daughters, Melina.

Melina looked at the lake and soon got lost deep in her thoughts. She hoped to overcome her nervousness and lose herself in the beauty of the lake. Even after centuries, the lake held the same glory as the day she saw it as a child of mere 40 moons.

The flashes of blues and greens from the lake were reflecting on her light breeze whispered stories of past and future, made her hair move. This was the Lake of time, the start and end of time began from here.

The water was clear and pure with millions of crystals shinning at its bottom. Melina absently noticed that the dates and events written on the crystals were changing.

The Lake had an allure that drew anyone to it and Melina standing there just added to its beauty.

Melina turned as she heard the crunch of leaves and saw the one she desired to meet coming towards her. She knelt down,

"Mother."

"Stand my daughter." Hecates' gown seemed to ripple as if the cloth was ink spilling off, her silver-gold hair was set in an Ancient Greek style high-set ponytail. As usual, her sea-green aura seemed to outshine everything. Her face pale, beautiful, and ageless face was set in stone. "I know of which you desire and the answer is no."

"Mother please, do not do this. They-I know what they have done-" Melina said trying to hide the desperation she felt.

"Then you must know why this is necessary." Hecate interrupted with a knowing glance.

"They don't even know what they have done. Most of them are innocent, Mother."

"Oh of course," Hecate voice was colder than plains of Jotunheim. "This is not about them, is it? This is about the girl. Alyssa was it?"

Melina didn't back down."She is my descendant, mother."

"So were others, but you would destroy the order of things for her?"

"Mo-"

"No Melina." Melina looked down, her Mother's power forcing her submission." For centuries they have misused the gift I have granted them. Contaminating powers bestowed upon them. Killing my beloved creations! Now I shall take back what is rightly mine. If it destroys them so be it." Hecate's eyes flashed like lightning as she disappeared.

"I'm sorry mother." She stood up," but I cannot let this happen."

She hoped Fate would help her since she could not do this without her. It was time to set her plan to save Alyssa Potter into motion.

"Where are we going Mel?" Alyssa asked softly tugging on Melina's maroon robes.

"You shall see, child." She knelt down, her eyes roaming on Alyssa's face before settling on her scar. " We'll have to cover that of course. Hmm maybe... "

"Pfff!" Alyssa huffs as the hood of the heavy cloak fell on her face."Oooooo I can be a dwarf!" She pushed off the hood smiling at Mel.

"And what a pretty dwarf you shall be!" Melina ruffled her hair making her laugh. "Though," she held her chin and pretended to be in deep thought." goblins are more commonly seen here "

"Goblins, Goblins!" Alyssa hopped on her tiptoes, " Help the poor and needy ones that cluster all about, or the goblins will get ya if ya don't watch out!" She laughed reciting the poem looking up at Melina with a smile.

Mel smiled back looking thoughtful as if just remembering something. Then she sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Maybe I am getting old. I could have just-" She straightened her red robe and twirled her finger.

Alyssa's forehead tingled and the scar, whose significance Alyssa still didn't know, disappeared as if it were never there.

"Oh no!" Ally cried touching her head.

"It's only temporary my darling it'll come back."

Ally looked incredulous, "I like my scar but I wanna be a goblin!"

Melina's laughter made several people turn around, " Then a goblin you shall be.", she pulled the hood of the robe over Alyssa's face.

Perhaps if curiosity hadn't taken over mind, Alyssa might have wondered why she needed to hide.

As they walked into a dirty old shop Alyssa looked around. She wondered if Mel had made a mistake. The place looked creepy and dirty and not magical at all.

"This is bloody awful!" A small boy, though he was probably taller than her, spat out his drink.

"Ronald Billius Weasley! Who taught you that!" Alyssa giggled with surprise as a woman sitting next to him waved a stick? (Maybe it was a magic wand! Like-Like Merlin! )and soap bubbles came out of the little boy's mouth.

"Goblins don't giggle," Melina whispered to her teasingly.

"Oops sorry." Alyssa gave a sheepish smile that Mel couldn't see.

Melina stepped into a door in the back and in front of Alyssa's eyes, the dead-end turned into an archway.

Alyssa tried to say something but the only thing that came out was,"Woah!"

Her eyed widened taking in the sudden onslaught of noise and the magical mess of buildings that was Diagon Ally.

Melina smiled softly, "Shall we go in?" Ally nodded with excitement. So Mel held her hand and together they walked into the world of if her child couldn't have the whole experience Mel wanted her to have a piece of it that she could hold on to for, hopefully, the rest of her life

"Goblins," Alyssa whispered in awe, "They won't eat me will they?" She took off the hood of the cloak looking around with wide eyes.

"Oh, I sure hope not. It will prove to be quite an inconvenience." Alyssa looked at Melina with horror-filled eyes before her shoulders relaxed seeing the teasing smile.

"Don't do that!" Alyssa glared at her looking as menacing as a wet kitten.

Ally didn't really understand what happened next. One moment everything was normal then the goblin at the desk seemed to twitch as he looked at them.

She looked on with wonder as his face seemed to lose all color.

"Your Majesty!" He whispered in a rough voice.

Mel must have done something because the goblin just nodded before another goblin came to them, this one had one eye missing.

"Come."

Ally had to fight herself all the way to the cart. Don't ask what happened to his eye. Don't ask what happened to his eye. Don't-

"What happened to your eye?" Ally blurted before clamping her hand on her mouth. That was so rude! She was so much trouble. She glanced at Melina from the corner of her seemed to be holding back a smile.

The goblin gave a sharp smile showing all his teeth but Ally felt that this was a good smile as opposed to earlier.

"Taming the dragon." His deep voice made Ally shiver she leaned forward with interest.

"There are dragons here!? Like the Hornback?"

"Horn-tail." The corner of Melina's lips twitched. The goblin was about to face, for the first time, something he couldn't tackle. A little girl's questions.

Sharptooth was one of the senior goblins of Gringotts. He had actually been a guard of the royal family. After retiring from the job, he was given the second-highest honor. The keeper of the vaults. The keeper was required to be fast, sharp and vigilant.

He was sure nothing could truly shock him.

"We'll take all of it."

Except a daughter of magic walking in with the child-who-lived, demanding to take out the whole Potter fortune.

"A-All of it?"

"Yes Sharptooth all of it. Excluding the artifacts, what is the current balance of the Potter account?"

"About 1 b-billion 24 thousand galleons, 5 million 40 thousand Sickles and 1 million 78 thousand knuts."

Sharptooth felt a shiver down his spine, a sensation he had quite forgotten, as a gleam entered the lady's eyes.

"That will do."

"Mel! Could you come and look at this?" The curious childling called from where she was tinkering with a chest. And Hecate! What a curious childling she was. Sharptooth was amazed that she didn't fall from the cart, leaning over to see the dragon or over the edge of the vault, amazed at the golden glow of galleons.

The Lady reached out a hand, Sharptooth had to restrain himself from stepping back, and pulled something from thin air, " Put everything in here."

The pendant seemed to out glow all the galleons in the world. Platinum chain with a lily flower, the petals curling in, the material wa-

"Taaffeite."

The Lady smiled at his amazement, "I'll pick it up in a week." She walked gracefully to the child and whispered something to her. The child nodded looking longingly at the dagger in her hand before putting it back.

"Buh-Bye Sharptooth!", she laughed, waving at him as they walked out hand in hand. Leaving him with the pendant in his hand. The pendant made out of Taaffeite. An extinct gem.

Apparently, he could be shocked. Shocked enough to stand frozen outside a vault until break time.

---------------------

"Up", Alyssa giggled, her hair bouncing as she was carried into the air." and down"

Using her gift in her room had become one of her most favorite past times. The books called it magic but Melina called it a gift so that is what Alyssa thought of it as. She smiled as her feet touched the ground.

"What are you doing!" Her eyes widened as she saw her Aunt standing at the door," You...YOU FREAK!"

Alyssa took a step back, "A-Aunt?"

Petunia was taking deep breaths, her face was red and she was muttering something before she strode forward and grabbed Alyssa's arm.

"I will not have this-this freakishness in my home! You are just like her, that witch. I knew your mother's blood would show itself someday! Oh, I bet you put that money in Dudley's room didn't you, you little thief! You put his favorite toy over it to frame my son!" She was screaming as she pulled Alyssa towards the door.

"Aunt, you're hurting me," Alyssa said through her tears. She struggled to get her arm out of her Aunt's bruising grip.

"I am hurting you am I?"" Petunia looked at her with a smile that sent shivers down her spine. Alyssa struggled against her aunt, gasping as a sharp pain went through her arm.

"Petunia, what are you doing!" Alyssa saw her Uncle wretched her aunt's hand away from her arm. It was like she was frozen, she couldn't understand what was going on. It was too much. She took a few steps back, panting. Her back made contact with the wall.

"She will bring ruin to us!," Her Aunt was screaming." They will come after us to kill her! It is all her fault, she killed them and now she will kill us."

"PETUNIA!" Her uncle shouted Petunia froze. Her husband had never shouted at her before.

"Go to our room."

"I-"

"Go," Vernon told her firmly. He ran a hand over his face as Petunia walked out. Her cold eyes bore into her with hatred.

Alyssa wrapped her arms around her knees.

"U-Uncle?"

"Just...Just stay here okay." Her uncle said before walking out of the room.

She kept starring at the closed door, she didn't know if it was minutes or hours before her uncle came back into the room. He was carrying an aged envelope in his hand.

He extended it towards her and she grabbed it unconsciously.

"This will-It will explain the..the things we should have told you about. You can...You can read it when you learn how to read in your class okay?" He left without waiting for her answer.

Mrs.P Dursley.

4 Privet Drive,

Little Whining,

Surrey.

Alyssa took out the letter that was addressed to her Aunt, her eyes frantic as they moved across the page.

31 October,1981

Dear Mrs. Dursley,

It is with great sorry that I write this letter for it brings you the heartbreaking news about the passing of your sister Lily Potter,née Evans.

As you may know Lord Voldemort-

-------

Melina looked on sadly as she saw her child sleeping on the floor, her features stressed. A letter was clutched in her hand. Sitting next to her she started running her fingers through her hair.

Emerald eyes opened slowly and Alyssa held out her hand.

She looked doomed, disoriented, and her usually bright eyes looked blank, absolutely blank mirroring nothing but fright and sadness that seemed to be seeping through her body. Melina sat next to her pulling the girl close to her, hugging her.

''Alyssa, my child. Speak to me'' She whispered.

Something seemed to snap inside her, Alyssa clutched her robe burrowing her head into her embrace ''They…They...I never.." , her broken voice was strained in pain

Melina could feel by the trembling of the child's body and the wetness on her robe showed that her beloved child was crying. So she did the only thing she could, She held her close, whispering words of comfort. Alyssa was too engrossed in her own torment to recognize the pain Melina was feeling as was not how she had wanted Alyssa to find out.

They sat like that for a very long time, each in their own thoughts.

Finally, Melina pulled away and looked at her cheeks that were wet and flushed. Alyssa raised a hand to rub her eyes that were red and swollen from crying.

''Dear heart, say something." She held Alyssa's hands and rubbed them soothingly.

Aly drew her hands away from her and looked away in an effort to control her tears as she didn't know where to start. Melina didn't let go of her. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to a side hug, sensing her vulnerable state. Her other hand rubbed her arm soothingly, comforting her.

'' Aunt said..She always said that they died in a car accident Mel. I-I always thought, why them? B-But she lied, she always lies.'', she said sniffling as she wiped away the last tears.

"It was all a lie. My parents didn't die in c-car crash. H-He killed them Mel. He-he.."

Melina listened to her grasping her each word, emotion, her thumb drawing circles on the back of Alyssa's forearm on its to soothe her state of turbulence. She knew that Alyssa needed to get it out or the wound will never heal.

Slowly Alyssa started recounting everything the letter told her. Who her parents were, about her status as the girl who lived. She hiccuped as a new gush of tears flowed from her reddened eyes remembering the words about her parents' death.

''H-He was a b-bad man, Mel. He w-wanted me and…and It's all my fault…Its all my fault"

Melina wrapped her both arms around her and in no time she scooped her up from the ground into her lap hugging her as close as possible.

"Shhh...It's not your fault. Its not your fault love. They-I always said that your parents loved you, remember? They loved you so much that they couldn't imagine living in a world without you." Cupping her face, She said." You are not responsible for someone else's thoughts, decisions, as matter of fact their fates. They-They just chose to live forever with you. In here." She touched pointed to her heart.

Alyssa looked down, "C-Can you tell me about them, Melina?"

Melina looked up for a second, remembering all the time she had spent looking over her descendant's life. Even if she hadn't interfered with it.

"Lily Potter (née Evans). Lily Potter was one of my brightest children-"

Alyssa relaxed in her lap, as her sadness dimmed a little making place for the feeling love.

So Melina took a deep breath willing this phase of the storm to pass away and wondering how come everything got even more complicated.

[mrsrcbinscn]

❤️ 300K likes mrs.robinson ☑️: CMA Fest 2022 has been one to remember, my lord. Dan, my husband, and I just got back to our apartment here and if only I can make sense of the word salad in my brain right now, damn.

 Dan and I have had the privilege of not only performing at Nissan Stadium on Thursday, following Darius Rucker, but at several of the special stages set up downtown for CMA Fest. We met several up and coming artists, including some young artists of color and that warmed our hearts.

We were invited back to the Ryman to play in the weekly Grand Ole Opry Show as Dara & Danny for the fifteenth time, and played on the stage as Sara Evans, Diamond Rio, and Vince Gill. During the show, we were lucky enough to be present for our second surprise invitation to join the Opry when Vince Gill invited Charlie McCoy and Don Schlitz.

Then in the middle of our set, Emmylou Harris, one of the reasons I began writing songs, and whose music with Gram Parsons inspired Daniel and I to start singing together thirty years ago, walked out on stage and asked us to become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. My ass is caught on camera absolutely weeping into, let me repeat, EMMYLOU HARRIS’S arms before having to continue our set with a cover of Webb Pierce’s More and More.

 I do not have words to express what an honor it is for us to be invited to become part of American music’s history. The Opry is not only such an honor for a country and bluegrass musician, but it one of the highest honors for any musician in the United States. The two of us have jumped through hoops to be taken half as serious as some of our contemporaries, faced harassment and mean-spirited jokes for existing as we are in the music industry, and have run into hostilities from executives and some other artists not even worth naming because a bitter attitude eventually will overshadow your talent.

To be honored like this alongside my best friend and collaborator of thirty years is...to circle back to the previous cliche, I do not have the words. Playing with Dan is what made me fall in love with music in the first place. Without him, I wouldn’t have gone to Belmont in Nashville for songwriting, I wouldn’t have picked up a quarter of the instruments I can now play, and I wouldn’t have made a successful career not only in country and bluegrass music, but in, as Max Cho put it, “whatever the hell genre we feel like making this album” with Seoul Hanoi’d.

Without the Grand Ole Opry, Dan and I’s careers wouldn’t exist. Without the music of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, John Denver, Dolly Parton, Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, Hank Snow, Faron Young, Kitty Wells, and Webb Pierce, most of whom are or were members or have performed at the Opry, we would not have been inspired to make music.

I owe my career to Daniel, for building his intertwined with mine, my husband for supporting me long before the blood, sweat, and tears I poured into my craft ever paid off, and the Opry Show for bringing me music to listen to every Saturday night since I could remember, just as much as I do my own hard work and the love of everyone who has supported me.

If you’ll allow me to stay on my soapbox for one more moment, I want to acknowledge that it is not lost on Dan and I what this means for people of color in this industry. As the soon to be first Cambodian, Asian, Southeast Asian, and openly queer member, and first Indigenous member, I think I can safely speak for both of us when I say that we know that things are harder for you than for some of our counterparts. We know, we live it too. We know that in an industry even more skewed white and male than the rest of the music industry is, that you have to put in even more work to prove yourself. We see you, we hear you, and we hope you believe in yourselves as much as we do. Someday, you will get your flowers that you are so deserving of.

[acourtofabsandillyrians]

When the Shadows Sing - Chapter One (Azriel Fanfic)

If you all have seen the Facebook Live videos from Bloomsbury about ACOFAS, you know that Emily really, really loves Azriel. So, I made a fanfic just for her (and my own entertainment), and we’ll see how it turns out. PLEASE REBLOG. I really want Emily and the Bloomsbury team to find this, so spread the word! 

Word Count: 855 words

Genre: Fluff/Angst/Soulmates

Azriel is still recovering from the War and has been in a dark void inside himself that no one knows about. That is, until he meets Emily, a mysterious woman he ran into while shopping. What happens when the shadows sing? 

Shoutout to Sarah J. Maas! These are her own characters.

And the people at @worldofsarahjmaas . This is for you, Emily!

CHAPTER ONE

My shadows are both a blessing and a curse.

Somedays, they are my most beloved companions. Others, well, let’s just say they’re a pain in the ass.

I really do enjoy being out in the open where there’s light for one reason: my shadows stay away…usually. Today they seem to have some will to stay tangled around my legs and arms, whispering two words that left a chill running through my entire Illyrian being.

She’s here.

She’s here.

That statement has been uttered since I woke at dawn, and flying did no good. So, I am going on a walk through Velaris. I usually crave solitude, but walking down the cobblestone streets in the heat of summer, so exposed by the sun above me, I crave nothing more than to have someone with me.

How strange it must be, to see an Illyrian nobody briskly hiking past stores and windows and not flying above in the open sky or basking my wings in the sun. That is one thing I love about my gift, I can turn into oblivion and simply disappear—where no one can see me. Different than winnowing; I can stay in that oblivion forever and have time go on around me. The effects don’t mess with my magic like winnowing does.

I walk down the path and turn onto the road that leads to the Rainbow, hoping to maybe buy the shovel with the meticulously chiseled handle that Elain had eyed last week. I had offered to help her weed, but I ended up pulling out a whole bed of growing flowers, not weeds. Oh, Elain…she was a darling fawn on the outside, but she definitely had some temper. Different than her sisters’, but she had the same fire that burned in all of the Archeron ladies.

The store’s window—Crafts and Trinkets—comes into view, and I pull hard on the door, quickly walking in—

Only to slam straight into someone.

The person—she—reels back. “Oh! I’m so sorry!” She blurts, running her hand through her purple and brown hair.

I quickly lean down and pick up her paper bag of purchases, if only to hide my blushing face. “No worries,” I say, trying to hide the quivering in my voice. “That was all my fault.”

It’s her, it’s her, it’s her, my shadows whisper, curling around my ear. I brush them away.

She furrows her brow, making a face close to a cringe. “Are you okay? I really wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“I’m fine, but we should probably get out of the doorway.” Indeed, there are a few people in front of us trying politely to get our attention.

I lightly grab her arm and pull us both out of the way, and she smiles up at me, causing something inside of me to almost…wake at the sight of that. What is happening?

This time, my shadows scream at me, It’s her, it’s her, it’s her!

“I’m Emily, by the way,” she says lightly, extending her hand.

I bow my head in greeting and take her hand. “Azriel.”

Emily nods and after awhile looks down, rubbing the back of her shoe against the side of the other. Why is it that I can never start conversations like my brothers or Mor can? “I hope everything is okay in there,” I start, trying to make this encounter less awkward.

I should just walk inside, but something about her—about Emily…I can’t turn away.

Emily waves it off. “I’m sure it’s fine.” She gestures behind her. “Actually, I’m running a little behind,” she says, starting to back away. “It was nice to meet you though!”

That couldn’t have been more weird. My shadows suddenly go silent as she walks around the corner out of sight. Something is definitely off today.

I stroll inside, looking at the window displays for that shovel, until the young shopkeeper walks up behind me.

“Are you looking for the shovel?” He asks.

“Yes, the one with the carved handle.”

“Unfortunately, the previous customer bought the last one in stock.” Emily.

“Oh, okay. I’ll be going then,” I reply, already half way out the door, my wings snapping out behind me.

“We could order it for you and have it delivered?” The shopkeeper presses his fingers together, his friendly smile showing that he’d be more than happy to do so.

“That’s okay, but thanks, anyways.” I take off to the skies, taking the salt-tanged air deep into my lungs as my wings flap.

Emily, Emily. My shadows sing as they make yet another appearance.

I don’t know what my shadows are trying to insinuate, but they certainly did bring my mind back to that mysterious girl. Something about her was like almost looking into a mirror, though I barely knew her. It was as if she was a shadow of mine that suddenly wasn’t just a silhouette anymore.

Maybe it’s because—because…

I curse silently to myself as I flap harder, faster.

Because she is my shadow, my other piece. She’s my mate.

[partiallystar]

some old stuff based on talking with dragon @artisticface (feat. their character Lizard)