#you can see how deeply sad he is after the magical creature mother passed away

[andieperrie18]

I know damn well i cried on this scene

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)

“I’m so sorry.”

[ittybittycommitty]

What if Merlin the show but g/t? This fanfic includes g/t fluuf, fearplay, characters changing sizes

(Also includes Morgana/Gwen)

Part 1-Part 2-Part 3

Chapter 1

There was an uncomfortable silence between Merlin and his mother. Her fingers shook as she tied his bag to his back, and she kept pulling her hand away to wipe her face from tears.

“Mom… It’s for the best…” He said, turning around and grabbing her wrists gently. She looked down.

“I know... I just wish that wasn’t the case…” She looked up and ran her fingers through her sons hair.

“Please be careful my boy,”

“I will, I promise,”

“Okay you say that but then you go and do reckless things,” She laughed softly but her eyes were still sad. He kissed her forehead and smiled at her before turning to the door.

“And don’t forget to write! And visit!” She said as she watched him step out into the darkness. He nodded and closed the door slowly, leaving Hunith standing solemnly in her dimly lit house before collapsing into a chair and grasping her face in her hands.

Merlin gave a heaving sigh as he looked back at his childhood home. He had to hurry to the meet up spot because sunrise was quickly approaching. Gaius would be waiting there and the ride to Camelot would take all day.

Of course Gaius had to meet him a safe distance away from his Sprite village just in case Gaius was followed. You could never be too careful.

“Gaius?” He called out after climbing up a small tree. He had finally reached the meeting spot and the sun was slowly crawling into the sky. A head of gray hair popped up nearby and a figure stood up, rising up above Merlin.

“Merlin?” The man said, looking around keenly.

“Down here,” He said, waving his arms. Gaius looked down at him and smiled.

“Ah, there you are,” Gaius bent down to get at eye level with the small boy. Merlin had no memory of meeting Gaius as a child, so he felt nervous being so close in proximity to a human. He gripped his bag tightly. Gaius was oblivious to the small boy’s nervousness and put out his hand.

“Let’s get going my boy, we have a long ride to Camelot,” Merlin gulped and stepped cautiously on his awaiting hand. He struggled to keep balance as Gaius lifted his hand and carried him to his horse.

“Would you like to ride in the saddle bag or in my pocket?” Merlin honestly didn’t know which one would be better, he’d never been in either of those things before. But being close to this human was making him uncomfortable.

“Saddle bag,” He replied. Gaius opened up the bag and slipped Merlin gently inside. Merlin landed on a big pile of soft fabric and began situating himself as Gaius got on the horse. As the two rose off Merlin was surprised how much he was being jostled, he tried his best to ground himself but it seemed he would have to live with it. He popped his head out of the bag and watched the scenery pass by. The sun shone across golden fields and the breeze rustled the trees and glistened in the sunlight. Merlin was entranced. He rarely left his community in the dark, shady part of the forest. He started feeling optimistic about his new journey in this new place if it meant seeing more sights like this. Gaius glanced down at the bag and saw Merlin’s small head poking out. He chuckled to himself, finding it very cute.

Merlin found himself becoming sick after about an hour on the ride, sinking down into the fabric and holding his stomach. Maybe he should try to sleep? He rested his head back and slowly closed his eyes, smiling just a bit seeing the light filtering into the bag. It felt serene, this warmness and sunlight, and even with his stomach turning against him he felt calm. He found it rather easy to fall asleep, with the help of a mix of sleep deprivation and calmness.

When he woke up he felt something prodding at him, his eyes shot open and he saw a giant hand reaching into the bag with a worried face peering in past it. He scrambled upright and the hand retreated.

“Oh, you were just asleep, thank god,” He chuckled nervously. “Well we’re almost there, just a couple more hours or so, thought you might like some water,” Merlin stood up and climbed out of the bag, seeing they were parked near a stream. The horse was bending down to get a drink. Before Gaius could offer his hand Merlin was traveling across the horses body and sliding down it’s neck. He grabbed its mane and lowered himself to the ground right next to the water. Gaius watched him in astonishment, but that was nothing to what happened next. Merlin lifted his hand and a droplet of water rose out of the stream and levitated towards the boy. Gaius knelt down to get a better look, startling Merlin and making him lose his water.

“Oh! Sorry I just wanted to see what you were doing,” Merlin looked up at him then returned focus to the water. He repeated his action and lifting a larger water bubble out of the water. Gaius gasped softly and reached out a hand.

“Wonderful… You’re very talented,” Merlin felt pride gush in him but his arms were shaking. It didn’t take long for the spell to collapse and the water to explode into a little spray. Gaius jumped a bit.

“But also inexperienced, I see why Hunith sent you to me, I have many books that can show you how to control that power of yours,” Merlin panted and his legs shook. He nodded up at Gaius before bending down to get water with his hands.

After they had hydrated and rested, they were back on the road again. Merlin stayed awake this time and watched the view as they traveled. He saw many birds and even a deer, it ran away as soon as they came close but the creature took his breath away. And as they approached the towering walls of Camelot, Merlin retreated back into the bag but peaked out at the huge city, his jaw never closing. He was already overwhelmed by one human, but seeing probably hundreds walk about around the horse was deeply unsettling. He hid in the bottom of the bag as he heard the conversations and footsteps outside. He even heard some of them address Gaius, but the conversations were muted out by all the other voices. It was overwhelming, he covered himself with the fabric and stayed that way until the noise died down outside. He felt the horse moving around and suddenly there were hands around the bag. Gaius had taken the bag off the horse once it was in the stables and was now carrying it across the courtyard. Merlin stayed completely still and held his breath. He knew it probably wouldn’t do anything but he was too anxious to think. It felt like it went on forever before the bag was set down.

“You can come out now Merlin,” Gaius said, watching as Merlin stayed still for a while before slowly stumbling out. He looked up and looked around at the huge room he was now in. It was filled with bookshelves littered with books, bottles and various herbs. Seeing Gaius staring down at him, Merlin quickly gathered himself and stood up.

“Thank you for letting me stay with you,” Merlin said after gathering his courage.

“Oh so you do speak!” Gaius said with a smile, Merlin blushed but kept his cool, walking across the table and getting a better look at the bottles filled with various colored liquids.

“It’s no problem my boy, Hunith is a good friend of mine,” Of course Merlin knew this, Hunith talked about him often; the only human to ever show her kindness. “And since I’ve been studying and collecting magic books for many years, I knew I could at least be of some help to help you stop your… accidents,” Merlin rubbed his arm nervously.

“Alright, I set up a secretive place for you to sleep, you should be able to study in peace here while I treat patients,” Gaius said, leading him over to a wall where Merlin could climb up to a little loft surrounded by books. Merlin clambered clumsily up to the ledge and peered down at Gaius, who was smiling up at him. He looked back and saw a small bed and a big pile of books. They were human sized books of course, but Merlin was happy with what he could get.

“What do you think?” Merlin looked down and saw Gaius walking away towards a door at the other side of the room, presumably his room.

“It’s nice, thank you,” Merlin called back in reply. Gaius yawned.

“Alright, I’m going to sleep, I can show you some stuff to read in the morning… And remember, stay out of sight to everyone but me,” Gaius said before retreating to his room, leaving Merlin alone in the big room. He took a deep breath and sat back on the bed. It wasn’t like his bed at home, humans aren’t very good at making tiny things that’s for sure. Even though he had slept for many hours of the day he was exhausted. Maybe it was the stress. No matter, he curled up in the cloth and plopped down for a night of well deserved rest.

[willownoir1112]

Hello beautiful people of Tumblr! Wyn here with day one of White Rose Week 2021 to break my silence! I hope everyone enjoys, and I'll see you tomorrow with day 2!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Love Bites

Summer Rose vanished, and Ruby suffered.

All her life, all Ruby has ever wanted was to belong. She tries so hard to fit in, first with her older sister's friends. But, they all told her to go away. That she's a baby compared to them. "Why would I want to bring you too?" Yang would always declare. "You're still just a baby!" Her friends would laugh with her, call her names as well, and leave her behind just like Yang did.

Her sister's words hurt her, and destroyed any chance of them having a sisterly relationship.

She tried so hard to be a good daughter. But, her father spent more of his time worrying about his troops, his responsibilities, his duties to Goddess and Country. "One day you will understand, Ruby." He would always tell her. "One day, you'll have to make the same sacrifices for a family of your own." His words never changed, nor his actions. He would be gone constantly, leaving her and Yang alone for weeks or even months at a time, meaning she had to grow up far too quickly.

Her father's priorities hurt her and robbed her of her childhood.

She tried so hard to be a good student. But, subjects like english, history, anything really to do with reading simply didn't make sense to her. She could stare at the page of a book for hours and all she could see is a jumble of letters. Everyone called her simple, stupid, a waste of time. "Oh look, it's little Stupid Ruby!" Cardin Winchester would declare every day at school. He and his cronies would torment and belittle her, and once even cut her long hair off. She suffered in silence, her arms the only evidence of her inner pain. Arms she always kept covered even in the worst heat of summer.

Her peers hurt her with their words, with their actions, and made her withdraw further into herself.

She finally stopped being a good sibling. She shut her sister out of her life first, Yang never noticing that Ruby stayed closeted in her room constantly. She was the bright shiny sun of everyone else's lives, with her outgoing and boisterous personality. Everyone's but Ruby's. If Yang is the bright sun, then Ruby has become the darkest moon of the family, and she likes it that way now.

She finally stopped being a good daughter. She did her chores without complaint and without needing to be told, save late at night when her father would already be in bed or Yang too preoccupied with her latest significant other. He never noticed that his younger daughter dresses in nothing but blacks and reds, or that she never let her hair grow back longer than above her shoulders. The career he chose to continue to support his family had a long ago casualty, and Ruby keeps it that way.

She finally stopped being a good student. She kept going to school, despite all but failing in everything. She went through the motions, ignored everyone when they called her things like Queen of Darkness or Salem's heir, or even worse. She ignored the shoves, the bullying, everything done to her until they all finally grew bored of it and her. She was finally left alone to sit in the deepest corner of all her classes, doodling to pass the time until she could return to her room and her solitude.

But then Ms. Peach, the choir director, invited the secretly shy and lonely girl to her class one day and encouraged her to sing. From the moment she heard the piano play, her soul became exultant, and her voice rose in response. Even Principle Ozpin, who was walking by at that moment stopped and listened as the shy, moody, rather dark girl who kept to herself was in possession of a voice that could bring even him to tears. Peach was enthusiastic in teaching her how to read music, how to project her voice, how to truly appreciate her hidden talent for music.

But, Taiyang finally noticed when he was forced to retire. He noticed the true state of his family, and decided to take firm control. He destroyed her growing dreams when he declared she and Yang both were to join Beacon Military Academy to finish school. That they needed discipline and not freedom to thrive like he once did. That neither of his children will follow in his long disappeared wife's footsteps, and lack the discipline needed to succeed where she obviously failed.

He was furious when Glynda Goodwitch admitted her as Ruby, allowing her to keep that one small bit of freedom.

She suffered like never before at Beacon. She was admitted two years early as a favor to her father, and she hated it. Her hate translated itself into her becoming a powerful fighter with her chosen weapon, a red and black fifty caliber sniper scythe she named Crescent Rose, and soon where she was once either dereided or ignored, she was now feared. Even her own sister fears her now, and that makes her happy.

She is the Darkest Reaper of Vale, and she hates them all.

But one person did not fear her. One person saw past her pain, her grief for her denied life. Weiss was from Atlas, a mysterious, inclusive land far to the north, where they say even the Grimm do not tread. A land of dark magic, of creatures even fouler than the enemy of the world. A land even the demiurge Salem has forsaken. Weiss did not fear the Darkest Reaper, and took an odd delight in hearing the whispers about her, about them both.

She has her own secrets, secrets Ruby will know all too soon.

She cannot help but to feel an attraction to the white haired girl from the north. Her porcelain skin is always smooth and cool to the touch. Her brilliant blue eyes are like the clear blue skies she would once sit under with her long departed mother while they laugh and imagine whimsical beasts and imaginary places. Her long white hair moves like the finest of silk curtains as she walks from class to class, her nose turned up to their peers as if they are all beneath her. All except for her. She treats the Reaper with respect, with courtesy, and after a time, holds out a hand of friendship to her, one she takes willingly.

She finally has a friend, a real friend. Someone who cares for her, Ruby Rose.

But certain things stand out to her as well. The way she barely eats anything but meat, and even then almost bloody and nearly raw. The way she approaches every mock battle with the cunning of a predator on the hunt. The skill with which she wields her rapier, a dust revolver styled weapon she has named Myrtenaster, with near lethal intent even during the simplest of spars against anyone willing to challenge her. She is the only one who can stand against her, her own formidable rage and loathing a match for the heiress's feral cunning and ferocity.

But one late night, during a restless night they both secretly shared, a truth is told, and their lives are changed forever.

She herself couldn't sleep. It was the one thing she could always count on being able to do. It was her refuge from the reality of her world, and she retreated to it every chance she could. But tonight, she tosses and turns, she begs and pleads with the treacherous brain that won't stop thinking, and finally surrenders and gets dressed. Taking up her scythe, she easily steals away into the Emerald Forest, the guards ignoring her out of fear. She runs deeply into the darkened woods, no fear for the Grimm that hide in the shadows as well as whatever other creatures may dwell within.

She never realizes that a pair of blue eyes follow her, belonging to the single person who doesn't fear her. The only person who is beginning to secretly adore her.

She finally stops near the old temple to the Brother of Light, which has been long abandoned when he left Remnant to it's fate. Sitting down, she begins to cry deep tears of pain and sorrow. She hates her life now, she hates being taught to kill, to end the lives of others. She despises the fact that she is good at it. She never wanted this. All she ever wanted was to be a good sibling, a good daughter, a good student. All she ever wanted was to belong, to love a certain white haired girl and be loved in return.

She almost screams in terror when the great white furred head lays in her lap, with sad blue eyes that reflect her pain.

She stares at the great beast, marveling at the fact that a wolf has appeared here. One of the few things she has managed to remember from her poor studies is that the Grimm killed all the wolves when they first came to Vale. None were spared, and somehow she knows this one knows that. To her surprise, she begins to pet the wild creature, smiling softly at the way it's tail begins to wag as it whines. And then she begins to talk to it. She talks about her mother, her father, her sister, her life. She is soon sobbing in grief at the sadness of her life thus far, and is surprised to see tears in the white wolf's eyes as well.

But she forgot that sorrow is a feast for the Grimm, and they soon gather around her and the white wolf both.

She makes her decision. She throws her scythe to the ground and gives in completely to her sorrow. She is so tired. She is so tired of being turned into someone she wants nothing to do with. She's so tired of hoping people will finally love her instead of hate her or fear her. She is so tired of dreaming of a pair of blue eyes that will never look lovingly at her. She is ready, and the Grimm will feed well on her. But she doesn't expect the snarling, the sudden sounds of battle. Opening her silver eyes, they widen as she sees the once four legged wolf has vanished, a naked Weiss snarling in her rage as she wields Myrtenaster against the foul creatures.

"YOU KILLED THEM ALL!"

She stares at the rage filled young woman. She's never seen her fight with this much savagery, this much hate. Even in battles in which she is outclassed or outnumbered, she is still controlled. She uses superior tactics, the icy calm she is infamous for, and her obviously hidden rage to still rip victory from the jaws of defeat.

"ALL THE PACKS OF VALE ARE DEAD!"

She picks Crescent Rose back up. The white haired girl is beginning to frighten her, and she does not frighten easily. She watches in growing terror as an Alpha Beowolf appears, howling in challenge, Weiss's answering howl frightening her to her very soul. She watches as the white haired woman tosses her sword to the side and begins to growl as she grows. She listens to the popping of bone and sinew as fur begins to spring from her bare skin. She stares on in horror as the one friend she has ever made turns into…

A werewolf. A creature from Remnant's darkest stories has come to life before her, and is defending her while taking vengeance for the long dead wolves of Vale.

"You will not hurt my Ruby…"

She screams as Weiss leaps towards the Alpha, her fangs bared and her still hand shaped front paws slashing at the creature of darkness. The Alpha charges her as well, it's own jaws wide open to bite and tear at the white werewolf, it's own claws slashing at her unarmored and exposed flanks. She hears her friend's scream of pain as the Alpha strikes harder than she can, and causes more damage than she can possibly manage in return, and she finally leaps into action. Weiss is the first person to be her friend. She is the first person to treat her like a person. She is the first person she's allowed herself to start having feelings for in her short life.

She may be ready to die, but she will not let Weiss die for her own selfish desires.

Crescent Rose strikes the Beowolf quickly, breaking the Alpha and the werewolf apart as the Grimm leaps back to avoid the deathblow Ruby aims at it. But Ruby is enraged now. She sees the bright red blood upon the moonlit ground, and it adds to her fury. She hears the whimpers of the injured wolf, and it increases her rage. She roars in her righteous anger as her scythe becomes a blur, the Alpha soon howling in pain before Ruby's final blow comes in her scythe hooking around its neck before she pulls the trigger, decapitating the beast with one final roar of triumph. It takes her a moment to calm herself, a long moment in which she has forgotten her anger, her sorrow, her self loathing. And then she finally remembers Weiss. In a panic, she begins to look for her friend, desperate to ensure that she is safe.

It doesn't take her long to find her, and her scream of anguish can be heard back at Beacon.

Weiss has managed to get back to a small cave, her clothes as well as some supplies stacked neatly in the back. She herself is panting heavily as blood flows steadily from her injuries. But her tail thumps on the ground weakly as Ruby slides to the ground in front of her. She doesn't hesitate, but begins to treat the slashing wounds, bandaging them carefully while doing her best to ignore the pain filled shrieks from the badly injured werewolf.

"Oh Goddesses, I'm so sorry, Weiss. I'm so so sorry!" Is her litany as she keeps at her work, until the blood finally stops. Until the white wolf goes silent save for her panting.

The sun rises, then sets once more, but Ruby has yet to leave the white werewolf's side. Weiss has slept the entire time, but she has stayed awake. She is too scared to close her eyes, terrified that if she relaxes her vigil for even a moment, she will lose the most important person in her life. But her body's needs will not be denied, and she finally falls asleep, the large canine head still in her lap and her grip firm on Crescent Rose's handle.

She dreams of white fur and sky blue eyes. Of days spent watching the skies and laughing. Of feeling loved once more, and being confident in being able to return that love.

She moans as she feels the urgency of the lips on her own. Of the feeling of cold skin upon her own now bare skin. Of cold hands exploring her body and her own hands wandering across smooth, uninjured skin in return. She moans in longing as lips caress her skin with feather light kisses. As her own fingers discover places on the other willing body that bring moans of pleasure from a voice she has come to adore since beginning at Beacon.

But she moans loudly as teeth sink into her collarbone, a tender, almost loving bite from the woman she knows she loves deeply.

"Ruby…" Her voice is husky as she releases the love bite, full of longing and need. She can feel a certain heat against her leg that is foreign to the cold that the rest of her skin belies. She herself feels so hot, so needed. She has never felt like this before, and she wants more. She needs more. But her eyes widen as she catches her lover's hands as they grab at the hem of her panties, her face full of fear once more.

"Weiss… I…"

"I know, Ruby." Weiss smiles softly at the Reaper. "I know what you are. But I have wanted you for months now. Since I saw your strength for myself. Since I got to know the real you, and not your mask of anger and self loathing that you hide behind."

"Weiss…"

"Ruby, I am the last of my pack." The werewolf informs her sadly. "I came to Vale seeking the packs that once roamed here, hoping to join them and be safe." She sighs sadly, her blue eyes dimming. "I am beginning to fear I am the last of my kind."

She sits up and pulls the werewolf into her arms. She knows all the signs of sorrow, being well acquainted with them herself. "I… Weiss I'm damaged. Why would you want someone like me?"

Their eyes meet, quicksilver staring into sky blue. "Because I have been alone since I was a child. But you make me feel like I am home now." She cuddles deeper into the Reaper's arms. "I feel safe with you, and I know I can trust you with my secret."

Ruby takes a moment to think, to gather her thoughts while considering everything she has been told. But her thoughts always return to a pair of sky blue eyes she loves to look into. Coming to a decision, she lifts the werewolf's face by her chin with a single finger and kisses her deeply, while her free hand pulls her even closer.

This may be a mistake, but it is going to be the best one she ever makes.

The cavern is soon filled with their moans, their cries of pleasure, their whispered words of love, their need for one another. Their lovemaking is tender at times, frenzied at others, and intense throughout. Morning found them once again asleep, this time in each other's arms and in a tangle of limbs, a part of Ruby still inside the white werewolf, who smiles as she sleeps deeply. They wake upon that glorious morning and decide that Beacon has nothing left for them, and decide to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Someplace where no one knows either of them.

Someplace where their future children can grow up safely…

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Weiss declares her love for her, and for the werewolf, she will throw everything away for a future with her...

Ruby opens one silver eye, smiling at the blue eyed pup staring back at her eagerly as she whines. Sitting up, she yawns as she stretches, her mouth opening wide as her fangs gleam in the light of the morning sunlight. Bowing her head down low, she nuzzles the white haired silver eyed pup tenderly before the two of them leave the comforts of the small, modest home she and Weiss have built together. It has been a decade since she and the white werewolf left Vale far behind and traveled to Mistral. To their surprise, as they explored the deepest parts of the wilds of Anima, they encountered a village full of others like Weiss, led by a lioness named Pyrrha Nikos and her own mate, a human woman named Nora.

She had heard of Pyrrha, who had been reported killed in a massive battle at Haven Academy. A report fabricated by the woman herself so she too could escape with her own mate and their hard won freedom...

They had met so many others, who had fled the destruction of their own packs and prides, their own groups and hutches. They met Velvet, who was a kind and gentle soul of a wererabbit and her mate Coco, who was the heiress of Mistral's largest corporation and their secret benefactor. They met Blake, a panther who loves to read, and her chameleon mate Ilia. There had even been a tearful reunion between Weiss and her older sister Winter, who had also barely survived the destruction of their pack and had also fled. They even met a pair of birds who squabbled constantly, an overly violent Raven and her dusty, drunken Qrow of a brother.

But the biggest shock comes when they reach one small cabin in particular, where a lonely woman lives. A lonely woman long thought vanished by the young woman, but who in truth had been forced to leave by the man she thought loved her.

Ruby sobs as she rushes into her mother's arms, Summer Rose holding her tightly as she too weeps in joy. A mother and her daughter are reunited to their eternal joy, and Weiss cheers in her happiness for them both.

They talked late into the night, the white werewolf asleep in her mate's lap as mother and daughter catch themselves up on years of their lives. Summer is livid at how Ruby has been treated, how she has suffered for so long because of her absence. Ruby had been furious to discover that her mother had been driven off due to a twist of fate, as she had been bitten by another werewolf during a mission. She had been bitten to save her life, and had been punished for it.

Ruby made her own decision that same night, and smiled as her beloved sank her fangs into her skin in a love bite that would change her forever. She turned willingly, determined that Weiss, her sister, and her own mother will not be the last of their kind.

She quietly cheered her mother onward as she found the courage to move on with Raven, who adored her and treated her with kindness, respect, and love. She had happily held her baby sister when she was born two years later, Weiss still at her side and a smile on her own face to match the look of peace in her eyes. She and Weiss had themselves celebrated the birth of their twin pups a year later, naming them after both their mothers.

But the biggest surprise is still to come.

She still checks her scroll from time to time, she and Pyrrha both agreeing that they cannot remain ignorant of the outside world. There is still danger out there, both from the humans and faunus as well as the Grimm, and all while quietly offering safe haven to others like them, as well as their families. They as well as Raven and Nora are the defenders and leaders of their small community, and they take their responsibilities seriously. But Ruby had been surprised to find an email waiting for her one day, when she had travelled far to the south before turning it on, a feat she can accomplish with ease thanks to her semblance and now enhanced senses and superior stamina.

She never expected to hear from her sister ever again.

Downloading it, she returns to the village and her mate, asking her to read it for her. Weiss of course does so, having been the one who finally helped the Reaper figure out that she was not stupid like everyone in her life claimed, but struggled with severe dyslexia. She and Summer have been helping her learn to finally read and write, but it is a slow process, one she still finds herself getting frustrated with as well as embarrassed. Opening it, she soon stops to summon Summer, the two of them sobbing at the state of the brawler's life since they fled. Tai has placed his blame on his eldest for her disappearance, and she has suffered greatly for it. Her life is a disaster now, and she has already been in a failed marriage. She begs Ruby to at least reassure her that she is alive, that she is at least doing well, that her suffering is worth it if it means that the sister she long ignored is finally happy.

That they have traded places, and that her sister is finally whole in spirit and at peace.

Pyrrha does not hesitate to give her permission to bring Yang back. To allow them to reunite, so that she can see for herself that her wishes are indeed true, and that Ruby is happy and thriving. She goes and meets Yang at Mistral's airship port, where the two of them meet in a long overdue hug between sisters, and not the strangers they have been all their lives. They return together, where Yang is also overjoyed to be reunited with her own mother, Raven. Ruby herself nods in satisfaction that her sister is on her way to a peace of mind she now enjoys, and is grateful that she too settles into life in their village, calling it home as well.

Only she and Weiss bear witness to Winter sinking her fangs into Yang's flesh, the two of them falling in love in this place they too call home.

Summer and Luna play happily with the other children, who include their cousins and their aunt. They are gentle with their younger brother, and fiercely protective of their newborn sister. Ruby and Weiss have slowly become the leaders of their still growing safe haven, and lead both by excellent example as well as with hard learned wisdom and knowledge. They share a deep, beautiful commitment to one another that many envy, one forged in mutual understanding and undying love.

Weiss Schnee came into Ruby's life, and she has prospered...

[ratabrasileira]

Are we talking about cats or a baby?

One-Shot

Trigger Warning: None

Disclaimer: Characters belongs to Sarah J. Maas.

Summary: When Helion appears with two kittens in their house, Rhysand doesn't receive it very well.

Notes: It was inspired on my dad's relationship with our cat kkkkkkkk. Enjoy the reading!!

“You did what?!” Rhysand exclaimed in the middle of the living room.

The sun was almost hiding itself behind the trees, some of its rays still could pass through the leaves and hit right in the big windows of the room where Rhysand was trying to not scream. Inside, the ambient was so comfy and cozy that whoever had picked the furniture made it with an excellent taste.

“But, baby, they were alone and sad. Tell me, how could I let them alone in this freezing cold?” Helion rebated, holding two little forms in his big arms.

“What cold, Helion, we’re in spring!” Rhys looked flatly to his boyfriend, who was visibly trying to not laugh. Helion knew how Rhys would react to this, although he also knew how he would like them.

Them was; two beautiful and cute kittens that Helion somehow found when he was picking some plants to his experiment. The littler one had a black fur and deep-blue eyes. When Helion putted his eyes on the little creature he could not to let to remember about his lover. The other, Helion thought to be a male, had a white fur, but with some black spots here and there. Helion thought them to be the cutest thing in the world. Of course, right after his boyfriend sleeping opened-mouth.

“I know we are in spring, my moonlight, but they’re babies and babies need home and some parental figure, if not they’ll be cold!” Helion said before heading to the couch where he left the two little cats with a blanket around them. “You’re an example of that with that father of yours— Oh, look! Look how cute they are!! I think I’ll name the black one as Rhysie.”

“Wait— What? You can’t. You won’t —Helion?!” But Rhys stopped arguing, because his lover was going to the kitchen to pick the bottle of milk that was inside the icebox —a magical device to conserve food. Rhysand was feeling exasperated “Helion, listen to me, god damned!”

Abruptly, Helion turned back to Rhys, who almost collided with him. Helion hold Rhys shoulders and gave him a too-well-known look and a light smile in his face. “Why can’t we have cats, Rhysie?”

“It’s not that we can’t. It’s that you brought two cats here without my opinion!” Rhys contested holding Helion’s shoulders too. They were like that, holding each other’s shoulder, Helion smirking to Rhys and Rhys with furrowed brows to Helion.

“So, it’s ok to have two cute little kitties here!” Helion kissed the tip of Rhysand’s nose before putting milk in a baby bottle that Rhys had no idea where it was from. He got so astonished that, for a second, he forgot what was going on. Helion could be a little… chaotic sometimes.

“Wait!” Rhysand screamed before following his lover. “I didn’t say that—”

“I can’t believe I’m living with someone who doesn’t like animals.” Helion rolled his eyes with exaggerated gestures and sat beside where the cats were cutely snuggled. It made Helion’s heart to warm up a little.

“Of course, I like animals, I’m with you, don’t I?” The joke was awful, Rhysand knew that, but the desire to annoy his lover was bigger. He didn’t mind that Helion hadn’t wanted his opinion anymore.

“Oh, fuck you!” Helion said looking to the cats to ignore Rhys’s face “At least it is better to be an animal with a warm and big heart than a soulless with a questionable character like you!”

“Soulless with a questionable character?” Rhysand laughed. “Love, I thought we had got through that.”

“Well, maybe now you’re showing your true face saying that you don’t want two helpless babies here!” He pointed to the kitties who were now fighting for the baby bottle. He wished he could had found the mother of them, but he searched, searched, searched and didn’t find her. It was the ultimatum to bring those little home.

“I didn’t say that either—” Rhys tried to contest.

“And seriously how can someone like you to be my beloved. I must have a very big heart indeed!”

“Your beloved?” Rhys said slyly behind the couch and putted his arms around Helion’s shoulders.

“Unfortunately!”

“You love me” Rhys whispered, his arms going to Helion’s chest while he let some kisses in his neck. “And I love you” with that, Helion couldn’t handle. Even if it was annoying, he loved when Rhys uses to ignore his drama and distract him with kisses and lovely words.

“Not in front of the kids, Rhys” Helion seriously sighed, but Rhys knew the joke that it was and let loose a light laugh before turning Helion’s face to kiss him, deeply and lovely.

***

It is not like Rhysand doesn’t like animals. He likes it, but far away from him. He has already a lot of things which were more important than to take care of nasty creatures that would only waste his free time. And now, apparently, Helion’s free time too, as it wasn’t enough to reconcile being two heir of different courts.

“Oh, Rhysand, seriously?!” Mor exclaimed, putting her hands in her hips. The tray of tea that she brought was already on the table between him and his brother Cassian. “You’re a soulless with a questionable character, indeed. It’s just a cat and they’re very cute!”

“Mor is right” Cassian said, putting an arm around Mor who have just sat. “They’re kind of cute and it’s not like you’re going to take all the responsibility, Helion will be there to help you”

“Kind of cute? Nah, I remember those cats who used to steal my food, enter in the cabin, sleep on my clothes, which by the way were full of fur. I doubt that they are going to be cute.” Rhys argued. He still remembers the hard time that it was to take off all the little white furs from his black clothes.

“Ok, but are we talking about cats or a baby?” Azriel quietly asked from Rhys’ side. The shadowsinger as always was with his usual semblance, although Rhys could feel the humor leaning on him.

“Don’t compare a baby with a cat!”

“Az is right, you’re taking this too seriously, Rhys. Relax, see how it’s going to work and don’t let the trauma make a bad memory of those lovely animals!” Mor teased with a fake serious expression, getting a laugh from Cass and Azriel.

“Oh, because it wasn’t you how had to take all the pile of fur to look presentable. My clothes were awful in that time”

“Well, that’s why I had a dog, a fox, that couple of mice and an owl... you remember Athena, don’t you?” Mor said, her mind far away.

“I do, she was amazing. May she rest in peace.” Cassian said and made a religious gesture. He and Morrigan used to send letters through Athena to each other, usually silly and dirty letters.

“By the way” Mor kept “When we will meet your babies?”

“Never” Rhys answerd.

But when he got home and saw his lover sleeping faintly in the bed with the two kitties curled on him, Rhys couldn’t think a bad thing about those cute little things, even more because Helion was glowing slightly. The glow that Rhys knew very well that was from a genuine happiness.

Rhys tiptoed to the bed and lied beside Helion’s side and hugged him, trying to not wake up him and the cats. But before Rhys could let a soft kiss on Helion and close his eyes, he silently whispered “I love you”.

Rhysand didn’t see the smile that formed in Helion’s face.

Notes: Any grammar mistake, please call me out!

[kamikothe1and0nly]

A Price We Pay (OC Story)

Over on Instagram, I'm sharing some characters I made. A lot of people seemed to like my OC Scarlet so I asked if people wanted to read the story I wort over the summer. Some said yes so I'm just going to post it here.

This has nothing to do with Kotlc. You can just ingore this. My writing is awful anyway :).

Warning: mention of death and blood.

Scarlet’s midnight blue hair fell over her light chocolate-colored eyes. She stared at her hands, not knowing what to do. Maxseen was everything to her. She was Scarlet’s world.

Max has been there for Scarlet through her ups and downs. She always did everything in her power to make Scarlet smile. No matter the problem, Max was there for Scarlet. She just wished she could do the same for her.

“I’m sorry, Miss. Heart, there’s nothing else I can do for her.” The doctor looked at her with saddened eyes. From the sidelines, you’d think the emotions in his eyes were real, but Scarlet could look deep into the dark forest green and see nothing but cold stone. He wasn’t sad about Max; She was just another one of his patients. It was just his job. He didn’t care about Max. “Our best bet is that Miss. Willow will pass by the end of the week.”

“Liar!” Scarlet snapped; she gripped her hands into fists, trying to keep from fully lashing out at the doctor. “There’s something you haven’t done yet!”

“Miss-”

“Your job is supposed to be keeping people alive!” She cut him off. “So do your job!”

“We’ve done all we could to help Miss. Willow, but her health is falling faster every day.”

Tears pricked the corners of Scarlet’s eyes.

The silence was deafening., it rang in her ears, leaving her stuck in her thoughts. The soft beep of the machines was starting to irritate Scarlet as it added to the ringing. From time to time, she could hear a whisper behind the door, though she could never make out any words.

The off-white room felt too bright agest Scarlet’s eyes. The walls threatened to close in on her if she made any movement. The light blue curtains waved softly in the air as the breeze swept by the open window. There was one annoying light that would slightly flicker every 30 seconds. Through her tear-blurred vision, she could see Max’s chest gently rise and fall under the thin white sheets.

Her chair was uncomfortable, despite the soft cushion. Cold wrapped itself around Scarlet, reaching deep under her skin and clutching her heart in a frozen fist. It sent tiny, thin shards of ice into it for every beet. Her light, gray jacket no longer felt soft on her shoulders. Instead, it had turned into a ruff, heavy stone, pulling her down.

The burning smell of medicine, bleach, and too much hand sanitizer put a metallic bio taste on Scarlet’s tongue, leaving her stomach to turn.

Max’s amber-brown hair pooled around her ever-growing pale cheeks. Her blue hospital gown against the white bedsheets was starting to become offensive to Scarlet. She uses to love the color blue. Max’s eyes were a bright shade of ocean blue that was a deep swell of emotions. But now Scarlet could no longer see the blue she had fallen for, and she feared she might never see them again.

Max laid still, her eyes closed and breathing hard to notice unless you looked long enough. Tubes ran along her skin, each having a different job to play. One keeps oxygen moving in and out of her lungs. One slowly dripping random fluids into her body. The rest of the tubes did something that Scarlet didn’t quite know what.

Maxseen was a husk of what she used to be. She no longer ran around pulling pranks and laughing with her friends. She no longer told Scarlet of her daydreams or her plans for her future. She no longer pulled funny faces with her little brother and mom. Max no longer hugged Scarlet tight.

A tear landed on Scarlet’s hand, pulling her out of her thoughts. She was going to lose Max; she was going to be alone again. Her dad was right; she’ll never have someone to love.

“Shhh,” A woman gently stroked a young Scarlets hair. “It’s ok; you’re safe. Nothing can hurt you,” she whispered. Her voice was sweet like honey and smooth as glass. It held so much love and kindness with every syllable.

Scarlet sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand, “It was horrible, mom. It was dark and scary. I couldn’t find you… I was alone.”

“Oh my sweet child, you are never alone, and it was only a bad dream.” She started to braid Scarlet’s hair, something that always calmed her down. “Do you remember that story I told you when you were a little older than a baby?”

“The one about the dragon that can grant you a wish? I remember a little.”

The woman hummed in thought, “She lives in a cave lined with glowing crystals, found beep in the Forbidden Forest. Her short fur is a shining black that sparkles in the faint light of the crystals. Her eyes are bright firey-orange. When she looks at you, she looks deep into your eyes.”

“The eyes are the gateway to the soul,” Scarlet whispered. Her mom tickled Scarlet, causing her to giggle.

“Correct.” She poked Scarlet’s nose with a light feathery touch. “She looks into your soul.” She leaned back against the bed and looked thoughtfully at the shadowy ceiling. “Her claws are said to be so sharp they can cut through the toughest stone with ease. Her fires-breath is hotter than a hundred suns; you can feel the warmth of her firey heart when standing in the cave.

“Deep in her cave where the light can’t reach is where she sleeps with all her treasures; the crystals fill her dreams of young children’s wishes.”

“Everyone says dragons aren’t real.”

“Our world has grown disconnected from dragons. It’s been thousands of years since people have seen one. The stories we hear about the giant creatures have grown old and thrown around with fake stories. It had become difficult for people to tell which stories are true, so we labeled all their stories as myths and legends.

“People stopped believing.”

“Is your story true?” Scarlet looked up at her mother.

“Of course, my dear. Every word is true.”

“Really?” Scarlet’s eyes light up with wonder. “If it’s true, why don’t people try and find the dragon?”

“The forest is a dangerous place. It’s full of creatures that can kill in a heartbeat. The tall twisting trees block out all the sun’s light and warmth, leaving it in cold darkness that is more shaded than night. The trees shift and change, turning the forest into an endless maze. No one dares to step foot into the forest.”

“Then how does the dragon have people’s wishes come true.”

“Only the bravest can make it through the twisting maze of trees and make it through the dangers that lay deep inside. But be warned; the dragon doesn’t take kindly to strangers. She’ll searcher your heart to find if your intentions for her magic are good or bad. If she finds your heart is black and bitter, she’ll not hesitate to kill you.”

“How do you know all of this, mom?”

“I’ve seen her.”

Scarlet’s eyes opened as the sun reached through the half-closed blinds. The sun’s golden rays illuminate the small room in an orange-yellow glow.

Another one of those dreams. Scarlet has had them a lot since Maxseen got sick.

Just another reminder that Scarlet loses everyone that comes into her life.

Her dad left when she was four, her mom went missing when she was 16, and now Max would most likely leave her too.

But this dream wasn’t like the others. They always had Scarlet’s mom in them, happy memories of the two laughing with each other, cooking, playing some kind of game, just her and her mom when times were easy when she wasn't afraid of what could happen tomorrow.

She’s never had a dream about her mom telling her the story about the dragon. Her mother used to tell Scarlet that story when she was afraid of what was in the shadows or under her bed.

“Maybe if you wish hard enough, the crystals will fill her dreams of your wishes. Maybe she’ll hear it and help you make them come true.” her mother brushed a strand of hair behind Scarlet’s ear.

“You think so?”

“Wish with all your heart, my dear, and maybe, just maybe, she’ll give you your wish.”

After losing her mother and everyone saying she wasn’t going to come back, Scarlet had given up on believing and wishing. She didn’t have a reason to. Her wishes would never come true; there was no point in believing stories her mother would tell her. Scarlet just went on with life, trying to survive, making it to another day.

And then she met Maxseen. Her kind blue eyes warmed Scarlet’s heart. Max’s smile filled her life with color again. Max gave Scarlet a reason to wish, a reason to believe. She became the reason Scarlet lived more than to survive. Max was the reason that Scarlet laugh, smiled, cried. She was the reason she loved.

Scarlet can’t lose that.

Max can’t lose her chance to do all she wanted to do in her life.

Scarlet sat up with a jolt. The dragon could be what saves Max.

It was a far-fetched chance that Scarlet could even find a dragon, and it was an even farther-fetched chance that her mother’s story could be true. But this could be the last thing that could help save Maxseen.

And Scarlet was going to take that chance.

So there Scarlet stood, at the edge of the blackened forest. The sun was at its highest peak. Warmth hugged the land the sun’s light landed upon.

But the light and warmth seemed to fear away from the old creaking trees. Not even a foot deep into the forest, the light thinned, leaving barely enough light to see what was in front of you.

Do not enter.

Warning dangers.

Those who go in don’t come out.

Bright, eye-catching, yellow signs hung on the spiked, bobwire fence, warning people to stay away. The thick wire reached high into the vast blue heavens, keeping people out and keep in whatever lay among the shadows.

Scarlet breathed in deeply, trying to steady her fear-struck heart. The warning of what laid in the Forbidden Forest raced through Scarlet’s mind. She stepped back when a low howl sounded through the alley of trees.

Finding the dragon, going into the forest, is the last chance to keep Maxseen alive.

She clasped her hands into tight fists and pushed the fear down. If she was going to do this, she had to do it now. Max didn’t have very long. Scarlet can’t keep wasting time on her fears.

The wires snapped as Scarlet cut a hole in the fence, just big enough for her to slip in. Once she had worked up the courage to move past the wires, she could feel a freezing wind sink deep into her skin, putting the uneasy feeling back in the pit of Scarlet’s stomach.

The trees groaned and creaked as they stretched up to the sun. They used their leaves to block out the earth’s closest star’s warmth and comforting light. All the colors the world should have painted the earth were dull, dark, and dead. The trees weren’t like the one Scarlet would sit under on a warm summer day with all her friends. Instead, the tree’s bark was a muddy grey-brown, and their leaves were far from the vibrant green, but instead, were a nightmarish black.

With the sun blocked, Scarlet had lost track of how long she had been walking. The fear and the feeling of eyes following her grew with each step.

From time to time, she could hear a faint growl of a wolf or a twig snapping in the distance. The trees sounded like they were crying and screaming, their branches reaching out to Scarlet, begging for help. No birds sang their cheerful songs among the trees. The eerie atmosphere began to play tricks on Scarlet’s mind, leaving her to wonder what sounds were real.

She started to smell blood and rotting flesh the farther she ventured into the twisting ocean of trees. She wrinkled her nose, the smell only getting stronger every second. Awful odor after odor filled her senses, making her skull start to drum against her head.

Her mouth had gone dry minutes ago—a disgusting bio taste laid on her tongue. The taste and smell made her gag as her stomach spun.

Finding the dragon, going through this forest, is the last chance to keep Maxseen alive.

She remembers when she had asked her mother about the forest. Her mom had gone mute; her soft gray eye’s sad as they watch Scarlet. She had used only a few words before ushering her daughter outside to play.

Dark,

Paranormal,

Dangerous,

Timeless.

Scarlet didn’t know what her mother had meant by timeless. How could something be timeless?

She understood what she meant now.

Everything in the forest seemed frozen in time when you looked straight at it. But out of the corner of your eye, you could spot something move among the trees. You could feel something reach out to you. When you spin around to see what was following you, everything will go still like an old photograph.

You’ll lose track of how long you’ve been in the twist. Your mind would start to panic as it tried to decide if it’s been a second, minutes, hours, or days. Light didn’t move in the forest, leaving it to feel like you’re stuck in an infinite night of nightmares.

Scarlet jumped and yelped as a strong howl of a nearby wolf echoed through the trees. Her fight or flite kicked in, sending her running in the opposite directions of the cry.

As much as she wished she’d jump into a fighting stance when things got too much, she had always been one to run from her problems and fears.

The pounding of her feet against the ground woke bats that hid among the dead leaves. They sprung from their branches, startling Scarlet to run faster.

Her heart crashed against her rib cage as the fears following her shaded her sight. The world became a blur; the trees blended, blurring the narrow view she had. Barking rang in her ears as the crunching of fallen leaves stalked close behind her.

Scarlet peeped back; the silhouettes of monstrous wolves trailed only a foot away. They snarled, snapped, and barked, moving closer.

Scarlet tripped.

A tree branch reached out and wrapped its self around her leg. She slammed into the ground with a firm thud. Pain ricocheted through her head as it hit a rock. Her vision blanked as ringing washed over her. She tensed her muscles and curled in on herself.

An earth ratting roar filled the air. Scarlet had snapped her eyes open, seeing the wolf-shaped shadows whimper and scurry off.

Scarlet looked behind her to see what had terrified the pack. A mysterious void was all Scarlet met with; pain set back into her skull, causing her to wince. Slowly she reached up and pressed her hand against the side of her head. Her shivering hand was meet with something warm and sticky. She pulled her hand away, finding it covered in dark red.

“Aw.” She hissed.

The branch that wrapped around her leg started to wind itself up her thigh. Scarlet yelled, kicking at it. “Get off! Get off!” The branched snapped, it recoiled back to its spot at the tree’s side. The dead oak let out a screeching cry.

Scarlet backed aways as the forest joined the tree’s ear-piercing wells. They grew louder with every new cry. She covered her ears as the screams added to her growing headache.

A glow filled her vision. All at once, the trees went quiet. Slowly Scarlet turned towards the source of the light. The deep black void now was bright with crystals that glittered with a soft, comforting cold-purple. Scarlet’s breath caught in her throat.

“She lives in a cave lined with glowing crystals.”

She tensed and relaxed her hands in a fist, a weak attempt to slow her racing heart.

The jewels filled the gray-stone wall. Their light reached out, pulling Scarlet closer to the cave. The closer she got, the brighter the crystals shone, beckoning for her to go deeper.

Her legs moved on their own, steering her into the cave. The glowing of the crystals followed her deep into the hole. The light jumped from crystals to crystals, leaving the entrance of the cave dark and secretive.

The jewels flickered as they whispered into the cave’s thin air. If Scarlet listened to one closely, she could faintly hear laughter and wishes from little children, warming Scarlet’s heart. But there also was the feeling of sorrow.

She couldn’t help but think that those kids would lose their hope, their laughter, and their wishes as they grew older and the faults of the world sunk in. They’d grow up and find that the world wasn’t all the wonders they see it as. They’d get older and stop believing in fairy tales and wishes coming true.

Just like Scarlet.

Those thoughts filled her heart with aching pain.

Her mother and Maxseen have grown up to still believe in those stories, believe that wishes

could come true. They have still seen the world in its magic and color as they got older, as time started to settle on them and show that things where’t like they always seemed. But they had

chosen to believe, to see the good and beauty in everything around them.

Scarlet’s mother had lost that the last time she’d looked into her gray eyes. They had seemed lifeless. They had no longer had the shimmer of love in them; they were dull, like the Forbidden Forest. She kissed Scarlet’s forehead with a light touch, lingering there for longer than her soft kisses would. She said she loves Scarlet more than anything and then left, taking Scarlet’s wonder for the world with her.

Maxseen still had that sparkle in her eyes. She had given a little bit of her wonder and love to Scarlet, helping her see the world as Max did.

Scarlet wasn’t going to let another person lose that.

She pushed herself to keep going deeper into the dark. The crystals lighting the path with every step she made.

A comforting warmth like a summer sun pushed the icy cold from the forest away, hugging Scarlet gently, putting her fears to rest, and letting a hopeful feeling run through her veins.

The ground began to shake, and the crystals went black; the whispers of wishes and glimmer of hope gone. A low growl shook the pit of Scarlet’s stomach. She stepped back when the earth shook. A pair of red-orange cat-like eyes shone in the pitch-black.

They looked into Scarlet’s heart. They didn’t have the same comforting feeling as the crystals. They felt like a stone, cold and hard. The eyes narrowed as they studied Scarlet. The sense of burning shards stabbed into her chest.

Her mind began to tell her to run, that it was dangerous. The fear returned, and her legs begged to leave, but the sharp eyes kept her glued to the ground.

Her breathing picked up, leaving her to shake. She couldn’t hear anything but the beating of her panicked heart. Her throat clogged with screams that never made it past her lips.

The smell of burning fire filled the cave as smoke emerged from the darkness.

A taste of ash lingered on her tongue.

The eyes shifted higher. The crystals snapped back to life, allowing Scarlet to see the owner of the eyes.

Fur darker than the deepest parts of space sparkled like the jewels lining the walls cast their light, making it feel like Scarlet was gazing into space and seeing countless stars dance, laugh, and sing. Wings stretched out and beat; they sent a cool breeze through Scarlet’s hair, and she could hear the strength they held. The underside of the wings’ spikes, horns, and claws were a blend of a sunset. Her talons looked sharper than a sword as they dug into the ground, leaving a scar in the hard stone. Scarlet fell back, her voice trapped in her throat as she stared dumbfounded at the creature before her. Her mind raced with questions trying to find an explanation for what she was seeing.

Part of her was relieved she had found what she had been looking for, but the other haft couldn’t help but think that this was a dream. That when she had hit her head, she passed out.

Her mind raced, trying to find a reason for the thing in front of her. Dragons aren’t real. The stories about the giant fantasy creatures were nothing more than, well, fantasy.

Right?

But this couldn’t be a dream. Scarlet felt the heat from the dragon’s heart, hidden in her chest. Scarlet could feel the slight pinch in her palm as she tightened her hands into a tight grip, digging her nails into her skin. Scarlet could smell the strong scent of smoke that emerged from the dragon’s breath. She could still feel the pounding from when she hit her head outside the cave.

Everything felt too real to be a dream.

She knows how to tell if it was a dream. Before Scarlet met Maxseen, she studied and learned how to lucid dream. She liked the feeling of having control of her fears. Going her whole life, having things go south out of nowhere took its toll on her. So being able to go into a world where she could control her surroundings was something she craved.

Everything about the cave, the crystals, the dragon were too real to be a dream.

A roar raddled the floor, dragging Scarlet out of her thoughts. She looked up, meeting the dragon’s eyes, the cold feeling setting in her chest again. The creature lowered her head closer to Scarlet, giving her a better view of her eyes.

They held power and strength that left them feeling frozen and blocked off, unlike the warm fire the iris’ held. Just a bit farther into the eyes was strength and wisdom; They held more than a thousand years of living. The sparkes of knowledge showed how much the dragon had seen and learned over her long years. Showen all the good and evil she had witnessed through the ages. Battles after battles, the carefree laughter of little kids that explored the world shown as nothing but a bright candy land of wonder and the pain of loss.

Hidden in the deeps corners of her eyes, Scarlet could see the caring, kind, loving gaze of a mother, close to the same soft look that Scarlet’s mom had. In the mix of love, there was the sadness of someone who had lost so much. Her eyes looked exhausted from her long life.

The stern look on the surface shielded the raw emotions that the monster’s eyes carried. It acted as a wall, blocking out the world to keep her safe.

A similar wall Scarlet had.

She growled again, quieter than the others. It rumbled out of the dragon’s throat, giving the sign that she was waiting for Scarlet to speak. To tell her reasoning for being in the cave.

She had been quiet for too long. She had stared at the beast longer than she should have, and she could see the inpatient manner growing in the dragon’s body language.

Scarlet moved her weight from one foot to the other and forced herself to stand taller. Forced the fear in her mind to fall into the dark. She cleared her throat and willed it to be strong; she took a deep breath, “My name is Scarlet Heart; I’m trying to find the dragon that can grant my wish.”

The dragon narrowed her eyes. Her wings shifted against her back. “It’s been a while since someone has found this cave.”

Scarlet expected her voice to be clear and powerful, able to crack the ground if she’d so wished. But the dragon’s voice was soft and sweet, a honeysuckle sort of sound.

She moved to lay down. The sparkles in her fur stirred and shimmered with the movement. She crossed her front paws in a regal-type manner. “I thought humans stopped believing in wishes and creatures like me. I’m curious, how did you find my cave?”

“My mother.” Scarlet’s voice turned quiet. The years of living without her mother, Scarlet hadn’t honestly talked of the woman that raised her. She tended to keep withdrawn about her memories of her mom. “She’d tell me stories about you.”

The dragon tilted her head to the side like a curious puppy. “Your mother told you stories?”

Scarlet nodded, her nerves increasing. She spun a thin strand of hair around her finger needing something to do other than stand there. “You,” she paused when her voice quivered, “you are the dragon that can help me, right?”

“I can help give you your wish.” the dragon nodded in the reassurance that Scarlet had found what she had been seeking. “But for you get your wish, there will be a price.”

Scarlet felt her heart sink. “I didn’t bring anything to trade.” she held her hands out at her side, a gesture that she had come to the cave empty-handed. Her mother didn’t tell her the dragon would want something in return.

She should have known that. Asking for something from a creature the world viewed as myth and fantasy was bound to ask for something in return.

But what would a being as old as this dragon want? The dragon’s cave went deep into the earth, where the light didn’t travel, where she hid her jewels, golds, and silvers she had collected over her eternal life. Even if Scarlet had brought something, it would most likely be nothing but a scrap of junk to the shining beast. Nothing of good trade.

Had she wasted her time? Wasted the time she could have spent with Max? Risked her life in the dangerous forest for nothing?

“Oh no,” the dragon shook her head, the bright sunset colors of her horns and the sparkles in her fur shifting into a dance of magic from the single movement. “The payment isn’t for me. I don’t give any wishes. I help the magic that makes it come true. The crystals that line my cave hold power to give people what they desire most. They choose the price.

“I move that magic held in crystals out into the world where they’re able to give you what you want.

“If the crystals decide that your wish is worth giving, then they provide me the ability to help you. They’ll let me know what the price of your wish is.”

“So, what would it take for me to have my wish come true?” Scarlet pulled at the sleeve of her shirt.

“It depends on your wish.” She stretched out a paw and tapped one of the jewels lining the walls with a delicate touch. “I don’t know for sure what any of the prices will be. A wish someone asked for was for her to have a child. Her price; she’d live for a hundred years, longer than a human life span, before she could bear a child. Once the kid turned 16, she’d have to return to the forest and pass away alone.”

Scarlet listened silently to the dragon’s story as she viewed the crystal’s whispers of secrets.

“What would your wish be?” She turned to face Scarlet again and waited for her to speak with a look daring Scarlet to request her wish.

The attention made Scarlet feel small, making her pull tighter on her sleeve. She shut her eyes as she gathered her thoughts. “It’s my-,” she bit her lower lip out of fear. Would this be worth it? If that mother didn’t get the chance to watch her child fully mature, would the price for Scarlet’s wish be worth the risk?

She shook her head. What was she thinking? Max did everything she could for Scarlet, for anyone that entered the girl’s life. Max would make people smile. She’d sit with strangers if she saw they were having a bad day. Maxseen was the most caring person Scarlet knew. Whatever the price was, it would be worth it. It was worth it for Maxseen.

So she opened her eyes, a new spark of determination giving her the strength to look the dragon in the eye. “It’s my friend. She’s sick, has been for a long time. The doctors say she only has a few days left to live. I want to wish her better. I want,” she stopped to think over her words, “I need her to get better. To live a full, healthy life.”

The dragon shut her eyes, covering the glowing orange from the world, “You’re asking for a wish that changes someone’s fate, Scarlet.” She shifted down to her eye level. “Do you know how much that’s going to cost you?

“Changing the fate of someone is a big deal. What the crystals want in return for your wish; You’ll have to give away part of your human form. They’re asking you to become a dragon-spawn; haft human haft dragon. Meaning you’ll become part of the forest. You’ll never be allowed to leave this place. Never be allowed to see your friend again.”

Her shoulders sagged as the dragon’s information filled the cave’s walls. The whole point of this was so she wouldn’t lose Max. If she agreed to the terms of the wish, Scarlet would become stuck in the frightful forest.

Tears weld up in the corners of her light chocolate eyes. Her father’s words overflowing in her thoughts. “You’ll always be alone. You’ll never have anyone to love you.”

But the thought of Maxseen’s family finding her alive and well. The image of people’s worlds becoming brighter just from a small smile from Max, the same way Scarlet’s world becomes brighter when she was around her closest friend. The feeling that Max would fulfill all the goals she held close to her heart was enough for Scarlet to make up her mind.

Paying that cost is the least she can do for the girl that took her in when she was at her lowest. The least she could do for the girl that made it worth smiling, worth laughing, worth loving.

She owed this to Maxseen.

So Scarlet took a long breath, and held her fists at her side, and nodded. “Please, save Maxseen.”

The dragon sighed, “Ok, if that’s what you want.”

She blew a cloud of smoke around Scarlet. It turned and spun around her, shifting from a dark mist-gray to the cold-purple of the crystals. It drifted closer, bounding itself around Scarlet, shielding her vision and cutting her off from the world.

The smoke clung to her skin, making it itch. She sucked in a cry when a stinging pain rapidly spread within her body—the feeling of fire bit into her upper and lower back. A piercing headache caused her to fall in on herself.

She screamed out.

It was hard to tell how long the pain clasped to Scarlet. Her mind had gone blank, leaving her stuck in the repeating spiral of what felt like flesh burning away and regrowing a second later.

Her sight cleared when the pain eased a little, letting Scarlet find herself lying on the stone floor. She glanced up at the dragon, her orange-fire eyes watching her every move.

Scarlet wiped the fallen tears away from her cheeks; she winced when a minor burn brushed the skin her hand touched. She pulled her fingers away, finding them painted with dark, sticky blood. “What-” her voice cracked and shook.

She struggled to push herself up. Her limbs screamed that they were hurting and exhausted. Breathing in gently, she caught sight of her reflection in the crystals; pearl white horns sat atop her head. A long midnight blue scaled tail lay on her lower back. Her shoulders now covered with white scales and the freckles she used to have, replaced with the same white scale stones. Blood dripped down her head and back at the foot of the horns and tail. A scar, the shape of a pair of dragon wings, had burned into her back.

Instead of her iris’ light chocolate brown, they now were the same color as the glowing crystals. Her pupils became slits similar to a cat’s. Her eyes now a constant reminder of her wish and the price she had to pay for it.

The tail and horns warned that Scarlet couldn’t leave the Forbidden Forest and that she couldn’t see Max.

“Wait.” Scarlet’s voice was raw as she cried out. “What about Max? How do I know my wish came true?”

The dragon tilted her head to the crystals. The reflections in the purple shifted, showing the familiar off-white room Scarlet spent hours of her past months in; a woman with long dark brown hair sat in a chair staring quietly down at her warm, golden-toned hands.

A young boy, no older than 12, with golden blond hair, and jade-green eyes, stood next to the woman staring anywhere except the bed that held a fragile girl.

Max’s cheeks had grown rosy, giving her the color she was missing for so long, giving her more life, less like a ghost. She was no longer thin and frail.

The slow movement of her raising her hand to rub tiredly at her eyes grabbed the attention of the young boy and woman. Max cracked her eyes open, letting the world see the warm blues that had been missing for so long. Looking over at the two visitors, she smiled, “Mom, Jade?” Her voice was quiet and weak from the months of not being using.

The mother cried out in joy, dragging her daughter into a firm embrace. Afraid that if she let go of Max, she’d lose her.

Her brother stared at Max in disbelief. Tears began making their way down his pale cheeks.

Max, a look of confusion written on her face, gave her usual worried grin at the sight of her Family’s behaver as the little boy joined the hug. The family held each other, not daring to let go.

Something tugged at the back of Scarlet’s shirt, raising her off the ground. The dragon turned and moved deep into the shadows of her cave, taking Scarlet with her.

[rubik-ashala]

Let Alucard have nice things!

This doubles as both a headcanon description and a rant so here goes:

I just got done watching the 3rd season of Castlevania and I am not happy. I have two things two say about it. This contains spoilers for the series so you have been warned.

First complaint and observation:

Did anybody get the feeling that the show was supposed to end after the second season but didn't? That everything was wrapped up nicely, Dracula was dead, the big world destruction war was halted, we were shown what the trio would be doing after everything etc. Like it was meant to end there but then a conversation like this happened:

Castlevania team: And that’s a wrap everybody! The good guys took down Dracula in an epic fight, the world was saved, Job Done! Time to move on to new things.

Shareholders, producers, etc: Uhh, actually we already signed you up for a 3rd season. So you might want to get on that.

Castlevania Team: What! But we weren't prepared for a third season! The whole plot is wrapped up! What are we supposed to do?

Shareholders, producers, etc: Don’t know but you better get to figuring it out.

Castlevania: I guess we will just game of thrones it terribly then and hope we make it through.

Because that is what it felt like happened. There seemed to be no overarching plot, just four separate ones and only two of them is even remotely together. They take two side characters Issac and Hector and give them there own plotlines. Issac gets the Denarius treatment for no real reason other than to seemingly follow in Dracula’s footsteps and Hector gets dragged to Camilla’s realm because, she needs a forge master to grow an army so she can take over what has been fractured. They split up the trio, suddenly giving Serphia and Trevor a romantic relationship with little to nothing building up to it and throw them in a quest to keep Dracula from coming back after some crazy monks due some occult doctor who style shenanigans to open a portal to other worlds. And while that is going on, Alucard aka Adrian Tepes gets left alone guarding his fathers now broken castle and the Belmont’s treasure trove for months after everything has happened.

Which flows into my Second point:

Alucard got done dirty in the third season!

We watch as Alucard deals with the mental repercussions of what he did, alone. We watch as he deals with the loneliness of being out in the middle of nowhere alone for months with none to talk too. And we see the toll it is taking on him albeit comedically. 

Then the siblings come in. 

They come to him for help and education on fighting vampires back in their homeland, something that Alucard is more than happy to help with. One, because he has company again and Two, passing on the knowledge to the new generation seemed fitting.

During the time they stay he grows fond of them and they him. You see them training and horsing around, eating meals together and other wholesome shenanigans.

You get to see a conversation where the sibling talk about how they notice how lonely he has been and how they believe he stays out here to punish himself and maybe they should do something for him before they move on. And it’s all like “aww that is so sweet!”

Then you see Alucard trying to sleep and failing miserably in his bed. Even so far as wondering if he should get a coffin to sleep in. Then you see the siblings show up in the door way and begin walking towards him in the bed saying , in a very sultry voice, how alone he must have been, how he should deserve a reward, ectera. Followed by them getting all hot and steamy with him.

 The scene makes a point to show how much Alucard is enjoying this attention, and how happy it is making him. Your watching it and it’s like “Maybe it's gonna be one of those fond memories he will be able to look back on after their gone.” or “Maybe they will become some Badass monster hunting thruple and Alucard wont be alone anymore.”

Nope! Not today in my Grim Dark Gothic Fantasy World!

They instead, after giving Alucard the night of his life, put these metal cuffs on him that shoot out a bunch of ropes that tie him in classic Jesus on a cross position and then proceed to try and kill him. 

Why?

Because the were under the belief he was lying and holding things back from them, and in particular about the castle not being able to move. And they were tired of being lied to.

Luckily for Alucard they didn't realize his sword could move on its own and they weren’t alive for much longer because of it but...Really?

Why? Why do this to him?

He lost his mother to a witch hunt, he had to kill his own father and now this? All in little over a year? What the Hell man!?

Let the Dhampire have nice things! He deserves better than this!

So, I made a headcannon to soothe me angry brain.

I took a fantasy race of mine that was inspired by the Crusnics of Trinity Blood and added them in to Castlevania. In Particular one specific one.

Name: Floki 

Age: Around Adrian’s age give or take a few months.

Hair: Black

Eyes: Mismatched blue/green

Height: About the same as Adrien’s perhaps a little taller.

Personality: Mischevious, HArdworking, Loves deeply, Fiercly but wisely protective, loves to work with his hands, loves to learn more about the world and how it works. Deeply fond of Adrian even though he hasn’t seen him in a few years. Also, a smidge psychotic, but just a smidge.

Floki is part of a race of beings referred to as “The Old Ones”. They are a race similar in habit to the Vampire but they feed off vampires, night creatures and other supernatural beings over humans. They are immensely powerful, even at young ages and have been rumored to be the source of some of the gods of Ancient Mythology. 

Floki’s father (Yet named)  was Dracula’s mentor and where he got much of his scientific knowledge from in his early years. They became friends during his teaching and even after parting ways, would still occasionally see each other every few half centuries or so to trade information and chat.

During this time, Floki’s father was desperately trying to have children of his own and failing. At one point believing that he was sterile and unable to father children. Something Dracula knew as well and so hid Lisa’s pregnancy from him for fear of making his sadness worse.

However, a few months later, It was revealed that his current love was with child and Floki was born accompanied by much drunken Norse revelry.

When the two men met again a few years later, Floki was brought with his father to show to Dracula that he finally had a child. A moment where Dracula also revealed his son and Where Floki met Adrian.

Floki showed Adrian what it was like to play and horse around. They would play pretend out in the woods, get dirty, skin thier knees, the works. And where one was, you would find the other close by.

The visits between the two powerful men became more frequent due to the boys wish to see each other, not that the parents minded all that much.

Over time Floki’s affection for Adrian would change and deepen. His longing to stay by his friends side would get stronger and one fateful afternoon when Adrian got hurt, FLoki would realize how he had fallen in love with him.

Adrian would never know this however, due to Floki’s unstable powers at the time, his sub par control of his hunger and the fear of hurting him.

As they got older, and partly to the above, their visits to see each other would lessen and by the time they were full grown, had stopped entirely. 

That is until Floki Heard of Lisa’s death at the hands of the church.

Even with his incredible power to teleport far distances it took him several months to reach Wallachia. He didn’t seek out Adrian immediately though, too curious to see the truth of what happened.

Each of “The Old Ones” Has a unique skill that is developed and evolved over time, according to personality, interest, skill and homeland. Due to Floki’s curiosity, his love for history and his desire to see how it all works together, he developed what he liked to call, memory recall.

His skill allowed him to see memories of the past through people, objects or locations where something that evoked strong emotional or magical reactions in the area happened. And if there was no such thing, if the event was more recent, if he had access to people that were there and stood on the location, he could see and feel the event as if he lived it.

Lisa’s death held him up in an inn for several days trying to chase the feeling of flames on  his skin. Dracula’s anger and grief laid him up for even longer as he cried himself sick. 

Gregit was better though, seeing the man who did the deed getting called out by a demon and then eaten gave him a bit of satisfaction.

Briela was fascinating though. He had to meet whomever managed to capture the ever moving castle.

By the Time Floki would arrive at the now defunk castle and underground hold, the siblings bodies are already outside on pikes.

This doesn't scare him away of course, and to find out why they were there he uses his memory recall. Where he sees through there eyes what they did to Adrian, albeit a little fuzzy. But is able to hear what the twins were thinking in that moment and see, just for a short time, Adrian tied to the bed afraid and hurt.

This causes him to snap his fingers and cause the corpses to burst into flames.

An action that draws Adrian’s attention causing a little bit of a fight before they recognize each other.

Over the next while Adrian allows Floki to stay and fix the castle as well as the Belmont estate and work towards getting the transportation engine online again. Eventually. 

Overtime, all of Floki’s feelings come back with a vengeance and he gives as much attention and TLC to Adrian as he allows. Eventually getting Adrian to allow him close enough to see though his memory what the siblings had done to him

A scene that will either start a few revelations with both Adrian and FLoki or lead to a very steamy situation. Possibly both.

But it all ends in Adrian getting all the Love and TLC that man deserves after the hell he was put through.

I just hope they aren’t trying to set him up to become an antagonist later... 

[choicessa]

Before I go - Mal x MC

Pairing: Mal x MC

Words: 4816 (~ 25 minutes)

Summary: After the night they have spent together, Mal and MC think about their future, preparing to say goodbye before they go separate ways.

Warning: None, just prepare for a loooot of angst

Stories were always a huge part of his life.

Some of them he created, weaving the legendary stories of his treasure quests, ladies he had met, monsters he had fought. Some were just fairytales, lies, he made up for fun, to entertain the crowd in taverns. Some of them contained the truth, truth about him, about his life, about his past, yet those he guarded as the most precious treasure, hiding them deep inside and almost never sharing them with anyone.

Yet, there were other stories. Those he had heard, those he had repeated, those he was told by his mother, his companions, throughout his whole life. Stories of knights and monsters, of kings and queens, stories of joy and sadness, of life and death, stories of biggest treasures, legendary creatures, stories of star crossed lovers, adventurers, like himself. Some of them were meant to fill people with joy, with hope, always ending happily and some others, filled with tragedies, despair, bringing nothing but tears.

And some of the stories had to end before they even had a chance to start.

Was their story meant to be one of those?

One of those dreams never coming true, the craving that was never meant to be fulfilled?

Mal sighed heavily, leaning against the window and looking through it absentmindedly, seeing nothing but dark silhouettes of trees and bushes of the palace garden. He couldn't say what time was exactly, but he could feel in his bones that they were closer to the dawn than he'd like to admit. Because dawn meant saying goodbye, dawn meant having the ritual, dawn meant the start of another day, the one that was meant to be the end of their adventure. And most importantly, the dawn meant parting with her.

Mal swallowed hard, resisting the urge to turn around and look at the girl still sleeping in the bed. They had spent an amazing night together, being as close as ones can be. And then they fell asleep, wrapped in each other's embrace, until he woke up, in the middle of the night, haunted by things he had said, haunted by words that had slipped from his mouth.

What the hell gotten into him that made him share his most guarded secrets just like that?

Where did this stupid urge to tell her everything came from? What loosened his tongue so much, that he told her every single craving of his heart, sharing the most intimate hope of having a home, of having a family one day? Yes, every single word he had said was true. But why the hell did he admit to it all, knowing damn well that it will never happen? Not in this life anyway.

The frown on his forehead deepened, even more, when his eyes stopped on his wrist, where his black tattoo seemed to be mocking him, the dark mark reminding him of his past, the past he would never be able to get rid of, the reminder of who he really was and who he always will be.

A criminal. A petty thief, breaking the law again and again and again.

It was his life since he was six years old and he never knew the other way to live. Born in poverty, raised by scums and thieves, he had learned the harsh way of living on the streets, having to fight for being able to live through yet another day. Home? Family? Future? Those words were erased from his vocabulary a long time ago, the vision and hope long gone, when he had to live from day to day, giving up all the stupid childish dreams he had always have.

But she... She had to storm into his life and change it all, hadn't she?

He had no idea that their paths will ever cross again when he first met her in the village, well, when she literally bumped into him and then shamelessly started to flirt with him. But did he mind? Not at all. He was kind of used to it, he practiced his charm throughout the years and he knew what kind of effect he always had on girls. And she was just another pretty face, with a charming smile, shamelessly checking him out. He even turned around to shoot her a second glance, his lips rising in his usual smirk before he shook his head and brought himself back to reality, remembering he had another treasure to get.

But fate works in a mysterious way, isn't it? Someone would call it dumb luck, some others the pure coincidence, but Mal liked to believe there was a hand of fate that pushed Mephala onto the same path as he was. The hand of fate which meant to show him that there was still something else for him, that there was still more to crave from life, another treasure he could get, so different from boxes full of gold he was so used to stealing. Every day they spent together, made Mal fell for her more and more. Because how could he not? She was smart, witty, fearless, and constantly keeping him on his toes, and all of this with the huge, charming grin on her face she was shooting him whenever she could. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and Mal was trying so hard to not think about the end of the journey, the big final of the biggest adventure of their lives, the big moment of goodbye that was waiting for them.

But... Here they were.

The last night, the last morning, the last day before they will go separate ways, saying goodbyes and knowing they will probably never meet again. Unless...

Unless he'd ask her to stay.

For a moment his heart started to beat faster in his chest, just at the thought of it, pictures suddenly flooding his mind at the mere thought. He and she, holding hands and walking through the streets of Whitetower, laughing, smiling, stealing kisses from each other, being so incredibly, so stupidly happy. Maybe he'd take her to that one forgotten old cottage at the edge of the city, the one that was his hideaway when he was younger, an old house with holes in the roof, yet the place he always dreamt would be his real home one day, a home filled with laughter, warmth, the smiles of his loved ones and the delicious smell of the best food cooked by his beloved wife. This vision which was slowly forgotten throughout the years and the vision that suddenly crept into his mind again, but this time the wife he was always imagining, was finally having a face...

Mal turned around, almost unconsciously and his gaze laid upon the sleeping figure of Mephala, wrapped in the blankets and still deep in her sleep. She was breathing peacefully, her chest rising and falling with the rhythm of her breaths, a few hair strands falling onto her face, her hand tucked under her cheek when she was snuggling the pillow. Mal moved his sight across her and the frown on his face disappeared, his lips rising in a soft smile at the sight in front of his eyes.  

Her face.

Whenever he allowed his thoughts to wander, whenever he let hope crept into his heart again, whenever his visions were flooding his mind, she was always there, with him.

Would she say yes? Would she agree to stay?

He turned away from her and moved a hand through his hair, sighing deeply. And when he was lowering his arm, his eyes found the tattoo again, now feeling like it was burning his skin there, once again reminding him of who he truly was and what he could never have. His hands curled into fists and his jaw clenched when Mal resisted the urge to punch the window in front of him. She deserved life without worries, full of happiness and laughter, filled with prosperity and wealth. She's been through enough, having to live without parents, losing her brother to the dark magic of Shadow Court, having to fight with the enemies, almost losing her life...  

She deserved everything.

And he could give her nothing.

He clenched his fists, even more, his knuckles whitening now, when he looked at the weak reflection of his face in the window. He was a thief, a pathetic loser with no past and with no future, just a criminal like many others. What kind of life could she have with him? Life of hiding? Life on the run? A life where they would always have to look over their shoulders to make sure no one is following them, no one wants to kill them? Life of uncertainty, a life of fear and life of being afraid to pass a guard on the streets, a life where you have to look down and never look them in the eyes, being scared that they would recognize you and throw you into dungeons? It would never be living. It would be barely surviving.

And she deserved so much more... So much more than he could ever give her...

So deep in his own thoughts, he didn't hear a subtle noise of bed creaking, the soft sound of bedding being shifted, and the silent sigh coming from behind his back.

Mephala was sure he would hear her, that his ear so used to picking up even the slightest noise will make him alert almost immediately, but to her surprise, not a single muscle in his body moved, even when she raised her head and propping herself on her left elbow, she sighed, her eyes moving across his silhouette. Almost immediately she could tell just how tense he was, his shoulders raised slightly, his back straightened almost unnaturally, his hands curled up into fists, accenting the outline of muscles on his arms. And the way he was leaning against the window...

Mephala bit her lower lip, resisting the urge to call out his name, not brave enough to interrupt the little moment he had with his own thoughts. Yet at the same time, she couldn't stop the worry that appeared in her thoughts, that heavy feeling in her chest, making her unable to properly catch a deep breath when one look at this tense body made her forehead frown.

What could have happened?

Was he tormented by the fact that it was probably their last night together? Was it because he, just like her, was well aware of the fact that tomorrow they will have to say their goodbyes and they will never see each other again? Was it the anxious feeling in his chest at the unknown, the fear of not being able to predict how the ritual will go, the same fear and uncertainty filling his body just like in her chest? Or maybe... Just maybe... He was regretting everything?

Mephala swallowed hard, telling herself to stop thinking that way. After all, why would he regret anything? They worked together perfectly, for the last weeks they became practically inseparable, which of course met with a lot of jokes at their expense from the rest of the group.

But she regretted nothing.

Mal was so different from the other men she had met in her life. Not only because he was a wanted man, a thief that was well known in more cities than just a Whitetower, not only because he was a flirt, a casanova telling way too many stories about the women he had slept with, not only because he was a snarky charmer. But because he was so much more.

And so much like her.

Thirsty for adventures, having to grow up way too soon, being robbed of a proper childhood, where he had to learn how to survive in this cruel world, without parents, without support, being capable of counting only on himself.

At least she was lucky enough to have Kade.

But he was all alone. He could pretend that he didn't care at all, about everything or everyone but she knew it was all because he cared too much. But could she blame him? Raised in the poorest part of the town, lost her mother while he was still a child, and life made him make hard choices, doing everything he had to survive.  He could still pretend nothing counted in his life but what he had told her today, about family, about having a home one day... It was the only moment of weakness he could allow himself for, the first time in forever he had his heart on his sleeve, admitting to the biggest cravings of his heart, always hidden so deep. Was it because he knew they will never meet again? And he knew he can tell her everything, without being embarrassed lately? Was it because he couldn't hide it anymore? Or was it...  

Because he had hoped they can share that future?

She could feel her cheeks getting red just at the mere thought of this, the hope filling her heart even though she tried so hard to stop it from happening.

But how could she when for such a long time just the mere closeness of him was making her heart soar?

If someone would ask her when did it happen, or how did it happen, she could never put a finger on a proper day or a moment. Was it that moment of their dance in the middle of the forest, when they thought they joined a fairy party? Was it their first kiss, so full of longing, so full of passion, so unexpected, yet so welcomed? Or was it the evening they spent together in the elvish wine cellar, drinking, laughing, kissing? Or was it much, much earlier? Maybe she will never be able to tell for sure, maybe she'd never know how the hell did that happen, but at least now she was certain of her feelings.

Finally, she was brave enough to admit she fell for him.

Yes. She fell for Mal the Magnificent, the charmer, the casanova, the adventurer, the thief, and the most caring, kind, and thoughtful man she has ever met in her life. Of course, it took her some time to realize that, weeks to finally admit in front of herself that it wasn't only having fun together, that it was becoming something else. And it took more weeks to finally make her realize just how much he meant for her, just how much he had changed in her life, opening her eyes, making her realize how much there was to still see, how much to discover, how much to do. She had always thought that her life was meant to finish in the same village she grew up, surrounded by the same people, every day being the same as always. But he showed her that it didn't have to be that way, he showed her there was a full life ahead of her, the life she could choose, the life just like she had always dreamt to have. And now...

Now she wanted to do the same thing for him.

When he told her about his past, about the mother he had lost, about the family and home he always craved, she wanted nothing more than to give it all to him. One would say that he chose this way of life for himself, that he is to blame for his misfortune and life on the run. But Mephala wasn't one of them. She knew, she understood, that sometimes life we had wasn't the one we would choose for ourselves. But the way his eyes lit up when he was talking about having a family, the way his lips raised in a shy smile at the thought of having his own home, not having to run anymore, not having to hide from others, that's when she saw the real Mal, the one even he was sure never existed anymore. She would never admit just how fast her heart was beating when he was sharing his deepest secrets with her, she would never say out loud just how honored and good she felt when he decided that he trust her enough to share this deep secret with her, she would never forget the way this strange warmth spread across her body when he looked at her, this incredible longing and softness in his eyes, when he smiled sadly, his eyes moving across her face.

And that's when she realized.

That she wanted to give him all of this.

She wanted to be his home, she wanted to be his family, she wanted to just be there for him, be there when he wakes up, be there when he falls asleep, be there when he would need her, sharing the worries with him, holding his hand to give him strength, planting a soft kiss to his forehead, letting him know, without the words, that she is always there for him. Her gaze moved across his back and the smile that was lifting her lips in a smile disappeared, her forehead frowning once again.

She wanted to give him everything. But was he ready to do the same for her?

No matter how much they came close to each other, no matter how much Mal allowed her to see the real him, sometimes she still felt like she didn't know him at all. All of them had their secrets, even her, still hiding some of the things from her past deep inside her. And he... He was like a chest of treasures, surrounded by traps, guarded by a heavy lock, thick, high walls being put up around him, hiding what's the most precious deep inside and never allowing anyone to see what was inside.  And no matter how much she wished for him to raise the lid, to open up and show the true self – she knew he never would. He spent too many years learning how to be a different person, too many years learning how not to care, how not get hurt, how to live on the run, not caring about anyone or anything. Too many years for her to change it over just a few weeks...  

No matter how much she wished to.

She wasn't sure for how long she was laying there, just watching him, her thoughts restless, until suddenly Mal turned around and his eyes widened with shock at the sight of her, eyes wide opened and never leaving the gaze off him.

„Kit..." He said, his voice barely a whisper, when he took a step closer towards her bed, „Did I wake you up?"

„Not really. Couldn't sleep anyway.” She shrugged.

„Thinking about the ritual tomorrow?"

„Mhmm...” She murmured, looking back from him, unable to look him in the eyes anymore. And she hated herself for that, she hated herself for not having enough courage to admit to her true feelings, to admit what she was thinking about.

Mal took another step towards the bed, moving his longing gaze across her body. She was laying on her left side, propped on her elbow, her brown hair falling in soft waves on her bare shoulders and chest, her dark eyes shining in the dim room and he realized with all its might just how lucky he was to have her, here, with him.

It was their last night together, last time they could spend in each other arms, last minutes before the dawn will come and they will have to get ready for the ritual. And last moment together, before they will go separate ways, probably never seeing each other again. Mal finally reached the bed and with a sigh he sat down on it, turning his head to look at the girl next to his side. His gaze moved, starting at the height of her hips, moving higher, across her waist, the outline of her body so visible, covered by nothing but the thin fabric of the quilt she was covered with. He stopped for a moment and then moved his sight higher, through her chest, her bare shoulders, until finally he stopped on the tempting arch of her lips, now parted just so slightly. He swallowed hard, suddenly remembering the taste of her kisses, the way her lips fitted with his, meeting so often this night and it took all of his willpower to look away from them.

And then his eyes finally met hers.

He could try to hide it, push all of the emotions deep inside him, pretending they were never there in the first place. But he could never betray her, not anymore. His eyes, full of longing got lost in hers, showing her every single emotion, every single thought he was dealing with at that moment. Sadness, that this, them being here, together, will have to end in just a few hours; fear of what was about to come, the future still uncertain when they couldn't know what will happen during the ritual; pain, of knowing that they will never be, that their story was ending before it even had a chance of properly beginning and the longing, when he wanted nothing more than to grab her into his arms, kiss her, pretend that nothing else existed and just stay with her, here, forever. And in her eyes, those beautiful, brown eyes, the ones he could stare into forever, he saw the mirror reflection of all of his emotions, now coming to the surface when she decided to open up for him entirely, not being able to hide it anymore, knowing that with him she won't ever have to be afraid of being vulnerable.

„Everything will be okay," Mal said suddenly.

For a moment Mephala wasn't sure if he was talking to her or himself, his voice too silent to hear any kind of emotion in it. She was already opening her mouth to answer him, but then she closed them and straightened up instead, moving closer to him. Without a word she reached out to him, grabbing his hand into hers and pressing a kiss to the top of it.

„Everything will be okay.” She repeated after him, barely, just barely raising corners of her lips into a weak smile, the only one she was capable of creating.

He must have noticed the change on her face, he must have realized that her smile was not sincere at all, yet in this situation, he was taking whatever he could.  

„Mephala, I..." He freed his hand from her grip and instead covered her palm with his. „No matter what will happen tomorrow, no matter what will happen... to... us..." His voice almost unnoticeable became softer when he spoke the last word. „I want you to know..." He hung up his voice for a moment. „I am happy I could share this adventure with you. There's no one else I'd rather live through all those dangers we had encountered."

„You're only saying that because I saved your pretty face from drakna," Mephala smirked.

„Pretty face, you say?” He raised his eyebrow and Mephala hit his arm, rolling her eyes.

„I take it back.”

He snorted with amusement before reaching out to her, his hand grabbing a few strands of her hair and slowly putting it behind her ear, his eyes never looking back from her face.

„But I meant what I say. I don't know if this was fate or just luck, but... I am happy I met you."

„And I am happy I met you.” She smiled to him, this time with sincerity, corners of her lips lifting happily.

Mal smiled, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, first on her left hand, then on her right one. He hesitated for a moment and then leaned down, slowly, another kiss landing in the middle of her forehead. And then another one, pressed to the top of her nose, his lips lingering there way too long, wanting nothing more to slip lower and kiss her right where he wanted to most. His gaze dropped, stopping at the height of her lips and he knew just how bad idea it was. Getting the taste of her, once again, when he knew she will be gone in a few hours when he knew that this will only make their goodbye harder.  

But he could not resist.

Without hesitation anymore he grabbed her face into his hands and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips. Slowly, sweetly at first, soon his kisses grew more urgent, his mouth moving almost with desperation against hers when he knew that it's probably the last time he was kissing her. Yet she was answering him with the same thirst, the same desperation. Throwing her arms around his neck she pulled him closer, her mouth parting slowly, letting him in, the force of his kisses making her gaps.  

Mal pulled her closer, one hand on her waist, the other behind her neck when he dipped his fingers into her hair, gently laying her down onto the soft pillows. Mephala closed her eyes and melted into his arms, consumed by the kiss. She could only give in to all of this, give in to him, her fingers tucked into strands of his hair when she wanted to get rid of every existing space between them. His lips were kissing her over and over again, never wanting to stop, hers responding hungrily when Mephala tightened her hold on him. He wanted that moment to last forever, they both wanted it, her body locked in his arms, her hands around his neck and she, warm, soft, melting in his arms, responding to his fervent kisses.

Until Mal finally pulled away from her, reluctantly, knowing that the time has come. Yet he was still unable to move away from her, his body hovering over hers, their eyes locked onto each other, her cheeks pink and her lips swollen, all from his kisses. She reached out to him, her hand gently brushing away strands of hair from his forehead and a soft smile appearing on her face, when she moves her gaze across his face, almost like she was trying to remember every single detail of it.

"I will never forget you, Mal Volari." She whispered, her fingers brushing the skin on his cheek.

“And I will never forget you, Mephala Morrell.” He answered, silently, softly.

They were laying like this for a long moment, with no words anymore, just their eyes locked onto each other, at this moment saying much more than mouth ever could. And both of them, with the same cravings in their hearts, both of them wanting to ask the same question, so simple, so innocent, yet the one they both were too afraid to ask, to speak out loud, too afraid of the answer, too afraid of consequences.

“We should get ready...” Mal sighed finally, still unable to move away from her.

“It's not even dawn yet.”

“I know. I just...” He didn't finish his thought, his eyebrows furrowing in a grimace of pure pain.

Why was it so hard?

Why couldn't he just get up and leave the room? Since the beginning, he knew that it will come to this at some point... So why was it still so damn hard?

“Stay...” Mephala whispered. “Stay with me, Mal... Till the dawn...”

He said nothing, he could not say a single word. Instead, he just nodded, falling onto the mattress and opening his arms for her. Without a word Mephala laid her head on his arm, pressing herself to him, placing her right hand onto his chest, now slowly rising and falling with the rhythm of his breaths. A small smile wandered on her face and then she closed her eyes, for this one blessed moment forgetting about everything, focusing only on the man right next to her.

Mal looked down at her hand in the middle of his chest and after a second of hesitation, he grabbed it, lacing his fingers with hers, letting out a ragged breath when he felt his heart doing a weird leap inside his chest at this simple gesture. He pressed a soft kiss to her temple and closed his eyes, thinking that no matter what was about to happen, Mephala was right about one thing. If they were meant to part tomorrow, forever, they should prolong this moment as much as they could. He looked down at her closed eyes, her face finally peaceful when she snuggled closer to him, her warm breath tingling skin on his chest. His right arm closed tighter around her and Mal pulled her closer to his body.

Even if this moment was meant to last only for a few minutes longer...

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars XLV (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: Poor kids, they’re not so little anymore.

Words: 2,707

Warnings: Mentions of period (as in menstruation)

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Chapter Four: Back In The Routine.

The days passed and they finished packing. 

Mel tried several times to get an answer from her uncle about where he was going, but he would change the subject just as fast.

She was worried, to say the least. If he moved even further away that'd be problematic for Mel and her mother. Considering how often her uncle gets sick, it was almost bound to be tricky, and now that she was attending Hogwarts, the chances of helping were slim.

Her uncle didn't seem to be thinking about that though, he did act nervous, and Mel had noticed he'd started to read magical books more than usual, most of them about creatures and curses and all that. She wondered if he was thinking of going on some kind of dangerous trip. Either way, it was time to say goodbye, and Mel knew she wouldn't be seeing him for a while, maybe until next summer.

She was getting ready to bed when something felt odd. She'd been feeling uneasy the whole day, but thought it was just the nerves and excitement of seeing her friends again. Thinking that maybe she'd gotten sick, the girl got out of her room and into the bathroom.

It was worse, way worse than she'd thought it would be.

Mel had gotten her period.

"Oh no," She breathed, "no no no no no no..."

A knock startled her.

"Yes?" She said in a high-pitched voice.

"Is everything alright?" Uncle Lu asked, "You've been there for a while–"

"I need Mum," She said, "I'm- I'm having a bit of uh... I got my... I'm bleeding?"

There was a deafening silence after her sentence. After what felt like decades to her, Uncle Lu finally spoke up.

He cleared his throat, "I'll call her. You... you wait here..."

She was still a little girl... Okay not that little, but she was a girl! Girls didn't have periods!

Or did they?

"Love?" Her mother called softly through the door, "Can I open the door?"

After a short confirmation, the door clicked and her mother entered holding a small package of something she recognized immediately. Mel started to cry.

"S'not fair!" She sniffed, "I don't like how it feels!"

"Oh, darling..." Her mother kneeled beside her, stroking her back. "I know is not nice, but it'll pass..."

"I don't want it!" She continued, "There has to be some magical fix that you can give me!"

"There is," Her mother grimace, "but I can't give it to you, this is the first time, you have to let it happen–"

"Why?! It sucks!" She didn't know why she was so affected about it, as if the worst of diseases had fallen upon her.

"It could damage your body if you cut it out so soon..." her mother cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable, "I don't know if you'll want babies, but it's better to have all the options than having none, right?"

"Babies?!" She said with horror, "I am a baby! I don't even know if I'll want to date!"

Emily's lip quivered, but it was hard to tell if it was because she was holding her laughter, or if she was just as affected as the girl.

"I don't want you to grow up either, Mel. But it looks like your body has a different idea."

Mel leaned back on the toilet, looking up at the ceiling in total despair.

"This is it. The boys will know."

Her mother laughed.

"They won't. But who cares, anyway?"

"I do!" She frowned. "And I'll have to deal with this nonsense! How long 'till I can take something to make it stop?"

"A year," Her mother said, preparing for impact.

"A YEAR?!"

"Shh! Mel, you'll scare your uncle!"

"A year," She repeated, "oh, bloody- I mean... this is going to be a horrible year."

Once she was tucked in bed, sad as ever, her uncle sneaked inside her room, holding a cup of something.

"Chocolate," He said simply, before leaving again, "drink it, it'll help."

She stayed silent for most of the trip, sleepy and soar, didn't want to talk about it. It was sad to leave her uncle like this, but she hoped he understood, Mel was growing against her will.

When they arrived at the leaky cauldron, Mel wanted nothing but to take a nap for the rest of the week, but she soon forgot about it when Harry walked down the stairs, probably about to go shopping.

She dropped her luggage in surprise, the noise catching his attention.

"Glasses!" She rushed over to the boy. "How've you been? Did you miss us lots?"

Harry chuckled as he returned the hug.

"I've been busy... How was your break from my annoying face and all?"

"It... went well, most of it anyway," She shrugged, deciding she wouldn't say a thing to Harry about her new burden. "Are you going to Diagon Alley? Mum! Can I go?"

Emily approached the kids, giving Harry a quick kiss and hug before replying.

"Just try to get here before dinner, I'll take the things to our room..."

Both kids went to the back door and pressed the third brick on the wall.

"There's a new broom," Harry started, practically dragging her to the store, "you ought to see it, I want to ask about the price but I won't dare, I have my nimbus after all, but it's just... you need to see it."

They stopped at the shopfront, Harry pointed eagerly to the broom facing them.

Mel gasped when she saw it. It was truly impressive, the way the wood and every little branch was shaped so perfectly. Its name was Firebolt, and Mel loved it.

"Woah..." She leaned closer, it looked like she was trying to go through the glass, "should we ask? Just to know- I know I wouldn't be able to afford it... not that I need it since I'm not on the team but... wow"

"I know," Harry agreed.

"Harry! Mel! HARRY!" A voice called from a few feet away.

Sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, were Ron and Hermione, both waving at them.

"Finally!" said Ron once they approached them. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and —"

"I got all my school stuff last week," Harry explained. "And how come you knew I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?"

"You didn't tell them?" Mel frowned.

Harry seemed taken by surprise by her question.

"I only told you..."

"Dad told me," Ron replied casually.

"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione seriously.

"I didn't mean to," said Harry while Ron and Mel laughed. "I just — lost control."

"It's not funny," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."

"Oh, I am too," Mel nodded.

"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested." He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?"

"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" Ron chuckled. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well!"

"Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things."

"Excellent!" said Harry. "So, have you got all your new books and stuff?"

"Look at this," said Ron, pulling a long thin box. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books —" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."

"What's all that, Hermione?" Harry asked. Hermione had three full bags of books.

"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I?" said Hermione. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies —"

"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" said Ron, rolling his eyes. "You're Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"

"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," said Hermione.

"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" asked Harry.

Ron laughed. Hermione ignored them.

"I've still got ten Galleons," she said. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."

"How about a nice book?" Ron asked innocently.

"No, I don't think so," said Hermione. "I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig and you've got Errol —"

"I haven't," said Ron. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers. And I want to get him checked over," he placed Scabbers on the table. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him."

"Poor thing," Mel mumbled, then added, "I need to buy my stuff too, just got here from visiting my uncle..."

"There's a magical creature shop just over there," said Harry, pointing to his left. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl. Then we can get your stuff, Mel."

"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.

"Okay," said Ron. "How much — OUCH!"

Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers.

"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed.

"How pretty!" Hermione approached the cat as the boys ran out of the store.

"Uh-oh," Mel whispered, "Mione, are you sure?"

"Crookshanks has been here for ages, you know," The witch lamented, "he's got an awful temper, that's why..."

"Has he?" Hermione asked, deeply touched, "but is he in for adoption?"

"Yes," The woman said with hopeful eyes. "Are you interested?"

"I am," Hermione beamed.

"Mione," Mel said with caution, "that cat went straight for Ron's throat."

"He just got excited," Hermione brushed off, "I'll take him."

"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.

"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.

"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" said Ron.

"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione.

The cat purred happily in her arms.

"At least Grey will have some company now," Mel added.

"And what about Scabbers?" said Ron. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"

"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic. And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him." She said as she offered the tonic to Ron.

"I wonder why," said Ron sarcastically.

"Let's move on," Mel pushed him away from the girl, "I got some shopping to do..."

"Harry! Mel!" Mr. Weasley said as they entered the leaky cauldron. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry.

"How are you?" Mel asked politely.

Mr. Weasley put down his paper, Harry spoke up before the man could reply.

"They still haven't caught him, then?" he asked, pointing at the picture in the Daily Prophet. Sirius Black.

"Hey!" Mel's eyes widened. "That guy was on the telly!"

"Well of course he is," Ron rolled his eyes. "He's just as dangerous to muggles as he is to us."

"Who is he?"

"He's a murderer!" Ron replied eagerly. "Quite crazy, they said they killed about ten–"

"No," said Mr. Weasley, interrupting his son and giving him a severe look. "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money —"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," said Mr. Weasley. "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, you mark my words."

Mrs. Weasley got inside the place, followed by the rest of her children. Ginny, as usual, got very red when she saw Harry, barely capable of muttering just a greeting. Percy, however, was outdoing himself.

"Harry. How nice to see you." Percy shook his hand with utter formality.

"Hello, Percy," said Harry, glancing at Mel and trying not to laugh.

"I hope you're well?" said Percy still on the same tone.

"Very well, thanks —"

"Harry!" said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy —"

"Marvelous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing."

Percy scowled.

"That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum!" said Fred as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand too. "How really corking to see you —"

"I said, that's enough," said Mrs. Weasley, depositing her shopping in an empty chair.

Mel laughed, unable to stay quiet any longer. The twins noticed her presence and dropped the act, ruffling her hair in their normal attitude. She hugged both of the boys, truly happy to see them again.

"Hello, dears. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?" Mrs. Weasley pointed to the brand-new silver badge on Percy's chest. "Second Head Boy in the family!"

"And last," Fred muttered to Mel, though he did it loudly enough for his mother to hear.

"I don't doubt that," said Mrs. Weasley. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."

"What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, snorting. "It'd take all the fun out of life."

"Besides, you'd have to punish yourselves all the time," Mel teased.

"You want to set a better example for your sister!" snapped Mrs. Weasley.

"Ginny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," said Percy. "I'm going up to change for dinner..."

As he left the room, George added. "We tried to shut him in a pyramid, but Mum spotted us."

"Pitty," Mel rolled her eyes, but grinned anyway. "I bet Egypt was fun..."

"We got so many new ideas!" Fred replied, putting an arm around her shoulders and guiding her towards the stairs, "Hear us out..."

"I don't want any part on it, just to set things clear," Mel shook her head, "I'm starting new this year! I told you Dumbledore offered to give me extra lessons? I can't set a bad example now!"

"Oh, don't be dull," George scoffed, "don't tell us you're planning to be Head Girl or something..."

"Maybe," She shrugged, "I told you, you can't judge people just because they don't have the same goals..."

"Well, that's just a terrible idea," Fred shook his head, "A Head Girl! Think of all the possibilities you're throwing out! Behaving like a good student won't leave enough fun memories for when you grow up."

"Yeah, what're you going to tell your kids?" George inquired. "All your stories will be about your study sessions and the grades you got– That's boring."

"I don't know if I want kids!" Mel snapped, her talk with her mother coming back in full force.

"Don't upset her," Ginny had followed them upstairs, she managed to push her way in between George and Mel, and was now grabbing her arm, pulling her away from Fred's grip. "It's my turn to talk to her, go away!"

"You saw that?" Fred said with wide eyes, "The disrespect!"

"You give them freedom and this is how they pay you," George shook his head, "okay then, we'll leave you..."

"Come on," Ginny said to her with excitement, "I'll show you all I got from Egypt!"

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@tiphareth2018​ @vampiregirl1797​ @siriuslysirius1107​ @celestialhayi​ @mikariell95​ @omiwashere​ @thesuitelifeofafangirl​ @kylosleftbuttcheek​ @steve-thotgers​ @tomshollandz​ @reverse-hxlland​ 

[angellazull]

The Hufflepuff🦡

 A History of SlytherinAngelo

The first meeting between 🦡Roger (@hphm-roger) and 🐍Angelo.

As unimaginable as it could be for Angelo, that morning had been a peaceful for him, from the moment he woke up to the last class of the day, care of the magical creatures, he had not been bothered by anyone, which really left him surprised, even after five years, whenever he arrived somewhere, some looked at him with contempt, the rumors involving the name of his family would always chase him, but that morning was different, everyone simply ignored his presence, as if  he wasn't there.

When walking back to the castle, Angelo was reading his copy of ''Plagues and Evil caused by Dark Arts by Nilcetthy Gravadus', but his path was blocked by a group of students.

"Now, now, now, look, Sean, it's Lancaster."  Said the boy with large front teeth and big ears that made him look like a rat.

"That's right, Ozie."  Sebastian Anguslow, his brown hair was more rebellious and his brown eyes looked at Angelo with a provocative look, which he always did when Gryffindor was about to do something with Slytherin.

"Leave me alone, Anguslow. I already have too many problems to have to deal with you."

"What are you reading, Lancaster?"  With a false and exaggerated tone of interest.

"It is none of your business."  Said Angel trying to keep going to the castle, but when he did, Sebastian pulled the book out of his hand.  "Give me back my book."

"Plagues and Evil caused by Dark Arts..." Sebastian read the cover of the book and smiled devilishly.  "A book of darkness, eh Lancaster? Are you trying to improve yourself in the dark arts, are you trying to replace your brother on his mission?"

"Don't you talk about my brother like that, Anguslow!" Angelo gave him a cold, dangerous look. "Now return my book."

Sebastian pulled his wand out of his pocket and threw the book up, pointing his wand at the book he ordered "diffindo", as soon as the spell hit Angelo's book it was detailed, the torn leaves spread across the grass and the torn cover fell off  in front of the boy with turquoise locks.

"Why did you do that?"

Angel quickly pulled his wand out of his pocket, but before he could react, he was disarmed by one of the boys, and Sebastian hit him with the "flipendo" throwing him over a bush that lined the path back to the castle.  The boys started laughing and hurried towards the castle, before Angelo had a chance to compose himself and fight back.

Standing up again, he bent down and picked up the torn book cover, with a broad wave, he ordered "Reparo" so the torn pages of the book rose up into the air and clung to the book again.  With the book back to normal, the Slytherin boy hugged him and ran out towards the boathouse, he usually went there when he needed to be alone.

As soon as he entered, he locked the door, feeling the anger exploding inside his chest, however, the anger turned into sadness, he leaned his head against the glass feeling his eyes were taken by the tears that streamed down his cheeks.

"Why do they hate me?" Angelo asked, covering his mouth with his hand to stifle his crying. "I… never did anything… why doesn't he leave me alone?"

The Slytherin was so immersed in his negative feelings, wondering why those idiots hated him so much, that he did not notice that he was not alone in the boathouse, a black figure who was crouching down behind a few crates moved to drop some crates.  He quickly turned around, pointing his wand at the source of the noise, he was in no mood for any more fun.

"Get out slowly, or I'll turn you into a worm."  Angelo threatened with a cold voice and a deadly look.  "Now."

The hidden figure stood up and turned around, he was a Hufflepuff student, his black hair was straight, with a fringe that fell over his forehead, his brown eyes looked with shyness and a little fear.  It was Roger Lopez, he knew the boy from Hufflepuff's classes.

"Lopez, what are you doing here?"  Angelo asked with hostility and without lowering his wand.  "I'm not in the mood for jokes, so you better not tease me."

"I… I don't…" Roger stammered, holding his arms close to his body.  "I would do it."

In fact Lopez had never been rude to him, in fact the few times they had to do anything in class, he treated Angelo with the utmost respect.  He had no reason to be aggressive with Hufflepuff, sighing he put his wand in his pocket.

"What are you doing here?"  Angelo asked taking a deep breath to calm down and keep the tears out.

"A… bowtruckle of the class was lost and… and… I followed you here, I was… looking for him under those crates when you entered…" Roger looked very shy and hesitated before proceeding.  "You are crying?"

"What?" The surprise of finding Roger there, made him forget that his face was stained by the trail of tears, he quickly looked away, hurrying to dry the tears with his tie.

"You… You were crying, weren't you?"

"This is none of your business, Lopez!"  Angelo hissed those words like a snake, warning someone to stay away.  "It is nobody's business..."

"Sorry…" said Roger, flinching a little.

Seeing Hufflepuff's attitude, Slytherin noticed that he had gone too far, had no reason to be rude to Roger, since he was always friendly to him.  Feeling ashamed of his behavior, Angelo crossed his arms and turned to avoid contact with the other boy.

"I'm sorry, it's not your fault…" he said in a broken voice.  "It is the fault of that Gryffindor idiots…"

"Gryffindor...?" He Roger took a few steps towards Angelo, standing side by side with him. "What… what Gryffindors?"

"Anguslow and his friends…" Angelo frowned, feeling the anger exploding in his chest again. "Why doesn't he just leave me alone? I hate them all."

"Oh… I… I… can I ask… why?" Roger still looked very hesitant, but he also seemed to want to help in some way. "Whats wrong?"

Angelo couldn't help look at Roger in surprise, this was the first time anyone had asked him that.

"They… he… think I'm studying… dark magic, but I'm not…" Angelo felt his eyes well up with tears, that had already become extremely irritating, that situation had already crossed all the limits,  he could no longer hide his frustration, his anger and his sadness, so the tears started flowing again.  "I'm tired of being judged for what I'm not, for what I didn't do, I didn't ask to be born half-veela, nor did my father run away, much less that Jay got involved with the Vaults… I just wanted to be a boy  with a normal life..." He clenched his fists so hard that his joints went white and his nails hurt his palm, but he didn't care about that now.  "Am I really such a bad person?"

Tears flowed like raindrops against the window.

"They always insulted me, offended me, assaulted me, because of this stupid rumors about my father, and my brother's idiot just made it worse… I don't need them… they abandoned me, everyone abandoned me! I didn't want that…  it's horrible to feel lonely and abandoned all the time... like it's worth nothing to anyone. When you've been alone for so long you start to wonder if your life really makes sense, if your existence means anything to anyone, you asked me if I die at this moment... would someone be sad? Would someone miss me? "

The young man with bicolor hair covered his face with his hands crying in tears. Angelo had been keeping these frustrations for years in his heart, at first he thought that if he buried them as deeply as he could, they would not bother him, but the truth that the more he buried such feelings, the more it seemed that was eating away at him.  inside. Until that moment everything was coming out, at once, like an avalanche that I couldn't control.

Unexpectedly, he felt his arms close around him, when he opened his eyes, flooded with tears, saw that Roger hugging him, a thin and subtle line of tears trickled down his cheeks and without hesitation the Hufflepuff said:

"I would miss you… I would be very sad… Angelo, I don't hate you…" Roger hugged him even tighter. "I can't stop rumors from spreading about you, but you're not alone anymore… I'm with you…"

For a minute Slytherin didn't know how to react, he was paralyzed in that place, with Roger hugging him.  The words of the black-haired boy seemed to echo through Angelo's mind like the chime of a bell.

Roger didn't hate him… and would miss him if he died…

It was like a little spark, lighting a little flame of hope in your heart, it was a feeling that I hadn't felt for a long time.

"No… don't make a fool of me, Lopez, or…"

"No, I'm not… I would really miss you, our classes… it wouldn't be the same without you…" Roger said in a voice so soft, as if he were trying to calm an angry beast.  "I'm on your side, Angelo."

That was too much for Angelo, he couldn't take it, he hugged Roger crying on Hufflepuff's shoulder, he wasn't used to someone saying that kind of thing to him.  For a few shelves, the two young men stayed there, while Angelo cried, Roger comforted him patiently.  It was something new for Slytherin, he could feel the genuine affection, a feeling he will just discover he missed very much, the last person to be affectionate with him had been his mother, before she passed away, since then, he had to follow  life alone, without any show of affection, feeling that made his heart beat and believe that all was not completely lost.

-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----

It seems that Angelo has finally found a friend with whom he can tell his problems. Finally, Angel found someone who doesn't hate him.

Hope you like it. 💚💛

[phoenix-downer]

Rokunami Day 2020

Sir Roxas and the Lady of the Lake. ~2100 words. Inspired by Arthurian legend. 

Brocéliande. There was a certain magic in the name of this place, and it lingered in the air and hovered near the oaks and beeches Roxas passed by on his steady mount Llamrei. Dappled light covered the ground beneath Llmarei’s hooves, and Roxas wiped the sweat from his brow. How long had he been riding through this enchanted forest? 

Llamrei’s pace was slowing and her breathing was getting heavier, so Roxas dismounted and led her by the reins, searching for traces of water for her. A bubbling brook or steady pool would do just fine and give him the chance to refill his canteen, too. 

After walking for a little while, he noticed the trees were growing thinner and the ground underneath him was sloping downwards. Then the sound of gentle waves lapping against the shore reached his ears, but they were different from the strong waves of the sea. A few moments later, his eyes confirmed what his ears had told him: before him was a lake full of dark blue water, and a hazy mist rose from its glassy surface. 

This was perfect. Llamrei could drink to her heart’s content, he could restore his own water supply, and there were bound to be berries and roots nearby, as well as animals coming to drink at the lake that he could hunt. They could rest, too, once they’d had their fill of water and food.

“You thirsty?” Roxas asked Llamrei, and she nickered. “Well, you’re in luck. We found the perfect place.” 

Roxas let Llamrei wade into the shallow water, and she lowered her head and began to drink. Satisfied that his horse was taken care of for now, he walked a little ways away from her, then kneeled and lowered a hand to the water. He was about to scoop up a sip when a young woman’s face appeared right beneath the surface of the water. Yelping, he staggered backwards and nearly tripped over his own two feet, and Llamrei lifted her head. 

“Wh-What’s that? Who’s there?” he demanded. While it was possible he’d just stumbled on a corpse, this was said to be an enchanted forest, and it was just as likely that he’d found a fairy or a nymph or some other creature with a mischievous streak. Whether this creature would be cruel to him or kind to him depended largely on its own whims, and it was best if he stayed on his guard.  

A light, airy laugh echoed all around him, and Llarmei’s ears flickered back and forth as she tried to figure out where the noise was coming from. 

“You come to my lake and dare to ask who I am?” came a voice as if from far away. “You are quite bold, Sir… Sir…”

“Roxas. My name is Roxas,” Roxas said nervously. Being rude to a fairy was a bad idea, if his mother’s stories were to be believed. He peered into the water again, but her face was gone.

“Sir Roxas,” she said. “And what brings you here to my lake?”

“My horse Llamrei was thirsty, ma’am,” he said. “She needed water.” 

“Well… a man who is kind to animals is a welcome guest to my abode,” the woman said at last. 

Roxas relaxed. For now, at least, he was probably safe from any tricks. “And who might my gracious hostess be?” he asked, being careful to keep his voice polite. 

“I am Naminé, the Lady of the Lake.” 

“Lady Naminé,” Roxas said as he bowed his head, “thank you for letting me and my horse drink from your lake.”

He didn’t dare ask to see her again; that would be too bold. Instead he cautiously waded back in the water and drank, then refilled his canteen. As he was readjusting his pack, he thought he spotted a sword rising from the surface of the water a little ways away, grasped in a slender, delicate hand.

“Lady Naminé?” he called. “Is that you?” 

“This sword is yours for the taking, if you so wish to take it,” came her singsong voice. “But if it pleases you to take it, you must promise to grant me one wish.”

With a gasp, he realized he recognized the weapon. It was Excalibur, his prized possession, his beloved sword. He had lost it in battle, and ever since, he hadn’t had the heart to duel wield anymore. He still had the beautiful Dyrnwyn with its white hilt and its blade that caught fire when wielded by anyone worthy, but it still wasn’t the same as having Excalibur. Excalibur was a weapon above all other weapons; forged in the furnaces of Avalon, the two chimeras on its hilt struck fear in the hearts of its wielder’s enemies. Using the sword greatly enhanced Roxas’s power and magic, and wearing its scabbard protected him from losing even a drop of blood. 

“Please, I have to have it back,” he said as he waded deeper into the water, then hesitated. What if this was a trick? What if it was an illusion, and the Lady of the Lake would lure him deep into the water, then drag him underneath its surface and drown him?

“Don’t be afraid, Sir Roxas,” Lady Naminé said. “I will give it to you if you promise to grant me one wish.”

He hesitated again. “What wish is that, my lady?” 

“I cannot tell you until you have agreed to my terms.” 

“But how can I know if the terms are good if you won’t tell me?”

“You will have to trust me. You want your sword back, don’t you? All you have to do is say, ‘Yes, I will grant you your one wish,’ and Excalibur will be yours again.” 

He didn’t know what to do. On the one hand, he wanted Excalibur back, more than anything. But on the other hand, he could be signing up for his own death, or for a fate worse than death, by agreeing to this. Legends abounded of people trapped in trees and towers and rocks for angering lovers or friends who turned out to be fairies or magicians or enchantresses.  

“You promise you aren’t tricking me?” he said. 

“I promise. You have my word.”

Roxas sighed and said, “Very well, Lady Naminé. I will grant you your wish in exchange for Excalibur.” 

Something bumped against his leg, and he realized it was a small boat. He climbed inside and rowed to the middle of the lake, where Lady Naminé patiently held up Excalibur. He could make out her face underneath the water again, and it struck him that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes were the same deep blue as the water, and her hair was like sunlight. Her dress swirled all around her, ebbing and flowing with the water to the point he couldn’t determine where it ended and the waves began. 

He set the oars aside and reached over the edge of the boat. His hand rested over hers, and her hand wasn’t at all cold or wet like he was expecting. It was soft and warm, and he almost regretted the moment she let go of Excalibur, leaving the hilt grasped in his hand. 

“Thank you,” he said, and she smiled. She looked more like an angel than an enchantress, which was what Roxas figured she was. Whatever her true nature though, Roxas was beginning to believe she really was on his side. He returned her smile, then fastened Excalibur’s scabbard to his waist. It felt good to have his trusty sword back, and now it was his turn to uphold his end of the bargain. 

“Now, what is it you wish?” he asked. 

Her smile faded, and a shadow came over her face. “When you are king, do not forget me. Do not forget the Lady in the Lake who restored Excalibur to your side.”

“Wait, I’m gonna be king?”

She nodded. “Yes, Sir Roxas, you will be king.”

“That’s all you want me to do? Remember you?” 

That seemed easy enough. Surely there was some kind of catch to her request. 

“It will be a harder task than you may think,” she admitted. “You will go on many adventures. You will meet people whose faces you remember better than mine. We may cease to recognize each other completely, in fact. But you must find me again.”

“And then what? What happens when I find you?”

“What the stars have decided for us from the moment we were born. Now go, and do not forget me.”

“I won’t,” he said. “I promise.” 

She smiled, but her eyes were sad. “Oh, but you will. You will forget. You’ll forget my face. You’ll forget my voice. You’ll even forget my name.” 

“No, I won’t!” he cried. “How could I ever forget a face as beautiful as yours?” He froze, and he knew a blush was creeping up his neck. Had he really just admitted he found her beautiful? That wasn’t the kind of thing he should be saying at all to her. Where had his manners gone?

“Beauty is fleeting, and memory is faulty,” she said sadly. “Many a man has promised to free me from this lake, only to forget me and abandon me.”

“You’re trapped here?” he said, his brow furrowing, and she nodded. 

“An evil enchantress cursed me to remain here when I was just a child. Soon after I was born, it was foretold that my magic would be greater than hers, and she was jealous of me. She kidnapped me and trapped me here.”

“That’s awful,” Roxas said. How long had she been stuck here all alone?

“The only way to free me is to return for me,” she explained. “But everyone who meets me once leaves and never comes back. The only thing I can conclude is that they’ve all forgotten about me. They’ve all forgotten the promise they made.” She sighed deeply. “It must be the work of the evil enchantress. She wants me to be trapped here forever.”

“I won’t forget you, I swear,” Roxas said. “I’ll come back for you, I promise.” 

“How can you be sure?” she said sadly. 

Roxas thought for a moment. If magic really was involved, who was to say he wouldn’t forget her like all the others had? As he pondered the problem, his hand idled to the ring around his finger with his family’s crest, and that was when it struck him. He needed something to remember Naminé with, something that magic couldn’t mess with. 

“Give me something of yours,” he told her. “Something to have and to hold. Memory may be fleeting, but if I have something to remember you by, it might be enough to resist the curse.” 

She nodded and reached into the folds of her dress. A moment later, she lifted a handkerchief out of the water. Somehow, it was perfectly dry as she placed it in his hand. He noted with a great deal of pleasure that she left her hand in his for longer than was really necessary before shyly withdrawing it. 

“See? This has your name embroidered on it,” he said as he carefully examined the handkerchief. “I’ll wear it next to my heart until we meet again.”

He could’ve sworn her cheeks turned pink, but it was a little hard to tell with the water between them. 

“Thank you, Sir Roxas.”

“Please, just call me Roxas.”

Her cheeks got pinker. “Yes, Roxas. And please, call me Naminé.” 

“Sure, Naminé.” He smiled and slipped the ring off his finger. “Please wear this for me until I return. You gave me something of yours, it’s only fair I give you something of mine.” 

She lifted her left hand out of the water this time, and he slipped the ring on her ring finger, then kissed her hand. To his relief, she didn’t chide him for his bold gesture, and instead smiled and gently touched the ring once her hand was back underwater. 

“Wait for me,” he said, and she looked up to meet his eyes. “I’ll come back for you when I’m king.”

“I know you will. Farewell for now, Roxas. We’ll see each other again soon.”

As he withdrew from the lake with Llamrei at his side and Naminé’s handkerchief next to his heart, he willed with all his heart to make his promise come true. He would return to Naminé, and when he did, he would make her his queen, if she would have him. 

For that, no amount of magic or enchantment would ever stop him from returning. 

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

This was written for Rokunami Day, for the prompt, “To have and to hold.” I’ve been wanting to do something related to Arthurian legend for KH for a while now, and I finally got to do that with this fic. I hope you all enjoyed! 

A big thank you to @rapis-razuri​ who read over this fic for me. I really appreciate the support! And thank you to the Rokunami fandom for always being so caring and kind and supportive! 

I’d also like to thank Canva and Pixabay for making this graphic possible. haha. My graphic design skills are a work in progress, but thanks to them I was able to put something together! 

[myssamyss]

Sand, Swords, Scars, and Other Things I Won’t Tell My Cursed Wolf Therapist: Part 4

The final part

Part 4: Confrontation

Legend approached the waterfall. The swirled etchings on the cliff face seemed to gleam brighter in the moonlight. The crash of water commanded his hearing, drowning out any additional screams.

As he crept closer, he could see pitch blackness behind the waterfall where no etchings gleamed. Spray from the water misted his face as he inched his body along the cliff face to peer behind the waterfall.  A dark, hidden cave lurked behind the curtain of water. Of course there’s a damned cave, he hissed to himself. He took a resigned breath and entered.  

Legend stood in a large rocky cavern beneath the falls. Its empty stone walls were barely lit by moonlight. The roar of the waterfall echoed through the cavern as Legend’s eyes swept over bare stone.  

The cave suddenly grew absolutely dark and silent. He twirled around and found that the entrance had disappeared into blackness.  

Well, he thought to himself, at least I still have my weapons. And I’m not a bunny.  

A woman’s scream split the silence, loud and close. Legend dropped into a crouch.

“Alright, Magic Cave,” he called out into the darkness, “I know you’re working hard to be spooky, but I’d really like to go back to sleep. Can we just get this over with?”

A pale, sourceless light began to illuminate the cave. Appearing out of the darkness ahead of him stood a petite, shadowy figure. The edges of the figure spiraled like dark smoke. The shadow coalesced, sharpening into a familiar girl with long auburn hair. The hem of her pale blue dress fluttered among the twisting darkness.  

Legend felt his fists curl. Heat rose in his chest.  

“Oh, Link,” the figure called to him with a sickening, sing-song voice.

Legend couldn’t help wincing.

The sugary voice continued. “This is just a passing dream. Come with me. We can run away into a new dream. We can explore the world together!” the shadow called.  

The imitation was terrible. Legend groaned in frustration. “I’ve already made this choice,” he called into the cavern. “Is this the big test? Well surprise, I’m not that sentimental!” he cried.  

He pulled his bow without hesitation and shot an arrow through the very center of the shadow’s forehead.  

The shadow dispersed, then curled back in on itself. It was swirling and reforming, building a new apparition. The shadow grew taller and began to take on a wickedly familiar visage.  

“Oh, it’s you, kid,” the shadowy figure intoned deeply. “Guess your addict mother isn’t here to save you this time. How’s the head?” At his words, Legend felt the first small flutter of fear in his stomach.  

The mean-faced man.  

He was impossibly big, bigger than any actual Hylian, dwarfing Legend in comparison. His face was just as flushed and cruel as Legend remembered from his nightmares. Legend stretched his right hand reflexively.  

“Maybe this time I’ll pull that arm clean off,” the shadow drawled.

Legend forced his unease to morph into laughter and his confidence grew. “Please,” he rolled his eyes. “I’m not a child anymore. And I’m not afraid of you.”

He drew his sword and slashed out at the specter in one confident, fluid motion.

His slice tore the shadow in two and the darkness dissipated. Legend waited for a tense moment, staring into the cavern. The shadow had disappeared, leaving nothing but the stone floor. The cave was empty once more.  

Legend scoffed, then he turned on his heels and started back into the darkness where the cave’s entrance had been.  

He froze halfway through stowing his sword when another, softer voice called out to him from where the shadow had stood. 

“Link,” the voice whispered.  

Legend spun around to find himself facing his mother. 

He sucked in a breath at the sight of her. She was wreathed in billowing shadows. Her hair hung pale and lifeless around her gaunt, distorted face. Her eyes were without pupils, just large white orbs set into her skull.  

Legend’s hand stayed at his sword, ready to pull it in a moment’s notice. But she didn’t attack him physically.  

“I always hated you, Link,” she spat. “Such a worthless brat. You’re lucky I kept you alive.” Her harsh words resounded through the cavern.  

Legend’s face twisted into a scowl. Of all the loathsome things this hinoxson of a magic cave could come up with...

“You disgust me,” his mother’s long-dead voice continued. 

Anger reignited in Legend’s chest. Everything in this cave was wrong, like a melodramatic play done by an unskilled troupe. He didn’t appreciate the mockery of his trauma.  

“You think this is scary?” he shouted upward into the cavern. “You think this is what keeps me up at night? Please! This is what I WANTED her to tell me,” he yelled. “This would have made things easy!”  

“A boy who wants his mother’s hate? You must know exactly what a pathetic child you are,” the shadow taunted in response. 

Legend shook his head. It would be easy to plunge his sword through the creature’s chest once more, but he was beginning to suspect it was no use. If the shadow was going to keep regenerating, Legend realized he needed to change tactics.

But did he really want to? Slaying monsters was easy, he could stand all night in a damned cave cutting down shadows. Facing enemies in combat no longer required much courage from him after years of experience. Emotions, on the other hand…

“This isn’t her,” Legend said more calmly than he felt. “Show her to me.”

He moved his arm from his blade and let his trembling hand fall to his side. He began taking slow, deliberate steps toward the shadow. 

As he walked, the shape of his mother seemed to shrink in on itself. With each step she grew smaller, more pathetic. Her hair grew blonder and her face filled in, becoming less twisted. Her pupils reappeared as small, round dots within her deep blue eyes.

Finally, he was less than a meter away. She tried to look at him, but her eyes seemed to slide past him. She was a beautiful husk.

“Link... I wanted… to love you,” she told him disjointedly. She tried to raise a hand up to his face, but her movements were clumsy and lacked warmth.  

He shuddered at her touch. Standing before him was the truth: someone so helpless that she couldn’t resist the pull of passing comfort and a quick high.  

Legend choked on his words. “I know you loved me, mom,” he said as hot tears escaped down his cheeks. That’s the worst part, he thought to himself. 

His words kept coming. “It wasn’t enough. You loved me, and you still left me to starve and bleed. You were a terrible mother,” he whispered.  

His words were pure and true, from the depths of his being, and she had no rebuttal. The shadow was completely still and silent. Waiting for his judgement. Because this was his true test, he could feel it in his bones.  

Courage, now.  

“And I forgive you,” he cried out as his voice broke into a sob. A dam of emotions burst inside of him.  

Legend raised his arms to embrace the shadow, but she dissolved into the air.  

He was truly alone in the cavern. 

Legend sunk to his knees, threw his face to the ground, and wept. 

***

***

***

Legend felt two strong hands lifting his shoulders off the ground. The waterfall thundered in his ears. He opened his eyes to see light filtering through the cascading water. He was still in the stupid cave, he realized.  

“I’ve got him!” sang Twilight’s voice near his head.

“No one can hear you in here,” Legend muttered.

Twilight glanced down. “Oh good, you’re awake. What the hell happened to you?”

Legend propped himself up with an elbow. “Uh, I went for a nighttime stroll?” He rubbed his eyes.

“Mhm, yeah, sure. Legend, it’s nearly midday,” Twilight countered. “Everyone’s out looking for you.”

“The rocky ground here was just so much more comfy than my bedroll,” Legend replied.

“You loosed an arrow, it’s over there in the corner of the cave!”

“Yeah, sometimes I like to practice my archery in caves!” Legend told him pointedly.  

Twilight glared. “Fine, don’t tell me, but if we’re in danger I want to-”

The two men blinked as light filled their vision. The sound of the waterfall was gone. They were now in the midst of a large, grassy field lit with bright sunlight. They had been transported to yet another new place.

Their heads whipped around. The other seven heroes were scattered throughout the field at various distances. Legend realized they must have split up back on the beach to look for him.

“Legend! Twilight!” Time called out across the grass, sounding relieved at the sight of them.

Legend shot Twilight an insolent look. “See, we’re not in danger,” he replied. “Let’s just be glad that we’re off that goddess-forsaken island.”

Twilight held out his hand and helped Legend to his feet.  

“No one ever said it was an island,” Twilight pointed out.  

Legend didn’t respond. He brushed himself off and pushed his hair back from his eyes. The two men walked through the tall grass toward their companions.  

“Look, I know you’ve been through some serious shit,” Twilight told him. “And I know you don’t like to talk about it. But if anybody could understand, it’s one of us. Sometimes talking makes it better.” Twilight shrugged.  

“Yeah, yeah, ‘the deepest wounds are unseen’ and ‘let it all out’ and all the rest,” Legend replied sarcastically. “I’m ok, really.” He gave Twilight a meaningful look that betrayed a seriousness his words had tried to cover.  

He glanced up and saw his friends running toward him in the sunlight. They were excited to find him, Legend realized. They wouldn’t leave him to face things alone. Not like his mother had.

His early years of neglect at her hands scarred him and haunted him, and for ages his heart had screamed for retribution. But this sad woman in the cave? Legend saw that she was just a person. A person who failed to love and care for him as she should, but a person all the same. Besides, he considered, she was beyond the grave without a chance to redeem herself to him, and maybe that was punishment enough.  

Legend was grown now, and no longer alone. He was loved and wanted by his friends both here on his quest and back home in his Hyrule. The shadows of his past were sharp, but he didn’t have to carry them wherever he went. He could forgive, allow old wounds to close, and keep on living.  

Legend stared up at the bright blue sky stretching over the bountiful field like a protective cap. For the first time in a long time, he really did feel ok.  

[tilltheendwilliwrite]

Of Blood and Roses

Chapter Thirteen

Previous Chapter

Pairing: Loki x Lauren  |  Word Count: 8549 Warnings: Fluff, fluff, and more fluff. Loki being Loki

Lauren was both charmed and enthralled by the market and found it horribly difficult to make any progress when with every few paces there was something new and equally wonderous to see. The craftsmanship of weapons, jewelry, clothes, art, and tapestries left her breathless and amazed.

She found herself unable not to touch and exclaim over this and that and quickly fell into a natural rhythm with the merchants. They were all kind, and whether that was because of who she was or who she walked with Lauren couldn't tell, but all smiled and answered her questions with ease.

Interspersed among the merchants were performers. Jugglers, sword swallowers, and fire eaters mixed and mingled with people claiming to read fortunes, and others working small tricks of magic. One intrepid magician had the nerve to invite Loki to try his luck, it was the same ball and cups game Lauren had seen played on Earth, but this time when the cups spun, they were far faster than she could see.

Of course, Loki had no such problem and flicked the right cup over with a fingertip to the delight of both the crowd and the magician.

But so far, nothing has really caught her fancy. Lauren was content to walk and talk, smile and nod, but she had no use for an axe - decorative or not - and always moved on until a colourful window display had her stopping dead in the center of the road. “Oh, my!”

There, hanging in the window, were small glass balls wrapped in leather not so different from the ones she collected for her Gran.

“Ah,” Loki chuckled. “Should we have a closer look, darling?”

She was already heading for the door to the shop, a cheery bell ringing out with her entrance. “Just look at them,” she laughed, carefully touching one floating teal orb. As soon as her fingers made contact, the colours started to swirl and move like waves on the ocean. “It beautiful.”

“I'm pleased you like them,” came a baritone voice from a few feet away.

Lauren turned and found a man in his mid-thirties, his caramel-coloured hair blending into his full beard. Braids and beads decorated the length of hair on his head and his chin, but it was his kind blue eyes that made Lauren smile. A big man, he wore a thick leather apron and stood just beyond the door to the back of his store.

“I'm Duncan Mclaren, milady. Milord. Never thought I'd see the day when the prince and princess of Asgard graced my humble shop.”

“Well met, Mr. Mclaren,” Lauren smiled and gave the standard greeting Loki had explained was traditional for their day. “May the Norns bless you.”

“You humble me, milady,” he said and bowed deeply.

“Do you make these, Mclaren?” Loki asked, motioning to the fairy balls.

“Tis my glassworks you’d be standing, milord. All the work here is mine.”

For the first time, Lauren looked around the shop and noted the shelves with their decorative vases and square boxes full of colourful glass beads. Moving closer, she dipped her fingers inside and let the beads trickle down her palm. “They're wonderful!”

“Thank you, milady. The women use them for clothing as well as hair accessories, or jewelry making.” Duncan made his way a little cautiously toward what likely constituted his cash register and reached beneath, Loki watching warily. “I believe these would be more to your liking. When word came of the prince’s good fortune, I thought it prudent to create a new series.”

Lauren made her way closer and chuckled finding a host of green, black, and gold beads in the box. “Lovely, but it's your orbs I'm interested in.”

“The glass is quite special. A merchant trader from Nidavellir brought me the sand. Each one comes out special without any coaxing from me.” He smiled fondly at the window display.

“We have similar ones where I from but yours are magic. I collect them for my Gran and havin’ one so special from Asgard would just make her year!”

Duncan’s face fell. “Forgive me, your highness, but they aren't for sale.”

“Oh. Oh, I see,” Lauren sighed and smiled sadly. “That's disappointin’.”

“Surely you could make an exception,” Loki interjected. “Money is no object. I'd pay you handsomely for it.”

Duncan shook his head  “It's not that, milord. They are all one of a kind. I couldn't bear to part with them. Even for the lovely princess.”

Loki frowned and appeared about to argue, but Lauren patted his arm. “S’okay, Loki. Thank you for speakin’ with us, Mr. Mclaren.”

“If I could procure you more of the sand, would you be content to make one for my wife?” Loki asked before Lauren could walk away.

“Of course, milord! But how could you possibly do that?”

“I can do many things others cannot.” With a twist of his hand, Loki set a small sack down on the same counter. “The orbs Lauren usually collects for Ellie are approximately one and a half times bigger than the ones you have in your window. This is more than enough star sand to make what we've requested of you. Consider the rest payment for your time.”

Duncan stared at Loki for a moment before picking up the sack and pulling open the top. He dipped his fingers inside, and when he lifted them out, Lauren gasped at the beauty of the grains which shimmered and shot light from his fingers.

“This… this is pure star sand! Even better than what the merchant brought me. Milord, it’s too much!” Duncan protested.

Loki shrugged and waved a dismissive hand. “Then make my wife two and keep the rest. When they are ready, bring them to the palace.”

“I will, milord! Thank you! You will have them shortly,” Duncan said, bowing and nodding, a broad smile on his face.

“Come along, darling.” Loki set his hand on Lauren’s back and guided her from the shop.

“Where does that stuff come from, Loki? It was like itty bitty stars in each grain,” Lauren asked.

Loki smiled down at her then turned his hand over and showed her a world held in his palm. “Nidavellir is a world of metal rings wrapped around the heart of a dying neutron star. When the dwarves forge their creations, light from the star ignites the forge and keeps the rings moving. When the sparks of the dying star come in contact with the cold metal of the forge, the sand is a by-product. The dwarves consider it useless dust, though I'm not sure they know it can do what Mclaren has done with it,” he chuckled softly, and the image disappeared.

“Does this constitute spreadin’ our good fortune?” Lauren asked, smirking up at Loki.

“Most definitely,” Loki agreed.

“Did my brother finally find something which caught your fancy, little sister?” Thor asked, arriving beside her to take Lauren’s hand and link it through his elbow.

“I found somethin’ for my Gran,” Lauren smiled up at Thor as Loki drifted over to where Sif studied a display of very shiny knives.

“Ah, the lovely Ellie. She would quite charm the pants off the majority of my court. They would find her plain way of speaking and honesty refreshing. Our elders are all quite revered.”

“She would get a kick outta this place. All the magic and just how grand everythin’ is. I still have a hard time believin’ what I’m seein’ half the time.”

The streets were cobblestone lanes, but then there would be a river rushing through the middle of it and a bridge of steel and glass spanning the width. Buildings of metal and glass intersected ones of ancient stone and carved wood.

Weapons now thought antique on Earth were looked over with great consideration and sat side by side with ones of such advanced technology Tony would be over the moon.

And everywhere she looked nature flourished. Trees and parks wound their way through all the civilization as if it belonged there. Like the city had been built with great care around the enormous trees and flower-filled fields. But something about it all had Lauren curious.

“Thor? Where are all the birds? Do y’all not have things like sparrows and robins? Or the insects. With all these pretty flowers, you’d think the bees would just be buzzin’ like crazy.”

A hint of sadness seemed to befall him. “What creatures live on Asgard returned to the wooded areas many millennia ago after Fjörgynn, mother’s father, our grandfather, passed on. It was said he could coax any animal to his bidding, that even the wildest of our creatures would come to lay their head in his lap. When he died, the animals retreated in grief. What creatures we have in our homes are our pets and companions, but the wild ones, the birds and insects, the weasels and rabbits never venture back within the city. We maintain the gardens and natural places with the magic of Asgard.”

“Oh. That’s so sad,” Lauren murmured.

“It is. Travelling to Midgard is always such a pleasure. Finding fat, nectar drunk bees humming among the flowers makes me smile.”

He looked longingly up at the flowers overhead, and Lauren squeezed his arm. “Do you think they’ll ever come back?”

“That depends on whether or not we have a god or a goddess who could coax them out of hiding,” Thor said before guiding her toward a booth with many wooden casks. “A drink perhaps?”

Lauren nodded, feeling parched. With the sun up and the heat collecting between the buildings, she was finding it much warmer than she had and let her shawl drape from her elbows. She glanced behind her to see Loki walking with Sif. He seemed to be speaking rather quickly, but with the look of shock and slight terror on Sif’s face, Lauren knew exactly what Loki was telling her.

A guilty flush filled her face, but at the same time, she found herself with an opportunity she wasn’t about to pass up. Subtle questions could be asked if she was careful.

Thor turned and held out a glass of deep red liquid. “Try this, Lauren.”

She gave the cup a delicate sniff. “Wine?”

“Made from Ragar grapes and Massinian flowers on the Minwarie homeworld,” he explained.

Lauren sipped delicately and closed her eyes in bliss. “Oh, my stars…” It was like someone had taken rainbows and sunshine and wrapped them in velvet before dipping them in a sea’s foaming spray so refreshing and delicious was the drink.

Both Thor and the wine seller chuckled.

“The princess likes?”

Lauren sighed in pleasure and smiled at the man. He had a darker complexion, one more in keeping with a person from a desert climate than the woods and mountain terrain of Asgard. Even his clothing bespoke warmer temperatures with his lightweight fabrics, flowing robes, and head covering.

“I like it very much,” she agreed, taking another sip.

“I give a cask to you. A gift for Loki’s Ástvinur!” He slapped his hand down on a small barrel and flashed a set of gold-capped teeth.

“Oh, I couldn’t!” Lauren gasped.

“We would be delighted,” Thor easily overrode her objection and bent his head to whisper against her ear, “The Minwarie are a very proud people. When offered a gift, it is considered insulting to reject it. Instead, offer a blessing as thanks and graciously accept.”

Lauren blushed in embarrassment. “Forgive me. I’d be happy to accept, mister?”

“Shallor, highness,” he said, laying two fingers to his lips before bowing.

“Well met, Shallor. May the blessin’s of the day extend to you and yours.” She nodded her head and smiled, drinking the last of the wine.

“Gracious lady. I will deliver the cask personally.”

The man beamed with happiness and Lauren relaxed as she handed back her now empty cup. “It’s a beautiful wine.”

He smiled, and a sparkle came to his dark eyes. “For a woman of such exquisite loveliness, I could offer nothing less but the Minwaries finest, and that is the Sangard.”

“Thank you, Shallor.” A new blush rose in her cheeks while Thor chuckled and guided her away. “Well that was nearly a disaster,” Lauren sighed.

“The Minwarie rarely offer anything for free, dear one. Do not concern yourself with it. They all know you are from Midgard and are yet unused to the ways of the many people who share our universe. You recovered beautifully.” He gave her hand a reassuring pat.

She smiled and felt better. “It was an excellent wine.”

“You are in for a treat. There are many vintages, ales, meads, and other spirits to try. Things no human would be able to stomach. It is a joy and a privilege to help you discover them all, little sister. Everything seems… magical again when you try them for the first time.”

“Aww,” she blushed and leaned her head against Thor’s shoulder. “Y’all are a big ol’ softy. I love you too, Thor.”

He chuckled and patted her hand a second time. “You’re an amazing woman, Lauren.”

A very colourful booth caught her eye, and Lauren tugged Thor toward it. The woman within wore the most exquisitely embroidered apron Lauren had ever seen, but her style of dress seemed… ancient in comparison to the people around her.

“Milady. Your majesty,” the woman smiled and dropped a quick curtsey. “I’m honoured by your visit.”

She was what Lauren would consider the quintessential Norse woman. Tall, thin but strong, with bright blonde hair and big blue eyes.

“This is… wonderful!” Lauren exclaimed, gently touching the intricate patterns.

“They are the traditional garb of our ancient people,” Thor explained. “Very much in keeping with your own Norse ancestors. The Viking people of your past.”

On a stand behind the table, a woman’s dress and cloak held pride of place, and Lauren motioned toward it. “May I?”

“Of course, milady!” the woman stepped back to allow them to pass.

Lauren wasted no time in getting closer. The outfit was stunning, the fabric like a heavyweight wool. The cream outer dress was as soft as velvet and embroidered with dark blue designs, but it was the fabric of the underdress which amazed her. “It’s a weave!” she gasped, astounded. “I thought maybe y’all pressed the pattern down on the fabric, but this is… I can’t believe it! The amount of time that must have gone into makin’ somethin’ so unique.”

“You know your fabrics, milady,” the woman smiled, clearly excited by the praise.

“I have a friend who’s very into clothes at home. She knew everythin’ about everythin’ when we were growin’ up. Sadie would just die if she saw this. And the jewelry. Thor just look at these broaches!” The massive gold ovals appeared to hold the cream outer dress in place. “Are these from Duncan Mclaren?” Lauren asked, lightly touching the short necklace of beads before skimming her fingers down to the middle one of the three on the mannequin.

The woman blinked in surprise. “Yes! He’s my cousin, milady.”

“Such pretty bobbles in his glass works. I can’t tell you how surprised I was to find fairy orbs here. I was ever so disappointed we couldn’t buy one for Gran, but then Loki cleverly provided your cousin with some more of his star sand. Isn't that stuff pretty all on its own? Anyway, your cousin is bein’ ever so kind to make me a couple just for Gran, and I’m so excited!” Lauren giggled and lifted the longest necklace of beads and metal coins up to have a closer look. “Gosh, this is just so pretty. Do you make it all yourself?”

“Every piece besides the broaches and the clasp here.” She indicated the one just below the waist of blue ribbon. “The goldsmith Clareon makes all my gold pieces, highness.”

“The whole thing is just,” Lauren shook her head in awe, “wonderful!”

Thor chuckled, his smile big and full, amusement in her excitement evident. “It appears my sister is quite taken with your talents, miss?”

“Ingrid, your majesty.” She dropped another curtsey.

“Is your mother Runa?” he asked.

“She is!” Ingrid smiled. “I’m surprised you remember.”

“One cannot forget the talents of a woman like Runa,” he chuckled and smiled down at Lauren. “We have a feast yearly to celebrate our ancestors. A time to dress in memory of them and drink to their accomplishments. It was one of Mother’s favourite celebrations, and Runa used to make her costume.”

“Not Madame Lanche?” Lauren asked.

“No, milady,” Ingrid shook her head and lightly touched the embroidery on the outer dress. “Each stitch is as sacred as the design they produce. Just like not every woodworker can carve a rune, not every dressmaker can correctly execute these designs. They honour our ancestors and the Norns.”

“I feel like I have so much to learn,” Lauren sighed softly. “And I swear y’all must have a feast every other day!”

“You have nothing but time, little sister,” Thor assured her. “Do you like the blue? Or would you rather a green?”

“No the blue is so pretty,” Lauren said as she turned to have a look at the other items only to have her gaze land on a set of tiny clothes meant for an infant to wear. “Aren’t these just precious!” she squealed. “Are these ravens?” she asked Ingrid.

“They are indeed, milady,” she smiled.

“Thor?” Lauren called, unaware of the look which passed between him and Loki. “What’s your favourite colour?”

He sidled up behind her. “I’ve always been partial to red. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious,” Lauren said. “What do you think of somethin’ like this for Sadie? Part of her baby gift, maybe? Maybe in red, so her baby’s doubly blessed by Thor.”

***

Leaving the glassworks, Loki left Lauren in Thor’s keeping, seeing the perfect opportunity to speak with Sif without others growing too curious. As she happened to be perusing a selection of daggers and short knives, it wasn’t an oddity for him to join her at the table.

“See something you like, Lady Sif?” he asked as she checked the balance of a particularly nice blade, double-edged with an attractive black sheen to the steel.

“Fandral’s natal day is coming,” she muttered and put the dagger down.

“Ah, then perhaps this would be more to his liking,” Loki chuckled and tapped a short blade which was as shiny as a mirror.

Sif chuckled softly before tapping one of her own. “You should consider this for Lauren. It’s lightweight, short enough to be easily concealed, and… it’s pretty.”

Loki glanced at Sif and found a light flush on her cheeks before she ducked her head, letting her hair fall forward to cover her embarrassment. It was then he could see it, the longing. The yearning inside the woman for something more. The desire to be feminine.

“This one?” Loki asked, picking up the dagger with the jewelled hilt. An ornate sheath of engraved silver steel looked like vines and roses. The background was red, matching the gem in the hilt. When he drew it from within, the blade shone nicely in the sun. He rolled the dagger over the back of his hand, spun it on his palm, then balanced it on a finger. “Very nice.”

He resheathed it and nodded to the nervously waiting merchant, haggled a bit on the price, and settled on one Loki found acceptable. With a flick of his fingers, he vanished the dagger to give to Lauren later. Then, before she could protest, Loki collected Sif’s hand and tucked it in his elbow.

“Loki?” she frowned, appearing flustered.

“Walk with me, Sif.” He didn’t allow her to deny him, simply led the way and wrapped them in silence so they would not be overheard. “Now, my darling lady. Lauren has spoken to me of your desires.”

She sucked in air, and every muscle stiffened causing her to stumble a step. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You can’t lie to me, Sif,” he huffed. “And while I have no idea what it is you see in him,” he shot a glance Fandral’s way, the man a few booths down from where Thor and Lauren enjoyed a beverage, “I can understand the desire to have your love returned.”

“Loki… I…” She swallowed thickly. “You don’t… approve?”

“It’s not my place to approve or disapprove. We love who we love, and the Norns know things we are not privy to. I never expected to find Lauren, let alone have her be my Ástvinur. I ask you not to hold it against my wife for speaking of your troubles. She has nothing but your best interests at heart, and after everything you’ve done for Lauren, how welcome you’ve made her and how helpful you’ve been, I wish to assist.”

She was quiet for a long moment before heaving a heavy sigh. “I am not even certain how you could do that. I am not even certain of my own feelings on the matter.”

“Sif.” Loki drew her to the side out of the way of the bustling crowd. “I…” He had to clear his throat. “I apologize for never seeing you as anything but another sword in Thor’s arsenal. If you want this if you want to step out of my brother’s shadow and become something more, I want to help you. Lauren wants to help you. And if you desire to explore your feminine side, there is no one better qualified than my Lauren to teach you.”

Sif closed her eyes, seeming overcome with emotion before she lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. “I never really liked you, but I… I have wronged you, Loki. Though I prayed to the Norns you would find your way, I did not truly believe it would happen. And now you stand here before me and say these words to me, and I realize I have misjudged you.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “We misjudged each other, Sif. Now.” Again he collected her hand to his arm and headed after Lauren and Thor. “We will begin anew, and while Lauren assists you with finding yourself, I shall teach you to flirt.”

“You?” she scoffed.

“My darling lady,” he smiled winsomely, “I am the very definition of charming when I wish to be. Tonight we shall start things rolling. An hour before the feast, you will join Lauren and I in our chambers.”

“Why?” Sif frowned at him.

“If you wish to make changes, then there is no better night for it than this. It is a night of great celebration, and if you arrive with Lauren and I in a dress atypical of the norm, it will only be mildly surprising. From there, we work on the rest.”

“I don’t know about this, Loki. What if…” She looked away.

“What if what?” he asked quietly.

“What if… everyone laughs at me?”

She shot him a glance which made his heart ache for her. Never had he seen Sif so uncertain. “They will not laugh.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“Because, Sif. If anyone so much as snickers when I'm done with you, I will gut them,” he growled.

She burst out laughing. “You know, I always did like your twisted sense of humour.”

“It wasn’t a joke,” Loki smirked.

“And that is what makes it all the funnier,” Sif continued to chuckle. “Alright, Loki. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… I trust you.”

“As you should,” Loki snickered and released her when she pulled away, indicating she was for the cart set up with sweet smelling pies, while Loki wandered toward where Lauren and Thor stood admiring clothing of a bygone era.

Lauren’s emotions had been up and excited for a while now. They bubbled so brightly he was helpless but to smile. Then Thor caught his eye and nodded toward the outfit of blue and cream on the stand. When Loki arched an intrigued brow, Thor grinned and nodded so hard, Loki was amazed Lauren didn’t notice. While she remained occupied, he motioned to the woman who owned the booth and nodded toward the stunning costume.

She smiled in understanding, but when she made to remove the outfit from the stand, he waved her off and slipped her a bag of coin. After all the years of watching his mother gush over similar designs, he knew exactly what such a costume was worth and didn’t begrudge her a coin.

When Lauren cooed over the infant clothes and wondered if they would make a fitting gift for Sadie, he moved up beside Thor. “What an exceptional idea, darling,” Loki crooned. “And just down the way is another merchant who sells children’s toys. Perhaps you’d like to have a look there next?”

“Oh, could we?” Lauren asked, happiness lighting up her face.

“Of course, my sweet.” He cupped her chin and kissed her a soft peck. “Pick whichever you like for Sadie, and I’ll have it sent to the palace.”

Lauren gave an excited squeal and turned back to the display. Loki smirked at Thor before nodding to the merchant woman who smiled brightly.

“A blessing on you this fine day,” Loki murmured, knowing Lauren’s patronage would increase that blessing threefold.

Lauren picked the red with the ravens and handed it to the woman, Ingrid, to whom Loki gave another small pouch of coin and collected Lauren’s hand.

He’d sent her flowers from Volstagg’s daughters back to their chambers earlier when it became clear she would need two hands to investigate all the treasures she kept finding.

Finally, she was showing enough interest for him to spoil her as he wished.

On the way to the toy sellers they passed a display of pretty gold jewelry she paused to sigh over, and when a particularly lovely pair of earrings seemed to catch her fancy, Loki bought them before she could stop him, and tucked them through her already pierced ears. They dangled and caught the light, and made her blush when the seller complimented her.

“Alright, that’s two,” Lauren said as they walked onward.

“Two what, my heart?” Loki asked though he knew what she meant.

“Don’t even start, peaches,” she huffed.

“Ah, two presents. Well, one could argue the orbs for your Gran cost nothing more than a bag of sand. And the bunting bag is technically for Sadie, so really I have only purchased these earrings for you. The rest are gifts for other people.”

She gazed up at him in exasperation. “How can you be so logical and yet so tricky at the same time?”

“It’s a gift,” he snickered and turned her into the shop where a host of children rushed and tugged their amused parents around.

“Oh!” Lauren gasped when wood and paper birds flitted near the roof, and butterflies of wire and paper fluttered past her nose. “It’s so wonderful!”

Three stories tall, the toy store was a marvel of magic and imagination and had been a place Loki had loved as a boy. It had changed very little in the years he’d avoided it. It was still dimly lit but for the shelving and displays, appearing to highlight the toys like piles of treasure. The stairwell wound its way upward, wide and made of dark wood. Marks of wear announced the many feet which had trod upon its risers.

Everything one would expect to find in a Midgardian toy store was in abundance. Plush animals and toy boats, board games and balls. Models of spaceships sat beside colourful storybooks. Dolls with pretty clothes waited for a child to love them. Small animals of nearly indestructible material lined one entire wall, and though there were dogs and cats and horses, there were also dragons, Marok wolves, and Bilgensnipes to collect.

Child-sized musical instruments were handled with care. Books of activities and ones to be coloured lined another wall. Action figures of famous heroes and heroines could be found on the second floor. While infant and toddler toys like wooden blocks and rattles, teething rings and small plush creatures spread out over the first. The third floor, if he remembered correctly, contained things an adolescent would enjoy. Games and modified weapons meant to hone one’s battle skills without maiming one’s friends.

Lauren stared for only a moment before she was gone from his side like a graceful deer, wading into the interior where many had stopped to stare in amazement at their arrival. She headed straight for the infant's area only to slow to a stop and smile adoringly to her right.

Three young girls, likely no more than five years of age each, sat around a small table with a fancy tea service.

They stared at her in awe when she pulled out the fourth petite chair and sat gracefully beside them. “What a pretty tea y’all are havin’. May I join you?”

Three little heads nodded eagerly. Two blonde, one dark.

“Thank you very much,” Lauren smiled. “What kind is it?”

“Pretend,” the little dark-haired child said, handing Lauren a tiny cup and saucer.

Lauren took it graciously. “Why that’s the best kind. Made up tea always has the best flavour,” she giggled and held up her cup.

The three little ones mimicked her actions, and soon all four were sipping their imaginary tea, only for Lauren to blink rapidly down at the cup when she pulled it from her lips. “Well, that actually tasted like tea!”

The three girls giggled as Loki went to her rescue. “This a magic tea set, my love. Whatever you can imagine, you can taste.”

“That’s amazin’!” she laughed, the sound of joy ringing out and making the children giggle wildly along with her. When Lauren managed to stop her giggles, she nodded to the girls. “Thank y’all for the tea. It was lovely.”

Loki helped her from the low seat and wondered if she was aware of how devastatingly beautiful she’d been sitting at the tiny table with the three children gazing at her in wonder, her skirts spread around her majestically as she took tea in a tiny cup.

He highly doubted it.

“I could spend days in here. Loki this place is incredible,” she said, grinning up at the ceiling and the mural which moved slowly upon it.

“Perhaps another time when we have the day to spend. There is much to see and still a ways to go before we reach the temple. But let’s find something fun and mischievous for Sadie and her little one first.”

He guided her through to the corner where a host of small infant toys waited and snickered in amusement. “What about this?”

She burst out laughing a second time when he picked up a tiny replica of Mjolnir and gave it a shake to produce a rattling sound.

“Oh, my stars! Does your brother know they make those?” she continued to giggle.

“He will when I tell him,” Loki snickered.

“It’s perfect. Sadie will bust a gut when she sees it.” Still giggling, she made her way past him to a rack of thick, puffy baby quilts and ran her hand down one of sunshine yellow. “So soft.”

Loki tugged at it so the image was displayed and knew instantly it too would be going home with them when Lauren crooned, “Look at the little duckies.”

“That one is a favourite of mine as well.”

They turned together toward the woman who’d spoken, and Lauren’s smile became soft and full of awe when she found the tiny child tucked up on the woman’s shoulder.

“Your Highness. Milady.” She dropped a careful curtsey. “I’m Tara, proprietress of this shop. Is there something I can help you find?”

Her gaze darted down and back up, the question clear and excitement evident in the look. The only thing which could be of greater celebration than the finding of an Ástvinur was the announcement of an impending royal birth.

“A friend recently announced she is with child. My lovely wife is simply collecting items for the child’s natal day,” Loki explained before rumours could run like wildfire. But it was as if he had not spoken at all, for Tara was smiling at Lauren who was intent on the child in the woman’s arms.

“Would you like to hold him, milady?” Tara asked, a knowing light in her eyes.

“Only if you insist,” Lauren said, already reaching for the boy.

It simply astounded him. The woman handed over the child as if she and Lauren had known each other for years rather than seconds, but when he looked at his wife, her smile radiant and eyes full of desire, he could see why Tara had made the offer.

“Oh, he’s so tiny,” Lauren murmured, holding the child cradled against her chest. “How old is he?”

“Three weeks, milady,” Tara said, hovering a little as she stroked a finger over the boy’s cap of rusty red peach fuzz hair.

When Lauren closed her eyes, turned her face into his head, and inhaled deeply, Loki felt it like a kick from Sleipner. She looked good like that. Perfect. And the desire to see her with his child cuddled so close was overwhelming.

“Babies smell just as good here as they did at home. What a precious little thing,” she sighed, swaying gently when the babe began to fuss. She opened her eyes, and his heart clenched when her gaze captured his. Green, a sea of it, held him in thrall while a violet curl seemed to beckon him closer.

Unable to resist, Loki came to her side and curled his arm around her waist. “He’s a beautiful child and fortunate to have such a place as this to grow up in.”

“In my family, they tell tales of you as a boy and a young man. How you used to come here and entertain the children with stories and new games. It is good to see you back, Prince Loki. Perhaps one day you will bring your child with you when you come,” Tara said softly.

“Yes,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to Lauren’s temple, heart full of emotions. “I will.”

Lauren gave a shaky breath and gently shifted the boy back so they could see his wrinkled face. “What’s his name?”

“Gendwin, your Highness.”

“Gendwin,” Lauren whispered. “May you be blessed by the Norns, skilled in your chosen trade, and forever true to your heart.” She placed a kiss on his brow, and her magic flowed like a gentle breeze through the room.

Tara gasped softly, then held out her hands when Lauren handed the boy back. “Thank you, Princess! Thank you! Please, the blanket and anything else you desire is yours. Thank you!”

She dropped a hasty curtsey before rushing away, leaving Lauren frowning after her. “What did I do?”

“You blessed her child with your magic,” Loki chuckled, holding her tight when she tried to wriggle away.

“I thought that was Thor’s department!” she huffed and gave in, choosing to wrap her arms around his neck instead.

“All gods or goddesses can bless and curse in equal measure, my love. He will grow to be as you said, blessed by the Norns, skilled in his trade, and forever true to his heart.”

Lauren sighed and let her forehead fall to his chest. “Someone needs to explain all the dang rules! I nearly started an international incident cause I refused a gift from the Minwarie guy, then I bless a child without even knowin’ how. Is there a book I can read? You know, how to be an Asgardian Princess for Dummies or somethin’.”

Loki laughed softly and cupped the nape of her neck to get her to lift her head. “You, my sweet girl, need no book. You are a natural at this. You let your heart lead, and that is amazing.” He took her lips in a slow, drugging kiss which saw her wrap fluttering to the ground when she went lax against him. “You are exquisite. Not even the Minwarie would take exception if you refused a gift. Besides, Thor was there, so I am certain he smoothed things over.”

“He did. Still embarrassin’,” she muttered.

“Ah, but what did you receive from the wine seller?”

“Somethin’ he called Sangard wine.”

Loki hummed softly in excitement. “Now that is excellent news. An exceptional vintage and very rare. Well done, darling.”

“It was like drinkin’ rainbows,” she sighed happily.

This time, Loki burst out laughing. “Yes, yes it is!” Continuing to chuckle, he bent to collect her wrap when a tingle of malicious intent streaked his spine.

He jerked upright in time to see the flash of light catch on the spinning blade and reacted without thought, shooting his hand up. The dagger went straight through his palm and embedded to the hilt, forcing free a grunt of pain.

Lauren let loose a scream and chaos erupted.

“Thor!” Loki bellowed, and the sound shook the rafters. “Assailant!”

The cloaked and hooded individual sprinted through the back of the shop as Thor, Sif, Fandral, and Hogun poured through the front.

“Loki?” Thor shouted.

“Go! Out the back,” he snarled as he jerked the dagger from his hand and dripped blood on the floor.

The sound of tearing had him turning in time to watch Lauren rip a strip from the bottom of her dress. Before he could tell her not to bother, she had his hand between hers, more of his blood staining her skirt while she wrapped the strip of silk and lace around his hand.

“Was that aimed at you or me?” she asked, her breath coming fast and shallow.

He said nothing which was an answer in itself. A shiver racked her frame, became a shudder, and when the cry of a distressed infant came, a tear slid down her cheek.

“Don’t do that, my heart. It's fine everything is well. We will get to the bottom of this.” He produced a cloth to wipe his blood from her face and chest, vanishing it when finished.

A booming crack of thunder ripped through the sky, and the sun through the windows faded into cloud cover. Thor was clearly as angry as Loki and doing nothing to hide his displeasure.

“Your Highness!” Tara gasped as she rushed over, her child fussing. “Are you alright? The princess? I am so sorry, milord!” She made to kneel, but Loki wouldn't have it and caught her by the elbow.

“There is no need for that as none of this was your doing, Tara. Rise and be at ease.”

Tara looked past him at Lauren, her distress rolling off her in waves as his wife tried not to break down in front of all these people. She glanced again at Loki before taking a careful step forward. “Lady Lauren?”

Lauren looked up, but it was clear she was very upset.

“Would you mind holding Gendwin for me while I assure the rest of my patrons? I know he’ll be safe with you and you have a knack with children, I can tell.” Tara held her fussing child out to Lauren with an easy smile.

Unable to speak, Lauren took the boy and began to cuddle, rock, and whisper soothing things. Instantly her pounding heart slowed as the instinct to mother took over. She shushed the boy and turned away from the chaos.

Loki sent Tara an appreciative nod. “Nothing will happen to him. You have my word.”

She smiled, and the faith in it set him on his heels. “Of that, I have no doubt, your Highness.” Tara turned and made her way out into the shop, stopping to speak and soothe as she went.

Only then did Loki turn to be with Lauren and throw up a shield nothing would be coming through.

“It's okay, baby,” Lauren cooed, cuddling and kissing his head. “Your mama will be right back, sweetie.”

Loki wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight, so her back was held firmly against his chest. As she swayed, he swayed with her, listening to her hum a quiet song, different from the one she’d sang for Sara.

The boy’s little fingers wrapped around her torque. His head rested on her shoulder, supported by Lauren’s hand. He whimpered once, but Lauren patted his bottom gently, and he settled against her.

It took a few moments, but her voice soon filled their quiet, protected corner, and Loki smiled when he recognized the song. No, he wasn't a fan of the cartoons the Captain seemed to favour, but the song was familiar, sung by the heroine in the Cinderella movie.

“A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep,” Lauren crooned, gently rocking the child.

Peace seemed to ripple on the air with the words, trickle out and away to build and fill their space before seeping out slowly beyond their corner to fill the room and then creep out into the rest of the shop. It rolled like fog, her voice drifting soft and sweet, tugging at his mind until he felt lulled, sleepy, and calm.

Loki rested his chin on her shoulder and drifted with the softness of her magic.

Only when the song ended, and the spell broke did he notice how quiet the store had become and how the sun had returned. A glance over his shoulder had Loki finding Thor and his entourage, Tara, and many an awed face. Loki gave a jerk of his chin, and Thor turned to shoo the people away quickly.

The looks of amazement on everyone’s face showed they too knew how unique Lauren’s talent was, but Loki knew she’d be flustered and embarrassed if they swarmed her. Lauren was already upset enough by what had nearly happened, and he sent Tara a warning look to be careful with his woman, then turned back to Lauren.

Softly, Loki skimmed his lips along her shoulder and placed a gentle kiss beneath her ear. “Time to give him back now, darling.”

Lauren sighed but nodded, and turned around. “He went to sleep,” she murmured, lightly stroking the boy’s back before pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Such a sweet baby,” she crooned.

She looked up at him with her big green eyes, and Loki hesitated only a moment before gently laying his hand on the infant’s back. The quick, shallow breaths. The fast beating of his little heart. Loki could feel all of it beneath his palm.

Then Lauren smiled. Her hand cupped his cheek, and she encouraged him down for a tender kiss. “Thank you,” she whispered when he pulled back to rest their foreheads together. “Always to my rescue.”

“Always,” he murmured. Loki curled his arm around her waist and released the barrier between them and the others before urging her toward Tara.

“Thank you for looking after him, your highness,” Tara smiled and took her child back. “Wow. You really got him to sleep? He’s been a bit of a fussy baby since he was born. I’ve had to carry him everywhere.”

“He’s precious,” Lauren smiled and stroked her fingers down his back.

“I’ll see your things brought to the palace.” Tara bobbed a final curtsey and walked away, leaving them alone in the corner of her store.

“Brother?” Loki asked, trying not to growl when Thor stood there empty-handed.

“They shed the cloak the moment they left the back of the store and with all the people here for the festival, it was impossible to tell who had done it,” Thor said.

“I’m returning to the palace with this to collect Ming and Akio.” Hogun held up the heavy black cloak. “We will find whoever did this.”

Lauren shivered, and Loki stooped to collect her shawl to wrap around her shoulders. The blood on her dress made him irrationally angry.

“Let me see it.” Loki held his hand out for the garment and ran his magic over and through it when Hogan gave it to him. “The fabric is spelled. Your hounds will catch no scent.”

Loki handed it back and looked at Thor. “We will continue as we were.”

“Loki,” Lauren sighed, turning into his chest.

“I will not let some coward ruin this day. I won’t have it!” he snapped. Lauren flinched, and guilt filled him. “The attempt was made and foiled. They will not try again.” He cupped her face and lifted her chin up to see her eyes swamped in tears. “My love,” he whispered. “I will never let anyone hurt you.”

“But they hurt you, Loki,” she whimpered, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.

“My sweet, soft-hearted Lauren. This was nothing. Look.” He swiftly unwrapped his hand and showed her the wound gone and healed, not even a mark left. “I am a God of Asgard. If the Hulk can beat me into the ground, and I can pick myself up and walk away, it will take much more than a dagger through the hand to hurt me.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t catch it, Loki,” Fandral teased.

Loki shot him a look which if it could have killed, it would have, and tossed the blade to the blond. “Make yourself useful and see if you can discover the maker and owner of this.”

“Yes, my prince,” Fandral quipped and flourished a bow.

“I will assist,” Hogun nodded and slapped Fandral on the back of the head when the two of them turned to go.

“Lauren.” Loki returned his attention to her and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Walk with me. You’re perfectly safe, my heart.”

“I know,” she sighed. “But…”

“But?”

A little glimmer of mischief sparkled in her eyes and a small smile curled her lips. “Could you fix my dress first? I mean, I never would have ripped a strip outta the bottom if I’d known you wouldn’t need it.”

He chuckled softly, relieved she was feeling better. “Of course, darling.” Loki smiled and wrapped her in his magic, but instead of fixing the dress she wore, he created a new outfit of pink satin over tulle with a sheer overskirt of embroiders vines, tiny white roses, and small dark green leaves. Thin straps caressed her shoulders, baring more skin than before, but he shifted the colour of her shawl to blush pink and draped it around her, tying the tails together over her chest. The pale colour caused the rose gold of her torque to rise and glow softly against her bronzed skin, complimenting her beauty.

She gave the full skirt a fluff up with her fingers, and a little giggle followed. “Don’t you know just how to make a southern girl smile. It’s so pretty, Loki.”

“It is nowhere near as pretty as you, love.” He caressed her cheek and collected her close. Before she could notice, he flicked his fingers and removed the blood splatter which had stained the baby quilt she’d admired as well as what had dripped onto the floor.

“Flatterer.” She brushed her hand down his chest, then took his hand and held it between hers. “You’re really alright?”

“Perfectly fine, sweet. Now, let’s collect your things and be on our way.” He reached for the blanket with the ducks and handed it to her, placing the miniature Mjolnir on top.

“Is that my hammer?” Thor frowned.

“Ain’t it sweet?” Lauren snickered, giving it a rattle. “Sadie will get a kick out of it.”

Sif stifled a laugh. “Now every child is worthy of the power of Thor.”

“You are so funny, Sif,” Thor grumbled as he stepped forward to steal the rattle from Lauren’s fingers. “Perhaps I should be flattered.”

“I think you should,” Lauren agreed. “It’s cute. Perfect for a child blessed by Thor.” She plucked it from his grasp and headed toward the front of the store where she handed the blanket and hammer to a clerk with a smile, but when she went to step out the door, Loki felt her anxiety spike.

“You know,” Loki said, collecting her hand to his arm and stepping through the door with her. “I believe Oddr’s saddlery isn’t far from here.”

“Saddlery?” she perked up.

“He makes the best tack on Asgard, Lauren,” Sif said, pacing along at Lauren’s side.

Thor hummed in agreement. “An exquisite leatherworker.”

“Y’all should have told me earlier. Let’s go!” Lauren laughed, excitement once again filling his heart stone.

Relieved, Loki in no way relaxed. His mind raced with all the possibilities of just who could be responsible for this attack on Lauren. Immediately he suspected Sigyn, but with their confrontation in the throne room, he’d left her powerless and not for a short amount of time. There was no way she could have placed the spell on the assailant's cloak. Not today. Yes, she could have done so previously, but then such garments were also not unheard of for hunting, blocking an animal’s ability to scent the hunter.

The dagger was their best bet on finding who was behind it. Add in the poor throw, one which would have hit Lauren in the shoulder or arm, and he thought they were dealing with an amateur. The blade hadn’t even been coated with a toxin or poison.

Loki was beginning to think it had been a crime of opportunity and a poorly planned one at that.

Still, he kept his attention on those around them. The women peered worriedly at Lauren, only to smile when her happy chatter reached them. But the men looked at the group of them, at the way Sif and Thor matched their strides and blocked Lauren in, and turned their eyes full of anger and determination to him. Each one gave a nod and a short bow, their promise to seek knowledge of the one who’d tried to attack his wife.

Beyond that, Loki could hear the murmur of anger which rippled around them. People were upset. Lauren’s goodness, sweetness, and soft heart, her charming ways and quick smile had drawn people to her. Praise for her was flying, along with whispers of her beautiful singing voice, and how she’d blessed Tara’s babe.

Already the people were falling for her as he knew they would. That someone had dared try and hurt her was unheard of.

At every intersection and every few yards along the way, an armed knight now stood guard. Thor’s doing, Loki was sure. While he was grateful for the show of force, it pissed him off that they needed it, but he would not spoil Lauren’s day further by acting on the instinct to hunt down and maim the one who’d tried to hurt her.

Not yet. Not now. But soon.

For the moment, he focused on her, on seeing she enjoyed every aspect of the rest of their walk, and he would spoil her ridiculously if she showed interest in the saddlery. He was sure he could talk her into it if the items were for her new steed.

Next Chapter

[vivika-ka]

I feel embarrassed but yo I am trying to write a fanfic, it’s not that good but do tell me what you think and if you have any constructive criticism it will be happily welcomed! This is the first chapter:

The pain he felt was indescribable. The constant pounding inside his head, almost as if there was someone hammering his temples over and over. Fragments of what took place in the last 3 days were coming back to him, bits and pieces. If he looked up, the ever-effervescent light of the Throne Room would infiltrate in his emerald green eyes, bringing even more pain. By the love of the Gods, make it stop. Frankly, his attention on the trial disappeared the moment he realized not a single soul in the room would believe any word he said -except his mother, of course. Loki wished he himself could understand what the hell his life had become, that he could make it up for the mistakes he committed against Asgard and his family.

"Any last words before your punishment?" Odin asked, his eyes carried deep disappointment and coldness, so much that made him flinch slightly. Oh, that's right. I don't belong here. Loki ignored the whispers and curses thrown at him, his older brother wasn't by his side and somehow that made him feel in excruciating danger around the people that were once his. The Jotun Prince then proceeded to look at his mother, Frigga refused to cry in front of her strict husband, but Loki knew the Queen better than anyone present, she was devastated. He licked his chapped lips and whispered to her.

"I am so sorry" His weak pleading voice was enough to make Frigga turn her eyes away from her youngest son, the tears threatening to spill. Odin frowned deeply, and with no further ado, banged his spear three times loudly.

"Then I, Odin, King of Asgard, declare that Loki Laufeyson shall have death penalty for committing crimes against the crown, the King, and the Asgardians. As well, for trying to take over the realm of Midgard. He is not to be touched, spoken to, and taken care of, until the day of his execution. Which will happen at dawn. I'll meet you all in 3 days" Loki sighed, trying to take the image of his mother as much as he could before his upcoming doom. I don't belong anywhere.

.-.-.

Thor sat in his room, caressing one of the few presents his little brother gave him during their peaceful times together. He was aware that Loki would be given death penalty for all the vicious actions he had committed against Asgard and Midgard. He was going to lose his little brother once again, and he couldn't help but to feel that it was his fault. There was a knock at his door, however the God of Thunder paid no mind. All he wanted at the moment was to go back to Midgard, hug his Lady Jane, and sleep. He knew slumber wouldn't come to him, though. Every time he closed his eyes he would hear Loki's screams; he would see the hopelessness in his brother's eyes when he let go of his hand; he would feel the smell of antique books, wet earth and flowers, and the raciness of his magic; he would feel the taste of their favorite dessert, the very one they would eat together after winning a big battle. Thor did not hold back his tears, he let them fall freely over the storybook they would read whenever one of them had nightmares.

"Thor? Are you there?" The voice of Lady Sif echoed in his chamber.

"I do not wish to speak to anyone. I ask of you, please, leave me at once" Thor managed to say without choking.

"Thor, I understand you're sad, but…Loki's actions have consequences, and this is fa-"

"If you dare to say it is fair to kill my little brother, I will never look at you, ever again"

"Will you quit it with this never-ending guilt?! It is nonsense! None of what is happening-" At this rate, Thor's chest felt as if it would explode any second now. With long steps, he opened the door, scaring the woman before him. He was livid.

"Everything that is happening with Loki is my fault! His betrayal, his fall, his breakdown, his invasion! All of this! Because I couldn't see what my father was doing to me! I did not stop my father from treating him differently! He was lost, and all I did was push him deep into the abyss!" The grieving god shouted.

"Loki is different! He is a Jotun! Not to mention a traitor!" Sif exclaimed viciously.

"Enough!" Thor shouted, a thunder could be heard through all Asgard. Sif jumped back, however never losing her frown and stance "You are not part of this family. Therefore, you can't possibly understand what happened to him. Much less what I am feeling in this moment. I will ask you nicely one more time: please, leave me alone" Thor said through his clenched teeth. Sif scoffed, turning to go back to the training chambers. The God of Thunder sighed, his shoulders still tensed.

"Damn it" He cursed, finally letting his body breakdown into sobs.

Guilt can eat you away. In his many years of life, he had underestimated the sickness of the mind. Guess I'm paying the price.

.-.-.

Loki was taken to his cell rather violently. The nagging feeling at the back of his head that something awful was about to happen with him couldn't seem to pass. He scratched the part that was afraid of his execution, since he long craved for his death the moment he let go of Thor's hand and fell into the void until now. This feeling was different, as if he had felt this unstoppable fear and hopelessness. The type of fear that you can't run away from. The type of hopelessness that no matter how many times you tell yourself it is over, it gets worse.

The loud sound of his wrists being attached to heavy chains pushed him from his thoughts. Looking over to his right side, the guard was eyeing him something awful. The amount of malfeasance in the guard's stance gave him such crippling dread, his heart was beating as loudly as his brother's thunder.

"What do we have here? God of Mischief, Loki" The man sneered, Loki gulped "You don't seem so mischievous now, do you, boy?" The voice and malice brought him more fragments, not the good kind. It reminded him of the voice that belonged to a mad being "No brother to save you, no mother to protect you. It seems I've won the biggest award of all" The guard proceeded to hit him strongly on the face with his golden baton, Loki could only see starts after such heavy blow, but it was enough to bring him one suffering memory.

He was falling. That was all he could gather. He was falling in a void, without destination, he would fall forever in the darkness. When Loki lost the count of how many days, weeks, months that he had been inside this well of despair, he started hallucinating. Loki dreamed of many outcomes of death, saw his brother dying in many awful ways, his mother being killed viciously, sometimes by his own hand. Most of the times, his hallucinations would show him a light, whenever he finally reached the warm and inviting path of closure, it would end with him looking at his own face. However, he would be without the spell of shapeshifter, he would be in his true roots. A Jotun.

Loki cried every day hysterically, all he wanted was the pain to end, he just wanted to die in peace, was that too much to ask? One day, the doomed day he thought he would be saved, Loki heard the voice of a mad being.

"Come, Loki Laufeyson. I can help you leave this endless pit. However, give me something I will need something in return-"

"Please, help me!"

"I won't hesitate to take that as a yes" The voice laughed sinisterly, Loki regretted immediately. An enormous purple hand grabbed him by his collar, pushing him into a pebbly ground, the Prince felt one sharp rock cutting his cheek. He hissed, but had no time to protest over the wound. Loki's collar once again was in the hands of the mad titan.

"You are Loki, of Asgard. And you are burdened with glorious purpose. You will do as I say" Thanos grinned mercilessly "Understand?"

"…I don't want-" The titan threw him inside a cage, Chitauris were cheering over the new chew toy "Wait! Why are you-!"

"You don't get to question me, boy. Simply follow my orders, and you won't get hurt" Thanos sat in his throne, watching the group of aliens hold the God of Mischief tightly, the beasts were ripping his garments off. Loki looked at Thanos desperately.

"What are they doing?" The mad titan said nothing, giving the Prince a dark smirk "WHAT ARE THEY DOING?" Loki's scream echoed loudly, making the beasts cheer even more over his despair and fear.

"They will teach you not to disobey me" Thanos crossed his legs, watching as the beasts ravished the Prince endlessly. All that could be heard for the whole year were Loki's pleads for mercy, for someone to save him. For the light to come and finally take him. For his mother. For his brother. Hell, even for his father. Thanos would laugh with gusto at the suffering creature before him. How he was being deemed as nothing more than a piece of meat, a pawn that would have no choice but to follow the titan to no end. Loki seceded, he had no other choice.

"Forgive me" He whispered brokenly, as he felt the power of Tesseract consume his already shattered mind.

The God of Mischief was screaming as if his life depended on it. His magic was strong enough to reach out to anyone, anything that could help him. Loki was sure that he could not go through being ravished again, not without dying of fear first. The guard was about to hit the Prince again, he was not done taking Loki's clothes off, luckily. Then, suddenly an abnormal tremor took place in the Palace. The rapist fell on his back, cursing loudly. Loki couldn't breathe, his body was under the spell of a very powerful panic attack. Every little detailed pain he felt during his imprisonment with Thanos manifested in his body along with the memories. The Prince felt the last bit of air he had left leave his mouth, as he choked with his own demons.

.-.-.

Not too far from the cell Loki was being kept, a very powerful being appeared. As she finished to materialize, Frigga and Thor had arrived as well, both looking at the shining woman with wonder and suspicion. Her skin was even more pale than Loki's, her dress was long and loose fitting, her long hair was almost as white as her dress, and her eyes were the most crimson red the mother and the son ever saw in their lifetime. She was ethereal. She was light. She was-

"Eve?" Frigga questioned, her voice exhilarated hope. The ethereal being gave the gentlest smile Thor ever seen, her aura screamed tranquility and lightness.

"Is she real?" He asked skeptically. Eve's chuckle brought even more clarity to the room.

"Yes, I am" Eve turned and motioned for the family to follow her "I suppose you heard him" It wasn't a question, the tranquil air and lightness left the room. As quick as lightning, the darkness and heaviness took over the atmosphere once again.

"We heard. My poor son" Frigga sobbed as she ran beside Eve and Thor.

"Loki's magic reached me! He must be in great great danger!" Thor exclaimed desperately, fearing for his little brother's safety (and sanity).

"And right you are, my friend" Eve answered sadly "We must leave at once, Odin knows I'm here, as well as his most trusted warriors" They opened the door that led to the cell, but immediately halted as they took in the scene before them. The guard was back at stripping the God of Mischief, who seemed to be dead. Frigga shot a powerful spell before Eve and Thor even moved a muscle. The rapist shouted in pain -and kept shouting- as he fell on the ground, his eyes were red.

"Mother?" Thor questioned, impressed.

"He is simply experiencing what he had planned for my son" She answered coldly.

"Very well done, Frigga" Eve complimented, already kneeling in front of the beaten and unconscious man who had stolen her heart many years back "Oh, Loki. What happened to you?" She whispered huskily and sadly as she caressed his cheek tenderly. She heard Thor smashing the heavy chains, which made the God of Mischief fall down towards her lap. With the help of Frigga, Eve managed to carry Loki. Thor was biting his lips nervously.

"What do we do? Where can we take him?!" He asked frantically. Eve closed her eyes tightly, a portal appeared in front of them, the sound of birds singing could be heard.

"To my temple. Odin's not allowed there"

"My husband is stubborn and powerful. He will go after you!" Frigga exclaimed desperately.

"Well, he knows better, my Queen. I am also powerful, as powerful as the old man. Besides, my defenses are strong enough to put him to sleep for the next 80 years" The Queen's eyes widened, but her shock was quickly gone as she looked at her sons. Frigga smiled determined.

"I will take care of my husband. However, all I care at this moment is for the safety of my son" Frigga said, caressing Loki's hair, her eyes lifted to make eye contact with her first born "Both of my sons" Thor smiled sadly.

"Then I promise with my life that I will keep them safe from Odin's wrath" Eve assured the Queen softly "I will see you again, Frigga. Fret not. Odin won't be able to lay a hand on you" The ethereal being said, as she casted a spell that engulfed Frigga in a warm light.

"Thank you, darling" Thor took Frigga's place as Loki's support "Be safe. All of you. I love you very much"

"We love you too" They said in unison, and just as fast as Eve made the portal appear, they were gone from Asgard. Right they were in time, since Odin came barging furiously inside the cell, taking the scene that consisted of his wife glaring at him with sharp blue eyes and one of his most trusted guards screaming and pleading on the ground.

"Frigga, what is the meaning of this?" The King asked sternly.

"It's called being just, husband" The Queen answered just as stern and cold.

.-.-.

As they left the portal, Thor felt the smell of fresh air. Taking his surroundings, he gathered the information that they were in a forest. The grass felt fluffy and soft under his feet. Wait, where are my normal garments? The God of Thunder directed his blue eyes to the woman helping him carry his little brother, his face contorted with a deep frown, he was greatly confused. Mother knows her, she seems to know my brother (very well, by her interaction with him in the cell). She is really powerful, I never felt such strong aura. Who is she? Eve sighed softly, not wanting to explain to the brother of the man she is deeply worried about how they got involved. However, the pale woman understands why Thor is skeptical and sending her questioning looks every 4 seconds.

"I promise I will explain everything detailed later. After we make sure your brother is safe and taken care of" Eve informed him, her voice left no room for discussion. Thor nodded, and thanked her, to which she simply smiled.

They must've walked for about 30 minutes when he finally located her Temple. At least, what he assumed it was her Temple.

"Why...A cave?" Thor asked, to which she laughed. Birds sang happily when she did.

"Just the entrance. I am not about to have constant annoying visitors. I only attend to those whom I deem as deserving of my services"

As they entered furthermore inside the cave, the dark rocks turned into pale silver walls that had stories encrypted in every corner. The floor was even more fluffier than the grass outside, when he looked up, he met the sight of amazing -almost hypnotic- sharp crystals. Thor heard a huff, only to see an area with 3 peaceful Pegasus. He thought they were only allowed to Valkyries, the sight of the rare animals amazed him. There was furniture made of what it looked like mud, wood, and rocks.

"And my brother is?" Thor did not ask challengingly. He was honestly curious about how much his brother means to this woman. She captured the innocence behind the question, holding her tongue not to curse at the God of Thunder, Eve could tell he cares deeply for his little brother and is simply worried.

"Yes. Loki is probably the most deserving of them all" Eve answered, laying the God of Mischief down on what it looked like a bed of soft feathers "I will examine him now. However, this magic is too...bright for the eyes of any other species" Eve explained slowly, knowing Thor did not want to leave Loki alone for a second. He seemed to consider what she said for what it felt like an eternity, then finally nodded, leaving the room. Eve started to gather the ingredients necessary for the spell when she called loudly "There is a waterfall not far from here, go West. About 8 minutes. Bathe, and come back by nightfall" Eve commanded, once more, no room for discussion. Thor sighed and left the Temple in search of the waterfall.

As Eve mixed the mystical cure, her eyes captured the scars in Loki's chest. They weren't faint, in fact, it looked as if it did not had the time to heal properly. Her hands trembled, her eyes shined brightly with vengeance.

"I promise that I will destroy whoever touched you, my love" Eve promised.

And she is a woman of her words. Anyone who met the powerful being knew better than to upset her.

So already warning, in my AU Thor actually cares for Loki, even I came to the conclusion he doesn’t in the same manner as Loki but I decided in this story he should... Also, there’s my OC, hopefully the OC isn’t bad. It’s mostly Hurt/Angst and Comfort, as well as Romance. I don’t know if I will attempt to post in Archive of Our Own, but I am considering. I am currently writing chapter 8, but I’m feeling like no one cares for the story anymore lol and figured why not share here. the fanfic

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 10/15/18

Bleach, Vol. 74 | By Tite Kubo | Viz Media – I have never actually reviewed Bleach as a brief… or indeed at all. I followed its periphery, keeping track of what was going on and trying not to be too invested. The final volume shows off many of its strengths and weaknesses… I enjoyed seeing Ichigo and Orihime fighting together, and the finale was sweet, but far too often the volume was Yhwach screaming “can’t you see your powers are USELESS against me!” like an MST3K villain. Still, say what you will about Bleach, it was always itself. It may feel like it was cancelled for not getting on with it (it probably was), but changing anything seems churlish. It’s that middle son who’s always a hot mess, who always gets forgiven. – Sean Gaffney

Dragon Half, Omnibus 2 | By Ryusuke Mita | Seven Seas – This continues to be a giant nostalgia trip, feeling very much like the sort of anime and manga that North America was getting in the early 1990s. Which it essentially is. Even the translation and adaptation feels like it’s a “dub,” and a good one like Shinesman. It’s not easy to analyze—aside from one or two heartwarming moments that last about one panel, it’s balls to the wall comedy every single page. But the comedy is ridiculous fun, with Mink shedding her skin and becoming stronger (and bustier), the villains still being 100% useless, and Lufa being 100% DTF. I think there’s one more omnibus to go, and theoretically this is coming to an ending, but the plot is irrelevant compared to the laughs. – Sean Gaffney

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 26 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – Eventually, theoretically, this arc will end. But it’s not this volume, or indeed the one after that. That said, it is nice to see Soma punted to the side here so that we can focus on some of the other cast. Kuga has a grudge, and wants to make his name remembered—I suspect the name will be remembered but he’ll lose. As for Mimasaka, it’s quite interesting to see his stereotypical evil cheat powers used in the name of good. And then there’s Megishima, and though we find out why he’s helping Soma and company in this book, I have to admit I simply like Rindo more, and I hope that she pulls it off. So yes, a good volume, but pretty sure the bad guys are gonna win, which means… more tournament arc. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 28 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – We are nearly caught up with Haikyu!!, which goes to “once every three months” starting with the new year. It’s been fun reading this volleyball title every week, and it helped me keep track of what’s going on better. The bout against Inarizaki takes up much of the second half, and is up to the usual high standards. I was also amused to see a hint of boy/girl romance in this book, as Ryunosuke’s childhood friend—there with her women’s volleyball team—clearly has a thing for him, but in the end, like a lot of shonen titles, she decides to emulate his SPORTS PASSION rather than confess. Besides, he’s still crushing on the manager (has she retired or not?). Haikyu!! is great fun. – Sean Gaffney

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 3 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – We are reminded several times in this volume why the two siblings are the way they are—they’re very much on their own in the apartment. Here we learn their mother has passed away, and it seems there’s no father either. This explains a lot of Umaru’s immaturity, as well as Taihei’s tendency to let her do what she wants. I think I like the series best when it shows off the occasional sweet moment. Still, it’s because it’s occasional that it works so well—most of the time this series is content to rely on funny “Umaru is lazy” humor, such as accidentally screwing up the modem and having… NO INTERNET!… or forgetting about her New Year’s Resolution to be less slothful. Cute. – Sean Gaffney

How to Treat Magical Beasts: Mine and Master’s Medical Journal, Vol. 2 | By Kaziya | Seven Seas – There’s not much here beyond “heartwarming stories of a magical vet,” but sometimes that’s all you need, and if this is going to be manga’s equivalent of All Creatures Great and Small I’m content to be along for the ride. The chapters are named after either the magical beast or their ailment, and despite involving supernatural creatures manage to be rather educational—the discussion of rye bread was particularly fascinating. Ziska is cute, Niko is patient and caring, and you root for both of them, even as some of the situations prove to be a lot more difficult to solve than others. This is the sort of title that will run as long as the audience is there to enjoy its peaceful, relaxed mood, and I’m one of that audience. – Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 22 | By Yuki Midorikawa | VIZ Media – Twenty-two volumes in, and Natsume’s Book of Friends is just getting better and better. The first two stories involve Natsume’s classmates—first, the story of an inn beloved by good yokai where the staff forget to display the curtain to ward off bad yokai one night, and second, the story of a mysterious nightly visitor who uses Natsume’s face to befriend Nishimura—and seeing events from their perspective ramps up the creepy atmosphere tenfold. As if those weren’t enough, the final story involves Natsume meeting the first yokai whose name appears in the book and learning more about Reiko in the process. It’s a tale both melancholy and lovely and I loved it very much. The twenty-third volume only came out in Japan last month, so sadly we’ve probably got a long wait for our next installment. – Michelle Smith

New Game!, Vol. 3 | By Shotaro Tokuno | Seven Seas – There’s some workplace development here—with Kou’s promotion, Hifumi is also encouraged to take a step forward, which she does shyly and reluctantly. Kou and Aoba also manage to collaborate on a character design, after some brief but well done drama, and the game looks ridiculously cute. For the most part, though, this continues to be about a group of girls and their everyday life, the same as many of these 4-koma titles. I had honestly thought there would be more yuri, but it’s mostly invisible—Rin clearly as a thing for Kou, but there’s no forward movement there. If you enjoyed the anime, or just like this style of manga, it’s a good volume. Needs to have the cast holding hands and jumping in the air. – Sean Gaffney

To Your Eternity, Vol. 6 | By Yoshitoki Oima | Kodansha Comics – Every single volume of this series has managed to shatter my heart and the sixth is no exception. To Your Eternity remains a manga that is both astonishingly beautiful and incredibly devastating. Oima utilizes a fantastical narrative to explore deeply philosophical and existential themes. Even as an immortal, Fushi struggles to survive in a world full of death. Fushi continues to learn, grow, and evolve, but the process is an exceptionally painful one requiring difficult decisions to be made over and over. The sixth volume dramatically concludes the Jananda arc–on an island populated by exiled criminals, Fushi is forced yet again to confront the complexities of human morality and mortality. Yes, there are crushing losses, but along with the sadness comes some amount of hope. The strength of the relationships that Fushi develops with others is a shining, guiding light in a life frequently punctuated with darkness and tragedy. – Ash Brown

By: Ash Brown

[lsgingasblog]

Of Happy Coincidences and Fated Connections Chapter 1

Wew it’s been ages since I’ve written fanfiction.  This will probably suck but here I go.

I’m late because uni kills me sort of in any case I wanted to do something different so here’s day 1-7 prompts scattered throughout acts or chapters of this connected work.

This work will be separated in 7 acts and I decided to add in Diana’s mother and other moments as well, personally I’m not that great in depicting romantic moments, but I do like character introspections and studies so this work will have a bit of that as well as adding elements that while not cannon, they don’t break the cannon either because I believe the lack of specification of stuff in lwa world still allows for a lot more.

In any case I’m supposed to be done posting all the acts by Sunday at latest, because weekend will give me more time to finish up the remaining acts.

Act 2-5 is finished, but still need act 6 & 7 and to think I finished most of that last weekend but school kills me

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Act 1

“There, There Diana, no more crying my little angel” Bernadette soothes Diana while caressing her hair.

Diana buries herself more into her mother’s neck as her body gently shakes from the barely contained crying session.

This continues a bit longer until little Diana’s sobs finally calms down, the soothing finally having worked.

Diana lifts her head from her mother’s neck and hair and looks at her mother with tear stained eyes and her voice comes out uneven “I’m s-sorry m-mother…….I’m sorry….” And she was just about to start crying again when her mother kisses her on her forehead and gives her a big hug while speaking words of comfort

“Diana…..darling….you are amazing and I am very proud of you”

Diana start shaking her head in disagreement, but stays quiet clinging on to her mom.

“Don’t worry about it my little angel, you will get your magic back and even if you don’t I will never love you any less, please know that” Bernadette announced while kissing atop Diana’s head.

Diana once again looks at her mom and is much more composed although her poofy red eyes tell the tale of how long she has cried.

“Mother, b-but I’m a Cavendish, I need to get my magic back….or else…”Diana pauses and closes her tiny fists a little tighter on her mother’s shirt.  

“or else nothing darling remember more than anything our family motto is affection and that’s regardless if someone has magic or not. On top of that we even have ancestors who were not magically inclined that went off to be amazing individuals, look at Andrew’s father”

Diana shifts away from her mom and gets a scowl on her face “Andrew is insufferable!”

“Diana……be nicer darling…” Bernadette chastises but Diana is determined to continue her point

“B-but I don’t want to be like them I love magic and I want to believe in being able to get my magic, because I don’t like how Andrew and his family views magic, I want the world to feel how lovely magic is! Like the kind that Chariot show made me feel…”

“My little angel has big dreams, doesn’t she?” and the mother reaches over to give her stubborn daughter a big hug and she remembers something when Diana mentioned Chariot’s show and proceeds to let go of Diana for a bit and to grab a book in her night drawer.

“Mother, what’s that?” Diana asks having an inquisitive look on her face.

So Bernadette tells Diana of the book she bought some days back at a store, she wanted to give Diana it, but she was worried about Diana’s deflated nature after not being able to perform magic, but hearing Diana’s concession of Chariot’s show being part of her inspiration for continuing to try to get her magic back, Bernadette thought it was fitting to introduce the story book that Chariot has a hand in writing and considering nothing is heard of chariot anymore, she wanted to cheer Diana up.

The picture book is actually as can be expected tales told through the zodiac signs and the constellations about life, ambition, striving for your dream, motivation, fate, romance and bunch of other stuff told in a lighthearted tone with cute art that can appeal to kids.

Diana had a twinkle in her eyes and so they began reading it together.

The introduction is very vibrant and colorful with an image of the 12 zodiac sign all separated in groups, 4 groups in specific. Air, Water, Earth & Fire.

In the top half of the left page of the book we had the Air Group that had the Gemini, Libra & Aquarius and you can see them animatedly talking with each other and cracking jokes with what appears to be social gathering.

On the bottom half of the left page we had the Fire Group that had the Aries, Leo & Sagittarius. They were in a heated race through rocky terrain and neither of them were backing down.

On the top half of the right page we had the Earth Group that had Taurus, Virgo & Capricorn. They were all in a study group occasionally commenting and helping each other.

Lastly on the bottom half of the right page we had the Water group that had Scorpio, Cancer & Pisces who were all staring at the starry sky lying next to each other on top of blankets and pointing at the night sky.

As we turn the page we get blue/black background with various flecks of stars in the sky and we get the first story.

Swimming against the Gigantic Stream of Life to find Your Place

There was once a tiny red fish that wanted to bring joy and happiness to all the sea creatures and possibly even land creatures out there so it learned how to do magnificent jumps and tricks and even learned the art of bubble making alongside becoming very resourceful with his fins, however the fish community thought it was unnatural. Fish are after all supposed to be in groups and be about community, individuality is not something strongly supported. Apart from that a red fish at best will only be considered as food and wouldn’t be taken seriously by the other sea creatures.

However Charon, our little fish was ready to prove the world wrong because despite being called a hopeless dreamer he deeply wants that everyone feels free and happy.

While his previous attempts have not gone the way he wanted them to he believes there has been a huge improvement and he recently caught the attention of Cetus, a renowned talent agent Whale.

And so his shows have gotten more traction and he will be at the biggest platform yet............

…….Through ups and downs and setbacks Charon has found the drive needed to search for his own place in this world and while his journey might’ve been long and arduous he has reached it because he worked for it and when he got sad or was close to giving up he would find something in his path that helps him along, for example the comforting words of Detty the crab or Delphy the wise Dolphin or even the Columba the Dove, each with them brought their own advice and support that helped pull out the inner fortitude that Charon possessed.

Life is made of pebbles or rocks even that hinder to flow of your river, but how you decide to overcome and surpass such an obstacle is where you really find yourself and the greatest strength hidden inside you……

“Mother……can we read the next one?” Diana asks with immense joy, while her face still held signs of having had a sad spell it isn’t quite as obvious as before and Diana’s gentle yet unabashed smile makes Bernadette very much happy.

“Of course dear” she passes her hand through Diana’s hair and shifts her to sit on her lap with Diana leaning against her chest and Diana re-positions the book and starts on the 2nd story.

“The Scales of dreams and reality” Diana spoke the title of the 2nd story.

Chris the libra isn’t very happy with the current situation. His kind have long been used as a means to find solace and comfort or to try to strive for their own balance. They take advantage of gnawing insecurity of the community and here we have the likes of Charon traveling in his mobile water tank stage eager to spread the way of love and peace to this world to counteract the bad.

Chris was supposed to be the most important high libra commissioner and work on the perfect way to enhance happiness and contentment for all and to think a side show accomplished it is an utter joke, Chris swears that everyone is delusional or something, but he can’t deny his curiosity has been peaked so he decides to finally properly see Charon’s show and perhaps maybe get an idea what the commotion and is all about……….

………Chris had tears coming from each side scale of his. How he could have been so foolish? He had a vision of what he wanted as if that is his dream that is entitled to him and no one else and he didn’t consider the work that had to be put in for that to actually achieve it, but having met Charon and gradually become friends with him and after he had gotten a bit more glimpse into the world and having traveled with Chummy the chameleon & Circi the compass Chris sees what he must do, right now he can’t think about what he doesn’t have or what he should have, but rather of his hard work, what he has right now and the work and people’s help he will need to work on getting closer to making his dream a reality and who knows perhaps in this journey he might even realize something else he wanted more, perhaps a path he never saw possible until now.

“Ok Diana dear, it’s getting late….” Bernadette announced as she gently took the book from Diana, closed and put on the drawer.

“But…..one more mother….please….” Diana tried to execute one of her best puppy dog eyes, but Bernadette would not relent.

“Diana…..” Bernadette said in a slightly amused but admonishing tone.

“Very well mother, but may I ask a question?” Diana asked hesitantly while still laying it on thick with the puppy dog eyes so it was inevitable what the reply would be.

“Of course dear, but only one. It’s getting late” Bernadette answered back with a ghost of a smile on her face. Her daughter’s curiosity has always been insatiable after all.

“Mom why do people use zodiac signs to tell stories, are what they tell about each sign really accurate?” Diana leans in close to her mom, eagerly awaiting her mom’s reply.

Bernadette closes her eyes a bit to think about the best way to answer this question and she remembers a particular moment some years back and the brief discussion with a certain spunky red haired moonlight witch.

“It’s already getting late, but how about one last story? I believe it will have a better answer for that question. Besides I do believe you would be interested in hearing it, it’s about the time I met Chariot, long before she became Shiny Chariot, interested?” Bernadette announces but she didn’t even have to wait that long for a response because Diana exuberantly blurted out

“Yes mother! Please do, I would love to and how did you meet her? How was she? And-”

Bernadette waved her hand as a means to silence Diana and to command attention “Ok little one, this happened a few years back, quite a bit before Shiny Chariot even graced the stage……”

It was a hectic day. Bernadette Cavendish has been called in to be one of the Judges for the Samhain festival. Mostly due to previous judge having cancelled last minute so Holbrooke called in a favor. While Bernadette was 1 year shy from having graduated from Luna Nova the misfortunate and bizarre capsizing of the ship that Daryl and Bernadette’s parents were in left the Cavendish without a leader and luckily or unluckily whichever way you prefer to view it,  a few months after their death was the Venusian Eclipse.

Strangely enough father was always the prepared man and left in the will that I would be the head of Cavendish house, despite Daryl’s seniority over me, which did even less wonders in closing the chasm of differences and tension between my sister and I.

In any case perhaps it’s being back in Luna Nova that gives me such nostalgia.

I saw a wonderful and surprising performance from the surprise witch that came out of practically nowhere in the crowd’s general opinion and stole the show, literally by the display of transformation and showmanship magic, it filled my heart with so much joy and wonder and made me call back to the uncomplicated love and fascination I used to exude when I was younger, sadly things in later life often become a habit or obligation and the true magic fades away a bit, but this reignited it a bit.

I had stayed and took a bit to drink, not too much given my weak constitution but even that was too much it would seem as I felt woozy and weak, Holbrooke immediately assigned me to the nurse and a room to stay the night, seeing the time it would be much too late to travel back in my condition anyway.

I conceded and went to rest. However I only slept a bit and when I woke up, it was still much too early as I saw the clock read a bit past 5 am. I was restless though and decided to take a walk. On the plus side muscle memory is truly a wonderful thing you realize all over again in these instances, while it has been a few turbulent and trying years adjusting to being head of the Cavendish at 17, meeting my husband, delivering a beautiful baby girl, becoming a widow all too quickly and having most likely a limited amount of time still left to see my baby grow up, my body and mind instinctively remember all the twists, turns, nook and crannies. It’s actually nearing a more open space though that I halt because I see two figures in the courtyard. They are sitting on the bench talking although their proximity to each other seems to suggest they are fairly close.

One of them stands up and twirls around and I notice it immediately, the long white robe and the white hat with the horns on the side, that’s the engaging and energetic red haired moon light witch from earlier today, well yesterday now technically.

She seems to be fairly happy as she lets out another performance in front of a- from what I can tell- purple haired girl.  

Of course this draws the attention of a shadow nearby on the opposite side of the courtyard and they run to hide, as do I.

How silly though, I always helped patrol back then and I’m an adult now, I have no reason to hide, but I have to admit it’s probably being back in this school, takes me back.

After the coast was clear and the patrol went the other direction the two girls came out and I moved closer so I can hear them talking, I can’t help but feel wrong about this, but something about the moonlight witch this year and the feeling her performance awoke in me after a long time made me curious to know more about her.

I was still too much out of ear shot to hear anything clearly, but seeing by the red haired ones flustered state I would say she was just teased and the purple haired one proceeds to give the moonlight witch a hug which in turn she greedily accepts and the hug lasts for quite a bit longer than platonic hug time constitutes, but perhaps I’m out of the loop with teenagers nowadays as to what constitutes the normal length for those.

The red haired girl is sulking now and I feel compelled to go to her, but she abruptly jumps up from her seated position on the stone bench and conjures up a constellation chart, this is highly impressive and clearly she has an affinity for astrology to conjure up something to this extent.

She seems to be pulling up two signs in particular a libra and a pisces.

Curious.

As I move to go a bit closer but still trying to not arouse suspicion I step on branch and she notices me and immediately jumps.  

“I’m sorry, please don’t give me detention, I just got out of a one month scrubbing the toilets a month ago, I would prefer to not have to repeat that again.” she eyed me pleadingly while having her hands clasped together in front of her face hoping I don’t reprimand.

I start laughing. This completely catches her off-guard.

“Rest assured little moon light witch I truly am not here to punish you, I’ll have you know I’m sneaking about as well” Bernadette answered good naturedly while extending her hand to greet the girl “ Bernadette Cavendish, pleasure to meet you acquaintance that was a lovely performance you put on I was quite enchanted with it”

Chariot’s eyes visibly widen and then she enthusiastically starts shaking Bernadette’s hands “Ahh my name is Chariot du Nord, nice to meet you. A pleasure to meet the head of the Cavendish family, you were one of the judges right? Thank you for liking the show I’m glad to hear that and ….”

Bernadette notices the girl is quite chipper and just keeps rambling on excitedly, (what an energetic and charismatic girl).

“Miss Cavendish…..” chariot waves her hands in front of her face and Bernadette jumps back a bit “Ahh… I’m sorry I didn’t mean to surprise you, I was just wondering what you were still doing at Luna Nova since I’m aware most judges or spectators tend to leave after, but you were staring off so I wasn’t sure if you heard me, sorry for rambling, I’m still a bit giddy about winning as moon light witch and all…..” she trails off while sheepishly putting her fingers together while fidgeting.

Bernadette smiled “Ooh don’t worry it’s quite alright and very much understandable I remember being moonlight witch my first year in Luna Nova it’s a wonderful feeling so completely understandable. Also to answer your question, I was feeling a bit under the weather after due to my weak constitution, but I’m feeling a lot better now. I would like to ask you the same thing though you were practicing some magnificent astrology magic there is there any specific reason now? Since it’s already becoming lighter outside after all, it would be more useful at a darker time.”

Chariot’s face blushes beat red “a-ah….well you see I…..” she doesn’t quite know what to answer so I decide to tease a bit suspecting a more than platonic inkling from the purple haired girl and chariot. It’s an all-girls school after all so those kind of relationships are hardly a surprise, even though romantically speaking I’m more inclined to males myself, I did have quite a few friends that dabbled in that and that’s fine by me, you never know who ends up taking your fancy.

“Could it have anything to do with the libra and piscis signs?”

Chariot’s mouth as agape and she appears to open her mouth to speak however I decided to go for the overkill.

“or was it perhaps connected to the purple haired girl that left earlier?”

And there it was the deer caught in the head lights look. Ah, perhaps I did go too far.

“I’m sorry if I’m prying too much….”

“No, no, it’s just ….uhm….ok….so….I was wondering about the zodiac signs and what they meant and what they actually mean for each person like do they accurately predict someone’s fate or personality or are compatibility between signs a certain thing or what can you do to guarantee a lasting bond…..I’m just a bit conflicted right now and sorry again for rambling……” Chariot was fidgeting and she didn’t even once look up from the ground.

“I don’t believe on certain are absolutely accurate, I’m unsure of why you pulled up specifically a libra and a pisces but I’m assuming it might have to do with your purple haired friend, but seeing as it makes you uncomfortable I will not comment further although keep in mind that nothing changes, develops or maintains unless of your consistent and hard effort to work on it. Whether it’s a lasting bond with this girl or it’s your dreams, because after all one imagines their dreams, but reality is what becomes of your hard earned effort to achieve your goals and perhaps it’s not the same as your dream initially was, but the growth that has overcome you in that time and the end point that you have reached might be exactly what you needed as oppose to what you initially wanted. Life is filled with inconsistencies and forking roads so as long as you’re doing your best and constantly striving for the best version of yourself, I believe it will work out.” Bernadette approaches the girl and put a hand on Chariot and smiles.

“Concerning the zodiac signs I don’t believe they are wrong as guides, because people have faith in various things that keeps them going or that inspires and astrology is an old craft that has been used for many years, you should neither revere it as perfect guide or tool nor dismiss it as too irregular. Rather take with it what you will and let it inspire you then do something with that inspiration to make your desires a reality. I’m sorry I’m afraid I’m the one that talked too long this time” Bernadette smiled apologetically while taking her arms off of Chariot’s shoulder.

Chariot proceeds to hug Bernadette. Bernadette is caught off guard.

“-thank you” was the muffled reply of Chariot and she pulled away quickly after “I’m sorry for the sudden hug”

“No, no it’s fine, surprising but pleasant nonetheless. Tell me chariot what makes you fascinated in astrology?”

“The possibilities and also I want to understand all the various zodiac signs and harmony between them because I want to understand how to make as many people as possible happy. I want to perform with zodiac sign animals and various other transformation magic because I believe the wonder and joy of seeing these creatures can be stronger than disagreements or dispute between human beings, it’s something more universal at least in my eyes. At least that’s just a sentiment of mine, but I’m aware how silly my dream may seem to some…..even so! I have to try” Chariot while slightly hesitant she had a certain spark inher eyes I couldn’t help but admire. She was rocking on the ball of her foot awaiting my reply.

“It is an awfully ambitious dream, your determination reminds me of my little daughter, Diana. So driven and hard-working for a 4 year old” Bernadette smiles fondly thinking of her little girl “That said I believe your intentions aren’t wrong, but remember strive for your own happiness before you worry for others or the world.”

Chariot smiles. “Ok I will work on it”

“Headmistress Holbrooke I believe I saw someone in the courtyard.” Can be heard faraway in booming voice. One of the fearie patrols no doubt from earlier.

Chariot looks anxious at me I tell her to go back to her dorm I will intercept them. She mouths thank you and storms back to her dorm.

“Hello headmistress Holbrooke. Good morning, and sorry for walking around and giving the patrol trouble”

“Ooh my, Bernadette I wasn’t expecting you up so early! Good Morning and no don’t worry”

The fearie patrol started saying he swear he saw someone, but Bernadette says she might’ve caught a glimpse of something but it was too dark to identify and so the matter was laid to rest. 

“Ok Diana to bed young lady” Bernadette motioned for Diana to get off the bed.

Diana doesn’t budge. “Mother about the meanings and bonds do you believe they might be true if you want them to be?”

“Is this about the story book? Or something else?” it would seem there is something Bernadette is missing from this story.

“Something else, mother remember when we got separated after the chariot show?”

Of course I did. I had a particular bad fainting spell after the show while we were walking away from the crowd and I got separated from Diana I was terrified before I blacked out, the trip in particular had been exhausting. Luckily I did have Anne and another butler with me Anne stayed with me while Joseph, the butler went to search for Diana. Did something bad happen that Diana didn’t tell her about, Diana saw her mother’s distressed face and put her tiny hand on top of her mother

“Don’t worry mom nothing bad happened, I promise.”

Bernadette visibly relaxed.

“You see when I got lost and swept along the crowd I met another little girl, she had brown hair and was also separated from her parents because of the crowd. I thought we should continue waiting and she wanted to keep on moving to find them we kept arguing but when we noticed some people kept on staring we went into the crowd in search of either one of our parents but then an old lady from one of the stands called out to us, she was a bit creepy-”

“Diana I thought you told me nothing-”

“Let me finish, please mother” Diana pouted.

“Very well, I will not comment until the end” Bernadette relented.

“So she ended up being a magical astronomer or the ones that tell fortune. I thought would be best to move away from her but the little girl decided it would be cool so we went closer. I told her we had no money on us, but she said this one was free of charge and conjured up our zodiac cards along with a card about our bond or something saying we will have a lifelong bond or something. It was then we decided to keep searching and the little girl had a few dollars in her pockets and we both got one cotton candy to share and we decided to go closer to where the stand was for the show now that there were less people. It was in the process of walking there that the brown haired girl said to exchange the card about our zodiac sign and if the life long bond fortune is right we’ll meet again and exchange it back I was going to say I don’t live there so the chance of meeting again is not very likely but she handed me her card and I felt inclined to give her mine it was then that Joseph made it through the people still around there and the same time the girl’s mother showed up and pulled her away. Wait let me go get the card mother.” And the young Cavendish girl dashes to her room and comes back after a bit and eagerly shows me the cancer zodiac sign from the girl diana exchanged and I was shocked to notice the card that Diana got.

That’s curious.

Years Ago at a random festival.

“Bernadette let’s get out of here, this place is bogus!” Daryl came out huffing. The old lady comes outside and announces my sister forgot to pay, so I paid her part. The old lady grabs my arm and says she want to do a reading for me for free. I told her I’m not particularly interested in these things she asks please and I decide to humor her. She pulls a few different cards, but one particular that she tells me is the one that looks like the one that Diana got and she even has her insignia because she told me about it at the end.

“Diana dear, did you catch the little girl’s name?”

“Uhm no” Diana has a very embarrassed expression “I forgot to introduce mine as well, her English was a bit hard to understand as well and I was being dragged most of the time we barely had any time to catch our breaths……”Diana seemed a bit put-off by being reminded of that.

How unusual to have Diana so out of her element, that’s so unlike her so I started chuckling.

“Mother….why are you laughing” Diana was baffled and a bit annoyed.

“There, there darling I’m sure you will meet this person again, she clearly made an impression on you and sounds like this person might’ve been the same person your mommy met some time back”

Diana was surprised. “Did her predictions for you come true then mother?”

“Some of them did or actually I should say the ones that truly matter did and that’s all that counts in my eyes. Like having my beautiful daughter filled with ambition and endless curiosity that is still awake past her curfew. Now let me take you to your room darling no more time for stories I’m afraid, straight to bed.”

“But-”

“No buts Diana. Rest assured though I will be beside you till you fall asleep.”

Diana got out of bed and gently tugged my hand and I went back to her room and tucked her in. Bernadette kept petting her hair and before she drifted off to sleep she mumbled ‘I love you mother’. Bernadette said ‘I love you too my little angel’.

One last thought entered Bernadette’s head. That card that was given to Diana was the same one that she was given moments before she met Richard, her now deceased ex-husband. The card did not strictly refer to lovers although it was the more common connotation. She decided she didn’t mind either one to be fair. She’s aware she won’t be able to see Diana grow up into an adult and this small comfort that Diana might have someone that cares for her as much as Richard cared for her calms her somewhat and despite how many more years she wished she had with Richard she appreciates the time they did have.

Stars don’t dictate all or sometimes even not much at all, but completely underestimating the lucky coincidences and the unusual way fate tends to work seems foolhardy.

Bernadette gives her daughter a kiss on the top of her head and closes the door, only leaving a small night light to leave the room with a bit of brightness while her little angel slumbers.

She grabs the cancer card and other card given to Diana. Very curious indeed.

She wishes she could meet this little girl that already has the power to drag around her strong-willed daughter, but she supposes just like she told chariot as long as she works hard she could do it, after all her becoming a tree like all the other Cavendish head of house is a given, she would like a nice open field if she’s honest, but right now she wants to live for as much as she can, she will worry about being able to catch a glimpse of this energetic girl later in whichever form she might be, after all working hard and affection are two things that come best to her. She’s a proud Cavendish after all.

[happyumbrellla]

Malec : Chapter 5 :

Chapter 5 : Comfort :

Alec peeled as many files as he could as he impatiently waited at the Institute for Magnus, his parabataï and Clay to return from their mission to Ragnor Fell. The two shadowhunters arrived an hour later in the main hall and Alec immediately stood up to join them :

        -What happened ?

Izzy rushed to them :

        -Are you fine ?

        -Yes. We were attacked. Ragnor Fell is dead…

Alec’s blood froze in his veins :

        -Where is Magnus ?

        -He stayed there. He’s alright, Clay reassured him. He said he would take everything home to study Ragnor’s stuff and see if he can find anything to help us wake up my mother.

        -Better not to disturb him for the moment, said Jace.

The elder Lightwood nodded. He didn’t like the idea of knowing Magnus alone there, with his soul bruised by the loss of a friend, but he probably needed some space to vent his anger and sorrow :

        -Come with me, said Jace.

The trio followed the blond into one of the armories :

        -There is something wrong. We were attacked at Ragnor Fell’s place. Valentin knew we would be there.

        -You think there is a mole at the Institute ?

        -It’s not possible. It’s our family we’re talking about here, Isabelle scolded.

Jace turned his attention to Lydia. He could see her in the main surveillance room :

        -Everyone is not part of the family.

        -It’s not her, said Alec.

        -How can you be sure ?

        -She was busy with me to plan our wedding and unplan it, after Magnus canceled it. But she could not warn Valentine of an affait in which she had scarcely feet.

        -He scores a point, said Clary. But I can still talk with her to see.

Alec winced, he didn’t agree with this idea, but apparently Jace didn’t seem to want to let go of it :

        -Okais, but I want all the details of this conversation.

Clary nodded and left the room. Jace and Alec were going to do the same, not without being glanced half sad, half angry, but Isabelle intervenes :

        -You’re not going anywhere. You have to talk to each other.

The blond opened her mouth to answer, but she cut him off :

        -I don’t want to hear anything like an excuse. You need to discuss and you will do it now !

Isabelle gave them a look that destroyed the slightest initiative to pass. She took care to stay not far from the door to be sure that the two parabataï were going to talk to each other to solve their problem. Jace and Alec looked at each other without saying at first and then the blond broke the silence :

        -I don’t know how we did to find ourselves in such a situation. But I know that my life is much more difficult to manage since we don’t talk anymore.

        -Mine too, end to said Alec.

        -Recently you could think that I made foolish choices.

The black-haired nodded positively :

        -I know you think I only thought of myself… And Clary. Without worrying for a minute about the consequences on others. What I can tell you is that there were times when it was complicated.

Jace walked to his parabataï :

        -But you must know that I always did what I did because I thought that was right. And I never wanted to make you suffer… I’m sorry.

Alec’s thoughts were spinning in his mind, but the words came out alone and his heart relieved :

        -I know… It’s just that… I was swimming in psychodrama.

        -Yeah… Besides, you’re tied to an obscure creature.

        -And Clary is your sister. How are you managing this ?

        -Oooh, damnit, do not launch me on this subject. Pity.

Alec smiled at the overwhelming air of his parabataï as they settled together on a small sofa. They talked for a moment about Jace/Clary situation before the blond asked :

        -How is it with Magnus ?

        -It’s okay.

        -He asked nothing… You see…

The cheeks of the Lightwood ignited :

        -No, he didn’t ask, tried nothing.

        -And this collar ?

        -I don’t really know what to think

Alec sighed deeply, which made Jace laugh:

        -That’s a fun situation.

        -It’s embarrassing, not funny.

        -Maybe, but it’s better that he doesn’t hurt you.

        -That’s right, sighs the black-haired boy.

Jace patted him on the back:

        -Everything will be alright. We will find a way to break this contract, or force him to do so.

        -Maybe.

Alec was convinced that Magnus wasn’t going to come back on this contract so easily. When they left the room, they didn’t miss the satisfied smile of Isabelle. She had managed to reconcile her stupid brothers and it these times of threat, it was a good thing that they are a team again.

Night was falling and Alec had joined his room at the Institute. He was staring at his phone. The shadowhunter was reluctant to contact Magnus. What shoul he do ? Come in ? Stay here for the night ? He took a deep breath before sending a simple text to the warlock. “I learned for Ragnor. I’m sorry… Do you want me to come home tonight ?” He didn’t have to wait very long to get an answer. “You would be too much of a diversion in the face of everything I have to do. Stay at the Institute tonight.” Alec didn’t think he would be disappointed with this answer. But he was. But he understood that Magnus needs time and focus on studying the property of his late friend. The hunter took a good sgower before going to sleep. He had only spent one night with Magnus, but his bed at the Institute seemed colt to him without the warlock. Alec had trouble falling asleep…

 The hunter woke up at the first light of the day after having slept badly. He put a hand on his face, sighing before looking at the screen of his phone. No news from Magnus. Alec sighed again, should he send him a message ? Call him ? He didn’t know, so he chose to do… Nothing and get to work. He took a shower before putting on clothes and joining his post at the Institute. He plunged into the files that covered his desk, but his thoughts always ended up drifting towards Magnus. Was the warlock well ? Had he found anything to stop Valentin ? Isabelle gave him a pat on the back :

        -Are you well Alec ?

        -He said I was going to distract him…

        -It’s more than likely. But don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be contacting you soon for asking you to come at his place.

The elder of the Lightwood hoped with all his heart that this would be the case. Really.

No news from Magnus during the day. Alec was more and more worried, especially since the warlock had not responded to the message he send on noon. Was he so busy ? Or had he plunged into alcohol to make up for the pain of losing his friend ? The hunter didn’t know and that made him anxious. He should not. He should not. He should not worry so much about an obscure creature… Except it was not an obscure creature… It was Magnus. The warlock who helped them. A warlock who was still helping them find a way to stop Valentin… A warlock he… Appreciated… A lot. No, it was more than that. Magnus made him feel things that no one had ever made him feel. He yearned for his touch, for his presence… Just for him. Alec was drawn from his thoughts by the sound of heeled shoes. It wasn’t shadowhuners’ shoes, could it be… ? The black-headed looks away from his folders. His heart began to beat faster as his eyes opened wide and an immense relief invaded his whole being. Magnus was there. Alec jumped up from his chair and rushed to the warlock. He turned his head towards him and smiled:

        -Alexan…

Magnus didn’t have time to finish his sentence. The hunter hugged him forcefully. He didn’t care about the others’ eyes on them, he had died of anxiety for the warlock and he was relieved to see him here. Alec stepped back and looked closely at the warlock’s face :

        -You’re okay ?

Magnus seemed surprised at the question. The real anxiety of the hunter touched him in the depths of his being. It was so rare that we care about him instead of asking him to do something :

        -I’m fine Alexander, the warlock said with a smile. I even found something to help you.

        -I will look for the others.

In fact, Magnus followed him step through the Institute to find Clary and Jace. They were all four in one of the meeting rooms to be in peace. Magnus made different objects appear on the central table :

        -Here are the items related to the magic I found at Ragnor’s place. But it remains to be seen which one can lead us to the white book.

Clary almost immediately stretch to a particular object :

        -Look at this bookmark. I have already seen it. In the parallel dimension, you showed me a grimoire. It was inside, it was necessarily the white book.

        -If you’re right, with that, you can find the one who has the grimoire.

Jace shrugged :

        -Okais, he said moving his arm to catch the bookmark.

He planned to use his tracking ability with the help of Alec and their parabataï link. But Magnus was far ahead of him in seizing the object :

        -At this game, warlocks are stronger, he said proudly.

It was aslo a way of making sure that Jace didn’t touch Alec. Magnus took a deep breath, closed his eyes and concentrated on using his magic. And of course, Alec was watching him closely. Fascinated. He suddently opened his eyes, shocked :

        -Well, there is a good news and a bad news. The good thing is thaht I know who has the book. The bad thing… It’s Camille.

        -Camille ?, repeated a disgusted Clary of this answer.

The whole group was pretty depressed to know that it was the vampire who owned the book:

        -Apparently, Rapahel decided to lock her up at DuMort Hotel.

        -I hit her the last time, she will not help me, said Clary.

        -We will not leave her any choice, Jace reassured her. Do not worry.

After a short silence, Jace left the room, closely followed by Clary, they had things to say to each other. Magnus and Alec exchanged a look, then Magnus snapped his fingers. The objects all disappeared from the table :

        -Magnus ?

        -Hmm ?

        -If… If you need to talk about… Ragnor’s death… I’m here.

The warlock was once again surprised but very touched by the hunter’s comments. So, he smiles again:

        -Thank Alewander.

The hunter approchaed the warlock. And he stopped asking all the questions that were running though his mind. He wanted to be there for Magnus, he wanted to be shoulder on which to cry, to lean. He wanted to tell his days to the warlock and listen to his. He wanted to took care of him. He wanted to be with him. Then he took his courage with both hands, like the collar of the warlock’s jacket and he kissed him. Without any hesitation. If Magnus was surprised, he wasn’t slow in responding to the kiss. He even went to catch the hunter’s lips as he recoiled slightly to catch his breath. Their eyes met and Magnus could discover all the love Alec felt for him. Love who quickly turned into panic when Alec became aware that some hunters were watching them, including his parents and his sister :

        -You will never stop surprising me.

        -What did I do ?, Alec whispered.

Maryse and Robert went immediately to them. If Magnus chooses to retreat, Alec stays firmly on his feet :

        -What are you doing Alec ? Does this obscure creature use his powers on you ?

Magnus grit his teeth but says nothing :

        -Magnus doesn’t use his power on me. I kissed him on my own.

Maryse remained silent for a minute :

        -You cancel your marriage, you bind your life by a contract to an obscure creature, you flout the honor of our family… I don’t recognize you anymore.

His mother’s words were harsh and they angered Alec as much as they hurt him :

        -However, I am the same. You must understand that now I don’t hide it anymore.

Maryse’s eyes slid to Magnus :

        -All this for an obscure creature, she whispers before turning on her heel and leaving the room. Robert went on to his son :

        -Let her time.

A silence settled down as they all watched the mother leave the room :

        -And you ?, Alec asked.

        -It’s beyond me I recognize it. But what do you want ? The world changes.

Then, he frowned questioningly :

        -Your story dates from before the contract ? Are you in love ?

Alec smiled uncomfortably as Magnus took on an air clearly saying “This question comes a little early”:

        -Lover ? We ? No. No, no, well… It’s not exactly that.

Alec glanced at Magnus to say “help me”. And the warlock intervenes :

        -In fact, it’s all new.

The eldest of the children Lightwood nodded. That’s it, that was it. Robert nodded, but very slowly, as if helping his thoughts reach his brain :

        -I see.

He put a hand on his son’s shoulder before saying :

        -I will take care of your mother.

And he left the room. Isabelle, who had approached, gave them a smile before saying :

        -I am proud of you Alec.

The words of his sister did him the greatest good. And he offered her a sincere smile before she eclipsed at her turn. Magnus felt he needed to relax Alec, otherwise he was going to have a heart attack soon :

        -You know what I just realized, we didn’t even have a first date.

The hunter smiles :

        -That’s true. You’re right. We went through an unprecedented stage called “tied his life by contract”.

Magnus winced slightly :

        -But… You want us to go for a drink… You and me ?

        -I’s love to.

        -Awesome.

The two men really needed a moment of relaxation just for them. Alec took a step to leave but Magnus grabbed his wrist :

        -Hum ?

The warlock snapped his fingers but nothing happened :

        -You can go now.

        -Euh… Okay ?

The hunter moved slowly and backward, wondering of everything was fine with Magnus. Usually when it snapped fingers, something happened. But there, nothing :

        -You come ?

For his part, Magnus hid his smile behind his hand before following Elder Lightwood. He was curious to see how Alec would act now. But he would not tell him that he had broken the contract that united them. He felt he didn’t need it anymore.

 END

Normally, it’s over. Bus as I am unstable, I can have other ideas and post bonus. ^^

Masterlist

© 2017 - Happy Umbrellla - All Rights Reserved. No reposting and/or modifying of any form on any media is allowed. No translations allowed.