I got nothing to say in my defense except that this was not supposed to be this long at all...
Later it makes Rayla wonder if there had been some cosmic reason for the fact that the first time she ventured down to Earth in decades, she happened to meet Brietta, but when she first comes across a bleeding Pegasus, she hardly thinks anything of it. Granted, she isn't expecting the animal to say thank you, but otherwise, the situation isn't too strange. The poor thing is lying against a snow bank, an arrow pointing out from its wing. The softly falling snow around them is quickly covering the red dots on the ground.
Not so taken aback by the fact that the Pegasus can talk as much as the fact that she is sensing an abnormal aura from the animal, Rayla carefully extracts the arrow and makes sure the bleeding isn't severe before asking if its wings still work. She receives a jerky nod with little eye contact, but the Pegasus still leans against her palm when she strokes its muzzle, so Rayla doesn't push, instead offering it a place to heal in peace. The Pegasus agrees, and they leave for clouds in silence that stretches itself up to days.
It takes coaxing, in the form of gentle support on Rayla's part and unashamed childish inquiry on the girls', to get the Pegasus to reveal her name and to speak of the man whose name she barely had time to learn before he cursed her in her current form of a magical creature. Rayla listens to the disturbing story, her heart heavy with sympathy towards the young girl's misery and frustration about her own inability to do anything to reverse the spell.
Trying to ease Brietta's terror of not recognizing herself with the only way she knows how, she enchants a mirror to allow Brietta to see herself as she was before. The girl nearly breaks in hysterics over it, and Rayla doesn't know what to do as she watches the redhead in the mirror collapse on the floor and struggle for breath.
Time passes, as irrelevant for her and the girls as always, but seemingly meaningless to Brietta as well. Unsure if her efforts to help are welcome anymore, Rayla waits for Brietta to come to her. She eventually does one night, with dozens of justified questions about the man who barged into her home and considered to be in his rights to do whatever he pleased.
Rayla doesn't have an answer to Brietta aside from the cruelness of the world, knowing better than to share her history with the man people everywhere aren't sure is real or fictional but of whom they speak in fear anyway. Afraid Brietta might crave answers enough to go ask Wenlock himself, Rayla discourages the idea of a direct confrontation with him, to Brietta's clear relief. Pleased yet surprised by the reaction, Rayla wonders how it's possible that after everything the man has cost her, Brietta has never been interested in revenge.
The young woman treats everything around her so kindly it leaves Rayla enthralled, yearning to know better the soul that is soft yet hard, naïve yet pessimistic. Brietta still has her whole life ahead of her, though she's already known a lifetime's worth of misery.
Rayla doesn't know if bringing up the Wand of Light was a mistake, as she initially did so to give Brietta hope, but after several futile journeys, Brietta seems to grow more hopeless than she originally was. Rayla can't help but feel responsible for her unhappiness, for crushing the spirit she only intended to protect.
Just as Rayla is beginning to loathe herself for being powerless in the face of Brietta's misery, the girls come to her rescue. She doesn't know if it's their childlike innocence that draws Brietta in or the simple unabashed interest in her, but they pull Brietta from the brink of despair so smoothly Rayla can't believe it.
She watches Brietta with Rose, Blush, and Lilac, and feels a tinge of pain in her heart when she realizes how much the girls like her and how well Brietta fits in with them, because unlike Brietta herself believes, Rayla doesn't think she's there to stay with them forever. Brietta has given up on the hope of getting back to her previous life, but Rayla hasn't; she wonders if that makes her an optimist or a pessimist.
She lets the girls hog Brietta at first, worried that her company would only remind Brietta about her failed attempts at becoming human again. However, Brietta doesn't let her distance herself but seeks her out, shyly inquiring if she were interested in joining them for whatever outlandish, silly game the girls have come up with that time around. After a while, she stops using the girls as a buffer and comes directly to her. After a while, Rayla finds herself doing the same.
They talk a lot at nights when the girls are asleep; Rayla wonders if Brietta finds the darkness as comforting as she does since that's when she confines to her, shares some of her most treasured memories. (It never occurs to her it might be her that Brietta finds the most comforting.)
They creep up on her – the feelings Rayla thought had been buried long ago, never to be resuscitated – so recognizing why Brietta's voice has become the one that stands out to her allows the feelings time to fester, making it harder for her to shut them down though she knows she must. She has never been allowed to keep anyone. Rayla scolds herself for being so oblivious and reckless, for not realizing that after years of isolation and no need to keep the world out, she must have lowered her guard. Brietta is the first real person she's allowed into her kingdom, and even that was basically by accident. Her presence, though Rayla has grown to cherish it, is a coincidence and a mistake.
The problem isn't the fact that Brietta is cursed into the form of a Pegasus for the moment. Obviously, it prevents Rayla from doing anything rash in a spout of confidence, for which she is grateful, though she feels horrible about it knowing how miserable Brietta is. But it would be inappropriate even if there weren't the curse to consider. Brietta is so young and pure and has the world waiting for her; her future is on hold only temporarily. It doesn't do to harbor these kinds of feelings for her, not when Rayla knows what their price is. So, she hides them – from the girls, from Brietta, eventually from herself as well.
Annika crashes into their lives with the same desperation her sister had all those years ago. It's said that once you live old enough, you see history repeat itself, but Rayla finds it unfair she wouldn't even have needed her immortality to witness this.
They were prepared for Wenlock's return; Rayla hoping it wouldn't happen, Brietta certain it would, which was why she started patrolling her parents' kingdom nearing Annika's birthday, determined to keep her sister safe even though she needed to keep her distance. Brietta hasn't shared everything about her life with Rayla – her parents, for example, a topic too painful to discuss but she has talked about Annika, speculated about the little sister she loves despite never having met her.
Rayla wonders if Annika has been told of Brietta, soon realizes she hasn't from the way Brietta acts. The girls are bound to reveal the secret, but Brietta doesn't stop them, so Rayla doesn't shush them either. Instead, she watches Annika approach the Pegasus that is more than a magical creature to her now, Brietta hiding from her sister's quizzical gaze. Understanding Brietta's silence is not about not wanting Annika to know as much as it's not trusting herself to tell her, Rayla speaks for her.
Gently, she recounts the tale she has heard only once before and only in bits and pieces over the years but that still sits in her mind as clear as the crystals that surround them. Annika is horrified, quickly putting Brietta's life together with her own. Guilt-ridden, she's even more determined to make things right with her parents, turning to Rayla for help.
Rayla declines from the dawning war resignedly, telling Annika the same thing she told Brietta the first time she asked, that she has no powers over Wenlock. The ambiguous response earns her the same questioning look Brietta gave all those years ago, but Annika doesn't ask, even if she shows less tact than her sister. Brietta is certainly the more reserved of the two of them, but there are so many similarities it makes Rayla's heart ache to know Brietta doesn't see them.
Annika is good for Brietta: optimistic, persistent, and willing to push her sister in a way Rayla never has been. Although Brietta is resistant to the idea of fighting, she gives in eventually. They're her parents, too; the 17 years that have gone by haven't diminished the grief and longing. Giving up on hope was one thing when it was just Brietta herself who suffered, but now there are more lives at stake.
Rayla doesn't hide the encouragement from her features as she sees the sisters off on one more quest to find the Wand of Light, to find a way to defeat Wenlock, which could be considered public service by now. He has been terrorizing innocent people for far too long, the dark deals he's made in exchange for his power discouraging anyone from challenging him.
Rayla understands the gallant urge to go up against him nevertheless, as an underdog, but it's not something she can do. Besides, it's not her fight, the fire blazing in Annika's eyes is enough to let her know that. So, she steps back; gives them the bell, wishes them luck, and tells herself that the inkling she has is more than hope.
It would be fascinating, if it weren't so frustrating, how aware of time Rayla suddenly is during Brietta and Annika's absence. Time has never held much meaning to her before, but to Annika and Brietta, it's now the matter of life and death. That's the only joy she finds from the fact that the days seem to pass slower than some decades have for her.
Then, out of the blue, she hears Brietta's voice even before she hears the bells and almost has a heart attack when she realizes what her request must mean. The ideas of soft, fair skin to touch and sweet, pink lips to taste invade her mind. The urge is as inexplicable as it's sudden, taking Rayla so completely by surprise that she's still sorting out her thoughts after sending the requested horses and preparing for Brietta and Annika's return.
They come back with Annika unconscious and ice-cold, her condition momentarily taking all focus from the young man who refuses to leave her side, and the fact that Brietta can actually wring her hands as she watches him lay Annika on the bed Rayla points to them.
Rayla leads Brietta off to the side, a quick examination having confirmed her suspicion. It's just a matter of time, she comforts Brietta, humbled to see the young woman trusts her even in a situation as dire as the one they're facing. Brietta offers Rayla a smile that is tired yet relieved, but the joy is brief as she points out that time is exactly what they don't have. She doesn't need to say anything else; Rayla knows Brietta would have been a Pegasus forever if it had guaranteed her family and people's safety.
Unfortunately, that's not a sacrifice that would help. Brietta recaps their quest for Rayla, a smirk breaking through as she explains Aidan's presence – a smirk that freezes in place as she reaches the end, saying they did build the Wand of Light, but it is now in Wenlock's hands.
"Annika was right. You were right, Your Highness. I'm-", Brietta cuts herself off, dropping her eyes to the floor.
The apology never passes her lips, but Rayla sees it in her eyes and brushes it off as gently yet vehemently as she can.
"You're free from Wenlock's spell, Brietta." Rayla's voice is quieter than she meant it to be as she looks at her, truly seeing the young woman she's called a friend for more than fifteen years. "Nothing else has changed."
Brietta nods, staring at her hands in slight wonder. "We need to free everyone else, too."
Rayla doesn't know what to say to that, but Annika wakes up soon enough and makes it clear she shares the sentiment, even though her relentless optimism and defiance differ from her sister's solemn desperation. It turns out, however, that excessive determination coupled with half a plan is enough to defeat Wenlock. Rayla has to admit she's a little surprised.
She files Wenlock's fate away for later reflection, focusing instead on the joy and relief radiating from the group that has come back to thank her and the girls for their help. She can't imagine their urge to get back home, so she doesn't hold them up, insisting on letting her horses carry them as far as they can. Annika showers her in gratitude, but Brietta doesn't meet Rayla's eyes as she mounts the horse and flies off to where she belongs.
Rayla knows it's impossible, knows it from centuries on end of watching the sky, but the air feels colder and the sunsets less vibrant after Brietta has left. She wonders if the stars feel lonely on the night sky with only her eyes admiring them. She knows she does.
The girls notice the somberness of her mood and suggest it has to do with Brietta's absence. Although they're absolutely correct about the heart of the problem, it's much more complicated than that, but the girls are children in every aspect except their age, so all Rayla can do is accept the gentle reassurance. She does find a little comfort in their sweet words and warm smiles.
Rayla doesn't expect to see Brietta, nor Annika or Aidan, again, but her heart refuses to co-operate and waits for them anyway, gloating when the trio returns unexpectedly to announce Annika and Aidan's marriage. Following Brietta's suggestion, Rayla conjures an ice ring as a gift. The young couple is delighted, and the girls are equally thrilled, but Brietta opts out of skating, joining Rayla on the sidelines instead. Though so much has changed, it feels familiar and comfortable as ever to watch their fun, which almost breaks Rayla's determination not to ask Brietta to stay.
After seeing Annika and Aidan off and promising to be back just after sunrise, Brietta suggests they watch the Wand of Light become a star for the first time together. Rayla agrees, trusting that in the long run, a proper goodbye hurts less even though now it would be easier to just pretend that's not what they are doing. Brietta can't make a habit of disappearing to come to visit them, her duties as royalty and Rayla's need for secrecy adding up to quite dysfunctional circumstances.
They stand on the balcony like they've done numerous times before, all the way from the first sunrise Rayla showed Brietta who declared it the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Rayla doesn't play favorites with weather phenomena, finds them all unique and lovely, but as she hears Brietta gasping softly at the hues of blue and pink surrounding them, she knows she'll be especially fond of this particular sunset for the rest of her life.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to settle for watching sunsets down from the ground from now on. They're boring in comparison."
"Well, you can always find something else. There's plenty of great beauty to nature."
"I know, but I like watching sunsets. They remind me of… I can't call this place my home anymore, can I?"
The question and the small, sad-sounding laugh cut a wound in Rayla's soul. In a moment of thoughtlessness, lessening the young woman's pain her first priority, Rayla promises Brietta something she knows will only hurt herself in the future. "Whatever you want to call it, you're always welcome here."
Brietta smiles; a reserved, tender smile that makes her eyes sparkle and Rayla forget what they were talking about.
"Thank you, Your Highness. For everything. The first thing you offered me was safety. I don't know if I ever thanked you for that. I can never repay you for your kindness."
Rayla blinks rapidly to prevent tears from welling into her eyes at the sentiment that is needless but still means the world to her. "You don't need to do any of that. I valued your company."
"As did I yours. More than I ever have anyone else's, in fact."
Rayla looks at Brietta, meeting the blue eyes that have become her greatest comfort, searching for a sign that her sudden hopefulness is misguided. But Brietta tilts her head, her gaze neither naïve nor hesitant rather than holding the confidence of a leader, and Rayla realizes that maybe the world hasn't failed them both as badly as she's feared.
"My queen- "
Physically trying to distance herself from the opportunity she's suddenly given, Rayla takes a step back and holds up her hand, afraid of what Brietta might say. Afraid of not having enough willpower to turn her away after hearing it.
"You will be a queen yourself, Brietta. I won't have you abandoning your people for me."
"I know. And I won't – but I won't abandon you for them, either."
Rayla shakes her head frantically as if that would somehow prevent the sentiment from registering. Brietta's offering her everything she's wanted and everything she can't have. She knows what she should say, but she can't bring herself to say it; her heart winces at the idea, and the words refuse to form.
Brietta's face falls, her voice brutally gentle and her gaze never leaving Rayla's eyes that atypically try to find anything else to latch onto than the face of the young woman in front of her.
"Rayla…"
The rare use of her first name forces Rayla to look up. Rayla isn't sure which of them leans in first, but then Brietta's lips are touching hers without warning, and time that she's always been heedless of stops altogether. The kiss is light and soft and just as addictive as she feared, the shudder running through her downright sinful. But Brietta is smiling when she pulls back, entangling their fingers, and instead of the regret Rayla expected, there's only the urge to kiss her again.
There you go, I hope you liked it. I tried something a bit different with this fic style-wise, so I'd love to hear your thoughts!