A/N: Hey guys, this might be a bit difficult to understand… but okay, here we go. This is an OC character for Muentiger's story, 'Friends, Enemies and Newids', though this OC hasn't been mentioned in the story yet. You don't necessarily have to read it to understand this, as this is the origin of a character. You could just read this to see how creative I am at writing OC, how large my imagination is, how my sanity is ever-fleeting, but still. As such, I do not own FEN, but I do own the characters here. Just so you know, the places mentioned here are fictional, as far as my knowledge stretches, there is no village named 'Vergara' in Greece, nor a Mount Yala.
The Misty Mountain
A grey mist covered the mountain, obscuring the view from the mortals on the ground. No one knew why it was always misty there, even in summer. Some reasoned it was high; the atmosphere was icy there, and the old rule of cold air sank and hot air rose came into many discussions, some claimed that explained the mist. Others said it was magic. In the norm, those were laughed at and shunned, magic wasn't real! Scoffs, sneers and sarcastic comments would meet the magic-believers.
It was almost ironic how these villagers shirked the idea of magic, whilst they believe in the Greek gods of old. Zeus, Poseidon, Hades… Hera, Hestia and Demeter. The gods the Romans stole from them and renamed them – that was what these villagers believed. These gods did, according to legend, remarkable and magnificent things! What more could it be than magic? And was love not magic? It wasn't trickery, was it? Love was an actual and true feeling. Abstract. These mortals didn't know of the wizarding world, of dragons and mermaids and elves and trolls... they believed in Argus - Hera's monster, Cerberus – the dog that guards the gates of hell, centaurs – the wise ones, Pegasus, and many more, but they refused the belief in magic? It wasn't a question as to why many children were utterly confused and scared.
Many scientists had done research on this particular mountain, hoping to find some new species that's been in hiding for years. They climbed the mountains, hiked up with bags of equipment. The scientists always left, their shoulders drooping, having found no new creature, no deity they all hoped lived there.
The small village of Vergara in Greece had become a sort of tourist attraction for the misty mountain. People stopped to look at it, sometimes for hours on end, not understanding. Hazy mountains were, after all, not an uncommon sight. But this one was. The villagers believed their god, Zeus, was living there, on Mount Yala. It explained their frequent thunderstorms and the rough winds.
Some had tried to climb it, only few succeeded. The ones that returned told tales of the sky people.
"They look just like us! Only they have wings… they're angels, I tell you."
"Come on, Barry, those things had silver wings! Angels have pure white wings!"
"But they were real, I tell you, the children of our god, they are!"
The two men, Barry and his companion, were laughed at. They were the purest two men in the whole Vergara, their minds clean, their hands unstained from sins. Only the pure of heart could pass the misty barrier the sky people had put up, yet they were being laughed at in a local pub. They didn't understand, no one ever did. More than one person had been up there, and they, too, had tales of the sky people. No one believed them – and the reason?
The sky people didn't want to be found. They were not witches and wizards; they were what the villagers called them: sky people.
It was early when she woke up. Too early, she never woke up this early. Wondering why, she swung her legs off the soft bed. She sauntered over to the window, folding her wings neatly behind her back, and glanced out. The barrier was still in place, so they had no fear of being found. They had been found a few times, but only the pure of heart could find them. They showered these visitors in gifts, ranging from food to precious linen and stones. The sky people had no use for precious minerals like gold or platinum, white gold. Their wealth was measured in their relationship with the royal family.
No one on Mount Yala had a last name, they had only first names. Last names weren't needed, they were all familiar and the idea of an 'outcast' was laughable. There were the ones that you liked less, you just avoided them. That was until this day, this morning, that marked Lilika's last hours on Mount Yala.
She stared out the window, surveying the area. She had a rather pleasant view from the mountain; it overlooked the village of Vergara. The mortals fascinated her, their daily routines becoming almost predictable. She saw a lady with a large stomach pass the grocer. A pregnant lady. She was heaving, her hands nursing her back. Subconsciously her hand went down to her own belly. It was large too. She had a life growing inside her. Nearly nine months now.
Even in the freedom the sky people's tribe gave, there was still the point where you overstepped your freedom, and that was what Lilika had done.
The royal family was a family to be left alone, only bothered when circumstances were dire, such as being on the brink of death due to sickness or starvation. The royal family were simply to be left alone; they had more important things to do than to care about the silly people below.
The royal family, however, didn't want to be left alone. They wanted to be accepted into the tribe as more than just the royals, or chiefs, they wanted the people to go to them. But there was an elite force, hell-bent on keeping the people away from their king. Lilika had overstepped the line. He hadn't meant too, she was still a child in the eyes of most of the elders, being nineteen years of age in the eyes of man. She was still young.
She couldn't bring herself to regret her actions. It brought a smile to her elfish face.
. . .
She'd been picking flowers. She didn't like flowers, but there would be a feast that night celebrating a birth of one of the females' babies. The sky people weren't born with wings, their wings grew as they grew. There were some sky people who didn't have wings, but they were accepted into the community just as any others were. She was picking flowers because she happened to know that the new mother was fond of flowers. And she didn't want to show up empty-handed. No one knew much about Lilika. Her parents died when she struck adolescence, and she refused to live with anyone else. She kept to herself, stayed mostly indoors. She did her part; she picked flowers for them all. It wasn't just for decoration, as the mortals used it, they used it for sustenance. They enjoyed eating flowers.
They were all nature's children, and most of them adored plants and flowers. She picked flowers and sold them, or rather traded them for food if they didn't want to eat the flowers. She didn't eat much.
She was hovering above the flowers, her silver wings fluttering, like a butterfly's would, her hair fell across the face, so light it was almost white, her eyes looking curiously at the vast array of colours. She might not like the flowers, but they fascinated her. She imagined some tiny creatures used them as homes, at times, and briefly wondered how they'd react when they returned home and found their homes had been uprooted.
"Morning."
She jumped at the voice, her wings stilling and she fell to the grass, the flowers in her hands falling too. She groaned, not just because she fell, but because she had to pick all of the flowers up now; and there were quite a lot. She was lying in a bed of lilies, irises and periwinkles. In hindsight, rosy periwinkles might not have been the wisest decision, seeing as they were informally known as funeral flowers, and it would send a negative message to the new mother.
She blinked when an outstretched hand appeared in front of her. She took it, not knowing who was on the other end of that hand. She was pulled up and set on her feet, flower petals falling from her hair.
"Golly, you're light." A male voice said. She jumped again, nearly losing her footing, and she would've lost it were it not for the arm that snagged her around the waist. She pushed away from the hand; he let her go quickly, not knowing what to expect. She finally looked up at him, and immediately she looked down again.
"I didn't mean to frighten you." He said earnestly. "All I was doing was admiring you… I mean the flowers…"
She looked up, his cheeks were burning. She giggled, stepping away from him and bending down to pick the fallen flowers up. He bent down next to her, handing her a handful of flowers. She took it, propping it into the crook of her arm.
"My name is Joshua." He said, following her, picking up another handful of flowers.
"I'm Lilika." She introduced herself. "Why are you out here?" She gave him a curious look. Seeing the prince outside was certainly a first.
He laughed. "As if I'm listening to those morons." He said, scoffing, jabbing his thumb to his home. He must be referring to the guard, she thought. He was a bit taller than she was, his hair a shade darker than hers, his eyes an unnerving icy blue, where hers were an eerie buttery colour. He certainly was something for the eye, he'd neglected to put on a shirt – not that any of the males really wore shirts, they all wore togas. The royal family's togas mostly had gold lining. Lilika's toga had silver lining, and she wore it with pride. It was symbolic of her being precious, even if only in her deceased mother's eyes. But he was wearing something modern, a pair of dark blue jeans. Lilika recognised them from her fascination with the mortals below.
"You must be very brave." She said, admiringly. He grinned carelessly, bending down to pick some flowers with her now that the others had been collected. He'd discreetly gotten rid of the periwinkles, knowing of the new birth.
"Why do you pick flowers?" He asked, his wings fluttering a bit in the wind. Lilika's own wings were sill unfurled. She didn't like tucking them close to her body, it was uncomfortable. She even slept on her stomach to avoid having to tuck them in.
"I'm the flower-picker. Mortals would call me a florist." She explained, shifting her position a bit.
"You study the mortals?" He asked, surprised that anyone but he himself could find them interesting.
"Yes, they are curious, don't you think?" She turned to face him full on. He didn't expect it – most people looked at the ground and curtsied out of respect. She'd been the first one to look down out of shyness.
"I definitely think so." He grinned again. She went on picking flowers, and he helped her. Soon her arms were overflowing with flowers. She thanked him, raising her wings high to fly away.
"Wait!" He called after her.
"Yes?" She turned around, lowering herself, kicking the air with her bare feet. The sight made his mouth go dry, she should be the heir to the throne, not him. She certainly looked the part. She had the same air as his mother: humble, shy, but not afraid of letting her opinion be known. She was beautiful, and peculiar, like a ghost of a young woman, she'd be able to rule without much effort.
"Will I see you again?" He asked, picking one of the flowers she hadn't picked, holding it out to her. She nodded, accepting the flower, tucking it behind her ear. With a flash of white teeth, she was gone.
. . .
The second time they saw one another was in the Valley of Flowers, again. She was flitting around, her silver wings beating in tune with her heart. It was a hot day, she'd tied her hair up with a piece of lint, keeping it out of her eyes. A wind was blowing, but it didn't cool her off, it blew the hot air and dust particles around, blowing them against her sensitive skin. Finally she sought refuge under a tree, feeling a sandstorm coming on atop Mount Yala. They weren't uncommon, but she didn't like them.
She flew straight into another, causing her to lose the beat of her wings and fall. She was pulled to her feet and drawn under the tree, out of harm's way as the storm picked up.
"Never thought I'd see you again." Joshua said, grinning down at her.
"Are you stalking me? Because that is highly inappropriate, sir!" She said sternly, patronising him, adjusting her toga. "And you're staring at me…" She paused, looking down at her garb, which was now covered in red earth. "And now I see why – it's going to take me forever to get this out!" She moaned, smashing her hand against her face. Joshua chuckled, and she looked up at him suspiciously.
"What?" She demanded, "I have to do my own laundry, you spoilt brat!"
He continued to laugh, dusting his shoulder off where she'd crashed into him.
"What is so funny?" She asked again, her patience wearing thin. "If you want to bow to you and whisper sweet nothings of my undying loyalty and whatnot, forget it. I don't believe in the hierarchy on Mount Yala, everyone is their own ruler, and that elite force trying to keep us away from our leaders annoys the heck out of me."
He stopped laughing, eyeing her earnestly. His new gaze captivated her; he looked good when he frowned. He looks even better when he smiles, a little voice whispered. She batted it down with a bunch of flowers, forcing it onto his throat.
"What elite squad, Lilika?" He asked, the mirth gone from his voice.
"There's a team in town that warns us not to bother the leaders, because we'll be punished severely." She answered, shuddering at the memory of what happened to the last sky person who had insisted on seeing the King.
"Who are they?"
"I don't know, I just hear them from inside my hut, I don't go out unless I have to, or to come to the Valley of Flowers." She shrugged her shoulders. He gripped her shoulders and pulled her closer to him as another violent gust of sand-filled wind passed them. She pushed away immediately, not familiar with a male's body close to hers.
"Surely you aren't embarrassed, Lilika?" He asked, noticing her quick retreat. She blushed a delightful burgundy, a shade he found charming on her light complexion.
"I… I'm not used to a male's body near me." She admitted. "It's unfamiliar territory." She added softly, casting her eyes down.
What Joshua did next, he would never be able to explain, but his hand flew up on his own accord, lifting her face to meet his. Her eyes were large, her nose small and 'cute', as mortals would describe it. He lowered his head to hers and pushed his lips to hers. He felt her gasp, but she melted into his touch, her hands resting on his chest. He realised she was flittering above him after a while, and, with a laugh, he pulled her down.
"That was nice." She said, dazed when he pulled back. He couldn't help but grin. She was the first female he'd seen that enthralled him and wasn't a servant, and the first kiss he'd ever shared with anyone.
"It was." He agreed, his hand sliding down to her neck.
The sandstorm kept on going. It sounded odd, a sandstorm in Greece, but Mount Yala was a very dry place at times, nearly desert-like. Only in the valley of Flowers did flowers grow, and only few were ever allowed to enter it. The sprites would keep anyone away that they didn't want there, be it with a strong wind or by appearing in extreme cases. Mostly they didn't let anyone know of their presence, Lilika didn't know of them, but the sprites liked her. She sang sometimes, sating them. They didn't live in the flowers, they preferred the trees.
The moment the tiny sprites allowed Joshua in, they knew he was hers. Not she his, but he hers. He'd do anything for her.
The sprites contacted their partners and decided to help them come together; a change should be made on Mount Yala. Together they could do it.
They couldn't move, and were forced to spend the night under the tree. He held her close to him, his one arm curled around her waist as the other held her firmly in his embrace. In the tree atop them, they sprites rejoiced.
The days wore on, yet the storm didn't subside. Lilika and Joshua were forced to remain under the tree. They talked, mostly. She was a very interesting individual, he learned. Very open-minded, much like he was. She was different than the females he'd met beforehand, his parents had tried, and failed, to get a match for him since he turned eighteen in the eyes of man, now he was twenty. He was just too bizarre, too odd to care.
But now he cared. More than he should.
One night, as they settled down after grabbing some of the tree's blossoms to eat for dinner, the sky-people lived off the land, mostly eating the plants and flowers, his arms curled around her waist, as had become habit; he drew her up and pressed his lips to hers. She didn't fight him, but melted into his embrace. Their lips moved together, not invading the other's mouths just yet. His hand trailed down her stomach in feathery light touches, causing gooseflesh to rise all over her body.
That night things went further that night. His hand slid down; her toga and his ever-present jeans disappeared. Needless to say, we know what happened next. The two fell asleep, exhausted and nude, in one another's arms. The sprites covered them in a blanket of heat; rejoicing at what they knew would be a better future. Some sprites didn't celebrate, having a feeling that it wasn't over.
When morning came, the storm was finally over. Joshua woke up before she did, and he found himself mystified, enchanted and in love. Just a week, he thought, and she already won his heart. She was different, after all.
Her eyes flew open and she sat up, fear etched into the lines of her beautiful face.
"What have we done?" She whispered. "You're part of the royal family, if they find out, they will…" She started, but he put his arms around her shoulders.
"So? I'm just a male, Lilika. And I love you." He murmured against her temples, his hand moving in circles on her back.
She stared. "Love?"
"Yes, I love you. We've spent the last few days together, and I find myself enchanted." He pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder blade, causing her to shiver.
"You hardly know me." She pointed out. He nodded in agreement, pulling her back against his chest.
"Then I will get to know you, Lilika, starting now. I'm sure there'll be a party in search of me, but we still have a few moments before I need to leave." He said evenly. "And I'm sure I can persuade my family to accept you – I'm positive."
Her heart grew a bit warmer. She was wanted, for the first time since the mysterious death of her parental parties, she was wanted.
. . .
That was nearly nine months ago. After that they met everyday in the field, picking flowers, asking questions, getting to know one another. He learned that he loved her, it was true, whilst she in turn discovered she loved him. It seemed very romantic, to them. Until Lilika gave him the news that she was expecting.
"But that's wonderful!" He cried out, drawing her to him. She pushed back, blocking his embrace, because she knew he could do anything with her if she was in his arms.
"If they find out, I'm done for. I shouldn't have been…" She struggled with herself, still pushing herself away from him.
"We'll run away, Lilika." He interrupted her. "We'll run away! My parents won't mind, they know about you, about us!" He kissed her quickly. "I'll see you soon, my love!"
She grinned. She hadn't seen him since, but a sent message promised her he'd see her this day.
From afar she heard a trumpet announce the arrival of one of the royal family. She peered out of the window, seeing Joshua flying straight to her doorstep. He was wearing a toga with gold lining. She preferred the mortals' jeans, it made him look good. Anything made him look good.
Before he could raise his fist and knock on her door, a voice stopped him.
"Your majesty, what are you doing here?" She recognised the voice; he was the leader of the crooked squad that kept them and the royal family apart.
"Lilika!" He ignored the man, knocking on her door. "Come out, love, I've come to get you!"
She opened the door hastily, wishing to get far away from the village with its crooked irony. But the moment she opened the door and they saw her, they seized him.
"Been consorting with the royal family, have you, flower-picker?" The leader demanded; a knife to Joshua's throat. His eyes lingered pointedly on her stomach. "You know the punishment!"
"Let me go." Joshua said softly, his eyes on her swollen stomach.
"I can't do that, sire, she knows the punishment." He drew the knife closer, cutting a bit into the prince's throat.
"No!" She begged him. The male didn't move, his eyes fixated on her.
"I'm warning you." Joshua said quietly, his icy blue eyes losing colour. It meant danger, she knew. When his captor didn't move, Joshua's hand flew up, and there was blood on the floor in a brilliant flash of silver. The captor fell to the ground, two small fountains of blood still spurting from the arteries in his neck. Joshua held the dagger up, a snarl on his face.
"I know what's been going on here, and we have had enough! We want to be bothered by you, it's our jobs." Joshua said, raising his dagger, scarlet dripping from it, to the air. The villagers cheered, their cries becoming echoes in the nearby mountains.
The squad didn't take it that good. They tore the dagger from Joshua's grip, pinning him to the ground.
"Silence, you fools!" Another one of the squad called. "See our leaders? They kill without thought!"
"I kill because I must!" Joshua answered, his shoulder was jammed into the pavement painfully. His face contorted in pain, he would have bruises later.
"No!" Lilika protested, surging forward to pry of the hands and the weapons pointed at Joshua. She was thrown back against the wall. She groaned, her head lolling to the side.
"Lilika, no!" Joshua yelled, struggling to get up. When she raised her head, he breathed a short sigh of relief. "Run!"
She watched as the squad neared her, their hands greedily reaching for her. Her wings rose, and they all gasped. She looked up, finding her wings silver with deep purple streaks running through them. She was confused, but her wings started to beat on their own accord. She looked down at Joshua, who was staring at her wings intently.
"Go, love." He whispered. She realised that he was the one making her wings beat. She didn't know how, but he did it. And then she rose; her wings beating as fast as they could, carrying her away from Mount Yala.
She looked back, seeing the pavement spill with blood. Horrified she realised that they'd cut off Joshua's wings!
"No!" She screeched, willing her wings to turn back, but to no avail. "Why aren't you doing anything?" She screeched at the villagers, who all heard her. As one man, the villagers surged forward.
The wings carried her until she couldn't fly anymore. Where her wings grew tired, where she herself grew tired, atop a forest where she smelt new flowers, heard the chatter of mortals and she just fell, the deep purple streaks disappearing as every moment passed.
. . .
On Mount Yala the villagers attacked, heaving forward, hands outstretched greedily, wanting to hurt the ones that lied to them. The squad was torn to pieces, both literally and figuratively. Those cowardly enough fled, the remaining ones were torn from their beloved prince. A few of the force's limbs were torn clean off as the sky –people tore them away. His wings were all over the pavement and street, surrounded by blood. His consciousness fading from the loss of blood. They were still partly human, after all.
"Sire," A male gripped Joshua by the armpits and helped him up, ignoring the blood staining his toga, "Sire?"
Joshua groaned, his head slumping to his shoulder.
"Get him to the castle, Leon." A female ordered. Leon nodded, gesturing to his friend to help him. "I told you all it was a bunch of bull, but none of you believed me!"
"Shut it, Bernice, we don got enough guilt!" Leon yelled back at her, over his shoulder. The two struggled a while more before they were stopped by the blaring of trumpets again. Guards from the royal family surrounded them. Two aged yet beautiful sky persons landed in front of them. Joshua's mother took one look at him and burst into tears.
"Oh, Josh…" She sighed, taking her son's face in her soft hands. He opened his eyes briefly.
"Hi, mum. Sorry, I killed a male…" He murmured, a trickle of blood sliding down his lip. She wiped the blood from his lip with her finger, the tears becoming anger. She knew her son; he'd get involved in a fight, certainly, but no one deserved what he'd been dealt.
"What's happened?" The king demanded, eyeing the two males carrying his son. They shifted nervously under the gaze of icy blue eyes, that was where Joshua got his own pair of arctic coloured eyes.
"Those guys I told you about?" Joshua gurgled, "They chased her off and ripped off my wings." He said it as if it was an everyday happening, supressing the pain from his missing wings. It might have been as though they'd sawed off his arm, for all it mattered.
"This means war." King Nathaniel said, not lifting his eyes from his son, a hand on Joshua's shoulder, placed lightly. He looked to Leon and his friend. "Would you please take him up there?"
The males nodded, doubling both their efforts and grips.
"Skye people, today we take back what is ours!" Nathaniel said. "We've been distant long enough! I apologise!" He bowed down, shocking the villagers. Never in their history has a king ever bowed to them. It was a sign of peace. A sign of regret. No one knew how to react, until a small girl with pearly wings stepped up.
"It's okay, sir," She said, her voice small and sweet. "I'm sorry about Prince Joshua. And that no one here ever thought to think."
Queen Ursuka put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "We invite you all to the feast at our home." She announced proudly. "A reward for saving our son, and a reward for the forgiveness you've shown us."
That night, Mount Yala was happier, more festive than it had been in ages. The villagers were shocked to see that the royal family lived as they did, simple, the only difference was the fact that there were servants and guards. They learned that their leaders were like them, they laughed, they cried (especially Ursuka, who was heartbroken because of Joshua's lack of wings and newfound injuries), they insisted to be called on their first names.
. . .
Joshua woke up in the middle of the night, his back searing and burning with pain from where his wings once were. He doubled over as he thought of how he'd killed a male, bulky wetness hit the floor. He still felt queasy, and his stomach lurched again. He'd willed her away, the small amount of magic powers he had he used to get her away from them. That was where the purple streaks came from, from his small amount of powers. He could force his will down on inanimate objects, and their wings where subjected to their subconscious thoughts and, sometimes, of their heartbeats. The mortals called his ability telekinesis. He hated the word, it sounded like he was sick.
His stomach lurched violently again, and the floor was spattered with vomit again.
He became aware of a presence near him. A male. Older than he was, he recognised him; it was the man that had helped him.
"Leon." Joshua spoke without thinking. He was good with names, even if he was delirious when he'd first heard it
"Yes, that's me." Leon confirmed with a sad sigh. "It's a rather large mess we're in, isn't it?"
Joshua gave a throaty laugh, forcing it out of his stomach, through his throat and out his mouth.
"Mount Yala is at peace, sir, but you aren't." Leon said, his voice severe and understanding. It was still dark, but Joshua could sense it. "Find her, sir, and bring her back to us. We need a new queen, and the heir." Leon put a hand on the prince's arm lightly, giving it a slight squeeze.
"Where did she go? Do you know?" He asked eagerly. Leon's figure shook in the darkness, confirming that he didn't know.
"No, sir, but here." He handed Joshua a large bag. "Your back is healed, but I fear you will never fly again. Your wings have gone."
He swallowed down the lump in his throat. "I'll search for her on foot." He took the bag, putting it on his other side. Leon stopped him from standing by placing a hand on his arm.
"I know you know how to fight, so take this too." Leon handed Joshua a sword. "Use it when you must, but protect your blood above all else."
He forced a shirt over Joshua's head. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help."
Joshua then did something inexplicable. He embraced his saviour. He pulled back instantly, unsure and surprised.
"Not a problem, sir. You saved her, now you need to save her and your unborn child. Someone'll clean this up." He gestured to the vomit on the floor, chuckling at Joshua's uncertainty, patting him lightly on the shoulder, a friendly gesture.
"Go now, son, before anyone sees you. I'll notify your parents."
Leon watched him leave, smiling to himself. He was drawn to the prince; perhaps he could be a friend to the prince once he returned. He was only a few years older than him. He'd slipped away midst the feast, where no one was happy anymore. They were all now facing the fact that the prince and their future queen were hurt, and apart. And that's the one thing sky people can't do, they can't live without their other halves.
Joshua always wanted to experience the mortal world, the utmost corners, adventures. But this was not what I had in mind, he thought as he slipped from his home, swinging the bag over his back.
. . .
A/N: So, yeah, please review! Hope you like it, sis, and I know it's late – I hit a blockage. *coy grin*