It's V-day, and that calls for yet another oneshot! Don't worry, I've been a little more optimistic this time.
Thankies to Luckster(elemente on dA) for the beta-read!
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Ubisoft and/or M. Ancel. I'm just using them for my own sick pleasure. 8D
Spellbound
The quiet halls of the Fairy Council were still as always, mimicking the lurking night outside. Thousands of age-old stones emanated the usual calm serenity so many unconsciously came here searching for. Deep inside its chambers, faint sounds of laughter and celebration sounded out into the dim corridors, creating a vivid contrast to them, but not subtracting from it's endless harmony.
Small taps echoed off the walls, their faint noise almost completely disappearing. A shadow was lit by the light of the twin moons lighting through the colorful glass mosaics, acting as windows around the Council. The tall, slender female form strolled along the wall silently, the grace of her kind proving to be not just a shallow myth.
The pair of green footwear continued to make little tapping sounds, muffled only when long rugs of all color sometimes came before her. Even the night seemed to just mimic her with its beauty, as a whole star-system was being lit by the light, the silvery moons and stars scattered along her robe sparkling magnificently. They were placed generously along the cloth, one side embedded into a river of gold, the other bathing in a lush sea of green tint.
A trio of little pink spheres were playing tag around her cap that perfectly matched the color and style of her robe, while her two perkily pointed ears were sticking out on the sides. From under the hat, waves of beautiful crimson hair fell around, almost hiding the sweet, compassionate pair of forest-green eyes. The similar colored lips were spread to a warm smile, her gaze set on the little form in her hands.
Most would have considered what she was doing right now a huge honor, and inside, she did feel slightly above everyone else, even more than the fact she was a quite respected fairy. For in her hands was the one the whole world celebrated; the one that managed to come through every obstacle and ambush, every plot and trap, every foe and undesirable; Rayman. How he got that name she still couldn't imagine, for the one in her hands was still much more of a child, than the mighty warriors legends spoke of.
He was a tiny marvel, someone of such unbelievable power and agility at such young age, not to mention a will that rivaled with the strongest. It had only been two whole days since the limbless entered the Council, tired beyond measurement, but proudly holding the marks of his victory: the Great Protoon in one hand, the fabled artifact the malevolent Mr. Dark has stolen, and a crystal orb in the other...with her inside it.
Betilla was both proud at the little boy and immensely thankful. Her efforts to help and strengthen him were not in vain, even if it cost her freedom for a while. Back in the safety of the Council, she was quickly freed from her tiny prison, only to see as Rayman was bowing before her, again giving the utmost respect to the high-ranking fairy. She was surprised by the gesture, but smiled warmly at the limbless, and bowed before him instead.
She startled both her kin and everyone else that one of her level and might would react like that, even if the limbless did save her and the region, but they found it suiting and copied. One by one, every single creature showed their sign of respect towards Rayman leaving the limbless red from embarrassment, unable to say anything.
The entire region celebrated Rayman as their savior, the fabled hero they'd all been waiting for. She knew exactly just how much he had to go through to reach his goal, how fiercely he had fought foes that would had made others flee in terror. She was proud of him...but she still didn't approve it.
"He's going to come...eventually, you know that too." his voice was an infuriatingly perfect mixture of respect and mockery, both calming her and making her blood boil at an alarming rate.
"My answer still remains the same. Your advice is just plain stupid. I don't care what they claim from their fabled 'prophecies', but this is just preposterous!" she spat a bit angrily. She immediately wished she could have swallowed her tongue though. Whenever she replied out of emotion, he always managed to gain the upper hand.
And there it was already. That smug grin that formed under his large nose, his whole stance changing and starting to emanate victory. She just hated seeing him like that, especially since that always meant she would lose whatever argument they were in.
"The Seers never lie Betilla, you of all people should know that perfectly well." his voice eased, now calm and content, with no sign of the slightly insulting tone...he already knew he had won. She was starting to think the mocking one was actually much better. "He has potential and the threat has been perfectly visible for a long time."
The fairy bit lightly into her lower lip, suddenly founding her chair uncomfortable. She was losing ground fast, while he just gazed at her with that pair of blood-heating green eyes, making her wish he would close them already and stop scouting her mind.
Visibly, her opponent of debate sitting before her, was not someone whom many would fear. His kind never gave the impression of warriors, with their hands, feet, torso and head hanging loosely in the air, kept in place by what they liked to call the 'link of power'. Betilla never held any reason against the limbless ones, even though he seemed to be trying his best to get her to do so.
Clad in bright violet shoes that were striped in a fancy fashion, his purple torso holding two sky-blue buttons and a long wand with a sphere-top in his hand, he especially didn't seem threatening in any way. The shiny, black top hat, resting in his head would have raised the esteem a bit, but the large yellow star gave away the illusion, making it more humorous instead.
The traditional facial proportions of the limbless were no different with him; his sparkling green eyes standing close to each other, his large nose giving home to an even larger grin under it, one she had grown to resent whenever it appeared. His long golden hair flowed freely, emanating a certain elegance, making him one of the main characters wherever he appeared.
The fairy threw a scowl at the limbless, who always took his time to mess with her, sometimes just because he had nothing to do. In reality, he of course had spells to devise and many obligations she didn't even wish to know. Having him around was already bad enough as it was.
"We're talking about a simple child here." she attempted to save what she could. "As much as the Seers should be respected, even they can't actually believe, even worse, proclaim that he will be the one who actually saves our sorry lives." she was steadily shaking off her dignity as a fairy, which only made her enemy grin even wider.
"Oh, trust me Betilla, I'm not one their side fully either." he raised his eyebrows very lightly, making it look a bit like he was lecturing her...knowing exactly that she really hated that. "I'm just saying we shouldn't leave their opinion out of the question...after all, most of their prophecies have already became reality."
Betilla let out a sharp sigh, shaking her head lightly. She wasn't doing so well; she needed a plan. The fairy didn't want to lose to that disrespectful little limbless, to be defeated by his well-placed needle-words and sly grin again.
"Who's to say they aren't mistaking this time? What if they read the moons, or the Protoon's emanations wrong? What if they just chose the wrong person?" she hated herself to resort to such simple plan, but she had to.
"Well, what am I hearing there?" he quirked a brow, his grin shifting a little bit."Aren't you just disappointed that the savior is not a fairy, but one of my kind?"
"Bah, don't make me laugh!" she harshly objected, her face turning slightly red. "I'm in a position when these thoughts are out of the question. This isn't a matter where my personal preferences matter at all."
"Is that a 'yes'?" he mused, his expression just about screaming at her that she just got into another of his clever verbal traps.
The fairy had to restrain herself from jumping up and slapping him across the Council, from one chamber to another. His sole purpose seemed to be driving her nuts at any costs, and she was really losing her patience by now. Of course doing so only put her in a worse situation, hopeless to win now.
"...I should have you thrown out of here, so swiftly you couldn't even grab onto that idiotic hat of yours." her voice was very close to what would qualify as a growl, a scowl pasted on her face.
"Now, now, temper dear Betilla..." he mused, taking a few moments to brush his nails against his chest. "What would everyone say if they saw you right now?" he queried casually.
The fairy visibly trembled a bit, clawing into the handle of her chair, her glare enough to set him on fire if she wished to. After a few tense moments, which were only like that for her, while amusing to the limbless, she sighed, admitting her defeat.
"...alright." she surrendered. "If-" she raised her index finger, to emphasize on the word. "-he'll ever attack and succeeds, the Seers' chosen will go after him, alone." her words not only marked that she let whatever was supposed to happen, commence, but also another failed attempt to defeat, to plummet that magic-wielding runt into the ground.
Magician seemed quite pleased, getting off the chair. "Thank you very much for the audition, highly revered Betilla." he gathered all those titles just to further show off, she knew that very well. "Our discussion has been a refreshing trade of thoughts once again, I'm happy to have been a part of it." he took off his hat and bowed deeply, extending both of his hands, just like any magician after a show.
She was fuming madly, gritting her teeth a bit. Despite her rank, title and everything, she just wished to strangle that infuriating little bastard to death, even without having a neck. She nod back, knowing she still had to keep customs. The limbless grinned and proudly walked out of the chamber, holding his wand like a cane.
The fairy took a few moments of thrumming her fingers on her crossed knees, letting her head rest in her other hand. She almost wanted to go after him, if not for anything else, but to give him a decent slap, but she decided it was best for her shattered dignity if she stayed.
"Next time, I promise you'll get what you deserve..." she growled loudly after he had already left. Though she knew he'd never make her job easy, she intended on really fulfilling the promise this time...she'd be ready for his tricks.
The door creaked slightly, making the sleeping limbless flinch, blue eyes teeming with the strength of youth, flashing open for a few moments. Betilla lowered her head and purred a few words to him, slowly easing the boy back to sleep. She moved over to the bed, gently placing him into the cushy bed.
She carefully pulled the covers over him, tucking the boy in. Rayman squirmed a little bit before settling down, his childish features making her smile warmly. Long ago, many debated on the fact that she'll either be very high-ranking because of her power and determination, or just a healer, since she had a heart of gold, and was always to help anyone in need of it.
She gazed at the limbless for a while, watching as he slept. It wasn't a wonder he was so tired. It's been only two days since he returned, and the huge celebration held today really sapped his strength. He really deserves sleep... She saw though that Rayman didn't exactly like all the fuss they were having over him. A lot of times she caught him wandering a bit away to play with a few frolicking Electoons, or just lie around in the grass.
It had already become crystal-clear that he really was the best choice. He was strong and powerful, enough to drive Mr. Dark away as a child, but also a heart that had not been tainted by fame or glory, instead, still lives as innocently as before. She knew he would grow up to be a great warrior and a loving mate to whoever he would choose one day.
He tossed and turned a bit again, revealing his torso from under the covers. Betilla gazed at the 'O' on his shirt for some time, before heaving a sigh. There will be times when you'll wish you never had that symbol...but I know you'll get through everything. You have a grand destiny before you...how it'll end, you'll decide.
The fairy absentmindedly reached out and stroked the boy's hair a bit, running her hands through the two tufts of blondish locks. Rayman squirmed a bit, before giving off much more pleased little snores than before, almost like he was actually purring. A face suddenly sprung into her mind, one that was usually very calm, but at that time, was far from that.
"...you've lost your mind."
The fairy spun around, his words very much startling her. She expected he'd mess with her, but not an open mock like this. She quickly realized herself and shook off the moment of surprise.
"Excuse me?" she asked back, almost scowling.
"Don't play games with me, Betilla. You know very well what I'm talking about." the limbless grunted, his expression looking both scolding and angry. "We already agreed that if he attacked, you and everyone else would stay out of his way!" he tapped a rock loudly with his wand, showing just how upset he was.
"You don't expect me to just obey that prophecy without any doubt, do you?" she crossed her arms, scowling back, even though she couldn't rival with his. Half her size, and he still made her feel guilty. "Besides, it's my duty to protect the Protoon. I couldn't just leave it." she added.
"You should have left it behind immediately when he broke into the Council!" he spat back, his usually calm features twisted in anger. "He had to take the Protoon, it was said so!"
"No one-" she growled, extending her hands to seal the end of the argument. "-has the right to take it for themselves. I'm not just titles and appearance Magician, I am who I am, guardian to the Great Protoon."
The limbless shook his head, his long mane flowing around like a curtain. She'd rarely seen him like this, and she couldn't say she wanted to see it often. She couldn't even exactly understand his concern...of course, he must've feared for her life just as many others did, but she expected he'd be gloating about how feeble her attempt was.
"And as one, I have to protect it, with my life." she added to the above, her eyes falling a bit.
"Hmpf..." he grumbled, crossing his non-existent arms. "That never included sacrificing yourself for something you know you can't achieve."
Now that was insulting, even from him. She took his little scoffs pretty well, but this was a way too blunt mockery to be just ignored. Betilla felt her cheeks redden from the anger, her lambent eyes nearly flaming.
"I don't know what unimaginable, vast array of strength and power you can summon with a flick of a hand, dear Magician, but I assure you, I'm not all that incompetent, even if you zealously believe I am without any talent." she growled, not bothering to bottle her frustration. "I have my own share of power, though I guess I'm nowhere near you nigh-unending force."
"He could have killed you Betilla, just as simply as he broke in!" Magician raised his voice, making her retreat a bit. She couldn't remember the last time she saw him this angry, and she was highly confused by it. He was panting slightly, his sudden outburst not leaving him without effects either.
She fell silent, not knowing what to say, even more since he did have a point. She was defeated in a heated battle and only Mr. Dark's ignorance to kill her saved her life. Both of them glanced away, careful to avoid each other's gaze until they had to, eventually.
"I'm sorry." he sighed, though there wasn't nearly enough of it in his voice. The worst part was that she knew he was right.
"You have to understand." she muttered, turning away a bit. "Even if I couldn't save the Protoon, I had to at least try." she took a moment, before adding something. "I'm going to follow him."
"What?" the limbless quirked a brow, looking at her as though she was insane. "Are you completely out of your mind? Weren't you close enough to death already, and now you just go head-on and kiss it?" he demanded, his tone getting frustrated again.
"He'll need all the help he can get." she fought back, not letting him talk her out of this. "The way there is dangerous and hard. I can help him unlock his potentials and pass through every obstacle."
He didn't push any further, knowing well she had a very good point there. Despite the mark, and their knowledge of the strength in him, he was still just a child. The fairy's guidance would help him considerably along the way. He knew, and still he couldn't say he was happy about it.
"Alright." he sighed. "Take care of yourself." such a wish from him was strange, but she didn't care about it. "And whatever happens, don't oppose him again." he added, looking very serious.
Betilla gazed before herself for a short while, leaving him without an answer. She couldn't exactly say she wished to repeat the fight that went off earlier between her and the dark mage...but somehow, she already knew that wasn't their last meeting.
"Getting all maternal again, Betilla?" she heard a voice behind her, making her spin around. He was standing in the doorway, his hands resting on top of his wand, eying her curiously.
"He needed rest, even you could have seen that, while you were busy getting acquainted." she mocked, keeping her voice slightly low.
"I always wondered why didn't you just keep as a healer, or something like that." he mused, a very faint smile on his face. "You could have tended to people, maybe even meet someone who'd stand close to you, and eventually have kids of your own."
Betilla chuckled lightly at his remark. Despite how she liked to help, especially children, finding someone to love wasn't exactly something she'd expect from fate anytime soon. She took one last moment to gaze at the sleeping boy, before she decided to leave. Closing to the door, the limbless stood aside letting her go out.
"I thought you promised not to fight him." he spoke up as she left the room. He looked up, not scowling but kind of sorry.
The fairy's shoulders visibly sank a bit as she turned a bit. Leaning out, she pulled to close the door, leaving Rayman to sleep. As the door clicked, she let out a sigh.
"I didn't have much choice." she almost whispered. "He found me as I was following Rayman. He gave me no other option."
"And you lost." Magician tapped the ground with his wand. Though the echo wasn't loud, it strangely made her wince. "You lost and he imprisoned you...Betilla, do you have any idea how close you were to die?" he gazed up into her eyes, accusation beaming at her.
The fairy felt the urge to look aside and turned to leave. "I...did what I had to do." she mumbled, taking a step.
She suddenly felt his hand firmly grasp her own, not enough to hurt her, but sufficient to make her stop in her tracks. "Your duties don't involve sacrificing yourself to anyone." he stated, gazing at her almost without even blinking.
Betilla found herself unable to say or do anything. She felt the need to shake his hand off and go, but another part of her denied permission. To her horror, she felt heat rise in her cheeks. What's going on? Why in the world am I blushing? Unable to look back at him, she lowered her gaze to the ground.
"You're free to decide what you do with your life." he continued, keeping his gaze set on her, making her feel like he was peeking into her thoughts again. "And no duty, no obligation can make you do things that you don't wish to. You shouldn't deny everything from yourself...you deserve to be happy, maybe even more than anyone else." he squeezed her hand a bit.
The fairy's hand quivered a bit, which didn't go unnoticed to Magician. She turned back and slumped down on her knees, flunging her arms around him, holding the limbless close. He didn't refuse her embrace, instead, stroked her scarlet hair lightly.
Part of her couldn't believe what she was doing...shedding whatever pride she had as a fairy, leaving every title and rank behind. Right now, she was just simply Betilla. All she needed, was someone caring for her, instead of her fearing for the fate of the world.
And he didn't deny it from her. Tears ran down her face, little salty droplets that managed to escape her, despite her tries to subdue them. Her head was put to rest on his torso, her own body trembling slightly. He held her silently as she sobbed for the first time she could remember in a long time, the warmth of his hold making her feel completely safe...not so secluded as always but instead, cared for...loved.
She felt his hand grasp her chin ever-so-gently, turning her to face him. Betilla gazed into his eyes with her mouth slightly open, her eyes still sparkling from the tears, while his beamed at her with such compassion that set her hear on fire. She slowly closed her eyes as he did so too, leaning closer to each other.
The kiss was slow and long, both of them taking the longest time to feel the other. She ran all the memories she had about Magician through her head, reliving everything she had felt for him, ever before. Despite all the anger and frustration he'd caused for her, she found she actually longed for a long time to do this. He just realized it faster than she did. He always said he was brighter than her.
So ironic... Always mocking, pestering, plunging needles into each other, wishing always to beat the other to a pulp in a verbal clash. And after all the fights, all the threats they've silently sent to each other ended up bringing them together. She felt like chuckling, but she was too preoccupied for that right now. What can I say? It's magical...