Author's notes :

Hey sweeties, this is my first fanfiction, so don't be too hard :) I would like to thank my two fantastic saviors (lusifergirl45 and ShadowAngel100), or betas call them whatever you want, but to me, they ARE my saviors ! this story would be complete trash without them !

I created a blog, to post pictures of some objects, clothes, buildings present in the chapters, I highly suggest that you give it look, there is one article for each chapter. I think it can help you the readers to have a better experience , a better vision. It's here : fanfic-illustration . blogspot . fr (without the spaces lol), you can find the link on profil.

Chapter 1 : This end is her beginning

It's a cold winter evening, through the kitchen window Clary sees that snow is still falling. It had been falling since that morning in large, fluffy flakes and now covered the ground in a thick, white coating bordering on a foot. She had placed a bag of popcorn in the microwave and while she waited, she felt warm and cozy inside. The sound of the popcorn popping in the microwave was incredibly soothing, albeit familiar. Luke must have finally chosen the movie, Clary could hear the opening credits start and then stop, a sign that Luke had paused the movie. She had no doubt that it was a crime investigation movie, they were his favorite. The microwave's beeping takes her out of her frustrating thoughts, wondering how she could draw the snow perfectly with the right amount of white, gray, blue-gray, and cream, and though the task felt impossible, her hands flexed and clenched as if they were searching for her colored pencils.

Sighing, she moves to take the popcorn out of the steaming microwave and waited a moment before opening the equally steamy bag, managing to swipe a piece of the hot popped kernel that was about to fall and popping it into her mouth.

"Hot!" she yelled, spitting the snack into the sink. She laughed and began to divide the popcorn into two bowls, adding salt to one and sugar to the other. How Jocelyn could love salty popcorn while Clary adored the sweet was beyond her. Their differences didn't stop there, it continued to their tastes in food, clothing, even make-up. Despite being so close that people described them as "two peas in a pod". All of the sudden, the doorbell rings.

"Can you get that Clary!?" Luke yells from the living room. "Jocelyn must have forgotten her keys again." I laughed, hearing him sigh from the other room, loud and breathy. Mom had been on the food run tonight, appeasing my need for junk food by agreeing, though it took a lot of convincing, to make the trip to McDonalds.
"Yeah sure. I am starving, hope the food is still warm." Clary looked at her watch, trying to make out the time behind the splatters of acrylic paint stuck on the watch face that she had yet to scratch off. "She took so long." Clary groaned.

But behind the door, were two police officers, covered with warm clothes, the taller one with brown hair, lowered his tartan scarf that was placed in front of his mouth, and asked "Hello, are you Clary Fray?"
"Yes, I am... wait a second, was this set up by Simon? I'm not falling for that prank twice." Clary answered with exasperation. "I'm sorry he wasted your time, have a nice night officers." Clary moved to close the door. "Wait! Miss Fray, I am afraid this is not a prank. About thirty minutes ago, you mother had a serious car accident on Flatbush avenue." My stomach dropped.
"Is she okay? LUKE!" I yelled for the man who was practically my father. I wouldn't make it in this world alone.

The police who had been silent so far stuck his foot in the snow, regret showing on what was visible of his bundled face. Clary was waiting for her mother to pop out yelling "Surprise!" with Simon next to her, but it never happened.
"Unfortunately, the injuries your mother sustained were very serious and she was pronounced deceased on the scene. She is dead. I'm sorry. " he said with a low-pitched broken voice. He is still talking but Clary can't hear anything, the time has stopped, everything goes in slow motion, the sentence 'she is dead' is resonating in her head, her vision is blurring, her legs weaken, she can feel her knees hitting the floor while she is breathing heavily...

A hand lands on her shoulder suddenly, but Clary hardly feels it.

"Clary? Clary! Are you okay ?" Luke inquired worried. He was practically yelling but it was the only way to get her attention. Luke watched as the tiny redhead's nose and cheeks turned pink from the cold winds blowing at her. She raises her head to look at him, silent tears are running on her cheeks and she opens her mouth to talk but not one sound escapes.

He's helping her to get up when she puts her arms around him and she can hear him say "It's going to be okay Clary, I promise". How can Luke say that? How is she supposed to believe that the one person in her life who she was actually related to is gone? This can't be happening. Her mom is gone. How is she supposed to live without her? It's like a part of her was ripped away, a small hollow is forming in her heart and she knows, she knows deep inside, that it will never be filled again.

The next thing she remembers is Luke carrying her to her bedroom because she can't move. Laying on her bed, she tries to sleep, though it is in vain. All she can do is look at the ceiling which is poorly illuminated by the street lamp that shines through her window. It doesn't feel the same when she looks at it now, the drawing on the ceiling, an oil painting of the New York skyline, she doesn't even know how her mom managed to paint it, but she really had a gift.

An annoying repetitive sound is getting louder and louder, Clary opens her eyes and turns off the alarm, it's 8 am, she has no will to do anything. All she wants to do is lay there forever and that's what she does for a few hours until Luke knocks on her door, to bring her a breakfast tray.

"Take all the time you need but you must eat something Clary, you didn't last night" he said looking worried. She nods silently and takes the tray, there is some pancakes with maple syrup, a small bowl of fruit salad, and a black coffee. She is not hungry but she takes two or three bites of the food and drink the coffee because Luke is watching. He has red eyes and yawed for the third time, he is showing a strong appearance in front of her but he must have cried all night. She is so grateful to have him as a second father, someone she can count on at all time. "Clary, what I am going to tell you might sound odd but a long time ago your mother handed me a letter and told me that if she died before you turned eighteen I had to give it to you, so here…" Luke said looking stressed.

It is the most extraordinary handmade envelope she has ever seen. In each corner Jocelyn drew a gloriosa superba or fire lily like she used to call them. She always told her daughter this flower represented her soul, beautiful and fiery. In the middle, "For clary" was written in the sophisticated font she had always associated with her mother. She turned the envelope, to see it was closed by a family crest wax seal stamp, a really strange one. It was mainly black and white but spotted with red wax. This family crest was very odd to Clary, though she had to admit that she hadn't seen many in the past. It was divided in four, in the top right there was an M and in the bottom left an S, the other two open spaces held falling stars. The crest is surrounded by wings.

She opens it really carefully, the last thing she wants to do is tear it apart. Her hands are getting sweaty and she had yet to realize that she hadn't stopped shaking since the police came by to give her the dreaded news. She immediately recognizes her mother's soft and meticulous handwriting. Looking at it fills her heart with emotions, but which ones she can't put a word to.

"Dear Clary

If you get this letter before you turned 18 than it means something awful happened to me. Clary, you mean absolutely everything to me, you're all I care about, I hope you will find the strength in your heart to forgive me for everything I did. I regret leaving you in this dangerous world. Unfortunately I can't protect you forever, it is time for you to learn who you truly are.

Sadly, I can't write it here, it's too dangerous. Our family has many enemies. This is the main reason why I had to protect since your birth. You'll find a picture of a women in this envelope, she is a friend and one of the few people that I trust in this world. Her name is Maryse Lightwood, she will tell and teach you everything you need to know to become who you're meant to be.

P.S. Luke will help you meet her.

Your loving mother"

"What the hell? Luke! What is the meaning of all of this?! I don't understand" she asked disturbed and frightened...