Fortunes Finest Chapter 1: The Run Away

Summary: Unwilling to deal with her Aunt Petunia's bullshit, 6-Year-Old Kiera becomes a runaway is soon picked up by a traveling group of Carnies who've come to Britain to do a show. Now 5-years later, Keira is back in Britain to take the Magical World by storm! Now if only Divinations wasn't in such a sorry state!

Disclaimer: I is broke pony! I own NOTHING but the concept of the plot. Please don't sue me I have no money.

Story Start:

Friday: August 14, 1987. 4:45 AM

Pain is a great motivator. It pushes us to be better than what we were, and what we are. With the proper application of pain, nothing is impossible. Including turning a six year old slave, into a run away.

Everything was quiet on Private Drive. The street of cookie cutter houses completely devoid of life in the predawn hours. All except one. The front door of Number 4 Private Drive gently creaked open, it's hinges sounding like a shriek against the empty silence that filled the street, causing the little girl who emerged from the house to flinch in fear at the impossibly loud noise. Slowly closing the door to the residence, the girl lugged a bulging pillow case onto her back, shivering slightly in her dirty and torn too big clothes. Standing in front of the house that had been her prison for nearly as long as she could remember. The girl simply turned away and began her long march, her eyes shining with determination to never return.

2 Weeks Later

It had been a long two weeks for the Young run away. Strange men in fancy bathrobes robes had chased her, a dog had bitten her, and a big ruddy bird had stolen her bag. She could finally go no farther and collapsed in the shadows of a train yard next to a particularly odd looking train. This she decided was a good as any place to die. Far as she could get from that hated house on private drive.

Never noticing the pair of ancient Amethyst eyes that watched over her as she fell into the arms of Morpheus. Never feeling the weathered and wrinkly hands of her watcher as they carried her exhausted form up to the train and hoisted her into one of its box carts as that slid open seemingly of its own accord.

"Sleep softly young one. Let Old Maven care for you. You've had quite the journey, haven't you?" The owner of the eyes crooned softly, as she placed the runaway down on a bed of pillows.

Tea wouldn't brew itself after all… Well tea that tasted well with any degree of decency wouldn't anyway.

Later

The surprise of life greeted the run away with pleasant squishy pillowy arms of softness and the scent of jasmine tea.

"Wha-? What?" she moaned confused desperately trying to escape her pillowy hell, she woke up to. After a few moments of vain struggling, the runaway stilled her futile fight. This pillow trap was leagues better than anything she'd ever been allowed to sleep on thus far. So, it wasn't all bad.

Hearing someone chuckling the runaway blinked in confusion as a wrinkled weathered hand appeared in her vision through the bars of her squishy prison.

"Here young one take my hand and I'll help you out of there." A strong yet ancient voice called out softly as the hand clasped at the runaways' own. "You must forgive me. I often forget that my bed is all but inescapable to those unaccustomed to its trappings.

Finally, free from her cushiony hell, the runaway glanced around the strangely rectangular room filled to the brim with strange knick knacks and trinkets, it really was a strange room she suddenly found herself in. Her eyes sliding over the elderly woman who'd pulled her from the pillow pile she'd awoken in. And for a second she almost dismissed the elderly woman, but then like she was wearing a second skin that turned to glass. The Runaway could suddenly see through the elderly woman and what lay beneath stole her breath away. There within the elderly woman stood a goddess. Impossibly beautiful, radiating power and kindness in equal measures.

As she stared, the goddess seemed to take notice of her and peered back, she could feel the goddess' eyes judging her, almost weighing her soul. The runaway couldn't breathe, couldn't blink, she could do nothing but stand there still as a statue, as the goddess tilted her head to the side in surprise.

"Tell me young one, what is your name?" the goddess asked her voice radiating peace. A feeling she'd never felt before.

"My aunt and uncle called me Freak." The Runaway gasped the spell holding her lungs suddenly breaking.

"Tch! No, no! That won't do at all." The goddess said shaking her head, the feeling of being weighed once again pressed itself down on the runaway's soul… thankfully this time it didn't stop her breathing. "Dark, but pure and untainted, like the fading of the sun… just like her…" the goddess mumbled to herself, the probing of her gaze pushing even deeper. "Tell me young one… if I was to offer you a name. would you accept it?"

"Y-yes mam! I've never had a name before mam!" the runaway replied without hesitation. Honored by whatever name this goddess sought to give one displaced as her.

"The I give to you the name Keira Ashwood. Bare the name well, for it once belonged to a dear friend and carries much weight with it." The goddess informed her, before fading away… or rather the old woman faded back into view and displaced the goddess. "Now young Keira! I do believe I've allowed our too cool enough. Come! I believe we have much to discuss and it is nearly impossible to drink tea while this blasted train is in motion!" the old woman proclaimed leading her to a previously hidden table, a set of tea sitting innocently on it. "Come!" She said the chairs suddenly pulling back on their own. "As I said we have much to discuss, and a long train ride in which to discuss it ahead of us."

"Okay…" the newly named Keira replied, never knowing how she'd sealed her fate with such a simple word.

STORY STOP!