Disclaimer-John Constantine, Destiny, and the Endless are property of Vertigo Comics. Everyone else('Cania, Fiona, ect.) is mine. No infringement is intended. No money is being made off this. Please don't sue.
Notes-This is sort of a prologue to a series about Arcania that takes place in a Vertigo/Marvel cross-over universe.
-If you want to archive this story get in touch with me. It is almost guarenteed that I'll give you permission.
Feedback-Send feedback to RhiannonAZ@aol.com. No flames please, I have a fragile ego.
#2:No Matter how good your intentions, things will never go as you planned.
In The Beginning
by
RhiannonAmaris
August twenty-fifth, nineteen-eighty-two
Most people live normal lives. They are born, grow up, go to school, graduate, perhaps go to college, perhaps not, get jobs, get married, have kids, die. Their lives are for the most part predictable and sometimes boring. They are remembered only by their loved ones and change the world only in little ways that no one notices.
They're the lucky ones. Fate isn't a comfortable thing. Those that play a large part in Destiny's book more likely than not wish they hadn't. John Constantine was no exception. He had chosen the path of magic when he was little more than a boy and for the most part regretted it ever since. Thing was, the power was addictive, no matter how much pain it caused him he couldn't give it up. The most recent pain looked at him nervously from the hospital bed, while her husband glared at him.
"She's my daughter, too, Fiona.", he said softly, "I've a right to see her." He had first met Fiona Buckingham, or Fiona Amaris since she had been going by her maiden name then, nearly a year ago and had fallen in lust with the delicate raven-haired divorcee immediately. Soon after he had fallen in love with her. In late December she had hesitantly told him that she thought she was pregnant. Constantine hadn't been sure how to take it, he had never expected to be a father, never expected to have a family of his own or wanted one, or so he told himself. The idea scared him a bit to be honest. John was sure that he would mess up and something would happen to his child. Gradually, he became used to the idea, and soon he loved it. He was going to be a father. Then, in March Fiona left. Ran back to her ex-husband and remarried him. It had broken John's heart, but part of him felt that this would be better for her. His child, his daughter.
Fiona nodded slowly and Robert Buckingham's scowl deepened. John walked over the cradle and looked into it nervously. A pair of huge, innocent, bright blue eyes looked up at him and seemed to look into his soul. She had been frowning slightly but broke into a huge smile and crooned happily at him. He nearly began to cry. She was so beautiful, so innocent, untouched by pain or by magic. That was why Fiona had left him, because she couldn't accept that it was real. He swore to himself that his child would be spared the pain that magic caused, that he would protect her from it's dangers. "What did you name her?"
Robert answered him coldly, a bit maliciously really, "Jane Elizabeth Buckingham." Some part of John was mad as hell that his child would bear someone else's name, especially this pratt that seemed to enjoy the pain this was causing her mother. That part of him easily gained control. This man had a vicious streak a mile wide and Constantine didn't want him anywhere near his daughter, let alone raising her. He had no illusions that it would be any other way than that, he was away from London more often than he was here, and he would probably stay away from her most of the time to protect her.
"Hmm.", he grunted. Jane? He wouldn't have called her Jane. It was such a boring, plain name. Fiona was more fond of elaborate ones. She had named her older daughter Deirdre, and what they had decided to name their child if she was a girl was rather flamboyant. They had pretty much made it up. Arcania. Arcania Elizabeth. At least they had kept the middle name.
He picked up the newborn and held her as if he thought she would break. Constantine brushed at the fine wisps of hair on the infant's head with his free hand, and she grabbed hold of one of his fingers with a hand that seemed to tiny to be real. He couldn't help but stare. "Hullo, Jane.", John said softly, "I'm yer dad. Guess it must be a bit of a let down for you, eh? Your old man being a tosser like me." At that moment she stuck out her small pink tongue slightly. John laughed. "Ya weren't supposed to agree with me."
"But I promise you, I'll never ever let anything hurt you, I swear. I'd die... I'd sell me soul before I'd let anything happen to you. And..." He paused and lowered his voice even futher, "Don't ever get mixed up in magic. It's dangerous. You won't do that though, you'll be smart when you get a bit older, not like your old man. I'll take care of you, I swear it." She would be safe, he would give his very soul to insure that. There wouldn't be Magic in her life, not the real kind. He would make sure that her fate, her destiny would be unremarkable.
John Constantine placed his daughter in her mother's arms and walked out of the room. He lit a cigarette as he left the hospital. He had to get to the Crimson Blade before sunrise. He had promised Aurora that he would tell her about her newest niece.
Destiny of the Endless looked into his book, at the Fate of the newborn Arcania Constantine. This child would shape the world. She would become both a Magus and a Master Thief before she turned fifteen. She would be a force to be reckoned with even without the power that would be revealed then. He felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. The Esoteric's was always a hard burden to bear, but this one's more so than any.