Disclaimer: I don't own Hellboy II: The Golden Army, but if you don't recognize the name, they're my creations.
Winter White
She ran as fast as her elven legs could carry her, just a blur of white in the blackness of the corridor she ran along. She had to reach the chamber of the Golden Army before anything happened. She had been graced with the gift of foresight as a child, and it had never failed to torment her into action. Thus she ran, because this time it was people she loved, whose lives were at stake if she failed to reach them in time.
Ten year old Xerin stared out into the crowd of gold faces. She was from the winter court, and her family was visiting the autumn court. Two faces drew her in. They were almost identical, the only difference was one was male, and the other was female. They were close to her age. She wondered if they would play with her, once they were free of the adults. Xerin who was never shy, suddenly felt fear stab her heart. What if the beautiful autumn children thought her ugly, because she was winter white? Would they think her ice blue eyes were hideous, when they had such lovely golden ones to stare back at them in the mirror and in the faces of their people? She cowered behind her mother, holding closely to her skirt. She felt her father's hand caress her head and she looked up. It seemed he always knew what she was thinking and had always eased her fears. He ignored protocol, and crouched before her, to whisper in her ear.
"You are lovelier than a freshly fallen snow, and have more heart in you than the mountains we come from. They will love you, and they will find you just as beautiful as our own people do. Do not cower in fear. Embrace the fact that you are different and be proud of who you are, my little gem." Her father's words eased her fears and she nodded at him with a smile and loosened her grip on her mother's skirt. Her mother smiled down at her as well, holding out her hand. Together they faced the king of the autumn court.
The two young faces looked her over, and appeared to be delighted that someone their age was there. They waved to her, and she smiled happily and waved back. A sudden flash of foresight told her they would be great friends.
Xerin whispered under her breath as she ran. "Please let me get there in time." Over and over she prayed while pushing herself harder and faster than she'd ever gone before. There was more at stake this time. She would lose her best friend and the one she loved if she failed.
Sixteen year old Xerin was absolutely delighted. The autumn court was due to arrive at any moment. She had missed her friends Nuala and her twin brother Nuada. They had had many adventures together, and she was looking forward to many more. She raced to the entrance hall as she heard the clatter of their arrival. She spotted Nuala first and dashed forward to greet her with a hug. If she were any happier, the snow would be falling from her eyes, instead of the sky. Nuada appeared behind his sister a moment later, and she was in awe. He'd had a bit of a growth spurt, and had filled out. He looked like one of their warriors, rather than the prince she remembered. She released the princess, and turned to him, eager to hug him senseless. But the intenseness of his eyes stopped her in her tracks and she cocked her head to the side to see what was different beyond the obvious physical changes. He reached for her hand then, and rather than pulling her into an embrace, he kissed it in greeting. A flash of foresight told her that he was courting her, that they had all reached the age that they could be married, and he, the most handsome prince in all the seasonal courts, wanted her. She felt bright joy shoot through her, and this time, snowflakes did fall from her eyes instead of the sky.
Xerin continued to pray fervently as she raced toward the golden glow that was finally marking the end of the corridor. She pushed for one last burst of speed, racing onto the platform where Nuala looked out at her brother fighting with a red skinned man. She didn't have time to study them, as she caught the glint of a blade in Nuala's hand and reacted on instinct, knocking it away from the princess, and into her own flesh. She hadn't foreseen that, but better her than the princess and the prince she loved so desperately. She sank to her knees as Nuala's cries of anguish halted the challenge.
Nuada turned to see his sister cradling his love, blood seeping from the wound in her side. He raced up the platform to them, pulling Xerin in to his arms, and pressing a hand to her wound to stop the bleeding and to try to heal her. It had little effect. His hands were made for killing, only his sister could heal her.
"Why Xerin? Why would you do such a thing?" Nuada begged her. He hadn't seen that Nuala had been trying to kill herself and thus them.
"Couldn't let both of you die. I had to stop her. Foolishness over an army that would only make things worse. Saw it if you won. Wasn't good or beautiful, only dark and desolate. Had to tell you…" She cut off and coughed, blood spilling from her lips.
"Nuala, help her, please!" Nuada begged. His sister nodded and placed her own hands over his. They sat together for what seemed like days, but was only an hour. Xerin had lost consciousness not long after they began, and he remembered how much he loved her, and her promise to never leave him.
Nuada and Xerin stood together in front of her parents. He had come to her after his exile. He had needed to tell her. He had hoped he could find a home with her within her own court until he could return to his fathers.
"The engagement is off. You cannot marry an exiled prince." Her father spoke harshly, his voice resembling the northern winds.
"I love him, father." Xerin pleaded. Her mother shook her head, a silent no, in agreement with her father, but she ignored the warning. "I will not live without him."
"Xerin, no, do not lose your family over me." Nuada protested, but she ignored him.
"I will not give up my future with him, because of protocol. That is not a good enough reason. If you will not allow him to stay with me within our court, then you will lose me, because I will NOT live without him!"
"You leave me no choice then, Xerin. We cannot accept the exiled prince, without a war with his father, and there have been enough wars lately." He sighed into his hands, his wife in tears next to him. "I hereby exile you, until such time as you renounce your prince, or his death, whichever comes first." Xerin nodded and pulled Nuada with her out of the throne room. They collected their things and Wink, the prince's companion, and left the seasonal courts forever.
"I have done all I can, brother. She must do the rest." Nuala answered him finally.
"Thank you sister." She nodded and rose, her heart heavy. Abe waited a few feet away. She couldn't tell what he was feeling, because he had no facial expressions, but when he opened his arms to her, she entered his embrace and was washed in the warmth of his love.
"What you were going to do was very brave. Please don't ever do that again." He said quietly, so only she could hear. She nodded against his chest, and felt simply content.
Nuada could feel her contentment, but it was faint, like the buzz of a very distant bumble bee. Their connection was fainter than it had ever been, and he felt the loss of it keenly for a moment. They had never been separated before, at least not when it came to their bond, but Nuala had never been in love before either. And he, he had always loved Xerin.
"Nuada." Xerin's soft voice broke through his thoughts, and he looked down to where he still held her. "I'm sorry, but I had to stop you…" He rested a finger on her lips to silence her.
"You were right to stop me. It's time to stop this madness within me, and be something different. I'm sorry that I drove you away so long ago, because I could not let this go. I have missed you so much, my heart."
"As I missed you." A throat clearing behind them, and the red man, waved a sword at the prince, when he turned.
"I concede my friend. There are more important matters." Nuada called to him.
"I agree, but we weren't given much of a choice." He pointed to his mate, Liz, who was shaking bits of melted metal and flame form her hands with an impish grin.
"No crown, no reason to fight over an army that is useless. Why are women so much better at thinking these things through? And I'd appreciate it if you would stop trying to kill the father of my children." Liz stated plainly, while bouncing a fireball in her hand.
"Of course, my lady. I concede." Nuada answered, helping Xerin to her feet. "Peace, my friend, always?" He offered his hand to the other man. They shook hands.
"My friends call me Red." Nuada nodded. "Now let's get out of here.
The seven new friends walked out into the sunshine, taking a moment to absorb the clean air. They spotted Manning coming up to them, as he dispersed his search team to look elsewhere.
"We have some serious issues to discuss. You stole a plane." He started working up a good head of steam.
"We quit." Red answered, dropping everything but his monstrous gun, at Manning's feet. Liz and Abe followed suit. Nuada, Nuala, and Xerin stood off to the side, waiting for them.
"You can't do that! Wait, you're siding with the enemy?" Manning practically squeaked. Red flipped him off as Liz called over her shoulder.
"We've got more in common with the enemy than we do with you."
Nuada and Xerin took the lead. They stopped at the entrance to what looked like a cave. Red could see Liz was skeptical. Xerin offered them entrance.
"This is your home?" Liz asked as they walked.
"No, this is the tunnel that leads to my home. Much like Nuada, I am exile from my court. I made my home here. You cannot see it yet, its several steep hills over. This is much faster. I live in a castle. I wish to offer all of you a home with me."
"But we just met you." Liz started.
"It's just until we find a place…" Red said at the same time. Xerin shook her head.
"No, to live with me. I want it to be a home for you and your little ones. I've foreseen it. Multiple children running the halls of my home, some red, some blue, some autumn gold, and a few that were winter white." She corrected. "It's certainly big enough for everyone. You could go for days without running into anyone and all the walls are sound proofed within the rooms for privacy. I have been working on it for many years in anticipation of your arrival." Liz finally nodded in acceptance.
They topped what seemed like a hill the next moment, but it was hard to tell within in the tunnel, and then they were at the base of a massive castle.
"You weren't kidding." Red breathed.
Six years later
"Trevor Broom, put your sister down, right now! Xavier, sit at the table and stay there." Liz stated, hands on her hips, as she verbally corralled her three gorgeous children. The twins, Trevor and Xavier, age five, were like their father, minus the stone hand and horns. But they had his personality, and his tail. Evie, their daughter, was a small copy of herself, and she readily played with fire at any opportunity, even though she was only two. After she sat Evie in her chair, and she wrangled Trevor into his own seat, Red came strolling in. She sighed and rolled her eyes, before kissing his cheek.
Abe and Nuala appeared a few minutes later with their own squirming bundle of joy, Gia. She was only six months old, and was a gold skinned version of Abe. Nuada and Xerin were the last to arrive, each holding a cute one year old baby, twins, but not identical. The boy, Cressin, in Xerin's arms was winter white, just like his mother, and the girl, Zarla, in Nuada's arms was autumn gold, like her father.
They all sat down at the table, as had become their tradition. Family dinners were never missed, and they would continue for years to come, through children, significant others, grandchildren, the end of the world, and the beginning of a new one.