Predictions

Magnus strolled the streets and whistled a timeless tune that he didn't quite remember the name of. That was one thing about being so old, there were constantly images, songs, and scents floating in his memory that seemed to travel out of time and into his awareness. He tried to remember where this one was from. It was slow and sad but beautiful. Something about an epic love story where the man dies, leaving the woman alone to mourn over him. Oh where had he heard it? Was it at a party? No. This wasn't party music. A concert? A funeral? Angel knows he'd been to enough of those. But the memory refused to resurface, so he was left to whistle the sad melody alone with his old age.

Suddenly a hand jumped into his path and grabbed hold of his bright yellow jacket. He glanced down at it momentarily, wondering how he should curse the mundane who dare grip him, before looking up into a dark face.

"You have a certain destiny hanging about you." This intrigued him.

"What do you mean?" He asked, tilting his head to the side and gently pushing off the hand that gripped him. The woman was young, in her fifties maybe, she had a weathered face with eyes so bright blue they were almost white. They seemed to shine like beacons. She had a shawl wrapped around her and copious amounts of jewelry jangled when she moved, which she did, gesturing with her hands dramatically.

"There is a certain doom in your future. Would you like to know more son? I tell fortunes! Step inside step inside!" And before Magnus could protest, she was gripping him again and yanking him inside her tiny, smoky shop. Of course, with a little spark of blue fire he could be free of this wench. But something about her interested him. He decided to sit and let her say her piece. She threw him into a chair and sat opposite him on a table with a ball shaped object in the middle covered by a purple silk cloth. This was all very cliché. Magnus rubbed his temple. Why had he come inside again?

"I presume this will not be free?" The woman laughed.

"Are you a fortune teller too?" She asked. Magnus smiled crookedly.

"Of sorts." He answered, crossing his arm and thrumming his fingers against his jacket.

"No it will not be free, twenty bucks per fortune."

"That is fine. Read away." The woman unveiled the crystal ball dramatically, arms waving through the air and Magnus sat back, amused. "What do you see?" He asked, pretending to believe in her. In this. She was no real child of Lilith, just a mundie out to make a buck.

"Oh no, I do not tell the fortunes to you dear."

"Well then what am I paying you for?" He asked, starting to get annoyed.

"Now now, calm down, normally I read the fortunes to the customer. But I can tell you," She gestured grandly, "Will be able to see your own future." Magnus looked at her questioningly. Did she know he was a warlock? Was she born with the sight? "What game are you playing at?" He asked.

"No game. Just clear your mind and look." She waved a hand over the crystal ball and suddenly it was filled with maroon smoke. Magnus leaned close to the ball, inspecting it for trickery. Then, there was no ball. There was no room. He was kneeling on a battle field, corpses of the dead littering the ground around him. There was chaos, but he didn't hear it. It was as if time had frozen and it was only him, alone, with a small form in his arms. He looked down and saw the worst possible thing he could see. Alec lay, blood splattering his entire front. His breath was coming in short, shallow pulls, and his beautiful blue eyes were starting to fade a little bit.

"ALEC NO!" He cried, blue sparks instantly leaped from his finger tips. "NO NO NO YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!" He shouted. Someone screamed something at him, Isabelle blocking opponents flying at him, but he didn't care. His hands shook and his blue sparks sought out Alec's injuries, seeking to repair them, but finding too much damage. "I've fixed you before Alec." Tears rained down on Alec, spilling from Magnus's golden cat eyes. "Do you remember when we first met? Do you remember that greater demon? You defeated it didn't you? You were the hero. Be the hero now. You can defeat this." His energy was starting to wane as he poured fourth his power to heal his love.

"Magnus . . ." Alec knew. He was so young, and yet somehow he always knew. Magnus's world was black with grief.

"No . . . please." He begged, closing his eyes against the pain.

"Save your strength."

"Don't you see Alec? That is what I am trying to do. You are my strength." Alec smiled a tiny smile before he winced in pain.

"You know I'm sorry, don't you?"

"It doesn't matter now."

"No it does. I can't . . . I can't go without letting you know I'm sorry. I . . . I didn't want to be another chapter in your life. Another minor character. I wanted the story to be about us." He groaned and it seemed as though the blood flowed from him even faster.

"Shh . . . it is Alec. You could never be a minor character in my life. I love you."

"Will you always love me? I don't care if it's true, I just need to hear it." He smiled again, sadly this time.

"Of course it's true! Of course I will always love you." Magnus felt as if his chest was somehow collapsing. "Please my love, please hold on. We're going to-,"

"Magnus . . . don't lie to yourself like that. We both know I'm dying."

"I-,"

"I want you to know I would've never gone through with it."

"Alec I forgive you. I forgive you a thousand times over. Please don't let your last thoughts be remorse."

"My last thoughts won't be. They will be only of you." Magnus's entire body shook now, he leaned down to press a kiss to Alec's lips.

"I love you Alexander."

"I love you too Magnus. I will always love you, even after death." There were no more words to say. Magnus just held him as he slipped away. Somewhere, Izzy screamed. Somewhere, Jace was bleeding from a rune etched permanently into his skin. Somewhere Alec was joining his brother and looking down onto Magnus, holding his form, and sending him strength like he always did.

Magnus lurched back into his chair, breathing heavily. The woman sitting across from him looked to him grimly.

"How do I . . . how do I make it so that never happens?"

"You can not."

"I HAVE TO!"

"No matter what path you take, the road will always end there."

"No . . ." Magnus felt as though his world were falling apart.

"You always knew he would die."

"NOT NOW! NOT THIS YOUNG! HE NEEDS-,"

"We all have our time to go." Magnus stared at her incredulously.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" He demanded. She smiled slowly.

"No one of consequence. You have to go to him. Go to him and live out what little he has left in peace." Magnus jumped up from the chair and threw her a twenty dollar bill, then ran out the door. He started to run as if his life depended on it, his feet instantly finding the way without thinking. The wind blew at his back, propelling him forward, and the people on the crowded New York streets seemed to part like the red sea as he launched down the sidewalks. He stopped on the institute steps and rang the doorbell.

"ALEC! ALEC PLEASE COME OUT!" Finally, the door opened. "Alec I- I can't live,"

"Well if you're going to die, could you do it somewhere else? I really don't feel like lugging your corpse around." Jace answered, leaning against the door, dripping sarcasm. Magnus threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Oh for goodness-," He shoved past the shadowhunter and ran to the elevator before Jace could even bat a snarky eye. He pressed the call button, no, he jammed the call button, and then the elevator doors finally opened.

"Magnus?" Blue eyes looked him over, checking for injuries. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't talking to me? Is something-," Before Alec could even finish his sentence, Magnus grabbed his shirt and yanked Alec into himself, kissing him so hard he was sure they would both bruise. Jace made a disgusted sound and Magnus waved his hand, shooting blue sparks at him and causing him to freeze in place. Magnus just continued layering kisses on Alec. Finally, Alec pushed him away.

"WHAT THE HELL MAGNUS?! One moment you're breaking up with me the next you're rushing up here and grabbing me and-,"

"Alexander I can't live without you. Please don't make me live without you another second." Alec looked as if someone had told him giant pink rabbits were falling from the sky.

"Make you . . . YOU broke up with ME, Magnus."

"We were both wrong, we can work it out. Just please . . ." Alec looked him over once again.

"What happened?" He asked, finally.

"It's not what happened. . . it's what is going to happen."

"What do you-,"

"Never mind just kiss me again I can't breathe!"

"That doesn't even-," Magnus launched himself at Alec and was kissing him again. Finally, Alec's wonderful arms came up to hold him and stroke his back as Magnus fell apart in his arms, crying against his shoulder and shuddering, falling into Alec. Alec stopped asking questions, he just held onto Magnus as he broke down, giving him strength. After what seemed like an eternity, and the sun had gone down, and they were both sitting on the floor against one of the cathedral walls, Alec whispered,

"You really ought to unfreeze Jace now." Magnus just laughed and sniffled and waved a hand, and the golden haired shadowhunter fell on his face before his precious reflexes could stop him. He yowled in pain like a damaged cat.

"Serves you right for ruining a moment." Magnus told him, nastily. Jace stood up and looked like he would say more, but Magnus just allowed a bit of blue flame to show around his finger tips and Jace decided it would be best to get back in the elevator and go back upstairs.

"Are you going to tell me what this whole thing was about?" Alec asked him, kissing his forehead sweetly. Magnus teetered on the edge of a decision. Tell Alec about his imminent death, or allow him to live out the short remainder of his life how he naturally would.

"I just . . . I missed you." He finally decided. He saw in Alec's eyes that he knew he was lying, he saw that Alec told himself he would ask about this later, later when Magnus was able to breathe again without shaking all over. For now he would just kiss his boyfriend until he felt better, and not for the first time, Magnus was grateful of Alec's silence.