A/N: Pre-Christian Scotland believed that Samhain was the night on which the fairy mounds stood wide open, and all manners of fairies were free to walk the mortal realms without aging or coming to harm. From sundown on October 31st until sunrise on November 1st (Samhain night,) humans did not need any magickal password to enter the world of fairies, though he or she might be doomed to remain there forever. It was also the night when spirits walked the earth with the immortals; the veil between the supernatural realms having grown thin as gossamer. Bonfires were lit to honor the ancestors and to drive away evil spirits, and candles lit in windowsills to welcome the dearly departed home, if only for one night.
Inspired by Loreena McKennitt'sThe Old WaysandAll Souls Night (I recommend you to listen to these two songs before reading).
While reading, the tracks Aurorain Faerieland and True Love's Kiss will be the perfect musical accompaniment.
Night of Candles
Diaval looked at his dirty fingernails for a long time before he finally decided to speak. He did not fear the risk of being turned into a worm, or a dog; not anymore. The raven-man was perfectly conscious of the thin line he was treading, but he was also determined to go ahead with the plan - even if it meant unleashing the wrath of the fairy in front of him.
"Mistress…" he said softly, approaching the woman who had her back turned on him.
Her searching gaze was lost in the horizon; fixed as they stared longingly towards the plains.
Not getting any response, the man walked a few steps toward her. "Maleficent, you must listen to me…"
"Cease and desist," she commanded, not bothering to even look at him. The voice of the fairy did not let bode well. Bronze-colored feathers vibrated in unison and her immense wings parted from each other in a gesture of annoyance.
Maleficent turned slowly, letting the last rays of the setting sun illuminate her sharp cheekbones. "I have told you, perhaps billions of times. I will not change my mind, though I know it won't be your last attempt to make me give up. Leave it."
After clearing his throat, Diaval ran a hand through his black hair. "I've stopped trying to make you give up, Mistress. I just want to try to make you understand that you may be suffering… again. Maybe even more than..."
The fairy fully turned toward him so quickly, it made him choke on the last words in his throat. The darkness in her glare appeared as if that action alone could obscure the orange stripes drawn in the twilight sky and - with them - the last remnants of daylight. Her hand rose up much more slowly, and small tongues of green fire coiled around the long fingers.
Diaval could not help but swallow loudly a couple of times, backing away with a bird-like bob. However, he never lost eye contact with his Lady. It was now or never: he owed it to the torn woman he called Mistress out of respect, whose iridescent eyes pierced his very soul with their desperation. He owed it to his lost friend; the woman he had made a promise which he had no intention of ever breaking. Finally, he owed it to himself; for he wanted to be loyal and caring to her. If it were not to repay his life debt, at least it would be the intent of a good friend. If it meant jeopardizing his safety, well... he was willing to do so.
"Fine - turn me in a earthworm, if you want to. I don't care. I am allowed to speak freely now, even though I know you don't like it, Maleficent." He took a deep breath, for encouragement. "You know better than me that this is only a temporary remedy…"
The tongues of green fire glowed menacingly in the supervening darkness, illuminating the pale skin of the fairy and her hard, angry glance.
Her familiar took notice, but kept rambling. "This is only a temporary peace. Tomorrow you will come back being as you were... before. Tomorrow..."
"Tomorrow I will be able to endure a new year," the woman's tone was harsh, but tired and extremely sad. A glassiness filled her eyes, and the magic that swirled around her palms dimmed slightly.
Diaval's heart clenched. Dejected, the man pursed his lips and looked down. His feet kicked at the dirt, and he shook his head.
"Besides, I do not need your approval," Maleficent reminded him, extending her wings in all their stateliness. "So don't attempt to stop me. This is the last time I'll bear your insolence. I won't repeat this again."
"Maleficent, I beg you! Please think it over, and be reasonable!" the man pleaded, his body trembling. Diaval clenched his teeth and winced, knowing that those could be his last words.
"I said no more!"
It was the last thing Diaval heard. He closed his eyes, waiting for the green wave to hit and transform him into something crawling and disgusting, or at worst inflict pain. Instead, he was pushed to the ground by a sudden gust of wind, and when he opened his eyes his Mistress was gone.
"Oh, Maleficent…" he sighed, clenching in his fists the tufts of grass that the cruel October had turned to yellow.
The small clearing in front of the cottage was dark, but the darkness had never frightened her.
Maleficent's thoughts ran to the days when all the house's windows were lit; the rooms echoing with laughter and cheery household noises. It was once upon a time, and very long ago.
She shook her head. That was not the time to get lost in memories; she had a specific task to be done and little time to do it. She walked with a purpose up the short path that led to the entrance of the cottage, all the while clutching on her wings like a heavy cloak.
With a wave of her hand the door swung open, creaking on the old hinges. Maleficent took a deep breath and plunged herself into the darkness. Every corner of the home was filled with memories kept dormant for so long, and the fairy knew she would have to hold off them if she wanted to finish what she had in mind. This was not the time to sit in the shadows like she would do every so often to be carried away from the pain, no matter how sweet it could have been.
She climbed the narrow stairs, letting her hand lightly graze the handrail, and came to the second floor. Despite the prevailing gloom, she immediately spotted the door to the room she was looking for, and reached it and opened it slowly while holding her breath. This door opened nearly silently, and Maleficent took a few steps into the chamber. Suddenly transported by dizzying emotions that she was afraid not being able to control, she took a shuddering breath.
For a moment - but only for a moment - the thought that Diaval could be right hit her.
Maleficent shook her head wryly. 'Dear, stubborn bird,' she thought.
The great Fae knew very well that her friend had spoken driven by concern, but she felt that what she was doing tonight was to her as vital as breathing. She just needed to do it again - to live, to survive.
Crossing the room with long strides, she reached the bed towards the back wall and paused a moment to close her eyes. As she imagined a sleeping form under the sheets, a slight smile ran to curl her lips, and her hands gently caressed the dusty fabric of the canopy and bedding.
"Aurora…" she sighed. What a terrible curse this was: being forced to live almost forever. The woman of her heart had brought such joy and warmth to her in what seemed such a short time. Now the years seemed to stretch ineffably long and cold. She would have gladly traded her immortality for goods of little value in order to get rid of what she considered a misfortune.
Maleficent walked to the window and opened it, throwing open the rickety shutters. Then, she began to fix all the small candle stubs brought with her on the ledge, carefully arranging them on the desk and dresser. She had to do this quickly. Just a few more minutes, and the veil that separated the world of shadows from that to which she still belonged would be lifted.
Her heart beat wildly - she could not let her wander out there in the dark! Aurora had always hated the bleakness of night; being herself pure light, her Queen had distanced herself from darkness for all her life. Graceful hands worked faster at the musings. How could she let her roam all alone, without the gleam of light that could show her the way home?
With a fast and elegant gesture of her hand, all the wicks caught fire at the same time. The room seemed again full of life, inhabited as it had been many decades before. Maleficent cupped her palms around the warmth that wafted from the lit candles, satisfied with her work.
Here she was, the most powerful fairy of the Moors and the protector of the Two Kingdoms, trembling with anxiety like a little girl. She stared out the open window and into the dark night of Samhain, keeping watch while standing in the midst of dozens of flickering flames... waiting.
Anyone passing might have thought her mind had gone mad. Perhaps she was, but even insanity was preferable to the void that gripped her heart.
"I will not ask you to come back to stay, because I know that what I want is not possible. For all the times I've spoken the words, they are true: you stole my whole heart and it is yours forever. I swear, not a single day has passed that I have not missed your smile, the sound of your laughter, the cornflower blue of your eyes. Not a single night has come to twilight that I have not felt the lack of your arms around me," she whispered.
A single tear rolled slowly on her cheek, and Maleficent closed her eyes. Bracing herself on all the love she felt, she had to keep on hoping. She could not fail. "Please, come. Come back home to me, my love."
The slight breeze that wafted into the room made her shiver. She opened her eyes, realizing that she was now completely in the dark.
Her mind registered the touch before any of the other senses; five light fingers brushed against her back, right where her wings were attached to the shoulder blades. Then, two arms clung to her waist. The fairy turned slowly, as if afraid to break the spell.
"You're back... You found me," she cried softly, leaning toward the face not far from hers.
Her Queen smiled brightly. "I came home. I will always find you, my love."
That said, she closed the space between them and pressed her cold hands against the fairy's cheekbones to draw the beautiful face into a kiss. For all the warmth she had ever bled into the pale skin beneath her embrace, it was now she who drew the heat away. Still, Aurora pressed her lips against the quivering ones of her truest love.