Happy Birthday! Lunamirror! While this is directly connected to Arcane Dissonance it makes for a rather smashing birthday gift! I mean, c'mon, who doesn't love getting updates on their birthday! I would kill to have my favorite fic updated on my 21st b-day! That would be awesome! XD
So minions, say happy birthday to my favorite reviewer! And enjoy a little sneak peek into Skulley J. Liberty's and Sonneillon B. Jillian's past. And if you haven't read Arcane Dissonance, well, I guess it can be read by itself...you'll just be missing out on the awesomeness that is my story.
Not to be modest or anything...*Innocent look*
I Dare You To See The Real Me
"Emptiness inside me, wonder if you see?
I'm lost inside the pain!
Can you forgive me?
Can we start again…Can we start again!
With one more try; what if I let you in?
What if I want to try?
What if I learn to love?
What if you take a chance?
What if, what if we start again."
Start Again by Red
Listen.
It all started back when they were both still strangers floating in an odd purgatory between acquaintances and enemies. There were no pirates, no friendships, and no insane bid for revenge or salvation to keep them up at night. Just two Gifted who should've killed each other a long, long time ago—
…
Sonneillon B. Jillian glared silently at a knocked out Tri-horn Wyvern. Skulley J. Liberty.
Just thinking the talkative lizard's name sent her claws gouging rends into the earth. How she wanted to just slit her throat and be done with it. But this was another dragon, a Spirits damned Gifted. So no matter how much the annoying gnat buzzed around her she still couldn't swat it. And that really pissed Jillian off. Because the Tri-horn knew that too and was hiding behind the fact that she wouldn't kill a fellow dragon like some human shield.
A low hiss rumbled out of her massive chest; this was why she hated being around anyone. Especially her. Why out of all the Gifted had Skulley J. Liberty been the one to hunt her down. Why out of all the Gifted - who were smart enough to give her her solitude - was she the one to come offer her loud, noisy company. She was better off alone. She wanted to be alone. But of course the Tri-horn was either too stubborn or too air-headed to notice.
Everywhere she flew the lizard would be right behind and no amount of silence or hostility had thrown her off as of yet. Then the fucking marines had come into the picture and Jillian leapt off the angry bridge. She could deal with boisterous annoyances but when those boisterous annoyances flew right into danger just to get her attention…
A snarl ripped from black scaled lips, past rows of fangs, and echoed around the cliff that was her nighttime perch. The black on white form of the Tri-horn didn't stir.
She was glad for it too. At the moment she was liable to send her claws through her skull if she so much as twitched. How stupid could a dragon be? Jillian didn't know but today Skulley J. Liberty had proven that she lacked any aptitude for self-preservation. How did she do it? By flying straight for one of those damnable ships with the big guns. While they were firing! Firing!
Jillian wasn't stupid. She knew the damn lizard had done it on purpose. She knew Jillian would turn around and save her tail because she had made a vow. Not that she would ever know of that vow. Jillian huffed irritably. And that look afterward… Growling at the memory Jillian pulled her wings tight against her sides and hissed out a breath that had teal-white smoke curling from her nostrils. She ignored it.
For the life of her she could not forget that look. Just after she'd blown the ship to Verdaron the Tri-horn had given her a stare just before Jillian slammed her tail into the back of her spiked head, thus stealing her consciousness. Skulley J. Liberty wasn't allowed to look at her like that! She was originally going to continue to ignore it but something continued to bug her.
Friendship. That too happy glint in her eyes speaking of an offer, an offer she didn't deserve and didn't want. But over the past five decades it had been there just as she had been there dogging her flight patterns. From Sun Hours to Moon Hours!
But what really put her on edge was the fact that she knew she didn't want a fake version of her. A facade. The Tri-horn wasn't looking for a mask – because she knew her. Over the many years that Skulley J. Liberty had chosen to follow her Jillian had made damn sure she knew what she was going after. She was not pleasant. She was not kind. She wouldn't take any crap from her and when she crossed a line, well, she would know it. She would leave her out here in this fathomless sea to wander alone if she ever caught her trying to kill her. Jillian knew what she had done to Skulley J. Liberty was unforgivable; her mistake was the reason why she was out here and not back with the other Gifted. She had banished herself in retaliation for her sin.
But she hadn't made any moves for revenge in over five decades. She clenched her jowls at that thought, the pressure causing her fangs to ache in their gums. And Jillian wondered why. It made her ridiculous offer of friendship confusing.
She was never nice to her. Never gave her the impression that she wanted anything from her. Never tried to connect or talk besides the hissed warning or order to leave me alone, damn it! Never showed any stupid friendly inclinations whatsoever.
She was downright fucking cruel to her. And yet she stayed year after year, a pain in the ass.
Decade after decade and the offer was still there saying one thing.
That she wanted that Sonneillon B. Jillian. The screwed up, mentally scarred, bloodstained kinslayer.
She snarled as her claws dug deeper into the ground with her tail lashing angrily behind her. Thud, thud, thud. She was furious.
Because damn it she didn't know how to react to something like this!
"Argh!" she roared out in frustration and she shot a blistering glare at the dragon sleeping innocently beside her. Innocently!
When was the last time she had been innocent? Too much blood covered her claws to remember.
What is wrong with her, though?
Who does she think she is?
Flew right into her sorry excuse of a life with sunshine and rainbows and baby Sea Kings and thought to make her a friend. A wing-mate. A nest buddy! After all the shit she'd put her through? To Verdaron with that!
But Skulley J. Liberty hadn't tried to take her life.
Which meant she owed her a fucking debt. Worst of all she wouldn't allow her to pay it. No, instead she made it her business to follow her around and now they go on their merry way jumping from place to place bringing hell to marines and killing off those who would hunt their kind, therefore making the world a safer place for the Gifted blah, blah, blah – UGH!
Jillian slammed her tail down and roughly pulled her claws from the ground with a bone-shuddering growl.
She felt sick.
She felt like dirt sitting next to a Gifted like her. Hollow, pathetic bloodstained dirt.
She shouldn't want someone like her for a friend.
Anyone else would've gone after her head with vengeful hatred but not Skulley J. Liberty. No, not her.
But damn it, she wasn't one of those Gifted who liked noise and conversation. She was the silent phantom who drifted among the outskirts, who watched the normal dragons. Sonneillon B. Jillian had been given a life where everything was either ripped away from her, killed, or she took it out of the picture. It had happened so many times in her life that she just didn't fucking have it in her to care anymore. Because if she cared the emotions would eat her alive.
She would never be like Skulley J. Liberty. Even if they did look alike. But that was neither here no there. She could never truly be on her side – whatever side that was. Normal, good, happy? Only the Sea Spirits know. She just wasn't a good dragon.
Jillian forced out a shaky hiss and lay her heavy horned head on her tail as it wrapped around her like a cat.
Because the Tri-horn had a conscience.
Sonneillon B. Jillian did not.
She stayed in that pose for several seconds debating on whether she should just leave. She could just spread her wings and disappear. She could fly out of her life and she wouldn't have to follow her anymore. Jillian laughed darkly. If only it were that simple.
She growled and glanced at the sleeping wyvern.
…Or she could stay. Beat the shit out of her until she was clear with where they stood as would-be savior and stupid kamikaze as well as two Gifted who spent unhealthy amounts of time together. Getting hit with that many volleys just to get her attention was reckless and she would not stand for such stupidity. Even if the whole thing was to prove a point.
Time to make a decision.
¨°º¤ø„¸ ¸„ø¤º°¨¸„ø¤º°¨ °º¤ø„¸¨°º¤ø„¸ ¸„ø¤º°¨¸„ø¤º°¨ °º¤ø„¸
Skulley J. Liberty came back to the waking world and debated on whether she should open her eyes. She groaned as she shifted and felt her entire wingspan flare up. Shit, fuck, fire! It was painful – but thank the Spirits it didn't hurt to breath anymore. Trying to breathe through blood filled lungs and fly at the same time was a lot harder than it looked. Liberty decided it was a good idea to figure out what happened between getting shot and back when Jillian basically knocked her out to save her life.
The Hellfire Wyvern did have a heart, after all.
Lips peeling back over fangs in a feral smile Liberty slowly opened her eyes.
And blinked.
What?
She turned her spiked head to the left and sure enough there was Jillian with her head resting on her tail and her wings pressed to her body. Resting. Jillian never slept near her. Never fell asleep until she herself was already in dreamland. Liberty wondered if by throwing herself into the line of fire she had made a breakthrough with the stubborn Hellfire. She certainly hoped so.
It was weird to see the usually glaring dragon dead to the world. She was laying on the ground with her dark head on her tail, a slight frown pulling her lips taut. The hint of fang reminded her that this wasn't some weak Sea King, Sonneillon B. Jillian was deadly. Liberty smiled softly. Even in her sleep Jillian was frowning at her.
Slowly, so she wouldn't trigger the Hellfire's instincts, Liberty reached with a winged arm-
"Poke me and I'll break your damn wing," the Hellfire hissed without opening her eyes. Liberty froze.
"You're awake," she said the first thing that crossed her mind. Jillian rose to her claws completely alert and not looking drowsy at all. Had she really been sleeping in the first place? Probably not.
Jillian snorted derisively, "I was just… resting my eyes." Liberty stared and had she been human her brows would've been in her hairline.
"You haven't slept in probably three days. Knowing you, you most likely flew us over a Blue to get away from those marines. You've been sitting there since we got here because I can smell my blood on your scales so you obviously haven't left to go wash," she finished with a I'm-right-aren't-I smile. Jillian scowled at her and her annoyingly accurate observations before promptly jabbing her in the stomach with her tail. She doubled over in pain immediately.
"SHIT, FUCK, FIRE!" Liberty yelped. She glared at the Hellfire. Touchy lizard!
"Don't test me Tri-horn," she hissed warningly. Jillian was obviously not in the mood for Liberty's incessant need to hold a conversation with her. Too bad.
"Lizard," she muttered the curse they used for each other as she wiggled on the cliff. Ow, the pain! Getting shot sucked!
"That's getting old," Jillian sneered, narrowing her eyes irritably while shaking her wings out; sitting in the same place without moving a muscle was annoying.
"Tree fucking lizard then," Liberty spat out childishly, flicking her long tongue out like a human kid for added effect. The rough skin under one slit eye twitched. Ha, success!
"Do you want me to knock you out again!" Jillian growled angrily. Liberty stilled at the threat and stared at her companion with careful eyes. Why? Why did she?
"Why did you knock me out for the entire flight Jill?" she asked slowly, gaze wary. She wasn't sure Jillian would answer her. She didn't consider the possibility that she already knew the answer.
Jillian scoffed. "You needed to be knocked out – you were struggling with the pain which was throwing off your flying. Had I not acted you would've fainted, and we all know what would've happened…" she said with casual menace, her thick tail lashing violently behind her. Jillian was very, very agitated. Never a good sign.
"You're lying Jill," Liberty intoned cautiously, she had to pick her words carefully here. Jillian tensed – the Tri-horn needed to shut up right now.
"Close your jaws - you're injured. Sleep!" Liberty's eyes glinted stubbornly causing Jillian to nearly groan. Nearly. Did she have no sense at all? She was injured! She needed rest! There was no reason for this conversation!
"Tell me why you knocked me out first," she demanded. Jillian glared at her with narrowed displeased slits.
"I just told you why," she snarled furiously.
"But you're still lying," the Tri-horn shot back. Jillian's patience snapped – she was so damn annoying.
"I know why you did what you did yesterday, " Jillian hissed darkly, the quiet malevolence evident in her low tones. Liberty stiffened. Oh crap. Damage control time.
"I was right, though, wasn't I! You act like you don't give a rat's ass when you DO!" Liberty shouted in response. Jillian's whole body tensed and Liberty went on high alert…as if she was going to attack her or something. Fool. Jillian snorted through her nostrils. Had she ever attacked her? No. She wasn't that sadistic. She saved all her ire for the marines.
"As if I'd allow the marines to take another life," she said dryly. Liberty was tempted to stab her with her spiked tail then. Evading! She was always evading!
"Stop evading the issue!" Liberty was mad.
"Why? Why should I?" Jillian snapped viciously, fangs bared and claws flexing with dangerous vigor. Liberty shot her a burning look – the I'm-so-damn-angry-I-could-strangle-you kind.
"Because you have a heart! So freaking USE IT! Listen! I forgive you. I forgive you, Sonneillon B. Jillian!" she roared angrily. Jillian would have flinched if she didn't have the control to stop it from happening. Heart? Forgive you? Ha, she didn't dare! There was no forgiveness for what she had let happen. Deep down she knew Liberty was lying. She was lying because who could seriously get over something like that. How? So it wasn't her that was lying. It was Liberty.
"You don't know me lizard," she said gruffly. Liberty growled. She was done with Jillian's evasive ways.
"You're right - I don't know you," she quipped with her own snarl. "but I was trying Jill. I was trying to befriend Sonneillon B. Jillian!"
"You can't," she muttered lowly.
"Why not?" the Tri-horn gnashed out unhappily. Very unhappily.
"Because I don't even know who she is anymore!" she shouted furiously. Liberty stared at her in disbelief, wings lowered to the ground lifelessly. Then that familiar anger came bubbling up again.
"You'll never know who Jillian is outside of her little dark world if she's always locking herself away and hiding from the real world like some coward!" Liberty shouted back.
The suffocating silence that followed was deafening.
They glared at each other for several minutes, claws digging into soil as if it were the others neck - both of them knew it was equally likely that they were going to lunge at each other as it was that they were going to fly away. Neither happened surprisingly. Instead Liberty looked away and rolled her eyes. Jillian was so tiring sometimes!
"Maybe you're right and maybe you're wrong, Jill, but it wouldn't hurt to try." Liberty murmured on a sigh. Jillian tensed.
"Don't call me Jill," grouched the Hellfire moodily.
"Why don't you like it when I call you Jill?" she questioned curiously. Jillian tightened her wings against her ribs and looked away. She didn't have to answer that.
Liberty didn't even blink. She was used to Jill ignoring questions she didn't want to answer. Silence was quite telling, anyway. She smiled privately.
"Face it Jill - you want me around else you wouldn't have stayed. You don't want to be alone anymore," she said challengingly. Jillian narrowed her eyes when she saw the smile. It irritated her.
"Just because I saved your suicidal tail doesn't mean I'll do it again next time. Pull such a stupid stunt like you did yesterday and I'll kill you myself," she growled warningly. Liberty suddenly shot her a biting grin – one that held spite and happiness and was like a double edged sword. She hated it. It was worse than her smile!
Jillian glared.
"You care, Sonneillon B. Jillian." Liberty said with that annoyingly high-pitched sing song voice that grated on her nerves. If only she could just…
"Lizard sometimes you just make me want to strangle you to death!" she hissed out through her fangs. Said Tri-horn laughed which grated on Jillian's nerves all the more.
"Shut up! Just shut up, damn it! Gah!" Jillian ground out roughly. Liberty didn't say anything more to provoke her, she just watched her fume on her side of the cliff until she calmed down. Jillian didn't trust her silence. The Tri-horn loved to rib her till her patience snapped. And frankly she still didn't trust her.
"I'm sorry," Liberty murmured after several minutes of heavy tension. It was a broad apology with several different meanings. Which one, which one. Too many.
"Why do you want me to be your…friend? Why didn't you try to kill me when you first came out here?" Jillian asked without looking at her. Liberty blinked owlishly when she heard the questions. Did she not know?
"Because I could see the victim in you and I… didn't want to be alone anymore," she said honestly wondering if Jillian would truly understand; no other Gifted could, not in their situation. Said Hellfire whipped her head around to glare at her open expression. Those slit eyes that were trained on her were scarred, distrustful things; Liberty felt her chest constrict painfully at such a stare. There was no light in them, no hope. But then again, there was hardly any light in hers either, she just had a different way of coping. And it didn't involve self-destruction.
"I'm not like you," the Hellfire growled. Liberty stared at her sadly. She knew Jillian liked her solitude but everyone needed a friend. Especially Jillian. And leaving a Gifted out here alone was suicidal; the marines were a big threat.
"Good, because if you were then I'd be scared shitless." Jillian gave her a strange look and she couldn't keep the snicker down.
Sonneillon B. Jillian stared out over the ocean for a long time, analytical mind working fiercely. She took in a quiet breath and closed her eyes; she didn't want to see the Tri-horn's face. She had to be sure of something though. Otherwise she couldn't stay, couldn't allow this noisy nuisance any closer.
"Lib?" she said it quietly, so very quietly without opening her eyes. If they had been open she would've seen the absolute shock come over Liberty's face. Never in all the decades had Liberty ever heard her name. So to hear a nickname was shocking because it meant something. To call a Gifted by a nickname was a show of familiarity.
"Yeah Jill?" she said just as quiet, and still very much in shock. Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!
"In the five decades you've been following me have you ever planned your revenge?" Lib paused as she noticed the odd tension underneath the words. She knew Jillian was going to use her answer to make some important decision. The sudden gravity in the air was suffocating.
"No," she said truthfully with no hesitation.
A moment later there was a splash from down below. Liberty smiled slowly, triumphantly. Jillian had made a decision.
And it looked like she had answered right.
…
—and didn't.
Listen.
She stayed.
A/n: So this came to mind on a really dark night. Hmm, hope it makes you confused! Because that is exactly what I wanted. Ha! *Cackles evilly* But no, I wrote this to shed some light on Jill's and Lib's past...and ignite some questions too. *Grins* Cause, God knows, in Arcane Dissonance...the true plot hasn't even shown its face yet.
Hehe. What can I say. I just can't write short stories. I'm in for the long haul and I hope you are to. So REVIEW! Tell me what you think and all the curious WTF or what-if questions that are probably swirling in your mind right now.
Thank you for reading my works! Review, place! XD