Sophie Leahnna Rosier grimaced at the destruction around her. Students and professors alike where in huddled groups around the once magnificent great hall of the age old castle they had all called home, whether it had been for a year, seven even seventy. The banners that used to be so vibrant now hung in tattered dusty ruin above the broken tables where once, it semed so long yet it was only a handful of moths ago, they ate thier meals and enjoyed fellowship with thier fellow inhabitants. Sophie could only sigh as those images washed over her, images of fallen comrades, of lost mentors, of the shattered innocence. A flash of Dumbledore with his tinkling blue eyes making the welcoming speech, Snapes dour glare, Collin Creevy running around snapping pictures of unsuspecting subjects, the Wealey twins plotting thier next great prank. Those days where gone now. The reality was only small shattered groups remained. Yet some felt the need for a victory cheer, they did finally defeat the most evil wizard of all time only hours ago. But at what cost? sophie felt thier losses where to great to be celebrating. She wanted nothing more than to leap into the arms of her best friend and inhale his perpetually smokey with a hint of beach scent.
She glanced around locking eyes with her best friend Ginny. Before the big fight, in the quietest part of the night when the darkness gave way to navy blue skys they had devised a plan for the after math with thier comrades in arms. The boys had mde them promise to follow it through as they rushed off to help Harry. The last time they had seen them they had promised to leave, England, the Wizarding world, all of it. They all knew the aftermath was going to be as bad in most ways as the previous regimes, and they where tired, no... Exhausted. Seven years of fighting for thier lives, thier freedoms and basic librities had left them that way. At sixteen to seventeen years old they where jaded and hardened from a war that wasn't thiers to begin with. It was a senseless fight brought on by the power plays of thier elders. Sighing again and looking around one last time at the wreckage of the hall she signaled to the four remaining survivors of the group that had fought so hard for so long, that it was time. As she strolled to the meeting point just beyond the biggest tree by the lake, she took in the place that she had once thought was the safest harbor in the world but was now the place all of her dreams, her hopes, her friends very lives had been severed from her. where once she saw her only true peace and happiness she saw anguish and turmoil. Slowly nursing injuries afforded to them by those that where supposed to protect them and those they never should have had to face the remainder of the DA gathered. Sophie looked to Ginny and Luna for the strength to leave this once hallowed place of learning. It was Luna that took her hand and gave her a watered down smile of reassurance. Taking out a sixth year potions book that Faye would know anywhere Ginny mumbled the spell to turn it into a port key, and that my friends is where our heros story truly begins.
Sophie only resitered the cold dampness of the ground they landed on. She recognized the feel of dew kissed grass. Sitting up she loooked around, she had expected to see sky ut it was like they where in a great tavern of a cave. THe place oozed magic all around. Great served them right for not being specific with the portkey. Sophie noticed that her hair was longer than it had been reaching to her waist in softly curling locks of red. Strangely this place felt of hme. Getting up Sophie suppressed a groan at the protesting i her muscles. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a winged creature in her perifial vision, a demi fey. They had to be inside the mounds them selves. Panicing she lept to her feet and looked around for her companions, this was not good, not good at all. Luna was sprawled out next to Sophie looking around in her usual airy manner that hid the sharp mind of the blonde raven claw. Ginny was on the other in a more paniced state and the boys where no where in sight. Sophie knew this couldn't end well. THis world had been lost to her when her father had fled with his two girls and went a step farther to send Sophie to her relatives in the wizarding world. She knew exactly where she was, home. The place of mot rational peoples nightmares but for Sophie it was a beauiful place, dangerous but exciting. THey where standing in the heart of the Unseelie court with gaurds fast approching on both sides with her aunt the queen close behind. Sophie took notice of what they where wearing and instead of the blood stained torn jeans cross trainers and various styled tops they where all dressed in gowns of dark colors. Perplexed Sophie looked over to the Queen who upon locking eyes with the younger female froze. She couldn't deny who she was looking at not when thier matching tri colored eyes clashed.
" Hello Aunt Anadais Queen of Air and Darkness. I beg your pardon for dropping in unannounced." Sophie said while her friend s righted them selves and fell into relaxed stances beside her. The regal dark haired beauty took in the sight of the yound weomen .
" If it is you i ask that you swear on the night that it is indeed you." The queen comanded.
" I solemnly swear on the darkest night that i am Sophie Faythe Nic Essuss daughter of Essuss and niece to her highness the queen of Air and Darkness." Sophie answered with her voice stronger than she felt. If you knew what to look for the queens eyes softned slightly taking in the young weomen.
" Welcome home niece mine. We thaought you lost for good." ANadias said steppping closer to the shorter girl. Sophie like Merrideth was humanly short with curves that fit her lightly toned structure, or they would be if she wasn't obviously malnourished. " Child how did you come to land in the heart of our sithen?"
" THat mine Own Aunt is a long story." Sophie said with a ghost of a sad little smile. " It was a spell gone awry but im greatful for it."
" Me to Sophie, come lets get you fed and a place to rest. Who are your companions?"
" My best friends, family and comrades. My sisters in arms." Sophie worded it to state clearly that they where under her protection to hamr them was to harm her.
" You make it sound like a war zone, where you came from."
" It was we just survived the bloodiest war to rip through the magical world since the goblin wars." Sophie's eyes grew haunted and distant. The queen and her personal gaurd escorted the girls to a lavish set of rooms. They ate the finest the unseelie court had to offer while Sophie told thier story from the time she was whisked to Faerie to how they ended up in the sithen. She left out no detail no matter how painful and was sure to point out the good times. By the end it was just after dawnand there had been many tears shed by the young witches. " SO you see the port key is desiegned to take you home, i guess Faerie was just calling to us.e woke up in the heart in these gowns and here we are."
" That is enough for one day i think. YOu need rest child. may how you have grown Essuss would be proud of the leader, the woman you have become. " In a rare show of affection she stood and kissed her nieces brow. " We will talk more on the next rising."
Anadais was in a tizzy. THere wasn't much she loved but her youngest niece was one thing she couldnt deny loving. There was always something endearing about the girl that Merrideth hadn't had. Granted the two sisters where very close but Sophie had a power to her and a vulnerability that drew one in. SHe had Anadais eyes through and through. She obviously wasnt pure sidhe but she had the power and grace of one. THe court wasn't a safe place for her to heal, Cel wouldn't stand to let her be. With that thought she sat before her mirror to contact her other niece and hier to the throne.
Merrideth was stilll reeeling from the news her aunt delivered. Sophie was alive, broken and bruised but still in one piece even if her heart wasn't. ALIVE! She would be arriving with her companions in the next three days. Her aunt had repeated her sisters tale word for word and it had made Merry's blood run cold. To fight for your life for six years starting at age eleven on a war sized scale was hard to fathom. Frost and DOyle had held her through the conversation, Galen nearby, in shock themselves. Maybe things would look up, Sophie always managed to somewhat mellow the queen out. That didnt matter all that mattered was that she could hold Sophie in just three days.
Compared to England California was a whole new ball of wax. Dressed in regular muggle jeans and a tank top she didnt think she was much to look at but still the vultures where snapping pictures left and right. Someone had let it slip that she was alive and home aand thanks to the war exposing the wizardig world and some nosy reporters digging she was now heraled as the war herione turned princess. The ministry? Totaly playing it up, ass hats.