100 Days to Dance
Hey, guys! Just wanted to part a few words before we head on to the story..
First things first, I suppose. This is my first fanfiction, so please be considerate :) I would love some criticism and feedback so please so message me, rate and definitely leave a review! ^^
Secondly, I thought I'd explain the plot in a little further detail since the summary restricted me to very little -_-" Before we go any further though, I'd just like to point out that I'm fairly new to the world of Shadowhunters and the Mortal Instruments series. I've only started reading "City of Glass" yesterday o.o I'm going to try getting through it as quickly as I can, but please do forgive my ignorance until then /bows/
Anyways, so as a reminder, Clary doesn't exist in this story. I love her, but ... I love Ryse (an OC) just a little, tiny bit more, haha! I'll explain how Jace met Ryse and what the "gruesome accident" is, I promise. All in due time, my lovelies. The story's going to be told via a series of one-shots that all link together. It's a little hard to explain on paper, but you'll understand when a few more chapters come out ^^" It's rated "T" just in case :)
Enough with my babbling, on with the story!
Prologue
Winds of Change
"Jace," Isabelle whispered, placing a scarred hand gently upon his shoulders in a futile attempt to comfort her adoptive brother. Of course, the blonde male being as stubborn and tough as he was, didn't allow even a sliver of emotion to penetrate his mask. Worry creased the young woman's brow; her lips pursed into a thin, white line of anxiety. "Jace-" she tried again, only to be stopped short by his sharp golden glare. Unwillingly, she flinched. In all her years, she'd never seen him look so ... She struggled to find the word before settling on 'broken.' But of course, Jace still managed to pull a tight smile and hide the feelings she'd only been able to detect thanks to seven years of familiarity.
"Izzy," he said by way of greeting. "What brings you here?" His voice was tight, stretched to the edges of his patience. If she didn't know better, she'd have said he looked almost feral, like a golden lion about to strike down its prey. Within moments, however, the flash of danger was gone, replaced only by his trademark icy calm.
A wave of fire washed over the raven-haired teen. "What do you mean what brings me here?" she demanded, with an edge to her voice Jace had learnt defined the rebellious girl. "I came here to check up on you, of course." Softening up, she removed her hand from behind her back, revealing a brilliant red apple, reflecting the white light of the infirmary. "Here," she said, holding it out to her brother. "I thought you might be hungry. After all, you've been cooped up in here for days."
With a stiffness unusual for the lithe Shadowhunter, Jace took the apple with a grateful glance. And set it down on the bedside table. Isabelle frowned. "I brought it here for you to eat, Jace," she said. "Please-"
"I'm not hungry, Izzy," the blonde male voiced, reaching over to take her pale hand - Ryse's hand. With a soft sigh, Isabelle Lightwood fixated her blue gaze on the young woman resting in the infirmary bed. Her breathing came in shallow gasps and her expression wasn't one of peaceful slumber as one might expect. No, it was troubled, frightened even, as though she were battling against demons within. Isabelle's expression darkened. Tentatively, she said, "It's been two weeks already. Do you think... Do you think she's going to wake up?"
Jace ripped his gaze from Ryse's comatose body. Golden met azure in an understanding, in a mutual hope, a shared wish. Knowing that her brother probably needed time alone, the teenager strode away from the quiet room, but not before bidding him a genuinely caring parting.
"I'll come back to see you in the morning, Jace. Take care of yourself until then." She was almost gone when she paused, as if remembering something, and poked her head back in. "Alec's worried sick as well. I'll tell him to swing by in the morning too." With that, the Lightwood left, leaving Jace alone with Ryse's unconscious frame.
He heaved a sigh and laced his thin, bony fingers behind his head. The setting sun cast a warm, pinkish glow around the room, giving it an almost mystical feel, as if something magical might take place. The dim rays touched his molten gold eyes to a deep, rich sandy yellow. "You know," he whispered to the air, closing his eyes to the sunset. "They all think you're a goner. Or at least stuck in this coma for a good long while. But that's not true is it?" He leaned forward then and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. It was callused and rough against her smooth, milky white skin. Though he sounded affirmative, there was a certain desperation and doubt laced within his words, carefully hidden such that no one - except maybe Isabelle and Alec - could trace.
A soft groaning snapped his eyes wide open. His expression was unreadable - somewhere between disbelief, relief and raw hope. Almost fearfully, he said her name. Another soft, almost inaudible groan. If it weren't for his sharp hearing as an enhanced entity, he might not have heard the moan at all. Another call of her name.
Fingers shaking for the first time outside the heat of battle, he took her hand once more in his, lacing their fingers together. Minutes passed, without any other signs that the young woman was on the verge of awakening. Jace's hopes dashed, but he didn't let go. Don't give up, he thought. Words evaded him and his voice was lost. I'm waiting for you.
Fingers clenched weakly around his own. Eyes rounding to the size of dinner platters, he glanced down and gently gripped back. His hopes soared once more. That's right, he thought triumphantly. I'm waiting. You'd better come back.
He waited, patiently, like a golden retriever eagerly waiting for his owner, his best friend, to come home. However, no such luck. The room fell silent once more, disturbed only by the occasional cawing of a crow in the distance. Come on. Don't insult me like this.
Seconds ran into minutes and still, no further signs that revitalized his dying hopes. His shoulders sagged visibly. His eyes lost their sheen and dulled. Jace slumped back in the uncomfortable chair, her hand still interconnected with his. Even if she was truly a goner, he would always believe in her strength to come back. Because that's just who you are.
As if she heard his thoughts, the young woman's eyes danced wildly behind her eyelids. Her eyebrows were knit into a delicate frown; her body soaked through with cold sweat. A name escaped her dry, cracked lips. Again, she whispered the name. And again. And again.
"Jace."
Her voice rose with every choke of the name, desperate and breathless. Her body arched off the bed, as though electricity coursed through every vein within her being. Her small hands clenched around Jace's in an iron grip, crushing, grinding, his slender fingers together. Worry and hope flooded the blonde boy's face as he rose from the chair, body stiff and sore from having been there so long. He leaned over the young woman, casting her in his elongated shadow.
And that's when her eyes fluttered open, like a butterfly opening its wings for the first time. Her soft brown orbs were unfocused, staring off emptily into his own pools of yellow. Slowly, they sharpened and adjusted to the dim light, focusing on the lean figure leaning over the bed, on the expression plastered on the face, on the person she'd been calling for, been dying to see again.
"Jace," she croaked out, breaking out into a weak smile. Relief and pure joy conquered Jace's features. All his sarcasm and wit died in his throat. Struggling for the words to say, the young Shadowhunter simply gazed down at his love. A broad grin splintered his lips.
"By the Angel," he finally managed. "It sure took you long enough to flutter those eyelids open. I think I've aged twenty years."
The girl managed to crack a small chuckle. "You're right," she gasped out. Her throat was burning with thirst and her head spun from hunger, but she didn't care. She was here, with him, and it was all that mattered in the moment. "I think I see wrinkles."
He laughed then. A spirit-lifting sound. Laughter. "I've been waiting for you, Lovell," he sang, touching his forehead to hers.
"You mean 'Ryse'," she said out of habit, gazing deeply into his eyes and knowing, within her soul, that everything would work out somehow - even if it perhaps wasn't the way they'd planned it out.
And, that's it for this time, folks! ^^ Please rate, review and feel free to drop a message :) Anything is welcome; I can't wait to hear from you! ^^
- Zy