His Dark Past
Suggested Themes:
Main Themes- Diabolic Clockwork by Two Steps from Hell, Brothers (Original version) from Full Metal Alchemist
Flora really shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't be in the Fairy Clock Room after curfew. She shouldn't be doing this behind the girls' back. She shouldn't even care about him. Anagan was a liar that just took advantage of her trusting nature. Actually, Ogron was the mastermind behind the deceit so he is the one really at fault. But Anagan made his choice and decided to go along with the ruse, he is not innocent! Then, why is she actually doing this? Why does she want to know the past of a man who has hurt her before and abused her trust? This isn't the first time she kept secrets from the girls. This isn't the first time she has hidden things from Helia. However, she does hope this will be the last time. It will be her first time using Chrono Magic, and she is worry that she may mess up the spell. Sirenix has allowed her access to the Room of Faraway Reflection, which will allow her to see the past. She has made sure that the girls were asleep before slipping out of her bedroom. The girls were still beat from the fashion show, especially Stella and Musa. The only reason Flora is still awake is because she drank some energy-boosting tea. She is still in her blue dress with a sea-green scarf wrapped over her and blue gloves. She didn't bother to change because she was too tired to, and the rest of the girls are sleeping in their outfits right now.
The Fairy Clock Room is not as warm and welcoming as it is during the day. The clocks are distorted by the darkness of the night. Some becoming black in color with mangled hands, while others almost have large cracks in them in their faces. The big clock used to have goofy swirls and orange and purple hands during the day, but at night the swirls were replaced with serpentine vectors. The little hand is red and points at the sixth hour, while the big hand is black and points at the sixth minute. The creepiest part of the Fairy Clock Room at night is the ticking. The ticking during the day reminded Flora of the timer at home where cakes were being baked. The ticking at nighttime sounds like someone is about to get hanged. It was almost like for every second that was ticked away, a life was brutally snuffed out. Flora wonders if Cloud Tower has a Clock Room that looked this dreadful and sounded this diabolical. She could almost see demons in the shadows of the room. Yet, the room fits exactly to her agenda since she is about to view a dark Wizard's past. Flora sucks in some air, she could swear that the air actually tasted like ash. She refuses to run away from the eerie room and stands her ground. She focuses her magic and aims at the twisted, big clock. Within seconds the disturbing Fairy Clock Room melts into the Room of Faraway Reflections, the Room of Faraway of Reflections is colored black like a starless night with the only light coming from the mirrors. Flora peers into the mirrors and watches as Anagan's past unfolds before her.
The mirrors did not reveal Anagan's birth or creation, thankfully, but started at the forgetful age of four. Four is when memories start to have some cohesion, but can easily be forgotten for years without much worry. It is weird and almost intimate for Flora to see Anagan as a child, not the man who would rip the wings off of Earth Fairies. As a child, barely out of his toddler years, Anagan's hair is just frizz, not exactly long enough to be dreaded. He is wearing a dirt-covered tunic with dark trousers and animal-skinned shoes that remind Flora of Earth's moccasins. His face is round with youth and there is no goatee, but his eyes were the same dark, almost red eyes that Flora knows from the future. He is outside in some unknown forest were too climb for the child to climb up. The boy is walking deeper into the forest until he comes across a clearing where there were so many unidentifiable plants and flowers that Flora lost her ability to breath. In the center of the clearing, a woman is kneeling before a patch of herbs with a basket at her side.
"Mother, what is this place?" Anagan's voice is high-pitched because he is a child after all, but he has pretty good grammar for a four year-old. Anagan's mother finally turns around to her son after she has plucked some herbs and put them into her basket. Anagan's mother has dark skin, but a much lighter tone that almost reminds Flora of her own skin. The mother has frizzy brown hair and almost black eyes. She is wearing a dark green dress that has been soiled from years of being amongst nature. Flora can tell that Anagan probably gets most of his looks from his father.
"It is a magical garden that has been in my family for generations. It will only appear in a place that has nature and only for those of our bloodline. My mother used this garden as a place to pain pretty pictures, while my father used it to cultivate plants that could be used for medicine." She sounds sweet and soft, almost reminding Flora of her father.
"I can use this place too, but what if I do not want to be an herbalist like you?" Anagan asked with a fearful tone like he is about to be harshly scolded. His mother smiles and pats his head to reassure him that he is not in trouble.
"You do not have to follow in my footsteps or your father's, you can be whatever you desire." Anagan smiles at his mother. The smile is simmering with warmth and admiration. Flora recalls Anagan shooting her that same smile when he helped save Miele, but his smile was smaller and more restrained than his child's self.
"Father sent me out here to get you, dinner is ready!" Anagan said excitedly like a dog wagging its tail for a treat. His mother laughs and takes Anagan by the hand and leads him out of the forest. There is a small house made of wood, but surprisingly painted. Considering how Anagan's childhood most likely had taken place centuries ago, Flora is not surprise that the house was not painted. The pair go inside the house, the inside is plain but furbished with the basics like a table with chairs and a fireplace. The house is split into two sides, separated by a cloth. The side in which Anagan and his mother entered in is the dining room and kitchen, while the other side is where the bedroom with all the beds are located at least that is what Flora is presuming.
"There is the love of my life and son of my loins." It is almost like watching an older Anagan hugging his child-self. Anagan's father is exactly what Anagan looks like in the future for the most part. They both have the same dreaded hair, except the father doesn't have his black hair tied up. They both share red eyes, but Anagan's red eyes only shine when he is emotionally intense. They both have the same impeccable bone structure. They both have the same goatee that goes from the side of their mouths and end at the chin. They both are tall and muscular as Flora regrettably admits. Yet, the father lacks the mutilated, left eyebrow that Anagan sports in the future. Come to think of it, his child-self also lacks the mutilated, left eyebrow. Flora just realized.
"What is for dinner, dear?" The mother asks as she sniffs the air for a hint. Anagan runs up to his father and hugs him.
"I just finished making vegetable soup. I added extra carrots so our son can grow big and strong!" The father and mother laugh, while Anagan pouts. Apparently, he dislikes carrots like I used to dislike them when I was little. Flora smiles a bit.
"Now, now, Anagan, your father worked very hard on this dinner especially spending all day delivering messages." Anagan stops pouting and then takes a seat at the table. The mother and father work seamlessly to place wooden bowls and silver spoons on the table. Finally, the father brings the pot of stew to the table with a ladle. The mother scoops soup for Anagan and then for her husband and finally for herself. The family eats quietly, but sometime the mother or father would share a funny anecdote. Anagan would laugh at his parents' jokes before returning to his soup. His family seems so happy and so does he, but when will it all go wrong? Flora wondered before the scene changes.
The house disappears and it is replaced with a small building made of fine limestone. The building is white and it has a narrow steeple. I think it's a "church" as the people of Earth would call it, but where is the crucifix? Flora wondered. Outside the "church" are parents, mostly women, waiting for something. There are a few men, and Flora picks out Anagan's father in the crowd. Anagan's father is conversing with an Ice Fairy. The Ice Fairy is statuesque and pale with blonde hair and blue eyes. She bears a striking resemblance to Aurora, Major Fairy of the North. The way Anagan's father is talking and how he often throws a charming smile almost makes Flora believe that he is flirting with the Ice Fairy. He wouldn't flirt with her unless his wife is dead, Flora hoped. A bell sounds and the doors to the church opens, a stream of children with books and semi-decent clothes come out. The Ice Fairy immediately leaves as soon as she saw Anagan coming toward his father.
"Who was that cold fish?" Anagan immediately asked. His father ushers him away from the crowd.
"What happened to your face?" His father countered. Anagan's face is covered in scratches and he is sporting a bruised cheek.
"Big kids came after us little kids when the pretty Nature Fairy teacher was not looking." They are both walking home. They must live near the city, or perhaps a town, and that's why Anagan can be in school rather than being taught by his parents given the time period.
"Did you fight back?" Anagan looks away in shame. Flora finds this strange because she had always presumed that Anagan was eager to fight since he was a kid.
"No, mother told me that fighting back will not solve anything, so I ran rather than sticking around and let them beat me up more." Anagan's father shakes his head like he is about to lecture his son.
"Look, your mother does not want you to turn into a criminal or lower yourself to the bullies' level, but this is one of those time you have to fight back. You have to fight whenever some jerk is about to batter you even if that jerk is bigger and older than you. Next time when those big kids come after you, fight back! Even if you get punished for it, fight back or else the bullies will keep going after you. When your mother asks you if you have been in a fight, just lie to her to spare yourself a lecture. Say you were playing with your friends and decided to do something stupid, she will believe that. I lie to her all time so take my advice on this." Anagan's face scrunches up like he has just become unsettled by his father's advice. Anagan cocks his head back like he is trying to catch sight of the Ice Fairy like she might be the reason his father lies to his mother. He is just six years-old and he can already tell that his father was doing something "wrong" with the Ice Fairy. The scene changes once again.
Anagan must be ten because he is taller than his six year-old self. Anagan has dreads that only reach his chin and he isn't sporting a bruise or scratches on his face unlike last time. However, Anagan has blood on his knuckles. Considering how there aren't any noticeable scratches on him, it is fair to assume that the blood does not belong to Anagan. Looks like he took his dad's advice to heart for the most part, Flora commented. Anagan is outside of his home and it appears that he must have gotten kicked out of class for fighting, or at least that is what Flora is presuming. Noise like moans that Flora knows from make-out sessions with Helia and years of hearing Sky making it up to Bloom are coming from the house. Anagan has the look like he has been kicked in the gut by a space goblin. His eyes are wide and his mouth is twitching. Anagan takes a deep breath opens the door by a crack. Flora's eyes widen in horror at the scene inside. Anagan's father is on top of the table with an Ice Fairy between his legs. The Ice Fairy wasn't the same one from earlier as Flora could tell from her purple hair and white skin. Anagan's father has his head thrown back in ecstasy, while the Ice Fairy kept bobbing her head. Young Anagan took a step back at utter horror of his father's blatant infidelity, while Flora covers her mouth in disgust and shakes her head.
"On the same table where you always tell mother that you love her every morning and night, you have no restraint!" Anagan harshly barks, but it would seem that the pair inside didn't hear him over their own pleasure. Anagan's eyes flare with repulsion and he turns his back from the scene. He walks away from his home and heads deep into the woods, but he doesn't go into the magical garden. He sits on the ground and has his legs tuck under his chin. He is staring out into the forest like he is hoping that time would turn back and make him forget what he saw. Flora wants to go into the mirror and put her arms around Anagan to offer him some comfort and remind him that he is not alone in this horrible secret. Instead, Flora can only watch as Anagan's past continues to play out before her. Although, she has a feeling that it is coming to an end. The scene changes one final time.
Flora is unsure how much time has passed since the last scene because Anagan looks almost the same. It might have been almost a year later. Anagan is at the table where his father was having "fun" with an Ice Fairy. His eyes are glinting red. His mother, almost the same except with different clothes, is cooking dinner. She is whistling a happy tune like everything in her world is perfect. She clearly has no idea that her husband had cheated on her; correction, probably is still cheating on her with a stable of Ice Fairies. Flora wants to shout for time to stop right here because she can already feel her heart twisting like everything is going to end in a horrible fire. Anagan shakes his head before standing up and heading towards his mother. He is going to tell his mother the truth like he should have done at the beginning.
"What is it, Anagan? I have to get this soup ready before your father arrives. Today is his birthday!" Flora's heart shudders at the mother's trusting nature. Anagan clenches and then unclenches his fists.
"Mother, father is cheating on you with Ice Fairies." He said it point-blank without a shred of emotion like he needed to emotionless to tell the truth. His mother stops stirring the pot, and Flora cannot tell if the mother is in shock or disbelief.
"Anagan, go back to the table and sit down. Dinner will be ready soon." The mother sounded disillusioned. Surprisingly, Anagan does what his mother ordered him to do. Flora can see that the mother was reaching into a cabinet. She pulls out White Lies, the most poisonous flowers in Linphea. Flora begins to shake as she watches as the mother pull out another flower that can cause seizures. Combine, those plants would cause a painful death to the victim. The mother takes out three bowls and scoops in soup in each bowl. In the last bowl, she crumbles the White Lies and the seizure-causing flower into the soup. Anagan has his back turned to his mother because he was afraid of seeing her cry, so he didn't see her adding poison to the last bowl.
"Love of my life and son of my loins, I am home!" Anagan's father sounds extremely happy and he sits down right next to his son. He probably had vile sex with a bunch of Ice Fairies that easily spread their cold legs for such a charming man! Flora wanted to punish the father for his transgressions. Unfortunately, it would seem that the mother would be the one to deal the punishment.
"Welcome home, dear. I made carrot soup." The mother places the poisoned soup in front of her husband. She then gives a poison-free soup to her son and then herself. They all began sipping their soups like it was just a normal, family dinner. It only takes six minutes before the poison in the soups begins to act. The father begins to convulse and falls to the ground, while the mother continues to sip her soup like nothing is wrong. Anagan watches in horror as his unfaithful father scratches at the ground and kicks in the air like he is a demented puppet being cut from its strings. The father's eyes are wild and dilated like he is on an acid trip. After three minutes of absolute horror, the father finally stops moving. Anagan backs away from his dead father and looks up to his mother. His mother continues to sip her soup with such a beautiful, broken smile on her face. Anagan flees in horror out of the house and begins to run. He runs through the forest, the town, and finally away from the crime scene. When he stops, he realizes that he ran at a breakneck speed under a minute. He discovers that he has the power of super-speed and falls to his knees.
"It is all the Ice Fairies fault, no, it is my father's selfish nature that is at fault…NO, it is both but my father got punished. But what about the Ice Fairies? No, they get to continue being cold and perfect while my father gets to stay dead! They should be punished too! I swear I will find a way to make sure they pay!" Anagan's hatred is brimming in his red eyes. Flora finally finds out why Anagan became a Fairy Hunter, it is because his parents destroyed him! The Room of Faraway Reflections fades back into the Fairy Clock Room. The darkness and the ticking doom does not seem to bother Flora anymore. Her face is etched with weariness like she would have been better off not knowing.
"Anagan, I have immense pity for you." Flora chokes out before crying into her hands. Her tears will not change the past or save Anagan. Anagan is just a frozen statue at the bottom of some ravine in the Omega Dimension. He will never change just like the clocks will never change their foreboding ticking.