This is in response to Qoheleth's Malachy O'More challenge. Malachy was a saint who wrote down short Latin phrases, 111 altogether and they were all used as a kind of prophecy for the different popes and antipopes. The challenge is to get a randomly chosen motto and use it as a title for a fic. For more information, see Qoheleth's profile.
I've been assigned the 28th motto on Malachy's list, "Ex Telonio Liliacæi Martini" – "From Martin of the Lilies' receipt". It's normally associated with pope Martin IV.
- On Wikipedia it says from "The custom-house of Martin of The lilies" but I decided to go with the translation Qoheleth gave me. It fitted my first idea best.
This is the first thing that popped into my head when I heard the motto. This really shows how simple my train of thought is.
Hope you guys enjoy it anyway!
Ex Telonio Liliacæi Martini – From Martin of the lilies' receipt
"Mommy!"
A little girl with purple hair came stumbling through the door, her arms open wide and a broad smile on her face.
Arella's head snapped up in the sound's direction and before she even managed to raise a hand to stop the little toddler, a window nearby was surrounded in a black glow and shattered into a million pieces.
As she stood there, abruptly interrupted in her reading by this unusual sight, she didn't even look at the window. What interested – and worried – her most was the reaction she got from the little girl:
The normally oh-so-calm lilac eyes widened to double size and they shone brighter as if the little girl was on the edge of tears. Arella first now realized that her daughter held a small white flower in her tiny hands – The poor plant was nearly squeezed flat as the sad remains of glass fell to the floor with ear-piercing tinkles. After several seconds of silence (except for the shattering of glass) the small girl blinked and quickly regained her composure.
Arella sighed barely audible. It was like this every time. Raven always felt sure that she could handle it.
She was always wrong.
And every time, every time, something would shatter, or smash, or chink, or tinkle or simply disintegrate without a sound and Raven would feel guilty and sad for never being able to restrain herself.
Arella again focused on the tiny blue-clad girl. Raven had regained her self-control and coughed slightly. The white-clad woman heard the little child mutter a faint "azarath metrion zinthos" while pulling her hood up to cover her face.
"Hello mother," she mumbled, staring at her feet, like Arella was scolding her.
Arella smiled sadly. She wanted so badly to reach out and hug the little being tight, and kiss her and play with her and...
Arella sighed and knelt down. - Even when she was on her knees, she was still taller than Raven.
"Hello my little angel," she gently reached out and stroked a few strands of lavender hair away from the girl's face. "How are you?" the words were almost nothing but a whisper.
"Fine..." Raven muttered, still without looking up.
Arella inwardly sighed again. She couldn't do all that to her little girl – Hug her and kiss her and laugh with her. She simply couldn't risk tempting her child. Her emotions were dangerous and if Raven ever lost control over them, it would be the cause of the apocalypse.
She couldn't even greet her mother hello without breaking a window!
"Raven!" a man's voice sounded from outside of the small room. Arella was living in a monastery, and she had been in the library (meaning attic with a few book-shelves stuffed with random books) when Raven had come to visit her.
The little girl looked up, but this time she knew better than to show her surprise. Arella's attention turned towards the door as well as a hazel-haired man in a white robe stepped in.
"Mister Martin," Raven acknowledged, looking up at the man in awe.
"Raven," he shook his head, smiling and waved his index finger at her, "you have to stop running away from me. You know how dangerous it can get if your powers go haywire and I'm not there to take care of the situation."
Raven meekly looked up at him and nodded. Arella silently prayed that Martin wouldn't notice the cracked window. If he did, it might be the last time she ever saw her daughter again.
"And wasn't there something you wanted to give your mother? You've been talking about it all the way over here."
Arella clenched her hand lightly. Martin's desk-wallah attitude was starting to get on her nerves. She just wanted to spend some time with Raven in peace. On the other hand she also knew that Raven could not allow herself to relax and Arella really felt ashamed with herself for not feeling bigger responsibility for the little ticking bomb Raven actually was.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the little girl, who rigidly held up the squashed white flower:
"Mother, I... I have something for you."
Despite the awkward situation, Arella beamed taking the snow white plant – a lily it appeared – from Raven's tiny hand.
"A lily? For me? Oh little angel, thank you so much..." the purple-haired woman pushed down Raven's hood with an expectant smile. "Let me look at you..."
The mother of Raven again smiled sadly. Time had passed since the last time she had seen her daughter. How long she didn't know - it could be days, months, years even... The only thing Arella was sure of was that it was far too long. Raven herself had grown and the last lily the little mage had given her mother, had withered away a long time ago. Yes, that was also a 'tradition'. Near the monastery where Raven lived was a field with all sorts of beautiful flowers. – Mostly lilies. Raven would always bring one. Arella would always act surprised.
She gently padded Raven's hair with a weak smile. If only she could hug the little girl...
Raven finally dared to look up, and met Arella's gaze. After a little while the corners of her mouth curled upwards as well and they stood, mother and daughter looking at each other as the world around them turned silent.
Their small moment was ruined by Martin who cleared his throat slightly.
"Raven, go out and play a little."
Arella opened her mouth to protest when the monk sent her a cold gaze, silencing her.
Raven looked at her mother who after a little while nudged her cheek gently.
"Little angel, Martin and I need to talk for a little while... alone..."
The violet-eyed toddler nodded silently and walked out of the attic without a sound.
When the door behind her daughter slammed shut Arella looked at the hazel-haired man with a hard gaze.
"I'm listening," was all she said in a cold hard tone, getting to her feet staring Martin right in the eyes.
"Arella, it's getting harder and harder for me to take Raven out of the monastery. The Senate fear for Azarath's safety. It won't be long before they decide that it's time for her to go to an alternate dimension."
Arella frowned and clenched her hands.
"Oh yes, those stupid old fools - They'd rather send her all alone to a different dimension, than simply help her control her powers..." she grumbled bitterly.
Martin sighed in response: "Arella, you know we're not safe when she's here. She's not safe when she's here. The prophecy..."
"Yes, yes I know about the prophecy, Martin..."
"And they plan on sending her to a place called Earth in the year 2003..."
Arella looked at Martin with wide eyes.
"What? They've already decided where she's going? But that means..."
"Yes Arella..." Martin trailed off and bowed his head in sympathy, "This is most likely the last time you and your daughter see each other."
Arella felt tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She stubbornly forced them back and looked away.
"Does Raven know?" she whispered.
The man next to her laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, his brown eyes shining with kindness.
"No... we plan to tell her as soon as the two of you have said... 'good-bye'..."
The mother of Raven bit her lip. She couldn't cry. Not in front of Martin, not in front of one of the senators, no, no, no.
He gave her shoulder a light squeeze.
"Arella, I know it's hard but you must understand..."
"Oh, shut up!" she snapped hoarsely, the first tear making its way down her cheek. Martin fell silent and looked away.
They stood in silence for a while, Arella trying hard to stifle her sobs.
"I... I have some formulas with me I need you to sign." Martin then said, causing Arella to look at him. "As the mother of Raven, the senate wants your 'approval'"
Her eyes were shiny with tears, but filled with emptiness, as two dark pools of sorrow. "Approval?" she asked silently out into the air.
Martin gave a little smile at the irony and squeezed her shoulder softly again.
"Yeah..."
He let go of her shoulder and went over to the door, to pick up a brown leather bag, and found a small stack of documents inside it. Still smiling wryly he handed the papers to Arella who looked numbly at them for a while, before she sat down by a small desk, taking a quill from a drawer.
As the tip of the snow-white feather scrabbled lightly over the yellow-white scroll, Arella wondered.
What was this Earth like? Would there be anyone there to take care of Raven? How would she make friends? It was difficult enough as it was already...
"Hey what's your name?"
"I'm Raven. My father's name is Trigon, he's a demon the size of a skyscraper. He raped my mother, Arella, when she was younger so that his evil spawn, that's me, could help him take over the world. I've been sent here to hide from him..."
"Arella?"
The purple-haired female jumped in her seat with a little shriek of surprise.
"You know, you're supposed to move the pen while signing those papers..." Martin informed her, looking like he was about to burst out laughing.
Arella looked down at the scroll before her. She had without thinking about it, stopped writing.
She smiled sadly and resumed her scribbling without a word.
"Where do you come from?"
"Umm..."
Arella finished writing her name and rolled the papers together, collecting them in a neat scroll. She wanted to burn the damn thing to ashes, if only she could. That scroll... - Like Raven was nothing more than an object, a thing which fate was decided by a piece of paper.
A receipt.
Looking away in loathing she handed them back to Martin who with a sad frown stuffed them away in his bag.
"Shall I get Raven, so you can spend some time together before...?" he offered, putting the bag down again, the buckles chinking as it hit the floor.
"Just a second, I'll just find a vase to her lily..."
"Doesn't she always give you lilies? It seems she always go wandering about in the fields before we go visit you..."
Arella smiled smugly at him, which actually looked a little creepy, as her eyes were still red with tears.
"Why, Martin? Jealous?"
Martin stared dumbfounded at her for a second before raising one eyebrow, giving a "ha!" in response.
"For your information, Mrs. Roth, I have plenty of worshippers who send me all kinds of beautiful, outstanding flowers every week. - Actually, you should just start calling me 'Martin of the Lilies'".
Now it was Arella's turn to stare dumbfounded at Martin. She couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Okay, Martin of the lilies, will you go search for my little daughter, now, before all your fans track you down?"
"Mommy, why are you crying?"
"Oh it's nothing little angel, I just got something in my eye..."
The tiny being looked up at her mother.
"Oh... okay..."
Arella knelt down again and took Raven's hand.
"Good-bye Raven. Take care of yourself, okay? And... and remember to do as Martin tells you..."
Raven nodded and smiled silently.
"Yes mommy..."
With eyes shiny with tears, Arella squeezed her hand a little tighter, and starting pulling the little girl into an embrace. But halfway before the momentous hug, Martin entered the library again. He had been away for a little while, to allow the two some peace.
"Raven, the wagon's here. It's time for us to go now."
Arella immediately let go of Raven's hand. She wasn't under any circumstances allowed to show her daughter that kind of emotion, let alone hug her.
As Raven with sadness in her eyes, but a smile on her lips started walking over towards the door, Arella again thought of how that little being was going to survive, alone in a entirely different universe.
"Good-bye mommy. Next time I promise I'll have an even prettier flower for you."
"So where do you come from?"
Arella forced back the lump in her throat, which threatened with melting into a waterfall of tears.
"Good-bye Raven... take care..."
With one last smile Raven walked out of the door with Martin, closing it silently behind her.
"... from Martin of The Lilies' receipt..."
- Simple, and cheesy as hell. You can start flaming me now.
Have a happy today!
- Banan-nonne