Lightning and Thunder
Author name: Illuminati Lullaby
Category: Angst, Romance, Dark
Rating: R
Summary: A merchild is born named Clepsyyde, Her and her dragon hatch mate, Kytt'n, share 23rds of a soul. But who possesses the other third? Harry and Draco are forced to become friends to help her.
Author notes: I suck at writing. This is my first fic so go easy.
If you wish to see the other versions of this story, or wish to
see some of the pictures that go along with it, visit: Two ~ The Story of a Child and her Dragon.
Clepsyyde woke with a start, but calmed slightly at the feel of
her hatch mate curled up against her back. Not knowing what her
dream had meant, or who the people in it were, she felt no sense
of wonder at her vision. Clepsyyde was only four ice-overs old.
She thought back over the strange child that she had seen. Not
so strange to her because of her coloring, but strange because
she shared an uncanny resemblance to herself. Not quite the same,
almost as though the child in the dream had been a sister, or
cousin, but close enough to make her do a double-take. The main
differences that she could remember had been that that child's
hair had been a shade darker than hers and where the child had
thick waves, she had corkscrews. They both shared the same almond
storm-grey eyes and nose tilt. The same pouty deceiving mouths
that cold be twisted at the slightest notice up into a smirk or
sneer, and the same blue-green spots upon their cheek bones. They
both carried a surprisingly strong aristocratic air about them
for children so small. But where Clepsyyde had soft charcoal colored
plates that ran down her belly and part way down her tail covered
in tiny pinky-nail sized aqua and sliver scales, the dream child
had a smooth pink stomach and legs. Something that only history
books and horror stories told tales of. Only the Surface-born
had legs.
The Surface-born were said to be ruthless, blood thirsty, closed
minded murderers. And on top of it all, they breathed air. Anything
that breathed air had to be an evil creature. Air suffocate the
Mermish and burned them from the inside out. The worst fate imaginable
it was said was to be stranded or washed up and beached on an
island somewhere and die of lack of water. Air was the worst sort
of poison to their kind. The little merchild shuddered and burred
her self deeper under her cushions and kelp, pushing up against
her hatch mate. She thought of running to her parents room, but
quickly scratched that thought from her mind. She remembered the
last time she had done that. Her father had awaken to her quiet
whimpering and thrown her against the wall, telling her that the
Mernikksea did not feel fear. Fear was weakness, and the Mernikksea
were not weak. Go back to bed, worm child. He had thrown her from
their room, her mother pretending to sleep through the whole ordeal.
She had gone back to bed after that, and curled up around her
hatch mate, Kytt'n. The small water dragon had purred quietly
at the added warmth.
No, after that Clepsyyde had never trusted her father again, or
her mother, at that, for not intervening. Her only true friend
had been Kytt'n. If a child and a drakkling were born on the same
sun, they were bound through their soul. It was told that when
a merchild was born, one soul was sent down from the stars for
it to receive, but in the rare case that a drakkling was born
on the same sun, the soul was split between the to newly borns.
On the rare occasion that a girl merchild and a boy merchild were
born on the same night it was also said to be split between the
two, binding them in this life and the next. On the instance that
a drakkling, and a boy merchild as well as a girl merchild were
born on the same night, it was said to be Tri-bind, and none of
those born would completely happy until they found each other
and completed their thrice divided soul.
This had never happened before, or at least anywhere that had
been written down or remember, and even the occasions of drakkes
and merchildren being born together were becoming less and less
frequent.
But Kytt'n was Clepsyyde's hatch mate. Both born on the coldest
and longest night of ice-over, 14 years ago, Dexemikksea, Twenty
and One.
The only friend she had; the only one that had ever truly loved
her. And she didn't mind one bit.
* ~ : ~ *
Ten Years Later
* ~ : ~ *
I inwardly sighed. I was chained to my throne' again, although
over the past few years I had come to think of it more as a prison
than a throne.' My father, after a brutal whipping, had chained
my tail and wrists to it for trying to get away, again, for the
seventh time in the past five suns. Neptune, I hated him. I had
felt the strongest pull I had ever know in my life to get to the
surface. It was like a chain attached to my gut that seemed to
wrench me upward, and I couldn't seem to fight it. To top it off,
Kytt'n felt it too. We had shared dreams of the Surface-born,
and frankly, they didn't seem any more malicious or hateful than
us, if not less so. Loving, playful, and caring as well as spiteful
and mean. The same range of emotions that we ourselves shared.
But those had not been the only dreams I had been having lately.
Visions of a girl, sometimes a baby, sometimes a woman, someone
who looked a whole lot like me, only... Not. Like looking in a
warped or bent mirror. It was weird. But the strangest part had
been that she was a two-legged. One of the Surface-borns. No tail
to speak of, and she breathed air! From the flickering bits of
my dreams that I could remember, she lived in a small village
by the sea, that was full of the two-leggeds. Everything looked
rather primitive, although, for as much as I know about the Surface-born,
maybe that's how they live.
I leaned against the giant stone armrest that was chipped with
old symbols and inscriptions, bordered by small engravings of
the Mermish and rippling waves (Although, never having broken
the surface I had no clue what a wave looked like, except from
the oldest of books.)
Resting my head on my arm, I closed my eyes and searched for my
hatch mate. Pushing my mind out of my body and towards hers, finding
her locked in my room, exhausted from trying to get to me.
Kyttshkabannan I whispered, settling my mind into hers. She opened
her eyes and I saw my room for the first time that day, through
a dragon's eyes that showed it so much differently than mine did.
Her mind wrapped around mine, hugging me as music and color swelled
around me, enclosing me; greeting me in the way that only she
could.
Klepsa! I have missed you! Your all mighty father, she spat the
word like a foul curse, had me locked in her, once again, to keep
me away from you. Klepsa was the pet name she called me, and I,
in turn, called her Kitten, after fabled surface dwelling creatures
that were said to have eyes like our sea dragons, and were pets
to the two-legged.
Kitten, you silly, we're only ever a mind's reach away. I smiled.
Nothing could keep me unhappy for long when I was in my hatch
mates mind. The swirling colors and musical nature was to overwhelming
to dwell in unhappy emotions for long periods of time.
I know Klepsa, but... the pull is stronger than ever, and I fear
for us both if we do not find what pulls us so strongly.
Do not worry-
I was pulled back by a ripping sense as though a hook had penetrated
the back of my mind and forcefully pulled me from my Kytt'n's
mind; straining me through a screen on the way. I sat up to not
only a throbbing of my whole head, but a painful stinging on my
cheek. Biting my lip to hold in a yelp of surprise, I glanced
up into the eyes of my father.
How dare you sleep! Do you wish to be punished?!?! he screamed
in my face. I cringed back slightly, and he noticed the gesture.
Grabbing my hair he forced my head back so that my throat was
exposed and pressed one of my own hand crafted blades against
it.
he whisper, dangerously soft this time, if you do not
stop your impudence, he pressed it against my throat harder,
and I felt the skin give slightly and blood well up and color
the water in front of me, I shall have to replace you. There
are other heirs. He turned it up on its point and slid it down
my throat, carving a tiny trail down over my collarbone and down
between my breasts, stopping just short of slicing the thin material
I had on. You do realize that there is a reason we live all the
way at the bottom of this ocean, don't you? The Surface-born would
kill us the first chance they received, taking us and stuffing
us and putting us in a museum or some other contraption. Keep
us in tanks and poke at us, trying to figure out how we worked,
and then kill us anyway. Do you not see the idiocy of trying to
reach these beasts? It would be suicide, and Mernikksea do not
tolerate suicide. I felt the poison I had carefully placed on
the blade seep into my blood as he spoke, dulling his words and
making my lungs burn.
They are not beasts father. I rebelled, They are living, breathing
creatures just like us, and they have the same feelings as us,
the same speech and thought, they are just like us. I could feel
his anger burn as he barely reined it, which I knew would not
last long.
Who fills your mind with such ludicrous ideas, that these Surface-filth
are anywhere near to being like us?! He had reached the end of
his tether and pushed the knife further downward, slicing through
my top like butter, leaving a searing line through the flesh below.
He pushed the knife further still, cutting my stomach open a half
an inch deep. he reached the line where my tale started, and lifted
the knife off my skin. I held a whimper, but was not quite able
to stop the twitch of my muscles at the mistreatment. I knew showing
my pain would just encourage him. I knew what was coming next
and couldn't help griping the chains that held my wrists. I felt
my dragon push against my mind, trying to get in and I slammed
my mental gates up, keeping her out. I didn't want her to see
this or feel me weak.
My father reached down and almost tenderly lifted the one of my
soft jet colored belly plates that cover my entrance. Pulling
me out of the throne so that my hands were held behind my back
and tale fin held back by it's metal cuff, he slammed into me.
I gasped, and let tears that would go unnoticed in the water slip
from my tightly shut eyes. My gills fluttered and I could not
breath properly. He smash in to me repeatedly, pounding so hard
I thought I would split open along nonexistent seams. I groaned,
and he mistaked it for a sound of pleasure, which only excited
him more. He whipped my knife around to my back; his hand slid
up my spine slowly and settled on my neck. Fingering the scales
that formed at my nape he slid my knife under one and excruciatingly
slowly cut off, as he had done each time, taking his trophy and
leaving me with another pink scar. My world reddened and then
began to tip...
Mernixxa turned to her husband, with hair the color of raven wings, and eyes the color of fire light and sun rays, he had to be the most handsome creature ever known to man. He was sleeping soundly beside her, an arm wrapped gently, but possessively around her waist. She smiled slightly, struggling to sit up, for she was 8, almost 9 moons pregnant with, as far as the village witch doctor could tell, twins. She knew that he had no real magikk, but he was still a good doctor, and had been very good to her and her husband, and as far as she could feel, his assessment had been correct.
Zaid stirred at her attempt to sit, and instantly sat up to help her.
No, no, Nix, just stay her. Please don't get up, what do you need? I'll get it for you. He called her Nix, which meant snow flake, after her pail hair. She loved this man so much.
She managed to get out before he captured her lips tenderly. He laughed lightly against her ear, nuzzling lightly lightly.
How could I have guessed. He rolled his eyes affectionately and laid his hand on her belly. It was very swollen, her twins would be born any day now.
Standing, he fetched some dried berries to hold her over until he could cook breakfast. She took them gratefully, she felt as though I could eat a whole deer. She heard the sounds of the fire being built back up again and the warmth spread over the cold ground and slid up and seemed to wrap around her...
I woke in my room, the most familiar warmth of my Kitten curled around me, her soft stomach pressed against me, chin tucked over my head. I pushed closer to her, willing the coldness of memories to seep from me as the previous nights happenings flooded back, erasing the sense of phantom comfort and warmth that the dream had left me with. Once I had held my drakkling, now she had grown and she was the one to hold me. I did not mind, I needed a protector in this frigid place.
Her luminous eyes that were normally a fiery plum, were muzzy with sleep now, making them a soft periwinkle, she lifted her head to blearily look down at me. Thrumming deep in her throat, purring softly, causing a soothing vibration to run down my back. Her belly plates, which were the same ebon as mine, rubbed against my spine. She wrapped arm cover with fine glossy scales of the whitest color of sea foam around me and pulled me close.
Morning Klepsa, how are you doing this morning? Feeling any better? she asked silently, a mixture between rage towards my father and concern for me shading her eyes a dark midnight purple-blue. I felt my throat gingerly which was still soar glancing down, and seeing no more that a pinkish scar that ran from the base of my throat to the bottom of my stomach, I replied,
I'm fine Kit. Thanks for healing me.
I cannot believe that bastard that dares to call himself your father! I could see another rant coming on and settled in against Kytt'n, not having the strength to calm her. He cut you with your own knife! A poisoned one at that! He could have killed you! If one of the servants had found you a few minutes later you would have died chained to that throne' of yours! We are leaving as soon as you get your strength back. And this time, instead of going strait to the surface, we're going to swim as far away as we can until we are sure we are safe. My eyes began to droop again at the well known rant. The warmth of Kytt'n curled around me possessively, fin like wings wrapped tent like around both of us was causing the deep weariness that seemed to inhabit my bones lately come back in full force. Noticing that I was falling back asleep, she had stopped ranting and began to thrum a soft tune, an ancient lullaby only remembered by Dragons.
On the first day of creation, the land and sea and sky
Became the home of creatures that could run and swim and fly;
And at the end of daylight, when the stars came out to play,
They heard the dreamy verses of The First Lullaby.
My mind lost it's grip and I drifted in and out of the mind of Kytt'n, colors and music complaining the soft tune.
And all the sleeping creatures were at peace beneath the sky,
As night fell and the rivers sang to breezes blowing by;
And if you listen carefully, when twilight's at its end,
You'll hear the gentle verses of The First Lullaby.
My father would never hurt me or my dragon again. I swore it on Mother Diana herself.
All things that bud and blossom and all those who sleep and dream
Began to listen quietly to the river and the stream,
That played a simple melody to bring them gentle sleep,
And all the newborn creatures rested in that peaceful scene.
I hummed lightly along with the soft melody, smiling slightly at the thought of killing my father.
And all the sleeping creatures were at peace beneath the sky,
As night fell and the rivers sang to breezes blowing by;
And if you listen carefully, when twilight's at its end,
You'll hear the gentle verses of The First Lullaby.
My eyes drooped... Once again I found my self curled asleep against Kytt'n.
And then the wind began to blow so softly through the trees,
And leaves and needles played their song upon the evening breeze;
And wind and streams in symphony broadcast their lullaby
To all the earth, to land and lakes, and dark and peaceful seas.
And all the sleeping creatures were at peace beneath the sky,
As night fell and the rivers sang to breezes blowing by;
And if you listen carefully, when twilight's at its end,
You'll hear the gentle verses of The First Lullaby.
And all the sleeping creatures were at peace beneath the sky,
As night fell and the rivers sang to breezes blowing by;
And if you listen carefully, when twilight's at its end,
You'll hear the gentle verses of The First Lullaby.