Late Afternoon, King Phillip's Castle
Why don't any of my plans ever work?
Diablo took to the skies far above King Phillip's castle and tried to compartmentalize his thoughts. Spending more and more time as a raven was taking its toll, and he was no longer able to sort through complex emotions and ideas simultaneously. He had to separate them and work them out one by one, and right now, he had quite a bit to work out.
When they had arrived, it was clear that King Phillip was distressed. He was a jovial youth, but for much of the visit he was somber and quiet. There were only a few times his booming laughter filled the halls, and he and Aurora often whispered late into the night. That had initially given him hope; hope that the two would kindle a fire during their long nights talking away by candlelight, hope that Aurora would offer him comfort and it would turn into more... But it was not to be. Even he could see that there was no spark between the two youths, Aurora's initial infatuation clearly just the result of her isolation from all other humans her age. She and Phillip had become fast friends and cared very deeply for one another, but she did not look upon him with desire. She did not look upon him as a lover.
Pity. That would have fit so nicely. She would have married Phillip, Maleficent would have married me, and perhaps our children might even grow up together. How delightful a thought…
He flew toward the top of the battlements and perched lazily, tucking his wings back and staring out across the expansive plains to the sea beyond. Phillip had been a failure, and he hadn't even needed to try to get them together. They spent far more time in one another's company than he could have asked for. Nothing had developed, nothing had changed. Sometimes Darla would join, the three of them pouring over maps and diagrams of strange devices, but all in all, the mood was not of budding romance. It was of pending doom.
Then he thought Aurora might have been taken with Sir David. Yes, the man was three times her age but then again, so was Maleficent. In fact, if what he'd heard were true, it was possible that faeries aged in a wholly different manner and she could actually be hundreds of years older than Aurora. Not for the last time, he wished he'd asked the faerie more questions about herself. More and more he felt like he barely knew her at all. But in any case, Maleficent was an adult, and Aurora was a child. It was very simple.
Besides that, human maidens were often taken with men like Sir David. He was gallant and brave, with strong arms and a lifetime of stories. Diablo had often seen the type in the taverns around the human city, men with mugs of ale in their hands telling tales of their exploits. Braggarts, mostly, but Sir David was the real deal. Diablo knew a paladin when he saw one, and there were so few left walking the lands that now they were even more pronounced.
But that too, was not to be. He followed Aurora every day to her training sessions with the man, and though their bodies often touched as they were sparring, again, there was no spark. Aurora looked upon Sir David as a father figure, a mentor… She looked upon him the way she should look upon Maleficent. Why was the girl so confused? Diablo ducked his head and nibbled at his feathers beneath the belt. Sometimes the thing was annoying, but Darla wouldn't take it off him.
You are another problem. I should have paid more attention at the beginning, and then perhaps things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand. Why are you even here? Why are you encouraging her?
Well, he couldn't deal with that now. Darla did as she pleased, and it pleased her to remain with Aurora and help her along this misguided path.
Diablo closed his eyes and stopped pecking at himself.
Or is it so misguided…
He strained to remember what he had seen as he followed Sir David and Aurora into that cathedral, but all he could grasp were wisps of a memory. Nothing was clear, and when the force of the wind pushed him back outside, he flew to the top of the structure and tried desperately to keep hold of the memories. Alas, it was like grasping at the very air, and try as he might, he could not remember the faces of those statues, or the tapestries that adorned the walls. So much about it felt familiar, though, just like the smell in the dungeon with the spinning wheels. The gods ruled those halls, and the gods had not seen fit to reveal themselves to him.
Any why should they? I am but a raven, and not even a very pretty bird at that.
When Aurora emerged alone, she bore a mighty sword on her back and she stood taller, straighter. She wasn't the same as when she'd entered, and for the most fleeting of moments he'd held out some irrational hope that it was because she had found her womanhood in Sir David's arms. As he left the battlement and swooped more closely toward her, this final bit of his optimism was dashed. She did not have the look of a woman who had recently known the touch of her lover… she had the look of a woman who had recently known the touch of a god.
Even the gods plot against me. I am not to know happiness.
He landed on the tip of her sword, starling her. Aurora looked up at him and smiled, shattering what was left of his heart. She did not know him, and she did not know what her actions cost him. She knew not how much he was hurting, and there was no way for him to tell her, except through Darla. But that was not the way he wanted their conversation to go. If he was to speak to Aurora, he would have it as it was in the old days, when Maleficent lounged about against the trees and he lay quietly in the grass near wherever the child played.
Now the child was playing at war with her pet cat instead of hide and go seek with her pretty bird. Everything had changed, and as he gripped the hilt of the sword in his talons he thought he felt the whisper of an otherworldly voice, somewhere far away. The words were inarticulate, but the meaning was clear. His pain was duly noted, but he was to… let it go.
Diablo bowed his head and nibbled one last time at his feathers, cursing the gods, cursing the fae, cursing Maleficent, and cursing…
"Hello Diablo. Stop doing that." Aurora pulled the horse to a stop, reached behind her and gently prodded his head. He climbed onto her wrist and she brought him around in front of her. "I don't want to see you doing that again, sir."
*caw*
"I wish Danger were here to interpret. Since she is not, I will have to infer your meaning." She placed him on her leg and resumed guiding the horse toward Phillip's castle. "Did you follow me out here?"
*caw caw*
"Of course you did. Why did you leave Danger?"
*caw CAW*
"Ha, I don't need a beastmaster to interpret that comment. Still, she isn't so bad. A little messy, perhaps, but she's been helpful to me."
*caw caw*
Aurora sighed. She knew the bird was intelligent and likely had something to say, but she couldn't understand him. She thought back to days when her own raven, the mighty Diaval, transformed into a man and spoke with her. He had been a good friend and she missed him, that stark contrast to Maleficent; calm and balanced. She lowered her head slightly at the turn of events bringing her thoughts right back to Maleficent again.
"I miss her, Diablo."
*caw?*
"Another comment I don't need an interpreter for." She looked toward the skies, breathing in the cool evening air. "No, I do not mean Danger, though I have much to tell her when I return. I mean Maleficent, the fae protector of the Moors. It has been many weeks, and I yearn for her smile."
*caw.*
"I miss Diaval, my old raven friend, as well. You would have liked him, I think. He was so kind and intelligent. He was a good companion for her in her darkest days." Aurora sighed and looked over her shoulder toward the Moors. She couldn't see the border from here; Phillip's realm was large and it was a five day journey at least to get to Maleficent's land, but she could feel where it was, where the reality of her human world ended and the destiny of her bound fate to the fae began. It called to her nearly every day, as if Maleficent herself was reaching out with her magic to draw the young queen home.
*caw*
"I wonder if I will ever see him again," she said more to herself than anything.
*caw…*
Aurora fell silent and Diablo watched the scenery fade from lush plains to sandy beach to solid stone. He longed to tell Aurora he was here, he was with her, and despite his pain he would comfort her as the father he felt he should be… but he could not. Even that had been stolen from him; the ability to speak with the closest thing he would ever have to a daughter. How he was beginning to resent Maleficent, the architect of such misery across the land. How she could be so selfish, he could not understand.
*caw.*
Diablo closed his eye and let Aurora's soft humming comfort him and lull him to sleep.
Late afternoon, Aurora's chambers
"You again?" Darla Vance crossed her legs and folded her hands behind her head, staring up at the ceiling.
"Me again," the blue-robed figure replied, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms. The bizarre woman had once again appeared out of nowhere, disturbing Darla's quiet time.
"Finally got out of prison, huh?"
"The most gracious Queen Aurora saw fit to release me, yes." The impish woman smiled and raised her eyebrows in amusement at the scrappy cat-girl. "You know, I believe this is one of my favorite incarnations of you. This was a good choice."
"Yea, whatever. No idea what you are on about, psycho." Darla closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm about to have a nap, so if you've got a point, make it."
Athera stood and grinned mischievously. "You know why I'm here."
"Uh huh." Darla responded. She just wanted the lunatic to go away. She turned on her side, facing away from the stranger.
"She is on her way back, and she has Sestrasa's sword…" Athera clasped her hands loosely behind her back, adopting an innocent expression. Darla slowly turned over to look at the imp, eyebrow raised in question.
"She has Sestrasa's sword? Like, the sword? The really, REALLY big one?" The human swung her legs over the side of the bed and stared straight into Athera's cunning and mischievous eyes.
"Yes, the sword. She is coming now. It's time to wrap this up. Procure her general and help her finish this task. Return to the Cathedral as soon as you are able. I have need of you on another world."
Darla scrunched up her face and crossed her arms. "And what if I don't? I don't serve you, or the gods, or anyone, really."
Athera glided to the messy human and ran a delicate hand through the calico hair. "You serve me, though you do not know me by this name," she replied softly, love and tenderness in her voice. Her hand glowed blue with lightning and she shattered the shackles concealing her from her consort's memory. "Soon I will no longer need to hide you, but I do need to move you again soon, because she draws close. I am not yet strong enough to face her outright, and I must move you to a safe world; a safer story."
Darla unconsciously leaned into the touch, her anger dissipating as memory flooded her mind, memories of another time, another world, strange creatures; yet familiar friends. So many lonely years had passed, and yet, at the center of it, was the electricity of blue lightning, and the voice of this goddess whispering at the edges of her consciousness. "Fine," she said after a few moments. "But I have one request." If she was getting moved again, if her memories were to be erased again; she would at least have one wish granted.
"Anything, my love," the goddess said, curling up into the human's lap.
"Next time can I have a better name than Darla Vance? I never did like it, you know."
Athera smiled and nodded into Danger's neck. "Of course, my love. Of course."
Darla rested her chin on the goddess's head. "I think it's cute that you are calling yourself Terra now. I can't believe the name didn't trigger a cascade failure in the shackle program. That alone should have given me a clue that I didn't belong here. It's disturbing how adept you are at erasing me."
Athera didn't respond, but she wrapped her arms around the calico cat-girl's neck, the way she had so long ago in another place, another world. Time held no meaning for her as a demigod of that world, or as a goddess of any others, but she was still aware of the lengths of it that stretched in between these brief reunions. It was wearing on her heart.
Danger sighed, tightening her embrace; the familiarity constricting her chest. "Big risk giving me this dagger, too."
"Perhaps," Athera said, absently fingering a patch of grass that had gotten stuck in between chainmail links on Danger's shoulder. No matter what world she was on, no matter what sentient form she took, one thing was constant; Danger was always a mess.
"I feel like I lose a little more every time you erase yourself from my memory. It hurts worse every time you give it back and then tell me I have to go under again. How much longer, Terra?"
"I do not know. Our story is not yet fully written, but I pray it will be soon. Until then, know that you are always on my mind. All that I do, I do for us." The goddess lingered a second more, and then vanished, leaving Darla to wonder if she had really been there at all.
"Bloody hell," she cursed to herself, taking the silver dagger out of its hidden resting place under her chainmail. "I fucking knew there was something squirrely about you." The blue glow of lightning that danced along the blade was fading, but it was proof enough that it wasn't a dream. She was fully awake. Athera had not yet managed to overthrow her mother in the heavens. Darla's soul was still being shuffled about. "I cannot believe I'm getting moved again," the human said, putting the dagger back in its hiding place, the memories still flooding her mind, nearly overloading her frail human body.
"Yo, can you stop the flood? I get it, I get it. I remember." She held the sides of her head as if she could keep it from exploding, and slowly the information download ceased. Darla banged her head with the palm of her hand a few times, just to be sure it was over, and then stood up and made a big show of dusting herself off, though she was certain that Athera had moved on to one of her other worlds, or to her constant vigilance, spying on her mother.
"All right, time to get this shit done. Where the fuck is Rory?" The human mumbled random curses at no one in particular as she walked out the door, mentally mapping out her plan. If Rory had Sestrasa's sword, that meant that she was indeed born of starlight. Now, more than ever, she needed the guidance of those well versed in the art of war. Now, more than ever, she needed him.
Late night, Stables
She is magnificent.
Darla held onto the stone of the archway and gazed at Aurora as the queen slowly led her horse into the stables.
She must have grown a full six inches…
Athera hadn't been lying. Aurora wore the mighty sword of Sestrasa on her back, the symbol of hope and love and life; the covenant between that goddess and the world of men that she watched over. Aurora had claimed the prize, and as Darla watched the woman disappear into the stables, she felt a little weak in the knees.
Unbelievable. If anyone can vanquish some evil, it's Rory.
Darla shook herself off like a cat drying its fur, and ran to the stables to greet her friend. "Rory! Rory, what the hell?" She ran up to the young woman and grabbed her wrist, grinning like a Cheshire.
"Danger!" Aurora closed the stable door and let her friend spin her around. "Something has come up. We will not be leaving tomorrow. I need you to get word to my steward."
"Ok sure, but how long are we staying? And what do you want me to do?"
"You can remain here with Phillip until I am ready to depart. I must spend more time training with Sir David before we can leave." Aurora looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you think the delay will be costly?"
Darla looked shrewdly at the young woman, slipping a hand inside her chainmail and fingering the silver dagger. "I believe that it will be more costly to rush into war without knowing everything you can learn from the Paladin. Don't worry about your steward; I'll make sure everything is taken care of. Phil has riders that are faster than the wind. You just do… whatever it is… that like, sword people do." Darla saluted and turned away, running from the stables to get a message runner from Phillip.
"Thank you, Danger," Aurora whispered, flexing the muscles in her shoulders. She felt… restless. She felt that she should be back at the Cathedral.
I must return and talk to David. I can leave a message for Phillip and return to the Cathedral.
She reached into the saddlebags on Danger's horse and pulled out an oily bit of parchment. She scribbled a hasty note on it to Phillip and paid the stableboy two gold coins to deliver it. In moments she was back on her horse, petting the beast's neck and whispering soothing words.
"We do not have to ride fast, but we do have to ride a little longer. I have to know, my friend. I just have to know."
The horse whinnied, almost as if it understood, and galloped out of the stables toward the sunset.
Palladium's Cathedral, a short time later
"I did not expect you back so soon," David's gruff voice could be heard, but the man was not visible to Aurora's eyes. She walked through the long hallway to the statues she remembered, looking around her in wonder at the flames that filled the room. If they had been mortal flames, they would have burned her to ash like the man she'd seen in Phillip's laboratory. These were heavenly flames though, and they parted for her as she moved.
"I could not stay away," she said simply, coming to stand before Sestrasa's statue. "I was also afraid I might not find my way back."
"The Cathedral will open for you no matter where you are, Aurora, and Vrasguul will always show you the way. The key binds it to the warden, not the other way around. I have found that it is better to enter far away from prying eyes, lest some ambitious soul embark upon a foolish quest to find it and plunder the treasures within. Better it remain a rumor among the people." A hellfire portal opened to Aurora's left, and David stepped out of it, skin black as night.
"What are you doing?" she asked, looking around him at the closing door.
"I am working on your birthday gift." He took a cloth from the back of his trousers and wiped his face.
"Have you been up all night? You require rest, Sir David." Aurora turned to leave, but David reached out and grasped her hand.
"Aurora, please, you must call me David. We are equals, you and I, though I daresay yours is the greater responsibility to this world. I require no rest. My Lord refreshes my spirit, and I will not tire until my task is complete and you have all that you need. Then, I will sleep, and what magnificent dreams I will have of your first glorious battle." David returned the cloth to his trousers and gestured to a doorway to the left of the statues. "Come. Let us speak."
"Yes," she replied. "I have many questions for you."
"I will answer them all." He led her into a room with a small table and two chairs. He whispered a prayer to his god, and a wash basin appeared with clean cloth for him to tidy up with. He pulled one chair out for Aurora and seated himself in the other, taking a cloth and dipping it into the water.
"Where shall we begin?" he asked, as he wiped down his arms.
Where indeed should we begin? So many things are unanswered and confusing to me.
Aurora was silent for a few moments, pondering all her questions. She got the distinct impression that her time with David was not to be limitless, and she should choose her questions wisely. Silver sounds whispered at the edges of her mind; a comforting presence lending her strength. She decided that it was time she knew who she was.
"Who was my mother? What do you know about her?"
David rested his wrist on a knee and took a breath. "Your mother was promised to me. Her parents and mine were great friends. They fought in many battles side by side. This was before the corruption took hold on your side of the Moors. Your mother and I played together whenever my parents took me to visit the castle. In those days, the sun was bright. The possibilities were endless. There was happiness in the realm."
David clenched a fist and willed himself to continue. "Your mother was also a paladin, and she bore the gift, but her parents wanted to spare her the hard life of travel and serving Justice. So our families arranged a marriage between us. She and I were content with that arrangement, for we were good friends and would one day surely grow to love one another."
"What happened?"
"The corruption of your kingdom ran deep even then. The steward of the realm was an ambitious man, and he was older than the king. He felt he deserved the crown, and when the opportunity arose, he accused the king of cowardice and challenged him. He hired assassins to deliver a poison to the man, so that when they fought it appeared he was weak. Henry emerged the victor and declared himself king. He broke the covenant with my father and all of our kin, killed the king's wife, and claimed your mother as his own daughter, though we all knew she was little more than a bargaining chip to him."
David unclenched his fist and looked to the ceiling. Aurora deserved to know this.
"When he usurped the throne, he promised to plunder the Moorlands and distribute the wealth. That was the only thing standing between him and a rebellion. When he failed, he offered your mother up to the man who could kill Maleficent, the fel demon that watched over the mystical realm and scattered his army to the four winds. Stefan, another coward who had access to her, brought him his prize and claimed your mother. You know the story from this point, but that is how the fall of your realm began. The rule of your kingdom was given over to lesser men, and you must learn from these mistakes, Aurora."
David brushed his fingertips along her cheek. "Yes, you should have been my daughter, and I should have been king over those lands, that I might have led you on the correct path from the start. The fel demon is old, older than you can imagine, but her soul is bound to you. That same timeless wrath flows through your blood Aurora, for every few generations one is born that brings starlight to the earth." He drew his hand back and looked at her, drinking in her beauty and her sadness.
"I sense an emptiness in you, Aurora. You do not understand the void because I could not guide you. You were robbed of both mother and father, and you were robbed of the wisdom that would have surrounded you with exposure to those of our order."
"David," Aurora said, furrowing her brow. "Am I also a Paladin?"
David shook his head. "No, my love. You are something wholly different, though we do branch from the same great trunk. In time you will come to know yourself better, and the beastmaster will help you."
"Danger?" Aurora shook her head. "What can she possibly help me with?"
"Do not underestimate her. The people who dwelled in the mountains were mysterious indeed. They could speak to all manner of creature, and many of them were alive to see the last protector of the Moors fall. I have not seen one in human form in decades, but it is comforting to know that at least one of those old crafty cats still remains, and the knowledge was not lost. I do not think that your meeting her was an accident."
"Believe me, David, Danger is an accident." Aurora stretched toward the ceiling. "I am weary. May I remain here tonight?"
"You are welcome here, Warden of the Cathedral. I am only here at your pleasure. These halls are yours to guard now."'
Aurora smiled at him and stood. "I should like to wander for a while. Would that be all right?"
David stood as well and nodded. "Explore at your leisure. When you are ready to retire, merely ask for a room and you will be guided to one. I must return to work at the forge, but I will see you in the morning. Good night, sweet Aurora."
David bowed low to her, and then turned away toward a portal that had opened. The cathedral was once again bathed in flames, and she could smell the sweet scent of burning metal.
And so the days passed quietly, Aurora rarely leaving the cathedral, exploring every inch of the magnificent building. She would spend her days learning swordfighting techniques from David, who took up all manner of arms that she might learn to defend against them, and her nights would be spent in study, pouring over the old tomes in the library or asking him questions. Three months hardly seemed like enough time for her to learn all there was to learn about this place, but even as her eighteenth birthday approached, marking her official coming of age, she began to feel restless and caged. The great wild outside the gates was her true home; that untamed land where beasts and fae trusted in one another. Though she loved her time here with the man she now thought of as father, something ached in her heart, and called to her from across the great expanse.
Aurora drew her sword in one fluid motion over her head. It slid from its scabbard with ease, mithril singing to her in the silence of the mighty halls. She gazed at the blade in wonder, her reflection distorting her features. Was that who she was now? A distorted figure, far removed from the innocent maiden of yesteryear? When she returned to her kingdom, would the people recognize their beautiful child-queen? When she finally felt ready to stand before that forest and call out once and for all, would even Maleficent recognize her?
Or was it all for naught? Was she merely indulging in a foolish fantasy, playing at being a warrior and a queen, instilling a false hope into her friends that she could handle the pressure? When war came, and Sir David Marshall felt certain that it would, would she turn and run in cowardice? David had called her father a coward, did that unseemly trait flow through her veins as well? Was her mother's courage and heritage enough? She hadn't been trained as a Paladin, either. She had been robbed of her father, and then robbed of the man she expected would be her husband; her cornerstone.
What is to be my fate?
Aurora sat on a nearby chair and laid the blade across her knees. She'd barely left the Cathedral, so intent was she on devouring every scroll and book in the library. There were so many stories to read; stories of great generals who led their troops to victory over evil. There were stories of powerful winged women who held the fates of men in their hands, calling down healing from the heavens for some, and wrath from the hells for others. There were great romances, kings and queens, queens and fae, gods and men. So much knowledge was lost, all stored here in this great warehouse… so many secrets for her to find and learn about. She wished that Maleficent were here with her. How wonderful would that be? The two of them would study all the history of the world, reading through the scrolls by day, and retiring at night to discuss what they had learned.
They would talk deep into the darkness, and when there was nothing left to discuss, she would lean over and drink in that magnificent smile, feel those arms and wings wrap around her and pull her into the night. The kingdoms would finally know peace, and there would be nothing left for Aurora and Maleficent to do but enjoy one another's company and travel about, healing the land.
"What a beautiful fantasy," Aurora whispered to herself, smiling at her reflection in the metal. "Would that it could actually come true…"
She sighed and shook her head, dispelling the thought. Today was the day she came of age, and nothing was as she would have it. She was to have spent this day in the Moors with Maleficent, celebrating with the beautiful and wondrous folk of the forest. She could picture the festival now; all manner of creature coming to wish her well, and the powerful fae hanging in the background watching over it all.
"But that is the issue, is it not? Why is it that even in my imaginings of our time together, you are in the background and not on my arm?" Aurora gripped the sword tightly, hilt in one hand and blade in the other, hard enough to draw blood. "Why was our fate also robbed from us? Why was so much power given into one man to change the course of destiny?"
Aurora let go of the blade and it clanged hard against the ground. She roared a mighty roar into the heavens, and the cathedral itself shook with her rage and anguish. A portal opened, and a startled Sir David rushed through just in time to catch Aurora's falling body. He gently helped her to the ground and stroked her hair as all her anger, all her pain, and all the betrayal she had felt and learned about in her short life overwhelmed her. "Shhh, it's all right, child. Your father is here… shhhh…" Tears came to his own eyes as he held and rocked her, the pain of loss so acute that he thought neither of them might recover.
"It's just," she stammered in between sobs, "I can't do this, David. I can't…"
"Shh," he continued, cooing at her and holding her tightly. Why had the gods let this happen? She was so fragile, so beautiful, and it was all so tragic. She should be joyful right now, receiving her gift from her father, ready to join him as he quested across the land. They should be travelling together back to her realm, where he could continue to guide her and train her not only in the sword, but in matters of the world and… matters of the heart. He took a breath and stared up at the ceiling, still stroking her golden hair as her sobs began to subside.
My Lord, what strength is given me, let it pass to her.
Aurora quieted and fell against him, sniffling softly. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and buried his face in her hair, a soft scent that he remembered even after all these years. "You smell just like your mother," he whispered.
They remained like that for a few moments more, and when he was certain she was spent, he helped her to her feet. "Aurora, I have finished your gift. Will you come?" He gestured to the portal, and though she was frightened, she nodded. Sir David Marshall had not yet led her astray, and his strong presence helped to heal her damaged heart.
"I will come with you, Father."
The old man bit back his own tears and grunted, ushering her into the doorway to Palladium's forge. When inside, she looked around her in wonder. The place was a vast, no that wasn't right, the place was a void, and she and David were right at the vertex. Or were they at the epicenter? It was the eye of the storm, and the flames raged all around them. Time did not matter here, and she thought that she could hear voices from the heavens whispering.
"Where are we?"
"We are at the beginning and the end of time. Lord Palladium has granted me access to the Forge of the World that I might repair the armor that was shattered when Bastien saved these lands from the madness of Auriel. That armor, as well as the sword, belongs to you now. May you wield them forever just, and may your fate be better than that of Lady Auriel." David led her down a walkway toward a magical pillar, and he gestured to the brightly shining plate mail floating in the shape of a woman at the end. The shoulder plate was intricately carved, golden wings designed in painstaking detail curving down over the arms. The wristplate shimmered in the fire, reflecting the majesty of the flame and she could almost swear she saw the grim face of Palladium in its reflection. The chest was chainmail, utilitarian and flexible, rippling as the flames moved in and out of the rings. The legplate was the most beautiful silver she had ever seen, giving way to powerful boots that mirrored the wings of the shoulders.
Aurora gasped as she looked upon the equipment. "Surely that cannot be meant for me," she breathed, even as she was drawn to it.
David stopped and allowed her to move closer to it, crossing his arms. "That is your birthright, Aurora, or at least, part of it. The sword and the armor is yours to claim now, though I fear you have some time yet before all you are due is given you. Remove your old steel, and don your mithril. It is not given even to paladins to wear that, my love." He walked up behind her and helped her out of her steel accoutrements, throwing the lesser armor into the fiery depths of the swirling maelstrom. He helped her into her new equipment, bucking the sides of the chest piece quickly and returning her sword to its rightful place on her shoulders.
"Step back, Aurora. I would look upon you." Sir David Marshall stroked his beard thoughtfully and furrowed his brow. "There is something missing," he said, as he gazed at her. "I do not know quite what it is, but perhaps that is yet to be revealed to you. My part in this tale is done. I have reforged the armor of the Morning Star." He took another breath and smiled faintly at her, this child, the most magnificent woman he'd ever known.
"What do you mean, Father?" Aurora rushed to him and clutched his chest, fearful of his answer, but knowing in her heart what it must be.
He took her hands in his and brought them before his lips, kissing each palm softly. He turned them and rubbed his thumbs along the back, shaking his head sadly. "My part in this tale is done, Aurora. I was bidden bring you here if ever I found you, and it was for me to reforge the broken armor, that you might right Auriel's wrongs. Palladium calls me home. I return to the halls of my fathers, but I will always be watching over you, Aurora, Lady of Starlight, and Morning Star over the Three Kingdoms."
"I don't understand," Aurora said, bowing her head. "Why can you not stay with me a time longer?"
Sir David Marshall brushed a stray bit of hair from Aurora's face and a lone tear fell from his eye. "I would, I would stay with you a lifetime and teach you all that I know. But your lifetime is your own, and it is not for me to control. It is your fate, anyway, and you have already chosen your path. It is good," he said as he drew his hand back and held both of hers tightly. "I approve of your choice, and the world will be glad that you have made it, for darkness looms once again, and we have no more chances to vanquish it, save you."
"Father, I do not understand." Aurora felt lost again, lost and confused, and she wished suddenly that she had the comforting wing of her fae protector to run to.
"You will in time, my love. Remember me, and your training, and this place, always. Bring her here and share with her the old ways, for she may have forgotten in her own darkness. And know, Aurora," he let go of her hands, "know, that I will always be with you." Sir David Marshall took one last breath, and let his head fall back as the immortal hand of Palladium reached down from the heavens and brought him home to the great table of his paladin forbears. The flames around her sang in mourning for a moment or an eternity, she did not know, and then suddenly, all was still. She was back in the library, and the cathedral was silent.
Her father was gone, and she was once again, all alone.
A/N – I know I said no relationships between OC because Darla's story was written… And it is, mostly. I should have said no extensively developed or addressed relationships between OC. I got too much negative feedback last time around in a fanfic. Hopefully Darla hasn't broken the immersion of this experience. She and Athera\Terra are a recurring pair in many of my works and they help to move things along in what I hope is an amusing way, and I had to do this reveal to do a reveal in my Dragon Age fic.