A/N: Hello all! Well, I decided that what I had gotten down was so hopelessly muddled that I needed to sit down and just write down each plot line and then try to weave them all back together. Then when I had finished, I realised that writing each plot line out meant that it all made sense suddenly. Plus I never realised just how LONG each bit was. This is the first bit, the others are going to need more time sorry, I'm working long shifts at the moment (people are away sick) and I'm finally getting some sleep so the Plot Bunny has relented to allow me to catch up on needed rest. Hopefully the next two chapters at least, although they may take a few days to polish will be out prety soon after each other.
As always, I love reviews, esp long and detailed thought provoking ones. (By the way, Pang makes ME laugh too, I NEVER know what he's about to say or do. He really surprised me in this one, let me tell you. I had to go look stuff up to see what he was talking about. *sigh*)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own a pool. I do live across the road and down a bit (about 3 minutes walk) from a public pool though. Oh, and I don't own Glee either. :(
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Kurt Hummel sat on the edge of the swimming pool, trailing his bare toes in the water and staring fixedly at the tiles on the bottom.
His boyfriend and Blaine's mother stood in the kitchen watching him through the window.
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"...and Pang said the boys would be alright? "Elaine Anderson sounded worried.
Blaine nodded silently, his eyes never straying from the tense figure beside the pool.
"How is he? "Blaine's father asked as he brought the last of the picnic gear in from the car.
Blaine shrugged and looked unsure, "It's so damned hard to read Kurt sometimes."
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Elaine Anderson rolled her eyes and glared pointedly at her son, waving her wedding ring at him when he continued to remain oblivious.
Finally he understood and blushed.
Blaine concentrated on the ring he wore on his left wedding finger and stared at the forlorn boy with the wet feet.
"Fear... confusion... still a little anger... so... so very sad... a little amusement...she really smelled bad... and... "
His voice trailed away as Kurt looked up and stared straight through the window and into Blaine's soul.
"I feel... he feels... Oh... KURT!"
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Blaine's parents looked on, a little frightened, as their son was physically rocked by whatever he was sensing through the ring.
"Blaine... "His mother said softly.
Tears filled Blaine's eyes.
"Oh God... "He whispered, almost reverently, "so...so much... so much... I'm drowning in starlight... Oh god it hurts... I never want it to stop hurting... Oh Kurt..."
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John Anderson placed a concerned hand on his son's shoulder but snatched it back as if burnt.
"Oh my God! "He echoed his son, his eyes blinking rapidly and his breath faltering.
"John? " Elaine Anderson caught her staggering husband and guided him to a nearby chair while Blaine continued to stare into Kurt's eyes from over forty feet away.
Blaine's father looked into his wife's eyes as he began to softly weep.
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"I felt... I felt it Elaine, "He stammered out, "I felt Kurt's emotions... Oh God, it's like being caught in an ocean breaker. So much... so much LOVE... How can Blaine stand it? If he feels that all the time, how can he even think or speak?"
"He has a Dragon's capacity for love, of course!"
Grandpa Pang waddled into the kitchen as if nothing special was happening.
Elaine turned to him.
"Kurt and Blaine told us what happened..."
"Bah, they told you what they saw! What happened is something we shall determine now!"
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The old man looked at Mr Anderson, who was still shaken by his brush with the reflected fairy magic.
"You care for your man here Daughter-of-Dragons, I will care for your boys there, deal?"
He took Blaine by the hand and led him to where Kurt sat.
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Kurt looked nervously at Pang and began to cry, not sobbing or even weeping, just gentle tears running down his cheeks and falling like rain into the water of the pool.
Pang sat beside him and placed a bony arm awkwardly around his shoulder.
"Boys..."The old man began, "We must have serious talking now, so... let's go for a swim!"
Both boys looked at him as he changed the mood so abruptly.
"Swim? "Kurt murmured. "We need to discuss..."
"River Dragon! "Pang insisted, "Swimming is best thing to do while talking. 'Deep water for deep subjects', is old dragon saying ...or maybe something I see on Dr Phil? Plus, swimming is excellent exercise, builds toned and lean muscles without bulking up. Important factor to consider when you are slender beauty like the young master here..."
Pang's eyes were twinkling cheekily as he squeezed Kurt.
"...also important if you small hobbit dragon like my grandson!"
Blaine squawked indignantly while Kurt stifled a snort of laughter.
Kurt nodded to Pang, acknowledging the old man's attempt to lighten his mood.
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A few minutes later the boys were enjoying the cool water as they swam in the late afternoon sunshine.
Pang stood on the edge of the pool and looked around carefully.
His shining black eyes missed nothing.
"I like this pool, "He said finally, "It is deep, clean, good aesthetic design, totally screened from all prying eyes and most importantly, BIG!"
"Why is being big so important Grandpa Pang? "Blaine asked as he and Kurt swam to the pool edge and looked up at their mentor.
The old man straightened the collar of his glorious silk robes and smirked at the boys.
"Room to STRETCH one's LEGS!" He shouted, his voice sounding like distant thunder as he leapt over their heads and 'bombed' the pool.
The resultant splash soaked both boys and blinded them for a second. It was as if a small mountain had fallen into the water rather than a skinny old...
The boys wiped the last of the splash from their eyes and stared.
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A huge sinuous shape writhed and swam in the water beside them. Silvery scales edged and highlighted with every possible shade of blue and green, it must have been over eighty feet long, but it coiled endlessly around and over itself, constantly in motion so it was hard to tell exactly.
No wings marred the perfect symmetry.
At its thickest the body was never more than perhaps three feet in diameter. Strong rear legs, each with five deadly looking claws were found about a third-way along its length from the tapering tail, with forelegs almost as large found about a third-way along from the head. The head was long, like a horse's skull, but with flaring ears and long trailing horns. A beard of scales and skin adorned a huge mouth filled with wicked looking teeth. An enormous, luminescent pearl was embedded in the forehead of the creature, between, and slightly above the eyes.
The eyes...
The eyes were enormous. Huge black discs edged with a thin blue/green iris and flecked through with silver.
It was like looking at the ceiling of one of those shows at the planetarium, Blaine and Kurt thought simultaneously, a moving field of stars and galaxies.
A long ribbon-like tongue lolled out of the dragon's mouth as it opened its mouth to display more, even 'wickeder' looking teeth.
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"Not too scary I hope young masters?"
It was Pang's voice, but the querulous and reedy quality was totally gone.
"You're... so beautiful! "Kurt whispered without thinking.
"Your eyes are the same colour as Kurt's, "Blaine blurted out, "I mean, the edges of them, all blue and green and grey, and never static."
Pang looked thoughtful.
"Hmm, "He mused, "I do not sense any dragon blood in you Kurt, may I look more deeply?"
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Kurt nodded and gasped softly as he was caught up in the coiling body and pulled into the centre of the pool.
Wrapped safely in the silvery coils Kurt felt himself relax as the huge eyes of Grandpa Pang's true form looked into his own.
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"Lord Tubbington already tried to assay our powers, "Blaine called out, "But he didn't have much luck."
"Pah! "Pang seemed amused, "He is no longer what he was, that one, and even if he were, what he is... was...what he was or IS, no WAS nothing compared to what I were... was... am!"
Blaine blinked silently while the dragon muttered to himself about pronouns and the complexities of the English language.
"Grandpa Pang, "Kurt asked softly, "What did I do to those boys, and to that girl? Did I hurt them? Will they recover? Was that black magic?"
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Pang stopped muttering and looked fiercely at the boy he was holding.
"Never think that young master! "He almost roared. "You protected yourself! You protected your mate! You did no lasting harm. You used your magic by instinct, and your instinct was pure."
"But what did I do?"
Pang thought about it for a moment.
"Well... he said tentatively, "Not exactly my mythology you understand, but..."
Kurt just looked up at him with utter trust.
"...I think you used Faerie Curse power to make that girl stink. Whoohee! She smell like nine day old road kill baked in an old gym sock and sprinkled with that fancy cheese stuff. Bad! Must remember that curse, would be handy to impress some of the ladies back home!"
"Faerie Curse?" Kurt was lost.
"You never read story of Sleeping Beauty? Remember story? Baby having big ceremony for naming day. Fairies invited to give magical gifts, Wishes! One faerie, she get mad, feel insulted. Give baby curse instead of wish. Prick fingers and die when turn eighteen. Blah blah blah. But last fairy make things ok, change rules of the death wish to make it survivable. Only problem is, she make sleep only removable by 'true love's kiss', so Princess and all court have to sleep for HUNDRED FREAKING YEARS till true love is born and old enough to be allowed to kiss girls! Hee hee, rookie mistake!"
Pang shook his huge head and giggled.
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"That was good curse you lay Kurt! Not too nasty a punishment. Not too onerous the way to remove it. Nice poetic symmetry between cause and effect. Almost professional job!"
"I don't understand." Kurt was even more confused now, at being PRAISED for harming an innocent...
"She was not innocent! "Pang roared, "oh, and I totally did NOT just read your mind there young master, OK?"
Watching a River Dragon attempt to imitate a Groucho Marx eyebrow waggle was an experience both boys honestly never thought they would ever have.
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"She not harmed, just smelly. Smell is reflection of her inner rottenness. Smell will go away as soon as she learns not to be so rotten! Simple! Elegant! You would have won an award if you had done that when Faerie was still attached to our world. They were suckers for that sort of thing you know!"
"So I used one of the mini wishes to do it then?" Kurt asked.
"No, all still there, I counted." Pang was grinning again.
"But we had them hidden..." Blaine trailed off.
"Dragon! "Pang smiled, "We can smell gold from hundreds of miles away."
Kurt paled.
"Oh my Gaga! David's wish! I wished that he would heal, be happy, and... find love...I've done a Sleeping Beauty! He might not wake up for months, even years, until his 'true love' turns up!"
"Or at least someone who has the potential to be his true love." Pang agreed.
"What have I done?" Kurt was crying again.
"Don't worry! "Pang said forcefully, "I have a feeling it's all going to work out sooner than you think. We Dragon's can sense these things you know!"
The dragon smiled.
"Besides, we all still awake. Tradition is that EVERYONE goes to sleep when Beauty does."
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Blaine comforted Kurt with a look.
"And while Dave might be considered a hottie by certain guys I know, "Blaine joked, "I can't really find it in myself to call him a beauty, sleeping or otherwise."
Kurt grinned at his goofy boyfriend.
He was tempted to ask WHO Blaine might be referring to when he said they'd find Dave 'hot' but he decided to change the subject instead and not dwell on yet another mistake he had made.
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"So what about those three bullies then?" Kurt was worried again, "What happened to them?"
Pang nodded.
"You ever hear of the medical term...'stroke'?"
"I gave them a stroke! Oh my God! I..."
"No Kurt! Where you think term 'stroke' comes from? 'Elf Struck' or 'Elf Shot'. Symptoms of medical condition same as those reported when victim shot by the arrows or slings of the Fae folk. Confusion, memory loss, paralysis, babbling... 'Elf Struck!' It won't last long. Fae magic has variable durations. Depends on how much magic you power spell with. Permanent is rare, apart from Godmother wishes. Usual durations are: a year and a day; until after the moon has waxed and waned again or... you only put just enough magic into those pebbles to lay them out until the next sunrise. Most minor faerie magic fade at the next sunrise usually."
"So how did I get the power to do that then?"
"Remember your wish? You want to have powers of the Fae."
"But I though the Glamour..."
"Nope, you probably got more surprises in there I reckon! Openly worded wishes and enormous reserves of magical energy remember! You and Blaine did the magical wish equivalent of an unrefined search on Google and hit 'I feel lucky' about a billion times..."
Pang cocked his head as both boys looked at him.
"...hey! I am Modern Dragon. I surf the internet with the best of them. I can even HACK! Anyway! Who knows what you going to wind up with? This is so much fun! Best thing to happen to Society for centuries. No wonder she send you the rings Blaine. Danu was always right about these things."
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"I still don't feel right about using Good magic to do something...questionable." Kurt seemed less worried now, but was still obviously upset with himself.
"Who says magic is Good or Bad? "Pang snorted, "Magic is magic. Power source is love, so magic WANTS to DO good, but the Society never forces all uses to be GOOD magic, only makes sure to give the power to GOOD people. And why do you think what you do to the bad boys, or to that bad girl wasn't good?"
Kurt just blinked.
"Evil, true evil is people who think that they have no consequences for their actions. It always starts small, then grows, and if no-one teaches that there is a consequence for the choices you make, eventually your choices can take you down some very dark paths indeed."
The dragon seemed sad now.
"You teaching that girl that the way she treats others, what she says, has a consequence. Before, she didn't suffer it, so she felt it was OK to continue being cruel and mean, now she is going to have to learn to think about other's feelings. At first it will be for her own, selfish reasons, yes, but same story is true for Good as for Evil. The further you walk the path, the more familiar it becomes, the more tempting it is to walk a little further. You just show that girl there is another path Kurt. Maybe she scared and angry now. But if she embraces this chance, who knows, one day she might become a Godmother herself, or Teacher, or Doctor or Winner of Nobel Peace-Prize."
"As long as she never decides to become a hairdresser. "Kurt shuddered, "That red dye job, ugh!"
Blaine snorted at the seriousness in Kurt's tone.
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"Now, let me look at you, see if I can find new powers for you both!" Pang looked into Kurt's eyes.
"Yes, "Pang nodded finally, "You have more Fae powers alright. Glamour is getting stronger, almost as good as mine! Can make Elf Shot now, use wisely, can be dangerous. Curse is same story, but is linked to your emotions, so probably will only be used when you really need it. These things tend to work out you know. Also... ooh! Hee hee! That one will be a surprise! Promise me you will go dancing in the snow when winter comes Kurt. "
"Why?"
"No reason."
Kurt flashed his diva-glare at the dragon.
"Ooooh, you good at that! Last time I saw a glare that bitchy was that silly monk who asked me to pretend to be a horse all the way from China to India, and BACK! Ow, he had a bony ass let me tell you! They got that story, and my name, all wrong you know in the end."
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Blaine shook his head.
"Did you see if you could sense anything about Kurt's bloodlines?" He asked.
"Don't teach your Grandma how to suck eggs Blaine!" Pang responded.
"But you're my Grandpa, Grandpa Pang, and I love you! "
Blaine decided he might as well match Kurt's bitch face with his patented puppy-pout.
Pang stared at the pair.
"You two call ME silly?"
All three giggled.
Pang subsided first.
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"Kurt IS a descendant of Danu, on his father's side. You two shared an ancestor about nineteen, maybe twenty generations back I think. His mother's side... hmmm, that's interesting. Will hold off till I have a chance to think about it all, ok?"
The boys had to be content with that as Pang refused to be drawn further on the matter.
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"What about Blaine? "Kurt asked, "Could you check his powers out? See if anything is developing for him?"
Blaine found himself held in the dragon's coils next to his boyfriend.
Pang and Blaine lost themselves in the other's gaze.
Finally Pang blinked.
"Animal Speech is deepening. Soon you will find you have surprises there too Blaine. Your Superhero thing... interesting. You really were thinking of so much as you made that wish. That is the reason you and Kurt can share each other's powers you know. You thought of him as you made the wish, and the magic connected you even deeper than usual. You are getting stronger and faster, I see that. Healing? Regeneration? Hmm, must remember to start watching this Doctor Who show, powers you get from him very interesting. Subtle but powerful. Going to make your video game playing interesting for you too! Also, don't forget I see how sad you were at lunch when the bottle didn't fly into your hands..."
Pang snorted at the surprise on the boys' faces.
"...oh please. I have satellite television! I watch movies too. Harry Potter is totally awesome! No, you don't give up Blaine on Mr Potter. Do me a favour, make sure you help tidy up when your mother asks, ok? And young master Hummel? Make sure you send me photograph! Or video, ok?"
"Why?" Baline asked.
"No reason."
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Ancient Chinese River Dragons must get their jollies being infuriatingly inscrutable, Kurt thought.
Pang nodded.
"And I totally didn't read your thoughts again there either!"
Blaine looked at his boyfriend and they rolled their eyes at each other.
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"Now, "said Pang, "Most pressing and urgent need is to teach you and Blaine how NOT to use your Speech and Glamour powers."
Blaine looked puzzled.
"Why is that so urgent?"
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"You are planning to go to Chicago soon, yes? To sing at big theme park, yes?"
Blaine nodded.
"When you use The Speech, people do whatever you tell them, yes? They fall in love with you a little, yes? And the more you feel what you are saying, the deeper they are affected, yes?"
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Blaine and Kurt both nodded this time, still confused.
"If you don't learn to control The Speech, what you think going to happen next time you sing a passionate love song in public to several thousand people in a darkened theatre at an amusement park, hmm?"
Blaine turned almost as pale as Kurt.
"Oh God... I would be totally scre... "
"YES! " Pang nodded and smiled wickedly, "You WOULD be!"
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Elaine Anderson's voice called out from the back door of the house.
"Kurt! Blaine! Carole is on Kurt's phone. She says it's important. Dave Karofsky is awake. He's awake boys!"
Pang snorted.
"I told you it would work out!"