Disclaimer: SO not mine.
A/N: Yeah! I'm back to mulitple reviews! Thanks a heap to lizziemagic, Elphiethegreen and PurpleReader29. I've sent you all review replies. I think from now onI'm just going to send review replies to people who are signed in when they review and post the reply just when its an anonymous review. You guys are all awesome, thanks.
Okay, so last chapter of part 2. Here we get to see some more drama and find out a little more about what's going on with that Xorthion guy...Next chapter we will be skipping ahead a few years again. Please read and review.
Part 2 chapter 12.
"Raye, let me in." Liir said as he pounded on his sister's door. There was no answer but he knew that she was there. "I'm not leaving, Raye. And I'll talk at this door until you open it—"
The door opened then and Rhonaraye crossed her arms over her chest, her head tilting in an argumentative way, the black-dyed curls slipping over her shoulder with the movement.
"You know, I'm sensing the development of a pattern with the ultimatums, here." She quipped in annoyance. She jerked her head in a motion to indicate for him to enter. He did so and she closed the door again.
"Keep your voice down. Zach's sleeping." She ordered as she strode back into her abode several strides ahead of him. When she stopped and turned around she had placed several feet between them.
"Okay. But like I told you, I'm not leaving this time. I want to know what happened to you."
"It's none of your business."
"I blew out my vocal chords screaming. I was writhing for a week in an agony that sure as hell felt real to me. I think that makes it my business."
"I felt your pain too back in that clearing. We're even." She retorted coldly.
"Yeah, right. An hour measured up to a week. That works out how?"
"Uh, since I saved your butt?"
"Oh come on! This is ridiculous! Look, I know that someone tried to bind you! Mother recognized the scarring! What happened?"
"You really think someone could actually bind me?" she demanded, her pride flaring at the mere suggestion. Her brother raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, moving to stand in a position reminiscent of bouncer at a club. Message: He was more then prepared for an argument if it had to happen. Raye rolled her eyes with a snort of frustration. If it got him out her hair, fine.
"What do you think happened?" she demanded, bridling "I blew the idiot up. No seriously, I actually blew him up. It was the Goblin Vizier himself, I think, but that's not really important. Was exploding him perhaps a little…excessive? Maybe, but to be honest I don't really care. It was a knee-jerk reaction. If someone had ever tried to violate you like that you'd lash out too! Look, it stopped him from going any further, made an example to anyone else that might want to try that particular method on me and stopped him from doing it to anyone else. It was quite a mess, smelled awful. I think I might have sent you that particular impression, though I can't be entirely sure, as you understand." She said. Her calm, emotionless account of that particular incident was chilling.
Liir stiffened at the sudden memory. Well that was at least one random flash that made sense now. He had to agree, it had been a revolting stench. He decided to switch tactics and topics.
"So…how's the new look working?" he inquired. His sister raised an eyebrow, noting the sudden turnabout but allowing it.
"Fine. People are being a pain about it of course, but they can go to Kumbrica's dungeon for all I care. I'm sick and tired of tripping over skirts all the time, especially in battle. These are much more practical."
"And…the hair?" he asked hesitantly. The mage's demeanor changed and she self-consciously reached up to pull a strand of her curly black hair in her fingers.
"The hair…was a rash move. I wasn't exactly thinking clearly." She conceded before nodding in a sort of unvoiced acknowledgement to…something. She let out a sigh and elaborated "I didn't want to be the 'Scarlet Mage' any more, okay? I was exhausted and drained and I wasn't thinking clearly. But you know, I kind of like it anyway. I'll keep it a while, I think."
"Er…okay." Liir said. Dating Annette had taught him never to criticize a woman's hair or her wardrobe. If she asked you what you thought, you told her she looked wonderful. If she actually didn't, well then you lied through your teeth. Thankfully, his sister was not one to fish for compliments and never asked for approval, at least not in terms of her wardrobe. He wasn't hugely interested in her fashion choices though. She started to turn away from him.
"What's the deal with the 'Scarlet Mage' then? And that-that Xorthion guy?"
"Please don't, Liir." She snapped as she whirled around and pushed her hand out in a stopping motion.
"Sis, how can I help you if you won't—"
"You can't help me!" she half yelled. The instant the words left her mouth at that volume her head jerked in the direction of Zach's room. She swore under her breath and strode over to the door leading to the Colt's bedroom, closing it and whispering a one-way sound-dampening enchantment that would wear off in an hour or so and block any more yelling which may occur from interrupting the Mule's sleep.
"I'm your brother." Liir said in a quiet but clear tone when she came back in, "It's my job."
"Yeah, cause you've been great at that." She retorted cruelly before she could check herself. She instantly seemed to regret those words but it was too late. They had been said and could not be taken back.
"That's not fair." He said after a pause.
"Maybe it isn't. But neither is life." She said bitterly. Just then her eyes traveled to his pocket where a few petals of the rose were sticking out. She stiffened.
"What is that?" she demanded in a low, potentially dangerous tone. He followed her gaze and pulled out the bloom in confusion. She went from stiff to rigid. "Get. That. Out." She growled. A blaze of fire erupted in the fireplace randomly when she said this, though strangely enough it burned an icy blue and silver.
"That is it!" Liir exclaimed "You throw fits at the most random things and then never explain anything! Why can't you just talk to me? That's all I want!"
"Why can't he just leave me alone? We don't always get what we want, dear brother."
"I thought girls were supposed to be just itching to talk about their feelings all the time!"
"That's in a romantic relationship, not between siblings. Besides, I thought guys hated to do that kind of thing. You're actually lucking out here!" Raye snapped.
"Why did that mage guy try to talk me over to his side first back in that clearing? Why did he send you this flower? Raye, what did he do to you?" Her twin asked. She shook her head and looked away, crossing her arms over her chest. Liir suddenly thought of Candle and Raye's gentle, understanding treatment of her and his eyes widened.
"Sweet Oz, he didn't…did he rape you?"
"What? NO!" Rhonaraye exclaimed in angry surprise. She started to pace in her agitation.
"Did he try?" the young man pressed
"No! Lurline, NO!" she cried vehemently "No, he'd never…he's not that kind of monster!" she suddenly sounded defensive as a rush of unwanted emotion flared up too powerfully for her to suppress it. Her brother didn't catch onto that right away though,
"No, he's just a psychotic, perverted creep with no soul!" he exclaimed. His sister seemed to almost deflate in sudden defeated weariness.
"Stop it…" Rhonaraye whispered as she turned away from him and hugged herself.
"Sweet Oz, Nari! I know he's capable of anything, what did he do? I mean, he's a creep, that's obvious. It wouldn't surprise me if he was more into the dead then the living or something else creepy like that—"
"Stop it!" his twin yelled suddenly "You don't know what you're talking about, you don't know him!"
Liir was affronted and hurt at this.
"WHY ARE YOU DEFENDING HIM?" He roared.
"BECAUSE I FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM!" she screamed back as she whipped around, her silver eyes flashing with a whole spectrum of emotions as tears welled up in them. A sound somewhere between a groan and a scream escaped her lips at this confession and she fisted her hands in her curly hair, striding to the other end of the room in retreat. Liir stumbled back and just stood there for a long time as he absorbed this new revelation.
"What?" he finally asked tightly
"Now you know your darling twin's dirty little secret. Though, it's not really a secret. I'm surprised no one told you, they're certainly never going to let me forget it!" She spat out bitterly as she threw her hands down to her sides.
"That creep tortured me!" he exclaimed furiously.
"Don't you think I know that?" she shrieked, tears falling freely down her cheeks now. She dug the heel of her hand into one eye and took a long, shaky breath before she continued "I fell in love with a man who would turn around and try to betray all of Oz, who would succeed in killing my best friend and who would then torture my brother. How do you think that feels? Huh? How do you think it feels to know that Zach would still have his parents if I hadn't brought that man to the rebellion in the first place? If I hadn't vouched for him? Or if I had just listened to the people who didn't trust him instead of getting angry and defensive? Or-or even better, if I'd just paid attention to the signs and booted him out myself? Who knows how many are dead because of me? Huh? How many do you think? HOW DO YOU THINK THAT FEELS?"
Liir was flabbergasted. Speechless.
"Wh-" he sputtered in shock "Why? Why him? You're-you were never boy crazy, you were always the smart one, the sensible one! Oz you prided yourself on your good sense! What in Kumbrica's name, Raye! Why him?"
"Because he actually wanted me!" she exclaimed in anguish, bending over slightly as though in some kind of pain as one hand went to cover her face while the other made a fist across her stomach as she slowly sank to her knees. Again there was an appalled pause.
"What?"
"You don't understand." she sobbed "He wasn't always like this. I swear he wasn't always like this..." she completely broke down crying at that point. A rare and disturbing sight. Liir felt her despair even through her well-built walls. Slowly he came over and knelt down next to her.
"Make me understand." he said gently, pleadingly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Raye looked up and met his gaze before uncharacteristically wiping her nose on her sleeve. They shifted slightly to sit against the wall.
"How'd you...meet him?" Liir prompted almost unwillingly. It wasn't precisely a warm question, but it lacked the accusatory tone that it had held previously. She swiped her cheeks with her 4-fingered hand and stared down at her lap. Finally she began speak in a strained voice.
"It was years ago." she began quietly, her voice ever so slightly hoarse. "Only a week or so after my disastrous meeting with the Wizard. I was on my own. A fugitive." she laughed with a bitter humorlessness and took a deep breath "From everyone. I was sneaking around all day to avoid, well everybody. Sleeping in caves and hollow trees. I was cold. I was angry. I was hungry. I was scared and believe it or not I was lonely. I'd never felt so alone.
"We both tried to shelter in the same cave one night. Startled each other like a pair of horses, not sure whether to fight or flee. In the end we just sort of ended up sharing the space. We kept our distance, but started to chat from our respective ends of the cave. It was...nice to have someone to talk to. He was traveling alone as well, exploring. He was a perfect gentleman. Introduced himself as Tristan. He didn't try anything! I was prepared for him to, and believe me when I say that if he had it wouldn't have ended well for him. In the morning he asked if he could accompany me. I told him that I didn't have anything against him and so I didn't care what he did either way. He stuck around. It took a few days since we were both hiding it, but eventually we figured out that, impossible as it seemed, we were both mages of considerable power. I'm sure you know that in the past if there were two mages of any power they could very likely be one another's downfall. He still stayed. When I pointed this out he said that he was willing to 'take his chances' if I was."
She started pacing again as she continued.
"He had plenty of chances to leave. He didn't need me for anything, or so I thought. Powerful mages are almost always loners and thanks to the rare nature of our powers we usually figure them out alone, which both of us had been doing well enough before. There wasn't anything I could do for him that he couldn't do for himself, not in terms of magic. He was smart and resourceful, so he didn't need me to look after him or riddle things out for him or any other mundane things like that. I didn't have any money so he couldn't swindle me. As for other things that might spring to the mind of a young male, you should have seen some of those girls we came across during our occasional trips to market places were practically throwing themselves at him! For once, I thought 'wow. Someone wants my company without an ulterior motive'. Obviously I turned out to be wrong, but still. For the first time in a very long time I didn't feel like I was being used, if he did need me, it wasn't to use me. That was what I thought at the time! See, Tristan didn't have to stay with me, but he did. Okay? He did. He chose to. He chose me." she was still crying, tears sliding silently down her face. Liir was a little confused. She noticed this.
"Don't you get it?" she demanded in anguished exasperation, her bright eyes both angry and pleading at the same time "Liir, you saw him before! You know that illusion he had on in the clearing, the handsome forester? That was what he looked like as Tristan! That was what he looked like when I fist met him. He was ridiculously good-looking and smart and powerful and yes, he was charming and respectful too! He could have had his pick of the ladies and he picked me! And you know what? No one else had! At the time that I met him and at the time he'd started to court me I was completely on my own and not by choice. No one wanted to come with me, no one wanted to be with me! I asked Elphaba to join me and she refused, I asked for you to come with me and you just sat there like I'd hit you over the head with a dumbbell. If I'd even proposed the idea to Annette I think she might have fainted! The rebellion kicked me to the curb like so much trash the second I stopped being their little lapdog and then even my best friend turned me down. Sweet Oz, even Farro had stayed behind to be captured instead of come with his own daughter!"
Liir was shaking his head in wide-eyed guilty denial and defensive anger
"Nari that's not-"
"Fair?" She interjected harshly "Maybe not but since when are emotions logical? Any one of those rejections I could have managed easily! They were all perfectly reasonable, you're right and at least one of them was blatantly for my own good. But how would you feel to be unanimously voted the 'less appealing' option? To be universally shown the door? Well that's what happened to me! So yeah, yeah I was flattered when Tristan started to court me. A real, live boy was courting me like I was the greatest catch he could ever have imagined. I fell for it and I fell hard for him. And I thought, 'wow. This...amazing guy actually wants me.' So yeah. I was the idiot who got played like a kumbrica-cursed harp."
She let out a huffing snort.
"Turns out he was a spy all along. He tried to tell me that he didn't know I was a rebel, that he truly had just been traveling when he met me. He tried to say that 'nothing between the two of us had ever been a lie'. Yeah right. I should have known better."
"Nari…" Liir interjected. She ignored him and her speech suddenly went from tired and beaten to heated and angry.
"Tristan—Xorthion, he isn't just responsible for the deaths of dear friends or of making me into the inadequate teenaged mother of a grieving little orphaned Mule! He didn't just betray me, he made me look like an idiot! I became one of those stupid females who allowed her feelings for a guy override her good judgement and believe me when I say that it was not a position I had ever expected or wanted to be in..."
Liir sensed that this was one of the blows that particularly smarted for her. His sister was proud. And she prided herself most on her intelligence and sensibility. Now, in addition to the loss of her friends and her lover, she had lost her self-respect. She might have been able to deal with the deaths of her friends, maybe even with the betrayal eventually, but he didn't know if she could handle losing that self-respect.
"And the rose?" he asked, uncertain of whether or not he should ask this, but he had to know. "What is that? Why do you hate it so much?"
Her nostrils flared and she looked away
"That's him mocking me. He keeps trying to feed me this crap that he was telling the truth when he said that he 'loves' me." she spat out the word 'love' like it held a bad taste in her mouth, at least in terms of the context "He supposedly made that rose for me with his powers. I don't know how dumb he thinks I am! Does he really believe that I would be stupid enough to actually fall for something like that after all he's done? Sweet Oz, I HATE HIM!" she raged as she pounded her fist into the wall next to the window, creating a large crack and making Liir jump. "I hate him, I hate him!" Her shoulders started to heave again as wept anew. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt an arm move around hers shoulder. However, it was just Liir. He put both his arms around her and held his sister tightly, a tear sliding down his own cheek silently. At first she tried half-heartedly to push him away, but eventually she let go and sobbed, clinging to him.
How long they sat there like that, neither of them knew. But Liir hugged his sister for as long as it took for her to cry out all her tears. He even shed a few of his own. After both sets of tear ducts seemed to have been spent they simply sat with each other. For a long time neither said anything, but eventually it was Rhonaraye who broke the silence, her voice hoarse.
"He got me out, you know." She rasped quietly. "Tristan. After I'd been held in that…place for who knows how long he came charging in, brandishing his staff and his powers. My jailors were ready to start another session, I was sure this one would finally kill me and I was hoping it would. But before they could begin he came charging in, demolished the room, scooped me up and then carried me out of there. Next thing I knew, I was in Doctor Akota's clinic with him sleeping in a chair by my bedside. It wasn't until we went back to headquarters that I found out that he had set the trap in the safe house that killed Jack. That he'd been the traitor all along."
"I'm sorry." Liir said as he rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.
"Not your fault." She muttered as she straightened and pulled out of the hug. Without realizing it they shifted in unison so that they were leaning on each other's backs instead of against the wall, each bringing one knee up to rest their arm on in a perfect mirroring of position. "I'm sorry about…what happened to you."
"That wasn't your fault either." Her brother said.
"Thanks for lying." She murmured. He rolled his eyes and tried again to deny it but she wasn't interested in being cleared of her perceived blame apparently. After a while she asked "Do you…want to talk about it?"
Starting was difficult, but once he had done so it was alarmingly easy to continue. He told her all about what had happened in the clearing and didn't stop there. He soon found himself telling her about Trism all over again, though it was nice to do so in person this time. He even told her some things about that particular failed romance that he hadn't before, that he had barely been able to admit to himself before. He even told her about his conflicted feelings over his grandfather since his disillusionment with the current establishment in Oz.
The conversation eventually moved to happier topics and soon they found themselves even finishing each other's sentences. The pair talked well into the night, slowly starting to feel almost like...like a normal set of twinned siblings, impossible as it sounded. When they both found themselves yawning they decided to call it a night, or an extremely early morning.
"It's nice, finally being able to just…be twins." Raye remarked.
"Yeah." Liir agreed. He twisted his head around to look at her "From now on, I say we act the part,"
"Full time," She finished for him, also twisting her head around to look at him. "I watch your back, you watch mine."
They both smirked.
"Spit shake?" he offered
"That's gross." She retorted.
"Would you go back on a pact signed in saliva?" he pointed out
"Okay, seriously, what makes you think that's any harder to do than a more hygienic handshake?"
"Because you tell everyone that the other person actually did a spit shake if they ever backed out on their end of the bargain." Liir replied. Rhonaraye considered this a second and then snorted, her dry chuckle containing actual humor for the first time that night as they got to their feet.
"Fair enough." She finally chuckled with a shrug before horking up a healthy amount of moisture onto her palm. He did the same and they shook on it. Raye made a face and wiped her hand on the back of her booted calf, though she was laughing as she did so. "Wow, I was right. That was disgusting!"
"Hey, come on. We got nearly 19 years of sibling ridiculousness to catch up on!"
"True, very true." She agreed before sighing and rubbing her neck tiredly with the hand she hadn't used to spit-shake. "I have to go check on Zach. That sound-dampening spell will probably have worn off by now."
Liir nodded as she started to walk away. His sister paused at the door to the Colt's room and turned back slightly.
"Thanks, Liir." She said. He smiled in return.
There was a lot of healing to be done, but the process had begun.
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The next day Rhonaraye was overjoyed to find that Ralimla had returned. No mention was made of the heart-to-heart she'd had with her brother, but it didn't need to be discussed verbally. Every once in a while they'd catch each other's eye and smile slightly, still laughing at themselves for the childish method of sealing their all-too-serious sibling pact against the world. The difference in both of them was very noticeable to those who knew them, though. It was as though the two had managed to have a great weight lifted off their shoulders.
The day after the Bear had returned, after she'd had a chance to rest up, they had one large family dinner. Their first, in fact. One link was still technically absent, but it was unlikely that it would ever really be accepted by several members. Elphaba, for one, considered her family to be complete for the first time (barring the absence of those who were already dead, which she could do nothing about). She didn't say this of course in the interest of sparing Liir's feelings, for her son still loved his grandfather dearly even if he hadn't been seeing eye to eye with some of the old man's policies any more.
What they actually ate no one would remember later, but everyone would be able to recall laughter and fun: listening to Ijiri and Glinda bicker: Dr. Dillamond providing illuminating and educational conversation topics, his voice stronger than it had been in years: Zach with his childlike innocence and mischief: the occasional Flying Monkey appearance: Ralimla with her easy charm: Rhonaraye and Elphaba with their wit: the mother and daughter and brother/son with the occasional magic trick: Fiyero with his amusing boneless stunts. Even Candle and Dr. Akota later joined. It was promising to be one of the best evenings they'd ever seen.
Unfortunately, it was not to last. Before the night could draw to a close, just before Rhonaraye was about to put Zach to bed, in fact, Elphaba's most trusted messenger Monkey, the young female, came zooming in, panting. She hopped over on the knuckles of one hand with a roll of parchment clutched tightly in the other. She offered it to Rhonaraye. The young woman exchanged nervous glances the others in the room before bending down to take the paper and unroll it. Elphaba quickly moved beside her to read it, one emerald hand on her daughter's shoulder. Neither of their faces betrayed anything.
"Well?" Fiyero asked after several long moments. Raye rolled it up and handed it to him before clearing her throat.
"Ralimla, could I please ask you to put Zach to bed for me tonight?" she asked gravely. The Bear nodded. The Mule wasn't so happy about this.
"But…why?" he whined. She bent down and kissed his nose
"I have to go to an Emergency Council meeting. Please Zach, this is very important."
"You always say that." He grumbled. She sighed and ran a hand through his forelock before standing again
"I'm sorry everyone, I have to go. Before Kynot tries to do anything too stupid in Princess Nastoya's absence." She muttered the last sentence as started striding out. Elphaba followed her.
"I'll catch up with you." She said. Her daughter nodded and continued walking. The others looked to the green woman for answers, as she had known they would. She took a deep breath before telling them in a simple straightforward manner.
"The Wizard just declared a state of War. Against the Goblins."
Please review. I would particularly like some feedback concerning stuff in part three; how much OC action are you guys interested in in terms of stuff between Raye and Tristan/Xorthion? That won't be all about what part 3 is, obviously there will be focuses on Candle/Liir, Fiyeraba, and other ficverse stuff, but the amount of time spent on the OCs is currently flexible. Basically the difference will be how many flashback sequences I plug in about the two mages.
Anyways, thanks for reading and please drop me a line!
