The following chapter contains domestic abuse. If you are uncomfortable with this, you can skip this chapter, or read up to it and skip that part, there will be a second warning before it happens.
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That morning, Kalus was woken from her slumber by an intense shudder. She shot upright, the violent movement giving her a fright, as she looked around. What had caused such a reaction?
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Glancing down, she saw the book resting on her lap and noticed she fell asleep on it, as she still wore her attire from the previous day. She mumbled a bit, running a hand over her face, cleaning her glasses on her skirt before leaving her bed and preparing for her daily schedule.
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Kalus was still angry about the growing dispute between herself and the Queen. She spent her whole life training for this moment, doing everything right, yet Theena was avoiding training her at seemingly any cost. Part of her feared that this was yet another test, albeit a cruel one.
Then again, she had done far worse to her…
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Kalus looked down at her gloved hand, the painful memory lingering as she frowned. All these years, all this training, preparation and sacrifice… she hoped that once she was Queen, things would get better between them.
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Her feelings towards the Queen were…complicated. She hadn't called her 'Mother' in so many years, and she in a way did not feel like one to her but at the same time… at the same time, her heart ached every time she would hug or praise Kameo.
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Just once… just once, she wished it was her receiving praise.
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She clenched her hand tightly. She wouldn't lie, Kalus had wondered what life would have been like, had Kameo had not been brought to the kingdom, had her father returned, or had neither one did…so many things she could not stop her own mind from concocting, each one making her uneasy in different ways.
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Kalus paused, seeing Kameo stumble past, still not awake. She couldn't help the small smile at seeing her younger sister barely conscious and almost colliding with both servants and walls. She felt shame at even wondering what life would have been like without her.
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Still, there was that small fragment in her heart that felt envy towards her adoptive sister. Being loved by the kingdom, by the Queen, gaining everyone's favor without effort…she respected that quality about Kameo.
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Kalus looked out the window. It looked like it was going to rain and despite being indoors, she felt the cold breeze outside the building as if she were experiencing it firsthand. The eldest heir would no longer have these quiet moments, these peaceful spaces to ponder and reflect. She would be working even harder than she was now, to protect the kingdom and her family. She would be Solon's successor and one he would be proud of. That, she knew in her heart.
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Her own father had none of the training she had endured since she was young, she was sure, this was so Solon would be sure that she would be a Queen worthy of the legacy he left behind. One strong and smart enough to not only protect the kingdom, but help it thrive.
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Kalus found herself sighing, pausing when she noticed Theena in the glass reflection behind her. It looked as if she was caught between surprise and…guilt? As Kalus turned around to confirm this, Theena had already entered the dining hall.
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The red haired princess followed inside, the frustrations of yesterday rearing their head. Kalus had a small meal, watching as Kameo had a hearty meal of heavy meats and plants. Had she not been held to such a high standard, she herself could indulge in such delights, but she had to maintain a powerful, yet regal appearance to all.
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Theena was a prime example of this, elegantly having her small meal, not looking Kalus in the eye as she ate. It was no secret that the current Queen was renown for her terrifying temper. Kalus knew firsthand that the Queen's rage was no rumour, as Kameo had often joked about. How she wished it was just a rumour, it would have made things between them so much easier.
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Kalus briefly finished her meal and went to leave.
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"Ah Kalus, wait a second!"
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She paused as Kameo hurried over, leaving her meal and missing the disapproving look from Theena.
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"What is it Kameo?" She asked, earning another disappointed look from Theena but currently, Kalus couldn't care less about what she thought of her. She was about at her limit.
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"You're trying on your coronation dress today, right?" Kameo's eyes basically shone and she could sense the question.
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"I am…" She paused, seeing Kameo's hopeful expression. "Do you…want to see it?"
Kameo practically squealed in glee.
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"YESYESYESYES-"
"Ahem." Theena's voice cut through the air as Kameo froze, quickly regaining her composure.
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"Ah, thank you Kalus, I look forward to seeing your dress!" Theena was about to stand, but Lenya gently rested a hand on hers.
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"Perhaps this is a good opportunity for the two to bond. Look at her Theena, this may be the last time she gets to see Kalus like this before the chaos of coronation takes over the kingdom." Theena glanced up as Kameo was excitedly talking to Kalus, the eldest sister having a gentle smile as she listened to the younger excitedly talk about the details (more like guess them, as Kalus' coronation dress had not been seen yet)
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".…." Theena remained silent, as Kalus noticed her staring, briefly losing her smile, before looking back to Kameo and smiling.
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She wished she could wonder where things went so wrong between them, but she instinctively knew. She knew since that day, the bond between the two had forever been fractured so severely, that only a few hairs held what was left of it together.
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Theena stood and left the room, entering the hallway, taking a deep breath.
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"It's amazing how quickly time can slip by," Theena glanced to the side, seeing her trusted royal advisor approaching. "-like water through out fingers."
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"Yes…much too quick for my liking, I'm afraid." She replied, her exhaustion now evident. Since preparing for Kalus' coronation, so many conflicting emotions began to surface, nothing like what she was expecting.
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She expected to be proud, excited, to feel nothing but unrivaled joy…yet… she only saw Solon. Where she saw Kalus, she saw Solon, her lost love and her heart ached.
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"Forgive my nostalgia, my Queen, but this is very reminiscent of the late king's coronation. The bustling of the hallways, the tense, yet exciting atmosphere…" The Mystic glanced over, seeing Theena glance off to the side, holding her arm awkwardly.
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It reminded her of Kalus, the anxious, nervousness of the young heir.
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"-Soon, things will change, allowing a new era in." She finished as Theena was silent for a moment.
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"Kalus… she's trained hard, she'll be a Queen unlike any other…" The Mystic tilted her head.
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"Forgive my query, but you do not seem so sure…do you have doubts, my Queen?"
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Theena was lost in thought.
'Do I?'
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"There is still much to do before her coronation, we must continue preparations." The Mystic nodded her head, holding her hands together.
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"Excellent my-" The Mystic paused, her crystal eye glowing brilliantly before she pulled it out, gazing within.
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'A vision?' Theena frowned, on edge. Nothing good ever came from her sight.
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Kameo rubbed the sleep from her eyes, wondering towards her class. She was ecstatic about seeing Kalus' coronation dress, after hearing Kalus' seamstress proudly boast about her work in the servant's quarters. Whenever she passed by the kitchen, she would sometimes overhear them.
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So it made sense that once she was more awake, she'd beg her older sister for a peak at the gorgeous gown. Kameo decided then would be the perfect time to give Kalus her birthday gift. She just had to wait for the Mystic to be ready with said gift.
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Part of her wanted to make it herself, but she didn't have a single creative bone in her body, so she trusted the Mystic would know Kalus enough to understand her taste in fashion.
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She stepped out of the castle, wings spawning. Kameo admitted, it made her uneasy not having Kalus there. For many years, Kalus would accompany her to school and they would discuss a wide variety of things, with Calmity joining in.
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Speaking of, Calmity soon approached from the direction of her home, waving towards her friend.
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"KAAAAAAM!"
Kameo chuckled fondly. Calmity always had a way of cheering her up.
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"So how was your morning, Kam?" The orange haired elf asked as Kameo grinned.
"Eh, about the normal. It's odd not having Kalus here though."
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Calmity nodded. "Absolutely, it's so weird… but it was bound to happen with Kalus being the future Queen and all." She grinned. "Don't forget, there's always that busy period after coronation before things slow down for a little bit, so that'd be the time for catching up." Calmity's grin suddenly took a cheeky turn. "Perhaps you'll even have a boooooyfriend by then~."
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Kameo went bright red and playfully shoved Calmity. "Oh hush your trap!" She chuckled awkwardly. "I don't think now would be a good time with everything going on…" Calmity noticed the pause.
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"Hey Kam, is there another reason?"
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Kameo scratched her head in thought. Calmity is her best friend, plus she's been pretty close to both her and Kalus.
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"I'd feel bad about showing off a partner, when Kalus doesn't have one…I dunno, it feels like I'd be rubbing that fact in her face if I did that." Calmity suddenly realised what she meant.
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"I didn't even think of that-wait," Calmity frowned, hovering in place for a moment in thought, making Kameo stop in place, turning to join her friend again.
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"What is it Calmity?"
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She looked up, now having a puzzled look. "In all the time I've known Kalus, she's never once mentioned romance, or boys or anything like that. I know as Queen, she'll have to have an heir, but how would that work if she's never been interested in anyone?"
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Kameo's eyes widened in realisation.
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She was right. Kalus had always rolled her eyes whenever Kameo and Calmity would discuss romance or Jarvis and the Dragons near her. It was a known fact that a few boys in her class did fancy the future heir, but Kalus didn't seem to pick up on their feelings.
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It was like she was oblivious to it.
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"Yeah… I think all her attention has always been on training and working, so I doubt she's intentionally ignoring it…I think…" Kameo pondered, before the two continued forward.
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"Hey Kam, are you excited for the Chamber of Living Portraits tour?"
".…"
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"...you forgot, didn't you?"
"I totally forgot." She admitted sheepishly, the pair laughing as they continued towards class, both excited and discussing ideas on what it would look like. While it was true that the chamber was part of the kingdom, it was something Kameo never had any interest in .
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While it was true she enjoyed ancient languages, distant lands and the old structures that the elves of the past left, for some reason, she just never had any interest in that chamber or the warriors.
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Any time the warriors were mentioned, Kameo would remember Kalus smiling fondly, eyes in a distant gaze at a precious memory, unseen to her own eyes. She imagined Father transforming to show Kalus the Warriors a few times, when he was around, before leaving again.
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Her own association of the Warriors for many years were to both Kalus and their father. She did think they looked cool, but that was as far as it went. Still, perhaps the tour today would give her an idea of what Kalus was in for as Queen.
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Later
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The class excitedly entered the old chamber, eyes wide as many students' gaze wondered, taking the environment in.
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The chamber was massive, containing ten pillars, each having a plaque of a warrior on the front. As the guide of the room began recalling the history of each one, Kameo's intrigue grew.
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She did know all the stories, but now, for some reason, Kameo found herself unable to focus on anything else. Her gaze was locked on each warrior. Her eyes rested on Pummel Weed, as her memory recalled what the Mystic said.
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'Your father was quite good at bringing people together. He would often use his tales of grand adventure to do so.'
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Calmity walked past, putting her hand on her chin and looking up at the statue of Major Ruin. "Huh…seeing these statues really gives you a good idea of how big these guys are in person. Gotta say, they're pretty cool." Kameo nodded, her own eyes slightly frowned, with Mystic's voice echoing in her mind again:
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'Though, his amazing travels would not have been possible without the Element of Power and the Wotnot. Without them, he would have had much duller journeys.'
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She found her hand twitching a bit. Kameo recalled the last time this happened and Calmity noticed, her eyes widening, before quickly but subtly put her arm around Kameo, moving her away from the group.
"Hey Kam, everything okay?" Calmity glanced over, checking to see if anyone noticed. She was hoping no one did. However, Kalus' class was there and while the two classes had merged, Sai and Sem did however spot the duo.
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"I'm okay." She lied, eyes still glued on the statues.
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"Kam, I'm your buddy but I'm telling you, if you steal those statues, everyone is gonna be super mad." She spoke softly, recalling last time when the duo were younger and Kameo had the same reaction, shortly before an artifact from the school was stolen.
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Kameo had been absolutely captivated by the old tribal markings, something familiar about them giving her a sense of longing, yet comfort. It was like it was trying to remind her of something important, something sacred she had forgotten. The sensation becoming a powerful urge that she could no longer deny.
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Calmity remembered that day and the shock of seeing Kameo pocket the old compass, something that the school founder had left behind as a farewell gift before returning to their homeland. The stress of trying to place the old relic of the school back without being caught, still stuck well and clear in her mind.
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She made Kameo swear to never steal again, or at least tell her when she got the urge, so she could intervene. Yet, here it was happening again with the worst thing at the worst place.
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"Hey you two."
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They both flinched, not having noticed the twins approach.
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"Oh, your class is here too?" Calmity covered, having a big grin and tilting her head dramatically to draw attention away from her friend.
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"With coronation, all the classes are coming here, though it looks like there was a clash in our schedules." Sai said, glancing over at the two teachers looking somewhat flustered, checking their written timetables and discussing how said clash happened.
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"Yeah, pretty funny to see them surprised like that though." Sem chuckled before glancing at Kameo. "Gotta be pretty exciting though, Kalus becoming Queen and inheriting the Element of Power, hey?" He said with a grin as Kameo somewhat tried to grin back, fighting the weird urge rising.
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She didn't know why, but certain items caused her to do this. Kameo couldn't figure it out, but Calmity told her that thieves sometimes got an adrenaline rush from the risk of being caught, after revealing a few former thieves in their class.
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Kameo had mixed feelings about that.
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Still, the worst thing about it was, she knew it wasn't that. As much as she hated to admit it, she just wanted it badly. At one point, she tried to bring it up to Halis to ask for advice but at that point, Theena had walked in and Kameo couldn't bring herself to admit to her mother that she did something bad.
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Unknown to Calmity, Kameo carried on with the theft but all the items she took, all of them looked like they came from an old village. She thought that the pattern in what she stole could tell her why she wanted these things so bad.
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Just listening to her own reasoning, it sounded like a weak excuse, that's what she would say if anyone else told her that. Maybe it was the stress of the upcoming coronation, or from the tension between Kalus and their Mother. Either way, Kameo was concerned she was getting the klepto-urge from looking at the warrior statues.
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There was no way she would be able to hide those.
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For the rest of the tour, Kameo kept to herself as Calmity covered for her, worried about her friend.
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Kameo decided to try something, to see if it would help. She placed her hand on the statue of Flex. Calmity's hair spiked nervously, quickly glancing over at the teacher. Both had agreed to just do the tour together and worry about the paperwork together,
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The young princess found that the urge didn't go away. It felt worse. She frowned.
'No. This isn't right.' She turned around, looking at the sky and seeing some faint stars.
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Sometimes, during the right season, you could see the stars during the day. They were always a source of comfort, yet… Kameo just felt a shudder run down her spine and her stomach burn, while twisting into a knot.
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"So… who's your favourite warrior?" Sai asked, surprising Kameo, who flinched into a defensive pose, surprising both of them. "….something got you spooked?"
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"I…uh, a bit. What'd you say?" She covered, as Calmity took a deep breath. She couldn't help her friend if she gave herself an anxiety attack. Walking over, she crossed her arms and shrugged.
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"I mean, you've got a lot to choose from Kam. You've got this cool Flex-ible guy here," Kameo snorted while Sai and Sem both groaned in annoyance. "Then you've got this rock-solid character, Rubble, over here-" The twins groaned louder in annoyance, though Kameo couldn't fight the smirk and even a few students had chuckled and joined in on the Elemental Puns of Power.
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By the end of it, Kameo was able to ignore the growing, sick feeling in her stomach and enjoy most of the tour. She stopped beside a statue of Major Ruin. Looking at the warrior, she wondered if they were as mobile as Kalus had said.
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The following contains domestic abuse. If you are uncomfortable with this, please use Ctrl F and type in 'The Present' to skip this section.
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She recalled the memory fondly, when she was about 7 years old, it was after she had run crying to Kalus' room.
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She remembered hating having long hair, yet Mother forbade her from cutting it and it got to such a length that it got caught on anything and everything, from doors, seats, being stepped on- Kameo had gotten a single lock caught once more when shutting the drawers of her dresser and finally had enough.
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Kameo hated having her hair done up, it was so heavy and so unbearable. She had begged her Mother to cut it, but once more she refused, yelling that she would regret it if she did. Kameo yelled back that she would cut it herself, only for Theena to use her magic that literally repelled any pair of scissors she tried touching.
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"Don't be ridiculous, Kameo. You'll hurt yourself if you try cutting your own hair and it will look hideous. Do as you're told and go to bed." Theena walked off as Kameo's eyes welled with tears, trying once more to cut the cumbersome locks, only to have the scissors slide away, out of reach.
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"Yes, what is-Kameo?" Kalus noticed her younger sister, going from annoyance to concern from the sight of her tears, standing. In moments, she had fluttered over, not quite used to her wings. "What's wrong?"
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"It's Mother," She started and Kalus' heart sunk, terrified as several things ran through her mind at once- "-she won't let me cut my hair." She sobbed, rubbing her eyes with her hand. "I begged her and she y-yelled at me." Kameo hiccuped as Kalus glanced behind her, seeing her dark hair trail behind her on the ground.
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She had to admit, she was puzzled as to why Theena refused to cut Kameo's hair… but then a lot of her behaviour had been odd as of late.
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"Can you cut my hair?" Kalus blinked in surprise. "W-what?"
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"Mother cursed me so I can't do it myself. Any scissors I try to use, fly away, nothing I try w-works." Kameo sobbed some more, leaning forward until she bumped into Kalus, who promptly and awkwardly hugged her.
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".…alright." Kameo looked up in surprise.
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"R-really? You'll free me from this horrible curse?"
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Kalus smiled. "Yeah… though I cannot promise that it will look too good, but I will do my best-" "THANK YOU!-" "Shh!"
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Kameo had hugged her older sister in excitement, only to be hushed when she got too loud. She felt hurt but understood. Kalus walked over to her vanity, patting the seat for Kameo, who flopped into it rather ungracefully and ended up sitting on her hair again.
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Kalus couldn't fight the chuckle but threw the hair over the back of the chair.
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"I don't want to clean up all this hair, so first I'm braiding it. Can you pass my those hairbands there?" She pointed to the top drawer.
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'But we don't do any cleaning anyway.' Kameo thought, while biting the inside of her lip as she grabbed two hairbands, one blue, one purple, before passing them to her sister. "Thank you." She struggled to tie all of Kameo's hair into a ponytail, but managed to do so after using a ribbon to tie the top section instead of the band. During this, Kameo was lost in her thoughts.
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"Hey Kalus?" She had braided halfway down the ridiculous amount of hair.
"Yes Kameo?"
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"Why do you think Mother won't allow me to cut my hair?" She asked, turning her head to look at Kalus, only for Kalus to gently hold her head and turn it to look at the mirror instead, so they could have that eye contact.
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"I think… I think she doesn't like change. She also values tradition… maybe a little too much." She mumbled the last part quietly to herself, though Kameo still heard it. As she said this, she tied the end of the braid with a hairband.
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"Last chance to change your mind-"
"Nope,"
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Kalus nodded, moving the scissors towards her sister's hair, "-chop it!"
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-only for Kameo to enthusiastically pump her arms in the air, moving right back towards Kalus. "Hey, don't move!" She said, her heart in her throat as she pulled back at the last second, pale, from breaking into a sudden sweat. Images of accidentally impaling Kameo through the throat flooded her mind in horror.
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"If I'm cutting your hair, you're staying still like a statue, do you understand? I don't want to accidentally hurt you." The younger sister understood, seeing how pale and startled Kalus was, putting two and two together.
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"Sorry." She sat upright and kept perfectly still as Kalus looked at Kameo's hair, deciding how to best go about it. Frowning, she reached down and moved the ribbon down a little bit, allowing some length below Kameo's neck.
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"I'm starting. Don't move." She brought the scissors up, only for then to fly out of her hands as soon as it touched the hair, much to Kameo's distress and Kalus' fright, catching herself before she could scream. Kameo looked so disappointed, but Kalus frowned, picking up the hair again.
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"Kameo." She noticed the red haired elf's determined look.
"Yeah?"
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"Seriously do not move." Kalus' left hand glowed, with bright white lines running between her pointer and middle finger, like a glove seam.
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"...okay, I trust you." Kameo sat still, though nervously, yet curiously watched. Kalus herself had never tried this but seeing how miserable her little sister was, she had to do something. She closed her fingers, as if they were scissors and some locks fell loose.
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The biggest smile spread across Kameo's face as Kalus kept cutting, removing the long braid within a minute.
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"It's gone. What…what do you think?"
"I love it." Kameo spun around, she happy and hugged Kalus tightly. "My head doesn't hurt anymore, it's so light! Look, I'm not getting caught on anything!" She beamed happily, twirling on the spot while running her hands through her hair.
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"You used magic to do that, right?" Kalus nodded, putting the plait on the dresser while checking for any stray hairs on her floor. "That's correct."
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"What else can you do with magic? Can you make glowy hair?" She asked, her eyes wide, now considering the possibilities.
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"Well… yes, you can change your hair colour as well, but it's only temporary." She walked over to Kameo's right as her younger sister sat back down on the chair, listening keenly. "For example, I can turn my hair green, purple, silver, or even black."
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"Like mine?" Kalus nodded. "I believe you can do the same as well. My tutor taught me about it just the other day before turning herself pink to demonstrate." She chuckled at the memory as Kameo's eyes got wide with an idea.
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"Kalus, Kalus, I have an idea!" This caused the older one to be both curious and suspicious.
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"...go on."
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"What if you use magic to make us look like each other?" Kalus frowned, tilting her head. "Can it be done?" Kalus blinked, a bit stumped.
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"Y-yes it can… but why?" Kameo grinned.
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"Well, I can't stop thinking about it since you mentioned it. Plus… I kinda wanted to know what we'd look like if we looked similar, you know?" She said, bashfully swinging her legs back and forth from the chair, looking at the ground as a small blush crawled on her face.
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Kalus felt conflicted. There was no harm in Kameo's request, but at the same time, she grew her hair out to be like her Father's. A moment passed as Kalus thought about it. Kameo looked up. "I-" "…as long as we're not cutting my hair, then I can do it for a short while."
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Kameo's eyes lit up, though she noticed Kalus looked a bit... well, she couldn't place the emotion. It looked like it was sad, distant and…sort of happy? Kameo felt confused but grinned as Kalus stood behind Kameo.
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"Alright…ready?" Kameo grinned, staring at her reflection. It took a moment for her mind to even register her now blue eyes. She was stunned, seeing her skin as pale as Kalus' with random freckles and her own hair a fiery red.
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Kalus had a very odd expression but eventually smiled. It was so jarring to see Kameo so strongly resemble both her and her Father. She thought she would feel upset about it, but oddly enough it felt somewhat comforting.
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"Okay, now you!"
This stunned Kalus but she nodded, though hesitated. The 10 year old elf took a deep breath, focusing. This was new magic to her, but even though it drained her rather quickly, she felt herself getting used to it.
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She opened her eyes again, freezing from seeing herself in the mirror. She had long black hair, tan skin and green eyes. Kalus knew it was herself, yet she just saw a stranger staring back at her. It felt so wrong. She felt ill. She thought Kameo felt the same way, as she was stunned and paler, though there was a really strange look on her face.
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It was like she recognised something, she was frowning, trying to recall something. Kalus immediately changed back, paler than normal, as Kameo herself returned to normal as well, still sporting her new haircut.
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"H-hey Kalus?" She just looked at her, feeling some relief from spotting the red lock over her own shoulder. "Is there like a side-effect to that magic?" Kalus wondered that herself, though her tutor told her there was no risk to this type of magic, aside from exhaustion and poor fashion sense.
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"I guess your look doesn't really suit me." Kalus chuckled uneasily, though Kameo shook her head. "No, you looked just fine. It's just, my head felt funny. You know that feeling when you see something familiar, but you don't know why?" She had her back to Kalus, lost in thought, as she sat on the bed.
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"Deja vu?" Kalus asked.
"Bless you." Kalus was so surprised, she burst into laughter. This prompted Theena to enter the room and Kameo to swiftly duck under her bed so quickly Theena didn't even notice.
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"May I ask, what is so amusing?" The Queen's tone was neutral. This was so bizarre to Kameo, who was used to her voice being so warm and gentle. Kalus' smile and laughter faded, her face becoming like stone.
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"Nothing."
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"It didn't sound like it-"
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Theena paused, seeing the raven coloured braid on Kalus' vanity, instantly assuming that as being the source of her laughter and Kameo's absence.
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"What did you do?" It was quiet and the room felt cold. Kalus blinked.
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"I didn't-"
"Don't lie to me."
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Form under the bed, Kameo felt chills run up her arms. She had never heard their Mother ever sound like this. Her voice had no emotion, just one single tone and it felt very wrong to Kameo, who was always used to her sounding warm and gentle.
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She watched their Mother's dress stop in front of Kalus' night gown. Part of her wanted to crawl out and see what was going on, but another part of her told her to stay put.
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A resounding smack echoed the room.
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"Do not lie to me Kalus." Theena's eyes were cold, yet intense. Kalus' eyes welled with tears, her cheek stinging and throbbing, but she felt her own anger flaring. Her eyes just narrowed, before turning her head to look at Theena again. In that instance, Theena saw Solon. She felt her heart pang with guilt and anguish.
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"I didn't do anything bad." Kalus said again, clenching her hand so tightly, her nails dug into her skin. It was all she could do to stop herself from crying. Part of her wanted to blame Kameo, to get it to stop, but part of her knew she didn't do anything wrong and that same part didn't want Kameo to experience this.
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As much as she hated this, her Father told her that honorable royalty knew when to make sacrifices for those they loved, and Kalus held those words closely to her heart. She wanted to make her Father proud of her and she had decided long ago that her Mother had died with him.
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Theena raised her hand again, only to immediately lower it as the door opened, Yeros standing there.
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"There's an emergency meeting with the council. It's about your annual evaluation." Yeros noticed the red mark on Kalus' cheek, glancing at Theena with an unreadable look, before Theena walked out, slamming the door shut, snuffing the candle light out. Their voices were quiet, muffled, yet the tension still hung in the air as Kameo squirmed out from under the bed.
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She felt conflicted about Kameo having stayed there for so long while Theena hurt her, letting that anger stew, before imagining her Father giving her a comforting hug. It was something she would do when she was distressed around others.
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"Kalus, what happened?" She asked, being unable to see Kalus' swollen cheek in the dark.
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She heard her sister release a shaky sigh. "It's nothing you need to worry about Kameo. Perhaps you should go to bed, it is rather l-late." The younger elf blinked, as Kalus rarely stuttered. She reached out to Kalus' arm, noticing her flinch and drawing her own back in fright.
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"Are you okay? What was that noise?"
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Kalus' eyes narrowed. 'Surely she can't be that oblivious-' then stopped. Kameo was always coddled. It made sense that she wouldn't connect the dots. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.
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"She was just trying to make me flinch when I stood my ground, that is all. I must say, you were incredibly swift, like Major Ruin." Kalus cleared her throat, gently guiding Kameo to the door, forcing herself to smile. As Kameo turned around to ask questions, Kalus had also turned, but Kameo could have sworn she saw tears running down Kalus' eyes and a very red, angry mark on her left cheek.
.
The Present
.
Kameo shuddered at the memory. She always remembered the happy part, but for some reason, she had always forgotten about scary bit. She wondered why she only remembered that part now?
She scratched her head, trying to fight off a headache, staring at the warrior once more. A bad feeling began settling in her stomach, the anxiety creeping up her throat, into her eyes. She felt a type of panic overwhelm her, her breathing getting short.
.
"Hey, you okay?" Sai asked, looking concerned. She waved Sem over as Calmity put a hand on her back.
.
"Do you feel-"
Kameo collapsed, faintly hearing Calmity yell for the teachers, feeling someone press a hand to her forehead as the world spun out of focus. She felt such an intense terror, something she couldn't explain. She tried to speak, but found her voice lost.
.
.
Shadows.
.
.
They all circled her. She saw fire. She saw bodies. She heard screams, she tasted smoke and blood. Terror consumed her very being. Then a familiar form appeared. Mother. Her eyes cold and intense, just like her memory.
.
She trembled. "S-stay away from me." The figure had sickly eyes, cold and cruel, a smile as hollow and wicked. "Now, now, you don't want to break my heart, do you?" She reached out towards her, but fear consumed her and she slapped her hand away.
.
"NO!"
CRVACK
.
Kameo quickly glanced up as one of the pillars creaked forward, the demonic being on top reaching out. She curled up, covering her head, but the impact never came. She glanced over, seeing the twisted statue seemingly grin before it flickered.
.
Kameo's stomach dropped. It was one of the Elemental Warriors, PummelWeed. The terror still clung tightly to her stomach. She felt sick and couldn't stop trembling.
.
Looking up, she saw what she thought was her Mother, flicker away, revealing Kalus holding her hand out above them, a glittering field stretched out over everyone nearby.
.
Once they had moved, she lowered the shield, turning around to Kameo and carefully looking her over.
.
"Kalus? Wha-"
"Are you hurt? Did you have anything strange?"
"No, no I'm fine-" Before Kameo could finish, Kalus took her sister's face in her hands, looking closely at both her eyes, frowning. "You were screaming and acting odd. You are not fine." She pulled Kameo to her feet, surprising her little sister and kept checking for injuries.
.
"We're going to the healer. Now." Her voice made it clear that there was no room for argument. She then realised something.
.
"Kalus, aren't you supposed to be in a private lesson right now?" Kalus frowned.
"A goblin was on their way to inform the Queen and Terr's hut was on the way, so I was informed. I came here so she wouldn't escalate it." Kalus practically spat. Kameo had noticed that the two were more on edge around each other, but from Mystic's explanation, it made sense. Especially if that memory was real. She was tempted to ask, but she knew Kalus was under a lot of stress as is, so she kept it to herself.
.
The commotion made everyone gasp and worriedly talk about what would happen. The youngest princess had fallen ill, before suddenly destroying the room with strange magic that no one could recognise. She had accidentally destroyed two of the Elemental Plaques for the warriors: Rubble and Deep Blue.
.
What's worse, when the Queen arrived, she immediately looked for Kameo, only to spot the pillars and turn quiet, an intense cold filling the room. The Mystic swiftly appeared and advised everyone to leave while the mess was sorted.
.
Theena stood quietly, trembling as she started at the pieces. It felt like everything she cherished, the few memories of Solon that didn't hurt, were being obliterated, one by one. Her shoulders shook, her hands clenched tightly, as tight as her jaw and teeth.
.
She could stop the tears from falling. She couldn't stop the magic from lashing out, striking the wall, like a vicious cobra. It hurt so much. It hurt her so much, she wanted to scream and destroy everything, the anger ate away at her, like a horrible guilt.
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"It seems like your daughter holds quite a bit of powerful magic." The Mystic mused, quite used to Theena's anger. The small sob that escaped her made the old advisor gently place a hand on the Queen's shoulder.
.
"I doubt this was done intentionally, my Queen." Mystic paused for a moment. "-though, this magic is very dangerous and unstable. It was very fortunate that no one was harmed or killed." Theena held a hand over her eyes, trying to hold herself together. She took several deep breaths in vain, her magic and emotions whirling powerfully, making her hair float freely, undoing from it's bun.
.
"Why did this happen?" Her voice quiet, the edges of her eyes glowing with her trademark rage magic, an unsettling sight to most. She stopped before a piece of stone, crouching and picking up the fragment. There was an old carving on the side, just out of sight:
S + T
The familiar marking settled into a badly scrawled heart. Her hands shook, torn between breaking and keeping the piece. She stood, holding the piece close to her chest.
.
"I'm afraid I don't know, my Queen. It's very unusual for Kameo to do this-"
"Kameo did this?" Theena spun on her heel, stunned. All she had heard was Kalus using magic after Kameo had fallen ill, assuming the eldest was responsible.
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The Mystic knew this old habit of hers. She cautiously approached, her tone slow, methodical.
.
"I have a suspicion…an unfortunate speculation that I wished to be proven false." She looked at the young Queen. Taking her silence as her cue, Mystic continued. "Those I spoke to said that Kameo recoiled in fear towards Kalus when she approached. I fear that the relationship between them may have frayed quite a bit. Kalus has been under quite an immense amount of stress as of late, has she not?"
.
Again, silence. Mystic glanced at her, until the Queen finally moved.
.
"This was part of your vision, wasn't it?"
.
The Mystic nodded, letting out a heavy sigh. Theena placed her hand on top of the fragment, her finger tracing the marks as she recalled the memory, her heart aching from it.
.
"If you need any advice, my Queen, I am always here." Theena frowned.
.
"Kameo has never shown any magic abilities in her entire life… why now?" It bothered her. Any time she had attempted to teach Kameo magic, she had either shown no magic, or lost interest in it very quickly. Despite this, she could sense magic within the child but they never knew how to draw it out.
.
"In very dire moments, we can accomplish things we normally would think impossible… especially when consumed with fear." Theena frowned, gripping the fragment tightly. She wiped her eyes, a determined look on her face.
.
"Have someone fix this immediately." The Queen said firmly, pushing her feelings down, before vanishing from the room. She rarely teleported anymore, telling the Mystic that her mind and heart where in conflict, not wanting to risk running into anyone right now. She picked up a small crystal from the ground.
.
"Hmm... quite interesting indeed..."