CW: snakes, fighting scenes, circuses, traveling, discussion of religion

Chapter 36: Saṃsāra

Everest and Death left early the next morning, traveling in a way that he could only slightly compare to apparition. It felt incredibly awful, though Death said she tried her best to make the journey as gentle as possible.

"I don't have to worry about my form shifting," She'd shrugged. "Living things are so fragile that way."

Everest rolled his eyes, shaking off the 'fragile' comment in a way he'd never have been able to in the past. He looked around, at all of the people walking by and the streets full of shops and automobiles. New York, and all its smells and sights, felt alien to Everest after spending so long in the English countryside.

"Right," Everest dusted his muggle clothing off. "Well, let's get in and out as quickly as possible."

He looked to Death, who was shifting her black mist into an outfit that would pass for the American style. She tended to push boundaries with her clothing, but as she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention, chose an incredibly plain-looking black dress. Even then, Death looked incredibly beautiful and incredibly intimidating.

"Oh yes," Everest snarked. "No one will notice you like that, Death."

Death rolled her eyes. "I simply refuse to change myself any more than this. The dress is atrocious enough."

She looked around, taking a deep breath.

"You know," Death remarked. "I've watched the world begin and end several times, and yet this stage never fails to surprise me."

"What stage?" Everest asked, setting off down the street.

"The building and separating stage. They are so busy creating this new world and separating people who don't look like them that they forget that I'm one step away."

She smirked at her own cleverness.

"Honestly," Death directed them both around a corner with ease. "It's comical how quickly they forget me in their pursuit of little powers and successes."

"I never forgot you." Everest put in, narrowly avoiding a large man carrying a suitcase.

"Yes, well," Death winked as he caught up to her. "You always were a weird egg. We're here, by the way."

Everest felt his chest constrict, losing his breath as he looked up at the massive circus tent. Nagini was in there somewhere, with no idea that her life was about to change. Would she even want to come with them? She had absolutely no reason to trust him.

"Well, off you hop." Death said firmly. "I can only distract the man in charge here for a few minutes while you get her out."

Everest shook his head, trying desperately to snap out of it. "Where is she? Do you know?"

Death closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. She nodded her head, a pleased smile on her face.

"She's off to the left, and there's no one around her. I couldn't have planned it better myself."

They split off, Death walking with casual authority. Everest, on the other hand, could feel his hands shaking as he walked over to where Nagini sat looking out at all the people from her golden cage. It was beautiful, and she was beautiful, but the scene was so very sad to Everest.

"...Nagini." He said gently, announcing his presence before getting too close.

Nagini, her reflexes attuned to dangerous men, looked back quizzically at him as she moved quickly to the farthest point of her cage.

"Who are you?" She hissed quietly.

"My name is Everest," He replied, his hands outstretched to show he meant no harm. "And I've come to help you."

Nagini's eyes narrowed, but she didn't respond. Instead, she watched him as he pulled a nearby stool over to sit beside her cage. She relaxed slightly when he respected her space, not trying to come any closer than he already was.

"I understand why you don't trust me, Nagini." Everest tried to speak quickly, but he knew how important this was. He had to get this right. "But I want to take you away from this place."

"Where?"

"I live in England," He explained. "With a family who will be able to understand you, no matter which shape you take."

Her eyes widened disbelievingly, so Everest decided it was time to show her what he could do.

"My colleague and I have come to save you."

Everest saw her eyes widen further, saw her lean forward to look at him more closely, but he kept talking.

"I wish I could give you more time, Nagini." He said quickly. "But we don't have time on our side. I need you to make a decision."

Nagini looked from him to the cage around her. And then she nodded.

It was all the encouragement Everest needed. He pulled out his wand and deftly cut through the magical cage, releasing her without triggering any of the spells that would alert the others. He held out his hand for hers, helping her step out of the cage.

"Here, take this." Everest took off his outer coat, covering the circus uniform Nagini was wearing.

They began walking quickly and quietly back out to the street.

"What about your...colleague?" She asked, only her eyes betraying her fear.

"She can handle herself, trust me." Everest smiled encouragingly. "And she'll find us without a problem. We just need to get you out of here."

"Where do you think you're going?" A circus manager said, his voice dangerous and most unfortunately loud.

Everest cursed, doing his best to shield Nagini as they ran. What the bloody Hell am I going to do now? He thought frantically, as circus workers began to cast spells at them. He kept casting shield charms, bursting out into the New York crowd with several other wizards running after them.

"Death!" Everest yelled as they ran down the street. "Now would be a really excellent time for you to show up!"

"Never thought I'd hear you say that, Everest." Death appeared beside them, smiling sweetly as she took Everest's hand.

They vanished in an instant, showing up on the other side of New York.

"You didn't even think about apparating away?" Death asked casually, brushing off her dress.

"I panicked, alright?" Everest said testily. "What are we doing here?"

"Well," Death replied, like it was obvious. "You're here to deliver a transcript too, aren't you?"

Oh. If Everest was honest with himself, he had completely forgotten about Newt Scamander and the Slytherin transcript he had to deliver. He looked to Nagini, who looked confused but unhurt.

"Don't worry about her," Death assured him. "I'll be right here while you're gone."

Everest looked at Death for a moment, then nodded.

"I'll be right back." He whispered quietly to Nagini.

Once Everest was gone, Death leant on the wall of the alley while Nagini leant on the opposite wall. She kept her eyes cautiously on Death, unsure of who she was or what was going on.

"You know," Death said casually, smiling at Nagini. "You're safe now, Nagini. Everest will see to that."

"Who is he?" She asked. "And who are you?"

"I'm no one you need to worry about, love." Death said gently. "Everest is part of a family of parseltongues and he heard about you."

Nagini shook her head. "You're lying."

Death smiled. "Why do you say that, Nagini?"

"He…" Nagini's forehead creased in confusion. "I don't remember him, but he...he knows me somehow."

"You're perceptive." Death shook her head, considering. "I can't tell you very much, you understand?"

Nagini looked at her critically, then nodded.

"In another life," Death explained. "You knew each other. He cared about you, more than just about anyone else. But he made mistakes that got you hurt, so now he's here to make it right."

"Saṃsāra." Nagini murmured quietly.

"Something like that, yes," Death acknowledged. "Do you practice Hinduism?"

Nagini shook her head. "My family...they did."

She looked at her hands, her jaw set to stop herself from crying.

"They said it...was karma." She whispered. "That we had done something in our past lives to have earned this. They became permanently changed years ago."

"Hey," Death moved off the wall, taking Nagini's hands in hers. "I have been, well, around, for a very long time."

"And so I can tell you, with confidence, that what is happening to you is not your fault. It wasn't your families' fault either, what happened to them."

Death sighed. "I wish I could tell you that there is a reason, people have tried to create ones for centuries, but I don't think a platitude would comfort you."

Nagini shook her head, keeping eye contact with Death. "I'm so afraid. So afraid I will...lose myself. That all I am will disappear."

"Well," Death brushed a hair out of Nagini's face gently. "You won't, love. Everest, well his whole family actually, will always be able to understand you."

Tears fell from Nagini's eyes, but she brushed them away quickly.

"Thank you." She said sincerely, finally returning Death's smile.

They just stood there for a moment, two women who were misunderstood and knew they didn't deserve to be.

"Right," Everest turned the corner, still looking stressed. "I've taken care of it. Shall we go home now?"

He stopped in his tracks when he saw the two holding hands, realizing a beat too late that he'd walked right into an emotional situation. Everest was still terrible around emotional situations, despite all his efforts to do better.

"Alright, Everest," Death smiled at him teasingly. "Let's go then."

"Now, Nagini. This next apparition may feel a little more uncomfortable, alright?"

Nagini nodded bravely, taking Death's hand.

Everest shared a surprised look with Death, but took her hand without asking anything. It was just strange, he didn't remember Nagini being as trusting. But, he kept reminding himself, this was not the same Nagini he had met before.

They apparated back to the Gaunt home, which Everest noted was much more gentle than their trip to New York. He sent an accusatory glare to Death when they landed, but she just smirked and shrugged at him. She turned back to Nagini, not letting go of her hand.

"This is where I leave you both." She said gently to her. "But it was an honor meeting you, Nagini."

Nagini's eyes widened momentarily, stunned by the compliment as well as the sudden departure.

"Don't worry," Death reassured her. "Everest will bring me here if you ever need me again."

She held her gaze, letting Nagini look at her and assess whether she was telling the truth or not. Nagini had been lied to most of her life, and had been left and taken so often that she had become something of an expert when it came to measuring people quickly. Eventually, she nodded her head again, letting go of Death's hand.

"Excellent." Death smiled at her, then turned to Everest. "Good luck, I'm sure Merope and the others are going to be thrilled."

Notes:

Right, well. I'm not an expert in Hinduism at all, so if I've made a mistake please let me know. I only referenced it because it makes the most sense given what we know about Nagini. I also think that of all the living people who needed to talk to Death and could relate to her best, it would be Nagini. In any case, Happy Reading!