Author's Notes: Um, this chapter might make some of you scream, so
just...don't scream, alright?
Disclaimer: See part one.
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For a moment she is suspended, then she drops to the grey earth with a small thump. She looks around, and James is standing next to her anxiously, watching her every move. The air around her is grey and thick.
"It wasn't like this last time," she claims. "When Sal'zar brought me."
"No," James agrees. "It was different before the Others started taking over. They're contaminating everything, Nathalie. You mustn't stay here too long. Come on - the Creators, quickly."
She looks around for a moment more, then follows him through the thick air, almost choking on it, unsure where exactly he is taking her, but knowing that it is the right path.
Finally James stops her, looks around, and waves a hand. The thick air swirls away from them, and Nathalie blinks up at two large pearly-white doors. James pushes her towards them. "Go on," he tells her. "I can't go in there. You have to do this alone, if you're still sure."
Nathalie looks up at him. "I'm still sure," she says firmly. "Papa's in trouble. I have to help him, grandpapa." James looks down at her worriedly. "I'll be fine," she assures him. "Don't worry, grandpapa. I'll come back soon, and the Creators will sort out the Others. They'll be dust!" She grins up at him, and he manages a weak smile before pushing her towards the doors again.
Resolutely, she steps up and pushes one door open. A bright light spills out, blinding her for a moment, and she cries out. When she can see again, she is standing in the middle of a large hall. Four shining beings sit on seats in front of her, staring at her with harsh, curious eyes.
"She acts outside her bounds," one of them observes coolly. "Send her back, Is."
"She isn't my problem," the one called Is remarks. "She is a Necromancer..." Is peers closely at Nathalie, who is beginning to feel like a zoo animal. "She is Never's problem...or yours, Was, whichever you prefer."
Nathalie's head is spinning with the strange talk, and she stumbles backwards a step. "Please," she says weakly. "I need your help. My Papa..."
"Your father?" One of them, the one on the far left, leans forward quickly. "I know him. He and I talk sometimes...and you...you would be Nathalie, then?" Nathalie nods. "Speak then, child. Swiftly, or else we will have to return you to where you should be."
"The Others - they're trying to get him," she says shrilly. "They want to bring him to their world, they're trying to get to him through his dreams - they took his soul, before - and I can't do anything. Please, help him?"
The four beings exchange swift glances. "The Others are not permitted to do that," the one called Was - the one who had spoken first - says dismissively. "She is mistaken."
"I'm not, I'm not!" Nathalie screeches, stamping her foot. "Please, you have to help him! How can you be so stupid? The Others are taking over *everything*, and you're ignoring them!"
The being who had said it knew her father stood up and came towards her swiftly. "You must be mistaken, child," it says. "I would know if the Others were overstepping their bounds in such a way." It pauses. "I am Never, the Creator of the Others," it explains. "So you see, I would know if they were doing what you say."
"Have you even looked?" she cries. "Please, Papa is hurting, *please*."
"Never, her Papa...is her Papa *him*?" Was asks, with a harsh laugh. "No wonder you are entertaining this child's...fantasies."
Never whirls, glaring at Was. "If you paid half as much attention to your responsibilities as you do to my affairs, the dead would not be half so chaotic."
"I thought I was Chaotic," Nathalie chimes in. The last being laughs at her softly.
"True, but in a different way, little one," it explains. "Was, Never is right. Pay attention to the dead, and leave Never alone."
"Ever, you cannot be thinking that this child is right?" Was demands. Ever and Is exchange glances, and Is moves to speak softly to Was. Ever joins Never in front of Nathalie, who is now sobbing.
"Is she speaking the truth?" Ever murmurs to Never, who frowns, then shrugs. "Find out, Never. If *he* is being taken by the Others..."
"You think I don't know that?" Never snaps. "I'll be back." It disappears, and Ever crouches, gathering Nathalie in its arms and holding her close.
"Tell me about yourself, child," Ever encourages. "You live with your Papa, Harry?" Nathalie nods. "Do you have a mother?"
"No," Nathalie says quietly. "I just met my Daddy - it's Papa and Daddy. And...and...and I want them to stay together, only they won't, and it's all Never's fault!" She glares at Ever, who suppresses a smile.
Then Never appears again, with an agitated expression. "She's right," it admits. "The Others are restless - worse. We won't be able to do anything about it if the Necromancers don't help." It looks down at Nathalie. "Your Papa will be safe in a few moments," it soothes. "I need your help, Nathalie, can you help me?"
She nods. "Of course. He's my Papa."
"Take my hand," it instructs her, holding out it's hand. She clasps it, and gasps.
*Don't do anything,* it warns her, speaking in her minds as they are surrounded by cloud. *Just love him.* Nathalie obeys, and after a moment feels as though she is slipping into oblivion.
Then she feels someone clasp her other hand, and she cries out before she knows it is her father. The sense of oblivion fades, and they are in the pearly hall again, her father completing a triangle between herself and Never. He is gasping, and scratches cover him. He looks wildly about for a moment before sweeping Nathalie into a hug.
"My cherie," he breathes. "Oh, my Nathalie." Then he lets her go, and she watches with a carefully blank face as Never holds him, murmuring things to him, brushing his hands gently over Harry's cut skin and healing him.
She closes her eyes and takes a step backwards; Ever is there, and it clasps her quickly. "Ignore them," Ever whispers to her. "It is the only thing you can do. Ignore them, and keep your Papa's secret."
"No," Nathalie protests. "No, no, no, no, no." Harry moves away from Never, looking at her anxiously.
"Nathalie, how long have you been here?" he asks urgently.
"Too long," Is speaks up from next to Was, who stills looks disgruntled. "Take her back, Necromancer, before she is damaged." Harry nods, and glances swiftly at Never.
"Will you stop the Others?" he demands. "This is twice they've tried to take me - the first time they succeeded."
Never looks distinctly uncomfortable. "I don't know if I can," it confesses. "They've grown...strong. Stronger than I ever meant them to be. I can't do it from here, not without you and the Necromancers."
Harry's eyes flash. "Fine," he says curtly. "I will call the Necromancers to our Hall. Goodbye." He reached out to Nathalie and took her hand, and before they go, Nathalie sees that Never looks sad.
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To be continued.
Disclaimer: See part one.
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For a moment she is suspended, then she drops to the grey earth with a small thump. She looks around, and James is standing next to her anxiously, watching her every move. The air around her is grey and thick.
"It wasn't like this last time," she claims. "When Sal'zar brought me."
"No," James agrees. "It was different before the Others started taking over. They're contaminating everything, Nathalie. You mustn't stay here too long. Come on - the Creators, quickly."
She looks around for a moment more, then follows him through the thick air, almost choking on it, unsure where exactly he is taking her, but knowing that it is the right path.
Finally James stops her, looks around, and waves a hand. The thick air swirls away from them, and Nathalie blinks up at two large pearly-white doors. James pushes her towards them. "Go on," he tells her. "I can't go in there. You have to do this alone, if you're still sure."
Nathalie looks up at him. "I'm still sure," she says firmly. "Papa's in trouble. I have to help him, grandpapa." James looks down at her worriedly. "I'll be fine," she assures him. "Don't worry, grandpapa. I'll come back soon, and the Creators will sort out the Others. They'll be dust!" She grins up at him, and he manages a weak smile before pushing her towards the doors again.
Resolutely, she steps up and pushes one door open. A bright light spills out, blinding her for a moment, and she cries out. When she can see again, she is standing in the middle of a large hall. Four shining beings sit on seats in front of her, staring at her with harsh, curious eyes.
"She acts outside her bounds," one of them observes coolly. "Send her back, Is."
"She isn't my problem," the one called Is remarks. "She is a Necromancer..." Is peers closely at Nathalie, who is beginning to feel like a zoo animal. "She is Never's problem...or yours, Was, whichever you prefer."
Nathalie's head is spinning with the strange talk, and she stumbles backwards a step. "Please," she says weakly. "I need your help. My Papa..."
"Your father?" One of them, the one on the far left, leans forward quickly. "I know him. He and I talk sometimes...and you...you would be Nathalie, then?" Nathalie nods. "Speak then, child. Swiftly, or else we will have to return you to where you should be."
"The Others - they're trying to get him," she says shrilly. "They want to bring him to their world, they're trying to get to him through his dreams - they took his soul, before - and I can't do anything. Please, help him?"
The four beings exchange swift glances. "The Others are not permitted to do that," the one called Was - the one who had spoken first - says dismissively. "She is mistaken."
"I'm not, I'm not!" Nathalie screeches, stamping her foot. "Please, you have to help him! How can you be so stupid? The Others are taking over *everything*, and you're ignoring them!"
The being who had said it knew her father stood up and came towards her swiftly. "You must be mistaken, child," it says. "I would know if the Others were overstepping their bounds in such a way." It pauses. "I am Never, the Creator of the Others," it explains. "So you see, I would know if they were doing what you say."
"Have you even looked?" she cries. "Please, Papa is hurting, *please*."
"Never, her Papa...is her Papa *him*?" Was asks, with a harsh laugh. "No wonder you are entertaining this child's...fantasies."
Never whirls, glaring at Was. "If you paid half as much attention to your responsibilities as you do to my affairs, the dead would not be half so chaotic."
"I thought I was Chaotic," Nathalie chimes in. The last being laughs at her softly.
"True, but in a different way, little one," it explains. "Was, Never is right. Pay attention to the dead, and leave Never alone."
"Ever, you cannot be thinking that this child is right?" Was demands. Ever and Is exchange glances, and Is moves to speak softly to Was. Ever joins Never in front of Nathalie, who is now sobbing.
"Is she speaking the truth?" Ever murmurs to Never, who frowns, then shrugs. "Find out, Never. If *he* is being taken by the Others..."
"You think I don't know that?" Never snaps. "I'll be back." It disappears, and Ever crouches, gathering Nathalie in its arms and holding her close.
"Tell me about yourself, child," Ever encourages. "You live with your Papa, Harry?" Nathalie nods. "Do you have a mother?"
"No," Nathalie says quietly. "I just met my Daddy - it's Papa and Daddy. And...and...and I want them to stay together, only they won't, and it's all Never's fault!" She glares at Ever, who suppresses a smile.
Then Never appears again, with an agitated expression. "She's right," it admits. "The Others are restless - worse. We won't be able to do anything about it if the Necromancers don't help." It looks down at Nathalie. "Your Papa will be safe in a few moments," it soothes. "I need your help, Nathalie, can you help me?"
She nods. "Of course. He's my Papa."
"Take my hand," it instructs her, holding out it's hand. She clasps it, and gasps.
*Don't do anything,* it warns her, speaking in her minds as they are surrounded by cloud. *Just love him.* Nathalie obeys, and after a moment feels as though she is slipping into oblivion.
Then she feels someone clasp her other hand, and she cries out before she knows it is her father. The sense of oblivion fades, and they are in the pearly hall again, her father completing a triangle between herself and Never. He is gasping, and scratches cover him. He looks wildly about for a moment before sweeping Nathalie into a hug.
"My cherie," he breathes. "Oh, my Nathalie." Then he lets her go, and she watches with a carefully blank face as Never holds him, murmuring things to him, brushing his hands gently over Harry's cut skin and healing him.
She closes her eyes and takes a step backwards; Ever is there, and it clasps her quickly. "Ignore them," Ever whispers to her. "It is the only thing you can do. Ignore them, and keep your Papa's secret."
"No," Nathalie protests. "No, no, no, no, no." Harry moves away from Never, looking at her anxiously.
"Nathalie, how long have you been here?" he asks urgently.
"Too long," Is speaks up from next to Was, who stills looks disgruntled. "Take her back, Necromancer, before she is damaged." Harry nods, and glances swiftly at Never.
"Will you stop the Others?" he demands. "This is twice they've tried to take me - the first time they succeeded."
Never looks distinctly uncomfortable. "I don't know if I can," it confesses. "They've grown...strong. Stronger than I ever meant them to be. I can't do it from here, not without you and the Necromancers."
Harry's eyes flash. "Fine," he says curtly. "I will call the Necromancers to our Hall. Goodbye." He reached out to Nathalie and took her hand, and before they go, Nathalie sees that Never looks sad.
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To be continued.