Father and Son
Fin: see he's making a few
"You're going to wish you'd never heard of the Shadow World." Raziel said as his eyes began to glow a deadly red.
Everyone took up some fighting position, mine was cowered behind Keegan.
"Just bring it." Damon told him.
Just as abruptly as they began to glow, Raziel's eyes returned to normal and he laughed. "You are all so amusing but you forget something."
"And what did we forget?" Keegan asked not dropping his guard one bit.
"Your secret desires"
I saw Keegan's eyes go wide before the fog rolled in and enveloped us in another journey to the past.
I was where we left off in our last vision. I had been healed was asleep in Keegan's lap, the blood that I shed vanished as if it never was there.
Keegan began crying and rocked me, my head resting on his shoulder.
"Why didn't you come to me?" Keegan whispered as he rocked, "That's why I stayed here. Why I rigged the Pokemon battle so you would win."
He kissed my temple and crushed a handful of my hair in his hands, "Why did you make me do this to you? To us?"
Keegan suddenly smiled as he rose to his feet with me in his arms then carried me into my room and laid me down upon my bed.
"This wasn't how I wanted to do things." He told me as he brushed a stray lock of hair from my face. "But I'm glad I did."
"Now I'll never have to go through this pain again." Keegan said harshly through his teeth and slammed his fist on the mattress. "Never have to see your beautiful face splattered with blood. Never have to worry every single moment what you are doing and if you'll do harm to yourself." He sighed and caressed my cheek.
"Now, forever long I shall live, you shall live." He told me gently, his mood again changing like quicksilver. "I will know almost your every thought and whim. I will know the moment you are upset and set things right."
Magically he produced a small silver medallion out of thin air. "But I can't live my life being your master. You mean too much to me to exist like that" He began chanting in another language but it was as if his words and their translation were being said as one.
"This disk, the symbol of my oath this night, I do swear all I do will be for her."
Suddenly a blue circle of strange glowing runic words appeared on the medallion. Then another circle appeared glowing green; the language appeared Latin. Finally a circle of red words appeared in the middle reading: All for her.
After the small ceremony was over, Keegan smiled mischievously and opened a doorway to Vanaheim near my bed.
"If ever you need me in the night, Piper," he murmured. "I'm right here." And then he vanished into the light when the vision ended and I returned to the empty pub.
"It looks to me that our Keegan has a soft spot for Piper." Raziel purred. "Does the little freak have a little crush?"
Keegan growled at him, barely restraining himself from attacking. "I do not."
"Then what do you feel for Piper? Love?"
Keegan was silent.
"He doesn't have to answer to you, loser." I snapped stepping out from behind Keegan's protection. "In fact, what if Keegan loves me? I love him."
Keegan spun and looked at me surprised, "You—love me?"
I blushed, "Yeah. Ever since the night of the ceremony—correction ceremonies, I've loved you."
"Awww", Madelyn said with a smile. "Isn't that sweet!"
"Whatever." Damon replied obviously not impressed. Julian gave him an elbow and Angel shushed them both.
Keegan seemed to be at a loss for words. "Umm, I'm… flattered."
"This is where you're supposed to tell her you love her too" Rob informed him.
"Shh" Anna said to her boyfriend.
"As much as I enjoy the soap opera going on, I'd like to kill you now." Raziel said as his eyes began to glow again, "I think I'll begin with Piper. If I can't have her love, no man shall."
A beam of pure red negative energy shot from his eyes toward me. Before I could scream, it was upon me and knocked me down.
Death was like a heavy weight upon me. It was dark, stifling and smelt of singed skin. My friends' screams filled my ears. Death was evil.
After a moment of thought, I realized what really occurred and dragged myself out from under my guardian. The sight that greeted me was not a good one.
Keegan's cloths were charred, the center of his shirt burnt away revealing angry blistered skin beneath. His face was streaked with dirt and from the corner of his mouth blood leaked out.
"Oh God Keegan." I whispered kneeling beside him. "Why did you do such a silly thing?"
"It's not silly to save the lady who loves you." He told me wincing in pain with every breath.
Around us, a fight was going on. Julian was fighting Raziel with energy shots and supernatural punches that were matched by his foe. Damon was battling Raziel barroom style, slamming chairs and tables over his head with little results. Angel was combating him with her martial arts training but the full dress and sleeves hindered her a tad. Madelyn was throwing out some magic. Some hail, some fire, a shield to protect her, etc. Rob and Anna dove over the bar and were throwing bottles at Raziel, missing him half the time.
As the fighting continued, Keegan and I were in our own world.
"You'll be okay, won't you? " I asked meekly and began crying in relief when Keegan nodded. "Is there anything I can do for you right now?"
He reached out and wiped my tears away. "Just love me." He said with a smile. "Just love me."
Suddenly the wall behind the bar ripped away, sending Rob and Anna over the other side. The weather outside changed from peaceful cloudless day into a wild and angry lightning storm. The wind was howling. Thunder roared and surrounded by the chaos was a tall man dressed in pure black armor. At his right, was the glowing wolf form of Fenris. On his left, was the illuminated snake form of Jormungand. The stranger's hair was long and brown. His ice blue eyes pierced everyone in the room and immediately Julian and Raziel went to their knees before the man.
Jormungand slithered up to the two Shadow dwellers and snickered at Raziel. "You're going to get it." He hissed in a singsong tone of voice.
The angry man stormed over to Raziel and Julian along with Fenris demanding, "What is the meaning of this?!"
Each of us had a different reaction to the strangely familiar booming voice. I huddled up close to Keegan. Angel cringed and slip a tad closer to Damon. Madelyn stayed as calm as ever while Anna and Rob cowered in each other's arms.
When neither man replied, Fenris growled menacing as Jormungand rose up hissing and prepared to strike.
"One of you best answer me." The stranger warned. "My children are known to be very deadly when crossed."
"Raziel brought my friends and I here in hopes of capturing Piper Riley, my sovereign." Julian said. "And when he lost, Raziel was going to destroy Piper but Keegan got in the way."
Loki's eyes blazed as he jerked Raziel up by his wings, "How dare you attack my son!"
Raziel blundered for an answer, obviously stunned as I was at the revelation of Keegan's father's identity.
So that was the great honor Ariel had. How Keegan knew all the tricks of the Shadow World. Why he could travel between the worlds and open portals. It was because Keegan wasn't half alujinnu but a demi-god.
"What are you going to do about Raziel?" Keegan asked his father as I helped him to his feet.
Loki looked down at the huddled creature at his feet with disdain, "I can't think of a punishment horrible enough for this worm."
"You could turn him into a worm." Anna suggested.
"Or a slug." Rob added.
"Why don't you give him Goblin King hair." Damon said with a devilish grin.
You only want pay back, Angel told him.
"Why don't you sic the Queen of Hearts on him?" Julian asked rising to his feet.
"Broken hearts." Madelyn corrected.
Loki chuckled. "Those are all very fitting punishments." He told everyone and then turned to me. "But why don't we let Piper decide. She was the one who might have been the worst hurt in this game."
Everyone's eyes were on me as I thought of a punishment fitting for Raziel's crimes. He could be left to dwell forever lost in the Labyrinth. He could be ripped to pieces and devoured by Jormungand and Fenris. Or he could be shown mercy, a soft voice inside me whispered.
"I just want to go home." I told them wearily. "I want to get out of here, enjoy the rest of my birthday and go home."
"As you wish." Loki said as everything blurred together and went dark.