Between Hope and Death
By: ChocolateEclar
Disclaimer: Most characters belong to the magnificent authoress, Diana Wynne Jones. I just borrowed them for a while.
Claimer: I only own Wyn, Aidan, evil Kamania and Chris Aprilian, Lady Kachioin (and her village), Miss Coca, and Mr. Calypso.
To ness: I haven't read the Derkholm books in about 2 ½ years (I think anyway, I have a really bad memory for a teenager ^_-) but I don't see the connection clearly either. Oh well, thanks for reviewing and suggesting names. If no one has anymore I've decided on Rhys. I like that name too (even though I'm not sure exactly how to pronounce it ^_^). You have good suggestions. Just think now you've named 2 of my main characters =P (which is probably because I'm good at making fake weird names, but not coming up with good real ones).
Also to ness: Please don't be evil! Review!!!!!!
To Lady Artemis: *talking mysteriously* How do you know there won't be a new villain. Maybe Kamania's just small fry . . . Anyway, thanks for reviewing. Please review again. (You only reviewed 1 time for 'Phases of the Moon.')
A/N: I would have posted this sooner (I finished it on Saturday) but I had other things to do and my Internet decided to go out (
Chapter 4: In Which Wyn Meets Death
A few months later Wyn held the pudgy baby in a way that seemed natural enough. She had her hands supporting his tiny head and her arms holding his little body. Rhys was sleeping in a sort of fitful way babies tend to have when they know their parents are not holding them. Wyn peered thoughtfully at his features and smirked. She could see herself already in him. She had a feeling he would have as prominent a personality as her, though one important in a different way.
She cuddled him against her and looked up to see Morgan, who had an odd pinched look on his face. "What?" she asked him.
"Oh nothing, really, I just think you seem to have a natural motherly instinct in you," Morgan replied hurriedly and quickly put on a forced smile.
"I see. You were thinking of Kamania and you're rotten luck. If you really want to be a father, I bet you'll be one someday," Wyn said with confidence. She gave her brother a sunny smile and went back to rocking Rhys soothingly.
'I really am an open book to you, Sis . . .' Morgan thought with a strange feeling of strength from Wyn's words. He watched from the stool as Wyn continued rocking their new sibling with an odd feeling. 'I'm twenty-one. When Rhys is my age I'll be forty-two!!!!' he thought with a bemused smirk.
"I feel old," Wyn remarked out of nowhere.
"Hey, you're only in your 'sweet' sixteenth year, I'm twenty-one!" Morgan retorted laughing slightly.
Wyn smiled herself and said, "I'll still be thirty-two and that's old to me. Oh I forgot you're already old."
"Thanks a lot, Sis," Morgan said dryly.
Rhys squirmed in Wyn's arms and opened two green eyes half way sleepily. He yawned causing Wyn to make a 'aw' noise at his cuteness. He made a little small smile and went back to sleep, curling up closer to Wyn.
Wyn ran her hand threw his thin layer of dark curls. He looked innocent and peaceful. She didn't want to disturb him so she stood up slowly and went to the stairs. She walked up them gradually and went into Morgan's old room. It was Rhys's room now and baby toys and clothes were hung all over the room. Wyn gently put Rhys in the crib that had first been Morgan's and then Wyn's. She kissed her little brother lightly on his head and went back downstairs.
************************************************************************
Howl and Sophie smiled, Calcifer chuckled, and Morgan, Wyn, and Aidan called out encouragements as Rhys attempted his first steps. He wobbled and everyone instinctively rushed forward. It was really Aidan who caught Rhys and picked him up gingerly. Rhys chortled and smiled at Aidan. He seemed to have taken a liking to Aidan and would often laugh and want to play with him. Wyn began to get the feeling her little brother was winning Aidan's heart himself. Aidan adored Rhys and seemed to like being able to take care of someone for a change. He was the youngest of three siblings after all.
Aidan lightly set Rhys down. Rhys shook again and held his tiny arms out for balance. He made a slow step towards Howl who was leaning in front of him, a few feet away, holding out his arms for him. Rhys, after gradually stepping forward, reached Howl and hugged his 'Dada.'
Howl smiled and picked up the toddler who gave another laugh and clapped his hands together happily. Wyn watched with a small smile. 'Even though it feels weird to be so much older than Rhys, its still nice to have a baby around to teach and take care of,' she thought.
Rhys made another youthful giggle and grabbed at the air in front of Wyn. Wyn took his outstretched hand and smiled. He gave her an innocent look of pure pleasure and suddenly Wyn took her hand away sharply to find a tiny rose resting on her palm. She smiled and said in the light, ever-gentle way she used with the toddler, "I gave you one of these too didn't I?" She remembered playing with Rhys in his crib to get him to fall asleep. She had produced a similar rose, but hers hadn't had the slight wilted look Rhys's did.
It still was a good first try for a one year old and Rhys nodded in a way that suggested he didn't quite understand the question, he just wanted his family to be happy. They were the 'big people' to his young mind. He gave a sunny smile and leaned his head against Howl's chest tiredly. He then promptly fell asleep then.
************************************************************************
"He'll be an interesting teenager, I think," Aidan remarked to Wyn as they eat lunch one day together at a small restaurant in Kingsbury. They were sitting at a table, outside the restaurant, under an umbrella.
"I just hope he's not like Morgan," Wyn replied smiling.
"Maybe he'll just be his own person," Aidan pointed out.
"That could be too," Wyn agreed. She sipped her drink thoughtfully and watched as two young birds jumped about on the pavement outside.
Wyn looked, as if drawn towards, the sky. It was strangely darkening and suddenly she realized she was sitting out in a cold endless nothing by herself. She stood up quickly. Her head was filled with strange questions and she felt somehow trapped. A feeling of loneliness crept up on her and she stared in all directions for someone.
All she saw was one dark figure coming towards her. It was huge and shadowlike and she felt small and insignificant. She saw no face just a wobbly, column like silhouette coming up to her menacingly. She shivered, as it seemed to breath icy cold onto her.
"W-who are y-you?" she asked the figure warily. She wasn't expecting the answer she got.
"I am Death."
************************************************************************
A/N: *Dodges another wave of pots and pans from angry reviewers* Hehe. Another cliffy. ^_^
Please review or else I'll . . . I'll do something!!!!!!
By: ChocolateEclar
Disclaimer: Most characters belong to the magnificent authoress, Diana Wynne Jones. I just borrowed them for a while.
Claimer: I only own Wyn, Aidan, evil Kamania and Chris Aprilian, Lady Kachioin (and her village), Miss Coca, and Mr. Calypso.
To ness: I haven't read the Derkholm books in about 2 ½ years (I think anyway, I have a really bad memory for a teenager ^_-) but I don't see the connection clearly either. Oh well, thanks for reviewing and suggesting names. If no one has anymore I've decided on Rhys. I like that name too (even though I'm not sure exactly how to pronounce it ^_^). You have good suggestions. Just think now you've named 2 of my main characters =P (which is probably because I'm good at making fake weird names, but not coming up with good real ones).
Also to ness: Please don't be evil! Review!!!!!!
To Lady Artemis: *talking mysteriously* How do you know there won't be a new villain. Maybe Kamania's just small fry . . . Anyway, thanks for reviewing. Please review again. (You only reviewed 1 time for 'Phases of the Moon.')
A/N: I would have posted this sooner (I finished it on Saturday) but I had other things to do and my Internet decided to go out (
Chapter 4: In Which Wyn Meets Death
A few months later Wyn held the pudgy baby in a way that seemed natural enough. She had her hands supporting his tiny head and her arms holding his little body. Rhys was sleeping in a sort of fitful way babies tend to have when they know their parents are not holding them. Wyn peered thoughtfully at his features and smirked. She could see herself already in him. She had a feeling he would have as prominent a personality as her, though one important in a different way.
She cuddled him against her and looked up to see Morgan, who had an odd pinched look on his face. "What?" she asked him.
"Oh nothing, really, I just think you seem to have a natural motherly instinct in you," Morgan replied hurriedly and quickly put on a forced smile.
"I see. You were thinking of Kamania and you're rotten luck. If you really want to be a father, I bet you'll be one someday," Wyn said with confidence. She gave her brother a sunny smile and went back to rocking Rhys soothingly.
'I really am an open book to you, Sis . . .' Morgan thought with a strange feeling of strength from Wyn's words. He watched from the stool as Wyn continued rocking their new sibling with an odd feeling. 'I'm twenty-one. When Rhys is my age I'll be forty-two!!!!' he thought with a bemused smirk.
"I feel old," Wyn remarked out of nowhere.
"Hey, you're only in your 'sweet' sixteenth year, I'm twenty-one!" Morgan retorted laughing slightly.
Wyn smiled herself and said, "I'll still be thirty-two and that's old to me. Oh I forgot you're already old."
"Thanks a lot, Sis," Morgan said dryly.
Rhys squirmed in Wyn's arms and opened two green eyes half way sleepily. He yawned causing Wyn to make a 'aw' noise at his cuteness. He made a little small smile and went back to sleep, curling up closer to Wyn.
Wyn ran her hand threw his thin layer of dark curls. He looked innocent and peaceful. She didn't want to disturb him so she stood up slowly and went to the stairs. She walked up them gradually and went into Morgan's old room. It was Rhys's room now and baby toys and clothes were hung all over the room. Wyn gently put Rhys in the crib that had first been Morgan's and then Wyn's. She kissed her little brother lightly on his head and went back downstairs.
************************************************************************
Howl and Sophie smiled, Calcifer chuckled, and Morgan, Wyn, and Aidan called out encouragements as Rhys attempted his first steps. He wobbled and everyone instinctively rushed forward. It was really Aidan who caught Rhys and picked him up gingerly. Rhys chortled and smiled at Aidan. He seemed to have taken a liking to Aidan and would often laugh and want to play with him. Wyn began to get the feeling her little brother was winning Aidan's heart himself. Aidan adored Rhys and seemed to like being able to take care of someone for a change. He was the youngest of three siblings after all.
Aidan lightly set Rhys down. Rhys shook again and held his tiny arms out for balance. He made a slow step towards Howl who was leaning in front of him, a few feet away, holding out his arms for him. Rhys, after gradually stepping forward, reached Howl and hugged his 'Dada.'
Howl smiled and picked up the toddler who gave another laugh and clapped his hands together happily. Wyn watched with a small smile. 'Even though it feels weird to be so much older than Rhys, its still nice to have a baby around to teach and take care of,' she thought.
Rhys made another youthful giggle and grabbed at the air in front of Wyn. Wyn took his outstretched hand and smiled. He gave her an innocent look of pure pleasure and suddenly Wyn took her hand away sharply to find a tiny rose resting on her palm. She smiled and said in the light, ever-gentle way she used with the toddler, "I gave you one of these too didn't I?" She remembered playing with Rhys in his crib to get him to fall asleep. She had produced a similar rose, but hers hadn't had the slight wilted look Rhys's did.
It still was a good first try for a one year old and Rhys nodded in a way that suggested he didn't quite understand the question, he just wanted his family to be happy. They were the 'big people' to his young mind. He gave a sunny smile and leaned his head against Howl's chest tiredly. He then promptly fell asleep then.
************************************************************************
"He'll be an interesting teenager, I think," Aidan remarked to Wyn as they eat lunch one day together at a small restaurant in Kingsbury. They were sitting at a table, outside the restaurant, under an umbrella.
"I just hope he's not like Morgan," Wyn replied smiling.
"Maybe he'll just be his own person," Aidan pointed out.
"That could be too," Wyn agreed. She sipped her drink thoughtfully and watched as two young birds jumped about on the pavement outside.
Wyn looked, as if drawn towards, the sky. It was strangely darkening and suddenly she realized she was sitting out in a cold endless nothing by herself. She stood up quickly. Her head was filled with strange questions and she felt somehow trapped. A feeling of loneliness crept up on her and she stared in all directions for someone.
All she saw was one dark figure coming towards her. It was huge and shadowlike and she felt small and insignificant. She saw no face just a wobbly, column like silhouette coming up to her menacingly. She shivered, as it seemed to breath icy cold onto her.
"W-who are y-you?" she asked the figure warily. She wasn't expecting the answer she got.
"I am Death."
************************************************************************
A/N: *Dodges another wave of pots and pans from angry reviewers* Hehe. Another cliffy. ^_^
Please review or else I'll . . . I'll do something!!!!!!