A/N: Once again, I'm sorry, but this time I have excuses. School was
killing me, then the Internet was down, and then the computer spazzing. Add
to that a clamoring family and you've got a good mix. The only thing I
managed to squeeze in (which some of you might have noticed) was a short
songfic for Beauty and the Beast. Please don't hate me too much! And get
ready to know what happens to Daine (theme music). :-D
Wormy
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Daine watched and waited. She could remember arriving in the Divine Realms perfectly, as if it had been engraved into her mind.
* Daine threw her arms up and screamed in terrible pain-and then there was nothing. Slowly, her senses came back to her, and she found herself standing in Mithros' court, the statues and archways spreading all around her in the elegant courtyard. She turned slowly, too tired to be surprised at finding herself here. All the Great Gods were assembled, along with the badger and her ma and da. They smiled at her a little nervously, and Sarra motioned for her to turn back. She did so, her legs wobbling and her knees like water. She was tired, confused, and she hurt all over. The sun god sat regally on his throne, looking amazing and resplendent, the true image of a God. Determined not to lose face in front of him, Daine waited patiently until he started speaking.
"The Graveyard Hag," he boomed, deep voice commanding and face exceptionally closed, "reminded the Council that we-she, in particular-are twice indebted to you. Once, for the collapse of Ozorne's ruling, which was upsetting the order and causing unnecessary pain, and twice, for the defeat of the mage Vaelon, who would have followed in his Emperor's footsteps. The Laws of the Court clearly state that all debts are to be paid. A year ago, I banished you from the Divine Realms."
Daine nodded weakly, trying not to wince at how harsh it sounded and vaguely wondering why the Hag seemed to like her so much.
"My reasons were that you seem to cause disorder wherever you are at any given point of time."
Daine nodded again, feeling slightly like a puppet, lifted and dropped at the whim of the puppeteer.
"The Court, in a reconsideration of this sentence, has decided that you are more in the habit of solving problems rather than creating them. Therefore, they feel that I should repent of my earlier decision. Gainel," the thin, kind man rested a light hand on her arm-she hadn't noticed him before, "and the Hag were among those most adamantly in your favor." The Hag smiled crookedly, showing only a handful of blackened teeth. Daine smiled weakly back. Mithros went on, his dark face expressionless, though Daine strongly suspected that he was inwardly not pleased at playing the fool and having to rethink spur-of-the-moment decisions. She did not think the sun god enjoyed losing face any more than she did.
"I do repent. That nullifies our first debt-you may stay in the Realms and become a minor goddess.
As for the other debt-Sarra has informed me that you have many friends in the mortal world, along with-" the corners of his mouth twitched, "-one man you-ah-care for very much." Daine blushed scarlet up to her ears, and looked at her ma in pointed accusation and endless embarrassment. Sarra smiled and shrugged her shoulders helplessly. Some of the Court were quietly laughing behind their hands, and Daine felt absolutely mortified. "You would be loath to leave them, I presume?"
And it was only then, with a huge shock that must have shown on her face, that Daine finally realized what had happened. She had died. She'd never see them again. A huge weight seemed to settle on her shoulders and she hung her head tiredly, trying to battle with the swamp of emotions this created. Her eyes misted as she thought of all her friends, of Numair, and how they would miss each other. She blinked hard, trying to clear it away, and sighed softly.
A handkerchief appeared attached to a hand, which belonged to Gainel, who smiled sympathetically. She accepted it with murmured thanks.
Mithros waited with awful patience, and, she thought, a strange sort of compassion, until she was in control of herself again, and then spoke.
"The Court is willing to let you go back to the Mortal Realms and spend the rest of your mortal life there as a payment of our first debt. When you die there, and at whatever time you do so, you will be returned here to become a lesser goddess. Do you accept this proposal?"
Daine looked at him disbelievingly. Surely he couldn't possibly mean it? It was too good, too generous, and very uncharacteristic of Mithros. She spoke for the first time, in a slightly uneven voice.
"If you truly mean it, Lord, then I accept with all my heart and thanks and I shall honor you for as long as I may live. It is too generous of the Court and I thank and honor them all." And she swept them her best Court curtsey, in her dirty clothes and disheveled state; she curtseyed to the sun god.
Mithros nodded, and a rare smile played around his lips. "You are worthy of it," he said. "And let it be so. Within exactly one year, if you still choose to return to the mortals, you may, and return after you've lived out your life to become a lesser goddess in the Divine Realms. This is the will of the Gods!"
And the entire Court chanted back, in the ritual response, "So it is and so it shall be."
The rest of the meeting and the return to her father's cottage had all been a blur, her emotions still in shock and not functioning properly. Only that one statement stayed fixed in her mind. A year . . . It seemed so long to wait, yet wait she must. And did. *
Since then, Daine had cobbled together all she'd overheard, guessed, and been told to come up with the real reason behind the repayment of her debts so soon-though they would have been repaid eventually, as was the Law. The Gods needed someone to fight for their cause in the Mortal Realms, and one of them had prophesised that they would need her in the Divine Realms later, 'to solve a great divide that shall come between man and beast'.
Daine watched, from above, the doings of her friends back home. She watched, with a strange, other-wordly feeling, as she was buried. She watched Damae and Medaio's marriage with a thrill of joy, and watched her friends grieve in sadness. She watched Cloud and Zek, and hoped they would recover, which, eventually, they did, their strong survival instinct overcoming their immense grief. And, when she could, she watched Kitten, who stayed with the dragons without her to return to. But most of all, she watched Numair.
She watched over him in anguish at their separation and his awful sufferings, which proved his love to her. She saw how he resorted to drinking wine to try and dull the pain at first, and looked on in worry as he would go into a stupor for much of the day or night, and then cry in agony once he was sober again. Gratitude filled her when Alanna decided it was time to do something about his drinking problem, and forced him to quit.
Numair shut himself off from the world, not talking or going anywhere. Mostly, he stayed in his rooms until the awful, steady heart-sore became less acute and more of a constant throb. Daine was relieved, when, one day at random, he wandered out to the pastures to talk to a wasting Cloud, Zek on his shoulder. Soon, he began teaching a few classes in magic to the students at the new Tortallan University, but Numair was never the same after his Daine died. He seemed hollow, without a force to drive him on. And Daine watched, and missed him, and waited for the year to be over.
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IMPORTANT A/N: Hey! I hope you like it. If anyone wants to make a story about my 'great rift between man and beast' prophecy, you're welcome to as long as you mention me in the disclaimer and somehow notify me (by telling me in a review, for example). I'm just leaving that open for any inspiration-drained writers out there!
ArizonaBay: Thank you! I'm glad you like it. More coming up soon. . .
CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88: Yes, yes, there's a happy ending. I love tearjerkers! Gee, I didn't know I was such an emotional writer though!
Wormy
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Daine watched and waited. She could remember arriving in the Divine Realms perfectly, as if it had been engraved into her mind.
* Daine threw her arms up and screamed in terrible pain-and then there was nothing. Slowly, her senses came back to her, and she found herself standing in Mithros' court, the statues and archways spreading all around her in the elegant courtyard. She turned slowly, too tired to be surprised at finding herself here. All the Great Gods were assembled, along with the badger and her ma and da. They smiled at her a little nervously, and Sarra motioned for her to turn back. She did so, her legs wobbling and her knees like water. She was tired, confused, and she hurt all over. The sun god sat regally on his throne, looking amazing and resplendent, the true image of a God. Determined not to lose face in front of him, Daine waited patiently until he started speaking.
"The Graveyard Hag," he boomed, deep voice commanding and face exceptionally closed, "reminded the Council that we-she, in particular-are twice indebted to you. Once, for the collapse of Ozorne's ruling, which was upsetting the order and causing unnecessary pain, and twice, for the defeat of the mage Vaelon, who would have followed in his Emperor's footsteps. The Laws of the Court clearly state that all debts are to be paid. A year ago, I banished you from the Divine Realms."
Daine nodded weakly, trying not to wince at how harsh it sounded and vaguely wondering why the Hag seemed to like her so much.
"My reasons were that you seem to cause disorder wherever you are at any given point of time."
Daine nodded again, feeling slightly like a puppet, lifted and dropped at the whim of the puppeteer.
"The Court, in a reconsideration of this sentence, has decided that you are more in the habit of solving problems rather than creating them. Therefore, they feel that I should repent of my earlier decision. Gainel," the thin, kind man rested a light hand on her arm-she hadn't noticed him before, "and the Hag were among those most adamantly in your favor." The Hag smiled crookedly, showing only a handful of blackened teeth. Daine smiled weakly back. Mithros went on, his dark face expressionless, though Daine strongly suspected that he was inwardly not pleased at playing the fool and having to rethink spur-of-the-moment decisions. She did not think the sun god enjoyed losing face any more than she did.
"I do repent. That nullifies our first debt-you may stay in the Realms and become a minor goddess.
As for the other debt-Sarra has informed me that you have many friends in the mortal world, along with-" the corners of his mouth twitched, "-one man you-ah-care for very much." Daine blushed scarlet up to her ears, and looked at her ma in pointed accusation and endless embarrassment. Sarra smiled and shrugged her shoulders helplessly. Some of the Court were quietly laughing behind their hands, and Daine felt absolutely mortified. "You would be loath to leave them, I presume?"
And it was only then, with a huge shock that must have shown on her face, that Daine finally realized what had happened. She had died. She'd never see them again. A huge weight seemed to settle on her shoulders and she hung her head tiredly, trying to battle with the swamp of emotions this created. Her eyes misted as she thought of all her friends, of Numair, and how they would miss each other. She blinked hard, trying to clear it away, and sighed softly.
A handkerchief appeared attached to a hand, which belonged to Gainel, who smiled sympathetically. She accepted it with murmured thanks.
Mithros waited with awful patience, and, she thought, a strange sort of compassion, until she was in control of herself again, and then spoke.
"The Court is willing to let you go back to the Mortal Realms and spend the rest of your mortal life there as a payment of our first debt. When you die there, and at whatever time you do so, you will be returned here to become a lesser goddess. Do you accept this proposal?"
Daine looked at him disbelievingly. Surely he couldn't possibly mean it? It was too good, too generous, and very uncharacteristic of Mithros. She spoke for the first time, in a slightly uneven voice.
"If you truly mean it, Lord, then I accept with all my heart and thanks and I shall honor you for as long as I may live. It is too generous of the Court and I thank and honor them all." And she swept them her best Court curtsey, in her dirty clothes and disheveled state; she curtseyed to the sun god.
Mithros nodded, and a rare smile played around his lips. "You are worthy of it," he said. "And let it be so. Within exactly one year, if you still choose to return to the mortals, you may, and return after you've lived out your life to become a lesser goddess in the Divine Realms. This is the will of the Gods!"
And the entire Court chanted back, in the ritual response, "So it is and so it shall be."
The rest of the meeting and the return to her father's cottage had all been a blur, her emotions still in shock and not functioning properly. Only that one statement stayed fixed in her mind. A year . . . It seemed so long to wait, yet wait she must. And did. *
Since then, Daine had cobbled together all she'd overheard, guessed, and been told to come up with the real reason behind the repayment of her debts so soon-though they would have been repaid eventually, as was the Law. The Gods needed someone to fight for their cause in the Mortal Realms, and one of them had prophesised that they would need her in the Divine Realms later, 'to solve a great divide that shall come between man and beast'.
Daine watched, from above, the doings of her friends back home. She watched, with a strange, other-wordly feeling, as she was buried. She watched Damae and Medaio's marriage with a thrill of joy, and watched her friends grieve in sadness. She watched Cloud and Zek, and hoped they would recover, which, eventually, they did, their strong survival instinct overcoming their immense grief. And, when she could, she watched Kitten, who stayed with the dragons without her to return to. But most of all, she watched Numair.
She watched over him in anguish at their separation and his awful sufferings, which proved his love to her. She saw how he resorted to drinking wine to try and dull the pain at first, and looked on in worry as he would go into a stupor for much of the day or night, and then cry in agony once he was sober again. Gratitude filled her when Alanna decided it was time to do something about his drinking problem, and forced him to quit.
Numair shut himself off from the world, not talking or going anywhere. Mostly, he stayed in his rooms until the awful, steady heart-sore became less acute and more of a constant throb. Daine was relieved, when, one day at random, he wandered out to the pastures to talk to a wasting Cloud, Zek on his shoulder. Soon, he began teaching a few classes in magic to the students at the new Tortallan University, but Numair was never the same after his Daine died. He seemed hollow, without a force to drive him on. And Daine watched, and missed him, and waited for the year to be over.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
IMPORTANT A/N: Hey! I hope you like it. If anyone wants to make a story about my 'great rift between man and beast' prophecy, you're welcome to as long as you mention me in the disclaimer and somehow notify me (by telling me in a review, for example). I'm just leaving that open for any inspiration-drained writers out there!
ArizonaBay: Thank you! I'm glad you like it. More coming up soon. . .
CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88: Yes, yes, there's a happy ending. I love tearjerkers! Gee, I didn't know I was such an emotional writer though!