Part Seven
The Child's Lost
Sir Plucki's POV
He sat in the Great Hall across from his two friends, staring at the doors of the Great Hall, half expecting Aurelia to come swarming in any moment, radiant as always and take her place beside him, but that would never happen again he knew. Averting his eyes so he would not look at the doors, he found himself looking at the dance fall, where many of their dances and celebration had taken place, and he found himself once again, lost in a memory.
Flashback
870 – 15 years old.
They were celebrating the Winter Solstice, a celebration they held almost every year. Aurelia had just been whisked off her feet by another gummi and she danced merrily with several gummies, his friends included.
The celebration usually would last for several hours, well past midnight, dancing, singing, games and many other activities included.
A song ended and he turned to watch Aurelia embrace Sir Blastus thanking him, then slip out the doors of the Great Hall, careful to make sure no-one followed her.
Of course he had seen her disappear, but quickly averted his eyes so she would think he hadn't. Curious to what she was up to, he rose from his place and followed, soon finding himself stood in the hallway outside the Great Hall, watching Aurelia below, and she looked up upon the full moon, a smile plastered on her face, content and happy.
Dancing Bears
Painted Wings
Things I Almost Remember
His lips curled upwards into a smile, and he leaned against a nearby pillar, listening to her sing. She would never know just how beautiful she could sing.
And A Song Someone Sings
Once Upon A December
Someone Holds Me
Safe And Warm
Horses Prance Through
A Silver Storm
Figures Dancing Gracefully
Across My Memory
Someone Holds Me
Safe And Warm
Horses Prance Through
A Silver Storm
Figures Dancing Gracefully
Across My Memory
He had long since left his place by the pillar, and he descended the same stairs, Aurelia had only moments before, and he walked towards her, her arms outstretched welcoming him forth.
Taking her into his arms, they linked hands, and he slowly lead them around the courtyard, oblivious to the fact that the Great Hall had suddenly become very quiet, and he picked her up and twirled her around in the air, and she continued to sing.
Far Away, Long Ago
Glowing Dim As An Amber
Things My Heart
Used To Know
Things It Yearns
To Remember
And A Song Someone Sings
Once Upon A December
He kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms round her, pulling her closer to him, and she rested her head on his shoulder, sighing in contentment.
End Flashback
She had always been able to sing beautifully despite that she always denied it. She would however never know how many times he had been stood there listening to her sing, when she thought she was alone.
The evening meal ended, and he quickly rose from his seat, and left the Great Hall, wanting to put as much distance as possible between him and the Hall, away from the many memories which threatened to replay in his mind, and he felt the familiar sting of tears in his eyes, and he entered her room.
Closing the door behind him, he walked across her room, until he stood by her window, where he could watch the sunset and he watched as the last of its light disappeared over the hill, casting shadows about her room.
So much time had passed, since the day Aurelia had sacrificed herself yet in reality it had only been a week, yet it felt like yesterday when she died in his arms, and he looked over the castle wall, where the battle had been raging a hundred years previously.
It had been the last celebration that she had celebrated with them before she was killed at the tender age of fifteen, and he felt a mixture of emotions surged through him, and he closed his eyes to stop the tears from falling.
Flashback870 – 15 years old.
They had just helped the ancient gummies to escape, and flee across the sea, and they turned their unicorns, and speeded away from the cliff, the ships now just a tiny dot in the distance. Swiftly riding back to Gummadoon, a short distance away, their unicorns abruptly stopped, and they looked to see humans in the distance on the hill cutting off their escape back to the castle.
Scanning the hill, they could see they were vastly outnumbered even with their sleep horn, and so that left them with one option, to retreat, and they backed away slowly, then turned their unicorns round sharply, and set them on a different course back to Gummadoon, the humans scampering down the hill after them.
Riding with all speed back to Gummadoon, he made sure that Aurelia stayed at his side, and he urged his unicorn forward. She had followed them and engaged in the fight, to help the ancient gummies even though they had given her strict orders not to come, she had replied that she wasn't going to sit home, twiddling her thumbs and do nothing, she was going to help them and the other gummies fight this war.
Gummadoon coming into sight, he could see the knights on guard shouting orders for the gates to be opened, and he heard the leader of the rebellion calling his men to fire and the familiar sounds of arrows whizzing through the air caught his attention, and he dodged several arrows.
A second volley of arrows were launched, and some of the knights rode through the gates he froze when he heard the sudden gasp from Aurelia, and he immediately halted and spun his unicorn round.
The sight that had met him, made his heart stop, and he had instantly reacted and rushed forward to her aid, catching before she fell off her unicorn, and he placed her in his saddle in front, careful not to touch the arrow, that pierced her chest, and he rode through the gates of Gummadoon, the gates closely behind him.
"No, stop!" panted Aurelia, squeezing his hand, and gasping for breath.
"No, Aurelia, we have to get you to a medic!" he said, and he dismounted with Aurelia in his arms.
"Not enough time-argh!" cried Aurelia and she struggled to breath.
"Don't give up, Aurelia" he said sternly, walking up the steps intending going to sickbay, and he arrived at the door, placing her on one of the nearby beds and she cried out and began gasping desperately for air, he knew the worst had come and that they may already be too late to save her but he refused to believe that, and she cried out again, he sat next to her on the bed, pulling her into his arms, tears evident in his eyes.
Why did it have to come to this and he suddenly noticed his friends to be by his side, and he held Aurelia, watching her life slowly slip away with each passing second.
Her face had now gone a deathly pale, and her eyes once full of mischief and happiness, were now dull and lifeless.
"I'm..s..sorry" tears running down her face.
"Ssh, it's okay, Aurelia" he whispered rocking her back and forth.
"N..no..my..f..fault" she started but he cut her off.
"No, nothing's your fault, Aurelia, nothing" he said, knowing that she was blaming herself for everything that had happened, and one of the medics appeared by her side, and started work on fixing her up, though they couldn't determine whether she would live or not.
He could hear Aurelia muttering coherently though he couldn't make out what she was saying, just held her close, when her muttering ceased, she took one last breath then went limp in his arms, her eyes open and staring at the ceiling.
End of flashbackThe tears flow freely, and he wept for Aurelia, the only human he ever cared for, then slowly over time, that care deepened, and he began to love her how a father would love a daughter.
He had left not long after she had died in his arms, and retreated to his rooms, the only thing on his mind was Aurelia, how young she had been, when her life was taken before her time, and his blood boiled at the thought of who had killed her. Humans.
They had taken from him, of what was the most precious to him, and for that alone he would never trust humans again, not so long while he lived.
Looking out across the grounds, he could see the sun begin to set, and the sky change a tango orange, and he placed the cherry blossom down upon her desk, then turned from the window, and exited her room, the door closing behind him, and he locked the door, never again would the door be opened.
NeverTBC…
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Epilogue will follow shortly.
