Author note: Aaaaand here comes the first chapter of year 2022! Happy New Year to you all, my dearest readers! ^ᴥ^
oxoxoxoxoxo
"What the he…", Meg's curse was cut short as her sight cleared and she found herself in the main room of the Pocket Plane, the Solar standing in front of her as the first time they had met and her companions behind a translucent wall that prevented them to see and hear anything that was happening in the room, "Oh, it's you. May I ask why you interrupted us just before we could enjoy our dinner? We've had a long day and we're awfully hungry, you know".
The celestial ignored her comment, "You took the life of another one of your siblings. His power now belongs to you and as I told you in the past, you need to be prepared to wield it. To move forward towards the future, you must first know and understand your past", she said and at her gesture, a mist appeared and solidified at her side, until a stunningly beautiful dark-haired woman of clear Sembian descent, with dark skin and deep emerald eyes, stood before the Painbearer. "I am Alianna, Deathstalker of Bhaal. I am your mother", the apparition said.
"Yeah, I know of you", Meg replied, "And I want to thank you for giving birth to both Sarry and myself: whatever your reasons, if you hadn't accepted to bear two of Bhaal's children, we wouldn't be here now. So thank you, Alianna". The Solar smiled approvingly, "It's very mature of you, Godchi...". "That said, I'd like to remark the fact that you wanted to kill us in order for our sire to be resurrected. But you know what? Sarry and I are both alive and well, while you and Bhaal are dead. In your face. Nyah, nyah, nyah", the Ilmatari concluded, poking her tongue out at her mother's ghost.
Alianna didn't even bat an eyelid at that, "I was ready to make every kind of sacrifice to get back the one I loved. You of all people should understand this, my child", she replied, completely unruffled and her daughter bit her lower lip. "Well, I can see your point, that's true, but I would have never sacrificed my own children! I could never do something like that, not even to get Sarry back", Margaret Dawn stated. The apparition arched a dark eyebrow, an amused smile curving her full, sensuous lips, "The one you love is your brother, then? Not your lover? Quite interesting".
"What? No, I didn't mean...Of course I love Anomen!", the younger woman exclaimed, eyes flashing, "And why are we even talking about this, anyway? It's none of your business!". "My, my...Defensive, are we? No need to get angry, my child: I won't pry further, if that makes you so uncomfortable". "It doesn't make me uncomfortable! It's just sick and wrong and I have no intention to take this shit from you", she turned to the Solar, her cheeks were livid with anger, "Did you summon her only to piss me off or what?".
The celestial shook her head, "I summoned her to help you, Godchild. Alianna, talk to your daughter about her past". The Deathstalker shrugged, "As you wish. One night, my Lord Bhaal came to me to reveal me the privilege He wanted to grant me: I was to give birth to two of His children. You and your brother, Sarevok. Overjoyed, I thanked my Lord for His blessing. Some of our acolytes took me to the Temple, where I could carry out my duty away from danger and prying eyes. There were other children there, but none were as powerful as the two of you: I knew His Taint to be the strongest in my children and I took great pride in it. When our God died, we began our mission".
The Solar intervened, "Her duty, as you know, was to sacrifice you for Bhaal to live again. But she was stopped before she could do it", another gesture and a second form appeared...Gorion's ghost. Meg tensed as she saw him, "Go away", she hissed. He turned sad grey eyes on her, "I did all I could to save as many children as possible. I killed Alianna...". "Yes, he killed me, your mother", the Deathstalker spat, then she dissolved like mist in the wind. "I took you with me to save you", the old sage said, but the Painbearer wasn't inclined to listen. "You tore me away from my brother's arms! And you left him behind!", she roared, enraged, he eyes glowing golden, "If you weren't already dead, I would gladly kill you with my own hands!".
"I wanted to save your brother too", he assured her, his voice pleading, "But there was no time, I couldn't tarry...". "Liar! You abandoned him because you didn't care!". "I did care, child, I swear. But he was the one to ask me to take you away". "Liar! He would have never let anyone tear us apart and you know it!". A small form appeared then, right in front of her and her heart nearly stopped from shock: it was a copy of Sarevok when he was seven. "Sarry...No, it's just a trick!", the Ilmatari's head whipped around to look at the Solar, her lips curved in a feral snarl, "Now I see your game, bitch: you're trying to manipulate me, like all the others. But this", she pointed at the ghost-child, "This was a mistake on your part. It worked once, it won't work again".
The creature bent to look her in the eye, "I'm not trying to trick you, Godchild, I assure you". "Go fly a kite, I'm not buying it", Meg growled and cast a bolt of fire at the Solar, who started. "Godchild! I... ". "You will get out of my Pocket Plane right now, or I swear to Ilmater I'll kick your butt from here to Gehenna, is that clear? And don't you dare show up again!". "But...". "No but! Shut up and do as I said!". The celestial mmphed and the apparitions dissolved, "As you wish, then, I will not bother you again. Farewell, Godchild", she hissed, vanishing along with the barrier.
As soon as the way was open, Sarevok noticed his sister's distress and hurried to her side, taking her to a quiet corner to talk, "What happened with the Solar? Why are you so upset?". "I sent that manipulative bitch on her way, that's what happened. And as for me being upset, well, she had the gall to create an illusion of that...That blue-robed bastard!", Meg gritted her teeth, "You should have seen it, all sad eyes and downcast expression, blabbering about how sorry he was and how he only wanted to protect me...Bah! As if I would ever believe his lies!".
He gently stroked her face, "Maggie, don't you think it's time to let go of your hatred for him?". "Let go? He abandoned you! He...". The warrior pressed a finger on her lips, "I know. I've hated him for a long time too, for taking you away from me", he admitted, "But I can't deny that I was, I still am, also grateful to him". She looked at him with wide eyes, baffled, "Grateful? Why on Toril should you be?". "Because the old man took you to a safe place", the Deathbringer explained, "He took good care of you, my little wild rose and you know it. You were well-fed, well-educated and you had a good friend in Imoen. Gorion tore us apart, but I couldn't have hoped for a better place for you to live in".
Margaret Dawn shook her head, a maelstrom of conflicting emotions raging inside her, "No. No, I can't". "Maggie...". "NO! I can't forgive him, I...I can't forgive myself ", she choked out, her voice cracking as bitter tears flowed on her cheeks. Her brother was puzzled, "Forgive yourself? For what?". "For taking that chance away from you: he should have taken you, not me. I should have been the one to live on the streets, I should have struggled daily against the cold and the hunger, I should have ended up in Rieltar's clutches! I should have been the one to die!".
Sarevok wrapped his arms around her and held her close, moved, "Oh, my little wild rose...It was not your fault. Fate had already decided". "Itis my fault, Sarry: if I hadn't been there, Gorion would have saved you. You wouldn't have had to suffer so much, if not for me". "Hey now", he gently made her look into his eyes, "Don't even think of it: you are everything to me, Maggie. You are my joy, my precious little sister. My life would be empty without you". She smiled weakly, drying her cheeks with a trembling hand, "So was mine without you: I carried on only because I had to, because Ilmater ordered me to. If not for Him...", she trailed off, unconsciously rubbing her wrists, as if the scars were still there.
"Well, now I'm here, so there's no reason to cry, okay?", the warrior smiled back and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Okay". "Good. Now, about Gorion, do you think you can at least hate him a bit less? He did much for you, after all". "I know...And that's one of the reasons why I hate him so much", the Ilmatari sighed, "It may sound crazy, but I hated being so safe and taken good care of, while you were left to fend for yourself. It just wasn't fair". "I know, it wasn't, but you have no reason to feel guilty about it", her brother hugged her again, "You know I'm right". "You always are, Sarry. But it's hard to ignore this feeling: it's been gnawing at me for so long now, that it has become a part of myself". "Kill it then".
"What?", the young woman blinked, taken off-balance. "You said it's a part of yourself. This means that here you can give it a shape, make it solid and kill it. This is your realm, so you have the power to do it, just like you gave shape to the enemies in the first room", he explained, "Come on, Maggie!". Meg hesitated, but after a long moment, she nodded and closed her eyes, calling upon the power she held over the place. An emerald green mist appeared and slowly it became a perfect replica of her, but covered in bruises and wounds dripping blood, "I am here. What do you want from me?", the apparition asked.
The Painbearer observed the ghost, "I...I guess I'm going to kill you". The fake Meg shrugged, "Oh, all right. But make sure to kill me slowly, okay? I deserve all the pain you can give me and more". "Uh...Ilmater's mercy, is that really what I've felt for so long?", Margaret Dawn was shocked, "I had no idea it was so bad". "Neither did I", Sarevok commented, his handsome face quite pale. "You know, I don't think that killing her would help me that much. But maybe...", she suddenly remembered a similar situation, in a forgotten temple under Athkatla and put her hands gently on the ghost's chest, then she intoned her most powerful healing spell.
A blue glow brightened the room and when it faded, the apparition was healthy and the look on her face was serene. "Thank you. You saved me from myself. Now I am free", she nodded gratefully and vanished, leaving behind a sense of peace in the Ilmatari. "Maggie, how do you feel?", the warrior asked, worried and his sister smiled. "I feel…Lighter. The guilt is gone and so is the hatred. I am free at last". "Ilmater be praised", Sarevok smiled back and slipped an arm around her shoulders, "Come, let's rejoin the others and go back to the inn for our meal". "Gladly, I'm starving!".