neomoon585, who owns Rune, Blake, and Dawn, asked for this one. Here you go, Amigo! :) Enjoy! :)
Balan Wonderworld belongs to its respective owners.
The Truest Gift Of All
Dawn had not anticipated her day to go from good to bad.
The fourteen-year-old girl winced as she managed to sit up from where she had been pushed to the pavement and punched by the bullies. She was a bit bruised up, but also had cuts on her arms from one bully having a knife. The bully had even managed to slash at Dawn's legs. While the wounds weren't very deep, they were bleeding and she was in pain from the beating.
She tried to get up, but fell back down, too weak to stand up properly. "Help," she said softly.
"Is someone there?" A voice asked.
Dawn turned her head to find Blake, another fourteen-year-old, coming towards her, his cane in front of him tapping the area as he was blind. But despite being blind, the young man was able to take care of himself quite well.
"Blake?" She called out to him, her voice going weak from exhaustion.
"Dawn?" He asked, recalling hearing her voice when the teacher had called her name. He moved closer and reached a hand out, soon finding Dawn's head and he gently moved his hand to her shoulders before feeling her wince. A moment later, he felt a warm liquid on his hand. "You're injured," he said.
"Yes," she said. "The bullies got to me."
Blake kneeled down and took one of Dawn's arms, gently draping it over his shoulders before he picked her up bridal style. "Hold on," he said. "I'll get you to the hospital."
Just then, thunder sounded overhead and it began raining. Dawn shivered a little from the cold rain. "Maybe finding some shelter and then we'll call for an ambulance," she suggested.
He nodded and began walking, Dawn telling him where the walls were or other obstructions so that he didn't trip. The rain began to fall harder and he paused a moment. "We need to get out of this rain now," he said.
Dawn turned her head and saw a light up ahead. "There," she said. "To your right, Blake. There's an alleyway and there's a building there with the sign still lit up. Maybe it's a restaurant or hotel we can take shelter in."
Blake turned towards the building and when they got closer, they saw it was a theater. "It's a theater," she said.
"It's still open?" He asked.
"Looks like it," she said as he moved closer and she tried the door, finding it unlocked. "It's unlocked."
Blake moved inside, still carrying Dawn and he turned so that she could shut the door. Just then, footsteps sounded and Blake turned as Dawn looked to see a tall man dressed as a ringmaster in a white sparkling suit with red and gold accents coming towards them, his hat pulled half-way over his face to act as a mask. The man's golden eyes widened and his face took on a look of horror. "Oh, my goodness, what happened, my dears?" He asked, his deep voice filled with concern.
"Who are you?" Blake asked, hugging Dawn a bit more protectively.
"Maestro Balan, the owner of this theater," the man replied before he noticed their clothes were dripping with water. "Oh, my goodness. You're both soaked to the bone."
Dawn shivered a bit from the cold and Balan noticed, along with her wounds. "My dear, we need to take care of those wounds," he said. "Both of you come with me."
He turned to lead them down the hall and heard Dawn tell Blake where to turn. Balan paused and turned to look behind him. "Is everything alright?" He asked.
"Yes," Blake said.
"I was just guiding him down the hallway so that he didn't bump into anything," Dawn replied.
Balan looked curious before it hit him. "Oh, do forgive me, I didn't realize you couldn't see, young man," he said apologetically, walking up to the young man and placing a hand gently in the middle of his back. Blake twitched slightly in surprise, but noted the touch was light. "Come," the tall man said gently, guiding the two again to a room with a large fireplace and a fire roaring inside of it. Another tall being, this one with black tendrils that had neon designs and a purple suit, looked up from the book he was reading and his eyes widened at seeing the state of the teenage girl.
"Balan, that girl needs medical attention," he said urgently.
"Yes, Lance," Balan said. "They got caught in the rain."
The dark being nodded, seeing why Balan brought them in. He went up to the young man, noting that the young man stared blankly at him. He cocked an eyebrow and Balan looked at him. "The young man is unable to see, Lance," he said.
"But that doesn't mean I'm helpless," the young man said.
Lance nodded before seeing the teenage girl was looking more tired. "Let me see the girl," he said gently.
Blake hugged Dawn closer and Lance placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "The girl needs help now," he said. "If we don't heal her wounds, her condition will get worse."
Seeing the man had a point, Blake nodded, allowing Lance to take Dawn from him. The girl looked up at Lance, who gently set her down on the couch and took one of her hands in his own. "Balan, take her other hand," he said.
Balan did so and Lance gently stroked Dawn's head with his free hand. "Close your eyes, sweet one," he said gently. "You're safe now."
Soothed by his voice and seeing Balan nod to her, Dawn closed her eyes, to which Balan and Lance activated their magic, the magic seeping into the wounds and healing them. After a moment, Dawn opened her eyes, no longer feeling pain. She glanced at Lance, who smiled gently. "How do you feel?" He asked.
"A lot better," she admitted.
"Here," Balan said, wrapping a blanket around her. "We need to get you warm before you catch a cold."
Blake moved slowly forward. "Dawn, are you okay?" He asked.
"Yes," she said. "They...They healed my wounds."
"How did you receive such wounds?" Lance asked.
"Bullies," Dawn replied before looking curiously at the dark being. "Lance, right?"
He nodded. "Yes," he replied. "And you are Dawn?"
She nodded. "And that's Blake," she said, gesturing to the young man who had found her. "He found me and was helping me get to the hospital when it started to rain."
"Are you hurt, Blake?" Balan asked.
"No," the young man said truthfully as he felt something warm come around him and he reached out to see what it was.
"Easy," Lance said as he wrapped the blanket around the boy. "We really should get you two some dry clothes. I'll go see if we have some spare ones."
With that, Lance headed out and Balan sat with the two teens. "You both can stay here for tonight," he said. "The rain should stop by morning."
"We should tell our folks," Blake said.
"I agree," Dawn said before looking at Balan. "Thank you for your hospitality."
Thanks to Balan and Lance's magic, Dawn recovered from her injuries and she and Blake became frequent visitors of the theater. Lance, who usually didn't care for visitors still retaining their memories, didn't seem to mind the two visiting. As time went on and Blake and Dawn grew older, they fell more in love with each other and got married, giving birth to a little boy they named Rune. They brought the baby to the theater to meet Balan and Lance and the two maestros were thrilled to see the little one. "He looks just like you two," Balan said.
"He is a special child," Lance said with a smile.
Dawn smiled before looking at the two. "Balan. Lance, should anything happen to me and Blake, will you two take care of Rune for us?"
"He is gifted with magic thanks to you two saving Dawn so long ago," Blake said. "We're going to keep him a secret from society, because if the wrong person finds out about Rune's magic...,"
"It would mean disaster," Balan said solemnly before nodding. "Blake, Dawn, our dear friends, you have my word that if such an instance does occur, Rune is more than welcomed to stay here and he will be guarded well."
"I agree with Balan," Lance said, gently stroking Rune's small head, to which the baby turned his head slightly into the tendriled being's touch. "No one will harm him."
"Thank you," Dawn said with a smile.
But their happiness wouldn't last, as there was an illegal organization unknown to the government that was after gifted children and had heard about Balan and Lance and were therefore searching for them. Hoping to get answers and Rune, the agents stormed into Dawn and Blake's home, setting it ablaze. Dawn ran to get Rune and led him quickly to a secret door that would lead to outside. "Honey, you have to run," she said. "Don't let these agents find you."
"Mom?" The nine-year-old boy asked worriedly.
She kissed his forehead. "I love you, Rune," she said before giving him a gentle push to run and closing the secret door.
Rune began running, but was hoping his parents would make it. He got outside in time to see the house was engulfed in flames and the agents were making a getaway. The streets were soon empty and the sirens for the firetrucks could be heard. Rune hid and watched as the firemen put out the blaze, but the EMTs had sad news.
"Two people inside," one said before shaking his head sadly. "They didn't make it."
The head EMT sighed sadly. "Alright," he said before looking at the place where the house once was. "A shame. A young couple gone too soon."
Rune felt tears fill his eyes as he sat down by the bushes near where his home once was. He thought about his parents and remembered when they had told him about Balan and Lance, two maestros that would take care of any child in need. He even had a picture of his parents with the two maestros. Biting his lip softly, he took out the picture and then got up, heading away from the scene in hopes of finding the two that his parents had spoken so highly of.
Balan hummed as he swept the stage and checked the lights. "There," he said. "Another successful performance, Lance."
"It was indeed," the tendriled being said with a smile as he closed the stage curtains. "I think we nearly had a full house."
Just then, a Tim came up to them and chirped. Balan picked it up. "A young boy is here?" He asked.
Just then, the doors to the very theater room they were in opened. "Hello?" A young voice called out.
"Can we help you, young one?" Lance called out, not yet showing himself.
"Um, I'm looking for Balan and Lance," the boy said. "My parents said they could help me."
"Your parents, young one?" Balan asked curiously. "What is your name, child?"
"Rune," the boy replied.
Balan dropped the broom in shock and Lance jolted in shock. "It couldn't be," the tendriled being said, coming out from behind the curtain and seeing the boy. He stopped in shock. "Rune?" He asked.
The boy looked and saw him. "Lance?" The boy asked before looking at a photo in his hands.
Balan came out as well and he stopped in shock before going to stand by Lance. "Who were your parents, little one?" He asked gently.
Rune came closer and held out the photo, which Balan took and his eyes filled with tears. "Lance," he said, showing him the photo. The dark-haired being's eyes widened.
"Blake and Dawn," he said before looking at the boy. "Rune, what happened, young one?"
The boy felt tears fill his eyes. "Some bad men came and burned the house," he said. "Mom and Dad...didn't make it." He sniffled. "They...They told me to find you if something happened to them."
"Oh, Rune," Balan said, scooping the boy up into his arms and holding him in a hug.
The boy began to cry and clung to Balan, who looked sadly at Lance, who looked saddened too before he clenched his free hand into a fist. "Our promise we made to Blake and Dawn stand," he said firmly before looking at Rune, who looked at him watery eyes. "Don't worry, Rune. You'll be safe here."
"He's right, young one," Balan said before seeing the boy reach for Lance and he handed the boy over to his counterpart, who hugged the boy tightly, swallowing hard. "Lance?"
The tendriled being looked at him. "I think it's best if one of us adopts him," he said. "That way, he'll be safe."
"I agree," Balan said.
Two years later...
"Very good, Rune," Lance said as he watched the boy create orbs with his hands. "Now toss the orbs to me."
The boy did so and Lance caught the orbs, making them vanish before he smiled. "Well done," he said.
"I think I'm getting better at it, Father," Rune said to the dark-haired maestro.
"You are, son," Lance said with a smile. "Now, it's time for your levitation lesson. Your uncle should be in the library."
Rune nodded and headed to go find Balan, finding him in the library. "Uncle Balan?" He called out.
Balan smiled at him. "Come on up, my boy," he said.
Concentrating, Rune levitated up to his uncle, who smiled at him. "Well done," he said.
Just then, a familiar Ghostli came in and flew up to Rune, trilling happily and making the boy laugh. "Hey, Wisper," he said.
"He was eager to see you," Balan said, gently ruffling his nephew's burgundy hair playfully.
"Uncle Balan," the boy protested with a laugh as he ducked away, smoothing his hair out as he playfully glared at the man he saw as both a father and an uncle.
The Positive Maestro chuckled. "By the way, how was school today?"
"It was alright," the boy said. "Some kids did say I have weird eyes, but I ignored them. One girl said she thought my eyes were cool."
Balan nodded, knowing that Rune's heterochromic eyes often drew stares. The boy's left eye was purple and his right eye was teal. "Good," he said as they continued to practice with Rune's magic.
Though it had been a peaceful two years, Balan and Lance had been on alert in case something happened and it was good they were, because the same organization that had tried to kidnap Rune years earlier changed their name to S.H.A.D.E., Special Humans Authorized to Destroy Enchantment, and was still on the hunt.
After Rune's magic lesson, he went to his room with Wisper while Balan and Lance set to sweep the outside of the theater. As they were outside, they were ambushed by S.H.A.D.E. "Finally found you two," the leader said.
Balan snapped his fingers, making the theater vanish before the agents could enter it. "Perhaps, but you won't get Rune," he said firmly.
"Oh, we will," said the leader before nets were thrown at Balan and Lance, nets that negated their magic and allowed them to be taken away. Rune, who had heard about the commotion from some Tims and Negati, looked to see the organization taking away his father and uncle and he grew mad.
"Not this time," he said, powering up. "Come on, Wisper."
It didn't take long for the two to find S.H.A.D.E.'s headquarters and they went in, Wisper finding that there were other gifted children there too and he told Rune, who nodded. "We save them all," he said.
Because the agents hadn't been expecting the boy, he used the element of surprise to take them down and free the other gifted children, who helped out. "Have you seen these two?" Rune asked one of the other gifted kids.
"Yeah, the leader took them to his office," the kid said. "Down the hall. Take the third hall on your left and then the fourth door on your right. It's got the logo of this place on it. You can't miss it."
"Thanks," Rune said before following the instructions with Wisper beside him. There were no guards, surprisingly, which made it easy for Rune and Wisper to knock down the doors.
The leader stood up in shock as Balan and Lance, who had both been tied up, looked surprised. "Rune, be careful!" Balan called out warningly.
The eleven-year-old boy looked up at the leader. "You," he said in a calm voice tinged with anger. "You killed my parents and now you try to take away my adoptive father and uncle?" The boy began levitating and opened his glowing eyes. "You're finished."
The leader quickly tried to call for backup and grab his weapons, but Rune was too quick and soon the leader was down and Rune felt the desire to take revenge for his fallen parents fill him, almost to the point of being corrupted.
Lance realized this as Wisper got both him and Balan free. "Rune, no!" The dark-haired being said urgently, quickly moving and getting in-between the boy and the leader of S.H.A.D.E. "No, don't do it, Rune."
"But he killed my parents and hurt you and Uncle Balan, Father," the boy said.
"Yes, and he hurt you too," Lance said gently.
"But you must be the bigger person, Rune," Balan said. "Spare him. Only monsters kill for revenge."
"You are not like the leader of this horrible place," Lance said. "Spare him, son."
Rune took a deep breath and calmed down, glaring at the leader. "Father and Uncle Balan are right," he said. "So let this be a warning. Don't ever come near us again or capture gifted kids again."
Just then, a female Federal agent came in and she looked at the three before seeing the leader was out of commission and she nodded. "Go," she told them. "We'll take it from here."
"I trust S.H.A.D.E. will be fully dismantled?" Balan asked.
"One-hundred percent," the agent replied.
Nodding, Rune let with Balan, Lance, and Wisper and all three headed back home.
As he walked through the doors of his home, Rune looked at Wisper, who looked at him. "I know Father and Uncle Balan have helped so many children, but they deserve someone to help them with the theater," he said. "So as long as I live, you and I will help them by guarding our home, Wisper."
Wisper trilled in agreement, nodding as the two went inside and Balan and Lance hugged Rune tightly, proud of him and knowing that Rune's parents were also proud of the boy too.
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GoldGuardian2418
