"Deep within the realms of both Mortals and Gods, two pulses of Magic rippled across the Yggdrasil with such an intensity that it was felt by all. Without warning, the Caretakers of Magic and the six Drailvec imk Rauv vanished from across the realms and the mortals and gods alike waited on bated breath as the Aesir flocked to the source of the magical outbursts."
Va'ly's eyes widened at the sight he stumbled across, an anguished cry leaving him as he watched the man he'd only just re-found fall to his knees before a giant, silver hound.
The scent of blood - his father's blood hit his senses like a physical blow to the stomach and Vasuki turned when he heard the brunet.
But the blond's action gave the hound the opening it'd been waiting for and it launched itself at the older Arkentor, taking advantage of Va'ly's distraction and tackled the blond to the ground. Its jaws snapped closed around Vasuki's arm as the man just barely managed to stop them from closing around his throat.
"No!"
Va'ly dropped the necklace he'd been holding as he took a step forwards and flung a hand out towards the grappling duo. The hound let out a howl of pain as a dagger of pure magic embedded itself into the mutts' hindquarters and forced it to release the Arkentor in its grasp as it stumbled backwards. Liquid silver eyes bore into Va'ly and a growl rumbled through the hounds chest. Though the brunet returned the growl with a rumbling snarl; his face twisting and reforming into a muzzle as he spat out his words through clenched teeth.
"You shall not touch him!"
He fell forwards as his hands and feet twisted; padded paws and razor-sharp claws replacing dull fingers and palms while dagger-like talons replaced his feet. White fur sprouted around his eyes and up into the brown of his hair; large, funnelled ears shooting up through the mane that was thickening around his changing shoulders and back. Black fur covered the rest of his body, luminescence green stripes marking the fur all the way to the white tuff at the end of his tail. His body twisted and arched as it continued to change, his chest barrelling out and his head jerked back as his now fully-formed muzzle snapped shut. His lips pulled back to reveal a mouth full of large canines as a low, warning growl escaped him.
Aridre's eyes widened minutely before he shook off its surprise as Va'ly suddenly launched himself into the air. The hound met him halfway and they collided in a mix of white, black and silver fur and the flashing of canines and sharp claws and talons. They hit the ground hard, each giving a small yelp in protest as they skidded across the hardwood floor before trying to get the upper hand on the other.
A crying-bark was torn from Va'ly as Aridre managed to sink his teeth into the muscle of the beasts front, right leg. Though Va'ly let out a growl, determination burning in the dark depths of his eyes and he knew he would not be losing this fight. And with a sharp jerk of his head to the side, satisfaction filled him as his teeth sunk into the shifted Arkentor's ear and scruff behind it. With an almost wolfish smile, and a mouth and nose full of silver fur, skin, and blood, the beast that was Va'ly tore his head back in the other direction and listened as the hound gave out a muffled yelp before relinquishing it's hold of his leg.
The hound was limping as he tried to catch his breath, his silver eyes following Va'ly's movements closely and he cringed at the mangled lump of fur, skin, and blood that was once his ear as it was spat out of the beast's mouth before it begun to rubbed its jaw along the ground as if it were trying to get rid of some horrid taste. Aridre felt a tremble pass through him as their eyes met once more; his a liquid silver to Va'ly's black voids.
Revenge burned through every atom of Va'ly's being and his lip curled upwards as he let out a low growling snarl before launching himself at Aridre once more, though this time intending to go for the kill. But the hound moved at the last second and the beast ended up with another mouthful of fur. Va'ly didn't let go however, his jaws closing even tighter as he pulled and shook his head, wanting to rip the shifted Arkentor apart - piece by piece if need be.
Aridre tried to get Va'ly to let release him, his jaws snapping at anything that got too close, but his injured leg buckled and gave Va'ly the upper hand - of which he didn't waste.
The next thing the hound knew was that he was flying through the air before colliding with something with a sickening 'crunch'. The wall he'd collided with gave way under his weight and the force he'd been thrown into it and Va'ly watched on with dim satisfaction as Aridre disappeared from view and into the next room beyond in a mess of broken drywall, fur, dust, and blood.
However without skipping a beat, the beast's body straightened as he returned to his more two-legged form and rushed back to his father's side.
"Vanla," he breathed as he dropped down beside the injured man, his eyes widening as he took in Vasuki's injuries. "Why didn't you fight back?" he almost snapped, confused as to why his father hadn't done just that as he tried to figure out what needed to be done to save him. So many things were running through his mind, but none of it mattered at that moment in time as Va'ly also brushed away the stomach-souring sense of déjà vu, ignoring the fact that it was the second time in his life that he and his father had been in this situation.
"N-not everything can be se-settled by fighting," the blond stated. His voice was strained, his breaths laboured and Va'ly shook his head.
"You're a fool," the brunet spat even as he closed his eyes and focused; willing to do anything to save his father. Magic came to his call, leys appearing around the pair as behind their lids, Va'ly's eyes were swallowed by a black so dark that they became almost voids. Those same eyes snapped open when the brunet felt a hand wrap around his branded wrist and he was startled to see Vasuki shaking his head at him.
"No!" he ground out, closing his eyes once more when he recognised the look on his father's eyes and pushed it aside, concentrating on trying to save him.
Though distraction this time came in the form of Aridre as the silver hound clambered back through the ruined wall.
Rage curled around the brunet like an old, cherished friend as he stood up, his black eyes narrowing on the limping and bloodied hound that had harmed one of the last people Va'ly cared about. A deep, growling snarl rumbled through his chest as he launched himself at Aridre as the hound tried to stand. His form shifted fluidly as he went straight for the throat. And once he had Aridre between his jaws, this time Va'ly didn't let got as his front paws pressed down against the hounds body as he shook and tugged, wanting to tear Aridre's throat out.
"L-Ly," a voice croaked from behind the beast and barely gained his attention as funnelled ears swivelled backwards and towards Vasuki. Though the mere thought of his father and what the mutt in his clutches had done only worked as fuel to Va'ly's anger and pain.
For so long he'd been held back. Put up with others and their torture and abuse; their rules and desires to contain him - to strip him of what makes him who and what he was.
For so long...
Magic crackled around Va'ly like electricity; leys merging with his body and causing his mane to almost double in size as his fur stood on end when another growl tore through his chest. And with one last pull, his teeth sinking even further into the shifted Arkentor's throat as he tugged his head backwards, the hound let out a garbled, choking whine before Va'ly did as he intended. Snarling, he watched as the hound's lifeblood ran freely and stained the mutt's silver fur; fading silver eyes staring at him in shock.
Va'ly didn't move until he was certain that hound had breathed his last. Though when the shifted Arkentor turned back to his father, the beast froze.
"I had always wondered what drove you..."
A low, earthshaking growl rumbled through Va'ly's chest as he bared his fangs at the newcomer, his hackles almost looking like pointed quills as they raised with his warning.
"To think it was something as simple as... family," the tyrant before him smirked as he easily lifted Vasuki off the ground by the hold he had around the man's head.
"Let. Him. Go!"
The words tore through the newcomer's mind like a hurricane as Va'ly's anger and terror fed his power. His form seemed to grow; teeth and claws elongating as the markings on his back and rump begun to darken until his entire body, minus his white mane, had turned pitch black. His power flared and the stripes returned, though instead of the eery green they had once been, they ripped over his fur in bursts of wispy flames that caught his mane and made it look as though his body was on fire.
The hand that was holding Vasuki shifted until it wrapped around the blond's throat as its owner's gaze watched the beast before him. Satisfaction filled the tyrant's eyes as the Arkentor in his grasp choked and sputtered as they squeezed just that little bit more, watching as Va'ly hesitated. They looked back to the man in their grasp, their smirk growing as they pulled Vasuki in closer so they could whisper into his ear.
"You once asked me what the price would be to save your son..."
The voice was hushed, although Va'ly's funnelled ears still picked up every word and they sent alarm bells ringing through his mind.
"I accept your life as payment."
"G-go to Hel-"
Va'ly's form melted away as he launched himself at the tyrant as Thanos cut Vasuki's sentence off by plunging a dagger into the man's side, feeling the blade slip between ribs and move upwards towards his goal. All three of them toppled to the ground in a heap of fur, limbs, fangs, and blood as the brunet collided into them, Vasuki grunting as he landed harshly onto the floor.
Thanos just stared up at Va'ly, a questioning look in his eyes as the brunet's own widened in surprise. A choking gasp left the younger man as his gaze shifted away from Thanos and down to where the tyrant's hand was wrapped around the hilt of the dagger that was now imbedded into the brunet's stomach.
"And now..."
Va'ly's gaze returned to Thanos, rage once again filling him as he watched a smirk flitter across the man's face.
"Now the Wolf shall be reborn," Thanos breathed in utter delight before he vanished from where Va'ly had pinned him and the brunet let out a roar as his fist slammed down right where the tyrant's smirking face had just been. He stayed there for a moment, shaking in both rage and pain as he tried to get his rolling emotions under control. Though calmness cut through his mind even as a snarling yelp escaped him as without overthinking it, Va'ly ripped the dagger from his stomach and went to toss it aside - only to pause when he found that he recognised the silver blade.
His eyes snapped to Vasuki's prone form, moving to the blond's side even as his mind tried to accept what he'd seen. His emotions were rolling like a stormy sea as he dropped the red and black hilted dagger and cradled his father's head in his lap. Va'ly ignored both the pain in his arm and stomach - along with the blood that was on the both of them as he looked down to the dying man and all but begged.
"Vanla?"
The mask the brunet had worn in front of Thanos, in front of Jack and anyone he'd met ever since that fateful day that had him fleeing Jon-Flor crumbled away as he tried to get his father to stay focused on him. He couldn't lose him too. Not after just finding him again.
Vasuki managed to raise a shaking hand and place it against Va'ly's bloody cheek, not at all caring as he looked into those long-forgotten, though familiar hazel brown eyes of his son. He wiped away the tear that rolled a clear path down the brunet's cheek, managing a small smile at the sight of Va'ly's walls finally coming down - even if Vasuki felt as though his hearts were breaking for what felt like the thousandth time, knowing it was his death that had finally gotten his son to do such a thing.
"Fi-find her," he sputtered, his voice strained as he tried to convey the importance of his words.
"No!" Va'ly snarled as he shook his head, ignoring his father's words. "You're not dying, you hear me! Not again!" the brunet all but shouted as his magic seemed to build up around him as he continued to try and save his father. Though tears filled the younger man's eyes as Vasuki, despite his worsening condition, fought against everything Va'ly was trying to achieve; the older Arkentor's own magic rising to protect its host against the very person who was trying to save him.
"No, Ly," the blond whispered as he grabbed Va'ly's hand, pressing something into the brunet's palm. "You mu-must find her."
Blinking back his tears, Va'ly looked down to the item his father was giving him and confusion contorted his features even as pain filled his eyes. "Why?" he asked, barely managing to keep his voice steady as his hand curled around the three-banded ring.
"Do-don't be afraid, Ar..." Vasuki's voice trailed off.
"No, no, no, Vanla!" Va'ly exclaimed as his father's eyes closed; his body going limp in his arms. "No, don't do this to me. Not again, Vanla," he cried, pulling Vasuki closer; tugging him against his chest as his eyes squeezed shut.
"No!"
Magic exploded from Va'ly's shaking form as it reacted to his pain, blasting across the room in waves that caused the very foundations of the house he was in to shake. Things shattered as the ripples of his grief hit them, knocking items of shelves or across the room as Va'ly felt his whole world crumbled down around him once again.
"For just before Alivain disappeared from the World Ash and deep in the Realm of Mortals and on a small planet known only as Jon-Flor, it was said to be there where the time of the Arkentor's came to pass. And where the reign of the Alchemist began."
"It was within the forests of Jon-Flor, hidden on the outskirts of a small clearing when Magic returned to the universe with a vengeance..."
"But..."
Rakbaste paused in his walking, the coffee cup in his hand lowering from his lips as his eyebrows furrowed, trying to digested what the blond at his side was telling him. It wasn't that the tale was new or anything. More that the point of view was from one he'd never expected to hear.
A smirk played across his companion's face as they sipped their own coffee. "Your father never told you, did he?" the Druid asked as he watched the many emotions that played across the raven-haired man's face as they continued walking once more.
"No," Rakbaste stated with a sigh, resignation lining his features even as he gave a shrug. "Though he really isn't known for actually talking," he added. And - for Rakbaste at least - he was right.
"My brother isn't known for a lot of things," the Druid agreed with a snort, tossing his now empty cup into a bin as they passed.
"Does he know?" the blacket enquired. "I mean - urgh! Does Va'ly know after what happened today?" he amended, adding, "Even after all these years, timelines are still confusing," with a shake of his head.
An amused huff left the Druid at Rakbaste's predicament. "Even I still have trouble trying to keep up with where that man has been, and I'm supposed to know him better than anyone. But, I do think he realised at least what I was to him the moment he decided to go and cut off my hand."
Rakbaste winced at both the mention and memory of said act, though realisation dawned on his face as something occurred to him. "You're kidding me!" he exclaimed and the smirk that had been on the Druid's face returned as if he knew what the other man had concluded from the events that had happened earlier. "Oh, he's gonna be pissed when he realises," Rakbaste chuckled. "I'm glad that you're the one who's gotta deal with him and not me."
"Oh, no," the Druid denied quickly, shaking his head even as he chuckled. "I've been dealing with Va'ly for as long as I can remember. I left him with someone who'd be able to knock some sense into that thick head of his."
"You didn't?"
The blond shrugged, looking rather unabashed as he said, "If there's one person that could deal with your father, it'd be the only person that managed to beat him in a fair duel."
"You do know that you're gonna be dragged back into all of this," Rakbaste pointed out after a moment of consideration. "You just told me that he knows who you are," he added with a pointed look.
"No," the man denied once more. "Va'ly knows what I am. He already knew that there was nothing that he could have done to change today. Now he just has to also deal with the fact that I am, and always have been, untouchable to him."
"Bet he wasn't expecting you to challenge him, though" the blacket piped up, shaking his head at, well, everything that had happened - along with the realisation that he had just had. "I'm actually quite surprised that he agreed to it, to be completely honest," he continued, pausing as he glanced down to the cup he was still holding as they approached another bin before deciding just to toss it.
"So am I," the Druid agreed. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face as he added, "Though I don't think I left him much of a choice. There was always going to be a challenge-"
"That you just so happened to decide to play around with who fought who," Rakbaste cut in with a raised eyebrow.
"Hey, as far as I'm concerned, nothing changed. A Time Lord still fought an Arkentor. And said Time Lord still lost a hand." The Druid held up said hand and wiggled his fingers as if to make his point.
"And revealing to the Doctor that he's not alone?"
"He already knew," the blond shrugged. "Found out this morning to be precise."
"But... I thought that Aries was going to tell him," Rakbaste said with a confused expression.
"Nah. River could never keep her nose out of their business," his companion said as they came to the end of the street they'd been walking down. The Druid turned to Rakbaste with a somewhat serious expression as he added, "But despite why she sent Vera to help them, she did it for the right reasons. We both know what's heading their way and the Doctor needs to know everything and have the time to process it all long before then."
"But, Ly-"
"They're gone, Rakbaste," the Druid cut him off solemnly, his odd eyes boring into the raven-haired man's as if to help drive his words home. "And this time they won't be coming back."
Confusion marred Rakbaste's features as he stared at the blond before horrified realisation appeared in his eyes. Panic replaced that confusion not seconds later as he quickly said, "But Va'ly had his sceptre. You even bargained for it with Aries' stone!"
"I'm not talking about now," the blond stated.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"I'd roughly give them about..." the Druid trailed off, a frown tugging at his lips before he eyed Rakbaste a little sheepishly. "What is the date today?"
"... you don't know what today-?" Rakbaste threw up his hands. "How in the Nine Realms do you not know what the date is?"
"So..." the Druid suddenly turned to the large statue that they'd stopped before, looking the ferocious cat up and down as he added, "You think that Vera and Aruile will be done with Aries and the Doctor yet?"
"Druid... what exactly happened since I last saw you. You know, despite the... change in appearance."
There was a mysterious smirk that played out upon the blond's lips as he rested a hand upon the head of the Nundu statue. "The better question to ask would be, 'Just what will Lydeth do when she realises that she possess' not one, but two Stones?'" he said just loud enough for the man at his side to hear before he suddenly disappeared, leaving Rakbaste staring at the spot he'd just been standing with his mouth agape.
"Wait?-" the man copied the blond's actions, "-What do you mean she now ha-"
His question was cut off halfway as he too vanished from the desolate and rundown street.
"Papa! Papa! Look what I got papa!" a young girl cried as she ran towards her father, her arms full of sticks and branches that she'd gathered from the surrounding forest.
A proud smile lifted the lips of her father's face as he quickly took the bundle off her. "This will be more than enough for tonight, Sera," he said as he placed them next to the pile he'd already gathered.
"Marie and Ruko helped," the girl told him as two furry beasts the size of small dogs appeared, yipping and growling as they ran around the camp and causing the girl to laugh at their antics.
"I'm glad that they were with you," her father said, bending down to give one of the beasts a pat. "But you know better than to go running of into the forest without an elder," he continued, his voice still soft, though now with a slight, reprimanding edge that had Sera's happiness wilting slightly.
"Sorry, papa," the girl apologised as she launched herself at the man and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"It's all fine now, Sera," he comforted her, "But you must remember that the forest may provide the means for our survival, it also can lead to our very deaths. Just like we need to eat, so to do the great hunters and beasts of the woods, and they won't pass up the chance to snatch up a little girl who'd wandered into their domain without permission or supervision."
Sera sniffed, feeling upset that she had gotten into trouble. Though the young girl also listened to her father and when he was finished she nodded, knowing that he was right.
"Now, why don't you go and see if your brother needs any help cleaning the fish for dinner," her father said when he knew his words had sunk in, nudging his daughter in the direction of where his son was. "I need to go on patrol soon, so I want you to stay close to camp until your mother comes to get you."
"Okay, papa," the girl replied before rushing off and leaving the man with the two yapping beasts.
"Don't you two have something better to do," he said, frowning at the beasts before he also left.
Aries didn't know what to do - what to think!
A sigh escaped her as she turned down another corridor of the TARDIS, not really caring where the ship led her as her mind tried to process everything she felt like the universe had dumped on her. A hand ran through her hair, frustration brimming with an overdose of both confusion and anger - and a dash of WHAT THE FUCK!
The witch had no clue as to where Vera and the Doctor were, having gotten out of the library the moment the last words of Vera's tale had left her lips. And that was what Aries had hoped it had been, despite the fact that the blonde had proven her words before she had even started her tale by taking a vow against her magic that what she was about to reveal was nothing but - what Vera believed at least - to be the truth. It was the thing with vows, something that Aries had studied intensively the moment she'd gained access to the Hogwarts library. But one could swear upon their magic and have no ill-effects from lying if they honestly believed what they were saying was the truth.
And Aries had tested the theory herself at least twice in her life, and the witch really didn't want to think of trying such a thing for a third time. Tricking oneself was one thing, but tricking magic... that was only asking for trouble.
However, even the red head could admit that Vera had never seemed to be the one to lie. Sure Aries may actually not know the younger woman, but it was the feeling she had about Vera. A feeling she had held since the TARDIS had told her the blonde was a friend.
But to think that Vera believed that magic originated on a different planet - parallel Earths not included - and was for whatever reason ripped away...
A puff of air hit Aries in the face at the same time her hand got tangled in her hair and she let out a huff, glaring at the spot the air had come from like it was directly responsible for the chaotic turn her life had taken. She was just starting to get used to the idea of being alone, moving on with the fact that what she'd once known all those decades ago were just memories of another life she could pretend had never happened. But then whatever the hell the blonde had revealed had been dropped into her lap and Aries now found that not only is she not alone, but the very last thing her father had given her when he'd supposedly died - thank you Druid - was not in fact a tear that had crystallised upon his dying breath. Or even a memory like she'd first thought.
No.
If Vera was correct, Aries had been left with a fucking Infinity Stone! One that Va'ly had believed that she'd stolen. Stolen off who, the witch had no idea, but she had no intentions of handing it over to the man. Though after what she suspected happened earlier between Va'ly and the blond-haired Time Lord, Aries didn't believe that she had to. If the 'challenge' that the Druid had put forth and won held rules that were anything close to duelling, it meant that Va'ly no longer held any claim over the Stone she possessed.
But...
Aries' eyebrows furrowed as something occurred to her.
If the Druid won and I kept the Stone? Just what did Va'ly lose?
Letting out another sigh when the answer continued to evade her, Aries ran her hand through her hair once more; trying to get her mind to settle. It was something that proved difficult as more questions popped into her head with every passing second, but as the witch turned down another corridor, she came to a stop when she found herself in front of a door.
"Um... TARDIS?" she called as she looked around, becoming alarmed when she realised the corridor she had first come down was nothing but a dead end; the door being the only thing in front of her. "Where am I?" she added, eyeing the rather plain door with suspicion. Her previous encounter with a strange door did seem to be a fond memory and Aries really didn't want to add another to her already long list of memories she'd rather forget.
Her reply from the ship was nothing but a gentle hum before the door creaked open. Though there was little the ship's actions did to reassure the red head who was now frowning; eyebrows knitting together as she studied the partially opened door with unveiled suspicion. The Doctor's words about the TARDIS liking to play the occasion prank flickered through her mind, although Aries didn't get the feeling that the ship was trying to prank her. In fact, the red head had come to trust that no harm would come to her from the ship, which was something that still surprised her sometimes seeing as how trusting she was with others.
But there was something about the sentient space/time machine that slowly was beginning to feel like home and Aries couldn't deny that the idea was growing on her the more time she spent with the ship.
"Okay then..." the red head murmured under her breath as she pushed the door open further and stepped inside the room. Though what she saw had her frown deepening.
The room was completely empty; only a large, covered item that had been placed in the room's centre. The walls were white - blank. Nothing at all that could give away what the room was supposed to be for, or what was sitting at its very centre.
Slowly making her way further into the room, Aries took no notice when she heard the door click closed behind her as her silver-grey gaze was locked onto the concealed object, something feeling vaguely familiar about the shape under the sheet. Tentatively, she grabbed the cover and tugged at it, stepping back as the sheet slid away effortlessly and Aries' eyes widened, her breath catching at what was revealed to her.
"Oh, it's beautiful," she muttered, unable to stop herself from running a hand over the smooth, amber column of the harp. She smiled a real smile as the TARDIS let out another hum and a small stool appeared and Aries spared a glance to the ceiling as she asked, "Do you want me to play?" The witch was feeling a little anxious at the thought, however. It had been simply decades since she had played such an instrument - and there was also the added factor of what usually occurred while she played.
The implications had Aries chewing on her bottom lip, her gaze going to the door. The temptation to play was growing, but she found that she was nervous of the thought of the Doctor - or Merlin forbid, Rose - should enter while she was lost in the music. Her father had always said that her magic just had a strange reaction to music, almost the same way that Hagrid's three-headed Cerberus would sleep if music was played to it. It seemed to settle her emotions and calm her thoughts - while thankfully not putting her to sleep. But at the same time, strange things tended to happen.
Though as another hum filled the air, this one full of reassurance, Aries swallowed down her fear as she ran her fingertips across the strings; hearing the notes resonate through the air so clearly that she realised why the room was empty. "I'm not too sure how well it will sound, but if you're certain," she said as she finally took a seat on the stool, her gaze cutting up to the ceiling for a second before it resettled onto the harp.
The TARDIS did reply to her enquiry, though Aries took no notice as she carefully and quickly plucked a scale, getting herself used to playing such an instrument once more. And as she continued to play, adding different notes on top of the last, her previous thoughts and worries slowly vanished as she lost herself in the magic that was the music she was creating.
Almost as if she were in a trance, the witch closed her eyes as her fingers danced effortlessly over the strings and a small, trouble-free smile tugged at her lips as she played. A warmth slowly spread throughout Aries body and it had her relaxing, even as the stone that lay around her neck begun to glow.
- Night, the world, it's mine, with nobody else out here -
"So, they're completely petrified?" a young woman asked as she tapped the tip of her finger against the trunk of one of the many stone trees around herself and her mother, noting with a slight feeling of unease that the tree's trunk did, in fact, feel like stone. A breeze ruffled through her long red hair, though the leaves on the trees did not move - nor did the grass under her feet and it caused a shiver to run up the red head's spine at how eerily silent the forest surrounding them was.
How silent the entire planet was.
- It's time, run wild and royally cavalier -
The older woman, whose hair was a dark red-brown smiled softly at her daughter as she nodded. "That's correct, Lydeth," she confirmed; her warm, golden-brown eyes sad as she looked at the petrified greenery that surrounded them. Not a thing moved and the Time Lady hoped that they would finally get their answers as to why today.
Do you know how they came to be in this state?" Lydeth questioned curiously as she reached up further towards a branch so she could run a finger over a stone leaf; wincing when there was a small crack that seemed to echo throughout the silence before the petrified leaf fell to the ground.
"There are stories," the Architect replied as her daughter reached down to pick up the leaf that had fallen, inspecting it closely with a ever-curious expression. "It was said that overnight, Jon-Flor went from being a planet that was on the verge of evolution... to nothing but a desolate wasteland - frozen in the very strands of time itself. This planet was once blooming with life, and then one day there was nothing but silence. The trees no longer rustled in the breeze and the inhabitants were frozen; turned to stone where they stood."
Lydeth's eyebrows knitted together as she listened closely to her mother's words. Her gaze continued to take in their surroundings even as she pocketed the petrified leaf for later study. "What could have done that?" she questioned, turning to her mother as she tried to think of any animal or alien that held the power to petrify an entire planet.
"That's what I'm hoping we're going to find out," the Architect replied as she began walking once more.
- To burn, ignite, I'd do it for so much less -
Her daughter followed closely behind, noticing that they were heading towards a clearing that she'd managed to catch a glimpse of on the scanner in her mother's ship and curiosity begun to bubble away inside her. "How are we going to do that?" the ever-curious red head continued to ask as she stepped into the clearing after her mother - only to come to a complete standstill by what she saw.
Primitive structures and shelters lay in ruins; the once logs and branches that had once protected the inhabitants sheltering within now left cracked and crumbling as age took its toll upon the stone. It seemed that even petrified, nothing could stop the forced of time and it made the younger of the two question her mother's choice of words earlier. If time was not supposed to touch this place, then why does it look like it does?
Items littered the ground like one would see shells upon a beach, along with bits of rubble, and Lydeth was surprised to see what even looked to be petrified fruits and other such food items amongst the remains of once must have been quite the community.
- When all is made clear there is nothing else -
"The Kreed has allowed me to oversee your final task, Lydeth," the Architect's voice cut through the silence that had fallen over them and caused her daughter to jump, her head snapping towards her with an expression of both shock and trepidation.
"Is that wise, Vanei?" the red head asked. "Vanla and the Kreed had made it very clear that the use of a Diath-Rauv while off Sierauk was forbidden. They were concerned that the Killevec imk Fortai would realise that we were returning. That they were returning to this universe," she explained as she unconsciously ran her hand over her right forearm. "And after what happened to Va'ly..." Lydeth trailed off and swallowed.
The Architect smiled sadly at her youngest daughter, knowing exactly what kind of thoughts were running through Lydeth's head. "Farne, what happened to Va'ly was not your fault," she admonished tenderly, understanding how Lydeth felt about the loss of her twin. "Aridre should have never done what he had and because of what he did, there is no one to blame for your sierec death than he. Aridre was a Madrai, but he had lost the right to be the Drail imk niar Ulviir-Rauv the moment he used it to turn those wolves against her."
- And here we stand, the sweet arresting duality -
Lydeth flinched at her mother's words and the Architect took a step towards her daughter with a sorrowful expression. "You, my Eternal Wolf, are nothing like those beasts," she said quietly, cupping her daughter's face. "You are an Arkentor, with just enough Time Lady mixed in to make you unique. Yes, you may be able to turn into a wolf, but your change is different."
"How?" Lydeth questioned, looking to her mother with a conflicted expression.
- And I come to, it's resin all over me -
"Werewolves are unnatural beasts," the Architect begun to explain. "Both sides, wolf and man fighting to dominate over the other. But when the wolf is released with the light of the full moon, it becomes a savage animal that sees not friend or foe, but food and possible kin. It is what drives them to bite, to grow their numbers. But they do not know when to stop." She moved her hand on her daughter's face, running it down to Lydeth's chin to gently tilt her head back up when she lowered her gaze and looked away. "Your shift is different. Both sides balance the other out. You are not driven to bite, but to protect. The beasts of the Skrymor family have always been animals of protection, always having protected their own against all threats. And it is something you will come to fully understand when you find your Sikra as that protection will cover them as well."
Lydeth, like any child speaking with one's parents on such a topic, wrinkled her nose at the mention of finding her soulmate; unable to help but feel as though it was something she really didn't want to be discussing with her mother. She had only just reached five hundred and was still finishing school; training to become a Madria like she'd always dreamed.
She had no time to waste looking for her Mate.
- Will I awake, will I get a ride with you -
Chuckling at her daughter's expression, the Architect dropped her hand as she shook her head. "Just remember, Lydeth. What you are here," she tapped to her own chest, indicating to her hearts, "Is what your wolf will reflect out here. Even if your mind may disagree at times, your wolf will always know your deepest desires, needs, and wants. Some of which," her lip twitched upwards into a small smile as she added, "You may not even be away of until you run straight into them."
It was Lydeth's turn to snicker as she recalled the story of how her parents had met and her mother's hearts warmed at the sound; having found that it was such a rare occurrence to hear her only daughter laugh these days. After Va'ly had passed, it had been hard on their entire family, but Lydeth had taken her twins death the hardest.
- In this race of two -
"Vanla really did run into your TARDIS, didn't he?" The red head continued to snicker and it wasn't long before her mother had joined it.
"Your father may know a great many things, Lydeth," the Architect said after she calmed, though there was still a small smile that was playing upon her lips that was partnered with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "But he was rather adamant that I couldn't be his Sikra. The war happening between the Greater Vampires and the Time Lords was already getting worse every passing day. Add in the fact that Rassilon wanted what you father had... But Akorthar had to make the message clear to him. Though I do wish she had informed me of what she was up to. The last thing I had expected when returning from Gallifrey was to think that I had accidently killed the man I had returned for."
She shook her head, her smile turning form as she said, "But enough of old stories, Lydeth. We are here to figure out what has caused this." She gestured to the petrified clearing around them with a hand as she continued, "It is a test that all who wish to become the Drail imk niar Kyro-Rauv, one that the Kreed have longed believed that Magic itself had placed upon the stone. Do not despair, Lydeth, for none have managed to do such a thing, though each have still come to master the Stone afterwards. And once you have completed this last trial, showing your ability to fully control the Kyro-Rauv, you will become your own Madrai and be able to take your place on the Council - just like your father and grandfather before you."
- We're an endless stream of choices -
Lydeth's smile disappeared as she cast her gaze around once more, swallowing heavily as she unconsciously ran her hand down her forearm in an almost self-soothing gesture. It had been her dream to join the Kreed - long before the Kyro-Rauv had chosen her as its current Guardian. But it had been a dream that she had shared with her sister. And with Va'ly gone, Lydeth couldn't help but feel nervous.
- We're the softest murmur of voices -
The red head looked to her mother as the Architect's hand rested upon her shoulder, the elder woman's smile holding both a sadness and understanding that a someone who had shared in Lydeth's loss could understand.
"Va'ly would be proud of you, Lydeth."
- Without names we're fantasising -
- Dancing like flames, mesmerising -
- My dark disquiet playing such eerie harmonies -
"How can you be certain?" the red head asked, her voice coming out in almost a whisper. "Ever since we were chosen, we planned to do this together. And now that she's gone, I... I feel as though I'm breaking that promise."
"Lydeth," the Architect sighed. "Your sier would want you to continued, for the both of you. Va'ly wouldn't want you to stop following your dreams because she is not standing there beside you." She reached out and grabbed her daughter's hand, asking, "And have you forgotten already, farne?" as she placed something that felt both warm and soothing in Lydeth's hand. "Va'ly was the Drail imk niar Ilm-Rauv."
The younger woman looked to her hand as her mother pulled hers' away and steel-blue eyes that were flecked with an odd gold-red widened at the sight of the small, pulsating amber stone that was resting in her palm.
"Vanei?!" Lydeth exclaimed in alarm as her gaze shot to her mother's. "How? This should have returned to the Kreed when Va'ly passed; waiting to choose its next Drail!" She went to give the Stone back, but the Architect shook her head and took a step away.
- Making waves and diving under -
- Lightning to the sound of thunder -
- My dark disquiet singing such haunting melodies -
"Listen to it, farne," the Time Lady told Lydeth softly. "The Ilm-Rauv cannot choose another Guardian while it is still connected to the last."
"What...what do you mean?" the red head questioned, confused by her mother's words. But her eyebrows furrowed when she felt a warmth rush up her arm and looked back to the amber Stone in her hand.
"Just listen to it, Ly," her mother repeated, not giving anything more away.
Looking between her mother and the Stone for a moment, Lydeth finally nodded before closing her eyes, swallowing down her fears and conflictions. She wasn't too sure what to expect, having never heard of a Drail using a Diath-Rauv that they weren't the Guardian of. But thinking of her sister, the red head opened her mind and hearts to the Soul Stone that was pulsing in her hand, feeling a calming and familiar warmth was over her.
- So white, so still, so bright, it's almost too painful now -
'That tickles.'
Lydeth's ear twitched as a soft voice reached her; the sound of giggling causing her other ear to twitch before she finally managed to open her eyes. She blinked in surprise when she found herself in a small cave; something that was just large enough to conceal her more furrier, wolfish body and was understandably confused.
Though when both ears twitched and swivelled towards the sound of more giggling, confusion was thrown to the wayside as Lydeth was quick to scramble out of her hiding spot; dagger-like claws scrapping against the stone floor with haste as she found she knew the owner of the giggling.
- I'm ready to fight, to run from the light -
'Lydeth, you finally came!' she heard the voice once more, so clear in her mind like a ringing bell - though the she-wolf's body froze just passed the threshold of the cave; red eyes going wide at the sight of the bird perched in the tree just above her. Another, this one a phoenix that was made up of blue flames, was perched beside the first, its black-blue beak preening the feathers of its companion.
'A-Aruile?'
The hawk cocked its head to the side, its blue eyes looking at Lydeth - through her. 'Who else would I be, silly?' the bird, or Azure questioned, their mental voice both amused and serious at the same time that only succeeded in confusing the wolf even more.
- And here now comes the sweet corrupting reality -
'But, you're...' Lydeth trailed off, confusion causing her muzzle to wrinkle even as she dropped her gaze from the hawk as guilt washed over her.
'Dead?' Aruile finished for her and Lydeth's head snapped back to her sister, her eyes once again wide. The hawk nipped at the phoenix gently and it disappeared in a burst of blue flames, leaving the two to talk in private. 'Everyone dies, sister,' she continued after the bird had gone, flying down from her perch and shifted back into her less feathered form.
Her shift caused Lydeth to do the same and the red head blinked in surprise once more; though her hearts clenched painfully within her chest.
- While now I'm free, will I once cease to be -
Aruile looked just as she did before she had died.
Chestnut hair fell in gentle waves just past her shoulders, streaked with the colour of the Ilm-Rauv and framed the soft features of her face. Her hazel brown eyes were different and familiar however, looking both young and old while still flecked with an amber-gold that spoke of her position as an upcoming Madrai for the Stone she had been chosen to protect. Her skin looked flawless and Lydeth winced as the memory of how it had been marked with the claws of the werewolves.
- Will I awake, will I get a ride with you -
"I'm sorry," the red head muttered, turning her gaze once more to the forest floor. "I should have known what he was planning to do, Va'ly." Her hands fisted, jerking and twisting; fingernails sharpening into almost claws that caused blood to well in her palms as they dug into her skin. Lydeth didn't register the pain however, to overcome with the grief and rage at what Aridre had done to her twin. "I should have stopped him."
- In this race of two -
"No one could have known what Aridre was planning, sier," Aruile said softly as she grasped her sister's hands, causing Lydeth to startle as her hands slowly begun to change back. A soothing warmth spread through them, healing the cuts on her palms that her sudden bout of anger had caused. "Aridre was the Drail imk niar Ulviir-Rauv. But he wasn't ready to become a Madrai and its power was too much for him to wield. The Mind Stone, just like each of the others, can be both malevolent and benevolent and he chose to allow it to twist his thoughts instead of getting the training he needed to control it. It made him believe he could take what was not his to take."
"But..." confusion lined Lydeth's features. "Everyone knows that the Diath-Rauvec choose their Guardians," she stated, eyebrows knitting together as she moved her hands to grasp her sister's. "Why would he think he could take yours?"
- We are momentary masters -
Aruile's smile was sad as she spoke. "There are stories; legends whispered in the realms of both gods and men, the living and the dead. They speak of one who could control all six Rauvec. And much like the Harry Potter stories we loved to read as children; the Tale of the Three Brothers and the Master of Death, the one who would dare to wield all six Diath-Rauvec would hold the power to rewrite the universe. To bend Reality, Time, Space, Power, Mind, and Soul to their will."
- We're false kings and bastards -
The grip Lydeth had on her sister's hands tightened and her face paled as she realised what Aruile was saying. "Aridre wanted them all, didn't he?" she whispered and Aruile nodded grimly.
"But what Aridre did not count on was that to gain control of the Ilm-Rauv; to be chosen, you must sacrifice the one thing you hold dearest in your heart. The one thing you love beyond all others," Aruile explained, though her words only had Lydeth's confusion returning. Seeing the red head's expression, Aruile squeezed her hands in reassurance. "He could never take the Ilm-Rauv because his heart holds no love but for power alone. And if he knew the clause behind the Stone, I do not believe he would have tried to take it in the first place. To give up his quest for power would have not satisfied the Rauvec condition." She smiled wryly, an expression that surprised Lydeth. "But even if he did, it also would have stopped his quest before it had even begun. For what is the point to control the Rauvec if you cannot obtain the power you seek?"
- Without names we're fantasising -
- Dancing like flames, mesmerising -
- My dark disquiet playing such eerie harmonies -
Lydeth frowned as she digested what her sister was telling her. It took barely a moment for the words to sink in and her eyes to widen as it hit her. "What did you give up?" she questioned almost urgently. "To become the Drail imk niar Ilm-Rauv? You said you had to give up something you lov-"
Her ramble of questions were cut off when Aruile placed a finger against her lips. "What I gave up should not matter, sier. It is in the past, and you must stop dwelling on it. I may be dead, dear Lydeth, but I will always be with you."
- Making waves and diving under -
- Lightning to the sound of thunder -
- My dark disquiet singing such haunting melodies -
"How can you ask me to forget?!" the red head questioned, aghast that Aruile would even ask such a thing. "How could I forget what he did to you?!"
Aruile just shook her head, a small smile on her face. "I never said to forget, Lydeth," she told her sister quietly. "I said to not dwell on the past. Your path lies in the future and you cannot move forwards without accepting that the past is just that; the past. You have done far more than I could ever have dreamed..." Her smile once more turned wry as she added, "And we both know that you are not here to talk of old memories and things that must never be changed."
- We are marionettes by strings animated -
- Yet like lovers of strings liberated -
Her sister's face flushed at the realisation that Aruile knew what had been on Lydeth's mind since the moment she realised her twin was dead and she turned her head away from the brunette.
"Do not feel ashamed for wanting to save me, seir," Aruile murmured as she reached out to touch Lydeth's face; turning her chin so that those steel-blue eyes were once more looking at her. "I would have certainly wanted to have done the same if I were in your shoes, but you must realise that some things can never be changed - that they are fixed and can never be undone. I have lived my life and accepted my death." She brushed the tear away that had fallen from Lydeth's eye and offered her a sad smile. "And you must do so as well. You have such a long life to life, sier. And yes, there will be hiccups along the way. But life was never meant to be easy, otherwise there really would be no point in living."
- We are marionettes by strings animated -
- Yet like lovers of strings liberated -
Lydeth managed to crack a small, watery smile at her sister's words, sniffing as she asked in a half-joking manner, "When did you become the wise one?"
Aruile didn't answer her straight away. Instead, the brunette pulled her sister into a hug, placing a small kiss upon Lydeth's temple as she did so.
- Without names we're fantasising... -
"When I gave up my life to save yours," she whispered after a few silent heartbeats, feeling Lydeth freeze the second the words had passed her lips. Pulling away, Aruile continued to smile at her sister, though this time it was warm despite the way that the red head was staring at her in shock. "Do not be scared to move on, Ares," she continued, "I have always been with you and always will." A sparkle appeared in her eye as she added, "Now, I believe you had something you needed to do."
- Without names we're fantasising -
- Dancing like flames, mesmerising -
- My dark disquiet playing such eerie harmonies -
Before Lydeth could find her voice, still reeling from what her sister had just admitted, Aruile had shifted back into a hawk and took to the air, giving off a screeching cry that seemed to spread a warmth through Lydeth's chilled body.
'Be at peace, sier,' the red head heard her sister's voice whisper in her mind even as her vision began to turn hazy - out of focus. 'I have lived my life, now go and live yours with no regrets.'
- Making waves and diving under -
- Lightning to the sound of thunder -
- My dark disquiet singing such haunting melodies -
When Lydeth reopened her eyes, she found herself standing back in the clearing with her mother.
"Lydeth?" the Architect questioned quietly, taking a step towards her daughter with a concerned expression marring her features.
- Brother's by blood separated -
- Marionettes animated Lovers with strings liberated -
The red head didn't say anything as she looked back down to her hand, her fingers unfurling around the Soul Stone that lay in her palm as it continued to pulse brightly. A tear rolled down her face as the Infinity Stone slowly returned to its normal swirling amber, though there was a small smile that tugged Lydeth's lips upwards as she continued to watch the Stone.
"I will," she promised, feeling her magic flare in response to her words before she looked back to her mother - only to freeze at who she saw.
- Brother's by blood separated -
Silver-grey eyes grew wide as Aries stared at the person shadowing the doorway of the room she'd found, her hands freezing upon the strings of the harp.
- Marionettes animated -
Amber eyes that were both curious, surprised, impressed, and intrigued stared right back at her before their host stepped further into the room and closed the door behind him.
- Lovers with strings liberated -
"I think we need to talk," the Doctor said at the same time Aries felt the blood drain from her face.