Prompt: I missed this Rating: K or K plus? A little sad, but good message.
Summary: A one-shot/ drabble about Kendra and Bracken having secret share/ reflecting on the past. Includes Navarog and Living Mirage.
"I missed this," Bracken said, as he lay across the blanket with Kendra at his side.
"You missed what?" Kendra asked a hint of curiosity in her tone. What did he miss? The question had so many answers and Kendra did not know which.
"This," Bracken gestured outwards to nothing in particular as if that explained everything.
Kendra however did not understand it and decided to ask, "What do you mean this?"
"This," he repeated, "Sunlight, warmth, freedom, happiness."
"Are you thinking about Living Mirage?" Kendra asked, "Your time down there?"
Bracken's head dipped, making Kendra feel guilty that she asked. She knew his time down there had been hard and he heated to talk about it. She should have realized that before it slipped out of her mouth.
"Sorry," she apologized, "I wasn't thinking."
Bracken shook his head, "I think it's time I talked about it," he said, "It's not good to keep feelings bottled up like this. I've learned something from my thousands of years of life."
"Sometimes I forget you're immortal," Kendra admitted, "You seem just like your average teenage boy when you don't use your powers. A boy who looks and is seventeen instead of millennia years old."
"It's funny," Bracken agreed, "I feel so young, but really I am ancient by mortal standards."
"So old," She teased, "Yet you don't have much wisdom."
Bracken put a hand to his chest in mock offense, "I happen to be very wise, thank you very much."
Kendra chuckled, "Sure thing unicorn," she said, "sure thing."
"I did learn a lot down in Living Mirage," he boomeranged back to the original conversation.
"Like what?" Kendra asked.
"How much you sometimes need the little things in life," he said sadly, "Sunlight, comfort, and solace in general. I longed to see the sea and smell the salt. To see my family and to be important. Knowing only the stone walls was hard, and the brown water I received wasn't what I had in mind when I think of the ocean." He paused.
Kendra's hand brushes his, a silent signal. "Take as much time as you need," she said gently, "And I'll tell you what. I'll tell you a story of mine as well. A secret for a secret."
For a reason Bracken couldn't explain, he kept talking. "It was hard being immortal down there," he said, "To watch everyone else wither and die well I stayed young and fresh."
"I can imagine that," Kendra admitted, "It would be hard to bear."
Bracken nodded, "Do you know why I went to Living Mirage in the first place?" He asked.
Kendra cocked her head like a puppy, "I thought you went to go check out the sealed shrine."
"That," Bracken agreed, "And more. The reason I went to the dome was that I wanted to prove myself. Mother had planned to send more qualified people and forbidden me to go. So I went, eager to prove myself as more than the unicorns without its third horn."
Kendra squeezed his hand, "I never knew it was like that," she admitted, "That explains some of the feelings I received from the fairy queen though when I was with you for the first time."
"Guilt?" He asked, "She blamed herself for it. There is little she won't do for her children."
How long they sat in comfortable silence, neither of them had any idea. Until Kendra decided to break it.
"A while back," she started, "Before I met you I knew a boy named Gavin Rose."
Bracken could feel the emotions she felt towards the name through their contact, but he didn't pry. He let her continue, but not before sending his own feelings of comfort.
"We were both Knights of Dawn," she said, "He had dark hair and the cutest stutter." Despite the pain she felt towards him, she still smiled fondly at those moments. "We flirted and held hands, but then something happened." Her voice cracked.
Bracken returned the squeeze on her hands, "You don't have to continue." He said gently.
Kendra shook her head, "A wise unicorn once said it's not good to keep feelings bottled up," she directed towards Bracken, "So I won't."
Bracken took a moment to admire her grit and determination before she continued.
"We were at a cliff," she said, "Had the key to a vault holding the translocator. We were getting swarmed by dragons and Gavin revealed his true form. He became a giant black dragon, killed Dougan, and injured Mara. Then he trapped Warren in the knapsack."
"Gavin was Navarog, wasn't he?" Bracken asked.
Kendra nodded, A silent tear flowing down her cheek, "He had me trapped, might have even killed me. Raxtus saved me just in time, snuck up on him from behind well he was in human form."
Silence returned, only the feelings being communed from their hands remained. "I'm sorry," Bracken said.
Kendra shook her head, "It's not your fault," she said, "I only blame myself."
"Which you shouldn't do," Bracken said sternly, "Ever."
"But it is my fault," she said, "Me. Handmaiden to light itself was in love with a demon!" Tears flowed freely down her face.
Bracken said nothing for a minute before opening his mouth, "There is a reason you were chosen, Kendra. Not everyone can become a handmaiden. You made a mistake, but my mother still chose you. Because you are Kendra, the idea handmaiden. Mistakes and all, that wasn't even your fault."
Kendra was touched and felt some of the guilt leave her, to be replaced with tiredness. She leaned her head against his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her. They stared at the stars until Kendra fell asleep.