A/N: I know, I haven't done a lot of author notes. Not much to say, and I can see you guys are enjoying the story! After so many cliffhangers, I think I'll spare you the suspense this time.
Enjoy watching Iris kill someone! :D
Chapter Sixteen - Revenge or Redemption?
Ash tugged futilely at the ropes around his wrists. "Iris, what's going on? Where are we?"
"Far enough away that your friends can't find us." Iris inspected the blade of her knife.
Prowlus thrashed a bit, trying to break free. Ash felt around for the dagger Rosie gave him, but he had no weapons and none of his supplies from his bag.
"Iris, I don't understand." Ash said. "What's going on?"
"I'm not one to monologue." Iris shrugged. "A little more light, and we can begin."
"Light for what?" Ash asked.
"To kill you two." Iris said simply.
"What?!" Ash gawked. "W-what do you want to kill us for?"
Iris sighed in boredom. "If I tell you the full truth, will you accept your death quietly?"
"I think we deserve an explanation for this." Ash said. "I thought we were friends."
"We were never friends." Iris said. "Your great-grandmother told you the story of me being Titan's daughter, remember? I was a spy in the rebellion, and your grandfather caused my banishment. If he can't pay for his mistake, his debt will pass on to you."
"But, Iris—" Ash protested.
"Be quiet!" Iris snapped. She stabbed the knife into the dirt. She stared at the fire. The light reflected in her hate-filled eyes. "I spent my entire life fighting for my father's approval. I would've done anything to earn his love. But nothing was ever good enough. Not until I came up with the idea to infiltrate the Flame of Happiness Rebellion. I was the only one brave enough to do it. I befriended Stella and fought by the side of the rebels. Everything was going according to plan. I was on my way to being respected in all the land. Finally, I would earn my place amongst the highest-ranked trolls in Moonlight Kingdom. It was working out all in my favor.
"Then Larch had to get in the way. You two are so much like him: always looking for trouble, sticking his nose into other people's business, never knowing his place. Larch stole my notebook with all my information, and he gave it to Stella. He destroyed months' worth of work and research, and I was banished for it. He ruined my life."
"You could've hurt a lot of people, Iris." Ash protested. "Look, I don't know what happened in Moonlight Kingdom when Nonna was empress, but I do know one thing: your life was already ruined before Grandpa Larch got involved!"
Iris scowled at him. Prowlus gave his brother a look that said, 'Ash, shut up!'
"Why did you try so hard to get what your dad should've always given you?" Ash demanded. "Your dad was horrible!"
"What do you know of my father?" Iris snapped.
"Captain Titan was in the Moonlight Kingdom history books." Ash explained. "He was corrupt, mean, and just not a good troll! I doubt he was a good father."
"You know nothing." Iris growled. "Those books do not tell Titan's full story. I knew my father. His approval was all I needed, and I would've gotten it if Larch hadn't stood in my way! After I was banished, I wanted nothing more than to kill Larch for what he did to me. But if I can't even get that satisfaction, then I'll settle for ending his line." She yanked her knife from the soil. "Which of you would like to go first?"
"Iris, you don't have to do this." Ash said desperately. "What happened in the past doesn't have to affect you in the present."
"You two, along with your father, are proof that Larch's actions haunt me even today!" Iris snarled. "Why should he get to have a wife, child, and grandchildren? Why must I suffer in the forest? Why couldn't I have a happy ending?"
"You still can." Ash assured. "There is no reason you can't live out the rest of your life in peace and happiness."
"Look at me, Ash!" Iris screamed. "I'm grey and miserable, just like you! There's nothing left for me! The only way I can be at peace is if I get rid of the one thing that's been hovering over my head and haunting my dreams!"
"Killing us won't solve your problem." Ash insisted. "You won't make yourself happy this way. You want to move on? Then you have to let go of your past."
Iris stood and marched up to him. "You know what? I think I'll kill you first to get you to shut up. At least then I don't have to listen to you cry when I kill your mute brother."
Prowlus tried to get closer to Ash to protect him, but Iris shoved him aside. She grabbed Ash by his vest and pulled him up off the ground. She pinned him to the rock, placing the dagger to his throat. When he felt the chill of the steel blade against his skin, Ash felt a rush of terror. He had no plan to get out of there. He had no way to defend himself. Unless Prowlus or someone came to the rescue soon, Ash was about to die.
Iris noticed Ash's fear, and she chuckled lowly. "This is your first taste of true fear, isn't it? Consider yourself lucky. I used to feel like this all the time. More than once, my father threatened to kill me if I did not behave, if I did not please him as a daughter should. I spent every day fighting to live. Now you know how I feel."
"Iris, I want to help you." Ash pleaded. "Let's just talk about it."
"Don't talk unless you have something useful to say." Iris spoke as though she recited from a script. "In your case, do not speak at all, for nothing you say carries any value."
"Do you really want to do this?" Ash asked. "Or are you just doing what your dad would want you to do?"
"Are those the last words you want to say?" Iris demanded.
"No." Ash said. "If I'm going to have any last words, they're going to be, 'Please don't kill me, Iris, I promise everything is going to be okay.'"
"And here I thought you'd be just as pessimistic as I am, being grey and all." Iris scoffed.
"I know what it feels like, to feel like you have nobody there for you." Ash said. "To feel like you don't have friends. I was like that once, and then I met people who looked past my colors and accepted me for who I am. I'll do that for you, Iris. I'll be your friend, and you never have to be lonely again. Just please, please let us go."
Iris stared at Ash for a long moment. She didn't move, but she still had the knife to his throat. Ash noticed the look in her eyes. She considered it. She wasn't moving, stuck in that position and not trying to kill him.
Then, Prowlus made his move. He had managed to inch closer to Iris, turn around on his back, and he kicked at her knees to knock her off-balance. Iris fell, dropping Ash as he did, and the boy fell onto his brother.
"Why you little—" Iris stood and raised her knife, not aiming for a specific troll.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and Iris froze. She spasmed and jerked, shuddering a little. She dropped her knife and held her head in her hands.
"Don't you dare harm my family!" Iris's mouth moved, but it was Eclipse's voice that came out. "Or I'll kill you!"
Iris gasped as Eclipse burst out of her body, and the ghost stood protectively in front of her great-grandsons. She glared at Iris coldly. "I partially blame myself for your life going to shambles. But, so help me, if you harm a hair on my family, you will feel my unbridled wrath."
Iris scooped up her knife. "I do not fear you, my empress. Not anymore."
"Do you fear them?" Eclipse nodded to the space on Iris's right, and she spun around to see Gris, Ebony, and Steve coming for them. The trolls and Sir Tandeth rode on Steve, looking ready for a fight. Iris grabbed a burning log from the fire and held it like a torch. She threw it at Steve, who hissed as the hot log hit him in the face. Ebony swooped down and landed behind Prowlus and Ash. Gris had a stick, wielding it like a bat. Iris realized she didn't stand a chance with this many opponents against her, so she turned and ran.
Harper cut Prowlus and Ash free. "Are you two okay? Sir Tandeth told us Iris was trying to kill you!"
"We're fine." Ash stood and ran after Iris, surprising his friends.
"Ash, come back!" Gris called.
"Stop, my liege!" Sir Tandeth pleaded.
Ash ignored their calls, stubbornly chasing after Iris until she stopped just short of running off a cliff. The sheer drop-off spelled certain death should one fall. Ash stopped a short distance away, not wanting to scare Iris off. "Iris, listen to me."
"Did you forget that I'm trying to kill you?" Iris demanded.
"I don't care. I want to help you." Ash insisted as he cautiously stepped closer.
"Stay away from me, or I'll kill you." Iris ordered, still brandishing her knife.
"Ash, move!" Harper shouted.
Ash did move, except he shot forward to protect Iris instead of jumping back to avoid the large rock Gris chucked towards them. Too late, Gris realized Ash didn't act the way he wanted. The rock hit the edge of the cliff, missing Iris and Ash but causing the rocks at their feet to crumble and dump them over the edge of the cliff. Ash looked for something to grab onto, either with his hair or his hands, but every rock he reached for fell with him. Then, he saw a flash of white, and the wing of what he thought was an angel. Was he dying already? Was this his life flashing before his eyes?
Nope. It was Finny, diving right towards him and grabbing his arm with both hands. Ash heard flapping, like a bird desperately beating its wings, and he saw the same wing from two seconds ago. Ash realized this wing was attached to Finny, and he was stunned to see she only had the one wing instead of two.
Finny's frantic flapping slowed their fall and swerved them just enough to hit the cliff face, and the two children hung onto the rocks. The debris fell past them and down to the ground far below. Ash and Finny panted heavily, their adrenaline kicked into high gear. Ash turned to Finny to thank her, and his eyes widened.
On her back, Finny would've had two wings, a complete set of feathered bird-like wings sprouting from between her shoulder blades. Instead, she had one wing and one stump where a wing once rested.
Finny wrapped her wing around her shoulders, and it lay like a poncho. "I can explain that."
"I'm sure." Ash smiled comfortingly. "No worries." They glanced down at the sound of grunting, and the children saw Iris clinging to a ledge. She struggled to pull herself up, her legs dangling without a foothold to push off.
"Ash! Finny!" Gris lay on the ground and reached an arm down. "Come on! I got you!"
"Go, Finny!" Ash helped push Finny up, and she jumped to reach Gris's fingers. She reached down to take Ash's hand, but the grey child turned and eased himself down instead.
"Ash, what are you doing?" Finny called.
"Just get up there!" Ash shouted. He hopped down to the ledge where Iris clung to the edge. He felt sick to his stomach from being so high up, but he swallowed his fear.
"Here to finish the job, are you?" Iris growled, clawing at the stone.
"I'm here to help you." Ash held onto her wrist and started pulling.
Iris jerked her hand free. "I don't want nor need your help!"
"You clearly do!" Ash said.
"Ash, forget it!" Finny shouted.
"You must climb back to us, my liege, before you fall!" Sir Tandeth pleaded.
"Trust me!" Ash called. He tried to pull Iris up again. "Iris, just let me help you."
"You're not trying to help me. Why would you?" Iris demanded.
"Because I want to!" Ash kept tugging on her arm. Iris wouldn't admit it, but it was just enough extra leverage to get her onto the ledge again. She and Ash breathed a little heavily, looking over the edge at the deadly drop below.
Iris jumped when Ash hugged her. She shoved him off, and he just managed to catch himself before he tumbled off the ledge. "Why are you hugging me? Are you forgetting I tried to kill you?"
"I know, and I don't care." Ash said.
Iris gaped at him. "Are you crazy? Why are you acting like this? Did that dream sucker suck all the sense out of you?"
"Friends forgive each other." Ash insisted.
"We are not friends!" Iris raised her fist like she would punch Ash, and then changed her mind at the last second and hit the rock wall instead. She panted, borderline hyperventilating, and her eyes darted around frantically. "I don't get it. I don't get you! Why are you being so kind to me? Why are you still calling me your friend even after what I did?"
"Because you proved to me that you need someone to care about you." Ash said. "No one else seems to have cared very much."
"The only way to get someone to care about you is to prove your worth." Iris clenched her fists. "I never earned that. My father never found me worthy of his love, so I'm not someone worthy of love at all!"
Her voice echoed, shocking even Ash's friends up on solid ground. Iris breathed heavily, pulling at her hair. Ash lunged forward to hug her again. She tensed up, paralyzed by the loving touch.
"It's not your fault." Ash said. "It's not your fault that you had the worst dad in history."
Iris still didn't relax, but her breathing had calmed.
"You're right, Iris." Ash sighed as he released her. "I don't know your dad like you do. But based on what you've said about him, he wasn't good or kind. Dads are supposed to love you, no matter what. Dads hold you when you're hurting, and they make all the monsters you're scared of go away. They don't treat you like you're nothing. They don't make you fight to earn their love. That's not what a good dad does."
Iris stared at him. She had tears in her eyes, but Ash couldn't be sure if she was aware of that. "I don't understand…" she murmured. "What did I do to deserve your mercy?"
"I said we were friends, right?" Ash said. "In case you didn't realize by now, I'm just as stubborn as my mom. You're not a bad person, Iris. You just got stuck with a horrible dad who didn't love you like he should have. If you need a friend, I'll be that friend, Iris. I'll love you like a good friend should, and you don't have to do anything to earn it. Just be a good friend in return, and that'll be enough." Ash held out his hand, smiling. "What do you say?"
Staring at Ash's hand, Iris began shaking. She felt her face and discovered that cold wetness she felt was her tears. She hurriedly rubbed her eyes, but more tears replaced the ones she wiped away.
Suddenly, the ledge shifted, and then crumbled. Iris wrapped an arm around Ash and hugged him tight as she used her free arm to grab the rock wall. The ledge they stood on cascaded to the ground.
"Hey Bergen Boy! Little help here?" Iris called.
"Stretch out your hair!" Gris reached down as far as he could without slipping himself. Iris lengthened her hair, wrapping it around Gris's fingers. He pinched the hairs in his fingers and slowly pulled up. He set them down on solid ground far from the edge of the cliff, and everyone gathered around to fret over Ash. He assured them he was all right, and he looked over Iris. Nobody was harmed, but Iris still cried.
"Are you okay, Iris?" Ash asked.
Iris sobbed harder. "I don't understand! Why are you so kind to me? What did I do to deserve this?"
"That's what friends do." Ash said.
Iris kept rubbing her eyes; but, to her frustration, her tears did not stop. "What is wrong with me?! I'm acting like a child!"
"Well, to be fair, I don't think you got to act like a kid when you were a kid." Ash said with a smile. "So we won't hold this against you."
Now, Iris was blinded by tears and engulfed with feelings of guilt, relief, and happiness. She accepted Ash's hug this time.
Prowlus did a double-take as Harper stepped forward to hug Ash and Iris. Harper shrugged with a rather defeated smile. "We're trolls. It's what we do."
Accepting her answer, Prowlus shrugged and joined the group hug. Finny and Sir Tandeth hesitantly did the same. Ebony wrapped her wings around the group, and Steve and Gris curled up around Ebony.
Eclipse watched with a soft smile. That's my boy.
They went back into the forest for a safer spot to rest, and Iris collapsed from exhaustion. She slept fretfully, sometimes muttering softly.
"You're sure about this, Ash?" Eclipse asked. "You want to keep her around after what she did?"
"She can change and live a better life." Ash said. "We can help her."
"We trust you, Ash." Harper said. "Just understand that we'll be keeping a close eye on her."
"That's fine. I don't blame you." Ash said.
Iris didn't wake until after lunch. She tentatively came over to sit with the others. Ash smiled and patted the spot next to him.
"Thank you." Iris said softly.
"Sleep okay?" Ash asked.
"Not really." Iris sighed. She rubbed her arm. "I don't think I should be near you, Ash. What if I end up just like my father?"
"You didn't kill Ash when you had the chance." Harper pointed out. "As scared as I was when I heard you took him and Prowlus, if you wanted to kill them, you would have long before we caught up to you."
Iris stared at the ground. "I don't know."
Ash hugged her. "It'll be okay."
The road ahead is not quite clear
But you have some friends right here
You don't have to follow your dad's path
Take control of your life, let go of the past
Turn around, don't look back
Let go of your pain, get on track
Iris chuckled a little. "Do your kind of troll always figure things out by singing?"
"Yep." Ash nodded. "You'll figure that out when we get home."
Iris's smile disappeared. "That's another thing I'm worried about, Ash. Did you say Moonlight Kingdom had moved? And some of them lived in your kingdom in the Troll Tree? I'm not sure anyone's going to like seeing me again. The rebels saw me as a traitor, and the kingdom saw me as failure. What if they don't want me back?"
"We'll find a way to work it out." Ash said. "But you're our friend, and we won't abandon you. So don't give up just yet."
Iris exhaled calmly. "Okay. Okay, I trust you."
Ash smiled broadly, hoping none of his unease showed through his grin. He didn't want anyone to know how stressed he felt, and how it seemed he had become even more grey despite doing something great.
Song: "Paths of the Past" reprise