Chapter Two
Twenty two years.
Isabelle sighed softly as she leaned against the railing within her institute and watched her newest shadowhunters train.
Twenty two years had passed since her elder brother's banishment and subsequent disappearance, and she couldn't help wondering about him.
The clave had sent out missives for him two years ago, on the twentieth anniversary of his 'sentence', calling for a hearing that would reconsider his banishment, but they'd all been returned unopened.
Not to mention, he'd gone to ground only months after leaving the institute, the only hint of his appearance coming in the form of a young shadowhunter who claimed to have been saved by him during a hunt. The girl had appeared at their institute a week after Alec's banishment and had asked if she could thank him for saving her. She'd been extremely disheartened to learn of his exile but had decided to stay so that she could thank him if he returned.
She'd even taken up a bow in his honor.
Izzy snorted, imagining how flustered her stiff brother would've been at the girl's hero worship.
Her gaze drifted over to the warlock beside her.
She'd torn Magnus a new one the night Alec left, furious that even after everything that her brother had given up just to be with him, the man had broken his heart. He'd taken it with an impassive expression right up until she informed him of Alec's exile. The news had struck him hard, shattering the calm facade he'd been wearing since her arrival.
After learning that Alec was gone, he'd thrown himself into fixing downworlder and shadowhunter relations and now, over two decades later, there was finally peace amongst them.
Downworlders and shadowhunters were allowed to love who they pleased, no matter gender or species.
She only wished Alec could see it.
"Thinking of him again?" Her friend called, and she nodded.
"He would've loved this."
Magnus nodded, his dark eyes softening. "Yes, he would have. We talked about it, you know. A few weeks before-" He cut himself off with a shake of his head, glancing over her shoulder as Jace walked over to them.
Her adopted brother had also changed alot since Alec's disappearance. He was quieter, the loss of his parabatai causing him to withdraw from anyone that wasn't family. Then there was the incident, almost twenty years ago.
"Alec!" Izzy jolted awake as a hoarse scream of despair sounded from the room across from hers, her mind dimly registering the sound as Jace.
"Alec, no! No!"
She rushed to her brother's room, pushing a frantic Clary aside before she gasped.
Jace's parabatai rune was glowing a bright purple, ringed in orange.
The color flared, once, then twice, before dimming and the screaming blond began to calm, each breath steadier than the last.
When he was completely calm, he looked up at her, blue-green eyes full of pain.
"They hurt him."
"Who?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. He's not in pain anymore. Just angry...and resigned."
She shuddered, pain lancing through her heart at the thought of what her elder brother might be going through.
All the same she stood. "Get some rest."
He nodded and fell asleep and she left the room hoping that their coming hunt for Alec would be successful.
It wasn't.
Since then, Jace had been searching tirelessly for his missing parabatai, often returning empty handed.
They'd even tried to track him with the parabatai runes, only to be blocked by what seemed to be a wall of violet and amber flames.
It was aggravating, but they knew he was alive so they couldn't complain too much.
Still they could only hope he would return home on day.
Jace nudged her, breaking her from her thoughts. "Hey, mom and Dad are requesting us in Japan. They are going to be meeting with the Japanese Institute in Namimori, and the elders are sending us as well as Magnus as envoys since our alliance is the most successful."
Magnus frowned. "How long will we be gone?"
"A week. Two at the most. Mom and Dad are meeting us there."
The warlock nodded and turned to leave, a shiver of...something racing its way down his spine. Something told him that this visit would be one that changed his life.
The curse was broken.
A tiny smile crossed dark purple lips as the stared down at the calloused hands in front of them. They were still much younger than they had any right to be, looking as if they belonged to a man of twenty or twenty five that a forty five year old, but they were no longer the tiny hands of a toddler and for that he was completely grateful.
After twenty years as a toddler, he'd take this over everything. It wasn't like he would age any further anyways.
He turned to the child had made it all possible, and bowed deeply in gratitude, surprising his other arcobaleno.
"Thank you, Tsunayoshi-san."
Fon followed his example, causing the boy to flush vividly.
"N-No problem?" He stammered and Skull chuckled, reminded of the younger brother he'd left behind so long ago.
Straightening from his bow, he forced his facade back into place, trying to ignore the pang his heart gave at the thought.
Max had been twelve when he'd last seen him, only months away from getting his rune. He'd be thirty four now, runed and active. Oodako nudged him to draw him from his darkening thoughts and he held the little octopus closer.
"We should celebrate, kora!" Colonello cried out and he yelled in agreement, trying his hardest to keep in character.
He'd been playing his part for over two decades, no need to break character now.
"The Great Skull-sama agrees! We should have a party!"
Everyone nodded and the little Decimo beamed at them. "We could have it at the park. There's one a few ways away that con hold us all. This way, Kaa-san can get out for a while and enjoy the sunlight."
With everyone in agreement, they headed to the Sawada home to gather the others and some food.
The arrived at the park only an hour later, the former arcobaleno reveling in the fact that they had their original adult bodies back.
The celebration lasted well into the evening and as they all fell asleep under the stars, he felt warmer inside than he had in years. So, of course it stood to garner that it would all come crashing down the next morning.
Magnus sighed as he slipped away from the Namimori Institute, into the cool morning air.
They'd arrived just in time for the meeting with the head of it, a young woman by the name of Hibari Hisoka.
She was stern with cold steel eyes and a voice that could cut diamonds, but she was efficient and they'd finished the meeting and the new proposals in short order, before being asked to stay a few days to observe the institute. They'd agreed eager to see the differences between their home and hers, but he couldn't help but think that a certain raven haired shadowhunter would've down a better job. His love had had a presence that commanded respect for all that he was shy, and while Isabelle had a similar aura, hers wasn't as strong. People tended to look at her differently due to her gender and rather subtle manipulation techniques whereas her brother was a bit more blunt.
Still, she was an amazing leader. One he would gladly continue to follow...at least until he found his shadow hunter.
He smiled slightly.
He had once entertained the idea of bringing his Alexander to JApan, the younger man's fascination with the cultures of the world one of the many facets of his personality he hid behind his snark, but after everything, they'd never gotten a chance. He wondered about his reaction, how those sky blue hues would light up in awe and excitement. It all left him feeling both warm and bereft at the same time.
He'd loved Alexander. Had even entertained thoughts of a long-term relationship but the war as well as thoughts of his father had impressed upon him just how brief human life-spans truly were and he knew that losing the nephilim would've broken what was left of his heart.
So he'd let him go.
And in doing so, had still doomed him because he'd been forced out of the only life he'd know into the mundane world. A world he was woefully unprepared for, for all of his brilliance.
A world where he'd vanished.
Where Magnus had still lost him.
It was agonizing.
Approaching the park Lady Hibari had informed them of the day before, he froze jerking himself out of his thoughts.
A group of people, seventeen people strong, were in varying stages of awakening, remnants of a picnic of some sort spread around them.
They froze upon seeing him.
Three guns came up at him while most of the others moved into fighting stances around an innocent looking woman and three children.
Only two didn't move to fight him, a fluffy haired child with bright amber eyes and a violet haired man with his back turned away from him as he continued to pick up the trash around them.
"Who the hell are you, Kora?!" The blond pointing a rifle at him yelled and the inattentive man behind him turned in curiosity.
Magnus' heart stilled in his chest.
Violet hair in the place of raven black, amethyst in the place of sky blue eyes, pale pink lips painted a deep dark purple, there was no mistaking the person in front of him.
He hadn't aged a day, his runes hidden under a skin tight stunt suit that left little to the imagination.
But he was here.
Alive, and still devastatingly beautiful.
The warlock stepped forward, disregarding the hostility of the rest of the group. The object of his attentions faltered back a step confirming his observations.
"Alexander?"
TBC...