"Subverted Expectations"
Note: Brinna wasn't the only Fairy in The Hollow when The Founders took over! With nowhere else to go, he's forced into hiding. He sees the creation of the underground city and watches its inhabitants come to stay, and one day a terrifying addition arrives. Or...is she really all that terrifying? Momentary compassion causes him to risk discovery.
Okay, I know a lot of people won't be interested in this! It's set in TSC universe, but it's also set in a place that isn't in the movies, and only involves OC's...one of which isn't even mine! SafyreSky has generously allowed me to borrow Myles, one of her OC's! (Thanks, SafyreSky!) It's very much AU, since TF isn't his biological dad in this one, but I really hope I did him justice...or, at least, didn't screw him up too badly! XD Seriously, go read her stories, if you haven't already.
Substance warning; Alpha drinks in this. Sad themes, possibly ending on a hopeful note. Trigger warning for character death.
1598
He had tried to warn her. He had tried so hard to warn her! "Something's wrong with them. I can't quite put my finger on it, but they're not 'right'. Bringing them here was a big mistake."
Brinna dismissed her younger companion's concerns. "Myles, they're Elves. And why did you hide yourself away, instead of introducing yourself to them?"
"Because that's what you do when you're in hiding?" The 'teenage' Fairy boy was incredulous. "You hide. What if the mayor sent them here to find me? And you brought them right to our doorstep."
Brinna smirked. "What 'doorstep'? This is a cave. It doesn't have a door."
"You know what I mean," Myles folded his arms, then uncrossed them again and sat down on a rock. The underground cavern had many hidden nooks, and they now sat in the one where Myles had chosen to make his camp. A small lantern allowed them to see each other, but beyond its dim orange light all was darkness. "I never should've gone snooping...If I hadn't been caught with that book..."
"Well, you were. It's water under the bridge, kid." Brinna smiled, but it was a sad smile. Myles reminded her of her older brother sometimes! Roy was a bit of a worrywart himself, and right now they weren't on the best of terms.
"I'm almost as old as you." Myles pointed out. He was significantly younger, to the point where they hadn't even been in the same class and hadn't met until recently, but he was in the middle of a growth spurt and almost as tall as her.
"Well, don't get any ideas," she grinned.
Myles made a face. "No, ew!"
"Hah, thanks a lot!"
They shared a quiet laugh, and Myles considered turning in. "Look, Brinna, all I'm saying is don't turn your back on them. Literally."
Again, Brinna dismissed his worries with a wave of her hand. "Don't be silly. Elves don't do that. And I thought it was perfectly awful of Santa to turn them away like he did."
"If that's what happened. After what I told you I found out, why wouldn't you take this 'common knowledge' with a grain of salt? No...a whole salt cellar. Neither of us were there, and the story you told me just doesn't fit! And...I'm not comfortable having them here." Myles looked down at the lantern, expecting her to get angry.
Instead, Brinna reached over and gave his shoulder a pat. "This is an enormous place, Myles. You don't have to see them if you don't want to, and they'd have a hard time finding you. They don't even know you're here."
"And I wanna keep it that way," Myles said dryly, but he had to smile.
"Well, they won't hear it from me."
"Thanks, Brinna..." Myles stifled a yawn. "Heard from your brother?"
She shook her head, hugging her knees. "He doesn't know about this place...and I hurt him so badly. I'm not ready to face him yet..."
Myles remembered his parents, who had left the safety of the Fairy Town and seemingly disappeared off the face of the Earth. They hadn't gone missing at the same time, of course; his mother went missing first, and his father disappeared while he was out searching for her. Now Myles truly had no one. Except his friend. "He won't stay mad at you forever, Brinna. And I really think you should have told him where you were going. He's probably worried sick by now."
Brinna nodded dully, and looked up when Myles was unable to stifle a second yawn. "If he'll talk to me, I'll try tomorrow. Maybe...maybe he'll let you stay with us. He doesn't really use his political 'pull' because he hates politics, but he might be able to smooth things over with Mayor Kendrick and get you out of trouble."
Myles remembered being chased out into the night by Mayor Kendrick's fellow servants. He remembered the weight of the book in his arms, the book he had accidentally made off with. He remembered colliding with Brinna in mid-air, then dragging her off to hide. Those Fairies had seemed so angry. Given what he had read in that book, he knew that he would at least face banishment over what he now knew! "No, don't tell him about me. It's safer here."
It's safer here.
Those words haunted Myles as he hid in his nook and rocked back and forth. He had never seen a Fairy lose their wings before, and he wished he could purge the memory from his reeling mind!
A snap of his fingers had rendered him invisible, and wanting to make sure nothing happened to his friend, he had followed her in secret. And he would live to regret doing so.
He had been right about those Elves. Avery and Viola were their names, and they had mercilessly torn the wings from his friend's back while she cried and pleaded with them for her life. And he had just stood there! Frozen in fear, and completely unable to move.
To touch a Fairy's wings without permission was severely frowned upon, and this was the reason why. A Fairy could not live without its wings, and the moment the Elves' momentum carried them back, each of them holding a Fairy wing, there was a bright purple flash. Brinna's body lay motionless on the floor as the release of raw magic reduced it to ashes in a heartbeat. The cave, which was below the main cavern, began to glow blue as her magic infused its walls.
Only then could Myles move, and he fled to the upper level while the Elf siblings celebrated their victory.
And he couldn't even cry. He sat and rocked as his mind replayed the scene over and over again against his will.
I just stood there...
The tears didn't come until he bedded down for the night. At least, he thought it was night. It was dark, and he was tired, and in his hidden nook he cried himself to sleep.
Fifty Years Later
Over the years, Myles watched a small town spring up inside the cavern. Lampposts with magical fire were added, so he didn't have to get too close to mark its progress. These lampposts fascinated him, though! They seemed to be color coded, but he would have to actually speak to one of the residents to get the story on that, and he didn't quite dare, even now.
The townsfolk weren't what you might call 'normal'. Orcs, a reclusive species he had only read about, had been brought in to build. Various other creatures, none of them human or Fairy, began showing up here and there. The first Vampires came, and red lights were added, presumably to mark where they had either chosen to live or been assigned.
It had been so long since he had spoken to anyone! He itched to move among them, to learn about these fascinating creatures.
No, not creatures. People.
For all their variety, some of which was truly horrifying to behold, they interacted with each other the same way one might expect from people living in a small community. There were spats and feuds, but overall they got along rather well, and he envied them. But seeing that Elves had begun to show up in the town, he had remained hidden. He no longer knew who to trust.
At one point, a creature in the river, one with glowing eyes and a froglike face, had tried to beckon Myles over. The boy had been visible, since staying invisible for long periods of time tired him, but he was still surprised to be spotted in the darkness. He supposed this creature had good night vision, like Fairies did. But Myles shook his head no and flew away. He wasn't ready to trust again.
It also concerned him that he had stopped growing. Fairies grew excruciatingly slowly, but he still should have grown out of the size of clothing he had worn for the past fifty years. Fairies his age were considered adults, but he hadn't grown a millimeter. And, mentally, he didn't feel older. He recalled something he had read, but it hadn't been very interesting, and he struggled to call it up again. It was something about how severe trauma at an early age could affect a Fairy's magical and physical development.
But there was no one for him to ask.
One day, construction began on a house that was set far away from the others. It was small, and it hadn't taken the builders very long. Why is it so far away from the town?
His curiosity piqued, Myles crept closer and listened to The Founders chat while the Orcs worked.
"Were you able to track her down?" Avery was asking. He had one hand raised, maintaining an orb of magical light, which the Orcs used to see by.
"I was," Viola replied, her hands clasped behind her back. "She managed to get very far. We can bring her in as soon as her home's completed."
Myles frowned. What are they up to now?
"And her condition, since the last time you saw her?" Avery pressed.
Viola snorted. "Poor. I don't know when her last meal was, but evidently she's been able to find water to drink. She certainly hasn't used it to bathe, that's for sure. She's filthy. She just walks without a destination in mind, and her feet are cut and bleeding. I never understood why people let themselves go like that when something happens. You'd think she would at least try to acquire a pair of shoes, but it's like she doesn't even care."
"You wanted her broken, and she's broken." Avery shrugged. "But I wouldn't let her linger up there for too long. It already sounds like she's given up."
Myles slipped away, unable to hear anymore. What did they do to her? Whoever 'she' is.
Myles learned what she was three days later, when The Founders showed up at the tiny cottage with a disheveled young woman. Her feet had been bandaged, but other than that, The Founders were quite correct about her being filthy. Her hair was a tangled mess, and he could see the dirt underneath her fingernails. Her dress, while being clothes a low-born woman would wear, had once been clean and in good condition. Now it was tattered, covered in grass stains, and caked with mud.
She must have been sleeping outside in all kinds of weather. She should really see a doctor! She doesn't belong here...
"This will be your house, Fenella," Viola explained, her words dripping with false honey. "You will find a water pump and a wash tub inside, as well as some soap. You have a wardrobe full of clothes, and a nice soft bed. That'll be a nice change over the rough Scottish moors, won't it?"
Fenella didn't respond at all. She stood with her head lowered and hugged her elbows, and it was hard to tell if she even heard Viola.
"Well? Go inside and get settled. We'll bring you food and drink in a while." Viola gently prodded Fenella's back, and the woman went inside and shut the door. As soon as the door clicked into place, Viola made a face and wiped her hand on her brother's shirt. "Ugh...she better take full advantage of that tub! Just because she's a Werewolf, that's no excuse to be so dirty!"
A Werewolf? One of the Cursed Ones?! Myles gasped, then quickly covered his mouth.
Viola turned her head. "What was that?"
Avery listened, then shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't hear anything. Come on, I think we've earned a good meal after dealing with 'Stinky' in there."
They left, and Myles sat down with a sigh.
A Cursed One...What are we going to do when it's a full moon, and she loses her mind? They've brought a real monster inside this time! Don't they know what Werewolves do?
Apparently, Werewolves drank.
Fenella had bathed and combed her hair, and she had ditched her dress in favor of shirts and trousers. A basket was left on her doorstep every day, and while she did pick at the food, what she truly wanted was the whiskey. The Founders seemed intent on keeping her compliant...and by compliant, they evidently meant 'drunk'.
Myles had taken to watching her house, since it was apart from the rest of the town and he wasn't in as much danger of being discovered, and as he observed her, his fear turned to pity.
The full moon had come and gone, and she had transformed, all right. The screams and roars that came out of that house caused his skin to prickle! But afterwards, the door had opened, and she had simply emerged to collect her daily basket. Myles blushed when he realized that either her clothes hadn't survived the change or she had removed them to keep them from being damaged, but she was completely covered in thick brown fur, except for her cream-colored belly, so he couldn't see anything he shouldn't be seeing. Even so, he averted his gaze out of respect for a being who didn't even know he was there.
He didn't have to wonder why she couldn't smell him. Every day when she came out, her eyes were red and her nose was stuffed up. I think she cries every day...but why? What happened to her before they brought her here?
There was a lot he wasn't sure of, but there was one thing he had come to know; she wasn't at all what he had expected a Cursed One to be! She just seemed like a very sad lady who had been through Heaven knows what before The Founders brought her in. Whatever it is, I'd bet my wings they were behind it, too.
One day, when Fenella had been there for two months or so, she ventured further away from her house with a whiskey jug in her hand. She was in her human form, and had obviously had a few pulls from the jug before emerging, but her gait was more or less straight. Myles watched her walk off into the darkness, and he tip-toed some distance behind her. What is she up to?
Fenella could see very well in the dark; it wasn't total darkness after all, and when she turned to look behind her with a suspicious frown, her retinas eerily reflected what little light there was.
Myles froze. He was invisible, but it occurred to him that her eyes weren't red that day, and her nostrils flared as she tested the air.
"All righ'," Fenella sounded irritated, but tired. "I know ye're there. I could hear a mouse break wind from a mile off, and I can smell ye."
Myles internally panicked, but remained perfectly still, frozen like a rabbit under the shadow of a hawk.
She uncorked the jug, brought it up to her lips, and took a swig. Then, without replacing the cork, she scanned the area where Myles stood, still invisible. "Either show yerself, or shove off. I'm in no mood."
Well, she seems friendly! Myles thought, with no small amount of sarcasm. But he stepped out of sight behind a boulder, snapped his fingers to make himself visible, then, as an afterthought, snapped his fingers again to hide his wings. This was a major risk! But he had watched her very closely for the past two months, and even when she wasn't drunk off her nut, she had shown no sign of being violent or dangerous. He came out from behind the boulder, nervously dusting his palms to make sure no Fairy Dust remained. "Sorry...hi! I was just curious, and-"
Fenella looked him up and down as if to ascertain his threat level, then dismissively turned away and walked off.
"Well, that's rude!"
"Worse things than rudeness in this world." She said coldly.
Myles gave his small, hidden wings an irritated buzz, then jogged after her before falling into step at her side. "Sure, there are. But there's no need to be rude when someone's trying to be friendly. I just thought you looked sad, you know? You looked like you needed help..."
She halted and gave him a long, hard stare. "What do you know about 'sad', laddie?"
"Plenty!" Myles put his fists on his hips. "My parents went missing, and I watched my only real friend die! I wanted to help her, but I was too scared to move, and now she's gone! I've been in hiding for years, because I know something I wasn't supposed to know, and if The Founders knew I was here, they'd kill me!"
Fenella's hard expression slackened, and her eyes had grown wide by the time Myles paused for breath, panting a little. She closed her mouth and looked down. "Forgive me. I...I didn't know."
Myles hadn't expected that, and he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "It's fine."
"No..." Fenella shook her head and sat down with her back against another rock. "It's not. I was rude. And it was presumptuous of me to imply that ye wouldn't have known sadness in yer life. I suppose there's no age limit for when terrible things can happen to ye..."
Myles looked back at her, and his eyes widened. Her face was totally stoic, but tears ran down her cheeks, and as he watched her she had another drink from her whiskey jug. "Mind if I sit down?"
She shuddered as the liquor hit her stomach like a mouthful of liquid fire. It was poorly-made stuff, and it burned all the way down, but she didn't want mental clarity that day, or any other. She just wanted to forget. "Do wha' ye want..."
The Fairy boy sat down beside her, and casually took the jug from her to sniff it. "Ugh! How can you drink that stuff? It smells like paint thinner!"
"Aye...I imagine it tastes about the same, but I've never tried paint thinner, so I cannae confirm." She stole back her whiskey and took another swig.
Myles drew his knees up and hugged them as he watched her. She had several more sips over the course of an hour, and finally he shook his head. "Why do you do that to yourself?"
"Why do you care?" There was no force behind the statement; she was genuinely asking him.
"I don't know," Myles shrugged, "You just look like you could use a friend."
Fenella shook her head. "I don't need friends. I don't need anythin'. I just want tae be left alone."
"Then why did you let me sit here?"
"Tae shut ye up."
"I don't believe that," Myles shook his head. "I think you're lonely."
She snorted. "Believe what ye want..."
She was slurring now.
"Okay, I will." Myles took the jug from her when she raised it for another sip. "You're talking kinda funny. Maybe you shouldn't have anymore."
Fenella let him take the jug. The numbness had begun to set in, and she leaned back against the rock and closed her eyes. "Don't you drink any o' that swill. Ye're too young."
"Don't worry about that! I'd rather drink paint thinner," he snorted.
Then, for the first time since arriving at The Hollow, Fenella Macauley began to laugh. It was an odd mixture of laughter and tears, but it didn't go on long enough for Myles to worry that she had taken leave of her senses. "Aye, it probably would taste better at tha'..."
Myles put the cork back in the jug and ventured to ask, "What's your name?"
"Fenella Macauley...or what's left of her."
"Sounds like 'vanilla'." He smiled. "Macauley...That's a Scottish name, isn't it?"
She cracked a wry smile. "Aye. 'Vanilla' of Clan Macauley, at yer service. And what shall I call you?"
Uh-oh. "Doesn't matter who I am. 'Hey you' will do."
"Well, 'Hey you', I suppose I'm glad tae meet ye." She offered her hand, and he shook it.
"Thanks. I think." Myles rolled his eyes. It had been so long since he had really talked to someone! It was a shame this would have to be a one time thing. When she sobered up, she probably wouldn't even remember this, and that was just as well. "So...You're a Werewolf, right?"
She nodded, and she didn't have the presence of mind to ask him how he knew.
"Then...how did you end up down here? What would The Founders want with you?"
Fenella looked away, and for a long time she didn't speak. "They found me after humans..."
He waited, but she was silent, and finally he gently prompted her, "After humans what?"
Myles immediately regretted asking, because this seemed to have pressed the 'cry button', and she hugged her knees and buried her face in her arms.
"Oh, no..." Myles reached out and tentatively patted her on the shoulder. It was an awkward gesture, one he wasn't used to giving, but it was heartfelt. Whatever it was that had happened, it must have been bad! "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that."
"N-no, I'm...I'm sorry." She sniffled, but didn't raise her head. "They found me after humans figured out what we were. My mate, Alexander...M'wee lad, Andrew, he was only five years old, and th-they...the humans butchered them like cattle!"
Myles did the only thing he could do; he put his arm awkwardly around her shoulders, and simply sat with her while she got it out of her system. Now he could sort of understand why she was the way she was, and why she had been so unfriendly at first. Losing everyone you cared about really did change a person, and his heart went out to her.
But when she sobered up, she would have questions for him. He suffered the sad realization that this friendship could not happen. Not if he wanted to remain safe and hidden. Well...not 'safe', because he never felt safe, but definitely hidden.
Gradually, she quieted down to sniffles and shrugged his arm off of her shoulders. "Ye're a good lad...I think I'm goin' tae take a nap."
"I'll walk you back to your house."
"Here's fine." And with that, she lay down on the ground and was asleep within seconds. Well...actually 'passed out' would have been more accurate.
Myles shook his head. He got to his feet and went down to the river, where he dumped out the whiskey and replaced it with water. Then he let himself into her house and took her blanket and pillow from her bed. He brought these back to her, and knelt at her side. "I wish I could help you...but maybe this will be enough."
He placed the jug of water beside her, covered her with the blanket, and lifted her head just enough to slide the pillow under it. He laid a hand on her back as she slumbered, and finally whispered, "You can't give up, you know that? The Founders aren't what they pretend to be...and you can't let them win. You're gonna come back from this. And then we'll see what you can do."
And with no other option, he left her where she was to recover.
November, 2009
It wasn't until centuries later that Myles's hunch proved to be right. As the city grew, he eventually became comfortable enough to walk the streets and take what he needed to remain clothed and fed. No one noticed him, because he cloaked himself most of the time or hid his wings. Everyone assumed he was one of the Witches.
When the Witches began to exhibit odd skin colors (blue, pink, purple, green, etc.), he soon stopped showing himself entirely. And he never approached Fenella, nor would he remain in the area when she was around, on the off chance that she would catch his scent and remember.
Fenella had undergone many changes over the centuries, and it had been interesting to watch. She had taken a Goblin mate a few decades after Myles had met her, and centuries later she had fallen in love with one of the male Witches. Now, thrice-widowed, she went by the nickname 'Alpha', and preferred her Wereform over her human one. While she acted hard and tough when The Founders were around, she was more relaxed around her friends.
It fascinated Myles that Alpha had taken on the role of protector, and he was very thankful to see her mostly give up her whiskey about a month after he had spoken to her. She had really come into her own! He only wished he could let his guard down and approach her again. He yearned for someone to talk to, other than himself! If only he wasn't so scared...
Then, one day, he happened to look up from where he sat and enjoyed some purloined bread...and he nearly choked on it.
A large male Fairy was fluttering above the city, and he seemed to be searching for something.
How did another Fairy get in here? The Founders sealed up the entrances!
Hours later, Myles knew for sure that something was up. And the next day, he was utterly floored to hear that The Founders and the Elves who were loyal to them had been taken into custody by Mother Nature and Father Time.
Is it really over?
It sure didn't feel like it was over.
While he sat and thought about it, he saw Alpha making her way to the cemetery with something in her arms. It looked like a book, or a flat box, and he retreated so that she wouldn't catch his scent. He watched as she approached a remote corner of the cemetery, and he saw that there was already a hole dug and a grave marker set off to the side. What's that she's got?
When he got a bit closer, his stomach dropped. He sensed Fairy magic in her, and he knew. She has Brinna's wings!
Myles watched in shock as Alpha gently lowered the box into the hole and began to shovel dirt on top of it. When this was done, she placed the grave marker and began to speak. Myles had to turn his head and strain his ears to listen.
"I'm sorry this happened to ye. You deserved better." Alpha brushed a bit of dirt from the stone, which was decorated with polished amethyst chips in the shape of a purple butterfly. "You are avenged, lass. You know...your brother loved you very much. I don't know exactly what transpired between the two o' ye, but he's so very sorry that he pushed ye away, and that it came to this. He blames himself for it, and...well...I hope ye could forgive him in the end. Maybe he'll even forgive himself one day. Rest in peace, wee Brinna..."
Myles watched with tears in his eyes as Alpha got to her feet, dusted off her hands and knees, and left the cemetery, unaware that she'd had an audience. When he was sure he was alone, he fluttered over to the grave and knelt down. He rested a hand on the design and smiled through his tears. "Hey. Been a while, hasn't it? I think about you a lot. I'm...I'm sorry, Brinna! I wanted to save you, but I just...couldn't move."
Of course, there was no answer, but Myles felt a sudden wave of peace wash over him. Could she hear him? Had she forgiven him?
A tiny voice whispered in the back of his mind, and he wasn't sure if it was his own thought or not.
There's nothing to forgive.
He dried his face and got up, then turned his back on Brinna's grave and left the cemetery.
He chose to believe that the voice was hers.