ONCE UPON A WILLOW
CHAPTER TWO
The war is finally coming to an end; Bahamut and the remaining warriors are trying to put all the pieces together on what exactly is going on and to see who the traitor at the Castle is. For all they know is it could be one of them. As they're figuring everything out and Bahamut tries to protect the Castle and protect the King's people without the people knowing that the King and Queen are missing, everyone is growing restless. A few months go by and the Kings people are growing restless on where their King and Queen are; Bahamut comes to the Kings Balcony to speak with the people to calm them down for a bit longer so the warriors will have some extra time to find them.
Bahamut shouts amongst all the people of the kingdom, "My Kings people! We, the warriors, have heard from the King Queen last night. He is on a voyage with his Queen and their daughter Blaise. His daughter got traumatized by the war that had gone on and trying to get help for her to forget; in the mean time I will be here to help clean everything up here with my warriors and continue to protect all of you until the King and Queen return." As Bahamut turns his back to the crowd and walks back into the castle, he says, "Thank You!"
As the Bahamut enters back into the room where his warriors leave and Drake stays behind with Bahamut to figure out what to do next; Dionne shows up in the Kings bedroom by the magick the Crowne used to get her there. As she enters the room, both the warriors draw their weapons at her and ready to attack and hold her hostage!
"How dare you enter this Castle, especially this room? Where are the girls or I will have to go old school and burn you alive at the stake," Bahamut shouted at Dionne.
Dionne chuckles at the warrior, "You can't kill me and neither can your warrior over behind that pillar. You know for a fact that you need someone to run this kingdom until the King and Queen Come back home. Where they are, it's only been a few hours and not nearly six months. "
Drake comes out from behind the pillar about to cut the throat of Dionne and for some reason can't get that close. He replies to what Dionne is saying, "Where are the King and Queen? You must know where they are, if they are mentioned by you bitch."
"Drake, stop. I need you a live. We need to see where she is going with this," Bahamut says to his warrior, Drake and tires to calm him down.
"Hear me out you two," says Dionne as she throws Drake against the wall and blacks out. "I don't know where the King and Queen are at; all I know is what I just said because of your supposed right hand man Bali. You should take a look at your men and reassess everything! You know you can't run this entire kingdom with just the warriors; the people out there are catching on to you, you know!"
In a forest very far away from the castle, the stranger shows up with Blaise, who is unconscious and brought the soul of the dead creature with him to be questioned by the other in the other part of the land. (What the other creature who was left behind to die, thought it was two strangers that left together). As Blaise starts to wake up under a Willow tree, the stranger and a few others are questioning the soul of the creature who attacked Blaise and her cousin Izabela. As she awakens, she doesn't remember anything about herself or anything about the castle.
A young girl awakens and is very curious on where she is and doesn't remember anything, "Hello? Is anyone out there?" The young girl is scared and worried and not knowing who she is and not knowing her parents are and speaks in a worried voice, "Hello! Someone, please help I don't know what is going on or where I am!" The young girl starts to think to herself about what her name is, or should be in case she runs into anyone, "… I guess I will try and remember what happened and just try and think of a name for myself."
In a sweet loving and caring voice, a glowing light appears and speaks, "Hello, little girl." The light starts to begin floating down from the Willow Tree, "It's been a long time since I saw a similar face sitting here!"
The young girl tries to back up but remembers that there is a tree behind her and speaks back to this creature in a scared voice, "W-Who are you? W-What d-do you want? Don't hurt me," she starts to whine, "please!"
"I won't harm you at all, you are safe here little girl. Do you know what your name is," said the glowing light as she turns into a full grown woman who looks like an elf and also a fairy.
As the young girl was about to answer Yousei, a strange looking man walks out of the nearby woods just on the other side of the pond. He walks out of the woods with a woman and another man where they have a conversation about how the tree across the pond is surprisingly backed to life!
"That's strange; I know that he brought someone back with him that he saved, but how is that tree back alive," spoken the Ranger from across the pond, to Durrkan.
Durrkan responds in a wise voice, "I think I know why! I have a feeling that she is back home but we can't be certain until we find out that she is who she is. I mean she is the only one who would probably be able to bring that tree back alive."
In a curious voice, the Ranger replied, "What do you mean? Who do you think it is? We should go talk to the young girl to see who she is and how she got here! Maybe she can tell us about the visions that you're having."
While Yousei continues to talk to this young girl the two strange people approach her and while they walk around this pond, the girl is able to listen to their conversation.
"Hello, little girl? Are you going to answer my question or are you going to just sit there and look confused," said the strange woman.
The young girl whom seemed to be distracted, started to look back at the beautiful elf like creature and replied, "Oh, sorry. I am just a little freaked out right now! I am not accustomed to seeing something like you; something so small and flying. To answer your question, I have no idea who I am or how I got here! Who are those two people over there?"
The elf responded with slight concern in her voice, "What two people? There is no one over there kid. Is there something that I can call you until you figure out who you are?"
The young girl replied as she rubs her eyes and realizes that there is no one there and it was all in her head, "Um, I guess you can call me Willow, like this tree." Suddenly the two people that she saw on the other side of the pond actually showed up, "Excuse me; I am pretty sure that there are two people over on that side of the pond. Also, can you tell me your name?"
"My name is Yousei, I am part fairy and part Elf." As she thinks to herself}, "Can it be her? I must protect her if it is." After thinking for a bit she sees the two walking over to the tree, "That's strange Willow. You just told me that there was a man and a woman walking over here and there was no one and now there is. Strange! Listen I will be here and will protect you no matter what and will try and help you remember who you are."
As Willow is talking to Yousei, she flies away, "Thank You Yousei!"
Back in the woods at the abandoned home where Dionne, Bali, and Izabela are currently at, the Crowne comes in looking like Dionne. She is ready to take over the kingdom and set her plans in motion. She is in the process of teaching Izabela her ways of magick and is currently under her spell. She is still young and ignorant and still has much to learn the dark ways before she can take the Kingdom over. With no sign of Blaise anywhere, the Crowne assumes she is dead.
"Have you spoken to the King and Queen yet," the Crowne spoke as she walks into the room and transforms from Dionne to her.
Bali responds to the Crowne, "They think I am out looking for Bahamut and their daughter. I should probably go and find Bahamut to see if he found the girl. After all I was supposed to find him; I could just say that…"
Dionne interrupts the conversation, "Let me go you psychopath! You know what will happen to you if you kill the King and Queen!"
"Oh, I have no intentions of killing either one of them! To them, only a few hours have passed, not six months. Besides if you didn't realized I came back as you and plan on being Queen to the Kingdom, since you're next in line if they are dead or refuse to come home from their vacation! Oh that's right! You can't see any more and I can," the Crowne says to Dionne. "Oh, by the way; you shouldn't go near Bahamut unless you have a death wish," she said to Bali.
Bali responds in a pissed voice at the Crowne, "What did you do?"
"I just simply told the truth on how you turned your back on him to help me; of course I was disguised as Dionne so I can get my plan set in motion," she responded in a cocky attitude.
Back at the castle where Bahamut and Drake talk about what just happened and figure out what to do while the search for the King and Queen. For Bahamut, it seems that having Dionne step in temporarily may not be a bad idea while the secretly work to find them.
"What is the deal with her? She's changed so much in the past year or so," said Drake in a concerned voice.
Bahamut responds to Drake in a low voice, making sure no one hears him, but Drake, "Not sure what is exactly go on, but never let your guard down Drake. Not even for your family. I do have to tell you something that no one else knows. I was sworn by the King himself not speak of this to anyone. I feel that I have to share it with someone and Bali is no longer a warrior to this clan."
"What about not trusting anyone," he said in response to his general.
"This is one thing that must be shared with you. When I was a young boy in training to be in charge of the future King, our 'current' King; he told me something and swore to me not to share with anyone until the time is right and I believe that the time is right to share with you. It has to do with Dionne and how she is involved with the Queen," Bahamut specified.
In a curious and excited voice, Drake responded, "Involved? Mhmm, I would love to watch that!"
"Seriously," questioned Bahamut as he raises an eyebrow to Drake, "You really have some timing with being that way, Drake!"
"You set yourself up for that one sir. Continue your story," he said.
"True! Anyway, Dionne is Queen Zaria's Sister," Bahamut continues to say.
Drake's jaw drops in excitement and shouts, "NO WAY! Seriously?"
Bahamut gives Drake a look so he can continue his story about what could be currently going on and Drake apologies, "Sorry sir, continue with your story!"
"It all started back when I was a teenager, many years ago when I was taken off the streets to be one of the Kings Warriors. During training I got to meet many different members of royalty. When one day I was asked to be in charge of all the warriors; whom I did say yes," Bahamut shared and continues to share his story.
Years prior to Vladmar become King, he wanted to explore the land outside of the castle where he found Bahamut without a home and his father, the current King, guards found out that Vladmar had run off and brought him back to the castle with the boy that young Vladmar had found. After a few years of Bahamut living at the castle and training to become part of Vladmar's army, he fell in love with his future wife's sister Dionne.
Off the property of the Castle near the woods where Dionne and Bahamut meet up to finally see each other. A young Bahamut speaks in a calm loving manor, "I miss you so much my love."
"I have missed you too! We must talk though; about something very important and it hurts me to talk to you about this," responded a young Dionne.
"What is it my love?" Bahamut responds in a questionable voice.
Dionne responds in a whimpering voice, "My sister Zaria is on to me and if she finds out that we have made love or even the fact that we are together, we both will beheaded."
"What are you trying to say?" He responds in a upset manor.
Dionne responds, "I am saying we can't be together," she begins to tear up, "I am sorry," and she walks away before Bahamut sees her cry.
"Wait…" spoke Bahamut and he realizes she's gone; "I love you!"
Later that day, back at the castle, prior to Vladmar and Zaria to be married, Vladmar decides to speak with Bahamut about what is going on with Dionne and who she really is before Zaria finds out what is going between the two. Vladmar cares too much for Bahamut for him to be beheaded.
Bahamut walks up to King Vladmar and bows as he speaks, "You wanted to speak with me sir?"
"Yes, it's about something important, about what's going on between you and Dionne," the King said as he turns to face he warrior.
In a concerned voice, he responds, "What do you need to know about what is going on between us?"
"Listen to me; don't play mind games with me. We have been best friends since we were kids; please don't lie to me! I know that there is something going on between the two of you," responded Vladmar.
Bahamut responds in a taken back manor, "Well, Vladmar, you don't have to worry anymore about that. There isn't going anything on between us now and I will be nothing but professional and will not let feelings get in the way of protect you, your future wife and this entire kingdom. Come on; let's get you ready for this wedding to your future Queen!"
After a few years that gone by, Dionne finally went to the castle to speak to her with sister Zaria; whom she hasn't seen since she has left Bahamut. On her way into the castle that night, Dionne ran into Vladmar and he pulled her into a room near where they saw one another.
Vladmar sees Dionne and grabs her into a room and tells her with a stern, but quiet voice, "What are you doing here?"
"You know why I am here after all of these years. I have to do what is done before that THING is born! You know what is wrong with it," she told him.
The King responds to her, "You can't kill it. You know it will kill my wife." In a worried voice, "M-Maybe you and whom you are living with can do some kind of spell to transfer it to someone else. Possibly when it's born it'll kill whom gives birth too; from there I can have one of my men kill it. I just don't want my wife, my queen to die; she needs to protect the people along side of me! If you do, do this for me you must have it where she has an actual baby. We must still have an hare to the throne! I don't care how you do it, just get it done."
"You know I that I love my sister, but you know that I won't go near that kind of magick! That magick is evil," she responded with slight concern.
"Again do what must be done and I told you what needed to be done in the exact way that I want it to be done," In a stern, angry voice, "You either do what I say or I will banish you away from this Kingdom, away from this castle and away from your sister. You will live always in torment about how your sister's death being on you and will make sure Bahamuts death will be on you as well."
"Fine! I will do what I need to if you hold up on your end of the bargain," she responded in a slight pissed off manor.
After Dionne left with her hooded cape on and walks out, Vladmar vanishes as Bahamut sees him vanish and transfers into a strange person he's never seen. He didn't realize that it was Dionne until he saw the back of her cloak and realizes that the Queen was in danger. Bahamut went to the ones he could trust with a situation that he saw; the fates.
"My lady fates, I have something important to share with you. It could be life or death," Bahamut shares with the cloaked figures.
Lachesis responds in a slight creepy voice, "State your rank Bahamut. We know there is something strange going on with the Queen. Someone evil is trying to use her with that thing that grows inside of her."
"You know I am all for absorbing that life force if it dies. This matter may have to go to Kismate if it has to do with giving life," stated Astopos in a raspy voice.
"I am the Kings protector; in charge of all of his warriors. I need all of your advice on what I had just seen earlier this evening with the supposed King and the Queens sister Zaria; wait wouldn't you already know all of this information," he said to the two fates.
"We can only see so much into the future, present, and past and how it could possibly be played out depending on what you decide upon and give you advice. We are the three fates; we all have individual gifts that let us do different things. For instance, I know that you have been in bed with Dionne and not herself that will take the throne," stated Lachesis.
Astopos shares, "I can only see within the next few months into the future. I take life of those whom die and absorb them into me. I can only see those whom are sick and dying and Queen Zaria that is."
"I have the power to weave life and give it to those who need to extend their life, but only for so long. If it you have any questions about the life that will be weaving I am the one to ask; we'll all give you the advice that you may need, but it may not be the answer you want," shared Kismate.
Lachesis responded, "Know that you know what we can see and do, you may now go on with what you want to tell us. Only from that we can see who may be behind this."
"Well what happened earlier and what I need guidance on is what I saw; which was the king speaking to Dionne, the Queens sister, who snuck into the castle just moments before. The strange part was when their conversation was over, King Vladmar vanished in thin air and as he vanished he transformed into some old woman. As he vanished and Dionne left the castle the back way, the King came through the gate with some of the warriors from their ride into town. What do I do about this," Bahamut said to the three cloaked fates/
"Somethings are best to be left undisturbed," said Laschiesis in a soft spoken manor.
Both Kismate/Lachesis said, "Yet, there is something he isn't telling us about what happened. There is more to this story or he wouldn't have shown up here and he wouldn't be able to see us at this time of need."
"What is it that is needed to be said to us Bahamut? What was spoken between the two of them," said Laschesis to Bahamut.
Bahamut responds with great explanation, "Well, they spoke about some kind of creature growing inside of the Queen and how the supposed King that Dionne spoke with was telling her to use dark magick to transfer the baby into someone else so the Queen lives for plans later in life. What was also said was that they had someone in site on which they would transfer it the creature into someone else in the castle. What must be done to stop all of this? How do we stop this?"
"I see where you are having trouble sorting this entire situation out by yourself without Dionne not being alongside you any longer. Come back to us in a week when the next blue moon is. That is when we will be able to truly help you out and see on what will happen. In the meantime, nothing will be said by you to anyone else; not even the King," stated Laschesis.
As a few days have passed and Bahamut went to go see the fates again for their proficy about Dionne, the King and the Queen who is supposedly to give birth at any day; Bahamut goes out and comes across a suspicious scene at the fates home in the woods.
"Laschesis? Hello, Kismate, Lachesis? [Mumbles to himself entering the location] I thought this was a sacred place where you were only invited in by one of the fates; so, strange," Bahamut said with worry in his voice.
Bahamut heard a strange voice, a voice that sounded old and raspy, "You're on your own now my dear little friend! You are lost without their help of loved ones and you will learn, learn who to trust!"
"Who are you and what have you done with the fates? How could you have done such a thing? How were you able to enter such a protected place?" As Bahamut questioned searching for where this strange voice came from.
"You know that with such evidence that you did not need their help; with their prophecy with what they would tell you, [the voice starts to fade away] would not help you in any way, what so ever Bahamut," the strange voice spoken.
Currently back at the castle where Bahamut is telling his story to his warrior, Drake, he now somewhat understans on why he shouldn't trust anyone but himself. Yet, Drake knows that there is a lot that Bahamut isn't telling him about what could possibly be going on and how any of this story could do with anything!
Drake tells his General with slight concern, "Bahamut, I appreciate you telling me about how and why you and the King are so close but what you and the Queen's sister has to do with absolutely anything with what is going on with the war that has happened."
"The reason why I shared that story with you, is because of how close we all were at one point, but somehow after Dionne and I were done with our relations; she went into the forest and never returned anywhere in the Kingdom. I kept searching non-stop for her and when I saw her that many years later; she wasn't her," Bahamut spoken to Drake as he glances out of a window.
"How could you tell that she has changed Bahamut, and not you? I mean it seems like she is deceiving you," Drake answered to his general.
The other warriors come into Blaises room where Bahamut and Drake walked into while searching for any clues. "Sir, as you know the kingdom will always be protected as well as they can be to the best of my ability, but there is only so much that I can do with protecting them; only so much a spell can do," said Sandor as he speaks to Bahamut.
Beven speaks with concern of the worst case scenario, "It's been months and no sign of the King or Queen and we have no clue where that stranger has taken Blaise. At some point Sir Bahamut, we are all going to have to give up on our search! It has been six months already and no clues; what happens if…"
Bahamut interrupts his warrior Bevan, "Nothing is going to happen and there will be no 'what if's' around me. Sandor, keep trying to protect the settlers out there until I figure this out, it shouldn't take long to figure out to find someone to help us without the people knowing what's going on. For now, Bevan and Sandor, go find Garrick and Thane to see if they need any help with getting the food for the Kings people and for us the scraps. His people only get the best; we can't let them know that we are running low on supplies." The two warriors go and help Thane and Garrick with food and Bahamut continues to speak, "Now, Drake, what have you asked me? I will want help straightening this all out and as of right now you're the only one that can possibly help solve this all out!"
"Why thank you for that, but what I have asked of you prior to Sandor and Bevan walking in here is how could you tell that she has changed? I mean you did say that you haven't seen Dionne in years; how can you tell that it was her that has changed and not you instead?" Drake elaborates and he pours some whiskey.
"I know, because when you're so in love with someone you know that there are some qualities that will never change on someone even though some part of them has. All I know is that, Dionne wouldn't risk a baby's life or her sisters for that matter; something strange is going on," says Bahamut as he takes the Whiskey from Drake .
Back in the strange land where Yousei flies back up towards the tree as the Ranger and Durrkan approach Willow, who feels like she is stuck in a dream like world where no matter how hard she tries to wake up and remember who she is; she just can't.
Willow starts to back up away from the two strange people, but then realizes that the tree is behind her and says with concern, "W-Who a-are y-y-you?" She speaks with a slight panic in her voice and looks to Durrkan, "Can you tell me what has happened to me and how I got here?"
Durrkan looks at Willow and with an interest in her voice, "I am not too sure on how you got here, but I can tell you is that this tree was completely dead, along with the surrounding land prior to your arrival, girl. Do you know your name?"
Willow is about to answer Durrkan, but the Ranger started speaking prior to her speaking; Durrkan steps back to survey the surrounding area. As the Ranger starts to speak with Willow and Durrkan walks away, the Ranger stretches the truth on how he saved her life, "Listen I am the one who found you just down the pond [points] there near that stretch of woods. What happened to you, I am not sure; you were pretty beaten up looking and you were semi-conscious and I helped you get to this tree; you blacked out on my way over to this tree where I placed you. I ran off to get my friend here; her name is Durrkan, she is here to help you get healed and to bring you some water." With a curious voice, the Ranger continues to say, "Somehow it looks to me like you're healed along with this tree."
Willow responds with a slight attitude towards the Ranger and Durrkan, "I don't remember anything; not even my name, but I was talking to some fairy like creature that came out of the tree named Yousei and we spoke and I came up with a name until I remember who I am. You two can call me Willow. Your friend Durrkan looks very familiar; like I know her from somewhere, but not sure from where!
"Not sure what you mean," replied the Ranger
After wondering around the area that they found the young girl, Willow, Durrkan approaches the two and as Willow stands up, as if she was never unharmed, "I feel like I know her from somewhere; like I've seen her somewhere like in a dream."
"So, you're saying that you've seen me in a dream before?" Willow shakes her head in agreement to Durrkan as she speaks, "Who knows, maybe you have a little gypsy magick in you; if not that, maybe something special about you."
"Lady, look…" Willow said with a cocky attitude.
"Call me Durrkan," She said and she stands tall and cocks her head
"Look, Durrkan, I have no idea what you mean, but I don't think; I don't believe in magick and you're starting to freak me out with what you're saying," Willow responded.
The Ranger faces Willow with both of his hands on her shoulders, "Willow, I don't totally believe in many of things, but there is one thing that I can say is that there is something special about you. Like I said before, this tree and the area around it was completely dead. I know for a fact that small fairy that you saw before when Durrkan and I walked out of the woods before was dead along with the tree."
Durrkan says to Willow with a slight cocky attitude back, "You see Willow…"
"I don't see anything," she responded with sarcasm.
Durkkan shakes her head with a smirk on her face, "Now, hear me out Willow, I am a gypsy and this here is Ranger and he protects where my family and I live. There is something incredibly special about you and my people and I can possibly help you figure it out and you can be protected from whom ever tried harming you."
All three walk into the woods where the Ranger and Durrkan came out of; as all three continue their walk, as Willow turns back and sees something about the tree as there is a change about her eyes and the tree and the surrounding area dies once again.