A/N: Sorry! I've just not had enough time lately to write anything, not with Chemistry, Biology and History piling work on me (stares at mountain of neglected work in frustration)... Anyhoo... I hope that this makes up for it (a little) and I'll try to update more during the Easter and Summer hols. Don't expect much from me during May and June - that's AS levels starting time (3 hours for one exam... pity me)
Oh yeah - in this chapter, when you see italics in paragraph blocks, that's a Greater Power talking. In fact, make that as in any of my stories, that's a Greater Power talking. If there's only the odd italic in a paragraph, that's either emphasis or thoughts, depending. You'll be able to tell.
On with the story!
Chapter 30 – In which complications arise (when do they not?)
All of the Kestrels, save Ivy, fell on their knees in startled reverence, as did the healer who had decided to enter the building at that moment. Ivy, out of familiarity, pouted and looked for all the world to be a spoilt child, and Fowl, out of arrogance, refused to incline his head, even if the being in front of him could have ripped his head of without so much as dropping a sweat. Both Fowl and Kestrel glared at the feminine being, the latter clutching on her duvet so hard it was a wonder that her nails did not penetrate.
I see that I am not welcome here. Water stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh, do you think? I never would have guessed!" Ivy scorned, making her comment as scathing as was humanly possible. Or fairily possible, depending on what species you were.
Artemis adopted a slightly less sarcastic and rude retort, "You could hardly expect me to welcome one of the beings that managed to split me apart and throw several realities into jeopardy, can you?"
I am not here to practice rhetoric with thee, Keeper. Nor am I here to claim what is rightfully mine. Water's attention shifted to Duke Kestrel. I am here to negotiate.
Duke Kestrel's eyebrows shot up, but his bowed pose stayed the same. Melissa's body, however, decided to follow her eyebrows on the journey upwards, "What is rightfully yours? Yours? I have spent a little over fourteen years guarding this child now, and you DARE to claim that she is yours?"
The whole room was silent, save for the elegant chimes of Water's body flowing inside the vague shape that counted as a body. Even Ivy recognised the graveness of the situation. Nobody ever dared to argue with a Greater Power over the possession of their Chosen One. Pieces of Water's body were beginning to solidify into ice, and Ivy knew that if the situation were not diverted quickly, casualties were going to follow.
It was at times like these that she was glad for her inane ability of delaying her shock so that it all came out at once.
"I apologise on my mortal mother's behalf, Mother Water." Ivy began, choosing her next phrase very carefully, "But I do not perceive any fault with my outburst."
Nor do I, child. After all, thou spoke the truth, albeit in a rather crude and blunt way. Perhaps it should be our duty to apologise to thee, Ivy Kestrel, for forcing thee to pretend for so long.
Forgetting all etiquette, Ivy's bowed head shot up, a slight grin playing on her lips, and retorted, "Now that, I can work with." Earning a rather stern look from her immortal mother.
Artemis was being kept in the dark about something. That meant he was ignorant about something. And this something was important enough that a Greater Power was apologising. From the half that had lived with Duke Kestrel, he gathered that this was a Big Deal, capital B, capital D.
This was not allowed.
"Would somebody tell me what the Greater Powers have to apologise to Kestrel for?" Although he phrased it as a request, the power that emanated from him turned it into a demand. Startled by his own lack of self-control, he forced himself to calm down, attempting to quash the power that had lain dormant for years trying to force its way out.
Calm thyself, Keeper. All explanations will come in good time. Motioning for all of the kneeling people to seat themselves, Water continued. And this is as good a time as any.
The worlds have been destabilising more and more as we, the younger Powers have grown older. Thou art in the knowledge that we elements may destroy whole countries on a whim, correct? Well, thou canst also understand the concept that we may destroy whole worlds on a whim as well. And so, the Keeper of the Balance's workload became heavier and heavier as our Chosen Ones became harder to handle as our increasing power flowed through them.
And that was when the Balance changed. He chose a babe, hardly out of his mother's womb, to be the next Keeper, bestowing upon him all the powers of the Keeper. But he made the child ruthless, ready to kill and maim if it were necessary, and named the boy Hades.
But our Chosen Ones, heady with their own power, feared for their Powers, and killed the child before he had even reached adulthood. The Balance was furious, almost ripping our Chosen Ones to pieces, but then restored Hades to the Place Where He Is, and refused to choose another Keeper.
We were afraid of the Balance's choice. Since the last Keeper's passing, the Balance has become secluded, and harder than ever. Hast thou ever stared at an inferno in the face, little Keeper? That is the extent of the Balance's fury. It was many centuries of thy time, many Chosen Ones later that the Balance emerged again. However, the first words that passed between us were the inquiry into my next Chosen One's birth.
I, out of obligation, replied truthfully that my next Chosen One was again from the House Kestrel. At the time, however, not even thy mother had set foot upon the ground, and so I had planned that thou were to be of fairy persuasion. However, the Balance interfered. An alliance was arranged through thy grandparents, and my plans were halted.
I have gathered since then that all my brethren hath had the same treatment, and that all the Chosen Ones have been tampered with. Needless to say, we were not pleased, but we dared not protest, lest the Balance unleash the inferno once again.
Here, Artemis opened his mouth to speak, but he was so absorbed in the story of how this whole nightmare came about that he closed his mouth again, unconsciously nodding, giving the Greater Power permission to speak. Water acknowledged this permission with the barest of nods.
When the opportunity arose for revenge, I am ashamed to admit that we took it. When we once again felt the binding touch that signals that a new Keeper has been born, we gathered around, and formed the plot that created this conspiracy. Placing the Keeper's powers and the Keeper's intelligence in two different places was my idea, but the idea of separating the two with a barrier made of realities… that was Fire's idea.
The Balance, as expected, was furious. But, without a Keeper, the Balance was not able to retaliate, for that is all the Balance may do without a Keeper. Watch. And wait.
However, the Balance is smart. It may still manipulate the worlds and the barriers, and so it sought to wreak revenge, again upon me, as the initiator. And so, that is how thy mother, great with babe, came to set foot in this world.
Here, Ivy interrupted the story for the first time, "So was it because of the Balance that my mother decided to marry my stepfather?"
Not so. Thy mother was afraid. Afraid of what others may say on thy dubious birth origins, and so located a man who would protect thee with his life, despite his false patrimony. Thy mother's concentrated Mesmer was enough to convince the man to marry her within the week.
However, I was in a dilemma, for thou wert closer than ever to one half of the Keeper, and I knew that in order to maintain my right over thee, I would have to take more desperate measures.
"The Elemental Vows. That's what you gave Melissa, is it not?" Artemis enquired, his curiosity providing the question.
Indeed. However, I did not mean for the Vows to be used in such a way. I meant for them to be as protection, as prevention from thy meeting. However, Melissa did not heed my words, and used the Vows as methods of control. As is her nature.
Melissa Kestrel looked indignant. However, nobody else seemed to be willing to defend what was obviously true, so her flair for dramatics was put off for a later date.
As is the nature of any Advanced Mesmer user. As my Chosen One's movements were restricted one by one, I came to realise that instead of controlling thy movements and thy mind, all the Vows did were to encourage thy rebellion against authority. And so thou looked for a way to do the impossible. The Vows were broken, one by one, through thy determination and stubbornness.
Here, Ivy gave a smirk to her mother that simply screamed 'I win' whilst Artemis kept a close eye on the duke. Obviously, this breaking of Vows was a big deal here, but he did not see what was so difficult about it.
"But even if Ivy broke the Vows directly, would her status as the Chosen One of Water protect her from whatever repercussion was involved?"
Hardly. When an elemental Vow is broken by a Chosen One, the elements will begin to abandon the Chosen One and eventually leave an empty shell to wander the worlds, no comfort to be found anywhere, for their connections to all they ever knew have been severed.
That wiped the smirk off Ivy's face with no difficulty whatsoever. Obviously, Artemis realised, Ivy had next to no idea what the real consequences of breaking the Vows meant. Voicing his thoughts for the second time, Artemis asked,
"What were the Vows meant to make Kestrel do? Apart from keep her from revealing herself to me, that is?"
The first Vow was the Wind Vow. That was meant to restrict Ivy from using her powers in front of other people.
"Well that one failed miserably. All I did was to use my powers to make people look the other way." Ivy pouted, remembering the painstakingly tedious times when no one would look away.
The second was the Earth Vow. That prevented Ivy from telling lies.
Artemis's eyebrows shot up. Obviously, that one went down the drain. It was easy enough to sidestep the truth by telling half-truths; it was not, after all, really lying as long as there was some truth in your words.
The third was my own Vow. That stopped Ivy from speaking with boys her own age.
Here, the duke turned to Melissa and frowned, "That wasn't very specific, Melissa. That rule would be easy to break, as long as the boy wasn't born on the same day as her." The look that Melissa Kestrel shot her husband was enough to make him back away, his hands held up in apology.
The fourth was the Fire Vow, perhaps the hardest to break for Ivy. Ivy's powers gave her some degree of resistance from her mother's Mesmer. Fire's Vow removed that last defence from her, and made her just as slave to Melissa's will as were most mortals.
Ivy and Melissa nodded in agreement, startling Artemis as this was the first time he had seen mother and daughter agree on any subject.
The rest of this story is known to thee, Keeper. I leave thee to form thy own conclusion from this tale.
Artemis started again. The second time in less than five minutes – this was becoming a habit, and not a good one, at that.
"My own conclusion? To what end, may I ask? After all, within these family matters, my opinion hardly matters." Artemis stated, surprised that Water did not halt his comment at all. He had injected as much sarcasm as possible, and yet it seemed that these Greater Powers were unfazed by his blatant challenge to their authority.
But it will be your decision as to what happens to Ivy.
At this, Kestrel jumped up, indignant that her future was, once again, being decided for her. Opening her mouth to protest strongly, she stopped when Artemis raised a hand to stop her. The meaning was clear. I can handle this.
"I see. How so, is it my decision? Surely you, as her Chosen element, should be in charge of what happens to her?"
I have already relinquished what control I have over her when you brought her back from the Dead.
"Then I suppose that you will have no objection as to where she settles down?"
Of course not.
"Well, in that case…" But before he could finish his sentence, a human rushed into the room, bearing a trumpet and looking altogether rather ridiculous being dressed in clothes that resembled the uniform of the guards of the Vatican a little too much.
"Your Grace! The portal that your daughter and wife came through… there's a flood of people coming out!"
"WHAT?" Duke Kestrel got to his feet, his slightly tanned skin paling.
"And they're headed in this direction!"
A/N: I know that this is a really bad chapter, and probably not worth the wait, but I promise that, come Easter (or Easter hols, which is 2 weeks after Easter Monday) I WILL update.
So please review! It encourages me to write faster...
Peridot Nox