AN://Hope you enjoyed the prologue. Here's the first actual chapter.

Chapter 1: Blood

"Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before."

-Edgar Allan Poe, The raven

Moanna was running, not from some fantastical beast that promised her harm, nor to get someplace as fast as she could. She was running because she enjoyed the feel of it, running just to run, just as she did often these days, and it meant little in the dream. She could tell it was a dream because nothing around her made sense. A bright, sun-lit forest, little birds flitting and twittering about, a lovely warm breeze brushing strands of hair across her cheek. None of this could be real, not where she was now.

Her skin was no longer pale as it had become in the darkness of her home, it was tanned and as beautiful as it had been during her time here long ago. Three fairies flit happily beside her, chattering excitedly to each other. Soon the massive form of a fig tree came into view and she stopped suddenly, her winged companions chirping in protest of the sudden fascination that hypnotized Moanna. Carefully she approached the tree and laid a hand on its delicate bark.

The tree burst into life, leaves growing, stretching towards the sun. Thousands of flowers bloomed along its branches, their petals raining down upon her. She smiled as the memory of the toad crossed over her, realizing that with its death had come the rebirth of such a magnificent life force. Silently she danced in circles around it, enjoying the feel of the soft petals as they brushed across her skin.

And there was a sudden feeling of not being alone. She opened her eyes and a hand encased one of hers and another wrapped around her waist. Suddenly she was dancing with a handsome stranger, his brown eyes reflecting her own. He had raven black hair and his facial features reminded her of someone, someone she'd tried hard to forget.

She broke the dance and stepped away, the flowers on the tree beginning to wilt, the petals curling in on themselves and turning brown as they fell around her. A single word sat in her throat, choking her so that she had no choice but to spit it out.

"Captain."

The man seemed startled, almost ashamed of her reaction as he reached out his hand. She backed away even further, clouds beginning to pass across blue sky and sun, blocking away the warmth, making the breeze cold...uncomforting. The smell of rotted leaves filled the air, her three companions had disappeared.

"Do you not know your own brother?" He cried desperately.

"Brother?" She whispered, astonished.

Suddenly she could see not only the features of his father, but also those of his mother. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stood her ground, torn between going to him, or not believing him. How could her brother be alive? The Captain was crazy...the battle behind him fierce. The hurt in his expression grew as she held her ground, silently debating. Her brother had been a decade younger then her...this man had to be at the very least her own age...perhaps even older. Then again...she'd been gone for almost twenty mortal years and had only aged a few herself.

"Don't..." He pleaded, "don't leave me again."

The scenery stayed the same, but almost instantly the world was on fire, her brother was trapped in it, burning, his eyes pleading with her. A scream rippled through him as he ran off into the trees. She followed close behind, dodging the blistering flames that singed her clothes and hair. No matter how fast she ran he was always ahead of her, getting farther away. She attempted to call out to him but it was lost in a sudden explosion that threw her into the ground.

A hand was there to help her up, she took it, its texture rough and soft at the same time. She looked up to see it was the Faun, her dear Faun. A cry burst through her and she held herself to him. He wrapped his arms around her comfortingly and stroked her cheek.

"Please, you have to help me find my brother!" She shouted over the roaring fire.

The Faun smiled. "Your brother is dead."

"No!" She protested, "he was just here, we have to help him!"

The Faun unwrapped her from his embrace and stepped away. "He is mortal, there's nothing you can do. Now let's go home."

"I cannot leave-" she started.

But the Faun had disappeared in the flames, and she searched for him desperately, but all traces of his passage were lost in the ashes. Frantically she ran in the direction she remembered her brother running in, shouting his name as loud as she possibly could. She entered a clearing and a familiar house rose above her, the house she had spent the last month of her mortal life in. It was here she found a woman, holding a baby. Moanna slowly approached the two, noticing the child's squeals and the mother's tears as she gazed at the burning inferno that was the house.

"Have you seen my brother?" Moanna asked urgently. "He's tall, black hair, wearing brown pants and a white shirt?"

The woman froze and slowly turned her head to gaze into Moanna's eyes. Her lip trembled as she replied, "My husband is dead."

Princess Moanna woke abruptly, drenched in sweat. Her breath was labored and deep as she trembled, remembering the details of the nightmare that plagued her night after night. Unanswered questions that had been gathering since she'd first had the dream, arose in the silent darkness once more. Her only company.

Silently she wiped the sweat and tears from her face before getting out of the bed. She dressed in the darkness before lighting the lantern atop her wardrobe. Gazing into a mirror she noticed the deep lines beneath her eyes that were the only evidence she'd been dreaming worse then she admitted to anyone. Sighing, she tried to find the similarity between her and the man in her dreams. The angles of the jaw were similar, but his was more pronounced, his chin a bit larger. Their noses were nearly the same but his had more of a point to it. Their eyes had been the same otter brown. Nothing else.

Tearing herself away from the reflection she whistled softly and blew out her lantern. A new light filled the room as one of her pets entered. It was a fairy, one that gave off light stronger then any lantern. It was one of her favorites, though nothing compared to the Faun's, it was still a trustworthy companion. This fairy had been independent and had no reason to run off to tell anyone how horribly she had been sleeping lately. She doubted someone needed to hear about that, let alone risk the chance of her parents finding out.

What she needed now was time alone to think, and she knew just the place for it. Quietly she slipped out of her room and made her way through the twists and turns of the palace until she found her way out of it and into the surrounding gardens. This was the place she had to be weary of. If any of her keepers found her sneaking around at such an hour, it would surely find it's way into a lecture.

But by now she knew all the twists and turns of these outer walls and had only to listen and observe while hiding in the shadows. The scent of the gardens was unspeakable, not better then the smell of Earth flowers, but different in a startling way. It was pleasant enough, but she missed the softer scent of the world above, and ones that weren't damp with the scent of packed earth. The only type of that scent she could stand these days was that of her Faun's. He had never smelled revolting to her.

A creaking sound made her press herself tightly against the nearest wall, the light fairy dimmed in an instant, allowing the shadows to engulf them both. A shudder passed through Moanna as she waited, the deep drumming sound of heavy footsteps nearing, it was behind the wall she was now leaning against. As it reached a gap she realized it was the Faun and she stopped breathing all together. She did not know how in-tune his senses were, but was sure he could hear even the slightest of sounds from her since he was such an ancient creature. Ancient creatures normally had not only wisdom, but a elaborate display of animal instincts and senses.

Surprisingly he moved on, and after a very long moment she allowed her breath to expel. She had been very lucky. The fairy sensed her relaxation and relit its inner glow and flitted just above and before Moanna's head. She crept away from the direction the Faun was heading in, and jumped the outer edge of the garden. This had once been quite a problem, but she was much taller and stronger then she was all those years ago and leapt the wall with ease.

She was now in the main city of the underworld, just outside the palace walls. There was rarely anything down here that created reason for heavy defenses around the palace. The king and queen were loved by their people, thus this little adventure was hardly the danger her parents made it out to be. She figured, more then anything, it had to do with reputation and control then it did for worry. Then again the Faun had also expressed his concern on many occasions, as he was usually the one to catch her. He'd never found her secret location however, and she'd never gotten caught outside the palace walls.

Freedom made her heart a bit lighter and the dream seemed less of a burden on her now. A smile touched her lips for the first time in days and she broke into a run. The pathways and buildings here were both independently built as well as carved into the great masses of stone that stretched above. It was an astonishing thing to see for newcomers like she had been...well...she was an old comer she supposed, but loss of memory made it different. She was able to gaze in wonder like any new comer could. It was impossible to become claustrophobic in a massive cavern like this.

Her Faun had told her stories of smaller cavern cities, ones that weren't half as spacious as the one she lived in, the tunnels that lead to them even smaller. The knowledge had made her grateful of the city she lived in now. She could hardly imagine being any other place then this one...unless of course it was the mortal realm. It was forbidden to think of such things though, she had privately decreed it ages ago when the dream first started.

The fairy chirped happily as it fluttered about randomly, always lighting the path for Moanna. She was very grateful to have such a friend, especially during nights like this when she needed to get away. Needed to feel the adrenaline of a good run. Needed to think away the nightmares.

A familiar dripping sound reached her ears and she realized she had already entered the small chamber. She slowed herself as the edge of an underground lake spread out before her, tiny drops breaking its calm surface every once and a while. There were very few people that knew of this place, none but her she'd guess normally, but she couldn't be positive. She sat at the edge of the pool on a large stone, the tiny fairy flying just above the lake's surface, marveling at it's own reflection.

She hummed softly to herself, twirling a shoulder length lock of hair around her finger, thinking. It took her a long moment to realize it was Mercedes' lullaby. A tear escaped her eye and she sighed heavily. Was her brother really alive? Did he even know she existed? Was he in trouble? Or was it all just a silly dream based on her guilt for leaving him behind? After all of this, dreams didn't seem so far fetched. It had felt real enough, the bark on the tree, the touch of her brother's hand, the Faun's embrace, the scorching heat of the flames...

"What does it mean?" She whispered softly, the Fairy hovering in front of her in a sympathetic way.

"What does what mean?"

The deep creaking voice shocked her so much she fell into the lake, sputtering and flailing until she finally got a hold of herself and stood up. Water dripped off of her soaked clothes and hair and she struggled from the weight of it, shivering. A gentle hand helped her from the water and she looked curiously at it before realizing who it was.

"Faun..." she sighed heavily, fear flashing in her eyes as she realized what this meant. "How did you..?"

"Find you?" He asked, chuckling as he held her close for warmth. "I've been keeping an eye on you for a while now, how long did you think it would take me to realize you came here every night?"

She looked off to the side in defeat and sighed heavily, disappointed that her favorite hiding spot had been found before she even had the chance to tire herself out for the evening. Not that any of those questions could be answered while she was still underground...but it was worth the try. She couldn't simply allow the dreams to continue without taking the time to ponder their meaning. She'd simply have to find somewhere else now...until he found that place as well, and then the next. There were plenty of places to hide in this city, she doubted they'd find them all before she didn't have to worry about it any longer.

"Don't worry your highness, your secret is safe with me." His smile brightened as she gave him a curious look, "no one has to know so long as you stay here, where I know you're safe."

This was the first time he hadn't forced her to come back to the palace, maybe he understood more then she gave him credit for. Maybe he realized she needed this time alone.

"Then why did you come?" She asked suddenly.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright, and to make sure you made it back as soon as possible. I noticed how tired you were. You should rest." He mused.

"I don't think I could sleep again tonight." She shuddered, even now she was afraid to close her eyes. Afraid the dream would return.

"At least get yourself into something dry" He laughed, "can't have you getting sick."

She nodded silently, aware her fairy had joined them as they started to leave the cavern. He stayed close to her as the entered they city once more, keeping a careful eye on her shivers; but she had grown warmer now that they were moving. The sight of the palace nearby made her sigh and he gave her another penetrating gaze.

"What is troubling you this evening?"

She found it incredibly hard to keep something from him, he'd always been there for her, showing her the ways of the underworld, teaching her anything from stories to tracking skills for hunting. There was rarely anything she couldn't admit to him, but now these nightmares seemed indescribable. She didn't think anyone could understand. Not even her mother. Moanna herself could barely make any sense of them.

"I've just been having trouble sleeping." She said, a simple half-truth, better then lying.

"I can see that." He commented as they neared the palace doors, but strangely, he didn't push it any further.

She wanted to tell him, more then anything she wanted reassuring words and advice on such a delicate subject, but she wasn't sure she'd hear the right meaning. The entire thing was a very touchy subject, one wrong placed word could probably send her into hysterics. She didn't want to think about her brother being in trouble, being mortal, or not existing anymore at all. All of the possibilities hurt, some worse then others, but all of them pained her. The one that hurt the most was the one that proved it was her fault for leaving him behind.

As they entered the palace the Faun watched her carefully, his eyes observing her mood, deciding perhaps on whether or not he should pry further. The decision was made and he turned his attention back to the stairs they were climbing, his hands caressing the wooden case that held his pets. He smiled softly at the light fairy that had taken a liking to Moanna, glad that she had another companion.

When they entered her room the Faun politely turned his attention out a stone window as she changed and laid down in bed. She was determined not to sleep, but made the show of lying down for his sake. The last thing she needed was him passing on to her parents his concern about the very thing she was trying to keep secret.

"Faun?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, your Highness?" He boomed.

She took a deep breath, "could you tell me one of your stories, from the mortal world?"

"Of course, what about?" He smiled again.

"Tell me the story of Helen." She had read about this female many times on Earth, but she'd like to hear it from him.

He seemed surprised by the request and paused for a long moment but nodded and began his tale:

"Long ago when the great Trojans were at the peak of their power, there lived a fair maiden by the name of Helen, the most beautiful of all women. It was said she was the daughter of the Greek gods, Zeus and Leda, or Zeus and Nemesis. She was born from an egg and kidnapped by Theseus at a young age, he had hoped to marry her. However, she was rescued by her two brothers soon after."

At the mention of brothers, Moanna tensed. Perhaps this wasn't the story she should have asked for, but the tension quickly passed as the Faun continued his tale.

"By the time she was old enough to marry, she had many suitors. Most had brought many eloquent gifts for her, but her father would choose nor refuse any of them for fear of offending them. Odysseus, one of the suitors, decided that he would create a solution for her father if he helped in the courting of another women. Her father readily agreed and Odysseus suggested that all of the suitors take an oath to defend the winning suitor before one was chosen. And so the oath was taken and Helen was married to Menelaus who soon after was crowned the King of Sparta.

"Meanwhile, Paris, a Trojan prince who had been promised by Aphrodite that he would have Helen's love, came to Sparta. As the Goddess said, Helen fell deeply in love with him and soon left her husband Menelaus and her daughter Hermione. She went to live with Paris in Troy. Menelaus called on the oath of the previous suitors and started the great Trojan war in which Troy fell. Menelaus could not kill his own wife for what she had done but she was driven out by Nicostratus and Megapenthes. She ran away to Rhodes where she had a friend, Polyxo. Polyxo however betrayed Helen, and avenged her dead husband by hanging Helen from a tree."

Moanna was quiet for a long moment. "All for the love of a women?"

The Faun smiled as he got up to leave her room, replying, "you'll understand. One day."

AN:// The story of Helen above was blended from several different sources and is not my own.