Here is another long chapter to make up for how long it took me to write it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, only my OCs and this storyline.
Hope you enjoy.
Nimueh and the Abomination
It's been four years since the purge began. Seems not long ago Magnus and Holt were bringing home strays and pleading for me to hide them in my attic. I'm standing just inside the door to my house as these thoughts run through my mind. It makes me glance over my shoulder at the tall wooden cabinet with a world full of secrets hidden behind it. I ran my hand across the old wood, feeling its age.
"You've been so good to us." If anyone had been around they would have thought me mad for talking to an inanimate object, but I was alone in the house. Not even Jasper and Aida were hiding up in the attic. I had let them go on an adventure to the forest as long as they were back before lunch.
I no longer hear the banging coming from next door as Lavania got her merchandise ready for the market, taking some of mine with her and bringing back the money for the ones that she sold. I've had to go myself lately, leaving Jasper and Aida to keep themselves out of trouble, I should really trust them more by now.
Lavania had left a few weeks ago to go live with the rest of her family. They had hit some hard times, loosing quite a few to the purge. I'd miss her.
The world was warm as I stepped out into the sunlight of day, one of Narayan's woven baskets around my arm. It was a beautiful day in sense of weather but events would change the mood and the sun would not seem so bright. I'm glad I took a moment just to close my eyes and feel the warmth of the sun on my face. If I had gone straight to the market then I would have missed him, running on his short little legs, only four years old.
I heard him first before I saw him. His little feet padding across the ground as he ran. I opened my eyes in time to see a small boy with scruffy blond hair bolting towards me. There was fear in his eyes and he looked behind him as if to see if he was still being followed. He was looking back when he ran into my legs, falling backwards, but he didn't cry when he hit the ground. He was in too much shock.
As fast as he could he got to his feet and hid behind me, clinging to my skirts with his little hands. I was startled to say the least as I looked down at him. If he had grabbed onto anyone else's skirts they would have shaken him off and told him to go bother someone else, but I had seen this kind of fear before. Aida and Magnus had worn it when they turned up at my door after running all that way.
I looked back down the road the little boy had come down, searching for his pursuer, but saw nothing. He was shaking now. I couldn't just leave him out here where he could be found. I didn't know who he was at the time or why he was running but instinct kicked in as I turned around and wrapped my arms around his small body. I lifted him up and took him into my house. He clung to me fiercely, still shaking, his eyes wide. I locked the door behind us and quickly went up the stairs hidden behind the old cabinet.
It was the safest place I could think of. As soon as the cabinet was back in place and I had run up the stairs, I gently put him down on one of the vacant cots that neither Aida nor Jasper were using. The small boy wouldn't meet my eyes at first. He was looking around trying to figure out where he was. I tried not to look worried and took on a kinder appearance to try and calm him.
"What's your name?" I asked him. It took him a second to answer as he finally came to look at my kind smile.
"A-Arthur." He stammered.
"Well hello Arthur. My name is Joone." I smiled at him and sat down next to him. He flinched away from me. "There's no need to be afraid." I tried to use soothing words. "I won't hurt you."
"She'll f-find m-me." He began to cry. "She c-can s-see everything."
"Who?" I asked softly.
"T-the w-witch that attacked us as w-we were r-returning to C-Camelot." He had trouble explaining.
"Do you know why she attacked you?" I had to be careful about the questions I asked to not upset him further.
"Father said all people with magic seek to harm us." He was beginning to calm down. I was impressed by his use of words. He was so young.
"I see." If only he knew who he was really talking to. "Well you should be safe here."
"But no matter where I run she always finds me. She can see everything." He repeated. "Why does she keep following me?"
"I don't know Arthur." The name seemed familiar somehow.
"She doesn't care who she hurts to get to me." He warned. "You could get hurt too."
"You fear for the safety of others." So young and he already knew how to care. "Sometimes the sacrifice is worth it if it's for the right person and the right reasons."
"Am I worth it?" He looked at me with teary eyes.
I had only known this small boy for a few minutes but already I cared for him and I wanted to protect him no matter what. Why? Something about him seemed so familiar, as if I had seen him in a dream.
"Of course my dove." I wrapped my arms around him protectively and pulled him close. "Don't ever take your life for granted."
"I'm so scared." He leaned into my embrace. "Nothing seems to stop her. She's going to find me."
"I won't let her hurt you." No matter who she was. Something about Arthur made me want to protect him. Something told me that if I didn't then all would be lost, destiny included.
"Why are you helping me?" Arthur asked softly.
"I guess over the years I've fallen into the habit of helping people on the run." I just can't help myself. I see someone in need and I have to do something, another reason why I joined the Black Feather.
"You've helped people before?" He voice was small.
"Yes I have, and I still am." I rested my head on his. Tears came to my eyes. "But I haven't always been able to save them."
"Why?" Arthur asked.
"Sometimes no matter how hard you try there is nothing you can do and they slowly slip through your fingers until you are forced to let them go." I don't know why I was telling this to a boy I had just met.
Arthur was quiet, taking in my words. I didn't expect him to quite understand, he was still too young. He still had so much to learn. He would make mistakes but he would learn from them.
Suddenly everything went still, I couldn't hear the sound of the wind running through the trees or the sound of the birds singing. I looked up and out the window to see the sky suddenly darkening with thunderclouds. Something was wrong.
Arthur started to shake. "She's here."
Then the room began to tremble as if there were an earthquake. The glass in the window rattled. The walls and floors creaked in protest against some unseen force. My arms seemed lighter as a weight was lifted from them. I looked down.
"Arthur?" I looked around for him frantically but he wasn't anywhere. Something had torn him from my arms and now he was gone, but I would not give up that easily.
"Help!" I heard a small voice yell from outside. Without hesitation I bolted down the stairs and out the back door to see a figure in a bright blue cloak dragging Arthur away.
"Stop!" I yelled. "Let him go!"
But the figure didn't stop. Arthur dug his heals into the ground to anchor himself but it only slowed the figure. "Help me!" He looked back at me.
"I said stop!" I ran at the cloaked figure and tackled them to the ground, forcing them to let go of Arthur. Their hood fell off in the process and her long brown hair became visible. I looked down to see her piercing eyes staring up at me and quickly backed away as if I had been burned, taking hold of Arthur's arm and forcing him behind me. "It's you."
The woman stood up, brushing herself off. Then she looked at me. It had been eight years since I had last seen her but she still looked the same. I doubt she would recognize me though. It had been so long. The look in her eyes confirmed that. There was no recognition there. I remembered everything from my past now and I remembered her face.
"Hand the boy over to me and you won't get hurt." She got straight to it, threatening me.
"Why?" I put my hand on Arthur's shoulder to keep him behind me. "Why is he so important to you?"
"You don't know who he is do you?" The woman almost laughed. "He's Prince Arthur, son of King Uther. Ring any bells?"
My eyes widened as I realized where I had heard his name before. He was the son of the man who had started the purge and condemned so many to death and a life of suffering.
"Ah, now you see." She reached her hand out towards us. "Hand him over and we'll be on our way. No one has to know he was here."
"No." I didn't care who he was. I had to protect him.
"You know who he is. You know what his father has done." She tried to reason with me. "Its better this way."
"He's just a boy." I argued. "You cannot blame him for his father's mistakes."
"I don't. But this will punish Uther." She explained. "Without his son he is nothing. There will be no heir to the throne."
"You think that will make things better, by killing an innocent boy?" She was mad. "You'll just make his hatred for magic stronger and the rest of us will pay for your foolishness. It is not his destiny to die at your hand."
"How dare you speak to me that way. What would you know about destiny. I am Nimueh…"
"I know who you are." I cut her off. "And I don't care."
"You insolent wench." She screamed. "You will pay for your impudence."
"I already have." I spoke under my breath.
Thunder cracked as the witch razed her arms to strike. Words of magic flowed off her tongue but she never completed the spell as a disc of green fire came whizzing past her face, just missing her.
Surprised, I looked to see two familiar faces come bounding in, standing protectively in front Arthur and I.
"Are you alright?" Aida asked, putting up her hands, prepared to cast another spell at a moments notice.
"We saw the clouds and decided to come back early." Jasper explained. "And it's a good thing we did."
"Fools." Nimueh shrieked. "This matter is none of your concern. All I want is the boy."
Aida and Jasper looked at the small boy hiding behind me, seeing him for the first time. They turned back to Nimueh, determined looks on their faces as they stood their ground.
"Well you can't have him." Aida spoke with confidence. Their rebellious natures caused them to act without knowing who the boy was or who the witch was either.
"Get out of my way!" Nimueh took a step forward. The wind began to pick up and it swirled around us.
"Temper, temper." Something changed inside of me as a small smile came onto my face. This caught Nimueh off guard. "You never could control that fiery temper of yours."
"Excuse me." She dropped her arms and the wind died down. "What did you say?"
"You haven't changed Nimueh, not after eight years." I let go of Arthur and gestured for Aida and Jasper to get behind me. They started to protest but one look from me silenced them and they stepped back.
"Do I know you?" Nimueh looked me over, trying to place my face.
"I didn't think it had been that long that you've already forgotten me." I mocked. "After all you did try to kill me on several occasions."
Nimeuh's eyes widened as she recognized me. "Joone?"
"Hello cousin." I smiled, but not kindly. "It's been too long."
"But…I heard you died." She looked shocked.
"You wish." I crossed my arms. "But it seems plunging into the sea and being swept away doesn't always kill someone. Oh don't tell me that's what you told the others. They'll be so angry with you when they find out your little minions didn't finish me off. They were probably already angry with you when they found out you had lost the crystal."
"I underestimated you." Nimueh said, overcoming her shock.
"Well that was your mistake." I could tell the three behind me were very much confused with our conversation.
"Well it seems luck is on my side." Her eyes darkened. "Fate has given me another chance at killing you."
"Kill me know and you'll never find the crystal." I tilted my head to the side.
"You still have it?" Her eyes were filled with hunger for the power that the crystal held within.
"Even if I did, why would I give it to you?"
"Because it is rightfully mine. You stole it from me." She spat.
"You should really learn to control that temper of yours." I didn't back down. "I stole the Crystal Heart because it wasn't rightfully yours. Not that it matters; you had been given orders to kill me already. So I decided to take something with me."
"You deserved to die." She argued.
"I was eight when the order was given, just a child. You brought this upon yourselves." I countered.
"You were a danger to the future of our family. Everyone agreed, even your parents." That struck hard.
"What?" I lost some of my confidence.
"You didn't know?" Nimueh smiled. "Its true. They wanted you dead just as much as everyone else."
"That's not true." I didn't want to believe it.
"Oh, but it is." Her smile was cruel. "Does it hurt to know that everyone that you thought cared for you signed the order for your death?"
"No." I lowered my head.
"They never loved you." Nimueh could feel that she was winning. "Not a single person tried to stop it."
"Your wrong." I looked up. "What about Theo?"
"What?" Her confidence wavered for a moment.
"You couldn't have forgotten Theo could you? Your own brother." There was strength in my words. "He tried to stop you. He never agreed with this."
"You turned him against us!" She yelled. "He was my brother, yet he was loyal to you."
"So you killed him!" I yelled back.
"He betrayed us! He helped you escape!" Nimueh screamed. "And we didn't kill him."
"You didn't?"
"No, we cursed him to wander blind through the world for eternity. He would not be able to look for you." Her voice grew quieter. "Theo is still alive."
The revelation shocked me. Theo and I had been very close. When he found out about the order for my execution he came straight to me and told me to go. I didn't want to leave without him but he told me that it was the only way and that he would stay to hold them off. I tried to argue but he wouldn't listen. I told him they'd kill him, but he didn't care. So I ran, I wished every day that I had stayed but I was so young. I left him there alone to face them as I escaped, taking the Crystal Heart with me, to spite them.
"Joone?" I heard Jasper say behind me. "Why did they want you dead?"
"Yes, why did you want me dead Nimueh?" I knew the answer.
"Because…" Nimeuh couldn't find the words.
"Because I was different." I finished her sentence. "You were afraid of me."
"We did not fear you." She denied, but her words were not sincere.
"I have been asked many times why I hide my hair." My voice grew soft. "I never told the truth. I never told me that my hair was my mark. It marked me as an outcast." I began to undo the scarf wrapped around my head, letting it fall to the ground. My silver hair fell to my shoulders, puffing out a little. "Marking me as an abomination."
Everyone went silent, even Nimueh. The clouds set the mood as my words sunk in, as they realized what that word might mean.
"I tried to hide my hair in other ways, by finding people who could change the colour but it would always turn back eventually." I broke the silence and continue. "I could never run from what I really was Nimueh."
"You deserved our sentence. You're a monster." Nimueh yelled.
"I was a child. I did nothing wrong." I argued.
"You were born." She stabbed me with her words.
"It seems as though my world is topsy-turvy to the way it is now. Our family was full of powerful sorcerers and priestesses. Our blood was pure as we carried on magic." I lowered my eyes. "That is, until I was born. I was an anomaly because…"
"Because you couldn't use magic." Nimueh finished. "We should have known when you were born with silver hair that it was a sign of your abnormality. It wasn't that you wouldn't learn how to use magic. It was that you couldn't."
"I was born with a heart defect." I explained. "I was so weak and to save me they tried using magic, but the magic burned me and it made my heart problem permanent."
"That's when we knew what you were." Nimueh continued. "We turned a blind eye for as long as we could but you stained our family legacy. We used to be pure until you came along. So we decided to finally put a stop to this blasphemy."
"By killing me." My eyes darkened. "You think I chose to be this way. You think I chose this curse. I can't touch magic without it burning me. A simple healing spell could kill me."
"Well it seems today I'm going to take out two birds with one stone." Nimueh got back to the matter at hand. "I'll kill you, take the crystal back and the prince."
"The prince?" Aida looked at the small blond, fear crossing her eyes.
"I'll spare the both of you if you back away now." Nimueh offered.
"No." Jasper stood his ground. "You may have cast Joone out but she found another family."
"You don't turn your back on family." Aida came to stand by me.
"Joone is family." Jasper joined her at my side. "She protected us and now it is our turn to protect her."
"Jasper. Aida." I looked at both of them, love for them rising in my heart.
"This is your last chance." Nimueh warned. "Back away."
"Never." Jasper denied her.
"Very well, you will share her fate." She razed her hand and called upon the lightning to obey her commands. It flashed out of the sky straight at us. I tried to push them out of the way but Aida forced me back. She and Jasper raised their hands to the sky. I turned and wrapped my arms around Arthur to protect him as the lightning struck, but nothing happened.
I looked up to see that the lightning had been deflected off some invisible shield that Jasper and Aida had conjured together. There was a large smoking hole in the ground. Nimueh screeched and this time the lightning shot right out of the tips of her fingers. Jasper and Aida held the shield. Both of their powers combined stood up to Nimueh's, reflecting the lightning right back at her. It was enough to wound her but not fatally. She fell to her knees.
"No!" She screamed. "I won't loose." With one last blast of power she sent a ball of pure energy flying at us. Then she disappeared to heal in a much safer place. The energy cut right through the shield. It was over in a flash.
I got up to see if anyone was hurt. Jasper and Aida looked fine. I had no injuries, but then I looked down to the small boy.
"Arthur?" He looked stunned. Then he looked up at me and collapsed.
"Arthur!"
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At the end of this story will be the fourth and last part of a teaser for my upcoming story "The Old Mother". That should be exciting.
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