|Dream World|

The first thing Rhianwen noticed when she opened her eyes was that the air had a funny taste to it. Or more specifically, no taste at all. It lacked the moisture she'd grown used to in this time underground. Getting up she noted she was in the corridor where Fortuna had left her, the leather ball where it had been dropped.
Gingerly she touched her lips. Though she had no idea who those three men had been, there was no question about who they were working with. Fortuna wouldn't have left her lying here if there wasn't a damn good reason for it.

She struggled to her feet, dust wafting up from the ground as she touched it. The leather ball seemed dull and felt dry in her hands. The few torches that lit the corridor seemed dim, obscured by mist. Though the corridor seemed familiar enough, little as she had seen it, there was something unnerving about the place. Shivering she rubbed her hands along her arms, trying to get rid of the feeling that she was being watched.
Every step she took made dust billow from underneath her bare feet, revealing dark gray stone. When she arrived at Nuada's place she frowned.

There was nobody to be seen. No Lena waiting for her, nor was there the incessant rustle of tiny wings and high-pitched voices conversing. Though there usually wasn't much in the way of color down here the place should not be looking so… desolate. "Pip?"
No reply came. The queasy feeling in her stomach intensified. "Lena? Lenore? Wink?"
Surely somebody had to be here. It wasn't normal for them all to be out. Usually there was always some babysitting her. "Prince? Are you there?"

When no sound reached her ears she sighed. Rhianwen didn't think any of them would think it funny to give her a fright. Which meant there really wasn't anyone around. And what was up with all of the dust around here? It would have been nice if they had given her some kind of clue. Just a little note saying 'we're out, don't wait up'.
But this didn't feel like a 'gone for five minutes' kind of vibe. This was more the kind of vibe when someone up and left without the intention of coming back. It felt like her home had after father had been enchanted. Final.

There was movement in the corner of her eye. She turned, just in time to see Nuada running inside the corridor. Even he looked strange, blurred around the edges. Squinting her eyes did nothing to improve the situation. Then he got the look in his eyes she hadn't seen in a few weeks.
Pure hatred. Even worse perhaps than the first time he had seen her. She walked up to him despite it because he was the only one who could tell her what was going on. "Where is everyone? What's happening?"

"I think you know all too well what is happening, human," he spat back at her as he rummaged through his belongings, rushing around his humble abode with amazing speed. Rhianwen noted his hands did not stir the dust as her own presence did.

"I don't. Where is Pip? Wink?"

She almost reached out to touch him. Before she could he straightened and stepped towards her. How cold he seemed at that moment, like a full winter's moon. "Do not take the name of my friends in your mouth, traitor."

"What are you talking about?"

Footsteps sounded in the hallway, heavy and numerous. Nuada mumbled some words in that gibberish she couldn't understand and ran, his eyes making clear that she wouldn't survive a next meeting. Rhianwen shouted after him, running but failing to keep up. Before she had made it to the top of the steps that led to the troll market someone else jerked her shoulder. A man in a helmet shone a bright light in her eyes.
"We found a human! Get the commander!"

|Real World|

"I am telling you, I do not know what they did to her. And apart from guessing the woman was Fortuna I can't tell you who 'they' were either," Nuada growled at the pixie prince who kept rambling against him. Over four times he had told them how he had found the human and still they kept jabbering. It was the first time he'd gotten caught in what had seemed like a whirlwind composed of pixies. Hands and legs had flown everywhere, forcing the prince to keep his mouth closed if he didn't want to inhale one of the little folk. He'd had to untangle several of the hapless critters from his hair after putting down the human. Afterward he'd tied his hair together in the back of his neck to reduce the amount of casualties.

Rhianwen lay on the mattress Wink had procured for her. Several pixies were tugging at strands of hair or stomping up and down her stomach in an attempt to wake her. A drop of blood pearled on her nose where Lenore had bitten her. None of the actions had roused the woman. If anything it seemed like she was sinking further away in her sleep. Nuada could hardly see her chest rising anymore.

"Lil' Red should have woken up by now. She's a heavy sleeper but not like this," Pip ignored Nuada's answer, flying in a shaky pattern as he bit his thumb. He chirped back to the other pixies as they flew up to him, fewer and fewer directly touching the woman as time passed.

Lenore flew to their level. Her brown hair seemed more unruly than ever as she too made a report in Pixie, before proceeding in the old tongue. "It's the twitching that concerns me the most. Something is happening in there and I don't think it's happy dreams. We gotta wake her up."

"Easier said than done. I know several healers but none that skilled in sleep magic," And none he wanted to know about the human in his home. He didn't mention that part to the clearly pro-Rhianwen pixies.

Lenore crossed her arms over one another, looking at Pip. "We could ask her for help. She's been helping us all these years after all. It's not sleep she uses but -"

"But she works during sleep," Pip finished Lenore's sentence, running his hands through his hair. The tiny prince seemed torn between decisions as he looked down on Rhianwen. "Memories work during sleep."
After a flick of his wrist Lenore took off again, buzzing orders at other pixies. Within moments the amount of winged creatures in the room had at least halved.

"Who are you calling then?" Nuada asked, looking down at the sleeping mortal. Though she usually didn't move during her sleep - the only way not to squash several hapless pixies at night - this was clearly a different sleep. Too peaceful almost. Like the dead would seem to sleep. Wink would have a fit upon his return.

Pip fluttered down, taking care not to land on his sleeping friend. "Someone that has helped us keep Red safe for a very long time now. It's not easy hiding someone who possesses an Artifact, you know. There are certain… side-effects. Some easier to deal with than others. Some things humans were never meant to deal with, so we are dealing with them instead."

|Dream World|

"Miss, you are in no way held responsible for what happened to you. Please, tell us how you got there," The man in front of her asked her. Rhianwen was being held in what could have passed for a normal police station if it hadn't been for the almost rigid atmosphere in here. And most police stations weren't stationed in a tower made of glass and steel.

The more time passed the more she felt a tightness in her chest. Not only Nuada's place had been covered in the strange dust, it was everything. Every one person she touched released the clouds of dust, only showing color where she had touched them. All things she didn't touch were a dark gray. And the air… it pressed down on her, arid and tasting like nothing. Everything here felt wrong.
"I'm telling you, fae don't exist. I got lost in the sewers, that's all."

"Looked a bit inhabited for just passing through."

"You probably scared a homeless person half to death, barging in like that. Everybody knows fae don't exist," Rhianwen snapped back, the pit in her stomach growing.

The man behind her rested his large hands on her shoulders. There was no warmth or cold coming from his body. Just an inescapable pressure sinking her in the hard chair. "Miss Nicolson, you are a hero. Thanks to you we were able to find a fae that is dangerous to all of mankind. You are safe now. Help the FESC to take care of the problem."

"FESC? Problem?"

"Fae Execution Specialty Corps. We will rid the world of all things supernatural and turn it in a true utopia. A place where everybody can be normal. A dream we know you have expressed in the past as well."

Normal. Was that what this all boiled down to? "Then your job is already complete. There is no such thing as magic."
Her throat felt dry when she spoke the lie. This wasn't denying fae existed so she could have a semblance of real life. These guys felt professional and though she held no particular love for Nuada, he had not deserved an execution. Well, maybe he had but that wasn't her decision. When the agent behind her loosened his grip she took her chance. She swung wildly, her elbow making contact with his nose. Panicked she resisted the urge to apologize. She hadn't meant to actually be so rough. Something broke and blood - not hot but just pressure - spurted from between his fingers as she sprinted for the door. She fumbled with the lock and-

"Fae Execution Specialty Corps. We will rid the world of all things supernatural and turn it in a true utopia. A place where everybody can be normal. A dream we know you have expressed in the past as well."

She was back in her chair, the guy in front of her talking normally. As if she just hadn't tried to escape. "Then your job is already complete. There is no such thing as magic."
She'd already said that, remembered saying it but not able to stop herself from repeating it. The man behind her loosened his grip for a moment. The one in front of her smiled, the kind of perfect, bleached smile you found in magazines while reading up on gossip.

"We both know you're lying, miss Nicolson. And I believe you are personally acquainted with our evidence. Bring it in."

|Real World|

"It would be bad if Red finds out what we are keeping from her. Nearly broke her the first time, and it wasn't much better the times after that," Pip said, not looking comfortable with the subject.

Nuada dropped down, sitting cross-legged next to the sleeping human. He couldn't outright deny he was worried about her. And Wink would tan his hide if he found out Nuada had been less than caring towards the woman, which meant in this case keeping watch over her sleeping body like a true prince. If anyone was expecting a kiss to wake her up they could jump of a cliff for all he cared. More important was the truth darting underneath Pip's words, a truth that hinted the mortal might be more than just a Regalia in the making.
"Will you tell me?"

Pip looked to be even more conflicted than before, eyes darting all over the place before settling on Rhianwen's sleeping face. Finally he landed on her collarbones, exposed beneath that ridiculous oversized sweater she liked to wear. "I never meant for anyone to get involved in my business, you know. I was young and naive and in love." The pixie's voice trailed away as he steered the conversation away from Nuada's question. "Who knows what they are doing to her while she's sleeping? All because I had such a bright idea."

|Dream World|

"Pip, don't! He's lying, they never forced me to do anything!" Rhianwen shouted, restrained by the guard behind her. Before her on the table was Pip, locked in a glass box. He stood with his back to her.

"That's the spell we put on her, to make her believe she's our friend. In reality we've been using her all along. She doesn't know what she did for us. Girl has nothing to do with it."

"That's a lie! Pip is my friend! Let go of me, you overgrown-"

"The spell will wear off after a few days." Pip continued in a louder voice. "All that's necessary is just a little time away from us and she'll be back to a normal human being."

The man with the superstar smile nodded slowly. Finally he lifted a hand, calling everyone's attention to him. Even Rhianwen stopped her struggle, because somehow this felt like an important moment. His next words were enough to make her snap.
"That will be enough. Kill the other thing and let miss Nicolson get some rest."

"No!"

Faster than the guard would have anticipated she dashed away from her chair again, this time not injuring the guard but grabbing the glass box. Keeping it pressed to her chest, Rhianwen pushed herself away from the table. When the men finally moved she'd already opened the door, was already speeding through the clinical corridor on bare feet. Dust sprang up beneath her feet, revealing the floor to be a light, honey color.

"What are you doing? They would have spared you!" Pip cried out from in the box, the running jostling him back and forth. Better resembling a milkshake than dead. The thought made her break out in a barking laugh for a moment as she rounded the corner where she bumped into a new security guard. Like every other living thing in this world he was blurry around the edges. The contact revealed the maroon blue of his suit like a magic trick.
When she spotted his gun Rhianwen at once spun around with her precious cargo. "I'm not letting them kill you. Anyone but you, Pip."

"Stop!" The man shouted behind her.

Rhianwen closed her eyes. This had to be a bad dream. Any moment she would wake up to be greeted by a cup of lukewarm tea. Nuada would be cold and detached but his eyes wouldn't be filled with pure hatred when looking at her. Pip would be cuddling up to Lena while Lenore went over the basics of how to take care for a pixie child. This was just a bad dream.

"Last warning!"

But she wouldn't stop running. Even in a dream nothing could happen to Pip. On a summer day, so very long ago, she'd promised him that they would be together forever. They'd protect each other.
Rhianwen heard the shot. The floor came crashing up to meet her, the glass box shattering in front of her. Only then did the burning pain in her chest come. Though her fingers moved the rest of her body refused to work. Her mouth filled with liquid that wasn't hot or cold but just there, in the way. She panicked and became lost in the dark. Pain seared through her brain with the lack of oxygen while her heart gave a few last, feeble pumps.

"You work fast, Sphere."

Breath flooded back in her body. Coughing she spat up the blood, unpleasant memories of what had happened only a few weeks before flooding back. When she looked up she encountered the man that had accompanied Fortuna. He showed a lethargic smile. "I'm Phobetor. We'll be working together."

Rhianwen looked around. Though they were still in the almost sterile hallway time had frozen around them. She was sitting in a large pool of what she assumed to be her own blood. "Am I correct in assuming you'll be my torturer?"

Phobetor tsk-ed. "Only if you intend on being obstinate. This world could be very kind to you if you promise fealty to Fortuna. All you have to do is say yes. If you refuse you'll just end up suffering like you did just now."

Rhianwen looked at the shattered glass box. Pip hadn't flown away yet, looking at where she was sitting in shock. "This isn't the real world, is it?"

The god shrugged. "For now it is. This is a world based on your greatest proclaimed desire and your worst unspoken fear. Me and my brothers designed it just for you. A never-ending scenario for you to play in. Make your choices and see where they lead you."

"I want out."

"We even created an exit, like the rules tell us to. But trust me when I say you don't want to go that way." The god rearranged his dark gray robes with an idle smile.

"Try me," Rhianwen spat out, standing up. The hole in her chest had closed up, the only proof of it the tear in her sweater. "I'll go find it right now."

Phobetor shook his index finger back and forth. "That's not how it works. If you want to find the exit, you have to play the story. And if you're too scared to use the exit, you have to stay here until we wake you up."

"What if I don't want to play the story?" Rhianwen asked, looking around her. There had to be some way out of here. And she didn't exactly trust tall, dark and creepy to give her the correct answers. Ignoring the pain of dying - she had no doubt he had let her die truly for an instant there - she turned around and started to run again.

The god snapped his fingers and suddenly she tripped over her own feet. When she looked up she was back in the corridor where she had started out. Dust billowed from where she'd fallen, revealing dark gray stone beneath her. As she placed a hand to her chest she noted the hole in her sweater had been mended. From behind her captor spoke, "If you don't want to play anymore, all you have to do is die. Every time you do, you come back here and start over."

All she had to do was die. Relive that searing agony and come back here, from where it all would start again. Rhianwen closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Now wasn't the time to start crying. Not yet. "And what are my chances of winning?"

"Just because there are rules doesn't mean it's a game, my dear. In this world there are no winners. Only you and me, waiting until you finally say yes."

I like this part, because I can be sadistic. And next chapter will be from Pip's point of view, because our pixie prince needs some more screen time? At least for Rhianwen he outranks Nuada in terms of 3 so we have that.

Shealeigh : Thanks for the very kind words! I hope you'll continue to like the story and that you'll have a wonderful day.

xSiriuslyPadfoot : Hehheh, yeah, I do need him to get his dose of embarrassment every once in a while. And once this dream bit is done with - we're only at the beginning but whatever - there's going to be a fun chapter where he gets to be annoyed at everything the human in his home does once more. Which is going to be fun ^^