Author's note: This takes place before the final battle of Company of Light. Enjoy.
Lamp black clouds covered the skies of Domino. Always so bright green grass had turned dull and lost it flowers. Shadows seemed to hide behind every corner, so people preferred to stay indoors. Only a sorrowful blow of wind could have been heard outside the buildings.
A little girl watched out of the window blankly. Her eyes reflected the lightning that had been going on for hours.
Her mother noticed that she was in deep thoughts. "What's the matter, honey?"
The girl jumped down from the windowsill and sauntered to her mother. "Mommy, are we going to die?"
Her mother looked horrified. "Of course not, sweetie. What makes you think so?" She wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"It's just so cold and dark here. And daddy hasn't come back. Do you think daddy is dead?" The girl sobbed against her mother's chest.
"Daddy isn't dead. He's just visiting grandma, like I told you." She stroked the girl's short hair. "These times are scary, so he had to go check on her."
Little girl wept. "Does that mean that grandma's going to die?"
"No one's going to die, you silly." Her mother hugged her tighter and lifted her to sit on the table. "We must trust the Company."
"But why are those Company people so special?"
She pressed the tip of her daughter's nose. "Because they're the Company of Light. And light is the only thing that can erase the evil darkness from this kingdom."
Even the great castle had lost its shine. Not only in appearance, but also of the usually so joyful people inside, who now were scared and miserable. Behind fake smiles and cheerful attitudes, even the famed Company of Light was insecure of the upcoming events.
Griffin leaned on a balcony railing. "This weather seems really bad."
"When a witch says so, it must be really bad," Saladin noted.
Griffin growled. "Don't you dare to stereotype me."
"I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"Prove it."
The royal couple and Hagen watched when they continued arguing.
Mariam sighed heavily. "This tension is making some of us pretty crusty." She turned to her husband with her skirt fluttering. "I better get girls save. Are you coming?"
"Just a minute. I try to get those two off each other's throats."
Hagen suddenly raised his brows and turned his gaze to Mariam. "I'll come with you. Maybe I could find Faragonda along the way."
The queen nodded and pushed a heavy door open. It wasn't any warmer inside than in the balcony. Sound of her heels echoed in the empty hallway.
Hagen heard another person walking towards them. When he glanced at the figure quickly, he thought that she actually floated. Her dress fluttered all over the hallway.
"Daphne! I was just looking for you!" The queen smiled delightfully. "Wait here, I go to get Bloom!"
Without a word, the nymph nodded and stood sophisticatedly still.
When Mariam had run away, Hagen cleared his throat, so he could be heard better. Of course, he would have gotten closer to the princess, but the idea wasn't really inviting, since Daphne's dress seemed to have a life of its own. "Um, princess, may I ask..?"
She smiled sweetly. "Please, Daphne is enough."
"Oh, well, Daphne, I just wonder, have you seen Faragonda? She has been gone for hours now."
"I'm afraid I haven't seen her." The princess glanced to her left and suddenly pointed there. "But look, there she is!"
Faragonda sauntered on the stairs with hollow eyes. She had changed to her battle gear, which sure didn't look very practical.
Hagen had always wondered how fairies were able to fight in miniskirts and high heels. But he had learned not to question Faragonda's fighting skills after being few years in the Company of Light with her.
She sat on the last stair and let out an anguish sigh. The coldness in the hallway made her press her legs close to her upper body.
Hagen made his way to her and sat down. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence between them. "Are you alright?" Really, is that the best you can come up with? He already regretted asking.
Her grip on her legs tightened. "I tried to contact my family several times…" Her lips pressed tightly together and she blinked faster to avoid tears forming. "No one answered."
"That doesn't mean they're dead." He placed his hand carefully on her shoulder and felt her shivering.
"Hagen, there's a war going on, they must be dead." She snapped out those words along with few sobs. "I almost saw this coming, but I didn't prepare."
"For what?"
"Surviving."
Hagen raised his brows, confused. "What do you mean?"
The fairy gazed over her slender shoulders. "Just look around yourself."
Mariam had come back. The queen gently stroked the forehead of her baby and kissed it softly. She led her younger daughter to Daphne. "Take good care of your little sister." She gave a tight hug to her older daughter.
"Everyone is preparing for what they think is the worst; dying. They say goodbyes to their families and build courage to fight." Her teary eyes watched Hagen helplessly. "But what about surviving? Imagine it; you're standing in the middle of a battlefield and the war is over. But there's no one left, except you. All your friends, all your loved ones, dead. It's worse than dying." She couldn't anymore stop tears from flowing down her face. "Why I couldn't have just died with them?"
"Take those words back." Hagen stared straight at her with a frown on his face. "You have a life worth of living for, don't you dare to say something like that."
Faragonda chuckled gloomily. "Funny though, you don't seem to be worried about anything at all."
"I am, I just try to be optimistic. I learned it from you."
A weak smile appeared on her features for a second. "Well, I'm glad to be a guiding example."
"Hey, I saw something familiar." He pointed at her mouth and grinned.
"What?"
"A smile. You should try it again. Because that's what we all love about you; your bright smile."
Faragonda raised her brow with a hint of amusement. "Well, I bet that smiling won't really help when it comes to the risk of losing you and the others."
Hagen placed his hand gently on hers. "Let's think it this way; we all will survive alive of this upcoming battle, and then Mariam and Oritel will rule their kingdom happily again. Right?"