Hello my little loverlies. I am once again updating randomly. I'll really try to start updating sooner since I'm actually getting somewhere. I'm nearing the part where the actual action begins. Yes, all these chapters were practically fillers. Sorry. o.o
=:- Love and Respect -:=
Pain and Duty
Goodfellow emitted a startled yelp and starting patting at his head, squelching the flames that were beginning to explore his equally fiery locks.
My chuckle had a hint of sadism. You know, just a little.
After putting out the fire on his head, his blazing green eyes lifted to meet mine, piercing straight through my sunglasses. "I hope you have life insurance," he said with a callous smile, continuing, "because you are so dead." With that, he flew towards me with a dagger in hand.
Jumping to the side, I just barely missed feeling his blade slice into my stomach. It tip ripped a small hole in my shirt instead.
We then found ourselves circling each other in a familiar rotation. I carefully watched his movements, and I knew without a doubt that he was also analyzing mine. He shifted his weight onto his left foot, and I burst forward to attack.
Our weapons met with satisfying screeches. I could vaguely hear Meghan yelling at us to stop fighting in the background and Glitch watching with a gleeful smile, but I was too focused on ripping the smirk off of Goodfellow's face and leaving just a red smear in its place.
Violent? Maybe. Well-deserved? Most definitely.
After a few blows to each other, we simultaneously jumped away from each other before circling again. Neither of us had any scratches; it was a normal occurrence- even from the start, save for the fight over the prize from Tynem's Dare.
Obviously, I had won that.
Okay, okay. It became more of a race than a fight. I just got to the prize first by tripping him. Juvenile, yes, but the way we were going, it would have stayed a stalemate until we both collapsed from exhaustion, not wounds. Then, another challenger would just stroll in and snatch it away in front of our noses. I had to do something. I just got lucky when his shoes became untied.
Coming back to the battle, I froze the grass beneath his feet before hurling a dagger his way. He dropped to the ground and rolled off the patch of ice, sending a wild boar towards me. The squeals of the boar were flinch-worthy, and the way it was barreling its way to me was unnerving. I never liked pigs. Too much squealing. Must be the same reason why I don't like human, teenage girls.
Bending my knees slightly, I waited before springing into the air, the coarse-furred boar passing straight under me. As soon as I touched the ground, I whirled around, sending an ice-shard into its side as it tried to make a u-turn, causing a severed twig to fall to the floor.
I was about to fling my body to the side into the cover of the trees, anticipating the attack I knew was going to be made by Goodfellow, when I was stopped by Meghan's power-filled voice.
"As your queen, I command you to cease fighting!"
My mind was screaming at my body to move, to not obey, but it was. I wasn't rebelling but submitting.
And for that reason, I felt a blade plunge into my shoulder. Deep.
The world went black.
My body was aching. My shoulder was on fire. My head felt heavy.
And the ground covered in tiny rocks under my back wasn't helping in the least.
Slowly, I cracked open my eyes only to have sunlight pierce them. Gritting my teeth, I persevered and opened them wider to see Meghan sitting beside me, a worried expression on her face.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered with horror in her voice as soon as she realized I was awake.
I kept my face emotionless, not showing the agonizing pain that was coursing through my body. I didn't show the bitterness I was feeling because my own queen was the reason I got hurt. I didn't show the shock, and for some reason anger, of actually being wounded by Goodfellow. I didn't show anything.
"It's not your fault," I muttered without any emotion or conviction before closing my eyes again and resting my hands on my stomach.
"Yes, it is. If I hadn't stopped you, you wouldn't have gotten hurt." She let out a shaky laugh. "This reminds me of Romeo and Juliet. The scene where Romeo gets in between Mercutio and Tybalt during their fight?"
"The difference is, Mercutio's dead," I stated monotonously while hiding the reaction that was threatening to escape my wall. That stupid play.
Meghan was silent, so I assumed she was just taking in my slightly-morbid response.
"Where are my sunglasses?" I asked suddenly once I noticed that there wasn't any weight on the bridge of my nose.
"They're right here and in perfect condition" I felt the plastic being pressed into my hand.
Opening them up with the one hand, I put the wrap-around sunglasses on and had a small feeling of relief pass through my chest.
They were my comfort item.
I didn't necessarily need them. Sure, the sun annoys me when it's frantically waving down at me like a sugar-hyped child, but it's tolerable any other time. I've just become used to wearing them wherever, whenever.
Once I had left the Winter Court, her majesty's warning still stayed in my head. Not the part of where I wouldn't survive long— after all, I'm right here— but the part where my eyes would give away my identity. I had decided that I could hide my eye color with glamour. There wasn't anything else I could use unless I wanted to walk around with a blindfold on since I was still weak and unprepared; I couldn't depend on my other senses as well as I can now.
Once I began to act on the plan, I had realized two things: one, I couldn't keep up any glamour for a long amount of time, and two, I didn't know how to create glamour without any help.
Yeah, I was kind of pathetic back then.
Eventually, I was able to develop a small inkling as to how I could manipulate glamour on my own without my cruel instructors. During my practices with the trainers, the glamour in the training area was more controllable, so it was easier for me to use. The glamour of the Wyldwood was absolutely wild. It took me quite a long time and a couple of near-death encounters for me to finally figure it out.
Then, when I realized I could do it, I almost collapsed. It drained me to use glamour. I had to build up the stamina to use it, so I had to stay out of sight. I thought I would be prepared for the rest of Nevernever, but I had no idea.
After some human years, I got the hang of glamour as well as fighting. Discovering my little quirk of mimicry was a bit helpful, too. Though, when the sunglasses were invented, I was still a bit grateful. It was a pain to remember to keep up the glamour for my eyes whenever I open my eyes.
"Why were you holding back?"
The question suddenly broke me out of my reverencing of the invention of sunglasses. "I wasn't holding back," I answered automatically before internally cringing. Curse my habit of saying whatever I was thinking. When you're alone, or as alone as you can get in the Wyldwood, I had a tendency to think aloud. I think it's luck that I haven't slipped up too badly yet.
"Well, you're armlet isn't exactly just an accessory, am I correct?" she asked.
"No, it isn't."
"So, then why didn't you use it?" She sounded confused. "It most likely would have been more effective than the endless supply of daggers you two seem to keep someplace on your body."
I let out a sharp, aggravated sigh. "Because it wouldn't do anything but drain my glamour," I answered in a clipped tone. "That sneaky little bastard can avoid anything I throw at him."
"And it seemed the same on your side, too." Meghan let out a sigh that was different than mine— hers was filled with regret and guilt.
"At least until I interfered," she added quietly.
Sitting up, I made sure to face Meghan before bowing my head respectfully.
"Wha—what are you doing? You should be laying down," she fussed, waving her hands around dramatically.
I ignored her complaints. "You must not feel regret," I said softly. "I was obeying your orders. My injuries mean nothing if it means I was able to serve my queen."
She stopped talking.
"And really, it means a lot that you are feeling distraught over me even though is it not needed. I am truly lucky to have a caring queen like you," I finished, tilting my head up to look at her face.
Her pale blue eyes were thoughtful as she watched me.
"I think I'm the lucky one," she murmured with a small smile, "to have such a dedicated faerie serving me."
I felt shock jerk at my insides. She complimented me. She didn't command me to leave their sight because I was an eye sore. It was like she actually wanted me here.
Noticing that my mouth was open in surprise, I asked a question to cover it up. "Did you want me to hurt Goodfellow or something? I thought he was your friend," I blurted.
"Of course not," she replied immediately with humor in her tone. "I just didn't want you to get hurt because it looked like you were underestimating him by not using your armlet."
Once again, I was surprised. Meghan seemed to really care about my well-being.
"It's weird," Meghan thought aloud randomly. I snapped to attention. "I feel like I've seen Puck fight with you like he had with someone else before."
She frowned slightly before a her eyes lit up as if she had the epiphany. She even dramatically snapped her fingers— an action of which I just had to raise my eyebrow at despite our current relationship.
"I got it!" she exclaimed happily. "It's—"
Then, Meghan froze, the pleased expression sliding off her face to be replaced with a dazed one. Her lips formed a small 'o', and it looked as if there was a small film of moisture forming over her eyes.
I knew I should have stayed out of it. I should have just minded my own business and save her from more pain, but then again, I wasn't exactly to be known as the 'gentle spirit'.
"Who is it?"
She flinched, then, immediately straightened her back and hardening her jaw like a coach had barked at her to lift her chin. There was steely determination in her eyes as she stated the name with what greatly resembled pride before trotting into the trees and disappearing.
The thing was, I didn't expect the name to impact me just as much as it had her by freezing me in place with shock and resentment.
"Ash."
Ohh, Ash. Yay. Well, just his name, but oh well.
NightSand: You're too sweet x.x I feel like my writing keeps changing with every new chapter, but you're just too nice to point it out lol. Love the support, thanks so muuuch ^^
xX Blood-Bond Xx: Awh, thanks! Really? It has? I just... write some stuff down and edit. I'm not so much for going that deeply into it for fanfictions but thanks for making it sound like I did XD Yup, lots of hate and some extra hate in the next chapter. Yes, Glitch is whiny. Honestly, I made him like that on purpose. In the books, he's all cool and tough and stuff (and hot, I mean, violet eyes -faints-), but I just made him a little dork here. I dunno, I needed someone to be whiny. Meghan was whiny in my previous version, but that was just way to OOC, so now she's just... decently whiny? I dunno. As for the dash (I call the long dashes 'em dashes' since that's what they are... or one of their names), I was just lazy in the last chapter. I fixed it lol. (Random fact: The longer dashes look way cooler than the shorter ones, and I like using them a lot more, too ^^) Thanks for reviewing!
Mackie Effing Mad: Lol, thanks! :D Puck... will be Puck. Or however my Puck is to be Puck... That made no sense. And lol, yus. Then again, isn't he cute always? ;D Lol, but your character is just adorable when she compliments him and stuff. Then his chest gets all puffy like a proud little boy LOL. Tumblr fangirl? Tumblr was confusing to use...
Lark, lark, lark, lark. Isn't that a bird?
Oh, this chapter is not thoroughly edited. Man, I've been slacking. I used to comb through my chapters a billion times before posting o.o
- Like a Ninja -