Early Files - Valentine Chapter 2, a fairy tail fanfic

Early Files - Valentine, part 2 (A Fairy Tail fanfic prequel)

More than 350 years had passed with little interaction with the human world. Valentine eventually assumed he was no longer wanted or maybe his key had been lost or damaged. Either way, it mattered little. He'd grown accustomed to his new life as a spirit and he assumed there was no returning to human form. The time he had was used to explore his new home and meet new friends. Then, one day, a strange sensation rushed through his veins. It was happening again; He was being summoned.

Valentine squinted into the bright sunlight, scanning for whoever had called him. A woman was on the ground, bleeding badly. It didn't take long to put it all together. He crouched beside the girl where he had appeared, standing in her blood. Rolling her to her side, he caught a good look at her face. She had similar features to Chesed. She had to be a relative. She'd been stabbed and assumably robbed. A cart was nearby, torn to shreds. "Who are you?", she asked weakly. He offered a kind smile and replied, "Valentine. Don't worry. You're going to be all right." He studied his powers in celestial plane and was now better able to use them. He placed his hand over the wound, sealing it with a faint glow. As he did so, an exact replica of the wound appeared in the same spot on his own body. The woman stared at him with grateful and mystified eyes. "I guess the old tales are true...Thank you", she said, sitting up. Valentine grinned faintly despite the pain. He simply held his wound without fuss as he helped her to her feet.

"I thought Chesed gave up on me", he ventured. The woman sent him a curious look. "Chesed?...Oh! The one who saved you!...She's gone, Valentine. She died a long time ago", said the woman. Valentine's expression flickered as he tried to process the information. It made sense. The last person he saw was Chesed's daughter and who knows how long ago that was? Offering her hand, she said, "I'm descended from her, though. I was always told that white key was a family treasure. I'd heard the stories, but I thought that's all they were...Stories...Forgive my rudeness. My name is Ismene. How did you get here?". He accepted the gesture and replied, "Your blood called me." She looked to where she had laid and nodded. "I see. I suppose this is why father made me promise to carry your key with at all times", she offered.

She finally noticed he now held her injuries. "Are you all right?!", she panicked. Valentine chuckled, "I'm fine. It will heal. As a spirit, I'm in no mortal peril." Ismene frantically helped him to a stump beside he road. "At least sit down! You poor thing, you must be in pain!", she cried. He nodded faintly. "It's all right. I'm used to it", he assured. She stared at him with angry eyes. "Liar! No one is used to pain, no matter what they've been through!", she argued. Valentine tried to hide a smile. Ismene reminded him much of Chesed's daughter so many years ago. They sat and talked for a short while before he returned home. He asked what year it was and spoke of Chesed fondly. She told him how far from that dark place his key, and Chesed's bloodline, had traveled.

When he faded, Ismene was determined to repay his kindness. She ran home and told her father of the miraculous ordeal. He stared mindfully into the fire as she spoke. "Yes, the tales are true. I'm glad he was there to save you. Make sure you thank him later", he said. She stared at the white key in her hands in awe. How was this possible? "But Papa, I'm no mage", she sighed. He turned and offered a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're not practiced, but the power is obviously within you. It's in our blood", he said. He quietly pulled up a floor board and retrieved a small box. He sat across from his daughter and slid it toward her. "In this box are the keys handed down to each generation. I never had much talent for them, but I have a feeling you'll be able to use them." She opened the box and looked at the few silver keys within. Beneath them was a bundle of papers. "What is all this?", she inquired, trying to read the faded text. "It's research", replied her father calmly. "For what?", she asked, meeting his eyes. He sighed and stared darkly into the distance. "Papa?" Turning, he told her the truth. Valentine's tale was no mere bedtime story. Many of the details had been lost, but he told her what he knew. Chesed, their ancestor, had saved him from some horrible fate and had spent her life looking for a way to turn him human. The fact that was his original form was no longer recalled.

When he'd finished speaking, Ismene again stared at the key in her hands. Sadness poured from her eyes. She was a young woman, around twenty years old. She was engaged to be wed in an arranged marriage later that year, but for now, her time was her own. She did what she could to translate and decipher the notes from the box. She would occasionally call Valentine just to ask questions. Over many, many years, the two became friends and one day, he told her the truth about his origins. She was devastated. Chesed had been no hero, only a woman trying to repay her sins. Ismene grew older and raised a family, but she always held onto Valentine's key, stating that her daughter did not have the power to properly handle it. The rite of handing it down would skip a generation. Over the years she taught him to read and write the current language. Chesed and her daughter had schooled him in the old tongue and he often helped translate the notes for her, but without his book, there was little hope.

Many years later, Ismene was now an old woman. Her children had grown and she now had grandchildren. Occasionally the kids would see the pale man through a window and ask questions, but they never got a straight answer. She was waiting for one of them to show promise. One day, her granddaughter, Kaur, was playing outside of her house. She was around six years old. She had seen Valentine a few times. He would smile and wave, but her father forbade them to speak. He didn't like or understand magic. Ismene was said that her daughter married such a man, but what could she do? Thankfully, Kaur took after her mother's side. Her deep blue-green hair hung across her pale golden eyes. She would sometimes ask her grandmother about the pale man. Ismene was rather amused by all this. The young Kaur seemed to envision him as some kind of prince, there to rescue any damsel in distress. The stories her mother told of Valentine only strengthened those ideals.

One summer, Kaur's parents had to travel out of town for a funeral. Her paternal grandfather had passed, so they left the child with Ismene. She fell one day while playing, scuffing her knee. Seeing no harm, Ismene waved Valentine forward from their conversation. He kneeled down with a warm smile. The young girl blushed shyly in front of him. She'd never seen him so close before. He was very handsome, she thought. He somehow kneeled her knee to her amazement. He chuckled as she thanked him with a hug. He saw her a few more times that summer, but he worried for Ismene. She was getting on in years and couldn't afford to keep wasting her blood on calling him just to visit. He called her attention to this detail and they held a long discussion.

By the time Kaur's parents returned, she wore a white key on a chain around her small neck. Her father was furious, but there was nothing he could against family tradition. Apparently Kaur had played with some of Ismene's silver keys and showed promise. Thus, she was chosen as the heir. She could hear her parents argue that night. "I thought I made it clear I didn't want that THING in my house!", yelled her father. "Darling, please, you'll wake Kaur", hushed her mother. "I don't care if she hears what I have to say! She should know that thing is no fairy tale. That's no savior, whatever your mother told you growing up! It's a monster! A parasite that feeds off the blood of innocent girls!", he bellowed. In the next room, Kaur held the key tightly in her small hands. Valentine was no monster... "You can't demonize everything you don't understand! That poor soul is kind and generous. He'll look after our daughter when we can't. I will NOT let you take that security away from her", stated her mother.

The next day, it was settled. Kaur could keep her new found keys so long as Ismene trained her to use them properly. Her father wasn't happy about it, but he allowed it so long as no spirits appeared inside his house. Her mother was glad Valentine had found a new friend. As Kaur grew, they often played in the woods nearby. She told him stories about the villagers and he told her fantastic tales about the past. It never really registered with the girl that she aged while he remained the same, eternally a young adult. When she began to come of age, people began to whisper, which only increased her father's ire. She had a little sister now, who Valentine was also fond of. He looked after both them with great care whenever he was within our world.

Though he had watched Kaur grow up, he never noticed the change in her actions toward him. She held his hand tightly at Ismene's funeral. That was when it finally hit him. She was no longer a child. He did what he could to keep a 'safe' distance from her, both physically and emotionally, but both of them were hopelessly spiraling closer as time went on. She was seventeen now and very lovely. She'd become quite girly, often wearing ribbons or lace. She braided her long hair into various fashions each day to suit her mood. Her father made a point to remind her daily that Valentine was not human. He knew what was happening, even if Kaur herself was unaware of it. Her mother held no opinion, simply saying to let things be as they should.

One spring day, Kaur waded in the stream, catching flowers that floated from along the water. Valentine stared at her radiance in the warm sunlight. He hated that he had to bleed to call him, but he always took on the cut or scratch as penance. It was getting more awkward to do so, though. For some reason, his face always felt hot when he touched her skin. She would shy her face, but it seemed to be mutual, whatever it was. A few weeks ago, Kaur had fallen down from some high rocks. He'd immediately taken on her pain. Now, he sat and talked casually, unable to move without pain. Kaur hated to see him suffer in her place, so she often asked why his power was the way it was. Finally giving in, he told her. Every detail only caused her to shed more tears. How could someone so gentle go through something so horrible and still come out with a smile? Eventually, Valentine, too, started to cry, not for himself, but for the tears he saw on that angelic face. He hid such a sad face, then suddenly it all clicked and everything made sense. He was in love...

He ignored his revelation for months, simply trying to suppress it, but it was slowly becoming clear that he was not alone with such emotions. He had a duty, though. He couldn't drag someone down with him. He refused to let Kaur waste her life pining for him. He couldn't bare the thought of watching her wither away alone here while he remained young in spirit plane. Kaur had been talking with her mother who told her only to follow her heart. It was turning to spring once more. She was eighteen now, old enough to make her own decisions.

She fretted near Valentine, unsure how to say what she felt. Finally, she started with, "Do you remember when we were here at this stream last spring? You told me about where you came from..." He nodded, confused, but grinning kindly. "I didn't tell you at the time, but hearing your story broke something deep inside my heart...", she trailed. She stared into the dirt, too shy to face him. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have given so many details. I didn't mean to upset you", he offered. They stood a mere two feet apart, each trying to decide which direction to step in. "It's all right. You had no say in what happened to you...But I made a promise to myself that day and I'm glad I've been able to keep it", she said, smiling faintly. "Promise?", he repeated. Taking a stand against her 'damsel in distress' persona, she met his gaze evenly. "I will never let you bleed for me again", stated Kaur, a determined look in her eyes. Valentine smiled softly at the strong face before him. "That's very considerate of you, but don't worry about me. I can't die. It's a lot easier for me to take on any injuries you might have than to watch you suffer with them", he uttered. "But that isn't fair", she said, her voice breaking. He looked into her eyes and saw tears forming rapidly. "I don't want to see you get hurt, either", she said, tears starting to fall.

He took a deep breath and stepped closer, standing directly in front of her. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, he replied, "I would gladly die a thousand deaths than see you harmed." That was her breaking point. She rushed into his arms and sobbed whole-heartedly into his shoulder. He held her close, letting her get it all out. It felt good to hold her so near. She was so warm and the mere touch of her skin both calmed and terrified him all at once. Could it be true? Nearly 400 years after his tragic demise, had he truly found love? Kaur cried deeply. It just wasn't fair. Why had someone so gentle gone through so much? Every memory she had of him, even when she was a young girl, he always held that kind smile. How could grin like that? She didn't understand. He, more than anyone she'd met, had reason to be bitter, but he wasn't. He didn't blame his parents for selling him off. He didn't blame her ancestor for helping to kill him. He didn't even seem to hold a grudge against Xenophon, the monster that created him.

Then, for the first time, she felt his tears. Her kindness had broken his will to hide. A single tear dripped down the side of her face that was not her own. She pulled gently away from his embrace, searching his face. She wiped his eyes and offered a kind smile. "You're not alone anymore", she grinned. Trying to regain control of his emotions, he smiled back at her, the sort of broken smile only the worst tormented could muster. "Don't waste your life trying to save mine", he said softly. She sighed lightly. He was so stubborn. "Don't be silly. As long as we're together, not a single day will ever be wasted", she stated. Now it was her turn to wear the brave smile in the face of his horrible past. Unable to bare it, he grasped her face and carefully pulled her into a kiss. For once, she didn't turn red at his touch, instead simply melting into his arms. There was no telling what her father would say when he found out, but she didn't care.

When their lips parted, each stared breathlessly. Had that really just happened? And if it did, what would they do now? Shyly stepping back, Valentine bowed his head. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have", he said apologetically. He froze as Kaur slid her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "You don't have to be afraid of me or for me. Everything will be all right...Aren't you tired of fighting all alone?", she uttered, not looking into his face. She kept her cheek close to his chest, trying to hide her redness. Her heart sank at the same time...There no was heartbeat to meet her own. He stood in silence, searching for an answer. "I know I am", she said shyly. "I'm not human", he uttered solemnly. "I don't care", replied Kaur without hesitation. His hands trembled as he fought the urge to embrace her. "I'll never get any older than this...", he trailed. She leaned back gently and stared into his eyes with her heart on the line. "Do you really want to push me away? Don't you think you deserve to be happy after all this time?" The first question could be interpreted as selfish, but not the second. She would bare a broken heart if he rejected her, but she mourned for his happiness, not her own.

He peered back into those honest eyes that desperately awaited an answer. "Kaur...I'm not really alive...", he stated sadly. "What are you saying? Of course you are. You're here. You feel joy and sadness, experience laughter and pain. Isn't that life?", she pleaded. He shied his gaze, fighting his feeling of obligation. "I can't die...Doesn't that make me some sort of monster?", he ventured. She reached out and gently turned his face in her palm. Once he could see her kind smile, she said, "That makes you an angel, not a monster. So what if you can't die? I don't want you to", she said whole-heartedly. It was too much to bare. He cupped his hand over her own and fell into those pale golden eyes without remorse. "This...isn't really allowed", he said lamely. "Humans and spirits...You'll be a heretic in your world and there's no telling what they'll say in mine." She sighed, but maintained her grin. "We'll just have to teach them there's another way...Besides, you were human once. Maybe you can be again", she said.

His eyes grew wide in near panic. He lowered her hands from his face. Becoming quite serious, Valentine said, "No. I won't see another life wasted. Without the book, it's hopeless." He glanced at his palm. He was starting to fade away. His time was up again. Kaur held his gaze evenly. "Then we'll find the book", was the last thing he heard before returning home. However, fate is often unkind to those who try to fight it the hardest. They only had a few precious months together to enjoy their newfound love. Kaur never found his book. Instead, she died, protecting her little sister from local monsters known as 'soul stealers'. It would be years before he found out what happened to her. He hoped that it was a simple matter of her father destroying his key, but he was wrong. He lost all hope of becoming human again. Then, one day his new master stumbled across the place that created him. She now had his book and his key. There was no telling if it could be done and even if it could, what he do with his returned life now that Kaur was gone?

The End (For now) Find out more about Valentine in "Induced Silence" and "Lost Echoes"!