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Isali: First of all, Thank you so much for the review. Now I will say that you didn't offend me because everyone has their own opinion. I would like to know why you didn't like her though.
Chapter Twenty-Three:
I took a long thoughtful sip of my coffee as I stared at my breakfast. Normally, I would be happy to eat such food, but not today. The food being made of various sweets and basically Luna's way to celebrate her birthday a few days early without everyone making a big fuss. Like I said, normally I would dive in, but today was just not that kind of day. The reason could be well known, but no one seemed to want to. I finally sighed and stood up to leave just as Hermione appeared. I took one look at my second First-Mate and retook my seat. She walked right over to me and slammed a paper onto the table with enough force to crack it. I spotted the fire that was barely being contained underneath her skin and almost shivered in anticipation. She glared at me as she growled, "What the hell is this?"
"What is what?" I ask while looking down at the paper, "It looks like normal paper to me,"
"Kai! Do. Not. Mess. With. Me," She spoke each word carefully while lifting her hand, "Tell me what the hell this is,"
I glared at her for the order, but it didn't seem like she cared. I picked up the sheet and almost snort upon seeing what's written on it. It was an article written about my 'Present' that I gave the ministry. I look up from it and ask, "What about it?"
"Why the hell are the Hearts Pirates and the Lunar Pirates symbols pasted across the front page?" She hissed softly causing me to shrug.
"I needed to send a message and it looks like the ministry may actually have some kind of sense," I smirk at her, "Calm down Mist. No one can track it. I made sure of that,"
"How?" She asked looking at me with slight surprise.
"I'm a thief my dear," I reply with a slight grin, "I've stolen from other mages and various divine beings," Her eyes widen and my grin bloomed into a cheshire one, "It takes a shit load of skill and magic to erase my presence in those situations, but that was easy,"
She stared at me for two seconds before muttering, "Of course it was."
She then walked over to the twins and took a seat before biting into her breakfast. My cheshire grin grew before diminishing. I didn't even jump as Daphne spoke suddenly from my side, "I'm surprised you aren't eating. What's wrong?"
"Do you know what today is my dear?" I ask as Tracy took the seat next to me with an almost sullen feel about her.
Daphne looked between the two of us before nodding. Tracy leaned into me and I allowed it due to the significance of the day. Daphne didn't need to speak even as both of us stood up and left the room without another word. She knew we wouldn't be in classes due to what today was, so she would cover for us. I grabbed Tracy's hand just as we left the great hall and quickly led her to the nearest passageway. We would be using one of our hidden area's to take cover today.
In Great Hall around Lunch time
Daphne sat with a blank face as everyone formed rank around her. She knew what they wanted, so she just stood up and led them out of the room. She headed towards the black lake and took a seat right next to the shore. The warm september air would soon give way to the slight chill of October if what she felt was correct. The others followed behind her with slight nervousness. Kaileara maybe their leader, but Daphne was the queen of the group. Everyone listened to her and would never disobey her unless it conflicted with Kaileara's orders. It was just how things worked out and it's why Daphne was one of Kaileara's three First Mates. It was silent as they all sat there for a while before Draco spoke, "Queen what's going on? Why are Kai and Tracy not here?"
"Do you know what today is?" Daphne asked in a soft voice as she stared out at the surface of the lake.
"No," Hermione answered this one, "What's so special about today?"
Daphne sighed softly causing everyone to tense. It was always a bad sign when it happened, so today must be pretty bad. It burned them up to think about it. She finally spoke after a few tension filled minutes, "Today is the day that both of them lost something...It's the reason why both of them acted the way they did today...It's also why Tracy acts as she does."
"What happened?" Neville, oh dear sweet always protecting Neville, asked as his eyes turned hard, "Who do I need to kill?"
"It's too late for you to get to them even if you knew," Daphne answered as she felt her eyes burn, "Do you know why both of them disappeared shortly after Kai destroyed Quirrel? Why they didn't appear until September of second year was almost over?"
"No," George answered in a soft voice, "We all assumed that they were recovering from magical backlash or something,"
Draco's eyes had grown wide as the conversation went on. Before Daphne could speak again, he hissed, "You mean to tell me that they were kidnapped?"
"Yes," She looked down at her hands as tears burned her eyes, "I...I was the one that found them,"
"Queen," Susan's voice was oddly flat, "Even then you could feel all of us couldn't you? It's why you were so cold to people. You didn't want to get hurt,"
Daphne nodded as she kept herself from losing herself, "I dreamt of it all. I could feel their agony and hear their pleas, but no one would listen until I woke up with blood on me. By the time I got there, the kidnappers were all dead. Kaileara was half feral while Tracy was giggling. They were both covered in so much blood...The scent of it," Daphne couldn't help it when she buried her face into her knees, "I was the only one able to get through to them..."
The group was silent as they digested this information. It explained so much, but it left so many questions. One question rested heavily on Hermione's mind and it made her feel cold just thinking about it. Did Law know? Is that why Kaileara got along so well with Law? She didn't realize she had spoken it aloud until Luna spoke in a non-Lunaish voice, "Law knows everything about Kai Kai's past. He understands it, he accepts it, and he will never turn her away. Both of them have been through hell, but they're stronger because of it. It's one of the reasons that they get along so well, but it's more than that," She turned her suddenly clear and Non-dreamy eyes onto Hermione, "Never doubt that he loves her or she loves him. If anything, the past has strengthened the bond between them," She suddenly stood up with the same dreamy expression on her face, "The Nargles tell me that it's almost time for class."
She walked off while leaving those behind her stunned. Draco shook it off faster than most and said, "She's right. I'm going to catch up with her."
He left without another word. The group suddenly shook off their shock and Neville spoke, "Daphne," She looked at him silently, "Today's either the day they killed their kidnappers or the day they finally came back to themselves. Which is it?"
"The day they came back to themselves," She answered softly, "Even they can't remember when they killed those sicko's,"
Neville nodded wordlessly and grabbed Blaise's hand before dragging him off to their shared class. The others soon departed and Daphne sat alone at the shore. Her expression slowly falling into grief even as Haimati appeared next to her. The leopard curled her body around her master without a word as she tried to comfort the girl. She had seen many things in her 400 years of life and had dealt with grief many times. Both her own grief for masters lost and the grief her masters held for lost family, it helped her understand what her master was going through. It was what all familiars went through when their masters died while they were merged. It was the worst feeling to be right there, but be unable to do anything. She remembered her last master very well. She had been so sweet and innocent that Haimati had done everything to protect her, but even she couldn't stop the disease that took her masters magic and life away. She felt so helpless as she watched her master die and resolved to make sure her newest master would live for as long as she wished. She didn't wish to end like the others of her kind. The ones that went mad with grief by the time they turned 450. She wouldn't fall like they had, for she knew this new master was stronger than her other ones. Perhaps Kiyo's new master was the cause.
Kaileara P.O.V
I held Tracy against my side as we sat together in the room we had chosen. Candles burned all around us in such a pretty way that I was almost tempted to make them burn brighter. I kept my impulse inside even as screams rang through my head like a drum. The screams of men and women older than me by 20 years. The screams as they were torn apart by the very magic that gave them life. The feeling of cold steel against my palm and sinking into my skin as someone shouted at me to stop, to stand still, to give them mercy. The sound of Tracy's giggles as she tore so many to shreds with a knife and fork. The screams of those consumed by fire and stabbed by ice. The cries of other children as the bars of their cells were torn away. Their fear turned into relief as they ran away from the dark place. I remembered it all and remembered the question that burned in my mind: Why us? I knew the reason now, but back then I didn't...Hell I don't think I really know the reason anymore. I curled closer to Tracy as she whimpered, "Kai they're so loud. The screaming."
"Hush," I murmur softly even as I stared at the fire, "We're not there anymore,"
She whimpered again and curled even closer to me, "I hear it Kai. Why do I hear it?"
"It stains the soul, Knight," I murmur even as I tried to soothe her pain, "It leaves cuts and rivets all over our souls. We must be stronger than that,"
"Kai please," She whined as she tried to burrow herself in my body, "Please help me. Make it stop,"
I began to hum softly before the words formed in my mind and I sang softly:
Well, I know the feeling
Of finding yourself stuck out on the ledge
And there ain't no healing
From cutting yourself with the jagged edge
I'm telling you that, it's never that bad
Take it from someone who's been where you're at
Laid out on the floor
And you're not sure you can take this anymore
So just give it one more try to a lullaby
And turn this up on the radio
If you can hear me now
I'm reaching out
To let you know that you're not alone
And if you can't tell, I'm scared as hell
'Cause I can't get you on the telephone
So just close your eyes
Oh, honey here comes a lullaby
Your very own lullaby
Please let me take you
Out of the darkness and into the light
'Cause I have faith in you
That you're gonna make it through another night
Stop thinking about the easy way out
There's no need to go and blow the candle out
Because you're not done
You're far too young
And the best is yet to come
So just give it one more try to a lullaby
And turn this up on the radio
If you can hear me now
I'm reaching out
To let you know that you're not alone
And if you can't tell, I'm scared as hell
'Cause I can't get you on the telephone
So just close your eyes
Oh, honey here comes a lullaby
Your very own lullaby
Well, everybody's hit the bottom
Everybody's been forgotten
When everybody's tired of being alone
Yeah, everybody's been abandoned
And left a little empty handed
So if you're out there barely hanging on...
Just give it one more try to a lullaby
And turn this up on the radio
If you can hear me now
I'm reaching out
To let you know that you're not alone
And if you can't tell, I'm scared as hell
'Cause I can't get you on the telephone
So just close your eyes
Oh, honey here comes a lullaby
Your very own lullaby
Oh, honey here comes a lullaby
Your very own lullaby
(Lullaby by Nickelback)
I finished the song and her head lulled to the side with her eyes closed. I ran my fingers through her hair as my eyes closed as well. It was time for a little sleep and to get away from the memories of a time long gone.
End of chapter. One of my shorter ones, but perhaps it's okay. I want to know what you guys think, so please review