This point on contains one shots that take place from Purple Fairy onward, it is strongly suggested that you read The Purple Fairy before proceeding in case of spoilers or general confusion.

Run

It all started with an almost first kiss. She kissed him on the cheek, handing him the loaf of bread his mother had sent him after. He went to pick it up late in the day like always.

(After he poached a couple apples from the other stands, his mother always did like apples...)

Her actions turned his cheeks red as he returned home. He tried to make up an excuse why he was blushing, about how one of the ladies had called him a hero and ruffled his hair in front of every one.

(Because Henry was no Hero, he was a thief and a damn good one)

But once Henry mentioned getting the bread, seeing the baker's daughter, his cheeks started getting red again. His mother was no fool, she was able to piece it together right away.

It was what started Mom's teasing, words like young love, and first kiss thrown about, making Henry pout with embarrassment as he tried to deny her claims.

He was fourteen years old, practically all grown, and just really wanted out of this conversation right now. He didn't believe in true love, despite it being the origin of his mother's light magic. Henry didn't need any of that. Henry thought the conversation would drop if he ignored it.

But then Mom just had to tell Grandma.

Then she started teasing him too. She kept smiling and telling him to embrace love, not to be like Emma. In all honesty, Henry didn't even like the girl. She'd totally blind-sided him, but he didn't expect her actions to cause this.

They started saying how this girl like liked him, how he should be nicer to her, how he should be a gentleman. It was when they started dabbling with the idea of talking with her parents, inviting her over, that Henry snapped back at them.

"I don't like her!" He exclaimed. "She's just a stupid girl!" His mother scowled at him.

"Henry, that's not how we talk about other people." She scowled. "And give her a chance maybe-"

He folded his arms dismissively. "Where's Emma? When is she coming back?" He asked her curtly, seeing the way her smile faded. He was suddenly furious, easily striking out blindly with his words. "When's my real mother coming back?" He snapped. His mother's expression filled with hurt and his grandmother gasped.

"Henry!" she demanded. "Apologize to your mother right now!" She demanded.

He refused, hands clenched. She shouldn't have badgered him about this. He didn't like girls, she just didn't understand. There wasn't a point. Love wasn't real. Love didn't exist. He was better off alone, everyone was better off alone.

What was the point of any of it? Grandma was sad without his grandfather who he never met. His mother never even fell in love, saying that he was enough, but Henry knew. She wished for more.

But Emma taught him the biggest of it all. She'd been hurt so badly by his father that she'd thought she had to give him up. It hurt after he found out, especially when Emma lost Graham. She'd been so depressed, staying away for months out of fear and pain.

No, Henry didn't need this, he didn't believe that love could be anything other than weakness.

"It's ok." His mother said softly, trying to mask the hurt in her eyes. Henry immediately felt a surge of guilt. He realized that he'd gone too far, that he shouldn't have said that. It was just so hard sometimes, not belonging.

He wasn't like them, magical, and he wasn't like the villagers, he wasn't normal. He was Henry. He was different. He would always be different.

"Mom. I-"

He was interrupted by a gasp from his grandmother, she straightened up, gripping the table staring at the window of the cabin.

"Mom what's wrong?" Henry's mother asked.

"The spell, the one hiding us, it's been broken." She explained with a bit of worry in her voice. Henry and his mother looked at her wide eyed. It was impossible, it was a mixture of the most powerful dark magic and blood magic. Nothing could beat it.

"Your sister, darling, she's here." His grandmother explained. "It's the only possibility." Henry looked out the window seeing the green grass catch fire as something in the distance approached. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Dread, pure dread.

"Sweetie, take Henry and go." His grandmother ordered.

"Mom-" She tried desperately. "What about you?" Henry nodded, he knew what she wanted them to do and Henry refused to do that, he wouldn't let his grandmother sacrifice herself for them, they could stay, and they could fight!

"Go!" She roared, eyes flashing with magic. "Take Henry and go!" She demanded.

"Grandma!" He pleaded. The woman smiled softly to him, reaching onto one of her shelves of trinkets, placing a golden compass in his hands.

"Henry, listen to me. I want you to run, get as far away from here with your mother as possible, but if something happens, you're going to need this compass." She explained.

"I don't understand." He whimpered in fear, seeing the approaching threats.

"That is an enchanted compass, it will lead you towards fate." She explained vaguely.

"Fate? I don't understand." He repeated. Henry would be frustrated if he wasn't so scared.

"Fate is a wondrous thing Henry, but sometimes it needs a little push, that compass will push fate and it'll help keep you safe, don't lose it." She told him. "I love you Henry."

Henry nodded boldly, turning to his mother, watching her embrace the older woman, holding back tears.

"Show them how this family defends itself." His mother told her mother with an encouraging voice despite her teary smile. "I love you." His grandmother nodded.

"I love you too my little flower." She said softly, pushing them both out the door. "Now run! She yelled. "Run!"

Henry took his mother's hand and they bolted out the back door. They could hear the echoes of magic blasts and the sound of burning wood. Their home was burning.

"Don't look back Henry." She said, looking forward. "Come on we'll figure it out." She insisted.

"I wouldn't count on that dearie." Sneered a voice, appearing in front of them like magic. Henry was pushed behind his mother.

"We don't' want trouble." She said boldly. "We mean no harm."

The man approached. "I'm sorry. I don't believe you." The man said sadly. "Is that your boy?" She didn't respond. "He reminds me of my boy, if you come without trouble, I promise your son will be well looked after. I-" He said reaching out. His mother growled, magic flashing in her hand. Her eyes glowing green.

"You're not touching my son." She growled, lashing out. Henry expected the knight to fall, to be hit by his mother's light magic and fall down. Except that didn't happen, he raised his hand and the light magic was absorbed into him. Henry had never seen someone do that, not even his other mother.

"Sorry dearie, you're not the only one with powerful magic." He snickered drawing his sword. It was solid gold. Henry noticed a feral look in his mom's eye as she rushed forward, armed with magic, surprising him, but not stopping him. She grabbed the sword with her bare hand, crying out.

"Run Henry! Run!" She screamed.

"Mom!" Henry tried. But the knight ripped his sword away and hit her in the leg, she screamed out, clutching the gaping wound.

His mother's blood spilt everywhere.

"Run Henry. Run." She pleaded.

He nodded, turning and bolting. He was just edging the clearing, he didn't know if they were still following, he didn't know what they wanted or-

Henry looked down, the compass still clutched in his hand, it's reflective surface showing his own tear streaked face. "I'll find you mom. Grandma."

Mom. Henry knew what he had to do. He had to find Mom, his birth mother, Emma. Even if that knight had light magic, there was no way it would be greater than the Dark One's Dark Magic.

The compass must have agreed because the needle shifted suddenly. He followed it. He ran and ran because that was what everyone wanted him to do. Run.

Henry was lucky though, lucky that his mother's temporary companion, Graham, was a hunter, taught him a few tricks for hunting and eating the native plants. It took days to reach where he was heading.

He finally stopped at a seaside village, the village a twitching compass needle had led him towards. He was gasping and hungry, starving actually but he couldn't stop; he had to keep going see where destiny was leading him.

Not that Henry exactly knew much about what that destiny actually meant, but his grandmother had told him to follow and she was the smartest person he knew.

The needle stilled. It finally stilled. He looked up, noticing exactly what it was pointing him towards. It was pointing to a deckhand.

Just a little prequel to what happened with Henry. I wrote some of these as I was writing the Purple Fairy, originally planning to post them along side the actual chapters, but decided against it, but I decided to keep the vague descriptions anyway. I felt it made things a little more interesting.

~Luna