Chapter Text
A fire cracks to life in the cabin's fireplace, unnatural in color and reeking of magic.
When Lilia had found the child, he’d feared the worst. Their skin flushed bright red from the cold, and despite their wide eyes they hadn’t responded in the slightest when he’d approached. The consistent, violent shivers raking through their small body had been the most reassuring thing Lilia had seen in a long time.
Now, they lay bundled in every blanket the man could find. An empty mug resting atop his coffee table. Lilia had managed to coax them into drinking the broth they saved for Silver when he was ill. Bitter though it was, Lilia had made it himself and knew the good it could do for a sickly body. His first priority however, had been to change them into a pair of Silver’s pajamas, too big for the child but warm and dry nonetheless. Lilia let out a low sigh, tossing another log into the fire for good measure before he took a seat next to them. Pulling them close in hopes they could leech off some of his own body heat, mindlessly running his fingers through their hair the same way Silver had always liked. Even in their dazed, half asleep state they leaned into the fae’s touch.
Lilia smiled, letting out a soft chuckle at the halfhearted grumble they managed to make as his nails scratched over their scalp. By now their shivering seemed to taper off, left only in the small hands that pulled against his sleep shirt. Their grip against him was weak, far weaker than he would have liked, but Lilia supposed it wouldn’t be out of the question for them to have a few problems with their finer motor skills.
He leaned his head back against the sofa, allowing them to rest now likely wouldn’t be a problem, especially because their temperature seemed to have returned itself to normal. Now, able to study them more closely, he couldn’t imagine the child was any older than three. No more than a toddler, yet left in the woods to die. Lilia had seen no footprints, but he knew how unlikely it was that a child so little would be able to wander so far into the woods. Alone and ill prepared for the snowstorm. Dressed in the bright sundress now hanging to dry, and little sandals placed by the door. Lilia stamped down the fresh wave of anger that flooded through him, his grip unconsciously tightening upon the child. Sleepy as they were, they only squirmed a moment before settling once more.
It’s only due to his years of battle that Lilia does not jolt when he hears the creak of a door. Silver’s door, to be precise. He turns his head, fond eyes falling over his son as the boy peers past the living room.
“Shouldn’t you be asleep, my firefly?” He teased, a smile forming on his lips.
The soft pitter patter of Silver’s footsteps filled the room, light as ever, he rounded the couch quickly. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and letting out a soft yawn. It took but a moment for wide eyes to fall upon the other child. “Who’s that?” he asked, voice quiet but filled with a sort of wonder that could only come from a curious child.
Lilia could feel the lingering anger seep out of him in the presence of his son. There was a small portion, segmented off from the rest of his mind, that would hold onto the particular rage he’d felt upon finding this child. The same way that part of his mind had held onto the rage he’d felt finding Silver. He would hold onto it, for the day that he should meet this child's parents.
Lilia let out a thoughtful hum, letting his eyes close for a moment. He reaches out, patting the seat next him. “I don’t know quite yet,” he replied earnestly, as Silver climbed up beside him. Eagerly curling up against Lilia’s side. “But I would like to find out, would you like to as well, firefly?” He asks, wrapping his free arm over Silver with practiced ease. His son nodded eagerly, bright eyes shining, never once looking away from the other child bundled in Lilia’s lap. Lilia rarely saw Silver become so excited, always so mild mannered and quiet. The fae smiled, leaning down and placing a soft kiss upon his son’s forehead. “Then we both will have to wait, they are quite tired after today. It would be rude for us to wake them before they are ready, would it not?” He asked, receiving another nod in return. “Then why don’t we head to bed as well? It will help pass the time,” He suggested. Lilia could already see Silver’s eyes beginning to droop, and if he had not already resigned himself to sleeping on the couch, he supposed now would be the time to do so.
He began humming once more, a melody long forgotten by humans but not so much by himself. Threading his fingers through the boy's hair, gently scratching at his scalp in the same manner he had the other child. Soothing his son back into a peaceful sleep, leaving Lilia to stew once more in his thoughts.
Lilia was not commonly one for planning, not these days at least, but when someone so young, so fragile was involved, one would be needed. He supposed quite a bit would depend on what the child recalled once they awoke. There was little Lilia could do other than fret over the possibilities, and doing so would not be helpful for any of them.
Here, his son curled up against his side, the other child laying against his chest, Lilia could feel fatigue tug at his waking mind. Silver’s exhaustion was often contagious, he’d discovered. Especially when his son fell asleep against him like this, Lilia found it ever so difficult to resist the pull of sleep. His eyes fluttering closed, it took only moments for his consciousness to slip away, replaced by the warm, sweet mundane of his dreams.
———
Silver is a heavy sleeper, he often only wakes after his father has already pulled him out of bed. Roused only by the fae’s soft musings as he stands at the stove, balanced on his hip and letting the vibrations from his fathers voice fall over him until he can peel his eyes open and begin his morning. On occasion it is to the gentle circles traced into his forehead, the unmistakable warmth of Malleus seeping into the comforter. Silver liked those days better, blinking awake to the soft rumbling of the draconic fae.
Both Malleus and his papa were able to make those noises, so deep Silver couldn’t even hear them when they so wished. He can feel them though, vibrating deep in their chests in a way so unlike their voices do. It could be as soothing as it could be terrifying.
But it is not to his papa’s musings, or to Malleus’ warm hands against his scalp that he awoke. Instead, Silver woke to the sound of crying. It was quiet, more sniffles than anything else, but worry brimmed in the young boy nonetheless. Despite his exhaustion, Silver forced himself to sit up. Pulling away from his Papa’s warmth to seek out the source of the sound. It wasn’t hard for Silver to figure it out, and the boy could only stare for a moment.
The other child was smaller than him, the pajamas his papa had changed them into were too big, the sleeves hanging down past their fingertips. The blankets they’d been bundled in had mostly fallen off them, thrown haphazardly to the side or bunched around their waist. They sniffled once more, and Silver could see their body tremble with force they were using to keep quiet. Upon seeing him, awake and staring, their lower lip wobbled for a moment before a sob broke through. Tears rolling freely down their cheeks and before Silver knew it, they were wailing. Body shuddering with the force of their cries, babbling nonsense that Silver didn’t think he would ever be able to piece together.
He felt his Papa jolt awake at the sound, but Silver was already moving.
“Ah! Don’t cry! It’s ok, I promise!” The boy exclaimed, reaching out and grasping the other child’s hands. Another sob falls from their lips, trying desperately to choke it down, their failing only seeming to distress them more. Silver gave their hands a squeeze that he hoped was comforting.
His gaze drifts back up to his Papa, anxiety thrumming under his skin. He did not know what to do, but his Papa had always been able to stop his own tears, if anyone could stop them from crying it would be his papa. The fae was quiet, but Silver could feel the rumble beginning deep in his papa’s chest.
Their wails stop abruptly, and Silver turns back to them faster than he thinks he’s ever turned. Startled by the noise, one hand slips from Silver’s own, drifting to rest against his Papa’s chest. They jerk their hand away a moment later, and his Papa lets out a soft chuckle. He reaches out, directing their palm against his sternum once more. His papa’s hands so much bigger than theirs, hiding their fingers completely from Silver’s view. They hiccup, still trying to regain control of their breathing, their tears still roll down their cheeks but their sobs cease. Replaced with curiosity and wonder for the noise emitting from his Papa’s chest. After a moment, their head lulls, following their hand back down against the fae’s chest. Brows furrowed as they seek out the source of such a noise.
Silver could not help the flood of relief that rolled over him as each breath grew less ragged, watching as they squeezed their eyes shut and sniffled wetly. Despite the sobs waning, their upset was still clear under the light of the embers in the fireplace. He shifted anxiously, wondering just what would be needed for them to calm completely.
Silver thought back to the last time he had cried, more specifically how his papa had calmed him down. “Oh! Papa!” He gasped, eyes widening as he recalled a particular thing that had gotten his own ragged breathing under control. “Can they blow out the candle? Like you did last time!” He asked. His outburst caused the other child to jerk further into his papa’s hold, bloodshot eyes snapped open and lower lip wobbling precariously.
“What's that?” They asked, voice trembling as harshly as their body. Taking a moment to pull away from his papa’s chest to look up at him.
His papa smiled, a gentle thing that had put Silver to ease a thousand times over. “It’s quite simple, really,” He began, holding up his pointer finger in between the two, “imagine my finger is a candle, yes?” He asked. Gaze turned down to gauge the child's reaction.
They sniffled once again, bringing their now free hand up to their face to rub at their eyes, “Like a birthday cake?” They asked, looking from his Papa’s hand to his face.
Silver grinned, nodding quickly. “Yeah! Exactly like a birthday cake!” he affirmed. “But first papa has to light it!” he exclaimed, looking up at his papa expectantly.
The fae let out a soft laugh at the confused look upon the child's face. “Oh but of course, my firefly. How could I forget such a thing?” With a swift snap of his fingers, a blue-green flame burst to life over the tip of his finger, dancing marvelously in the dim light of their living room. The child jerked back at the sight, eyes wide and full of wonder for the simple display of magic. The light of the flame casting a green glow over their soft features. “Go on dear, take a deep breath for me.” He directed, still rubbing soft circles into their back. He feels their chest stutter as they take in the deepest breath they can manage. “Good, very good… Now, blow out the candle for me ok? Can you do that for me, sweet one?” He receives a nod, shaky but there nonetheless. They watch the flickering flame for a moment, before exhaling in a weak puff of air. If Lilia was actually trying to maintain the magical flow, the flame would not so much have shuddered under the pitiful display.
But Lilia is not trying to maintain it, in fact it is quite the opposite. He lets the flame taper out just as the last sputter of their breath emits from their small lungs.
“You did wonderfully, sweet one.” He praised, snapping his fingers to ignite the flame upon his finger once more. “Could you manage one more for me? It is perfectly fine if not, but I believe it will help you feel better.” He requested, combing his fingers through their hair, tangled from sleep. Lilia would need to brush it in the morning, that is if he even managed to get the two back to sleep.
The child thought for a moment, taking a few more deep breaths before they muster the energy. They take a similarly deep breath, holding it for a moment, before exhaling in a slightly more powerful puff. The flame flickers before going out once more, plunging the room into a dark haze. Silver lets out a soft giggle, and the child follows suit. Their laugh not quite right, still congested from crying, but Lilia would take what they could get.
Now, with his hand on their back he could feel their breathing. Little chest rising and falling with each breath, still raspy, but deep and under control. He was certain they were still anxious, body still tense and he could see the confusion in the way their brow furrowed. He supposed waking in a stranger's home would do that to a child. But heavy conversations could wait till dawn. He craned his neck for a moment, searching for the clock across the room. Sevens above, was it really 4:30? He let out a soft sigh, he supposed it was better than 1 or 2 am. At least if he was unable to get them back to sleep, it would likely only require an earlier, prolonged nap time. Silver already had a habit of curling up on the couch around three in the afternoon, when the sunlight fell over the sofa for almost an hour.
Lilia hummed thoughtfully, “Better?” he asked, receiving a shaky nod in return. “Good,” he stated, giving them a soft pat on the back. “Now that we are all calm, and awake,” He started, taking a glance at his son to double check he was, in fact, still awake. “I believe it may be time for introductions, Yes?” He asked, looking back at the smaller child.
They looked between Silver and Lilia for a moment, small body shifting anxiously against him. They think for a moment, brows furrowed. If Lilia is being honest, he can’t quite fathom what goes on in their little head as they search his expression. Too young to know the harm that could come to them, but old enough to be anxious in such unfamiliar situations. Their brows still furrowed with concentration, but the tension seeping out of their posture as they settled on a decision.
“’m Yuu…”
“Yuu, a peculiar name indeed,” The fae hummed. Long ago, such a simple thing as a name would easily be used to ensnare unsuspecting mortals, but that was so long ago. “That is alright, I have been told we have quite peculiar names as well.” He smiled cheekily, “I am Lilia, and this is my son, Silver. I would have introduced you earlier, but… I was unsure about what you would remember when I brought you back here, but those conversations can wait until a reasonable hour. Yes?” He asked. The child shifted uncomfortably, heavy topics clearly something they wished to avoid for the time being.
“Yes, please…”
“Good! Now that introduction’s are out of the way, I believe we all deserve a treat.” Silver perked up immediately, excitement brimming in his wide eyes.
“Hot chocolate?” The boy requested, causing Yuu to straighten up as well. A little gasp of excitement falling from their lips.
Lilia laughed quietly, shaking his head at the duo. “I don’t see why not.” He replied, helping Yuu to clamber into the spot next to his son before standing. Stretching his aching joints, running his hands through the cascades of his hair before leaning down over the two. He pressed an affectionate kiss to the crown of Silver’s head, drawing a comforting hand over Yuu’s hair before straightening up. “I will be back shortly, you two settle down in the meantime, alright?”
The two watched as he made his way into the kitchen, tossing a fresh log into the firepit and lighting it with an effortless snap of his fingers.
Yuu leaned heavily against Silver’s side, the boy's own weight leaning right back up against them. Whether it was because they were still weak or simply because the warmth of another body was comforting, neither of them knew. But that was all right, neither of them bothered to care. One of Silver’s hands still carefully holding onto Yuu’s, a silent, childish reassurance.
Neither of them spoke for a long moment, simply soaking in each other's presence and the knowledge of their soon to be treat.
It was Silver who broke the silence, “Do you want a blanket?” he asked, seeing as each that had been piled on them had been thrown off in the haze of their nightmare.
Yuu thought for a moment before nodding slightly, shifting momentarily as Silver leaned down to grab one of the fallen quilts. Dragging it back onto the couch, and carefully wrapping it over both their shoulders. Cocooning them in the warm, colorful fabric.
Yuu tucked their head under the blanket, causing Silver to giggle slightly as they plunged into darkness. They revel in the feeling for a moment, taking in the scent and letting their eyes fall shut. They quickly look up again, when Silver rustles the blanket. Yanking it over his head as well.
Yuu can’t help the soft laugh that emits from them, the boy following suit. Yuu shushed him playfully, putting a chubby finger over their lips. “Gotta stay quiet remember! Cause we gotta go to bed again soon!” This caused Silver to burst into a quiet fit of laughter. “Shhhhh!” Yuu exaggerated the sound before devolving into giggles themself. Shoulders shaking as they tried to contain the laughter.
Silver grinned, shushing them right back. Their laughter lighting up the small, enclosed space.
The miniature tent quickly growing too warm, pushing the blanket off them to escape too uncomfortable heat, still struggling to contain their lighthearted giggles.
“I don’t hear any settling down going on in there!”
The lighthearted comment from Lilia caused both of them to fall silent, looking towards the doorway before quickly turning back to each other. They managed to maintain the silence for all of three heartbeats, before their laughter erupted from their chests once more.
A smile found it’s way onto Lilia’s features as he carelessly measured out the amount of chocolate he needed. Dumping it unceremoniously into the pot of warming milk, sugar and cinnamon. Keeping an ear out for the soft rustling of the two children’s movements, letting their laughter wash over him.
Taking the wooden spoon, and watching as the chocolate melted. Carefulling mixing the contents of the pot. Furrowing his brows slightly, he set the spoon aside. Beginning to wander the kitchen. He was fairly certain he had a bag of marshmallows, as much as he disliked the small sugary cubes, Malleus and Silver both enjoyed them in times such as these. Ducking down he rummaged through a total of four different cabinets, having to stop halfway through pulling out a spare box of crackers that had been shoved down there sevens know how long ago to prevent the precious drink from burning.
He could hear Yuu squeal excitedly from the other room, and Lilia very nearly mimicked the sound when he finally located the package of Marshmallows. Settling on a small noise of triumph, quickly cut off by a grunt as he stood up, his knees cracking precariously with the motion.
Lilia made his way back to the stove, turning the heat off and giving the pot a final stir before reaching into the cabinet for a set of mismatched mugs. He placed the mugs on the counter, one taller and straight, black in color and chipped at the bottom. The other was on the shorter side, wider at the bottom and more circular than the other. A soft, green glaze to the ceramic. Lilia was fairly certain there was a lid somewhere for that second one, but he would likely be searching till dawn if he actually tried to find it.
Dividing up the hot chocolate and marshmallows, likely stale by now but he was fairly certain the hot chocolate would either soften them or melt them. He pressed his palm into the surface of each mug, gauging the heat that seeped into them. Once he deemed them cool enough for the two young children, he made his way back into the living room, a mug carefully balanced in each hand.
The second he entered the room, the giggling ceased. A quiet chorus of the two children trying to quiet each other ringing out over the small space. Lilia rounded the couch, holding out the mugs to each child. “Two hands, okay? It might still be a little hot, so be careful.” He advised. Silver was the first to reach out. Balancing the taller of the two mugs in small, slightly shaky hands. Yuu followed suit, slightly more hesitant.
The mug was heavy and warm beneath their palm’s, and warmer so in their bellies. Sipping at the sugary contents as they mumbled to each other. More incoherent musings than anything else, quietly shushing each other as if a game Lilia could not understand. The old fae took a seat on Yuu’s other side, more to keep any eye on the heavy mug in such little hands. He was certain Silver would be fine without intervention, the mugs not filled enough to worry for the small boy to spill and injure himself. But Yuu’s hands shook slightly, Lilia wasn’t sure if it was due to the weight of the mug or the lingering effects of being stuck in the snow, either way Lilia wanted to keep an eye out.
His heart fills with an unimaginable fondness as he watches the two. Chewing at their marshmallows, stale as they were neither child seemed to mind, and tipping their mugs to watch the way their uneaten marshmallows dissolve in the warm liquid. Both children mesmerized by the swirling patterns and rising steam. Lilia’s smile never seemed to waver, soft and etched into his features as he watched over the two.
He leaned heavily against the back of the sofa, idly combing his fingers through Yuu’s hair in an effort to soothe them into sleep. Letting the chatter fall over him, his own exhaustion catching up with him far quicker than it appeared to catch up with the two children.
And Lilia realizes abruptly.
Watching his son and this child curled up upon the couch. Mugs cradled in their hands as they lean into each other, sipping at their drinks and sleepily babbling at each other in the way only kids can understand. When the sight makes something in him melt, filled with an affection he cannot describe.
That this child will be his.
———
Yuu has a recurring dream. Or nightmare, they’ve never been able to tell. The first time they’d had it they were all but three years old, bundled in the arms of the fae who would become their father. Now, surrounded in the darkness of their own consciousness they have it again.
The voice is always the same, deep and familiar in a way that Yuu can never place. Disembodied, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once, making their head spin as they try to find it.
“Ah… My dear beloved,”
It speaks quietly at first, fondly even. Yuu can feel a hand caressing their cheek, but there is never anyone there to do so. The ground suddenly shifts, slipping from underneath them. Yuu is left to plunge further into the abyss.
“My noble and beautiful flower of evil,”
There is no scream as they fall, Yuu learned to stop screaming when they were eight. After all, they could never hear the voice when they screamed. So, they clamp their mouth shut, teeth gritted together as they fall. Stomach flipping as they scramble for anything to hold onto, to catch them. Their fingers tear at invisible walls, hooking onto any nook or cranny they can reach before being ripped away by an unseen force.
“You are the fairest in the land.”
Yuu finds they don’t care anymore, what this voice thinks they are. Yelling back will not change what the voice says, always the same no matter what hate Yuu spills from their mouth.
“——Mirror, mirror on the wall”
They can’t help it, the way the terror fills their stomach. They know what happens next, but knowing perhaps makes it worse. They plunge into the water, swallowed whole by an ocean of their own creation. It burns against their skin, too cold and too hot all at once.
“Who is the most… “
They surface, gasping for air they don’t need. They’ve never known what is said here, instead bracing themselves. For the reason they can never know, is the wave that sends them hurtling back underwater. The world spins, leaving Yuu to scramble for a way out of the torrent waves. Thrown in every direction they can imagine, they’re no longer sure which way is up. They squeeze their eyes shut, lungs burning in the phantom sensation of being without air for too long.
A hand wraps around their forearm, yanking harshly. They break the surface once more, pulled taught against the body of a faceless stranger. Their legs find purchase against sand not there a moment ago, waves lapping gently at their calves.
The night sky bathes the beach in soft shades of blue. Reflections of the stars painted on the water's surface, hues of blue and gold dancing on the lulling waves.
“——O thee, guided by the Dark Mirror. “
A mirror is before them, half buried under the sand and water. Their faceless stranger squeezes them tight, and Yuu can feel their muscles relax in the comforting embrace. They stare, unable to look away from their reflection in the mirror’s shimmering surface.
“Follow thy heart's desire.”
The body against them leans forward, tumbles through the space with a magic Yuu has never known, landing on the other side of the mirror with grace Yuu has never been able to recreate. The action leaves their skin tingling where they’d once touched. They reach out, desperate to grab onto any remaining force their stranger leaves behind. But their hand doesn’t reach them, the same way it always and never does, finding purchase only on the surface of the mirror's reflection and in the sand beneath them. Tears gather at their waterline, they had the first time and every time since. Yuu had never been able to stop them. An unparalleled sense of dread falling over them.
“And take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror.”
The hand that reaches out of the reflection is nothing if not ordinary, black gloves covering most of their features. Yuu can barely see the peak of pale skin that sits beneath the cloth. With frantic motions they plunge their hand back into the water, into the reflection. Their palm sits comfortably against the gloved hand, another coming up to grip Yuu’s wrist. When Yuu was young, they feared this. The hands that grabbed them too big, too hot against their skin even through the gloves they always wore. Now, Yuu is desperate for them. Their second hand joining the first, clinging to them like a frightened child.
The hands tug, and Yuu plunges back into the darkness, they feel the water splash against their skin before everything grows dreadfully warm.
“Flames that incinerate even stars,”
The world spins, and suddenly Yuu is standing. Yuu can’t see them, the hands, anymore. But they can still feel them, gripping tightly as fire dances around them. The color of the flames is unnatural, green and bright in a way Yuu has only ever associated with Malleus and Lilia. Their breath comes out in a puff of white air, and Yuu feels a sudden wave of frigid gust of wind fall over them.
“Ice that imprisons even time,”
Jagged shards of ice rise from the ground, splitting the shadows and casting ominous shadows over the ground.
The fire blows out in a single moment, and Yuu can see the frost creeping over the glowing embers. Yuu squeezes the hands they cannot see as the warmth seems to evaporate from their body. The ground beneath them begins to tremble, their whole body tensing as they brace themselves for what happens next.
“The great tree that engulfs even the skies,”
The ground crumbled around them, the branches of a tree sprung forth from nothing and Yuu soars atop the tree as it reaches the sky. Yuu fears what comes next, and the weight of the hands in theirs is the only thing that keeps that fear from consuming them.
“Fear not the power of darkness.”
The tree shakes, and Yuu falls. Their hair whips around their face, and they watch in horror as the treetops become smaller and smaller above them. One hand remains firmly clinging to the others, the other lurching forward to the body materializing in front of them. Always faceless, but Yuu can’t say they care in the moment. They reach out for them as well, pulling them close as they plunge into the abyss once more. But no longer alone, Yuu thinks that this isn’t as terrifying as the first time. Yuu clings to them, pressing their face into their strangers chest and holding back the instinctive scream that builds in their throat.
“For me. For them. For you.”
Around them, light filters in. Yuu watches the stars, rocketing past them like meteors. Yuu sees the moon, and the sun. And for a moment, they were suspended in the night sky, beautiful and full. For a moment, Yuu’s breath is stolen from their chest.
“We are all running out of time.”
They plunge again, the beauty stolen from them so quickly. Yuu watches the stars blur past them as they fall, and if they cry, that is between them and the night sky.
“No matter what,”
Their companion is suddenly ripped from their grasp, and it is the one time Yuu allows themselves to speak in this dream. Knowing it won’t change anything, they beg. Screaming into the vast sky, desperate to not be abandoned again. Yuu holds onto their wrists as tight as they can, knuckles white with the effort and if this were real, Yuu wonders if it would leave bruises. The voice yells now, sounding as desperate as Yuu feels in this moment.
“Never let go of that hand.”
Yuu doesn’t. They refuse to let this world in their head take their stranger from them.
———
They wake with a jolt, gasping for breath as their body jerks forward, cursing when their forehead slams into the wall in front of them.
Coupled with the nausea rolling in their stomach, Yuu is fairly certain this moment is the top three worst ways for them to wake up. Definitely not the worst, after all there was little that could beat the skunk incident from Silver’s last Birthday. But that didn’t mean they were necessarily happy about it. They’d call it some form of minor miracle that their elbows are spared from colliding into the wall.
Yuu forces the increasing anxiety down into the pit of their stomach. They don’t have time for it now, not with their memories fogged over like the lakeside in early spring. They reach up, shaky palms pressing flat against the wall in front of them. With all the strength they can muster, they push against it. The wood is warm, it thrums with magic beneath their fingertips and creaks under the strain. With a final, hefty shove, the wall gives way.
When Yuu lands, it’s rough. Their shoulder collides with the wood in a way they just know it is going to bruise later. Their side is the next to hit the ground, followed by their hip and knees. Somehow, beyond all reasoning, their head seems to have been spared this time. The fall leaves their whole body aching dully, thankfully not much worse than they feel after training alongside Silver for the day. Tomorrow will be hell on their joints, but nothing they haven’t had to deal with before.
A flash of blue light draws them from their stupor, coupled with the yelp of a scrawny, dark furred creature.
“Myah! You coulda squashed me!” The creature screeches, accompanied with another puff of blue flames bursting from its ears,“You ain’t even supposed to be awake!”
Now, Yuu has not been afraid of fire since they were too young to write their own name. Not when it was wielded by the careful hands of their family. But with flames lapping so close to their skin, some long forgotten instinct kicks in. Their entire body jerks back, as far away from the creature as they can manage.
The creatures forked tail lashes from side to side, a scowl forming on its features. “Gah! I don’t have time for this!” It snaps, “Gimme your uniform, human!”
Yuu can barely manage the noise of confusion that falls from them. It takes them a long moment, filled with the creatures annoyed huffs, for Yuu to figure out the uniform he’s speaking of are the intricate robes adorning their figure. The black and purple fabric is soft against their skin, expensive silks embroidered with golden thread, shimmering under the blue light of the direbeasts flames. If Yuu had longer than a moment to piece together the information with their still muddled mind, they’d wonder just where they’d acquired such seemingly expensive attire.
“Aye! You got a lot of nerve ignorin’ me!” The creature snaps, stepping closer. Yuu thinks, somewhere in the back of their mind, that if it wasn’t spewing flames the creature might have been cute.
With a round face and fluffy gray fur, it almost reminds Yuu of—
“A weasel?!” The gasp falls from their lips before they can stop it.
The statement seems to infuriate the creature, the fur on its back spikes up and a low hiss emanates from its chest. “How… How DARE you?!” It howls, voice cracking under the strain of its fury, “I am no WEASEL! I’m Grim! Sorcerer prodigy! You oughta remember that, ya hear!?”
‘Oh sevens, I’m going to be roasted alive by a fucking weasel!’ Their frantic mind anxiously supplies. Perhaps if they weren’t already disoriented, they might have been able to formulate a plan. Anything beyond staring at the creature like it had an additional head.
Abruptly, or perhaps it’s only abrupt because of how caught in their own head they seem to be, Grim reaches out for them. The motion finally manages to kick Yuu’s finer thinking skills back into gear. The question of ‘Where in the queen’s name am I?’ taking priority over the bristling, fire spewing, little direbeast.
Perhaps not the best decision, but the one they’d made nonetheless.
Forcing themselves to their feet, knee’s aching from their previous fall, they finally allow themselves to take in the rest of the room.
In the center of the room lies a small fountain, greenish water flowing through its pipes. Above it, floats what appears to be a mirror. The surface is black however, reflective but only in the way that more resembles water too deep to see the bottom. Large, stained glass windows overlook expansive grounds, obscured only by the rows of coffins floating throughout the room.
Yuu had never considered themselves claustrophobic, but here, surrounded by what looked only like a room filled with boxes alarmingly similar to the one they themselves broke out of, it feels almost like the walls are closing in upon them.
Somewhere, they can vaguely hear the creature's annoyed chattering and the slight tug of his claws in their robe, but the sudden discomfort seems to block what exactly he is saying. They spun on their heel, eyeing the large double doors at the other end of the room.
“Okay, okay… We can figure this out.” The self soothing muttering came out before they could think to stop it, taking a few steps forward. Taking one handle firmly, they swung the heavy door open and took a moment to gaze down the hallway. Lit only by the dim glow of candles, the prospect of walking down the long corridor sent shivers down their spine. “Yep, super creepy hallway. Why not?” They let out a soft sigh, looking over their shoulder to see the still fuming direbeast. “Okay! Grim, right? Let’s make a deal, you help me figure out where I am, and I give you my robe. Yeah?”
The direbeast, Grim, lets his ears tilt back in his frustration. “And why should I help a human like you! Ignorin’ me like that then makin’ demands! Who do you think you are?! Orderin’ around The Great Grim like that!” He snapped, baring his teeth up at them.
Yuu could almost feel their eye twitch in annoyance. “Alright, fine.” they replied, taking a step out into the dimly lit hall. “I’ll figure it out myself, not like I need a damn weasel’s help anyway…” They muttered.
With fingertips running across the wall to their left, they set off exploring. Room by room, pieces of a foggy puzzle pulled themselves together. Classrooms and lecture halls, a school built to house what had to be hundreds of students. It sounded so familiar, they were meant to be here, wherever here happened to be.
Each hallway seemed to branch off into an identical, achingly familiar hallway. Always lined with large double doors and flickering candles. Yuu almost wonders if they got turned around and wound up back in that coffin-filled chamber, but opening a few doors to find nothing but empty classrooms reassures them that, at the very least, they hadn’t gone in circles just yet. A dead end forces them to take a staircase, spiraling down into yet another, dimly lit hall.
Yuu almost wonders if this is some eternal torture designed to drive them mad. They certainly wouldn’t be surprised if it was.
After what seems like an eternity, they manage to find a door leading outside. A courtyard, lush hedges and large apple trees hang over each bench, full with bright fruit.
The click of their heels against the stone path echoes through the open space, and for a moment they find themselves mesmerized by the towering spires against the bleeding, sun lit sky. It’s almost enough to distract them from the extra sets of footsteps, faint as they are, from beyond the door they’d emerged from.
They wonder, for a brief moment, if they should consider running. But answers are so much easier to obtain from something living rather than the cold stone walls of their still faded memory, and they’d rather avoid getting lost in the maze-like halls once again.
They stare, eyes trained on the open door, waiting for the figure to emerge. And when they do, Yuu almost has to suppress a laugh.
Glowing yellow eyes fall upon them the instant that he makes his way through the double doors, a black, bird-like mask obscuring the rest of the man’s features. He wears a large overcoat, thick feathers line the collar and the base fans out like two great wings in the breeze. He takes a quick step out into the open air, “Ah! I’ve found you at last! Splendid, I trust that you’re one of this year's new students?” He begins, waving a hand in their direction, a mindless beckoning. “You certainly were eager to make your debut, weren’t you? And bringing that poorly trained familiar with you as well? That is a clear violation of school rules.” The man scolds lightly.
Yuu finds themselves taking a few steps towards him, brows furrowed as he continues speaking.
“Of all the student’s I have dealt with, you’re the first with enough temerity to open their own gate and step out of it. I mean, truly, does the very notion of patience elude you?” The man lets out an exasperated sigh. He brings a hand up to run over his eyes, shaking his head slightly. “No matter. Your orientation has already begun. Come now, let us return to the Mirror Chamber,” He directs, turning on his heel and making his way back into the building.
Yuu can’t help the stunned silence that briefly falls over them. Their whole body frozen from the influx of information, or perhaps the rather blunt delivery of such information, they’re not quite sure. They force themselves to take a breath, stepping forward to follow after the man. “Okay, back up a second, student? Gate? What in the hells are you talking about?” They fall into stride behind him.
The man turns to gaze over his shoulder back at them, “well, you awoke in a room full of gates, did you not?” He pauses, awaiting an affirmation from them. Hesitantly, they nod, which seems to be enough for him to continue. “All the students here arrived by passing through such gates.” He explains, waving a hand in an overly expressive fashion.
Irritation bubbles in the pit of their stomach when they hear him mutter about most students restraining themselves from waking before the gates were opened.
He doesn’t seem to notice this however, as he continues on as if he hadn’t made the snide remark at all. “Their design is meant to symbolize parting from your former world, and your rebirth into a new one.” Well, at least that explained why the gates seemed to look more like coffins than any other gate Yuu had ever seen.
“Now, we truly don’t have the time for such prattle. You have an orientation to attend!” He stresses, shooing them along down the hallway. “Come along now, we must make haste.”
At this rate, Yuu is fairly certain this man is going to give them several forms of emotional whiplash.
They stall, digging their heels into the carpet and jerking back away from him. “Hold on, I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me where the hell I am!” They can’t quite help the way they snap, all the anxiety and panic flowing back up with each word. They clench their fists, desperate to stop their hands from trembling.
The man stops in his tracks, turning almost fully to look down upon them. Yuu can see the stunned expression on his face, even behind the mask. For a moment, the hallway is achingly quiet. They can’t tell what goes through his head, but they can see the twitch of his lips and the wrinkling of his nose as he searches for a response. “Have you… not fully regained consciousness?... Perhaps, has the spatial magic distorted your memories?” He questions, and Yuu can’t quite tell what his tone implies.
Yuu finds themselves mildly irritated that they hadn’t figured it out earlier, after all, they are intimately familiar with the adverse effects of spatial magic on their body. The anxiety, the nausea, the memory loss. They were all symptoms of long distance teleportation, although they were marginally worse this time around than they’d been in the past.
“Well, these things happen I suppose…” He begins, taking a deep breath before shaking his head, “I shall explain while we walk. Truly, my magnanimity is boundless, Is it not?” He grins, spreading his arms wide in a grandiose gesture.
He beacons them forth once again, and they find it increasingly tempting to turn and find their own answers so long as it means they no longer have to listen to him.
They push themselves forward, trailing after him with lackluster steps.
“This is Night Raven College,” The man prattles on, but Yuu is abruptly flooded with realization. They suddenly feel incredibly foolish for forgetting such important details. The fact that it was magic induced memory loss barely helps them feel better about it.
It’s almost embarrassing, how quickly they remember everything once he says it. The carriage, the forest, the sickening plummeting feeling of spatial magic before everything went dark. The only comfort they can get is from the fact that it's always been like this. From the first time Malleus used magic to get them back home after a playdate run long, to the mirrors they’d use to travel to the palace. The fact that they’d somehow forgotten almost feels like some joke, like a bit taken a little too far.
“Which makes you The Headmage, Crowley, right?” They let out a soft sigh, tugging their hood down further over their face in a vain attempt to hide from their embarrassment.
Crowley grins, nodding in an over exaggerated manner, “That is correct! I presume you’ve recovered your memories then? Then I need not explain so much, I take it you remember the carriage?” he hums, mood improved marginally by the fact that he doesn’t need to continue the impromptu history lesson. A quiet nod seems to be the only reassurance he needs to continue, “Well, as you know the carriage serves to receive a student chosen by the dark mirror, it too bears a gate that connects to one on this campus. And naturally, with the time-honored tradition of sending carriages to meet you on your special day, we would send those gates to you, and the other students, upon a carriage.” He explains, and there isn’t much Yuu can do to refute that, considering it genuinely was a tradition in the Briar Valley, albeit an old one.
Although they aren’t quite sure why a tradition exclusively practiced by the fae would be important here.
The man placed a hand on their shoulder, guiding them back into step with him. “Come on along now,” he pressed, “your orientation is likely almost over, and I would prefer to get there before the Housewardens leave.”
He guided Yuu down the corridor, footsteps echoing in the newfound silence between them. Before they know it, Crowley’s hand leaves their back as he moves away from them. They stand before the wideset double doors they’d first run from, the door is cracked slightly, letting candlelight stream into the grand room.
Crowley turns his gaze to them, a silent inquiry.
‘Are you ready?’