by Pistol Annie #1 NPC » Wed Feb 22, 2017 7:35 pm
Parliament Building
Cyprian had to twist the details until they sounded true. He definitely wasn't the most brilliant person around, so he needed some time. "Want to come with me when I report to my dad?" The Prince offered, smirking. This ought to buy him some time. Talking with Yina had prepared him to better face his father.
"Come on. I'm sure he won't mind." Casually, nonchalantly, he continued walking down the hall. What a nice mother Jaai had. A bit like a math teacher, but not as evil. Math teachers made Agatha look like a saint!
Alastair looked at Virisia with only concern in his eyes. With anyone else, he would have been disappointed. Maybe he would have punished them horribly by throwing them into a manticore pit. But he could only feel sympathy for Virisia. She didn't blame anyone else, or try to downplay her failure. She was honest.
Try as he might, Alastair couldn't hate a woman who was this honest with him.
"There will be no punishment. Stand up," Alastair growled sharply at her. "Look me in the eyes. Next time I am coming with you. They will not stand a chance."
He turned to Amelia with an even harsher scowl.
"Give your report quickly. And then I want everyone out of this room. Something is wrong."
He could sense it. The slight draft blowing through the room meant the wind had resumed. It meant life was returning to Hesenia, gradually. The curse of darkness still hung overhead, but somewhere, Alastair could sense light. Too much light to be anything but Solara herself.
But that wasn't the worst thing Alastair was worrying about right now. He had a scheduled meeting. And he had a feeling Solara would be easier to deal with than his next visitor.
---
The Underworld
He awoke with a groan. That had been a really nice sleep, but idiots were interrupting his wonderful nap. Agonized screaming and moaning was coming from all directions, and the air conditioning was definitely broken. It was so hot in here that even Cilan could actually feel it.
The manticore beside him seemed to really mind the thermostat malfunction. It was whining and hiding its face in its paws. Shed fur surrounded it. The poor thing had shed its entire mane in the heat, and now it looked half its original size. It was still glowing slightly from being blasted by Rowan, even though it was already dead, and so was Cilan. The phoenix was glowing too, but that was normal. He was a human flashlight.
"You okay man?" Cilan asked it. "That was a pretty intense fight."
It whimpered.
"There there." Cilan patted the creature on its head.
"GET BACK TO WORK!" Roared a voice, and then Cilan heard dishes clattering and men sobbing. Terrified, the manticore fled from the voice.
Cilan arose to his feet, pretty ticked off that people were being so loud. He was in some kind of cave, lit by flaming torches... as he walked down a tunnel, he saw there were many other caves. A group of men were washing dishes in one of them. Whenever they finished washing one dish, another dirty dish would appear on their pile. The label beside the chamber read "SEXIST PIGS' KITCHEN: WOMEN KEEP OUT!"
He kept walking until he saw another room with an open door. "QUEEN BEES' GYM", read the label. "FOR DAMSELS WHO ALWAYS PUT OTHERS IN DISTRESS." Cilan took a peek inside. Women in baggy t-shirts and mismatched gym shorts were running laps around a room, doing the Beep Test (which Cilan called the Beeping Test since he hated the disgracing thing so much) or being forced to bench-press weights that only Solara could lift. Their clothes were all the worst colors. Puke green, neon pink, earwax yellow, toilet water brown... and wet dogs were running around the area, shaking out their filthy fur on the girls.
"HELLO, CILANTRO." A deep booming voice made him jump. He turned around to see someone who was almost seven feet tall, looming over him. She had dark skin and looked strong enough to arm wrestle his mother.
"Vulcana?" Cilan said with a nervous grin. "Why am I here?"
"HERE?" She said, gesturing to the gymnasium. "YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE. THIS IS FOR MOTHERS WHO MURDERED THEIR OWN DAUGHTERS BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT CONFORM."
"Basically, the Brown family." Cilan scoffed as he turned his back on the room. "Or Agatha."
"YES."
Alright, she really didn't sound like her mother. Solara's voice was authoritative and strong, but also gentle. Cilan had never actually spoken to Vulcana. The history textbooks described her voice pretty accurately. It did make your chest vibrate listening to it. Cilan wasn't shaking because he was afraid, he was shaking because her voice was just so ridiculous.
"So you run this place now?" Cilan said, leaning against a wall. This was cool. He was talking to someone who was older than his own mother.
"NO. A COMMON ASSUMPTION." Vulcana looked into the room impatiently. Cilan took a glance back, and saw one of the women was lying on the ground panting. She looked a lot like Alastair... she looked like she could be Alastair's mother. In fact, that was probably Alastair's mother.
"ON YOUR FEET!" Vulcana roared.
Cilan almost fell over since the entire place was shaking. He righted himself and laughed. "Is it true you're Cadence and Timpani's mother? I can see where Cadence gets it from."
Vulcana gave him a look that made every inch of his body burn. She looked like she was about to incinerate him again. Cilan didn't think she would be as nice as Rowan was.
To his surprise, she actually laughed. The rumbling made him fall on his butt. He laughed too, relieved that he wasn't about to become a human torch again.
"HOW ARE MY DAUGHTERS DOING?" She asked, smiling now. Her voice was still the loudest he had ever heard.
"They are both dictators," Cilan told her. "When a manticore attacked, Cadence raged because it wasn't obeying her. Timpani just punched it in the face."
Another laugh. "THAT'S MY GIRLS. NOW GO BACK AND FIND MY SON."
"How am I supposed to get back?"
Vulcana picked him up by the throat with one hand, and stomped on the ground. A fissure opened up and Cilan could see lava bubbling at the bottom.
"FLY NOW, BIRD BOY."
"Aw, man-"
---
Sanctuary Path
Timpani was keeping a tight rein on her anger. She couldn't lose her temper around her sister-in-law. It was crazy, the age difference between herself and Solara, but Timpani was Luno's sister. She was the only one to carry down her family line.
"He must have incinerated the manticore," She commented.
"I'll incinerate you," Cadence threatened in her horrible raspy voice. "Ugh... help me up."
Timpani picked up the mayor bridal style. It was easy, even though Cadence was still holding Gwen. "Cilan should be back soon. I have some choice words for him."
"Time to discipline the rugrat," Agreed Cadence with a scowl.
"That is her," Gavotte confirmed when Jennifer questioned about Solara. That was definitely her. Gavotte hadn't been disoriented by fighting or anything, since he had stayed back here. And his senses were as sharp as ever. They wouldn't fool him even when people tried to play illusions in his head.
He stayed calm when Anna and Andy started saying things, but he was worried. It was never a good idea to ask someone why they were alive, as Anna had just basically done. And it was nonsensical to tell a loyal ally to stay away, like Andy had just attempted to do. Gavotte wouldn't say anything just yet. He himself was a little afraid that Solara was right there, especially since he knew just how powerful the Queen was. But he wasn't going to start being blatantly disrespectful... why would he do that now? He wouldn't do that to anybody.
Rowan closed his eyes when Lily's hand touched his shoulder. He placed a trembling hand on top of hers, squeezing her fingers weakly. Lily was his rock. She kept him grounded, and she strengthened him when he was weak. He knelt there for a long moment, taking deep breaths to calm down.
"Thank you," He told Lily softly, and then he rose to his feet. "I promise I won't put anyone in danger again. I never thought I had the power to do that. Who needs healing?"
Cilan had reappeared behind a destroyed tree, and he jumped out. Rowan didn't even flinch as his cousin pounced on him. Cilan laughed and messed up his hair, then climbed down.
"Ready to go?" The phoenix asked, walking around the group. And then he saw that his mother was here. What the disgrace?
Solara's entry had been met with mostly disappointment, apathy, and fear. Anna had screamed to be let go, even when Solara was shielding her from Rowan's attack. She had been mistaken to assume they would appreciate her light in a world shrouded by darkness. It did not matter. She did not demand appreciation. Her purpose was to protect them, no matter what. Although she had not heard the words 'thank you' in a very long time. And she truly missed hearing those words. They reminded her she had not outlived her usefulness.
"Dad?" Flynn managed, before sinking into unconsciousness. Just like Rowan, Solara could see his emotions- a tide of grief and disappointment. It was not Ben Soare who had returned from the dead. It was just Solara. She had hurt the boy emotionally simply by her presence, which gave him false hope of seeing his father again.
I'm so sorry, my sunbeam, Luno's voice sounded in her head.
"Why did you do that...?" Anna demanded accusingly.
She is talking about the forest, Luno told her. She thinks you destroyed it.
Solara was about to respond, but Anna only continued. Now she seemed to be questioning about the purpose of Solara's very life. "Why did you come back?"
Oh heavens, Luno gasped. He didn't say anything more about Anna's thoughts.
The small girl then turned her back. Solara could see the mistrust and fear radiating from her. Somewhere along the way, she had lost her trust in Hesenia's faithful guardian.
"... To serve my purpose," She told Anna. "To protect you."
She saw Andy's glare, which shone brightly in her vision, glowing with bitter anger. His hateful mutter was one that also showed distrust. "Stay away..."
She had been wrong. They had not lost their trust in her.
It was impossible to lose something that never existed in the first place.
I am so, so sorry about all of this. Luno's voice sounded absolutely horrified. I love you. I'm sorry. Please don't take any of this to heart.
She wished she did have a heart.
Luno was frantic now. But you do! I can hear it beating from here. It beats for them. You do everything to protect them. They just don't understand yet. I will speak to them.
Cilan had revived and was staring at her blankly, with his mouth gaping open. Everyone was in pairs and not mingling much. Nobody had approached her or spoken to her yet, although a few were speaking about her. She remembered a time when she would walk through a town, and people would just run up to her and hug her in greeting. She would remember every single person by name. Every inhabitant of her great garden, Hesenia, was hers to protect. She remembered they would not flinch away when she hugged them back.
Those days were gone.
But her purpose remained the same. She had to protect them. That would never change. It was why she was created, why she existed, and why she had returned. She would die countless times to defend Hesenia, as she had done in the past. These were her people, even if they considered her an outsider.
"... Come with me," Solara told them calmly. "... I will take you to the Sanctuary."
She started walking without another word.