.:After the Battle:. (1x1) (Locked, DON'T DELETE)

[Cloudsong]

It made sense that she would have needed somewhere to practice. Otherwise, how else would she be so good with the weapon? Although he wasn't about to ask, he knew that it was kept a secret from most, and he was probably amongst one of the few people that knew of her hobby that most would think of as 'un-lady-like'. There was, of course, one guard that was a woman, but she was the only one who had ever joined the guard, being of her gender.

Marcel silently looked around the clearing, eyes wide with awe as he saw the beauty of the place reflecting from every corner. From the flowers to the lake, everything seemed perfect. As if it had been made by an angel, or as if the place were from a fairytale. The fact that he was the only person she had shown it to made him feel...special. But why had she chosen him, out of everyone? The question burned in his mind, and he glanced over at her, seeing the happy expression she had on her face, as if she were at home. He couldn't help but smile as she began to giggle, mentioning the present that he had not brought.

"Ah but that's where you're mistaken, my dear," he told her, eyes bright as he approached, looking into the pool for a moment, seeing his reflection next to hers. She had only been joking, but he had brought her a present.

Silently he approached her, standing in front of her so that they were inches away. "Close your eyes, and I will give it to you," he said quietly, smiling slightly as he looked down at her.

[Captain Kaycee]

(Hey, tell me when you're going to go to bed. That way I can get off and read some more of my HW too xD)

Allegra's breathing began to quicken as he walked up in front of her. She bit her lip for a second, her face beginning to flush a bright pink. "O-Okay..." she studdered, letting out a long sigh and trying to simply calm herself. In this beautiful scene, with just him and her, it seemed like some romantic novel she read down at the bookstore in the town. But it was real, and for a moment she didn't know what to do. Stop standing there and do what he says! A voice in her head suddenly snapped to her. Allegra suck in a breath, inwardly nodding to her conscience. She closed her eyes, attempting to control her breathing as she stood there. Her legs were shaky, but somehow she was able to keep standing there while she waited for her present. She put her hands in front of her as if she was going to recieve something in her hands. It was like when she was a kid, not really thinking about other options.

[Cloudsong]

As soon as her eyes were closed, Marcel could see how nervous she seemed by his simple request. Her legs were shaking slightly, her breathing fast and uneven, and he was vaguely aware of the fact that she was probably expecting something more than just a gift. Silently he reached down into his pocket, and pulled out a simple silver chain, with a pendant that bore the moon and the stars in an elegant array of stones. It caught the sun as he walked around her and gently put it around her neck, clasping it together in the back. He was sure that she probably had thousands of necklaces, and all of them were more expensive than this. But somehow, when he had seen it, he had been reminded of her, and had been saving it since then, intending to give it to her on a special day like this. Hopefully, she would appreciate it, as Allegra didn't seem the type to value things for their price.

Taking a step back, he admired the pendants effect on her face, seeing that it looked simple, but beautiful. It was the type of necklace that could be easily hidden under a dress, but could be there when she wanted it to be.

"You can open your eyes now," he told her once he was back standing in front of her, the smile he had on his face showing the happiness he felt at that moment. To be here with her, nothing had ever seemed so magical.

(I'm going to go to sleep now, since it's 3 AM XD And I'm really tired, so my post seems sort of inco-herant... sorreh D: But tomorrow make sure to come on, okay? I'll reply while you're asleep~

BTW, this is what the necklace sort-of looks like: Click!)

[Captain Kaycee]

Allegra felt something go around her neck, and for a brief moment she wondered if it was his hands simply around his neck or something else. Then, as he ordered her to open her eyes, she cursed at herself in her head. Really, Allegra? Really? We're friends, not lovers. Why would he kiss me in the first place? Her face, however, was not showing disappointment. Instead, she looked down at the necklace, lifting it up in her palm and studying it. "I-It's so beautiful..." she whispered, almost transfixed by the pendant.

After a few seconds of simply gazing at the moon and star necklace, she looked up at him and smiled, bowing once in politeness. "Thank you," she whispered, allowing the necklace to hang back on her neck. For a moment she just stood there, as if wondering what she should do. It wasn't just because she was nervous around him, but there was so much that she could show him around her personal sanctuary.

Suddenly her fae lit up once again, and she looked towards the flowing waterfall. "Watch this," she muttered, walking over to the base of the pool and looking at the waterfall. She took out a small vial of dust from her pocket, and poured it into her hand. Allegra blew the dust towards the waterfall, and soon enough a watery image of both her and Marcel dancing together was shown. At first it looked like some ballroom dancing, but then as it began to be more seductive, Allegra began to blush furiously and waved her hand to make it disappear back into the normal waterfall.

She turned away for a moment, looking down at another vial of the dust. Why did you insist on choosing my deepest thought?! I wanted the one of my brother acting like a fool... she growled inwardly towards the dust. "This... type of dust shows you thoughts that you have. It can work with anything moving, whether it be fire, water, clouds, anything. It's magical, but doesn't require you to actually possess magic," she explained, letting out a sigh.

"The only problem about it is that it chooses a random thought," she growled, rolling her eyes. "Anyway... do you want to try?" she asked, holding out a vial filled with the sparkley dust inside.

(I was thinking of the small dance that Jack and Angelica did in the new PotC for dancing xD I can totally imagine them doing that...)

[Cloudsong]

Marcel inwardly sighed in relief as she thanked him. He watched as she cradled the necklace between her delicate fingers, studying its carefully designed patterns. For a moment he had been nervous thinking that she wouldn't have liked it, but judging by the look of happiness that reflected in her gray-blue eyes, he had picked well. The pendant had reminded him of the nights under the stars when he was at sea; where the stars were always brighter than anywhere on land, and the moon always shone brightly. It had reminded him much of her, the stars. No matter what the situation, Allegra would always keep strong, and put on a brave face to the public. She would always be bright. "You look beautiful," he murmured, not being exactly sure what else he was to say. She always looked beautiful, though especially so that day. She probably thinks me a fool, he thought, forcing himself to look away, breaking the connection between their eyes.

He watched with interest as she took out a small vial from her pocket, opening it slowly and pouring the content into her palm. Perplexed, he took a step closer, seeing the dust that was now in her outstretched hand. It wasn't normal dust, though; he could tell. It shimmered slightly in the sun, and when she blew it out over the water it didn't just fall and sink to the bottom. He couldn't believe his eyes as he looked closer, blinking. There were two forms in the water, dancing with each other. Shocked, he looked closer, seeing as the image became clearer, that it was them; he and Allegra. As he continued to watch, shocked, they got closer and closer, their bodies much to close to each other for it to be a normal dance. Quickly he glanced over at Allegra, seeing how pink her cheeks were. Was she trying to tell him something with this?

His heart red sped up as he looked back at the water, seeing that it was beginning to fade. A slight twist of regret he felt as he saw it disappearing. Had she wanted to show him that, or had it happened by accident? Did she think of him as more than a friend? The questions churned in his mind, and he tried to calm his breathing, looking over at her again. She seemed still embarrassed, and he decided not to bring up how pink her cheeks had been.

You had that thought? Of us dancing so close to each other? Though he was itching to ask, he knew that he never would be able to. Such a question could kill the moment they were sharing, or perhaps make the situation more awkward. "Any random thought?" he repeated, tipping his head to one side as he watched her roll her eyes. Silently he smiled slightly, and reached out gingerly to accept the vial from her. Perhaps it wasn't a wise idea, for what she had warned about it, but he was dying of curiosity. Which thought would it decide to portray? He too had had thoughts similar to the ones that it had chosen from Allegra's mind, and he felt sudden fear that it would show one even worse than hers.

Mustering up all the courage he could, Marcel emptied the vial into his palm, watching the dust gleam at him, as if taunting him. Though he felt terrified at that moment, he somehow kept himself calm by breathing in deeply, wondering if he should make some kind of excuse for not doing it. What would she think of him if a vision of them kissing appeared? Glancing over at her, seeing how bright her eyes were, he knew that he couldn't say no to it. It might hurt her.

Silently he blew the dust out of his palm, watching it fall as if in slow motion into the pool below. There was a moment where nothing happened, and he couldn't help but wonder if nothing would happen at all. But then an image began to form... It was blurry at first, but it was obviously a sailboat, in the middle of the sea in the dead of night. The stars were brightly shining, and the moon was full. At the very tip of the boat, where it was rocking ever so slightly as it sailed across the waters, sat two children.

It was them. Back when they had saved Kateliana from the pirates; the day they had met. It surprised him slightly that the dust had decided to choose a memory rather than a thought, especially one that he hadn't thought about for years. What was it trying to tell him with it?

"That was us," he said quietly, watching as the two of them smiled, obviously lost in conversation. "The day we met."

He couldn't help but think of how much everything had changed since then.

[Captain Kaycee]

Allegra simply watched as the water shaped into a ship with the two children on it. She could remember that day perfectly; getting onto the ship and attempting to hide from the pirates behind barrels, but then being found by Marcel. He had never revealed them, however, and instead helped them escape the ship after saving their mother.

"I remember..." Allegra mumbled, her mind drifting back to the present. She glanced up at him finally, sucking in a quick breath. "Marcel...I..." she began, but then stopped as she looked back towards the water. It was fading back into the normal flowing liquid, and just as it did she couldn't help but smile. The little dust could say a lot, even if they didn't want it to.

Suddenly Allegra's smile turned into a bitter smirk as she began to take off her jacket. She then continued to unlacing her boots, setting them aside next to a tree where she hung her coat. As she only had on her pants and shirt, Allegra then walked behind Marcel and pushed him into the water, giggling like some small child. She quickly ran and jumped into the cool water as well, her breathing a bit quick from jumping into the slightly cold water.

[Cloudsong]

Hearing her not finish her sentence, Marcel glanced over at her again, the scene having vanished from the pool. He was about to ask her what she was about to say, then stopped short as he watched as she took off her jacket and shoes, a questioning look on his face. What exactly did she have in mind...?

His question was answered as she pushed him, causing him to lose his balance and go plummeting into the cold water. His clothes became soaked, and he quickly surfaced, taking off his hat and shaking his head to rid the water from it. "Hey!" he protested, a look of annoyance on his face. His tone, however, was amused, and he splashed her in the face before swimming to the edge of the pool, heaving himself out. A puddle of water came splashing down from his wet coat, and he tried as best as he could to ring the water out, though his attempts were fruitless. It would take all day to dry them, and by the time they got back to the castle, they would probably still be wet. What would her brother and mother say if they both came back soaking wet?

The thought didn't really bother him, however. He was smiling as he watched her swimming. Allegra was the only girl he knew that risk ruining her clothing for jumping in a lake. She was definitely special; that was for sure..

[Captain Kaycee]

Allegra swam around the water for a little bit, simply lying on her back and looking up at the sky. After a few minutes, she swam back up to the shoreline and stood next to Marcel. Her hair was ringled and wet from the water, and she did her best to wring out the water by twisting her hair with her hands. Her clothing were just as wet as her hair, but she didn't seem to mind. Her clothing hung over her body, making more of her slender features more visible than they were before.

After a moment of simply taking out the excess water from her outfit, Allegra glanced back up at Marcel. "I had to. I probably will never have the chance again, so I took it," she giggled, sitting down on the flowerbed that overlooked the waterfall. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, simply staring at the water for a few moments. Then Allegra turned to Marcel, a smile appearing on her face for a second. However, it disappeared just as quickly as it happened, and she turned back to looking at the water.

"My mother and father were in the same place..." she whispered, closing her eyes for a minute. "She told me that it was where they first began to love each other. She told me the story of this place, how she was taken by tribesmen and when they escaped they found the waterfall. I don't want to think about my father being here. I... I can't imagine what it was like for my mother to be here with him, before I was born," Allegra explained, her eyes showing a flash of sorrow. It looked like a hard topic for her to be on, but looking at the waterfall made her imagine her parents laughing together in this magical place.

[Cloudsong]

Why wouldn't she ever have the chance again? he inwardly wondered, blinking. It took him only a moment to realize, and guilt hit him. She was probably expecting him to disappear again for a few years. I was... so stupid for doing that. Marcel inwardly sighed. They had probably needed him in that time; especially with their father having died, leaving their family broken. How could he have just walked off and not turned back? Though he had thought at the time that they would be better off without him there, he now saw that it wasn't the case.

Seeing the sudden sorrow that thickened his voice, Marcel felt her sadness as if it were his own. The worst was when she finally looked up at him, and he saw the hurt that had been built-up through the years. Without thinking twice, he approached her quietly, sitting down next to her on the ground. He hesitated, however, before putting his arm around her, pulling her close to him. "Your parents loved each other very much," he murmured. "I'm sure that he would be happy for you to have found this place." Though it did seem as if Allegra should bring the man she loved here; it would match the history of the place. Perhaps he wasn't meant to be here.

"You miss him, don't you?" he said suddenly. You idiot... of course she misses him. What a stupid question to ask, he thought, closing his eyes for a second as he hoped that she wouldn't think him an idiot.

[Captain Kaycee]

Allegra felt her face redden as he put an arm around her, but she tried to hide it by placing her hands over her face. She bit her lip for a moment and let out a long sigh before lifting her head back up from her palms. "I do," she began. "I wanted to talk to him much more than that. But the horrible thing is that both me and Daelen had told him about our mother going to the army. I keep wondering if we didn't do that... our mother could have killed the army on her own and our father would still be alive..." she explained, resting her head on Marcel's shoulder.

She simply stayed silent for a little while, the only sound coming from her was her breathing. After what seemed like an eternity, she lifted her head up and looked at Marcel. "Your hair is still wet," she whispered, a quiet laughter escaping her lips. The look of depression had disappeared from her, and instead she had the elegant, cheerful look about her. Allegra lifted her hand and ruffled through his hair, a small giggle escaping her lips. "You know, I can still kind of see that little pirate boy in your face," she giggled, her hand that was once through ihs hair lowering onto the side of his face.

Her mind was racing as she simply looked at him, and it felt like her conscience was going to start sceraming at her. What are you waiting for!? Make your move or else you're going to miss your chance! Allegra mentally shook her head, wishing she could smack the voice she had to listen to.

No! I should let him make the first move!
But he already did! His arm is around you!
He could just be comforting me like a friend now shut up!

It was as if she continued to fight with herself on what was right. Did he make a move? Or was it companionship? The thoughts burned through her head like fire. She was trying to control her emotions as much as possible, or else something bad could happen. Her mother always told her to be careful with her powers, as sometimes emotions can come out in magic. Just as she began to think about emotions and magic, a small patch of fog appeared in front of them with their figures embracing each other in a hug.

Allegra just about snapped, as her eyebrow twitched once. The fog disappeared completely, and after the scene turned back to normal Allegra buried her head in Marcel's shoulder. "Shtupibd maffic andb my emoshtionds," she mumbled into his shoulder, sounding more like jibberish than anything else.