Shaken

[raihnstar]

Kassidy sat in her room, with her legs tucked under her, making bubbles with her fingers and turning them into different colours lazily. This always calmed her down enough that she could talk to anyone face to face. Miiera was off, flirting with whoever she wanted to, and the Queen was left alone. She was glad for the lonliness, so glad that she almost wanted it to last forever. She wasn't looking forward to tomorrow, wasn't looking forward to learning the steps to a dance that she didn't want to preform.

She heard a soft knock at her door and sighed, "Come in." she said in a soft clear voice. "Close the door behind you."

[Melodia]

Long white fingers curled around the doorknob as Nali turned the handle, opening the door rather slowly. She took a rather upfront step forward to the fairy queen. Their relationship was like that. Normally her rage would be set on a boil, but Kassidy was her closest, if not slightly strained, friend.

Her hair was straight, flat yet whispy, the light picking up the blue tints. A black dress formed around her delicate figure. On her wrist hung a bracelet, sparkling like diamonds, yet when you looked at it it hurt your eyes so that you couldn't make out the exact form of the stones. She looked beautiful, she was beautiful, but the coldness of her face and the deadness of her eyes dulled it completely.

"What did you call me in for?" She demanded as she strode across the room, pulling out a chair with force that wasn't particularly human. She then proceeded to put her right foot in front of her left and twist to land gracefully in the chair in one swift movement, her legs handing over the arm. Her fingers brushed hair behind her ear, and then folded in her lap almost expectantly. "You know we technically aren't supposed to meet?" Nali asked, rolling her eyes. She wasn't being playful at all, but Kassidy would be able to see past her annoyance.

[raihnstar]

Kassidy let a shadow of a smile fall on her face and she shook her head, "Nobody sees you when you don't want to be seen, Nali." she said, avoiding the subject for a moment longer. She glanced at the bubbles around the room, letting her eyes follow the colours and avoiding Nali's gaze for awhile. She sighed, letting the mask slip from her pretty face for a moment. Her face looked rather sad, hopeless. "I-- I don't know if you've heard the news..." she paused again, and then shrugged. No use putting it off. "I'm-- I'm getting married to King Victor."

The words sounded alien in her mouth, and for a moment she looked startled, then her expression went back to a numbing glazed look. "I guess I-- I didn't think I'd go through with it..." she tried a smile and failed spectacularly, "He's-- He's quite handsome." she joked, in an attempt to lighten her mood. It didn't work. Kassidy glanced up at Nali, and her lip quivered under the other's intense gaze, "Oh Nali!" she moaned in a quavering voice, "I don't know what I'm going to do-- How I'm going to be able to pretend for all my people--" she stopped to catch her breath and closed her mouth, looking angry at herself for displaying such a weekness.

"It was the only way. It was the only way to stop all this bloodshed." she muttered, more to convince herself than to convince the night fairy.

((haha, done. Have no pity on her, Nali. XD ))

[Melodia]

Nali froze for the moment. She did not move, did not look, did not speak. Her mouth was motionless, her eyes were sightless, her body stiff. And then her shoulders started to tremble, and her teeth clenched. Her dark eyes closed lightly, as though she was sleeping. Her face never displayed intense emotion, it only rocked her on the inside. And right now she felt like she was exploding.

It was just as bad as that time, when he-who-must-not-be-named (which was totally derived from Harry Potter) and she broke it off. But then she was upset, depressed, broken. And now all she could see was the red hot of her anger and pity. She sucked in air and then swung her legs over the arm. Her legs pushed off the chair and it slammed backwards into the wall. It seemed like it went in slow motion, yet so fast that if one blinked they would miss it. She flew, literally, at Kassidy. Her wings caught the draft of air she created and in a second she was right in front of the queen, her hands gripping her shoulders hard enough to bruise. Her face was not twisted, but by the way her eyes searched the light fairy's, it was almost as if so.

"You did what?" She growled, pressing her fingers harder into Kass's shoulders. "Do you realize the mistake you're making?!"

[raihnstar]

Kassidy moved her face away from Nali, refusing to meet her eyes, as if she was ashamed. "I--" she began to say, and then stopped herself, turning to glare at the other fairy, "It's for the good of the people! He's killing them! He's slaughtering them!!! Nali, I went to one of the infirmaries, to heal all of my people--" she paused, frowning, "It was disgusting. They were using hexes that drained me-- I couldn't heal more than a few at a time-- And their time was running out! I barely got through the whole wing, and it seemed that no matter how hard I tried, a fairy died every day because of this goddamn war!" she hissed, feeling her back tense up painfully. Nali's fingers were pressing painfully on her shoulders, but Kassidy didn't bother to try to remove them. "The alternative to having my people die was for me to marry him! It-- It wont be as bad as you're making it seem!" she said, her voice jumping a little.

"I'm not-- making a mistake!" Her words seemed false, even to her own ears, "He...he can't be that bad. He seemed...civil...when we spoke. Even...even eager to marry me, allthough I've told him I don't want to be romantically involved...sort of." she said weakly. "What-- what's the worst that could happen?" she faltered, glancing into Nali's eyes and then looking away quickly again, for fear of what she would say.

After a few seconds Kassidy's shoulders sagged, "He...he frightens me." she whispered painfully, squeezing her eyes shut to stop the tears that wanted to come out. But she felt she'd cried enough allready. She let out a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. "It's the only...it's the only thing I could do..." she murmured, and then repeated, "What's the worst that could happen?"

[Melodia]

"What's the worst that can happen? What's the worst that can happen? I don't know Kassidy, what is the worst that can happen?"

Nali had released the queen's shoulders and was now pacing about the room, her hands knotted behind her back. She seemed anxious, furious even. Her voice was thick with sarcasm and then silence. Her tongue ran over her lips once before she continued, making dramatic hand gestures as she spoke:

"We met when I was what, sixteen? Seventeen? I wasn't even into my full power and I was ready to kill you then! Viktor..." Nali gritted her teeth and stopped her pacing. Her eyes adverted to her feet. "He is the leader of us all. A group of the most viscious creatures in Lordight! And you are going to marry him? Not to think low of you, your majesty..." She mocked, "...but he could crush you with the flick of his hand. He doesn't even use his wings half the time, while ours our stuck on our backs."

"He is intelligent. But he uses it in the wrong way. You think he'll just leave you alone, leave this marriage as pretend. But you're an idiot Kassidy! Before you know it, you'll be bearing his children, and he'll have put you aside and be ruling us all hisself," The dark fairy growled under her breath, then paused and added, "Not to underestimate your authority, of course."

Her heart was pounding so hard that it hurt her head. She was pissed at Kassidy--at Viktor--for doing this. She was blind to the fact that it was logical, that it could help save the light fairys. But what the hell did she care? The only light fairy that Nali personally accepted of was Kass. The rest could rot. But apparently, the queen had different views, as were understandable.

"And ANOTHER thing!" She said, her voice growing in fursteration. "You expect lights and darks to just, get along since the two of you will be married? I wish you good luck with that," She saluted, laughing loudly and uneasily. "After the wedding more of yours will be killed, from riots and outbreaks. The partition of India didn't solve much, did it? Hindus and Muslism still fought eachother. Same will happen here. Only our race won't take very many tolls. Yours is a different story."

She shook her head, the darkness of her hair falling in her face. Her bracelet had seemed to dull to a weary, worn-out color, losing its brilliant shine since she had first appeared in the room. Nali was livid. She almost felt sick to her stomach. And so she did not think of it the least bit unethical to utter one last phrase, "I would rather you have married that low-life pixie."

[raihnstar]

"I wont let him rape me, Nali. You don't seem to understand but I control every single ounce of magic in my lands! I can protect myself, at least from that!" she spat back at Nali. The Night Fairy had a way of inspiring anger in Kassidy-!! "And he won't rule my lands-- I plan to keep things separate. I won't bother his people and he won't bother mine! That's how it's going to work! It'll...It'll be like a truce with marriage! I'm hoping we'll leave each other /alone/! I don't know about /his/ fairy's, but /mine/ will have enough loyalty towards me to respect my wishes! I'm not-- I'm not going to be laying down my laws and customs on them-- REALLY Nali, how stupid do you think I am!" she said grumpily, folding her arms and glaring.

"And that's uncalled for! I would never marry a pixie! That's beneath me! I'm marrying for my people, and to a King, no less! He may be the scariest thing on Lordight but I'm saving lives." Kassidy frowned at Nali. Did she /have/ to bring pixies into this? They had nothing todo with anything! This was fairy business! Pixie's were a mild nuisance compared to the terror that Victor had brought to the her lands. What did a few missing gems matter compared to a few missing lives?!

Nali just didn't understand the things Kassidy had seen...She'd gone into the nursing wards so she could help them directly instead of with healing potions-- It had made her feel faint. She'd seen soldiers missing limbs, with their wings charred off, and wretched infected scars across their faces. Some were blind, others coughed blood up... There were a few who wouldn't stop talking. They'd cracked under the stress.

[Melodia]

Nali's lips set in a thin line. Her face was paler than normal, like all of the blood had drained from it. She felt like crying, like screaming. She started to shake and had to take a deep breath just to calm herself.

"You're different, Kassidy. Since we left, I mean," She started. Her voice was soft and low, as though she wished the talking would end. "If this is what you want to do, then fine. Who am I to stop you?" She asked, crossing her hands in front of her. She smoothed down her dress and cleared her throat. "Marry Viktor. I hope you two are happy together. I just think that, well, you of all people would marry for love."

She looked up innocently at the ceiling, and made her way towards the door.

[raihnstar]

Kassidy bit her lip. There's no one left to love. Her mind said and she shook herself, "Nali--- Wait, don't-- don't go!" she said in a strangled broken voice, running to catch hold of her hand. "P-please. I just had to--to tell-- I need somebody that I don't have to pretend with! Don't--" she stopped, looking at the Night Fairy hopelessly, her face pale and drawn. "I know this is-- it's a mistake...for me...but my people...they were dying..." she trailed off, her hand tightening without noticing.

"I didn't know...what to do...And the Wandermage told me-- he told me not to but I didn't listen..." she shuddered, letting go of Nali's hand and putting her face on her own hands. "Don't go...I need a friend...now of all times." her voice wavered and she held her own arms, as if she was cold. "Nobody else...nobody else can know that I don't...love him."

Again Kassidy felt that yawning hole inside herself, made deeper by her engagement to Victor. "Only you." And me. She added to herself silently. Her orange eyes looked up at Nali imploringly, begging her not to leave her alone with only her bleek future for company. She didn't understand why Nali seemed to think she was strong enough to keep herself together alone. Then again, she rarely showed the Night Fairy another face but fierce pride, when they met, and htose times were far and in between, due to the precarious situation between the Night Fairy's and Light Fairy's.

[Melodia]

Nali stood silent for a moment. Her mind was torn between anger and pity for her friend. She couldn't hold a grudge, though. She had too little friends. A couple of other fairies back at the Clan, and she had her family, and she had Theo. At the mention of him, her fingers absently brushed over her bracelet. Kassidy was her best friend, even if their relationship wasn't exactly picture perfect. If this was what she wanted to do, then Nali didn't have a chance at talking her out of it.

She walked forward and gently put her arms around the other fairy's shoulders, pulling her head close. "I don't agree with this at all. And don't expect me to. But I will be here for you when you need me," She said, and her lips twitched into a little smile as she pulled back. "But I expect to be your maid of honor."

[raihnstar]

Kassidy felt herself relax, and breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you. It means a lot." She whispered, and then giggled, "Of course! We can go dress shopping together!" she mentioned the silly tradition that humans had and laughed again. Everybody knew Fairy's didn't need to go dress shopping...they made illusions of their own clothes. "I wonder what colour you'll wear...maybe...BLACK?!" she asked sarcastically, teasing Nali for always wearing black clothes. She half glanced at the bracelet and raised her eyebrows, "I forgot to ask, how are things going with Theeeeooo?" she fluttered her eyelashes, grinning wickedly, "Don't tell me he bought that bracelet for you... I'm sure he simply reached up into the sky and plucked a few stars out of hte sky!"

[Melodia]

Nali flashed a small grin. Her hand immediatly went to her bracelet, and she turned it around on her wrist. The stones were sparkling brightly again. "Things with Theo are fine," She said, trying to sound serious but knowing there was a hint of love in her voice as she spoke. "He's...everything I could ever want," Nali uttered quietly, then stopped herself. Partially because it was a lie, and partially because love wasn't the most appropriate topic at the moment.

"Kass, we've changed, haven't we?" She sighed, leaning aginst the wall next to the doorframe and looking up at the ceiling. "You're a queen. I'm...unstable," She laughed slightly, twisting the piece of jewelry again. "I didn't tell you, did I? Yeah, Theo gave this to me. It's made from stars...special ones. When I get angry, their light goes out. And I can't take it off. It's his way of making sure I'm...okay." She coughed a little, not wanting to go into detail about what 'okay' meant.

["Parker!"]

[*restraining Shane*-- Shane: *hiss/snarl*]

[raihnstar]

"I like to think we've gotten more responsible." Kassidy said with a shrug, staring at the bracelet wearily. She opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it. She should be the last one scolding Nali for making bad choices. "Well...if you ever /really/ don't want it on your wrist I'm sure I could do something about it." Kassidy offered lightly, serious about it but trying to make it seem like she wasn't. Nobody should be watched twentyfour seven. "Or...maybe we're just both crazier." Kassidy laughed, noticing that there was truth in her words.

"You know where I wish we were? Back in Highschool...remember Magikus?" she sighed, and then her mouth twitched into a smile, "Then again, we hated each other back then... and I didn't exactly make a lot of friends. And my parents decided to extinguish themselves." she shook her head, a hint of a shadow on her face, "I wish they hadn't left so early... I feel like I'm too silly for this queen stuff..."

["Parker!"]

[Shane: *small tiny voice* .... remember meh? :[ ]