Collab Fanfiction

Title: Collab Fanfiction

Author: Minerva Wu

Writing: fanfiction

Word Count: 2411

Note: Romantic fanfiction aka smut. This is fanfiction for a collaboration story on gaia that I am working on. Hopefully everything needed to understand the story has been mentioned though.

The Mountains of Shahaile…above that, the North Shrine River empties into the Strait of Alouhaile, which separates the Northern Isles of Shalanhaile from the main continent of Louzinarga. This... Ivarine traced her fingernail on the parchment, figuring a path that they could take. She knew the shortest way to the Isles was the path she had taken so many years ago to leave Shr'eink, a river path which would lead her directly back to her hometown.

Her now- razed hometown. Fury and grief swirled back through Ivarine's mind as she remembered the way the upstart lord had smirked when he said Shr'eink was no more. She had best not take that path. Firstly because only the natives of the small village of Shr'eink knew of that path; it was the light- side peoples' last route of escape when their town was being attacked. But already the village was no more; the real reason was more personal: that path was too close to her memories. As much as she wanted to strangle the dumb dark-side lord that had demolished her hometown, half of her knew she had to wait until after the Staff had been recovered--the half that lived and breathed the shadows, the half that had devoted her life to the forces of the Dark King and his ambition to rule the world under his black hand.

She stared at the dress Iyza had laid out for her evening wear. It was made of green silk, with silver trim and lacy white skirts. Within these folds she had tucked the small stone, which had gone silent after those two phrases. Thinking of Cadence's voice whispering through her mind gave Ivarine chills. What was she supposed to say? Aside from the news on Shr'eink, and that dumb Sha'lan boy, her few days in the dark palace had been almost pleasant. Iyza was kind and although the courtiers were cold, most of the other servants seemed to have adjusted well to having a queen sweeping their halls now. Even Lieutenant Zaire, whom she'd just met, was good company; after spending the morning with her new guard, she had dismissed the eni'ein to take the rest of the day to herself. And the king-- why, even he seemed to care for her well- being. No! I mustn't think these traitorous thoughts! But even as she thought it, Ivarine felt unease-- she didn't feel like a traitor. She felt comfortable. And for the first time since she'd left the Isles to accompany Farle and Cadence, she felt at--

The Queen of Shadows never finished the thought--outside her bathroom and in her bedroom quarters people were arguing. She heard Iyza's voice grow shrill as she commanded someone to leave. "I demand that you wait outside! The Queen is not seeing people currently!"

Footsteps approached regardless and Ivarine scrambled away from the map, grabbing the green dress and fumbling for the stone. The doorknob to the bathroom turned and the door opened the slightest. Ivarine thrust the communication stone into a pocket of her thin undergown before the voice that answered Iyza froze her to the spot. "Oh, I don't care what your Lady Callias is doing and certainly don't take orders from you."

Lord Sha'lan. His beautiful voice carried through the ajar door, his words a song and his tone a melody that persuaded her limbs to simply rest and melt into peace. Ivarine felt her muscles soften and her eyelids droop the slightest. The dress slackened in her hands.

What is this... she thought. The sounds of Iyza's indignant protest faded away and she heard a thump on the ground. "Yes, take a nap. Preferably until evening," he sang, but this time the overwhelming power from his voice was not there. It was still rich and smooth, but it didn't hold the commanding force that it had a moment ago. A spell. Ivarine eyes shot open with shock and horror and reached for the crown sitting just out of her arm's reach. She had seen what Cadence could do to silence people that interfered with them. If Lord Sha'lan was another manipulator of sound, Ivarine was in serious trouble.

"As for you--" He cut short suddenly and Ivarine glanced at the door to see the young man, his eyes roaming her thinly-clad body. She would have blasted with a shard of ice or shadow then and there, but she hadn't thought of it earlier and now she couldn’t think: this was not the same person that had been at the noble conference only that morning. While he had been decked in lavish silks and robes designed specifically to display one's wealth at court , the boy before her was now dressed plainly for a lord, in an gold-trimmed black shirt and black pants. His straight black hair was slightly tousled from its original slicked-back style and his blue-gray eyes glowed with lust as he stared at her subtle curves.

"You-" his voice almost choked and he stepped forwards, the hand curled around his sword relaxing. He closed the gap between them with a single stride and pushed her against the wall, his lips instantly closing around hers.

Ivarine heard the sound of his sword clanging and her evening dress crumpling to the floor and held her hand out to push him away, but he intercepted it without breaking his mouth from hers. He held both her hands with one soft but firm hand, his mouth working furiously against her lips the entire time. She could feel the raw desire in his movements as his free hand cupped her face and grasped a strand of her golden hair. They broke apart for breath, but his mouth was on her skin the next moment, trailing down and around her neck as his hand tugged on her undergown. She opened her mouth to scream, but the sound was muffled when his head shot up and smothered it with another kiss.

He moved again, crushing her body between his and the wall and tugged at the collar of her gown until it tore. Ivarine shut her eyes, begging focus and let loose a black wave of energy around her, blasting the nobleman to the other side of the bathing room that suddenly swam with the energy of the shadows. Glass shattered around them and when the black energy finally settled, Lord Sha’lan collapsed, momentarily unconscious a corner. She stood there, gasping for breath and bunching the torn corner of her gown, stunned and horrified.

At first Ivarine moved to kill him before he moved again, but stayed her hand, remembering that he was the only one who knew where the prized Aubergine Staff was. She shuddered, and knelt to pick up her dress; it was the only thing she could do now. She slipped into the green dress and laced the white ribbons together with increasing speed, anxious to get away. Kicking his sword away, she was about to leave when a groaning sound from his dark corner startled her and she turned. The young lord was crawling to his feet, and a shaft of light hit him; only then did Ivarine noticed the blue marks on his head where she’d struck him. She didn’t know how she knew it, but she reacted instinctively and rushed to his side, snatching a vial of healing potion out of a drawer.

“Don’t move, you’re bleeding,” she ordered, kneeling next to him. Half of her was worried by the sight of what she’d somehow interpreted as blood, while the other half was frantic to preserve the location of the Staff. She spread the thick liquid over the injury, and watched as the gap sealed itself. She repeated this, and only until she was done and the vial was empty did she realize that she had rescued the creep that had destroyed her childhood home. Ivarine drew back, shuddering.

The haughty lord didn’t even bother thanking her. He muttered something about nearly killing him but even murmured his voice was a harmony of irritation and pride that rolled off his tongue like notes off a musical staff. The staff—that was the purpose of her saving him, she reminded herself. The King will have the staff returned. I can deal with this upstart until then. The small protesting voice from earlier that said the black king did not own the Aubergine Staff was silent.

They sat in silence, him nursing a headache, and her the tumulus thoughts, until finally he said, “I knew you fancied me. You didn’t have to blast me apart to show me though.”

“Fancy you?” Her confused features twisted with outrage. “I loathe you!”

Lord Sha’lan raised an eyebrow. “What did I do to deserve such hatred?” he asked, his words tenor notes hanging in the air. They didn’t save him from the tirade that burst forth though.

“Aside from sexually assaulting me, barging into my rooms, knocking my servant out, openly disrespecting me in court and obliterating my hometown and family? Well, your arrogance didn’t help, for starters.”

“I didn’t think you’d feel…assaulted…” he muttered, his eyes trailing down the cut of the dress. He snapped his eyes back to meet hers, smoky blue versus crystalline violet. “And when did I destroy your hometown?”

“Shr—“ she stopped, catching herself before she revealed too much. She looked away. “Nothing. I spoke wrong.”

It didn’t fool him. “You came from Shr’eink.” He was quiet, until Ivarine finally looked and was surprised to find something besides egotism in his unwavering gaze.

Pity, for certain, but something stronger burned there as well, a gentle fire that touched her. Empathy. Loss. “You’ve lost your home before,” she whispered.

The boy nodded, and that simple motion was as beautiful as any of the words he’d ever spoken.

——>>….<<——

“Milady?” Iyza’s call roused Ivarine from sleep, and she lifted her head up, rubbing an eye.

“Iyza?” She called, but when she moved she felt an arm tighten around her and jerked, a light spark of energy flying off her. She glanced down and saw the still-drowsed expression of a teenage boy, one arm slung around her shoulders. She blinked in confusion and repulsion at the young lord and their curled position in the corner of the tub platform before remembering bits and pieces of the conversation that had followed. Bits and pieces of a conversation that sounded like her entire life story.

“Don’t let her in,” he whispered, pressing her closer to him so that his mouth almost touched her ear.

“Your highness? Do you require any assistance?”

Ivarine imagined how it would look to her servant if she walked in to see her Queen of Shadows locked in an embrace with the lord of the Northern Isles. Yes, I require you to explain how exactly this dolt has come to be here, she wanted to reply, but shook her head for a moment before remembering that Iyza wouldn’t see it. “I’m fine!” she called. “Give me a few minutes; I fell asleep!” With a narcissist that has a soft side; who knew?

“As you wish, milady” Iyza’s voice just outside the door said. “His majesty the king has called on your grace to meet him and Lord Sha’lan for dinner when you are quite ready. I shall inform him you were resting.” Her light footsteps pattered away as she conveyed the message to the messenger boy that had come.

“Lord Sha’lan—“

“Jarlsing,” he interrupted, helping her move to a sitting position. She was still curled with her head against his chest, but their legs untangled for the most part. She didn’t know why she didn’t push him away altogether.

“Jarlsing,” she repeated, stunned for a moment. “Yes, you.” Jarlsing Sha’lan rolled his eyes, the same way he had in court when she first noticed him, but didn’t interrupt. Ivarine paused. “I have to go,” she finally said.

“As do I. Your servant mentioned I was joining you for dinner, did she not?” he asked, his voice quiet and teasing.

“Get off me.”

His arms only curled tighter around her. “You don’t want me to.”

“Get off. Or I’ll blast you again.”

“Only to heal me with tender care and concern. Just admit it, you’re crazy about me Ivarine.”

The way her name seemed to chime when he said it made her hesitate the slightest, but Ivarine shook her head frustratedly and pushed against him. With a sigh he loosened his grip and settled for just her hand, capturing it in his soft, warm touch.

“If the King finds out…about any of this, he’ll have your head, Staff or no,” she warned, stretching out her legs.

The young man shook his head, the mischievous gleam in his eyes again. “I’m too valuable. I could probably persuade him to give you to me and he’d do so willingly.”

“You think too much of yourself,” she shot back, pulling away and slipping off the platform. She smoothed her dress in the mirror and searched for a brush, finally finding an unbroken one in the drawer next to the healing ointments. Jarlsing came up behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder.

“So feminine, fretting over appearances. Do you think he’ll be very upset at you for sleeping with me?”

“I did no such—“ she said, color rising into her cheeks, but his amused expression stopped her and she resumed to running the brush through her hair. She found a green ribbon to tie it up with, but the young lord placed his hand over hers and closed the drawer quietly.

“Don’t tie it tonight.” he murmured, turning her around. He held her hands and leaned in. She thought he was going to kiss her again and almost flinched before she heard his gentle, entrancing voice murmur by her ear, “For me.”

Ivarine stared at a thread on his shirt and sighed, rewinding the ribbon around her wrist. She stepped back and away, her expression annoyed as she glared at him. “Now will you let me go?”

“Beautiful,” he replied, not answering her question and swiftly kissing her cheek before letting go. She marched past him for the door and just as she was about to open it all the way, she heard him call her name softly. “Ivarine— just to set the record straight: I said Shr’eink was razed to the ground…I never said I did it.”

Artist's Note: Well....a lot to address, so:

On the story: Like I said, it's for an open collaboration. There are only 3 active writers, myself included now....so join? :D

Anyways...I did warn about smut >.< On the other hand, it's my first complete fanfiction! Well, I don't know if it's really considered fanfiction if it's a story I'm writing but.....well now, I don't feel lame at all. But I thought it was pretty in places, and ridiculous in others.

Also, not supposed to sound like shallow lust in the second half. (Does anyone see it as that? I feel like it is...even though I did imply that they did get to know each other better by the end of the conversation......gah.)

On NaNoWriMo: I started, and got up to around 30K, but unfortunately couldn't/ can't finish in time. I do have the start of a story that doesn't sound terribly horrible though (fair enough to continue and revise sometime later anyways). For now though, I'm going to be getting on to other projects that I had in mind/ put off/ put on hiatus. I'll post some excerpts from the NaNo thing though, if only so I can train myself to posting every week again.

On life: hehehe. unexpected (or maybe to be expected) hiatus resulted from NaNoWriMo and from college stresses :( No other excuse. I do have an xbox again though, so I can get back to playing Final Fantasy XIII (which I had to restart because it's a new console that doesn't read the previous memory disk XP No matter. More hours of gameplaying then! XD). I have other stuff, like being a good student and art and writing to get to as well though! We'll see how it goes. Finals for my first quarter next week. Should probably be writing the essay that's due tomorrow. Meh. I'll post those! xD

On The River Windrose: It's going to be starting! After finals. I have a story (ECA) that I'm 67.22% finished with (you'll see how I'm so precise with that number) but I'm willing to start posting the first few entries. So...depending on a bunch of circumstances, the first official post on TRW will be either 100 or 500 words.

I'm also going to undertake a 30-day drawing challenge for the month of Delin Al Era--that is, December. These snippets will be probably uploaded to deviantART or TRW :)

As always, thanks for reading and commenting! <3

~Minerva

"My Immortal"--Elias/ Aura

Title: "My Immortal"

Author: SilverInk

Writing: Songfiction, romance. [Link]

Word Count: 4092

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

An unfamiliar trickle of light lit up the small room. It was strange, particularly since the room was not unlike a box of cement, with smooth, charmed walls on all sides. The only furnishings were a wooden plank, clothed by rags, suspended against the wall; and a wooden crate tossed in a corner. The strange light stemmed from this crate and scanned the room once before dying again.

The figure on the wooden bed rolled over painfully, shifting the rags that served as blankets. Tiredly, he pushed himself to a sitting position and leaned against the wall, careful with his torn clothes. Light colored hair coated in a mixture of sweat and blood hung over his gaunt face and concealed partially open gray eyes. 

“Elijah, dear me,” a voice said silkily from the crate. “You look as if you were being tortured yourself!”

Elias looked up as the voice continued, “Heartless. You can stand the sight of your own sister being branded, but can’t stand the sight of this other…creature…” the voice faded. Through his mind flickered images of his sister, the usually hyper and talkative flautist, tortured and subdued to the point that being allowed to breathe was a blessing in itself. The memory faded quickly as he grasped the shell-shaped crystal hung around his neck. 

“…Ellasyn was a lot prettier too,” the voice was muttering. It was closer now, and not coming from the crate. A hole opened temporarily in the wall, admitting a regal looking man dressed lavishly in armor and jewels. At his feet, four chained prostitutes followed their master quietly, 

The newcomer brushed a finger underneath Elias’s chin, examining the sunken eyes of his captive. “You know why you’re here. You could just give me the heart.” He stared pointedly at the shell-shaped charm on the captive’s neck. “And you could save her—what’s her name?” 

“Auras-ssine” one of the chained figures hissed, slithering closer to her master.

“Her,” the man said, smirking at Elias. “So easy… for a mere necklace you could save the love of your life…”

He snapped his hand back and moved towards a wall and formed another portal, as if he were going to leave. “Or,” he said slyly, glancing over his shoulder at the captive. “You could just leave, knowing what I would do to her.”

You’d kill her, a distraught answer formed in Elias’s mind, pressing painfully into his already- muddled thoughts. 

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that,” came an audible reply. The oppressor smiled as he read the thought. He was slightly relieved—the fact that he could now hear thoughts meant that the mental defenses were crippling, which meant the oppressed was close to making his move. “I wouldn’t do that,” he repeated for emphasis. “I’d treat her like my pets.” 

He smiled at his four prisoners, who were groveling at his feet. “Humanely,” he added, and vanished out of the cell.

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

'Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

Aura flinched as cool lotion hit one of the many open gashes on her body. So numb she was, she could hardly feel where the healer was working now. All she knew was she was suspended in midair, with her captor’s healers treating her wounds so that the next day she might be tortured and battered again. 

“Finished hon,” one of the healers said. The others had already left; this final healer cut the invisible ropes that kept her afloat and set her gently on a comfortable bed. “I did fine, didn’t I? Nothing sore?”

She couldn’t complain—her body was no longer sore from the beatings and whippings she’d suffered that day. The poison in her bloodstream was gone. She felt fine. Physically, that is. Mentally, though, she was tired of the whole ordeal. She managed a nod, fluttering her aquamarine eyes open for a brief moment to thank the man. 

“Don’t I get a reward for all this? It’s not exactly easy work you know?” He waited, packing up his few pieces of equipment. “No kiss? No passionate love?”

She shook her head. He’d been asking this for as long as she’d been held captive here. “He’s gone you know,” the perverted healer said after a moment of silence. “He left this evening. He abandoned you.”

Aura was silent again. She curled up slightly, leaning against the headboard for support. After another long moment, the healer left. 

You left, Elias. She mused. You left?...Well, I suppose it’s all for the best. Go run off now, and leave me in the land of perverts and pain. It’s really fine. I don’t know why you were here in the first place. You never were very nice to me. Elisa said so herself, and she was the closest person you ever had. 

The thoughts quieted and Aura covered herself with blankets. Something prodded her, something that told her Elias had not left. But she had seen his tall, unmistakable figure darting out of camp just before she was ushered into the healing rooms. And for the strangest reason, she wasn’t mad he was abandoning her in this place—he had his own life to live, his own love to follow. 

The dumb fool. Elisa was right again—it figures he'd fall for his governess' daughter Ack, what am I thinking? Is this jealousy?

Aura almost laughed—here she was, alone, in a camp of perverts and cruel hearted people and she was jealous of some idiot that had captured the heart of her object of affection. 

It’s the routine. I thought I was used to it, but apparently not. All this weariness is making me not myself, she insisted firmly. She was not usually jealous. She had actually been elated when she thought she saw the sparks fly between them—at least he was happy with someone. The prodding feeling returned. This cycle is wearing on my senses as well. The feeling hung around, but was ignored. 

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase

A trickle of blood ran down her arm and she pulled it away quickly. She glanced up at the elaborate mirror in front of her. A strand of her light blonde hair was stained crimson. She glared at the hand and pressed her free hand to it to stop the blood flow. 

It had been nearly two weeks since the healer had said Elias left, but only a week since the prodding feeling agreed. There had not been any torturing for nearly the entire of these two weeks, but no healing after the last one. And then there was "Master Okin Nashamura" himself, as his prostitutes called him. He'd personally scathed her skin so harshly that it felt as if he had tattooed her skin with lightning. 

Aura climbed on her bed and let the headache and heartache consume her. 

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have

All of me

Elias shuddered at how easy it had been to escape. He simply pushed though the concrete walls with a bit of his magic, and stole away from the camp.  

And now he was on his way back, back to where friends were.

"Eekkk!!" the ring of her voice echoed in his ears and Elias turned around. His friends stopped. "Elias, what're you doing? Leave her."

"But..." Aura was only twelve at the time, and Elias thirteen. He stopped and watched her pick herself out the puddle he'd tripped her into. She glared at his friends retreating backs and clenched her fist when they joked they were going to hang out with Elisa and flirt.

Then she whirled around and burst into tears before running away. Elias knew she would take the shortcut to the mansion and burst into a run after her, ignoring the calls of his friends behind him. 

She heard him running after her and sped up, but Elias was always the faster runner and soon caught up to her. He ran a step ahead of her before stopping and grabbing her arms so she would stop. "Stop, don't cry," he said when she flinched away, hiding tears and struggling to get away. He pulled off the silk gloves with "Gilfax" embroidered on them and brushed  her tears away with clean hands. "Aura, don't cry...I'm sorry. Aura?"

"Elias! Seriously now?"

A fresh wave of tears escaped Aura but she turned away, trying to hide them. Elias held her hand in one hand fiercely and yelled back. "She's my sister's best friend! And we're not allowed to treat her badly!"

"She doesn't matter! You're like royalty here, Elias! Are you with us? Or do you cast away your rank for a...the daughter of your servants?"

"..." Elias didn't answer, only standing with a cold expression on his face. Then Aura broke from his grasp and ran. "Aurasine!"

But she fled without a backward glance and Elias felt some part of his heart leave him and chase after her.

"Elijah! You've returned! Your sister and Rebecca have been worried sick!"

"Thank you Master Gaenor...I--I have the Heart."

"Good. Hold onto it. You will present it to Queen Geneva of the elves in a few days....You have done well... Your grandfather would be proud."

Elias smiled tiredly before the General dismissed him to the hospital building. Elias staggered into the doorway like a drunk man and an attendant helped him to a bed before asking who he was. "Who I am..." Elias murmured dazedly. He didn't remember. He'd left himself back at Okin Nashamura's camp.

You used to captivate me

By your resonating light

Now I'm bound by the life you left behind

"He's not nice to you." Ellasyn Gilfax pointed out. "He pushes you around, makes you do all his chores, blames everything on you, and nearly drowned you one time."

"It was an accident!" Aura protested, trying a smile but her friend was not amused. "I'm sure he didn't mean it...I mean, he was the one that jumped in to rescue me later."

"Still. He wouldn't hesitate to kill you if he had to. And that's not something he can rescue you from."

Aura curled up painfully on the bed. Each movement felt like she was tearing a bit of herself apart. Elisa had been right. He didn't care. Aura threw the covers away from her body then winced. 

But there had always been something unbelievably good about Elijah Gilfax. Some bright aura that played around his grin, some light that had emanated from him, some warmth that made Aura feel safe when she was near him. 

"Aw, Aurasine. What is this?"

A rough hand wrapped itself around her neck and lifted her head so she was eye-level with him "I don't understand him," Okin said. He dropped Aura back on her bed. "But he is of no matter. As he has left, you are now my slave. He clasped heavy shackles on her ankles, musing about what to do with her.

Slave? Aura almost laughed. So she wasn't to be his "pet"; what good luck! 

"Yes. I have decided. You know where Elijah is, I am sure. Go there. Haunt him. Yes. The Lord has no need to bring down the meddling idiots. This is for my own amusement. You will die soon anyways. Go now, slave. Haunt him. And bring me the Heart."

Aura stared at him ruefully before picking her frail body up and dragging it out the room. The anklets did not hold her back, but only propelled her forward to complete Okin's bidding.

Your face it haunts

My once pleasant dreams

Your voice it chased away

All the sanity in me

Sunlight flittered through the open window, lighting up the crimson stains on the white sheets. The scent of morning dew blew in with a breeze and it seemed the ruins nearby were echoing some ancient song to usher in the morning.

"Elias?" A voice asked nonchalantly. "Where are you? And why is there blood all over your sheets? I just washed these, you idiot."

"Here," a hoarse voice croaked. Elisa glanced in the corner, took one look at her brother and set the tray of food down. 

"You haven't ben quite right since you left the infirmary," Elisa said softly, reaching for his hands. "Who'd you kill?"

"No one. No one. No one. No one...." he repeated. 

Elisa took the long dagger in his hands and set it on the already blood-stained bed. 

"No one. I didn't kill anyone," he murmured again, as if protesting. "I didn't."

Sighing, Elisa pulled a cloth from her hand and began to clean off his arms. She left him from a moment to fill a tub with water before dragging him to it. He seemed incapable of thinking on his own. "Now stop with this nonsense. What's wrong?"

"I didn't kill anyone," he repeated. 

"Is it the Heart? Do you want me to hold it for you?"

"Take it!" he screeched, pulling the shell off his neck and falling to the ground. Catching the necklace, Elisa dumped water on him, making his skin shiver and a pool of faint red form around him. Elias fell on the ground, breath thin and shivering slightly. "Take it. I don't want to see her! I don't want to! She's here!"

"Who's here?"

Elias didn't answer, and closed his eyes. "I can still see her. She was here last night. She must have started a few days after I left. She was here. She's like a ghost. Grey skin. Cold to the touch. She wanted to kill me!"

"And then you stabbed her?"

"Not yet." Elias started moving himself to a sitting position, adjusting his drenched clothes so he wouldn't slip. "I didn't move. And she was reaching for the Heart. 

"She had shackles on her feet. He lied. But it doesn't matter. She was grey. Cold. And her breath smelt sickly sweet. Her fingers were around my neck, like this. And then she just went away. Just jumped out the window...

"Where's my Rebecca?"

"I'll show you to her once you get cleaned up," Elisa said with a bitter taste in her mouth. Elias crawled up and began looking for the shampoo as if everything was normal. Elisa returned the Heart to him before leaving, seeing it was pointless to ask where the blood had come from. When she looked back, he was stringing the shell back on his neck, the glazed look back in his eyes.

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase

Another chunk of energy with the consistency of jello passed over his arm. The energy had a mixed color to it, something green yet brown yet clear. But whatever it really was, a glowing yellow light covered it. This light shot from the floating energy jello and into the the scar on him arm. Again and again the light sunk into his injuries but it never seemed to make a difference. 

Elias leaned back against the chair and shook his head. 

"Oh dear. Let me try," a cloying sound said, followed by the rustle of a dress. A girl with a deep reddish-brown, shoulder length hair nicely groomed leaned over him and moved her fingers over his arm. At first it seemed the spell had done its purpose and the scar erased itself, but then it reappeared, spreading down his arm like blood through varicose veins after being momentarily plugged. "Oh dear," she said cloyingly. 

"I tell, you, it's a soul-injury. Our magic isn't going to heal it.," Elisa said impatiently. She was leaning against the corner of the wall, staring at them with narrowed eyes. 

"Don't worry, dear. It'll go away with time."

Elisa snorted, earning a glare from the well-dressed girl. "Ellasyn, why don't you go get something nicer on. We're seeing the Queen of the elves, not some peasant girl."

"A peasant girl is like Aura, right?" 

A flash of pain raced through the arm and Elias cringed a tiny bit, trying to hide the emotion. "Ellasyn! You know that hurts him! Now go change!"

"Yes, master."

"Sister."

Elisa, who had a foot on the stairs, turned around to sneer. "Aurasine Windrose was my only sister."

"Ellasyn!"

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have

All of me

I didn't know I wouldn't bleed. Well, more like I'd never run out of blood. I didn't know I was dead. Aura looked at her limbs in amazement, taking in the now blemish-free skin. "Thank you, Iyn. I can confidently say that I would be really dead if it weren't for you and Ms. Winski.

"It was my pleasure," The green dragon resting on a plush cushion said in return, it's voice coming out as a reptilian purr, somewhat like a soft, comforting hiss. "Emma would be glad to know you're fine as well now."

"Yes...thank you."

"Something about me?" 

"Emma! Our guest awoke!" The green dragon leapt off of the cushion, morphing into the form of a slender and dignified lady with white hair and striking green eyes.

"I thought I'd find you here," Emma laughed, a sound deeper as Iyn's chime but with the same underlying ring. "General Gaenor's looking for you. And we have to get ready. The heart-keeper is due to meet with her Majesty in about an hour."

"An hour only!" Iyn rushed to the mirror near Aura and hurried to change her dress. "What does Ezhno need?"

Emma shrugged and threw a bow on her back. "Aurasine, you will be fine on your own for a while then?"

"Yes. Thank you for all your help."

"There's food on the table if you're hungry. Take it easy for a few days, ok? Ghosts might not die, but it'll be plenty painful if you get yourself stabbed to shreds by that boy again." Another laugh. "But I'm sure you know what I mean."

Iyn finished and flicked eyed the open window before flicking her tongue out tentatively. "Clouds. I taste a coming rain. Stay well, friend Aurasine."

Aura nodded and waved as Iyn and Emma walked out. Cousins... Karida, Emma and Iyn; I like them.

But the uplifted spirit left Aura the moment the cousins left the room. A few minutes later a dark feeling pervaded through the room and when Aura reached out with her magic she could not feel anything but her own internal misery pulling all the sadness into her. She tested her ghost-reinforced body and stood. Easy. The only drawback of this temporary addition, Aura reasoned, was that she would have to relearn some of her magic. 

She pressed her fingers against the wall to create an entry way out but was prohibited. Iyn was right then. This place is decently secured.

Outside, she stood in sunlight, where no-one would be able to see her clearly. Currently the ghost-part of her that Emma had added to her blood was still working and her abilities would be mostly limited until she had healed and the ghost-part gone away. Aura traveled to Queen Geneva's tent: Emma was standing stonily outside. An elven guard with green hair stood on the other side of the door, although the black and gold armor indicated she was of draconic alliance.

Finally Elisa and Elias came out of the tent, accompanied by Iyn and Ezhno. With the exception of the guards, the group exchanged a few words before they parted company; Ezhno with Iyn and Elias with Elisa and Rebecca, who had been standing awkwardly before Emma. 

"Dear, why do you look so dismal? It's over. The Queen has the Heart now; it's none of your responsibility," Rebecca was saying.

Elias murmured something and Elisa pointed away but Rebecca shook her head petulantly and put her hands around Elias's neck. The girls began arguing in hushed toens and Aura crept closer to listen. 

"He said to go away!"

"Sister, enough of this nonsense. He's troubled by something obviously. I'm going to take him back to his room and put him to sleep. He needs the rest."

"If he needed rest the Queen wouldn't have kept him so long. Or do you presume your abilities are stronger than Hers?"

"I just know him better. Anyways the Queen has other things on her mind."

"She wouldn't keep him if she didn't think he could handle it."

"Then what do you propose, sister?"

"I propose you go away and let him go talk to Ezhno like he said he wanted to."

"Ezhno is busy with his lady though. And my dear needs his res--Elijah!"

Elias had suddenly broken from Rebecca's grasp and after a moment Aura realized he was running for her. She hadn't noticed that she had crept into the shadows and was now visible as monotone-colored figure. She turned and fled. 

Before long though, Aura could hear Elias's feet racing alongside hers. He reached out and grabbed her arm, sending both of them skidding to a stop in the shadow of the ruins. 

Aura turned to rush away again but stopped herself and held Elias's hands in concern. "Why are you crying?"

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone

But though you're still with me

I've been alone all along

"I killed you. I'm sorry. I--"

"I'm not dead."

"How? There was so much blood, and..."

"Iyn Tamari Winski. And her cousin, Emma. They managed to use ghost-magic to repair my body and soul. Ghost blood never runs out, and it was that that you were slashing. But Okin still had the slave shackles on me and I had to find you."

"You tried to take the Heart. And kill me."

"Yes...and no." Aura stood away, pulling herself awat and stepping deeper into the shadows. The cloud had been hanging around loosely was now directly overhead and a light drizzle began, one drop at a time. Elias looked up as one droplet landed in his hair and shattered his internal serenity. He was quiet for a while, watching the water droplets. One touched his hand and plowed its way through across the skin, sometimes haltingly but altogether like darkness gliding across the edge of a blade; it hovered at his fingertip before dropping to join its companions on the ground. Then the other droplets of water joined in, creating a plain rainstorm.

Elias screamed and leapt backwards fervently. "You're dead!" he yelled at Aura. 

The now grey-colored girl turned around and faced him coldly. "Haven't I always been?" She said dully. 

"No! You're dead! You're--" he fell to the ground at this moment, his skin paling and his eyes sinking into a kind of ghostly stupor. In an instant Aura was kneeling beside him, keeping him from hurting himself in his fall and trying to elicit a reaction from the boy. "You're dead. You're dead," he kept muttering. "I--I killed you. Again. Again. Again..."

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have

All of me

Aura looked up at the rain, and back down at Elias. She pressed cold fingers against his neck and stared into his eyes with a kind of sad determination. 

There was a slow flash of something between light and dark and then there was only a pale-haired boy with a skin of healthy hue dozing on the stone. Two figures, one in dress pants running ahead and another with a red dress and matching parasol rushed down the hill to tend to him. The rain parted slowly, and as quickly as it had appeared it faded, leaving only a crisp scent in the air.

Artist's Note: Yes! Behold my first completed songfiction! :D Random: It's about 500 words shorter than the U.S. Constitution apparently :P

The song is "My Immortal" from Evanescence. According to itunes I've listened to it 78 times. :P

Elias, Elisa, Aura and Rebecca are from Death and Dining, a roleplay (though Rebecca probably doesn't really count). And obviously this is all just randomness that I thought of because Aura likes Elias, though in the roleplay it hasn't been determined (and I hope this story won't impact the course of events) whether or not her sentiments are reciprocated. 

Yea, this is why last week's post was less than 500 words. And I don't know if this counts as next week's post yet :P PLEASE read and review though! CRITIQUE appreciated! <3


~SilverInk