Bright Feathers and Dream Catchers Chapter Fifteen: What Once Was Mine
Chapter Fifteen: What Once Was Mine
Bunny carried Toothiana through the empty streets of the city. She felt stiff in his arms- not soft, not warm. Just cold and empty. He felt like he should be crying or screaming at the top of his lungs. He believed that he should feel some sort of splitting pain ripping him completely apart, bringing him to his knees. But he didn’t.
He felt nothing.
He felt her soft hair brush against his chin, but he couldn’t bring himself to look down at her. If he did… Bunny shuddered. Then that would mean that all of this wasn’t just some sick, twisted nightmare. It would mean that she was really gone, that he would never hear her voice again, or feel the gentle touch of her skin against his.
His ears filled with a shrill ring. What the bloody hell is that? he wondered, looking down at the bland cobblestone with hooded eyes. The more he walked, the more the noise grew. He hated it. It hurt his ears. Bunny felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and more… more noise. He tried to shrug away, but found himself being held back.
Then Toothiana was being pulled from his arms.
Suddenly, everything became vividly clear. His eyes shot up to see Ralph putting a hand on his shoulder, holding him in place as North carried Toothiana towards the ship. Toothy. Bunny thought, feeling as though his heart was being sharply squeezed. “No,” he said dumbly, trying to walk towards her. She wasn’t dead. She wasn’t. “No!” He shouted, trying to struggle out of Ralph’s grip.
“Easy, easy,” the larger man said gently, grabbing his arms to keep him from flinging his fists against him.
“Damn it, you bastard!” He seethed through gritted teeth, “She needs me!” Bunny shouted, twisting violently, trying in every possible way to get to her. “Toothiana!” He screamed, stumbling to one knee, the pavement cracking painfully against him.
She didn’t move in North’s arms.
Bunny’s eyes widened, and he felt as though someone had taken a knife and slashed it straight through his chest.
“Come on, Buddy,” Ralph said softly, lifting him up by the arms and leading him-more dragging him towards the boat. Bunny’s chest was throbbing, and it hurt.
His feet clanked against the wooden gangway plank leading up onto the ship, and he could hear the whispers. The gasps of horror. Each sound hurt nearly as much as the sight of her lying limp in North’s arms.
Bunny’s legs felt as though they might give way. He stumbled, but he felt a firm hand lead him to his feet. “I got you, Buddy.” Ralph said firmly.
“Set sail!” Bunnymund heard North shout. “Now!”
Bunny looked up, seeing North’s broad back going down below deck, a purple bundle in his hulking arms.
“H-“ he began, the sound scratching against his dry throat. “How did it all come to this?”
TTT
North shouldered his way through the narrow passageways below deck, pushing open a door with the side of his body and sliding into one of the small cabins. There was a small bed pressed up against the wall where he gently bent down, placing Toothiana’s small body on the lumpy quilt. Her head gently slumped to the side, a thin trail of blood falling with a soft plip on the mismatched fabric. He turned his head up at the sound of stumbling footsteps in the doorway. He met eyes with Bunny, eyes that were bright and startlingly clear as they fixed on the body next to him.
Ralph’s huge hands still clutched to Bunny’s arms as he looked at Toothiana with wide, sorrowful brown eyes.
“Let him go,” North finally said softly, standing up. “He…” He looked from Bunny to Ralph. North simply sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead. “They deserve moment.”
Ralph’s lips pressed together in a thin line as he nodded, letting Bunny go gently and stepping back into the dark hallway. Bunny shuffled forward, his booted feet barely making a sound against the shifting wood. Wordlessly he sunk beside the bed, taking Tooth’s pale hand in his and holding it tightly; he stared at her with a burning intensity.
North moved past him, bumping into the wall as he shuffled out of the room, casting one final look into the dimly lit cabin where the two figures lay huddled together. He felt a heavy sinking feeling in his chest before he slowly closed the door.
He felt a twinge in his eye, but merely brushed it off. Clearing his throat, North straightened and walked down the hallway. His boots thumped as Ralph followed behind.
“Bring Hiccup, Jack and Sandy to cabin. Tell Eric to bring us out to sea, location does not matter.”
“Right,” Ralph said, peeling off down another hallway as North continued through the labyrinth of halls until he reached the proper door. He moved inside, collapsing in a chair and rubbing his eyes with his hands. “O, Bozhe,” he groaned, feeling a horrible pain in his stomach. He felt his eyes sting for a moment, but he swallowed it down. There would be time for mourning, but now they needed a plan.
North looked up as the door clattered open and Hiccup, Jack and a strange girl he’d never seen before stumbled into the cabin.
“It isn’t true,” Jack denied, walking forward quickly, his eyes widening with each step. “She’s not…”
North looked at him gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I am sorry, Jack.”
The white haired boy shook his head, blue eyes widening as his face paled.
“But I talked to her…” He closed his eyes, words sounding breathless and barely slipping past his lips. “…just the other day.” The blonde girl quietly crept forward, putting a small hand on his arm. He glanced at her for a moment, a look of lost vacancy on his face. She gave him a sad smile, moving closer so that she stood pressed against his side. He tried to force a smile, but North saw he just couldn’t muster it.
Meanwhile, Hiccup had leaned back against the wall. He closed his eyes, head turned down as he bit down on his lips. A crease formed between his eyebrows as he slowly looked up, green eyes seeming darker. “How?” He asked.
North felt a heavy sinking feeling of dread in his chest.
“Gun.”
He spoke gently, voice rumbling like the hum of an engine. Hiccup’s face paled and he quickly shook his head. The blonde girl’s eyes widened, and her fingers seemed to cling more tightly to Jack’s jacket. North saw Jack put his hand on hers for a moment, giving her a kind look before he straightened, although his grip on his staff was slightly tighter.
“Now,” North said, rubbing his hands together. “We make plan-“
The door swung open and Sandy appeared, cheeks red and mouth opened with panic. He turned to North pleadingly, golden eyes looking at him with such stricken grief, and the large man felt another wave of sadness.
“Is true, my friend,” he had to say.
Sandy’s eyes widened for a split second before he slowly let his lids lay half closed. He took a moment before looking around the group, his gaze lasting on Rapunzel a tad longer than the others. He then pulled up a chair, plopping into it with the lack of his usual grace.
North sighed; the ache in his chest was nearly overwhelming. He held the bridge of his nose for a moment before straightening up. “Right. Now we need plan.” He looked to the group, “We need to get far away. Somewhere we can be protected and stay secret.”
“How can you be so calm?” Hiccup asked hoarsely, looking at North with a simple brokenness any man would be pained to look at. “We just lost-“
“I understand!” North boomed, bringing a hand down on the tabletop. “But now is emergency, and we need to get far away quickly.” He looked sharply at the group again, asking for anyone else to speak up. They were silent.
“Berk?” Jack suggested quietly, looking to Hiccup, who visibly shuddered.
“I’m never going back there!” He crossed his arms defensively. “They still think I was killed in a dragon raid,” he looked to the corner of his eye and uncrossed his arms. “I don’t think it’d make for a very good family reunion. “
“What about Corona?” The girl asked, putting a finger to her lips as a strange green creature peered from behind a lock of golden hair. “It’s just to the south of here.”
“Too close,” North said, pacing from side to side.
“We don’t know anyone in Burgess,” Jack said, leaning against his staff, “And Bunny would kill us if we ever went anywhere near Warren.”
The group grew quiet for a moment.
And then Hiccup slowly stood up from the wall, the frown easing slightly from his lips.
“What about DunBroch?”
TTT
Bunny knelt beside the bed, the familiar sway of the ocean beneath his body as the boat fought against the stormy waves. His cheeks felt wet, but he barely noticed it. He simply looked at her- her eyes closed, seeming so peaceful. Yet there was no way she could be sleeping. Her cheeks had lost their glow, her skin it warm luster.
When he tried to take her hand, it was cold as ice. Toothiana had always been warm.
There was a twist in his gut as he pressed his forehead against she sheets, his whole body shaking as he choked on his tears.
“I’m sorry,” he sniffed, clutching at the fabric of her dress. He closed his eyes tightly as he released a choppy breath; his body began to wrack with grief as tears poured down his cheeks to soak into the quilt.
“I promised I’d protect you,” he grumbled through the grit of his teeth. His voice slowly broke as he looked up to see her face. It was pale, so white it resembled marble. He put a hand to her cheek, moving so he sat above her. “But I didn’t.”
He swallowed the painful lump in his throat, bottom lip quivering. “I failed you.”
He rubbed his eyes furiously. Bunny’s eyes slowly tracked up to the window, where he gazed out, eyes glazing over for a single moment of respite.
“I was going to build you a house, Sheila,” he laughed. “It would’ve been small, but there’ve been room for you, Sophie, Jamie and me.” The smile slowly faded from his face. “It would’ve been on a hillside, where we could’ve seen the sun rise.” He found her hand and wove his fingers in with hers, ignoring the burning chill that brushed his fingertips. “I could’ve tried to sell my paintings again, and I could’ve built you a dentistry.”
He looked to her, smiling sadly. “I could’ve made you happy, Toothy.” His lip trembled and he brought a hand to cover his eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
TTT
“DunBroch…” North said thoughtfully, stroking his beard for a moment.
“Yeah,” Hiccup said, crossing the room and pulling up a map. “It’s far enough away that no one from around here, or Corona, would hear about us. And I mean, Queen Elinor liked us when we came to perform for Mer- the Princess’s birthday.” He furrowed his brow. “And aren’t you friends with the King, North?”
North nodded, a faint relief working across his lips. He clapped Hiccup on the back. “Good work. Tell Eric to set course for DunBroch, full speed.”
Hiccup nodded.
“Right Captain,” he said, running off and leaving the door hanging open behind him.
North turned his gaze to the girl, who was whispering something in Jack’s ear. The teen’s blue eyes widened as his eyes shot towards her.
“Are you sure?” He asked. She shrugged, forcing a smile.
“I can try.” Her smile faltered, but she didn’t break his gaze. “I will try,” she corrected firmly.
Jack slowly nodded, “Alright,” he said, turning towards North. “Take us to where Toothiana is.”
North furrowed his brow. “Why-“
“Just trust me,” Jack said, holding up one of his hands.
North paused, mulling the thought over in his mind. He caught the cold urgency in Jack’s eyes and simply nodded. “Right,” the captain agreed quickly. “Come.”
TTT
The man named North led them down countless passageways, all of them seeming as elaborate as one of the labyrinths she’d read about in books… at least compared to her little nook in the tower. Jack firmly clung to her hand, and every now and then she could fee a slight tremor. A hush of worry bloomed in her chest as she lightly squeezed his hand back.
Don’t worry, Jack, she thought, I’ll find a way.
Finally, North pushed open a door and Rapunzel was certain she felt her stomach flip. A man knelt beside a bed where a woman laid, the fabric of her dress folding out across the mattress. A splotch of red caught her vision next, a misplaced bloom across the fabric. A hand flew to her mouth and she could feel the blood seeping from her cheeks. Tears burned at her eyes, but she quickly forced them away.
“Right.” North said as he stepped forward, his massive feet thumping against the floor. He grabbed Bunny by the shoulders, pulling him up. “Come, Aster.”
“O-Oi!” The blue-gray haired man shouted as his eyes widened with panic and he began to thrash, reaching out to the dead woman with every ounce of strength he had, fighting to get away. “Let me go! You bastard!”
He struggled but could not fight his way out of North’s grip.
Jack turned towards her expectantly, and Rapunzel quickly darted forward. “Help me wrap my hair around her!” Rapunzel cried, fumbling with the long locks.
Jack immediately joined her, curling the hair around her upper body. Rapunzel forced Bunny’s shouts out of her mind as she placed her hands over her smooth hair. Fear boiled in her chest and her mouth suddenly began to feel dry. She felt a cool hand covering hers. Rapunzel took a deep breath, letting her eyes fall closed.
A life was in her hands.
A tear slipped from her eye, rolling down her cheek like a wave on the ocean.
“Flower gleam and glow
Let your power shine,”
Rapunzel felt the energy coursing through her, the pure light making her feel weightless, as though she could float right into the air.
“Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine,”
The tear had rushed down her face, and now barely clung to her chin, hanging by just barely a thread.
“Heal what has been hurt
Change the fate’s design,”
Rapunzel slowly opened her eyes, and saw the woman’s face illuminated by the glow of her hair. Still sallow, still pale.
Still lifeless.
“Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine,”
The tear fell, slipping through air like a single drop of sunlight falling from the heavens, shimmering like a diamond in the late august sun.
“What once was mine.”
With a splash of brilliant color, it connected with the woman’s cheek. A burst of golden rays spilled from her body, curling around the room, flowing like water, growing like vines. It cascaded all around like a grand river of shimmering gold and platinum.
And then the room went dark.
There was a terrible moment of brief silence, which seemed to last so long that it clung to their skin like a thick, tense fog.
Then the quilt shifted. Rapunzel gasped as a soft voice whispered with a voice as bright as a fluttering hummingbird.
“Aster?”
A/N: Hey guys! It’s been a while, huh? Sorry for the late update ;^^ My computer crashed so I couldn’t write. Luckily all my writing was saved on my flash drive. So here’s the next chapter! I know it’s short, but this just felt like the right place to end this part. I’m thinking about two more chapters plus an epilogue. :) Review! Love, hate or recommendations are all welcome! Special thanks to temporarily-obsessed, my lovely beta!
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Fanfic Update (and Ramblings)
So the day has come where I have finally completed my first draft.
I said I would get it done because the story haunted me and because I had learned that I am a writer in my heart and that I love these characters enough to embarrass myself with potentially boring/odd plots and so forth.
And now I can finally say that I have done it. My first draft, from what was originally supposed to be a one-shot has expanded to a 60-page monstrosity. I designed the outline into 15 parts specifically to help me tackle my pacing problem (I tend to rush the endings).
And for every section I wrote, for every part I didn't rush, it grew . . . into something that I wasn't expecting.
I procrastinated the hardships of writing for more than a decade now; I joined the fandom and Fanfiction when I was at the tender age of 12. And like any kids that age, my stories (that are still up and published) I feel lack real substance and the writing patterns aren't to my liking, not to mention they didn't garner much attention. I admit this hurt my pride and as a result, I shied away but now -
Writing this first draft, which is the equivalent of barfing on paper, even with all its flaws of which there are many, I feel more confident and joyful than I did then with any of my more polished works.
I understand now the purpose of writing ugly. I understand the point of writing the dreaded first draft. It's a damn coming unclogged for better ideas to flow. It tests different methods until you find or Frankenstein your own method. I can only imagine how the editing process will go, and I'm equal parts excited to start and fearful.
In my outline and in my mind I had an idea of how the story was going to go, but writing it I trusted my instants to lead me and some courses naturally went astray to someplace better. Others are half-baked, but the ideas are rising nonetheless.
I really expected this story to be no longer than 20 pages, and I still expect that as I edit in my 2nd and 3rd drafts for the pages to shrink. I know now that it will be divided up into a 3 chapter arc. Maybe it will be a stand-alone or maybe the opening chapters for my Drabble Sweettooth Series ( oh yes I have a list of stories for these dorks to come).
God, I have barely said anything about the actual fic.
Well, the fic is now currently in what I call its resting period. I have read over other fics I attempted to write in the past and looking back I see the flaws and potential of them all and I doubt I would have, had I not stepped away. So, right now it's gonna rest for a few weeks before I tackle the 2nd draft, where I will attempt to connect the dots and make the story more clever than it actually is.
But, never fear, I will spend this time improving my understanding of quality writing and, most feverishly, practicing my art. It's been far too long since I really sat down and learned how to draw again, and I miss it. I really, really do, about as much as I miss the decade I wasted not writing.
Because there is much fanart I would like to draw of them too, and many other OTPs of mine (tianaxnaveeen from Princess and the Frog to name one, they are criminally underrated) and I will not have anything but the best for my lovelies.
I plan to draw some character designs to support this fic of mine, and as I improve move on to concept art and even comics. They need more art of them as well! Besides, it about time I learned how to draw men and animals.
I'm excited YAY. Months of writing and my heart is light in knowing that I'm doing what writers do - bleeding at the type writer.
Thank you all for following, liking, reblogging, and for everything. I believe these rambling posts/updates help me stay focused too.
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