Love United

[Kender Bard]

"Thank you, Ryder," Snowflake told him with a smile. "I'm glad that you're safe as well. Nalani, you're going to love it here in the Sanctuary." Her attention was a bit drawn as she noticed some trouble with Sain and she frowned slightly.

Nalani hugged her again and used the position to whisper to her, "There's bad news to be had, Snow. I don't want to intrude on family matters, but if you need me..."

Snowflake nodded and squeezed her back before stepping back. "Why don't you and your husband go find some housing? I may want to see you in a more private setting later."

Nalani nodded and took Ryder's hand, walking away with him. "Let's find somewhere to stay, dearest."


Shyamal let out a soft sigh, some sort of anxiety easing out of him. He lay his head against Zira's shoulder and shut his eyes briefly. ~After this is over, I don't think Dad or I want to let you out of our sights for a while.~


Twilight smiled faintly for Zack and hugged him tightly--a bit too tightly for just a reunion hug. It was almost as if he were clinging to the bard. "I've missed my best friend," he said softly as he let go.


It was easier to keep a stoic face (or perhaps just apathetic) for his male relatives. But Dusk was just so... Her. Sain struggled to keep his composure, but his eyes did suddenly take on a watery shine and he reached up to press his hand against one of hers, firmly. "Please," he said, barely able to find his voice enough to be heard. "Not here. The kids."

Sunray rose again, one hand on Heath's head as the boy pressed against his side with a little whimper. "Perhaps someone could take the children elsewhere and help decide what we'll all eat tonight?" Sunray suggested, perhaps a bit desperately. He couldn't think of a very good excuse of how to get rid of the children quickly without rousing their suspicions.

[Darastrix]

~I think I can live with that,~ Zira murmured.  "I love you," he said aloud, not wanting to exclude his daughter.  "Forces, I love you."

Autumn squeezed her father tight.  "Love you, too.  ...do you think we can go home soon?"

"I wish I knew," Zira said quietly.  "But when we do, I don't think I'll be in a hurry to leave again."


Something's wrong, Zack thought, going a little cold at the realisation.  His mind jumped to the memory of fire and  screams in the palace, and he swallowed against a sudden wave of nausea.  "Twi?"


Oh, Sain.... Oh, Rebecca.  Dusk's breath hitched a little, but she pursed her lips and gave Sain a firm nod.  No, not yet.  He was right; not in front of the children.  Sunlight and Aurora might be old enough, but the younger ones weren't.  They needed to be told, of course, but not yet.  "All right, darlings," she called.  "I know you're all happy to see everyone, but Kingdom business waits for no one, and we need to get all of the dull catch-up work out of the way so they can all rest.  You remember how long the trip here was."

 She certainly did.  Dusk never wanted to hear the phrase 'are we there yet?' again.


Midnight frowned and stepped nearer to his wife once she and Nalani were finished speaking, slipping his hand in hers.  If Dusk was shooing the children off now, something had to be the matter.

[Kender Bard]

Twilight blinked at Zack and it was too rapid. He swallowed a few times and glanced towards Sain and Dusk.

As if confirming Midnight's fears, Snowflake leaned against him a little and whispered, "Something's wrong."

"Should I-" Sunray started to ask, but Twilight shook his head firmly.

"Stay so we can talk," Twilight told him firmly. Someone had to take care of the children, though. "Lyra?" he asked, glancing at his sister in law. Sunray could talk to her on his own later. "Would you mind the children while we discuss matters?"

Sunray moved Heath towards Lyra and the young boy seemed content to hold on to her as much as anyone.

[Darastrix]

Zack followed Twilight's gaze, and if he could have gone pale, he would have.  Where was Rebecca?  No....  Efil, Soahc, no.  Forces, how was he going to stand this?  There was no good way to lighten this mood, and he was going to crack in front of everyone if he didn't.  His wings gave a little flinch at the instinct to fly off and escape the situation, but he stayed where he was.  He couldn't run off on Twi and Zira, and even if he could outrun bad news, it wouldn't make it any less true.


Midnight closed his eyes for a moment and gave a very slight nod.  "I thought there might be," he whispered back.


Lyra looked around the group and nodded.  "Of course."  She crouching for a moment to give Heath a little peck on the forehead.  "Your cousins have missed you, little knight," she said softly.  "They can tell you all about the wonderful things the angels have here in the Sanctuary.  Come."  Lyra rose and took Heath by the hand, while beckoning to the other children.

[Kender Bard]

Once the children were out of earshot, Twilight felt free to unburden himself. "We held Neo'anar," he said in a low, steady voice. "But not without high costs. Though we kept the bulk of Karau's armies away from the city, he still managed to get quite a number to the city walls. While most of the people who remained behind were fighting on the walls, a handful of demons got into the city itself." True, he could have opened up with Emerald's death, but it was if his mind kept slipping away from that thought. That if perhaps he didn't think about it, the numb horror of THAT revelation wouldn't bear down on him again.

Sain picked up where Twilight had paused, though his voice was soft and monotone. "They attacked the palace. Sheer mayhem... I didn't have my sword... Rebecca was stung, I think? I can't even really remember to be honest. But whatever the tool, a demon fell her. And several palace servants, including Kleio, who had remained behind with me while Rebecca and Heath were being taken to safety."

"That's not even all of it," Twilight added, starting to shake as he struggled not to cry. "Emerald..." A sob escaped him. "My little sister."

[Darastrix]

Zira bowed his head during the telling, and when Kleio's name was mentioned, he raised shaking hands to bury his face into as he started to cry.  Kleio.  He should have been there.  He should have gone back to the palace.  It didn't matter that the acting head of the palace guard had told him they could handle things; he should have seen to his friends personally.  He'd known that Sain was in no condition to fight, and what good had his fighting the demons he found in the streets done, really?


Dusk had been bracing herself to hear the actual words, not that it really helped.  Tears had already welled up in her eyes when Sain confirmed what some of them had been suspecting, but oh Love....  Kleio and Emerald had been killed, too?  "Twi...," she whispered shakily, moving to embrace her husband before holding out a hand to Sain to draw him to her as well. 


Midnight had managed to stay calm and serious-looking...until the news about Emerald came out.  He hadn't been especially close to Rebecca or Kleio, but he had been fond of their sister.  Out of Snow's siblings, Emerald was the one he felt the most kinship with, and he found his own eyes pricking with tears as he put an arm around his wife.


Zack squeezed Twilight's shoulder, as much to offer support as to take some for himself.  He was rooted to the spot, and his mind kept supplying images of a palace room filled with smoke and the burned bodies of servants he knew, Kleio among them.  He swayed a little and swallowed hard against the bile rising in this throat. 

If nothing else, Mitura knew how to make a lasting impression.

[Kender Bard]

Twilight clung to his wife. Now was the time for tears and he did cry as he leaned into her arms. But even that didn't feel like enough. He hurt, hurt down as deep as his soul. Rebecca and Kleio would have been bad enough. But he felt that, somehow, he had personally failed his own sister.

Snowflake started to start the words to a solace prayer but couldn't get past the initial sentence. Her voice was choked off and she clung to Midnight fiercely.

Sain took Dusk's hand but he didn't move into her arms. He held her hand, a bit tightly in fact, but the eyes he gave her were dull and sorrowful. "I'm sorry cousin," he whispered and rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand a little, as if to soothe her. "I've wept so much that I don't think I have any tears to cry within me. At least not on the outside."

Sunray didn't share that problem. He desperately wanted Lyra now, but settled for moving in to hug Snowflake instead, who let go of Midnight partially to draw him into her arms. "Snow, how can this be?"

"I know, Sunny," she whimpered. "I know." Why them? she thought. Hadn't her family suffered enough to be burdened with these terrible deaths as well?

"I don't know how to make anything right with this," Twilight told Dusk. How could they go back? There would be graves. Graves for his friends and family. How could he go back and say, 'All is well now, Anarlina is safe?'

[Darastrix]

Midnight held his wife tightly, his heart torn between sadness and anger.  And worry.  All of his remaining family save Sain were Chosen.  How many more would fall?  How many of them would be pushed onto a field of battle?  What about his wife and sister?  Sunray?  They weren't warriors of any sort.  As Snowflake drew their younger brother into their midst, he silently vowed that when the fight came, he wouldn't let them go alone.

Dusk squeezed her cousin's hand and tightened the arm she had around her husband.  "Your grief is your own, Sain," Dusk whispered, her voice tight as tears rolled down her cheeks.  "How it comes out is nothing to be sorry for."

At Twilight's words, she shook her head.  "It isn't right.  It can't be right."  When could the senseless death of innocent people ever be made right?  "But we can act in Love's name and do what is asked of us to keep this from happening to others."

Zira shuddered and moved behind Zack to crush him in an embrace.  Love.  If he'd loved Kleio more, loved him like he'd deserved, maybe he would still be alive.  If he'd just teleported back to the palace....

[Kender Bard]

Twilight looked over his grieving family and swallowed down his sorrow once more. Clearing his throat, he said, "There's going to be plenty of time for tears. I know I'm weary from the journey. Why don't we settle in?"

Sunray nodded wordlessly at his brother's suggestion. Sain just gave Dusk one more hug and let go.