The Curse and the Traveler's

[caela]

"I'm sorry, but time it short. Father has ordered us to marry... a little sooner than expected. I know this is hard to say just getting back, but... but I missed you, and I am glad you are ok."

Skye was startled at the sight of David suddenly at her door. She supposed she shouldn't have been, that she should have expected him to come but she hadn't. She hadn't thought about how she was going to handle seeing him or how he would handle the news she had to tell him. And now he was saying his father was ordering them married!

It was all too much too fast and before she could say anything he'd crushed her too him in a tight hug practically knocking the air from her.

"I'm glad your o.k. as well David," she said when he finally released her. Stepping back from him she motioned for him to sit down and glanced over at Quint, "Quint, would you be a dear and go fetch us some tea from the kitchens please?"

Able to see that Skye needed time to talk to David the young Squire nodded and left the room quietly but not without a slightly sad and knowing look as his gaze moved between them.

"He's a good lad. I'm glad Max suggested him to me as a Squire."

Settling into a chair she looked at David and then turned her head to stare out the window, her voice caught in her throat and without thought she reached up and clutched the stone that connected her to Max. She held it tightly in her hand until she could feel the edges of the setting pressing into her palms.

"I can't marry you David. I don't love you, and I don't believe you love me either. Not really, I think you've been told so often that I'm the 'Chosen One' and that you are to love me that perhaps you think you do. If you search your heart however I would be willing to bet someone else already has a home there."

As she spoke she thought on the last few days and David's willingness to help Serena, to try and make her trip to Vegas a good one and then his need to save her. From Max's attitude concerning Serena's unscheduled trip Skye had no doubt David had had to pull some strings to keep her out of serious harm here at home as well.

"Someone perhaps that we both know and who likely still needs you David." Holding his gaze there was no jealousy, no anger, just simple concern as she asked at last, "And how is she doing? How is Serena David?"

 

[poohlive]

Is that what she thought? Sitting here, waiting for him, nervous, her mind wandering? Because he spent so much time saving Serena Sky felt jealous? No, that could not be... David couldn't accept that.

"I do love Serena... as a sister. She's dear to me, and I will always make sure she's protected, but she's not the one I've dreamed about since I was a kid. She's not the one in my fantasies, growing old with, sharing children, wedding for all the kingdom to see in order to please everyone and finally lift this damnable curse."

David got down on one knee, looking up at Skye. She meant the world to him, and his shaky hands only stopped when they clasped hers.

"I know I promised you we would not wed unless you agreed, and you loved me, but we have run out of options. There are only a few precious hours left, if that. I love you, I do. I have loved you since the day I saw you. Skye, please marry me. Let me make you happy. Every day can be fun, every hour filled with whatever you want, laughter, games, children, joy. This is my promise to you. I will make you the happiest woman in the kingdom, in the word... in all worlds."

The tears were falling down his cheeks now as he tried to once more lift everything from his own shoulders. Even as he said the words he knew she would not agree. He had done all that he could, given her everything he knew, and still, in the end, the world would fall apart, and he would remain all alone.

"Please... for me, for the kingdom, for everyone. Please, marry me. Help me lift our curse..."

 

[only_more_so]

As Max walked down the castle hallways trying to find his father, he suddenly felt Skye reaching out to him through the crystal pendant. Suddenly his mind was wrapped up in her thoughts and feelings and he felt content. Then just as suddenly she was gone from his mind. Maybe someone interrupted her, of course, it must have been Quint. He relaxed as he remembered he sent the boy to find Skye.

He realized that his father wasn't in the throne room, or in any of the first dozen places he looked. He finally reached out with a hint of magic and realized he was in his rooms, and that his mother was there as well. He sent a warning thought that he was on his way up, and got a feeling of disappointment but acceptance. Max was afraid reunions would need to wait.

* * *

Charles had collapsed into bed after speaking with David. He truly was exhausted and barely felt like he had closed his eyes when he felt someone or something moving under the covers. Soon he was face to face with his wife, and it took only a moment to realize that she was completely naked.

"I missed you darling Charles. Skye's world was so exciting, and I haven't felt so free in a long time. But now I want to show you how glad I am to be back with you." With that she disappeared under the covers again. That was when Max's message reached them.

"Tell Max to come back in an hour. Make that two hours! I have three days of missing you to make up for."

Charles pulled Beatrix up from under the covers and kissed her gently. "Darling Beatrix, I think Max deserves a few minutes, considering what is going to happen tonight. But I will make him be quick about it." He kissed her again and hopped out of bed, "keep the bed warm for me."

Charles was to the entry of the royal suite as Max knocked on the door. He pulled open the door and waved Max inside. "I'm glad you're back son. As I'm sure you notice, the curse came early because of Serena's trip. When you didn't return with David, we were worried that you wouldn't return in time to fight the curse."

Max face fell, is that the only reason his father was glad to see him? His father was observant enough to realize what was going on. "Max it isn't that. With you gone and the chosen one missing, I didn't know what we would do. So I told David he would have to find someone else to marry, and that I would fight the curse while he married."

Max wasn't entirely mollified, but he realized that his father really was thinking of the kingdom and the curse, and not the individual lives that were affected. But now curiousity got the better of Max, "Who was he going to marry? And what did you decide to do about Serena?"

Charles replied, "I have no idea who he was going to pick. I just informed him before I came here to rest, thinking I would have to be fighting this evening. As for the girl, I put off a decision. I told David he would likely have to decide tomorrow when he became king."

David... King? For some reason the thought made Max uneasy. He never really thought that David would become King one day. Perhaps because he never expected to be around to see that day come.

Then it really sank in, "It's tonight?" Max sat down suddenly. It all started to come crashing down on him. He knew it was soon, but to come back and have it be tonight.

Charles rested a hand on Max's shoulder. There were no words he could offer to reassure his son. Only hollow platitudes, so he offered quiet comfort instead.

Suddenly Max stood and said, "I... need to think. We should all probably talk later, maybe a few hours, let me know..."

He quickly left the room, heading for the watch tower.

 

[caela]

Skye sighed softly as she listened to David going on professing his love to her. She wanted to shake him but she didn't, she simply remained quiet and wished Max were with her.

"Please... for me, for the kingdom, for everyone. Please, marry me. Help me lift our curse..."

Shaking her head Skye pulled David to his feet and looked at him, her eyes objective and her face neutral. Reaching up she fingered the stone at her throat and wished once more that Max were here. She wanted to reach out to him but if he was in a meeting with his father she didn't want to interupt.

"No David. I'm sorry. So much happened while you and Serena were gone. Do you know we found a book written by the Fairy Princess whose famliy brought this curse down on you? I've even spoken with her in a sort of vision.

My marrying you won't break this curse David."

Turning from him she moved to stare out the window, unable to resist reaching out to Max this time she sensed his turmoil and reached out with a mental caress, seeking to sooth him even while her own mind and emotions were in such chaos.

"And I love another," she added quietly while her eyes gazed sightlessly out over the grounds.

 

[poohlive]

There was a moment of fuitlessness, of empty impotence inside him as he watched her break away. It was as if she weren't even listening to him, or trying too. She was being stubborn as always, a quality he admired in her at one time.

But, that feeling went away. To be useless is one thing, to be thrown away like trash for someone else is another.

He gritted his teeth, his fingers making marks into his palms, "Who?"

They dug, further and further. Crescent moon marks etched in blood.

"All my life I was told to love you, and that if I tried you would love me in return. That's the way it's always been for me. That's all I know. That's my existance, Sky. You have been nothing but my whole world since the day I saw you. This is supposed to break the curse, we are supposed to break it together. Who do you love, who do you think is better than me?"

He was shaking now, blood dripping from his palms. Why was he sweaty all of a sudden, why did the room appear so much smaller than it had a moment ago? The world was spinning and in the dense thickness of fog, all he saw was a loved lost.

And a life, wasted.

 

[caela]

"All my life I was told to love you, and that if I tried you would love me in return. That's the way it's always been for me. That's all I know. That's my existance, Sky. You have been nothing but my whole world since the day I saw you. This is supposed to break the curse, we are supposed to break it together. Who do you love, who do you think is better than me?"

"That's the problem David! All your life you were told you loved me but you don't know me. I'm a not a person to you, or even to most of your Kingdom really, I'm a means to an end...an...an idea that they love. They've built me up as something to you that I'm not and made promises for me that they never should have.

You've been cheated David...but not by me.

As for whose I think is better than you that answer is simple...he's not better than you, just different. I can talk to him and he understands me, we understand each other and tonight when he goes out to face the fog he'll be the first twin in your kingdom's history not to go alone."

 

[poohlive]

The blood fell to the floor, tiny droplets against the cold hard stone. It was unforgiving against the release of such pain, almost accepting. Cold stone loved warm and fresh blood painted along its sides.

He did love her, he had to. That was his purpose, his design. They had fallen in love along the beach long ago. His eyes met hers and for the first time he understood. She was his destiny.

Fate would not be denied.

"Max?" His knees shook so, threatening to push him towards that cold stone, which wanted more of him to join it. The cold stone shook with envy, its only invitation.

"All this time, it was Max?" Had Max been planning this all along? They were running behind his back, sneaking kisses in the moonlight while they lied to him, making him feel he still had to go through this charade for the kingdom.

If he hadn't said anything, how long would they have waited to tell him, right up until the wedding? They would have stopped fate to say, no, they were in love. Sorry David, fuck you.

His knees did buckle, and once more he was staring up at her from the ground.

"All this time," Betrayed by his own brother, his fiance, and the very kingdom he swore to protect. In just the last few moments he had been told everyone he'd ever known had either lied, cheated, or deceived him. Now, he was left alone, bitter and broken.

He didn't know what he wanted, but anger bore hot in his blood, making the tears on his cheeks sear.

"I can not force you to marry me, or force you to love me. That always was your choice... I hope you are happy with it."

He stood up. Small pools of blood were at each side now, they continued to drip from his palms, more openly now.

He wanted to go see Max... he needed to go see him. To talk, maybe, perhaps. He didn't know yet. But, when he pictured his brother in his head, the only thing that came across his mind was flashing red.

"Goodbye, chosen one..."

 

[caela]

"All this time, it was Max?"

All this time? How long did he think this had been going on? She hadn't been in his world long at all and only gotten to know Max really in the last week while David himself had been gone chasing Serena to bring her home. There was no huge conspiracy and yet it sounded as if that is what he believed.

"Goodbye, chosen one..."

She hated seeing the pain and anger on his face but there was nothing she could do about it. She would have told him sooner if he'd been here but he hadn't been. She'd told him as soon as she could and that was all she could do.

"Goodbye David. I truley am sorry I hurt you," she whispered and watched him go.

As soon as he was gone she fled to the door of her room to find Quint returning with the tea she'd asked him to fetch. Her Squire could see the turmoil on her face as she took the tray from him and sent him to fetch the doctor for David. His hands were going to need seeing to and there was no way he would have allowed her to tend them.

"Be quick Quint. He shouldn't be hard to find, he's trailing blood down the hall."

Closing her door once more she leaned against it and considered going to Serena but she couldn't. It was likely David himself would go to her and she didn't want to interupt them or make David feel any more alienated than he already did by being there if/when he arrived.

"Max where are you?" she whispered into the room, "I need you."

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Serena heard the knock on her bedroom door and rose from the cocoon of warmth she’d created with blankets and body heat. Her feet took the required number of steps to reach the wooden planks keeping the world locked away. Carefully she opened it, expecting to see Skye standing before her, but was instead greeted by her parents.

“Mother!” she cried and fell into the woman’s arms. She was held close and then her Father’s embrace was wrapping them both tightly. When they pulled apart she looked up to them and only wanted to shrink away. She had to tell them what she had done.

She glanced behind them and saw no one and a sigh of relief escaped her. “You did not find me a husband... this is good,” she whispered.

“Good? But Serena, we found you a mate, well... he found us,” her father said. He grinned wide and smiled proudly. “He is a fine catch and we know you will be well cared for. He comes from our world too and for that I am more thankful. There will be no fear of our customs.”

“Who?” she asked.

“In time,” her mother said as she quietly stared at Serena’s hand. “Oh my dear. . .what has happened to you?”

Serena paled and asked her parents to sit down so she could explain everything to them. As she did she felt her mother’s disappointment and her father’s anger. “So this is all your fault?” he demanded. “You foolish girl! It is good that we returned with a proper husband for you. He will keep you in line!”

“But David has proclaimed that I do not have to wed if I am not in love,” she told her father.

“He can’t do that,” her mother whispered. “He isn’t King.”

“But he will be soon. Tonight. It has been decided,” she told both of them.

“But Serena. The contract has been signed and the only way it can be erased is if there is reason for the betrothal to not occur. Even a King knows this. A King has never defied the wishes of a parent of their offspring. It is the rule that each house raises their child as they see fit. That is how it has always been.” Her father stood up after explaining it all to her.


“The King is law,” she answered back.

“Daughter. If you do not wed this man. . . even if David, Max, or our King claims it null then you bring shame on our family,” her mother whispered. “You have always been a flighty girl and now,” she looked at her daughters hand. “Serena... no one will wed you after this fiasco is known. Everyone will know whose fault it is. You must marry this man. We have an agreement.”

Her father looked back at her. “You disappoint me, Serena. You were not a son, but I loved you. I allowed you to live in the palace in hopes you’d become a well bred lady, but you acted a boy and then you were constantly embarrassing our name with you antics. Now you bring the wrath of the curse upon our heads and you still put yourself first!”

Serena sat there and listened to everything they said. She bowed her head and whispered she was sorry, but neither said anything.

Her father took her mother’s hand and led her to the door. “You’ll marry him Serena, or you’ll not step foot in our home again. He waits in the study for you. There will be no discussion about this. Bring him to the dining hall with you, your mother and I have not sought our meal yet. We were in a hurry to see our devoted daughter... what a foolish choice to have made. I can barely stomach eating, but I would rather not see someone that may be dead to me.”

Serena’s eyes filled with tears that did not fall until her parents left. Her heart was crushed as she sank to the floor and felt her world collapse around her. She knew what she would do. She would marry this man, but she would never love him.

 

[poohlive]

He didn't stop walking until he couldn't see anymore. He was outside of the castle now, the fog thick surrounding him when the world seemed to fold in on itself.

The pain, the torture, enduring such harsh words from Skye. It was all coming together, even his own madness was showing through.

David crumbled to the ground, his muscles limp and useless. He lay there, palms open and staring up at the sky. If he could see the sky stars would twinkle down on him, as if laughing at the sad pathetic life he had chosen to live.

"My... my... my... how pathetic we've become."

David looked up, somehow finding the energy to move his head and see a figure emerge from the fog. He didn't walk into view from the mist, no... the fog itself became dense, transformed, and spit out this image of a well dressed European, with a bullet hole in his head.

"But... but you're dead. I killed you," Even his argument was weak. Here he stood staring at the impossible, and all he could do was complain with his small and whiny voice.

"Yes, and you did so with such passion, didn't you? Such gusto. You tried to protect your love from me and would do everything for her. Where did all that strength go, David? To save Serena you would have moved the world, and now you can't even stand. Aren't you a fucking loser."

David started to shake, his hands balling up into fists. He could feel the all too familiar bite of the pain in his hands.

"Oh yes, that's right. You're going to lay there and bleed. You don't deserve to be king, David."

He couldn't see it, but from behind him, under him, fog was pouring into his open wounds, festering them with whatever black magic covered the world around them. He didn't feel it, he was oblivious. Everything blanked from him when he saw Andrew Wellington once more.

"What can I do, huh? There's no one to fight, nothing to conquer. I'm alone, and everything I thought was real just turned to dust before my very eyes."

"Who's fault is that?" His accent was muddled, something like norwegian, but proper. Almost british, that's the closest David could catch. If he bothered to think about it more, he might get it, but he didn't. There was no need to understand where a dead man had come from.

"Mine, for being so stupid, for believing in everyone."

"Or Max's..."

Max? He gritted his teeth at that, "He stole her."

The palms of his hand warmed at that idea, almost burned with pleasure.

"He did, didn't he?" The fog that was Andrew Wellington agreed, pushing him further.

"Your brother has been following at your coattails for so long, and now he's stolen the one good thing in your life, hasn't he?"

Yes, he did. David could see that now. Max lied, cheated, stole, and manipulated Skye to make things they way they were right now. It was all Max's fault. It was soo clear, why hadn't he seen it before?

"You know what you have to do now, don't you?"

The blood flowed from the single bullet hole in Andrew's head, making a comical slide down his face and pooling at his shirt. A small stain, looking like someone threw cheap wine over him instead of dried blood.

"Yes," David knew, getting up, looking at the Watch Tower. He felt his brother in there, the draw strong. He started walking, the fog following him.

It trailed off him like some weird hero's cape, blowing in the wind.

"BROTHER!!!!" He roared, walking up the steps, his eyes wild, searching for Max, "COME OUT... WE NEED TO TALK."

The doctor came, looking at him under the small spectacles, "You're bleeding, David, let me take a look at-"

"Out of my way."

"David, I think-"

David grabbed him by the shirt, slamming him against the far wall. It was enough to see his jaw drop in some strange comical way, and then snap shut.

"Fuck off," He whispered, holding the doctor off the ground, letting him tremble for just a moment.

When he let go the doctor fell in on himself. David didn't care, he had something to take care of.

"MAX!"

 

[only_more_so]

Max climbed the stairs to the tower, and for the first time in his life found it empty. There wasn't much point in watching the fog when it surrounded the entire castle. The guards were needed elsewhere to deal with the flood of people in the castle.

As Max gazed out over the fog, it seemed oddly peaceful. It was as if the kingdom were wrapped in a layer of unbleached wool. He could make out shifting patterns that tantalized his mind. He would think for a moment that he could discern a pattern to the movements, but then the pattern would unravel. It wasn't changing, just displaying greater complexity than he had understood.

So lost in thought was Max, that he didn't hear his brother's shouting as he climbed the stairs to the tower. He only realized his brother was there when the trap door slammed open and heard another shout of his name.

"David!" Max was surprised to see his brother, but even through the shock it didn't take him long to see that something was very wrong. David was furious, and he didn't look well at all. His face was sunken, as if he were gravely tired or underfed. And there was something wrong with his hands, they seemed possessed by evil. He thought he could see blood dripping, but it was more than that, something he saw with magic, he was sure.

"David, what's wrong?"

 

[poohlive]

"What's wrong?" David stalked closer, his breath low and steady inside his lungs. Everything felt right about this moment, and he hadn't felt right about anything since he'd first scooped up Skye in his arms.

"Nothing's wrong now. I just found out," With sharp sprint he grabbed Max's shoulder and punched him straight into the gut. His lower abdomen seemed to ripple as the engorged fist impacted against his brother.

Even as he didn't he wanted to stop, pull back from what he was about to do. It was too late though, the moment he thought of pulling back he was already on his brother, and the damage was already done.

Afterwards, he growled low in his throat, kneeling down. His whole body was shaking now, but it was a good shaking. This was the shaking of a man who felt energetic, and wanted more.

"So let me get this straight. You stole her from me behind my back, just as soon as my back was turned. How wonderful. You'd choose her over me, over everything she stood for? Now she loves you, and I can't even break the curse. Does that about cover it, brother?"

 

[caela]

Quint had seen the altercation between David and the doctor and watched to see where David was going before he ran at breakneck speed through the castle. Reaching Skye's door he didn't bother to knock but burst in, his eyes wild and frightened.

"Skye!" he gasped as he tried to breathe and speak at the same time.

"Quint what is it!" she she asked running to the boys side and guiding him to a chair. He looked so upset that it was effecting her alread fragile emotional state.

"David...he's...he's gone...totally...nuts," Quint managed as his breathing became more normal. "Threw the doctor...against the wall and...went to the tower...after Max."

"Shit!" she hissed and looked around. Thinking quickly she held Quint's gaze sternly, her eyes hard and determined. "Listen to me Quint, go and fetch Serena, bring her straight to the Tower, tell her and her parents - if they've returned - that David needs her and leave it at that, just make her come NOW. When she's on her way go fetch the King and Queen. I don't care if they are surrounded by gaurds in a secret meeting or in the middle of having sex...get them to that Tower!"

Seeing the boys eyes widen in fear she gripped his shoulder tightly and tried to smile but it didn't work, "Be quick Quint. I'll go there now myself."

Seeing Quint on his way she raced for the Tower herself and paryed the others would be quick.

 

[only_more_so]

"So let me get this straight. You stole her from me behind my back, just as soon as my back was turned. How wonderful. You'd choose her over me, over everything she stood for? Now she loves you, and I can't even break the curse. Does that about cover it, brother?"

Max was totally unprepared for David's assault. He could tell he was furious, but didn't think a punch was going to come until it was already on its way. Years of training had made defense instinctive, but there was no way to block or avoid the blow, only brace for it, somewhat.

They had sparred often enough for Max to know David's strenght, and this wasn't it. It was considerably more. As he bent over the fist and the air was expelled from his lungs, Max tried to think about the situation. Surprisingly he was still able to think, without passion, perhaps because the shock of it held his emotions at bay.

The top of the tower wasn't large, and there was little to prevent someone from falling off. It was definately not the place to fight someone you weren't prepared to see die, or die yourself.

When David fell to his knees, Max thought the fight might be over, but not when he heard the words that came out of his mouth. Or the power shaking his fists.

Still hunched over, Max started circling to David's right. His stomach was still knotted, and he knew fighting David would be a close thing, so Max determined to keep him on the ground, not allow him to rise to his feet. If they wrestled they would only have to worry about the trapdoor, and he wouldn't be able to get leverage for a punch with those cursed fists.

"David, it wasn't like that! I didn't plan any of this, neither did she. If you had taken the time to find out what she really stood for, rather than what you wanted her to stand for, maybe things would be different. I didn't choose between either of you, I chose the kingdom and the thousands of people suffering under the curse. Tonight I go out there, into that madness to keep it from devouring everything..." Max could hardly breathe after talking so much. He was still bent over trying to regain his wind. But he was still poised to knock David's leg from under him if he tried to stand.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

The knock on Serena’s door had her up and running. She knew it had to be Skye this time. Again disappointment filled her as Quint, the boy who was a nuisance stood before her. His face was ash gray and his eyes full of fear. She immediately stopped her self-pitying and pulled him into her room. “What is it?” she asked.

“David is angry. He pushed the doctor and is running after Max. Skye told me to find you... and then the King and Queen. Your parents too.”

“Find the King and Queen... my parents...” she let the words die. Then she sighed heavily. “They are in the dining hall... tell them the Chosen One needs them and they will go, say nothing of me, for they have disowned me unless...” she said nothing else, but looked at the young boy. “Just tell them Skye seeks their audience and tell them where. I will go to the tower.”

She followed Quint out and headed to the tower where she soon found Skye. “He knows doesn’t he?” she said when she approached her.

“He knows that Max is in love with you... doesn’t he?” she asked. She knew it as soon as she said it. Something in Skye’s face confirmed more.

“You love him too? Don’t answer,” she told her. “It is written all over your face. Come... we need to open the door and get inside.”

 

[poohlive]

"They are lies, you know. All of it. Of course he would try to trick you. If he wanted your girl, what would he tell you the truth?"

Andrew spoke in his head, making more than enough sense for David to understand. He could no more trust his own brother than he could the one true love of his life.

"You chose yourself, Max. You chose your own cruel heart instead of anything else. She was the own thing I had that you could take from me, not my crown, not my status, just her. And you did it, you manipulated everything."

With surprising speed he lunged for Max, fist first. It was the agility made by nothing more than the fog, seeming to push him towards this inevitable goal. It swirled around him, making everything cold and unforgiving. All David could do to keep warm was feel his own hate and rage growing inside him.

 

[caela]

“He knows that Max is in love with you... doesn’t he?”...“You love him too? Don’t answer,” she told her. “It is written all over your face. Come... we need to open the door and get inside.”

Following Serena they hurried to the tower, Skye's eyes filled with fear the whole way. Something was wrong. She'd been reaching for Max but something was blocking her, she could feel his mind and it was making her shake with panic. She had reached him earlier, she should be able to reach him now!

"I'm scared Serena. Something's terribly wrong. I could touch Max's mind earlier but I can't now. I can feel him up there but it's like looking through a window, you can see the people but you can't reach them.

David was so angry when he left my room. I tried to explain but he didn't want to hear it. You're likely the only one that can reach him. He loves you, like most men he probably doesn't realize it yet but he does.

Ah you're likely the only one he won't think betrayed him."

Stopping suddenly she shook her head sharply as if chastizing herself, "I'm so stupid!"

Closing her eyes she opened her senses, letting the magic of the lang flow through her and expand her "vision". Focusing she "looked" into the tower and a gasp parted her lips. She could see David and Max clearly and what she was seeing made her inhale sharply and her heart skip a beat. Snapping her attention back into her body she looked at Serena with fear written on her face.

"Hurry! They're fighting and if I don't miss my mark David is set on killing Max."

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Serena stared at Skye in disbelief. “He’ll not kill his brother and you’re a fool if you think he loves me. We, David and I have been over this discussion and just forget it... I’m marrying the man my parent brought back with them... but that isn’t important, they are.”

She ran with Skye, reaching the tower steps and quickly ascended them. “I offer no promises. But I can tell you. . . I am nothing to him. I learned that. You will have to reach him.”

Her eyes spoke the truth of her words and she found herself pushing the door to the tower room open and staring at the tangle of limbs that were rolling on the ground.

“David! Stop!” she screamed and lunged toward him, grabbing his arm and trying to gain his attention.

 

[only_more_so]

Max was a bit confused. It seemed that David had been listening to reason. His hate had started to fade. Then he paused as if listening to someone. The only warning Max had that another attack was coming was the setting of David's face into a mask of rage and a clenching of his fists.

When the attack came it was faster and more fierce than any that David had made in his life. If David hadn't telegraphed his intent to attack Max would have been a goner. As it was he was only able to partially dodge and block the blow, and the glancing punch seemed to burn as it dragged across his chest.

David's seeming madness was adding incredible strength and speed to his fighting, but left him clumsy with no strategy. When the punch didn't connect fully David fell off balance enough for Max to wrestle him to the ground, with relative ease. Even using every bit of fighting knowledge he had, Max was barely able to hold on and avoid David's punches.

All Max could manage to say was, "David, I don't want to fight you," before he needed all of his breath to struggle with his brother. He thought he heard voices, but he couldn't pause in his fight.

 

[poohlive]

"If you don't want to fight me, than you should stop," Despite the tense eyes, his voice was calm and collected. He spoke as if they were all out having a picnic, the lazy bees dancing from flower to flower around them on that warm summer's day.

He remembered the picnic, so long ago, their first date. He enjoyed it, more than Skye realized.

He could not get a grip until Serena jumped in the middle of the, trying to stop him. At that, David found his chance, grabbing Max tightly by the neck, his new strength coming to his advantage as Max fought, but with no leverage.

David pushed him up higher into the night sky, where nothing but fog and darkness waited.

"It's over, Max," He said, standing up, moving to the edge of the watch tower, holding his brother out over the edge. The long way down wasn't visible because of the fog, it seemed to swirl and shiver with anticipation of the drop. A darkness appeared that hadn't been there a moment ago.

David looked at this man, this twin. His brother, who had lived with him so long, loved him. They had fought together in good times, and bad, always their own strengths showing through. He could feel his grip tremble, for the first time unsure if he wanted to do this.

But, that's when he saw Skye, looking at him with concern...

"No, look at her eyes, David. She's not looking at you. She doesn't give a shit about you. All she cares about is Max, precious little brother Max."

Andrew was right, Skye was looking at Max, only caring for him. His teeth gritted hard in his mouth, his breathing ragged and heavy.

"You wanted to die in the fog, didn't you brother? Here is your chance..."

 

[caela]

"It's over, Max,"

Skye stood trapped in the doorway of the tower. She didn't dare move for fear that David would drop Max into the fog that yawned out as if ready to clutch him deep in it's evil embrace. She couldn't believe this was happening. Why was David doing this?

"You wanted to die in the fog, didn't you brother? Here is your chance..."

The way his voice trailed off the sinister gleam in his eyes...Skye didn't even realize she'd screamed or moved but suddenly she was rushing forward, her arms stretched out for Max, not caring if she fell along with him but not willing to let him go either. She reached for him with everything in her and felt the stone at her throat burning as she reached for Max not just with her hands but with her mind and soul as well, unconciously she reached for the magic around her and sought to warp it to her needs without knowing how.

Nothing mattered but saving Max or falling with him now.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

She saw David gain the upper hand on his brother, yet refused to let go of his arm. Her eyes glanced over and saw Skye enter the mix. “David... stop!” she cried.

“David... David please... you can marry anyone you want. You’ll be the King... You don’t have to do this. Please David...” Serena begged.

She felt the tears roll down her cheeks as she watched her best friends fight over a woman that refused to let her own happiness fall to the side to save a country. She bit back the words that wanted to rush out of her. She wanted to order Skye to marry David, but she couldn’t.

The sound of her father and the scream from her mother reached her ears, but she could do nothing about them at the moment. Her father approached and yanked her away from David and grabbed his arm. “What has gotten into you boy. Release your brother now!” he demanded.

Serena fell to the floor and staggered back up as she watched her father join in mix. Her eyes shifted from brother to brother and then to the Chosen One and then her father too. Concern filled her as she prayed that no lives would be ended this night.

 

[only_more_so]

Max was completely surprised when David lifted him off the ground. It wasn't possible for a person to move like that. Max quickly realized either his brother was using magic, or he was fog-possessed. The fog was trying to make David kill him.

As the thought crossed his mind, something of the fog's nature suddenly became clear to him. It was the act of the sacrifice that held the fog at bay for another cycle. If one twin killed the other, there would be no sacrifice and the fog would finally win. Max couldn't let David kill him, and he couldn't kill David.

Reaching deep inside himself and pulling magic from his surroundings, Max unleashed it all in a furious blast that was aimed at driving the fog from David's mind and possibly letting him understand the truth of the situation.

His air was being choked out of him causing the spell to spread more than he intended, and causing it to manifest physically, not just psychically. David, Serena and Skye were all knocked backward and to the ground, rolling into Serena's father. Max flew upwards and away from the tower, another unintended consequence of his spell. As he started to fall, he could feel the fog churning in rage. Brother hadn't killed brother, and another sacrifice was in the making.

As Max fell, he reached out to Skye with his mind, "I love you."

But the fog wouldn't let it end like this. Instead of falling to his death, the fog wrapped him in itself and lowered him to the ground, far outside the castle.

 

[caela]

"I love you."

Scrambling to her feet as Max's mind touched her own she rushed to the walls of the tower trying to see him but all she could see was the fog. He was gone and the pain of it tore through her body drawing a keening cry from her throat...a sound of utter despair.

She sensed people moving around her but nothing mattered in that moment. Clutching the gem at her throat it seared her hand and she was startled to realize that it burned and pulsed in her grip. Max couldn't be dead or the gem wouldn't still burn this way!

Closing her eyes and struggling to concentrate through the despair that wanted to fill her she focused on the gem and the magic in it as well as her own gift for seeing. She could just make out Max, but barely. He wasn't dead but he was wrapped so well in the fog that she couldn't reach him, could barely see him.

Spinning she glared sharply at David before rushing from the tower. She felt hands trying to grab at her and voices following her but she shrugged them off or slapped them away until she was free of them and sprinting through the castle. She hadn't forgotten what the Fairy Princess had told them about selfless love, nor had she forgotten her promise to Max.

If the fog claimed him it would claim both of them, he wouldn't face it alone if she had to search through it for an eternity to find him.

 

[poohlive]

He lay across the chattered rock, his body aching and barren. It felt empty, as if drained not only of energy, but something else. He saw a silver substance poll at his feet, wondering what it was.

Serena lay on one side of him, and Skye on the other. Skye was the first to move, both anger and fear surrouding her. He remembered her leaving him several times with that face, angry that he had not pleased her yet again. He had done too much, or not enough.

Maybe she didn't care to know him. Maybe she had purposely pushed him away because she knew all along she loved Max. And Max knew all along he loved her.

That is what hurt David the most. Not that they loved each other. Had Max said something that day on the beach, David would have been heartbroken, but happy for his brother, finally finding love.

What hurt David deep inside was they they had pretended, put on this farce of a dance before him, making him feel as if he were safe, and things would happen according to plan, only to betray him in the end.

That was his weak spot, where the fog could get in, sink its teeth and give him the strength he had never felt before.

"You win again, Max," He said, looking out to where he had gone. The fight, the girl. If David were a betting man, he would imagine that Max would have the whole kingdom by the end of the night...

Leaving David with nothing, just the empty shell before him now.

"Are you ok, Serena," He paused, helping her up.