FD: Birth of a Wishing Heart

20. Just a Redeemer

Hansel woke up, barely remembering what was going on due to the dream. He saw her again. Her bright eyes and dark long curly hair behind a bandana fresh in his memory. He didn't see her as a ghost, or a burnt corpse in his dream but alive, in the most comforting way. It took him a moment to realize where he was, or with who he was. It was heartbreaking. He remembered now, he had killed Lucia. She had sacrificed her life for his. She was gone. He caused the Rhioninians to die, leaving the princess with nowhere to go but now death with him. It was all his fault.

"Hansel, are you awake?"

He wished he wasn't. The dream had made reality ring back, his self-hate returning with a vengeance. He wondered if Adiscordia could tell if he lied. Light poured in as his sister opened the window, causing Hansel to shove the pillow over his head immediately with an irritated groan. It was pitch black, and with him lying down the light hit him hard.

Gretel held in laughter. He was definitely awake. "If you weren't so used to hair in your eyes maybe you'd be more used to the light."

"That doesn't make any sense." He protested. He forced himself into a sitting position. His stomach growling startled him. He was hungry already?

"Good morning." Gretel clarified. He looked unaware of how much he had slept. He also seemed upset. Maybe? Once again his expression was hidden by hair. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay... How are you, and what about Adiscordia's conversation last night?" He asked working on the cake that had been left from the day before. Delicious. He tried to think of it as his mother's, it made the situation far more bearable. Maybe if it was his own choice, if it was his own greed and gluttony again, maybe, it would be less stressful.

"I'm okay." Gretel answered quietly watching her brother devour the sweets with renewed vigor. "We talked about you, Hansel, are you sure you're okay?" He stopped, before shaking his head furiously and hitting his head before forcing the pillow and blanket out. It was so nice, but it wasn't real! He had to focus on Gretel! He had to focus on her safety! Adiscordia knew things. He had angered her earlier and then left her alone with Gretel. After making sure he was asleep to not interfere she had a conversation with Gretel about him. What did she say? Did Gretel know the truth? Whatever happened now was his fault. He shouldn't have fallen asleep. He should have been there!

"Hansel! Hansel, what's wrong?"

He took a second to compose himself, taking quick breaths before grabbing a fistful of cake to focus on as opposed to pure panic. He couldn't explain to her why he was like this without explaining his fears. Adiscordia was right, she hadn't given him a nightmare. She had just hit him where it hurt the most, reality. "I'm upset that I fell asleep. I should have watched her, she could have hurt you. I'm useless as it is, the least I could have done was stay awake."

Gretel looked down, he was genuinely frightened of leaving her alone with Adiscordia. It wasn't because of the physical danger. It couldn't have been. "If she did, you wouldn't be able to stop her." She reminded. It didn't help, Hansel dove back into the sweetness to avoid further panicking and Gretel questioning him. Was he growing paranoid? "Can I help?"

Did she know? What if she knew? What if Adiscordia really did separate them with the truth? What was he without her, a criminal worthy of the death penalty, a boy unloved alone who was abandoned in the forest? He needed to stop thinking, she would notice. He opened his mouth to speak but what came out made him even more upset.

Did he just ask for chocolate? Gretel was frightened remembering last night's conversation, then when they had first entered. Of course, she had made chocolate cake to cheer him up, but if she gave it to him now she doubted they could have a conversation. She had to calm him down, this wasn't like him at all. "Hansel? Look at me." He ignored it. "Look at me." She repeated. He stopped and did as he was told. "I want to see you look at me." She commanded. Hansel sat up looking straight at her, attempting to push his hair back with his arm. It worked temporarily. "I'm right here. You haven't failed me. I'm right here for you. I'm okay." This seemed to calm him significantly. After waiting to make sure he didn't dive into his poison again she continued. "Adiscordia seems to think you'll have the ability to free her. She thinks your mother was righteous enough to earn a wishing heart and free her from the curse. If she does, she'll be separated from it, and will no longer crave human flesh. Since your mother would come to protect you, she needs you."

Hansel felt his heart was stabbed. Adiscordia was cruel, she hated him. She was going after everything he loved. "Then why eat me?" He let his arm down to cover his eyes and expression again.

"She still needs human flesh, and she wants an apprentice to help her find the heart."

Hansel's panic nearly rocketed again. "Not you?" Gretel remained quiet. "Tell me you didn't."

"Of course, I didn't accept!" Gretel argued offended. "but, I want to free her..."

Hansel shook his head furiously. "No! If your father came back, would you want to give the chance of him back away?" He snapped. "For someone who is trying to murder you?"

Gretel shook her head slowly. "No. of course not." She became quieter and felt bad for mentioning it. He had never raised his voice at her, but she knew what a fragile topic it was and had mentioned it anyways. She took a deep breath. "She said to ask you about her death, and the fire, and the Rhioninians." It was barely a question. She wanted to attract his anger and over-emotion to Adiscordia. It was scary to see him raise his voice at her like that.

He knew it. He knew what Adiscordia had done. "She's trying to split us. Who knows if what she's saying is even true. Why should I tell you about that, she's trying to eat me!" He argued fiercely and defensively. His hair and clever reasoning could do nothing to hide the emotion in his voice after the extreme quick shift from memories and the threats of the present. Gretel noted he was avoiding the subject. "Adiscordia has given me nightmares, made me sick, she's hurt you Gretel! Why are you listening to her, Don't listen to her!"