Playing with Fire [COMPLETED]

29 ~ the peaceful grove

Ruin and I appear in a grove, the autumn air crisp and smelling of cinnamon and leaves. Here in Death's Court, the season is always autumn, so the trees are always beautiful and bright. The ground is littered with fallen leaves that crunch under my shoes, and as I walk, I raise my wings up so that they don't drag on the muddy grass.

The grove is quiet and peaceful, and as I walk through the trees, I find myself getting lost in thoughts of home. My village, now totally destroyed. My family.... now dead.  An ache blooms in between my breasts, one I have felt before, when Farrin and I first discovered that our family was killed by Pain. It's a hollow feeling, this ache in my chest.

And it is one I truly hate to feel. Because if I had any power in this whole strange series of events, I'd been able to save my family.  But no. I did have power, and I still do. But I don't know how to control it, or even know how to fly.

What good are wings if they can't fly?

"I can sense your sadness," Ruin murmurs softly. "Do you wish to talk about it?"

"I should've been there to help my family." I sigh, my breath shaking. "I have the power to help. I have wings, I could've flown there. But I didn't. And now .... now..... Now they are dead, or changed. And I don't know what to do to help them."

"You carry all that burden on your shoulders," he says, facing me, touching my shoulders as he steps up, stopping me from moving forward. "I know it is a heavy weight. But you don't have to. Sometimes, fate just is cruel. There is no way you could have known or prevented what happened with your family. You could not have predicted such a violent attack to be carried out on them, you could not have even known. Please, stop hurting yourself over this."

"I can't just drop it, Ruin.  They're my family.  And I let them down.  I let them die," I whisper, my voice finally breaking. The dam I built inside me to keep those feelings locked up, it breaks. I sob, sinking onto the forest floor.

Ruin falls down with me, and he gently scoops me up in his arms. I cry. I don't know how long I do, but when there are at last no more tears, I finally turn to him. I'm empty. And I am alone.

"You are not alone," he says.  "I'm here. And I'm never letting you go."

He kisses me, and after a second of being too stunned to move, I kiss him back. His hands cup my head, and his wings wrap around us. I feel safe in this cocoon of feathers he's made me.

"I'll teach you how to fly, and how to control your powers," he promises me. His lips still against mine, he smiles.  "After all, I can't have you go burning down my sister's Court every time I kiss you."

I scoff, shaking my head. "You're a jerk."

He grins.  "But you like me."

"That I do," I say, smiling at him.

He gasps. "Oh, Elorha! You just smiled at me! Whoa.... I didn't think that was at all possible!"

I roll my eyes.  "Of course you'd say that."

He laughs.  "Come on, I think we should head back. They'll be looking for us. "