Beautiful Insanity (A Skyrim/Oblivion Fanfiction) ((ORIGINAL))

Time

Author's Note: This could potentially be my last Third-Person POV. Unless you all prefer this style, I'm going back to first-person next chapter.

...

"Regina, sweetheart?" The girl kept her eyes shut as she recognized the rumbling tone of her father. "I'm sorry, I really am. I know you, and I know you heard what I was saying." Regina didn't reply. "You're just a lot like me, and I suppose we butt heads sometimes. I want you to know that I love you, and that I'll always support you. If you choose to pursue magic, then I will stand behind you." He stood up, and Regina fought to keep back the tears. He held the door open and paused. "Goodnight, my princess. I love you." No, you don't. You're just trying to get back on Ma's good side. Nice try, Pa.

...

The next morning, Regina couldn't look at her father. Her mother hadn't spoken to him, but he was being extra sweet to them all. He brought flowers to Russet, a new brush to Kary, and an entire bag of spellbooks for Regina. For a while, Regina tried to overlook his harshness and be glad for the gift. She spent the entire day reading over them, studying the contents closely.

"Brynjolf," Russet later muttered to her husband, putting the flowers into a vase, "you know I love you. But what was that about last night?" Her voice held an edge. Brynjolf seemed to feel guilty.

"I don't know, lass. I don't believe what I said. I think I hit the ale a bit too hard." His attempt to explain it was weak, and they both knew it.

"I do hope that you're not trying to use ale as an excuse."

"I have no excuse, my love. Our daughters are precious to me." Regina heard his words from upstairs, a new spell allowing her to hear everything in the house. Still, she couldn't believe her father's new reassurance. She doubted she ever would.

...

Seventeen-year-old Regina was forced to attend her sister's ceremony. Karliah had gotten rid of a pack of Falmer that wandered aboveground and started attacking passerby. Karliah was becoming a Thane of Solitude, while Regina knew she was just the younger sister that hung in the background. For years, she'd been told that her sister was better than her, that Karliah was a hero like their mother.

One of the only bits of attention she'd gotten was from the town madman Dervenin. He had always been rather interested in Regina, and today approached her with excitement in his eyes. "My Lady? Yes, is it time yet?"

"Time for what?"

"Time for the beginning! Or the End. The beginning of the End!" He peered into Regina's gray-blue eyes. "No, not yet... days? Minutes? Just wait, My Lady!" Regina wandered away from him, uneasy. However, it led her right into another person-- a teenage Nord boy about her age. After a groan of annoyance, he smirked snidely.

"Don't you wish it was you up there?" the boy sneered, poking Regina in the side as High Queen Elisif placed a circlet on Karliah's brow. The dark-haired girl took a step back and bit her lip nervously, unsure of what to say all while trying to calm the magic inside of her. "But alas, how difficult must it feel to be worthless, just a shadow of her family..." he clicked his tongue. "Not all of us can be important."

"Please stop," Regina begged, her heart beating quickly with anxiety.

"What'll you do if I don't?" he challenged, flashing a toothy grin at Regina.

"You don't want to find out." Regina puffed up her chest, trying to appear bracer than she felt. She didn't want to be out here with all these people; she was only here out of obligation to Karliah.

"Oh, I'm so scared! What are you going to do, hit me with a book? Run to Mommy?" Her face was hot with embarrassment. "You're nothing compared to your big sister, are you? You'll never be anyone important. You--"

"Shut up, or by Oblivion, I'll kill you!" Regina shrieked, her anger exploding. The boy flew back and hit several adults, all of whom sent shocked glances towards her. The girl squeaked and hid her hands before fleeing from the Blue Palace.

...

"Regina! Come back!" her father shouted furiously, picking up his pace. Fearful, the girl quickened her feet with a spell and darted inside Proudspire Manor. Son of a-- why did I do that?! Wait, the Elder Scrolls! Mother had one that could turn back time. Where is it?! Regina was the only one, besides her parents, that knew her mother had possession of three Elder Scrolls. Of course, not even Russet knew that she knew.

The Scrolls had always fascinated her, and though Regina had never seen one, she'd done enough research (which included talking to a dragon or two) to figure out that there were three inside her very own home.

The blue-eyed girl rifled through her parent's chests, frantic in her search. She mentally smacked herself when her search turned out to be fruitless, and when she realized that her mother was no fool-- she'd have hidden them well.

Regina cleared her mind and let her magicka free. Upon feeling the energy tug at her, she followed its trail to the wall. For a moment, she was a bit confused. Yet despite it all, her father's treasure-seeking instincts had been passed right down to her.

She tugged at a loose stone, coughing when a cloud of dust burst up. She waved it away and pulled out all three, gasping at their weight. Each one was identical, save small bits of parchment that had been wrapped around each one.

The door slammed downstairs, and she knew she didn't have much time. Reading quickly over the parchment, Regina let out a sigh once finding the runes that spelled out time.

She ignored the runes that spelled out night and darkness.

Without a second thought for caution, the young woman opened it and thought of earlier that day. A bright light shone from the Scroll, sending her into a trance. For a moment, she was trapped in the past and future, a jumbled mess she couldn't make sense of.

The change came when the bedroom door swung open with a loud bang, startling Regina out of the trance. The intrusion shot through her focus, sending her magic out of control and ruining her concentration. All three of the Elder Scrolls crackled with magical energy, floating up into the air and creating a wild wind in the room.

Regina found herself lifted up into the air while her parents screamed her name in terror. As an invisible force drew her closer to the Scroll she'd chosen, Russet ran forwards and grasped her daughter by the hands.

"Ma!" Regina howled in fear, hardly able to be heard over the howling wind. Brynjolf soon joined his wife in attempting to keep his daughter, holding the young woman's arm tightly.

"Don't let go!" Brynjolf shouted over the noise. Russet gritted her teeth and pulled back as she slid over the gray stone floor.

"Thanks for the advice!" she hollered back, tone laced with panic and fear.

"Help me! Please, help me!" Regina's screams grew louder and more desperate as the Scroll's hold on her strengthened.

"I'm-- trying!" Russet tugged harder, using a Shout to try and keep the Scroll at bay. For a brief moment, it seemed like they would win as Brynjolf and Russet regained a bit of footing.

Their hopes were dashed when another force threw the pair away. Regina screamed one last time before being sucked into the portal, leaving her distraught parents lying on the floor crying over their failure.