Fablehaven Oneshots

Remembering Those We Have Lost

An excerpt from Marla Sorenson's newspaper that remembers those lost in the Battle of Zzyzx and the line of the duty.

Obvious spoilers for everyone important (to me) who died in the main Fablehaven series.

(I headcanon that Marla was an editor of a local newspaper in Rochester and that she creates a newspaper for the magical world. This is mostly explored in my fic "Quiet Sunday Dinners.")

━━━━━ ❁ ━━━━━

REMEMBERING THOSE WE HAVE LOST

Marla Sorenson

Very few in the magical community have escaped unscathed from the chaos of the past few years. Members have lost fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, teammates, and beloveds in battles for preserves and during the Society's final march to Zzyzx. Today, on the anniversary of the Battle of the Zzyzx, we remember those that gave their lives for our victory.

DOUGAN FISK. Former lieutenant of the East in the Knights of the Dawn. Brother. Friend.

"He had such a sense for duty," brother Maddox Fisk remembers. "He knew he wanted to give his life in service. Even after the Sphinx was revealed to be the Captain, Dougan helped lead a vestige of the Knights until his death. But, more than what he did for the world, was what he did for me. He was my big brother. He helped raise me. And I miss him every day."

LENA BURGESS. Former Naiad. Staff member at Fablehaven. Wife of Patton Burgess. Friend.

"Lena sacrificed herself to save Fablehaven from falling," Kendra Sorenson, veteran of Zzyzx recalls and friend of Burgess recalls. "I wish she was here to see what she paved the way for. She lived a full life, and I feel ungrateful to wish she hadn't become a martyr. But...I love her. I miss her every day."

TAMLYN MARTINEZ. Knight of the Dawn. Daughter. Sister. Friend.

"I knew Tammy lived a dangerous life as a Knight. She was such a thrill-seeker as a kid," her mother Dorothea Martinez recalls. "I remember receiving the call from the Knights of the Dawn. I remember the funeral. But, most of all, I remember her telling me that if she died, she would die doing what she loved. Sometimes, I wish I put more effort in convincing her to quit. But, a bigger part of me knows I could've never held her back from the Knights."

ROSA TABARES. Caretaker of Lost Mesa. Mother. Daughter. Friend.

"My mother dedicated her life to the mesa," Mara Tabares, Knight and current caretaker of Lost Mesa, says. "I will do the same. Her sacrifice was not in vain."

CHARLIE "CHUCK" ROSE. Resident at the Seven Sancturaries. Knight of the Dawn. Son. Friend.

"My stomach twists when I think about Chuck," long-time friend Daniel Farrows says. "I don't know how he'd feel about the turmoil surrounding the dragons right now. But, I know he'd advocate for them. So, in his memory, I ask everyone to remember to think from the perspective of dragons and remember that they're intelligent beings."

BROADHOOF. Centaur of Fablehaven.

"Fablehaven lost one of their finest that day," Graymane, leader of the centaur community at Fablehaven, says. He declined to comment further.

LAURA GOLD. Caretaker of Obsidian Waste. Wife. Friend.

"Laura was an amazing caretaker. Truly. She cared about every creature on Obsidian Waste and had great respect for the magic intertwined everywhere," Berrigan White, staff member of Obsidian Waste and friend of Gold recalls. "She lost her sister, nephew, husband, and three staff members prior to her death. Rebuilding Obsidian Waste feels hollow without them. But, they sacrificed themselves for the preserve, and we will see their mission through."

COULTER DIXON. Knight of the Dawn. Mentor. Son. Brother.

"Coulter taught me so much," Seth Sorenson, veteran of Zzyzx, recalls. "Even in his final moments, he comforted me and gave me a plan to survive. You know—when I first met him, he told me that if we ever ended up in a life or death situation, to expect him to save himself and leave me for dead. Instead, when it came down to it, he saved me with his prize cocoon. Even if I spend all my life trying, I don't know if I can ever be half the man he was."

THE ETERNALS. Roon Osricson, Mark, Civia, two others unknown.

"These five made the ultimate sacrifice for millennia," an anonymous Knight comments. "We may not know much at all about who they were, but we can all be inspired by their sense of duty."

Continued on page 12

For the next week, we will be continuing remembrances for those lost in the line of duty. Please send submissions to thehiddenherald@gmail.com with a name, information about their sacrifice, and a quote from a person close to them.