Weight of the Crown { A Leonardo fanfic}

Respect All, Trust Few

Leo follows Grayson deep into the forest, where she slows down near a stream, plopping down on the fresh, green grass. He settles down next to her, careful not to be too close to her. "Gray?" Leo says softly, his voice trembling a bit. She didn't speak, her eyes welling up. 

"He's right." She blurts, her shoulders drooping. "I'm worthless, and who am I kidding, I don't belong on the throne." Leo is taken aback but reaches out to place his hand on her arm. "Don't say, that. You are an amazing leader. You deserve the throne as much as the next person!" He disagrees. 

The brunette shakes her head, hugging her knees. "I'm not....normal around here. I'm pretty sure you've seen the changes in the locals' eyes. Their fast healing and brute strength." She doesn't look at Leo, just ahead at the flowing stream. 

"Yeah, so?" He answers slowly. She sighs softly. "You've never seen my eyes change colour have you?" Come to think of it, she was right. He had never seen her eyes change. Even when she lost control and beat the man to the ground, her eyes hadn't changed. On top of that, the scratches on her cheek were faded but still healing.

Leo stays silent. Grayson sniffs, low gravel finding its way into her voice. "I'm not....normal around here." Her nails dig into the flesh on her arms as she tightens her grip. "I'm not a full-blooded Lycadian."  

'That would explain the name calling.' Leo thinks. "So, what other half are you?" He asks, genuinely interested. Grayson's eyes leaked a few tears. "I'm half human." She replies, her voice grave. "Does that make a difference?" Leo asks. "I mean, shouldn't they just accept it as it is?" He doesn't understand why anyone would treat such a kind spirit like that.

Grayson laughs emotionlessly. "Not at all. My dad was human. He was some sort of space explorer. He discovered Amarog and landed here. The locals wanted to kill him, but my mother was intrigued by him and his respect and curiosity. She let him stay. He couldn't get back to earth without his ship being refuelled and repaired." 

Leo listens silently. "My mother and father hit it off at first impression. He was respectful and was interested in the culture and customs of the Lycadians. My mother showed him all our secrets and told him stories of our history. In turn, he told her about Earth and its wonders. Before he knew it, my father caught feelings for my Alpha mother and decided to stay longer. The elders and locals disagreed with my mom's choice to let him stay longer, but there was nothing they could do."

Grayson looks off into the distance as she speaks. "One week, turned into a month, and then a year. And then three years later, I was born." The young alpha pulled her knees closer to her chest. "My mom and dad wanted so much to raise me together, but my dad had to go home to earth. From what I'm told, he went to earth and told his family about his alien lover and about his little daughter. They thought he was crazy, but the government wanted to find this unknown civilization and take control of it. My dad didn't suspect a thing, he was just so excited."

A small tear escaped Grayson's eye. "He made it a habit to visit Amarog once a year and each year he would wear his brown leather jacket. Each year he always brought something to give me as a gift. One year it was a weird thing called an mp3 player, another year it was a hug and a kiss. My favourite was this stuffed bear I got when I was 4."

She chuckles. "I called it Orion. My dad taught me about the stars and the constellations, how to walk, how to talk, how to run, how to read English, how to beat up kids who picked on me. He told me old earth tales." A small smile crosses Grayson's face. "He was my best friend. And he loved my mother. But sadly, not all fairy tales end in happily ever after..." 

The sadness in her eyes return and Leo frowns. "What happened?" He asks. Grayson's gaze lowers and her bottom lip trembles. "The earth government was tracking his ship and followed him to Amarog with a legion. The elders blamed my father and wanted him to be put to death. My mother refused and proclaimed him under her protection. The Lycadians called for the help of the Therians who live on the other side of the mountains. When the earth men attacked, Lycadia was not ready. I remember my mom shoving me into my father arms, telling him to hide. I remember the sounds of shouting and explosions. Cries of pain and anger."

Grayson's nails extended and broke the skin of her arms, her jaw set firmly. "Dad took me to my mother's quarters. He put me on the bed and told me everything was going to be ok. He began telling me a story of his father, who fought bravely in a war back on earth. He said that he believed my mother was the bravest woman in all the dimensions."

Grayson's breathing is becoming heavy and her chest heaves with emotion. Leo didn't know what to do about her arm she was digging her nails into. The blood that ran around the circumference of her toned arms and dripped onto grass was a bright red colour. 

"I was listening, happy to get my mind and ears off the violence outside when a tall, hooded figure entered the bedroom with a sword in their hand. My father stood and asked what the matter was. The person said that my mother needed him in the fight. Immediately, my father turned to me and kissed my head, telling me to not go anywhere. He ran out of the room and that is the last time I saw him. I hear loud booms and hid underneath the bed. I don't know how long it lasted, but it was my mother who stumbled into the room. I could smell her scent, underneath all the metallic stench of blood and dirt."

Leo listens, his heart dropping a little. "I scrambled out from underneath the bed and into her arms, crying. She was covered in blood from head to toe and her blonde hair was dark, as was the look in her eyes. They were a foggy grey. Then I saw it. Clutched in her hand was my father's brown jacket." Grayson's eyes were waterfalls now. Her voice, hoarse and unsteady. 

"I couldn't speak. Though her eyes held sadness and she was shaking, she was strong and I could tell was trying her best not to cry. She told me he had fought bravely and fiercely, like a Weska against a  Gnasher. She embraced me and didn't let go. I cried and cried, holding her tight." 

Leo looks to the ground. "I-I'm so sorry." He whispers. "I-I couldn't imagine how that feels like." He couldn't. Who could? "It's been hard to live with a human as a parent," Grayson says. "No one trusted humans, even before my dad came to Lycadia. It wasn't the first time humans declared war on us." Leo was confused. "Really?" She nods. 

"There was a large war that took place years ago. It was called the Red Massacre. That's how bad it was." She shakes her head. "Humans destroy what they cannot understand or control. It's insane." Leo looks to her. "How old were you when it happened? Your father's.....death?" 

Grayson looks up into the sky. "I was nine." Leo's heart drops. "Nine? That's young!" Grayson nods in agreement. "But as I said, it didn't stop there. I grew up with adults hating me for being born. And as I grew up, I had no friends. No parent would let their child near me. The only friend growing up was Drace believe it or not." 

Leo's eyes grow wide. "The cold-hearted, narcissistic jerk?" Grayson chuckles softly. "Yeah. Him. We grew up together. hung out all the time. He was abandoned as a child and was adopted by Malik the combat trainer. But one day he just ignored me. He started hating me. No idea why he does hate me, but things have been tense between us ever since."

Leo cannit believe that the violent, emotionless captain of the guard had a sworn hatred for the queen. "So what happened here?" He asks, reaching over and tapping the bridge of her nose, where the scar resided. 

Grayson chuckles softly. "One of the first times Drace and I tried sword fighting. His blade flew out of his hands and I didn't move fast enough." She traces the scare thoughtfully. "It's kind of a good memory." She looks at Leo. "So, tell me about yourself, Leo." 

And so he did. He told her about the earth, living with his brothers and sensei in the sewer, keeping New York safe. Fighting Kraang and Foot bots. He told her about the Triceritons and his mission to save the earth. "Sounds like a handful." She says, smiling a bit. 

"Oh, it is. Being the leader is hard." Leo is glad to be able to take her mind off of the events of her damaged past. As he looks at her features he notices things he didn't before. The dimples that showed when she laughed, the mischevious twinkle in her eyes. The dark circles under her eyes. "When's the last time you slept properly?" He asks, reaching over and pulling a strand of hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. 

"Not gonna lie to you and say lately." She admits, looking down, her face slightly crimson. "I've been having trouble sleeping lately that's all." Leo frowns. "You need sleep, Gray." He rests his hand on her shoulder. "I know..." She smiles and nudges him with her shoulder. "Come on, let's go back. I'm sure your family is missing you."

OH. MY. GOODNESS. That backstory tho. Who else is in their feels! What do you think about Grayson's backstory?