Red Like Roses

Chapter 12

( Hey! Above we have Willow and I may end up showing another picture of her to reveal something anyway enjoy chapter 12!)

Crow leads Heather over to a bench within the rose garden and sit down. Crow takes a deep breath and looks at the sky for a moment seemingly collecting his thoughts. Then he begins to speak.
"Heather...... you remember how me and your mom went on a mission together,"he asked.

"How could I forget," she answers with a far away look in her eyes.

"Well you see she didn't disappear..... I know where she is...,"he says. Heather's eyes widen and she springs up from her seat.

"WHAT?! YOU KNEW AND DIDN'T TELL ME!" Heather screamed. She was positively livid.

There's so much you don't know, Crow thought sadly. "I didn't tell you because I promise I wouldn't tell you until Valentine's Day on the year you were 16."

"Why that date?"

"Because it was when you would be ready to know the truth." Heather slowly sat down.

"So where is she?"

"Well.... first I need to tell you something. What's your favorite fairytale?"

"What?"

"Go on answer the question."

"Um Little Red Riding Hood...... Goldilocks and the three bears..... Beauty and the Beast.... and Snow White would be my favorites."

"What about the Elementalists? You know that one?"

"Yeah course it's a popular one in the Spire."

"Well it's not just a bedtime story, it's an actual thing. And your mom? She's the water elementalist." Crow takes a swig from his canteen after he finishes speaking and Heather stares at him with wide eyes. "Each of the elemntalists also has a powerful artifact that represents a key to humanity and can only be retrieved by the corresponding elemntalist. Your mother has the artifact of creation. Now here's where things start getting dangerous. Because of how powerful these people and relics were they were hidden away only to be sued when humanity needed them most but a powerful man found out about the artifacts when you were seven and started seeking them out. And of course he soon found out about the elemntalists and began to hunt them down. Your mother decided to deal herself inside the vault holding her relic so until her power is passed on to whoever is in her thoughts last the vault remains sealed." Heather remains quiet for a moment and fiddles with her cape. Then she slowly looks up.

"Where is her vault," Heather asks and Crow hesitates. "I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW! THIS IS MY KOM AND HAS BEEN KEPT FROM ME FOR YEARS!" Crow sighs.

"Beneath the spire lies your mothers vault," he finally says. You're right you deserve to know. But I can't tell you everything I have a promise to keep to one of the few people I still love. Heather stands up wordlessly and starts walking back towards the Spire. "Heather," Crow calls out but Heather ignores him and uses her semblance to rush towards the basement of the Spire.

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As Heather descends the steps to the basement a million questions run through her head.

Why didn't they tell me? Is mom alright? Will mom let me in? Is she still alive? Is this why we weren't allowed to go down here? How many people knew before me? Why does my mother have this power?

When her feet feels gravel she is startled out of her thoughts. She looks up seeing a grotto, deep underground. There is a large tree in the center that has grown up so high that it fades into the darkness of the seemingly never ending ceiling. Around the tree there is a river surrounding it emptying into a large pond. The water is still only disturbed by a small leaf falling off of the several plants growing along the banks. She holds her breath unconsciously as she walks forward taking the scenery in.