Sparkle (KOTLC) {Completed}

9

Janessa quickly fell into the habit of masking her emotions whenever she was in the hideout in fear of Vespera. One time, she had accidentally brushed against her, but unlike with everyone else, there was no emotion at all coming from her. Vespera had interpreted her horror as being simply because she was scared of her, not that she had felt her emotions — or lack thereof.

The only times she allowed herself to show any emotion was when she would hide in Glimmer's room with her to talk; not even when she would practice with Fintan, who quickly noticed her coldness towards him.

"Are you alright, Janessa?" Fintan asked, placing a hand on her shoulder, sending the usual wave of fondness that made Janessa want to rip her eyes out and melt into his embrace simultaneously. She scrambled away and glared at him, lower lip trembling, trying to focus only on the smug possessiveness that kept her grounded, reminded her of his real intentions.

After many moments of silence, she still didn't answer.

"Are you alright?" He asked again.

Janessa straightened her shoulders and her lips thinned. "I'm fine."

Fintan sighed. "I'm sorry."

Another minute of silence.

"Let's just get back to practice." Janessa said monotonously.

Fintan nodded. Janessa called down a ball of Everblaze and let it grow to the size of a school bus before splitting it, then turning them into two rings hovering above the forest. 

"Amazing." Fintan murmured.

Janessa tightened the rings until they merged together in a ball again before snuffing it.

More silence.

"Do you want to play catch?" Fintan wondered hopefully.

Making the mistake of making eye contact with him, Janessa quickly glanced away to hide the sadness that had softened her features and the tears that had formed. Fintan approached and put a hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. The fondness washed over her and she couldn't block it out. The smug possessiveness was just as strong now, but it disguised itself as concern. She squeezed her eyes shut, trembling, as a tear fell down along the scars on her right cheek.

Fintan didn't say anything else but finally she nodded, eyes wide and innocent. By the end of their game, she had a small smile on her face.

Once they returned to the hideout, they immediately ran into Vespera and Janessa's smile fell into a blank mask.

"Where did you go?" Vespera demanded.

"Pyrokinesis training." Fintan replied coolly.

Vespera arched an eyebrow. "You're training your prisoner?"

Janessa shrank behind Fintan subconsciously, even though the proximity made her slightly nauseous.

"I don't want her to suffer because of my mistake, like all other pyrokinetics." Fintan stated.

Vespera frowned disapprovingly. "That kind of weakness will be your downfall."

She didn't say anymore as she brushed past them. Janessa shivered at the familiar emptiness of her touch.

Fintan put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "She has no reason to hurt you, so you don't need to be afraid of her for now."

For now. How long would that last? In that moment, Janessa decided. She needed to leave, with or without Fintan's permission, and she couldn't let herself be stopped this time. Especially since she could feel his possessiveness becoming much stronger, as if he knew he was losing her.

Once night fell, Janessa opened her mind for the first time in many weeks, hoping beyond hope Sophie would be looking for her and making her mind as loud as possible. A few minutes passed and nothing happened. Janessa sighed. She would be escaping without help then.

Tiptoeing down the halls, Janessa made her way outside, breathing a sigh of relief she hadn't been caught yet. Suddenly, she heard a voice.

"What are you doing?" Glimmer asked.

"I... I have to go."

"How are you leaving? How are you expecting to get back to the Lost Cities?" Janessa could imagine Glimmer rolling her eyes from her tone of voice.

"I'm going to the forest. And then... well, I probably shouldn't tell you in case they ask you." 

"You don't trust me." Glimmer paused. "That's good. You shouldn't have even told me you're leaving, but it's too late for that."

There was a moment silence.

Janessa lifted her crystal up to the light then paused, looking at Glimmer's figure. She rushed to the girl and wrapped her in a quick hug before backing away and letting the light drag her to the forest, smiling sadly at the hooded girl.

When she arrived at the forest, she immediately focused on the energy of Everblaze, once she found it, she harnessed not all of it, like usual, but rather just parts of it, until white sweet-smelling smoke spread above her head. 

Once she was comfortable with conjuring this smoke from the sparks of Everblaze, she began walking North.

For hours, she walked, gradually curving to the East and then back North and then West. She ended walking almost South. Part of her was scared this would only lead the Neverseen to her, but she hoped Mr Forkle would understand. She hoped he would find her first.

Once she had completed what she hoped was the sign of the swan, she sat in between a thick bush and a large tree, resting her back against the trunk and struggling to keep her eyes open.

Another painful hour passed, and finally there was a voice.

"You kids are going to be the death of me." 

Janessa perked up from leaning her head against the tree and stood up, running towards Mr Forkle but pausing before him, hesitating. After everything that had happened with Fintan, she couldn't help the wave of guilt washing over her and making her knees shake. There was also the fear, which only made her feel more guilty.

After minutes of trembling in the middle of the woods, Janessa finally looked up. Mr Forkle was staring back at her, concerned and fond and steady and exactly the way he'd always been.

"I'm– I– Fintan– He– I'm sorry. I– I let my guard down. With– I mean– just the training– I even forgot about Keefe and– I– I'm sorry" Janessa blubbered, fat tears rolling down her cheeks.

Mr Forkle wrapped his arms around her in a hug and she stiffened. For a moment, horrifyingly, it felt wrong to hug someone who wasn't Fintan, but then she focused on Forkle's emotions, picking them apart, hoping beyond hope he wasn't like Fintan. After all that time, she couldn't trust anymore, she couldn't remember all their genuine memories.

There was curiosity and confusion and concern. There was a low hum of fondness, but none of the smug possessiveness that emanated off of Fintan that she'd noticed too late. Mr Forkle didn't own her. Janessa's eyes widened but the furrow between her brows relaxed. 

Mr Forkle lifted his pathfinder to the light and they glittered away, reappearing in front of glittering pastures and a four-story crystal mansion. It was late afternoon here. 

"Where are we?" Janessa wondered tearily, glancing around in awe.

"Havenfield." Mr Forkle said shortly.

Janessa's heartbeat quickened. "Sophie's house. I- She doesn't wanna see me. I should- "

"You'll be fine, Q-Tip. It's just for tonight." 

The codename felt unfamiliar and uneasy, but at the same time warm and calming. Janessa didn't know how to interpret it, but her shoulders relaxed and her teeth unclenched.

Janessa nodded, looking at the ground. "Ok."

Mr Forkle gave her a reassuring half-smile, before light leaping away. Janessa didn't move.

Finally, after many moments of nothing, Janessa took the first step up the path.