FANFIC- OF MURDER AND MAGIC CH 11
Title: Of Murder and Magic
Author: me
Rating: PG-16?
Genre: Mystery, Supernatural, Romance
Characters/Pairings: England, Seychelles, America, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and others. US/UK, one sided France/Seychelles, one-sided France/UK, Spain/Romano and Germany/Italy if you squint.
Summary: Gakuen Hetalia AU. When a student is found murdered, and Arthur is named the next victim. Arthur takes it upon himself to solve the mystery. But will it take his life to solve it?
Warnings: AU, violence, boy love, human names, swearing
Ch 11 Of Homes and Rain
It was raining when Arthur arrived. Then again, to Arthur it seemed like it was always raining. Whenever it rained in Little Flats, Arthur was reminded of home. He stood outside for a while, just enjoying the scenery before him. Lime coloured fields and lush greenery. Arthur closed his eyes, letting the rest of his senses do the seeing for him. He smelled the fragrance of honey and water. He could feel the rain dripping into and soaking his clothes. He could almost taste the wonderful earl gray tea now. He then opened his eyes and almost smiled. He was home again.
It had been months since he had last visited. Arthur usually went home for the holidays but this semester his various injuries and trips to the hospital had deterred him from going. Arthur had to say that he had missed his homeland quite much. He hadn’t realized just how much until he had stepped out of the airport.
Arthur cursed to himself once he realized that he had no transportation to his brother’s house. Arthur had grown up in London and that was where his parents lived but he felt something calling him to his brother’s estate in Edinburgh*.
He had also conveniently forgotten to call his brother in advance to inform him of his arrival. No matter, he could always surprise him. Arthur and his brothers were never in the best of terms. Whenever the opportunity arose to torture one another, they all eagerly took advantage of it.
Arthur was going to visit his (vastly) older brother, Andrew, who had a small house located in the edge of Edinburgh. The last time Arthur had seen Andrew was at the previous Christmas celebration, an obligatory family gathering of sorts. Andrew had left in a hurry and Arthur hadn’t spoken to him since. Arthur hoped that his brother was in a good mood.
Arthur called for a cab and waited at a bench. Once the cab had arrived, Arthur directed the driver to his brother’s house. It had been a while since Arthur was last here and he didn’t remember what street Andrew lived on. He hoped that his spatial memory would not fail him for once. Arthur stopped the driver once he saw the familiar house. He paid the cab driver his fare and stepped out.
It was just as Arthur remembered it. The houses on the block were virtually identical to their neighbors with a small amount of variation. His brother’s house was at the corner of the block. It was a far bit more tattered than its neighbors but still in livable condition.
Arthur made his way up the driveway, dreading the moment when he had to knock on the door. Once he was in front of the front door, Arthur stopped and lingered for a bit. He gathered up his courage and knocked on the door. He stopped and sighed. He tried once again when the door opened. At first Arthur could see no one behind the door until he looked down. Arthur scowled at the sight of his much-hated little brother.
“Peter, what are you doing here? Where’s Andrew?”
Peter rolled his eyes at Arthur. “He went out. Didn’t say anything about when he was going to come back though. Bye,” Peter said as he tried to slam the door on Arthur’s face. Arthur quickly reached for the door and pushed back on it before it could close.
“Not so fast, Peter. I need to do some errands. Now let me in,” Arthur murmured through gritted teeth, pushing the door further back. Peter tried to use his weight to keep the door closed but failed. Arthur was just too big and strong. Peter quickly stepped back to let Arthur in. Arthur, who had still been forcing his way in, didn’t notice Peter’s abrupt movement and fell to the floor. Peter pointed and laughed at Arthur. Arthur cursed to himself before getting off the floor. Arthur wondered what he had done to Peter to get him so riled up about. The boy would forever be a mystery to him.
“Peter, listen to me,” Arthur said, grabbing Peter by the shoulders and forcing him to look at him.
“I’m going out for a bit later. Tell Andrew that I’m going to be at the docks. He’ll know what I’m talking about. Stay here.” Peter stomped his foot.
“No! Everyone always leaves me behind! Take me with you! Take me with you! Take me with you!” Peter whined, his complaints never ceasing in vigor and intensity. Arthur had ignored him for the most part and walked to the guest room. He placed his traveling bag and knapsack on the bed.
He then went to Andrew’s room, trying to search for some clothes he had left last time he had visited. Peter had followed him, his whining and complaints still spewing from his tongue. Arthur continued going through the closet until he had found what he was looking for. They were some old spare clothes of Andrew’s that Arthur knew Andrew would not miss. Arthur had tried to go into the restroom quick enough so that Peter would not be able to sneak inside. He locked the door behind him and changed out of his drenched clothes. Arthur unlocked the door and stepped outside once he had finished. Peter continued his rant while Arthur left the room and headed towards the kitchen.
Peter followed behind once more, hoping to get on Arthur’s nerves. Arthur ignored him and ransacked the refrigerator, his stomach empty since he had gotten off the airplane. He wrinkled his nose in disgust when he had found a two-week old haggis and had spared his brother the pleasure of throwing it out. Arthur had settled with the stale scones and porridge.
He was halfway to finishing when Arthur had noticed the silence. He saw Peter staring at him hungrily.
“Are you hungry, Peter? I can make you something if you like,” Arthur suggested gently. Peter shook his head vigorously. “N-no! I hate your cooking! You always burn everything!” Arthur rolled his eyes at the comment and continued eating the remainder of his meal. Once he had finished, he had searched the refrigerator once more and found some remainders of codfish. He took it out and searched for a frying pan. He had also found some potatoes hidden in some corner.
“What are you doing?” Peter asked angrily. To Arthur, it seemed that Peter was always angry.
“I’m making you something to eat. Here, take these and start peeling,” Arthur said, handing Peter some potatoes. Peter wrinkled his nose at the prospect of doing work but did what Arthur told him and started peeling.
“Why are you here anyways? I thought you hated Andrew?” Peter asked, flinching when he nicked his thumb. Arthur sighed and took the potato from him. Arthur took the potato in his hand and finished peeling the potato. He handed the peeler back to Peter and continued with his cooking.
“I have to remember something. Something important,” was all Arthur said. Peter humph-ed at the short answer and continued to peel the potatoes. Once Peter had finished, Arthur had started to fry the potatoes.
Arthur had tried his best not to burn anything and he hoped that Peter would appreciate his efforts. Arthur placed the plate in front of Peter. Peter had stuck out his tongue at Arthur before gorging down the food. Arthur watched silently as his brother ate. It reminded him of how big a wreck their family was. Family gatherings mostly consisted of fighting and arguing and someone leaving in a huff. He wondered if things would ever change.
Peter stood up and handed Arthur the empty plate. “It wasn’t too bad I guess,” he said, not looking at Arthur. Arthur smiled to himself. He knew that he was a good cook. No, not good, the best.
Arthur remembered his self-appointed task and went to search for an umbrella. Once he had found one, he started to make his way to the door.
“H-hey! Where are you going? You’re not leaving me here by myself, are you? You’re such a jerk! Leaving a little child all on his own, where he could easily be kidnapped and held for ransom-“
“Enough, Peter. You can come with me. Just be quiet for crikes’s sake,” Arthur said, stepping out. Peter followed behind him. Arthur closed the door and locked it with one of Andrew’s spare keys. How many times did he have to tell the man that hiding spare keys under flowerpots wasn’t a very good idea?
Arthur walked rapidly, trying to remember what it exactly was about this place that had made him come here. Peter half-jogged half-walked to keep up with Arthur. He voiced his complaints but Arthur paid them no mind. He was too busy consumed in his thoughts.
When they reached the end of the block, Arthur could see a small cemetery from the corner of his eye. He stopped walking and turned to stare at the lonely forlorn graves. It was an old cemetery, and had housed many of the dead from the past century. The graves themselves were not all that elaborate. They were simple stones cut and shaped into tombstones, inscribed with names of long lost loved ones. The cemetery was past its prime and people had long since stopped in using it, preferring the newer gated one a few blocks away. Many of the graves were overrun with weeds and flowers and some had been so worn that the letters they bared were no longer decipherable. The cemetery stirred long lost memories in Arthur. Memories that he had thought he had buried deep in his heart, hoping that they would eventually be forgotten.
Peter continued to voice his many complaints to Arthur when he saw the look on Arthur’s face. It was one of longing and pain. To Peter it was a foreign look. He had never seen Arthur in so much pain. Peter tugged on Arthur’s coat, trying to stir him from his thoughts. Arthur didn’t notice the movement, much too enveloped in the memories of the past and all the emotions that he had long forgotten.
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It had been a warm summer day. Arthur was five year old and Andrew had just finished explaining to him the importance of his new gift. It was a locket, one that he had seen his mother treasure so much. Arthur was astonished that such a thing was now his. His and only his. Arthur fingered the locket and then stuffed it into his pocket, as if to protect it from thieves.
Andrew chuckled at Arthur’s naivety and ruffled his hair. Arthur grinned happily, wondering what he had done to deserve such a splendid gift from his beloved brother. Arthur almost leaped with joy and excitement.
His excitement was cut short later when he had almost lost the precious antique. From that point on, Arthur decided on burying the prized heirloom and had used his mother jewelry box as a storage place. After much deliberation, Arthur had decided to bury it like pirates buried their treasure in all the stories his mother had told him. He had picked the backyard as his secret spot. He picked the most special part of the backyard, the garden. The garden was home to many beautiful flowers. In the most secluded part of the garden, hidden from view by many bushes and shaded by the trees was a ring of flowers. Arthur thought that spot was the perfect spot to bury his gift. He had taken a small spade and dug a hole in the middle of the ring. He buried the box and covered it back with dirt. He patted the dirt once before going back to the house and putting the spade away before he loses it.
For the most part, Arthur’s treasure remained hidden and eventually forgotten. It was five years later that Arthur had rediscovered his treasure when he was tending to the garden. He spotted the corner of the jewel box and dug it out. He was surprised by the discovery.
“Arthur! We must get going. The trip to Edinburgh is a long one. Let’s try to make good time,” Arthur’s mother called out. Arthur opened the box and stuffed the precious heirloom into his pocket.
His mother had been right. The car ride to Edinburgh had been indeed long. They were going to visit his brother, who had just moved out. Arthur didn’t really get along with any of his brothers but his parents had insisted on visiting Andrew. Arthur was compelled to join them.
Someone shaking his shoulder roused Arthur from his sleep.
“We’re here,” his mother said gently. Arthur rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. Arthur got out of the car and was greeted by a small gray house, almost identical to its neighbors. His parents had already gone and greeted his brother. Arthur was tempted to explore the area, having grown bored with the idea of fighting with his brother again.
Arthur tugged on the sleeve of his mother’s coat. “I’m going to explore for a bit. I’ll be back in a jiff.” His mother nodded absentmindedly. Arthur left his parents and went to explore the block.
He dared to venture further and went past the end of the street until he stumbled into a graveyard. Arthur stopped to look at it and slowly walked towards it. He thought he saw strange lights and approached them in order to get a closer look. He gasped when he saw that they were not fireflies as he had originally thought but will-o’-the-wisps**! Arthur was terrified of coming any closer, afraid to be drawn in by the light and taken from home. He stayed where he stood, rooted to the ground. He gaped at the lights, fascinated by the wonderful array of colors. And for a moment, he forgot his fears about being whisked away and any other cautionary tales he may have heard of fairy lights. Why would creatures so beautiful want to harm him?
He approached the lights, his fears forgotten. One of the lights buzzed by his ear and tickled him. Arthur laughed. His laughter seemed to have a positive effect on the lights, making them brighter and more beautiful. Once he opened his eyes, Arthur realized that he could see them. He could see their shapes and features. He could see the wonderful wings and the beautiful colors. They whispered kind words to him and asked him to be their friend. He laughed with joy. They were so beautiful and kind. Arthur nodded, glad to have found these wonderful companions and befriended them.
They followed Arthur when he had chosen to go back and face his brother. He felt at ease with them at his side. He felt wanted, loved and (dare he say it) special. They made him happier than he had ever been in his whole life. They took away the pain of being alone and made him feel like he needed no one else. He just needed them as his companions.
Arthur allowed them to follow him, glad to finally have some friends of his own. He greeted his brother civilly and quickly went to the backyard to talk some more with his new fairy friends. They had said that they could only enter the house when invited. Arthur had taken into consideration that his brother might not want fairies in his house and agreed to meet them outside.
For a week, Arthur had spent all waking hours with the fairies. His parents had, at first, taken no notice of it. Arthur had talked to them about his fairy friends with them and they had thought it was just a child’s imagination and let him do as he pleased.
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An annoying voice broke Arthur from his trip into his memories. Peter had grown extremely restless and was tugging wildly on Arthur’s sleeve. Arthur sighed at the action and bent down to Peter’s level.
“What is it, Peter?” he asked in what he hoped was a calm tone. The boy aggravated him too much sometimes. It was starting to grow harder to try to reason with him.
“You had a funny look on your face,” Peter remarked, pointing at Arthur’s face. Arthur frowned and grabbed the accusing finger.
“No pointing, Peter. It’s rather rude to point,” Arthur scolded, dragging Peter with him as they walked.
“Where are we going?” Peter whined, pouting.
“The pier. Its not that far from here. Now come along, Peter, and no whining. It is very unbecoming to behave like such a child.”
“But I am a child,” Peter countered. Arthur frowned and said nothing. Arthur tried his best to remember what path he had taken as a child to the pier. Many things had changed since then and he hoped that he would not get them lost.
After half an hour of roaming around, Arthur had officially declared them to be truly and utterly lost. Arthur had realized this once the scenery had started to change and he could no longer see any houses. Arthur turned to look at Peter, hoping that perhaps he could say something of use.
“We’re lost, aren’t we?” Arthur groaned softly. It would be just like Peter to state the obvious.
“Yes, we are lost. Do you happen to know what direction we came from?”
“YOU GOT US LOST. I HATE YOU, ARTHUR. HATE. YOU,” Peter screamed. Arthur sighed. Whenever Arthur was around Peter, Peter would act aggressively and start proclaiming his hate for Arthur. Arthur really didn’t see what he had done to make Peter hate him so much but he bore with it.
Arthur turned around, trying to retrace his steps back to the house. He then caught the scent of a strong fragrance. It smelled like the sea. Arthur followed it, gripping Peter’s wrist so as to keep him from escaping. Peter whined loudly but Arthur paid it no mind. Arthur followed the scent. It took him to an isolated beach. He supposed that it was an active place during the weekends. It suddenly occurred to Arthur that he had ditched school. He supposed it was too late to worry about it now.
Arthur took one deep whiff of the fresh ocean breeze and let the memories rush to him.
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One day, Arthur and the fairies had ventured past the cemetery and into one of the ports there. Arthur had seen a figure in standing in the water. It had the shape of a man but looked different somehow. From the distance, Arthur could not tell how different. He went closer to try to get a better look. The fairies tried to warn Arthur that the figure wasn’t human. That it was a dangerous fairy and it was best not to get involved with it. Arthur’s curiosity proved to be too strong for him to ignore and approached the figure, regardless of the fairies’ warning. The fairies wished to stay back but fearing for Arthur’s safety, they followed close behind.
Arthur approached the figure and stood at a foot distance from it. The creature was half human and half horse with fins for feet. Its head was much larger than any man Arthur had seen. The creature looked almost skinless, the flesh raw and red. The veins on its body were dark, almost black. It was large, almost a full six feet tall. Arthur wrinkled his nose when the strong odor of rotten eggs hit him. He hadn’t noticed the smell up to this point.
Gathering all his courage, Arthur tapped the creature on the shoulder. The creature turned to face Arthur. Its face would have resembled a human’s were it not for the large mouth. The creature had one large red eye, piercing and menacing. Arthur backed up a few steps, suddenly frightened by the creature.
The creature edged closer and took a long good whiff at Arthur. It cocked its head to the side, curious about the strange boy.
“You can see me,” it stated, its yellow eyes no longer menacing. Arthur nodded timidly, taking a few steps back. The creature stood at its full height, almost as if preparing to attack. Arthur stared at the creature, his curiosity suddenly shadowing his fear.
“And you haven’t run away yet,” the creature laughed, pleased. The creature’s laughter was light and almost cheerful. Arthur grinned, watching the creature.
“You really are something, aren’t you kiddo?” The creature took a clawed hand and ruffled Arthur’s head. Arthur just smiled, happy to see that he had pleased the creature.
“Are you a fairy?” Arthur asked eagerly.
“You mean am I what humans classify as a fairy, then yes, I am a fairy,” the creature answered. Arthur clapped his hands in glee.
“Will you be my friend then?” Arthur hoped that the creature would say yes. The creature- fairy’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“You want something like me to be your companion?” Arthur nodded. The dark fairy nodded, causing Arthur to jump up and down in glee. He liked making new friends.
Since that moment, Arthur had gone to visit the dark fairy every day, telling him tales of his family and what humans did. The creature listened attentively, taking note of every detail. Arthur’s other fairy friends had continued to follow Arthur, despite their fear for the large dark fairy. They stayed their distance; close enough to intervene if it seemed that Arthur was in any danger. Although, the dark fairy had seemed to taken a liking to Arthur and looked forward to their meetings.
Arthur had learned many things from the dark fairy in exchange for his stories. He had learned about different types of fairies and of the seelie and unseelie courts. He learned about brownies, hobgoblins, kelpies and boggarts. The dark fairy had told him that fairies had relatives just like humans did. Arthur had asked him about his relatives. The dark fairy replied that his relatives weren’t the kindest of fairies and said no more on the subject. Arthur understood. Most of the time he felt like his family didn’t really understand him too well.
Once it was close to sundown Arthur bid farewell to his fairy friend and headed back home. The next day Arthur’s mother had asked him to stay inside and help her with some chores. Arthur agreed, glum that he would not be able to visit his fairy friends.
He went to bed that night excited, eager for tomorrow to come. It didn’t take long for Arthur to fall asleep and within minutes he was dreaming of tomorrow. Arthur woke early, eager to find his fairy friends. He heard worried voices downstairs and wondered what was wrong. Arthur went downstairs in his pajamas, too worried to even change into some decent clothes. He rubbed his eyes, trying to be as alert as he could be.
The sight that greeted him could not have been more horrible. There was an injured man on one of his brother’s couches, blood seeping from his wounds. Arthur gasped in horror, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes from the sight. Arthur’s mother saw this and immediately bundled Arthur into her arms, embracing him. Arthur sniffed, his eyes staring at the injured man. He had never seen so much blood in his life and he hoped that he never would again.
“Why is that man here? Is he going to die?” Arthur asked, no longer trying to hold back the tears from flowing down his face.
“No, of course not! He’ll be fine. You’ll see. Now Arthur, I want you to go and find your brother and bring him over,” his mother told him sternly. Arthur nodded, wiping the stray tears from his cheeks. He went into the backyard, trying to find his brother. He spotted him by the rosebushes. Arthur walked up to him and tugged on his sleeve.
“Mother wants to speak to you.” Andrew nodded and headed inside. The quiet fear inside Arthur was slowly growing by the minute. Arthur knew that he needed to calm down. He had never wanted more than to see his fairy friends at that moment.
Arthur snuck out of the house when his parents weren’t looking and headed to the cemetery. He found it empty and frowned. The fairies were always there. He wondered where they could have gone. He continued on his way to the beach.
He searched for the dark fairy in his usual hiding but found it empty. He was about to leave when he stepped into a puddle. Arthur looked down and lifted his foot. He saw a giant puddle of blood leading to the beach. Arthur followed despite his horror. What if someone tried to hurt his fairy friend? He had to make sure he wasn’t injured.
Arthur followed the trail of blood and found it leading to the beach. It was then that his other fairy friends appeared. Their luminance was dimmer in daylight but now seemed almost to fade completely.
“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked them. They shook their heads and tried to keep him back. Arthur didn’t understand what they were trying to tell him. He had to make sure the dark fairy was safe. He urged on, following the trail to its source. He saw the dark fairy hunched over as if in pain. Arthur ran towards him, rushing to help his friend. The dark fairy heard his approach and turned to face Arthur.
Arthur stopped dead in his tracks by what he saw. The dark fairy was covered in blood. Arthur gaped in horror. He stepped back, too horrified to say anything. The creature reached for him and managed to grip Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur tried to pry the claws off, suddenly fearing for his life. Arthur shook his head vigorously, too dismayed by the dark fairy’s actions. It had tried to kill someone, a human being. What made Arthur safer than anyone else?
Arthur tried to run away but couldn’t, the grip on his shoulder holding him in place. The other fairies saw Arthur’s distress and tried to help him escape. They scratched at the dark fairy’s hands. The dark fairy clawed at them. When that didn’t seem to be enough, it released its hold on Arthur and used both hands to try to get them. Arthur stepped and watched in horror as he saw the dark fairy grab one of the flying fairies and eat it, munching and gulping loudly.
Terrified by what he saw, Arthur ran as fast and as far as he could and didn’t look back to see if the dark fairy had followed him. He ran and didn’t stop until he had been inside the house and safe inside his room. He locked the door and went to hide in the closet. He didn’t come out until hours later. He had to be bribed with earl gray tea in order to come out.
The incident had traumatized Arthur and he never thought of the incident since.
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The warm sea breeze was refreshing to those who received it. The sun was shining brightly and there was not one cloud in the sky. The atmosphere and weather were wonderful but Arthur paid it no mind. He was too busy divulging in his memories and the significance they held. Arthur had a vague idea of what the creature was but still did not see where its hatred stemmed from. The one thing that he was certain of was that the creature or dark fairy was determined to kill him and anything that crossed its path.
Arthur cursed loudly, realizing what a fool he had been to miss the small clues he had been presented with. And now he was miles away while the creature ran loose to do god knows what to his friends. Arthur cursed himself again for his stupidity.
As he pondered his stupidity, he stumbled unto another problem. He was helpless. Even if he returned to face the creature, what good would it do if he was helpless to defend himself? He knew no martial arts, did not know an ounce of self-defense. He was doomed to die. It was then that an idea occurred to Arthur. And from this idea, a plan started to form. He could do this, he realized. He just hoped that he wasn’t too late.
“Come, Peter. We have some shopping to do,” Arthur said, gently urging Peter to follow him. Peter grimaced at the thought of shopping but was secretly glad of the idea. He got to spend time with Arthur this way. It was perfect.
“So what are we looking for?”
“You’ll see.”
Nature seemed at peace, calm almost. It looked like the calm before a storm.
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*Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, so yeah Iggy’s going to visit his big brother ^^ I decided to go with Andrew for Scotland’s name. I did a little research and found that St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and I decided to go with that. And yeah, Peter is Sealand.
And I’ve never really been to England, Scotland or Edinburgh so I really had no idea how it looked like. All my descriptions are based on photos and Google maps… so sorry for all my inaccuracies.
I know nothing of English or Scottish cuisine either so I’m sorry if there are some inaccurate representations of food.
**Will-o’ the wisps are known by many names and are thought to be wandering ghosts or fairy lights. Arthur is referring to the story of a peasant traveling home at dusk sees a bright light traveling along ahead of him. Looking closer, he sees that the light is a lantern held by a "dusky little figure", which he follows for several miles. All of a sudden he finds himself standing on the edge of a vast chasm with a roaring torrent of water rushing below him. At that precise moment the lantern-carrier leaps across the gap, lifts the light high over its head, lets out a malicious laugh and blows out the light, leaving the poor peasant a long way from home, standing in pitch darkness at the edge of a precipice.
I must admit that the scene where the dark fairy is eating the other fairies was inspired by the dinner scene with the child-eating monster from Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s a good movie even if it has a sad ending. I was both awed and disturbed all at the same time. I guess since I really don’t watch many super R rated violent movies is the reason I was slightly disturbed by the violence.
This is also the only that the creature reveals its true form. The rest of the time when he makes an appearance, it’s shaped shifted into something else. Quite hideous, ain’t it?
There’s only two chapters left after this. As for the sequel, I’m still thinking about it…so that means its still not 100% certain whether I’ll actually write one or not. I will let you guys know by the end of this story if the sequel is a sure thing or not. Most likely yes but if the plot doesn’t work out then I’ll probably wont write a sequel.
Updates: hopefully the next chapter should be up in a week. ^^;
Author: me
Rating: PG-16?
Genre: Mystery, Supernatural, Romance
Characters/Pairings: England, Seychelles, America, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and others. US/UK, one sided France/Seychelles, one-sided France/UK, Spain/Romano and Germany/Italy if you squint.
Summary: Gakuen Hetalia AU. When a student is found murdered, and Arthur is named the next victim. Arthur takes it upon himself to solve the mystery. But will it take his life to solve it?
Warnings: AU, violence, boy love, human names, swearing
Ch 11 Of Homes and Rain
It was raining when Arthur arrived. Then again, to Arthur it seemed like it was always raining. Whenever it rained in Little Flats, Arthur was reminded of home. He stood outside for a while, just enjoying the scenery before him. Lime coloured fields and lush greenery. Arthur closed his eyes, letting the rest of his senses do the seeing for him. He smelled the fragrance of honey and water. He could feel the rain dripping into and soaking his clothes. He could almost taste the wonderful earl gray tea now. He then opened his eyes and almost smiled. He was home again.
It had been months since he had last visited. Arthur usually went home for the holidays but this semester his various injuries and trips to the hospital had deterred him from going. Arthur had to say that he had missed his homeland quite much. He hadn’t realized just how much until he had stepped out of the airport.
Arthur cursed to himself once he realized that he had no transportation to his brother’s house. Arthur had grown up in London and that was where his parents lived but he felt something calling him to his brother’s estate in Edinburgh*.
He had also conveniently forgotten to call his brother in advance to inform him of his arrival. No matter, he could always surprise him. Arthur and his brothers were never in the best of terms. Whenever the opportunity arose to torture one another, they all eagerly took advantage of it.
Arthur was going to visit his (vastly) older brother, Andrew, who had a small house located in the edge of Edinburgh. The last time Arthur had seen Andrew was at the previous Christmas celebration, an obligatory family gathering of sorts. Andrew had left in a hurry and Arthur hadn’t spoken to him since. Arthur hoped that his brother was in a good mood.
Arthur called for a cab and waited at a bench. Once the cab had arrived, Arthur directed the driver to his brother’s house. It had been a while since Arthur was last here and he didn’t remember what street Andrew lived on. He hoped that his spatial memory would not fail him for once. Arthur stopped the driver once he saw the familiar house. He paid the cab driver his fare and stepped out.
It was just as Arthur remembered it. The houses on the block were virtually identical to their neighbors with a small amount of variation. His brother’s house was at the corner of the block. It was a far bit more tattered than its neighbors but still in livable condition.
Arthur made his way up the driveway, dreading the moment when he had to knock on the door. Once he was in front of the front door, Arthur stopped and lingered for a bit. He gathered up his courage and knocked on the door. He stopped and sighed. He tried once again when the door opened. At first Arthur could see no one behind the door until he looked down. Arthur scowled at the sight of his much-hated little brother.
“Peter, what are you doing here? Where’s Andrew?”
Peter rolled his eyes at Arthur. “He went out. Didn’t say anything about when he was going to come back though. Bye,” Peter said as he tried to slam the door on Arthur’s face. Arthur quickly reached for the door and pushed back on it before it could close.
“Not so fast, Peter. I need to do some errands. Now let me in,” Arthur murmured through gritted teeth, pushing the door further back. Peter tried to use his weight to keep the door closed but failed. Arthur was just too big and strong. Peter quickly stepped back to let Arthur in. Arthur, who had still been forcing his way in, didn’t notice Peter’s abrupt movement and fell to the floor. Peter pointed and laughed at Arthur. Arthur cursed to himself before getting off the floor. Arthur wondered what he had done to Peter to get him so riled up about. The boy would forever be a mystery to him.
“Peter, listen to me,” Arthur said, grabbing Peter by the shoulders and forcing him to look at him.
“I’m going out for a bit later. Tell Andrew that I’m going to be at the docks. He’ll know what I’m talking about. Stay here.” Peter stomped his foot.
“No! Everyone always leaves me behind! Take me with you! Take me with you! Take me with you!” Peter whined, his complaints never ceasing in vigor and intensity. Arthur had ignored him for the most part and walked to the guest room. He placed his traveling bag and knapsack on the bed.
He then went to Andrew’s room, trying to search for some clothes he had left last time he had visited. Peter had followed him, his whining and complaints still spewing from his tongue. Arthur continued going through the closet until he had found what he was looking for. They were some old spare clothes of Andrew’s that Arthur knew Andrew would not miss. Arthur had tried to go into the restroom quick enough so that Peter would not be able to sneak inside. He locked the door behind him and changed out of his drenched clothes. Arthur unlocked the door and stepped outside once he had finished. Peter continued his rant while Arthur left the room and headed towards the kitchen.
Peter followed behind once more, hoping to get on Arthur’s nerves. Arthur ignored him and ransacked the refrigerator, his stomach empty since he had gotten off the airplane. He wrinkled his nose in disgust when he had found a two-week old haggis and had spared his brother the pleasure of throwing it out. Arthur had settled with the stale scones and porridge.
He was halfway to finishing when Arthur had noticed the silence. He saw Peter staring at him hungrily.
“Are you hungry, Peter? I can make you something if you like,” Arthur suggested gently. Peter shook his head vigorously. “N-no! I hate your cooking! You always burn everything!” Arthur rolled his eyes at the comment and continued eating the remainder of his meal. Once he had finished, he had searched the refrigerator once more and found some remainders of codfish. He took it out and searched for a frying pan. He had also found some potatoes hidden in some corner.
“What are you doing?” Peter asked angrily. To Arthur, it seemed that Peter was always angry.
“I’m making you something to eat. Here, take these and start peeling,” Arthur said, handing Peter some potatoes. Peter wrinkled his nose at the prospect of doing work but did what Arthur told him and started peeling.
“Why are you here anyways? I thought you hated Andrew?” Peter asked, flinching when he nicked his thumb. Arthur sighed and took the potato from him. Arthur took the potato in his hand and finished peeling the potato. He handed the peeler back to Peter and continued with his cooking.
“I have to remember something. Something important,” was all Arthur said. Peter humph-ed at the short answer and continued to peel the potatoes. Once Peter had finished, Arthur had started to fry the potatoes.
Arthur had tried his best not to burn anything and he hoped that Peter would appreciate his efforts. Arthur placed the plate in front of Peter. Peter had stuck out his tongue at Arthur before gorging down the food. Arthur watched silently as his brother ate. It reminded him of how big a wreck their family was. Family gatherings mostly consisted of fighting and arguing and someone leaving in a huff. He wondered if things would ever change.
Peter stood up and handed Arthur the empty plate. “It wasn’t too bad I guess,” he said, not looking at Arthur. Arthur smiled to himself. He knew that he was a good cook. No, not good, the best.
Arthur remembered his self-appointed task and went to search for an umbrella. Once he had found one, he started to make his way to the door.
“H-hey! Where are you going? You’re not leaving me here by myself, are you? You’re such a jerk! Leaving a little child all on his own, where he could easily be kidnapped and held for ransom-“
“Enough, Peter. You can come with me. Just be quiet for crikes’s sake,” Arthur said, stepping out. Peter followed behind him. Arthur closed the door and locked it with one of Andrew’s spare keys. How many times did he have to tell the man that hiding spare keys under flowerpots wasn’t a very good idea?
Arthur walked rapidly, trying to remember what it exactly was about this place that had made him come here. Peter half-jogged half-walked to keep up with Arthur. He voiced his complaints but Arthur paid them no mind. He was too busy consumed in his thoughts.
When they reached the end of the block, Arthur could see a small cemetery from the corner of his eye. He stopped walking and turned to stare at the lonely forlorn graves. It was an old cemetery, and had housed many of the dead from the past century. The graves themselves were not all that elaborate. They were simple stones cut and shaped into tombstones, inscribed with names of long lost loved ones. The cemetery was past its prime and people had long since stopped in using it, preferring the newer gated one a few blocks away. Many of the graves were overrun with weeds and flowers and some had been so worn that the letters they bared were no longer decipherable. The cemetery stirred long lost memories in Arthur. Memories that he had thought he had buried deep in his heart, hoping that they would eventually be forgotten.
Peter continued to voice his many complaints to Arthur when he saw the look on Arthur’s face. It was one of longing and pain. To Peter it was a foreign look. He had never seen Arthur in so much pain. Peter tugged on Arthur’s coat, trying to stir him from his thoughts. Arthur didn’t notice the movement, much too enveloped in the memories of the past and all the emotions that he had long forgotten.
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It had been a warm summer day. Arthur was five year old and Andrew had just finished explaining to him the importance of his new gift. It was a locket, one that he had seen his mother treasure so much. Arthur was astonished that such a thing was now his. His and only his. Arthur fingered the locket and then stuffed it into his pocket, as if to protect it from thieves.
Andrew chuckled at Arthur’s naivety and ruffled his hair. Arthur grinned happily, wondering what he had done to deserve such a splendid gift from his beloved brother. Arthur almost leaped with joy and excitement.
His excitement was cut short later when he had almost lost the precious antique. From that point on, Arthur decided on burying the prized heirloom and had used his mother jewelry box as a storage place. After much deliberation, Arthur had decided to bury it like pirates buried their treasure in all the stories his mother had told him. He had picked the backyard as his secret spot. He picked the most special part of the backyard, the garden. The garden was home to many beautiful flowers. In the most secluded part of the garden, hidden from view by many bushes and shaded by the trees was a ring of flowers. Arthur thought that spot was the perfect spot to bury his gift. He had taken a small spade and dug a hole in the middle of the ring. He buried the box and covered it back with dirt. He patted the dirt once before going back to the house and putting the spade away before he loses it.
For the most part, Arthur’s treasure remained hidden and eventually forgotten. It was five years later that Arthur had rediscovered his treasure when he was tending to the garden. He spotted the corner of the jewel box and dug it out. He was surprised by the discovery.
“Arthur! We must get going. The trip to Edinburgh is a long one. Let’s try to make good time,” Arthur’s mother called out. Arthur opened the box and stuffed the precious heirloom into his pocket.
His mother had been right. The car ride to Edinburgh had been indeed long. They were going to visit his brother, who had just moved out. Arthur didn’t really get along with any of his brothers but his parents had insisted on visiting Andrew. Arthur was compelled to join them.
Someone shaking his shoulder roused Arthur from his sleep.
“We’re here,” his mother said gently. Arthur rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. Arthur got out of the car and was greeted by a small gray house, almost identical to its neighbors. His parents had already gone and greeted his brother. Arthur was tempted to explore the area, having grown bored with the idea of fighting with his brother again.
Arthur tugged on the sleeve of his mother’s coat. “I’m going to explore for a bit. I’ll be back in a jiff.” His mother nodded absentmindedly. Arthur left his parents and went to explore the block.
He dared to venture further and went past the end of the street until he stumbled into a graveyard. Arthur stopped to look at it and slowly walked towards it. He thought he saw strange lights and approached them in order to get a closer look. He gasped when he saw that they were not fireflies as he had originally thought but will-o’-the-wisps**! Arthur was terrified of coming any closer, afraid to be drawn in by the light and taken from home. He stayed where he stood, rooted to the ground. He gaped at the lights, fascinated by the wonderful array of colors. And for a moment, he forgot his fears about being whisked away and any other cautionary tales he may have heard of fairy lights. Why would creatures so beautiful want to harm him?
He approached the lights, his fears forgotten. One of the lights buzzed by his ear and tickled him. Arthur laughed. His laughter seemed to have a positive effect on the lights, making them brighter and more beautiful. Once he opened his eyes, Arthur realized that he could see them. He could see their shapes and features. He could see the wonderful wings and the beautiful colors. They whispered kind words to him and asked him to be their friend. He laughed with joy. They were so beautiful and kind. Arthur nodded, glad to have found these wonderful companions and befriended them.
They followed Arthur when he had chosen to go back and face his brother. He felt at ease with them at his side. He felt wanted, loved and (dare he say it) special. They made him happier than he had ever been in his whole life. They took away the pain of being alone and made him feel like he needed no one else. He just needed them as his companions.
Arthur allowed them to follow him, glad to finally have some friends of his own. He greeted his brother civilly and quickly went to the backyard to talk some more with his new fairy friends. They had said that they could only enter the house when invited. Arthur had taken into consideration that his brother might not want fairies in his house and agreed to meet them outside.
For a week, Arthur had spent all waking hours with the fairies. His parents had, at first, taken no notice of it. Arthur had talked to them about his fairy friends with them and they had thought it was just a child’s imagination and let him do as he pleased.
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An annoying voice broke Arthur from his trip into his memories. Peter had grown extremely restless and was tugging wildly on Arthur’s sleeve. Arthur sighed at the action and bent down to Peter’s level.
“What is it, Peter?” he asked in what he hoped was a calm tone. The boy aggravated him too much sometimes. It was starting to grow harder to try to reason with him.
“You had a funny look on your face,” Peter remarked, pointing at Arthur’s face. Arthur frowned and grabbed the accusing finger.
“No pointing, Peter. It’s rather rude to point,” Arthur scolded, dragging Peter with him as they walked.
“Where are we going?” Peter whined, pouting.
“The pier. Its not that far from here. Now come along, Peter, and no whining. It is very unbecoming to behave like such a child.”
“But I am a child,” Peter countered. Arthur frowned and said nothing. Arthur tried his best to remember what path he had taken as a child to the pier. Many things had changed since then and he hoped that he would not get them lost.
After half an hour of roaming around, Arthur had officially declared them to be truly and utterly lost. Arthur had realized this once the scenery had started to change and he could no longer see any houses. Arthur turned to look at Peter, hoping that perhaps he could say something of use.
“We’re lost, aren’t we?” Arthur groaned softly. It would be just like Peter to state the obvious.
“Yes, we are lost. Do you happen to know what direction we came from?”
“YOU GOT US LOST. I HATE YOU, ARTHUR. HATE. YOU,” Peter screamed. Arthur sighed. Whenever Arthur was around Peter, Peter would act aggressively and start proclaiming his hate for Arthur. Arthur really didn’t see what he had done to make Peter hate him so much but he bore with it.
Arthur turned around, trying to retrace his steps back to the house. He then caught the scent of a strong fragrance. It smelled like the sea. Arthur followed it, gripping Peter’s wrist so as to keep him from escaping. Peter whined loudly but Arthur paid it no mind. Arthur followed the scent. It took him to an isolated beach. He supposed that it was an active place during the weekends. It suddenly occurred to Arthur that he had ditched school. He supposed it was too late to worry about it now.
Arthur took one deep whiff of the fresh ocean breeze and let the memories rush to him.
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One day, Arthur and the fairies had ventured past the cemetery and into one of the ports there. Arthur had seen a figure in standing in the water. It had the shape of a man but looked different somehow. From the distance, Arthur could not tell how different. He went closer to try to get a better look. The fairies tried to warn Arthur that the figure wasn’t human. That it was a dangerous fairy and it was best not to get involved with it. Arthur’s curiosity proved to be too strong for him to ignore and approached the figure, regardless of the fairies’ warning. The fairies wished to stay back but fearing for Arthur’s safety, they followed close behind.
Arthur approached the figure and stood at a foot distance from it. The creature was half human and half horse with fins for feet. Its head was much larger than any man Arthur had seen. The creature looked almost skinless, the flesh raw and red. The veins on its body were dark, almost black. It was large, almost a full six feet tall. Arthur wrinkled his nose when the strong odor of rotten eggs hit him. He hadn’t noticed the smell up to this point.
Gathering all his courage, Arthur tapped the creature on the shoulder. The creature turned to face Arthur. Its face would have resembled a human’s were it not for the large mouth. The creature had one large red eye, piercing and menacing. Arthur backed up a few steps, suddenly frightened by the creature.
The creature edged closer and took a long good whiff at Arthur. It cocked its head to the side, curious about the strange boy.
“You can see me,” it stated, its yellow eyes no longer menacing. Arthur nodded timidly, taking a few steps back. The creature stood at its full height, almost as if preparing to attack. Arthur stared at the creature, his curiosity suddenly shadowing his fear.
“And you haven’t run away yet,” the creature laughed, pleased. The creature’s laughter was light and almost cheerful. Arthur grinned, watching the creature.
“You really are something, aren’t you kiddo?” The creature took a clawed hand and ruffled Arthur’s head. Arthur just smiled, happy to see that he had pleased the creature.
“Are you a fairy?” Arthur asked eagerly.
“You mean am I what humans classify as a fairy, then yes, I am a fairy,” the creature answered. Arthur clapped his hands in glee.
“Will you be my friend then?” Arthur hoped that the creature would say yes. The creature- fairy’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“You want something like me to be your companion?” Arthur nodded. The dark fairy nodded, causing Arthur to jump up and down in glee. He liked making new friends.
Since that moment, Arthur had gone to visit the dark fairy every day, telling him tales of his family and what humans did. The creature listened attentively, taking note of every detail. Arthur’s other fairy friends had continued to follow Arthur, despite their fear for the large dark fairy. They stayed their distance; close enough to intervene if it seemed that Arthur was in any danger. Although, the dark fairy had seemed to taken a liking to Arthur and looked forward to their meetings.
Arthur had learned many things from the dark fairy in exchange for his stories. He had learned about different types of fairies and of the seelie and unseelie courts. He learned about brownies, hobgoblins, kelpies and boggarts. The dark fairy had told him that fairies had relatives just like humans did. Arthur had asked him about his relatives. The dark fairy replied that his relatives weren’t the kindest of fairies and said no more on the subject. Arthur understood. Most of the time he felt like his family didn’t really understand him too well.
Once it was close to sundown Arthur bid farewell to his fairy friend and headed back home. The next day Arthur’s mother had asked him to stay inside and help her with some chores. Arthur agreed, glum that he would not be able to visit his fairy friends.
He went to bed that night excited, eager for tomorrow to come. It didn’t take long for Arthur to fall asleep and within minutes he was dreaming of tomorrow. Arthur woke early, eager to find his fairy friends. He heard worried voices downstairs and wondered what was wrong. Arthur went downstairs in his pajamas, too worried to even change into some decent clothes. He rubbed his eyes, trying to be as alert as he could be.
The sight that greeted him could not have been more horrible. There was an injured man on one of his brother’s couches, blood seeping from his wounds. Arthur gasped in horror, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes from the sight. Arthur’s mother saw this and immediately bundled Arthur into her arms, embracing him. Arthur sniffed, his eyes staring at the injured man. He had never seen so much blood in his life and he hoped that he never would again.
“Why is that man here? Is he going to die?” Arthur asked, no longer trying to hold back the tears from flowing down his face.
“No, of course not! He’ll be fine. You’ll see. Now Arthur, I want you to go and find your brother and bring him over,” his mother told him sternly. Arthur nodded, wiping the stray tears from his cheeks. He went into the backyard, trying to find his brother. He spotted him by the rosebushes. Arthur walked up to him and tugged on his sleeve.
“Mother wants to speak to you.” Andrew nodded and headed inside. The quiet fear inside Arthur was slowly growing by the minute. Arthur knew that he needed to calm down. He had never wanted more than to see his fairy friends at that moment.
Arthur snuck out of the house when his parents weren’t looking and headed to the cemetery. He found it empty and frowned. The fairies were always there. He wondered where they could have gone. He continued on his way to the beach.
He searched for the dark fairy in his usual hiding but found it empty. He was about to leave when he stepped into a puddle. Arthur looked down and lifted his foot. He saw a giant puddle of blood leading to the beach. Arthur followed despite his horror. What if someone tried to hurt his fairy friend? He had to make sure he wasn’t injured.
Arthur followed the trail of blood and found it leading to the beach. It was then that his other fairy friends appeared. Their luminance was dimmer in daylight but now seemed almost to fade completely.
“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked them. They shook their heads and tried to keep him back. Arthur didn’t understand what they were trying to tell him. He had to make sure the dark fairy was safe. He urged on, following the trail to its source. He saw the dark fairy hunched over as if in pain. Arthur ran towards him, rushing to help his friend. The dark fairy heard his approach and turned to face Arthur.
Arthur stopped dead in his tracks by what he saw. The dark fairy was covered in blood. Arthur gaped in horror. He stepped back, too horrified to say anything. The creature reached for him and managed to grip Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur tried to pry the claws off, suddenly fearing for his life. Arthur shook his head vigorously, too dismayed by the dark fairy’s actions. It had tried to kill someone, a human being. What made Arthur safer than anyone else?
Arthur tried to run away but couldn’t, the grip on his shoulder holding him in place. The other fairies saw Arthur’s distress and tried to help him escape. They scratched at the dark fairy’s hands. The dark fairy clawed at them. When that didn’t seem to be enough, it released its hold on Arthur and used both hands to try to get them. Arthur stepped and watched in horror as he saw the dark fairy grab one of the flying fairies and eat it, munching and gulping loudly.
Terrified by what he saw, Arthur ran as fast and as far as he could and didn’t look back to see if the dark fairy had followed him. He ran and didn’t stop until he had been inside the house and safe inside his room. He locked the door and went to hide in the closet. He didn’t come out until hours later. He had to be bribed with earl gray tea in order to come out.
The incident had traumatized Arthur and he never thought of the incident since.
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The warm sea breeze was refreshing to those who received it. The sun was shining brightly and there was not one cloud in the sky. The atmosphere and weather were wonderful but Arthur paid it no mind. He was too busy divulging in his memories and the significance they held. Arthur had a vague idea of what the creature was but still did not see where its hatred stemmed from. The one thing that he was certain of was that the creature or dark fairy was determined to kill him and anything that crossed its path.
Arthur cursed loudly, realizing what a fool he had been to miss the small clues he had been presented with. And now he was miles away while the creature ran loose to do god knows what to his friends. Arthur cursed himself again for his stupidity.
As he pondered his stupidity, he stumbled unto another problem. He was helpless. Even if he returned to face the creature, what good would it do if he was helpless to defend himself? He knew no martial arts, did not know an ounce of self-defense. He was doomed to die. It was then that an idea occurred to Arthur. And from this idea, a plan started to form. He could do this, he realized. He just hoped that he wasn’t too late.
“Come, Peter. We have some shopping to do,” Arthur said, gently urging Peter to follow him. Peter grimaced at the thought of shopping but was secretly glad of the idea. He got to spend time with Arthur this way. It was perfect.
“So what are we looking for?”
“You’ll see.”
Nature seemed at peace, calm almost. It looked like the calm before a storm.
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*Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, so yeah Iggy’s going to visit his big brother ^^ I decided to go with Andrew for Scotland’s name. I did a little research and found that St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and I decided to go with that. And yeah, Peter is Sealand.
And I’ve never really been to England, Scotland or Edinburgh so I really had no idea how it looked like. All my descriptions are based on photos and Google maps… so sorry for all my inaccuracies.
I know nothing of English or Scottish cuisine either so I’m sorry if there are some inaccurate representations of food.
**Will-o’ the wisps are known by many names and are thought to be wandering ghosts or fairy lights. Arthur is referring to the story of a peasant traveling home at dusk sees a bright light traveling along ahead of him. Looking closer, he sees that the light is a lantern held by a "dusky little figure", which he follows for several miles. All of a sudden he finds himself standing on the edge of a vast chasm with a roaring torrent of water rushing below him. At that precise moment the lantern-carrier leaps across the gap, lifts the light high over its head, lets out a malicious laugh and blows out the light, leaving the poor peasant a long way from home, standing in pitch darkness at the edge of a precipice.
I must admit that the scene where the dark fairy is eating the other fairies was inspired by the dinner scene with the child-eating monster from Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s a good movie even if it has a sad ending. I was both awed and disturbed all at the same time. I guess since I really don’t watch many super R rated violent movies is the reason I was slightly disturbed by the violence.
This is also the only that the creature reveals its true form. The rest of the time when he makes an appearance, it’s shaped shifted into something else. Quite hideous, ain’t it?
There’s only two chapters left after this. As for the sequel, I’m still thinking about it…so that means its still not 100% certain whether I’ll actually write one or not. I will let you guys know by the end of this story if the sequel is a sure thing or not. Most likely yes but if the plot doesn’t work out then I’ll probably wont write a sequel.
Updates: hopefully the next chapter should be up in a week. ^^;