FIC: Make You Weak (LOTS: Cara) [PG-13]
Here's the second one of this year's fandom_stocking ficlets:
Title: Make You Weak
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker
Character: Cara
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "Sadness, remorse, love - these feelings make you weak. But anger, loyalty, pride - these feelings make you powerful." - A drabble sequence.
A/N: Ties in to the following episodes: Broken, Perdition, Hunger, Desecrated, Extinction and Eternity. Written for alyse as part of fandom_stocking 2014.
Originally posted here at AO3.
~*~
Anger
Kahlan's black eyes burning, Kahlan's hand outstretched: there are dark veins on her face, and it's there for anyone to see: there's nothing left in her but fury, single-minded rage, the urge to destruction.
She is power.
This primal force, all directed at Cara: it's well-deserved - it's Cara who led the attack on Valaria, Cara who killed Kahlan's sister with her own hands. Kahlan is fearsome, all weakness burnt from her; she's earned Cara's fear.
It's almost a relief, the Confessor's purity in her anger. The Confessor's strength.
There's nothing more confusing than Kahlan, later, refusing to summon it again.
~*~
Sadness
"I do care about you."
Said too late, said to a burnt corpse, said without purpose or point. She should be rejoicing: Richard - Lord Rahl - is back. Leo may be dead, but people fall in battle. This is weakness; Cara snaps herself out of it. They have a quest.
That night by the fire, Kahlan sits closer than usual. She says nothing, offers no empty, fatuous words of comfort. Cara wishes she would, so she could tell her to shut up. But Kahlan just sits there, a silent presence at Cara's side.
It burns on her skin, and won't stop.
~*~
Remorse
Whatever Kahlan says: Cara is a monster for taking the Keeper's deal. She betrayed Richard; she killed against his wishes; she nearly ...
Cara has killed and tortured countless people as a Mord'Sith in Darken Rahl's service. It's who she is; if anything should haunt her, it's that. And yet she feels ... this ... for almost choosing to kill Thaddicus.
She holds no blame; it was his choice, in the end. It was he who thrust himself on her blade.
She holds no blame, but she feels it. It's futile and weakening, and it rushes in her ears like blood, like thunder.
~*~
Love
She doesn't hate the Confessor. The thought is blinding and clear: she doesn't hate Kahlan, and if only one of them can live ...
Trapped in a tomb, air running out, Cara takes Kahlan's dagger. A quick strike, and it'll be over - she'll be dead, and Kahlan will live. The air will last a little longer; Kahlan will survive, long enough to be found.
She wants Kahlan to live.
But Kahlan fights. Kahlan, who claims love is strength, fights and won't accept its gift.
It strangles Cara's throat, clenches her chest. If there were air left, it would take it away.
~*~
Pride
Kneeling before Lord Rahl, proud and self-assured, ready to meet any challenge, defeat any foe: for as long as she remembers, that was the meaning of pride.
But what swells in her chest, unexpected, unbidden, when the tiny nightwisps hatch and live - it's joy, yes, but pride, too.
There's no enemy defeated, no challenge won, no master done proud: there's only life, saved and thriving. This is her doing, her accomplishment, hers: they live because of her.
It fills her up, radiates from her chest - it shines from her eyes and beams in a wide smile, for all to see.
~*~
Loyalty
Dahlia's promise is sweet: she'll protect Cara from her weaknesses. Dahlia's voice is familiar, seductive like the feel of her agiel. It would be easy to fall into the pain, to own it and be owned by it, to rise from the ashes as Mord'Sith do. Cara almost wants to.
Loyalty pulls in two directions. Love pulls, too. Either choice is a choice for both, and neither is strength or weakness now.
But she's not who she was. She has Richard, Kahlan, Zedd: loyalty not demanded, but freely given. Love without an agiel's sting.
Cara knows she won't go back.
~end~
Title: Make You Weak
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker
Character: Cara
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "Sadness, remorse, love - these feelings make you weak. But anger, loyalty, pride - these feelings make you powerful." - A drabble sequence.
A/N: Ties in to the following episodes: Broken, Perdition, Hunger, Desecrated, Extinction and Eternity. Written for alyse as part of fandom_stocking 2014.
Originally posted here at AO3.
~*~
Anger
Kahlan's black eyes burning, Kahlan's hand outstretched: there are dark veins on her face, and it's there for anyone to see: there's nothing left in her but fury, single-minded rage, the urge to destruction.
She is power.
This primal force, all directed at Cara: it's well-deserved - it's Cara who led the attack on Valaria, Cara who killed Kahlan's sister with her own hands. Kahlan is fearsome, all weakness burnt from her; she's earned Cara's fear.
It's almost a relief, the Confessor's purity in her anger. The Confessor's strength.
There's nothing more confusing than Kahlan, later, refusing to summon it again.
~*~
Sadness
"I do care about you."
Said too late, said to a burnt corpse, said without purpose or point. She should be rejoicing: Richard - Lord Rahl - is back. Leo may be dead, but people fall in battle. This is weakness; Cara snaps herself out of it. They have a quest.
That night by the fire, Kahlan sits closer than usual. She says nothing, offers no empty, fatuous words of comfort. Cara wishes she would, so she could tell her to shut up. But Kahlan just sits there, a silent presence at Cara's side.
It burns on her skin, and won't stop.
~*~
Remorse
Whatever Kahlan says: Cara is a monster for taking the Keeper's deal. She betrayed Richard; she killed against his wishes; she nearly ...
Cara has killed and tortured countless people as a Mord'Sith in Darken Rahl's service. It's who she is; if anything should haunt her, it's that. And yet she feels ... this ... for almost choosing to kill Thaddicus.
She holds no blame; it was his choice, in the end. It was he who thrust himself on her blade.
She holds no blame, but she feels it. It's futile and weakening, and it rushes in her ears like blood, like thunder.
~*~
Love
She doesn't hate the Confessor. The thought is blinding and clear: she doesn't hate Kahlan, and if only one of them can live ...
Trapped in a tomb, air running out, Cara takes Kahlan's dagger. A quick strike, and it'll be over - she'll be dead, and Kahlan will live. The air will last a little longer; Kahlan will survive, long enough to be found.
She wants Kahlan to live.
But Kahlan fights. Kahlan, who claims love is strength, fights and won't accept its gift.
It strangles Cara's throat, clenches her chest. If there were air left, it would take it away.
~*~
Pride
Kneeling before Lord Rahl, proud and self-assured, ready to meet any challenge, defeat any foe: for as long as she remembers, that was the meaning of pride.
But what swells in her chest, unexpected, unbidden, when the tiny nightwisps hatch and live - it's joy, yes, but pride, too.
There's no enemy defeated, no challenge won, no master done proud: there's only life, saved and thriving. This is her doing, her accomplishment, hers: they live because of her.
It fills her up, radiates from her chest - it shines from her eyes and beams in a wide smile, for all to see.
~*~
Loyalty
Dahlia's promise is sweet: she'll protect Cara from her weaknesses. Dahlia's voice is familiar, seductive like the feel of her agiel. It would be easy to fall into the pain, to own it and be owned by it, to rise from the ashes as Mord'Sith do. Cara almost wants to.
Loyalty pulls in two directions. Love pulls, too. Either choice is a choice for both, and neither is strength or weakness now.
But she's not who she was. She has Richard, Kahlan, Zedd: loyalty not demanded, but freely given. Love without an agiel's sting.
Cara knows she won't go back.
~end~