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[Ficlet] Sweetness and Sorrow (1/1)
Sweetness and Sorrow
platonic Kurt/Rachel | G | Fantasy | AU, captivity, melancholy, unicorns | for the-multicorn's AU prompt: hummelberry friendship, fantasy | The day Kurt meets Rachel, he's in a cage. Vaguely The Last Unicorn inspired.
"Why are you in a cage?" the pretty young girl with the huge brown eyes asked him. That was how they met, with silver bars between them. He didn’t have an answer for her then; he didn’t know why. He didn’t remember.
She’d come to visit him in the evenings, sneaking away from her nanny and maids and tutors to descend the stairs of the cold stone dungeon. She’d sit on the floor on a velvet cushion she’d bring and she’d sing to him. He liked that, and he remembered, somehow, that he knew how to sing too.
#
"I know you’re lonely," she told him one night, reaching through the bars to take his hand. "I’m lonely, too. Everyone thinks I’m strange," she said, chewing her lip. "I’m too loud, and I ask too many questions. No one likes me."
"I like you," Kurt said, and he squeezed her fingers.
"I like you too," Rachel said.
#
Another night, Rachel came down, agitated. She was older then, and Rachel had learned to carry herself with defiance. Kurt was the same as he always was. "I found out," she said to him; her eyes blazed. "I know what happened to you."
She told him. "They captured you while you slept," she said. "Then they cast a spell, to trap you in this form and make you forget. You were to be a gift… to a man whose son collects rare, beautiful things. You’re the last of your kind."
"Were?"
"We’re at war now," Rachel said. "You were to buy peace, but they were too late. I don’t know what they plan for you now." She paused and looked at her hands. "I- I know the spell they used," she said. "Not to do myself. It’s a hard spell, and I’m only self-taught," she said. "Girls aren’t supposed to learn magic. But I want to help you."
#
It took another two years: two years of war and captivity and Rachel, determined, frustrated, but resolutely hopeful. Kurt would have despaired if not for her.
"I want to leave here too," she told him late one night. She was tired, leaning wearily against the bars of his cage. Between them, their hands were entangled. Her hair smelled like roses, though Kurt did not know how he recognized the scent. "I want to go with you," she said. "When you’re free."
"Free," Kurt said. He wondered what that would be like.
Then, early one morning—for she hadn’t come overnight (Kurt had worried)—she woke him, and she asked, "Are you ready?"
He was. They left that night, together.
#
Several seasons later, they stood together in the moonlight overlooking a foreign city. The delicate spires of its towers stretched to the horizon. They had come because the city possessed libraries, and here, women were allowed to study.
There were rumors, too, Rachel said, of others like Kurt. Perhaps he wasn’t the last. Perhaps here they could learn more.
"I know you’re still lonely," she said to him. Her hand was warm upon his pale back. In the silver light, his body gleamed, graceful as a doe, strong as a horse. "But you’re not alone."
"I know," he said. A moonbeam caught in the spiral of his horn.
"It’s time," she said, and asked him once more, "Are you ready?"
He closed his eyes and bowed his head to nuzzle against her shoulder, and felt the warmth of the spell take hold. It wasn’t the same as the one that had captured him. This one was to keep him safe, and it was gentle; it was Rachel’s. It felt like the touch of her hands and filled him with the scent of her hair as his body changed back to that of a boy. The only trace of his true form lay in the white star shaped scar upon his forehead, but Rachel promised him, this time he would remember.
platonic Kurt/Rachel | G | Fantasy | AU, captivity, melancholy, unicorns | for the-multicorn's AU prompt: hummelberry friendship, fantasy | The day Kurt meets Rachel, he's in a cage. Vaguely The Last Unicorn inspired.
"Why are you in a cage?" the pretty young girl with the huge brown eyes asked him. That was how they met, with silver bars between them. He didn’t have an answer for her then; he didn’t know why. He didn’t remember.
She’d come to visit him in the evenings, sneaking away from her nanny and maids and tutors to descend the stairs of the cold stone dungeon. She’d sit on the floor on a velvet cushion she’d bring and she’d sing to him. He liked that, and he remembered, somehow, that he knew how to sing too.
"I know you’re lonely," she told him one night, reaching through the bars to take his hand. "I’m lonely, too. Everyone thinks I’m strange," she said, chewing her lip. "I’m too loud, and I ask too many questions. No one likes me."
"I like you," Kurt said, and he squeezed her fingers.
"I like you too," Rachel said.
Another night, Rachel came down, agitated. She was older then, and Rachel had learned to carry herself with defiance. Kurt was the same as he always was. "I found out," she said to him; her eyes blazed. "I know what happened to you."
She told him. "They captured you while you slept," she said. "Then they cast a spell, to trap you in this form and make you forget. You were to be a gift… to a man whose son collects rare, beautiful things. You’re the last of your kind."
"Were?"
"We’re at war now," Rachel said. "You were to buy peace, but they were too late. I don’t know what they plan for you now." She paused and looked at her hands. "I- I know the spell they used," she said. "Not to do myself. It’s a hard spell, and I’m only self-taught," she said. "Girls aren’t supposed to learn magic. But I want to help you."
It took another two years: two years of war and captivity and Rachel, determined, frustrated, but resolutely hopeful. Kurt would have despaired if not for her.
"I want to leave here too," she told him late one night. She was tired, leaning wearily against the bars of his cage. Between them, their hands were entangled. Her hair smelled like roses, though Kurt did not know how he recognized the scent. "I want to go with you," she said. "When you’re free."
"Free," Kurt said. He wondered what that would be like.
Then, early one morning—for she hadn’t come overnight (Kurt had worried)—she woke him, and she asked, "Are you ready?"
He was. They left that night, together.
Several seasons later, they stood together in the moonlight overlooking a foreign city. The delicate spires of its towers stretched to the horizon. They had come because the city possessed libraries, and here, women were allowed to study.
There were rumors, too, Rachel said, of others like Kurt. Perhaps he wasn’t the last. Perhaps here they could learn more.
"I know you’re still lonely," she said to him. Her hand was warm upon his pale back. In the silver light, his body gleamed, graceful as a doe, strong as a horse. "But you’re not alone."
"I know," he said. A moonbeam caught in the spiral of his horn.
"It’s time," she said, and asked him once more, "Are you ready?"
He closed his eyes and bowed his head to nuzzle against her shoulder, and felt the warmth of the spell take hold. It wasn’t the same as the one that had captured him. This one was to keep him safe, and it was gentle; it was Rachel’s. It felt like the touch of her hands and filled him with the scent of her hair as his body changed back to that of a boy. The only trace of his true form lay in the white star shaped scar upon his forehead, but Rachel promised him, this time he would remember.
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I know you said you're working on other things and I get it, b/c I have no less than three multi-chapter fics I'm trying to work out in my head, PLUS I really want to add to my two drabble series before the new season starts. And then there's REAL LIFE, which btw is the reason I'm a few days late reading and commenting on these drabbles. I had a lot of stuff going on IRL and by the time things settled down, I had a backlog of fics to read. (Tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.)
And I'm aware that I'm rambling now, but point is, I know you only have so many hours in the day, BUT. This drabble gives me the feeling that you know exactly what the full backstory is here, and you've already made up this whole different society where this story is set, but we only saw the tip of the iceberg. I'd love to find out more.
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