Protector of the Enchanted

"Was that the best you could come up with?”

 

“I feel ridiculous.” Mira sighs, snuggling into the blanket we’ve all decided to huddle under.

 

My brows shoot up. “For what?” Although, my lips twitch in consideration, knowing exactly what it might be. I rest my head in my hands as I lean forward expectantly.

 

She shoots me a glare, which only makes the grin widen. This should be good. Captain Spears gives me a deadpan glance, wariness in his eyes. Which just makes me turn my grin towards him, head tilting to implore him to talk.

 

When he just stares at me blankly, I turn it towards Mira again. “Well?”

 

Instead of answering me, she turns towards Theo. “But really…Was that really what you came up with?” Ah. I was right.

 

“What?” His bewildered look makes me press a hand to my mouth to stifle the laugh.

 

“What kind of moniker was that?” She flings her hands up in the air. “Why would you even…” Face scrunching, she tries to find the right words. But, as it turns out, she doesn’t need to.

 

“It’s such a fucking ridiculous name.” Cylen says immediately after she trails off, “Why in the ever-living hell would you choose it?”

 

Eyes widening, mouth hanging open in indignation, Theo shoots him a glare. Which of course doesn’t work since he already knows nothing’s going to come from it. When the situation dissolves into a staring match, where neither of them wants to concede defeat, a laugh escapes me. Making all three heads snap towards me with narrowed eyes.

 

“Pft.” This is too funny. I guess I’ll save him for now. “He didn’t.”

 

“I…What?” Blue eyes narrow in confusion, brows furrowing.

 

Shaking my head, I just fix him with a knowing look. “This idiot,” A finger pointing towards him, “Didn’t come up with the moniker.”

 

“Who are you calling an idiot?”

 

“He didn’t?”

 

I answer the former question with a soft smile, and the latter with a shake of my head.  “He didn’t.”

 

“Then how did it spread?” Captain Spears asks, clearly expecting me to have all the answers. In this case, I do.

 

“Someone called him it in the heat of the moment and he never denied it.” When was it again. Ah. “And that was even before he decided casting a shadow over Elune was a good intimidation tactic.” All humour vanishes at the reminder, my eyes turning to bore into his. “It wasn’t.”

 

Then, not giving him a chance to answer, I turn back towards my cousin. “And thus, the ridiculous moniker was born. I just can’t believe it followed him into a new millennium.”

 

Cylen and Gem shift uncomfortably in place, a flush seeping into their cheeks. A small smile tugs at my lips. I knew they would be embarrassed at believing it when they found out who it was. The fact that it’s Theo is enough to erase the fear.

 

“It’s not ridiculous.” Oh my. How cute. He’s pouting.

 

Green eyes shoot him an incredulous look. “It absolutely is. What does it even mean, you’re going to turn into a shadow?”

 

A glower. “No.”

 

“Oh?” Grey eyes light with mischief. “Then, you’re going to be as gloomy as a shadow.” That gets her a betrayed look.

 

“Or maybe you’re going to be full of angst.” I can’t help but add. Waiting until his eyes meet mine before continuing, “Oh no. Everything is going to be terrible. My life is never going to be the same again!”

 

“Pft.” Cylen immediately starts laughing at the portrayal, triggering Mira to do the same. My grin spreads, even as my…Theo shoots me a glare. It lacks all the heat that would make me rethink the actions, so I simply ignore it. Instead sending him an unrepentant look.

 

Slowly, the glare fades. A resigned expression taking its place as he sighs. Shaking his head he leans back in place, lying down. “Ha ha.”

 

After teasing about him it a little more, we eventually venture into other topics. Namely sleep. They may have been asleep for a large proportion of the day, but it’s dark out. It isn’t safe to travel anywhere when there’s no light. None of them wants to go to bed, questions bubbling in their eyes, but I manage to bully them into it.

 

Even if it takes a promise of later answers to do so. I have to say, I like being the one to have the answers a lot better. Not knowing anything was annoying, but enlightening. I’ll have to make sure information is more readily available, or everyone will get the wrong impression.

 

Remembering everything is a relief. There are things I need to do, things that I wouldn’t have been able to do without the memories. But that can wait. It has already waited this long; it can do so a little longer. Soon.

 

But well. I don’t know how to feel about the last eighteen years. I know they’re the most recent ones, but with memories, they seem but a blip in a very long existence. Not to say, that all the trauma is magically gone. It doesn’t work that way. But maybe…No. I know for sure.

 

It’s easier to process. I can compartmentalise it better. The remnants of those scars remain, but I know that they’ll have an easier time fading now. I have lived through my own literal death, pesky human cruelty doesn’t even compare.

 

Not when put against literal centuries of being powerless to do anything, having to watch a seemingly eternal torment. Or at least it shouldn’t. It shouldn’t feel like this. But the saying that you can’t ever truly compare pain rings true. It shouldn’t still have an effect. Yet it does.

 

A shuddering sigh leaves my lips. Eyes squeezing shut as a determination sets in. I’ll work on it. I’ve already managed to put them in a secure space in my mind. With more work, the years will lose their grip on me. I’ll make sure of it.

 

In the meantime, I glance down at the sleeping forms around me, I’ll make sure they don’t notice. I wouldn’t put it past Theo to realm hop and seek retribution if he so much as thinks it’s caused me pain. Grimacing, I recall he’s already heard some of it.

 

So why hasn’t he done anything?

 

A smile pulls my lips as I think of a possibility. Oh. I suppose he does know me well enough to know it isn’t what I would want. I think he forgets that I know him just as well. Acting like he can hide things from me, the nerve.

 

Then, snuggled between people I love, I let myself rest as well. No one tells you that remembering memories is exhausting. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the rest. And there is a lot that still needs to be said. But like most things, that can wait.

 

It’s a topic for tomorrow.