Fantasy Descendants of the Curse

[Valjean24601]

"Does one often regret doing things that feel so very nice?"
Sabella purred, giddy with the prospect of being wanted to easily by this wolf. A proud, strong and desirable male and a physique to match his redeeming qualities.
She tugged herself away from his embrace, shaking the last of the crimson blossoms from her hair, silvery in the low torch light, her skin nearly transparent as she slipped the bluish tunique from over her head.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Phiona nodded and stood up still holding Gaston's hand. "The pain only lasts for as stone does, so the faster you destroy it the faster the pain will go away and the sooner we can be together." She said looking up at him with a hopeful smile, then let him lead the way to the chapel.

At the chapel Mary stood there waiting Jacques and Elizabeth as her witnesses. The large stone sat on a small podium in the front of the chapel, the glass-like stone glowing a variety of different colors all bright and vibrantly dancing about, it was clear there was a lot of love and passion in this stone, and instead of making Mary nervous for the amount of pain she was going to have to go through instead it made her angry. The fact that Gaston would go through all that effort to get her to marry him, even though she was plenty happy with Marius and had told Gaston just that. But now he had to go and make her fall in love with him all over again only to slowly stop after they had been married. He was the reason they had to do this, he was the reason they and her childern would suffer, if only she would have stayed with Marius. Mary frowned deeply remembering all the terrible things she had done to him just to prove her love to Gaston. Now it was all for nothing and she could no longer go back to those days as Marius was dead and so was Jamison. There nothing for her now but the coven and her remaining childern who didn't even like her, her remaining comfort was at least they disliked Gaston more than her. She didn't isolate one of them from others making him feel more like a freak and she didn't subtly remind the other that she wasn't truly a legitimate child all her life. Irritated Mary gripped the mallet in her hand ready to pulverize the stone herself but she knew it would do nothing unless Gaston had a mallet in his hand too. So Mary waited for her soon to be ex-husband with her childern sitting in a chair. "How long it this supposed to go on?" Elizabeth muttered to Jacques with her arms crossed she couldn't wait to see Gaston have to go through this.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

"Not often." Donahue said as he watched her shake all the flowers out of her hair but his eyes grew wide when she removed her tunique. "Um perhaps now is not the time for that." He said though he would be willing to go there with her just not while she was like this, he didn't want her hating him in the morning.

 

[Valjean24601]

Gaston adjusted his coat one last time before entering the chapel. He walked slowly, pushing the doors open in front of him and then rested his hand on Phiona's back urging her forward into the chapel.

"You shouldn't be so nonchalant about these things," Jacques chastised her quietly, wringing his hands nervously,"both mother and father will be in great pain, it will not be easy for them."
Jacques hands then fell quickly to his sides as he looked in shock at his father and Phiona together. Why in the world had he brought Phiona of all people as his witness?

"Mary."
Gaston nodded in greeting, picking up his own mallet from beside the stone and weighing it in his hands.

 

[Valjean24601]

"Why's that again?"
Sabella laughed and turned her back to him, sliding her trousers down her legs. She truly looked like a wild woman now with the dark of the body paint standing out strikingly against her skin as she finally revealed her entire self to Donahue.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Phiona walked in with Gaston, then went over and sat beside Jacsques and Elizabeth ignoring the glare she got from Elizabeth and smiled politely at Jacques. "Hello Jac." She said adjusting her school robes as she sat down.

"Gaston." Mary said with a nod. Traditionally the coven healer would bless this ceromony in order to make sure both sides healed emotionally properly, making sure there were no emotional or mental scars but now it was up to Mary, so reluctantly she held her hand above the stone her bright blue magic raining down ontop of it. "Before their death they part, as there no longer is passion within their hearts. What was once love will become anguish, as their weddings vows they wish to relinquish. Grant them the will to finish what they started as a joyous begining closes to a somber end. Grant them the hope for a better future apart, than the past they had together. And let their pain be like their love, temporary and easily forgotten." Mary finished looking up coldly at Gaston as she said the last part of the enchantment. She cast her hand away from the stone her blue magic swirling and fading away. Then without warning she lifted the mallet high above her head and brang it crashing down onto the stone. A thunderous crash echoed through the room so loudly it made all the witnesses wince, and shook the window pains. It took but a second for it to hit Mary, it was like a title wave of emotions, images from her and Gaston's childhood flashing through her head, all cute and sweet images at first but as each new image appeared in her mind it felt like her brain was being slashed with a jagged blade and she dropped to her knees letting out a shrill scream of pain. More images of them playing together, the time when they were catching frogs by the river, them playing tag, them falling asleep together in Gaston's childhood room from a night of playing. With each memory the pain got worse and worse but some how she managed to drag herself up back on her feet and looked at the stone, there was a large crack in it but that was it.

Phiona's eyes were wide with horror seeing how bad it was for Mary after only the first blow and bit her lip worriedly as she watched and waited for Gaston to follow with the next blow, praying to Athena that this would go quickly.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

"Because-whoa... you are not thinking clearly at the moment." He said quickly picking up her clothes and handing them back to her. Not wanting this to go any farther he tried to put her clothes back on her.

 

[Valjean24601]

Gaston stood almost completely still throughout Mary's blessing and her first smash of the stone. Her pain reverberated through him, his legs shaking beneath him as Mary collapsed. At one point he had even reached out to help her before quickly withdrawing his hand.
As Mary pulled herself to her feet, Gaston breathed in deeply and then as he exhaled raised his own mallet and swung downwards. Chunks of stone skittered across the top of the alter and a large crevice developed about one third into the surface of the stone-
Pain courses through him as it never had before and he felt himself crumbling, clutching his head and wondering if perhaps he had smashed the mallet against his skull rather than the stone.
He grasped blindly for the mallet, spots filtering into his vision, the only thing becoming clear to him was the dusting Phiona's school robes on the floor of the chapel.

Jaqcues shouted in protest as his mother fell, screaming, and he wasn't completely sure she even knew herslef that she had cried out.
The boy stood from his chair abruptly and looked to his sister and Phiona as tears welled up in his eyes,"we have to find Grandfather, this can't continue! How can you just sit th-"
Then Gaston fell and Jacques balled his fists tightly staring in absolute disbelief as he watched his father wail on his hands and knees.

 

[Valjean24601]

"Do you mind?"
Sabella scoffed, pretending to be more annoyed than she was, and shoved him away lightly as she scooped up a second tunic that she had been gifted and pressed it to her chest as she stood.
"Now, I'm going to wash all of this off my stinking body, are you accompanying me like you have been all night or are you allowing me to wonder drunk off my ass to the river by myself?"
She wasn't nearly as drunk as she made herself out to be at this point, that had passed nearly an hour ago but now, buzzed and happy, she didn't want his doting to stop.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

"Gaston!" Phiona whimpered seeing him crumple in such pain. "We can't help them, they have to finish this." Phiona muttered to Jacques trying not to cover her eyes as she watched.

Elizabeth watched in disbelief, she knew this was a painful experience but she never imagined it to be this bad. "Mother..." She barely spoke out watching as once more Mary lifted up her mallet her arms and legs shaking as she used all her might to smash the mallet against the stone. A decent chunk shattered as did several small sharp fragments flew off with one of them hitting Phiona and cutting her cheek, other pieces hitting Jacques and landing in Elizabeth's lap but did not hurt them.

"Ow!" Phiona yelped as she was cut, carefully touching a finger to her cheek and seeing bright crimson drip down her finger.

Mary looked over to Phiona as she was hardly able to remain standing as wave after wave of pain hit her, she thought about apologizing but she was in too much pain.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Donahue hesitated realizing she wasn't as wasted as he thought she was. "Oh uh..." He muttered remembering the last time he left her alone by a river. "Yes, I'll come with you." He nodded.

 

[Valjean24601]

Gaston screamed out and with a great show of strength pulled himself to his feet, his legs quivering beneath him as his head throbbed with unimaginable pains, his chest following as he heaved for every breath. He stared helplessly at the battered stone and his eyes focused on a fracture that ran down the remaining length of the stone.
He squared his shoulders as best he could, inhaling air and then gasping it back out as it felt as though he had swallowed shards of glass.
Finally, he raised his mallet again, praying this would be the last strike. The mallet came down and with a thunderous smash the stone parted into three pieces.
Again Gaston collapsed and again he wailed, screaming as though he'd been torn limb from limb.

 

[Valjean24601]

Sabella lead him again through the den and then clumsily through the trees, pushing back frond and branch until the quiet rushing of the river was audible.
Sabella smiled, the prospect of being wiped clean of the ale, the oils, the dirt and mud was refereshing. She hung her tunique in a tree and carefully stalked down the slope of the river bank until she submerged herself in the quiet current.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Trembling and holding back tears of pain she once more raised her mallet this was the worst pain she had ever experienced in her life yet she knew it had to be done. "I wish I never loved you!" Mary cried out angrily more to the stone and the love inside it then to Gaston himself. The piece she struck fractured and crumbled. The pain was so intense Mary could hardly stay conscious, it was worse than the pain of giving birth to all three of her childern combined. More memories flashed through her mind, their first kiss, their first "I love you's", and their wedding, so painful it felt like her entire body was being pierced with thousands of white hot metal rods.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Donahue followed carefully watching her slink into the river sitting down beside her clothes to watch making sure nothing bad happened to her, almost life guarding her in a way. "So where are we planing on going next?" He called out to her.

 

[Valjean24601]

Gaston screamed out as he rose onto his knees and brought the mallet crashing down, the second peice exploding into shards.
His entire body quaked and he stood uneasily on his feet. He would not endure this pain anymore for a woman who did not love him. This pain and this love would be saved for Phiona now and not another, not Mary.
Gaston stared at the final stone, again his vision spotted and the world blurred. The stone pulsated sadly with a cold and dying light. He could not stare any longer, he would not spare himself this last bit of pain.
The mallet came down.
The stone was pulverized.
Gaston fell, his head hitting the floor with a thud of finality and the world went black.

 

[Valjean24601]

"I can't hear you from up there!"
Sabella shouted tauntingly over her shoulder, sinking lower into the water, the icy cool of the river was refreshing and much needed.
"You'll have to come down here!"

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

When the finale piece was broken and the pain escalated to and unimaginable level with both Mary and Gaston out cold. "Mother! Father!" Elizabeth cried out and ran to her parents kneeling beside them and gently shaking them trying to wake them back up.

"Gaston?!" Phiona cried out tears in her eyes as she went to him holding his head carefully in her hands. Her tears mixing with the dried blood on her cheek as she looked back at the stone now nothing but a few glittering shards and dust.

Mary began to stir the pain was gone but she felt so terribly tired, worn out, and sore. She could barely keep her eyes open. "My childern..." Mary muttered reaching out for Elizabeth and Jacques. Smiling glad she was okay Elizabeth began crying and hugged her mother.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

"I'll just shout louder then!" He called with a smile down to her indeed louder, knowing full well she could hear him. "I said- Whoa!" He didn't get to finish as he slipped and tumbled down the slope catching himself before he fell into the river. "Damn it..." He muttered looking down at himself his clothes now covered in mud and dirt.

 

[Valjean24601]

((I'm home now!))

Gaston's head dropped to the side, his eyelids fluttering open halfway and then not at all and his eyes rolled back and forth within their respective sockets.
He felt the heat of Phiona's tears on his cheek as well as the gentle touch of her hands in his curls and the sound of her voice crying out for him. His heart ached and longed for him to wake now, to see her, to feel her, to kiss her-
But his head-
Oh his head was throbbing in the most unimaginable way. He needed help, quite desperately to ease the pain. Of course he could do it himself but to use a power such as his as things like the heart and brain was extremely dangerous, instead of providing relief he may very well accidentally kill himself.
"Phiona-" Gaston croaked softly, lifting a weak hand and tangling them in her inky curls and his eyes narrowed as he saw the scratch that painted a red streak across her otherwise perfect cheek,"whatever happened to your cheek, little blossom?"

Jacques stared on in absolute disbelief at Phiona and his father. He had watched similar exchanges between his parents but never to this degree.
He loves her-
How hadn't he seen this all before? How hadn't he noticed? She had left with him the night in the infirmary, the night after the funeral and she had been with him before this. And the way she looked at him now and cared for him-
She loves him too.
He turned on his heel and ran from the chapel.

 

[Valjean24601]

Sabella smirked and swam closer towards the bank, the smirk turning to a grin as she watched Donahue emerge covered head to toe in dirt and mud and all number of things he had collected during his romp on the forest floor.
"I think you'll be needing to come closer!"
Sabella laughed and climbed up on a stone that poked out of the river's current and ran her fingers through her wet hair, shaking out the crystalline droplets.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

"It's nothing. Can you stand?" Phiona asked with a shaky voice glad he was alright, well at least alright enough to speak.

"Jacques?!" Elizabeth called out watching her brother leave confused only to look over and see Phiona cradling her father's head in her lap and a pang of betrayal stung her heart. Now feeling disgusted at the memories of her being friends with Phiona once and thinking of all the times Phiona had been to her house and began to understand why Jacques had left, then stood up and left as well glaring at the couple wondering just how long this had been going on.

"Elizabeth you too?" Mary asked struggling to pull herself up to her feet and looked over to Gaston noticing he was still on the ground then noticed Phiona, and a small frown crossed her lips. "I'd like to say this is a surprise, but it's not." She said slowly making her way over to them. "What is wrong?" She asked looking down at him.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Donahue said as he slowly stripped off his clothing and tossed them aside then carefully climbed into the river. "Happy now?" He asked with a small smirk now waist deep in the river.

 

[Valjean24601]

"Nothing," Gaston waved his now ex- wife away weakly as he attempted with Phiona's help to lift himself up to a sitting position,"you've done quite enough for me."
His head throbbed and his hands shook but he pulled himself up onto the alter, resting his palms against the cool black stone. The entire world, to him at least, was lopsided but he turned as the door opened at the end of the chapel, Malcolm, an infirmary nurse and kitchen maid all entered quickly, the maid and nurse helping Gaston down the stairs immediately, not saying a word to Mary or Elizabeth. They were ordinary witches now, ordinary only in the fact that they no longer bore the Forticoven name.

"Come son, you're bed has been prepared and there's food and drink waiting."
Malcolm said softly as he helped his son as well, his eyes drifting over the three witches who still stood at the alter.
"Phiona, I recommend you return to your studies. Mr. Forticoven will need rest and time to heal," Malcolm said softly and yet firmly to Phiona and then said more sweetly,"you can visit him this evening, he'll be much better Im sure."
He glanced at Mary just as the nurse and maid had and then looked away quickly. He would no longer involve himself in the affairs of that woman as she was no longer joined to his son.
The small group exited along with Gaston.

 

[Valjean24601]

"It's no fun swimming all by yourself," Sabella said slinking back into the water from her perch,"Especially when a mutt as good looking as you is simply sitting about with nothing pressing to do."