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wistfulcynic · 4 years

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The Eternal and Unseen (4 of 4)

‘Tis the end! Finally! I am sorry this took so long, but I could not get my mind to focus on this chapter, for weeks and weeks and weeks. Thank you all for both your patience and your willingness to stick with me all the way to the end of this decidedly weird story.

to @optomisticgirl and @spartanguard for the prompts that got it all started and @carpedzem for the art that still makes me sigh each time I look at it. And @thisonesatellite, @ohmightydevviepuu, and @katie-dub, without whom I would surely never get anything written ❤️❤️❤️

SUMMARY: Misthaven University is an ancient place, and as all ancient places do it guards some secrets. Secrets such as Emma Swan and Killian Jones, a fae princess and her royal guardian, whose true identities are well concealed behind the guise of average college students—if not quite well enough to foil the plot their enemies have hatched against them. Now their friends will have to come together, putting their own differences aside to battle an enemy that threatens them all—fae and vampire and werewolf together… plus one very baffled human named David.

For @cssns

AO3 | tumblr part one | tumblr part two | tumblr part three

PART FOUR:

The forest was dark, a deep, impenetrable blackness unlike anything Regina had ever known, a bold and mocking defiance of the golden glow of the moon hanging low above the treetops. The moonlight gilded the forest shadows as it would solid objects, caressing their curves and edges, its bright contrast only deepening the darkness within. Every instinct Regina possessed howled at her to flee and yet she walked steadily and at a measured pace, giving no outward sign of her unease as she made her way through the trees—even as their branches hissed and snapped at her as she passed and vines slithered up from the ground to wrap around her ankles and and tug at her clothing with their thorns.

Regina ignored all of this, her head held high and chin tilted in a show of haughty insouciance she desperately wished to feel. This was her moment of triumph and she really ought to be enjoying it more. She should revel in it, but instead she felt nothing but a churning apprehension deep in her gut.

At length she arrived at her destination—the clearing that still held their tools and copies of the fae histories, along with the cage of branches, roots, and vines that contained her mother and sister. Regina took a moment to look carefully around the clearing then lifted her hand and murmured an incantation. The cage rent itself as though sliced by a sword, sending Cora and Zelena tumbling to the ground, stunned and momentarily immobilised, their limbs limp and useless from being bound for hours.

They lay groaning faintly on the damp and upturned soil until Zelena dragged herself to her hands and knees and lashed out with a burst of magic. “Traitor,” she hissed, flinging a bolt of sizzling green at her sister.

Regina deflected it with a casual flick of her wrist. Zelena’s eyes bugged as she watched her magic fizzle to nothing in the deep darkness and then her fury exploded. With a howl she scrambled to her feet, teeth bared, and gathered her magic again.

“How dare you,” she hissed, raising her hands, green light crackling between her fingertips.

“Zelena.” Cora’s voice was calm, measured, and glacially cold. “This is not the time.”

“Mother,” Zelena whined, “she betrayed us!”

“Did she?” replied Cora, fixing Regina with a piercing stare. “I think not.”

Regina smiled and waved her hand again, and from out of the stygian shadows a figure stumbled, both bound and propelled by cords of Regina’s magic.

“Ah,” said Cora with satisfaction. “The fae princess, in our hands again.”

“Not only that.” Regina withdrew a small object from her pocket and held it up for all to see. “She has the dark magic.”

“No!” cried Emma, her eyes flashing fury as she struggled against her magical bindings. Zelena looked at her sharply as Cora’s mouth fell open in awe.

“Is this it?” she breathed, taking the object from Regina and stroking it with trembling fingers. “Is this truly it?”

“It is,” Regina confirmed. “They call it the tywyll stone.”

Cora held out the stone to Zelena. “Daughter?”

Zelena took it and gave it a skeptical look. “Are you sure this is it, Regina? The most powerful dark object in the world? It looks like a cheap hippie trinket.”

“Why, Sis,” replied Regina silkily. “Can’t you sense its power?”

Zelena’s expression turned sullen. “It does appear to contain a great deal of power, Mother,” she said. “More magic than I’ve ever felt in one object before. Far more.”

Regina grinned smugly.

“It just doesn’t look like much,” Zelena snapped.

“A perfect disguise, then,” purred Cora. “Excellent.” Her smile was ice and razors. “It seems you’ve done well, Regina, despite your constant whining.”

Regina preened beneath her mother’s approving gaze as Emma struggled harder against her restraints. “It was easy,” she gloated. “They were so eager to believe me.”

“For all my life my mother has been obsessed with my magic.”

Regina sat hunched in an armchair near the fire in the common room, a steaming cup of tea clutched in her hand. Behind her was a mirror, a tall one set with rippled glass and framed by slender, twisting vines twined together to form a series of knots. It was Harriet who had brought it into the common room, carried in vines of her own. David tried not to stare as she adjusted the mirror so all in the room could see it then curled herself around Emma’s chair as they sat and listened to the dark-haired woman’s story. He wondered how Harriet had managed, being cooped up in Emma’s dorm room for so long, and felt a wave of guilt for being the cause of her confinement. One of her fronds hovered near his knee and he offered it a tentative stroke. It curled welcomingly around his fingers. David smiled, making a mental note to find a way to make it up to her.

With the smile still on his face he returned his attention to Regina. As she spoke the glass in the mirror had turned cloudy, and when she now paused to gather her words the clouds resolved into the image of a woman, cold and terribly beautiful, and with a smile that sent a shiver down his spine. Was this Regina’s mother?

“She discovered my powers early,” Regina continued after a bracing gulp of tea. “As soon as they manifested. It’s like she was—waiting for them to appear.”

“How early is early?” Emma asked.

“I was… four? I think?”

Emma nodded. “That seems about right.”

“It was later in my sister,” said Regina. “I don’t think hers showed until after mine did, though she’s almost three years older.” Her lip curled. “One of the many things she holds against me.”

Snow bristled. “It’s hardly your fault!”

“Zelena doesn’t see it that way,” sighed Regina. “She’s always seen us as being in competition with each other. In everything, not just magic.”

“Is Zelena Mountain Tribe by any chance?” asked Emma.

“I don’t actually know,” Regina replied. “I don’t think even Mother does. She doesn’t like to talk about Zelena’s father.”

The image in the mirror grew cloudy again and then shifted, resolving into the same woman as before though far younger, deep in conversation with a tall and slender red-haired man. They all watched as she took his hand and pressed it low against her belly, and they all saw comprehension dawn in his eyes. For an awful moment the mirror focused on his face, frozen in utter horror, and then the image faded.

“Mountain tribe,” confirmed Emma grimly. “Unyielding and slow to forgive. Vengeful.”

“That sounds like Zelena.” Regina turned her attention from the mirror with a grimace. “Her father left before she was born and she’s never forgiven me for it.”

“But—that’s not your fault either!” Snow sputtered in indignation and appeared to have far more to say on the subject, but Emma silenced her with a look.

“Her father left,” she said softly, “but yours stayed.”

“Yes.” Regina’s voice was nearly a whisper. “Though I’ve never understood why. My mother never loved him and I know he didn’t love her. I have no idea what kept him with her for so long, but she must have had some sort of hold over him. He gave in to nearly every demand she made, without even a protest.”

“Nearly every demand?” echoed Emma.

Regina nodded. “All except one. He wouldn’t let her become part of his tribe. Not when she begged, not even when she threatened. That was the one thing she most wanted, her ultimate goal, but no matter what she did to try to force his hand he always refused. He cut off all contact with his kin rather than allow her any foothold among them, and he never budged on that, no matter how many tricks Mother tried to get him to change his mind. It was a constant battle between them and I was always so afraid…” Regina swallowed hard. “Every morning I expected to wake up and find him gone, but he was always there, ready to take another day of her abuse. I wish I knew why he stayed.”

The clouds in the mirror swirled into the image of a man, short and round and with the same tree branch marking his daughter bore, just visible beneath the cuff of his shirt. He stood in the doorway of a darkened room, leaning against the jamb and gazing into it with an adoring expression. The image shifted to reveal the object of his gaze—a young girl asleep in a bed, her dark hair messy on the pillow.

“He stayed for you,” said Emma. “He adored you. He couldn’t bring you to the tribe because that would give your mother the right to follow and claim a place among them as your kin. He couldn’t let that happen but also he couldn’t bear to leave you. He stayed with her for you.”

“Oh!” Regina gasped as she stared into the mirror, blinking hard against the tears in her eyes. She stared until the image faded, then she gave a sniff, wiped her cheeks with the cuff of her jacket and continued. “My father was the only source of comfort in my life,” she said hoarsely. “But then one morning my worst nightmare came true. I woke up and he was dead… Mother said he had been sick for a long time and had hidden it from me, but I knew, I knew she had killed him. That was the day she told us her plans for taking control of the Black Fairy’s magic.”

At these words a heavy silence fell on the room. Each face was grim, David saw, and each was shaken. Even Killian. Even Emma.

“Us?” asked Snow, in a small voice. “Who else?”

“Just me and Zelena. I lost my father, met my half-sister, and learned of my mother’s plan to take over the world, all in the same day.” She gave a slightly hysterical laugh.

“Met your half sister?” Snow demanded. “Didn’t you know her already?”

Regina shook her head. “Apparently when she met my father, Mother left Zelena with some distant relatives and pretended that she had no children. She never told me I had a sister, though it seems she visited Zelena regularly and told her all about me. So on the day my father died, before I’d even had a chance to mourn, Zelena appeared, hating me before we’d even met, knowing all about Mother’s plan and fully on board with it. Both of them just expecting me to fall into line and go along with it. And since that day I haven’t known which way to turn.”

Regina looked up at Emma, desperation in every line of her body. “What they want to do is madness,” she whispered. “I’ve tried so hard to tell them but they won’t listen to anything I say. They think they’re the only ones to read the fae histories and work out the clues about the Black Fairy’s magic. Like no one else in four thousand years has ever picked up on them.” She gave a haughty sniff. “But my father showed me the truth.”

Emma’s eyes narrowed. “He showed you your visions?”

Regina gulped hard then nodded. “I’ve never told anyone that before. He swore me to secrecy. He said the consequences of Mother finding out would be unthinkable.”

“What did you see?” asked Snow.

“The history of our tribe in the war against the Black Fairy. The writing of the Covenants. Enough to understand Mother would never succeed in her goal of finding the Black Fairy’s magic and using it for herself, though nothing about where that magic was actually kept.”

“Almost no one sees that,” Snow told her reassuringly. “None of us had any idea it was with Emma until Killian showed us the tywyll stone.”

Regina gasped and gaped at Emma, wide-eyed. “So it really is you,” she breathed.

“Yes,” said Emma slowly. “Didn’t you know?”

“No.” Regina’s mouth thinned. “Mother has no idea what she’s looking for or who has it. But everyone knows that Andersen Hall is where the fae students live”—David gave a start and felt his cheeks go pink—“and so she took a chance that one of you would either have it or know where to find it.” Her mouth curled in a small smile. “I have to admit it was gratifying to see you defeat her so easily, though I doubt she’ll learn any lessons from that.”

Emma’s face wore a thoughtful expression. “But why now?” she asked. “And why this move? Given that your mother is so badly prepared and so ignorant, why is she taking such a risk on drastic action now, when she could bide her time and learn more before acting?”

Regina gave her a sharp look. “Oh I think you know the reason. Princess.”

Emma smiled. “The moon.”

Regina nodded. “The moon.”

“I told them you had no magic and they laughed at you,” Regina informed her mother. “They thought it was hilarious, the foolish human attempting what no fae has been able to do in thousands of years.”

Cora’s jaw tightened and her eyes flashed fury. “They will rue the day they underestimated me,” she hissed.

“Of course they will,” Regina agreed. “If anyone was ever going to rue anything, that would be it.” Zelena gave her a sharp look, but she met her sister’s suspicious eyes with cool composure.

“Did she tell you anything more about what is required? Any fae secrets or hidden dangers?” Cora demanded.

“No.” Regina shook her head decisively. “Everything we need to know is in the histories. The ritual as we planned it will release the magic from the stone. She’s basically confirmed it.”

Cora’s lip curled triumphantly. “And what have you to say to that, Princess?” she spat. “About a lowly human so easily discovering your secrets?”

“Curse you,” snarled Emma, struggling frantically against her bonds. “Curse all of you. But especially you, Regina. I trusted you. I was going to help you! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!”

Regina’s eyes made an exasperated sort of half-roll and she huffed a sigh before fixing the smug expression back on her face. Zelena’s eyes narrowed. Cora cackled.

“It’s a hard lesson you’ve learned,” she gloated. “The first of many hard lessons the fae will learn when I have control of the dark magic! Oh yes, then you’ll see! Then you will know what it’s like to be powerless! Then you will give me what I deserve!”

Emma’s expression shifted from fury to fear. “Stop this!” she pleaded. “I’m begging you! Don’t release that magic! You don’t know what you’re doing!”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Your Highness,” spat Cora. “You heard Regina. We’ve studied the histories. We know your secrets. And now we will break open this stone and the dark magic will be released!”

She turned to her elder daughter. “Zelena, you know what to do.”

“Mother, are you sure?” Zelena asked. “I think they might be—”

“Do it!” Cora snapped.

“Please!” cried Emma again, raising her voice to be heard over the rustlings and whisperings emanating from the forest around them, growing steadily louder as Zelena reluctantly began the ritual to remove the magic from the stone.

“Do you hear that?” Cora crowed. “That is the sound of this forest greeting its new master!”

Zelena cupped the stone in her palms and held it up above her head to catch a slender shaft of moonlight that had fought its way through the dense dark of the forest. She began murmuring low under her breath as the glow of the moonlight met the shimmer of the stone to shine more brightly than either could alone. She continued to murmur as Emma struggled and Cora quivered with eager triumph. A buzzing noise filled the clearing, low at first but slowly rising, filling their ears with the sound of a hundred bees and then a thousand, their bodies vibrating in concert with the sound until the air was rent with an earsplitting crack—and then silence.

Zelena cried out and dropped the stone, stumbling backwards and landing hard against a tree trunk, her eyes wild and fixed on the spot where it had fallen. Where now an oily rope of magic began to rise up, coiling through the air, as black as the forest shadows but distinct from them in a most unnatural way, a way that would turn the most stalwart stomach.

“At last!” Cora shrieked. “At last! After all these years it is free! It is mine!”

“Free it may be but yours it is definitely not,” said a voice in her ear, and Cora turned to see Emma, unbound by magic and smiling a smile that froze her blood.

“Wh—what?” she gasped.

Emma gave her head a small, pitying shake. “I warned you not to release that magic.”

“As I was saying before,” said Emma, “it’s the timing. She has to act now because she might not get another chance. Because of that.” She pointed at the window to the left of the fireplace. A tall window in the arched Gothic style as all Andersen windows were, within which the heavy golden moon was perfectly framed.

“The full moon!” exclaimed Ruby.

“Exactly.” Emma nodded. “But it’s not just any moon. Belle!” she called out, and the ghost resolved in front of the fireplace. “Why don’t you explain this part.”

Belle’s faint image solidified, though the flames of the fire behind her were still perceptible through her form. “Right,” she said, looking a bit nervous at the number and intensity of the eyes staring at her. “So as you all know, tonight is Calan Gaeaf.” Every head but David’s nodded.

“Um—” David cleared his throat. “Sorry, but—I don’t?”

“Oh, right, sorry.” Belle gave him an apologetic smile. “Calan Gaeaf is the traditional first day of winter in fae culture. It’s the one day of the year when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest, when spirits roam abroad, and of course when magic is at its most potent and most accessible.”

“So, Halloween,” said David.

Ruby gasped and Graham growled. Victor stood straight and reached for his scalpel, and August’s eyes flashed red. Emma hissed and Killian’s jaw went hard as iron. Belle looked horrified, Snow sorrowful. Even Regina fixed him with an icy glare.

“You were raised among humans, mate,” said Killian tightly, “and taught their ways, and so we’ll let that slide. This one time.” He swept the room with a glare and the others slowly relaxed. “But that is one word that must never be spoken in the presence of fae. It’s incredibly insulting.”

“I—” David began, but he had no idea what to say.

Emma gave him a small smile, though temper still flashed in her eyes. “It’s an appropriation of our culture,” she explained. “Misrepresentation of it. Vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies—these are human inventions intended to erase the fae from their culture. They ignore what we are, our nature and our history, and turn us into cutesy children’s stories or simplistic monsters ultimately defeated by human ‘heroes’.”

“Though they’re more than happy to use our magic when it suits them,” Victor added, for once without a hint of mockery in his voice. “Human medicine and science, even their technology either makes use of fae magic or is based on it. But we’re never given any credit for our contributions.”

“And more and more we’re marginalised in the human world,” added Snow. “We either have to hide what we are so we can live peacefully among you, or live far away from human settlements. Something that’s become next to impossible the more your cities grow.”

“It’s why we choose to live here,” said Graham. “Here at Andersen we can at least be ourselves, and have each other for company. We have to out ourselves of course—”

“Though some of us never bothered to do much hiding,” retorted Ruby with a glare at August, who simply shrugged and muttered something about riding the wave of the zeitgeist.

“We have to out ourselves,” continued Graham loudly, “and some of the other students are scared of us—”

“Or just flat out don’t believe in us,” said Snow.

“Or basically pretend we don’t exist,” said Ruby.

“—but it’s worth it, to have this place for ourselves,” concluded Graham.

“Although we do occasionally have to, um, encourage certain RAs to switch to other dorms,” said Emma.

“Walsh?” whispered David, and a mutter went up around the room.

“That asshole,” sneered August. “He was the worst of them all.”

“You’re one of us,” said Emma, “even if you didn’t know you were until this morning. We were so exited when Killian recognised you.”

“Though we didn’t think it would take quite so long for you to pick up on all the hints we’ve been dropping,” said Ruby.

“Yeah, we haven’t exactly been subtle, David,” Snow teased.

“Look you guys, when my grandmother put a spell on someone, she put a spell on them,” said Emma. “It’s not his fault.”

“It might be a little bit his fault,” said Killian with a smirk.

Snow reached out and patted David’s hand. “It’s not his fault he didn’t know about the H-word, though,” she said.

“That’s true,” Killian conceded, and they all nodded.

“I’m sorry I said it, though.” David’s chest was tight as he looked around the room and made eye contact with each of them, one by one. “I won’t again.”

The lingering tension in the room drained away and they all visibly relaxed. Emma gave Belle a nod and indicated for her to continue.

“So Calan Gaeaf is always a particularly powerful magical time,” Belle said. “And this year even more so. This year Calan Gaeaf coincides with a blue moon—that’s when there’s a second full moon within one calendar month,” she explained before David could ask. “A full moon on that day is rare enough, but a blue moon is far rarer. And a blue moon that is also the Hunter’s moon, falling on the one day of the year when dark powers are easiest to access? Well, that’s—”

“The perfect time for an attempt to release the Black Fairy’s magic,” said Emma. “Really the only time that a human woman and her amateur daughters would have any hope of managing it. Er, no offence,” she said to Regina, who had bristled at the word ‘amateur.’

“None taken,” said Regina stiffly. “It is true we haven’t had the benefit of the education you’ve had.”

Emma flushed. “No, I guess you haven’t,” she acknowledged. “Sorry.”

“But—do they have any hope of managing it?” asked Snow. “I mean, really?”

“They shouldn’t,” Emma replied. “They don’t have the knowledge or the authority. They don’t even know that they need authority. But a blue Hunter’s Moon on Calan Gaeaf makes the situation very different. The mother may have no magic but Regina and, er—”

“Zelena.”

“—Regina and Zelena are powerful, despite their lack of training. It’s actually just their kind of raw, untapped power that Calan Gaeaf makes stronger. If they try to force the magic from the stone, just brute power applied like a sledgehammer… well, it might work. It has a good chance of working, in fact.”

The room fell silent again, silence that David felt weigh on his shoulders and press the air from his chest. “So what are we going to do?” he burst out.

Emma smiled, a smile that spread slowly across her face and sharpened the green of her eyes. A smile that if you saw it approaching you on along a darkened path would send you hurrying back the way you came, trying desperately not to look like you were hurrying. A smile that took no prisoners.

“We’re going to let it work,” she said.

“I warned you,” said Emma now, eyes glowing that same sharp green beneath the golden moonlight.

“But what—h-how?” stuttered Cora. “Regina? You—you let her go?”

“I never had her,” said Regina coolly. Cora turned to stare at her daughter and found Regina ready with magical bonds, real ones this time, which she wrapped securely around Cora to hold her in place.

“How—how dare you!” Cora hissed, struggling vainly against the restraints.

“I’m sorry, Mother,” said Regina. “I truly am. Sorry that you spent your life being envious of others and pursuing something you could never have. But this plan of yours? It was never going to work, and at least now you won’t destroy yourself and us too.”

“But it did, it did work!” Cora cried. “I found the dark magic! I released it!”

“You did,” Regina conceded. “But you could never have controlled it. Look at it!”

The rope of dark magic was still rising from the broken stone, splitting apart and branching out, filling the clearing, hissing and spitting as it swirled around them, dodging Zelena’s increasingly furious and haphazard attempts to corral it.

“You unleashed powerful dark magic with no consideration for the consequences, and were it not for your daughter’s good sense you would have been its first victim,” said Emma coldly. “Instead, we’re going to save you from it. Oh no”—she held up her hand as Cora moved to speak—“no need to thank us.”

Cora gave a furious huff—though there was dawning horror on her face as she watched the magic swirl around them—and Emma turned to Regina with a nod. “It’s time,” she said.

Regina squared her shoulders. “I’m ready.”

Emma began muttering under her breath as she raised her hands high and then flung them downwards, as though to embed a a dagger in the ground. Puffs of silver smoke burst up from the earth, a circle of them around the clearing. The puffs appeared to startle the darkness; its oily tendrils recoiled when they appeared and when the last wisps of smoke whirled away into the night Killian was there, lip curled in a snarl and sword drawn… Snow with her bow at the ready… David behind her, sword in hand and trying to look like he knew what to do with it… Ruby in wolf form snapping her jaws… Graham in the shape of a panther, sleek and deadly and near-invisible in the shadows… August flickering in and out of vision, fangs extended and eyes glowing… Victor with several steaming beakers at his feet and a mad gleam in his eyes.

Cora’s own eyes were wild with fear but she made one last attempt at bravado. “What, all this for me,” she scoffed, with a wheezing attempt at a laugh.

“Oh, Mother.” Regina’s voice was thick with pity. “Do you still think this is about you?”

Without warning the darkness lunged, snapping its thick and curling tendrils at the assembled fae like lashes of a bullwhip. They leapt into defence, slashing with swords and teeth and claws at the dark magic—all but Zelena, exhausted from her earlier struggles, who was caught up around the waist and roughly shaken. She shrieked with fury and with agony, tearing at the darkness that held her. Killian leapt forward, his sword describing a glittering arc in the moonlight as it sliced through the tendril to free her. Zelena fell to the ground in a heap, screaming as the dark magic still coiled around her sputtered and fizzled against her skin. Victor appeared at her side, faster than it would have seemed possible for him to move, armed with a smoking beaker. This smoke he wafted over Zelena’s writhing form and the darkness dissipated, slinking away from Zelena and leaving her panting and exhausted on the forest floor.

Killian fisted a hand in the front of her coat and hauled her up, slamming her back against a tree. “You have a decision to make,” he snarled in her face, so close their noses were nearly touching. “Fight with us, or let the darkness swallow you whole.”

“I’ll take my chances with the darkness,” Zelena spat. She clenched her fists and burst of magic exploded from her chest, knocking Victor off his feet and dropping him flat his back in the dirt. Killian, as all Guardians would be, was unaffected.

“What!” Zelena roared in fury and reared back for another attack. Killian raised an eyebrow.

“I’d save my strength if I were you, love,” he said, stepping back to clear the way for the dark magic. “You’re going to need it.”

The darkness howled as it wrapped once again around Zelena, tightly enough to muffle her screams, and Killian turned his attention back to the clearing. The dark tendrils were everywhere, whipping and writhing in their ancient fury, attacking through whatever opening they could, barely held at bay by the valiant efforts of his friends. At the centre of it all stood Emma, feet planted firmly and arms open, surrounded by an almost blinding glow of light. As he watched, a slender strand of darkness, deftly evading Ruby’s snapping jaws, made a lunge for her and Killian—though fully aware of Emma’s ability to defend her own self—dove in and cleft the tendril in two with his sword. He landed hard on his shoulder, carried the momentum of the fall into a forward roll and sprang back to his feet, whipping the sword up behind him, poised and ready once again to defend Emma to and with his dying breath, whether she bloody well liked it or not.

Emma stood still and silent as chaos swirled around her. She forced herself not to heed it, to trust her friends and Killian to do what they had to do to hold the dark magic at bay until she was ready with her own. She closed her eyes and focused her mind, concentrated on the magic within and around her. Not on the darkness of the forest but on what surrounded it—the magic of the trees and the earth and the moon above.

The darkness continued to attack on every front, spreading around her and reaching out, trying to touch her, to claim her. Killian stalked in a circle around her, his sword a blur as he sliced at the magic, while Victor flung the contents of his beakers, Snow shot her enchanted arrows, and Graham and Ruby ripped with teeth and claws.

Emma saw none of it, heard none of it. She felt only the magic, rising up and coursing through her, pulled from the moon and all the plants and creatures of the forest. It filled her with its light and its power, and then she raised her hands to the sky and began to sing.

David paused from where he was hacking away at the tendrils of magic—there hadn’t been time for Killian to do more than teach him a few basic sword-fighting moves before Emma called them to the forest, but he was doing the best he could with what he had—and turned to stare at her, his jaw dropping in awe. Her song he was astonished to discover he recognised; it was the one he had heard in his vision, sung by Emmas ancestor, Arianrhod, four thousand years before—the same language set to the same melody. And yet David, though he did not understand the words, could sense subtle alterations in pitch and phrasing that he began to realise had transformed the ancient tune into something very new indeed.

Arianrhod had called the darkness to her and forced it to heed her will, imprisoned it in the tywyll stone for all eternity, or so she had intended. The darkness was angry now, restless from its long confinement and out for bloody vengeance—David could see that plainly in the way it fought and clawed to get to Emma—yet the song that Emma sang made no attempt to stifle or recapture it. Instead she appeared to be… letting it go?

The dark tendrils froze as if in wonder, staring at Emma—if indeed magic could be said to stare—and then slowly, slowly, the thick black ropes began to soften and unfurl, uncoiling themselves into ever more slender strands… the merest wisps of magic by the end, wisps that whispered away on an unseen wind and vanished into the night.

The final note of Emma’s song rang sweetly through the trees and through the shadows beneath them that no longer held any hint of menace. It lingered in the air and when at last it faded Emma opened her eyes and smiled.

“It’s done,” she breathed, echoing again the words of her ancestor. “It’s done.” She drew a deep breath and released it in a sigh of profound relief—and then her knees went out from under her and she collapsed to the ground. Killian dropped his sword and leapt forward to catch her, cradling her gently in his arms as he lowered her to the forest floor.

“Swan,” he said softly, then again more harshly as she tried to speak but couldn’t, as her eyelids fluttered shut again. “Swan!” Killian choked. “Emma… Emma, no, no!” He clutched her to his chest as her body went limp, shaking her gently and calling her name until Snow and David managed to pry him away.

Victor came forward and knelt beside Emma, the look on his face uncharacteristically solemn. He felt her forehead and her cheeks, then pressed his fingers to her wrist to take her pulse.

“She’ll be okay,” he said, rising to his feet again. “Jones, listen to me. She’ll be okay.”

Killian swallowed hard and nodded. “She’ll be okay,” he repeated faintly. “But—will she? You’re certain?”

“She’s exhausted,” said Victor. “Drained of almost all her strength. She can survive that but she needs rest and restorative potions. We have to get her back to the hall, as soon as possible. There’s no time to lose.”

“How—” Killian’s voice broke “—how can we get her back in time, it’s at least an hour’s walk and that’s without having to carry her—”

“I can take her.”

They all turned to Regina, who flushed under their scrutiny. “I can take her,” she repeated. “I can transport her by magic, the way she did with you.”

“Are you sure?” Snow asked. “Have you ever done that before?”

“No, but I saw what Emma did and I’m a fast learner.” Regina’s eyes were terrified but her jaw set with determination. “I can do it.”

“You’ll have to take me too,” said Victor. “I know what potions to give her, and where she keeps her supplies.”

“O-okay.” Regina gulped. “Okay. I can do that.”

Killian shook off Snow and David and sank to his knees next to Emma’s prone form. Gently and with trembling fingers he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, my love,” he murmured. “Until then you fight, do you hear me, Swan? Fight, and don’t give up.” His voice broke again and he brushed his fingertips over her cheek.

“I love you,” he whispered, almost too softly to be heard, then pressed a kiss to her forehead and stood swiftly, striding over to where he had dropped his sword. “We’ll take care of everything here,” he said, picking it up and sheathing it at his hip with brusque, determined movements, “and meet you back at the hall.”

Regina nodded. She inhaled deeply then raised her hand, muttered some words under her breath, and flung her hands towards the ground. Three puffs of dark red smoke rose up, and when they dissipated she, Victor, and Emma were gone.

It wasn’t until three hours later that the rest of them finally arrived back at Andersen. The dark magic was gone from the clearing—or not gone, not really, not as such, Snow had attempted to explain. It was more that it had been returned… to the plants and the soil and the air itself, from which the Black Fairy had stolen it all those centuries ago.

“It’s back where it belongs,” Snow said. “It won’t harm us anymore.”

But there was still Cora to contend with, who despite still being bound in her daughter’s magic did not, as they say, come quietly.

Nor did Zelena, once they found her—not torn apart by the darkness as Killian had feared but huddled in a hollow log, eyes burning with madness and snapping at anyone who attempted to approach her. Her magic crackled wildly from her fingertips and sparks of it skittered across her skin and between that and the shrieking none of them were able to get near her.

In the end they managed to lasso her with a vine, identified by Snow as one that would be strong enough to hold both Zelena and her magic. “I don’t have magic of my own like Emma does, but I do have a certain touch with birds and plants,” Snow explained, as a flock of forest birds assisted them in wrapping the vine around and around Zelena, securing it with strong knots until she was thoroughly immobilised.

From there, they just had to drag her and Cora back to the dorm.

Once the two women were locked in the dungeon (“The what now?” David almost hollered, to which Killian replied with a smirk “Did you really think there wouldn’t be dungeons, mate?”) the group made their way back to the common room, to fall gracelessly onto the sofas and chairs and think wistful thoughts about hot things to drink.

David could see the tension in Killian’s body, the set of his shoulders and jaw drawing tighter the closer they got to Emma’s room, the strain of the anxiety and fear he’d been holding at bay since she had collapsed in his arms. He strode straight past the common room to her door and swallowed hard before giving a tentative knock.

Victor opened it and draped himself against its jamb. “You took your time,” he snarked, but Killian was in no mood for verbal sparring.

“How is she?” he demanded. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. Just as I said she’d be.”

“Can—” Killian cleared his throat. “Can I see her?”

“Well,” Victor smirked, “That depends on—”

His words were cut off by a blur of green—Harriet’s vine, wrapping around his neck and giving it a squeeze, a thorny leaf hovering with intent just above his head.

“Yes, yes, go,” Victor rasped, “go see her!” Harriet released him and he clutched at his neck, gasping for air as Killian elbowed him out of the way and hurried into the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

Victor retreated into the common room, still rubbing his neck. “She’s fine,” he repeated, meeting the glares of his assembled dorm-mates with a shrug. He cleared his throat. “Regina transported us perfectly and I was able to get her the potions in more than enough time. She’s weak and needs rest but she’ll be fine.” He settled himself into an armchair and gave Snow an expectant look. “You know what would really hit the spot right about now?” he remarked, apropos of nothing. “A nice cup of your whisky apple tea.”

Snow rolled her eyes but she made the tea—for all of them, and David had to admit that it really did hit the spot. It was sharp and sweet and soothing, and it warmed him to the tips of his fingers and toes.

Snow settled down next to him with her own steaming cup, and he regarded her hesitantly as she sipped. “Um,” he said, after a rather long silence, “this may be a dumb question, but—no, scratch that, it’s definitely a dumb question but I’m going to ask it anyway.”

Snow looked amused. “What is it?”

“Couldn’t Killian—back in the forest, you know—couldn’t he have just, er, kissed Emma? To make her better? Or is that a human idea?”

“True Love’s Kiss?” replied Snow. “No, that’s a real thing. But it’s really just for magical afflictions and Emma wasn’t cursed or anything, she was just exhausted. Using that much magic takes a lot out of a person.”

“It killed her ancestor,” said David quietly.

“Yes.” Snow smiled at him, soft and full of empathy. “But fae healing has advanced a lot since then, and Emma knows her limits. I know it was scary back there, her fainting like that, but she’s smart enough to know how much magic she can handle before it’s too much.”

“So she’s really going to be okay?”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure she will.” Snow smirked. “Victor’s bedside manner may leave a lot to be desired, but he’s actually a pretty skilled healer. And Emma’s potions are second to none.”

David shook his head. “I can’t believe it’s been less than twenty-four hours since—well, since all this,” he said, waving his hand to encompass the room at large. “I’m still not certain it isn’t all just a very weird dream.”

Snow laughed. “Sounds like someone could use another cup of tea,” she teased. “But in all seriousness I imagine it will be a tough adjustment for you. It can’t be easy finding out that everything you thought was true isn’t quite, and what you are is very different to what you thought you were.”

“Er, yeah,” chuckled David. “That.”

“You know,” said Snow, dropping her eyes to her lap, where her fingers twisted nervously around her teacup. “If you ever need someone to talk to about it, you can always come to me. Anything you need, I—I’m here. Just ask.”

David swallowed hard and nodded. “We could start with that tea,” he said gruffly.

Snow smiled. “Tea it is.”

David Nolan was no longer surprised by people’s reactions when they learned he was the Resident Assistant for H.C. Andersen Hall at Misthaven University. If anything, he thought, they should be far, far more afraid than they were. If they knew the things he did, if they had any inkling of the secrets the hall contained… well, they would do a lot more than just twitch nervously at the mention of its name.

A lot more.

“Just a Halloween prank gone a bit too far,” he stated firmly when the Chancellor summoned him to his office, to inquire hesitantly and in a quavering voice if David had any idea what had caused the peculiar conflagration of smoke and light that other students had reported as coming from the forest in the early hours of November the first. “Shenanigans. You more than anyone, sir, must know how crazy students can get on Halloween.”

“Er—yes.” The Chancellor fiddled with his pen, his eyes darting between David’s face and the wall just over his left shoulder. David gave him a bland smile. “Hallow-halloween. Yes. Shenanigans. Indeed. That would appear to be a perfectly plausible, um, explanation. Er, thank you for coming in, Mr Nolan.”

“No problem,” said David jovially. “If there’s anything else I can do for you just let me know.”

The Chancellor nodded and David stood to go. His had was on the doorknob when the Chancellor spoke again.

“Er—Mr Nolan?”

David turned. “Yes?”

“About the, um, the forest. You haven’t happened to notice anything, erm, different about it? Since, ah, since Halloween?”

David shook his head, his expression guileless. “No, sir, I can’t say that I have. Why? Have you?”

“Ah, no, um, just, er, a report or, ah, two,” stuttered the Chancellor. “But they must have been, um, mistaken… thank you again for, ah, coming in…”

“Of course.” With another bland smile and a nod David left the office.

In actual fact, he reflected as he strolled home through the bright and frosty November morning, the forest had changed, and quite a lot. Gone was the sense of eerie menace that had always lurked among its grey-green trees, the creeping tension that hovered between the shoulder blades of anyone who ventured too far into its depths. The trees stood taller now, and straighter, their leaves rustling in playful breezes and dappled with the bright yellows, reds, and oranges of autumn. The birds who nested in their branches sang happier songs and Emma predicted that come springtime there would even be flowers venturing to poke their colourful heads above the soil.

“Balance,” she’d replied with a shrug when he asked her how it could be that releasing dark magic back into the world actually made that world lighter. “Everything needs a balance of light and dark. The Black Fairy took away the dark magic and the light couldn’t balance without it, so it retreated, hid away to protect itself, and left the forest a sort of empty, dead place in its absence. So by restoring the dark we also brought back the light.”

“To balance it,” David murmured, nodding. He gave Emma an appraising look. “Did you know that’s what would happen?”

“I was almost certain,” she replied with a grin. “My ancestors thought the darkness needed to be contained so it could be guarded—so no one could ever use it for their own ends again. I was raised to believe that was the only way to protect the world and I did believe it, until—well, until I admitted to myself that I was in love with Killian. That forced me to take a hard look the things I’d been taught, and for the first time to wonder why? Why couldn’t Guardians and their charges be together? Where was the harm in it? And once I started questioning the so-called wisdom of the ancestors, I found I couldn’t stop.” Her mouth twisted in a wry expression. “Turns out challenging authority is addictive, and so is that word ‘why.’ Why did we shroud the tywyll stone in such secrecy? Why did we even have to have the tywyll stone at all? Then when Cora came along with her plan to release the magic, I thought well, why not? Calan Gaeaf and the blue moon made it possible for her to release it but she would never be able to control it—no one could. The Black Fairy was more powerful than any fae before or since, and it’s unlikely anyone will ever again be able to replicate her magic. So, I thought, why not just let the darkness go? Put it back where it came from, where it’s needed. And if ever another person comes along and tries to harness it the way she did, well, this time we’ll know how to handle them.”

David shook his head. “But you were only almost certain that would work?” he teased.

Emma laughed. “Nothing’s ever completely certain when it comes to magic,” she replied. “I was as sure as I could be.”

They were silent for a moment before David spoke again. “There’s one more thing I’d like to ask, if that’s okay,” he said.

Emma’s eyes twinkled. “Only one?”

“Well—yeah, okay I have a lot of questions, but only one for now.”

“Hit me.”

David chose his words with care. “Killian—he told me, after I woke up from my second round of visions, that H.C. Andersen wasn’t the original name of this building. That it was renamed in order to, er, erase the fae from the university’s history.”

“That’s correct,” said Emma. “Is that your question?”

“No. I was just wondering… what was the original name?”

Emma smirked. “Prifysgol y Tragwyddol a'r Anweledig,” she replied.

“Er—what?”

She laughed. “University of the Eternal and Unseen,” she translated. “It was built to be a place where fae magic and human science could come together. To enhance each other, and to build great things in harmonious collaboration. Or that was the idea, at least.”

“I’m sorry that’s not how it turned out,” said David.

“Eh.” Emma shrugged. “Eternity is a long time, and trends come and go. Even social ones like fae-human relations and attitudes to magic. Who’s to say that some day this building might not be known by that name again, and serve out the purpose for which it was intended?”

David recalled another thing Killian had told him, and the penny dropped. “That’s what you and Killian are planning, isn’t it?” he said. “To bring fae culture out of the past and into the twenty-first century. To forge something new. New ways to interact with humans, maybe?”

“Well look at you, all clever with your deductions,” she teased. “You’re right, that is our plan. Time will tell if anything actually comes of it.”

“Well, whatever comes I’m on your side,” declared David. “You know that, right? I mean, I may not have had the chance to be your official Guardian but I’ve always felt a sort of—well, like a call almost. To keep you safe. And I want to help.”

Emma smiled, a soft smile glowing with affection and pride. “Even my grandmother’s magic wasn’t strong enough to wipe the Guardian out of you completely,” she said. “You’re a good man, David Nolan. I’m glad you’ve found yourself again. And that you’ve found your way here to us, for now and for the future.”

Later that evening they all came together around the fire in the common room, sharing spiced apple cider and hot tea and some crispy golden cookies that Emma called cacennau enaid. David sat on a sofa with Snow tucked against his side and observed the scene around him.

Around a small table Victor and Graham sat, along with Regina—who would officially enrol at the university for the spring semester and in the meantime had elected to remain at Andersen, a circumstance into which the Chancellor had declined to probe too fully—all three deep in conversation about Victor’s latest experiments with electricity and anatomy. Ruby was near the fire chatting to a remarkably visible Belle and tossing the occasional barbed comment in the direction of August, who lounged in an armchair parrying her verbal blows with a cool nonchalance that David was certain must be at least 80% feigned. He knew by now that Ruby and August—in keeping with the werewolves and vampires of their human-tale counterparts—would never be friends. Nor would either one admit how much they both enjoyed their rivalry.

Emma and Killian sat on the other sofa, curled together with his arm around her waist and her head tucked into his shoulder, their hands entwined and resting on Killian’s knee. His fingers tangled in the ends of her hair as he whispered in her ear, words too soft for any other to hear but ones that made her blush and snuggle deeper into his embrace.

David smiled as he surveyed the room then gathered his courage and took Snow’s hand, twining their fingers as Emma and Killian’s were. She looked up at him in surprise, then a happy smile curved her lips and she relaxed against him, resting her cheek on his arm.

David sighed in supreme contentment. Andersen Hall, he thought. Definitely the best gig on campus.

—

A note about language: All of the non-English words in this story, including the names of Emma’s ancestors and the other fae ancients, are Welsh, a language I do not speak. If there are any Welsh speakers out there in the fandom, ymddiheuriadau dyfnaf, I did my best ❤️.

#cssns #cssns20 #cs fic #cs ff #cs ff au #magical au #captain swan #college au #fae lore #magic in the forest #a big scare but a happy ending #the eternal and unseen #profdanglaisstuff

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pennywaltzy · 5 years

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My Chosen Queen, To Rule By My Side (4/8 - A “Dr. Molly Hooper, Queen Of The Fae” Story)

The last of the old chapters! Please enjoy this fic originally written for @thestarlitrose and @barpurplewrites with art by the amazing @manonsoubeyran!

My Chosen Queen, To Rule By My Side - Ten years ago, Molly Hooper got lost in the forest near her brother’s cottage trying to find her niece. She found the girl as well as an injured man who was more than he seemed. Now, Molly’s niece is missing again and so Molly ventures into the forest once more to find her, with decidedly different results this time.

In her dreams of Sherlock, she had caught brief glimpses of the place where he lived, but she was completely unprepared for how majestic it was. She was having so much trouble taking in what she saw and there were a million questions she had but Sherlock was ushering her into a small palace and into an antechamber…

...that looked remarkably like her bedroom at home. “You dreamed of me too,” she said softly, turning to look at him.

He nodded. “Yes.” He went to what would have been her closet and opened it. Inside were not the clothes she would normally wear, but instead gowns that looked like they had been made from beams of sunlight and the night sky at all the various shades of sunset. “To blend in while you’re here.”

“They’ll know I’m human,” she pointed out. “And I have on cold iron.”

“You are not the only human in the realm,” Sherlock said with a small smile. “And not the only one willingly wearing cold iron. But you are my most treasured guest, and...”

She paused in touching the softest fur trim she had ever felt and looked at him. “There’s more to this, isn’t there?”

“My brother is King of the fae,” Sherlock said slowly. "He reigned ten years longer than he had planned to make sure I was as healthy and whole as could be to keep our half-brother from usurping him. But it is time for him to go to the resting fields and live his life there with his chosen human. Things are different in our reality than they are as humans talk of us. Though my skin is marred, it is not held against me as they are viewed as brands of honor in keeping him from taking the throne.”

“Your half-brother,” Molly said.

“He is half human, whose mother raised him in the Unseelie Court. Our father had a...dalliance, as did our mother. I am the result of her dalliance. As such, my half-brother and I have equal claim to the throne, depending on who is wed first.”

Molly let go of the fur trim and looked at him. “He tried to take my niece for a child bride? That’s horrible.”

“But now she is, according to legal custom, almost at the age of consent. In two nights, she will be an adult and he can take her. Should I marry first, I can take command of the throne. You need not stay; there are ways for you to return to the human world and live your life there, under my protection. But if I am wed I can block my half-brother from his marriage attempts and banish him back to the Unseelie Court.”

“Because you’re a full-blooded elf, and he isn't,” Molly said slowly, moving to the bed to sit down.

Sherlock nodded. “My protection of you will extend to your kin, every generation down the line. They will be blessed, should you choose to stay by my side or not. But...I need your help.”

She nodded, then reached up and beckoned him closer. There was so much at stake, and part of her felt that she could be making a foolish mistake, but what did she honestly have in London? Her job, yes, and a few acquaintances, but Katie was the most important thing in her life right now and this would keep her safe. He stood before her and she placed her hands in his, her fingers ghosting over his palms. “I’ll marry you. But under one condition.”

“Yes?” he said, looking at their hands.

“We work on lifting the elf-sleep as soon as Katie arrives and we can send her back, and that half-brother of yours is banished and can never touch my family again. For that, I will stay as long as you need me to.”

“Margaret...” he said softly. Then he bowed his head. “Thank you. I will ensure you do not regret your decision.”

She nodded and curled her fingers around his, sealing the pact. There need not be a ring or any of that. She had made her decision and while she would still follow his rules...this was her life now.

She hoped she had made the right choice.

#sherlock #sherlolly #mollock #fanfic #fanfiction #molly hooper #sherlock holmes #Multipart: My Chosen Queen To Rule By My Side #my au: dr molly hooper queen of the fae

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endlesstomorrowstory · 6 years

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II. Indecision

Genesis believed that every person should know something about the people who bore them. Especially as Genesis Adams felt like she was on the cusp of being an adult.

At 21, the end of her junior year in college, Genesis only knew very few things about her birth parents. She had two favorite memories: her mother had smelled like dew and fresh cut grass, and her father had once told her ‘every person has a place in the universe, even if you don’t know where it is, it will find you.’

Most of her early memories were in tatters. Which caused a gaping rift in Genesis’ heart, because she knew something was missing.

Not that her life had been bad. Her aunt and uncle had done everything in their power to make sure her childhood had been happy.

They had been more than kind. Especially as Aunt Catherine had not meant to take in her sister's daughter. Genesis had heard the story of her arrival on exactly five occasions. It mostly occurred around the holidays, when her aunt had had a bit too much eggnog.

This had never been an issue until last night, during the last recounting. It had been her cousin’s birthday dinner. Trudy was 18 years old and had just graduated high school that spring. The kid was about to go off to college – now only three weeks away. Her aunt was thrilled to have her two oldest girls going off to college, and that Trudy would be at the same school as Genesis so they could keep an eye on each other. Trudy had always been sister like to Genesis, so it wasn’t like she minded. Though Trudy was in a bit of a rebellious stage and chafed at the idea of having a watcher.

Anyway, at Trudy’s birthday her aunt had had one too many glasses of wine. As Genesis had slung her aunt’s arm over her shoulder and helped her off to bed, her aunt had started recounting that story again. But this time her aunt had let slip a detail that Genesis had never heard before.

Until the moment Genesis had arrived at their door on that fateful winter night, Aunt Catherine hadn't even realized her sister had a daughter. And for a second, when she’d first seen little Genesis in the doorway, Catherine hadn’t quite remembered ever having a sister.

This was world shattering for Genesis. Because how did one forget having a sister?

According to her aunt, the man who’d brought Genesis to her had smiled, and Catherine had shook herself. Her aunt had nodded, because clearly she had a sister. She just couldn't quite place her name, or face, or anything. But then, the man smiled again, and Catherine stopped thinking about it and offered the man who said he was from Child Services a glass of water. The man declined, saying he had to be on his way.

He’d told Catherine her sister, whom she still couldn’t picture in her mind as well as her sister’s husband had died in a tragic accident. As next of kin, the child was brought to Catherine. Catherine, having a daughter who still just a baby, agreed to take her niece in. Her husband, a God-fearing man, would not hear of doing anything different. Especially as the child was quite adorable and sadness seemed to seep off of her in waves.

Somehow Catherine never thought to ask what happened to her sister, beyond it being a tragic accident. She forgot to ask how the child had come to be on her doorstep clothed in odd styled clothing - which looked better suited to a beach. She forgot to ask the man's name. She forgot to ask a lot of things.

But most importantly she's forgotten to ask a child's name. Or anything about her sister or her sister’s husband.

So Catharine had been left with a child, with no background and no information. And finally, when they were alone and the child turned her sad blue eyes up at the Catherine, she was struck speechless. It was her husband that had the wherewithal to ask the child's name. Well, when the child said she needed a new name, her husband laughed. But the child would give no name. Catherine, snapping out of whatever daze she'd been in at her husband’s laugh, decided to call her Genesis. Because this was a new beginning, a new start for the young girl. Catherine had named her Genesis.

It was all very tragic. But Genesis, as an adult, finally understood why her Aunt never spoke about her sister. Why she seemed to avoid the topic completely. In fact, it explained the glazed eyed look her Aunt got at the very mention of Genesis’ prior life.

It was because she had no memory. Because, maybe, there was no sister, and her Aunt wasn’t really her aunt.

But Genesis maybe was reading too much into her Aunt’s drunken tale. Maybe her Aunt was just so saddened by her memories that it was easier making stories up.

And Catherine had been a good parent. Genesis had fond memories of growing up in New Hampshire. She could remember summer days on picnic blankets, her cousin – a toddler – chasing butterflies. Her Aunt, arms around Genesis, sitting out in the sun on a grassy hill reading them stories.

Aunt Catherine, Uncle Mark, cousin Trudy, and later her young cousin Katie had been all the family Genesis had needed. The four of them had been a family to her when she had nowhere else to go. Genesis had lived in the small town of Groveland Falls since she was five with them.

It was where grew up. Where she’d had her first crush. Gone to school. Shared her first kiss. Where she’d broken her leg falling out of a tree chasing Trudy.

It was home.

Today was a beautiful day, and even though Genesis’ thoughts were stuck on her Aunt’s latest recounting, she tried to shake off the weight and enjoy the day.

Autumn had come again to Groveland Falls. It was a small farming community, named for a beautiful waterfall that cascaded down a nearby mountain. A couple miles from the center of town. There was a walking trail and everything. Tourists loved to go there.

Genesis was out and about, heading the opposite way from town. She stood on the dirt road that ran by one of the farmer’s fields on the outskirts of the town. Two years ago a new, shiny paved road had been laid through town, making the dirt one unnecessary. Genesis still found it to be the fasted route back to her Aunt’s house from the Farmer’s Market in town square. The dirt road also ran parallel to Haven Woods, the haunted and much feared forest. The only time the town’s people had ventured in was to look for children that sometimes disappeared.

The local news blamed ghosts in the woods. The national news blamed a serial killer they’d caught four years ago.

Genesis blamed herself. The first girl to go missing had been her best friend. Thus Genesis swore tragedy seemed to follow her, even to the quiet town. It had happened when she was in elementary school. Her best friend, Alexis Gordon, had disappeared from the woods. It still weighed heavy on Genesis’ mind that she had been the last one to see her friend. The town had since given up on finding Alexis; Lexi’s parents had even moved way, not being able to stand the loss of their daughter. Four other little girls had gone missing after Alexis.

Genesis blamed herself in some ways, though the rational part of her brain said she had been too young to do anything to prevent it. Still, the human heart was not the most rational of places.

The smell of autumn drifted through the fresh, crisp air. The soft wind picked up red, orange, and gold leaves flinging them around in a playful dance, it tossed the corn silk in the fields making it fly off and into the evening air. The sun was just setting over the mountains that lay far off in the distance; coloring the open fields with glorious shadows. On a day such as this, most people chose to stay indoors and sip warm cocoa by the fire with a good book or movie.

Yet, the silence of the late afternoon was broken by the melodious clip of Gen’s shoes on the road that ran by the fields. The clip ended shortly as she stopped on the edge of the fields and brushed the corn stalks aside peering into the golden abyss. She shivered slightly, the chill finding its way to her, even though she was snuggled into a soft brown sweater and faded jeans.

Genesis sighed, still on the edge of the field. It would be easier to follow the road back home, but something tugged at her. Even after Alexis had disappeared she couldn’t help but go back to the woods. She had snuck in after school, or before dinner, or whenever she got the chance. When she was in high school her Aunt had finally realized where she was going, but she didn’t complain. Her Aunt was more understanding than anyone else Genesis knew. Plus the killer had been caught and was in prison, several states away.

Debating whether to go straight home, Genesis stood a moment more then headed into the cornfields. Her hair snagged on the stalks of corn until she finally tied the mid-length mass at the nape of her neck. The wind, soft as it was, was still crisp enough to stain her cheeks red with cold. Her blue eyes sparkled with delight at finding no one in the fields. Sometimes the farmer or the seasonal workers were moving through them, but not today.

The play of the wind in the trees, the sound of a babbling brook not far off, these were enough to make one girl happy for just a few moments in eternity. Since no one was around she slipped out of the fields and into the deep serenity of Haven Woods.

As Genesis’ eyes adjusted, they focused on her marker. The woods had gotten more and more overgrown throughout the years, and she had grown tall enough that she could no longer duck under the brush. Instead she had marked the easiest route with light blue ribbons, the color only visible if you were looking for them.

She stood at the first marker watching the blue ribbon flap slightly, as a stronger bit of wind gusted by. Genesis shivered slightly, and hugged herself tighter. Without thinking, her legs moved of their own accord, drawing her onto the overgrown path that hadn’t been well used since the eighteen hundreds. Most people in the town would not step foot in the woods at all, let alone far enough to find any semblance of the path that was left. It was rugged and scary looking on the outside, so most people thought it was haunted. Superstitious fools.

But then, the woods on the other side of town were much better maintained, almost manicured. That set of woods had hiking trails and worn dirt paths – like the one up to the falls. It was much easier to explore those woods. Genesis understood why people preferred Grove Woods.

But Genesis had a taste for wild things. For shadows and dark hidden paths.

If there were ghosts or spirits in Haven Woods, well she wasn’t scared. Genesis figured the only ghosts here must be lonely. Their souls still clinging to earth, wafting through the trees and bushes, sending animals scattering away in surprise. She had been coming through Haven Woods far too long to be scared anymore. To her, the ghosts were welcome. They made better company then her cousins most days. Genesis rolled her eyes heavenwards at the thought of her 14-year-old cousin, Katie. Just young enough to still idolize her, but too old to admit she was. And of course, rebellious Trudy. They were both wonderful girls who Genesis loved, but sometimes she wanted to be left alone.

The thing she loved most about the forest was that it felt alive. It was overflowing with of magic, dancing all around her, stemming from the very heart of the woods. Old magic was here; the kind that brought to mind of faeries or mythical creatures. But if they were here, Genesis had never seen them. And honestly, it was probably her active imagination that thought that.

Genesis finally broke through trees and from the sort-of-path and entered into a clearing. The weathered and worn Cross Creek Graveyard still stood where it always had. Genesis had figured out that it was mostly Civil War heroes and pioneers that had been buried here. Her last year of high school she had etched the words onto paper and found records in the local library. No one alive remembered these people but her. In middle school, during one flight of fancy, she had dubbed herself the guardian of the place and guardian of the lost souls who lived there.

Once a year, around Halloween, as close as she could come, she polished the stones and cleaned them. In the spring she planted new flowers on every grave and raked the leaves that had fallen.

Last year during summer break she had untangled the black picked fence until it was once again straight and good as it was going to get. There still wasn’t a gate though, it had fallen off and rusted to long ago for it to be usable. With a smile she stepped in and over to the stone she’d rolled in so she could sit and rest. Setting her small backpack down, she collapsed on the rock and just sat, enjoying the autumn day.

Dark long lashes veiled her soft blue eyes as she took in the sounds of little animals and birds, the smell of fallen leaves and earth. Genesis at 5’5 folded her frame with pristine grace, the sort that only the young had, until she sat crossed legged and staring at the statue that seemed to guard the graveyard.

Well, it was more of an archway. A small star supported by two angels who stood in silence, stone eyes tilted skyward. It was almost as if they were reaching for the star, and each other.

Genesis had always wondered about the angels, who was the architect? Why an archway in the graveyard?

Alexis had said, upon first hearing of them, that it must lead to someplace wonderful. Genesis, who loved fantasy and prized freedom above all else, was skeptical but loved the idea of a gateway to another world. It was too bad Lex wasn’t still there to help her speculate why it had been built in the first place. Genesis sometimes imaged what it would be like if Alexis was still there, what they would talk about, the things they would do.

The leaves rustled behind her, and Genesis whipped her head around. Her eyes settled on two birds, perched on the limb of a lumbering oak, their eyes watching her. “Hello, pretty things.” Genesis murmured. She thought it odd that a dove and a raven should sit together on one branch, but there they were. The two birds stared as if waiting for something to happen.

The wind picked up so suddenly that Genesis was unsettled from her perch on the rock. It dashed over her, causing her to shutter.

All around her the forest was coming alive. The birds within the forest took the air crying out in dismay. The raven and dove were the only birds not on wing. The woods seemed to be chilling, getting darker. Genesis felt the edge of fear stab at her, like a snake ready to strike. “What’s happening?” She murmured, as the shadows somehow seemed to spread out, becoming more real. The only time the forest had ever felt scary was the day Lexi had disappeared, but it had not been like this. This was spine quivering fear that stole through her. Shakily, Genesis pulled her backpack back on and stood. Maybe it was time she went home. It was getting dark after all. Genesis gave a half laugh, the sound eerie in the sudden silence as the animals and bird sounds seemed to have completely disappeared.

Genesis took a step toward the entry. But without warning, Genesis was pulled from her feet. Lurching to her side she looked to see what had caused it and found nothing there. Genesis screamed as she felt a pull on her leg, though the only thing there was shadows. The inky blackness seemed to be wrapped around her ankle, pulling her toward the stone archway.

It must be her imagination right? She had an abundance of imagination. Hell, her creative writing teacher at college even told her she might have too much. Yet, it was as if the shadows were a real tangible substance, like molten ink burning her skin.

Struggling to get up, Genesis made it to her knees when she felt another sharp tug. Soon she was back on the ground and being pulled through the archway.

When she opened her eyes again there was no other side, just empty blackness and the feeling that the world was falling away.

#endlesstomorrow #original #fiction #storytime

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lucifercaelestis · 6 years

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when you wish upon a star

Read it on AO3

Summary:

Shiro gets a video message from Keith while he's on the way to Kerberos, but there's so much teasing. So much.

"Shiro!"

Shiro turned after the third time he heard Matt call his name, dragging his eyes away from the sight of Saturn's rings to indulge in whatever shit Matt was up to this time.

He remembered the last time Matt had gotten bored of listening to his playlist again and tried to pick a fight with Shiro (he called it a debate) over the superiority of Star Trek compared to Star Wars.

Shiro, being a die hard Star Wars fan, hadn’t been able to resist taking the bait. Every single time.

It had ended in disaster, even dragging Commander Holt into the fight, who'd unequivocally voted for Battlestar Galactica and threatened to space them if they continued.

"You've got a message," Matt said in a sing-song voice, dragging out the last syllable.

"From who?" Shiro asked. The Garrison had already sent their requisite video check up a few days ago, it was too early for another one, and he had no family left to send him messages.

He knew that Matt and Commander Holt looked forward to getting messages from their family, Mrs Holt and a little sister named Katie that Matt was ever fond of bragging about.

"Your little shadow, of course!" Matt exclaimed triumphantly.

His eyes widened in wonder. "Keith sent me a message?" He didn't bother correcting Matt's epithet for Keith; he knew they were friends in their own right, but Matt had insisted on calling Keith that after he'd seen the way Keith followed him around, and Keith had never protested the nickname, so Shiro left it alone.

He hadn't hesitated to put Keith down as next of kin, but he'd never thought Keith would use that to send him a message, even as his heart rose at the thought.

“Is Keith that nice boy you introduced us to, the day of the launch? You seemed very close,” Commander Holt piped in.

Matt rolled his eyes. “If by very close you mean Shiro wants to marry him and have his space babies, then yeah, they're 'very close'. But they’re hopeless. They were still dancing around each other when we left and I figure they're still gonna be dancing around each other ten years from now.”

Shiro sputtered. Yes, he liked Keith but he wouldn't describe it quite that way. “Space babies, Matt?” Shiro asked, not knowing what to say about the rest of the things Matt had said.

“Shut up, Shiro, I've been your third wheel for a year now and I don't even get the emotional satisfaction of seeing you guys being disgustingly happy with each other."

"Why do you call him Shiro's little shadow?” Commander Holt asked, finally drawn into the conversation.

"Because when Shiro made friends with him, after weeks of near stalking him I might add, you couldn't find Shiro without Keith following beside him, looking at him like he hung the stars. Not to mention, I'd been Shiro's friend longer but if I really needed to find Shiro, Keith was the only one who could find him," Matt complained jokingly.

"I see... and you say they haven't started dating yet?" Commander Holt asked, curious.

Matt nodded solemnly, hiding a grin.

"Son, you should have more faith in Shiro. I'm sure he isn't nearly as hopeless as you think he is,” he answered. Shiro was about to sigh in relief that at least someone thought better of him when Commander Holt continued, "He'll take 5 years at most."

“Commander!” Shiro protested. “I don’t–“

“I thought I told you to call me Sam, son,” Commander Holt– no, Sam– interrupted him gently. “Carry on, Matt."

Matt shook his head slowly in mock despair. "You haven't seen them together, dad. There's so much pining there a forest would be jealous, and the saddest thing is, I don’t think they even realise it."

Shiro could only watch in horror as they just discussed his non-existent love life right in front of him.

When he remembered the reason they'd gotten onto this topic in the first place, he jumped at the chance to exit the conversation.

As Matt and Sam watched him leave for the comm station to watch Keith's message with an excited light in his eyes and a skip in his step, it was obvious that they were both thinking the same thing: "Hopeless." ~ Shiro couldn't help brushing down his hair and taking deep breaths before he remembered that it was a pre-recorded message, not a video call. He spared a moment to hope that Matt and Commander Holt hadn't seen him do that before he cued the video to start.

Reflexively, he smiled when he saw Keith's face appear on the screen.

"Hey Shiro. I don't know what you said to Iverson to get him to allow this but he didn't even blink when I requested it, just sighed really tiredly for some reason."

He was relieved to hear that his talk with Iverson had worked and that his paperwork had gone through without a problem.

"Anyway, I beat your high score in that Saturn sim, the one you talked about still hanging into by the time you got back, so you owe me a space rock," Keith raised an eyebrow, smirking playfully. "You should be nearing Saturn by now too, right? Tell me what it's like later, I want to hear all about it."

It was good to see that Keith had been doing well in his absence, Shiro couldn't wait to see how much he'd advanced by the time Shiro got back.

"I almost forgot why I'm making this video in the first place. I'm not sure if you'll remember out there, or if you're busy with other things, but it's your birthday here so...uh, happy birthday," Keith said, looking away from the camera.

Shiro had to pause the video for a second, just to process the fact that Keith remembered his birthday and taking the time to wish Shiro for it too. How long had it been since someone had wished him a happy birthday? Long enough that he couldn't remember at least.

How he wished he could be with Keith right now on Earth. Maybe with Keith, his birthday didn't have to be a non-event, or a day that reminded him of disappointment and resignation.

It made him feel hopeful.

"I can't exactly give you a present right now for obvious reasons," Keith continued, a rare smile growing on his face,"so you're going to have to come back for it, alright? No excuses."

Spending his birthday with Keith would be a dream come true after so long spending it alone or not even bothering to remember it.

"I can't really talk for long, but I just wanted to say that I miss you, Takashi. Come back safe, I'll be waiting."

How was it, he asked himself, wiping tears from his face, that even after a year, Keith was still finding ways to make him cry?

Maybe Matt was right. He really was in too deep. But honestly, had he ever really stood a chance?

His birthday had never been an important part of his life, just a marker of getting older, but maybe with Keith, it wouldn't have to be that way.

He had no cake or candles, but there were stars all around him, so he indulged in the childish thought of making a wish anyway: that this time next year, he would be with Keith.

#voltron #sheith #shiro #keith #happy birthday shiro!!!#my writing #wanted to write something happy for him too #but if you read the tags you're gonna suffer #cuz he spends his next birthday in a galra prison fighting for his life #:)))

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spiritvaleroleplay-blog · 6 years

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Faceclaim: Katie McGrath Name: Vaermina Goldsmith Age: Appears in her thirties, but is the very definition of ‘ancient’ Species: Dragon, masquerading as a Witch (Major: Fire, Minor: Spirit, Arcane Focus: None) Occupation: Magic Tutor and Old Court Champion How Long Have They Been in Spiritvale?: Too freaking long

Mina can seem somewhat aloof in her nature, giving off that air of calm and collected distance that could easily be mistaken for arrogance. She is undeniably vain, and even she’ll admit to it. There’s definitely a sultry element to her as well, Mina isn’t one to shy away when she likes someone and she’ll always let the other party know and even when rejected, she may still persist in the vain hope that she might just change their mind. She is a law unto herself and constantly seeks the more attractive option. She’s shallow and she likes it, and anyone who tries to change her ways may end up with a nasty burn.

In perspective, the true nature of her lies in the fact the only thing that she truly cares for is the mountain and those who live on it. Her allegiance is with The Old Court and the spirits who made their home here first, and who were born from the mountain’s magic. Her protection does extend across the town, but only to a certain degree. Petty mortal issues are not problems that she considers her own. Don’t call her if a wolf tears out a vampire’s throat, she could care less… But she’ll be right there if a group of witches try to spread dark magic in her territory.

Time is a fickle and funny thing, and Vaermina honestly doesn’t remember most of it for the time that she’s been alive. There are glimpses from time to time, that resurface themselves in the form of faraway dreams that felt just like that, dreams. But even with their distance, they were far too familiar, deep in her memories she knows them to be truth. One thing for certain however, was that she had been born amongst fire, blood and the screams of the innocent. The very things that had roused her from an impenetrable shell.

At that time, the great scaled winged beasts known as dragons were relatively common in the world; dominating the skies and terrorising towns – or sometimes not, instead taking more benevolent roles in society and acting as guides and counsellors rather than aggressive monsters wishing to cleanse the earth in dragon’s fire. Vaermina’s own mother fell into the former category, and her daughter fell much into the same even without her guidance.

Vaermina never actually knew her mother, because she had given up her egg to a tribe who had travelled far and wide in search of a protector. They had sailed a vast ocean, and had come to land in what would now be known as Anglesey, but Vaermina hadn’t known much of that small island either. She had been born across the Atlantic in the vast lands of America, and raised by the humans she had been entrusted to. Through that alone it forced her to test those innate magical talents, taking the form of a human child to run around with the others.

The tribe always made it clear to Vaermina that she had a great destiny ahead of her, and told her of the lands they were returning to. A great mountain that held great strength, felled by dark spirits that overwhelmed their stone guardian. They needed someone stronger, more tenacious than the old guardian to rid the mountain of evil, someone just like her.

As most dragons do, she matured slowly, but she also quickly outlived a generation or two of the tribe as she grew. But she was always surrounded by family, and her large winged shadow on the land was nothing but a joy for them to see. The journey to the mountain obviously did not take so long, but they were careful, they needed their new protector ready for the fight ahead of her.

And that time came, roughly at two hundred years old when she was only a juvenile dragon, but large and strong enough where neither she knew any differently and neither did the people. It was time, and if you ask Mina now what happened? Well… She can honestly tell you that she doesn’t remember much. And it really is the honest truth, she can call vague scenes of a barren and stripped bare mountain; so unlike the lush, well forested lands of today, and a dreadful sense of darkness looming.

It took a considerable time to clear out the dark energy, and Vaermina nearly lost her life in a battle with the very dark entity that had killed the last guardian. She was too young and too untested, but in that moment in the near sacrifice of her life, the magic within the mountain seemed to stir and push back against the dark, to then accept this brave new soul as if it were an extension of itself. The mountain appointed Vaermina with power she had never felt before; witches would call the power Spirit magic, and it healed her rapidly, giving her a second wind to destroy the beast in the heat of her fire. That’s one part she certainly can remember.

Vaermina’s intervention with the dark spirits and her newfound power seemed to be the kickstart that the mountain needed to start protecting itself again. Nymphs awoke from long slumbers, and nature spirits rose up in numbers that began to repel the invader. With a dragon at the head of their army, a war that had been waging for far too long was finally won.

The tribe could resettle at the foot of the mountain, and Vaermina found her permanent home within it. However, in this fight, she didn’t quite realise the extent of the responsibilities that she was entrusted with now. She had unwittingly become The Old Court’s new Champion, and it did not take long to discover these new tethers. The fact she found that if she left the mountain’s reaches that an excruciating pain would quickly push her back within the safe limits of the mountain. As generations came and went, she also noticed how after a while she simply… stopped aging. Although not really understanding much about her own self and species, the mountain put a stop on her growing any older. She had matured to full adulthood, and it had no intention in allowing her to grow old. So whilst her age is certainly in the thousands, her physical age is remarkably younger.

It wasn’t so bad, to start with. The lack of aging was a benefit, as was her new power; for when she became Champion, the magic from within the mountain became hers to use as she saw fit. It manifested in the form of Spirit magic, entirely on loan, but none the less hers for as long as she was Champion. However, she very quickly grew tired of only being allowed within a certain limit. She tested the boundaries as much as she could, desiring to fly farther than before, to explore and do as dragons do, but every time she always had to return to alleviate the pain. She had become a part of the mountain now, and she was never to leave.

Vaermina watched on as time rolled ahead. Dragons grew to becoming near extinct, the few remaining deciding to take refuge within the safe, welcoming clutches of the earth in the news that was carried to her. Eventually, she grew tired of the same scenes that played out before her; so she too decided to do as her kin had done. She clawed down the entrance to all of the caves that led to her warm abode within the mountain, and within it she slept without any true intention of waking.

The mountain shaking was when she was rudely awoken, into the wild rush of the 1800s when her tribe had long since died out and new men with pale faces came to break into her home in search of gold. As it turns out, those old rumours were true after all, of molten red and gold eyes glaring out from the dark, and fire that left nothing but withered cinders of the men who dug into the rock.

Vaermina took a human form to explore and find out what was going on, sneaking in the town that the locals were calling ‘Spiritvale’. They had even given her mountain a name, Mount Beacon, as they had all been called here by forces unknown. Vaermina learned how the inhabitants were not in fact human, though there were some amongst them. They were other creatures; werewolves, vampires, spirits and witches all coming together. Vaermina altered her name to sound more human, dropping to simply Mina, and took the guise of a witch of fire and spirit as she caught up on what had happened since she’d fallen asleep. It seems a whole lot had changed… And it was exciting.

She had woken angry, but quickly fell in love with the newly created town just as others did. The rush and energy the place had was unlike anything she had ever experienced, technology had new and strange, but she adapted and grew used to it. But one consistent thing carried across, that dragons were merely a myth and they had never even heard of The Old Court, and for her own safety she decided to remain in that guise… Especially as these people seemed to take as much pride in the mountain as she did, and protected it in their own way, making her role effectively redundant.

As a witch without a Focus, others simply assumed she used her Spirit magic to remain youthful and live longer, but on occasion she would change her face. Eventually coming away from the dark skinned look of her natives, and going for what appeared to be whatever was attractive for the time. She had been all colours at some point, but at the moment she is the brunette that this generation have come to know so well. No doubt she’ll switch it up again in a few decades.

Mina has certainly grown comfortable in this new world and what it had brought, and her heart no longer seemed to feel so heavy. Still, she yearns to see the world outside, but her duty to the Court remains and so she is to stay. At the very least, these colourful characters and their stories keep her entertained; and continue to do so to this day.

#sv:character #sv:witch #katie mcgrath fc

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green-tea-kins · 4 years

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hello! hope y'all are doing ok. can i have some forest green gonta icons please? - 🍊

Sure thing Anon!! Gonta is a big kin for me as well so I'm excited to make these!!

-Mod Katie (Chihiro shift)

#💚mod katie #anon #anonymous #ask #request

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ebrainy · 5 years

Text

NadaMoo! recalls 26,000 pints of Strawberry Cheesecake Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

Little Red Rooster Ice Cream Company, d/b/a NadaMoo! (“NadaMoo!”) announced a limited recall of approximately 26,000 pints of its Strawberry Cheesecake Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert because they contain an undeclared almond ingredient.

The recalled products are pints of NadaMoo! Strawberry Cheesecake Non-dairy Frozen Dessert that were distributed to select distributors and retailers beginning February 19, 2019. The recalled products have a “Best By” date of 08/09/2020 printed at the bottom of the pint. In addition, the recalled pints will also have a UPC code of “854758001020” listed below the barcode on the back of the pint. To help identify if a pint of NadaMoo! Strawberry Cheesecake is impacted by this recall, please visit the site NadaMoo! created at www.nadamoo.com/March2019Recall

No consumer has reported an allergic reaction to date.

No other NadaMoo! products or flavors are recalled. NadaMoo! wants to reassure customers that Strawberry Cheesecake pints not labeled with the expiration date listed above are not affected by the recall and therefore can be fully enjoyed rather than discarded.

The recall was initiated as soon as it was discovered that the pie crust inclusions in the Strawberry Cheesecake product containing almond flour as an ingredient was inadvertently filled into packaging that did not declare that ingredient, potentially exposing consumers to an undeclared allergen.

A list of stores that may have received the impacted product can be found below:

Store City State HEB Grocery HOUSTON TX SAN ANTONIO TX Stater Bros Markets COLTON CA HIGHLAND CA LOMA LINDA CA REDLANDS CA SAN BERNARDINO CA Beach Naturals LOS FRESNOS TX Better Health STERLING HEIGHTS MI Brigher Day SAVANNAH GA Fresh Thyme APPLE VALLEY MN ASHWAUBENON WI BLOOMINGTON IL BLOOMINGTON IN BLOOMINGTON MN BRIDGEVILLE PA BROOKFIELD WI CANTON MI CINCINNATI OH CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP PA CRYSTAL LAKE IL DOWNERS GROVE IL EVANSVILLE IN FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS IL FARMINGTON MI FISHERS IN GAHANNA OH GENEVA IL GRAND ISLAND NE GRAND RAPIDS MI GREENFIELD WI INDIANAPOLIS IN JOLIET IL KENOSHA WI KIRKWOOD MO LAFAYETE IN LINCOLN NE LOUISVILLE KY MAYFIELD HEIGHTS OH MENOMONEE FALLS WI MILWAUKEE WI MINNEAPOLIS MN MISHAWAKA IN MT PROSPECT IL NEWPORT KY NORTH CANTON OH NORTHVILLE MI O’FALLON MO OMAHA NE PLYMOUTH MN ROCHESTER HILLS MI ST LOUIS MO ST PETERS MO SUGARCREEK TOWNSHI OH TOLEDO OH TOWN AND COUNTRY MO TROY MI VADNAIS HEIGHTS MN WAITE PARK MN WESTERVILLE OH WESTLAKE OH WORTHINGTON OH YPSILANTI MI Garden Patch Market MISHAWAKA IN Health Hutt GRAND HAVEN MI Kanakee Natural Foods BRADLEY IL Kins Market AUSTIN TX Lacasa Del Pueblo CHICAGO IL Melbourne Beach Supermarket MELBOURNE FL Msn Apple A Day FINDLAY OH Natural Nutrition SANTA ROSA BAYAMON PR Naturally Yours Grocery & Deli PEORIA IL Publix Supermarket FT. MYERS FL MURRELLS INLET HO SC ACWORTH GA AIKEN SC ALABASTER AL ALACHUA FL ALBANY GA ALPHARETTA GA ALTAMONTE SPRINGS FL ANDERSON SC ANTIOCH TN APEX NC APOLLO BEACH FL APOPKA FL ARCADIA FL ASHEVILLE NC ATHENS AL ATHENS GA ATLANTA GA AUBURN AL AUBURNDALE FL AUGUSTA GA AVENTURA FL BARTOW FL BEAUFORT SC BELLEAIR BLUFFS FL BESSEMER AL BETHLEHEM GA BIRMINGHAM AL BLUFFTON SC BOCA RATON FL BONAIRE GA BONITA SPRINGS FL BOONE NC BOYNTON BEACH FL BRADENTON FL BRANDON FL BRASELTON GA BRENTWOOD TN BROOKSVILLE FL BRUNSWICK GA BUFORD GA BYRON GA CALERA AL CANTON GA CAPE CORAL FL CARROLLTON GA CARTERSVILLE GA CARY NC CASSELBERRY FL CELEBRATION FL CHAPIN SC CHARLESTON SC CHARLOTTE NC CHATTANOOGA TN CHELSEA AL CHESTERFIELD VA CLARKSVILLE TN CLEARWATER FL CLEMMONS NC CLEMSON SC CLERMONT FL CLEVELAND TN COCOA FL COCOA BEACH FL COCONUT CREEK FL COLONIAL HEIGHTS VA COLUMBIA SC COLUMBUS GA CONCORD NC CONNERTON FL CONYERS GA COOKEVILLE TN COOPER CITY FL CORAL GABLES FL CORAL SPRINGS FL CORNELIUS NC COVINGTON GA CRESTVIEW FL CRYSTAL RIVER FL CULLMAN AL CUMMING GA DACULA GA DADE CITY FL DALLAS GA DANIEL ISLAND SC DAPHNE AL DAVENPORT FL DAVIE FL DAWSONVILLE GA DAYTONA BEACH FL DECATUR AL DECATUR GA DEERFIELD BEACH FL DELAND FL DELRAY BEACH FL DELRAY BEACH FL DELTONA FL DENVER NC DESTIN FL DORAL FL DOTHAN AL DOUGLASVILLE GA DULUTH GA DUNCAN SC DUNEDIN FL DUNNELLON FL DUNWOODY GA EASLEY SC EDGEWATER FL EMERALD ISLE NC ENGLEWOOD FL ENTERPRISE AL ESTERO FL EUSTIS FL EVANS GA FAIRBURN GA FAIRHOPE AL FAIRVIEW TN FAYETTEVILLE GA FAYETTEVILLE NC FLAGLER BEACH FL FLEMING ISLAND FL FLORENCE AL FLOWERY BRANCH GA FORT LAUDERDALE FL FORT MILL SC FORT MYERS FL FORT PIERCE FL FRANKLIN TN FREDERICKSBURG VA FREEPORT FL FT LAUDERDALE FL FT MYERS FL FT WALTON BEACH FL FT. LAUDERDALE FL FT. MYERS FL FT.MYERS BEACH FL GAINESVILLE FL GAINESVILLE GA GAINSVILLE FL GAINSVILLE GA GALLATIN TN GARDENDALE AL GASTONIA NC GLEN ALLEN VA GOODLETTSVILLE TN GOOSE CREEK SC GREEN ACRES FL GREENACRES FL GREENBORO GA GREENEVILLE SC GREENEVILLE TN GREENVILLE NC GREENVILLE SC GREENWOOD SC GREER SC GROVELAND FL GULF BREEZE FL GULF SHORES AL GUNTERSVILLE AL HAINES CITY FL HALLANDALE FL HAMPSTEAD NC HARDEEVILLE SC HARRISBURG NC HARVEST AL HELENA AL HENDERSONVILLE NC HENDERSONVILLE TN HENRICO VA HERNANDO FL HIALEAH FL HICKORY NC HIGH POINT NC HILTON HEAD SC HILTON HEAD ISL SC HIXSON TN HOBE SOUND FL HOLIDAY FL HOLLY HILL FL HOLLYWOOD FL HOLMES BEACH FL HOMESTEAD FL HOMEWOOD AL HOMOSASSA FL HOMOSASSA SPRINGS FL HOOVER AL HOSCHTON GA HUDSON FL HUEYTOWN AL HUNTERSVILLE NC HUNTSVILLE AL INDIAN HILLS SC INDIAN TRAIL NC INVERNESS FL IRMO SC ISLAMORADA FL JACKSONVILLE FL JACKSONVILLE BEACH FL JENSEN BEACH FL JOHN’S ISLAND SC JUPITER FL KATHLEEN GA KENNESAW GA KEY LARGO FL KEY WEST FL KILL DEVIL HILLS NC KINGSLAND GA KISSIMMEE FL KNOXVILLE TN LAGRANGE GA LAKE CITY FL LAKE MARY FL LAKE PARK FL LAKE PLACID FL LAKE WALES FL LAKE WORTH FL LAKE WYLIE SC LAKELAND FL LAKEWOOD RANCH FL LAND O’LAKES FL LANTANA FL LARGO FL LAUDERHILL FL LAWRENCEVILLE GA LAWRENCEVILLLE GA LEBANON TN LEESBURG FL LEESBURG GA LEHIGH ACRES FL LEIGH ACRES FL LEXINGTON SC LILBURN GA LITHIA FL LITHIA SPRINGS GA LITHONIA GA LIVE OAK FL LOCUST GROVE GA LOGANVILLE GA LONGBOAT KEY FL LONGWOOD FL LOXAHATCHEE FL LUTZ FL LYNN HAVEN FL MABLETON GA MACON GA MADEIRA BEACH FL MADISON AL MAITLAND FL MANALAPAN FL MARATHON FL MARCO ISLAND FL MARGATE FL MARIETTA GA MARTINEZ GA MATTHEWS NC MAULDIN SC MCDONOUGH GA MECHANICSVILLE VA MELBOURNE FL MERIDIANVILLE AL MERRITT ISLAND FL MIAMI FL MIAMI BEACH FL MIAMI SHORES FL MIDDLEBURG FL MIDLOTHIAN VA MINT HILL NC MIRAMAR FL MOBILE AL MONTGOMERY AL MOODY AL MOORESVILLE NC MORROW GA MOULTRIE GA MOUNT PLEASANT SC MT DORA FL MT JULIET TN MT. PLEASANT SC MULLBERRY FL MURFREESBORO TN MURFRESSBORO TN MUSCLE SHOALS AL MYRTLE BEACH SC NAPLES FL NASHVILLE TN NAVARRE FL NEPTUNE BEACH FL NEW PORT RICHEY FL NEW SMYRNA BEACH FL NEWBERN NC NEWBERRY FL NEWNAN GA NICEVILLE FL NO. MIAMI BEACH FL NOKOMIS FL NORCROSS GA NORTH AUGUSTA SC NORTH CHARLESTON SC NORTH FORT MYERS FL NORTH FT MYERS FL NORTH MIAMI FL NORTH MIAMI BEACH FL NORTH PORT FL NORTH VENICE FL NORTHPORT AL NORTHPORT FL OAKLAND PARK FL OCALA FL OCEAN ISLE BEACH NC OCOEE FL ODESSA FL OKEECHOBEE FL OOLTEWAH TN ORANGE BEACH AL ORANGE CITY FL ORANGE PARK FL ORLANDO FL ORMOND BEACH FL OSPREY FL OVIEDO FL OWENS CROSS RDS AL OXFORD AL PACE FL PALATKA FL PALM BAY FL PALM BEACH FL PALM BEACH GARDENS FL PALM CITY FL PALM COAST FL PALM HARBOR FL PALMETTO FL PANAMA CITY FL PANAMA CITY BCH FL PANAMA CITY BEACH FL PARKLAND FL PARRISH FL PASADENA FL PAWLEYS ISLAND SC PEACHTREE GA PEACHTREE CITY GA PELHAM AL PELL CITY AL PEMBROKE PINES FL PENSACOLA FL PERRY GA PHENIX CITY AL PIGEON FORGE TN PINECREST FL PINELLAS PARK FL PINSON AL PLACIDA FL PLANT CITY FL PLANTATION FL POINCIANA FL POMPANO FL POMPANO BEACH FL PONTE VEDRA FL PONTE VEDRA BEACH FL POOLER GA PORT CHARLOTTE FL PORT ORANGE FL PORT RICHEY FL PORT SAINT LUCIE FL PORT ST LUCIE FL PORT ST. LUCIE FL PORT WENTWORTH GA POWDER SPRINGS GA PRATVILLE AL PUNTA GORDA FL RAINBOW CITY AL RALEIGH NC RICHMOND VA RICHMOND HILL GA RINGGOLD GA RITCHLAND SC RIVERVIEW FL RIVIERA BEACH FL ROCK HILL SC ROCKLEDGE FL ROME GA ROSWELL GA ROYAL PALM BEACH FL SAINT AUGUSTINE FL SAINT PETERSBURG FL SANDESTIN FL SANFORD FL SANTA ROSA BEACH FL SARALAND AL SARASOTA FL SATELLITE BEACH FL SAVANNAH GA SEBASTIAN FL SEBRING FL SEFFNER FL SEMINOLE FL SHERRILLS FORD NC SIMPSONVILLE SC SMYRNA GA SMYRNA TN SNELLVILLE GA SORRENTO FL SOUTH DAYTONA FL SOUTHWEST RANCHES FL SPANISH FORT AL SPARTANBURG SC SPRING HILL FL SPRING HILL TN SPRINGHILL FL ST AUGUSTINE FL ST CLOUD FL ST PETERSBURG FL ST. CLOUD FL ST. PETERSBURG FL ST.PETERSBURG FL STATESVILLE NC STOCKBRIDGE GA STONE MOUNTAIN GA STUART FL SUMMERVILLE SC SUN CITY CENTER FL SUNNY ISLES BEACH FL SUNRISE FL SURFSIDE FL SUWANEE GA TALLAHASSEE FL TAMARAC FL TAMPA FL TARPON SPRINGS FL TAVARES FL TAYLORS SC TEMPLE TERRACE FL TEQUESTA FL THE VILLAGES FL THOMASVILLE GA TIFTON GA TITUSVILLE FL TREASURE ISLAND FL TROY AL TRUSSVILLE AL TUCKER GA TULLAHOMA TN TUSCALOOSA AL TYRONE GA VALDOSTA GA VALRICO FL VENICE FL VERO BEACH FL VESTAVIA HILLS AL VILLA RICA GA WAKE FOREST NC WATKINSVILLE GA WEAVERVILLE NC WEEKI WACHEE FL WELLINGTON FL WESLEY CHAPEL FL WEST MELBOURNE FL WEST PALM BEACH FL WESTON FL WILLAMSBURG VA WILMINGTON NC WILTON MANORS FL WINDER GA WINDERMERE FL WINSTON SALEM NC WINTER GARDEN FL WINTER HAVEN FL WINTER PARK FL WINTER SPRINGS FL WOODSTOCK GA YULEE FL ZEPHYRHILLS FL Sprouts ALBUQUERQUE NM ALLEN TX ARLINGTON TX ARVADA CO ATLANTA GA AUGUSTA GA AURORA CO AUSTIN TX BIRMINGHAM AL BIXBY OK BOULDER CO CASTLE ROCK CO CEDAR HILL TX CEDAR PARK TX CENTENNIAL CO CHARLOTTE NC CLEARWATER FL COLORADO SPRINGS CO CORPUS CHRISTI TX DALLAS TX DECATUR GA DENTON TX DENVER CO DURHAM NC EL PASO TX ELLICOTT CITY MD ENGLEWOOD CO FAYETTEVILLE NC FLOWER MOUND TX FORT COLLINS CO FORT WORTH TX FRANKLIN TN FRISCO TX GRAND JUNCTION CO GREELEY CO HOOVER AL HOUSTON TX HURST TX KANSAS CITY MO KATY TX KELLER TX LAFAYETTE CO LAKELAND TN LAKEWOOD CO LAS CRUCES NM LAWRENCE KS LAWRENCEVILLE GA LEE’S SUMMIT MO LENEXA KS LITTLETON CO LONE TREE CO LONGMONT CO LOVELAND CO LUBBOCK TX MADISON AL MARIETTA GA MCALLEN TX MCKINNEY TX MEMPHIS TN MURFREESBORO TN MURPHY TX NAPLES FL NASHVILLE TN NORCROSS GA NORMAN OK OKLAHOMA CITY OK OVERLAND PARK KS PALM HARBOR FL PEACHTREE CITY GA PEARLAND TX PHILADELPHIA PA RALEIGH NC RICHARDSON TX ROSWELL GA ROUND ROCK TX ROWLETT TX SAN ANTONIO TX SANDY SPRINGS GA SANTA FE NM SARASOTA FL SIMPSONVILLE SC SMYRNA GA SOUTHLAKE TX SPRING TX STILLWATER OK SUGAR LAND TX TAMPA FL THORNTON CO TOWSON MD TUCKER GA TULSA OK VALRICO FL WELLINGTON FL WESTMINSTER CO WINTER PARK FL WOODSTOCK GA YUKON OK Vegan Fine Foods FORT LAUDERDALE FL Village Market COLLEGEDALE TN Wheatsville Food Co-Op AUSTIN TX Hyde Park Market AUSTIN TX The Austinite AUSTIN TX Duval Market AUSTIN TX Bread Basket – Manchaca AUSTIN TX Thom’s Market Barton Springs AUSTIN TX Thom’s Market – Spyglass AUSTIN TX

Consumers with the product noted above can return the product to the retailer they purchased it from for a refund or contact NadaMoo! at (512) 571-3870 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Central Time, or by email at [email protected].

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from US Food Safety https://ift.tt/2OFzgnz NadaMoo! recalls 26,000 pints of Strawberry Cheesecake Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert US Food Safety via 1best recipe https://ift.tt/2WOC6cN

#US Food Safety

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