The Truth Will Set You Free

"So. . ." Van would produce a genuine smile as he leaned against the railings, crossing his arms beside Blue. "How'd ya reckon ye'r father'd look like? What're do ya hope ta see in'em..?"

"I don't care," Blue stated bluntly. "I assume our physical characteristics will be similar since we are related. But other than that, what drives me is my dream's insistence to locate him." She paused. "I never knew the man...," she said in a low voice as she trailed off, suggesting that unpleasant thoughts were running through her head, before continuing. "But I do want answers in which he may only provide. If anything, I hope he can shed some light."

Van would fall silent wieghing the facts. The poor girl - Van was urged to console her with possibilities, though he'd hate to be criticised later on for giving her too much hope. Though, he went back over a detail she mentioned that twisted his expression. "Ain-sisted, ay..?" Van's lip would twitch before looking down at his sword. "A'm bettin' dat lune had ma hair an' a talla' frame, tew." His statement evidently indicated that he knew the culprit that invaded Blue's dream - personally. "If ya miss ye'r body sa much, ya could a'leas' tell me where it is. A'll gladly stab ya bac' intew it. Least A'll stop hearin ya in ma head." The blade didn't answer.

Blue's attention was drawn to Van as he confronted Furiyen over the possibility that he had been the one who had infiltrated her tranquil dreams in order to instill in her the determination and drive to locate her birth father. She blinked, watching the interaction. Even if it had been Furiyen that had approached her, at least he was willing to aid her to discover more about herself. Though she had the suspicion that it would benefit him in some manner or form. Even so, she could not deny that she was curious. And now that she knew where she could possibly meet her father, how could she let the opportunity slip through her fingers? Blue stared at the silence that was Furiyen's response to Van's accusations before she brought her gaze back out into the horizon. She decided to leave out the detail that another reason why she listened to her dream was because the man had fascinated her. He had the ambiance of a predator and confidence had exuded from him. And since she had predatorial tendencies herself, that attracted her as she mused quietly to herself before speaking. "It's alright, Van. What matters now is that I want to find him, whether or not Furiyen had been the catalyst."

Mainland was reached. It had taken two days, and Van knew by each passing hour Blue would have obviously grown restless. In Van's case, it was the closer that he had ever got to their destination, but he knew that he couldn't back out on his decision. He made it clear that he was coming. In the dephts of the woods that had been serene that charmed its visitors by the symphony of the birds, the trio now waited. Van explained to Blue that the river before was categorized Flower Red due to the color it reflected off during sunset. The name was evidently accurate. "HE COMES!" Furiyen yelled excitedly in the cloak of midnight just as the fire began to die, rousing the two. "The light dies. Good. We do not want to be seen for now..Wait."

As they grew closer to discovering whether or not her dream had been accurate, Blue became restless and apprehensive. She did not know what to expect. Hictor had stated her father had been a powerful man, who had been filled with vengeance and spite at one point like her. Would he welcome her? Or reject her? The countless possibilities troubled her mind but was alleviated by her conversation with Van as he explained the origins of the river's name. Though soon, Furiyen startled them both as he yelled excitedly, announcing the approaching presence of the man who was supposedly her father. Blue gave Furiyen a peculiar look, noting his unusual excitment. She had yet to decipher what this encounter would prove to be for him. Even so, they waited and Blue decided to venture forward, stealthfully navigating her way around a tree until a small illumination in the distance caught her attention before the silhouette of a man ever did. She blinked, her eyes narrowing as her pupils adjusted to the dim lighting. She wasn't try to make out the person's features but to see if he bore the mark that her dream had stated he would. She waited for the man to approach closer as she noticed he was beginning to cross, frowning as she tried to get a better look without giving her presence away. She could barely repress her flowering excitement as the purple mark became clear. It was a pheonix; that was undeniable despite its tiny size. Unable to contain herself any longer and not wishing to let the man escape, Blue did not wait for Van as she moved in to cut the man off.

Blue would be caught off guard by the sound of a boom that shook the ground as the breath of a mythical beast resonated through the air. She would find herself yanked back just as her foot touched the river, raising her head to note the passing of a sea of fire. The ground before her marred and scorched, the river erased – deformed into vapors. And the silhouette still standing, with fumes rising from above his shoulders as he seemed to stare at a particular man whom’s aura illuminated to discern his features. Van would glare menacingly. “Dat priest.” “He’s a celestial as well. If we are to accomplish this mission, we are to do it with our lives intact. Don’t come close. Intervening between the battle of Celestials promises certain doom.” Furiyen emphasized, his voice an invisible media that boomed across their heads.

“My lord, Diedre.” The man behind the spectacles statement with a grin. “It is good to see you in good health.”

“And I am sure you will attempt to see me beyond that, Sebastian – or should I refer to you as Necromancer…?” The shade of Diedre answered, mockingly.

The now-known necromancer would lower his spectacles, green eyes glowing in the core of the darkness with obvious resentment. “I worshipped you like a God onto this day.”

“I’m flattered.”

“And yet – you threw it all away when you tossed aside your responsibilities, the eons of strife and conflict throughout history – everything laid to waste.” At that, the spectacles shattered as the being’s form began to deteriorate. Almost as if the flesh and bone had turned inside out, Sebastian was now a marred corpse adorned by garments in an instant. There was no process. “Everything , Deirdre…Everything.”

Van’s eye would lift as he felt a rumbling beneath the earth, raising his gaze up to the skies as something like an arm lashed out of the belly of the forest some distance away from Diedre. Shit! It was an arm! It came plunging down with a hatchet like a plummeting comet. In the aftermath of a boom that sent the trio sailing, Van would rise just in time to note a shimmering slash in the air just as the haze left with Deirdre descending from a graceful leap. He was now thirty feet away from them. He saw them – or so he thought. In the cloak of the night and his insignia being the only source of incompetent lighting, he was still a shadow though – unseen. In his hand though, shimmered delicately a blade that was obviously transparent, remarkably of psionic manifestiations. A psionic blade.

The dismembered arm would fall, though it was not over. The ground would quake again, feeling as if something was about to erupt from beneath. Diedre, the shadow would fall to a crouch as the soil beneath quaked to the verge of eruption. Like an explosion, the platform of grass and soil was lifted up by a scaley that resembled a serpent, though it retained a nuzzle. Diedre leapt from his suspension, knowing that he was about to be swallowed only to find the creature having surpassed his altitude and now dived to squash him into the ground. Something erupted just as nuzzle head the surface and its sale fell to the side, dead. More psionic manifestations.

Deirdre would stand over its corpse to note Sebastian emerged from it like a shadow, the monster charging at him with blades in the shape of crescent moons, gleaming fatally in the lunar light. Even with psionic sword in hand, motion and grace that the human mind could not register, blurring with speed as if he were vapor, blood would eventually spray the ground. At one point, his psionic blade made an arch that boomed a sound that was much like thunder and one of the blades flew into the arm, dismembering Sebastian’s arm. Recovering from shock, the skeletal figure would glare and roar menacingly as Diedre dashed to disappear within the bowels of the forest, sprinting after him.

Van would rise to his feet, noting the trail of blood on the floor. Deirdre’s own. . . “Is he goin’ ta make it..?” A dome of explosion that was invisible, made clear by the transparent reflectlion lunar light occurred in the distance, sending rubble and dirt ranges across. And with it, came the hovering of a silence that deafened all traces of strife. It was over.

Blue was startled as she was yanked back before reaching the river, shooting a glare at the culprit and a questioning look of why. Though she would soon realize the reason for the interruption as a sea of flames soon came to evaporate the river, but left her father unharmed. Blue stared as Van quickly recognized the priest from before, who had inevitably been the cause of their separation due to his ambitions that somehow involved her. She could simply observe the epic battle that soon transpired in front of her and was tempted to intervene even after Furiyen advised them not to. Her father was so close, perhaps only thirty feet away. All her efforts would be made in vain if he died not after she had just located him after all these years. The evidence of blood was undeniable as Van and her rose to their feet before her attention was drawn to the explosion in the distance followed by silence. She could not wait any longer as she dashed in the direction the two combatants had disappeared off to to discover what had happened to her father. Had he survived or been vanquished by the priest? She dearly hoped it was not the latter as she tried to locate either one of them to soon come upon the scene of someone heaving. The individual was harmed by the way he held his arm and the scent of blood was unmistakable as Blue cautiously approached. She noticed remnants of Necromaner's blades on the ground near the individual and soon witnessed the mark on his neck. Her father was alive, if not unharmed. Considering she did not know what to expect of him, especially after he had just had a collosal battle, Blue kept her distance as she tried to make out his features despite the dim illumination of the evening. "Are you alright?" She inquired as she stood a couple yards away from him.

White. From the range that she had closed, her optics could detect the color white in his garments, his hair rendered somewhat lavender due to the light of the symbol before the illuminated ultimately faded Though he was still there heaving quietly, not answering for a moment. Then, his head moved in unclear but assumable animation in the dark that suggested he searching for the source of the voice. "Fiona. . ." He said in a low voice above a whisper. In the wake of the silence came the hovering presence of firefliesm some of which that came over his form - illuminating his features second after the other, which altogether threw Van into a moment of preplexion. The tone of his voice suggested that Deirdre did not know what to say.

She was taken by surprise when he addressed her by her name as she had not expected him to actually know her. If he had indeed been her father, how could he recognize her from all these years? She had not met him since then. Or had she? She watched as fireflies began to accompany them, providing brief illumination to the man's face, before she was struck with realization on who it was. Caution thrown into the wind, she approached the man with a purpose now. Disregarding any consquences that may come from her reckless actions, she gripped the man by the collar of his garments and glared at him. "You're him?" She questioned. "You're my father?" She inquired though she could already sense the signs of aggravation rising to the surface as were questions. Did he know?

A fire fly came in between to illuminate their faces in the darkness, blue's optics and Leo's sealed own - Van for the first time discerning marks around them suggesting a blade. Leo had no eyes. He was calm - serene in the face of this challenging moment. "It is heartening to be referred as such after so many years of segregation." He replied softly, his hands not twitching to defense. "I only knew just few miles away from the Merridean."

Blue's glare intensified at his initial response though she tried to remain calm and reasonable. Though she had almost forgotten that he could read thoughts that lined the surface of one's mind as she frowned when he answered her question before she would release him after a tense moment. "Why didn't you say anything?" She interrogated. If he had known these three years, why had he made no measures to inform her? Did he not think that would be an important piece of information to her?

Leo would fall to brace himself with his hands before he adjusted himself to a humble seat on the ground, his hands clasping the surface of his knees. "And if I were to submit such a revelation, would you have maintained yourself long enough to recieve your friend.?" He suggested. "Every part of my being wanted to. Twelve years of segregation and despair." His head moved to the side, a blind man's gesture indicating that he had attempted to look at one. "But - if I were to recall, during that fatal moment along the way, you reserved not the faintest memory regarding my existance. With that knowledge, I knew I did not reserve the right to lead you astray from the only reassurance you had left." Leo would rise to his feet, his head lifting just as the gales whispered through the mouth of the forests, producing a heavy sigh. "There is a house just beyond the thicket some distance away from here that I return to every time I've completed my pilgrimage. You are welcome to join me." He did not wait. His footfalls could be heard along the grass, the deteroiated Yin and Yang symbol along his back illuminating by the passing of a few glowing insects. Van would cast Blue a glimpse, having not spoken a word through out the entire ordeal.

Blue frowned, uncertain of how to react or respond as she considered Leo's words carefully but would immediately step forward to follow as he began to venture away. She still had many unanswered questions that plagued her and new inquiries that had arised now that she had found him. Where to start, she did not know as her mind was a chaotic mess, disturbed and filled with uncertainty. She would organize her thoughts along their journey, remaining silent as she glared at nothing in particular. By the time they were close to the house Leo had spoken of, Blue had calmed but her mind was still restless. There were so many things she wanted to know and wondered if he would be willing, or able, to answer them all.

Van would watch them along the way, hoping in earnest for a remark or so between either of them, though was dismayed to find the silence. Ofcourse they would be silent. What the hell were they supposed to say? It was then did Hienkel regard himself as out of place, coming to a stop as he beheld the house just a few feet away from entrance. There were no occupants, though it would seem that the house had been well taken care of over the years. That peculiar sense of hospitality and the peace that was reserved here could only have him guess - this was Blue's home. "A'm stoppin' here." He remarked. Leo tilt his head as if he were looking over his shoulder. "Won't you join us. . .?" "'ppreciate it, ol' man. Ba 'sides, A'm not goin' anywhere. Jus' a lil recheck aroun' da parameta' and uh - prolly wood fer da winta." Leo did not say anything. He merely slid the simple door aside, clearly of eastern origins and within moments, soft light illuminated within the darkness. He stood for a moment, waiting to see if Fiona had been willing to enter.

Blue paused to look back at Van as she noticed he had halted and appeared unwilling to go any further. She studied him momentarily but was reassured to know that he would not be venturing far. She then turned to watch Leo enter the humble abode before she moved to follow him a moment after. Curiousity drove her to study the interior of the home to witness that it was simple and surprisingly vacant. There was no furniture that she could account for, only wardrobes. She was content to simply remain standing as she laid her gaze upon him once more. "So what is your real name?" She decided to start off, to clarify his identity. "And what are we?"

Leo's form would animate rather slowly as he considered his answers, his hands clasping infront of him "My name is Alexsandre Diedre." He replied, his head swaying from time to time, almost as if he were calculating things. "Avernassians, Celestials, sometimes known as the Aryans. . .We're humans ultimately - only that from our end bloomed the beginning of all things, and hence we were given access to several dimensions of possibilities. There are those of us have made our peculiar transgressions, inevitably launching war which led to the sinking of Avernus of altogether and I was not significant to make a difference during such an era." Leo would take a step forward, his hands reaching out to touch the walls. "I cannot go over the arch of that history in a night like this. There are pieces of the puzzle and different times of audiences that will be in order as we progress. . . For now, Avernus is not the best suited conversation for the night." His form would side shift towards the wardrobe until he found what Blue could see due to plain sight. "I know of your questions, Fiona. I spent twelve years thinking of their answers. I can only hope that your heart is open for them and that you are willing to believe."

Blue listened intently as he began to issue a brief explanation to answer her question before settling with not remaining on the subject since it was not appropriate for the situation. Perhaps a topic for another time, if there was going to be another time. She observed him intently, absorbing his every movement and even the tone of his voice. This was the man she retained no memory of, knew nothing of. She would learn all that she could while she had the time. Though now that she had him here before her, she found herself at a loss once more of what to ask. "And mother..? What was her name?" She asked gingerly.

"Leona." Alexsandre or Leo answered her, just as his fingers traced along the surface wardrobe. Fingers finding that slot, he slid the ancient container to the side before lowering to his knees. Was is possible that he named himself after her? "Leona Diedre." Her father would extract a large box that was half his size, white and made of humble material. He seated himself onto the floor before lowering before him. His hand hovered over the lid for a moment, hesitant to open it, eventually however - he did. "This was the roof I had arranged for us three to live together. Your mother fancied herbs and said she always wanted to grow them along the yard and serve them to the people." He began, lifting the lid. "She grew in an environment where she was raised to heal soldiers of battle and hence took in liking medicine in earlier stages of life" Leo would lift things that were wrapped in different sheets of cloth, one after the other, arranging them in his own sense of order. "She was kind hearted, beautiful and reserved big green eyes that you could see a new world through. She was charming in every aspect thinkable, even in her silence and unpredictable mind. She was the daughter of an Aryan named D'cor, he passed away when she was seven."

Leo would pause for a moment, his movements ceasing just as he realized how much he drifted off in the subject. A trembling raised to cover his face for a moment, his nostrils releasing a sigh as he struggled to contain himself. His throat clenched in a hard swallow. "Life was simple." He continued. "And you were the joy I shouldered for six years along with her, six years - of which we were oblivious to the cruelity of the world - isolated in our humble abode. But then - at the sixth year, when we visited Leona's village, we had heard of an organization known as the leaders. We were misfortunate enough to have met some of them. We realized that the Leaders weren't just a band of mercenaries riding quickly along the scales of hiearch to rise to power. They were unnatural, akin to ambitions we thought abandoned long ago. And then - there was the Enkindler included amongst their agenda."

"I knew upon that discovery that I had foreseen my name amongst their list - I knew that if I had stayed with you two any longer, it would mean certain doom. I took it upon myself that I would shoulder the burden of becoming the hunted - so long as I can preserve what I had held dear the most. What I never held to account - in all my years - was betrayal." Leo would pause at that statement as the box popped under an infuriated hand that was fueled by emotion Leo clearly struggled to contain throughout the ordeal. "Cid." He named. "Was the only candidate that I could charge with the task of taking care both of you until I returned in safer days - and the only mistake that I will ever come to regret."

Blue remained silent as she allowed Leo to speak, absorbing the information she had waited so many years to know. And since he appeared more than willingly to explain further, she was more than willing to listen as she remained standing and kept her gaze fixated on his form. She could only listen with awe to know that at, one point, she had been normal. She had had a normal life. She had a mother, a father, and she had been happy. Life had been stable and she had been blissfully ignorant of the cruelity and harsh reality of the world. And her mother... As Leo went on to describing her, Fiona saw the image of the woman more visibly than she ever had before. The magnanimous smile and benevolant emerald eyes... The contrast between her mother and her was blatantly obvious. She had grown to be nothing like her mother, even their physicaly charactaristics held little resemblance. Blue could not deny that she was anything but benevolant. But, it was not something that she would bring herself to regret because she was who she was. And nothing could repair the past. She soon heard the culprit who had been the main reason for her childhood suffering and she adamantly grasped onto that little piece of information. Cid. She frowned deeply as she felt animosity claw at her chest but she quelled it with a deep breath before studying the man before her. "I see... " She stated, for lack of anything better to say. It was a lot to absorb and she was letting it seep in slowly to not become overwhelmed. But she still was determined to gain answers. "Why didn't you come for us?" She asked. "You should have found out sooner or later of what had happened so why?" She stared at him solemnly.

Leo felt his throat crush at the innocent question. "I tried." He voice indicated the wince of the notion. "Cid had sold us to the Leaders in exchange for power. You were hidden too well, even as I killed my way to the truth. They were ahead of me - every step of the way." There was silence there, as his fingers released and clenched in response to tension. Somehow, Blue would feel her head itch to her father's strains. Something only telepaths could understand. "Light pierced the heavens and nearly tore the world apart once upon a fatal night. By the time I arrived in that forsaken hell hall, I knew your mother had died." Leo's face would begin to break in sweat, trembling hands now gripping the sides of his head as he lowered it down, his temple beating like a war drum. "I - demanded in that tombstone of insanity to see you - I commanded and yelled past the planes of possibilities - as hard as my vocal cords could strain. I clawed through rubble like a mad man - and all I found -" His composure began to collapse as tear drops hit the wood. "-was her hair. . ."

Blue felt the strain and impulsively rose her hand to her temple as she recognized the familiar aggitation. But she did not allow this to distract her, as she stared at him as he provided her the answers she needed to know despite the exertion of effort it required simply to get it out. It obviously was emotionally difficult for him to reveal as she noticed the tension that rippled through his body as he made himself force it out. She stared at Leo silently and felt her own emotional turmoil ensue as he spoke about only finding remnants of her mother. Only simple strands of hair. She immediately became at unease as her eyes darted across the interior of the home with uncertainty. Did he know? Would he know? If he did not and found out, what would he think of her then? With great effort, she retained her equanimity with a deep inhale of breath. "And what did you think happened to me?" She asked in a low voice as she began to detach herself. She had simply come here for answers and that was what she was getting.

Leo shook his head, hand rubbing along his face till his fingers gripped the bottom of his trembling chin. "I knew - that as long as the leaders continued to think - that I reserved what they wanted, you'd be alive the day I would meet you again. They would use when the time was right to find me - and extract it from me. It was the only advantage - the only thing I could do. . ."

Blue finally moved from her rooted position to approach him, standing only a few feet from him now. She could not understand the emotions he was experiencing but she could sense the strain it had on his mind as it effected her own too. But she could not deny that this conversation was bringing a sense of closure to her, knowing the answers to her long-awaited questions. Her mother had been Leona Deirdre; a kind-hearted and beautiful woman. And her father was Alexsandre Deirdre, who was alive and well before her now. It was consoling to know, through all those dark, desolate years, she had not been alone and neglected as she thought she had been. She sighed gently as she listened to his reason on why he had not sought her out when he found no signs of her in the labatory that had imprisoned her. "Extract what from you?" She asked, confused. "Is it The Enkindler?" She assumed as she looked to him.

Yes. . ." Leo ushered.

"What is it?" She inquired. "And why do they want it so badly?"

"It was - a great onus that was given to me in the hopes that I would keep it safe. The power to breathe life or end it, a burden I was not supposed to pass on."

She was quiet for a moment before she inhaled slowly. "But it did get passed on, didn't it?" She asked carefully, recalling what Furiyen had told her.

at that did Leo produce a smile that was genuine, no trace of regret, no shame; instead, a deed of defiance that he seemed proud of altogether. "Fiona. . ." he spoke in a low voice above a whisper. "Sit next to me. . . Please?'

Fiona hesitated though it was only momentary before she moved to seat herself beside him and waited for him to continue.

She would note him beginning to unfold one rag. From his lap, his hand would venture over to the wooden floor, unfolding garments - though they were not his. The characteristics were innocent, small and delicate, only meant for a child. "You were born on December Fifth. When you emerged from your mother's belly however, you did not cry, not a sound, even as she tried to indulge your hunger but your hand would not reach. Do you understand Fiona. . .? You would not breath, even as I hesitantly attempted to pinch your skin. Your mother wept; I refused such an end." His fingers coiled around that was now empty, lifting as head, as if he could see the array of clothings he had placed upon the floor. 'And so, I was faced with the choice to hurl away the fate of the world - all of which I lived in and became a part of, I would toss away the fate of the world or trade it another, I would bid for any price, for any intervention that would divert it - divine or colossal." His head would tilt and turn with that serene expression, almost as if he could see her.

"Two years hence; you grew to adopt the image of your mother, emerald green eyes that were open to the world;you grown as healthy as any concievable child, though a paradox happened during your growth that I was not aware of. By the slow of churn of time, the blood flowing towards your eyes would stop. She wept again, saying that you would adopt to such a fate and become strengthened by your disabilities. I regarded the insanity of that concept, you cannot walk up to a child and ask her to adapt. I stole you away one night, took a blade with me and some apt herbs that I claimd that they'd be good for you. While you wondered the blue nature of your eyes, your mother would not speak to me for days. In the end, I told her that regardless of the consequences, I had seen enough of the world and its cruelity- and that it is my wish that you would journey fourth and behold the wonders of which I had missed." Fiona would find her wrist clasped, the face lifting as if he could look her in the eye. "So cease this notion of self-condeming, you silly child." He accused affectionately, his form trembling. "For I had seen what they had done onto you, and what your mother sacrificed for your survival, so weep with me; laugh with me." His other hand swiftly took her own, insisting reassurance. "Smile with me, hate me, resent me - or pass out your judgement; for I am your father."

Blue remained seated and silent, allowing the man beside her to speak. She did not know what to expect. She had assumed he would go into detail of The Enkindler. What he had decided to inevitably reveal was more than she could ever fathom. She listened with increasing awe and shock as he began to tell his tale. His joy, his sorrow, his selfless sacrifices... All in hopes for a better life for her. She was startled when he suddenly clasped her wrist, bringing her attention to him as she stared at the man that managed to move her so deeply. For a silent moment, she was unable to respond, registering all the information and emotion he poured into her in hopes to cease her self-condemnation. But it still returned to one vital notion, as she hid her emotional turmoil behind a stoic facade. "You don't understand," she began, speaking tentatively. "I killed Mother," she confessed without having her voice falter. She did not know if he knew. But it did not matter if he did, because it was the truth and one she had to live with. "I killed her..." She repeated quietly with detached disbelief, as if it was a truth hard to swallow.

Fiona would instantly find herself struck in a scolding gesture, anger evident and tangible. His arms reached out in an alarming grip ove her shoulder, pulling her across. His voice would follow short as his arms clasped her tightly against him. "Silence!" He commanded, his form trembling in a turmoil of emotion that was on the verge of exploding. It would take every ounce of his being to calm, his grip tightening around Blue's shoulder whle his arm pulled her even closer. "No." He lips released with soft agony, as a cold drop found itself trickling to her cheek. "Fiona - you are all that survives her. She realized that during your capture. She knew that one of you would not live and hence - provoked the inevitable in exchange that they would see that you meet up to their sick fantasies, that you would survive. . . You are all - that survives her." Blue would feel the ancient being jolt. "You foolish child...!' He heaved. "It was never your fault.....You..foolish..child.."

The strike came as a surprise but it was nothing compared to the severity of the harsh reality that her father had undoubtedly rejected her. But Fiona stared wide-eyed at the opposing wall as her father suddenly embraced her passionately immediately after scolding her and proceeded into an emotional declaration. Shocked by the castigation, she could simply listen as he brought up a concept that threatened the very foundation that she had built her life upon. It had never been her fault. Fiona allowed the notion to slowly sink in as the trembling man held her. The same man who had held her at birth. Who denied his onus to ensure that she breathed and who had given her his eyes to behold the beauty the world provided. A priveledge that up until now she failed to appreciate. This very man now offered her redemption. Fiona could feel herself unraveling at the seams as her hands came up to clutch at him. It had never been her fault... An uncontrollabe tremor started at her hands and progressed through every fiber of her being as she felt the walls she had implented to shield herself from the world's cruelity begin to crumble to reveal the years of accumulated anguish and sorrow that could no longer be contained; no longer needed to be contained. Her expression contorted and she felt herself choke on a sob as she pressed her face against her father's shoulder. "I'm sorry Father," Fiona whispered. And wept.

His hands seperated and reassembled to hold the back of her scalp while she wept against his shoulder, the other coming to rub her shoulder in gentle and soothing monotony.He wished that he could see her, wondering if she had ever turned to be like her mother or in every detail - or if she some features of his visage. But he was settled with the notion that she was here. She came back. He took in the scent of her, inhaling for slowly - and eventually, his form rising with him. Then he sighed it all away, taking the peace of the present for granted. "Welcome home , my - daughter."

Eventually, with great effort, Blue recollected herself, piecing her composure back to gather as she took heavy breaths to calm herself. She swallowed hard before she would pull back slightly, quickly wiping the remaining tears from her face. "Thank you," she stated gratefully, content to be welcomed by him, even knowing the blood that she had spilled. It brought a wave of relief and security that allowed her to express herself freely without fear of being judged or rejected. Feeling the burden that she had been carrying become pratically non-existant, she inhaled deeply one last time.

"Ofcourse." Leo would wipe his own face for a moment, before he would brush a knuckle against the cheek where he slapped her. "I hope that I didn't hit you too hard." He announced before readjusting himself to the humble seat that he took before, shifting his feet beneath him, before his hand patted the wrapped objects along the floor. "These are the items I kept in store from the past that you are free to browse at your leisure. They're the only possessions I have left." He spoke humbly. "Stay here for the night. We can catch up on more, tommorow."

Blue rose her eyes up to his face again as she felt his knuckle brush her cheek in consolation. "I've had worse," she admitted in a gentle jest. Physically, she has had worse. But a strike from her father had a far more profound effect on her, and the reason why was obvious. Her gaze lowered to the objects on the floor that he brought her attention to and gave her permission to look through them. She considered his offer of spending the night and could not pass up the opportunity of spending more time with him as she would nod. "I just need to go find Van and tell him. He can stay with us too, right?" She inquired to be certain.

"Why certainly." Leo would rise to his feet, sliding the door to the side. "Van?" There was no answer - though a particular snore perked his ears. Leo would be oblivious to the form lying tehre against the tree, snoring with a snot bubble on his nose - ridiculous rather then serene. "Oh. . . He seems to be asleep."

"Impatient man," Blue would gently criticize as she came to stand beside her father and witness Van in a rather ridiculous position. Blue sighed heavily but could not fight the smile that curved her lips. Such a Van scene, honestly. Blue proceeded step outside, traversing the small distance to get to Van before she kneeled beside him. She stared at the unsightly snot bubble that expanded and shrunk repeatedly before she spotted a small branch nearby. She picked up and proceeded to eliminate the unpleasant manifestation of mucus, watching it obliterate as she prodded at its delicate surface. "Van," she spoke softly to try to coax him awake, sticking the end of the slender branch into one of his nostrils to see if the discomfort would jolt him awake. "Van, wake up."

Van would twitch for a moment, failing to bat away the object as his concious was in other world. Blue's presistance made jolted him to the point where his tossed it self back, snapping the stick in half. Van's scream would make Leo wince, wondering what his daughter had done to him. "Wha' da big idea?!" Van glared. "Oh, ya think dat bi funny, doncha?! COM'ERE!" Van would hurl his arms in attempt to grasp Blue, if he succeeded, he would berserk and tickle her.

Blue stared as she had not meant to actually hurt him as Van shot her a glare and questioned her angrily before accusing her that she found it humorous. She did not but she did not get the chance to tell him before she saw him lunging at her. Surprised, she fell back onto her posterior but rose her legs to keep him at bay with her feet. "Van, calm down. I was not trying to hurt you," she tried to reassure, taken aback by the percieved assault as she pressed one of her feet right into his face to hold him back and keep his swiping hands from reaching her.

Van would ultimately find himself slammed against the foot, face-first. The moment was painful. But never the less, this generated the tension even furthur. Van would remove whatever footwear Blue had on her, fingers dancing beneath the exposed flesh. "Take dat!"

Blue winced at the odd sensation, struggling to keep a straight face as his fingers accosted her bare foot. "Van, stop it," she stated, pulling at her foot to try to gain freedom before she began to chuckle. She reached out to try to grab at his hands to stop him. "Let go!"

"Neva!" Van would laugh altogether as the moment intensified, lowering his head as much as he could to defy the blows sent from the free leg. Leo dbarely understood what was happening, but the symphony of sudden joy had never the less crossed his features with a smile shaking his head as he made his turn and disappeared beyond the delicate doors. In time, Van would throw himself back to avoid anymore of Blue's defiance, lgrinning as he looked at her. "Hope ya learned ye'r lesson." He winked in sarcasm.

Blue began to laugh gently, though growled throughout the accost as she kicked at him with her free leg. "Van!" Blue stated as firmly as she could, unable to contain the sounds of laughter from bubbling out of her as Van continued to tickle her. She inhaled deeply once he finally released her before she glowered at him. "And I hope you learn yours," she responded, taking note of Van's expression before he would feel a sudden pressure on the back of his head as she used her telekinesis to plow his face into the ground. Blue retrieved her footwear and put it back on before she stood and brushed herself off. "I don't like to be tickled," she stated before placing her hands on her hips and staring down at him. "Now, are you going to sleep out here or do you want to sleep inside?"

"Fine." Van submitted at that point, feeling the side of his head throb, mumbling something about women as he got. He took Blue by the hand regardless, leaving Furiyen behind. Van would gently step into the house, scanning the place for a moment. "Oy, Leo. Ya min' if we-" Van would stop calling at that moment, realizing the ancient having coiled himself against an isolated corner. Perhaps having fallen asleep. "Roigh. A'm fetchin a stick." He began pacing out.

Blue watched Van begin to exit the abode in order to implement her method of wakening a slumbering individual. "Van, he already said that we are allowed to sleep in the house if we like so there is no need to get a stick," she reassured, glancing once more to her father who had fallen asleep in a chosen corner. She decided to take a vacant corner as well since there was no bed in the house, taking a seat and leaning against the wall with a small exhale of breath. Much had transpired today but in the end it had been satisfying and the result had been a good one. Nothing could change the past so she would not wallow on it. What was important now was the present. Her father had forgiven and accepted her. And as a bonus, she still retained her companion, Van.

[Thread Closed. RP continues here - Hello New Enemy; Fairwell Father ]