Fractures: Rewritten Chapters

Stay Away Pt 1

First written on March 30th, 2021

POV: Stella

I poked at the campfire with a stick, feeling bored. It's been three days since the death of the End Matriarch, and more than two weeks since I've been cured by Zeg. I'm starting to get along with the demon hunters. Ciara was actually quite a fun person to be around. Kane on the other hand, well, he never talks much, so I don't know if he still hates me or not. 

Ciara plopped herself down beside me on the log. "So, Stella, what happened between you two lovebirds? Did you guys have a fight?" she teased. 

I sighed. She's talking about Rain again. I glanced at the other side of our camp. Rain was right there, sharpening his diamond sword silently beside Kane. I honestly didn't know how to reply, because I had no clue what's going on either. When I was first cured by Zeg, Rain ran up to me and gave me a hug. He was so worried about me it was written on his face, which is rare as he's not one to show emotions. And everything has been fine until a few days ago, when he started giving me the cold shoulder. He rarely talked to me, and avoided being within a 1 meter radius around me. I suspected that it had something to do with him witnessing the End Queen's execution, but I can't be sure since I haven't had a chance to ask him.

I sighed again and shook my head, "I really don't know." Ciara picked up on my cue and changed the topic. 

After a while of sitting and chatting, I noticed Rain picking up the Ender Greatsword and shuffling into the woods. As quietly as I can, I got up and followed him. We walked a good distance from the camp, way out of the hunters' earshot before Rain stopped. 

"What is it you want to talk about, Stella?" he turned to face me. I can't help but notice the shadows under his eyes, as well as the tiredness in his eyes. He's been overworking himself training with the Ender Sword these days. 

"I-" I was suddenly shy of asking for the answer out right. Curse my feelings for this guy. "I'm worried about you. You haven't been sleeping recently." 

He shrugged, "I'm doing okay-ish. I need to step up to fill Ceris's shoes as fast as I can." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I will be fine. I can do this." For some reason, it sounded like he's trying to convince himself. 

"Don't overwork yourself, take a break if you have to." I put my hand on his arm. Rain stayed silent for a few seconds, then, as if just realizing I'm still here, tried to gently remove his arm from my hands. 

I tightened my grip, being careful not to accidentally rip his hoodie with my claws. I demanded. "Why aren't you talking to me anymore? Is it because I'm part Netherkin?"

He looks shocked, his typical, boyish face of confusion that I unfortunately find cute. "Oh god this is what you think?" he mutters. He took a deep breath in. "It does have something to do with you being part Netherkin, but it has nothing to do with what you've done, or that you're dangerous to me in anyway. Rather, it's me being dangerous to you."

I'm confused. How is Rain going to be a threat to me? He has always been nice to me and looked out for me. He would never hurt me. Even when I was feral and trying to kill him, he held back his strength. Believe me, I've seen him in combat, and I'm sure he can overpower a Netherkin version of me if he sets his heart to. However, Rain only did what was necessary to defend himself. He even fought Kane so I could get away. I can't see how he can be dangerous to me. 

I let go of his arm. "What are you talking about?"

"Stella, you are looking at someone who has killed a third of the soldiers in the Nether Fortress. Don't you think you should stay away from someone who specializes in killing Nether creatures?" Rain leans the Ender Greatsword against a tree before turning to face me.

"But you never tried to kill me-" 

"Just because I haven't done it yet doesn't mean I can't." 

"Rain, you're overthinking this. You will never-"

"No, Stella. I'm serious. I am capable of killing you and I will under the right circumstance. Let me tell you this." He took a step closer to me. "I hit you with the spell only because the Wither Book flew to me when I called for something out of pure desperation. The red mist came down on me back there. I wasn't thinking. Can you imagine if the Ender Sword flew to me back there? You would have been sliced in half and bled to death in the snow." I shuddered at that image despite myself. Rain's not wrong, he did that to Dijin, so he obviously can do that to me.

I shake my head, trying to get that gruesome image out of my mind. "But you know me, Rain. You wouldn't-"

"Do you not understand, Stella? You're not safe around me! Do you have no sense of self-preservation?" he's starting to lose his patience. "I don't know, do you?" I retort. I'm starting to lose my patience as well. I've had my fair share of Sir Patrick's complaints about him storming off into the Nether to know he thinks with heart sometimes.

Rain rolls his eyes and groans. "Whether I know you or not doesn't make a difference. Do you know what happened to the Nether Princess?" Of course I know what happened to her. She was killed during his rampage in the Nether. "The Nether Princess? I'm sure you don't have any-" "The Nether Princess was my girlfriend! And I still killed her with no issues! Do you not see the problem here?! Listen to me, I know what I'm capable of." Rain took a step closer, and poked me just below my collarbone. "So for your safety and my sanity, stay away from me. Are we clear?"I nodded. My throat is dry and I can't bring myself to speak. Holly shit is this guy scary when he wants to be.

Rain's gaze faltered before he turned and stomped away into the trees, taking the Ender sword with him. I hear him breaking off into a run out of my sight, snow crunching under his feet. I swallowed hard and glanced down to see my legs trembling. I swear I have never seen him this angry. 

Yet, somehow, I could see that under all of that anger there's pain, regret and grief, hidden away from the world. The Nether Princess was his girlfriend. The Nether Princess was his girlfriend. That is...alarming, to say the least. It definitely explains his fear of hurting me as he is totally capable of doing that.

However, that was not what I was worried of. He endured all of that pain, this whole time, by himself?! I can not imagine how painful it must be to kill someone that I cared so much about, nor how much it hurts to live with that knowledge, and I thought nothing would come close to my pain of losing the entire Coven. Back then, Rain was the one who helped me through the shock and the grief of losing my home. He was the one who stayed with me, comforted me, and gave me the space to heal. He gave me a shoulder to cry on. I can not believe that was only a few weeks ago. It's crazy how time passes, my journey to the Dreadfort felt like a lifetime ago. I heard Ciara calling for me from behind the trees. Absent-mindedly, I started making my way back to the camp while my thoughts are still with Rain. I wanted to do something, anything, to help him. There's a very high chance he will push me away, but I need to try. He helped me when I'm in my darkest time, so I should at least try to help him in a similar way.

Author's note (3/27/2023): 

There is no part 2 to this chapter, as of now. While trying to write part 2 of Stay Away I realized that I wanted to write scenes where post hound poison Stella wags her tail but realized that I never explained the AU lore. So the very first chapter of this random chapters book is written. I wanted to continue this but just never got to it.