And a Little Bit of Fairy Dust: A Varigo AU // Sequel to Faith Trust

Rebuilding

A long time ago, there were two lands.

One of fae, one of man. One, a land bursting at the seams with machine and technology, and one, a mystical place, imbued with the creative power of magic.

For many years, they were kept separate. Only the strongest of the fae had the power to cross realms and those that did would use that power to wreak havoc on humankind. It was a great taboo to cross, and an even greater one to return.

It took a man of both realms to finally bridge the gap. A man of both science and magic. The wizard Demanitus dedicated his entire life to the creation of two stones- blessed two of the greatest powers he could conceive of, the sun and moon.

He had split the celestial power at the seams, and so the stones longed to be reunited. That longing gave him the power to create a tear large enough that man and fae could travel. One, the sundrop, he buried in the dirt under Corona, a kingdom in the land of fae, and one, the moonstone, he kept hidden within a cave beside Mount Yareia of the human realm. Their separation kept the bridge stable.

Suddenly, two worlds were joined. Although many tried, only one human ever had the bravery and the wit to cross through and return home (the land of fae can be remarkably disorienting without a guide.) But many in the fae kingdom were blessed to learn about the technology they could find from secretive voyages to the human world.

It was a wonderful creation. The life's work of a genius. The physical manifestation of his lost years.

(How funny it is that when the time is exactly right, and when pressure is applied just so, a hundred years of work can be lost in a hundredth of a second.)

Unfortunately, even the most wonderful power can be misused.

Hugo, of the human realm, and Varian of fae both knew this all too well. They knew how different their worlds were, and how dangerous it would be if they crossed.

Andrew, in both his anger, and his lust for power had managed to raise an army. The havoc Andrew or the retaliating fae could cause was immeasurable.

Despite their precautions, despite their desperate attempts to outrun and disorient Andrew's men, Varian and Hugo knew they had been followed as they traveled the mountain path toward the bridge.

Varian watched the stone of the cave wobble slightly in the light. He looked back at Hugo. If Varian didn't know him any better, he would have missed the way his face had fallen. The echoing sound of footsteps snapped him out of his trance.

"Go," Hugo said firmly. "I'll lead them somewhere else."

"Hugo-" Varian protested. Hugo gave Varian a reassuring smile. He pulled Varian's head into his chest, pressing his lips to his forehead. Varian melted, wrapping his arms around Hugo's waist.

"I'll be OK, Sweetcheeks," he murmured. "Get yourself home. I'll deal with the rest."

Varian sniffed a small sigh, lifting his head up to rest his hand on Hugo's cheek.

"I love you," he said softly. "I'll be back."

"I'll be waiting," Hugo grinned. Varian tilted his head upwards, pressing their lips together.

The footsteps got louder. Hugo flinched as he heard Andrew's unmistakable yelling. They were out of time.

"Go," he repeated. This time, Varian listened, taking a step backward into the wall. The raccoon that had followed them this far chirped, trotting next to Varian's feet, following him through.