Legends Of Nadir | A Disney Fairy FANFICTION

Chapter 14: Treading Water

The murky depths of the churning waves slowly faded beyond comprehension and the flickers of light were submerged in the confines of sheer cold and bourn as the world blurred to fire and ruin.

The fire crackled, stinging his wrists, as flames seeped across the field, devouring everything in its path. Heat lashed across his face and the red illumination of cooling ash flakes dotted his vision as everything around him burned to ruin.

No. Not again. This couldn't be happening again. He'd already seen all of this, he'd lived through it. The danger of the Dragonstouch was gone. This was all a dream. 

This had to be a dream.

"H-hello?" he felt himself hiss, just as he always did, but considerably weaker than previous times. It was almost like he was supposed to be afraid of something. But afraid of what? This was a dream. Nothing here could hurt him. 

Besides, this wasn't the first time he had been in this situation.

But this didn't make sense. This had happened. He had seen it with his own eyes! Scarab had...had used his magic once already to try and destroy the Hollow. This shouldn't have been happening. 

It didn't make any sense!

There was no response but that was merely a small comfort, a reliance that everything was exactly the same as it always was. 

But why was it happening again in the first place? This was over, it was done! None of this was necessary!

He turned, waiting expectantly for Scarab to come creeping from the shadows; the true intent of her nature finally there for all to see. His hands balled to fists and he squared his shoulders, knees trembling as the possibility of the truth rammed into him like a bag of bricks. 

What if everything that had happened since that day had been an illusion? What if he really was still standing amid a blazing world with no powers, no friends, and no hope to save anyone? What if it had all been one massive mind game; a deception to which he had fallen far too easily?

No.

NO. 

He couldn't do this again. He wouldn't. This...this wasn't real! It couldn't be! His wings...his wings were...

Wait, his wings.

A glimmer of hope, a spark of desperation escalated from deep inside amid the confusion and the panic.

If everything that had happened had all been an illusion, then that would mean...his wings...they would be alright! He would be okay! It was all in his imagination. Scarab hadn't burned his wings. The bracelets, the explosion, hadn't ripped and torn them apart. He could...he could still fly! Everything was going to be all right!

Taking a sharp inhale, he concentrated, willing the appendages to separate, to return to the natural sensation, upright and tall as they were meant to be.

And then he dared to look.

Nothing.

The scorched remains lay dormant and lifeless and immediately all hope shattered to a billion pieces. 

And then the tears came, so hard and fast that it drove him to his knees. Burying his face in his hands, he finally released all of his pent-up anger and fear as, around him, the flames grew larger and larger. Cinders fell from the heavens, lacing his hair like snow but he did not care. Everything was gone.

Everything.

He'd lost...everything.

And worst of all, he knew it was all his fault. He had trusted Scarab. He had relied on her to teach him, to help him, and now the Hollow was gone. He had made a deal, a deal which he could never take back, and now he had to live with the consequences.