When darkness turns to light *EDITED*

Chapter 14

1 month later...

Flaro stretched out her almost healed body and sighed, sitting up. She glared at her wardrobe and cringed, "I want my old clothes back." She pouted before swinging her legs off the bed and walking across the cold dark wood floor. After dressing in another black silk and lace dress, she made her way down the hall, just as another door a few paces behind her opened, "You're up early." He commented.
Flaro rolled her eyes and waved a hand over her shoulder, "Problem?" She asked, continuing to walk. Slash caught up to her, "I never said there was."
Flaro raised an eyebrow at him from the corner of her eye, he had been acting seriously weird lately. Not too mention that he didn't even lay a hand in the prisoners. Of course, Flaro was overjoyed by this but couldn't help but wonder why he had suddenly lost interest in torturing Light Ones. She stepped slightly away from him, "There's a thing called personal space Pal, and can you drop this creepy-weird-guy act?"
"What act?" He asked, purposefully closing the space between them again.
She frowned and sped her pace up, "This, you're acting like a lost child. Quit following me."
"I'm going the same way as you." He shrugged, keeping up with her. Flaro muttered incoherent words under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest. Slash smirked from the corner of his eye, "What was that?"
"I said you're an idiot. Idiot."
Slash tutted teasingly, "Your insults are really falling you know. It's no fun fighting with you anymore. You can't put in a little more heart?"
"You want heart? I'll show you heart." She readied her palm with flames and smirked.
Slash looked down at her hand, "I see you're powers are recovering."
"Don't change the subject!" She sulked, putting the flames out, "Besides, you're not worth wasting my fire on anymore."
Slash pouted and put a hand over his heart, "Aww, now I'm hurt."
Flaro glared up at him and sped up once again, overtaking him. This time, Slash hung back and watched her walk on ahead. He scanned her in thought and quickly ducked when a fireball whizzed passed his head, "Stop staring at me you pervert!"
"I thought you didn't want to waste you fire on me anymore." He teased.
Flaro threw her hands up in exasperation, "Screw you!" She yelled in annoyance. Slash fought back a chuckle as he watched her walk further down the hallway. He then caught sight of Snow carrying a pile of laundry towards Flaro's room. He stopped in his tracks and frowned in thought... Should he?
"You there! Light One." He called, not looking over his shoulder.
He heard Snow stop and turn to him, "Yes Sire?" Her frail, ageing voice echoed. Slash spared her a glance over his shoulder, "Once Flaro returns to her room, give her a cloak. Both of you meet me at the main doors, understood?"
Snow blinked in confusion but bowed anyway, "Yes Sir. Understood." She then turned back to her duties as the Dark King disappeared down the hallway.

After Flaro left Slash in the Dinning Hall, she headed towards her room once again. Every window she passed, she looked up to the sky, grey clouds consuming it. She sighed and looked down at her feet for the rest of the walk until she finally bumped into her door. She winced and rubbed her forehead, "Ow." She groaned, pushing her door open while blushing with embarrassment. Inside, Snow was cleaning off the dresser. At the sound of the door opening, she turned and grinned at the Fire Princess, "Good morning."
"Morning." Flaro sighed, sitting on her bed and crossing her legs.
Snow sat opposite her, "What's the matter Dear?" She asked gently.
Flaro shrugged, "I know this is a weird question, but what time of year is it now?"
Snow tilted her head at the young Princess and tapped her chin in thought, "Well, if memory serves me correctly, I would say we are in the middle of winter. Why?"
Flaro looked down at her fingers, "Just asking. But if it's the middle of winter, that means we're close to Christmas, right?"
Snow nodded, "Yes Dear, not that long now actually, I'd say perhaps just under a week."
"I was hoping to spend it with Polka." Flaro sighed sadly, "I promised I would teach him all kinds of tricks."
Snow stared at the girl sympathetically, reaching over and squeezing her hands in her fragile ones, "You'll see him again one day. Don't give up hope just yet alright?"
Flaro looked up at the old woman, her red eyes sparkling with tears, "I won't." She croaked. Snow nodded and wiped her tears away, "No more tears now. Come on, up you get. And put this on." She passed her a heavy red cloak. Flaro looked at it in confusion, "What's this for?" She asked, getting to her feet and throwing it over her shoulders anyway. Snow picked up a dark grey one and shrugged, "I'm not sure yet. The King asked me to give you one and for us to meet him at the main doors."
Flaro hummed, following Snow out of her room and through the twisting hallways of the Dark Palace. As they reached the door, a familiar figure came into view and he turned, nodding to them, "About time. It's best to pull your hood up."
Flaro raised a sceptical eyebrow at Slash, "Why?"
"Just do it." He sighed, pulling the hood up on his own black cloak. Flaro sighed but pulled the hood up anyway, casting a shadow over her face. Snow did the same beside her as around 8 guards appeared around them and circled them. Flaro looked around at them before tugging Slash's cloak, "What're we doing?"
"Going outside." He said softly as the doors creaked open. Flaro stared at his back in surprise, he was letting her out of here! Even if it was just for a while, she couldn't help but smile. Snow looked over to her and sighed in relief, that was the first smile she had seen from Flaro for a long time.
"Stick close. The Light One will be departing with two of the other guards to buy supplies." Slash said over his shoulder. Flaro looked sadly at Snow, "I'm stuck with this nimrod without you?" She pouted. Snow laughed softly and pinched Flaro's cheeks, "I won't be long, I may even join you alright? Now, go get some fresh air in your lungs."
Flaro sighed and rubbed her cheeks, smirking, "Fiiiine." She groaned, following Slash out the door with Snow trailing behind them with her two escorts.
The cold air breezed passed Flaro and she shivered slightly, upping her temperature with her magic and wrapping the cloak around her tighter, they were definitely in the middle of winter. She looked up at the sky, "I'm surprised it's not snowing. It's freezing out here."
"It never snows. No matter how cold, this is a dead land, with only these clouds hanging over us." Slash stated emotionlessly.
"But it was raining sometime ago." Flaro mumbled, puffing her cheeks out in thought.
"A rarity. We're lucky if it even rains at all. Now lower your voice, we're coming into the village." He whispered. Flaro looked around, tattered houses, Dark Ones and chatter filled the air around her. To her surprise, it wasn't as different as she thought it would be. Children chased each other around, laughing. People were hanging clothing on lines to dry, and even the odd cheery hello was called out to a neighbour or friend. Flaro's eyes were wide, 'They're just like us.' She thought as she looked around her. Slash glanced over his shoulder to see her turning to get a good look at everything, her mouth slightly ajar in wonder. He snapped his head away, feeling an unfamiliar heat on his face.
"Are you alright Sire? You look slightly flustered." A guard whispered. Slash nodded and cleared his throat rather awkwardly, "Yes I'm perfectly fine." He mumbled, staring at the girl beside him under the protection of his hood. Flaro fought back a smile at the sight around her, all this time they had had the Dark Ones all wrong. They weren't evil, they were just like them. They were all human, what's an eye colour or blood to do with it? She then felt something heavy bump into her side and yelped in surprise. She looked down to see that a young boy, with dirty midnight blue hair, had tripped and bumped into her. She kneeled down as the boy sat on his knees, "I'm sorry!"
Flaro smiled kindly at the boy, "Are you ok? That was a big fall." She then looked down at his knee, "And you cut yourself."
The boy looked down at his leg, "Oh. Yeah I'm fine, sorry again Miss." He looked up and gasped to see a pair of red eyes looking back at him. Flaro smiled sweetly back and was about to say something when a hand reached down to her. The boy looked up and felt his eyes nearly pop out of his head when he saw the face of who was under the black cloak. He stared back at the boy as he pulled the Light One to her feet and lead her away. She looked back at him and waved her hand. He lifted his hand weakly back at her as they melted into the crowds. His friends soon came to join him, "Storm? What is it?" A little girl with dark sliver and red hair asked.
He looked back his friends, "I think I just saw the King."
"What?!" Storm's best friend, Ash exclaimed in shock, his jaw slacking wide open and his ash colour hair standing on end while another older girl with dark purple hair shook her head, "But that's impossible, he's never left the castle. It could just be one of his servants again. They always wear those cloaks to hide their faces."
"No, I'm sure it was him Ebony. He looked a lot like the old Prince, plus he was with a Light One. Don't you remember the rumours about King Slash marrying a Light One?" He argued.
The little girl beside him, Belladonna, gasped, "That was the Fire Princess?"
"Had to be, she had red eyes. That's a sure sign of the Fire Region's royal family." Storm hummed then looked the way they had disappeared, "It was weird though, she was nice to me."
Ebony crossed her arms and put her nose in the air, "A Light One being nice to the likes of us? Don't make me laugh." She snorted. Ash grinned and clenched his fists in excitement, "Nice or not, I'm gonna see for myself. You guys coming?" He called, running in the direction where the cloaked figures has left. Belladonna gasped again, "You're following them Brother?"
"Of course, if he really is the King, I want to see his face." Ash grinned, holding his hand out for his little sister, "Coming?" He asked. The young girl nodded and took hold of her brother's hand, looking back to Storm and Ebony. Ebony sighed and walked to join them, "Whatever, I guess I should keep an eye on all of you."
Storm nodded, "Alright, come on, before we loose them." He grinned as the four set off.