Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pain, pain, pain.

It had been a while since I saw my own blood. But now, it was pooling on the ground beneath my hands, red blots that slowly started to spread through the dirt. My eyesight went dizzy, not quite believing what I’m seeing.

Why… what…

Someone was laughing.

“Idiot! Didn’t you see how quickly I killed that guy? Who do you think you are, running at me like that? Ha!”

The Diamond Kingdom mage standing in front of me laughed as the town burned around us. The enemy squad had struck hard and fast, with only my father standing in their way. But now, my father was dead, laying lifeless a few paces away from where I now knelt; father and daughter, soon to be slain by the same mage.

My throat begins to tighten, the high-pitched whistle of despair drowning out all else. My eyes began to droop, wet tears rolling down my cheeks as I realized that it was over.

No… this can’t be the end… I won’t die… powerless…

Please… someone… don’t let me die!

And suddenly, the world was gone. Darkness descended over me, and the pain evaporated from my body. With a hollow gasp, I raised my head, my eyes opening wide. I was no longer in my ruined village, my father’s body nowhere to be seen. No, this was a place devoid of detail, just an endless expanse of darkness with the only dim light coming from a source far, far across the horizon.

However, I wasn’t alone.

Someone floated before me. A woman. She raised her head, her black, empty eyes meeting mine. I stared at her, aghast.

She looks like… me?

Yes, she looked like me, but… different. She was older, her eyes sunken in her face. Her auburn hair was cut short, curling around her face as if she were underwater. I stared up at her, not moving as she raised her hands to hover over my cheeks.

“... I won’t let you die. I’ll give you the power you seek. But…”

I tried to back away, but I couldn’t. I was trapped in her grasp, petrified as a strange, burning sensation began to spread over my skin, radiating from one single spot on my forehead. The woman’s eyes narrowed as she leaned in close, her voice barely a whisper.

“... you must give me everything that you were, everything that you are…”

I couldn’t tear my gaze from her eyes, which suddenly began to glow a bright white-blue; the same color that my father’s eyes had turned when he fought. Lines of mana, the same color, trailed down her cheeks and shoulders, wrapping around her body as the burning sensation intensified.

“... and everything you will ever be.”

I was helpless as the pain tore through my body, eclipsing all else. I let out a strangled, desperate cry before my body was torn in two, leaving only my soul and bright, burning mark behind.

I fell. I fell. I fell.

“Get out of my sight”

She was crying. I was crying. But no one would ever see.

“I find you fascinating.”

Laughter. Drinking. Arms slung around my shoulders.

A fiery smile, one that sent pride through my body.

“STOP! Don’t kill him, don’t kill him-”

Lips on mine.

Lips, tongue, hands,

bodies pressed together.

Become one with me.

Julius.

Julius.

Julius.

Julius.

Don't ever leave me.

I won't.

Don't leave me, don't leave me, don't-

Then, with a shuddering gasp, I was whole again.

The air was cold, my eyes focusing enough to spot white flecks of snow blowing around in the gray sky above me. I blinked a few times, before my gaze lowered to the horizon. I was on a hill, in the dead of winter. Mountains and barren plains rose up around me, a single dead tree standing atop this hill with me. In the distance, I could see a town, houses and fortresses sheltered at the base of the mountain. I was far from home; another place, another time. I looked down at my hands, seeing that I was bundled up in warm clothes. I was shorter than usual, younger, I realized.

Why am I a child again? Where-

"Hello? Who's there?"

A voice called out, soft and weak. I whirled around, surprised that I wasn't alone. 

"Someone's here? Who…"

My voice trailed off when I saw him.

A boy, my age. He sat in a wheelchair, ragged shawls wrapped around him. His dark hair was unkempt, strands falling down over his pale face. But his eyes, sunken, hollow eyes, shined like amethysts.

His eyes widened as our gazes met, his thin lips trembling.

"... you."

One word. 

You. Him. Me. Us.

I felt myself tear up, as that burning sensation came back, the shining DYAD mark blazing on my forehead like white fire, forever connecting us across time and space.

"... you."

I whispered the words back, before raising my hands, beckoning him towards me.

The world fell apart around me, the scene fading into a forgotten memory as I rushed back into the present, forever changed by the Fate that had been decided for me.

For us.

Chapter Text

Ten years later.

By the time I woke up, the dream was already a distant memory, the only sign that it had existed being the slight throb of pain on my forehead. For a moment, I just stared up at the ceiling, still sleepy from a fitful night. Light was filtering in through the open window, the curtains lazily blowing in the pleasant breeze. 

A perfect morning. Almost. Because, despite my comfort, I was waking up alone, the same way I had woken up for the past 6 months.

With a heavy sigh, I eventually rose from bed, wincing a little at the pain in my back. It took me a little longer than normal to get dressed, lazily buttoning up my shirt and slipping a cloak over my loose dress. I took a moment to stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror. Seven months into pregnancy, my cloak and dress did little to hide the slowly-growing belly I now carried everywhere. A little smile crept onto my face as my hand smoothed over the spot, feeling the warmth of the child within. This had been my sole comfort during these lonely months, the one thing that kept me going, and reminded me that things were going to get better soon.

We had tried so hard for this baby, for years, and had finally succeeded at just the right time. It wasn’t long after the baby was conceived that the Elf Invasion occurred, and Julius sacrificed himself for the Kingdom. That had been the worst moment of my life, feeling the blade that ran through his chest as though I had been the one standing there, despite being miles away with the Royal Knights. I felt him die, and barely had time to process it before my own body was taken over by an elf soul.

But of course, Julius didn’t stay dead. He was back, even if it was… in a different form.

“Julius! You can’t run off again today! I let you have your fun yesterday, but this stack of paperwork isn’t going to get any smaller.”

“Ah, Marx! You can be such a bore sometimes.”

“It’s my job to be a bore! Now, get to work.”

I paused for a moment outside the ajar door to Julius’s office, hearing the arguing voices of the Wizard King and his advisor inside. I couldn’t help but smile, closing my eyes for a moment.

I can almost imagine that it’s all back to normal.

But then, I pushed the door open, and stepped inside, causing the two men to turn my way.

Well, even if Julius was technically still a 43-year-old man, he sure didn’t look like it. The person who turned towards me looked more like a teenager. However, the twinkle in his eyes and bright smile were unmistakably Julius’s.

“Darling! How are you feeling this morning?”

I gave him a strained smile in return as he hopped out of his seat and hurried to my side, taking my hands in his. I’m never going to get used to this, am I? I thought, tensing up a little as he raised my hand to his lips, kissing it briefly before giving me another sweet smile. This was the extent of his affection that I allowed him to give, since he started looking like… this. Of course, I was eternally thankful for the 13 years of time he had stored in the Swallowtail, but it was frustrating to have my husband turn into such an awkward form. He slept in a different room, but still made time to see me and make sure that everything was going alright. The worst part was, I was powerless to do anything.

“... I’m feeling fine. I slept well, anyway,” I told him, blinking slowly. “My mana is at an all time low this morning, though…”

Julius and I shared a bond called a “Dyad.” My people, the Simulcians, were descended from a Goddess of Fate, who bestowed upon them the power to share magic and entangle their fates with others. Nearly 10 years ago, I cast the Dyad spell upon Julius, allowing myself to use his Time Magic. There was nothing I wanted to do more than use that magic to turn Julius back to his proper age, but alas… being a Simulcian came with unexpected side-effects. First of all, Simulcians in a Dyad were largely unable to reproduce, so it took a drop of powerful healing blood magic from the Witch Queen to revert my systems to normal. And second of all, while pregnant, Simulcians were barely able to use any magic, since all of their mana was used to create the new life inside them. We weren’t human; our blood was different, made up of magical substances. Until I had this baby, I was powerless to do anything about the situation.

But then, after the birth, I can do it. I can turn Julius back to normal.

I repeated that mantra every day. With a smile, I squeezed Julius’s hand back, feeling happier.

We’ll have the family we’ve always wanted.

Julius smiled back, before turning back to Marx, who was scowling. “Come on, you can help me with this paperwork. God knows I need help!”

“You sure do!” Marx’s face softened as I approached the desk, quickly fetching another chair for me to sit down in. “Let me know if he starts to slack off again. Or if you need anything else.”

“I can handle him,” I told Marx, shooting Julius a little wink. “Thank you, Marx. Is Owen still planning to come up today?”

“He is!” Marx replied, checking his notes. “At 11. Julius, you can take a break for the appointment, but that’s it, alright!”

“Right, right!” Julius laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. He let out a sigh when Marx finally left, before turning to me. “Really, though, how are you feeling?”

I raised an eyebrow. Of course he’d notice that something’s off. “I… I don’t know.” I winced a little, wondering how to put my feelings into words. “Every day is just… frustrating. Being powerless like this.”

Julius nodded, his eyes pooling with concern and regret.

“... I’m sorry. This is all my fault.” He shook his head, averting his eyes. “These last few months have been hard for you. I should be a better husband to you. It’s not fair to you to have to shoulder all of this while I have to hide away and look like… like this.”

I stared at him, my heart clenching. He blames himself for everything. The damage from the elf invasion, the deaths, everything. As if he didn’t have enough to worry about already.

“... we’re both powerless. But we still have each other.” I took his hand and gave it a squeeze, causing him to look up at me again. “As soon as I have the power, I’ll return you to normal. I promise. Then, everything will be alright.”

After a moment, Julius smiled back at me, nodding a little.

“... you always know what to say. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

We both turned back to our work, familiar warmth settling in between us.

Our appointment with Owen quickly approached, the royal doctor stopping by to check on my status. I sat on the couch while his magic swirled around me, jellyfish-like entities encircling my middle. I sighed happily as I felt the weight of the child ease for just a moment, closing my eyes. “Well? Does everything look alright?”

“So far, so good,” Owen assured me, writing something down on his clipboard before looking back up at me. The jellyfish had turned a pleasant shade of purple, causing a little smile to appear on his face. “The baby is healthy, and developing normally. Just like a typical, human pregnancy.”

I smiled at the thought, my heart clenching a little. Human… I hope this baby doesn’t turn out like me. I want their life to be easy. If they had to go through the same pain I do… if they end up being Marked-

Sensing the worries swirling in my head, Julius reached out, his hand gently holding my shoulder, fingers tracing circles over my skin to instantly soothe me.

“Whatever happens, whatever they are, it’ll be alright. They’ll have two parents that love them dearly after all.”

“As for you,” Owen continued, looking over at my now-smiling face. “Make sure to keep taking those vitamins I gave you, and eat healthy foods. Keep yourself out of stressful situations. Your mana seems to be super low, but that’s the same as last time.”

I nodded, heeding his instructions. “Right. Thank you, Owen. We’ll meet weekly now, right?”

“Right. This is your final trimester, after all. I’ll make sure that everything goes smoothly, alright?”

I returned his smile, turning to Julius once the doctor was gone. “Back to work?”

“For me, yes,” Julius said, before his face suddenly turned serious. “But you should go and rest. You heard Owen, no stress! I won’t let you get stressed out about anything, alright?”

His insistence made me giggle a little bit, covering my mouth. He’s still so doting! I couldn’t ask for a more attentive husband~

“Alright, alright,” I told him, blushing a little when he stood up and offered me his hand, helping me rise to my feet. I smiled at him, only having to look down slightly. It was strange, since I had become so used to looking up at him. But with any luck, we could return to that state soon enough. “But keep in mind, you can’t shield me from all stress.”

Julius chuckled, giving me a wink.

“I can try~”

Just as the words left his mouth, the door slammed open, and Marx ran in, his eyes wide and his face pale. We both turned toward him as he approached, my heart already beating fast. It took a lot to break Marx’s composure, and right now…

“Marx? What’s the matter?” Julius asked, frowning sternly.

“Sir- just now, I received word,” Marx began, breathless and shaky. “The Zogratis siblings attacked all at once, in different places. Here, and the Heart Kingdom.”

Ice filled my veins. The Zogratis Siblings? Now? Why? We had very little intel on the three members of the “Dark Triad” who ruled the Spade Kingdom for 17 years now, but we knew they were formidable foes with devil contracts. Why are they here? What brought this one?

“Tell me everything that happened!” Julius demanded, his eyes wide as he stepped towards Marx. “Where did they attack, exactly?”

Marx tensed up, obviously afraid to continue. But he did, anyway, and nothing could have prepared me for the words he uttered next.

“Sir… Vanica attacked the Heart Kingdom, and kidnapped Queen Lolopechka. Dante and Zenon attacked us, at the Golden Dawn and Black Bulls bases.”

Blood rushed through my ears, nearly drowning out the horrible, last details.

“Zenon took William, and decimated the Golden Dawn’s base. And Yami… Yami was taken too. Both of them are captives of the Spade Kingdom.”