Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 02:53 AM
Once he'd put the kids down for a little, Morgan closed his eyes to try and find his way towards one of a series of loose ends: Aly.

He stuck his head out of a door for a moment and, feeling her closer, he nodded and left the door back home open. Morgan stepped out, keeping half his brain on the sleeping kids, grey eyes looking this way and that, "Hey, Aly?"

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 02:59 AM
It was a bit unnerving really, she was sitting in Maalech's old room, all the books strewn about in a kaleidoscopic pattern, pages torn and ripped. The room looked as if it had just been torn to pieces by a fierce madwoman, but right now Alynealin herself was calm and serene.

Eyes half closed where she sat on the floor, the simple white dress pooled around her, skin more darkly tanned than Morgan had ever seen. The hair was darker too, straighter.

As he spoke she opened her eyes fully, looking at him. They were a light brown that almost verged on green. Murky eyes, like dirty amber. "Yes?" The question was polite, as if he was a servant disturbing his lady.

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 03:04 AM
"Aly, there you are." He smiled some, realizing he should probably adopt a little more respectful tone. "Er. Alynealin. Lady." he bowed some, "I. I only wanted to check on you. See how you were doing since that little Magus put a few things back to your head."

See if she'd done anything crazy.

See if she was LIKELY to do anything crazy.

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 03:08 AM
"It makes patterns..." She tire another page from a book, carefully arranging the torn scrap of paper amongst the others. "Pitty patty patterns. Soon they will make a fire."

She looked up at him with a serious look on her face, then admitted "There are holes in me. I am like a partly finished plaza, you have to jump from stone to stone."

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 03:15 AM
"I know, Aly... er, Lady." Morgan smiled at her a little. "What kind of fire, do you think?" He knelt down some, across from her as she put things into 'order'. "I can navigate stones. Jumping across big chasms is something I've got used to over time."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 03:19 AM
"It stops here. My dance. Closed eyes and bare feet and it ends here, then is gone. I -will- find him." Her voice was a low hiss at the end, looking at the papers, then looking at the man.

"A conflagration. Fire is needed for birth, for destruction. But I only have ashes, I can't remember anymore... there was a fire... it consumed me."

Her eyes were large and angry, but there was fear there as well, deep inside "I am but ashes now. Nothing but."

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 03:31 AM
Morgan smiled some, dropping down to his haunches, looking to the woman for a moment, resisting a remembered urge to touch her face.

Fuck, he missed being close to somebody.

"Well, as former Crimson Order, fire and rebirth is sort of something we did a lot of. I mean, I've done it a lot of times, Aly. So've you. You know you can come back from it."

Morgan looked down at the pattern of torn paper for a time, trying to decipher it, "You're just waiting to become the screaming firebird, that's all."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 03:35 AM
"I am tired of waiting!" She snarled in annoyance, though not at him and rose to pace the room, kicking at the pattern she had so carefully arranged as if it annoyed her.

"I am tired of waiting and of living a lie and of everybody but me having the answers. What IS it. What is it that's OUT there? I can feel them sniffling like dogs but there's nothing there. I... AGH!"

She screamed, tossing back her hair as she stomped to the pile of books near the wall, grabbing another one to tear pages from.

"I HATE this. I HATE this world. This LIFE. Where is my family, my sisters, my little baby brother I... I don't want to be ALONE! I am not made for being alone..." There were tears on her cheeks now, but it was doubtful whether she noticed them.

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 03:43 AM
Morgan frowned some and reached out to her, taking a step closer to her, touching her cheek to wipe at the tears there, "You aren't alone, Aly. I don't... I don't know much about the rest of it. But you aren't alone."

He didn't know what else to say.

But he couldn't kiss her. Even if he just KNEW it would work.

Just stop it, Morgan.

"We'll find those cards and your Magus. And we'll put you back together. And then you'll see how alone you aren't, right?" He smiled some at that, "And, hey, don't forget your kids, Aly. They're all eager to love you."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 03:47 AM
"I... I just can't connect there." She placed both hands over her stomach, pressing her palms to it. "I remember little but flashes, and of the new one you tell me off, nothing. I remember family and home but... this is not home and this does not feel like my family." The tears continued to flow, gently and unnoticed but by Morgan.

"It is a dream. All of this is a dream my heart insists, and soon I will wake up, alone, at home, in bed... and..." She paused, shivering.

"It's not there anymore, is it?" The whisper was very quiet and filled with horror as she took a step closer to him.

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 03:51 AM
Oh, fuck. This just wasn't fair.

Mal should be dealing with this crap, not Morgan.

For a moment he had a frightening thought.

But did his best to hold it back out of fear that it might be true.

"Fuck, Aly..." the man sighed, wrapping his arms tighter around her, "It isn't, Aly. I. There's... it's not what you remember."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 03:56 AM
She leaned in against his chest, still keeping that slightly regal air around her, as if she was allowing him to do this.

"It seems so long ago at times. I know it can't be what I remember it like. I know there must be a reason why I left but... my heart is still there. I think it always will be."

The tears slowly dried on her cheeks. "Did you ever have to leave your heart behind?"

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 04:04 AM
"More than once," said the man, "Hell, I'm still trying to figure my way through it." Morgan stroked her hair slowly to try and soothe her some.

Or because it just felt good to do it. To touch. To be close.

"You left, I think, because there was a... a kind of cataclysm. It... " Morgan shook his head slowly, "You'll find your way back there, Aly. Or at least find out where you were when you ripped yourself up like this."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 04:07 AM
"Judgment." She closed her eyes, a small choked purr at the tough to her hair.

"We were found guilty then..." Her thoughts ended at the holes in her memories there, unable to progress further. It still felt imagined, could any of that horror she had felt be real?

Could things like that truly exist in the world?

Right now she was soft and vulnerable and filled with grief and fear.

No trace of the fierce anger she was capable of.

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 04:13 AM
"I don't know." Morgan shrugged, "They didn't kill you. You're still here, even if... even if there's laws on it." He smiled at her then, "Laws you're good at finding a way around. And even Mal's working on finding a loophole."

Not that Morgan APPROVED of it, but.

"But it doesn't go well for you. I know that much." He touched her cheek gently, "And you're strong. You're Alynealin. It'd take more than the Tzarg to keep you down."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 04:19 AM
She had collected herself as he spoke, but that final sentence made her gasp, taking a step back, tearing herself from his arms.

"The Tzarg." She choked out the words, biting back the pain that crossed her face. "I..." She pressed both hands to her face, mumbling something into her palms.

She had froze, turned to salt in the fact of things unremembered.

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 04:25 AM
Fuck. That was, apparently, exactly the wrong thing to say.

He touched the woman's shoulder gently then, "Aly."

"Aly, are you still there?"

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 04:26 AM
The answer was quite simply "No."

Of course it was an obvious lie as well.


Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 04:28 AM
"Well, you're around enough to be sarcastic," said the man with a sigh.

"So. So you remember? Or... or at least know what I mean?"

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 04:35 AM
"I know well enough to hate and hide. I can't touch, I am not supposed to. If the fly stays still in the web maybe the spider won't notice."

She took away her hands, and her face had now gone pale and frightened.

"I have no balance. No knowledge. The magus took and shattered me." That brought forth the rage again.

"How DARE he!"

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 04:39 AM
"He's... He loves you, Aly. He wouldn't want to hurt you. You being broken like this... it's... Alynealin, it's driving him nuts." Morgan frowned, touching her shoulder again.

"And those things... they notice, Aly. I get the impression that that's what they do."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 04:45 AM
"LOVES me?" She scoffed, tearing away from his touch as she walked across the floor. "I care not for that love. I care not for being maimed, broken, my mind and soul torn apart and empty. He RAPED my entire being! He took away my ME!" The paper scattered on the floor had started to smoke now.

"He SHOULD be mad. He SHOULD be what I was. Broken! Pitiful! Insane!" With every word another scrap pf paper caught flame, flickering into life in the pattern on the floor.

"I will break him like he broke ME." At the last word everything caught aflame, surrounding them with flickering lights, ashes and paper torn up into the air around them by the agitated air.

Burning.

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 04:50 AM
"Aly!" The man barked, grasping at her shoulders sharply and giving her a quick shake. Not the smartest move, probably, but.

"Aly, you don't KNOW ANYTHING yet." Morgan met her eyes, leaning closer to her, "You're in pieces but for all either of us know you wanted it. You asked for it." He didn't try to stop the fire. He didn't bother trying. She was more powerful than he was by a lot.

"Calm down. You're... you have to try and calm down."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 04:54 AM
"It is BETTER to burn." She hissed the words on Morgan's face, but the fire did not spread beyond the papers. The walls and floors remained untouched. "I CAN'T know, remember? I can't know because of HIM and what is it that he doesn't want me to remember? Why take it away? I know there is a reason for hatred here." She hissed the words, eyes brilliant and clear.

"I would not ask for rape. I do not shirk my responsibilities, and right now they are revenge." She reached out, snapping a piece of paper from the air, the flames having consumed almost all of it.

The remainder crumpled in her hand, leaving a single shred stained by ashes.

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 04:58 AM
A part of him had to wonder how accurate this take was over the dreamy woman who spoke in riddles.

It's not like Mal wasn't known to misrepresent the truth of things.

"You'll remember it, Aly. I'll help. And that... the Magus. He'll help, too. You know he will. But if you try and hurt Maalech... Melekain. If you kill him, you might not be right again. Hell, you might not want him hurt once it's all said and told. Aly, you don't know all the facts."

But, then, neither did he.

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 05:03 AM
"Nobody knows all the facts but HIM." Her words were bitter, but she cradled the paper in both hands and blew on it . The ashes flew away and she looked down.

"Cecilia? Is that a name?" She frowned, trying to force her fractured mind to draw the right conclusions.

They would come. Eventually.


Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 05:06 AM
"Place. Not a person." He was suddenly glad he put all kinds of distracting wards around Maalech's home. "What makes you think of that?"

She was just following the man. Wreath, Cecilia... Oh it wasn't good.

"Aly, what... what do YOU know about him?"

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 05:10 AM
"He's gone. It ends here. No trace." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I dance in circles so I asked the flames." She held up the scrap of paper, a remainder of a burned page. Nearly everything on the scrap was illegible but that single word... Cecilia.

But Morgan's question shook her out of her trance, forcing a sputtered "I... remember nothing. He... caused THIS." She indicated her own form.

"The little magus said so. Trapped and trapped twice over. Broken into pieces."

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 05:14 AM
"But he's... Aly, he's mad at Mal. If he knows what Mal's trying." Of course, Mal might not be doing... GAH he was frustrated.

"Aly, don't do anything yet... I'm trying to help you." He frowned and stepped away, looking around the room, "Fuck, why can't any of this just make sense?" He kicked at some of the ash, "Aly, I want you whole. Going after him won't make that happen."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 05:18 AM
"How can you be sure?" She crossed her arms over her chest, her white dress flecked by ashes. "Perhaps his death will undo this." Her eyes flickered for a moment "No. Death is too good for him. He shall suffer for this."

She was a vindictive woman, Morgan had found that out himself once upon a time.

"It makes perfect sense, all of it."

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 05:25 AM
"It doesn't make a lick of sense," the man sighed at her back, "And if you're wrong... if he's suffering for however long you plan on letting him live... Aly, what if you need him? He won't be able to help you. Evil or not, he can help you out. Eventually."

"And maybe his death or torture will make you worse. You aren't... Aly, he's smarter than you at things like this."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 05:31 AM
"He's WHAT?" She swirled around, face gone tight and furious.

Around them all the ashes paused for a moment as they fell, afraid.

"He is... WHAT?" She took a step back, horrible realization dawning on her face.

"You are on HIS side in this!"

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 05:42 AM
Ooooooh, fuck.

Way to go, Morgan. Way to go.

"Aly, I'm on MY side here." He gestured behind him, "I'm on the side of 'Morgan has to keep his ass alive oh and by the way don't let fucking REALITY implode while some crazy fucking god-things threaten my life and--by proxy--my... OUR two infant children who are just getting their first bloody teeth' side! I want you to CALM THE FUCK DOWN and stop trying to KILL Mal until I can NOT be anything more than a father of two kids and maybe have a chance of getting my stupid, petty life back in place!"

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 05:47 AM
"It's all about YOU, isn't it?" She clenched her hands into firsts, having found a target for her anger now. "You should NOT cross me, you are MY sword, not his. I crafted you. I made you what you are." She was furious, but in control, her anger running white and hot.

"I do not trust HIM and now I do not trust YOU. You are all liars! You all want to take away what is mine, what I am. Strip by strip by strip leaving scraps and madness behind. Was I more pleasant then? More docile? More easily controlled?" Her hands had started moving my now, every gesture angry and vicious.

There was so much hate in her she needed an outlet.

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 05:58 AM
"I'm not your fucking SWORD!" Anger and frustration weren't the way to go. She was close enough to a goddess that he should be shitting his pants at her vaguest annoyance in his direction.

But he was tired and frustrated.

"I'm just a guy. That's all I am. I HAVE a sword. This hungry FUCKING monster," he held up his hand, thrusting the scar in her direction, "and none of this BULLSHIT would have happened if you would have just told me you were married to fucking MELEKAIN!"

He scowled at the woman, "I don't want to control you. I want you sane and then? And then I want you out of my life! You and your stupid husband to stop playing around with everything and those fucking Tzarg out of my way..."

And then he just yelled once. Long and loud and cathartic.

"I just wanted to just... I was almost HAPPY, Alynealin. And you two... You're just scarier now. That's ALL."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 06:06 AM
"How COULD I have told you?" She matched his raised voice with one of her own. "Insane and amnesiac, remember?" She tapped the side of her head looking more animated than Morgan had ever seen her. More angry. More alive. "It is still all mist and rot and things I don't even want to remember! Who made me forget? You say I am married to the man then why made me forget that? Why make me insane? Why take away everything I AM?"

She growled and glared up at him. "I don't UNDERSTAND!"

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 06:12 AM
"I don't, either!" The man yelled back at her, grasping at her shoulders, "I'm so far out of my depth I'm drowning!"

He just slumped back then and punched at the wall a couple times.

And Morgan's head thumped against the wall for a moment, "I'd give it back to you if I could." He looked down at the floor before turning to her, "I just want you to be all together so you and he can let me out of it."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 06:17 AM
"I want to be WHOLE." She pressed both hands to her chest, a look of intense longing on her face. Morgan's anger did not scare her, most likely because it paled in comparison with her own.

For a few moments she watched Morgan's back, then, as he turned around, she walked over to him. "What if this is something you cannot be let out of. What if this is what it is?" She reached up to touch his cheek, as if his pain had calmed her own somewhat.


Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 06:21 AM
He slumped back against the wall, face slack and hopeless; "Then I should just send Thessa and Corein off to live with some kind of damn Mentor like I did with Seth so they can grow up and hate me and wish Joy the best while she goes and finds someone who deserves her."

Morgan punched the wall again.

And again.

He looked at her for a moment, "I don't even care now. Go off. Be whole. It's all I wanted for you."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 06:28 AM
"No!" His defeat seemed to make her stand up straighter "Family is important, I will NOT let it end like this. You have served me well even if you are uncouth and insulting at times." She crossed her arms over her chest, face deeply focused. After a moment the concentration broke and she whined softly as she clutched her head.

"It is no good, I cannot remember. I cannot know where to take the next step. I need to speak to the little Magus again. I need memories. I need POWER."

She looked at Morgan again, just human now, just another woman nearly cracking under her burden. "I spoke rashly. My accusations against you might be unjust. However, I am not certain my accusations against him are."

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 06:32 AM
"I don't know, either," Morgan sighed some and shrugged, "I don't have power, Aly. I just cut things and make things fall apart. That's all I know how to do. I have like... I'm not even half as powerful as Seth... I..."

He touched her face softly before wrapping his arms around her, squeezing softly, kissing the top of her head. "We'll find out in time. Until then we'll try and get you back together."

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 06:42 AM
She returned the embrace, all motherly and strong now. "I will seek out the little Magus again later, once I have rearranged my memories properly. I will find out the truth in time. And I will find HIM." Her voice was lowered into a growl there.

"I will find out the truth."

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 06:45 AM
"And I want you to." He sighed some, running his hand over his head, "I'll help how I can." He slumped some, "I'm still your sword, though, aren't I?"

Posted by: Alynealin Jun 24 2008, 06:55 AM
"Of course you are." She took a step back and smiled at the man, as brilliant as a benediction. "My sword. But I will take care of you when I am able to. Soon."

She was still clutching the scrap of paper in her hands.

"Truth."

And with that she was gone, leaving Morgan alone in the ruins of Maalech's former room, all the books and notes turned to ashes, the walls and bed singed and black.

Posted by: Morgan deCiel Jun 24 2008, 07:00 AM
The man sighed heavily and ran his hand over his shorn head.

And then punched the wall again.

"FUCK!"