Sanscest One-shots (Part 2)

Once Upon A Time - M

(Part 4 for the Medieval AU. It's time to end it. If you haven't read the first three parts, you don't have to, but it will give you some insight on stuff.

Warning dark stuff ahead, if you don't want to read, that's fine. If you decide to press on go find yourself a cuddle buddy and cue up fluff to read afterward. I apologize in advance.)

3rd Person POV

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom of magic users. In a time when anyone who could use magic was tried and killed this was revolutionary. The king was a powerful necromancer who through his great power revived his two lovers to rule along side him.

This kingdom made massive improvements to things like medicine and the arts, and was considered very progressive. The king had one child, a son. When he was 15 he stabbed his father with a poisoned dagger and then fled the kingdom. This lead to the deaths of all three monarchs and the collapse of the kingdom.

With no one to protect the magic users other kingdoms mounted an assault against the population. Not even children were spared. Only small groups of the thriving kingdom remain. They live as outcasts trying to survive by remaining unnoticed.

Of the survivors, a small group has dedicated themselves to tracking down the prince to make him pay with blood.

-

In the five years since his father's death, Celeste has managed to pick up the pieces of his life and move on. Without any contact with the outside world he had no idea the consequences of his action, until three days ago.

He sat on the floor of the cell, legs tucked to his chest, feeling more like a small child than ever. I want my mothers, he thought, feeling the guilt that weighed on him. It was his fault that they were gone. They encouraged him to kill his father, Nightmare especially. He didn't have to listen, but he did, and now he's alone.

It's not just my family. It's everyone's. There was no running from the truth, Celeste's actions caused thousands of people to die. Nothing he could do would ever make it better.

-
When a group of wanderers started camping just a few hundred yards from where Celeste lived he wasn't confused. That was normal. Usually travelers would stay a few days to rest up and be on their way, not this group, they wouldn't leave him alone, constantly trying to approach him, even attempting to break down the door a few times. Honestly, he thought they were going to kill him. It's a shame how right he was.

They finally just broke down the door while he was out one day.

-

Celeste walked in and was immediately startled by these strange people, in his home. Trying to keep calm, he requested for them to leave. "This is not where you live. Please leave."

The oldest of the group, probably around 45, answered. "You've run far Celeste, but not far enough. There is no corner of the world that can protect you from your crimes."

"I know I killed my father, but I've spent the last five years without my mothers, without anyone, suffering because of my actions. I caused their deaths too. Don't you think that's enough?"

They looked at him, slight confusion on their faces. The eldest spoke again, to the rest of the group, "tie him up."

Some of the larger group members shoved Celeste onto the floor and held him there as his hands were tied behind his back, giving him a few hard kicks while he laid helpless.

-

They spent a week waking. During that time Celeste got no food, very little rest and no one spoke to him. He did however start to feel a bit calmer. Maybe they didn't want to kill him, maybe they just took him prisoner to please whoever took over the old kingdom. That wasn't much better, but at least he had a chance of survival.

When they finally got to the final destination, it turned out to be an old guard house that had been recently converted into a sort of prison. As soon as the ones who brought him here were done with their greetings with those who were waiting for their return, they tied Celeste to a post that was positioned in a clearing in front of the guard house.

He watched as some teens as well as a few adults picked stones off the ground and they threw them at him. Unable to flee or shield his face, most connected and he could feel bruises form and a bone crack from the force of the stoning.

An elder with a cane hobbled to the front. "Enough. Let the boy hear his crimes before you kill him."

Celeste braced himself. He knew that he killed his father and his mothers, these people were probably loyal to the crown and wanted revenge, but what the elder said, wasn't what he expected. "You are charged with killing the monarchs, causing the collapse of the kingdom, and for the deaths of all the citizens who perished in the ensuing war."

"W-what?" He head was spinning, the kingdom collapsed and there was war. How could that be possible? "N-no, there's no way. What? No." He was shaking. How many? How many people? I didn't want to hurt anyone else.

The elder looked at him with sympathy. "So, you had no idea. After the deaths of the monarchs, the neighboring kingdoms saw a chance to destroy witchcraft once and for all. They gathered the armies and lay siege to the kingdom, those who couldn't flee were killed even children. We are the few who remain. There may be others who are hiding in the other kingdoms."

He felt more stones being thrown at him, while there was yelling. He could only make out a few words. "Murderer" "Traitor" "Evil" They quickly moved him inside and into a cell, not even untying his hands. He sat there for three days until they came to get him again.

-

Celeste stood on the platform, feeling the looming presence of the noose behind him. The dark feeling seemed to be a warning of his fate.

The survivors of the war he caused stood in front of him, a reminder of the actions that caused so much pain. Though, he was a reminder to himself, once again remembered as he caught a glimpse of his reflections in a horse trough, now clearly starved, but always looked so much like his father, something he hadn't forgotten in the last five years. It seemed cruel, he wished he would look more like his mothers, the people who took care of him. The people who were innocent. They weren't ones losing their souls because of dark magic.

He turned his head away, meeting the eyes of the elder; who nodded solemnly. "For your crimes, the council has sentenced you to death by hanging. Do you have last words to be recorded?"

"No"

Celeste felt the rope around his neck, it felt heavy. The invisible weight of his guilt, dragging him down.

The floor felt out from under him as the rope tightened. He began gasping and frantically grabbing at the noose.

I don't want to die.

But it was too late, he finally gave into the darkness, at last having peace.

There was never going to be a happy ending.

I'm sorry little one.
———
It finally ends. I wasn't sure if I was going to make a final part, I thought about letting Celeste live, but that's not how this series works.

If you made it through that, you deserve an internet hug. I'll make some fluff soon as an apology.

See ya, imaginary people.