Long Road Ahead // Sebastian Sallow x Reader

29

I felt nothing. No pain, no emotion.... nothing. When I opened my eyes, everything was white. There were shadows that were being cast from trees all around me, but even the trees were white. I hadn't the clue of where I was.

I turned around and a tall figure stood before me. It was completely black and it had a what seemed to be shadows falling off of it. It's cloak was tattered everywhere, even the hood, which seemed to be hiding nothing as it was pitch black inside where a face should be. It had it's hand stretched out and a thestral was feeding from its hand. The thestral looked at me and walked away. The figure took back it's hand and it's hood moved as if it was looking at me.

"Finally, we meet. I was beginning to wonder when you would expire and I could finally speak with you."

"Who are you?" I didn't get any sense of danger from the figure. It was a comforting presence that lingered around it.

"I am Death. I would assume you know who I am from tales of the deathly hollows, and many others."

"Death? But that must mean..."

"You have perished from the living world. But please, let me speak freely."

Death waved his hand to the side and a different thestral appeared, one that seemed familiar.

"You who have taken such care of death's creatures. I can not thank you enough. This one speaks fondly of his final moments with you." It was the one who died while I was still attending Hogwarts. The elderly thestral that I had taken in and cared for dearly.

"It's been a long time since I have been in the presence of another soul who weilded ancient magic. I don't see much of you nowadays. But you, you are special." Death took a pause to send the thestral on his way. I looked around and noticed that all around in the trees, thestrals had began to gather. They were all eating the strange white grass and barely noticed us.

"Tell me, have you an idea as to what your specific is yet?"

"No, I don't. It hasn't appeared, and I didn't want to die trying to figure it out."

"Yet you stand before Death anyway. It's quite curious." I stared up to Death as it seemed to be taking a pause to think. "I sense great sorrow surrounding your physical form. Tears from a Mother and Father fall onto it's cheeks. In the background, a heartbroken lover trying to enact revenge, but he is greatly underpowered."

"There's nothing I can do. Death is the end."

"You may be true with your words for most users of magic, but for you, those words ring untrue. Isadora's research was true in that most ancient people would die trying to force their specific, but for you, you had to perish in battle to find your specific."

"But if I'm already dead, I'll never be able to return and use it."

"Listen to my words. Death greets all creatures of any background the same. All souls wander until they find Death. Instead of wander, your soul was carried by thestrals that had also found Death. Your ancient magic is intricately braided with your soul, giving you power over it. Able to move it. That is all I can say. You must discover it's true power on your own. Before you go, take this."

Death reached out his hand to me and opened his long skeletal fingers. There laid a clear wand that seemed to be made out of glass with a crystal handle. Something black was in the center as it's core, but I couldn't make out what it was.

"A wand?"

"This is yours now. The core is a thread from my cloak. Though it is made of glass, it will not break. Take it, for this is where your true story begins."

I hesitantly grabbed the wand still in Death's hand. When I picked it up, a blinding blue light grew from the wand, making me close my eyes. I opened them after a moment and looked at my new wand. A soft blue glow now shone from the glass. I could still see the threaded core at its center.

"You must go now. Sebastian is loosing his battle, I do not wish to meet him today." Death held up his fingers and snapped them. Instantly I was back in my body and my eyes sprang open. My mother fell onto her butt as she looked at me with shock. I gripped my new wand and stood up, instantly locking on to Sebastian and Mr. Cromwell's battle. The light coming from Sebastian's wand was almost to the tip, he was going to loose. I walked over to him and put a single hand on his shoulder, shoving him to the side. The line of magic had been broken without touching him.

I stared down at Mr. Cromwell as my feet continued their patterned pace. His eyes looked shock at my sudden appearance. My new wand raised and he mimicked me. I let the ancient magic flow through the tip effortlessly as he seemed to struggle keeping a grip on his. My feet never stopped moving until I was just a foot in front of him. He had fallen on his back once the magic had been broken. Looking down on him, he seemed so small. He didn't look as if he could cause harm to so many beautiful creatures. Or even kill someone. But he did. I was dead, but given a second chance by Death.

"There's no room for you on this planet." With a single flick of my wand, the ancient power dissolved him into small specks of magic that floated all around. They looked like tiny blue stars as they slowly floated up, and like embers, burned out.

"(Y/n)? But, how?" I turned to see Sebastian. He was cradling his right arm where his shirt was stained with blood. His face had a few cuts on it as well that were slowly bleeding.

"I'll explain later, let's get my parents to the train station, then home to Feldcroft. I'll explain there."

We arrived at the train station and I could see in the distance the train coming in. My mother wept and my dad hugged me tightly. I reassured them that I would be alright. The train blew its whistle as it came to a stop. I led my parents onto the train and talked to the conductor. He agreed to help them through the barrier upon their arrival in London. I stepped off the train and waved at them through the window as they left. Sebastian hugged me from behind and I felt a wave of relief take over me. "Let's go home."

Sebastian nodded and we quickly made it home to Feldcroft. He sat at the table, looking exhausted, but also searching for an answer as to how I was alive. 

Before I could start to speak, there was a knock at the door. I answered it to see a sweaty Orion standing before me. "Is everything okay?"

"I think one of the mooncalves is giving birth, but it seems in distress. I saw you just arrived home, but I have no idea what to do. I've been trying to keep her calm for over an hour."

"I'll meet you there, give me one minute." He nodded and ran off. I looked at Sebastian who was already standing behind me handing me my jacket.

"Go on my love. We will talk when you get back. Visit with your thestrals before coming back. I can see the stress in your shoulders." He placed a kiss on my forehead and then walked to the kitchen. I put my jacket on and walked out the door and over to the mooncalf pen.

The beasts never seem to rest...