A/N: Finally I have no homework xD Hope you guys enjoy :P
Song above is 'Fairytale' by Alexander Rybak :)
Image above is roughly how I imagine Aura, the only exception being her mismatched eyes :3
*~*
The temperature dropped several degrees, my body shivering as I frantically gripped Aura's body to mine, closing my eyes tight against the bitter air that was biting at my cheeks and lips. Since I was clinging to the source of the sheer cold surrounding us, it was expected for me to get the full blast of it.
"Gwen! You need to let her go!" I distinctly heard Elliot call from behind me, a sudden cold winter breeze blowing over us, drowning out his words.
I shook my head, my numb arms and fingers clutching Aura even tighter. "She's had too many people let her go, Elliot! I won't be another one that leaves her!"
The racking sobs shaking beneath me intensified. "Damn it!" I heard Elliot bellow, and the rush of several footsteps sounded somewhere beyond the raging wind as I pried my eyes open to my surroundings.
A blizzard wrapped around Aura and me, us being at the very center of the storm. My teeth were chattering, my clothes covered with frostbite, and I could no longer feel my fingers. "A-Aura," I mumbled through chattering teeth, "I-I won't l-leave you."
Aura's eyes snapped open then with a gasp, her gaze meeting mine as I stared at her irises. Her eyes were different colors. When they had both once been an icy cold blue, only the left one remained a pale azul, while the other was a bright hazel-caramel color. Her eyes were brimmed with tears, but they didn't spill over as she stared at me. "Gwen," she gasped out, her voice slightly hoarse from all her crying.
"GWEN!"
I tried to look over my shoulder for Elliot after hearing him scream my name, but my body was too frozen to move. Even my legs and toes had become too numb to move. My lips were caked in frost, and I'm sure my wild red hair was a tangled mess of white snow. A sudden flare of red outside the blizzard blasted the wind and snow apart, dispersing the cold storm as I collapsed to the ground, Aura's arms now embracing me tightly. I smiled to myself as her hands clutched my frozen ones tightly.
"I'm so sorry, Gwen," she whispered, cradling my head in her lap.
"Gwen! GWEN!" I slowly blinked my frozen eyelids up at the blonde-haired man leaning over me, blue eyes wide with concern.
I forced a laugh. "You were right about her Magic tears, Elliot."
"Gwen, you need to stay awake, okay?" Elliot said in a rush, and immediately leaned over me, his hands cradling my face as my head still rested in Aura's lap. He inhaled deeply before connecting our lips together, and exhaled. A rush of warm spring air filled my body, reaching all the way to my toes and back up to the roots of my hair. Elliot breathed warm fiery air into my entire body twice more until my limbs were no longer frozen, and I could move freely once again. I slowly sat up with the help of Elliot, and his blue eyes widened at the sight of me. "Gwen, your hair-," Elliot whispered, and I frowned, reaching up to touch my hair gingerly.
"What about it?" I asked, trying to look up at my hair when Elliot reached up to grab two separate strands on either side of my face, pulling them into my line of sight as my gray eyes widened in shock.
Two thick strands of my hair had turned a startling, luminescent white.
"How did-?" my voice trailed off as I grabbed my hair from Elliot and peered at it closer. It looked like it went all the way down to the roots.
"This is all my fault. You could've died!" I glanced up at Aura who was struggling to keep in her growing tears and racking sobs, her hands clenched into fists on her knees while biting her lip.
I smiled softly over at her. I covered her hands with my own, and she slowly raised her mismatched eyes to me. "You know, you're not the first person I've met with two different colored eyes," I started off, and she gasped while lifting one hand to cover her right eye. I slowly brought it back down from her face, but her eyes had already returned to that icy blue once again. I frowned. "Why do you hide it?"
Aura looked down at our hands and slowly withdrew hers from mine, hugging herself tightly. "I've never let anyone touch me before," she whispered, and leaned forward, her face nearly touching the ground. I didn't fail to notice that she had changed the subject.
"Aura! Aura, what did you do!? You nearly froze the school again! What is wrong with you!?" I glanced up to see the blonde boy with brown eyes from earlier run towards us along with several other students--young and old--what looked like Professors, and the Headmaster. Just seeing him there had my gut churning uncomfortably. His brown-eyed gaze was solely focused on the hunched over Aura beside me.
Aura sneered up at the blonde boy, "Do you care about anything but your precious school, Hunter?"
The blonde boy--Hunter--narrowed his dark brown eyes at her. "At least I can control my Magic without it getting out of hand."
I stood briskly on my feet and splayed my arms out protectively in front of Aura as Hunter lifted his eyes to face me, his gaze closing in on my newly white strands. I narrowed my bright gray eyes at him. Elliot stood up to stand beside me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder as a reassurance. "It wasn't her fault. It's mine," I proclaimed.
Elliot squeezed my shoulder. "Gwen," he murmured quietly, but I ignored him.
The Headmaster stepped forward then, his hands crossed behind his back formally. My back stiffened as I heard Aura breathe in sharply. "Seeing as you are taking responsibility for whatever occurred here, I must settle a punishment as Headmaster. Please follow me." The Headmaster gestured for me to follow him, and I swallowed roughly. I didn't want to be alone with him. I didn't even want to be near him.
"Leave her alone."
Everyone turned to the source of the voice, and found Aura slowly getting to her feet, tears no longer staining her face, and her eyes no longer mismatched. For some reason, I felt sorry for her having to hide her true self. Maybe because I was used to Rian displaying his eyes for all to see despite having to deal with everyone bullying him for it.
"It wasn't her fault. I'm the one who started the blizzard, so punish me instead," Aura voiced, and everyone gasped. I glanced over at the other students. What was so surprising to them? "Just leave her alone. She's a newbie, after all, she doesn't know what she's doing. All she likes is to butt in to others' business." Aura crossed her arms and glared at me, although it held no malice behind it. "Stay out of my way, newbie."
I blinked rapidly over at her, Elliot's hand tightening on my shoulder. I looked up at him then. Please do something, anything not to let her go with him, I begged him with my eyes, hoping he would understand my desperation of keeping Aura safe now, but Elliot only shook his head. My shoulders slumped. He couldn't do anything because he wasn't the Prefect here. Elliot glanced over at Hunter and back to me. I followed his gaze, and then I realized: "You don't get the right to order me around."
Hunter was the Prefect here at Rich Dragon.
Once Aura left with the Headmaster and everyone dispersed, Elliot quickly grabbed Hunter by the collar of his uniform, dragging him off into a darkened hallway, to which I followed after them. "Juni Piro," Elliot commanded, and a bubble-like sphere encased Hunter within it as he shouted in protest and pounded against the surface to be let out. It seemed to be sound-proof. Then my Prefect boyfriend turned to me. "Tell me what's going on."
So I did. I explained to him how I went to try and find Ace, only to run into the Headmaster, how I met Sonata and spoke to her, and how I found out the things the Headmaster was doing to Aura, and probably doing to her right now. The thought made me shiver. Elliot looked so furious once I finished, his hands clenched into fists that were turning a deep crimson. I reached out for him, but he stepped away from me. "If you touch me right now, I may accidentally burn you again," he breathed out roughly, and I nodded in understanding while fiddling with my fingers.
Then Elliot turned on Hunter, grabbing him by the collar once again, the bubble prison popping on impact as he slammed the Prefect against the wall. "How could you let this happen!?" Elliot bellowed as Hunter struggled to free himself.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Hunter shouted back, and I blinked over at him. Did he really not know?
"Your father is a disgusting scumbag and should never have been Headmaster!" Elliot slammed him against the wall once more. I blinked. The Headmaster was Hunter's father? That just makes everything so much worse.
"My father is a greater Headmaster than yours will ever be! He took in Aura after her parents abandoned her when no one else would! He's been a great father to me and my new sister!" Hunter sneered up at Elliot's face, and we both went slack. Hunter shook off Elliot's grip as he fixed his tie.
"You really don't know, do you?" Elliot stared at Hunter blankly.
Hunter frowned. "Know what?"
Elliot turned away. "Tell him what you told me, Gwen," he muttered quietly, and ran a hand over his face. Hunter turned to look at me then. I gulped.
"You see, Hunter, your father isn't who he seems to be," I began, and started to explain about my Magic ability first so that he would understand. Hunter seemed surprised that I was able to speak with animals, but at least he believed me. Although once I got further into explaining about what his father does to Aura on a daily basis, he completely rejected the idea entirely.
"My father isn't that kind of man," Hunter's nostrils flared angrily, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Elliot turned on him once again, his blue eyes blazing as his hands turned crimson once again. "Are you that blind? Do you ever wonder why she's so angry all the time? Or why she refuses anyone's touch, even yours?" Hunter went quiet, avoiding Elliot's eyes. I bit my lip to stop from crying out. "It's because he's been violating and sexually abusing her, Hunter! Aura is afraid of everything and everyone because of him!"
"She would have told me!" Hunter countered, and Elliot shook his head.
"Not if she's put under a Mute Curse, she wouldn't." Hunter's shoulders sagged. It was quiet for some time, none of us speaking, for our anger, sorrow, and guilt consumed our thoughts.
"Are you sure about all this?" Hunter finally whispered at last, his dark brown eyes filling with tears as he looked at us. Elliot looked to me in confirmation. I merely nodded. Hunter leaned heavily against the wall behind him, a hand to his forehead as his shoulders shook silently. Elliot and I said nothing.
I just hope we figure out a way to save Aura. And fast.
*~*
A/N: A bit emotional, and maybe a little bit terrible and definitely short, but oh well ._. I'm trying to make this as long as possible :3
So plz VOTE, COMMENT, and/or FAN/SHARE!!! THNX FOR READING EVERYONE!!! ^-^