(C.W suicidal ideation, violence, and general mental instability)
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Everything hurt, everything hurt...hurt...
I couldn't see right, I couldn't think right, nothing was right.
What was going on?119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQum1yMkt8L
Why couldn't I concentrate?119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5peSRALKA
Why couldn't I see? 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNOtwGj4z4
WHY DID EVERYTHING HURT SO BAD?
There was blood everywhere, that was all I could see, what was going on?
It splattered everywhere...my mom wouldn't like that...she didn't like messes!
That was all I could see, the blood, it felt sticky and warm, and I almost threw up.
Everything hurt...everything hurt...
There were bodies, too
My family...my family's--was that why it hurt?119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHTzDImBYP
No. 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6ZMoikt22
They couldn't die, my family couldn't die! It just didn't work like that!
Their eyes were empty.
So empty. So breathtakingly empty. 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOY81hhXG5M
Everything...hurt...everything hurt...
I had to save them!119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLYv56oq8M
They weren't dead, they just weren't!
Please...please... 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwk3AEndKnO
It wasn't real.
It wasn't real.
IT WASN'T REAL!
I heard someone sobbing...sobbing and laughing hysterically...and realized it was me.
Why was I laughing? Nothing was funny.
Sticky tears coated my face, sticky like blood--there was blood on my face. Their blood.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGEdIIyaub
Everything hurts...everything hurts....
What was I doing?!
I finally thought, and scrambled up, tripping on something...wet....
I had to get them help, right? They were still alive, right?
But when I wiped my face off with my hand, I saw it--I saw them.
The marks, fresh burns on each of my wrists, ingrained in my flesh.
But that wasn't possible.
Because those would only show up if they were...if my family were...
No, no, no, no, no, no!
Everything hurt...everything hurt...because a magical connection had been cut, severed, but that wasn't possible.
I desperately felt on my heart and neck and found four marks on my wrist: mom, dad, sister, brother.
But that--it couldn't be-- how...how...could they be dead?
It just wasn't possible.
A shriek caught in my throat, but I couldn't feel it, all I could feel was the burning rage in the back of my throat.
Who killed them?119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1Asnlhegz
Who killed them?
WHO KILLED THEM?!119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pe40R43Op
Somewhere from behind me, I heard the noise of footsteps.
The sound of a man who was about to d i e.
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I woke up with a scream, my scars burning so bad my eyes filled with tears.
I backed up against a hard bed when I saw where I was, a cold dark cell, with stone walls all around me.
Where was I? Where was my family?
Oh.
Right.
I laughed hysterically, my stomach and chest tightening in delight or mania.
I kept laughing, leaning against the wally to giggle uncontrollably, without even trying to stop it, fingers running through my hair with burning hands.
The more I laughed, the less it hurt!
Hahahahaha, I was such a moron, how do you forget something like that?
M y f a m I l y w a s d e a d.
I stopped laughing, suddenly, because nothing seemed funny, and anger burned in the back of my throat.
My family was dead, because of one sick monster.
My little sister didn't even get to see her 12th birthday, because of him.
My scars pulsed with a wave of pain that made me dizzy.
I turned around and punched the wall, so hard my knuckles ached, breathing heavily.
Then I smiled savagely, hey, at least my family weren't the only ones!
Today was the day of my trial, where I would be executed--probably--but eh, who cared?
The kingdom would move on--just like they did when my family died, the world always did!
At least I'd see my family again, wouldn't that be nice?
I just...I just wanted to be with them again.
I didn't have anything left, now did I? Not after what I had just finished!
Besides, no one could ever love me again...not like my family loved me.
I stood up, ready for the trial to start hopefully soon, but when my scars throbbed, the wave of pain that hit me was so bad I had to sit back down.
"Hey guys, where are those painkillers? Could use 'em right about now!"
I yelled to no one in particular, putting my head in my hands.
My wrists had bracelets locked into them, anti-magic, and I found that funny, hilarious even.
Because what good was an illoutian's magic without the rest of her family?
Didn't they realize are magic was kinda bonded together?
I could barely make a flower with my magic, now, let alone anything dangerous.
Flowers...I used to be so good at making flowers with Daliana...heh...
I couldn't wait to do that with her again.
Hopefully, my trial would start soon.
And that made me fall back, hugging myself laughing, even as my scars burned.
---
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Time for my trial.
Oh, this was going to be fun!
I'd finally gotten those painkillers too, everyone said the scars hurt less after the first ban without a family.
Their dirty liars, because it never stopped, it just kept burning, burning.
Just my luck, hahahaha!
Me and several guards escorting me--oh, I was so very popular, nowadays-- teleported into the court of tricksters.
Fortunately for me, this trial wasn't taking place in my own land, or else I might've gotten off easy!
No, I had killed a trickster.
The trickster that had killed my family, to be exact, because why should I let him get away?
The place was grand, really, huge and well lit, crystals and diamonds lining the walls, it was an excellent place to have something like this!
I laughed and smiled at them all, a huge beaming grin, now this was a cool last sight!
King Scorvis sat in the middle of the room, his throne on a platform above me, along with the rest of the jury, ready to begin the trial.
I hadn't seen him this close up before, and I jumped back.
What was wrong with him?
He had a big smile on, but his skin was so sheet white his eyes almost glowed against them.
He looked like he should be on a death bed, the bright vivid colors of his outfit were to bright against skeletal pale skin....
And there was something wrong with his violet eyes...I didn't want to look at them....
"Miss Madeliana Torian Vian," The King said softly, and so...agonizingly...slowly....
Buddy, did we take a little something-something before the trial?
"You are under trial for the murder of--"
"Yes, I know, silly! I was there! I'd be a ztultis if I didn't know what I was here for, wouldn't I?"
I interupted, so he'd stop talking so slow, waving my hands flippantly.
I locked eyes with the king when I said it on accident, and I finally realized what was wrong with them.
His eyes were dead.
Dead and cold, no emotion behind them.
"Hm," He said pleasantly, still smiling that awful, forced smile.
He pulled the sleeves of his beautifully intricate shirt down a little further-- who wore sleeves in the heat of summer?
Weirdo.
Hey, maybe he couldn't even feel the sleeves, what with all the layers he was wearing.
The King blinked a few times, robotically, and I could hear his stutter when he spoke next.
Didn't expect that to happen, I supposed.
"W-well, I must s-still finish my sentence, M-madeline!"
Aww, that wasn't a very fun reaction, barely anything at all!
"Please don't interupt the court, Madeliana," Snapped the man right next to Scorvis, his advisory, Corrumpu.
He was taking notes, and anger had flashed in his yellow eyes.
Now that was better!
If I had to go through all this nonsense, I should get to have some fun with it!
Especially if Scorvis was going to talk this slow the whole curse the suns trial!
We all already knew I would be executed, and that I was guilty, why do anything?
I wanted to get my sentence soon...
Something deep inside me felt hollow...which wasn't fair, because I should be at the peak of satisfaction after I killed that dumb trickster!
Whatever, I still did it, I was still happy, and I laughed softly.
The others looked at me like I was insane, and maybe they were right!
The King cleared his throat, fiddling with his sleeves once more and very briefly grimacing.
"Now, miss Madelina, you are under trial for first degree murder, of the trickster Mal Mentuer...."
He droned on, in his little mental script he had, like it was the least important thing that had ever happened to him.
Could he possibly care less?
"...How do you plead?"
"Guilty, guilty, guilty~!" I said softly, and then my eyes turned dark.
"He killed my family. I hope he burns in hell," I whispered.
The rest of the jury gasped a bit, then went deadly silent.
A very brief spark of emotion showed in The King's face, even as his lips stayed twisted up in a smile, but it died to soon for me to see what it was.
Whatever, it didn't matter anyway.
"There's no evidence of that!" Corrumpu said loudly.
"Well, it's a good thing you're opinion on it doesn't matter, huh?"
I growled, not sure whether to burst into laughter or scream at him.
Corrumpu sucked in a breath threw his nose, but before he could open his mouth, I continued, "Haha, besides, you're proving my point! I had to kill him, because you're all to incompetent to do anything about it, right?"
"Can you expect us to do anything with no evidence?"
"There is evidence and you know it! He was there! I saw him with my own eyes!"
"According to you! And you have not exactly proven yourself to be a worthy witness!"
"Their bodies were sprawled out on the floor!" I shrieked, my heart pounding, my scars burning.
Dead eyes...blood...I had smelt it in the air...felt it on my fingers.
"It could have been anyone--!"
"E-enough," Scorvis finally said, his soft voice soaked with power, and even I stayed silent, jumping back.
The most powerful Trickster in all of the country.
But he didn't even sound angry, which was good, I suppose.
Everyone knew what he had done when he was angry.
In fact, there was a flash of fear in Scorvis' eyes, for some reason.
"My apologies your highness, I lost my temper," Corrumpu murmured, glancing at me.
Suck up.
I touched my cheek, and realized a single tear had escaped my barriers.
"Crying will cause you more trouble then it's worth. You'll just be hurting worse, and people will always take advantage. Now I don't want to see you crying again, ok, Madeline?"
"Yes mommy." 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84cxNXzM2P
"Good girl."
My mother's voice whispered in my ears, and I quickly tried to wipe it away.
But more tears burned in my eyes, trailing down my face, warm and sticky just as the blood had been....
I covered my mouth with my hand to surpress sobs, I couldn't cry, I couldn't cry.
Another flash of emotion in the king's face.
"I-it's very alright," He said, his voice extremely soft, and he stared at me for a little too long, with swirling eyes.
He ajusted his collar again.
"Now then, l-let's get a-along with the trial."
"There is evidence," Corrumpu continued, furiously.
"That you poisoned Mal Mentuer, the chief officer, with Cyanide during a meeting."
"He killed my family."
"Others can confirm that you were there at this time, and we have video footage of you contaminating the drink."
"He killed my family!"
"This would mean a first degree murder charge of a political figure."
"He killed my family!"
I screamed, how could these ztultis' not see that?
No, I needed to die...I needed to die...but I still wanted to give my family one last justice.
"You are insane!" Corrumpu scowled, and Scorvis turned his head to look at the both of us, like a puppet on a string.
"Sure I am! But at least I'm not a moron, huh, buddy?"
"P-please," Scorvis said, tiredly.
"Must I s-seperate both of you, or may we go a-along with the trial?"
Curse the suns, he wanted this over just as much as I did!
You'd think he'd care a little more, about one of his own figures dying--guess not.
"Buddy, patience you're skill is not!" I laughed in all my fury.
He closed his eyes briefly with a small sigh, and finally that smile briefly faltered.
About time!
"My apologies..." He murmured, then perked back up, light blue curls bouncing.
"Now, Miss Madelinana, would you like to share your side of the story, before we move to the verdict?" He asked politely.
"Already did."
"Well then, the jury as well as us shall speak for a few moments before we give the sentence. Please be patient."
Why'd I even have to wait?
I already blasted knew what was coming!
But still, I had to stay seated for the next fifteen minutes, bored out of my mind.
I hummed a soft song to myself while I waited, something my mom used to sing to me when I was little.
Rest, my child
Don't be wild
There's no need to fear
I'm right here
And I always will
Now just be still...just be still.
"Alright," Corrumpu finally, finally said.
"After looking through all the evidence, we find Madeline--" Here it comes.
"Guilty of first degree murder of Mal Menteur."
Well no duh.
"Her sentence: Death."
A huge pain and concern inside me released.
I could rest, I could see my family again.
Everything would be ok.
Everything would be ok....
"I veto!" Scorvis said suddenly and sharply.
He looked at me, a real smile playing at his lips, did he think it was funny?
"What?" Corrumpu and I both said at the same time.
What was he on about?
Of course I would die, what else?
"But my liege," Corrumpu said, laughing nervously. "Has she not proven herself to be unfit for society? She killed a man in cold blood!"
"Indeed, but she is not deserving of death, not at all."
Too much understanding played in his eyes.
"So what else do you suggest?" Corrumpu demanded, and Scorvis locked eyes with me.
"She shall be my indentured servant. A life for a life, her debt is repaid."
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