madame_denna (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
madame_denna) wrote2013-09-08 08:20 pm
madame_denna) wrote2013-09-08 08:20 pm
FIC: Dawn is Breaking (III/VI)
Pairing: Denna/Kahlan
Rating: R
Words: ~1400
Warnings: character death, explicit violence and torture, dubious consent & content
Summary: Kahlan needs to cope with a new and different life. After an apocalyptic battle in a world in which Darken Rahl has won and she has lost almost everything. Except for Denna. Kahlan can't quite decide if it's a good thing, or the worst. After all, Denna is there to help.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. They are not mine and - of course no money is made. I don't own any of them, but I have a distinctive feeling Denna might own me...
A/N: You will need to read the first parts, they're are not long, but you won't understand it otherwise.
Part 2
Finally she has returned home.
Kahlan lays back on the soft blanket, probing her head up in one hand. Fingers graze through the lush green grass and the sun reflects in the windows of the Confessor‘s Palace in the distance, letting it almost glow in a golden hue.
A few yards away Richard is laughing as he playfully swings the Sword of Truth in Cara‘s direction, who dodges it easily with one of her Agiel‘s. Richard laughs even more and stumbles backwards, Cara close on his heels with furrowed brows. “You‘re not even trying!“ Cara accuses and Kahlan smiles at how truly offended she sounds at his refusal for a real sparring.
The sun stands high in the blue cloudless sky, warming her skin. The sight of the two people she loves most, fills her heart with joy and fuzzy contentment. Kahlan‘s eyes flutter closed for a moment and with Richard‘s laughter still ringing in her ears, she dozes off.
“Kahlan! Wake up!“
It is Cara‘s voice that she hears, but it is the urgent and desperate tone that brings her back to consciousness rather quickly. But when she opens her eyes, Kahlan knows she still dreaming - but this time it's a nightmare.
No longer can she see the walls of the Confessor's Palace or the lush green fields that stretch out in front of the place she had called home. The warmth of the sun is gone and she can‘t hear Richard‘s laughter anymore either. The familiar dungeon is only sparely lit as it always is and her arms ache the same as they do every day since Denna chained her up for the first time.
The only difference today is that the questioning eyes staring back at her are green like emeralds and not blue like the winter sky.
Her skin begins to prickle and she gets goose bumps on her arms, and Kahlan realizes, she finally must have gone mad.
“Come on Kahlan, we need to get out of here.“
It is a hallucination - she knows for certain it is. And shouldn't it be a good thing that she still knows, is it not? Her mind is just finally giving her what she has wished for in every waking second since the world around her started to fall apart. Kahlan shakes her head violently and thinks about Cara‘s last moments, the cooling temperature of her blood on Kahlan‘s fingers and the agonizing second as the light left her friend‘s eyes forever.
A tear runs down her cheek at the very memory - and there are not enough tears to make the stabbing pain in her chest to ever go away. Forcing her eyes open once more, Kahlan is resolute not to fall for the trick her own mind tries so desperately to play on her - it is just one thing more that has turned against her. But when she blinks against the welling tears, the vision of Cara in ripped clothes and bloodied skin still stands there - right before her.
“No,“ and it‘s more of a desperate groan and spoken to herself than anyone else, then Kahlan has accepted a long time ago that she truly is alone now. There is no one else left and when she closes her eyes just long enough, Cara will be gone when Kahlan decides to face reality once again. It must be her mind trying to cope with all what has been done to her - and it is calming her nerves to analyze the situation rationally.
“Kahlan!“ Bony fingers grasp her waist, shaking her slightly. “Don‘t do this to me, come on.“
Kahlan has longed to gaze into those eyes or hear that voice only once again for as long as she can remember, but now that she does, it hurts her more than it brings any comfort. She knows that the second she gives into this daydream she is lost forever in a hallucination of sorrow and despair. It‘s her weakest moment and Kahlan fears the dangerous spark of hope will enlighten a fire she won‘t be able to extinguish.
“You are not real. You are dead. You died in my arms.“ The words fall from her lips in a whispered mantra and Kahlan keeps her eyes closed, then she can still hear the imagination of her dead friend take ragged breaths. She wants it so desperately to be over.
The door creaks and opens swiftly, familiar footsteps are heard behind her and Kahlan releases a sigh of relief. The hands on her hips are still there, but freeze against her bare skin.
The eyes she sees are back to icy blue and it feels like everything shifts into the right place again. To her surprise, Denna doesn‘t acknowledges Cara‘s presence. On one hand it causes a feeling of pure relief, on the other a great sense of unease.
“I can see her.“ Kahlan croaks, her gaze shifting between Denna and Cara who seems suddenly unable to move or breathe. “Did you or one of the wizards do this?“
And there - as the question enters her mind - a flicker of hope of a different kind spreads through her, that she is possibly not losing it entirely after all. Maybe it is just another form of torment, another scheme from a different angle Denna wanted to try.
“Whom do you see, Kahlan?“ Denna asks, entertaining her madness in a cooing sweet voice.
“Cara,“ Kahlan breathes, agonizing the moment when Denna will either laugh out loud or even worse, confirm her greatest fear. “She stands right next to you.“
“Oh, does she now?“ Denna wonders, sculptured brows rising in controlled surprise and evaluation.
“Kahlan look at me, fight them - fight her.“ Cara‘s voice is desperate now and she is shaking, fingers on her hip clutch painfully into her bruised skin. “You and I can get out of here together.. you just need to.. believe in me. Deep inside your heart - you know the truth.“ Kahlan looks over at Denna for the slightest reaction, but the Mord‘Sith just stares back at her and doesn‘t seem to have heard a single word.
Panic rises inside of her like a storm, constricting her chest that every breath hurts so fiercely that Kahlan believes she is going to suffocate at any given moment. She can‘t live like this - it hurts just too much. Cara is long gone, teared off her hands, as well as everything else that ever mattered in her life. She is in a position where she can‘t afford the blazing embers of hope any longer, then she‘s been scorched by fanatic illusions far too often - and each time paid for it dearly with a sliver of her sanity. Tears spill over in a constant flow as her eyes fix on Denna and she truly can‘t believe that the words tumble from her lips, but she can‘t take it anymore. She just can‘t. “Make her go away.“
One moment, there is a flicker of silver and in the next Cara gasps loudly - then chokes. Blood spills over her cracked lips almost instantly and her haunted eyes lock with Kahlan‘s. The thin blade protruding from her chest is bloodied and with a swift motion of her hand Denna pulls it back out of her flesh. The grip on Kahlan‘s hip loosens and then it is gone as Cara sinks to her knees. “It‘s alright,“ she forces out, the sound of fluid in her lungs makes it hard to understand her, but she smiles faintly up at Kahlan while fingers now clutch against the heavily bleeding wound on her chest.
It takes just moment. And Kahlan watches as her friend dies for a second time. She tells herself that it is not real, but the feeling of loss and despair are just as devastating as the first time.
The sound of creaking leather brings Kahlan‘s attention back to Denna who still stands with the dagger in her hand.
Now that Kahlan can make it out clearly, as the crimson fluid still drips from the point of the blade, she recognizes it as one of her own. She looks up at Denna as the Mord‘Sith lets it clatter unceremoniously to the floor. The maniacal glee she finds in Denna‘s blue eyes makes her suddenly nauseous as her mind begins to wonder how Denna was able to stab a figment of Kahlan‘s imagination with her own dagger.
“Now she won‘t bother you again.“ Denna drawls and turns on her heel, leaving Kahlan alone in the dungeon with Cara‘s dead body lying at her feet.
As realization settles, an anguished scream breaks into sob - and her heart breaks once again.
Part IV
Rating: R
Words: ~1400
Warnings: character death, explicit violence and torture, dubious consent & content
Summary: Kahlan needs to cope with a new and different life. After an apocalyptic battle in a world in which Darken Rahl has won and she has lost almost everything. Except for Denna. Kahlan can't quite decide if it's a good thing, or the worst. After all, Denna is there to help.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. They are not mine and - of course no money is made. I don't own any of them, but I have a distinctive feeling Denna might own me...
A/N: You will need to read the first parts, they're are not long, but you won't understand it otherwise.
Part 2
Finally she has returned home.
Kahlan lays back on the soft blanket, probing her head up in one hand. Fingers graze through the lush green grass and the sun reflects in the windows of the Confessor‘s Palace in the distance, letting it almost glow in a golden hue.
A few yards away Richard is laughing as he playfully swings the Sword of Truth in Cara‘s direction, who dodges it easily with one of her Agiel‘s. Richard laughs even more and stumbles backwards, Cara close on his heels with furrowed brows. “You‘re not even trying!“ Cara accuses and Kahlan smiles at how truly offended she sounds at his refusal for a real sparring.
The sun stands high in the blue cloudless sky, warming her skin. The sight of the two people she loves most, fills her heart with joy and fuzzy contentment. Kahlan‘s eyes flutter closed for a moment and with Richard‘s laughter still ringing in her ears, she dozes off.
“Kahlan! Wake up!“
It is Cara‘s voice that she hears, but it is the urgent and desperate tone that brings her back to consciousness rather quickly. But when she opens her eyes, Kahlan knows she still dreaming - but this time it's a nightmare.
No longer can she see the walls of the Confessor's Palace or the lush green fields that stretch out in front of the place she had called home. The warmth of the sun is gone and she can‘t hear Richard‘s laughter anymore either. The familiar dungeon is only sparely lit as it always is and her arms ache the same as they do every day since Denna chained her up for the first time.
The only difference today is that the questioning eyes staring back at her are green like emeralds and not blue like the winter sky.
Her skin begins to prickle and she gets goose bumps on her arms, and Kahlan realizes, she finally must have gone mad.
“Come on Kahlan, we need to get out of here.“
It is a hallucination - she knows for certain it is. And shouldn't it be a good thing that she still knows, is it not? Her mind is just finally giving her what she has wished for in every waking second since the world around her started to fall apart. Kahlan shakes her head violently and thinks about Cara‘s last moments, the cooling temperature of her blood on Kahlan‘s fingers and the agonizing second as the light left her friend‘s eyes forever.
A tear runs down her cheek at the very memory - and there are not enough tears to make the stabbing pain in her chest to ever go away. Forcing her eyes open once more, Kahlan is resolute not to fall for the trick her own mind tries so desperately to play on her - it is just one thing more that has turned against her. But when she blinks against the welling tears, the vision of Cara in ripped clothes and bloodied skin still stands there - right before her.
“No,“ and it‘s more of a desperate groan and spoken to herself than anyone else, then Kahlan has accepted a long time ago that she truly is alone now. There is no one else left and when she closes her eyes just long enough, Cara will be gone when Kahlan decides to face reality once again. It must be her mind trying to cope with all what has been done to her - and it is calming her nerves to analyze the situation rationally.
“Kahlan!“ Bony fingers grasp her waist, shaking her slightly. “Don‘t do this to me, come on.“
Kahlan has longed to gaze into those eyes or hear that voice only once again for as long as she can remember, but now that she does, it hurts her more than it brings any comfort. She knows that the second she gives into this daydream she is lost forever in a hallucination of sorrow and despair. It‘s her weakest moment and Kahlan fears the dangerous spark of hope will enlighten a fire she won‘t be able to extinguish.
“You are not real. You are dead. You died in my arms.“ The words fall from her lips in a whispered mantra and Kahlan keeps her eyes closed, then she can still hear the imagination of her dead friend take ragged breaths. She wants it so desperately to be over.
The door creaks and opens swiftly, familiar footsteps are heard behind her and Kahlan releases a sigh of relief. The hands on her hips are still there, but freeze against her bare skin.
The eyes she sees are back to icy blue and it feels like everything shifts into the right place again. To her surprise, Denna doesn‘t acknowledges Cara‘s presence. On one hand it causes a feeling of pure relief, on the other a great sense of unease.
“I can see her.“ Kahlan croaks, her gaze shifting between Denna and Cara who seems suddenly unable to move or breathe. “Did you or one of the wizards do this?“
And there - as the question enters her mind - a flicker of hope of a different kind spreads through her, that she is possibly not losing it entirely after all. Maybe it is just another form of torment, another scheme from a different angle Denna wanted to try.
“Whom do you see, Kahlan?“ Denna asks, entertaining her madness in a cooing sweet voice.
“Cara,“ Kahlan breathes, agonizing the moment when Denna will either laugh out loud or even worse, confirm her greatest fear. “She stands right next to you.“
“Oh, does she now?“ Denna wonders, sculptured brows rising in controlled surprise and evaluation.
“Kahlan look at me, fight them - fight her.“ Cara‘s voice is desperate now and she is shaking, fingers on her hip clutch painfully into her bruised skin. “You and I can get out of here together.. you just need to.. believe in me. Deep inside your heart - you know the truth.“ Kahlan looks over at Denna for the slightest reaction, but the Mord‘Sith just stares back at her and doesn‘t seem to have heard a single word.
Panic rises inside of her like a storm, constricting her chest that every breath hurts so fiercely that Kahlan believes she is going to suffocate at any given moment. She can‘t live like this - it hurts just too much. Cara is long gone, teared off her hands, as well as everything else that ever mattered in her life. She is in a position where she can‘t afford the blazing embers of hope any longer, then she‘s been scorched by fanatic illusions far too often - and each time paid for it dearly with a sliver of her sanity. Tears spill over in a constant flow as her eyes fix on Denna and she truly can‘t believe that the words tumble from her lips, but she can‘t take it anymore. She just can‘t. “Make her go away.“
One moment, there is a flicker of silver and in the next Cara gasps loudly - then chokes. Blood spills over her cracked lips almost instantly and her haunted eyes lock with Kahlan‘s. The thin blade protruding from her chest is bloodied and with a swift motion of her hand Denna pulls it back out of her flesh. The grip on Kahlan‘s hip loosens and then it is gone as Cara sinks to her knees. “It‘s alright,“ she forces out, the sound of fluid in her lungs makes it hard to understand her, but she smiles faintly up at Kahlan while fingers now clutch against the heavily bleeding wound on her chest.
It takes just moment. And Kahlan watches as her friend dies for a second time. She tells herself that it is not real, but the feeling of loss and despair are just as devastating as the first time.
The sound of creaking leather brings Kahlan‘s attention back to Denna who still stands with the dagger in her hand.
Now that Kahlan can make it out clearly, as the crimson fluid still drips from the point of the blade, she recognizes it as one of her own. She looks up at Denna as the Mord‘Sith lets it clatter unceremoniously to the floor. The maniacal glee she finds in Denna‘s blue eyes makes her suddenly nauseous as her mind begins to wonder how Denna was able to stab a figment of Kahlan‘s imagination with her own dagger.
“Now she won‘t bother you again.“ Denna drawls and turns on her heel, leaving Kahlan alone in the dungeon with Cara‘s dead body lying at her feet.
As realization settles, an anguished scream breaks into sob - and her heart breaks once again.
Part IV