｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,"I don't think any of you need me specifically."｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡

Stella

Brandon is a surprisingly good rave dancer. Not that he looks the part in his suit but we enjoy it nonetheless. I giggle as he twirls me around till my back is against his front. I tilt my head back, grazing my lips on the underside of his jaw. Brandon pulls me through the crowds till we're at the edge and I can see Tavi having a heated argument with the General.

Brandon kisses down my neck, chuckling at my little jerks and moans. Silence suddenly echoes through the room as the music switches off and Brandon pulls away, immediately shifting to cover my body with his, scanning the room for a threat until-

"I remember the faces of the starving five year old children I saw-"

Fuck. That's Tavi.

But my twin is talking to the general. Which means...

A political headache is what it means

"-begged me to save them, as they begged me for food, for a new home, for safety and protection."

I swallow back tears at my sister's words, flinching at the way some in the crowd turn to look at me. Tears spill down my cheeks as I see fairies and specialists alike get out their phone and begin recording. This is a private matter, I want to scream. I know Octavia would never intentionally let this argument be public.

The queen is watching her, watching my sister. Dread coils in my stomach. No. No, no, no. She can't see. She'll punish Tavi for this, for humiliating her. Images of chains and shackles flicker to my mind, the memory of a younger Octavia bound in iron and locked away in a cold cell. What if she did worse than that? There are many more worse things than a few dark nights in a cell.

"-but I do know my people, I know them far better than you do." Tavi finishes and my ears hollow out as cheering echoes around me.

I can't hear them, fear consumes me at the though of my twin's punishment. Distantly I hear Brandon call my name, feel him tug at my arms till I move, following him blindly through the crowd. Fresh air fills my lungs and I gasp in relief as the cold sensation overrides the panic.

"Stel?" Brandon murmurs,

I nod, taking slow deep breaths as I look up to the star filled sky to hold back my tears.

"I'm okay," I rasp, wincing at the sound of my own voice, "Just worried for the political fallback."

He chuckles and clasps my hand with his. "You don't have to worry about your sister all the time. I know she's younger than you but from what I've seen she can take care of herself."

I exhale loudly, nodding my head in agreement as I gaze into Brandon's calm eyes. Seeing how relaxed he is I can't help but calm down with him. He'e right. Tavi's strong. Mother will be a bitch about it but Tavi will pull through, she always does and this time I'll be there to help.

I pause. I guess Beatrix will too, along with Riven and maybe Sky if he pulls his head out of his arse.

"Sorry." I mumble, "Not exactly the way I thought this night would go."

"Meh, I don't mind. I'm just happy to see you." He smiles down at me, gently wiping the tears off my cheeks and I can't help but blush at the action.

"It's just-" I beak off but Brandon gives me an encouraging smile. "Tavi and I barely knew each other till a few years ago but she's done so much for me in that time."

"You feel as if you owe her." He states.

I nod, "Sort of. I do owe her, for things I could never fully repay. But we were so different when we first met. She made me realise how awful I was growing up, how I allowed my money and privilege to control me. Tavi kept me safe but I'm sick of being the defenseless sister, the vain blond, the perfect princess."

Brandon looks down at me, not a single bit of judgement in his eyes.

"But I don't know what I'm doing." I confess quietly.

"Well," I begins, reaching forward to cup my face, "I for one, am tremendously excited to see who you become, Stella Siatra, because you are going to be something good and strong and I have no doubt in my mind that you will achieve whatever you put your mind to."

I give him a watery smile and lean up to kiss him lovingly. We pull apart but leave our foreheads touching as we gaze into each other's eyes. It's stupidly romantic but I can't help but crave him more.

"Where can we go, that's the opposite.... Of this?" Brandon gestures to the party behind us.

He tilts his head at me, eyes filled with curiosity, "What's out in the forest?"

"What, beyond the barrier?" I ask, my voice is still light but I tense up slightly at the thought.

"Mmm-hmm"

"Well, depending on rumours; wolves, bears or something much scarier." My voice is low and quiet, tapering away at the end. He's lost all of his earlier humorous tone, eyes shining with mild concern.

"But no people?" He questions eagerly.

"Um." I stumble hesitantly.

"Brilliant," He grins down at me, eyes lighting up as he tugs me along but I tug back, pausing.

"Eh- ah. At the risk of.. Um" I pause and make a face. "Ruining the mood or whatever, It is dangerous outside right now. We probably shouldn't go alone anywhere anyways, let alone beyond the barrier.."

He pauses

"Are you suggesting we get someone to escort us?" he questions teasingly. I chuckle, watching Brandon smile and look away from me. "Is that what this is? It's not the worst pick-up line for a threesome."

I blush, covering my face as I look away from him.

"No, no, no. Don't get shy now. Who did you have in mind. Was it the ex, Sky? Or maybe the redhead, Beatrix."

"Oh-" I shove him away, giggling along with his laughter.

"But seriously," He says, "We don't have to go outside the barrier, or even into the forest. We don't have to do anything you don't want."

I smile and nod in understanding.

"I want to stay here and dance with you under the stars." I whisper,

He grins at me, "Then that is what we will do."

I pause, catching sight of a familiar redhead leaving the forest, coming back from outside the barrier. What the hell was Bloom doing out there?

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Octavia

"Did you have a good night?" I ask Beatrix as she and I walk to my suite with Riven and Sky trailing behind us. I lock the door of the makeshift changing room behind us. Doing my best to pretend everything is fine. Mother demanded our dresses back so Bea ran off to get a change of clothes for the both of us while Riven, Sky and I searched for a lockable empty classroom that we could change in. Not that she actually wanted the dresses, she just wanted a half-arsed excuse to have an opportunity to yell at me.

"Was that necessary?" Queen Luna demands as she strides in on Beatrix and I changing.

Mercifully the shadows had warned me of her approach so we were hidden behind makeshift bookshelf screens. Riven glances at me from the doorway as he quickly shuts the door behind her royal highness.

"No, it wasn't" I concede, "But I could not see a way out of it without damaging our name."

"So you damaged the general's?" She demands, "He has been a strong ally of ours for years."

"Your ally!" I snap without thinking.

There's a pause as the Queen steps closer and closer to me. She glances at a now changed Beatrix, commanding her with just a glare.

"I'll wait for you with the boys." She murmurs, placing the dress on an empty desk.

We wait as the door closes with a creak, silence until the lock clicks in place.

Pain explodes through my cheek as the Queen slaps me across the face.

Shock renders me immobile for a second, allowing her time to strike me again and I stumble back to sit down on one of the desks.

Before I can stop them the shadows lash out, whipping at her face. But nothing happens. In fact as they keep attacking they seem to grow weaker as Luna glows with some unseen light.

"I've had enough of those creatures." She growls, and I look up at her in shock.

"Turn around," She commands and I mutely do as she says, "Dowling agreed to help with a new addition to your restrictions."

Pain flares through my shoulder and I can't help but cry out in agony as she twists the gem in my shoulder. It feels as if molten lava has been poured in my veins. The shadows scream and cry out in my head, their cries getting louder and louder till-

Nothing

Not silence. Because silence is the absence of sound. Except there's nothing there. There are no shadows. I gasp in pain. Broken sobs and wails of pure grief escaping me as I crumble to the floor.

They're gone. She's taken them.

"Calm down," She commands, "Until you learn to hold your tongue I will control these defiant little pests."

I listen brokenly to the sound of echoing heels, barely registering the sound of the door opening and her muttered commands. I don't how much time passes but I eventually feel soft hands touch my face and Beatrix soothing murmurs fill my ears. She cradles me in her arms and I don't know how long we stay like that. Until the noise of Sky and Riven turning away students looking to have some fun in an empty room, ministers looking for a shot at the wounded princess and funnily enough Musa from the door registers in my head.

I would smile if I could muster the energy.

"I did." Beatrix smirks, bringing me back to the present as I cling to her arm like a life line as we walk through the halls. "I do rather enjoy having them drool after us."

I roll my eyes at her, the movement sluggish and tired. "I'm not sure that's something you should be enjoying Bea."

"So long as they don't try to do anything I don't want, they get to keep their hands." She jokes, nudging me gently. My soft smile is real as I take in her efforts of distraction.

"I thought you were going through a phase of taking their tongues for insolence." I taunt but the comments tapers off at the end. Energy quickly draining from me. They were smart enough not to question my screams but I know there will be questions tomorrow when the shock wears off and I'm no longer able to function in the absence of the shadows.

She hums. "Far too easy to survive, and it's only poetic if they say something rude. If they try to touch then it's more symbolic to take their hands."

"Can you not talk about serial killer shit when we're right here." Riv moans from behind us, "Can you at least let Sky and I have plausible deniability."

I share a real grin with Beatrix and tighten my arm through hers when I stumble slightly. Sky drifts closer at the sound but we're still on awkward terms right now so he doesn't look at me.

"Why did you insist on bringing the two of them with us?" She asks with irritation, clearly trying to piss Riven off. It works, he scoffs.

"Because they are actually guards and despite Riven's plea as a princess I am the one who needs to have plausible deniability. So they're your accomplices for tonight."

"Accomplices for what?" Sky demands.

"For killing whoever tries to creep into Tavi's bed tonight." Bea drawls, smirking in a way that says she's definitely trying to rile the boys up. Sneaky bitch.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Riven rages, striding forward to cut off Bea and I, I wince with the movement and Riv looks at me apologetically before glaring down at us both.

I sigh, "Beatrix means assassination attempts."

"No, no. I saw a few males tonight with unsavory plans for your honor. I'm sure a few would like to creep in and take it." Malicious glee spreads across her face. Could she shut up already? I'm literally dead on my feet her and she wants to pick a fight.

"What are you talking about?" Sky asks quietly, that icy rage creeping in. Where Riven burns like fire, Sky encases himself in ice.

"She being a minx is what she's talking about." I grips, pinching her waist as we walk past Riven whose annoyingly long legs keep up with our fast stride. Okay, so it's not a fast stride. We're practically hobbling. That stupid gem did a number on me.

"That doesn't sound like nothing." Sky drawls, as he spins me around to face him, "Take Beatrix to the princess' room, we'll catch up."

Mercifully the pair do as they're told for once much to my surprise.

Until, "Nope, we're waiting at the end of the hall." Beatrix taunts and loops her arm through Riven's who stares down at the fairy like she's grown an extra head but ends up nodding and leading her away anyways.

I sway on my feet, forcing Sky to pushing me back against the corridor wall so I can lean against it.

"What?" I question hoarsely, too tired to care about his feelings anymore, "Come to gloat about the selfish princess finally getting punished?"

His jaw ticks with movement and I stare as Sky crosses his arms, biceps bulging as he glares down the hallway.

"I was wrong." He mutters, not looking at me.

"No shit." I rasp

He scoffs, "Yeah, well. I was still right about the shit with Bloom. You were out of line."

"Depends on your perspective." I mutter, glaring at the floor.

Sky snarls and takes a step back, "From Bloom's perspective you were. From everyone else's perspective too."

I open my mouth to retort but he cuts me off, "Beatrix and Riven don't count."

It's my turn to scoff at him, "Why do you care so much?"

And there it is. The question. The one that has been bugging me all day. The one that's been bugging me since he first asked me to help Bloom. Why does he care so much about this one fairy he's only just met.

"She needs someone." He states finally.

"And that someone is you?" My voice is emotionless, I've had far too long a day to even muster an ounce of judgement or jealousy.

"Maybe," He answers, shrugging his shoulders as he leans against the wall opposite me, "I feel better when I'm with her."

I tense but he continues.

"Everything is a shit storm right now. Stella and I are only just clawing back the friendship we used to have, Riven is drawing in grief that he keeps trying to hide, Silva and Irene are having a rough patch, you're playing politics and I'm trying to keep it all together. I can't handle all of this Tavi, I can't handle you and Riven coming back to the dorm nearly dead on multiple occasions, the Maahes, the horse incident, the shit with Bloom." He takes a shuddering breath and glances away for a moment before fixing his gaze on the floor.

"It's so easy with her." He whispers his confession, "There's no drama, well there will be now, but I can help her. I can't help with any of the other problems. Bloom is someone I can feel at ease with, her problems aren't world ending for me and it's nice to feel needed."

"You don't think we need you?" My voice is low and sad.

"No, I think you need someone, anyone." he looks up at me for the first time, eyes sad, "I don't think any of you need me specifically."

I nod and swallow heavily.

"C'mon," He mutters, moving to help me off the wall, "Let's get you a Hygieia potion before Beatrix bites off my head with concern for you."

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sky leaves to find Stella as Riven, Beatrix and I enter my suite. Bea quickly strides to my room, shouting something about borrowing pyjamas and then generously taking the sofa so I can get laid.

Loyal bitch.

I shake my head and look up over at Riven who's rummaging through my kitchen drawers for a Hygieia potion healing potion. Sighing, I carefully sit down on the sofa. Fucking bitch of a Queen. I can't judge her too much considering I would have done the same in her position.

But I feel empty without my shadows. It's like I've lost the ability to function and I'm fearful of tomorrow. Of what I'll be like. There'll be meetings all day but Stella and I are only required to go to Saturday and Sunday's considering we have school. Luna will probably demand we don't participate to let the evening's drama cool down.

Especially with the changeling drama taking life. I heard a few first years gossiping about Bloom. It's probably the drama Sky mentioned when he was ranting about the redhead.

A gentle hand on my arm forced me to open my eyes, not even registering that I had closed them. Riven stares down at me in concern, passing me the small potion. I stare at it. Why do I need it again. I look back up at Riven in confusion. I really need some sleep.

Why didn't he just take me straight to my room, or better yet just straight to my bed.

I watch with glazed focus as Riven crouches beside me, next to the sofa on the floor. Something touches my lips and I realise someone is tipping a bottle against my mouth. I follow the hand holding the little bottle to see Riven staring at me with concern, eyes filled with worry.

"Swallow, Pixie." He murmurs and I do as he says.

He gives me a soft pet on the head that has me preening. I wonder if he'll let me go to bed now. I'm not sure how I make it to my bed, only that I'm grateful when I feel the soft covers.

A/N: Luna's punishment was extreme but I need the shadows gone to set up some angst in the next chapters.