CLATTONIA

I shift around uncomfortably as Jace and I sit in a medium sized area that's tented over that has lots of multi-colored blankets on the ground with several different patterns on them and there's a low table sitting in front of us with a teapot and two trays of tea, one for us that has two teacups, and one for my mother, who is sitting across from us and sipping from her cup of tea.

After meeting her in the middle of the street, she told us that she would explain everything if we would follow her. I was reluctant at first, but ultimately we ended up going with her. Surprisingly, she even recognized Jace. I guess that shouldn't be too strange, but she seemed to know more about him than what gets broadcasted on TV and she didn't seem alarmed by him being with me.

"I would like to apologize for...not being there for you, whenever you were little," Myfanwy says with a slightly pained, slightly guilty expression, "I want you to know that I only ran to keep you safe. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to work out too well, seeing as your father was taken away from you several years later and you were almost captured as well."

"You ran to protect me, but I would rather face death than face losing you," I shake my head, "don't you understand that? I missed you every single day. Did you even miss us?"

"I did," Myfanwy frowns, seemingly saddened, "I truly did miss you and your father every single day. But, I'm proud of the woman you've become. I only wish your father could be here to see you. He's still being held in prison, I know. And it's not true that I completely abandoned you."

"What are you talking about?" I ask as Jace looks between the two of us, frowning.

"I've been watching over you ever since I left, looking after you, Reece, and the others every single day," Myfanwy explains, "I was never truly gone. I was your shadow watching over you. I must admit, I found it slightly amusing whenever you met Jace. But, I knew that things would turn out well, despite the circumstances. I only wish that you forgive me for what I did. I know that you have every right to be upset, but know that I only did what I did because I thought that what I was doing was right."

We sit there in silence for a few moments, the only sounds being the sound of the light rain that begins to fall outside. Suddenly, Myfanwy's eyes flicker to the corner of the tent and she stands up, seeming on edge as she reaches for her katana, the smell of rain in the air as she makes her way to the edge of the tent.

"Mom?" I say quietly, wondering what she's doing.

"Shh," she presses a finger to her lips and peeks outside of the tent before scoffing and pushing the opening aside, stepping through as it flaps in the breeze and some water droplets enter the tent, "Misery Heaven. Stay away from me and my daughter."

My eyes meet Jace's and we both look at each other, stunned for a brief moment, before I summon my katanas and Jace and I scramble to the exit of the tent to watch what's happening. The two of us watch as Misery stands there in a black and white dress with a black serpent on it that starts at her hip and spirals up around to the top of the dress, which stops at her mid-thighs and the straps that hold it up are connected to a band of black cloth that ties around her neck and she has a white serpent choker on. She has sleeves on the dress that start just passed her shoulder and have a black band with white trim with long, flowing white sleeves connected to them. She walks closer towards us in her black thigh-highs and short black boots, her eyes flickering from the edge of the tent to Myfanway.

"I'm not here to fight you," Misery says, "I have a proposition for you."

"And I don't want to hear it," Myfanwy says, swinging her silver katana around firmly, "stay away from my family."

"Look," Misery says, summoning her staff, "you don't like White Rabbit as much as I don't like White Rabbit. Why don't we make a temporary truce? I'll work with you, your daughter, and her pathetic little friends if it means we can get rid of White Rabbit."

"Don't talk like my daughter is inferior to you. Her and her friends are some of the strongest Supernatural that I know, and some of the most courageous and full of heart. Those are things that you're not and that you'll never be, despite being the same age as my daughter," Myfanwy says, narrowing her eyes at Misery, "and I suggest that you leave now. Killing Kaden was one of your many mistakes that you'll never be able to fix."

"But--" Misery starts and takes another step forwards.

And with that, Myfanwy swings her katana, a magenta streak of energy slashing through the air that Misery barely manages to dodge as she flips backwards and lands on her feet, the ray of energy slashing into a nearby building and cutting it in half diagonally. My eyes widen and I race to the building in order to push the sliding half back up and keep it from falling. Meanwhile, Jace stares at his hand as he ends up summoning a giant, black scythe made out of metal and shadows that twist around the scythe and intertwine with it, black flames seemingly burning off of it as well towards the blade part of the scythe as chains made of shadows form and wind around it, some floating in the air around it and others directly wrapping around it.

"Sweet," Jace breathes out, his eyes flickering from his scythe to Misery.

Misery narrows her dark brown eyes at Jace and swings her staff around, which summons and swirls clouds around. Myfanwy races towards Misery and does multiple flips through the clouds, which form as a way to hinder sight and they can wrap around you and hold you in place. While Myfanwy elegantly flips through the clouds in her kimono with her katana in her hand, a hissing sound comes from underneath the clouds and my eyes widen.

"Mom!" I shout, "look out!"

Myfanwy manages to dodge to the side as she flips when a snake shoots out of the clouds and attempts to strike at her. Multiple snakes begin popping out of the clouds as they attempt to attack Myfanwy, who easily brushes them aside, which makes Misery scoff and narrow her eyes, which turn bright red.

"Uh," Jace starts, apprehension easily detectable in his voice, "guys...look!"

As I'm trying to keep the building in place, my eyes flicker over to where Jace is looking and pointing his scythe at. I scoff whenever I see a giant serpent that materializes behind Misery and weaves back and forth as it rises forty feet tall, hissing and tail rattling.

"Misery forms creatures of nightmares and she specializes in snakes!" I shout to Jace, "you need to kill it!"

"Me?!" Jace shouts back to me, glancing between me and the snake.

"Yes, you!" I shout back at him in a sense of obviousness.

Jace nods, looking between me and the serpent one last time before he races towards it as Myfanwy attempts to distract Misery. Jace leaps up in the air several feet and scans his surroundings carefully, deciding where to land, before he lands on a nearby lamp post. He jumps across the street to another lamp post just as the serpent strikes the one he was currently standing on, smashing it to pieces. The serpent chases after Jace as he moves around in circles before finally leaping up and catching the snake under the neck with the curve of his scythe as he uses it to swing himself around and land on its head before finally pulling back on it, severing the serpent's head from its body. The serpent turns to black shimmering material before it fades away and dematerializes, melting into the ground as Jace leaps off of it, landing and pointing his scythe at Misery, who is currently fighting Myfanwy.

"Jace!" I shout, gaining his attention, "I can't hold it much longer!"

Jace runs over to me, looking father determined as he leaps up and swings his scythe through the fissure in the building and pieces of glass and metal begin to pick up off of the street where they fell and go back into their proper places as Jace lands back on his feet. I let go of the building and back away, standing next to Jace and watching as the building fixes itself.

"I don't know how I knew to do that," Jace says, looking down at his hands before looking back up at the building and then at me, smiling, "but it was cool."

I chuckle before looking over at my mom and Misery, seeing Misery slide several feet back from Myfanwy and narrowing her eyes.

"Fine," Misery huffs, "have it your way. There will be no truce, and you will regret this."

And with that, Misery takes off in a sprint, disappearing in a fog of clouds that fade away once she's gone. Myfanwy sheathes her katana back in its case that resides on her back before she turns to us and smiles slightly.

"I could've easily gone after her," Myfanwy says as she walks over to us, "I know, but--"

"Mom!" I shout as I run up to her and pull her into a hug, taking her aback, "I forgive you..."

Myfanwy's eyes widen slightly before she smiles fondly and hugs me back.

Jace smiles as he watches the two of us and all I can hope is that things will turn out well in the end.