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Lilith

"Lilly. Lilly.'' Seb calls and I smile at the wide grin on his face as he tugs me through the forest. "C'mon, hurry up."

Laughter bubbles after me as we race through thickets and over logs. I grin in delight as Sebstian spins me a smooth dance move before pulling me along again.

"Slow down! I'm not going anywhere." I cry, face hurting with how much I'm smiling as we drift through a cloud of glowing moths.

"That's the problem." He cries dramatically in faux seriousness. "I want to show the place I found."

"Okay, okay. I'm with you, just slow down." I say through giggles and Sebastian grins at me before completely disregarding my request and dragging me along anyways.

The forest passes in a blur of bright greens and warm browns as we dance and twirl in the falling leaves. I can feel the moss and twigs crunch beneath my feet and for once the burden of my enhanced senses brings me peace as I listen to the bird song fluttering through the early morning light.

We emerge from the forest and I blink back in shock at the bright beams of warm sunlight illuminating the meadow of flowers. I gasp in delight and turn to see Sebaatisn smiling at me in obvious pride. I gently let go of his hand to walk through the knee high grass, shuddering at the small droplets of water that brush against my legs as I drag my hands through the waves of green.

It's stunning simply put. The serene beauty of the delicate flowers is so pure and untouched by humans that I want to treasure it for years to come.

"Seb-" I break off into a gasp, tears welling in my eyes and he steps closer, cupping my face in his palms as he wipes away the tears. "This is stunning. Thank you."

"Happy Birthday my love." He whispers, pure adoration in his eyes.

The scene flickers and changes until we're sitting on a soft blanket laid out on the grass, a picnic basket overflowing next to us as our laughter and conversation echoes in the suspended silence.

" -so I told Xavier that if he was so desperate for the canoe to look like the wings of a raven with individual feathers then he could bloody well paint the entire thing himself with all that apparent artistic talent."

"And?" I taunt knowing there would be more.

"And Xavier doesn't play well with others and teams so next thing I know I'm shoved into the freezing lake -breaking the ice mind you and Xavier is throwing bottles of paint at me."

I break into startled laughter, unable to hold back my amusement at the thought of my friends fighting with paint while one resides in the water and the other on the dock.

"He wouldn't even help me out, saying that I had enough scales to count as a slimy fish." Seb huffs and I giggle at his offended expression but the mood quickly changes as our heritage is brought up. "Do you think it means something, Lil? That I have scaled patches and claws, not to mention the dragon eyes."

"I think it can mean whatever you twist it to mean. Be it you are the King reborn, a half breed, a mistake, perhaps a symbol of the great majesty we once last, maybe you represent the beginning of a new age of dragons."

"But what do you think it means?"

"I don't, Seb." I whisper quietly as I turn my face to see his forced relaxed form. "I don't know if it indicates anything or nothing. All I know is that it is you, and I adore every part of you. The good, the bad, the unusual and the unexpected. We're a team - remember? Whether we are together as our parents want, as allies or friends. This will not break us."

"What if it does?"

"Then we will grow and we will heal." I state with a firmness I didn't know I possessed. "We all break from time to time, it is how we grow and change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. There is no use fearing it for it will happen anyways."

"Have I told you that I love your rambles?" He whispers and I smile softly, allowing him to change the topic. "You would make an excellent teacher."

I snort. "I think not. My rambles are quite the reason I wouldn't, you know I can go on and on and on about any topic at hand. I think it was a habit to make up for Wednesday's silence."

"Ah, the great Wednesday Addams." He wistfully murmurs as he turns back to look up at the sky. "When will I get to meet her?"

"I do not know." I murmur quietly, picking at the grass beside my leg. "I have not spoken to the Addams much this year. My- my mother has interfered too much. It feels wrong to call Gomez and Morticia, Mum and Dad now."

"I thought you and your birth mum didn't get on."

"Oh we don't, but what teenagers and parents do?"

"True, very true."

"I miss them." I confess and Sebsatian remains silent, allowing me to think and speak. "Wednesday has always been reserved and though we both love each other dearly I cannot help but feel that as we grow older we also grow apart. It was expected but I didn't think it would hurt so much. We used to do everything together and now I have not seen her in a year."

"Have you spoken to her?" Seb murmurs as I lay down next to him. "Told her about running away from the school, being here in Nevermore?"

I wince, taking a moment to consider and praying that he won't judge me for not telling her.

"No. I don't have an easy way to contact her but I'm not sure I would tell her if I could. I like just having something to myself for once, having this place. And then I met all of you and I- despite her struggle with communication it tends to either make people hate her and see her as a freak or garner a certain odd fascination."

"You're scared we would pick her over you." He states and I sigh.

"It would be an irrational fear but it has happened many times."

"Oh but I'm not just anybody." I freeze at that voice, that's not Sebastian. I open my eyes, slowly turn my head to the side as I take in the burned flesh bubbling down half of Leon's face. His once rich caramel skin has gone pale and bloodless, so shark against the raging red of the wound. "We have a connection, you and I. We're bound by fire."

A scream rips from my throat as I bolt upright. Fire. All I can see is raging flames as they consume my room. Oh seven hells. No, no, no. I need to- to calm down. But I can barely- breathe. Barely think around- around... the fire crackles and burns devouring the room in mighty gulps as it rages and rages.

There's no smoke or air to be found, just pure molten heat and I pray to whatever deity is out there that the fire is contained to my room. I just- need to calm down. I need to be calm. To breathe and relax. Just like Sebastian taught me.

I slam my eyes shut. Clenching them so tightly that my eyelids tremble as I block out the sounds around me, the sounds of the fire, the memories of Sebastian, of Leon. Breathe. In, 2, 3, 4. Out, 2, 3, 4. In, 2, 3, 4. Out, 2, 3, 4.

Over and over again. Slowly, Steadily, my breathing begins to level out. In, 2, 3,4. Out, 2, 3, 4. My breathing comes in regular gaps, my heart slowing and I tentatively reach out towards my power. Movements slow and gentle as though not to startle a wounded beast.

I can feel it. That raging core within me. Raging and angry, desperate to burn and devour as I drown it in depths but... it's also grieving. There's a loneliness, a solitude to its silent screams. This power within me is so quiet, so subdued when compared to the raging torrent it caused.

Humming gently I stroked a proverbial hand down that power, running my fingers through it as though I was soothing a child by stroking back their hair. Memories, unbidden and old flicker across my vision as I remember what my birth mother was once like. When she was doting and caring. When she would brush through my hair longer than necessary because she knew it would soothe me. All the while singing that gentle song.

The words have long been lost to time but I remember the feeling it brought. The safety, the calmness. I remember feeling safe and protected, like nothing could harm so long as I was within her arms.

When I open my eyes the fire is gone.

A/N: What do you think of Sebastian?