A shattered mind

Iris had gotten there as fast as she could, but when she had walked through the door, her grandmother had called for someone to help her. Confused and not understanding where Amy where, after calming her down she had looked around to try to find her sister, but she hadn’t been anywhere to find. Panic had risen in her body, as she had run out of the house at the exact same moment that her father appeared in a flash standing with Eris in his arms. A woman, that looked like she had seen the other side of hell. “Dad!” Iris cried out feeling her heartbeat in her chest so heavily that she was scared that it might fall out. “It’s MJ, I can’t find her, and she isn’t picking up her phone” she explained rather franticly, why hadn’t she been here? This was all her fault if she hadn’t been so stubborn and just gone home. Eris pushed away from Killian looking at Iris as the poor girl tried to calm herself down to explain what had happened. But she was rather perplexed with the aura around the girl first, as if she was going through a change. Feeling a little out of it, with everything that had happened she didn’t understand at first what it was Iris was telling them. Then it hit her, MJ was gone?

“You know she wouldn’t just leave Starla like that, and Bruce isn’t here either!” Iris kept going and right in that moment Bruce came running up to them without a leash on. Iris kneeled down and picked Bruce up, her entire body shaking by the worst scenarios going through her head of what had happened to Mary-Jane, tears streaming down her face. “Maybe you should go inside, with Bruce I’m sure Mary-Jane will contact you if she can” Iris nodded and quickly did so, if she hadn’t been so tired, she would have tried to find her via her connection to electronics. “I’ll look for in the direction the dog came, don't try to talk me out of it, I wan't to help” Eris whispered, clearly still fatigued. But right now, Killian couldn’t talk her out of trying to help with finding MJ, not when she was the reason why he hadn’t been home, and she probably was in this mess to begin with.

She quickly walked down the path, hoping she would be able to pick up something. Sending out a message to her network seeing if anyone had seen anything. She was sure that Killian had his means to find his daughter as well, hopefully MJ would be home soon.

Her dad left. She was alone with Bruce and Starla. Both someone she had to care about and make sure would get through the day. She hadn’t really picked up that this had been a serious matter, which was also why she simply called Iris for help and company until her father would return… As the minimum. So, she helped Starla with getting new bedsheets on and comb her hair. The old lady seemingly was doing well and remembered what Mary-Jane told her. Eventually the brown dog laid down on the floor and looked beggingly up at Mary-Jane. As soon as she had put on the television for her grandmother, she got the dog out of the room. She asked the dog what I wanted to do, and before she knew of it, she had picked up a tennis ball and a thrower. They got out in the front yard and started playing. It was no big deal, no one really paid attention to them at all.
Eventually the ball was thrown out of the front yard and Bruce ran after it. Mary-Jane was worried that something might happen to Bruce if someone didn’t look after him, so she ran after him to make sure nothing would happen to him. It resulted in Mary-Jane who found Bruce with the ball in his mouth, being petted by a stranger. She apologized to the stranger and received the ball before the stranger straightened back up and looked at her. She didn’t really know how long they had been talking to each other, nor what they had been talking about but at some point, one of the neighbor’s had come running and chased the stranger away. She had realized how she had told Bruce to stay put while she had followed the stranger and how she had been about to get into an unknown car. She hadn’t even tried to act against it. That of course resulted in the neighbor taking Mary-Jane inside for rest and to make sure she wasn’t going to do something stupid. At some point Bruce had gotten impatient and run back… Without Mary-Jane.

As soon as Killian appeared at the house, he heard his daughter call for him, and his gaze quickly looked up at her. He could almost feel the worry and fear in her. She quickly started to explain what the problem was, and a frown appeared. This was trouble. Had someone entered the house and gotten away with her with good intentions, or had she left willingly? Eris pushed herself away from Killian, just as he was about to let go of her, so he could comfort his daughter. “I’m sure she’s somewhere,” he said and put a gentle hand against his daughter’s cheek, sending her a caring smile, even though he was worried to the bone. He could feel the change in Iris and wondered what exactly was going on.
His daughter fought his trying words, telling him that Mary-Jane wouldn’t leave Starla just like that – and Bruce was missing too. Or, only until Iris had mentioned it, because the brown dog came running. Eris sent his daughter inside with the dog. He wished to calm his daughter, but the top priority right now was to find the missing daughter. Killian was just about to interrupt when Eris spoke against him, even though he hadn’t gotten to speak a word. He wanted her to relax and take a break because she needed it. He sighed a bit before he walked in the opposite direction. With little use of magic, clones of him spread across the street and to some of the houses in the search for his daughter.

Killian and Eris both got inside. Killian carried his youngest daughter like a monkey would carry its baby. The girl was exhausted and had been asleep on one of the neighbors’ sofas. As the door was closed behind them, he looked towards Eris, but instead of saying what he believed was the best, he looked towards his tired daughter with wet cheeks. “Do you wanna be in the living room or your own room?” he asked he calmly before she mumbled her reply to him. With that, he moved towards the girls’ room and looked towards Eris again, hoping Eris would either open the door to Mary-Janes room or call for Iris so she could get to know that her sister was home.

There were no words to describe how relieved Iris was, seeing her father carry her sister inside the house. Stubbornly she dried of some of the tears that sprung from her eyes, not happy about her showing affecting so clearly in front of everyone. Something she would mostly want to do when people weren’t looking. So, she could hide away how much she actually cared. Because she did, so much. Especially when it came to her younger sister.

Eris followed Killian close behind and opened the door into MJ’s room so Killian easily could get inside. She moved out of Iris way as she half run behind her father. Not really caring about the fact, that she still hadn’t forgiven him. But now, she could never forgive herself. She had left MJ, something she had sworn she would never do. She just, Iris had just wanted to live her life a little. Try new things and figure out who she was. And that had meant getting out of the house. Go her own ways. There were so many things that she wanted to explore. She had just been selfish. Iris didn’t even care that MJ normally wasn’t much for getting hugs or being touched. But as soon as her sister was in her bed. Iris hugged her. Sobbing letting her hand glide over the ginger hair.

The demon let out a soft sigh, a tired smile formed on her lips as she witnessed the heartwarming scene. She wanted to do something, go in, be with them. But not only was MJ clearly overwhelmed and very tired. So was Eris, her entire soul hurt. And she was few steps from collapsing. Or so it felt like. But most of all, she wanted a bath. Even with her dried clothes, she felt frozen to the core. Getting a few flashbacks to how scared she had been. A warm shower, maybe that would help. With a last look, she retreated from the scene and walked back to where Killian had his room and walked into the bathroom. Slowly, with pained groans, she got out of her clothes and opened the water tap to let warm water fall over, what felt like, her bruised body.

Killian could see that Iris was upset about the whole thing, and even noticed how she tried to hide that she was crying. He truly hoped that one day, she would be okay with sharing her feelings with the family, just like Mary-Jane needed to warm up.

Eris opened the door and Killian went in to put his youngest daughter in the bed so he could sit next to her. As soon as he had put her down, Iris almost jumped at her sister in a hug. Mary-Jane could barely wake enough for what was going on around her and loosely hugged her sisters arm with closed eyes. She was too exhausted to say no and she knew, that even if she did, it wouldn’t be accepted. The hug was more for them than for her. They needed to feel that she was present. Which was somewhat understandable, now that she barely had the energy to have a conversation or pay attention.

Killian smiled a sad smile, and his eyes were even a little wetter. He caressed his youngest on the straight ginger hair, looking at how tired she was. “Would you like some company for the night?” he wondered, fearing that Mary-Jane was afraid of being alone now. Mary-Jane simply replied with leaning against Iris, close her eyes fully and almost cuddle closer. “Okay,” he whispered and caressed her hair and then shoulder. He looked over at Iris. “Would you mind sleeping with her today?” he asked with a heart warm and caring smile and a voice which showed very much how it affected him. Bruce entered the room and booped Killian three times on the leg. “I’ll be here in a second, okay?” Killian got up, made a clone and started walking down towards his own part of the house. Bruce had laid down next to the girls’ feet as the clone entered for moral support. It was an illusion which could be touched and felt.

A little impatient, Killian actually used some of his energy to teleport himself to his room, only to notice that Eris hadn’t collapsed in the bed. So, he walked into the bathroom where he could hear water running. “Atarah…” he mumbled. He didn’t mind his clothing, and simply walked into the shower to wrap his arms around her in a hug. “You should be sleeping, darling,” he whispered to her, while his clothing started to stick itself to his body. He kissed her on the top of her hair. “I can make sure everything is warm when you’re done, how does that sound?” he whispered to her. It wouldn’t take much effort for him, to whisper a simple spell for both towels and bed to be warm for her. He simply hoped that he just could do something to ease the situation she was in right now.

At this point, Iris didn’t even care if her sister wanted to be hug or not. This really was only for her own selfish reasons, that she needed to make sure that she was actually there. That she could hug, and make sure that she was alright. Even if MJ was very tired. She even made sure to send off a text to Kemuel that had been worried out of his mind, as Iris had called him hoping that she might have just gone to their place to not be alone. Knowing just how much Kemuel loved Bruce; well, at least everything was fine now. Looking towards their father she nodded, understanding why he also wanted to be there for Eris. Then she stepped out of the bed, to take off her clothes and even though it was still a painful process she let herself turn into a kitsune. Her new form, none of them had seen before. In the shape of a wolf, she nudged at her sister, and rolled around her, just like they had done when they had started being able to turn into foxes. Just lying there, waiting for MJ to fall asleep again. Before she would let herself do the same.

She didn’t answer as he spoke her name. She simply closed her eyes, and just stood there. His arms closed around her, and a small gasp left her. Almost melting in his arms, as she felt the comfort of him being there. She tried to push the feeling of water that had choked her. The dark room of the cellar after Calliope had taken the lamp and walked away with the only light source. She couldn’t stop the shiver that went through her body. “I know” she mumbled, turning in his arms looking up. Knowing that she should sleep. She was so tired, but she almost didn’t dare. “I’m just” she licked her lips and then laughed by the fact that he had just stepped inside with his clothes on. “You silly man” she placed her hands on his chest and shook her head looking up. But even though she had been laughing, smiling as she always did. Put on that bright smile. Never show the world you are falling apart. She couldn’t keep it. Tears forming in her eyes. “Thank you, for coming for me” she whispered, placing her forehead against his chest.

Even though Mary-Jane was exhausted, she noticed how her sisters fox had changed. She wanted to know how things had been while she had been gone, but she knew by herself that if she asked, she would fall asleep when the story was told. It would be so much better to ask in the morning. Killian too noticed the difference and believed that now wasn’t the time to ask questions. Everyone needed to relax. As Iris got into the bed, it didn’t take long before Mary-Jane shifted into her red fox and crawled out of her clothing and let Iris roll around her. She rested her head on Iris now giant ribcage. Killian sat down by the foot end and simply stayed there for the comfort of the presence. Just like Iris waited for Mary-Jane to fall asleep, he waited for both daughters to fall asleep before he would let the clone disappear.

She simply had let herself relax in the water and hadn’t noticed how he had entered with his clothes on. He hummed softly as she said she knew she should be sleeping. Their eyes met as she was about to explained to him why she wasn’t sleeping. He laughed a little with her, though he at first didn’t realize whys he was laughing, but as she reveal that he was silly, he figured it out and looked down at his clothing. He then made an illusion that he wasn’t even wearing anything. It was quite realistic and would for both of them feel like he wasn’t wearing anything. He could clearly see how she wasn’t in the mood for laughing, but also how tears formed in her eyes. “I will always come for you,” he whispered to her as a promise. Nothing was going make him stay away from her. He wrapped his arms close around her. “You’re safe with me,” he whispered to her. “Nothing is coming for you here,” he caressed her wet hair gently. “Lean on me,” he continued and made sure to hold her, in case she lost every power to hold herself up, or simply needed the comfort. She wasn’t going to fool him; he knew it had been terrible and that this would be haunting her. He was going to do anything to help her on her way.

It didn’t take long before Iris herself was asleep. Worrying and taken a toll on her. Besides she was still getting used to having all this power in her and having a new form. A form that very much would like to get out as much as possible, making everything a little more difficult when she wasn’t always able to control her transformations. At least now, she could relax because her sister was close to her once again. Even though that she was sure that tomorrow would be filled with questions. She just let sleep overtake her now.

He would always come for her. She wanted to believe that, but where had he been for all those years when she had needed him? Now it was so easy to blame him and push all the feelings she was going through in this very moment and let him take the worst of it. But she didn’t because she also knew that he didn’t deserve it. Even if that was what she wanted, to scream and shout. Get angry, find something she could argue about. Eris closed her eyes, as his fingers glided over her hair, his wet skin against hers. For a moment she just stood there, even though he told her that she could lean on him. It took time, courage to lean on anyone again. But eventually her arms folded around his neck; “Grab me” she whispered before she pushed off with her feet and let her legs fold around his waist. Her hands glided through his now wait hair, opening her eyes slowly letting them lock with his. Then she moved in and placed a soaring kiss against his lips. Gasping a little when she felt just how electrifying it felt to her.