Work Text:
Pearl was falling. It wasn't so unusual in her case. She’d fallen many times before. This though, was new. She was sitting on a pig, in a boat and minutes before had been laughing as her brother pulled her along as he flew. They had figured out how fun it was to fly this way and her first thought was to go get Grian, and show him the joy that could be made from this simple new change.
She sighed, as she continued plummeting through magic mountain, every second bringing her closer to the pit that led out into nothingness and all thoughts of laughter were behind her. SHe shouted out in fear. And looked up at Grian above her, his wings silhouetted against the sun, the light almost blinding her. She wasn’t too angry at him, it was in his nature to cause havoc and trouble, and she couldn't say she had never done something worse. But as the boaty below her fell faster into the dark of the rocks around she felt a memory overtake her.
~
Pearl is rushing through the halls of the keep, panicking as she looks for her little brother, her steps thud against the stone. She slams open a door to the darkness outside and leaps into the inky blackness of night. For a few perilous seconds she is in free fall. She feels the glorious breeze and rush of the fall before her mind turns back to the goal at hand. Her wings unfurl. Glorious purple iridescent veins strip up the dark of her wings as she darts away from the massive structure behind her. In the distance she can faintly make out the line of the flight range. The island is bright against the darkness, the structures lit by lanterns. As she gets closer, she can see figures standing on the wooden platform.
The larger forms of the caretakers almost block out her view of the smaller being next to them. Pearl grits her teeth, her wings straining against the effort of her speed. She’s close enough now that she can see the red of her brother’s wings, still fluffy and newly grown.
And then that splotch of red is pushed, the dark cloak of the caretaker pushing his small form off of the platform and into the abyss. Her small voice lets out a scream, and though she didn't think she could go faster, she pushes again, changing trajectory and racing toward his falling form. Her thoughts are loud.
Why would they do this so soon? He just grew in his wings! He’s not old enough!
She banished the thoughts from her mind. Pearl had one goal right now, and she wasn’t going to let anything happen to Grian. She wasn’t built for speed. These wings of her’s, as the caretakers reminded her, were not good enough. She would never be the strongest or fastest of them. But that didn't matter to her now.
Her eyes were trained on his limp form as he fell, she was almost close enough now, and she could see the lines of tears on his face. His wings were limp behind him. Pearl gave one more shout and crossed the distance, her body colliding with his as she wrapped her arms around his small frame.
He wrapped his arms around her neck and she could feel his body shaking with sobs as she beat her wings to keep them in place. She had to get them to safety. “I'm gonna get us back up on the platform, okay?” she whispered.
It was strange how much harder this was than how she used to fly holding him. Before he grew in his wings. Before the caretakers changed their watchful gaze to him. She could still remember flying over their creations when they were young, laughing and joking as they soared on her wings. Now she was tired, exhausted even, from the hurried fly over here and panicked rescue from the depths. She could feel her wings strain against their combined weight as she made her way back up to the flight platform. Grian slowly calmed down during the long minutes as they rose steadily toward solid land.
“Hey Pearl?” there was a question in his voice.
“Yeah Grian?”
“How'd you know I was here?”
She let out a dry chuckle and tapped her forehead once, “You think they could keep me from you for that long?”
He smiled slightly and hugged himself closer to her neck. Pearl didn't say what really happened. She left out that the teacher who was supposed to be teaching them today made an awful excuse until Pearl threats and sharp axe had convinced them to reveal where Grian had been taken.
When they had reached the platform Pearl landed on the other side of the platform as the caretakers. They all had their faces turned toward her as she kept her wings wrapped around Grian. SHe leveled a glare at the group of robed figures. They were always robbed. A simple cloth with the image of an eye emblazoned over their faces. Her and Grian had snatched them on more than one occasion, and what lay beneath was far more concerning. But Pearl wasn't scared now. Only angry.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she shouted across the platform.
She suddenly realized how small it was. How little space lay between her and the caretakers. She nudged Grian behind her. Jutting out her chest and staring up at them in defiance.
One of them spoke, “Fear not Moon. It is time for him to fly.” The voice echoed in the heavens, it came from every direction at once. It was both calming and ear splitting.
Pearl did not flinch. “He isn’t ready! His wings just grew in! He doesn't even have real feathers yet. Leave him be,” she grit her teeth, “I will be your plaything.”
A different cloaked figure addressed her, “You are intervening Moon. You are not permitted to intercede. Sun will resume his lesson and you will return to the keep.”
Their voices held no emotion. And yet somehow Pearl could feel their ire toward her. She was often the subject of their anger and was so used to it. Grian behind her was shivering though. The sound of their voices was still echoing through the void. She felt a coolness on her face and recognized the telltale signs of their ire. Tears streaked down one cheek. She ignored them. Again she shouted to the group of caretakers, “I don’t want to! He isn't –”
She felt cool hands on her wrist, tearing Grian away from her, she heard his small voice call out “Pearl!” as one of them pulled him off of her. Another of the caretakers held her up as she struggled to escape their grasp. She was screaming now, her wings flapping wildly and her feet kicking out, her fists balled up in little fists as they brought him back to the edge of the structure.
The first caretaker turned their gaze back to Grian, ignoring her struggles with the one that was holding her, “Be not afraid Sun. You will fly,” again they launched him into the rift, “Or, you will fall.”
Pearl was still struggling against the caretaker behind her. She got one hand free, screaming for her brother and bit down on the hand holding her. In the split second when the being flinched she ducked out of its hold and started running toward the edge. She was almost to the edge, about to leap off to follow her brother when she felt rigid and cold magic of the caretakers flow through her. Her body lifted into the air against her will and she was face to face with the largest of the caretakers. They turned to face her, allowing all the others to keep an eye on her falling brother.
“Moon,” she heard the spine chilling voice inside her head and out, “You have disobeyed. You will be punished.”
She could feel her muscles shaking, her wings limp and tired from the previous exertion. The caretaker in question snapped and they appeared in an unfamiliar place, the roof and floor of this place was dirt and it had sparse decorations. Still though, the caretaker did not let go of her. “It is time,” the small space made the voice harder to listen to, “You will no longer be socialized with Sun. You will forget the name you gave him or more punishment will follow.”
Only when the caretaker had vanished into the air did Pearl's body release from the prison of magic that had kept her bound. Her head was throbbing and her whole body hurt. She sat on the small body, the large eye painted on the wall of the hut glowed purple. She curled in on herself and cried.
~
Pearl came back to herself as she landed on the stone near the pit into the abyss and she looked up to see Grian’s smiling face zooming toward her, he was laughing in the way that meant he had been a bit scared and was relieved. Pearl laughed with him, her eye shining with unshed tears, “That was a close one!”
“Let’s see if I can take you out of the pit now!”