A Grimm’s Fallen

As a young child, Mistie was a strange creature. His wings and hair were white, which was seen as a omen of bad fortune. In addition, he had more than one pair of wings, which labeled him as a cursed child. But Mistie was smart, and wanted to know more about the world.

Among those his age Mistie would be pushed around, and treated like a freak for being who he was. His parents were both strict yet protective when he was young. For generations no one in their family was born the way he was. His father a warrior tried to teach his intelligent son to be like him in hopes that their people would find worth in him and that he may try to have a child worthy of their family.

Mistie was given the position of guarding the eternal woman. An important yet worthless position where no one can mess up. Day after day, week after week Mistie would stand guard. Sometimes he’d bring a book and read. After sometime Mistie learned the schedule of check in’s where he could sneak off and practice what he’d been reading.

One year of guarding the eternal woman Mistie had decided to break a rule. He tossed half his bread in the cell. “Hello Eternal woman.” He said feeling weird. This woman being eternal, having fallen from the sky centuries ago has been guarded ever since.

The woman dos not say anything. She doesn't even acknowledge Mistie's words. She only took the bread in her hands and stared at it with unblinking eyes. To Mistie, it seemed that she did not understand him.

Mistie studied the woman with curiosity. She has been held in a cell for centuries like a prisoner. When his people want to find an ore deposit they bring her out in chains and lead her about. Wherever the rocks start to glow with a green light, the Grimm would start to mine. The eternal woman would be thrown back into her cell. “What are you? Who are you? Where did you come from?”

The woman only stared back at him as she edged further into the cell. A strange sound exited her lips, but it did not resemble any language that Mistie knew. It sounded more like sounds than words.

Now understanding, Mistie made the decision to teach the eternal woman how to talk. And understand him. The next day he brought some short books to read to her and he would talk to her and share his food with her. As time had gone on Mistie had slowly started to see changes in her. One day when he had given her food and started to read to her he heard a small whisper, “Th-Thank you.”

-----

As time went on, the woman learned to speak, read, and write. At the same time, Mistie learned more about the world both in his village, and outside of it. "Have you ever seen the outside?" The woman asked Mistie.

Mistie looked over at her and shook his head sadly. “I haven’t been. Probably never will. It’s forbidden. The only way I can go is probably when someday I...well...am exiled.” Misties eyes glowed green as he dealt with his feelings of fear. “Maybe...I’ll think of a way to get us both out of this place...”

"I hope so. Before I was captured by your people, I saw the outside for a brief moment," She closed her eyes as if to relive the moment in her mind. "It was really beautiful. I was in the sky, and before I fell into this place, I could see a land that stretched out for as far as the eye could see. Mountains, and water larger than- I don't know- larger than this room. I want to see that place more."

“Not much longer. I promised to show you the stars and the moon. Everything I have read to you about.” Mistie smiled. Upon hearing this he heard the snap of a branch. He panicked and got up from where he sat and stood at attention.

The person who was staring at Mistie was none other than Ithon, a wannabe self-declared rival of his. He wore the most suspicious expression as he eyed Mistie, and the woman. "What do you think you're doing?"

“Guarding her eternal lady like usual...Aeros.” Mistie said with a straight and emotionless face. “Is it already time for guard switch or is this just a check in?”

"It's Ithon you bastard!" The man said, "I'm filling in for Aeros. So make yourself useful and get out of here, freak."

Mistie nodded his head before giving a side glance smirk to the eternal woman, a glint in his eyes showing he knew very well who he was speaking too. Mistie then took flight towards the village.

On his way there, he encountered the real Aeros. Aeros, unlike his brother, was neutral toward Mistie, which was rare for many of his kind. He was patrolling the area, and had noticed Mistie. "Hey Mistie. How was guard duty today?"

“Ah. Hey Aeros. It was okay. How’s your patrol been? My father give you any trouble today?” Mistie did a quick look around before taking Aeros hand in his. “So today we were talking about the outside world again. I really think it’s a probable thing we can do. That we, all three of us can get out of here like we have talked about.”

"That would be nice, but we cant talk like this out in the open. We will be in major trouble if they saw us together." Aeros bit his lower lip as his wings drew tighter to his body.a "My day was good. Your father was rather bearable today. I could almost see what your mother sees in a man like him," he joked.

Mistie smirked. For his entire he had been told that his parents would have been better off if he’d not stayed. When he was younger he was given strict rules to follow. One of them was to never fall in love with someone. If he proved himself, maybe one day he’d be allowed to love someone, of the elders choosing for him. He was told to pull his weight, never drag down his people. He was lucky that the elders were about preserving the families. Snapping back to reality, and seeing the look of concern on Aeros face, Mistie leaned in and gave him a kiss. “I’m fine Aeros...I’ll see you later, okay?”

"I'll see you later. Be safe."

- - - - - -

A week and a half later Mistie was stopped by his father and mother before he left home that morning for guard duty. His mother had a smile and his father didn’t look as strict as usual. His was gonna start talking when his mother’s excitement caused her to cut her husband off and begin to tell her son the “great news”. Mistie could only stand in silence before forcing a smile “That’s amazing news. After twenty one long years of being treated differently I’m finally being seen as…”

“Useless! Futile...Mistie, you have told me the rules the elders set for you years ago. And it is unheard of for two men to ever be allowed to marry. The elders are all about the preservation of family names!” Aeros was frustrated, not because of Mistie, but because being with Mistie had been the happiest moments of his life. Mistie and him together is something he’d dream about. Aeros hugged Mistie and Mistie held him.

Mistie didn’t want to let the elders choose for him. His happiness was taken the moment he was born, and he finally found it in Aeros. As tears streamed down both Grimm’s faces as they contemplated their grim future, Mistie finally spoke. “I won’t go through with the elders choosing ceremony because...I choose you Aeros.”

Unbeknownst to the two, Ithon was hidden behind a tree watching both his twin and rival. Leaving quickly back to the village he told a a guard about Mistie, avoiding any mention of who Mistie was with.

Mistie laid on top of the prison of the Eternal woman, now going by Danica. They spoke for hours until it was dark. He just laid there think, when the figures in the dark jumped him. Three guards had come to arrest Mistie. Caught off guard he couldn’t put up much of any fight before being knocked out. Mistie awoke in a cell made of the very ore they mine and keep Danica imprisoned in. The guards who brought food and spat in his face told him that an elder will coming soon. Not many hours later Misties grandfather, a village elder and friend of the chief entered the cell and slapped Mistie. He berated the young telling him off for his selfish, reckless and undisciplined nature will cause the family to end if he didn’t denounce his love declare love for his village and the wife the elders will choose for him. Mistie looked defiantly up at his grandfather, spitting out blood, near the old mans feet. His eyes glowed green and he unfurled his wings in challenge. “No. Never again. If the family ends with me then so be it!” His grandfather was furious, but he backed down. He told Mistie he was never his grandson, and was a disappointment. His grandfather left the cell, leaving Mistie alone with his thoughts

- - - - - -

Three days later Mistie was still imprisoned. The only people he saw were the guards. They would sometimes beat him and drop his food without caution. One of the guards had the habit of being kind though. He could never put his finger on why. The guard wouldn’t stay long. Mistie would eventually discover Aeros had gotten shifts as a guard and left notes in with Mistie’s food.

One night Mistie’s food hid a note and vial of something he didn’t recognize. Aeros told Mistie that he was going to be banished tomorrow and that they were to escape tonight, but Mistie needed to break out. He continued to read the note and Aeros told Mistie that what was in this vial would give him the strength to do so. Aeros said he would get The Eternal lady out past the border and be back for Mistie. Mistie understood the plan and drank the contents of the vial. His entire body glowed, for a moment their was a bluish light before returning to green and then fading. For some reason Mistie began to cry. He felt no sadness, only a love and a longing. He longed to hold Aeros.

As the peak of darkness arrived Mistie placed his hands on the bars of his cell. Normally for Grimm they instantly would feel weak. He still struggled against them but little by little he had been bending the bars. Because of whatever Aeros gave him he had the strength to bend the bars and free himself. Not wanting to alert the guards or allow them to alert everyone else of his escape he casted simple sleep spells on them ensuring they would sleep all the way through the night. Stealing a cloak, Mistie ran off into the forests where he would meet up with Aeros.

As he walked into the forest he saw signs of a fight, magical and physical. Mistie’s eyes glowed green as he scanned the ground and saw black feathers that were bloodied. He continued following the trail when the sound of someone came crashing down from the sky into the trees, and landing on the forest floor using their wings to stop their descent. A second figure came flying down through the trees and already had the first figure, holding them off the ground by the throat. As Mistie focused his sight, he could see the face of Aeros and Ithon. To discern between the two, Mistie focused on their mana. Ithon was held against the tree, his red mana shining brightly. Meanwhile Aeros and his mana was... It struck Mistie then and their what Aeros gave him. Mistie rushed closer to the fighting brothers, both soaked in blood, but Ithon was healing and Aeros was not.

Aeros spoke with utter seriousness and aggressive calmness to his brother, “You were the cause of Mistie’s imprisonment and as much as I would love to pay you back for it... We are leaving Ithon and we are never returning. I didn’t wish for us to part like this but you can’t tell anyone about us!” Aeros then knocked his twin out and laid him down on the roots of the tree. He then turned around and took notice of Mistie and ran over to him, hugging his boyfriend. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t at the entrance of the forest. Ithon figured out what we were doing.”

Mistie hugged Aeros but pulled away. “That vial...it was filled with your mana. Your magic. I realize that I need to break out but what you did was dangerous and one of the three strictest punishments our people have! You did it purposely for me...Why?”

Aeros froze. What he did was the most painful thing he had ever done in his life. It was worth it though. “Dummy!” Aeros kissed Mistie and continued to hold him. “It’s because I love you and what I gave you, wanted you to always have, is my love.”

The foggy sky became noticeable in the fact that first light was nearly upon the couple. Still, they continued to hold each other.

Mistie finally left the embrace. He was loved and accepted. In that moment he knew that everything, his everything was Aeros. They were finally gonna leave and see the world. “Let’s get out of here.”

Aeros nodded and holding Mistie’s hand in his, they took flight together heading for the edge of the border.

The pain was Mistie’s first sign that to leave he would have to pay a price first. Ithon had been awakened by a couple guards who found him in the forest. It didn’t take long to find Mistie and Aeros. With his knife, Ithon managed to cut of the left wing on Mistie’s ankle. He cried out in pain that Aeros could feel.

Feeling Mistie’s pain, Aeros pushed Mistie ahead of him, and using the air currents he was pushed back behind his brother and the guards. Using the twin blade that he received like brother he cut off a wing from the two back up guards before flying after his brother.

Ithon smiled when he managed to cut off a wing from the person who caused his family to break. His brother was once everything to him and he had hoped with Mistie’s imprisonment things would return to normal. He realized now that Mistie needed to die. The screams of the guards caught his attention as he through his knife again, successfully cutting off Mistie’s last ankle wing. For the first time the freak could almost be normal. Never! Ithon caught his knife as it returned to him. His brother was far behind them. Perhaps a the death of Mistie could be a lesson to him and revenge for the deaths of those two guards. Ithon proceeded then throw his knife at Mistie.

Aeros watching almost helplessly as Mistie bled out from the loss of his wings saw his brother smile back at him as he threw his knife at Mistie in hopes of causing him to fall. Using his own knife and straining to use the outer magic surrounding him he threw his knife to redirect his brothers aim. The battle of both knives resulted in Ithon ending up in Mistie’s wing and Aeros’ knife ending up elsewhere in the forest floor. He didn’t care. Mistie was in pain and his brother wasn’t gonna stop. Picking up speed by using this inconvenient form of mana, Aeros managed to reach his brother and tackle him.

Both brothers were throwing punch after punch, in the sky. It was an uneven match as Aeros was the better fighter, but Ithon was capable of healing himself. To finish this, Ithon pulled the knife out of Mistie’s wing using his power. He kicked his brother away and momentarily saw Mistie falling.

Aeros disoriented by the kick took notice of Mistie. Looking towards his broth for a moment, he watched as Ithon threw his knife at Mistie. Reacting fast, he flew at his brother and slugged him in the face with the purpose of messing with his concentration and dived after Mistie, his wings tucked in to his sides.

Mistie closed his eyes. His life was the price of his freedom. How could he be so stupid. All he could do is say good bye to Aeros. He opened his eyes and saw a figure approaching him. Focusing, he could see no mana and knew it was his Aeros. He reached out to him weakly. They were so close. To each other and to their hopes for a new life.

Ithon’s vision was blurry as he regained focus of the knife. He could see a falling figure, at least that’s what he thought. Focusing the knifes target, he sent it flying into his brothers heart. Ithon could feel it. His knife hit its target, but it was his brother.

Aeros was gone when he reached Mistie, his arms open to hold the one he loved, and gave up everything for. Mistie was in tears when he held Aeros in his arms. Aeros was gone...this was it. The ground approached fast. Mistie held Aeros tight and braced for death and to be reunited with Aeros.

Ithon watched in disbelief that his brother was dead but knew it was the truth. It had to be the truth, but what he saw then was impossible. Surrounding Mistie and Aeros was a blue magical barrier.

Mistie opened his eyes, staring into the face of his dead boyfriend. Mistie shakily brushed his hair to the side. Holding him in his arms, Mistie removed Ithons knife from Aeros back. Mistie knew that Ithon loved his brother, but hated him. He always worked to prove himself better because he was told he was. Looking outward through the barrier Mistie sent the dagger flying out Ithons shoulder. He then caused the barrier to open from the top. His wing had finished healing and Mistie was vengeful. He took off flying out of the dissipating barrier towards Ithon giving his self proclaimed rival the fight he want. Mistie wasn’t as fast as he used to be but he was always faster than other Grimm. Although he’s been injured, Ithon has been in battle with his brother for several hours and had injuries that had yet to completely heal.

Ithon was in complete pain due to the knife lodged into his shoulder. He barely surrounded himself in a weakened protective barrier in time to block Mistie’s attacks. He pulled out the knife, in the process of losing feeling in his arm. With the barrier still up he sent forth his own attack, a bolt of red lightning towards Mistie.

Mistie seeing it tries to move out of the way only for it to be absorbed by something familiar. The dagger that belonged to Aeros came flying out of the woods coated in his blue mana and lodged itself into a a tree. Mistie couldn’t believe what he just saw. “Aeros?”

Striking from behind, Ithon cut off another of Mistie’s wings, causing him to fall forward. Tears filled Mistie’s eyes as he felt the pain, but Ithon wasn’t finished yet. Ithon land on Mistie, holding him down and holding his arms to the side while he cut off Mistie’s last wing. Ithon pulled Mist by the hair, lifting his face out of the dirt, and with a snarl in his voice Ithon said, “You want to go!? Then leave, but you leave no longer as one of us and you leave alone!” He then let go of Mistie, spitting on him, and picking up both his wings. Wanting Mistie to see, Ithon walked over to his brothers dead body and placed both wings with it. Focus, he created a fireball and threw it at the body and wings.

Mistie weakly got to his knees and stared at the fire feeling an emptiness at first. Not long after a feeling of rage began to fill his every being. The knife that belonged to Aeros began to glow a mixture of green and blue. With his and Aeros’ wills merged the knife was sent from the tree to Ithon where it cut off one of his wings. The knife then returned to Mistie’s hand upon completing its last task for Aeros. The screams of Ithon filled the morning as Mistie walked away without a word. The trek up the mountain took him days without wings, it was his time for grief. The sight of the world beyond his with fog was beautiful and bittersweet for he saw it without the one he loved. He didn’t know what to expect when he reached the bottom, but to his surprise, waiting under a tree was Danica. Though she smiled at him, Mistie could only blankly stare. He had lost his everything. Freedom was a bitter and cold feeling to him now. Still, he made a promise to Danica. He will help her in finding who she is with her newly found freedom, and everyday he will live for Aeros cause...Aeros isn’t gone. Not entirely.