Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/6869014.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Major_Character_Death, Rape/Non-Con,
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      The_Flash_(TV_2014), Arrow_(TV_2012), DC's_Legends_of_Tomorrow_(TV)
  Relationship:
      Barry_Allen_&_Leonard_Snart, Cisco_Ramon/Lisa_Snart, Barry_Allen_&_Eddie
      Thawne
  Character:
      Leonard_Snart, Mick_Rory, Barry_Allen, Cisco_Ramon, Caitlin_Snow, Iris
      West, Joe_West, Eddie_Thawne, Patty_Spivot, Felicity_Smoak, Ronnie
      Raymond, Sara_Lance, Laurel_Lance, Ra's_al_Ghul, Malcolm_Merlyn,
      Calculator, Henry_Allen, Nora_Allen
  Additional Tags:
      Alternate_Universe_-_Dark, Everyone_is_evil, Past_Abuse, Sexual_Abuse,
      Physical_Abuse, Anal_Sex, Oral_Sex, everyone_has_powers, Evil_Barry,
      Alternate_Universe_-_Fantasy, Alternate_Universe-_Middle_Ages, Alternate
      Universe-_Dark_Ages, Animal_Abuse, animal_cruelty, Cruelty
  Series:
      Part 1 of Dark_and_Evil_Coldflash
  Stats:
      Published: 2016-05-16 Chapters: 9/9 Words: 27410
****** The Conqueror and the Murderer: A Dark Coldflash Story ******
by DustinMcDreamy
Summary
     Leonardo Snart's mission in life is to see the world end in ice with
     his sister, but they need personal lives too. Elisa's fiancee, a
     powerful sorcerer named Cisco Ramon, sends Len on a quest to find the
     love his life: Barry Allen- a murderer just as cold and dark as he
     is, but Cisco has ulterior motives. Len, aided by his housecarl
     Mickael overcome obstacles and threats so Len can find that special
     someone to dominate the world with.
***** Chapter One *****
            Leonardo knocked on his sister’s bedroom door impatiently. “Elisa,
darling, your husband-to-be is going to be here any moment, and you’re hardly
ready!”
            Elisa opened the door slightly, peering from a crack with a teasing
expression. “Brother of mine, you need to take a note from your own book and
chill,” Elisa said with a giggle. “We’re a very powerful family. No husband of
mine will rush us.”
            “This man is more powerful than us, Elisa. They say he’s the most
powerful in the kingdom. They say his visions of the future made him an
excellent gambler. Many noblemen and politicians would come to him for insights
on their fate. He’s gathered hundreds of secrets, numerous wealth. He’s the
most powerful man next to the king, and you’re marrying him! Show some respect
so he doesn’t turn us to toads,” Leonardo ranted. He and his sister, and even
their steward were magical. Leonardo has frozen many an enemy with magical
talents embedded in his bare hands. Elisa has done the same with gold. Their
father before them commanded stone. His father had set up a threatening legacy,
using manipulation and terror to push his family ahead of the rest. They
commanded a small section of land in the kingdom, and were about to merger with
a powerful sorcerer’s in a marriage their father arranged.
            “He better be good looking,” Elisa said.
            “They say he hasn’t aged in years,” Leonard replied.
            “I’m fond of this arrangement already,” Elisa said.
            They walked through the length of their palace and waited in the
front courtyard for Elisa’s fiancée to arrive. They saw guards escorting a
carriage in the distance, approaching their estate.
            “I’m nervous, brother,” Elisa said. “To just commit my whole life
to a stranger? What if I do not love him?
            “Love,” Leonard said, harshly, dragging out the word with cold
distance, “is overrated, and a luxury we have carved out of our lives.”
            “I know we have both told ourselves that before, brother,” Elisa
said softly. “But love is like the crown. If you see it lying about, you seize
to opportunity to take it.”
            The carriage pulled up and the coach driver hopped off to hold the
door open for its passenger. Out stepped a tan man dressed in lavish robes with
long black hair. Leonardo and Elisa bowed to him.
            “It’s an honor, Lord Cisco,” Leonardo said, before he and his
sister raised their heads.
            “The honor is mine,” Cisco replied. He looked up at Elisa’s face
and smiled. He gently took her hand, brought it to his mouth, and kissed it. “I
am lucky to marry such a beautiful woman.”
            “And I, such a notable sorcerer,” Elisa said. Cisco began to
chuckle. “What is it, my husband?”
            “I am no sorcerer,” Cisco. “I am just blessed with a gift of sight.
A gift that many a lord and king have travelled for compensated for. I have
built a nice life for myself. A life I choose to share with you. The Harsh
Snarts, so I’ve heard.”
            “Our reputation precedes us,” Leonardo said with a wicked smile.
            “People can be fools, and they require justices. Some more vicious
than others. None of us are innocent in that department,” Cisco said. “But what
is important is family. And while I will not be sharing blood with you,
Leonard, I will honor you like a proper brother. And my wife, while marriage
often is stronger than sibling ties, I will never come between you and your
brother, no matter how strong our relationship grows.”
            “A happy family,” Elisa said. “The three of us, and to possibly
more.” Elisa rested a hand on her stomach.
            “Come,” Leonardo said. “Let’s get you settled into the castle. I
hope you find it to your liking.”
            The next few weeks with Cisco living with the siblings was
wonderful. Cisco made Elisa happy. Cisco enjoyed to watch the siblings’ joint
executions and applaud their job well done. Leonardo started to feel emptier
the more Elisa spent time with Cisco instead of him.  Leonardo would often head
into the wood and hunt the wildlife.
            Leonardo lurked behind bushes while an elk was distracted, its head
bowed to drink some fresh spring water. Leonardo arched upwards, lifting his
hands which were pointed and aimed at the beast. With a glow in his hands, rays
of ice struck the elk, staggering it until it collapsed. At this point, the elk
would be dead and ready to be transported for food, but Leonardo hadn’t stopped
yet. The rage was building inside him. There was a strong need to destroy. Ice
covered every inch of the elk until it began to crumble into a fine pile of
snow. Leonard dropped his hands, panting for breath, letting out a scream of
anger.
            “Brother in law,” Cisco announced, emerging from behind a tree.
“You appear distressed. Tell me what troubles you.”
            “It’s you,” Leonardo said. Cisco didn’t react. He just stood, and
listened to Leonardo discuss his woes. “It was only me and my sister. I was
happy. Now she found you, and loves you, and I am happy for her. But I am all
alone now.”
            “I apologize for my effect on your happiness, brother,” Cisco said.
“I hadn’t realized I had stolen your sister from you. Having her as my
significant other has replaced her as yours. Luckily, I know of a way to help.”
            “What is your way, Cisco?” Leonardo asked.
            “Why, you must find love as well. Somebody sexy and dark. The evil
ones are the best lovers,” Cisco said.
            “And how do I find this love?” Leonard asked sarcastically.
            “Me, of course,” Cisco said with a pose. “I am Central Kingdom’s
most sought out psychic. I’ll vibe and locate your one true love!”
            Leonardo was intrigued. He never really thought of Cisco using his
powers. He hadn’t seen them yet. “I could not impose, brother. I do not wish to
use you for your gift. You’re family.”
            “That’s why I must help,” Cisco said. “It will be great for your
title! A husband for your own! Even villains get happy endings, brother!
Please, let me lead you to the love of your life!”
            Leonardo hesitated once more. “What do you need me to do?”
            “Just let me touch your hand,” Cisco said. Leonardo slowly reached
out his hand to Cisco. Cisco grabbed it, and his eyes began to glow a deep
purple. The wind seemed to pick up and Leonardo felt like Cisco was somehow a
part of his soul for the duration of the time they held hands. Cisco staggered
and let go. He looked at his brother in law and smiled. “I have located him. He
is strong. Powerful. Enough darkness that I’m a little tempted, myself. Evil is
so sexy.”
            “Where can I find him?” Leonardo asked.
            “He’s close in the kingdom,” Cisco said. “But unfortunately, he is
about to be in King Joseph’s prison. He will be arrested within the day. But
you can get a head start to the castle, and rescue him once he’s there. I do
sense many obstacles, but you shall overcome them all. You must find a tree
with two canaries. One white, one black. They will help you get the army you
need to conquer King Joseph’s castle.”
            “Oh thank you, brother!” Leonardo exclaimed, embracing Cisco. “I
must pack and get prepared. My steward Mickael will accompany. With our powers
combined, nobody shall get in my way!”
            Leonardo packed a knapsack and put on his blue parka. Mickael was
prepared was well. “Is lovereally something you wish to waste your time on?
You’re too powerful for petty affairs,” Mickael said, slurring the word with
disgust.
            “Yes, Mick,” Leonardo said. “This is a mission I must do. And if
he’s as powerful as Cisco says, then we should want him with us. Together we
could conquer the whole kingdom.”
            “Then I shall serve, faithfully,” Mickael said.
            They rounded up steeds for their journey and waited in the
courtyard for their farewells.
            “Don’t be gone too long,” Elisa said. “It’s just one castle. It
shouldn’t be hard to infiltrate.”
            “I’ll be there and back as soon as possible, sister. We shall all
celebrate, and you will have your wedding to Cisco,” Leonardo said. They
embraced and then Leonardo mounted his steed. He and Mickael rode off. Elisa
grabbed Cisco’s hand and escorted him back inside the castle.
            “We are alone, my love,” Elisa said. “How do you suggest we pass
the time?”
            “We wait until marriage, love,” Cisco said. “But we can get much
closer. Why not romance the atmosphere and get us some wine? I must do
something in my chamber but I shall return right quick.”
            “Will do,” Elisa said with a kiss. Cisco ascended up the staircase
and headed to his room. Smoke appeared in his hand to form a wand. With a
swish, his room filled with purple haze and a variety of magical objects
appeared. He looked inside a glass mirror. And saw his reflection staring back.
             “Show me Caitlin.” The mirror rippled once more to show a woman
with an icy hand touching a bruised eye. “Show me Malcolm Merlyn.” A man in all
black was dipping into a boiling pool. His skin began to glow and heal
instantly. “It will all go according to plan,” Cisco said with a devilish
smile.
***** Chapter Two *****
“Hyah!” the coachman yelled, wringing the reigns to motivate the horses to
speed up. The night was brisk and the moon was full and bright, illuminating
the forest. “Only a few more miles, sir!”
            “That’s perfectly well!” the gentleman from inside the carriage
exclaimed.  “We are ahead of schedule and the path is well lit!”
            The carriage continued down the rocky path until the coachman saw a
dark figure in the road. “Sir, I think someone is ahead!”
            “Be weary!” the master said. The coachman placed a hand on his
sword as they approached.
            “Who goes there?” the coachman yelled. They grew closer, and the
figure in the road didn’t answer. The coachman stopped the carriage and jumped
down from the top. The master’s bodyguard stepped out of the coach and stood by
the coachman’s side.
            “There’s no way you can take on both of us,” the bodyguard said.
“Leave us now in peace!”
            The two watched in horror and frightened anticipation as two bright
yellow lights emitted from each of the dark figures hands. They had less than a
moment to react when electric bolts struck the both of them, sending them
flying into the air. The bodyguard was flown into the side of the carriage, and
he brought himself up slowly, panting for a breath. He looked over at the
coachman, his body was lifeless, charred, and smoking. The bodyguard looked up
at the figure approaching.
            “P-please!” the bodyguard stuttered. “S-spare me.” The figure
stopped in front of the bodyguard’s face. He was a younger man, with boyish
charm and brunette hair. There was a spark in his eyes, and just the presence
of the man felt like the air had become static.
            “I wish I could,” the man said softly, bringing his hand up to
stroke the bodyguard’s face. The bodyguard shuddered and closed his eyes,
preparing for the pain. The villain grabbed the bodyguard’s neck, electric
sparks dancing in his grip and down his phalanges. The sound of the meat on the
bodyguard’s neck sizzling and the thick smoke it produced filled the quiet
night air. The man watched as the light left his victim’s eyes before dropping
the corpse onto the ground. The thief opened the door of the carriage, and
stepped inside before a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the forest.
            It was an hour later the murderer arrived at a small tavern inn
deeper in the forest. The barmaid perked when she saw the attractive lad.
“Lovely to see you again, Gustin,” she chimed. “It’s been awhile.”
            “You know me,” Gustin said. “I don’t like to hang around the same
areas too often.”
            “You’ll be happy that your favorite room is available,” she
informed. “Five gold pieces, please.”
            Gustin smiled. “It’s usually six.”
            “Consider it a discount for one of my favorites,” she said.
            Gustin reached in his pocket and pulled out eight coins. “Consider
it a tip for my favorite as well.”
            The woman looked astonished. “No, Gustin, you can’t.”
            “Bounty hunting has paid off well this month. You’d be surprised at
how many evil people are out there, hurting others recklessly. It’s terrifying,
and repulsive,” Gustin voiced.
            “Well, I am so glad you’re one of the good guys, Gus!” she said as
she swiped the change. “I just wish you liked my type.”
            “I think that’s the problem,” Gustin replied. “I do like your
type.” The waitress laughed and put an ale in front of Gustin.
            “You’re a riot, love. And don’t you dare try to pay for this. I
practically owe you free drinks for a month,” she said.
            “If this man is a man of excellence, I’ll have what he’s having,” a
blonde man said as he sat by Gustin. “I hope you don’t mind.”
            “No, please, I enjoy company,” Gustin said.
            “I couldn’t help but overhear you’re a bounty hunter,” he said.
“That’s fascinating. My name is Edward Thawne. There’s nobody wanting me is
there?”
            Gustin eyed the attractive blonde up and down, subconsciously
licking his lips. “Well, there is no bounty for you, but I’m sure someone out
there wants you in their hands.”
            Edward smiled a flirtatious smile and took a sip of his ale. “I
have another question,” he said, before turning to the bartender. “Lass, you
said you two like the same type?”
            The lady chuckled and gave Gustin a knowing look. “Yes,” she said
softly. “We do.”
            Edward flashed his white teeth happily. “Tell me,” he paused. “How
do you feel about blondes?”
            She smiled at Gustin and turned to Edward. “I think they’re” she
said, lingering on the word. “Irresistible.”
            Gustin and Edward exchanged a seductive glance. “I’m going to need
my room key now,” Gustin said. It wasn’t much longer before the two were up the
stairwell headed to the room, passionately kissing and roaming each other’s
hands over the stranger’s bodies. Edward had the boy’s back against his own
door, taking the key from Gustin’s hand to unlock the door himself as Gustin
used both hands to undo the buttons down the blonde’s shirt. The door unlocked
and the sly bandit stumbled backwards, holding onto the cloth barely attached
to his new lover’s torso for support. Edward used his foot to kick the door
closed, and continued to ravage the brunette’s mouth with his tongue.
            Gustin slid Edward’s shirt off him and removed his own before
descending down Edward’s chiseled chest, planting kisses down random areas,
lapping up the erect nipples of the man he had just met, before landing on his
knees. He quickly unfastened Edward’s belt and slid down his trousers. Edward
was hard, and his cock sprung upward with a slight bounce. Gustin wrapped his
hand around the base of the shaft, looked up at the blonde with his beautiful,
brown eyes, stuck out his tongue, and gently licked the head.
            “You tease,” Edward said as he roamed his hand through Gustin’s
soft, lifted hair. Gustin was roaming his tongue up and down Edward’s shaft,
but had not begun to deep throat him yet. “An angelical face with an angelical
voice must have an angelical mouth.”
            “I’m no angel,” Gustin teased as he pumped Edward’s cock with his
fist.
            “I believe that,” Edward said. “Should I treat you like a thug?
Should I be rougher?”
            A wicked smile spread across the brunette’s mouth, and deviousness
grew in his eyes. “Dominate me,” Gustin said demandingly.
            Edward tightened his grip in the lad’s hair, making him whimper. He
took his other hand to hold open Gustin’s mouth for him, spitting his own
saliva onto the boy’s tongue. Gustin swallowed it gratefully. “Suck it.”
            Edward forced Gustin’s mouth onto his entire dick. He grabbed both
sides of his sub’s face and was guiding him roughly up and down, quickly. The
wet noises deep within Gustin’s throat were barely audible, but they turned
Edward on even more. Edward removed Gustin from his cock, a line of saliva and
pre cum still connected his head with Gustin’s lip. Gustin licked his lips and
eyed Edward seductively. “There’s only so much to make that sexy.”
            “What’s sexy is what’s behind you,” Edward said. He lifted up his
hand and motioned with his index finger. “Bring it to me.” Gustin stood up and
began to unbuckle his belt. He turned around and slowly slid his pants down the
curve of his ass, slowly bending over in the same motion to give Edward a great
view of his hole.
            “That ass is fucking perfect,” Edward said. “Get on this bed, and
sit that cute ass on my face.” Edward laid down on the bed as Gustin removed
the trousers from his ankles. He followed Edward and positioned himself,
straddling both sides of Edwards face before descending. Edward raised his
tongue up to Gustin’s rim and began to lap it up.
            “Fuck,” Gustin said as wetness began to slide around one of his
most sensitive areas. “This feels so good.” Edward grabbed each of Gustin’s
plump ass cheeks and played with the muscles: squeezing them, moving them
around. Gustin began to rock his hips back and forth a bit on Edward’s mouth.
Gustin was moaning, and decided to start stroking himself in enjoyment. “Keep
going.”
            Edward reached up a hand and removed Gustin’s hand from touching
himself. Gustin looked confused. “Is your cock more important than mine? Get
back to work on me,” Edward commanded.
            Gustin chuckled. “Yes, sir.” Gustin leaned forward, and got on his
knees to continue sucking Edward as he ate out the brunette.
            “You’re such an eager slut,” Edward said as he removed his mouth
from the other gentleman. Edward took his finger and started to trace around
Gustin’s tight hole. Gustin originally flinched and leaned forward, away from
Edward, but the blonde grabbed the boy’s his and pulled him back. “Don’t be
afraid,” the blonde reassured. “I’m going to take care of you.”
            Edward slid one finger into his new friend and was rewarded with
the approving moans of bliss. “That feels fantastic,” Gustin said ecstatically.
Edward moved the finger in and out, curling it inside of Gustin, trying to find
the right spot to please the brunette. He added his middle finger to the mix as
well, resulting in even more happy noises from Gustin. “I want you to fuck me,
Edward.”
            “As you wish, darling,” Edward said as he positioned himself on his
knees so he could align himself with the spiky haired kid. He rubbed the head
of his member slowly up and down the middle of Gustin’s ass teasingly. He
rocked his hips back and forth, making the brunette bite his lip with baited
anticipation.
            “I need it now, Edward,” Gustin demanded. Edward chuckled as he
opened a small bottle from his parcel and lubricated his dick. He pressed the
tip against Gustin’s hole and pushed in slowly. Gustin howled as Edward slowly
filled him up, relishing in the feeling of the blonde stretching him out. The
feeling was phenomenal, and ecstasy danced through every nerve of his body,
giving him bliss.
            Edward began to stir his hips giving his lover for the night
significant pleasure. Gustin pulled back and forth as well, meeting his blonde
halfway in terms of effort, making a beautiful rhythm. The room became a
concert hall, orchestrated by the sounds of the bed slightly squeaking, the
poetic chords of bliss escaping Gustin’s mouth, and the erotic slapping sound
of Edward driving into Gustin’s plump ass at a steady beat.
            Gustin grabbed the sheets and tugged on them, holding for dear life
it seemed. Gustin had great fucks before, but there was something magical about
this one. He felt it in every cell of his body, a tingling sensation he
couldn’t quite describe, but it was one without words, regardless.
            Edward let go of one of Gustin’s hips and slid it downwards to the
boy’s erect penis, and began to massage on it. This action was very much
encouraged by Gustin, who belted out a loud, supportive tone. Edward continued
to thrust into the lad even harder, faster, and pump him simultaneously.
            “Yeah, yeah,” Gustin repeatedly grunted. He was close, on the verge
of what was possibly going to be the best climax of his life. “I’m gunna
finish.”
            “Me too," Edward replied. “I’m almost there. Just a
few….more….strokes….” Edward shuddered and screeched while Gustin felt himself
coming undone in the blonde’s hand. Electricity sparked through him and he was
overcame with such euphoria that he collapsed onto the bed, panting happily, at
least for a few moments.
            The positive energy didn’t last. The satisfying tingling sensation
in his body now felt like iron, and painful. Barry felt all his muscles locking
up, becoming tenser, as opposed to looser. “What’s happening?” he asked.
            Edward chuckled, wiping his hands off with a cloth. “Gustin,” he
said slowly. “What a god awful alias.” Edward strolled to the foot of the bed
so the villain could look at him in the eyes. “I was told to be careful around
the big, dangerous, electric murderer of Central Kingdom. But you’re
surprisingly a lot less….dominant….than I was expecting.”
            “We have our moments and our preferences,” he grunted. He began to
lift his trembling hand upwards to Edward, as if to use his powers on him, but
nothing happened.
            “That was a very valiant effort, Barry Allen,” Edward said.
            “I don’t give out my name very often,” Barry said. “Where’d ya
learn it?”
            Edward smiled. “King Joseph, of course. And his lovely daughter,
Iris.” Horror struck over Barry’s face. “They said you’d react like that.
Apparently, it’s been a long while since you’ve come home to your family.”
            “They’re not my family,” Barry argued.
            “Then this is going to make for a very unfortunate reunion,” Edward
teased.
***** Chapter Three *****
The sun was setting as Leonardo and Mickael rode their steeds through the
kingdom forest in search of Barry.
            “Sir,” Mickael said. “It’s getting dark soon. We’re not exactly
equipped for night travelling.”
            “You shoot fire from your fingertips,” Leonard said. “You can set
the whole train ablaze and we can use it as light. I won’t stop until I find my
love.”
            “Isn’t that slightly overdramatic, sir?” Mick asked.
            Leonardo grunted and rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he said. “Start
looking for signs for an inn. We can continue in the morning.”
            It took the duo about an hour to stumble across a small cozy inn
and tavern. There was a rustic wood sign that read “Patti’s Place”.  They
strolled their horses over to the barn and got their steeds settled in rented
stables and paid the stable keeper before entering the establishment. The place
was warm and well lit. It had a welcoming atmosphere and it was beautifully
decorated. The blonde at the bar turned to them and smiled.
            “Hello, boys,” the woman said. “My name’s Patty. I run this place.
Feel free to have a seat.” She gestured to some plush stools and Leonardo and
Mick sat down. “What can I get you boys?”
            “I’ll have some wine, please,” Leonardo asked. Mickael scoffed.
            “The strongest spirit you got, Lass,” Mick said.
            “Coming right up, Patty said as she put mugs under the taps and
handed the cold drinks over to the Rogues. Len paid for the drinks and Patty
smiled. “So what brings you boys my way?”
            “He’s on a quest to find love,” Mickael said teasingly. Leonardo
responded by punching his arm.
            “That’s awfully romantic,” she said. “Do you know the maiden
already? Are you looking for a specific girl? Or any woman?”
            Mick was hollering with heavy laughter and banging his fist on the
table. Leonardo scowled at him and was restraining himself from inflicting more
bodily harm. Patty looked confused and concerned for her table.
            “I’m looking for a boy named Barry,” Leonard said.
            “My apologies,” she said. “I hope you get to him, and that you live
happily together.”
            “Thank you,” he said sincerely.
            “Will you be needing a room for the night?” she asked.
            “Yes. Two beds, please,” Len requested.
            She opened a drawer and took out two keys. Snart gave her a handful
of coins. The two stood up from their stools and headed up the staircase.
            “This is a cozy place,” Mickael said.
            “Just peachy,” Leonardo replied. They got to their room and opened
the door. Leonard immediately noticed a glowing vanity in the corner.
            “Mick, do you see that?” Leonardo asked.
            Mickael eyed the whole room. “See what?”
            “The mirror is glowing gold, Mick,” Leonardo responded harshly,
stating what he thought was obvious.
            “Did the lass put something in your drink?” Mick scoffed.
            Leonardo headed to the mirror and looked inside the glass. He saw
Cisco in a room procuring a potion.
            “Cisco?” Leonardo asked.
            Cisco was caught off guard, dropping the potion. He looked angry.
He was looking around the room before laying eyes on the mirror. He had a
perplexed expression, and approached it cautiously. “Leonardo?” he asked.
            “Cisco, why are you in a mirror?” Leonardo asked.
            “He’s fucking lost it,” Rory said under his breath.
            “I could ask you the same thing,” Cisco said. “You see, I have, in
my possession, a magic mirror. They are very, very rare. So, I do not believe
you are in possession of one.”
            “Then what am I looking at?” Leonardo asked rudely. Mick scoffed,
unknowingly of the conversation, and laid down in his bed.
            “I hypothesize, that you are in the presence of a mirror surrounded
by very very large amounts of dark magic. Magic mirrors can be forged with
large amounts of sacrifice and death,” Cisco said. “We have a connection, which
is likely how you tapped into this mirror, and sought me throughout my own
magic mirror.”
            “So what are you saying?” Leonardo asked.
            “You need to get out of there, immediately,” Cisco said.
            “LEN!” Mick yelled. Leonardo turned to see Mickael’s body half sunk
into the bedding, his flesh covered in scars that looked like a stitching
pattern. Leonardo reached a hand out.
            “DON’T TOUCH IT!” Cisco yelled through the mirror. Leonardo pulled
his hand back.
            “That crazy bitch did this,” Mickael said. Leonardo just looked at
what was becoming of his friend. Closer looking at the quilt, he swore he saw
screaming faces in the dark spots and markings of the sheets. Leonardo bolted
out of the room and launched himself down the stairs. The once lively living
area was now cold, and deserted. The warm music, the fire, the other patrons
were gone. Patty still stood at the counter.
            “There is always one,” she said softly. “One person who is
innocent. Who touches the bedding and survives. They come down here. They’re
either angry, or they’re sad. And they’re scared. Which are you?”
            “You can bet I’m fucking pissed,” Leonardo said.
            “Then let me guess,” she said. “The angry ones, are not innocent.
They just happened to not touch the bed yet.”
            “Innocent of what?” Leonardo demanded.
            Patty laughed. “Of the heart, of the soul! The magic only affects
the evil. The murderers, the rapists. Thieving is usually petty enough they go
off on their own, but if the person is dark enough with malintentions, then
they die. Are you evil, Leonardo?”
            “You’re damn right I am,” he said. He lifted his hands, a sharp
icicle forming in the air, and he launched it at Patty. As soon as the icicle
reached the border of the bar, it sublimated.
            “If you kill me, you don’t get Mickael back. In fact, you can’t
even open that door,” she said, gesturing to the entrance. Len dashed towards
it.
            “I wouldn’t touch it either,” she said. Len quickly pulled back,
inches away from the handle.
            “I just saved your life,” she said.
            “Why are you doing this?” Leonardo asked.
            Patty laughed hard, having to bend over from the sheer force of her
lungs and stomach reacting the humor. “The murderous villain asking what is the
damn point of me killing people? Isn’t that ironic? Why do you do it?”
            “Because I like the sound of bones crunching,” Leonard said
sternly. He slowly approached Patty at the bar. “I like when I freeze a person
solid and they crumble into snow dust that will melt into a puddle, and
evaporate, leaving them as nothing but scattered particles. I do it because I
don’t like people much when they have nothing to offer me, and when they are in
the way I remove them.” He slammed his fists on the table and leaned in real
close. “I kill people because it’s my favorite pastime. The joy that yields
from destroying life is as magical and rewarding as a mother bringing life into
the world. It’s the circle of life, and I’m doing my part. What about you,
darling?”
            She scoffed and stood back. “My father was murdered by people like
you,” she replied callously. “For no reason other than he wanted to, some piece
of shit decided to take him away from me!” Tears were forming in her eyes. “I
had to live with these two cruel seamstresses. They beat me, and hurt me. I
hated everything so much that my threads turned black and dark like my heart.
At first, the seamstresses just grew sick when they rested their heads on my
pillows, when they covered their old, fragile bodies in my blankets. But I kept
training. The sicker they were, they worse they treated me. The darker they
acted, the more powerful I grew.”
            Patty walked over to a cabinet and unlocked it with a special key
that was around her neck, and she pulled out a foul smelling set of pillows and
blankets.
            “I agree with you, Leonardo,” she said, holding them up. “There is
a wonderful feeling knowing you’ve killed. This is them.” Leonardo saw that
that set was made from real human skin and muscle, like a tanned hide from some
animal. In the corner was a chunk of a woman’s face; earn, nose, and mouth. “I
hadn’t perfected the quilts that absorbed the bodies completely at this time,
but I still like how it turned out.”
            “How do I cure my steward?” Leonardo asked intently.
            “Why should I free him?” she asked. “So you two can murder more
people? Put children through what some man put me through?”
            “The innocent people who come down here in tears,” Leonardo said.
“They are presumably in love, correct?”
            “Usually,” she said.
            “An innocent loved one, wanting a life with their lover, who may or
may not have changed their ways. They could start a family, and create life.
Creating life, in a way, balances out the lives they removed,” Leonard said.
            “You’re really reaching for something here,” she scoffed.
            “Don’t tell me that you, someone whose actions come down from the
heart, have never felt pity? Regret? A conscious?” Leonardo asked. Patty just
looked at him, silent. “Is it reversible or not?”
            “Technically,” she said. And within a moment of her saying that,
Leonard grabbed her collar and yanked her down to the table.
            “TELL ME HOW TO FIX IT, BITCH!” he exclaimed angrily. Patty just
laughed. She tried to reach up to Leonard to fight back, but she was
unsuccessful. Leonard felt weird scratching on his skin. He looked at Patty’s
fingers. They were disgustingly calloused and scarred. He smiled. “How does
such a skilled seamstress still fuck up her fingers so badly? Do I sense blood
magic?” Patty just squirmed against Leonardo’s grip. “Sad thing about blood
magic,” he started before getting close to her ear. “Blood ends it.”
            “No!” she exclaimed. Leoanrdo got another grip on Patty, and pulled
her up, across the bar table, knocking everything onto the ground. Once she was
away from the bar, his hands glowed blue and ice began to spread across her,
weakening her ability to fight back.
            “Stop, stop,” Patty exclaimed. “You don’t have to do this!” she
begged. Leonardo laughed as he dragged her up the stairs.
            “That’s the fucking problem with you self-righteous heroes,”
Leonardo said. “You try to step up to the plate, but when you fail, you show
what you really are: weak. A real villain embraces his demise. They commit to
their actions and understand that consequences of their actions may result in
their downfall. You naïve heroes are too optimistic for your own good, and are
never prepares to lose!” Leonardo kicked his door open. “You were taught that
heroes always win so you are never prepared for what happens when you don’t!”
He held Patty’s head over what is remaining of Mick’s body. He’s mostly sunk
into the bed, his face is the color of the bedding. Only his face and a few
bumps where his arms and legs were remain.
            “You can’t touch the front door! You’ll be absorbed too unless I
let you walk!” Patty pleaded.
            “Except that’s not true,” Leonardo said softly, condescendingly.
“You’re a seamstress, not a carpenter.” And with that, a sharp shard of ice
appeared in his hand, and he slit Patty’s throat, letting her choke and bleed
out onto Mick’s body. The bed smoked and Mickael began to rise from the
bedding, forming a human again. Leonardo threw Patty’s body onto the ground and
helped Mick stand up.
            “I need a shower,” the bloodied man said.
            “We’re sleeping outside tonight,” Leonardo ordered.
            “This is the last time you get to pick accommodations.” Mick
replied.
            “Not so fast, Leonardo,” a voice said. Leonardo looked around to
see the mirror again. He headed over to the glass to see Cisco.
            “Thank you for your help, Cisco,” Leonardo said.
            “In return,” Cisco said. “Step back.”
            Leonardo took a few steps backwards and Cisco appeared in a whirl
of purple smoke. Len got wide-eyed, as did Mick.
            “Holy shit,” Mickael said.
            “You are a sorcerer, not just a psychic,” Leonardo said.
            “Yes, unfortunately, I can’t have you remembering that, or my
mirror,” Cisco said. Cisco lifted his hands, and flicked his wrists, summoning
purple smoke to swirl around the Rogues. The room got windy, and the smoke,
along with Cisco vanished. The room was tense and silent.
            “I need a shower,” Mickael said, looking at himself.
            “We’re sleeping outside tonight,” Len replied.
            “This is the last time you get to choose the accommodations,” Mick
requested.
            Cisco watched the two walk out of the room through his magic
mirror, and exited his magic chamber.
***** Chapter Four *****
                                        
            Cisco headed down the staircase of the palace to find Elisa posing
for a portrait. The painter was carefully dragging his brush across the canvas.
            “Are you nearly done with my fiancée, sir?” Cisco asked.
            “Another hour, sir,” the painter said. Cisco rolled his eyes and
clapped his hands. Purple smoke swirled around the whole room, and when it
settled, the canvas was done.
            “Are you nearly done with my fiancée, sir?” Cisco asked, as if for
the first time.
            “Yes, sir,” the painter said. “Both of you may come see.”
            Elisa got up from the couch and headed over as Cisco finished going
down the stairs and approached.
            “Oh, it’s so lovely,” Elisa said. “I cannot wait to frame it and
display it. I shall hire you again for one once my husband and I are finally
wed.”
            “It would be an honor, ma’am” the painter said.
            “Here is your payment,” Cisco said as he handed the painter a pouch
of gold as he escorted the painter to the door. “Have a wonderful eve.” The
painter left and Cisco headed back to Elisa, stroking her cheek and moving her
hair behind her ear to kiss her neck. She hummed pleasantly.
            “How should I frame this?” Elisa asked. “I’m thinking something
like this…” She dragged her finger along the edges of the canvas. Gold grew
into swirls, ledges, intricate designs of ivy all along the path she dragged
her finger. Once she traced the entire perimeter, the portrait was clad in an
elaborate, glamorous frame. “What do you think?”
            “I think the frame is pretty,” Cisco said. “But my favorite part is
still you, my love.”
             “You are too much of a flirt trying to woo me,” Lisa teased as she
spun around to face him. She examined his face. “I want to hear how you met my
father.”
            Cisco looked intrigued. “Why, my darling?”
            “I’ve been promised to you for a very long time,” she said. “From
what my father told me when I was a little girl, you were the one who gave us
all of this.” She gestured around her. The palace, the wealth, was all
apparently, Cisco. “You don’t look older than me, yet, you’re very old.”
            “It is a long story, my love,” Cisco said.
            “We have time,” she said flatly. “Tell me.”
            Cisco guided Elisa to a couch and sat down with her. “It was a long
time ago, in a small town of the Central Kingdom….”
            “Lass, a’other ale over har!” a patron slurred. The bartender
looked aggravated.
            “You’ve had way too much, Lewis. You can’t have anymore,” she said.
            “M’ fine!” he exclaimed.
            “Sir,” another man said, placing his hand on his chest. “Don’t
berate the lady.” Lewis responded by trying to punch the man in the face, but
the man easily deflected and decked Lewis instead. He then dragged Lewis out of
the bar and threw him onto the street. The woman leaned half out of the
doorway.
            “And stay out!” she exclaimed, slamming the door. Lewis picked
himself up off of the street and stumbled home. His wife was awake, looking
angry.
            “Lawrence!” she exclaimed. She was fighting back tears. “You
promised me that you’d stop!”
            “I was just,” Lewis started, trying to be coherent, but was visibly
faltering. “Fun.
            “We can’t afford your spending habits. Not when we have another
mouth the feed,” she said, holding her enlarged stomach.
            “I work,” he said. “The money is mine.”
            “We exchanged vows!” she exclaimed. “What’s yours is ours!”
            “What do you expect from a glassblower?” he exclaimed. “Gold?
Jewelry? Carriages?”
            “I expect love,” she commanded. “I expect commitment.” She stormed
off and crawled into the bed, and Lawrence just curled up by the kindling
fireplace and slept.
            The next morning, Lewis was in his shop, finishing an ornate vase
when Cisco sauntered in.
            “Good morning, sir,” Lewis said. “Welcome to my humble shop.”
            “Humble is just another word for unimpressive,” Cisco said coldly.
Lewis’s smile frowned. “This shop of yours, is it successful?”
            “Business is…decent,” Lewis lied.
            “You hesitated,” Cisco said. As he looked at every item in the
shop, Cisco made a grimacing face. “You made this drunk. That one was made
hungover. That one is just poor talent.”
            Lewis held his breath and restrained himself. His glasswork was the
one thing that made him proud, that made him happy. His wife made him
miserable. This child was going to make him miserable. Cisco brought a glass
plate to Lewis.
            “How much?” Cisco asked.
            “Seven silver,” Lewis said. Cisco paid him the coinage and then
intentionally dropped it onto the ground.
            “I wouldn’t serve food on that plate to even my least favorite
guests,” Cisco said as he headed out the door. Lewis was hurt, but he had the
money. Cisco was his first paying customer in three days. Lewis came back home
to say he made a sale, and his wife was happy for him.
            “What did he say about it? Did he love it?” she asked.
            There was a pang in Lewis’s heart. He didn’t have the strength to
say that the rude man bought it just to shatter it just because it looked so
ugly. “Yes, he did.” His wife smiled. “I’m glad.”
            The next day, Lewis was surprised to see Cisco back. “Do you have a
wife, sir?” Cisco asked.
            “Yes, sir, I do.” He said. “Her name’s Laura.”
            “I didn’t care that much,” Cisco said. He looked at a vase, and
held it. “This vase, how much is it worth?”
            “Ten silver,” Lewis replied.
            “Is that its worth or how much you’re charging me?” Cisco asked.
Lewis didn’t know how to respond, but Cisco gave him the amount of coins and
then smashed the vase over his knee. Lewis sighed and Cisco giggled. “It’s
amazing the fragility of things, isn’t it? Glass, an ego, a human heart.”
            Cisco walked out of the store and left Lewis defeated. This would
continue to go on. Every day, Cisco would come into the store and purchase
something, and break it in front of Lewis’s eyes. Lewis wanted to say
something, but Cisco was his only paying customer. One time, another customer
was in the store, and Lewis was so happy, but Cisco had appeared. Cisco had
persuaded the customer that the glass at another store in the village had
higher quality, and the customer left discouraged. Cisco bought two items that
day, and smashed the two together.
            Laura was in the store one day, belly bulging. The child was due
soon. Cisco acted like he was Lewis’s best friend.
            “You’re the gentleman constantly buying things from my husband’s
little shop?” she asked. “We owe you so much!”
            “The pleasure is all mine!” Cisco said. “I’m a buyer for some very
high class individuals. They all just adore the quaintness and homely feel of
the glass. It’s in style!”
            “I never would have imagines reach people eating with your
glasses,” Laura said. “I never would have imagined!”
            “None of us ever would have!” Cisco subtly teased. “I have a
present for your child.”
            “That’s not necessary,” Lewis tried.
            “Oh, hush!” Cisco said. He pulled a child’s blanket out of his
satchel. Laura swooned at it, Lewis rolled his eyes.
            “Oh, honey, it’s beautiful!” she said. “You are so nice and
wonderful to us. You truly are a family friend.”
            “It’s an honor,” Cisco said. “I will be back soon, my friend.”
            The happier his wife was, the guiltier he felt. The more ashamed he
became. His dignity was slowly rotting away. This evil man was now a permanent
fixture on his life. Lewis stopped drinking. He wanted to be sober and clear
headed enough to make an artwork Cisco would actually like. Cisco would seek
these items out, and give them the same fate as the rest.
            “This could have been so much more if it were better,” he would
say. “You have the potential, you just lack the talent.”
            The family was starting to do well off with the constant income.
Laura went into labor, and they had their first born son, Leonardo.
            “Isn’t our little Lenny precious?” Laura asked. “I was so afraid
we’d never have enough money to feed him or care for him. But now, we’re going
to be alright.”
            One day Lewis came home to Cisco at their house, holding Len. “He’s
such an adorable child. I think this child is by far, you greatest creation.
Without contest.”
            Laura smiled at the comment, but Lewis did not. The more Lewis
looked at Leonardo, the angrier he got with the child. There was no mistake
about it, this was Cisco’s child. Lewis had to spend less time perfecting his
glasswork to watch the child, and it showed in his craftsmanship.
            “I hate you,” Lewis whispered to Leonardo. Leonardo started to cry
in his blanket, but the tears instantly froze to his face, and the child grew
colder. Panicked, Lewis brought the baby closer to the fire.
            “What did you do to my son?” Lewis demanded to Cisco the next day
at the shop.
            Cisco smiled. “I made him special, and beautiful. Unlike your
glass. What is he doing exactly? I hadn’t perfected the magic, but he should
reflect his environment. His nurturing.”
            Lewis glared through Cisco. “He’s cold as ice.”
            Cisco had a laughing fit before turning to the man. “Like father,
like son.”
            A year had passed, and the family was doing better financially. His
wife had gotten to be a little spoiled. She was very unaware of her baby’s
powers, but her entitled attitude was a constant pain for Lewis. He was growing
angrier, and the angrier he was around the baby, the more it showed. The baby
was freezing stuff in the house, so Lewis brought the baby to the firing kiln
while he worked. He often thought about throwing the child in there, but the
thoughts themselves caused his workplace to snow due to the negative energy and
it would dim the fires. Laura announced she was pregnant with a second child,
so Lewis took to Cisco for help.
            “My wife is pregnant again,” Lewis said.
            Cisco gasped. “Congratulations,” he said, clapping.
            “I want this child to be normal,” he demanded.
            Cisco pretended to ponder the request. “No. But, I can pull some
strings. The environment influences the child. I can help with that. The
newborn won’t be icy.”
            “Anything better than ice, although preferably not fire,” Lewis
said.
            “I think I guarantee no fire,” Cisco promised. “Let me work my
magic.”
            About a week later, for one of Cisco’s daily visits, he wasn’t
alone. He brought in some wealthier looking women.
            “Come look around, ladies,” Cisco said. “This is one of my favorite
shops. And the quality does show why!”
            Lewis perked up. Perhaps Cisco had actually done something nice.
The women walking around looked fascinated with the displays. “Oh, Cisco you
were absolutely correct!” one woman said as she lifted a glass plate. “They’re
all so hideous.” The women cackled and Lewis felt ice in his chest.
            “The ugliest glass shop in Central!” the other chimed. “It has a
nice ring to it!”
            A woman brought three plates and handed Lewis a large pouch of
money.  “My husband cheated on me. Some tavern wench. She’s not even pretty!
She’s ugly, like this glass!” She threw it onto the ground. She took a deep
breath, “So I’m wasting his hard earned money!” She threw another. “Less money
for him to shower on her!” She dropped the final one. The second woman was
cheering her on.
            “My turn, my turn!” the second woman exclaimed as she bought a
handful of glasses, repeating the process. “That’s for the maid, and the school
teacher, and the bartender!”
            “Meet me outside, ladies. We can continue our night on the town.
Perhaps with some revenge on those cheating husbands. A thigh for a thigh?”
Cisco asked. The women giggled bashfully.
            “Oh my, Cisco! You foolish devil!” one said.
            “Behave, darling,” the other teased with a wink before heading out.
            Cisco turned to see a defeated Lewis.
            “Why do you do this?” he asked softly.
            “Because I am going to need something soon,” Cisco said. “And all
this money I’m throwing at you is payment for it.”
            “Why not just pay me the lump sum of whatever you need?” Lewis
asked.
            “Because it’s not time yet,” Cisco said before heading over to the
broom. He grabbed it and took it with him. “Clean up the mess with your hands.”
            Humiliated, Lewis got onto the ground, on his knees, tears filling
his eyes. He picked up the shards and placed them into his designated glass
shards bucket. The pieces cut and tore up his hands. He finally headed home, in
pain, and his wife turned to see his hands.
            “Oh goodness, what happened to your hands?” Laura asked.
            “Something shattered at work. I had no broom handy,” Lewis said.
            “You fool,” Laura said comfortingly. “That was sellable
merchandise.” There was disappointment in her tone.
            “It was one object,” he lied.
            “Can you work, can you make more with your hands like this?” she
asked.
            He eyed her carefully. “Are you not concerned with me?”
            The next look nearly killed him. She looked right through him,
almost. “They’re just cuts. They’ll heal.”
            Lewis felt broken. He looked over at Leonardo, who was crawling on
the floor, leaving an icy trail behind him. “Right,” he said.
            Laura turned and headed to her bed. “Keep an eye on Len,” she
ordered. And he did. He picked up Leonardo, and the cold of his skin helped
numb the pain in his hands.
            His store was the new attraction for wealthier individuals. They
would come in, spend a lot of money, and shatter more than Cisco would in a
week. Len put less effort into his work, knowing they would just destroy it. He
just had to keep up the stock.
            A month later, a very wealthy looking man entered the shop with
protective guards. Sure, the recent flock were wealthier, but this man looked
royal. Lewis prepared for the worst.
            “I have heard that you’re the best selling glass smith around the
parts,” the man said.
            Cisco suddenly appeared from the back, disguised as a proper
apprentice. “Oh, he is sir! I hope to learn everything. Look all around you!”
            Every glasswork in the shop was not made by Lewis. It was all
ornate and beautifully adorned with jewels. Lewis was in awe at what surrounded
the shop. He turned suspiciously to Cisco who simply nodded. “I am putting my
money in the proper hands,” the man said. “I need a custom tiara made for my
baby girl. Gold and silver are too traditional, but glass, with jewels, it
makes a statement. Nothing less for a lord.” He set a large sack of gold and
platinum coins in front of Lewis. Lewis gasped. “You have one month. I want
this to be your only priority. I’ll come back weekly, checking on the progress,
with more gold,” the lord said.
            “I will not fail you!” Lewis said enthusiastically. The lord handed
him a sketch and left. Lewis turned to Cisco harshly. “Is this another setup?”
            Cisco shook his head and smiled. “This was not a plan of mine,” he
said sincerely. “I simply foresaw it. I see the future. I’m getting better at
it. It’s why I couldn’t predict your son’s powers. But I knew this was the best
way at reaching your fame. This is your opportunity, Lawrence.”
            “You….planned this?” Lewis asked.
            “I do need something soon,” Cisco said. “But we can worry about
that later. You have a tiara to forge.”
            Laura was so happy and astonished at the money and the fact that
her husband was making a tiara. It was the happiest they had been. Lewis was
working long hours. It was hard getting all the delicate details right. The
lord stopped by multiple times, complementing the work, giving Snart more
money. Cisco encouraged Lewis, watched, and cheered him on.
            Two nights before the lord was arriving, Snart finished the tiara
and locked it up safe in a small vault he got to protect the excess money he
had been gathering. He and Laura celebrated with a passionate night, which
induced labor. The new baby was born the next day.
            “Lisa,” Lewis suggested.
            “It’s not elegant enough. Not eloquent enough. We’re above common
rabble now, darling,” Laura said.
            “El…isa?” he suggested. Laura giggled.
            “That’s perfect,” she said.
            The day came that the lord came in to retrieve the crown. Laura was
there to watch with excitement. Cisco stood with Lewis, as a supportive friend,
holding the tiara on a velvet pillow. The lord inspected it and smiled.
            “It’s just as I envisioned,” the lord said. He gave Lewis a final
pouch of coins.
            “It’s been a pleasure,” Lewis said happily, beaming with joy and
excitement.
            “My love, come here,” the lord exclaimed. “Darling child, come
see!”
            Lewis eyed the entrance to see what beautiful daughter would sport
his work. His smile faltered when a dog came trouncing into the shop.
            “Susie, girl!” the lord exclaimed. Lewis looked over to Laura, who
was in shock. The lord knelt down to place the tiara on the dog’s head, but the
dog jumped up, opened her mouth, and chomped on the tiara with her teeth,
shattering it. Laura gasped of fear. Lewis was speechless. The lord and his
guards laughed. The dog proceeded to chew on and chomp at the glass shards,
even as blood was dripping from its mouth.
            “The dog, it’s hurting!” Lewis exclaimed. Laura was covering her
mouth in disgust.
            “It’s some lowly stray,” the lord sneered. “Like yourself. Your
reputation stands. The disgusting, hilarious glass shop where people pay a lot
of money to break the wares, humiliate the lowly street peasants who tear up
and cry.”
            “Honey, what does he mean?” Laura asked softly.
            “Oh my god!” the lord exclaimed. “Your poor wife didn’t know? This
is so my money’s worth! Lass, people pay your husband a lot of money to
humiliate him and destroy his shop! Rumor has it a man stole his broom so he
cleaned the dirty floor with his bare hands!”
            Laura looked at her husband with pity. Lewis felt pressure building
in his throat and lungs. The dog began to cough up blood, and Lewis felt the
same. But he was looking distraught at the morbid sight, and so did his wife.
The dog began to whimper and cry until it collapsed and died. The poor dog let
go of his bowels at death and shit and pissed on the floor. The lord hollered
more. “I can’t wait for him to clean that one up!” the lord said as he headed
out. The shop was tense and silent. Laura turned to her husband.
            “How did you never tell me this?” she asked softly, yet angrily.
            “We needed the money. You were proud of me. I stopped drinking,”
Lewis said.
            “You did this for MONEY?” she exclaimed. “You let this charade go
on for a YEAR for MONEY!?”
            “You were happy!” Lewis exclaimed.
            “No! I was a joke, married to a joke! They gave us money as
entertainment! We were the funny little poor villagers. Fuck it, you could have
gotten double if you showed them how much of an alcoholic you were! You could
have bloody stumbled all around this place for a good chuckle,” she berated.
            “You don’t mean this,” Lewis said.
            “I do,” she said flatly. “You’re not good for our kids.”
            “I love our kids,” he said.
            “I’m taking them away from you, you pathetic man,” she said.
            “That’s the cue,” Cisco said under his breath. He flicked his
hands, and Leonardo’s baby blanket appeared in Snart’s hands. Wind appeared in
the room, blowing strongly, fueled by Lewis’s anger.
            “You’re not taking my children away, you ungrateful bitch,” he said
assertively. The glass objects around the room began to levitate and float
around.
            “L-lewis, stop,” Laura begged. But every glass object flung at
Laura, shattering on impact, cutting her up everywhere. Laura collapsed,
bleeding everywhere. “L-lewis…” she forced out.
            Lewis immediately went into shock and regret, taken aback at the
events that just occurred. Cisco waved his hands, and purple smoke filled the
room. “A year of anger, a year of hurt, a year of humiliation and pain. The
blood of two lovers, at the hands of one another,” Cisco chanted. The smoke
disappeared, and the bodies of Laura and the dog were gone. Cisco’s magic
mirror levitated in the air. “Look at your reflection, Lewis. Look at the
powerful man you are. You now have the cold, hardened strength forged by loss
and pain. You are no longer a fragile man!”
            “I didn’t want her dead!” he exclaimed.
            “It’s alright,” Cisco said. “You have your children. Your beautiful
daughter Elisa doesn’t make ice, she makes gold. Use her powers to create a
wonderful life for yourself.”
            “You won’t get away with this, Cisco! I’m turning you in!” Lewis
exclaimed.
            Cisco laughed. “I’m a powerful sorcerer, I can use magic to get
away with anything. The husband is the first suspect. I’ll conjure up evidence
to make you guilty and throw you in jail. How does that sound?” Lewis paused,
defeated by Cisco once more. “Good. And in return for your freedom from jail,
and finally, your freedom from me, I will ask you one final request.”
            If looks could kill, Cisco would be dead now with the glare Lewis
was giving. “What more could you possibly want from me?”
            “Elisa’s hand in marriage, twenty, twenty five years from now,”
Cisco said.
            “What?” he asked.
            “I’m old-fashioned,” Cisco said. “Arrange our marriage. Give me
your blessing.”
            “You’ll go away?” he asked.
            Cisco nodded. “You pass away of natural causes twenty four years
from now. I’ll see Lisa in twenty-five if you wish.”
            “Done,” Lewis said.
            “Make sure Elisa sleeps in that blanket. Make sure she sleeps
surrounded by that gold. Once she begins making gold, sell it, make a great
life.  Your kids grow up perfect,” Cisco said. He turned around to head out the
store.
            “You didn’t want my daughter’s hand,” Lewis said. “You wanted that
mirror.”
            “Say anything more to me,” Cisco said, “And I’ll make it twenty-
three.”
            Lisa took a sip of her tea. “Wow,” she said. “You and my father
were friends growing up? You hung out every day?”
            “Absolutely,” Cisco lied.
            “I never knew my father was such a skilled glass smith. To sell a
crown to a lord, and have the lord bless us with this nice life,” Lisa said.
            “You were both privileged with a wonderful life,” Cisco said.
            “I wish I knew my mother. I worry she would have not been happy
with Leonardo and mine’s actions. We’ve used our powers to put ourselves ahead,
for power,” she spoke.
            “I have as well,” Cisco said.
            “I’m going to draw a bath, my love,” Lisa told as she got up from
the couch.
            “Enjoy, darling,” Cisco said. “I must write a letter, anyways.” 
Lisa smiled and headed down the hall to her own wing. Cisco headed up the
staircase to his magical study. He conjures up a piece of paper and a pigeon in
his hand. He gestures it out the window and it flies through a veil of purple
smoke, landing in the royal bedroom of another lady. The woman looked panicked
as she had to make sure nobody saw the bird appear out of the air. She took the
letter off of the bird and opened it.
            “Running out of time. Things are aligning. Are you ready for the
wedding?” she read aloud.
            “Caitlin!” another woman’s voice yelled. “Are you coming down?”
            “Just a moment, Felicity!” Caitlin exclaimed. She turned back to
the bird. “Tell Cisco I’m working on a few more items. I can get most, but what
I really really need is the death feather from the Black Canary. Cisco said he
was sending someone to them but I need a way of intercepting it if he wants
this bloody thing to work.”
            “Caitlin!” Felicity exclaimed.
            “Shoo!” Caitlin gestured to the bird, sending it off. “I’m coming,
sis!”
***** Chapter Five *****
Barry laid down in his cot, staring at the ceiling. He felt stupid for getting
caught the way he did. It was a humiliating experience. Barry Allen, one of the
most wanted men in the kingdom for murdering many people in cold blood, taken
down because underneath all the aggression and the evil he enjoyed being a
submissive little cock slut. He could have fried Edward. He could have fried
everyone in that tavern. He could do anything, but now he can’t because he’s in
a magic suppressing prison.
            The creaky door leading into the keep opened up, and slammed shut,
echoing through the stone underground. The footsteps that were approaching
seemed off. Barry had three meals a day, at fixed points in the day. The guard
that dropped them off was heavier, and his footsteps echoed heavier. This was
not his scheduled meal time, and these feet were much lighter. They were
definitely a woman’s. And unless a petite female guard was newly hired, Barry
knew there was only one person who could be visiting. The footsteps stopped in
front of the cell. There was lingering anticipation and silence. Barry’s
refrain from temptation was strong. He stared long and hard at the ceiling, not
giving in to her.
            “Barry,” the woman said.
            “Go away, Iris,” Barry said. Barry heard Iris let out a
disappointing sigh.
            “You’re my friend, Barry,” she said.
            “No.” The word was stern, solid, fact. Barry wasn’t going to
dispute anything other than what was the truth. Iris was not his friend.
            “You are my friend,” she retorted. She had the exact same
infliction. The exact same emphasis on her words being the solid truth.
“Regardless of whether or not I am yours is up to you.” Barry didn’t respond to
that statement. They just remained silent, brewing in the tense atmosphere.
“Barry, I worry about you.”
            “You worry about your kingdom,” Barry said. “Central Kingdom and
its people are my canvas to creatively express my rage and my pain.”
            “And I forgive you,” Iris said. Barry’s eyes, which had remained
closed this entire time, flared up. Barry jolted from his bed, launching
himself at Iris. He caught himself on the bars, gripping them as if he was
trying to pry them from the cement.
            “You forgive me!? YOU FORGIVE ME!?” Barry screamed the words into
Iris’s face. She stepped back in fear of what she had triggered within Barry.
“There is nothing, I repeat, NOTHING, to be forgiven for because I have done
nothing wrong! Everything I have done is what is owed to me, Iris!”
            “You had to be brought to Justice!” she exclaimed.
            “Justice is me dealing out the darkness inside my heart to the rest
of the world, Iris! Justice is me delivering out the sentences for the crimes
committed against me, Iris! Where is the justice in me suffering when nobody
else will?” Barry’s voice was thunderous and full of hatred. A tear was shed
from Iris’s eye.
            “I’m sorry about this, Barry,” she said. She took two strides
forward from the opposite wall, got close to Barry’s face, and flashed her eyes
white. Barry staggered backwards and collapsed onto his back, on hit cot.
            “Guards!” Iris exclaimed, as she felt around, trying to find the
wall. “I need an escort, please!”
            Guards rushed in, running down the hall. One guard wrapped Iris’s
arm around his shoulder and another gave her a long, walking stick. “Are you
ready to walk, ma’am?”
            “Yes, thank you,” Iris said, out of breath. They took small, slow
steps as Iris moved her stick back and forth.
            “Hasn’t your father instructed you not to use your powers, ma’am?”
the guard asked.
            “I am the princess,” Iris replied. “I do what I want.”
            The guards and Iris exited, and Barry was alone again with just his
thoughts, blinded. The only thing he could see right now was the past.
            Eight-year-old Barry and Iris were rolling a ball back and forth on
the floor of their playroom. They would play together all hours of the day.
            “Barry, do you think we’re going to be friends forever?” Iris
asked.
            Barry chuckled. “Of course, Iris. You’re my best friend.”
Iris entered the foyer of the castle only to be greeted by a stern-looking King
Joseph.
“You went down to see him, didn’t you?” Joe asked.
            “Of course I did,” Iris said. “It’s Barry, our Barry.”
            “He hasn’t been our Barry in a long while, Iris,” Joe responded.
            “Maybe if he had more love and support he wouldn’t have turned out
this way,” Iris said. “Barry was right, we did this to him.”
            “No, no. Barry is responsible for his own actions,” Joe said.
            “He got too damaged and didn’t know how to heal,” Iris said softly.
            “He knew what he did was wrong,” Joe said.
            “And why did nobody stop his father?” Iris asked. Joe stopped in
his tracks, and looked away from Iris. “Did,…did you know what was happening?”
            Joe slowly turned to face Iris. A somber expression fit his face.
“I had more pressing matters to attend to. It was not my position to oversee
how Henry raised his child,” Joe said softly. Iris’s face grew to one of
disgust and repulsion.
            “How could you let that happen!?” Iris exclaimed. “You made him
this way!”
            “Henry was my closest advisor. He knew all my secrets. It was only
fair I knew his,” Joe said.
            Iris stormed out of the foyer in tears. She bolted up the
staircase, down a hallway, and into her bedroom. “B-Barry,” she forced out. She
slowly made her way to her bed and crawled on it. She couldn’t tell if her eyes
were blurry from the tears or if they were still recovering from using her
powers on Barry.
            “Barry, have you seen the hairbrush I was using on my dolly?” Iris
asked.
            “No, I don’t know where your silly dolly hairbrush went,” Barry
said.
            “I don’t believe you,” Iris said. “You always play tricks on me.
You’re a trickster. That’s what you do.”
            “I’m no trickster, Iris,” Barry said. “I am honest and loyal.”
            “Then look into my eyes and tell me the truth, Barry Allen,” Iris
said.
            Barry turned to look Iris in the eyes. “Iris, I-”,
            Iris felt a sudden rush of tingling sensation in her eyes. The
whole room went black. “I hid it under the dresser,” Barry said. Iris fell
backwards.
            “Daddy! I can’t see! Daddy! Help!” Iris screamed.
Iris headed over to her vanity set and started to touch up her makeup that had
been ruined by her tears. She began to hum lowly and looked at her reflection,
and sang. “Darling don’t you cry now/ Tomorrow’s another day/ Honey stop the
tears now/ The pain will fade away/ Baby you can calm now/ Mistakes will happen
anyway/ Iris you may smile now/ Your Mother’s here to say…” her lip trembled
and she looked expectantly into the glass. “Mom, what would you say to me?” she
whispered faintly. Iris kept looking forward when she began to squint at
something in the reflection. She tapped on the glass. She looked behind her,
and back at the mirror. “Who’s there in the glass? I can see you!”
Wind began to blow and a light purple mist whirled around the room. Cisco was
sitting on the foot of her bed. “How could you see me through the mirror?” he
asked.
“I have special eyes,” Iris said. “At least that’s what my mother said when I
was born.”
“And you got your powers based off your name that already existed?” Cisco
asked.
“What powers?” Iris tried to lie.
“You don’t fool me, dear. I’ve been keeping an eye on you and Barry,” Cisco
said.
“Why?” She asked.
“Consider it an investment,” Cisco said.
“What did you invest?” Iris asked.
Smoke shrouded Cisco’s hands and a baby mobile appeared. “Does this look
familiar?”
Iris shook her head. “No.”
“Magic mobile,” Cisco said. “I’ve made a few of them. They affect the
environment. And while they don’t work every time, sometimes, there’s enough
power in a person that it sparks a change, and makes you special.”
“You mean,” Iris began, thinking about what the strange man was saying. “My
powers are from a mobile I had as a kid?”
“And not just you,” Cisco said. Iris gasped and placed her hands on her mouth.
“You gave Barry his powers! That means you’re responsible for all those deaths!
Every murder he’s done was because of you!”
“Slow down, honey,” Cisco said. “Barry would have been a murderer regardless.
What his father did to him? He would have done it with a knife in his sleep.
Barry was broken.”
Iris twirled around in her dress, smiling in the reflection. Barry smiled at
Iris. “Barry, I don’t know how I can do this in front of all those people,”
Iris said.
            “It’s just the usual fifteenth birthday celebratory crowning of a
princess,” Barry said. Iris chuckled.
            “Oh, but it’s so much pressure!” Iris exclaimed, her worries not
affecting her excitement or her smile. She swayed over to Barry. “You look so
handsome in your suit, Barry.”
            “Thank you, Iris,” Barry said with a smile. Iris looked deep into
Barry’s eyes before pressing her lips against his. The moment didn’t last,
Barry pushed Iris off him and fumbled back. Iris stumbled a few steps back,
looking hurt and confused. “Iris, I’m sorry. I just….don’t like you like that.
I,….I don’t like girls like that,” he said nervously.
            “Oh,” Iris said softly, still hurt, but she put on a smile. “It’s
not the end of the world. Maybe you can dance with a cute boy at the ball.”
            Henry Allen stepped away from Iris’s door, which was ajar, allowing
him to hear the whole thing.
           “I must tell Barry you’re the wizard that gave us our gifts,” Iris
said.
            “I don’t think so,” Cisco said. “I’d prefer to stay out of it. I’m
watching Barry closely, don’t worry, but he needs to believe he was born with
these powers,” Cisco lied. “They’re a part of who he is. If he finds out he was
made, well, he’d get angry. And we’ve seen him angry.”
            “Fine,” Iris said. “I won’t tell him.”
            “Thank you, dear,” Cisco said.
            “On one condition,” Iris said. “You can see me anywhere. I need you
to help me see my mother.”
            “Nora, my love,” Henry said, handing her a bouquet of flowers.
            “Oh, Henry, they look beautiful,” she said before softly smelling
them, and giving her husband a kiss on the cheek.
“Honey, I was thinking,” Henry said.
“Oh gosh,” she teased. “Bad things happen when you do that!” She stroked his
face. “What did you have in mind?”
“Barry is growing up,” Henry said. “We’re still young and spry. Let’s give
parenting another try.”
Nora’s smiling face flattened. “What?”
“I think we should try to have another kid, now that Barry is old,” Henry said.
“B-but you said you only wanted one kid, one kid only!” Nora was speaking
faster, and was less happy.
“Woah woah woah, hey,” Henry said as he reached out to his wife. “What’s wrong?
I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“When I ha-When I-….When I had Barry,” Nora choked out. “The midwife said there
was damage to my uterus. She had to uh, do a few things to keep it from
bleeding but, I am, I am not able to carry a child anymore, Henry.”
Henry was confused. He was taken a back. “Why, why did you not tell me?”
“You were always busy with the King, you didn’t need to worry about my health.
And you said you always wanted only one kid. I didn’t want you to worry about
it, or me. And this is the first time you’ve asked,” Nora said.
“Barry did this to you?” Henry asked.
“Honey, no!” Nora exclaimed, appalled. “These things just happen! Why would you
say that?”
“I’m sorry, I’m just upset. How could I know about this? Why didn’t he tell
me?” Henry ranted.
“He?” She asked. “Henry, what are you talking about?” Nora tried to
comfortingly touch Henry’s arm, but he swung at her with heavy force, knocking
her onto the ground.
“Nora!” Henry reached his hand out to pick her up, but she scoot away from him,
terrified and sobbing.
“Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me! Just leave me alone!” Nora said, crawling away
from her husband.
“Nora, it was an accident!” he begged.
“Just go away! Please don’t touch me! Please!”  She was shaking, anxious,
terrified. Blood was running down her nose, already starting to bruise. Henry
darted away out of shame. He watched from a window as Nora left the palace with
only a small bag. He began to cry and angrily slam his fist against the window.
“BARRY!!!” he exclaimed angrily.
Cisco held up a handheld mirror to Iris. “Now, this is not a magic mirror, they
are rare and difficult to come by. However, I was in the presence of one. With
my energy and your eyes, you might get a glimpse. I cannot promise anything,”
he said.
“That’s alright,” Iris said.
“Are you ready?” Cisco asked.
“Yes,” Iris responded. She took a deep breath and look intensely into the
mirror. She flashed her eyes white and saw her mother sickly as a young man
tends to her. They appear to be in a poverish shack. The young man kisses her
mother’s forehead. Iris handed over the mirror in Cisco’s general, but not
accurate direction. He steps to grab the mirror back, and holds his arm to
Iris. She feels for his hand, and he escorts her to her bed.
“What did you see?” Cisco asked.
“She’s dying. She’s sick,” Iris said. “The bastard is all grown up. He looks
sad. He’s taking care of her.”
“My condolences, Iris,” Cisco said.
“It’s just been a miserable day all around,” Iris said.
Henry stormed over to Barry’s bedroom, and locked the door behind him. “You
insolent child!”
Barry looked scared. “What happened? Dad, what’s wrong?”
“You are what’s wrong, Barry!” he exclaimed. “Your mother heard you confess
your perversion to Iris. And she immediately bolted out of the castle with her
things. She’s left us, because of you! First you hurt her in labor so she
couldn’t have any more children, and then you turned out to be worthless!”
Barry’s lower lip was trembling. Tears were on their way. Barry tried to bottle
everything up, but it hurt. The pressure from holding back his breath and his
tears caused pain in his face and lungs. “You’ve made her a failure as a
mother! She said what was the point in being one anymore since you ruined her
life!?”
“No,” Barry sobbed. “She would never say that! She loved me!”
“No,” Henry said. “She loved me! She dealt with you as a burden because that’s
what women do. They raise children in the hopes that they’ll be good, and bring
joy, but all you ever brought her was misery!” Barry cried more. He was scared.
His father was red from the yelling, and the anger. “You need to know the pain
she felt being your mother.”
He kicked Barry in the face, who was sitting down. Blood spattered from his
mouth and nose. Barry was groaning from the pain. Henry kicked him again in the
stomach, causing Barry to roll over onto his back, curled up. “Stop,” he said
faintly. “Please.” Henry responded by stomping on Barry’s stomach, and Barry
spit up more blood.
“You want to be a faggot, Barry?” Henry asked. “I’m going to show you exactly
what it means to be a faggot.” Henry started to adjust his belt, and Barry
looked fearful.
“No, please don’t. Don’t! No!”
Iris woke up from a nap with her vision returned. Cisco had left. She looked
outside the window. It was nighttime, and the moon was up. It was bright, and
beautiful. Iris headed back down into the cellar to visit Barry, who was
asleep.
“Barry,” she said softly. “Wake up.”
Barry groaned and slowly opened his eyes at Iris. “What do you want?”
“To apologize for earlier,” Iris said. “And to apologize for everything you’ve
been through. You deserved so much better.”
“I did,” he said sternly. “But it was taken away from me. All because you
kissed me. I’ve relived every memory because of your little parlor trick
earlier, and I realized I don’t blame you as much as I should.” Iris shed a
tear.
“Barry, please,” she whimpered. “My mother’s dying. Joe betrayed the both of
us. He knew everything the whole time, I can’t trust him. You’re all I have
left!”
Barry hesitated before responding. He slowly stood up from the bed and looked
at Iris. “What was that?” he asked. “Joe…knew everything?” He dragged the last
word slowly as his face distorted into one of anger. Barry let out a
bloodcurdling scream and started to bang his fist against the cell wall. “I
will kill him! I swear Iris, I will paint the fucking world with Joe’s blood if
it’s the last thing I do!”
Iris strolled over to Henry, who was leaving the foyer, carrying a tray of
food. He was headed up the stairs when Iris stopped him. “Mister Allen, is
Barry feeling any healthier?”
“Unfortunately not. The hay fever is still severe,” Henry lied.
“I read Hay Fever was supposed to improve after six months. I haven’t seen
him,” Iris said. “He must be lonely without Miss Allen here, but she’s finding
him a cure. She’s such a phenomenal mother,” Iris said.
“Move. I need to get this to Barry,” Henry said bitterly, annoyed. Iris
nervously stepped out of the way. Henry carried the food upstairs, and unlocked
Barry’s room with a master key. When he opened the door, the room was
blackened, smoky, and charred. Henry dropped the tray on the ground. “What the
hell?”
Barry turned to his father from looking out the window. “You know what I’ve
been doing, father? Every single day I have prayed for strength to fight you,
to protect myself, to prevent you from raping me, beating me,” he said. He
cocked his head, and slowly held up his hand, which slowly began to spark. “And
after so many months of endless torture, I have been answered.” He launched his
hand forward, sending streams of electricity to Henry, striking him down onto
his knees, his skin frying, the sound of sizzling echoing in the small,
enclosed room. Henry’s screams were deafening. Guards rushed up the stairs, and
Barry thrusted his other hand to electrocute them as well. Henry finally
stopped screaming when his skin was boiled and blackened in some parts, blood
oozing from his eyes. Barry bolted down the palace hallways, and Iris caught a
glimpse of him.
“Barry!? Barry!” Iris tried to chase after him, but he launched a bolt behind
him, causing Iris to brake and dodge out of the way. Iris looked back, and he
was gone. Iris began to cry for her friend. “Barry! Barry come back!”
Barry spent a year after his escape torturing people who had connections to his
mother, trying to hunt her down. Barry often had to hide out and escape guards.
Barry would kill the owners of a house and lurk there for a short time before
continuing a lead. He traveled all around the kingdom before he found her
working in an orphanage.
“I don’t believe a mother who abandons her child is suited for work at an
establishment like this,” Barry said coldly. He had snuck in after hours. Nora
set a child down and turned to the familiar voice.
“Barry,” she said softly. She took two steps towards him but Barry lifted his
hand.
“Stop,” he ordered. “I want to hear the truth. Why did you leave me?”
“I was scared,” Nora said. “Your father was talking crazy about me not having
children being your fault. I told him you did nothing, and he struck me. He
knocked me onto the ground, I bled.”
“You didn’t leave because I was gay?” Barry asked.
“What?” Nora asked. “No, I didn’t know. I wouldn’t leave for that. I left for
my safety.”
“How long did he abuse you?” Barry asked.
“It, it was, just the one incident,” Nora said.
“He hit you once, and you ran away?” Barry asked angrily. “You left your child
behind?”
“I panicked, I didn’t know how to come back,” Nora said.
“You weren’t worried about my safety?” Barry demanded.
“I was sure you were fine!” Nora said in a higher pitched voice.
“Are you lying?” Barry asked. Nora hesitated, her face showing a sign of guilt.

“You knew he’d hurt me and you did nothing.”
“Did Joe not arrest him? Get guards on him for what he did to me?” Nora asked.
“No,” Barry said. “Do you know what happened? Dad beat me to a pulp, and then
he raped me. He would do so every few days or so when he was drunk or angry,
which was often. The beatings were daily. I was locked in my room for six
months without seeing anyone else! He raped me over and over and over and you
let him!”
“No!” Nora exclaimed, crying. “Barry I’m so sorry!” She took another step
towards him, and Barry lifted his hands, electrocuting her. She screamed.
“My suffering and my pain has made me a god, mother,” Barry said. “I am going
to deal out the same suffering you gave me to every soul I see! I will make the
world a living hell like you inspired me to do!”
“Barry,” Nora choked out softly.
“Goodbye, mother,” Barry said right before he intensified the sparks, finally
killing her.
Barry lay on his back, looking angrily at the ceiling, annoyed at the memories
Iris returned to him. “You’ll be out soon, Barry,” he told himself. “There’s
more suffering to deal out.”
***** Chapter Six *****
Leonardo and Mickael continue their trek through the forest. They were tired,
weary, and aggravated from their journey.
“Face it, Len,” Mick complained. “We are lost or this tree doesn’t exist.”
“Of course it does,” Len replied. “Cisco would not have sent us after it if it
were false.”
“This Cisco is a villain and a fool,” Mick retorted.
“We’re villains too,” Len said.
“And clearly a fool as well,” Mick said sternly. “How can you trust such a sly
and shady individual?”
“That individual is set to marry my beloved sister,” Len said, trying to remain
his cool.
“How well do you know him? How well can you trust him?” Mick argued.
“I trust him plenty. He saved our lives at that Inn,” Len defended.
“What if he’s just trying to steal everything from you and your sister while
you are away?” Mick asked.
“Then you are the fool for even coming up with such an accusation,” Len said.
“You are foolish and you are blinded in the pursuit of a love you are not going
to get!” Mick exclaimed, immediately before being tackled to the ground, and
being punched on by Len.
“DON’T YOU EVER SAY TO ME AGAIN!” Len exclaimed. “I AM DESERVING OF LOVE AND I
WILL FIND HIM!”
The wind began to pick up and suddenly the forest, silent aside from the recent
argument, was full and thriving with the sounds of hundreds of chirping birds.
Len and Mick stood up and turned to see a giant tree, with multiple smaller
trunks dividing, binding, entwining, and forming an intricate design, with many
platforms.
“What the hell?” Mick asked.
“It’s the tree,” Len said happily.
Two women leapt from the canopy of the tree, landing on different trunk
platforms. Each had a similarly styled katana. One sister was masked, and wore
all black. The other was unveiled, and wore bright white. They launched at each
other’s directions, leaping into the sky, trying to attack each other. They
made it onto the same platform and charged at each other, attacking
mercilessly.
“Ladies,” Len tried to rationalize. The sisters jumped down to the ground, and
blocked each other with the katanas. They were locked in a stance, each trying
to push their swords onto each other.
“My sister and I are designed to fight against each other for all eternity,”
the White Canary said.
“We are locked in this tree, but you today, have given us a freedom,” the Black
Canary said.
“You may ask any wish your desire,” the White Canary said.
“If your wish is dark and you seek power for your own unholy ruling, I will be
honored to assist and grant your wish,” the Black Canary said.
“But I, as a seeker of purity and justice will try to stop it,” the White
Canary replied.
“And if you’re too sweet and waste a powerful wish on something benevolent and
pathetic I shall seek to destroy it,” the Black Canary teased.
“So tell us, Cold One,” White Canary said. “What is it that you wish?”
“I wish to free the love of my life, Barry Allen from prison in King Joseph’s
castle,” Len said.
“Why is he in prison?” the White Canary asked.
“Mass murder. He is very powerful and strong, and together we shall rule side
by side,” Len boasted.
“That is a person I want to see freed and let loose into this world,” the Black
Canary said with much vigor.
“And that is a person I cannot let roam with such malintention,” the White
Canary said. “He must be stopped.”
“And I will do whatever it takes to succeed,” Len said.
The Black Canary thrusted the White Canary’s sword upwards, and jumped
backwards to break the stance. Wings emerged from the White Canary and she flew
herself upwards into the sky, headed off. The Black Canary approaches Leonardo
and Mickael.
“If we are going to storm the King’s castle, we are going to need an army,” she
said. “Luckily, I know where you can raise one.”
“Raise one?” Len asked, intrigued.
“An army of Death Assassins,” the Black Canary said. “You would have the power
to summon soldiers out of the darkness who will do your bidding.”
“Where do I find these Death Assassins?” Len asked.
“There are trials you need to complete called The Demon’s Head Trials. If you
complete them, you will be fit to wield the ring of the once might Ra’s al
Ghul, and bring forth his army,” the Black Canary said.
“And how do I start these trials?” Len asked.
“Allow me,” she said. The magic tree began to move, the branches and bark
snapping and breaking as they twisted and contorted downwards to form a great
double helixed cage. The middle of the tree began to glow red as gusts of wind
picked up.
“What is this?” Len asked, raising his voice against the storm.
“You get nothing without risk and sacrifice. These trials take place in a
hellish realm of the Ra’s. All the tasks will be deadly and dangerous, but if
you succeed you will hold your power,” the Black Canary said.
“How many have attempted this?”
“Many, my lord.”
“And how many have succeeded?”
“Very few are deemed worthy. I will ask you: are you worthy?”
Len turned to look the Canary in the eye. “I am worthy of love. And that is
what I shall get.”
“You do not seek the power?” The Black Canary asked.
“Only as a tool to obtain what I truly desire,” Len replied.
The Black Canary smirked. “Then you might be the first in a long time I have
seen to pull this off. Go forth, my Lord.”
Len walked up to the tree, and climbed in the space between two trunks. He
looked down at the swirling red vortex and leapt.
 
Iris entered the dining area, her meal set for her at the table with her father
at the other side. She just stood there, silently, looking at her father with
an emotionless, cement face.
“Iris, please sit,” Joe gestured to the chair.
“If the conversation of whatever you would like to say to me requires me to
sit, it is longer than I would like to partake with you,” she said coldly.
“Iris, please,” Joe begged.
“You made a decision, father, and you have the luxury of living with the
consequences of your actions,” Iris said. “Guards!”
Guards open the door to the dining area and march towards Joe.
“Iris!?” Joe exclaimed as he quickly shot up out of his chair and backed away.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“As princess of the Central Kingdom, Joseph West, you are under arrest for
treason in enabling and assisting in the illegal captivity, battery, and sexual
assault of the child of the King’s Advisor,” Iris commanded. “I am acting under
authority of the Central City Constitution in which with sufficient amount of
evidence and/or probable cause with two-thirds of Parliament’s approval, a
member of any anointed or appointed Head of Government may receive a warrant
for arrest sans treason charges unless the arrested Head of Government is found
innocent and unjustly arrested,” Iris read from a document. The guards placed
King Joseph’s arms behind his back.
“Iris,” Joseph said softly. “You don’t know how to lead.”
“And you don’t know me,” Iris said.
The guards ushered Joseph away out of the dining area, Iris looking at her
father the entire time. He could not brave himself to look her in the eye. The
room was emptied and Iris just stood there in solitary. She took a few steps
towards the store before she heard the sounds of wings flapping. She turned to
see the White Canary with her wings proudly open.
“Hello, Iris,” the White Canary said.
“Hello,” she said carefully. “Are you an Angel?”
“No, child,” she said. “My name is Sara. But you may call me the White Canary.
I am here because I bring forth terrible news.”
“What is it?” Iris asked.
“My sister has met a gentleman named Leonardo. He plans on breaking into this
castle and freeing the dangerous Barry Allen from your captivity,” Sara said.
“Thank you for the warning,” Iris said. “I will prepare guards.”
“But I offer you more than just a warning, Miss Iris!” the White Canary said
happily.
“What can you offer me?” Iris asked, intrigued.
“A cure for evil,” she said.
 
Leonardo fell down the vast portal and crashed down onto a platform of rock.
The impact did not hurt, and Leonardo picked himself up. The sky around him was
dark and crimson, like blood mixed into the night. There were many rock debris
and platforms floating in the air in the distance. There was a man on the
platform with him, dressed in black armor.
“I see I have a new challenger,” the man said. He turned to face Len, who was
picking himself up off the ground. “What is your name?”
“Leonardo Snart,” Len said. “You?
The man scoffed. “Most people here have pursued me. I am The Demon’s Head. I am
Ra’s al Ghul.”
“I was told if I did these trials I would become Ra’s,” Len said.
“If you succeed, you will,” Ra’s said. “But I have seen many a challenger, and
I have killed many a man.”
“I would like to begin,” Len said flatly.
“Interesting,” Ra’s said. “You are the first I have met that did not display
any arrogance or ego. At least not, so soon.”
“I am willing to do what it takes to prove I am deserving of love,” Len said.
The Ra’s smile fell into one of annoyance. “You are here….for love?” He sneered
on the word.
“What was yours?” Len asked. Ra’s smirked.
“Your first trial is to test your resolve,” the Ra’s said. The land changed,
and suddenly the Ra’s and Len were in a village, surrounded by huts. “Your task
is to kill every innocent woman and child in this village.”
“Is this real?” Len asked.
“Yes,” Ra’s said. “We are in South America. This village is called Inoxidável.
If at any point the weight of your actions becomes too much to bear, open the
locket on your neck, and your life will be sacrificed and theirs shall be
spared.” A locket appeared around his neck. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” Len replied.
“Begin,” Ra’s instructed. Len marched forwards into the village and made his
way to the first hut he saw. He formed an ice sword in his hands and burst
through the cloth partition. One child woke up to the noise, and had a scared
look on his face, but Len impaled his chest before he had a chance to scream.
Len removed the sword and stabbed the sleeping mother. The force woke her up,
but her instinct to sit up only further impaled herself on the sword. Her eyes
glanced over to her dead child, shedding one tear before her eyes lost light.
Len headed to the next hut and raised his hands to send chilling gusts to the
hut. Ice quickly glazed the structure, and kept layering thicker and thicker.
The interior would not only be freezing them to death, but slowly filling with
ice, giving the family less room until the ice crushed them.
“I am very pleased with your ingenuity, but I would like to see something more
brutal, please,” Ra’s said.
Len entered another home, a woman was breast-feeding her newborn. She screamed
at the sight of Len, holding her baby closer. Leonardo pried the child out of
her hands. The child screamed as ice covered the entire child, freezing it
solid. Once the newborn was nothing but ice, Len crushed and ground the ice
into a fine snow powder in front of the mother. The look of distraught on her
face did not phase Len. He stepped closer to her and snapped her neck.
It took Len about fifteen more minutes to lay waste to the small village. He
approached a very pleased Ra’s al Ghul. “Very good, sir. You have passed your
first test.”
“What is the second?”
“Slow down,” the Ra’s said as he plucked the glowing locket from Leonardo’s
neck. “This locket now contains many innocent souls.” Ra’s headed over to Len
and held his head back. “Your first task is to stomach the consequences of your
actions. If the innocence of all these souls combines is stronger than your
dark heart, you are in no position to be Ra’s, and you will die.” The Ra’s
shoved the locket in Len’s mouth, and used his hand to keep Len’s head steady.
Len felt fire burn in his mouth and through his body. His body seizured and
writhed in the firm grasp of Ra’s al Ghul. His heart and lungs felt like they
were shrinking, hardening, and crumbling under the weight of guilt and empathy.
Len was feeling emotions he had not felt in ages, but he assured himself that
they were not real-just a figment of the potion. Len was sure of his
convictions and his decisions and his actions. The world would die in ice at
the hands of his fingertips. He would be united with the love of his life.
Tears forced their way out of his eyes. It was hard to hold onto life. But Len
thought of Barry, and he thought of everything he had done to get this far. Len
was not going to allow failure, not now and not ever. The pain went away, and
the raging storm inside his body settled. Len took a deep breath to regain his
strength, and looked at the Ra’s who smiled upon him.
“Impressive,” said Ra’s. “You didn’t falter. You are truly a man of character.
You may just be worthy of my title.”
“Let us get this over with,” Len said. “What is the final task?”
“Impatience is weakness, Leonardo,” Ra’s said. “If you are going to fail, do
not let it be over something trivial. You are better than that. You are the
closest I’ve seen anyone getting to me in a long time. I wish to savor the
memory of you.”
“What is the last task?” Len asked sternly.
Ra’s smirked. “A fight to the death.”
 
Iris paced around her dining hall. “Is it possible? Cure somebody of their evil
ways?”
“It is not easy, my princess,” Sara said. “But I believe together we can make
Barry Allen well again, in the path and vision of the light!”
“How will it be done?” Iris asked.
“I believe with your powers, we have a chance. You need to make Barry Allen new
again, in your vision. You must show Barry the goodness of the world and
project it to him. You’ll need a lot, though. But with your skills, and mine, I
believe we can lead Barry to righteousness, together,” the White Canary
preached.
“This is great news!” Iris exclaimed.
“You must hurry, though,” Sara said. “I do not know how long my sister’s
champion will complete his trials. He does not seem like a likely loser. They
will likely storm the castle in twenty-four hours, princess. And you must bear
witness to enough joy in time to cure Barry before that happens!”
“Where should I go?” Iris asked in a panic.
“I am afraid I do not know,” the White Canary said. “You must face this trial
on your own.”
“I will be back in time,” Iris said as she stormed out of the dining hall.
“Guards! Prepare my carriage! We haven’t much time!”
 
“A battle?” Len asked.
“There may only be one Ra’s al Ghul,” he replied.
“I only want the ring to command the Death Assassins,” Len said.
“The Death Assassins are just one fraction of The Demon that I head. It is all
or nothing, and you must be prepared for that, Leonardo Snart,” Ra’s lectured.
“Then I will do what is necessary,” Len said.
“Good,” the Ra’s said before summoning a sword for the both of them.
“I have my own,” Len said as two ice swords formed in his hands.
“The second one was not for you,” Ra’s said before lunging at Len. Len dodged
and deflected the attacks from the older man, sparring back.
“I am a master in swordsmanship, Leonardo. You cannot trump me,” Ra’s taunted.
“And I am determined,” Len replied as he charged back at Ra’s. Their swords
clashed and were pressed together like a test of strength.
“Give up, Snart” Ra’s said condescendingly. “I have defeated many a foe who
have tried to secede me.”
“And none of them have been me,” Len replied, quickly bringing his knee up to
stagger the Ra’s. Len quickly brought the sword around, and sliced it through
the neck of the Ra’s, sliding his head off of his body. Len knelt down and took
the ring off of the dead man’s hand, and slid it on his own. The scenery and
environment burnt away and Len found himself again at the stump of the tree,
the Black Canary and Mick looking at him.
“You have succeeded, my champion!” Laurel exclaimed.
“Was there ever any doubt?” Leonardo boasted.
“Just a bit,” Mick replied, to which Len gave him a stern glare. Len whirled
his hand around, and assassins emerged from the shadows in the ground.
“Learn your new respect,” Len demanded. “It’s time for us to storm the castle.”
***** Chapter Seven *****
 
                       
“Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To cherish and to
hold for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you
part?” a cleric asked.
“I do,” said a beautiful bride. She was smiling radiantly, flowers adorned her
hair and her dress was lovely.
“Then I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,” the cleric
said. The groom gently cupped the bride’s blushing face and they shared a
tender and intimate kiss. They pulled apart smiling strongly and laughing,
receiving much applause from their guests. Iris was smiling and clapping with
her pure white eyes slowly returning to normal. The bride and the groom walked
up the aisle, stopping at Iris.
“Thank you so much for attending our small ceremony, princess,” the bride said.
“I am so sorry to crash. It was beautiful. It was so lovely. I had to see it!”
Iris said.
“Have a blessed day!” the bride said as she and her newlywed walked off.
Iris smiled and headed out of the park that the ceremony took place in. She was
walking down the path when Sara appeared.
“White Canary!” Iris exclaimed. “What’s wrong? You seem flustered!”
“My sister’s champion has survived his trials, and is now on his way to the
castle! We must hurry!” Sara exclaimed.
Iris’s eye widened in fear. “I don’t know if I have enough good yet! I’ve seen
a wedding, a mother giving birth to her first child, I saw-”
“There’s no time, Iris!” the White Canary exclaimed. “We have to do the best we
can! We must head back to the castle now!”
 
Barry sat in his cell and played with a rubber ball, one of his few things to
amuse himself. He was quite bored in his cell. He was bouncing it off of the
wall when the sound of the door opened at the end of the hall.
“Is it time for my meal?” Barry asked teasingly. “I do have a hunger, but sadly
it is not for lamb, but it is for death and destruction!” He turned around
menacingly, but his face fell when he saw not a guard, but Cisco at his cell.
“Hello, Mister Allen,” Cisco said.
“Who are you?” Barry asked.
“I am Cisco, and I am a powerful sorcerer,” Cisco said.
“Are you here to free me, sir?” Barry asked.
“No,” Cisco said. “I mean, I could, if I wanted to, but you already have a
savoir on his way. A man who loves you.”
“So you’ve come here to taunt,” Barry said, aggravated.
“Wrong. His name is Leonardo Snart. He wants the same thing as you, to make
sure the world is his to conquer, and to destroy,” Cisco said. “Just with you
at his side.”
“Then why are you here?” Barry asked.
“I am afraid your friend Iris has a plan to remove the evil out of you,” Cisco
said.
“That’s not possible,” Barry said.
“Says a man who throws lightening. Magic can do almost anything. And yes, a
purification ritual exists, and yes, Iris does have the ability to carry it
out,” Cisco said. Barry’s stern, powerful look softened by concern. “She will
make your hurting stop, and make your heart heal.”
Barry lunged at the steel bars and tried to shake them. “I don’t want to heal!
I don’t want to be better! I want to make everyone else suffer and hurt like I
have!”
“And I want to see you do that, Barry,” Cisco said. Cisco stepped back and
thick, black clouds rose from the ground. Cisco sent them forwards towards
Barry, but the clouds dissolved as soon as they touched the jail cell bars.
“There’s no magic allowed, genius,” Barry said.
“Right,” Cisco said aggravated.
“Just free me,” Barry demanded.
“It has to be Leonardo!” Cisco demanded. The sound of the dungeon door opening
was heard. Cisco vanished in a fog of smoke.
“CISCO!” Barry exclaimed.
Iris and the White Canary came into the cellar and approached Barry’s cell.
Barry stepped back against the wall.
“Come here, Barry,” Iris said. Barry kept his eyes closed.
“I’m not going to let you do whatever you have planned, Iris,” Barry said.
“I don’t need to use any magic, ma’am,” Sara said. “Open up the cell.”
Iris unlocked the cell and opened the door. The White Canary stormed in the
cell towards Barry. Barry blindly swung and she quickly maneuvered herself to
put Barry in a hold and ushered him closer to Iris.
“Don’t pass that line, Sara,” Iris ordered. Sara held him close right in front
of Iris, before the line.
“Barry, open your eyes.” Iris said.
“Why do you want to do this, Iris?” Barry asked.
“I want to help you, Barry. Tell me, does hurting others really help you long
term?” Iris asked. “Have you ever felt better after you kill?”
“I get a rush of endorphins that makes me feel powerful. It makes me feel like
I have control!” Barry exclaimed.
“Control and power that you felt were lost when your father tortured you, and
violated you,” Iris said softly. Barry slowly stopped squirming from Sara’s
grip. “I can never understand how you feel, Barry. I am privileged and
fortunate enough to not understand your pain. And I will never truly know what
you’ve gone through or what you feel. But what I can do is tell you that
whatever you’re feeling right now, how awful and terrible it is, that it can go
away forever. You can be who you were before the incident with your father. And
then you can use your powers to save children and people from their abusers,
you can prevent people from experiencing what you have gone through. Barry,
instead of destroying lives, you can save them. You can stop people like your
father and your mother from hurting people like you. Doesn’t that sound nice,
Barry?”
Barry slowly opened his eyes, tears in them. “Yes,” he said softly.
Iris’s eyes flashed white and so did Barry’s. He became limp in the White
Canary’s arms and she was able to pick him up and swing him over her shoulder.
“We must hurry,” the White Canary said.
Iris nodded and grabbed her walking stick. “Lead the way.”
 
Len, Mick, and Laurel rode shadow horses on the way to the palace. They stormed
into the city and citizens were launching out of the way of the streets. Guards
showed up in the plaza with a readied stance. The Black Canary screeched and
the sound waves staggered and disoriented the militia. The horses knocked the
guards out of the way, trampling them, and storming past them.
They made their way closer to the castle border. The gate was closed and
archers were on the top of the wall. Len raised up his hand, black smoke
appearing in the air. Death Assassins emerged from the mist. The assassins
scaled the walls with ease and effortlessly slayed the guards on top of the
wall. The Black Canary screeched again and burst the gate doors open. The
trio’s horses galloped into the courtyard where a large army awaited them. Mick
launched fireballs at the soldiers, some of which were able to deflect with
their shields. Len rode around the courtyard, glazing the guards and field in
cruel ice, some of which penetrated the guard’s armor.
Laurel jumped off of her horse and started to fight the soldiers in armed
combat. She used her fighting to knock the soldiers down and then stabbed them
with her sword. Len raised his hand and more Death Assassins emerged from the
ground, fighting the guards.
“DESTROY!” Len commanded.
 
Sara and Iris went to the highest tower in the castle. Cisco watched carefully
from a beam in the ceiling. Sara lay Barry on a table that was covered in a
white cloth.
“Help me light the candles,” Sara commanded. Iris and Sara rushed around with
matches, lighting the candles. Cisco gestured with his hand and wind picked up,
putting the candles out. “Someone is here, Iris,” the White Canary said. Her
wings sprouted and she launched in the air. She spotted Cisco and he vanished
into a smoke cloud. “We have to hurry, Iris. He will surely try to sabotage
something else!” Iris got all he candles lit, and Sara landed on the ground.
Sara raises her hands and the flames grew and spouted like torches. “Iris, look
into Barry’s eyes.”
Iris moved over the Barry and looked into his eyes. Her eyes turned gold and
she projected all the goodness she had witnessed into Barry’s soul. Cisco
apparated and shot dark purple clouds at Barry’s body. Iris dashed over and
struck Cisco down, the clouds vanishing. She stepped on his throat.
“Do not ruin this for me!” she commanded.
“Likewise, princess,” Cisco said.
 
Len, Mick, Laurel, and the Death Assassins stormed the castle hallways and
corridors.
“I sense my sister,” the Black Canary said. “She’s at the highest tower. Their
ritual is nearly complete.”
“We must hurry,” Len said.
 
Sara was chanting a spell and yellow, sparkling mist appeared in the room.
Cisco turned into smoke and moved to the other side of the room. He sent more
darkness into the aura, but the smoke was dissolving as soon as it touched the
gold smoke.
“The purification is working!” Iris exclaimed happily.
“I’M TOO LATE!” Cisco yelled, enraged, and he used all his strength to shoot
pitch black bolts towards Barry. The black bolts lost their power, fading into
a bright purple, losing its shape into only smoke. A small swirl of darkness
did make its way to Barry’s heart.
“No!” Iris exclaimed.
Len, Mick, Laurel, and the assassins barged in. Laurel darted towards her
sister and knocked her down, clearing up the room of the bright mist. The
assassins restrained Iris without killing her. Len grabbed Barry’s unconscious
body and hauled him over his shoulder.
“You’re too late!” Iris exclaimed. “He is pure of heart now!”
Len turned to look at her. “There is no curing a wicked heart,” he said coldly
before turning away and continuing out the castle with Mick. A clock chimed,
and the canary sisters turned back into small birds and flew off into the sky.
The Death Assassins turned to smoke and vanished. Iris was left alone with
Cisco, still in the room.
“What are your intentions, sir?” she asked.
Cisco smiled and disappeared into smoke.
 
“It has to be Leonardo!” Cisco demanded. The sound of the dungeon door opening
was heard. Cisco vanished in a fog of smoke.
“CISCO!” Barry exclaimed.
Cisco appeared in another wing of the dungeon, in front of King Joseph. Joseph
was startled and retreated against the wall of his cage.
“Who are you!?” the King exclaimed.
“I am a very powerful sorcerer,” Cisco said. “I must say it was quite the
scandal to hear the mighty king got arrested for being an accessory to child
rape. Why, it shook me to the core.”
“I have made mistakes,” the king said.
“No, no, no. See, a tavern wench spilling ale on a patron’s lap is a mistake.
Me using winged newt tears instead of horned lizard blood in a potion is a
mistake. You, sir, are just evil.” Cisco replied. “But you have the chance to
do some good right now to atone.”
“What do you mean?” the king asked.
“An army of Death Assassins have broken into the castle. You know what they’re
after,” Cisco said.
“Yes,” Joe said softly, scared. “The Lazarus Pit.”
“They are here to free Barry Allen and use it on him,” Cisco pleaded. “You know
what a power like that will do in the wrong hands.”
Joe looked pensive and afraid. The stress was evident on his face. “How do I
trust you!?”
“I don’t have the ring of the Ra’s,” Cisco said, holding up his hands to
display. “I am a wielder of light magic.” He conjured up golden, yellow,
shimmering clouds. “I can protect the Lazarus Pit, my king, but there isn’t
much time!” Crashes and clanging could be heard from above. Joe looked
terrified.
“Alright,” Joe said. “The map to the Lazarus Pit is hidden in my old chambers,
behind a family portrait of me, my wife, and Iris. Please protect it.”
“I will,” Cisco said empathetically. “I must go.” Cisco vanished in the gold
smoke and apparated into King Joseph’s room. “Gold is not my color.”
Cisco headed over to the portrait above the fireplace and dusted it away with a
cloud of violet haze until only the map was in the frame. Cisco smiled
wickedly. “That Lazarus Pit is mine, now!”
***** Chapter Eight *****
“Caitlin!” Felicity exclaimed from the hallway. “Caitlin where are you?”
Felicity giggled and laughed as she pranced around her castle. “Caitlin, quit
hiding from me!” Felicity entered a parlor room where Caitlin was napping on a
lounge, wrapped in a blanket by the fireplace. “Oh, Caitlin. You’re so tired.”
Felicity approached her sister and gently stroked Caitlin’s arm, gently awaking
her.
Caitlin woke up with a yawn, and saw her sister standing before her.
“Felicity,” she said sleepily. “My favorite younger sister, how are you today?”
“I feel delighted, and energetic, and happy,” Felicity beamed. “Every day is
wonderful and beautiful when you’re in love.”
“And every day I’m happy because you’re happy,” Caitlin said, placing a hand on
her sister’s.
“Ooh,” Felicity said in a shock. “You are always so cold.”
“And you are always too warm,” Caitlin said, making her sister laugh.
“I cannot believe my wedding is just a week away,” Felicity said.
“I’m going to miss having you around,” Caitlin replied. “I’ll be so alone in
this big castle.”
“You’ll have father,” Felicity reassured. Caitlin flashed a nervous,
unconvincing smile.
“Yes,” she replied softly.  Felicity was too blissful and ignorant to notice
the falter in her sister’s voice. Felicity stood up and began to dance and spin
around. She giggles as she moved effortlessly around the room. Caitlin tried to
smile at her sister’s happiness, but she found herself worried about her
sister’s words.
“I’m going to head back to sleep, Felicity, I’ll see you in the morning,”
Caitlin said with false positivity.
Felicity stopped her dancing and hugged her sister. “Goodnight, my sister.
Sleep well.”
“I shall,” Caitlin said. Caitlin made her way through her castle to her
bedroom. The bed had none of its bedding on the wooden frame, but instead had
it all placed in front of the fireplace. Caitlin hauled over firewood from a
rather large stash pile in the corner of her quarters and started the fire. She
entered her washroom and started a fire in the fireplace there as well. This
one had a contraption to heat a pot of water. She grabbed some rags to
carefully remove the warm pot onto a sturdy counter. She removed her gown from
her body to reveal a much paler body under the areas that had been covered as
opposed to the areas that were exposed. Caitlin dipped a rag into the warm
water and wrung it out before washing her arms. Her warm vanilla composure
rubbed away to reveal more pale white pigment. She washed and washed and took
the cloth to her face and lips. Her pink lipstick came off effortlessly. Her
natural lips were very dark purple, like a fresh bruise. She dipped her
brunette hair into the pot and rubbed some soap into her hair. As she raked
through the strands and roots, rinsing and repeating, the brown dye ran off,
revealing pure white hair. She dumped the now brown water down the drain and
washed the brown dye off of her hands. She looked into the mirror again,
completely unrecognizable. She cried at her reflection and frost formed at the
counter under her grip. She gained her composure and retreated back to her
bedding by the fireplace and went to sleep.
 
The next morning, Lord Ronald entered the palace, escorted with a guard.
Felicity ran to greet him. He smiled brightly and lifted Felicity, swinging her
around in the air. Felicity laughed and shrieked. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Put
me down! Put me down!” she panicked. Ronald set her down gently and kissed her.
“How are you this morning, my love?”
“I am wonderful now, now that I have seen and kissed my Felicity,” Ronald said.
“How is my Felicity?”
“Thriving and joyous now that I am in the arms of my Ronald,” Felicity said
before tenderly kissing him again.
Caitlin came down the stairs, makeup on with her hair dyed brown, and laid eyes
on the couple. She cleared her throat and the couple stopped. Felicity blushed
heavily, unable to look her sister in the eye. “Good morning, my sister,”
Caitlin said. “And Ronald.”
“Good morning, Caitlin,” Ronald replied.
“No going into the courtyard. At all,” Caitlin ordered. “Setup is starting, and
you mustn’t see it until you walk down the aisle.”
“Shouldn’t I know what my venue looks like?” Felicity pleaded. “I am the
bride!”
Caitlin shook her head. “I want it to be a surprise. Like you’re walking into a
wonderland! Just think of how magical it is going to be!” Caitlin took
Felicity’s hands into hers.
“Well please work hard!” Felicity teased. “Get some warmth in these hands of
yours! But your taste is superb, and I trust you to arrange it beautifully.”
“Only the best for my sister,” Caitlin promised. “Run along now you two!”
Caitlin headed into the back of the castle, entering the courtyard. Workers had
already begun building the gazebo. Caitlin walked into the gardens and sat down
on the concrete bench that was dedicated to her mother. A rush of purple smoke
appeared next to her, and Cisco was sitting on the bench with her.
“Good morning, Caitlin,” Cisco said.
“Good morning, Cisco,” she replied.
“Our big day is just one week away, love,” Cisco said. “How do you feel? Be
honest.”
“I worry about my sister, but I am otherwise ecstatic. We are doing the right
thing,” Caitlin said.
“Yes, Caitlin, we are,” Cisco reassured as he handed her a small satchel.
Caitlin opened it up and held up a purple crystal.
“These go on the gazebo?” Caitlin asked.
“Precisely,” Cisco answered.
“I’ll have everything else ready,” Caitlin said.
“We only have one shot at this,” Cisco replied.
“I am aware,” Caitlin said. “This is to protect my sister, and make us closer.
I am dedicated to the cause.”
“Good,” Cisco affirmed. “I’m finishing things up on my end. I will see you at
the wedding, princess.” Cisco disappeared into another cloud of purple smoke
and Caitlin headed back into the castle. She headed towards the kitchen and
began to pour herself a glass of lemonade from a barrel. She gently frosted the
glass and took a sip. Ronnie entered the kitchen, smirking when he saw Caitlin.
She uncomfortably tried to leave before Ronnie blocked her.
“What’s the rush?” Ronald asked.
“I have a wedding to plan,” she said.
“You deserve a break,” Ronald said softly. “Stay, have a drink with me.”
“I would prefer not to,” Caitlin replied.
“You are acting so cold to me, Caitlin,” Ronnie teased. “I just want to keep
you company. We’ve kept each other company before.”
Caitlin set her glass down loudly on the wooden table and glared at Ronnie, who
had a flirtatious smirk. “You better stop these games once you and my sister
exchange your vows, you pig. My sister is the kindest, purest person on this
planet, and you will not betray her or deceive her. Her happiness is the most
important thing to me. You are engaged,” she ranted.
“Our engagement wasn’t a problem before. And as I recall,” Ronnie said, moving
closer to Caitlin. “You made the advances on me.” Caitlin didn’t move, and her
facial expression didn’t falter. She maintained her eye contact with Ronnie as
he got closer. “I’m not surprised that the bastard daughter of Snowvalle would
try to sleep her way up the ranks and attain a lord her sister was engaged to.”
That broke her. She shoved Ronnie out of the way and bolted her way to the
stairwell. She made her way to her bedroom, locked the door and collapsed on
the floor. As she hit the ground, ice extended from the impact and raced in all
directions around her, bolting up the walls. She crawled crying closer to the
fireplace, where the fire was dying slowly. Ice thickened underneath Caitlin as
she crawled to her bedding. She desperately grabbed the flint box and tried to
start the fire back up again. The fire began to grow and Caitlin took a deep
breath and crawled underneath her covers.
When Caitlin woke up again, the sun was setting and all the ice in her room had
melted. She could see the water puddles in a few areas on her floor. She exited
her room and made her way downstairs. Her father was drinking a large glass of
ale, and Caitlin knew it probably wasn’t his first.
“Caitlin, come here,” he demanded. Caitlin approached slowly, her head held
high, and looking him in the eye. She was scared, but she composed her
strength.
“Yes, father?” Caitlin asked.
He rolled his eyes and took another drink of his ale. “Have you been asleep all
day?”
“I felt unwell,” Caitlin said. “I was trapped in bed rest.”
“And it had nothing to do with Ronald?” he asked. Caitlin hesitated to answer
the question, causing him to slam his fists on the table. “Aha! You little
tramp! You’re trying to get your meddling paws into his trousers again, aren’t
you?”
“No! I promise! I detest him!” Caitlin pleaded, only to be struck with a heavy
hand, toppling her over.
“That is no way to talk about the fine young gentleman you manner less bitch!”
he yelled as he approached her, and grabbed her by the collar.
“No!” Caitlin screamed.
“Haven’t you done enough damage to this family!? You almost ruined everything
to start with!” He hit her again and she cried. “I don’t know if you get your
disrespect for the sanctity of an engagement and a marriage from your tramp
mother or your good for nothing father!”
“He harassed me! He made the pass at me!” Caitlin cried. “Please don’t hurt
me!”
“Yeah right, you good for nothing whore!” he shouted as he struck her again.
“Do you want us to be broke and lose our kingdom!?” He tried to hit her one
more time, but Caitlin grabbed his wrist, and stopped him.
“I am through being bullied by you, father,” she said. Ice crawled against his
skin and he started to panic and scream.
“What are you doing? Caitlin!” he exclaimed. His whole body turned to ice and
then shattered into ice chips on the floor. Caitlin picked herself up and she
made the ice swirl around her as she walked over to the fireplace in the
parlor. With a thrust of her hand, she launched the icy remains of her father
into the fire. She went upstairs and washed away all of her makeup. She eyed
herself in the mirror. Now, instead of hating her body, she felt pride. She
eyed every inch of her pale, icy figure, and she reflected back on the incident
that made her like this.
 
A beautiful blonde entered a tavern and had a seat at a table. A bar wench
poured her a glass of wine. She caught eyes with an attractive gentleman at the
other side of the tavern. She blushed and turned away but the gentleman came
over to her table. She giggled.
“Hello, gorgeous,” the man said.
The woman blushed and hid her face before turning back. “Hello.”
“Do you have a name, lass?” he asked.
“It’s Donna. And you?” she asked.
“John Constantine,” he replied.
“It’s nice to meet you, John Constantine,” Donna said. “What brings you here
tonight?”
“Same as everyone. I’m looking for love. Is that your reason?” John asked.
Donna laughed. “No,” she said, holding up her hand, displaying her engagement
ring. “I found love. I’m getting married to love tomorrow. It is my
bachelorette night.”
“Your last night as a single woman,” John said eagerly.
Donna blushed. “Not like that, John Constantine. Besides, you’re looking for
love.”
“I did say I’m looking for love, yes, but I am only looking for love for the
night,” John Constantine flirted. Donna became bashful and laughed. She turned
red.
“I cannot believe you said that to a woman!” Donna exclaimed.
“Well I definitely am not going to say it to a man. I have no judgements,
myself, but it’s just not for me. I feel like it would be a big,…pain in the
ass,” John joked. Donna laughed more and drank her wine.
“You are such a vulgar man,” Donna said.
“Is your love so prim and proper?” John asked.
“Yes, it’s Prince Noah Kuttler,” Donna said.
“Right,” John said condescendingly. He elevated his voice. “I’m marrying the
Ice Prince of Snowvalle. The cold, calculating, Calculator.”
“Now that,” Donna said, dragging her words, “is rude. He’s a nice gentleman.
Despite what the kingdom says.”
John Constantine paused. “You’re really marrying him?” Donna nodded. “Wait,
Donna…Adonnaliese? You are Adonnaliese Smoak, from, from, the Vega Kingdom?”
Donna blushed. “Yes, yes, that is me.”
“I am in the presence of royalty tonight. Wow,” John Constantine said.
“Oh no, I’m not royalty!” Donna said. “Yet.” She smirked and drank more wine.
“So tell me what the Calculator is like,” John Constantine said.
“That’s such a horrible nickname. He is a great war hero!” Donna said.
“He’s a heartless war veteran who somehow miraculously was the only survivor of
his unit. Seems fishy,” John Constantine said.
“He is…..” Donna hesitated. She was visibly racking her brain for answers.
“Kind,” she blurted out. “He’s very kind.”
“You struggled on that one, darling,” John said. “Is he fun? Does he excite
you?”
Donna hesitated. “Not very,” she said softly, avoiding John’s gaze. He stood up
and leaned across the table, close to Donna. His hot breath was on her neck.
The sensation sent shivers down her spine.
“Am I fun, Donna?” He asked. He gently cupped Donna’s face and directed her
eyes towards his. “Do I excite you?”
The night with John Constantine was wild, passionate, and fun with the two of
them slightly under the influence. It was a rush Donna had never felt before.
The next day, the wedding went off without a hitch, and Prince Noah suspected
nothing.
It was years afterwards Noah learned the truth. Caitlin got ill, and the royal
doctor needed blood work done. However, the doctor reported that Caitlin’s
blood did not match Noah’s. Enraged, and having severely beaten Donna, she told
him the truth about their wedding night.
“I will give you a choice, my beloved Adonnaliese,” Noah said. “For my heart is
hurt, and my ability to love, care, and trust is reduced by half. I can either
love you for the rest of my days, or I can love Caitlin. But there is no room
in my heart for both. And one of you will have to go.” He picked up a sword and
Donna began to cry.
“Me,” she said softly.
“Very well,” he replied.
The nation and Donna’s children believed that a guard knocked her up, and then
killed her to hide the evidence. With the doctor’s testimony that Caitlin was a
bastard, the kingdom didn’t trust her reputation anymore. Donna was pregnant
with her third child, but there was no way to test the paternity on it. So,
Noah got away with murder.
More years passed, and the scandal altogether affected Snowvalle’s trading. The
kingdom was losing money. Noah resented Caitlin, and internally blamed her for
the sufferings of the kingdom, although he kept it to himself. Another kingdom
close by offered Snowvalle much money if the Lord, Ronald Raymond could be wed
to the true heir of Snowvalle, Felicity.
The engagement was set, but the first time Caitlin say Ronald, she was smitten
and head over heels in love. She couldn’t help herself, and she didn’t
intentionally know what she was doing, but she would often flirt with Ronald,
and he knew.
 Caitlin approached Ronald looking out a window in the guest chamber when
Caitlin entered. “It’s a beautiful snowy day, isn’t it, Ronald?” Caitlin asked.
“Why yes it is,” Ronald said. “Almost as beautiful as you.”
Caitlin blushed. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“You’re perfect company, Caitlin,” Ronald said.
“Are you and my sister getting along well?” Caitlin asked.
“I suppose so,” he said. “If I had my choice in sister, though. I’d choose the
eldest, and prettiest, naturally.”
Caitlin gasped and turned away. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Ronald said, stroking her cheek. She froze up in his arms. “We
should have the right to follow our love. Let me choose you, Caitlin. We can
talk to our parents.”
Caitlin smiled. “You would do that?”
“I would,” Ronnie said. “Do you love me, Caitlin?”
“I do,” she said.
“Prove it to me,” Ronald said. “Let’s consummate our own marriage here, now.”
They would rendezvous often for a few weeks, when Caitlin has realized she was
missing something very important. She immediately ran to Noah with the news.
“I have to marry Ronald, not Felicity,” Caitlin said.
“I beg your pardon?” Noah asked.
“He loves me and not her. And I am with his child,” Caitlin said.
Noah looked expressionless, processing all of the information at once before he
began to laugh. “You stupid, ignorant, naïve child. Ronald made his official
proposal to Felicity this morning. He signed the documents, including our
financial treaty.” Noah laughed some more. Caitlin looked very confused. “You
think he would love you, the disgusting bastard daughter? You’re just a whore
like your mother. There is only one thing of worth a woman has, and you gave it
up not only before marriage, but to a man engaged to your own half sister! As
if you could possibly steal him away!”
“He told me he loved me! He said it was consummating our own marriage!” Caitlin
exclaimed. Noah laughed hard at that.
“You’re an idiot! You’re a dunce! He told you these things because you were an
easy lay! You’re no smarter than a tavern wench!” he exclaimed. Caitlin was on
the verge of tears. She turned to run away but Noah grabbed her. “Not so fast,
dumb bitch.” He hit her in the head and grabbed her by her collar and drug her
out into the snow.
“Father! Stop! Please!” Caitlin begged.
“I can’t have a second bastard scandal ruining our kingdom,” Noah said sternly.
He threw her on the ground and harshly kicked her in the stomach. Caitlin
screamed a blood curdling cry.
“Stop!” she exclaimed. “You’re crazy! We can fix this!” She tried to stand up,
but Noah shoved his foot into her lower stomach and knocked her back down.
Caitlin was weak and crying, but Noah hit her in the head one last time and
knocked her unconscious. He took a dagger from his belt and stabbed Caitlin in
the stomach to seal the deal. He dragged her body into the river by the house
and threw her body in.
Caitlin was presumed missing in the kingdom. Felicity was heartbroken and
inconsolable. But while the kingdom mourned, something else woke up inside of
Caitlin. The icy waters of Snowvalle preserved her, healed her, and became one
with her. A magical woodland buck found Caitlin and extended it antlers into
arms that grabbed her and carried her to a cottage. When she awoke, she was
being nursed to health by a woman she had never met.
“Who are you?” Caitlin asked as she awakened. “Where am I?”
“I am The Vixen,” she said. “I am a nature goddess around these parts. And when
I saw that you, child of mother nature, was drowning after being so rudely and
viciously attacked by your father, I saved you.”
“Why am I so cold?” Caitlin asked.
“You’ll want a mirror, darling,” Vixen said cautiously.
Caitlin walked over to the mirror Vixen had and saw her white body. “Oh my god!
What has happened to me?”
“You changed, dear,” Vixen said. “You became the frost of these forests.”
“I’m hideous,” she said.
“You are alive,” Vixen said. “Something magical was inside of you when you
died. Your murder was just a catalyst.”
“My-my baby,” Caitlin whispered.
“I am afraid both you and your baby are dead,” Vixen said.
“I’m dead?” Caitlin whispered.
“You have no heartbeat,” Vixen admitted.
“I will never have a child,” she said softly, pressure building up in her
lungs, tears coming to the surface.
“I am afraid not, dear,” Vixen said.
Caitlin collapsed on the ground and cried, sending ice throughout the cabin.
Caitlin stopped when she had seen what she had done.
“You definitely contain magic, child,” Vixen said.
“I can’t go back like this,” Caitlin said. “I cannot go back at all.”
“No, you must,” Vixen demanded. “The kingdom thinks you’re missing, when you
return, the kingdom will be ecstatic. It will be a good reputation story for
the economy. Besides, your father cannot hurt you again with the kingdom
clamoring for your miraculous return. And one day, and only when the time is
right, can you kill him.”
“Right,” Caitlin said.
“Now, let’s get you looking alive again,” Vixen said.
Vixen started crushing ingredients together and mixing them to form different
cosmetics for Caitlin. Vixen rubbed Caitlin’s skin, applying the foundation she
had made. She had added extra powder to make sure that her concoction wouldn’t
rub off on its own, or by touch. Vixen took care in cautiously painting
Caitlin’s face for her, making her beautiful again. Vixen gestured Caitlin to
lay down, and Vixen dipped her hair into a pot of water. She took a brown
cosmetic brick and rubbed it into Caitlin’s hair, making sure the dye spread
out evenly throughout her hair. Caitlin walked over the mirror and examined
herself.
“I look just like I did before,” Caitlin said.
“Only hide yourself for as long as you feel you must,” Vixen said. “I sense you
are destined for great things. Tragedy brings gifts, child. Use yours wisely.
Feel free to find me when you need more cosmetics.”
Vixen backed up a backpack for Caitlin and gave her a fur coat for the winter.
She hiked for a few hours before a guard saw her and escorted her back to the
castle. As she passed through the town on horseback, the villagers and
townspeople applauded her return and shouted their proclamations of love and
adoration. Felicity ran to Caitlin and held onto her for so long. Felicity wept
and wept from her happiness at her sister’s return. The king looked as pale as
Caitlin did after she froze to death. She walked passed Ronnie as if it were
nothing, even though it made her beat less heart ache. She approached her
father and whispered in his ear.
“If you ever dare so much as look at me wrong, I will tell the kingdom
everything. You will be ruined. I should kill you, my only regret being not
making you suffer in pain severely enough. But I shall spare you, father, for
the sake of our kingdom and the sake of my favorite little sister. And in
return for my mercy, you will bow to me. I am untouchable. I am the kingdom’s
sweetheart now. We are a nation of miracles now, and the second miracle is you
surviving me just as I survived you. Are we clear?” Caitlin threatened.
“Yes, daughter,” Noah said nervously.
“Good.”
 
Caitlin went to bed, her father dead, within days of the wedding. She would
tell her sister that he went away in search of the perfect wedding gift, or
business-she hadn’t decided which. After the wedding it wouldn’t matter, for
she and her sister would start a new life, and form a whole new nation.
***** Chapter Nine: Finale *****
Len, Mick, and Barry retreated their way into the wilderness after escaping
King Joseph’s castle. Barry was asleep still, secured onto Len.
“It’s getting dark,” Mick said. “We need to set up camp.”
“Agreed” Len said. “It’s about time we stopped.”
Len hopped down and gently carried Barry off of the horse. Len brought up the
Death Assassins and used them to create and pitch a small tent and create some
bedding for all of them. “Thank you for your services.”
Mick started a fire and the Death Assassins retreated back into the shadows.
Len tucked Barry into the animal hide sleeping bag and just looked at the love
of his life. Barry was beautiful.
“How long is the kid going to be unconscious?” Mick asked.
“I’m not sure,” Len replied. “Hopefully he will be awake in the morning. I
would imagine whatever the White Canary did to him will have its toll.”
“It will,” Cisco said, having just appeared at their camp. “I saw its purifying
effects. My dark magic could barely touch it. However, I got just enough in
Mister Barry Allen to make the spell reversible.”
“How do we accomplish such a task? Making Barry evil again?” Len asked.
“There is a magic spring located in a dark, forgotten place of death and
anguish. It is protected by the world’s darkest necromancer. It is called the
Nanda Parbat. I had heard of it once in my life. The springs are so dark and
have conquered so many lives and taken so much power that it may give eternal
life or great power with plenty to spare in its waters. The necromancer, is
said to be immortal, and his powers outweigh mine one hundred fold,” Cisco
said.
“That sounds like a death wish,” Mick replied. “I say give up. Is your love
worth your life?”
“Yes,” Len replied. “I have come too far Mickael. Where is this Nanda Parbat?”
“I found a map in King Joseph’s quarters. The location is always changing
because it exists in the void which moves like a current,” Cisco explained.
“But this enchanted map will show the way.”
The map began to glow and then it caught ablaze. A path of fire stretched from
them beyond several miles through the forest. Cisco approached the fire and
felt it. He put his hand through it and felt nothing.
“Good, it’s not real fire. That would have been messy,” Cisco said.
“What are you talking about,” Mick asked confusedly.
“Oh good, I am the only one who can see the path. Looks like I get to accompany
you,” Cisco said.
“Fantastic,” Len replied sarcastically. “Hopefully you won’t disappear like
usual.”
“I have a life outside of you, Leonardo,” Cisco bantered. “I could be spending
time with my fiancée, your sister. I led you to your love, I saved your life
from that wicked seamstress wench, I told you about the Black Canary, I made
the White Canary’s spell undoable, so I would like just a wee bit of respect,
mate!”
Len paused and hesitated over Cisco’s words. “Fair enough. I do appreciate what
you’ve done, I just wish it involved less obstacles.”
“Love,” Cisco said with a very bitter and tasteless expression. “Always. Has.
Obstacles.”
“Have you loved before my sister?” Len asked.
Cisco walked away without answering Len’s question.
 
“Push!” The doctor exclaimed. The woman in the bed screamed and moaned in agony
until the sounds of a crying child came into the room. “It’s a boy!”
“But I already have one boy,” the woman said. “No one can compare to my
precious Dante. I wanted a girl.”
“I, uh, am sorry madam,” the doctor said confusedly. “But this is your child.”
“Very well,” she said. “I shall name him…..Cisco,” the woman said.
 
Cisco played with a ball in the yard, occupying himself. His mother walked
outside the hut. “Cisco! Get inside now! You’re going to get filthy!”
“Yes, mama,” Cisco replied.
“This child is terrible,” she muttered to herself. Cisco came inside and Dante
was playing the flute. Although he was only ten, Dante had practically
perfected the flute, a lute, the drums, and he could carry a tune. “Bravo,
Dante, my perfect child. See, Cisco? He will bring something to this world. He
will surely be accepted into the Bard’s College. He’s so smart. And you. You
just play in the dirt.”
“I’m going to be an adventurer! Or a jouster! I will protect the cities!” Cisco
exclaimed proudly.
His mother laughed hysterically at that before she got up and knocked him down.
“You? You’re small! A runt! You’re weak! You’ll die in a day! Everyone is more
powerful than you, Cisco. You are a pathetic child. You will amount to nothing.
You disobey, you’re reckless, and you are much more stupid than your brother.
Why can’t you be more like Dante? I should have left you at an orphanage. Be
grateful.” Cisco began to cry and ran to his room. “Oh, the real world is too
tough for a strong adventurer like you?”
Cisco snuck out the window in his room and ran away from his home. He ran into
the wilderness before he got lost in the dark and afraid. “Help!” Cisco called
for help repeatedly, losing himself deeper and deeper into the woods. “Help!”
A tall figure, dressed in all black appeared. “Hello, child.”
“Sir, I need some help! I got lost in the woods. I need to find my way out!”
Cisco begged.
The man laughed. “How did you get yourself here, child?”
“I ran away from home. My mother is evil. My brother gets all her love,” Cisco
complained. “It isn’t fair!”
“I see,” the man said. “Life is not fair. The only thing fair is death. Death
doesn’t discriminate. It takes and it takes all. It gets everyone one by one.
And child, death will take you. There is no getting out of the woods.”
“Please, I do not wish to die!” Cisco said. “I am just a child!”
“Death does not care,” the man said. “But, Death is greedy. I will make you a
deal, child. You are one life. Trade one life for too. Take this dagger, and it
shall show you the way out. But, you must kill your mother and sister. Free
yourself from their tyranny. You shall be free from their torture and their
cruelty.”
“I cannot kill them,” Cisco said.
“Are you weak? I heard your mother. You will die one day in these woods, like
she said. Do you want to die?” the man said.
“No!” Cisco exclaimed.
“Then be more powerful than her! Show her she was wrong. Why should you die and
she live on?” the man asked as he slipped the dagger into Cisco’s hand.
Cisco followed the instinct the dagger gave him and followed it back to his
house. The dagger felt funny in his hand. The dagger felt hungry for blood.
Cisco snuck into the room Dante and his mothered shared. Cisco stood over
Dante. “Mother, look,” Cisco said, waking her up.
“For what reason are you waking me up, you insolent-” Cisco plunged the dagger
into Dante’s heart. His mother screamed, and Dante opened his eyes for just a
millisecond before they lost all light of life within them. Cisco was in
between his mother and the exit.
“I want you to apologize, mother,” Cisco demanded.
The fear of his mother turned into a stern look of steel upon the threat. “I am
not sorry.” She lunged at Cisco, but he impaled her heart with the dagger as
well.
“I am not sorry either, mother,” Cisco said. “You have grown me to be cruel,
just like you. I hope when I bring the nation to its knees you are finally
proud of me.” He removed the dagger and his mother’s body fell to the ground.
The necromancer entered the bedroom.
“Well done, Cisco. I am proud of you,” he said.
“I don’t feel or speak like a child anymore. Why is that?” Cisco asked.
“You took your first lives. You lost your innocence. Not many accomplish that
at age six,” the necromancer said.
“It is time for me to stop acting like a child, but until my body grows I am
still limited,” Cisco said. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need to be like
you. Mentor me. And then once I am grown I can properly serve you.”
“You have yourself a deal, child,” the man said.
“What do I call you?” Cisco asked.
“You may call me Merlyn. Malcolm Merlyn.”
 
Len woke up first, with Barry in his arms. Len was taken by his beauty. He
finally had his lover in his arms, and Len couldn’t help but touch him. Len
rubbed the young man’s stomach and gently played with his hair with his other
hand. Barry moaned and slowly opened his eyes to see Len laying there, holding
him.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” Len said.
Barry screamed and pushed Len away and crawled out of the bed. “Where am I?”
“Slow down, calm yourself, Barry,” Len replied. “I’m not the bad
guy….well…..never mind. I would never hurt you. I am on your side. Just, what
do you remember?”
Barry calmed down and took and deep breath and closed his eyes. “I remember
being in prison, and Iris said she could help me stop hurting. She put me
unconscious.”
“She performed a ritual on you,” Len said. “To change you.”
“I feel different,” Barry said.
“How different?” Len asked.
Barry hesitated. “For starters, I’m not angry.”
            “What do you mean you’re not angry?”
            “I was in constant pain and anger. It fueled who I was as a person.
All I desired was to bring humanity down a notch, and make people suffer. All I
want now is to return to Iris and make amends for what I have done. I can feel
regret and guilt for every life I have taken,” Barry ranted.
            “That’s not the real you, though, Barry,” Len assured. “This is
simply who Iris made you to be.”
            “And somehow I am not too concerned about that,” Barry. “I feel at
peace.”
            “We have to fix you, Barry, it is our destiny,” Len said sternly.
“We belong together.”
            “I don’t even know you!” Barry exclaimed.
            “You are the love of my life that has been promised to me,” Len
argued.
            “I feel like I should have a say in that!” Barry exclaimed.
            “You will love me, or I’ll make you!” Len shouted.
            “I’d like to see you try!” Barry exclaimed, thrusting his arm
towards Leonardo to shoot bolts, but nothing emerged from his arm.
            Len began to chuckle and smirk. “Nice try, kid. You’re coming with
us, though.”
 
            Eight year old Cisco sat in a cell, meditating. Malcolm circled
him, observing the child. “Feel the dark energy like a current flowing all
around you. Imagine yourself bending it, twisting it, and redirecting it at
your will. It burns most that it touches, but only the heartless and embrace
the darkness unscathed,” he lectured.
            Cisco focused and a small purple ball of cloud struggled to form in
front of him. It grew, but quivered, shook, and faded as Cisco struggled to
focus. Malcolm quickly grabbed Cisco’s hand and broke it, the sound of it
snapping and Cisco’s screams echoing in the empty room. The cloud grew
exponentially. Malcolm kept a strong grip on Cisco’s hand to reinforce the
pain.
            “That’s right, Cisco! Pain and anger fuels the fire in your black
heart! Embrace it!” Malcolm exclaimed. “Now, focus on your hatred of your own
weakness!”
            Malcolm let go of his hand, and Cisco stared at it sternly. The
purple streams rushed inside his broken hand, and Cisco felt it slowly crack
itself back into place. When it was healed, Cisco was panting, and testing the
movement in his hand.
            “You’ve tapped into your own abilities, Cisco. I applaud you,”
Malcolm said. “You will continue to grow stronger, and you will conquer many
more lives for me.”
            “For you?” Cisco asked.
            “Yes,” Malcolm said. “Come with me.” Malcolm led Cisco deep down
into the temple to an altar with a hot spring. “This is my Lazarus Pit. The
spring runs deep, straight to the depths of this planet’s molten core. It is
the heart of every living thing on this planet. With every death on this
planet, two more lives are created. The Lazarus Pit feeds off of the life and
death of every being on this planet. It fuels our dark powers, Cisco,” Malcolm
said. He took off his robe, and dipped into the pit. His gray hairs blackened,
and his wrinkles faded. His skin tightened, gained more color, and his muscles
got more toned. He stepped out looking fifteen years younger. Malcolm placed
his robe back on. “This is why our world needs death, Cisco,” Malcolm said.
“Without death, there is neither life nor power.”
            “What happens if I try to touch the water?” Cisco asked,
approaching the spring. He placed his hand up, and a powerful force knocked him
backwards several yards. Malcolm laughed. Malcolm held up his hands and a
stream of black smoke formed an ebony stone staff with a glowing amethyst gem
at the hilt.
            “This is the Staff of Souls, Cisco,” Malcolm lectured. “It makes me
a powerful necromancer. And only the wielder of it may dip into the waters of
death itself, or anyone I allow. This prevents enemies from stealing its
power.”
            “I wish to be powerful like you, though!” Cisco exclaimed.
            Malcolm laughed. “Any power you earn, you must earn yourself,
child. But you will never be more powerful than me.”
 
 
            Len, Mick, Cisco, and Barry continued to travel on their horses.
Barry is restrained, sitting nearly on Len’s lap. Barry’s ass kept rubbing
against Len’s dick, slowly making him more and more aroused.
            “I’m going to need a little more space, here,” Barry pleaded.
            “I actually like where you’re at. I could actually have you
closer,” Len teased.
            “You are terrible,” Barry replied.
            “I’m evil for a reason, Scarlet,” Len said.
            “Scarlet?” Barry asked.
            “I think it suits you. I think it’s cute,” Len stated.
            “Pet names? Already?” Barry asked annoyed.
            “It’s what people in love do apparently,” Len said dryly.
            “I don’t love you,” Barry said.
            “Not yet, but you will,” Len replied.
            “Says you?” Barry asked.
            “Says the future,” Cisco replied. “Some things are just meant to
be.”
            “You see the future?” Barry asked.
            “I can with my magic mirror,” Cisco said. “It will not allow me to
look too deeply into the future, as tracks are laid out day by day. Anything
may happen, but you two are for sure in love.”
            “See, kid? I’m a catch,” Len teased.
            “Forgive me if I don’t take relationship advice from furniture,”
Barry argued.
            “You’ll be head over heels once we return you to your evil, dark
ways,” Mick added.
            “Or ankles over head, I’m not a picky man,” Len added.
            “Why do you insist on making me dark again? I feel so much better
than I have in the past,” Barry complained.
            “That might be true, for now, but you’re under a spell now. It’s
not real. How you can find reassurance in a lie?” Len asked.
            “I am not sure,” Barry said. “I just know I don’t want to hurt more
people. And I am very uncomfortable with the fact you all do, and I am
currently a hostage.”
            “Well I’ve spent a long time hunting you down and freeing you, and
I am not risking you getting away from me,” Len replied.
            Barry sat on the horse in silence for a few moments before
replying. “How do you even love me? We just met. You never knew the evil me,
which you’re so after. You probably just love the idea of me.”
            “That’s fair,” Len said. “But if it is meant to be, I’d like to
give it a chance. People spend their whole lives searching and never find the
one. If you are the love of my life, I win. If not, I can say I have tried to
be somewhat slightly happy. And worst case scenario, you’re a very attractive
lad and I’m sure even one night with you would be very enjoyable.”
            Barry bit his lip to keep his bashful laugh within. But he stayed
quiet the rest of the trip until they reached a tall hill where Nanda Parbat
was in sight.
            “There it is,” Cisco said. “I know it anywhere.”
 
 
            Cisco stormed into the altar room that contained the Lazarus Pit.
Malcolm Merlyn was replenishing in its waters, caught off guard. Cisco shot
violet crystals at Malcolm Merlyn, piercing his torso. His body fell into the
waters. Cisco slowly approached the Lazarus Pit, but Malcolm sprouted back up,
holding the largest gem in his hand, the wound in his chest sealing back off.
            “You greedy, thieving, unappreciative betrayer!” Malcolm exclaimed,
hurling the crystal back at Cisco. Cisco ducked, and started to fumble with his
hands, generating a purple aura.
            “Just let me have the Staff of Souls, old man,” Cisco said.
            “You will die,” Malcolm said, as he rose magically from the Lazarus
Pit, his armor magically forming on him.
            Cisco pulled down on the aura, throwing Malcolm onto the ground.
Cisco pushed, and Malcolm was thrust against a wall. Malcolm flicked his wrist
and Cisco was hurled across the room. A bow appeared in Malcolm’s hand, and
Malcolm began to fire black smoking arrows towards Cisco. Cisco raised his
hand, making a purple smoke ward appear. Malcolm’s arrows dissolved on contact
with the ward. Cisco threw the ward forward towards Malcolm. Malcolm only
partially avoided it; the side that touched the ward caught on fire. Malcolm
rushed to the pit, and merely touched it with the hand on fire. The fire was
all extinguished, and his skin rejuvenated.
            “I am unbeatable, Cisco!” Malcolm exclaimed. Malcolm gestured his
hands, and Cisco was being strangled by an ebony snake, wrapped tight around
his neck. Cisco choked as he turned his body into smoke and slid out of the
grip. But Malcolm made a black ward, confining Cisco’s smoke and forcing him
back into his corporal form. Malcolm moved the ward, lifting Cisco over the
Lazarus Pit. “I told you the pit will kill you, Cisco. But now you can enjoy it
all you want!”
            He dropped Cisco into the Lazarus Pit, and Cisco plunged
underwater. He emerged sizzling, screaming in pain and agony. Cisco used all of
his strength to unleash a powerful burst of energy, crumbling the architecture
of the room, and Nanda Parbat.
            “No!” Malcolm exclaimed. The Lazarus Pit cracked, and Cisco rushed
out with the water. Malcolm put up a ward to prevent the spring from being
destroyed. Rocks cascaded from the ceiling. Cisco was still burnt, laying on
the ground. Malcolm Merlyn closed his eyes and black smoke poured from him,
covering the floor, and the walls, and the ceiling. Cisco cloaked himself in
purple smoke to protect himself.
            Cisco woke up, and the sun was out. It had been days since he lost
consciousness. He was in a field, where the Nanda Parbat was supposed to be.
But the only thing in the field was Cisco. “Damnit!!!!!” Cisco screamed into
the world, beating up the earth with his fists. The clouds darkened, and
thunder boomed with his screech. “Kendraaaaaa!”
 
            Felicity was admiring her appearance in the mirror. She loved her
wedding gown, and she loved how she looked in it. Caitlyn entered the room and
gasped at how beautiful her sister looked.
            “My Felicity, my happiness, you look so radiant,” Caitlin said.
“Your dress is gorgeous.”
            “Thank you, Caitlin,” Felicity said. “But maybe we should postpone.
Father hasn’t returned from that trip. What if something happened to him? He
needs to see this day. Who will walk me down the aisle?”
            “Slow down,” Caitlin reassured. “I will walk you. Father will be
here in time. He’s probably just searching for the perfect wedding gift.”
            “Do you promise me, Caitlin?” Felicity asked.
            “Of course,” Caitlin lied.
            “I still don’t know why he left last minute, without warning or
notice,” Felicity pouted.   
            “That’s the whole point of a surprise, silly!” Caitlin said. There
is a knock on the door. “As long as it isn’t Ronald, you may enter!”
            A guard opens up the door. “Miss Caitlin, guests have started to
arrive. Including one name I didn’t recall. A Lady Elisa Snart. She said she is
engaged to a Cisco Ramon?”
            “Oh, lovely!” Caitlin replied. “That is a guest of mine. Please do
treat her very very well. I am a friend of her fiancée.”
            “I haven’t heard you ever mention a Cisco,” Felicity.
            “He’s been helping me plan this wedding, sister. There is a big
surprise in store for you,” Caitlin said.
            “I cannot wait!” she exclaimed.
            “Neither can I,” Caitlin replied.
 
 
            Len, Mick, and Cisco stormed Nanda Parbat. Barry was levitating,
restrained in the air with one of Cisco’s wards. Necromancers in training and
soldiers of Malcolm Merlyn were rushing to defend their temple. Len struck them
down with a fury of icicles that pierced all of them in their hearts. As they
advanced the hallways, more minions were destroyed. The second wave was roasted
alive by many of Mick’s flames.
            “We are almost to the pit,” Cisco announced determinedly.  Cisco
flung the next set of opponents flying against the walls before bursting the
altar doors open to get into the heart of Nanda Parbat. Cisco hesitated though,
at a gray and aged Malcolm Merlyn.
            “Cisco Ramon,” Merlyn said. “I have prepared for this.”  Cisco ran
forward, but froze in a blackish red ward. The ward on Barry vanished and he
fell, hitting the ground. Len hurried to his side and helped him up. “I am
weak, and cannot fight, but I did have some of your blood from our last fight
to conjure up a blood spell.”
            “Kill him, Len,” Cisco said, trapped.
            “But then we cannot restore the powers of this Barry Allen,”
Malcolm said as he gestured to the brunette. “I need a replacement,” Malcolm
said. “I have used far too many of the Lazarus Pit in my long lifetime. It is
starting to reject me. But none of my own mentees are worthy. However, the man
who killed the great Ra’s al Ghul might be.” Malcolm walked over to Len and the
Staff of Souls appeared in Len’s hands. Cisco’s eyes widened.
            “Power over the dead; a long, youthful life; for you and your lover
as well. Not to mention, if I allow it, he will be able to enter the Lazarus
Pit, and he shall be restored,” Malcolm promised.
            “What is the catch?” Len asked.
            “In order to give life, life must be taken. In order to earn love,
love must be lost,” Malcolm said. “Show me that you are willing to make
important sacrifices, Leonardo.”
            “I understand,” Len said. Malcolm stepped back, and Len spun
around, impaling Mickael with the Staff of Souls. Mick’s face was surprised,
and then angry.
            “Me!? For some boy you just met!?” Mick yelled.
            “That’s my husband you’re talking about,” Len said. Len tugged, and
Mick’s entire body caught fire, glowing a bright red before his whole body was
absorbed into the staff, his screams echoing in the room.
            “You’re a monster!” Barry exclaimed, trying to run away. Len
snapped, and two death assassins appeared, grabbing him.
            “That’s why we are perfect for each other,” Len said.
            “I am a murderer, necromancer, but a man of honor,” Malcolm said.
He put his hand over the pit and it shined. “Barry is now fit for its waters.”
            As the death assassins marched forward, Felicity moved forward down
the aisle, linking Caitlin’s arm. Caitlin hugged her sister at the altar and
went to sit down. Ronald unveiled Felicity’ happy, smiling face. The death
assassins walked up the small steps to the top of the pit. Caitlin eyes the
jewels she had placed around the gazebo that Felicity and Ronald were in. She
bit her lip in anticipation. Barry was pushed into the waters of the Lazarus
Pit. Caitlin smiled as the wind started to pick up. Lightning flashed from the
depths of the Lazarus Pit, and Barry emerged, shooting vast amounts of
electricity into the sky. The jewels at the altar began to glow and a ward
appeared around the gazebo. Felicity and Ronald, scared, tried to run, but were
locked in. Guests began to run away from the gardens. Caitlin stayed and
smiled.
            “CAITLIN!!!! HELLLLLP!!!!” Felicity screamed.
            “It’s alright, my beloved sister! Everything is going to be
perfect! It’s all according to plan!” Caitlin exclaimed.
            An array of ritual symbols began to glow on the floor of the
gazebo. Caitlin smiled until she noticed a particular necklace on her sister.
            “Felicity, what is that necklace?” Caitlin asked.
            “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? HELP US!” Felicity exclaimed.
            “Where did that necklace come from!?” Caitlin begged.
            “YOUR FRIEND ELISA SAID IT WAS A GIFT FROM YOUR FRIEND CISCO!”
Felicity exclaimed. Caitlin looked at the jewel on the necklace and then the
jewel embedded into the gazebo. It matched.
            “NO!” Caitlin exclaimed. She shot ice at the ward, trying to break
it, but a cascade of lightning began to strike the gazebo. The jewels all began
to glow and Felicity screamed in pain. Ronnie caught on fire from the power
inside the gazebo and Felicity collapsed. “FELICITY!”
            Barry stepped out of the Lazarus Pit sparking, with a devilish
smile on his face. “I feel so transformed! Oh my god! The power, I forgot how
addictive and amazing it feels rushing through my veins.” He slowly approached
Len with a flirtatious smile. “You were right, about everything, my love.”
Barry embraced him and kissed him tenderly. They pulled away, smiling.
            “You are welcome,” Malcolm said. “Now, kill Cisco.”
            Cisco began to laugh maniacally. “I don’t think so, Malcolm. For I,
have achieved the unachievable. I have created what you never could, Malcolm. I
made the Deathstorm.”
            Malcolm’s eyes widened in horror. “You couldn’t have!”
            “DEATHSTORM!!!!” Cisco screamed, bellowing throughout the kingdom.
The ward around the gazebo vanished, and Ronald flew into the skies like a bolt
of fire. Caitlin ran over to her sister’s body.
            “Felicity! No! No! It was supposed to be Ronald dead! Not you! Not
you! We were supposed to be strong together! Fire and ice! Come back to me,
please, sister!”
            Deathstorm flew into the chamber room, and broke the ward around
Cisco with a bolt of fire. Cisco quickly pushed Len and Barry out of the way
with a burst of power and snatched the Staff of Souls.
            “Kill Malcolm Merlyn!” Cisco commanded.  Deathstorm flew to Malcolm
and disintegrated him into ash with a short grab of his neck. “WHO’S READY FOR
A FIELD TRIP!?” Cisco raised his arms and purple smoke whirled around the
entire room like a vortex. They were at the wedding garden where Caitlin was
crying over her sister’s body. Caitlin turned and saw the gang.
            “YOU BASTARD!” She screamed as sent a fury of ice towards Cisco.
Cisco gestured, and sent Caitlin flying backwards.
            “Elisa!!!” Cisco exclaimed.
            “Elisa?” Len asked.
            Elisa ran down the steps to meet Cisco. “I did everything you told
me, my love! And Len! You’re back! With Barry!”
            “Darling, no time,” Cisco said. “I need you to use your powers on
this staff.”
            “Yes, my love,” Lisa said. She glided her fingers along the staff,
turning it from black to gold, and purifying the end.
            “It’s perfect! Only one last thing! Only death can pay for life!”
Cisco said as he impaled Lisa with the staff.
            “LISA!” Len exclaimed, blasting ice at Cisco. Barry shot
electricity towards him as well. Cisco vanished into a cloud of smoke. Len ran
over to his sister’s dead body. “Elisa, no!”
            Barry placed his hand on his lover’s shoulder. “We will hunt him
down, and we will make him suffer and squirm. You are the Ra’s al Ghul. You are
the conqueror that all men should fear, my love. And we will make him bleed,
together.”
            Caitlin slowly approached, sniffling. “Mind if I tag along? That
bastard promised me that our ritual would kill the man who betrayed me. Instead
it killed my sister. And instead of her being powerful like me, that rat Ronald
has it. He does not deserve to live. Him and Cisco must both die.”
            “Then it is settled,” Len said. “We will kill Cisco.”
 
            Cisco stood on the balcony of his castle bedroom with the staff of
souls. Deathstorm flew down from the sky and landed by his side.
            “What do you command, my master?” Deathstorm asked.
            “Burn the nation. Claim lives. Take no mercy,” Cisco commanded.
“Now that I have you, the land is mine to conquer.”
            “As you wish,” Deathstorm replied as he flew off into the sky.
Cisco raised his staff, and it began to glow.
            “And now, my beloved Kendra may be returned to me!” Cisco
exclaimed. The staff shot a beam of light into the sky. The sound of a hawk
screeching was heard from above. A hawk-like figure began to descend from the
heavens. “Kendra! My love! I have done all of this, just to bring you back! It
all went according to plan!”
            The hawk landed in a crouched position in front of Cisco, and it
stood up. Cisco’s eyes widened in fear.
            “Maybe not accordingly,” the Hawkman said.
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!