 Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 10:58 am
 
They were of the same age. She was older than him by a few minutes and yet...
Because Radek was a he, Father had chosen him. Decided to teach him about brewing storms and yet her?
Nothing. She was only left to watch her younger siblings as the two of them headed off for yet another lesson.
If she wanted to be greater, she had to make a sacrifice.
At least that's what she told herself as she swam towards the cave where the witch resided.
Who said selkies couldn't be strong? She would show them all.
She gritted her teeth and sent in her application to Amityville Academy.
She was the best swimmer out of all of her siblings.
Marzena never meant to brag, of course, but it was a fact that had soon been proven with yet another race. Seated on shore, she wrung the water out of her hair as she watched them swim towards her.
She thought she had lost all hope.
But she realized there was still some in this world, especially when Damian began to paddle before her very eyes.
She had been terrible at choosing.
Both times she lifted the grail to her lips, it had surrounded her with delusions of her being a human. And living with the memory of it, after the Great King had returned her true self to her, tore at her.
An apple formed on the tree before her but all she could think of was those strange bubbles with her face within them. It was of her, but not quite her.
She wondered if the her in those bubbles were happier than she was.
She had blurted out the truth of why she couldn't swim with Sibyl, and was greeted with sad puppy-dog eyes and tears.
All Marzena could do was to awkwardly pat the other ghoul on the back.
"You don't understand." She is crying, soft hiccups through each sob, tears falling down into the sand. "Papa doesn't understand either, Radek. None of you understand!"
A young boy looks at her with light blond hair standing straight up and eyes as blue as the ocean waves sweeping up to the tips of their toes. "Marzie... everyone's just confused."
"Mama's gone." She wails, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth. "Mama's gone, Raddie, and I saw it, and Papa doesn't understand, and you don't and I thought you would because--" She is shuddering, swallowing her tears with each sob, tasting their saltiness. Her heart aches, her head hurts from crying, and she suddenly feels a warmth envelop her as Radek pulls her into his arms.
"I've never seen you like this, Marzie." He whispers, murmuring words of comfort into her ear. "Please don't cry, okay? I'm here. I swear. And I won't let them take you either."
Something in her heart has already hardened with what she had witnessed earlier, but she leans against him and wishes that she can believe in his words. "Raddie, I'm scared." She whimpers.
It is something she admits to only him.
"You can't do this." He says, and then laughs bitterly as soon as the sentence leaves his lips. "But... I know very well there's no making you give up once you're determined." He sighs, arms drooping, as he pouts at her.
He is older now. They both are. She stands opposite him, back straight, as if that will make her taller than him, though he certainly is lankier and taller than she ever will be. She stares grimly into those ocean blue eyes, a backpack slung over her shoulder. "I don't matter here, Radek."
"He'll know." He protests, his hands gripping hers tightly. She hates how his hands are bigger than hers, she hates how everything is a constant reminder that she is smaller than him, weaker than him, just because she's a girl, and this pelt is her life and she can't do anything...
But he is her twin brother, and despite all these comparisons she makes between them, and despite their father favoring his oldest son. He is bigger than her, yet younger, and she still worries for him. Worries why he is content in staying here, in encouraging a tradition they should start to mold and shape for a brighter future for their clan.
He is her twin brother, and no one will believe that he has no knowledge of her running away, not with how close they are despite their differences.
She is in the sea. Choppy waves surround her, as dark and black as the clouds that loom above, adding to the churning water with heavy raindrops that splattered on her, plastering her light blond hair to her skin. There is a crack and a flash of lightning lights up the sky, and her breathing is ragged, gasping as her vision swirls.
"Papa!" She yells, heart beating fast and sobs engulfing her. She is terrified, she is small, she is helpless, and she is lost. She cannot see anyone in these conditions, and she wonders if she is ever going to make it home in this state.
I may never see you all again. It just sank in and I
Raddie, take care of everyone, okay? I trust you the most. You know that.
Make sure that our family is never torn apart again.
With love,
Marzena
Radek,
I haven't written to you much, have I? I'm sorry. I hope everyone is well. No, I know they will be, with Dad and you and Mira... and now that Mother is back, to take care of the whole family. I hope all of you aren't worrying for me too much. After all, I chose this.
She was out in the ocean, floating in the distance and staring at the shore. A woman went on her knees and begged, tears streaking down her face. Begged and pleaded with the man before her who held a spotted pelt out of her reach and shook his head, a malevolent grin spreading across his face.
Her breath caught and she turned, swimming frantically and calling for her papa.
"I heard you can help me." She is in an underwater cave, facing a woman with octopus legs who is stirring a cauldron.
The woman pauses, looks up, and smiles. "Darling, of course I can help."
"You're not allowed to be here." He roared, over the thunder rumbling in the distance and the waves crashing around them. Blue eyes flickered to her brother, her twin brother who only stared at her in concern. "You knew, didn't you?"
"Papa, please..." She begged, tears running down her cheek.
"I should have known you would never keep a secret from your sister." He growled, the grip of his hand tightening around her arm. "The both of you are groun--"
"Papa, please!" The girl yelled, and once he turned to look at her properly, with her tear stained cheeks, his eyebrows knit in confusion. "What?"
"Mama's gone." She whimpered. "He took mama's skin, papa, and..."
He released her arm immediately. "Where."
Someone is calling her name. Calling it repeatedly, and it annoys her. She finds herself rolling her eyes and focusing on swimming ahead, attempting to block it out. A boy laughs besides her and she turns to look at him, a frown upon her lips. “It’s not funny, Rad.”
“I think it’s cute,” he says impishly, “that Sibyl practically worships every current you swim on.”
“It’s not cute.” She says huffily, swimming forward and taking the lead, like she always does. “I have enough little sisters.”
A little girl with long blond hair swam frantically through the stormy ocean, searching, calling out names. "Papa! Raddie! Someone! Please--"
Two blond heads bobbed in the distance, and she dived underneath the water, swimming in that very direction. Her head emerged when she got closer and she gasped. "Papa, you--"
"Marzena." The bearded man's face went dark as soon as he saw her, grasping her arm tightly. "What are you doing here?"
She did not expect to get assaulted by both a high-pitched squeal and the source of the squeal itself. "For the love of Poseidon, what..." She grumbles, struggling in the other ghoul's grasp. Wait. This ghoul smells rather familiar... of the sea... and wait, is that seal fur?
She twists herself around and catches a good glimpse of her attacker, paling immediately. "Sibyl?!" She shrieks in absolute horror, then immediately clamps her hand over her mouth as she tries to make sense of the situation. Ocean blue eyes dart frantically about before grasping Sibyl by the collar and hissing into her ear. "Did my sisters follow you here?"
She swam forward, and found herself facing a mirror. A tall rectangular mirror with a black, gothic frame, the glass of the mirror giving off a strange silvery light. Her fingers grazed the glass and it shuddered beneath her touch.
There was no reflection.
Tentacles suddenly curled around her, suction cups pressing into her skin, the water filling her lungs as she choked--
He slips the shell bracelet upon her wrist. "It's not very good." He confesses. "But I had to do it in a hurry, you see..."
She pointed shakily off into a direction, and her father threw himself into the raging waters. She looked at the boy, and though his face was shell-shocked, he swam closer and pulled her into his arms. "Mama's... gone?" He whispered brokenly.
"Mama's gone, Raddie." She sobbed. "I couldn't..."
"But there will be a price." The witch said. "There's always a price, dearie! Always a catch! But don't worry your pretty little head over it, it won't be much!"
"So you can help me." She said firmly. "I'll do anything."
"I like that." The witch cooed, a tentacle curling around her waist, and another stroking her cheek. "I like your moxie, girl! Such spirit! Such unwavering strength! No wonder you're here for help, dear~ You certainly need it. After all, if that skin of yours is taken..."
“Are. You. Serious?!” There is a dramatic wail as Sabina throws herself into Mira’s arms. “Miraaaaaa! Can you believe it! I have seaweed! In my hair! It’s all Ada’s fault!”
“It’s not a really bad look--” She tries to say something, but Sabina only lets out another high-pitched whine, and Mira throws her a look, patting Sabina gently, yet awkwardly, on the back. “What? It’s really not the end of the world--”
“You wouldn’t understaannddddd!”
She closes her eyes as fingers lift up her silky blonde hair and snips it. When it falls, it feels strange; she has had long hair all her life and all female selkies she knew had too, but she remembers what she is doing this for and grits her teeth.
When it is all done, her head feels light and her neck exposed, and she runs a hand through the short remnants of her hair. It is done, and all she can do is watch the witch fold her silken hairs into a bottle and tuck it away in a drawer.
"I don't want to sit here helplessly." Tears glint in her eyes, but she forces them back. "No. I can't sit here helplessly. I can't be a normal selkie girl like Dad wants. He doesn't want to teach me, Radek. This is the only way I can learn to be strong. I can't, you know I can't..."
“Marzie.” A child whispers her name and she sits up carefully, a small smile curving on her lips when she realizes who it is. “Damian, you should be sleeping.” She murmurs, but he shakes his head, tugging harder.
“I wanna sleep with you, Marzie.” He whines, and Radek grunts in his sleep.
“You have such pretty hair.” Sabina whines, dragging a comb through her light blond locks and she squirms in her seat. “Stop it! You have enough tangles and knots as it is! I don’t know why you’re so irresponsible when you have such pretty hair, do you know what I’d do if I did? I’d take care of it and not swim off into strong currents and not give a damn--”
“It’s my hair, Sabina.” She grumbles defensively, crossing her arms. “You don’t need to do this.” She impatiently flicks her tail, and stares off where her brother is seated, the huge grin on his face twitching at the corners.
“Where were you?” She freezes at the sound of that gruff voice full of anger, as soon as she steps into the house. The happiness and pride bubbling up in her slowly dissipates and gives way to frustration, which she attempts to quell.
“I was teaching Damian to swim.” She says as measuredly as she can, narrowing her ocean blue eyes at their father.
“Alone.” He growls, his eyes growing as dark as the ocean waters when a storm brews.
“We’re fine, aren’t we?” She hisses.
“You did it!” She says, laughing as the baby seal swims circles around her. “Mira look, Cecylia’s swimming!” Her oldest sister pauses in the midst of trying to rein in three baby seals while she rocks one in her arms and smiles at her wearily.
“You say that like she taught you.” Mira groans, as Zofia swims behind her and tugs on her hair.
“I probably followed her!” He says, winking at her. “But that doesn’t mean she’s a better swimmer.”
“Ouch.” She sticks out her tongue at him, taking hold of Cecylia’s flippers. “I highly doubt that, dear brother.”
“Told you I’d win.” She says, laughing as he flips the water out of his hair.
“It was only by a hair.” He whines, gaze flitting to where their referee sits. “Tell her, Serafina!”
“Uh...” Serafina murmurs, fingers combing through her hair. “It was pretty close, yes. It’s just a friendly competition though...”
“This is about a man’s pride, Serafina!” Radek says, pulling himself up to the shore and dramatically collapsing on his back. “I was beaten! By my twin sister, no less!”
“Deal with it, mister.” She says, flicking him gently on the forehead. “I have my pride too, you know.”
She finds herself exhausted from crying. It doesn’t matter how many tears have fallen and dampened her cheeks or her brother’s shoulder. His sobs have subsided too, and they both stare out into the sunset silently, leaning against one another.
The sun disappears over the horizon and she realizes then and there that her heart has hardened, and she vows to herself that she will make him pay. He will pay to what he has done to the Adriatico family. They will all pay for their ignorance and their selfishness and...
Radek hiccups by her side and she slips her arm in his, quelling the furious rise of emotions within her.
One day.
“You only care about your sons.” She screams, eyes wild and body shaking with irrepressible anger. “You lost your wife, and you don’t give a damn about your daughters, when they can be taken away at any time--”
"I promise." Her mother whispered, stroking her wet hair.
But she never came back.
A hard slap across the face stops her tirade, and she finds a bitter smile forming on her lips, as she turns to look at him. Her cheek stings, and her fists clench by her sides, and she glares back at him and storms towards the door.
“Don’t you dare.” He says in a low growl.
“Like you care.” She spits out and slams the door, hard.
She watched, anger closing a cold fist around her heart as the Black Kingdom fell.
Oh, they would have their Revenge indeed.
She pounds her fists into ice and they hurt, but who gives a damn when it is an outlet for all the fury boiling up within her.
It’s beautiful.” She says in awe, watching the storm rage on in the distance, churning the ocean waters. “Teach me.”
“You know I can’t.” He sighs. “Father would kill both of us.”
“Marzena.” Her heart stops, an ice cold fist clenching around it. It is her mother’s voice. “It’s not your fault.” Ilona Adriatico whispers and she feels a soft hand upon her shoulder.
She finds herself biting back tears as the memory floods back, and shakes her head with a shuddering sob. Does her mother think that she can erase the pain, the guilt, with just one sentence? Does she really think that with that, she will forget that helplessness, that anger...
She doesn’t answer, and instead runs forward, transforming as she dives into the water.
 The Final Decision
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