Challenge -
Done by Sealgirl for Sean
"a fic where I go to the Realm and Sheila falls in love with me."
= = =
No Fear, No Hate, No Pain (No Broken Hearts)
Sheila never thought it would happen to her. Even after everything that had happened in the Realm; she’d seen it happen to Diana, and to Presto as well. But somehow she’d just assumed that Hank was and always would be “The One”.
She’d seen how Diana had cried, and still cried, herself to sleep. She’d seen the lost and vacant look Presto had every time Varla’s name was mentioned. She had thought she understood their pain and unhappiness. But she hadn’t. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. It felt as though she was going to break apart.
Sean was gone, and he was never, ever coming back.
=
She hadn’t moved, and the shaft of sunlight that lit the cavern was almost gone. It didn’t matter how long she’d stood there, waiting. She didn’t know what she was waiting for, but she just couldn’t move.
As the Thief stood in the cavern on her own, staring at the blank wall where the portal had been, there was a small part of her that understood: He didn’t belong in the Realm and he didn’t belong with them either. She knew that; the Dungeonmaster had explained it very clearly, as far as riddles were clear, and she knew that he couldn’t stay. But the difference between the knowing and the reality was as vast as the gulf between them and their way home.
Far behind her, the others were murmuring something, she made no effort to listen, she knew what they would be saying. She couldn’t stand hear the sad tones, or the whining from Eric, and she couldn’t bear to be near them either.
He was gone.
There wasn’t any real choice. Sean’s presence in the Realm was bad for everyone; Venger hunted them even more ferociously than usual, desperate to gain some advantage over the Young Ones and the Dungeonmaster. Their Guide himself knew that Sean was in great danger from the Arch-Mage, and there would be others who would want to use his knowledge.
The Dungeonmaster had made it clear: As long as Sean remained in the Realm, the very Realm itself would be in very great danger. He had to go home.
Though there were tears in her eyes, she didn’t cry. It felt as if once she started she would never stop. There had been no tears in his eyes as he’d turned away to the portal. He had known what he had to do. He hadn’t even hesitated. He’d just walked straight up to the glowing vortex and stepped through, not looking back to take one last look at her.
She was in love, and he’d chosen to leave her! He’d done the right thing, regardless. There was a sharp, ugly pang of jealousy and anger. How could he! She loved him, and he loved her; why did he go?
It wasn’t that he didn’t feel the same. Their kiss, and what a wonderful, amazing, sensuous, perfect kiss it had been to make her body and soul tremble; that had shown her that he did. She had thought then that to both be so much in love was too good to be true. It was too good, and now it was gone.
The suns were starting to set, and the cavern was growing dimmer. The flickering of shadows across the wall told her that the others were still close by, and they were waiting for her. For a moment she thought of Kosar, and Varla, and of her two friends that had suffered the same experience of love and loss. But she didn’t want to speak to them; she wanted to sweep her Cloak around her and hide herself forever.
How could she face them? They would only look at her with sympathy; the same way she had looked at Diana and tried to help, but it was as meaningless to her as it had been to the Acrobat. It didn’t help. It didn’t change Sean’s decision, or the broken, hollow feeling inside.
He was gone. Not even saying it to herself seemed to help convince her it was real.
At last, before the cavern was filled with darkness, she heard footsteps behind her, then felt a hand touch her arm. She didn’t have to turn round to know his touch. Hank. The Ranger. The one she’d idolised since her first day at school. The one she had thought she loved. He was the last person she had the strength to face.
‘We have to go, now Sheila,’ he said. That tone in his voice, she knew it so well and she had never understood how superficial it made him sound. She didn’t move. Not even to turn around and acknowledge him.
‘Venger could be here any moment. We have to go.’ He paused, and steadied himself for the next sentence. ‘Sean’s not coming back, Sheila.’
There was a sudden flash of red as reality slotted back into place. And in that moment, she hated the Ranger more than she’d ever hated anyone in her whole life. He’d said it. He’d made it real. Sean wasn’t coming back. He had gone back to his different time and different place and the link was broken. He wasn’t going to return. He couldn’t return. Ever.
Furious, she whipped round to face him, ready to strike out at him for daring to say that to her. Embracing the anger she looked up, and looked into his eyes.
At that moment she understood.
The look in his eyes was the same as always, but this time she understood what he couldn’t ever say: He loved her.
He had loved her as she loved Sean. But he now knew she would never love him in the same way back. She’d broken his heart as surely as her own heart had been broken the instant Sean had stepped through the portal.
They looked at each other for a few seconds. They understood.
Then Sheila leaned into him and began to cry.
= = =
The End