NetherRealm Found
The sun sat high in the sky, the heat beating down on the world below it with a gentle hand like a caring caress on the cheek from a loved one. The air was humid, warm as Lexi breathed in a lungful of summer air. The softest of breezes danced lazily in the air, twirling and waltzing with strands of her hair, playfully blowing them upwards in greeting. The sky was filled with marshmallow fluff streaking steadily on the bright canvas.
The world around her had always seemed more colourful on a sunny day. The leaves of the trees glowed greener, the grass seemed to dance in joyful time with nature’s tune, her garden that she had spent two years crafting into something delightful and useful glittered under the sun’s smiling rays.
Plants lined up like orderly children spanned most of the garden; carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, wheat, peas and cucumbers eagerly growing and lifting their heads to the light in the sky. A large expanse of grass then, some shaded by a giant apple tree that bore bountiful fruit that was as sweet as the rosy pink blush on their skins.
Lexi allowed a small smile to pass across her lips as she saw the blanket that had been left under the tree from yesterday’s picnic, the swing hanging from the sturdy branch moving delicately in a small gust that passed by with a happy whoosh. She would have to tidy the lawn at some point; various toys littered the yard including skittles, a football, a frisbee and a multitude of toy aeroplanes.
She exhaled a content breath, memories of the afternoon they had spent together in the garden returning to her and making her chest swell with appreciation; it was truly a place of peace and safety and the fact that they could have their time together without worrying about danger meant that the weight of the world wasn’t on her shoulders any more and she could truly relax and enjoy his company.
She grabbed her basket and went over to the garden, taking her time to choose some veg to accompany the food they had for lunch. Their town was one that didn’t have money; they lived by bartering and offering services in exchange for what they needed. Lexi had quickly found her niche; it turned out that she was actually naturally gifted with her hands and took to making various things for the townsdemons.
She had begun by making herself and Liaster some clothes; they hadn’t managed to bring through many and she had wanted to have some more variety to their wardrobe, particularly for winter. Others had spotted what she was doing and had asked for their own things to be made in exchange for things that they needed, which was, when they first arrived, a lot.
Then she realised she could easily weave baskets. This got them a lot of things they needed such as a food store, some furniture that needed replacing in the house when they had arrived back, and some cleaning equipment in order for her to keep the place clean and tidy.
Once they had got all the necessities they needed (an infinite supply of water running right behind their house from an azure blue, clear river), Lexi continued to exchange things to acquire some toys for Liaster.
He was incredibly happy to have returned to the NetherRealm and he had spent a lot of his time getting reacquainted with everyone and introducing Lexi to everyone also, but as time went on and they settled into a routine, Lexi found Liaster in need of stimulation, often times finding him restless while she cooked or cleaned which led to him finding mischief such as peeling all the labels off the tins in the cupboard so Lexi had no idea what was in them.
She picked up her basket, now filled with a beautiful array of vegetables and sighed again, feeling the heat kiss her bare arms, the breeze lifting the skirt of her dress ever so slightly. Dare she think it... she was happy.
“I believe this one is yours, Miss Lexi?” She turned upon hearing the gruff voice, seeing Herade standing at the edge of her gate, the white paint a stark contrast to his all black ensemble as the town’s blacksmith. He liked to take his job seriously, and literally.
Liaster stood next to him, t-shirt scrunched up in Herade’s hand, a sulky grimace over his face, ears twitching agitatedly as he flicked his fringe from his eyes. Lexi had tried on many occasions to cut his hair but he had insisted that he liked it the way it was and wouldn’t allow her anywhere near it with a pair of scissors.
She gave Herade a straight lipped look and sighed. “What’s he done this time?”
“I didn’t-” Liaster began but Herade shushed him down and gave Lexi a kind smile, his pure black eyes reflecting the sun like two black mirrors.
“I caught this one-”
“No it wasn’t!”
“I CAUGHT THIS ONE,” Herade rose his voice over Liaster’s protests and Liaster folded his arms, huffing as his face contorted into an even further sulk, his brows furrowing and knitting together tightly, white hair glowing fiercely under his bubbling anger. “Trying to take the bananas from the tree in my back garden, already having munched on a few and don’t deny it, boy, I can smell them on your breath.”
Lexi gave Liaster a look, staring until Liaster glanced up at her under heavy brows. He huffed again.
“Liaster,” she gently chastised. “Did you take them without asking?”
Liaster shrugged in response, refusing to make eye contact with her. She turned back to Herade.
“I’m sorry he took your things, what can I do to pay for them, Herade?” she asked gently, giving him a kind smile.
He inhaled deeply then exhaled. “Tell you what, you set me up with one of your apple pies and we’ll call it even.”
Lexi giggled. “Alright, it’s a deal. I’ll get it to you tomorrow. Can I-” Lexi gestured to Liaster and Herade let him go, Liaster walking through the gate and standing with his arms folded by the front door of the small house.
“Liaster, what do you say?”
Silence.
“Liaster.” More stern this time.
Liaster rolled his eyes. “Sorry,” he mumbled, kicking at the dirt with his boot.
“That’s quite alright, just don’t do it again, and if you want some, I’m sure we can come to an agreement to get you some, son, got it?” Herade spoke, gentler this time. Liaster gave him a glance and then nodded, turning away again, arms still stubbornly folded.
“Thanks, Herade.” He waved a goodbye and Lexi went over to the front door, placing her basket into the doorway and then turning to Liaster, half folded in on himself. She could feel the underlying, bubbling anger within him, but she took it at face value. She looked deeper, finding a small nugget of another emotion trying to hide behind his defiance and sulking. She gave him a sympathetic smile.
“Come here,” she held her arms out for him, watching him furtively glance at her and then he shook his head. “Liaster, come on, sweetie,” she said gently. He looked over again.
“No,” he mumbled, turning his body away from her.
Lexi sighed, then closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his tense frame, holding him tight to her body, feeling his conflicting emotions fight against one another in his body. Baby Liaster and Growing Up Liaster fighting for dominance in a war that raged on under his stoic exterior. He didn’t pull away though, and Lexi pushed his head to her shoulder, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.
He burst into tears, pulling away from Lexi and storming into the house. She listened to his boots stomping across to the back of the house and the tell tale squeak of his bedroom door opening and then the slam of it being thrown shut.
Lexi sighed. “Pre-teens,” she whispered to herself exasperatedly.
**********
She had knocked on the door to no response, as expected but she had shouted through to him that if he wanted space that was fine, but she was there if he wanted to talk to her or if he needed anything. When she gleaned no response to that either, she carried on with what she was doing, preparing food for them for the rest of the day.
She was standing at the stove, a pot bubbling with excitement, the chopped up food within it dancing together like it was 1999 and the broth of the darkened dance hall filled with pent up hormones.
She felt Liaster next to her before she saw him, moving silently and appearing almost shoulder to shoulder with her as he stared into the bubbling pot, furtively glancing at her every few seconds.
“Hey,” she said quietly. She stirred the contents with her wooden spoon, leaning ever so slightly to her right, softly bumping her shoulder into Liaster’s. He held out a hand, his face turned down into an intense frown, eyes filled with a glittering sadness.
“Can I help?” he asked quietly, his mouth barely moving so Lexi had to concentrate on what he was saying.
She smiled. “Of course. You can stir this for me, I’ll cut us some bread and butter.” She handed the spoon across to him and he took it. Lexi noticed his nails had turned black; this was new with his approaching, puberty, she guessed, for want of a better word. Like a mood ring, his nails would change colour according to how he was feeling. He was getting better at trying to hide his feelings from her within the bond but he couldn’t hide his nails. Black was nothing short of despair and a small globule of worry hit Lexi’s stomach. She said nothing at that moment, biding her time. He would open up. In his own time.
She began to slice the bread, the sounds of lunch the only noises in the small kitchen, hot from the boiling stove but there was an aroma surrounding them that was warm and homely, hugging Liaster tight, almost as tight as Lexi had done previously.
He sighed to himself, giving Lexi one further glance. At that moment he could feel she held nothing but love and care and affection for him. He could also feel an icy cold shard... worry.
Lexi heard a rapid tittering and-
“Those Mowgliff boys were making fun of me again.”
Lexi stopped cutting and placed the knife down quietly, looking over to Liaster who had his eyes focused solely on the stew in front of him.
“Is that why you took some of Herade’s fruit?” Liaster nodded, head still down. “Were you trying to prove to them something?” Another nod.
“What were they saying?” she asked gently.
He shrugged. “Just the usual. I’m stupid because I bonded with a human. I’ll never fully grow up because I’ve not got my parents, like that’s my fault-” Liaster cut himself off with a shaky breath. Lexi held her arms open once more, Liaster looking over with a longer glance this time and let the spoon drop into the pot as he moved over to her and fell into her embrace.
Lexi held him tight, feeling his warmth all around her, his arms wrapped tight around her waist as he laid his head on her shoulder, letting all the tension leave his body as he relaxed against her. He felt the love she held for him wrap around them both in a warm bubble of pure emotion and he sighed, a small whimper tacked onto the end of the exhale.
Lexi rubbed his back soothingly. “You’re not stupid for bonding with me. You were so young and scared, you needed somebody and I was there. That’s not stupid that’s smart. It kept you alive. As for your parents,” Lexi lifted his head up and sighed, placing a gentle hand against his cheek, wiping away a silent tear that had fallen. “It’s a tragedy, and it’s not your fault in any way, and anyone who uses that to make fun of you is just cruel. You want me to go and have a word with their Ma?”
Liaster shook his head. “No, it would make no difference anyway.”
“Why do you think that?”
He laughed bitterly. “Where do you think they are getting these ideas from?”
Lexi hummed, somewhat irked. “Well, they’ve never been the nicest family, have they?” she asked.
Liaster shook his head. “They’re from the rougher area in the next town over but they’re always up here. It’s really annoying, I don’t get why they can’t annoy people down by them.”
“Hmm, probably because the people down by them don’t put up with their bullying so they have to find nice boys to pick on.”
A small smile played against Liaster’s mouth. Lexi held his face in both hands and kissed his forehead. “Never stop being a nice boy, Liaster. Don’t let their poison taint you.”
“Okei,” he whispered, giving Lexi one last hug before pulling away.
“Now,” Lexi turned to the stove, switching off the fire. “Do you think you can manage some food?” she asked.
Liaster nodded. “Yes yes, I’m starving.”
“Good because there’s loads, come on, help me dish up.”
**********
Liaster’s spirits buoyed after he had eaten and Lexi took him out to the forest, partly for him to explore (it was one of his favourite past times to try and find as many different leaves as he could and take them home to make something with) and partly so she could forage for mushrooms and other plants that they enjoyed.
Liaster took Lexi into his arms, almost bouncing on his feet in excitement as she got comfy and he sped off into the forest, deep under a dense canopy of trees where the heat from the summer day created a tropical dampness in the air around them, perfect for mushrooms to grow in.
Liaster placed Lexi down onto the soft, dewy grass and she began to forage, almost instantly finding mushrooms.
“Lessi, can I go and find some rocks and leaves?” Liaster asked, looking around him, sniffing the air, his ears twitching animatedly.
“Sure thing, sweetie, remember, stay alert and don’t go too far, couple miles at the most so I can still feel you.”
He nodded, “Okei.” The breeze blew Lexi’s skirt around her body as he sped off, his giggle echoing on the breeze. Lexi chuckled and carried on looking for what she needed and wanted, filling her basket up fairly quickly, the forest quiet around her, the occasional giggle emanating to her ears.
After a few hours, they had returned home for dinner, Liaster dumping his collection onto the kitchen table, making Lexi sit and listen as he showed her his collection. She loved every second of it. The way he came alive when he showed her the different shaped leaves he had found, his wide smile, fangs prominent as he proudly presented her with a heart shaped leaf for her to keep.
He became particularly excited when he got to the rocks he had found as he showed her ones of all different shapes and sizes, all different colours but one he had chosen just for her.
“This one? Why this one?” Lexi held the small pebble in her hand, almost perfectly round, smooth, one side black and one side white, like a living yin/yang symbol.
“I think it’s cool and it’s like us.”
Lexi smiled wide. “Explain that to me.”
“Well,” Liaster pointed to the black side. “This side is me. The other side is you, and black and white are complete, uhm... uh...” he gestured with his hands, spreading them wide.
“Opposites?” Lexi assisted.
Liaster grinned. “Yes, opposites. But even though they are... oppostits,”
“Opposites,” Lexi giggled.
“Yes, they go together really well and make something special.”
Lexi smiled lovingly at him and held his hand. “I think that’s a great way of looking at it, and it makes it very special. Where shall we put it?” she asked, looking around the shelves in the kitchen already filled with various knick knacks, dried out leaves, flowers and small things that Liaster had made for her.
“Can we put it up there?” Liaster pointed to where a portrait of him with his parents was sitting on a shelf. When they had first arrived, it was one of the first things that stuck out in the house, and Liaster had taken the picture into his hands, ghosting his fingertips over the faces of his parents with a sad smile on his face. Lexi had asked if he wanted to put it up centre stage in the kitchen so they could watch over him as he grew and he happily accepted and that’s where they lived ever since.
Over time, the shelf had been given special additions such as Liaster’s first craft project where he had made a clay him and Lexi, along with a portrait of the two of them and a picture of Danny and her from her locket.
“Sure, you think it’s special enough?” Liaster nodded, Lexi grinning. “I agree. Go on then.”
**********
They’d had dinner together, and they had spent the evening reading as the dusky twilight made way for the night time. It was lucky that the demon within the town they lived in were keen on learning English as the library was full of English books and so Lexi was pleased as it meant she could read to Liaster, and also help him to learn to read. When he was due to go to school in a few years, he would learn all those skills but there was no problem in being a little ahead, right?
As the candle dwindled by the side of them, Liaster yawned, his head heavy against Lexi’s shoulder.
“Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you to bed.”
“But it’s still early-”
“It’s really not, look.” Lexi pulled the curtain back slightly to reveal a starlit sky, bright moon large and round, illuminating the world in an ethereal glow.
“Oh,” came the response. “Maybe it is time for bed.”
Lexi giggled. “Yep. Go brush your teeth and get changed.” She watched him scamper off to get ready for bed and she began doing a small tidy up while she was waiting for him. He had coloured after dinner and she pushed all the crayons back into their tub, pausing as she saw the picture he had drawn.
It was a crudely drawn house, their house, and outside were two humanoid figures, one labelled ‘Liaster’ and one labelled ‘Lessi’ (she smiled fondly at the spelling because he still couldn’t make his way around the ‘x’ sound). They were standing hand in hand outside, bright smiles on their faces, but what made Lexi’s heart swell with emotion were the three figures in the sky, looking down on them. Each one was labelled dutifully, ‘Ma’, ‘Da’ and ‘Harree’. She took in a deep breath to control the emotions, lifting the picture up and placing it on the side cabinet. She would frame it tomorrow.
“I’m ready,” Liaster came back in then wearing his pyjamas and smiling brightly.
Lexi followed him to his bedroom and he got into bed, knowing the routine. Lexi tucked him in, closing the curtains, the moon still filtering in a little creating a soft glow around the room.
“Did you have a good day today?” Lexi asked as she pulled the cover over him, sitting on the side of the bed, one hand rubbing gently on his arm.
He nodded against the soft pillow, his hands gripping against the duvet. “It was fun. What are we doing tomorrow?” he asked.
Lexi shrugged. “Well, we have to go out and trade in the morning but apart from that we have the entire day to enjoy together so, shall we see what we fancy doing tomorrow?”
“Okei. Maybe we can go back to the forest again?”
Lexi giggled. “Maybe.” She leaned down and planted a kiss to his forehead, feeling two hands cup her face gently and then a scratchy beard rub against her face as he planted a soft kiss to her cheek.
“Lessi,” he said again, turning his eyes away from her gaze as he took in a deep breath. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure you can. Anything.”
“I just... uhm... well, I was thinking and maybe, you know, you are looking after me like my Ma used to do and uhm...” he trailed off, fidgeting and looking uncomfortable.
“What is it sweetheart, come on,” Lexi prodded.
He sighed. “I just... I want to feel like a normal demon, and everyone in town has a Ma and I want one too.”
Lexi stroked his cheek. “And how do you want to go about doing that, honey?” she asked gently.
He looked into her eyes then. “Can I- can I call you Ma?”
Lexi was caught off guard by the question but a lump formed in her throat as tears sprung to her eyes. She huffed out a half laugh, half sob.
“Really? You want to call me Ma?”
Liaster nodded. “You have been my Ma for a long time.”
Lexi nodded. “I understand. Of course you can sweetie. I’d be honoured.” She leaned down and wrapped him up in a tight hug, feeling the emotions roiling within her own body and his, relief flooding him. She kissed him again on the forehead.
“Alright, now time to go to sleep, okay? I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Lexi got up from the bed and paused in the doorway, turning back to him and smiling. “Goodnight, sweetie.”
Liaster smiled back, cuddling up with his plushie and duvet, snuggling against his pillow. “Goodnight, Ma.”
Lexi closed his door quietly and went to her own room, climbing into bed and feeling the pull of sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She knew that there would be challenges with a human being in the NetherRealm; some would be reluctant to accept her, some would think Liaster to be weird and abnormal and some would even go so far as to outright ignore her. She was fine with that. That was life. Not everyone in life liked you, and not everything in life was perfect, but as she laid in bed with her heart filled with love for the baby she had in the next room over, the locket sitting tight and warm to her chest, a soft thrumming like a heartbeat emitting from it in a delicately blue glow, she knew she had found her place in life, and she knew that together, her and Liaster were going to have an amazing life. Forever bonded, forever loved.
