Status: once upon a time, there was a co-write...
Broken Illusion
Marion.
Marion found the waterfall mainly through luck. After dipping under the water she had discovered that there was no rock behind the wall of water and had managed to push herself through. It was dark and slimy but it was safer than being on the other side of the water. She sighed as she pulled off her clothes and hung them over a branch, hoping that somehow they would dry out enough to be wearable.
She pulled out her old reliable sleeping bag and squished herself into it. The last thing she wanted was to freeze to death.
Her eyes flicked open to see the same hazel eyes that haunted her every breath. She sucked in as much air as her lungs would take. He was real she could taste his scent. As she breathed out she whispered his name, more natural than breathing. They both smiled. Of course, none of it had happened.
“Marion, my love.” She went to talk but she was stopped by his lips being pressed against hers, so light they may have not been there but she could feel a forcefulness there that she had longed for since she had last seen him. “I have so much to tell you. Fuck, I miss you.”
She reached out for him, desperate to feel his touch again but her hands couldn’t find him.
“Please, listen,” he growled, the longing just as strong for him. “You must help Wonderland. You're the only one who can do it, you and your stubbornness and bitterness and your bloody short temper.” She laughed through her tears and felt his hands wipe her tears away. Her hands found him easily this time, falling into the familiar places on his body.
“I’ve seen the hero you become, it’s everything we wanted it to be. When all this is over, we’ll be together. Oh, Marion, I’ve seen the end of this and I know I’ve never loved you more.” She could feel her body slowly rack with sobs that made it difficult to breath. Robin pulled her into his chest, both of them just lay there until Marion had calmed down enough to breath again.
“Robin, Uncle Teddy had you killed, his men tried to kill me. Why should I try to protect this place when it won't protect me?” she said, the bitterness flowing through her again as she remembered that Robin was dead and none of this was real. His hands grabbed at her arms, a roughness she wasn’t used to but one she needed to show her how serious he was.
“These are your people your talking about. You think Teddy would act this way on his own? You heard what that woman is doing to children. Do you think you’re excluded from that? That power hungry troll wants to ensure that no one can get between her and some fucked up plan of world domination. If you stop her now, you can save your home. You can fix things again.” He slowly released his grip, the red marks on her arms were still visible though, they looked as though they would bruise.
She pushed him away, it didn’t take much effort. She had the feeling that her hands had gone through him rather than moving him.
“I don’t have to listen to this. You’re not real. You’re dead.” She stood up, leaving the sleeping bag to pool at her feet. She didn’t care that she was in a slimy cave wearing only her underwear and screaming at nothing. The emotions were real and that was the dangerous part. She pushed her hands into her hair and tugged at it, the pain was real she was awake. Robin went to move her hands out of her hair but she jumped away from him.
“No! No, you fucking piece of shit. You’re gone, you’re dead. You can’t come here tell me what I’m supposed to do with the rest of my life. You’re all dead and gone. I gave up everything for you and you went and fucking died.” Marion felt her head begin to spin as Robin grabbed for her. She was aware that she should have hit the floor but still hadn’t. Instead Robin had caught her.
She pulled out her old reliable sleeping bag and squished herself into it. The last thing she wanted was to freeze to death.
Her eyes flicked open to see the same hazel eyes that haunted her every breath. She sucked in as much air as her lungs would take. He was real she could taste his scent. As she breathed out she whispered his name, more natural than breathing. They both smiled. Of course, none of it had happened.
“Marion, my love.” She went to talk but she was stopped by his lips being pressed against hers, so light they may have not been there but she could feel a forcefulness there that she had longed for since she had last seen him. “I have so much to tell you. Fuck, I miss you.”
She reached out for him, desperate to feel his touch again but her hands couldn’t find him.
“Please, listen,” he growled, the longing just as strong for him. “You must help Wonderland. You're the only one who can do it, you and your stubbornness and bitterness and your bloody short temper.” She laughed through her tears and felt his hands wipe her tears away. Her hands found him easily this time, falling into the familiar places on his body.
“I’ve seen the hero you become, it’s everything we wanted it to be. When all this is over, we’ll be together. Oh, Marion, I’ve seen the end of this and I know I’ve never loved you more.” She could feel her body slowly rack with sobs that made it difficult to breath. Robin pulled her into his chest, both of them just lay there until Marion had calmed down enough to breath again.
“Robin, Uncle Teddy had you killed, his men tried to kill me. Why should I try to protect this place when it won't protect me?” she said, the bitterness flowing through her again as she remembered that Robin was dead and none of this was real. His hands grabbed at her arms, a roughness she wasn’t used to but one she needed to show her how serious he was.
“These are your people your talking about. You think Teddy would act this way on his own? You heard what that woman is doing to children. Do you think you’re excluded from that? That power hungry troll wants to ensure that no one can get between her and some fucked up plan of world domination. If you stop her now, you can save your home. You can fix things again.” He slowly released his grip, the red marks on her arms were still visible though, they looked as though they would bruise.
She pushed him away, it didn’t take much effort. She had the feeling that her hands had gone through him rather than moving him.
“I don’t have to listen to this. You’re not real. You’re dead.” She stood up, leaving the sleeping bag to pool at her feet. She didn’t care that she was in a slimy cave wearing only her underwear and screaming at nothing. The emotions were real and that was the dangerous part. She pushed her hands into her hair and tugged at it, the pain was real she was awake. Robin went to move her hands out of her hair but she jumped away from him.
“No! No, you fucking piece of shit. You’re gone, you’re dead. You can’t come here tell me what I’m supposed to do with the rest of my life. You’re all dead and gone. I gave up everything for you and you went and fucking died.” Marion felt her head begin to spin as Robin grabbed for her. She was aware that she should have hit the floor but still hadn’t. Instead Robin had caught her.