starsandsea (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
starsandsea) wrote2008-05-06 07:48 pm
starsandsea) wrote2008-05-06 07:48 pm
Entry tags:
Fic: The Beat Of Bats Wings (3/10)
Title: The Beat Of Bats Wings (3/10)
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Bruce, Zatanna, eventual Bruce/Clark
Word Count: 1473
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: Previous parts can be found here. Betaed by the wonderful![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jen_in_japan!
Bruce opened his eyes to the sound of birds singing. He blinked and turned his head slightly, seeing his horse grazing nearby, in what looked like a small clearing in a forest. He sat up slowly, wincing as pain blossomed in his head. What? He had had a nightmare. He had dreamed that his brothers and sisters had been turned into... no! They hadn't. They were safe.
Bruce looked up at the sound of his name being called softly, and saw Zatanna. "Zee? What?" She handed him a cup filled with water. He drank from it slowly. Zatanna was looking at him, eyes haunted. "Zee?"
"I'm sorry, Bruce. I could only save one of you."
"What?" Zatanna was silent. "I had a dream..." Bruce began, but when she looked at him, the truth finally dawned. "No. No!" The chalice fell from his hands. "Why?"
Zatanna took his hands, which were shaking with anger and fear, and squeezed them gently. "I could only save one of you, the magic was too great for me to halt, but..."
Bruce pulled his hands away from her and stood up, walking over to a tree and thumping his head against it. His brothers and sisters... they were gone, she had done this to them, he had led them into a trap...
"Bruce." Zatanna said his name, but he wasn't listening. His sword. Where was his sword? "Bruce!" Zatanna shouted his name now, as he moved away from the tree and towards his horse who was eyeing them warily.
He came to an involuntary stop. Zatanna stepped in front of him, lowering her hands. "Listen! There is a way to reverse the spell, reverse what she has done."
Hope came alive in Bruce's chest, flaring in a white blaze of fire. "Then do it."
"I can't. But you can."
Bruce frowned. "But I don't know any spells..."
"Spells cannot break it, but faith and love can." Bruce's frown deepened at her answer. Zatanna smiled sadly. She tugged at his hands and sat him down, sitting him down opposite him, as they had been before.
"What must I do?"
"You have to make them shirts."
"Shirts?"
Zatanna bowed her head for a moment. "Shirts made from Starwart and Nettles."
"Starwart..." Bruce opened his mouth, but nothing more came out. Starwart, with its wicked barbs, barbs so fine, barbs that hooked into your skin, releasing poison - and nettles, nettles that could not be touched without stinging... How was he meant to make shirts out of them? He looked at Zatanna, lost. She had tears in her eyes.
"And, you must not utter a single word, make a single sound until you have completed the last shirt, placed them around your brothers' and sisters' necks, and they have returned to their human forms."
Bruce swallowed. "All right. All right. I'll do it."
Zatanna smiled at him. "Of course you will." Her smile faded. "There is one more thing. You must leave this land, leave your father's kingdom, and go far away, where she cannot find you. She will kill you if she does, and will remain ever watchful for you."
Bruce nodded. "Where can I go?"
"Your horse will know the way."
Bruce stood up, Zatanna standing with him. "Thank you, Zee."
"I'm sorry I couldn't save-"
"You've told me how to save them. That is enough." She hugged him, and Bruce hugged her back. He moved away, and over to his horse, spying his sword attached to the saddle.
"I've filled your bags with food. Enough to last you and Ace a fortnight."
"Ace?" Bruce said, startled. A shadow detached itself from the trees, and Ace came running over. Bruce fell to his knees and hugged him, stroking his soft fur, and receiving wet licks.
Zatanna was smiling at them. "Do you really think he would let you do this alone?"
Bruce hugged Ace again, then stood up. "Thank you, Zee," he said again, then mounted his stallion.
"Just remember what I said. Not one word, not one sound until your brothers and sisters have returned to their human forms." Bruce nodded, gathering up the reins. "May the Goddess bless you, Prince."
Bruce smiled, then nudged his horse into a trot, Ace following, leaving the small glade and Zatanna behind.
*****
Bruce rode for many days, traveling fast and light. The food Zatanna had gifted him and Ace with started running low. He rationed it carefully. One night, they arrived at a cave by a riverbank, high enough from the river that there was no risk of flooding. He knew this was where he was meant to go.
The cave was large enough that his horse could come in, would be able to stay inside during the night, and more than big enough for him and Ace as well. Yes. This was the place.
Bruce got to work, making a bed out of soft grass and moss, collecting nuts and berries in preparation for a long winter, gathering grass for his horse. Ace could hunt by himself, and did, Bruce joining him with the crude spear he had made. And he gathered all the Starwart and Nettles he could find, leaving only the bare minimum to ensure they would come again.
He dried them, and tried to find something that he could use as a needle. But he had no idea how to sew, let alone how to make shirts.
He kept gathering all the Starwart and Nettles he could find on his daily hunts for food, then tried to somehow sew the dried plants together, using the stem of the Starwart as thread, the nettle leaves as material. His hands became hard and swollen, pain settled into his bones, but he kept on. He had to. For his brothers and sisters.
As the days grew colder, Bruce grew thinner, but he thought of Dick and Barbara, Jason and Cassandra, Tim and Stephanie, and kept on going. He had to let his horse go, once he realized he could no longer look after it; that it would die if he didn't. He could only hope that it had found a good home.
Bruce kept on going, his hands numb, his fingers blue, and he kept on going, pulling the stems of the Starwart apart so he had thread once he found a needle, and pulling nettle leaves away. He had to. He had no other choice. He kept on going.
******
Spring was finally starting to show her colors. Snowdrops and daffodils were out, the blooms brightening the cold landscape. Bruce left his cave, Ace by his side, desperate for some respite from his dully repetitive days, hopeful of maybe being able to find some food. He didn't expect they would, but he had to hope, didn't he? He had to hope. That was what this was all about. Hope. Hope that would free his brothers and sisters, hope that they would return home and break the spell cast upon their Father.
Everyone said despair was a crushing weight. But it had nothing on hope. Hope. Bruce felt tears welling up, and forced them down, as he always did. He was the eldest, he had to look after his siblings, and he wasn't even with them. He had led them straight into a trap. He had no idea where they where, if they were even alive. He just had to... hope they were.
Bruce sat down, leaning against a tree trunk. He had climbed up a hill, and was looking through the leafless trees, down to the river below. His heart ached for home, for the familiar views and smells.
Ace settled in beside him, bones visible through his fur. He stroked him, touched his ears, He was lucky Ace was still with him, hadn't died over the hard winter. Bruce sighed and closed his eyes, trying to remember what his brothers and sisters and father looked like. He had seen their faces so often, he had stopped really seeing them, seeing their faces.
Ace went tense under his hand. Bruce opened his eyes. Ace got up, growling. He sat up, scanning around warily, hand going to his knife. Maybe Ace had smelt a rabbit or fox. Ace growled again, and he knew it was no rabbit Ace was sensing.
Bruce stood up as the horse nearly silently came through the trees. A dark haired young man was atop the bay stallion, dressed richly in red and blue. Bruce froze. So did the rider when he saw Bruce.
They stayed like that for a instant, both too startled to move, Bruce seeing brilliant blue eyes widening in surprise, before his paralysis broke.
He ran, Ace by his side, hearing the rider's calls behind him.
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Bruce, Zatanna, eventual Bruce/Clark
Word Count: 1473
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: Previous parts can be found here. Betaed by the wonderful
jen_in_japan!Bruce opened his eyes to the sound of birds singing. He blinked and turned his head slightly, seeing his horse grazing nearby, in what looked like a small clearing in a forest. He sat up slowly, wincing as pain blossomed in his head. What? He had had a nightmare. He had dreamed that his brothers and sisters had been turned into... no! They hadn't. They were safe.
Bruce looked up at the sound of his name being called softly, and saw Zatanna. "Zee? What?" She handed him a cup filled with water. He drank from it slowly. Zatanna was looking at him, eyes haunted. "Zee?"
"I'm sorry, Bruce. I could only save one of you."
"What?" Zatanna was silent. "I had a dream..." Bruce began, but when she looked at him, the truth finally dawned. "No. No!" The chalice fell from his hands. "Why?"
Zatanna took his hands, which were shaking with anger and fear, and squeezed them gently. "I could only save one of you, the magic was too great for me to halt, but..."
Bruce pulled his hands away from her and stood up, walking over to a tree and thumping his head against it. His brothers and sisters... they were gone, she had done this to them, he had led them into a trap...
"Bruce." Zatanna said his name, but he wasn't listening. His sword. Where was his sword? "Bruce!" Zatanna shouted his name now, as he moved away from the tree and towards his horse who was eyeing them warily.
He came to an involuntary stop. Zatanna stepped in front of him, lowering her hands. "Listen! There is a way to reverse the spell, reverse what she has done."
Hope came alive in Bruce's chest, flaring in a white blaze of fire. "Then do it."
"I can't. But you can."
Bruce frowned. "But I don't know any spells..."
"Spells cannot break it, but faith and love can." Bruce's frown deepened at her answer. Zatanna smiled sadly. She tugged at his hands and sat him down, sitting him down opposite him, as they had been before.
"What must I do?"
"You have to make them shirts."
"Shirts?"
Zatanna bowed her head for a moment. "Shirts made from Starwart and Nettles."
"Starwart..." Bruce opened his mouth, but nothing more came out. Starwart, with its wicked barbs, barbs so fine, barbs that hooked into your skin, releasing poison - and nettles, nettles that could not be touched without stinging... How was he meant to make shirts out of them? He looked at Zatanna, lost. She had tears in her eyes.
"And, you must not utter a single word, make a single sound until you have completed the last shirt, placed them around your brothers' and sisters' necks, and they have returned to their human forms."
Bruce swallowed. "All right. All right. I'll do it."
Zatanna smiled at him. "Of course you will." Her smile faded. "There is one more thing. You must leave this land, leave your father's kingdom, and go far away, where she cannot find you. She will kill you if she does, and will remain ever watchful for you."
Bruce nodded. "Where can I go?"
"Your horse will know the way."
Bruce stood up, Zatanna standing with him. "Thank you, Zee."
"I'm sorry I couldn't save-"
"You've told me how to save them. That is enough." She hugged him, and Bruce hugged her back. He moved away, and over to his horse, spying his sword attached to the saddle.
"I've filled your bags with food. Enough to last you and Ace a fortnight."
"Ace?" Bruce said, startled. A shadow detached itself from the trees, and Ace came running over. Bruce fell to his knees and hugged him, stroking his soft fur, and receiving wet licks.
Zatanna was smiling at them. "Do you really think he would let you do this alone?"
Bruce hugged Ace again, then stood up. "Thank you, Zee," he said again, then mounted his stallion.
"Just remember what I said. Not one word, not one sound until your brothers and sisters have returned to their human forms." Bruce nodded, gathering up the reins. "May the Goddess bless you, Prince."
Bruce smiled, then nudged his horse into a trot, Ace following, leaving the small glade and Zatanna behind.
*****
Bruce rode for many days, traveling fast and light. The food Zatanna had gifted him and Ace with started running low. He rationed it carefully. One night, they arrived at a cave by a riverbank, high enough from the river that there was no risk of flooding. He knew this was where he was meant to go.
The cave was large enough that his horse could come in, would be able to stay inside during the night, and more than big enough for him and Ace as well. Yes. This was the place.
Bruce got to work, making a bed out of soft grass and moss, collecting nuts and berries in preparation for a long winter, gathering grass for his horse. Ace could hunt by himself, and did, Bruce joining him with the crude spear he had made. And he gathered all the Starwart and Nettles he could find, leaving only the bare minimum to ensure they would come again.
He dried them, and tried to find something that he could use as a needle. But he had no idea how to sew, let alone how to make shirts.
He kept gathering all the Starwart and Nettles he could find on his daily hunts for food, then tried to somehow sew the dried plants together, using the stem of the Starwart as thread, the nettle leaves as material. His hands became hard and swollen, pain settled into his bones, but he kept on. He had to. For his brothers and sisters.
As the days grew colder, Bruce grew thinner, but he thought of Dick and Barbara, Jason and Cassandra, Tim and Stephanie, and kept on going. He had to let his horse go, once he realized he could no longer look after it; that it would die if he didn't. He could only hope that it had found a good home.
Bruce kept on going, his hands numb, his fingers blue, and he kept on going, pulling the stems of the Starwart apart so he had thread once he found a needle, and pulling nettle leaves away. He had to. He had no other choice. He kept on going.
******
Spring was finally starting to show her colors. Snowdrops and daffodils were out, the blooms brightening the cold landscape. Bruce left his cave, Ace by his side, desperate for some respite from his dully repetitive days, hopeful of maybe being able to find some food. He didn't expect they would, but he had to hope, didn't he? He had to hope. That was what this was all about. Hope. Hope that would free his brothers and sisters, hope that they would return home and break the spell cast upon their Father.
Everyone said despair was a crushing weight. But it had nothing on hope. Hope. Bruce felt tears welling up, and forced them down, as he always did. He was the eldest, he had to look after his siblings, and he wasn't even with them. He had led them straight into a trap. He had no idea where they where, if they were even alive. He just had to... hope they were.
Bruce sat down, leaning against a tree trunk. He had climbed up a hill, and was looking through the leafless trees, down to the river below. His heart ached for home, for the familiar views and smells.
Ace settled in beside him, bones visible through his fur. He stroked him, touched his ears, He was lucky Ace was still with him, hadn't died over the hard winter. Bruce sighed and closed his eyes, trying to remember what his brothers and sisters and father looked like. He had seen their faces so often, he had stopped really seeing them, seeing their faces.
Ace went tense under his hand. Bruce opened his eyes. Ace got up, growling. He sat up, scanning around warily, hand going to his knife. Maybe Ace had smelt a rabbit or fox. Ace growled again, and he knew it was no rabbit Ace was sensing.
Bruce stood up as the horse nearly silently came through the trees. A dark haired young man was atop the bay stallion, dressed richly in red and blue. Bruce froze. So did the rider when he saw Bruce.
They stayed like that for a instant, both too startled to move, Bruce seeing brilliant blue eyes widening in surprise, before his paralysis broke.
He ran, Ace by his side, hearing the rider's calls behind him.
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Gods, what a horrible way to spend a winter. :( *hugs him tight* I know he'll make it, though. He's the Bat, he always makes it.
Bravo!!
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I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for commenting! :D
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I love this!
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I'm really glad you like it! Thank you for commenting! :D
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Wow, this is great. I love it. A lot.
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Yay! I'm so glad you like it! :D Thank you for commenting!
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I love the way Zee is in this. And poor Bruce.
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Thank you for commenting! :D
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Poor Bruce! Suffering so much!
But now Clark's there, and eventually, things will be all right.
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I'm so glad you like this, Brady! Thank you for commenting! :D
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T_T
And, hey! Clark finally shows up :D
Looking forward for more goodies!
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LOL, Clark's finally decided to show up! :p
I'm really glad you like it! Thank you for commenting! :D
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Zatanna bowed her head for a moment. "Shirts made from Starwart and Nettles."
Reminded me that I have actually heard this fairy tale before! But the making shirts part and not speaking thing is the only thing I remember, lol.
One night, they arrived at a cave by a riverbank, high enough from the river that there was no risk of flooding. He knew this was where he was meant to go.
Woooo, the Bat cave! I mean ... yeah XD
tried to somehow sew the dried plants together, using the stem of the Starwart as thread, the nettle leaves as material. His hands became hard and swollen, pain settled into his bones, but he kept on. He had to. For his brothers and sisters.
Oh gods, what an ordeal Bruce is going through and you do a great job of describing it. :( I'm so glad he at least has Ace to keep him company!
I loved this line:
Everyone said despair was a crushing weight. But it had nothing on hope. Hope. Bruce felt tears welling up, and forced them down, as he always did.
With Bruce thinking how hope is everything right as he's about to break down. He really is just hanging on by a thread, isn't he? *hugs him*
A dark haired young man was atop the bay stallion, dressed richly in red and blue.
Eeeeeeeeeeee, and it's CLARK! But Bruce can't speak! And he's running away noooooo. I can't wait to find out what happens next. *bounces*
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LOL, it's not one of the 'main' fairytales, but as I started writing it, I couldn't believe I hadn't realized how fitting it is for Bruce and the BatClan...
Woooo, the Bat cave! I mean ... yeah XD
LOL, the Bat cave, yep! ;)
Bruce thinking how hope is everything right as he's about to break down. He really is just hanging on by a thread, isn't he? *hugs him*
*huggles Bruce a lot* It was not a easy winter for him at all. *huggles him again*
*grins* Clark's turned up, whoo! :p
I'm so glad you like this! Thank you so much for your lovely comment! :D *glomps*
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*bounces* I want more!
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*bounces* I want more!
Greedy! :P I'll send you the next chapter tonight, I hope! :D
I'm really glad you liked it, Jen! Thank you for commenting! :D
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I felt relieved that Ace was with him during the cold winter.
And Weee! Clark found him! I hope he can soothe Bruce's pain on his body and in his heart though Bruce can't make any sound. Argh.
I'm eagerly waiting for the sequel! *flails*
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And Weee! Clark found him! I hope he can soothe Bruce's pain on his body and in his heart though Bruce can't make any sound. Argh.
*smiles* He might just... ;)
I'm so glad you like it, Rai! Thank you for commenting! :D
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Have I mentioned how much I'm enjoying this tale?
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LOL, I'm very happy you like it! :D Thank you for commenting!
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I love how determinate Bruce is when Zatanna is telling him how he can save his family, despite it sounding.. so despairing. And then this line:
Everyone said despair was a crushing weight. But it had nothing on hope.
Oh, it's so pretty, and so true, and so *disarming*. Bruce's pain doesn't stem from despair, it stems from hope, and it's something that makes the character really noble. I love how you translated it to this setting!
He ran, Ace by his side, hearing the rider's calls behind him.
I love that image, for some reason! I think of Bruce ther elike he's.. almost a creature of the woods, a deer or something equally quick. It's so pretty in my mind's eye!
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*glomps* Don't worry, Mina! I'm behind myself. :) *glomps again* And Happy Birthday! I'll be posting your present soon. :)
I love how determinate Bruce is when Zatanna is telling him how he can save his family, despite it sounding.. so despairing.
*huggles him* It is not easy for him! But so determined anyway...
Oh, it's so pretty, and so true, and so *disarming*. Bruce's pain doesn't stem from despair, it stems from hope, and it's something that makes the character really noble. I love how you translated it to this setting!
*huggles Bruce again* I love that Bruce's pain comes from hope, and I had to include in here somehow!
I love that image, for some reason! I think of Bruce ther elike he's.. almost a creature of the woods, a deer or something equally quick. It's so pretty in my mind's eye!
*dances* That's exactly how I saw it! Like he was a wood spirit, almost. I'm half convinced that that is what Kal thought he was, lol. :p
*glomps again* Thank you for commenting, Mina! I'm so glad you like it! :D
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Thank you for commenting! :)