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Red Skys and Royal Cards
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  I came down the stairs after hearing the knocking on the door that the boys seemed to ignore.  I can see why they would, and I understand, it just didn’t cross my mind that they wouldn’t answer.  We’re in the heart of Dealer territory, and having a Warrior answer the door for them like nothing might not go over all that well.  Especially not after the events of earlier today.

  When I got to the bottom of the stairs I froze as I watched Kris open the door, the eleven others waiting for the person to be revealed.  Maybe I was wrong and opening the door didn’t bother them, they just took their time in doing so.

  When the person standing in the doorway was revealed I froze in shock.  I wasn’t expecting her to show up at my house on the Academy grounds so suddenly.  She didn’t call, didn’t text me.  Gave me no heads up to her surprise visit.

  Dressed in her favorite black dress that hugged her upper body with a one-inch collar around her neck and flowed from her waist to just above her ankle.  The strappy sandal heels where the last birthday present I gave to her before coming to this bat--crazy school.

  The floor length cape she adorned was a vibrant shade of red.  It billowed around her and hung at her sides.  It fit her perfectly.  The clutch was made of a glittering dark red stone that sat between her clavicles and sparkled when the light hit it just right.  The large flowing hood was pulled up and sat at the crown of her head with her chocolate locks curled in tight curls that hung from underneath the hood and flowed to her waist.

  The extensions she wore to lengthen the naturally long hair even more was pretty on her.  She looked like a fairy the way the curls moved at her actions, the way her eyes sparkled and glowed with that kindness she always showed.  She was kind to everyone, much to my father’s dismay at times.

  I watched as she bowed her head to acknowledge Kris who stood in front of her.  The politeness of it was rather astonishing, and the awareness of just who he was gleaming in the depths of her eyes.  Denying that she knew about this world and the secrets it held was impossible when she had that look in her eyes of full understanding and knowledge.

    “Might I come in, Warrior?”  There was no condescendence in her tone.  It was soft, calm.  She was asking Kris as a person, addressing him as a Warrior because that is what he is, not as a insult.  She didn’t know his name, he could be any of the twelve that I’m sure she knew the names of.

  Seeing her here like this, watching her speak to Kris.  I’m mind-boggled beyond belief.

  “Mom?”  I was starting to doubt it was actually her.

  All twelve boys spun around to look at me.  I could see the shock on their faces.  I didn’t mask my entrance on coming down the stairs so sneaking up on them was a surprise on my part as well as theirs.

  My mother's eyes drifted over to me and her rose colored lips smiled wider.  “Hello, Sky.”  She replied happily, her tinkling voice only accentuating the fact that she could be a glittering fairy right now.  “Can I come in so we can talk.  I’m sure you have a lot of questions and want answers to so much.”

  I took the final steps down the stairs and made my way through the cluster of boys blocking the hallway with nowhere to go that wouldn’t still be in the way.  I gave them soft smiles if I met eyes with them to reassure them everything was all right.

  I stopped beside Kris and unconsciously reached out and gave his hand a squeeze as he looked down at me.  I pulled Kris with me as we stood aside and let my mother take a step into the house.  Her eyes not leaving mine as she moved.

  Once inside she held her right hand up.  She looked over her shoulder, her hair bouncing and flowing with her movements.  “I’ll be fine.  Make sure we aren’t disturbed, please.”

  “Of course, Aura.”  The two Warriors standing on the stone walkway replied with a bow of their heads before they walked off.

  The one on the left looked familiar, but I can’t recall ever meeting a Warrior before.  His features sparked recognition, but from where I couldn’t place.  Kris shut the door as my mother’s soft laughter filled the front room, her eyes all knowing as she saw the curiosity as I watched the Warrior before he disappeared behind the shut door.

  “Jesse used to babysit you as a child, Sky.  That’s why you recognize him.”  She said before enveloping me I a hug.  “You must be shaken after what happened earlier.”  She held me at arms length and looked me over.  “You did the right thing.  No matter what anyone tells you, you did what was best.  You saved so many lives, Sky, and that is what matters.”

  Um.  What the hell am I supposed to respond with?  I’m not used to my mother acting as if all of this is normal.  I have never had a conversation with her about this crazy world and all this magic.  It doesn’t seem right to talk about this with her.

  She shook her head.  My mother let out a sigh before dragging me through the crowd of boys who all plastered themselves to the wall as we approached.  I shook my head lightly at them as I rolled my eyes.

  My mother sat me on one of the couches as she took the chair I normally sat in.  “You want to know why your father and I hid this from you.”  She spoke.  “I can understand that, but you also have to understand that we did it for both your benefit and that of your Warriors.”

  “You hid an entire part of my life from me, Mom.”  The hurt was clear in my tone.  “Before I came here you could have told me.   When we met not that long ago when I was already immersed in this world you still went on acting oblivious to something that was troubling me.  I needed someone to talk to, someone I trusted, but I couldn’t go to you in fear that you didn’t know anything.  You lied to me.”

  She sighed as she looked down at her hands folded on her lap.  “I know, Sky.  Believe me I know how hard it must have been.  My father hid it from me until I was sixteen.  While that isn’t nearly as long as you and I was eased into this world, the outcomes are still similar in both our cases.”

  “So what was the point?”  I hissed.  “Why hide this.  Why lie about half of who I am?”

  She met me eyes, hers holding a hard edge to them.  “So you would care.  So you would look at Warriors not as entities of power and force, but as beings with feelings, hearts and minds.  Tell me you don’t look at them and see their sadness and hatred at being controlled and leashed.  The coldness in their hearts and the defeat they have as they have to subject themselves to this life.”

  Her eyes spoke with so much emotion it floored me.  “They feel.  They think.  They have the capacity to love and care.  But they are never given that choice, never allowed to express it.”

  “Mom.”  I said to pull her back to the moment as her eyes started to become distant.  I felt a hand on my left shoulder and looked up at Chanyeol, a warmth of his flame heating my shoulder and arm in comfort.

  “Your father and I didn’t let you learn of this world because if you had as a child you would have grown to be like the other Dealers you see around this campus.  It’s the genetics of a born Dealer – Royal or not – to crave the power it gives you.  A child who claims from a young age is predisposed to want more.  The feeling is addictive.  Your father was terrible when we first met, he’s changed over the years but he’s still susceptible to those feelings.”

  She looked back over her shoulder and I watched as she scanned the twelve boys that I knew were standing close behind me.  Her eyes remained on Lay as she continued to speak.  “Your first Card appeared to you when you were three.”

  “What?”  I choked.

  My mother closed her eyes as the memory played in her head.  “I can still remember when I found you on the kitchen floor after trying to climb onto a chair and falling off.  You were crying so loudly it was a wonder the neighbors didn’t say anything afterwards.  Your knee was scrapped up pretty good from hitting the rough wood of the table.  The air before you started to shimmer as a Card appeared in front of you and lowly rotated in the air, waiting for you to grasp it and Claim it.”

  She opened her eyes and looked back at Lay again.  “I didn’t hesitate to scoop you up and take you away from it before you saw anything.  Your eyes were blurred with tears so I didn’t have to worry, that time at least.”

  “How many times did you hide this from me?”  I asked her. “Lied to me so I wouldn’t find out.”

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Wynter
With how crazy the world is right now, my updates are slower. I will not abandon this, please have patience and I promise to update again soon. Stay safe everyone please. Many Blessings, Wynter (8.20.20)

Comments

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ShawolBlinger4life
#1
Chapter 176: Still reading this in 2024! Hope you are doing well
YEOLLIEZEL
#2
Chapter 176: I am an avid fan of this great story. I am still waiting for an update even after almosr 3 years which means this is a very very great story 😊
poprocksgum
#3
Chapter 176: it’s probably my 10th time or something reading this. Been missing sky and her warriors 🥹 i hope you are well!
soshi16
#4
Chapter 176: I re reas this nth time 🥺🥺🥺🥺
PunkRock123 #5
Chapter 11: Heyy, i dont know if you know already but fhere is a fic that practically plagiarized your entire writing. The only difference is the mc background and the card appearance order. But the timeline and many sentences are the exact same. Here is the link https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1331812/descended-fromthe-stars
PunkRock123 #6
Chapter 174: oh my goshhh, a long time ago i remember i would always check for updates everytime i go on aff. I really appreciate you to update after 2 years and me reading this again after 5 years O.o its crazy!!!
YehetOhorat1994 #7
Chapter 176: hey wynter! ive started reading this fic years ago, as an early teen and now my teen years are almost ending. this story had brought me so much joy and strength, and is honestly one of the best ive read ever!! keep doing what you do, being a nurse definitely isnt easy at this time, so dont rush to put out updates, though we’ll all definitely be waiting eagerly for the upcoming content!! love what youve been doing so far, keep it up ♡ thank you for the hard work you put in as a nurse too, im sure everyone sppreciated it
iorifae #8
Chapter 2: omg this fanfic brought back so many memories 😭 the last time i read this was like when i was 12 (?) , i still remembered this fanfic cause man i was so in love with exo back then even noww~~ , im glad you still keep this story <3
PuffyBunnyIsLazy
#9
Chapter 23: Hi Wynter~!
It’s been awhile and I hope that you’re doing well. I’ve noticed since all of the craziness that’s been happening that lots of people are reverting back to the things that brought them comfort when they were younger. This chapter reminded me of that and I wanted to say that this fic of yours is definitely something I truly hold near and dear to my heart.

It reminds me of simpler times in middle school and high school and all the times I’ve read this to escape reality. Your story brings me comfort and joy each and every time. Throughout college I’ve been trying to re-read this from the beginning whenever I can (I’m probably on attempt three or four now? Lol), but I never really had enough time to due to school. As I’m trying to read every single chapter again, I just wanted to say how thankful and grateful I am to you for creating this story. I and many others have thoroughly enjoyed it over the years, and will continue to for many more.

You are truly an amazing and talented writer, and it’s admirable how you can create worlds and bring this much happiness to so many people with your words. It’s crazy to see how much things have changed (for EXO) since the beginning chapters, but that’s just part of life haha. I sincerely wish and hope you’re doing well and that you’re taking care of yourself. Much love <3