Sometimes Monsters Need Love too

by Jaycren

Laguz

Hel sat at a table, Nia sat across from her, the filly that had been snuggled next to her sat on her left. Hel froze, the filly's eyes were restored, but the young one looked upon her unafraid and smiled. Rising, she curtsied to the Queen of the Underworld.

"My name is Aradinee, Your Ladyship, may I inquire of yours."

Hel cocked her head a moment, then smiled. "My name is Hel, Young Aradinee. I wonder are you a spider to my fly or a smaller spider to my black widow?" She teased, "But since your Uncle calls me Mistress you may call me Auntie."

She rocked back, taken by surprise, when the child glomped onto her. Hugging the child back, she held Aradinee close. The child began to weep, holding on to Hel tighter.

"Whatever is the matter, child?" Hel asked.

"You want me to stay. You want to be my Aunt."

Hel's eyes darkened. "Who would dare try and send you away child? Someone as precious as you."

"Uncle Bluey, sometimes brings mares home. They look at me and won't let me snuggle with him. They send me away to my own room. Then I hear them talking to Uncle Bluey about who I am and how I should be sent to a 'Special Home' to tend to my 'Special Needs.' Uncle Bluey doesn't bring them back after that. He hasn't brought anymare around in a while." Aradinee buried her head against Hel's ample chest. "Am I the reason Uncle Bluey's alone?"

Hel's wrath flared. She glared across at a shocked Nia. She closed her eyes for a moment, glad that Nia knew not of this. Blowing cold air out her nose, she ruffled Aradinee's mane.

"Let me make one thing clear, Lady Aradinee. Your home is yours. You are the Lady of it. I have no authority to cast you from it, nor wish to do so. Any of those scheming whorse that sought to remove you were not worthy of Sapphire, nor of being your Aunt. Your Uncle was utterly correct in casting them from his presence, hopefully with a switching. It is in no way your fault that Sapphire is alone, it is the fault of his environment that has such trash in it, masquerading as Ladies."

Aradinee raised her eyes to the angry Queen. "I didn't mean to make you angry, I'm sorry." She went to pull away, but Hel held her fast, her tone softening.

"Nay, you have not angered me, rather I am angry that you should've ever been put in such a situation or been allowed to think thus. When I was younger I was alone. My own family cast me out into the coldness of the Underworld. A realm that eventually was named for me and I came to rule. They did so because they were scared of my appearance and what I heralded. They imprisoned my two older brother's most cruelly. I know how it feels to have those that should love and accept you cast you out. I would not do so. When you came to snuggle, if there had not been enough room I would've changed places with you. No child should ever be cold. No child should ever feel unloved."

Hel hugged Aradinee tighter. Then glancing at Nia. "Am I correct in that this is a Dreamwending? Am I correct that this is Aradinee in my arms?"

Nia nodded, "It is indeed Auntie. I brought young Aradinee to calm her fears. I was not aware of the depth of her experience. I also wish to talk to you of what I and Tia witnessed." Luna's eyes lit in excitement, "Also, I have Uncles?"

Luna's squee caused Hel and Aradinee to giggle.

After the giggles passed, Hel became serious once more. "Aradinee, I have to explain some things to Nia here. Including something unnoticed, that I have been calling her Nia the entire time." Nia's eyes narrowed when she knew Hel's words to be true, "This explanation will not be nice, You are almost of the age when I was cast into the underworld. You have the right to hear all of this, but you may not want too. So in recognition of your status I give you the choice to hear this or not."

Aradinee pulled just far enough out that she could see Hel's face. "Auntie, I want to know everything, including how you know the name Uncle Bluey only used with me. It was our name so that I could know when he was my Uncle and when he was Prince Blueblood." Aradinee turned her head. "Those mare's only knew Prince Blueblood."

Hel turned Aradinee's head. "I am very proud of you, if I was ever to have a daughter I would want her to be like you." Aradinee flushed and pulled Hel closer.

Hel held her adopted neice tight, "Me and My two brothers are the sum of a remainder of a debt of fate, both owed to and owed by the gods of my world, the Aesir. As such when Ragnarok came to pass, us three where central to it all.

"You used the word before," Luna interrupted, "What is it?"

"Ragnarok is when all bonds are broken, material and immaterial, it is when all debts are due. It is when the sins of the Aesir and the sins of those that oppose them come due. The world burned. My brothers, because they fought in that final accounting, when they got here their debts zeroed. I however, from the point that I took hold of the Underworld, remained neutral. I favored no side. I wronged no side. All my judgments even unto my own siblings were impartial. As such I never accrued any debt, I was as close to zero according to fate as is possible."

Hel paused and shuddered. "It meant that I had to stay in the Underworld, because if I left and chose a place to dwell I would be favoring that side. So I remained trapped in that jail, warden of the unquiet dead, the dead that where destined to fight on the side of the Jotun, the chief enemies of the Aesir. The Blessed Noble dead went to those Aesir that suited them. I spent my time friendless and alone. I did this to forestall Ragnarok as long as possible. To let the mortals have a chance to live their lives free of the plots of those who thought themselves superior. However, Ragnarok can only be delayed, not stopped. So in the end even the bonds of death broke, even the boundaries between the living and the dead, shattered."

Hel looked upon Aradinee. "When that day occurred, since I had stayed neutral, I had no place on either side. My gambit worked, I had given the mortals above a few more days to live, before those that thought themselves Immortal doomed them all. However I was the one being who was still bound. I could not leave because I had not chosen. As all the unquiet dead went forth and my brothers went to vengeance and death, as my father rode at the head of the Jotun, I was for the last time left alone in the cold Underworld. I was at my end, so I hung myself on the roots of the world tree that dwelt over the void." Aradinee held her Aunt tight, Luna cried silent tears for this one so wronged by fate.

Hel smiled and light came to her eyes as she dried Aradinee's tears. "I never got any fated vengeance, I never fought the Aesir or the Jotun. I spent my life doing my fated duty, getting no accounting myself for being trapped in the cold and the dark, alone among those horrid dead. Therefore, Fate owes me. I have spent my time in the cold with none to warm me, I will be held. I spent my life having to force physical intimacy, I am the only mare that has forced her own rape several times just to feel desired. I get to be hugged and not looked at with horror. I was alone and cast out by my family. A family will gather to me. I know what it is to be judged by appearances. So my family will be made up of the misjudged, and with me they will be free to be what they are inside. Sapphire Blue was a stallion that had concealed himself in the loudness of the day, accepting his hated fate as Prince Blueblood. Only to be known for who he was by just one. My fate debt made it so that he had a chance to shatter the mask and be who he was inside. He could not do so with you, Nia, or with Cele, because then his gambit would have failed. He had to let you scoff and discount him, so that the Nobles would think him one of them. Now he can move as Sapphire Blue.

Aradinee's eyes lit up as Hel continued. "This also means that this one will be able to do all that a child could do. Blueblood was needed, in part, to protect her from the games the nobles play.

Hel chuckled to herself darkly, "I played a game of cards with fate itself, and won by bluffing. I love this one as my own. I am a goddess. I have never been merciful. Any that seek to harm this one face me in all my fury."

Hel turned to Nia. "As to why I call you Nia and your sister Cele, I'm a contrary bitch, it amuses me. The fate debt means you ignore it."

"What did you mean? 'The next one that makes themselves part of your family will be one of mine.' I have no ponies of my own other then a few Thestrals. I do not think they fit your criteria." Luna Interjected.

Hel smiled. "Fate likes things to be in balance. After a lifetime of playing against them, bunch of whorse that they are, I can see a little of their play. Since Sapphire Blue, a stallion, crafted his mask of the loudness and brightness of the day, the next one that fate will place in front of me, will be a mare, lost in the silence and darkness of the night. I will give her the same choice I gave Sapphire, to cast off that which is not true and be who she always was."

Hel laughed and Luna nodded in understanding. Aradinee however had a furrowed brow and a question upon her lips. "Does this mean that you only love me for this fate debt thing?" Aradinee's lip quivered as Hel smiled down at her, shaking her head.

"Free will plays a part. Fate places those that need me and that I would want in my family in my path. It is up to them to do what I require and it is up to me whether or not I accept them. Your Uncle may have been shoved into my path, but he did not have to agree to my terms, nor did I have to give them. I am not forced to love you, I have decided that I do. If I act like a shrew then the debt gets used up and I will end up alone. My behavior and my sincere love for those that become my family will always trump whatever fate can throw my way. Fate sent me Sapphire, Sapphire did and said exactly what he needed to, I made him mine. You where unforeseen and unknown. But all the more precious to me for it."

Aradinee held Hel even tighter, knowing without a doubt that she was loved. Hel looked to Nia and smiled.

Nia smiled, then realized, Hel had answered all questions, except one. She felt the dream ending as Hel and Aradinee awoke.

"Wait," She cried out. "What of my Uncles?"

Comments

[Jaycren]

8743793
The next chapter is up and in it Luna asks that very same question. In it we also examine who that young child is and how Hel has decided to view her. But still I am glad you where pleasantly surprised by this. I honestly just write what I chose and see where it goes.

[Jaycren]

8743793
Also that story is know in my read it later as well.