Golden statue

Taking in a big deep breath Dawn clenched and unclenched his hands.

The weird feeling of his skin touching was weirdly motivating, for it had not happenend in years.

The fear of touching someone and being unable to reverse was too high.

Yet here he was, for the first time in forever without gloves.

Hands free to feel the air that passes by.

Black eyes mirrored the black velvet cloak just miles ahead.

Despite his eyes watering he was gathering his courage.

Shifting from one leg to another, he once again looked at the person.

He could envision it, even though his back was turned from him.

His nightmare standing there cocky, grin etched on his face as a mocking gaze turned to him.

He couldn't let that happen, he wouldn't know what would happen.

At the very least he would break down.

Wetting his lips he had decided.

Now or never.

Approaching as silently as he could he ducked, apperation in the windows vanishing with him.

Breathing out once more he quickened.

It felt too slow yet too fast, anxious rumbling rising in his throath and heart.

Could he really do this?

Could he do this a human, a breathing and living being?

Shaking his head,golden hair tracing the ground, he finally touched the hem of the robe.

And watched as the fabric around it slowly turned golden

It happened fast a golden outline tracing Henry before everything else also turned golden.

The way the materials changed to golden, went from soft to hard was sure to become a recurring nightmare.

He kept his eyes on him, saw the colour black turn in absolute gold.

Took in the process of his own power at work, a power he never wanted to use.

But he did.

It helped that he couldn't see his face, couldn't see the humanity fading away as he turned to gold because of him.

Gathering his hands close to his chest a breath of relieve sounded as a small smile crossed his features.

He would never have to look into those haunted blue eyes again, eyes never quite as pure as Adrian and eyes that had followed him night and day.

And eyes that would never haunt him again.

Eyes sparkling, he reveled in it and the small thought of being free was suspiciously guilt free.

Seconds passed as he just kept sitting on his knees, eyes now closed in relief before getting up and turning around.

Walking away without once turning back.

He wasn't intending to either.

Not a fiber of his being had wanted too.

..

...

Until a voice spoke in his ear.

Floating in the air, nowhere to be seen.

Trembling breaths hearable even in the open air, heart beating heavily as Dawn pinched himself.

Wishing upon stars that what he heard was just an illusion.

"Still so naive, as always so naive. You haven't changed Dawn."

The statue!

Body twisting he ran faster back, faced towards the...."no"

"N-no no It wasn't meant for you.....I thought thought...no"

Tears streamed down his face as he realised what he he'd done.

The same woman who had helped him with her two kids was now pure gold.

Kids nowhere in sight but probably waiting at home for her return.

"See what you did Dawn? You turned this innocent woman with two young, very young children in a gold statue. Now how will those noble friends react when they hear of this? I do so wonder."

"I thou....it was you, it should have been you. What have I done!"

Despair clear in his voice as he began beating his hands on the stone road, making them bleed as to atone for his actions.

But he knew he could never. He ruined someone's life.

He couldn't undo it even when it was his power that turned the woman in gold.

If he could just do that.

If just for once he wouldn't mess things back and wouldn't be useless.

This power why couldn't he reverse it.

Or someone elss...

Wait, what if....?

Eyes snapped up, looking right at the cause of this ordeal.

"..lease.."

"Sorry what? Didn't hear you? Care to repeat, a little louder this time from that spot beneath me.

Henry's voice was full of glee not even bothering to hide it. A wide smirk edged on his face as his deranged eyes stayed solely on Dawn. Shoulders already sunken from quilt now got an added dose of pressure.

Dawn's teeth where nibbling on his trembling lips as he bowed down, hair and face on the ground, coveted with mud.

"I'm begging you, Henry. please please reverse it."

"I admit it's tempting. But why should I? This statue would be quite fit to stand in the garden. Where storms and wind will tear it down as times passes."

As if to stands by his statement he passed the statue, disregarding it entirely as he went his way.

"PLEASE!!! I I-I DO EVERYTHING!!

You can do whatever you want to me!

Please please just just save her and I'll never run away. You can destroy me like you want to. I won't fight back."

"Like you could even fight back if you wanted to."

Silence stretched on because they both knew that what Henry spoke was true.

Dawn had always been at his mercy, needless to say most of the time there was no mercy to speak off.

"I-I don't know what else I.....can offer."

"No? That's weird, because I sure do."

"...What do you have in mind?"

He had looked up but immediately lowered down again as Henry was coming his way. The small shivers on his spine turned bigger as he came closer and closer.

Black cloak pooling on the ground as he walked, exact same materials. Velvet.

"Well.. those two very gorgeous eyes of yours have seen a lot of things.

Things that have to do with the new vampire and the sage.

Why don't you start with reporting everything alright?

He was now directly looming behind him, warning him, obvious threat hanging right above him.

"...No, I can't.... can't do that. Not them."

"No? Look here Dawn."

A hand roughly found it's way in his hair, pulling him up and forcing him to look at the statue wich was actually a human.

"Look at that, Dawn. Look at what you did, this poor poor woman. Forever a statue, missing the big moments of her kids."

Making things worse for the already crying and kneeling down vampire, he began wisphering assumptions directly in his ear.

"Do you think Dawn that the children will be fine? Will they search for her in the dark, get eaten by monsters or taken by evil humans.

There are after all quite a lot of evil beings in this world aren't there?"

To accentuate his words his teeth bit down harshly on his pet's ear. Not bothering to hide the humm of approval at the shriek leaving Dawn's mouth.

Letting go he began speculating, watching every change in emotions, every realisation that dug deeper and deeper inside his heart.

"-then they could starve because their children, unable to fight in this adult world.

And then the-"

"I'll do it" it was small, silent but he caught it yet pretended not to.

"They would start begging for food and would do even the most unimaginable things. After all they would be all alone in this world."

"I'LL DO IT! PLEASE please just stop."

Henry looked fondly at the defenceless vampire, who carefully wrapped his arms around him.

A meaningless defence mechanism as he could overturn the older like it was just a wrapper of candy.

"I missed you, Dawn. You know that right. Sixteen years is such a long."

Freezing Dawn stopped working, the light that had been shining at the prospect of freedom was now diminished.

"We have so much catching up to do."

Dreaming, far away voice was the sound that came out of Henry's mouth as if he was already envisioning what kind of turtorous catching up it would be.

He shouldn't have hoped.