The Happy Couple (Tag: Alidia and Rahim) rated M

The circus dogs were going crazy and followed a fake scent.

Fatima was confused with the swamp shortcut but she trusted her beloved. Then without warning, she landed in lightningsand. It was super fast quicksand. She didn't have a chance to scream.

((OCC: I have another pastlife idea...a beauty and the beast twist with phantom of the opera...))

Minos was just lucky enough to see what happened.  Tying a vine around his waist, he dove into the sand after her.  Feeling around for her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled them out.  They both were gasping for breath when they got back on firm ground.

(OOC:  I love Phantom of the Opera!  I would totally do that.  Funny that you should mention a new idea, because I had a new idea this morning.)

((OCC: great minds think alike lol I'm willing to hear your ideas... They are amazing))

Fatima coughed up sand as they came up. "Minos...thank you..." she wrapped him in a harpy embrace. With the lightingsand took their cloaks. "we are doomed my beloved..."

(OOC: Well, I remembered an episode of Avatar: the Last Airbender that was about a library belonging to the knowledge spirit, Wan Shi Tong.  And recently, I saw that he's coming back in the next season of the Legend of Korra.  I got inspired to come up with the idea of such a knowledge spirit finding a young lady who he feels a bond with.  What do you think?)

"No we're not.  We're not doomed until they've caught us.  But until that happens, I'm not giving up." Minos declared.  As far as he was concerned, it wasn't over until they reached the stone.

((OCC: I like it ))

Fatima trusted Minos. And soon they were out of the swamp but into the desert. She remembered from one of her books that if they needed water not to drink catius water cause it'd make you loopy. The only way would be finding an oasis.

Meanwhile the dogs picked up their scent. They were miles apart but gaining on them.

(OOC:  )

The desert was very hot.  But thankfully, the sun was starting to sink low in the sky.  They wouldn't have to be subjected to the heat for long.  It was a relief when he discovered an oasis not far away.

Fatima smiled weakly has she saw the oasis. "Go ahead Mintos...I'll catch up...my wings..." she tried to fly but when she was not even high in the air she collapsed. "I feel so weak..." she said softly.

Meanwhile the circus people had some of Fatima's feathers and gave them to the gypsies. They cast a spell on her for a deep sleep.

Fatima screamed in pain as her eyes began dropping. "Minos...I...love you...." her eyes closed.

Minos heard Fatima scream.  He rushed to get to her.  He didn't understand what was wrong.  She seemed to be fine, but she wouldn't wake up.
"Don't worry, Fatima.  I'll get you there." he promised her as he kissed her brow.  The truth of that was that the Destiny Stone's resting place was very close.

Fatima felt so weak. It was from the abuse from the circus, the lightningsand and the gypsies's spell. She loved Minos with all her heart so she had to wake up. "Come on Fatima wake up..." she thought to herself. "Wake up..." she snapped her emerald eyes opened and saw Minos carrying her. "Oh Minos...my hero..." she caressed his cheeks. "I love you..."

Meanwhile at the gypsies's camp, the bowl with Fatima's curse broke. "What the hell..." the circus people asked.
"She's too much in love with him..." the elder gypsy said. "Then make her die when they become human...she'll be easier bait since he won't have his muscles..." the circus people were on their trail again. Waiting for them to become human.

It was another day before the two arrived at their destination.  It was a cause of great relief for them both.  Dealing with the traps fell to Minos, but he quickly invited Fatima in once he had deactivated them by pushing a sphere in the two doors at the end of a hall.

There was a glow and there was a fountain. "You must an answer...this riddle...the harpy first..." Fatmia took a inhale and exhale. "I'm ready..." she said courageously. "if Minos is in the line of fire of a dart...what would you do?" Fatima smiled. "I'd block him and take the dart...and that meant dying for true love so be it..." she looked at Minos and then the glow. "I love him with all my being..."

"Fatima." Minos murmured, feeling his heart swell for her.  Something told him she meant those words.  He watched as she started to shimmer with light.

Fatima smiled as she looked at Minos. "I meant those words...I'd died protecting you than watching you die...I couldn't bare losing you...it'd hurt too much..." she looked at the glow. The glow got brighter. "correct...you may step forward...Minos...your turn...if Fatima wasn't in your life and you guys never met but if you did escape and found her on a deserted road...know that harpies are know for cunning...what would you do?"

Minos thought about it for a minute.  If Fatima and he had met in a different way, would he have helped her?  All he had to do was think about the abuse magical creatures were put through in that circus, and he knew his answer.
"I would have still helped her.  A place like that really opens one's eyes to the cruelty of the world.  It makes one realize that kindness is a gift that needs to be cherished.  So I would have helped her, even if there was a trick of some kind.  I couldn't have lived with myself if I had done nothing when I could have helped another in need." he answered.

Fatima smiled. The glow grew in brightness. "you'd save her knowing that you did good...correct...you two showed compassion and true love for another. Come and drink. May the fountain bring your desires to life..." Fatima giggled as she curtsied. "thank you..." she cupped her feather hands and drank some of the water. There was a sphere glowing surrounding her. She began changing. Her wings were becoming hands...human hands...she went down and looked at herself. She was a human with black hair and green eyes. She looked at her dress. It had fairylike wings. She gasped and squealed with delight. "Minos..."

Minos too found that he had changed.  His feet were now normal human feet, which were now covered with shoes.  He had dark hair instead of horns.  He was still quite muscular, but he supposed that was because he had been pushing himself so much during his time in the circus.
"Fatima, we did it!" he exclaimed.  He pulled her into a hug and lifted her high, spinning them in circles.

Fatima smiled and giggled as they spun around. "We did...how I love you so much..." as she landed in his embrace she decided to kiss him like the humans she read in her books.

Meanwhile the dogs smelled their scent. "Onward men..."

"I love you too.  You're still as beautiful as you were when I first saw you." Minos complimented her.  He held her close as he planted a sweet kiss on her lips.

Fatima smiled and blushed. "You really don't mean that..." she giggled. She felt her heart fluttering. "I'm going outside since we should be okay..." Fatima went ahead of Minos and smiling as she reached the entrance of the cave. "I, Fatima love my beloved Minos with all my heart..." she shouted and she gasped as she saw the dogs and the circus people. She was about to warn Minos but there was a gunshot and she was hit right in the heart. She coughed and gasped for air.

"Bullseye..." one of the circus people said as he watched Fatima collapsed.

Minos heard the gunshot.  He rushed outside to see what it was.  He found Fatima laying there with a wound in her heart.
"No!" Minos cried.  He knelt beside her and cradled her in his arms.  She still look fragile in his hold now as she did then.
"My love." he mumbled, not sure what else to say.

Fatima weakly opened her eyes. "I'm sorry...it wasn't clear...it's all my fault...Minos...I love..." her eyes closed as she caressed his cheeks and let her last breath. The circus people smiled. "Minos that's what you get..."

"And what do you plan to do?  Flog me until dead?  It doesn't matter to me anymore.  I love her and you took her from me.  Do your worst, it won't gain you a squeal out of me." Minos said in a venomous tone, shielding Fatima from them.

They smiled evilly and had a matching laugh. "We want you to suffer longer with a broken heart...that is if you still have one." In Fatmia's hand dropped a bull charm from her necklace. "She made it when she saw you...when you planned to escape..." the spirit of the fountain said. "she wanted to show you but never had the chance..."

Minos felt his eyes sting with tears.  He placed his head to Fatima's unbeating heart and shook with sobs for her.  Those men had done her so much wrong, only to take her life as well.
"If you don't kill me first, I'll see to it that you all die." he retorted, his voice deadly calm.

Fatima's spirit came to Minos. "Please don't fight them...they aren't worth it...sure I'm not with you in a physical sense but I'm in here," she put her ghostlike hand picking up the charm and putting it on his heart. "I love you Minos..." and with that she disappeared. The circus people said in unison. "bring it heartless Minos...show us what we did wrong to your whore Harpy..."