forum "Wait, you... you're... magic?" "Darling, what do you think?" (Reboot Fantasy o/o Closed)

Started December 03, 2022 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

“Oh, the school you mentioned.” Elizabeth nodded as she followed quietly. Though she couldn't help but find the place a little eerie simply because of how quiet it was. There had always been something about an empty school that was… unsettling.

She tried to ignore the feeling until the sound of a slamming door made her jump. Even when Farah instantly took point, Liz didn't let her guard down as she locked eyes on the man who just appeared in front of them. At least until Farah wrapped her arms around him.

She smiled a little and gave a small wave when Farah gestured at her but stayed where she was to keep an eye on their prisoner.

Farah cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. The emotion of seeing her best friend again was all over her face. She'd missed him terribly, and clearly, he'd missed her as well. "Yes, Alfea is my school… was my school," she amended. "It's good to be back. But odd."

She glanced down briefly at Sebastian to make sure the man was still unconscious before continuing. "I'm sure you put it together already, but that was Saul. I'm sorry, I would've introduced you better, but…" She shook her head and laughed. "I must admit I wasn't expecting that kind of reception. He's going to get runic limiters for the blood witch now. That way, when he wakes up, he won't be able to access his magic."

Elizabeth nodded as Farah explained, unable to keep a smirk from growing on her face. “I could tell. You didn't mention how attractive Saul was though, I can see why you had a crush on him.” she teased. “Will he still be able to give you your powers back with those or will we have to convince him?”

Farah blushed brilliantly at Elizabeth's tease. "Ah, well, yes, um…" the fairy stammered while trying to find the right words. None came, so she sounded like a complete fool.

But the topic switched to something she would be able to talk about without tripping hopelessly over her words. "No, he won't. The limiters prevent access of any kind to magic. There is a way to remove them, but we must be completely sure that he will return my magic before we use it."

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh as Farah blushed. “It's alright. I won't say anything.” she smiled.

“Alright. That makes sense.” she nodded. “Well, no offense but, I’m glad that he won't be able to use your magic anymore with those limiters. It really looked like you packed a really strong punch.” she said, giving Farah a concerned look. “He… didn't hurt you too badly, did he?”

Farah sighed with relief. "Thank you," she managed. "I never told him because he seems happy with Andreas, and that's all I want for him." Her voice was soft and nostalgic, but as Elizabeth continued the conversation, she inhaled deeply and nodded.

"None taken. I'm glad about it too. I wasn't expecting his blast in the library to be so strong…" She shook her head at the memory and unconsciously reached up to brush her fingers over her throat where his grip had been while he'd stolen her magic. "No, he didn't hurt me, other than the blast. I didn't realize my magic was that powerful."

The sound of footsteps preceded Saul as he returned, holding what looked to be two straight, pseudo-thick wires in his hands. But once he got closer, the claw-like notches in them were hard to ignore.

"Farah," he greeted, still looking overjoyed to see her despite the imminent threat of the blood witch waking up. "Would you like to do the honors?"

The fairy slipped the runic limiters from his fingers. "Of course. Hold his arms out," she instructed Saul while also looking to Elizabeth as a way of telling her to do the same.

“Then I’ll respect that.” Elizabeth assured, a bit more seriously. She watched Farah touch her throat and let out a soft sigh of relief at her words. “I’m glad that you weren't hurt then.” she was about to ask how the fairy didn't know how strong she was when Saul reappeared.

She raised a brow at the sight of, what she assumed were the runic limiters but nodded at Farah’s instruction and lifted one of Sebastian’s arms while Saul lifted the other.

Farah inhaled to steady herself and lifted her chin slightly. She had to make sure she was nothing but confident when Sebastian awoke, and the pain from the limiters digging into his skin would surely bring him back to consciousness. "Ready," she breathed quietly, mostly to herself, before whipping both limiters through the air together.

The devices curled around Sebastian's wrists and forearms the second they came in contact with his skin. It was a much more painful version of a snap bracelet, and the blood witch jerked awake immediately, just as Farah had known he would. He gritted his teeth at the pain and glared down at the limiters digging into his arm. But when he looked up at the people surrounding him, his anger quickly focused on Farah and Farah alone.

"You fairy bitch!" he snapped.

Farah's expression was unyielding, frighteningly so. Saul was the one who reacted instead, grabbing Sebastian's collar and yanking the blood witch roughly to his feet. His eyes narrowed threateningly. "Is there a problem?" he demanded.

Sebastian spared Saul a brief glance before going back to glaring at Farah. "Rosalind is going to be so glad to have you back," he gloated.

Still, Farah showed no reaction to his words. Instead, she shifted her gaze slightly to the side to address Saul, who looked as though someone had just stuck him with a pin at the mention of Rosalind. "You know where to take him."

Saul regained himself and hauled Sebastian off. Once they were out of sight completely, Farah let her shoulders drop, and her anger and worry showed plainly on her face. Her eyes looked at Elizabeth gently. "Alright?" she asked quietly.

Elizabeth had to admit that she was surprised by how easily Farah’s persona seemed to change. But she didn't say anything as she tried not to flinch when the limiters snapped into place and when Sebastian jolted awake, she tried to hold him still. She even glared at him when he insulted her friend, until Saul took over. And he obviously cut a more intimidating figure.

Once they were alone again, she nodded at the question. “That was not the tensest situation I've been in. Are you ok?” she asked, her expression mirroring Farah’s.

Farah exhaled slowly. "Yes. It's not the first time I've been called a bitch," she remarked. Though it worried her how Sebastian kept bringing up Rosalind. Had she really sent him? Was that how he'd managed to find her?

Finally, Farah shook her head and looked up to the second floor of the building and the entrance to a hallway. What lay at the end was frighteningly familiar. The headmistress's office. "But I have to know…" she murmured. Her eyes glanced over at Elizabeth. "Would you join me?"

“Not quite what I meant.” Elizabeth chuckled, shaking her head in relief. “Though, pardon my French, that guy is a fucking asshole. I wanted to hit him again.”

Noticing Farah’s gaze, she turned, trying to see what she did. And failing since she had no experience or history with this place. “Uhh, join you where? Are you sure you're ok?” she asked as she looked back at the fairy.

Farah laughed quietly. "I wanted to as well," she agreed. "Though what did you mean, exactly?"

She straightened her posture and started to walk across the courtyard. "The headmistress's office," she answered quietly. "I have to know if Rosalind is still imprisoned in her stasis. If she isn't, we can't stay here. It's far too dangerous."

Elizabeth smiled and gave a shrug. “Just in general, I guess. And he keeps mentioning… that woman.” she winced, hating to point out the fact.

She followed closely as Farah started walking. “Ok. I can understand that.” she nodded. “And I promise I'm not going to touch anything. I’ve seen enough action/adventure movies where someone goes to check on something important and someone accidentally releases or breaks something.”

Farah inhaled swiftly. "I know. It's because he's trying to use her to psych me out. It won't work." Unless she actually has escaped… But Farah tried not to think about that.

The fairy looked over her shoulder at Elizabeth and smirked with amusement. "You're funny," she remarked with a smile as she began to ascend the stairs between the floors. "There's nothing to touch. The undercroft entrance is opened by magic." A thought occurred to her. "Shit," she cursed under her breath, though she didn't stop walking. "I don't have my magic."

“I hope that’s all it is.” she nodded, a little relieved that Farah couldn't read her mind or emotions right now. Because a part of her wasn't sure that was the case. How else could a blood witch know about the relationship between them? But WHY would he be helping Rosalind in the first place? She’s a murderer and probably manipulating him too.

Elizabeth smiled a little when her friend found her rambling funny. “Glad you think so. You might actually like some of those movies, if we get the chance to see some together.” she suggested for when all this craziness was over. Though she did pause her steps when Farah made her realization. “Is there any kind of backup then?” she asked as she caught back up. “Cause I don't have magic at all and I remember you saying that Saul doesn't either.”

"Me too," Farah agreed quietly. The thought of Rosalind being free and able to use her magic again while Farah couldn't was absolutely petrifying for the young mind fairy. Sure, Farah had very strong mental defenses, but without her magic, it wouldn't take Rosalind long to break through and take advantage of Farah's thoughts, emotions, and mind.

Farah's eyes softened at Elizabeth's suggestion. "I'd like that very much," she agreed quietly.

She was about to answer Elizabeth, but instead, she inhaled sharply as she stepped through the adjacent office and stopped at the door to the headmistress's office. The golden letters that spelled out "Headmistress Hale" on the clouded glass part of the door were still there, and Farah took a small step back with her heart racing. Too many emotions played across her face – anger, fear, hurt, discomfort, fury, and vulnerability all mixed together.

Slowly, with her hand trembling, Farah reached for the doorknob and twisted it open. The office was, mercifully, empty. She tightened her grip on the doorknob and squeezed her eyes closed. Too many memories happened in this room. Much too many… But Farah forced her eyes open after a moment and soon tracked her gaze to the undercroft's hidden entrance, a bookshelf on the far left side of the room, and noticed immediately that it was open. Suddenly, her eyes turned gray as another fairy's magic wrapped around her, and she heard a familiar voice echo through her mind.

"My dear Farah… come down and visit me. I've left the entrance open just for you. And bring your friend. I should like to meet her."

Farah whimpered quietly and reached up to cover her ears, though it did little to counter the strong pull she felt from the emotional connection she'd made with Rosalind.

"Come."

Seeing how nervous Farah was, Elizabeth gently took the fairy’s hand in her own. She smiled a little when she approved of them watching movies together and nodded as they entered the first office.

Liz didn't need any magic to tell how her friend felt about the room before them and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. They were just going to check on the undercroft to make sure a vile woman was still locked up. No problem…

Though she still wished she had more than the can of mace in her purse as she looked around the, apparently, abandoned office. Especially when she noticed an open space on the wall next to a bookshelf that normally would have hidden it. “Oh, hell, no.” she whispered decisively before pulling Farah back through the normal door and locking it in front of them. “Farah?” she asked, her emotions buzzing all over the place as she turned look at the only fairy she trusted.

Farah barely heard Elizabeth's words, but she clutched the other woman's hand tightly as she felt Rosalind's presence surround her. She gasped as she was pulled back out of the office and stumbled for a moment before finding her footing.

She shook her head, still trying to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. When she tried to speak, she was so worked up that the words wouldn't come. She forgot how much help her magic was when she was trying to calm herself down. Without it, she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"Sh-She's down there," the fairy stammered. "I-I-I have to go down there." She winced and shook her head. Her body was trembling. "Oh, my gods… she's down there."

Elizabeth sighed and gently wrapped her arms around Farah when she noticed the fairy starting to panic. “It's alright. I know. I know.” she said calmly as she rubbed little circles against her back to try to help her calm down. “But I'm not letting you go down there alone. And not without some kind of defense. Whether that’s getting your magic back or getting some kind of weapons or something.” she stated a little more firmly. “Maybe we should tell Saul too. I'm sure he could help.”

Farah's heavy breathing calmed at the gentle feel of Elizabeth's arms around her, and she released a deep breath as the other woman rubbed circles on her back. However, her response was quick and decisive.

"You can't go with me," she immediately countered. "No, absolutely not. She wants me to bring you. I won't. I don't know what's on her mind, but there's sure to be something. Rosalind always has a plan…"

Again, Farah shook with fear and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry," she breathed quietly, folding her fingers together to keep them from trembling. "I don't know what's gotten into me… I've never felt this petrified before."

Elizabeth pulled back slightly and looked Farah in the eye. “Well, I’m not letting you go down there alone. That's crazy. Not to mention stupid.” she pointed out gently, still holding her.

“You don't have to apologize.” she assured, softly brushing a stray lock of the fairy's hair back. “I’m willing to bet that you feel this way because you never faced her without your magic.” she guessed. “It's your armor. Your defense. And it's something you've always had. Being without it… Let's just say I can understand. It's like going into a heavy combat zone with nothing.”

Farah's eyes were glazed over with fear as they met Elizabeth's. Her entire demeanor softened as Elizabeth brushed her hair back and spoke the most truthful words Farah had ever heard. "Yes," the fairy murmured. "You understand… though getting my magic back would mean having to confront the blood witch again. I'm not sure which evil is worse… him or her." Names were unnecessary. Elizabeth would know exactly who Farah was talking about.

After a moment of thought, she shook her head. "That's a lie. I do know. It's her. It's always her…" Farah glared down at her shoes. "I wish I could just…" Her sentence trailed off, and her fingers curled into fists. "I was so angry after Aster Dell, I could've…" Farah shook her head again. "I could've killed her. But I didn't. And she's my living ghost because of it."

Elizabeth nodded, giving Farah a soft smile as she acknowledged what the soldier had meant. “Hey,” she said gently, holding Farah’s hands. “It's ok. You had every reason to feel that way. And, given what you told me, I wouldn't blame you if you had, or judge you if you still wanted to.” she assured.

“But, for now, let's go find Saul and see what we can do to convince that magic leech to give you your powers back.” she smiled softly, leading the fairy away from the inner office. “Then we can bust some ghosts.” she said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Farah's fists instantly unclenched as Elizabeth took her hands. She looked up and met the woman's eyes with a soft expression of shock and understanding. "You don't?" she asked incredulously. "Are… Are you sure?"

The question was stupid, but Farah meant it. She often thought of herself as a monster for wanting to execute Rosalind. Yes, the woman had murdered hundreds of people without a second thought, but any time the thoughts of killing her former mentor began to cross Farah's mind, she shamed herself for being too macabre.

"Yes," the fairy murmured quietly, allowing her companion to lead her away from the nightmares of her past. "I'm sure Saul has been coming up with a few ideas for that."

Despite herself, Farah laughed at Elizabeth's joke. She suppressed a smile and shook her head. "Whatever will I do with you?" she asked as a grin finally spread on her lips.

“I’m sure.” Elizabeth nodded. “I don't know how much you know about my world’s history but… Rosalind reminds me of another person who did terrible things. Even attempted genocide.” she explained softly. “Everyone who knows what he did wishes someone had been able to stop him much sooner.”

“I’m surprised you understood that joke.” she laughed, pulling Farah closer and wrapping her arm around her shoulders. “Don't worry about me. As long as we’re here, I’m staying with you. Let's just find Saul.”

Farah nodded solemnly. "Yes, I'm familiar," she murmured. "Hitler, correct? Though I must say this; it's been weighing on my mind for far too long. Is it any better for a noble person to become a murderer? Even if it is someone like Rosalind or Hitler? Not to call myself 'noble,' but…" She sighed. "I suppose it's all hypothetical. I can't bring myself to do it now. She's subdued in stasis. That will be enough."

She relaxed at the motion and leaned closer to Elizabeth as the walked. "I may have snuck off to your world once or twice and learned a few things," she giggled. "I can't help but worry about you. You're very troublesome." She reached an arm around Elizabeth to poke the girl's side teasingly. "I know where he is. It's this way."

“Right.” Elizabeth nodded briefly. “Honestly, you might be asking the wrong person. I’m a soldier. I’ve got my fair share of blood on my hands.” she admitted. “Hypothetically, I don't know if I would pull the trigger if I had the chance. But if I was in the room and someone was standing there, I’d be encouraging them to do it.”

Though she glanced back toward the office, glad that Farah couldn't feel the flare of doubt. If she's subdued, then why was the door to the undercroft open and why is that blood witch acting like he knows her?

“Hey!” Liz yelped as her side was poked but didn't pull away and continued to walk with her. “I’m troublesome? Need I remind you that my life was normal before I met you? Boring but normal.” she teased, trying to ignore the memory of James saying something similar.

"It's easy to encourage as an onlooker," Farah pointed out quietly. "It's much harder to be the one performing the act. You're the one who will get the credit, good or bad. You will be the one to either rise or take the fall. There's much more pressure that I'm not sure I'd be able to handle."

Farah noticed the other woman glancing back, and she wished for her magic to be able to help with aiding Elizabeth's worry. She didn't need her empathy to distinguish the girl's worry in her body language and facial features.

A wide smile spread on the fairy's face at the yelp she elicited from the other woman. "Well, you're the most normal thing in my life, if that helps," she cooed, resting her hand on Elizabeth's hip as they continued on their way. They were nearly to the East Wing, where Farah knew Saul had taken Sebastian.

“Ain't that the truth.” Elizabeth nodded at the sage-sounding words. She sighed a little when she caught Farah looking at her and smiled softly.

Though that smile quickly turned into a smirk at the touch. She raised a brow and pulled the fairy closer to her side. “I’m going to take that as a compliment for now.” she teased as she easily walked with her.

Farah's eyes widened a bit as Elizabeth pulled her closer, but she didn't do anything to stop the other woman's motion. "You'd better," she quipped lightly before glancing up at where they were going. Her breath hitched as she heard a loud swear come from the room at the end of the hall. It led to the East Wing.

She barely realized she stopped walking. The memories that reentered her mind had completely stilled her. The door had been padlocked shut, but Saul had obviously needed to open it recently. Farah wished they had come up with a different place to take the blood witch, but it was too late for that now.

"This is the East Wing," she murmured, finding her voice but not her feet. "It was used during the war against the Burned Ones for preparation and tactical planning. I… spent lots of time here. With Rosalind."