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 Week 947 |
| You are on Week 948
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 Week 949 |
Every week we will be starting a new Story Telling competition - with great prizes! The current prize is 2000 NP, plus a rare item!!! This is how it works...
We start a story and you have to write the next few paragraphs. We will select the best submissions every day and put it on the site, and then you have to write the next one, all the way until the story finishes. Got it? Well, submit your paragraphs below!
Story Nine Hundred Forty Eight Ends Friday, September 15
The Month of Gathering was here at last. This was the day the young Faeries of Faerieland had all been eagerly awaiting through the summer - the day they would begin their magical education at Fyora’s Academy of Faerie Arts.
Anise the Earth Faerie tugged anxiously at the straps of her backpack. She too had been counting down the days, but with trepidation. Though her older sisters had all begun to show signs of Earth magic at her age, she had yet to coax even a blade of grass to bend to her will. She could tell her parents were beginning to grow concerned, though her mother had patted her encouragingly on the shoulder that morning, saying something about some plants being late bloomers.
Around her, young Faeries fluttered excitedly across the sprawling school lawn, each towards the hall that corresponded to their own elemental affinity. The Air Faeries floated gracefully up a cloud staircase to a tall tower of alabaster, while in the distance, Anise thought she could hear what sounded like waterfalls and the melodious chatter of Water Faeries.
She searched across the lawn until she spotted a group of Earth Faeries gathered before two beech trees, their gentle branches curved overhead to form an ornate gate. That, she assumed, was where she was supposed to go.
Anise sucked in a deep breath and began to stride in that direction. In front of the gate, an old Faerie Aisha stood with a heavy book in his hand. The Aisha looked up as she approached.
“Name,” he droned impassively.
“Anise,” she replied, forcing her cheeks into a bright smile.
The Aisha pushed his glasses up his nose and began to flip through the book. He squinted at its pages for a long moment before looking up again.
“Anise? With an ‘A’?” He scowled.
“That’s right,” Anise replied.
“Hmmmm…” The Aisha continued to mull over the book, muttering to himself. Anise felt her smile fade as the seconds stretched on like hours.
Finally, the Aisha shut the book with a decisive thud. “Anise with an ‘A’,” he said. “Your name isn’t on the register.”
“B… But that can’t be. My family’s entirely Earth faeries,” Anise gulped.
“Well you look like an Earth Faerie, I’ll give you that. But your name isn’t on the register,” the Aisha said, his voice firm. “so I can’t let you in.” |
Author: vanillastar12
Date: Sep 5th
|
“There must be some mistake!“ Anise shouted. “Today is the first day of school. I have to be here!”
“Next!” The Faerie Aisha droned, ignoring the young faerie before him.
“Please! Is there anywhere else you can check for my name? And after you check, I promise I’ll turn around and go,” Anise begged.
The Faerie Aisha gave her a tired look and sighed. “Fine. Just so you get out of my hair, I’ll make a call…”
Anise looked awkwardly behind her, giving a sheepish smile to the Earth Faerie next in line. The kind stranger reached out a delicate hand and put it on her shoulder with a sincere grin. When the Earth Faerie pulled her hand away, she produced a flower to give to Anise. While the gesture was so caring, it couldn’t help to make Anise feel ten times worse.
The Faerie Aisha was communicating over the walkie-talkie that was strapped to his lapel. “I’m manning the Earth Faerie gate at the Academy and there’s a faerie in line claiming to be enrolled, but she isn’t on my list… Her name is Anise.… Does anybody have her on their list?… Roger that.”
“Thank you so much, sir. Was there a mixup? Am I supposed to be on your list?” Anise asked hopefully.
“There was a mixup. You’re on the Dark Faerie list. Go to their gate and you’ll be allowed entrance. Next!” the Faerie Aisha said monotonously, continuing his job and waving to the kind, ethereal Earth Faerie that comforted Anise.
“That can’t be true! There still must be a mistake!” Anise wailed, frantically.
“I can’t be a Dark Faerie! My family would be so disappointed,” she thought to herself, mind racing.
“You said you’d turn around and go after I made the call, so go. Or else I’ll have to call security!” the Aisha’s apathetic face contorted into a threatening scowl that startled Anise enough to jump back a bit.
“Okay, okay! I’ll go to the Dark Faerie’s gate. Th-thank you,” she stammered as tears welled in her eyes.
As Anise turned on her heel, she was greeted by a familiar face…
| Author: i_lovee_icecream Date: Sep 6th |
Daisy, her eldest sister greeted Anise in a flurry of excitement and warm hugs. "It wasn't easy to sneak away to the first-year enrollment area, but I couldn't miss the opportunity to see you pass through the Earth Faerie gate! It's a family milestone!"
Anise's initial relief at finding her sister was immediately replaced with renewed dismay. In a trembling voice, she explained: "They won't let me through. I'm not on the Earth Faerie list, I'm on the Dark Faerie list!"
Daisy frowned. "Hmm, that's unexpected."
Anise looked up at her sister, eyes welling up with tears. "You don't seem as surprised as I would have expected," she sniffled. "Our whole family is textbook Earth Faerie! How can I be different?"
"I don't seem surprised, because I'm not," Daisy admitted gently. "Let's face it, Anise. You've never been one to harness the Earth element. That was apparent from the disaster that was your herb garden that one summer," she teased.
Before Anise had a chance to protest her sister's mildly rude (but woefully true) joke, Daisy grabbed her hand and steered her towards the Dark Faerie gate.
"In order to officially enter school grounds, you have to pass through one of the six gates. If that means the Dark Faerie gate, then so be it. This is your chance to figure out who you are!"
"But it just doesn't make sense!" Anise protested. "Okay, so gardens don't naturally thrive in my presence. That doesn't mean I'm not an Earth Faerie!"
Daisy straightened her sister's backpack and gently shoved her into the Dark Faerie line. "Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. Who knows, right? I've never known Fyora’s Academy of Faerie Arts to make a mistake but the most important thing is, no matter what, you're still a part of this family! Go! You have to enter before enrollment closes. Otherwise, it will be too late."
Resigned to this course of action, Anise moved forward in the Dark Faerie line. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. "Then what?" She asked miserably.
Daisy smiled, reassuringly. "Once you're settled, I'll meet you on the other side. I know someone who may be able to get us some answers. Her name is Delina and she's the nicest Dark Faerie you'll ever meet. Here's the plan..."
| Author: therainbowsheep Date: Sep 7th |
Anise would enter the Academy through the Dark Faerie gate with its dark purple, twisting vines and thunderous cloud cover. Once she was through, she'd receive her class schedule and have to report to her first class of the day. If she wasn't marked as present, there could be serious consequences. There was a short break between the first two periods of the day, and that's when Daisy would find Anise and introduce her to Delina.
Anise's first class was a lesson in dark potion making and her instructor gave a lengthy and all too personal lecture about how the students should never mix up Bargella Root with Bargil Surprise. She likely would have been bored, except she couldn't stop staring at the Dark Faeries around her. She had never been around so many non-Earth Faeries before. Anise was surprised by how different they all looked from each other - some had long, curly purple hair, but others had gold highlights or even a shaved head. Some had tattoos and others wore pink! It was an eclectic mix of Faerie folk, and it actually made Anise smile ... and feel comfortable. The bell rang sooner than she expected, and she found Daisy waiting for her outside the class.
"Delina is going to meet us in the Fall of Faerieland Memorial Garden. It's quiet, no one ever goes there."
The two sisters approached the garden on tiptoes and saw a slender Dark Faerie awaiting their arrival on the other side. Her features were soft, her cheeks rosy red, and her auburn hair fell in long waves all the way down to her waist. Her wings were a light lavender colour that made Anise feel so calm. Did she smell lavender too?
"Hello Daisy, it's great to see you again."
Daisy explained to Delina the situation that arose this morning, and all the while, Delina studied Anise, her hands and wings, her hair and nose. She walked in circles around the young Faerie, taking her all in.
"I understand you both are surprised, but are you sure it is a mistake?" Delina questioned.
Daisy didn't answer, she looked at Anise for the response. "Oh, um, well of course! How could I possibly be a Dark Faerie?" she shouted. "There's no way!"
"Hmm, well there's one Dark Faerie who will certainly know whether or not you belong on the list. Would you want to go see her?"
"Of course, I'll do anything to correct this!" Anise replied, hopefully.
"Okay, I'll take you there to see her."
"Sorry, you'll take me where?"
"To see Jhudora, of course, on her Bluff."
| Author: baytotheay Date: Sep 8th |
Anise shuddered the moment she heard that name. She had heard a lot of stories about Jhudora, and none of them were good. The other Earth Faeries spoke in frightened whispers about what Jhudora did to those who disappointed her. And, well... Anise certainly felt like a disappointment.
She must have done a poor job of hiding her feeling of apprehension because Delina quickly spoke up. "Oh, come on, don't make that face... she's not as bad as you think," she said, and lowering her voice, continued-- "You know... she's quite a bit nicer to other Dark Faeries, so the way I see it, if you really are meant to be on the list, then there's nothing to worry about."
"Jhudora? Being nice? I can hardly imagine that." Daisy said incredulously.
"I mean it," Delina said sincerely. "At least, she's patient with me... and if I'm with you, then I figure she'll be less temperamental than everyone says she is."
Anise thought about it for a moment. She still truly wished that she was an Earth Faerie. It was everything she'd ever known. Jhudora would probably be furious for even wasting a moment of her time, but after their meeting, Anise could return home to her sisters, put this little mistake behind her, and forget about all of this.
On the contrary... Anise was intrigued by what Delina said. She wasn't sure what exactly to think. Somehow, imagining Jhudora being nice to her made her even more nervous, yet she also was curious to see what that was actually like.
"Okay... let's go," Anise said, and she and Delina prepared to head for the Bluff.
"Anise, wait. Before you go..." Daisy called out.
Anise turned to face her sister. "Yes?"
"No matter the outcome... we are still sisters," Daisy said gently, putting her hand on Anise's shoulder. "I'll always love you, no matter what."
"I love you too, sister," Anise said, feeling slightly reassured. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
Daisy waved as Anise and Delina took off into the sky, in the direction of Jhudora's Bluff. At first, they flew in silence, but Delina eventually spoke up.
"Anise, if you don't mind my prying, why does it upset you thinking about if you're not an Earth Faerie?" When Anise did not respond, she continued, "Daisy told me about your, erm, less than stellar results with gardening and whatnot. You've known all along, haven't you?"
"I guess," Anise said sadly. "I've never been as good at Earth Faerie magic as Daisy, or any of my sisters. But I don't want to disappoint them."
The moment she said that Anise realized she was not speaking the truth. Even though she struggled, Anise's sisters had always supported her. Daisy told her as much before they left the academy. No, what was bothering Anise so much was disappointing herself. Even if she were really a Dark Faerie, so what? She knew nothing about their magic. She would just be making a fool of herself again.
"We're here." Delina interrupted Anise's thoughts. The lush greenery and elegant pink architecture of Faerieland had given way to sickly moss and Jhudora's foreboding castle. Anise was certain the weather hadn't changed, and yet somehow there was less light out than there should have been at that time of day as if clouds were blocking the sun, but the sky was completely clear.
The two Faeries landed in front of the main entrance and Delina rather casually strode up the path and banged her hands on the front door. Anise couldn't help but admire how bold the other Faerie was.
"Jhudora!! I'm baaaaack!" Delina shouted, with the tone of someone calling out to an old friend, and the door opened...
| Author: myatoms Date: Sep 11th |
... to reveal a warm, crackling fire. Inside the castle, underneath the threatening exterior, Jhudora welcomed her guests with a smile and mugs of hot tea.
"Delina, welcome back my dear! And who might you have brought with you?" Jhudora's violet hair was pinned back to show her full face. She glowed in the low light.
"This is Anise. We were hoping you could help us with something."
Jhudora showed them to some seats and walked over to stoke the fire. There was a cauldron hanging above the flames, and the bubbling liquid gave off a scent that reminded Anise of a fresh coat of paint.
"What are you brewing?" Anise blurted out, shocked by her own boldness.
Jhudora's purple pupils flashed at Anise, but she chuckled. "Just some Bubbling Healing Goo, dearie. I make a few for Healing Springs every month."
Anise was taken aback. Jhudora was helping to stock Healing Springs? That didn't seem like a Dark Faerie thing to do ...
"So, Delina, you said you needed help?"
"Yes!" Delina's wings fluttered a few times in anticipation. "This morning was Anise's first day at the Academy, and she believes that she was sorted incorrectly. She was on the Dark Faerie list."
Jhudora nodded. "And you believe this is a mistake, Anise?"
Anise gulped and hesitated, but her response surprised her, "Maybe? Now I'm not so sure... I come from a long line of Earth Faeries, and never imagined myself as anything else."
"But you've never exactly fit in, have you?" Jhudora questioned.
Anise shook her head, ashamed to admit it. She wrapped her fingers around the warm mug to calm her nerves.
"You know being a Dark Faerie comes with a lot of misunderstanding ... but it also comes with a lot of amazing things too."
Anise nodded, following along.
Jhudora continued, "It's a different path than other Faerie disciplines, but that doesn't make it worse. It could at times ... make it better."
The three Faeries sat in silence for a few moments with only the bubbles from the potion and crackles from the fire cutting through the air.
"But if you want to be sure of things, there is a test I can give you to determine if you really are a Dark Faerie. It will be challenging, are you up for it?"
Anise locked eyes with the infamous Faerie once again, but this time she wasn't afraid. She was excited and ready. "Yes, Jhudora, tell me what I need to do..."
| Author: baytotheay Date: Sep 12th |
...Jhudora grinned wickedly down at the young Faerie. "You only need to drink a very special acrid concoction I am going to make -- and we'll see if you live. If you die, or at least fall on my floor convulsing and foaming at the mouth, you're not naturally attuned with the Dark element. Simple as that."
Anise's excitement quickly waned and her face fell.
Jhudora winked at Delina. "Don't worry, the potion isn't quite that intense. You should have seen the look on your face, though, Anise" she giggled before standing and motioning for her guests to follow her. Jhudora led them through a long hallway, the only furnishings being some ancient magical artefacts on the dull purple stone walls, into her potion room. Jhudora waved her arm and a bunch of candles came alive, bathing the room in dim light.
Anise marvelled at the giant cauldron in the centre, and the rows of shelves adorned with fancy ingredients beyond her wildest imagination. There were even a couple of Hubrid's Puzzle Boxes.
Delina looked on in excitement as the potion master filled the vat with a neutral base and started adding various ingredients. A Silver Doughnutfruit. A Healing Potion II. Some Asparagus.
"So how did it feel to have to walk through the Dark Faerie gate?" Jhudora inquired of Anise as she continued her potion brewing.
"Er..." Anise groaned inwardly. "Bad, honestly. Like I was letting my family down." She glanced pensively at the cold dull purple stone floor. "I mean, they said they'd always love me and accept me. But... it was super clear to me, even from a young age, that I didn't really fit in with them." Anise stopped short of admitting that she never felt like she truly fit in with other Earth Faeries... and that just narrowed her outlook and made her try all the harder to hone the Earth element, oftentimes with disastrous results.
But Jhudora prompted anyway. "Tell me about it." Her tone was kind, and put Anise at ease. The infamous Dark Faerie stirred her cauldron thrice clockwise with a large wooden paddle and then scooped in some Ptolymelon. Delina watched carefully.
"Well..." Anise trailed as she formulated the words. "There was an incident with a herb garden one year when I was small. My older sister Daisy helped me start it, and I... well, I ended it. In less than a week. I could never shake the feeling I disappointed my family, but they were so... supportive, even though it looked like a Fire Faerie with a temper had had her way with my herbs. They continue to be so supportive, even though I still haven't truly felt any Earth Faerie magic within me."
Jhudora chuckled, and Anise desperately wanted to change the subject. "Also, er," she fumbled for words, "if it turns out I am a Dark Faerie, what do I tell my family? Dark Faeries and Earth Faeries don't get along, right?" she asked. "Mortal enemies or something?"
The infamous Dark Faerie cackled at that. "Dark is the opposite of Light, not Earth, sweetie," she said with a pleasant, straightforward demeanour. "And even then, I'm friendly enough with my Light Faerie colleagues. There really isn't as much elemental infighting as you'd expect. Personalities clash, not elements, per se. And in terms of the Dark-Earth elements, it was mostly just Illusen and I who really didn't get along." Jhudora looked wistfully at the ground. "Sure, things can never quite go back to how they were, but the Earthie and I have mostly moved past the hurt by now. Mostly."
Jhudora refocused her attention on Anise and gave the pupil a warm smile. "If they don't accept you, that's on them, not you. But from the way you've talked about them, I'm sure they will." She grinned, showing her slight fangs. "Or, you'll convince 'em to. As I said before, we Dark Faeries are known for being a bit more punkish and out of the Faerie ordinary. Use that to your advantage." She threw an Ariadne Plushie into her brew.
Anise had to smile at that, and she felt calmer after Jhudora's words. "You're right. My classmates were so... diverse and eclectic. Way different than I thought Dark Faeries would be. I did actually... feel like I... kinda fit in with them." Her smile grew.
Jhudora smiled too. "And the final ingredient," she declared, "a Purple Negg." She handed it to Anise. "Do the honours, if you please."
Grinning, Anise tossed in the ingredient. Jhudora gave the potion a counterclockwise stir, and it lit bright mauve. "Perfect! Now," she said as she dipped a ladle into the brew and held it to Anise's lips as Delina watched intently... "Drink up, Anise."
Gingerly, Anise swallowed down the potion...
| Author: rielcz Date: Sep 13th |
A burst of sudden light blinded Anise and then faded.
Had she survived? Had she passed the test?
Anise squinted into the sunshine. Before her sat a rickety house, its wooden slats painted sunflower yellow; a garden with vines tangled around its gate; three red balloons tied to a white mailbox.
It was — and yet, it couldn’t be —
Daisy’s birthday. Anise found herself in her childhood home, standing around the kitchen table with her family, singing to an impossibly young Daisy, who blushed in the glow of twelve candles.
She was about to ask what was happening when her breath caught in her throat.
Anise. Anise, except it couldn’t be Anise, because Anise was almost eighteen and this child couldn’t be older than nine. Despite her confusion, a creeping feeling of familiarity dawned on her.
One by one, her sisters showered Daisy with gifts. Poppy presented a bouquet of red peonies that bloomed before their eyes, while Clove proudly produced a basket of home-grown carrots. They finally came to Anise, clutching a pot of dirt.
"They’re supposed to be sunflowers!" the younger Anise spluttered. "But they wouldn’t grow."
Her sisters jumped to comfort her, but it was the flash of pity on Daisy’s face, instantly replaced with concern, that caused the younger Anise to burst into tears.
"I hate you!" she wailed, flinging the flowerpot to the kitchen tiles, and the older Anise’s heart clenched at the pain of this long-suppressed memory. "I hate all of you! I wish I’d never been born into this stupid family!"
As the younger Anise fled the room, sobbing, and the memory began to dissolve, the older Anise noticed something that she hadn’t remembered from that day. Twelve candles, freshly extinguished without Daisy’s breath, trailed a cloud of smoke into the faces of her perplexed family.
The walls around her family crumbled and expanded into blue sky. Anise faced another mirror image, a few years older than before, in a Faerieland Gormball field.
"Don’t talk to her like that!" the younger Anise shouted, throwing her body between a cowering Faerie Kougra and a defiant young Fire Faerie.
"Look how tiny her wings are!" the Faerie jeered at the Kougra, screwing up her face in disgust for the amusement of her teammates. "I don’t care if she’s the last one left, there’s no way that runt’s playing on my team!"
"That’s not how the rules work, dung-head!" Anise yelled.
"Anise!" Daisy clutched her sister’s wrist, shocked. "Just let it go. Show kindness, not anger. That’s what Earth Faeries do."
"I’m trying," young Anise said, fighting back angry tears. She turned to the Kougra and helped her to her feet. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, listen to your sister," the Fire Faerie said from behind her. "Losers should stick together!"
Darkness flashed before Anise’s eyes. Before any of them knew what she was doing, the Gormball that young Anise had been holding was out of her grasp and soaring towards the Fire Faerie, who screamed as it burst over her head.
"Anise!" There was disappointment in Daisy’s voice. But as the memory swirled into confusion around her, even the older Anise couldn’t feel anything except for the sweet sting of justice, couldn’t see anything but the gleam of loyalty in the young Kougra’s face.
Through the haze, reality re-formed itself again, and Anise found herself on her knees in a pile of ash.
She looked around for her younger self but only saw gently smouldering herbs around her. What was once a hopeful garden, decorated with handwritten signs where rosemary and sweet marjoram had been planted, was now blackened earth.
"Anise?"
For the third time, Daisy’s voice cut through the silence. The older Faerie knelt beside her sister.
"There’s no use," Anise said. "I give up, Daisy. I don’t have any magic."
"Of course you have magic."
"I’ve never been able to make anything grow," Anise said, her voice hitching as she gestured to the destruction around them. "All I can do is ruin things."
She and Daisy sat in silence. Finally, Daisy outstretched a palm, sweeping aside a handful of charred soil and revealing a tiny green bud.
"Not all flowers need magic to grow." Daisy gave her sister a sideways smile. "Some are most beautiful when you give them the time and space to bloom on their own. And sometimes, they’re more special than you expected them to be."
As the scene blurred and reconstituted itself for the final time, Anise found herself back in the dim potion room, face-to-face with Jhudora and Delina. Delina eagerly opened her mouth to speak, but Jhudora silenced her with a knowing look.
A moment passed. Anise steadied herself.
"I know what I am now," she said. "And I know what I have to do..."
How will this story end?
| Author: purplepeggie Date: Sep 14th |
Anise swept her hands over her clothes, trying to brush off the ashes that had felt so vividly real in the memories that were unearthed by Jhudora's potion. Delina's enthusiastic grin transformed into furrowed eyebrows and a confused tilt of her head. Anise stopped, sheepish.
"And what is that?" Jhudora prompted as she took a sip of her cooling tea.
Anise knew the answer by heart, but it was hard to find the right words to share. Anise felt like she'd just poked the Snowager...only to find out that it was basically a ginormous Polarchuck wanting belly rubs. Jhudora, for the longest time, was a storytime villain in her mind. She felt equally ashamed and furious of her own fear. Would others see her the same way one day?
As a child, she'd play with other Earth Faeries in her neighbourhood, going on quests and pretending to be heroes and villains: Hannah, Jeran, Queen Fyora. Illusen and Jhudora. When Jhudora came up in their games, they all fought over who would be her. No Earth Faerie child wanted to be a Dark Faerie.
It wasn't fair.
Anise felt that familiar feeling - the one she'd experienced when she'd hurled the Gormball at the Fire Faerie - a hot, coiling rage that demanded justice where others might shy away.
Jhudora had been so nice to her.
"I need to find my sister," Anise replied. She strode towards the room's exit and paused at the door, spinning around to level a direct gaze Jhudora's way. "Thank you, Jhudora. I feel...better as though it might be okay to be myself. I feel a little sad about some things, but I also feel braver."
"It's more than okay to be yourself," Jhudorah responded easily. "Come back anytime. I'd be happy to teach you a few things. If you're lucky, I might even share some stories about my past with Illusen. Then you'll know the full truth."
Anise left with a smirk.
----
Daisy was worried about her sister. As the oldest sister of many siblings, she was usually concerned about someone. She was most frequently worried about Anise, though. She'd always known intuitively that there was something different about Anise, but the news of Anise potentially being a Dark Faerie was even surprising for her. It just wasn't what you'd expect, with Anise being from an all-Earth faerie family. It was unprecedented. Daisy didn't care about what her sister was; she could be a Wraith Blumaroo, and Daisy would love her all the same. She did worry about how Anise would take the news, though. Anise always puts so much pressure on herself.
To ease her worries, Daisy did what always centred her and brought her peace: she tended to her plants. The gardens at the school were large and lovely, sprawling acres with fruits and flowers of every colour that you could imagine. She delicately trimmed away at one of the Loveberry bushes. They'd been neglected some over the summer, with many of the Faeries returning home for the break. The leaves felt papery and brittle. She'd have to go find a watering can.
"They're a little dry, huh?" Anise said, as she approached her sister, who was kneeling in front of the Loveberry bush. Daisy stood up from her kneeling position and strode over to Anise. She wrapped her arms around her sister warmly.
Anise let out a heavy sigh, like a balloon deflating. It felt nice, to be hugged by her sister. She was so scared of her news changing their relationship. "I saw Jhudora," she said plainly, as her heart drummed desperately in her chest. "And she helped me. And...she was so nice to me. And...oh, Daisy." Her voice wavered, shifting to something shaky and quiet. "I think I really was supposed through the Dark Faerie gates. No, I know I was."
Anise felt her rage threatening to spill over again. Why should she feel bad about going through the Dark Faerie gate? Why was it anyone's business anyway?
Anise pulled out of the hug abruptly. "And if nobody likes it, that's their problem. I'm tired of pretending to be something I'm not. And honestly, I hate gardening! And tending to things too! It's tedious. I honestly never got why everyone else liked it so much. It's just...lots of dirt and watering things. I'd always try so hard at doing something that actively bored me to tears... and then feel bad about everything dying. I am powerful. My magic is just different."
"It is," Daisy agreed. "Your magic is different, I mean. Gardening is great, though." Anise rolled her eyes, making Daisy chuckle. She strode up to Anise and flicked her gently on the nose. "I'm so excited to see what kind of Faerie you'll become. Delina has always been so fun to work with. I think we're lucky to have a Dark Faerie in our family. It's okay to be different."
"And you don't think I'm evil?" Anise asked.
"Never," Daisy said without doubt. "In fact, I think you're kind-hearted, so much so that I have a request for you."
"What is it?"
"Could you shade this bush while I go find some water?" Daisy requested. "I can feel how hot the plant is... I know that it'll survive without shade, but I'd like to make it a little more comfortable."
Anise was far from mastery of her magic. In fact, she knew little about the kinds of things that Dark Faeries could accomplish. Still...darkness. That seemed pretty straightforward.
Anise closed her eyes, trying to connect with the dormant magic inside of her. She felt ripples of chilly cold coursing down her arms, pulsing. First, she felt her magic inside, and then she experienced it on the outside too. The colour of the sky surrounding the bush was darker and calmer. She'd done it. She'd created shade and it felt so natural, she'd have a hard time describing how she'd done it.
It felt so, so natural.
"Oh, Anise," Daisy said. "You did wonderfully. The Loveberries are so grateful and are singing your praises. I am too."
Anise smiled. Using her magic, and using it well, felt invigorating. She was ready to start school. She wanted to learn everything she could about herself.
The End.
| Author: amjezebel Date: Sep 15th |
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