Thinking about the lasting effects of wiping Olruggio’s memories too many times…
He rapidly deteriorates, then goes into a permanent coma. And then he slips away.
They had confessed, right before the disaster. One moment, they were sharing the most magical moment ever with their first kiss, the next moment, Qifrey was on the floor. Branches stem at an alarming rate as he writhed in pain.
It was too dangerous. Olruggio begs Qifrey to erase his memories if it will save his life. Qifrey goes through the motions of casting the spell, feeling like the most twisted thing to exist. Olly’s eyes are gentle. Understanding. Loving, even.
"Next time, I'll figure out a way to kiss you twice," Olly promises. Qifrey nods shakily.
"Yes. Yes, okay... “ Qifrey kisses Olruggio’s forehead before he places the hat on.
Qifrey is never quite the same. Devastated does not even begin to describe his pain.
A biography is written about Olruggio. It speaks about his life, his accomplishments, and who he was as a person. A request arrives for Qifery to share details of his time with Olruggio of the Torch, as a very good friend until the very end.
Qifrey doesn't feel like he deserves that.
He never did. Even when Olly was here.
Though Olruggio is gone, all his contraptions and passionate ideas outlive him. They surround Qifrey’s atelier, cherished fixtures in his home. When Qifrey is cold, he thumbs over the warmth rings Olly used. But he never uses them himself.
Qifrey constantly kisses the tassel of his hat, remembering that beautiful but horrible moment. How Olly’s beard scratched his chin. How warm his hands were. How safe Qifrey felt being kissed by the one person who had been by his side his entire life.
One day, the tassel breaks. Through heart-wrenching sobs, Qifrey sews it back together. He feels just as broken as the torn tassel, as if hanging on by a mere thread.
Down the line, they save Coco’s mom. It is a joyous day.
Qifrey stops looking for a cure for himself. In a cruel and unfair way, he's already been cured. But it cost him everything.
Full of grief and anger at the unfairness of it all, Qifrey had briefly considered becoming a brim cap. Just to feel in control of something. It was indeed his lowest point.
Instead, Qifrey becomes kinder. To honor his watchful eye who now shines through Qifrey, and all the other lives Olruggio had touched. Qifrey will see to it that Olly’s kindness lives on inside him.
The girls still mourn their special Master Olly too. They don't even know the true reason why he's gone. Qifrey can’t ever tell them. He wouldn’t survive if they hated him after learning the full truth. He wouldn’t blame them if they did, either.
But perhaps telling the girls the truth is the only way Qifrey can let go. To be at complete peace, and readily reunite with Olruggio.
Master Qifrey brings his girls behind the atelier, just beyond their flourishing garden. His voice wavers like the shaky hand of a novice apprentice as he recounts the events leading up to Olruggio’s passing. How Qifrey had taken a part in it. All of it.
How even though Qifrey was cursed, he was still blessed with the kindest, most radiant star.
Now, Qifrey is cursing his beloved apprentices. With his vulnerability, and his decision to finally rest. Qifrey apologizes for being so selfish. One by one, the girls all break down.
Tetia immediately opposes his words. Master Qifrey is the most selfless person they know! Coco desperately mentions her progress on spells that could act as a temporary cure until they found a permanent one. Richeh trembles quietly, and Agott brings her close, stubbornly wiping her own tears.
They already lost Master Olly. Why is Master Qifrey leaving them too?
With each affectionate yet heartbreaking word, silver leaves begin sprouting from Qifrey’s hair. He bravely holds his arms out, just as open and welcoming as when each girl first met him. Even braver, the girls stick to him like glue, hugging him from all sides.
Qifrey sighs in content. This… is not a terrible way to go. Embraced by his precious, precious girls.
"We love you, Master Qifrey," Richeh mumbles quietly. The other girls echo sadly.
As Qifrey's limbs shift, he never takes his eyes off of his girls.
"I love you too. My brilliant apprentices."
The girls watch how the arms that spent years holding them, teaching them, and protecting them, transform into the most beautiful branches they’ve ever seen.
They watch as that gentle eye gets lost forever.
The girls weep and continue hugging the silverwood tree. Even as the branches trap them to his sturdy trunk. They spend hours encased like this, until they are forced to free themselves by cutting a few of his branches.
Master Qifrey leaves behind his glasses, his robes, and his hat with the long, black tassel. Wet sniffles and hiccups fill the air. With their master’s belongings clutched in their hands, they realize this is the perfect spot for him to be.
The girls slowly make their way back to the atelier. They spare one, two, three, four-
Many, many more glances back at the sight of a massive silverwood tree providing shade to Master Olly’s tomb.
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