Starlight, Starbright Part 6
He hadn't been this worn down in some time. A different sort of worn down than before but as he laid on the thick grass of some field he had to admit he didn't mind it all the same. Chasing after Virgo as they went from tree to tree searching for anything that could be useful was a strangely comforting bit of exercise. Perhaps because she was so taken with everything. The way her eyes lit up and she looked ready to erupt from excitement…
Gods… He truly had become completely taken in by her hadn't he? A smile kept coming to his face and the urge to tease her distracted him from what they were doing. Enough to make him let out a huff and cover his face with his hands at the mere realization. What was wrong with him? While he was much more comfortable around both her and the others back at the tower he should know better. The last time he'd gotten that close with anyone… "Whoa!! I can see Mommy and everyone else! Why do they look so small? Do we always look so small?" His hands lowered at the barrage of questions and he glanced over at her before looking up at the night sky, taking a deep breath to push back his current dilemma so that he could answer her. As mortifying as his feelings were he couldn't bear to worry her unnecessarily either. Honestly with how much she had comforted him up to that point he had catching up to do.
"Yes… Yes you do. We're far far from them right now so they would look much smaller than they are. But some do shine a little more than others. Its why Polaris stands out." The soft "Oh" that left her made a chuckle bubble up but he suppressed it, a smile settling across his face instead as she plopped down on his chest and pointed out more stars. Her curiosity and drive to understand was hard not to find endearing and it was oddly satisfying knowing she was taking what he was telling her to heart. Almost like… Oh… Oh no…
An all too familiar ache tugged at his heart as it dawned on him why he found her to be so hard to resist helping and the world seemed to go dim in response, a soft buzzing filling his ears as memories he long thought he had conquered came surging back. The air became thicker as they played out in front of him and he soon found himself coughing and struggling to see clearly as hot tears clouded his vision. No no no… The bright lights… That smoke… No… "Maggy!!" And suddenly he was back in the field again staring up at the crystal clear night sky, shaking and gasping for breath as the feeling of something warm against his neck drew his attention. What… Where had he…? What had just happened? It felt like it had been both mere seconds and an eternity and his body ached with a different kind of exhaustion than before. It was both so vivid what he'd seen and yet what exactly had happened was fuzzy as well.
He'd… He'd been through this before. It had been so long, how long he couldn't recall, but the days and nights of having Amaya pull him from such a state was all too familiar. And Virgo had been forced to see him like that. All because he- His breath hitched as he turned on his side and hastily wiped the tears from his eyes and face. How could he have let this happen? He should have been past this by now. It had been years, decades, since that horrible night. Why did it still haunt him? "Maggy… You… Its okay to be scared. I… Mommy said… something really bad happened to you. That that's why you have bad dreams sometimes. But… Its okay if its bothering you." He felt his heart break at her words and while he could feel a response ready to lash out of him he forced it back down, how tightly she was clinging to him and the gentle warmth against him helping to pull him down from his panic. Why? Why did this child keep having to comfort him like that? Why did she even want to help? Yes he had been holding onto more than he'd realized but this… He still shouldn't be having these sorts of attacks.
It was obvious she disagreed though because he could see her pouting out of the corner of his eye and he slowly reached up to hold her, taking deep slow breaths to quiet his still frayed nerves. How or why this kept happening still remained unanswered but the fact that he found her to be like… No… He couldn't think of her right now… Not if he wanted to get anything else done that night. "Do you… Do you wanna talk about it? Is it… Is it okay to…? I won't make you but…" "NO! I… I didn't… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… We should… We should get going. Its getting late and…"
It was hard to hold it back and he flinched as the word spat from his lips, not daring to look at her as he apologized and tried to move on. Why did he keep making the worst mistakes? First yelling at Asha like that and then at his people and then that book- "Did I… Did I upset you? I didn't mean to! I was just-"
He had her in his arms in an instant at those words and he practically rushed to explain that it wasn't because of her, never her, and that it was something else entirely that had bothered him. It couldn't happen again. He couldn't drive another person off or lose them because of his own weakness. Not someone so young. Not someone like… "I… Please… Don't go. I… I can't… I can't do this again. I can't lose you. I…" A gentle tiny hand on his cheek made him stop and he glanced down to see her gazing up at him warmly, the soft pat she gave him making a strained laugh leave him. Even now she couldn't stop being herself could she? That kindhearted and mischievous streak would always be there. How… How did she choose him to be around? All he did was hurt everyone.
But maybe…
"I… There's something I need to tell you. It… It happened a long time ago but… I… I'm not from here originally. I found this place. We built the kingdom here after… after what happened in our homeland."
The gasp that left her made it hard to keep his composure but he carried on despite it. She needed to know. He couldn't bear to keep it buried anymore. Not if it was going to continue to drive him to keep destroying everything he was trying to do and ruin the lives around him. As much as he didn't want to remember or recount that night he had to. For all of their sakes. Even if he had to do so with a child. "I can still remember it. The smell… Those screams… We… It was a night like this. It was just me and my family. My wife had gone to sleep for the night and my… my sister was visiting. Then they came. Bandits. There had to have been at least a dozen of them. Just riding through the village and setting everything on fire. We tried to stop it. We tried to get everyone out safely but they…"
It was suddenly difficult to breathe again and he could feel the grass clutched under his hand as he choked on his words, Virgo pressing herself into his chest and helping divert his attention enough to compose himself again so he could continue. But before he could she had floated up in front of him with a look of complete confusion and sadness. Oh no… Had he gone too far? Had he said something he shouldn't have? Why had he done so with one her age when- "Why is everyone so mean to you? They didn't need to… I… I'm so sorry Maggy. I.. I'm gonna beat those meanies up if I see them!" The sheer rage in that last sentence and the way she zipped around him was not what he expected and he found himself laughing harder than he had in a long time, tears streaking down his face as he gasped for air. Of all the things he had been bracing himself for this was not one of them and the suddenness of it along with how completely she meant it made it impossible not to find funny. Especially with the frustrated noise she made at him on top of it.
"I… Ahahaha… Excuse me. I didn't mean to… to imply you couldn't. I just… Oh Gods… Anyway… Me and Amaya left after that. Found the nearest boat and sailed until we found this place. Then we made Rosas. So no one would ever have to go through that again. But well… We both know how that went…" There was an edge of mirth to his words but also sadness towards the end, a sigh leaving him as he ran a hand through his hair and caused some stardust to fall loosely around him. He truly had meant it back then. That he didn't want anyone to endure those hardships or others like it. He still ached to do so now. Even if his people would never believe it. Even if they all still thought of him as some monster. He just… How had it gone so wrong? "But… You did do that. Mommy told me! Everyone was really happy! Then they were mean to you because of something someone said… and you… That meanie made you do things… Why did…?"
Right… She knew some of what had happened but not the full picture. It was true that Asha had been a little too quick to assume such things about him but then… He had been harsh with her. He shouldn't have yelled at her like that. She had been wrong in what he was trying to do but he still shouldn't have snapped on her despite that. Nor on his people for their actions either. They had been far too pushy with their need for wishes and seemed unable to understand what he had been getting at but still… There… There were some things he had to make up for. It wasn't entirely their fault. "Because I… I acted too harshly with her. I didn't mean to but… Its not entirely her fault. Nor theirs. I did some things I shouldn't have. They have every right to hate me. But... I... I can at least make up for it."
A pouting face greeted him as he turned to look at her but she soon settled onto his shoulder and nodded, a light chuckle leaving him as he patted her head. He knew she meant well but she needed to learn that not everything was so black and white. It was much more gray and managing that made for better judgement. Though her need to defend him was reassuring as it was confusing. "Hey Maggy? What was her name? Your sister?"
He could feel his heart skip a beat at those words, his breath catching before he slowly willed himself to answer as he got to his feet and readjusted his hood for what lied ahead. It was impossible not to make the comparison. She was… She was so much like her. And yet… Now that he had told her… It didn't hurt as much as before. It likely always would but… "Arianna."
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He should have known something was wrong. They had hardly gotten back onto the path before the sight of guards greeted them in the distance. Far more than he'd ever seen before. More than there should be just to guard the entrance. At most there would be two and those shifted around every few hours from what he'd been able to see from the tower but this… What was Amaya doing? It looked as if they were checking anyone who entered too as there were more people that seemed to be civilians standing there than he'd seen either. While that did happen on occasion it was never at the gates. Anyone from outside the kingdom had to be checked at the ports and those that lived there rarely were. What reason could they have to be? Crimes did happen but that was dealt with more discreetly than this so what other reason could they have for such strict methods? Gods… What had become of Rosas? How were they meant to get past when they would be stopped and searched? If they realized who he was… No… There… There had to be some other way. Having this many guards in one place meant other parts would be less guarded so if they could find one that happened to lead inside… "Hey! Maggy! Come here! We can get in if we hide in here!"
The urgent attempt to get his attention along with how much she was trying to whisper pulled him from his thoughts, his eyes widening as she furiously pointed to a cart filled with hay before zipping inside. That… Would that actually work? They had been more concerned with the people themselves and not their goods…
A sigh left him as he ran a hand through his hair and made his way over, ensuring there were no eyes on him before he landed inside and proceeded to cover himself. As long as they didn't move and made sure nothing was showing they should, with some luck, get through. Not that he was fond of having such wet and dirty hay all over him but… Hopefully they wouldn't need to leave the same exact way.
Virgo at the least seemed to be enjoying it more from the small giggles he could make out but the instant the cart started to move she would go silent, pressing herself against his neck as he patted her reassuringly and held as still as he could otherwise. That would prove to be a feat with how bumpy the ride was but he held on as best he could. He couldn't let things end there. Not in such an awkward way. Not when he had hardly even started. "Papers. Ah… Mind yourself. Its gotten bad down there. Especially with all those so called "sorcerers" running around. Wouldn't want to get called in. Next!"
What. Sorcerers? So… He'd been right. He had seen someone using magic. And it had apparently been such a problem that people were being warned about it. This… This was much worse than he'd thought. No regulations as far as he could tell and people causing unwonted destruction. Why was nothing being done about this? What was being done about this? This was exactly why he'd banned magic. It was difficult to manage so many and it led to much more trouble than it was worth. What had become of things?
As the cart began to move again he found himself staring upwards, trying to take in anything that passed so that he could get a better understanding. It was hard to see anything past the hay but he could still hear the murmurs of people as they passed. Anger filled murmurs. Hushed whispers of unease and fear. Worries of those sorcerers and other smaller things. This… This wasn't Rosas. Not the one he'd worked so hard to make. Not the place he'd toiled to drive such unpleasantness away. It had been lost. Replaced with the very things he had never wanted them to endure. And it broke his heart. Why? Why wasn't she doing anything? Why were his people so frightened and uneasy? This couldn't just be because of the sorcerers. No… From what he could hear there was much more than that. He… He had to see. He had to know. There must be something, anything, he could do to- "Aww heck… How am I supposed to fix this?! I'm already behind and now- Ugh…"
The sudden jolt nearly threw him into the side and the muffled yelp Virgo let out made it clear that something terrible had happened. Besides the reaction of the owner that is. From how it was tilting to one side it was most likely the wheel and his suspicions were confirmed as they muttered about it and how far they would need to go for another. What exactly had caused it to break he couldn't tell but as the sight of them walking off to go and secure it came into view he could only hope they could fix it.
Though once he was certain they were gone he would waste no time in leaving the cart, floating off into an alley nearby and grimacing at the sheer amount of mud splattered all over him. This was going to take ages to get out. Polaris had put so much into the clothes as well and it pained him to ruin them so quickly. Though if he could find something to clean them then it would save them both the trouble and- Where did it all go?! "What…?! How did…? Ah… I… I had forgotten you could do that…"
The mystery was solved the instant he turned to see all the hay and mud that had been stuck to him sitting on top of the pile, the rest appearing moments later as she magically teleported them over. With how little she tended to use it around him the sight was a strange one and he could feel a slight frown come to his face as she simply giggled at his words. At least they wouldn't stand out as much now. Not that he was planning to let anyone spot them if he could. It seemed that citizen had tied his horse's reins to a light post nearby too so the odds of it wandering off were low. Although… The layer of grime that lined the once white buildings along with the state of that road… Maybe things weren't as safe as they once were. The lateness of the hour meant they were alone as well so he made sure to keep an eye out as he motioned Virgo over.
Until he had all the pieces to the situation they couldn't take any risks. Just getting in had been hard enough and he dreaded what else might have changed in whatever time he'd spent with that thing. It had to be bad enough for such tight and strict measures to have been put in place. Was there more than a misuse of magic at play here? Had… Had there been an increase in crime? Or was it already happening? If he had managed to separate from it and leave the mirror then…
"Watch where you're going! Damn sorcerers…" A loud crash followed by the distant sight of what looked to be a shop keep passing the other end of the alley snapped him to attention and he made sure to move into the shadows until they were gone, hastily moving to the corner so he could get a better idea of what had happened. Though he could already feel it. The distinct trace of magic in the air. For it to still be lingering and not fading it must have been a powerful spell though which one he couldn't tell. Magic was hard to distinguish unless it was seen or close by.
The result of it was still there though. Bits of fruit and wood scattered across the road and the remains of something streaking through it. Gods… Had they enchanted a cart or heaven forbid an animal of some sort? There were no other traces to show what it had been but he could already see how much trouble this was going to be for everyone. No wonder they all seemed so quick to anger.
Although… now that he had a better look at the shop keep making his way down the road they looked… tired. Far more tired than they should have been. Even from a distance he could make out how little sleep they had been getting from the dark circles around their eyes and the mindless way they shambled forward. What… What had been going on for them to lose sleep so badly? Was this why people were on edge? The inability to rest?
A frown settled on his face as he carefully made his way out into the street and into another alley, following it and any others to get closer to the center of the city with a worried but also still excited Virgo. It still had to be active enough even at that hour. He could hear quite a few people in the distance and from the tone it seemed what he was suspecting was correct. Though exactly how much he could learn was still uncertain.
As he slowly looked out into the square it looked to be less crowded than expected and from what he could make out it seemed most people had already returned to their homes. But… The way they were talking… It was as if they were afraid to be out there. As if if someone were to hear them that something terrible would happen. They kept glancing around and as he did his best not to stand out and move closer he could see that they too looked to be just as exhausted as that shop keep. What had frightened them this badly?
"Did you hear what happened yesterday? One of the Gregson kids got into the school. Came right home and nearly destroyed the place with that wand of his. I swear they'll give those licenses to anyone… The Brigade can hardly keep up with all this trouble too. There's so few trained ones and Asha's far too busy to come help herself. This city… Its a wonder its still standing." The other citizen would try to comfort them as they wistfully looked off at where his statue used to be, his mind reeling from the amount of terrible decisions at play. Anyone could gain a license to use magic?! Not only that but it seemed some were being used to try to maintain order around the city, a scant few from the way they were being spoken of, and that Asha, hardly an adult, was involved. What… Oh Gods… This was already getting to be far worse than he'd been prepared for…
"At least its better than… him. We get to see our wishes granted more and the queen has already rebuilt so much. I'm sure things will settle down. There's the Star Festival to look forward to and well…" It was as if someone had taken the air from him with how suddenly he found himself unable to breathe. No… This… This was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid. Not all wishes needed to be granted and if they were doing so without so much as considering them… He needed to stop this. Before someone was hurt. Before the wrong person was given power. Before- "Make way! The queen has come to speak on current events!"
What?! Amaya was…? He practically pressed into the stall he'd hidden behind and pulled his cloak around himself further, his heart beating in his ears as he did his best not to draw any attention towards him. He wasn't ready for this. Not now. He couldn't… He couldn't let her see him. Not like this. Not when he was certain to be taken prisoner or worse. She wouldn't listen. She'd made that much clear before. All she and everyone else saw was just a monster who had threatened them and their wishes. "Maggy…? Is… Is she one of the bad people?" A sharp gasp nearly left him at her words and while he still flinched he was able to keep quiet, shaking his head after a minute and putting a finger to his lips before slowly peering around the corner. While every fiber of his being still wanted to either hide or run off he suppressed it. Even if he was terrified of being spotted with Amaya there they could figure out what had been going on much more clearly.
"Citizens of Rosas! I come before you with the upmost apology. There have been rumors of our students of the Academy causing unwonted destruction and chaos. I assure you that such acts will not be taken lightly. As such the offenders will be facing a harsh sentence and have their licenses revoked. Only once they have proven to be able to handle it and have served their sentences shall they be allowed to attend." She had changed. How long he had been imprisoned he wasn't sure but it looked not to be too long. She looked just as he remembered. Only… Her eyes had a hardness to them. An edge he had never seen from her before. The way she held herself was foreign as well. It was less relaxed and far more rigid. It was as if someone had taken his once loving wife and replaced her with someone who sounded and looked the same but lacked what made her the woman he'd fallen for so many years ago.
And it hurt. It hurt to see her in such a way. Every word she spoke was a dagger, the harsh but still elegant way she wielded them making him unable to do anything but watch. Watch in silent guilt and horror as she spoke to the people around them. Had he… Had he made her into this? Was this because of him?
"And as for the nightmares that have been plaguing our dear city, I have appointed Asha to handle the matter. While she has only been practicing magic for a year she has proven herself more than capable. In the meantime the Academy will be providing aide so please speak with them for assistance. I know that as long as we all stand strong we can weather this together." Nightmares…? Was that why…? Of course… The higher than usual amount of guards, the unease and exhaustion, the lack of regard the sorcerers seemed to be showing, possibly even Amaya's behavior… It had to be the root cause. The very thing causing most of the city's decline. If he could find a way to dispel them then maybe…
"Sorry! So sorry! There was a class I had to attend to and uh…"
The sight of a very disheveled looking girl running up to Amaya and apologizing made him duck back behind the stall again, the familiar voice cluing him into who exactly she was. She hadn't changed at all it seemed. A lot more flustered then before but still the very same girl who had been ushered into his tower a mere year ago. Gods… A year. A year. And all of his hard work had crumbled. All because she hadn't listened to what he'd been trying to tell her. What he'd been trying to get them all to understand.
How high strung she looked was more than enough proof of his worries. What was Amaya thinking? She was only barely an adult and someone that young shouldn't have the burden he'd had and more on her shoulders. Did she even have anyone there to help her with it all? Was she baring it herself? He couldn't see nor had heard mention of that so she had to be. Simply shifting his old duties onto her was not the right way to handle things. She… She couldn't be expected to bear so much. While he still felt the sting of what she had caused and how many she had turned against him seeing her like that… It… It wasn't unlike how he'd been. Nights spent honing his craft, the mountains of papers he'd stay up late sorting through, the sheer weight of his people's burdens and hopes on his shoulders but refusing to show it… He knew. And it hurt to see her repeating it all. "You… It can't be…" He froze as the words were spoken. No… She couldn't have… He could feel time slow as he looked up at her, his racing heart filling his ears as he found himself unable to react. How had he ended up leaning so far forward without realizing!? Had she noticed him from the start? That couldn't be… He had been so careful. So very careful and she still…!
His body was suddenly moving before he knew it, flying forward as fast as he could go with the shouts of guards following. How had he failed so miserably?! There wasn't a chance they would be able to avoid attention now. Gods, could they even get out with so many in front of the gates? Why hadn't he been more cautious? Why hadn't- "Maggy! Go left! I'm gonna get us outta here!" The sudden appearance of Virgo leaning in front of his face caused a shout but he listened to her despite that, willing himself down the street to the left as she peered behind him. How long she had been sitting there on his shoulder he wasn't entirely certain but knowing she had been there only made him all the more desperate to correct his mistake. He couldn't let them catch him when he had her there. They might… He pushed himself to move faster as he veered into an alley nearby, noting the way it curved up and towards where the wall was as he maneuvered around the building mountains of trash. If they could get high enough then maybe, just maybe, they might have a chance. The top of the wall didn't look to be that guarded and it would take the ones chasing them too long to reach them. Though what exactly Virgo had in mind he wasn't at all sure. "Over there! Go up there! I think I see it!" What did she…? He couldn't see much of an exit around where they were but he still listened and flew up a nearby ladder and onto one of the rooftops, the sight of the wall getting too close for comfort as he readied to turn. Only for a tree to materialize out of nowhere and make him hastily dodge out of the way. How did…?! Where did all of these trees come from? Wait… Where did the buildings go? Where…?
"I did it!! We made it out! Take that you meanies!"
As she stuck her tongue out and made a face behind him it suddenly clicked into place. She had… Since when could she teleport people? What had she switched with them to allow it at all? It just… He found himself laughing despite the fear of what they were meant to do now. How couldn't he with how sudden and jarring it was? She… She truly was a handful wasn't she? +++++++++++++ As she stood staring up at the cart wedged on the rooftop she couldn't help but fear the worst. He was free. Somehow Magnifico had been freed. How or why he had she didn't know but she would find out. He couldn't be allowed to cause chaos. How he had even managed such a feat in the first place eluded her as such magic had never been used by him before. At the most he would use alchemy or illusions. Never teleporting. The fact that such a power existed was chilling in itself. They would need to act fast.
"Bring me the mirror and the book. We need to understand how he escaped. Increase the amount of guards as well. We cannot allow him to endanger our city again." The orders left her as she continued to contemplate what lied ahead, the guards bowing and leaving her alone. Alone expect for one other person. The only one with the power to handle her once dear husband. She had more than proven herself during that horrible night a year ago and the wand that the star had left for her should be more than enough to aide her. "He can't be allowed to roam free. I'm counting on you to put a stop to whatever plans he may have. Our fate rests with you Asha."
