Hey guys! I thought of a short little scene that I wanted to share with you all. This would take place quite some time after Book 3, so if you don't want spoilers then feel free to skip this post if you like!
For those who stay, I hope you enjoy!
Cornelia sat upon a wooden bench, aged with moss and wet from mildew. These things had long since stopped bothering her, however, once she had stopped being human.
The moss was beautiful, the dampness welcoming. Water was, after all, her element. And nature was a close friend of hers.
Her long, pale hair shone like silver in the light of the full moon. Her skin sparkled like the surface of the ocean. She had fully accepted her role as the new spirit of the sea, though it had taken her many years to do so.
"What brings you so far from the sea, Cornelia?" Came a familiar voice.
She didn't need to look up to know that Magnar, the spirit of the moon, had appeared just behind her. Though when she did look at him, she immediately noticed something was off.
His white hair, usually unaffected by gravity, lay flat against his head. His eyes, usually as pale as the surface of the moon itself, had darkened to near-black.
Cornelia smiled sadly. "I guess I'm here for the same reason you are."
Magnar returned the sad smile, and with it, he gave Cornelia a nod. His eyes then focused one something across from Cornelia, any semblance of a smile fading from his lips.
Cornelia followed his gaze, across the stone pathway in front of the bench, and to the tombstone resting there.
Engraved in the stone were just a few words:
"Emily Gardner, 1984 - 2068
Lucilda Gardner, 1983 - 2073"
There was space for more names on the grave, Cornelia knew, but Emily never wanted to force Michael, the son she and Lucilda had adopted, to feel obligated to carry the weight of their family name with him. When he would eventually pass on, he could be burried with his mothers, or in a plot of his own with his wife. The most important thing Emily wanted their son to have was a choice.
Cornelia shook her head as tears rushed to her eyes. Foolish Emily. She spent so much time trying to let the significance of the Gardner name go that she failed to realize the new meaning she'd put behind it. Gardner was no longer a legacy of Spellcasters forced to inherit the family tradition, but rather, it was the name of a kind family, and a loving home.
So of course, when the time would eventually come, Cornelia was certain Michael would be proud to be burried in the Gardner family plot.
She was so proud of the work her sister had done. And she missed her so damn much.
Magnar placed a hand on Cornelia's shoulder. "It has been 10 years to this night since she passed."
"I know."
"And time hardly makes it any easier."
"I know that! Geez, old man, stop preaching to me about everything." But there was no weight behind Cornelia's words. Magnar had helped her a lot with her responsibilities as the new spirit of the sea. He was, after all, partially responsible for the sea too.
He didn't run away this time. He didn't hide. He and Cornelia spent years finding a proper balance between what part of her element she could control, and what part she should control. Water was a large part of life on Earth, after all, and she shouldn't have the power to control life itself, nor did Cornelia want it.
"Would you like to say a few words?" Magnar asked.
Cornelia shook her head 'no'. "What's the point? Emily can't hear me now, and she already knew everything I wanted to say to her." Cornelia stood up from the bench. "I should go visit Victoria. I'm sure she could use someone to talk to."
In a flash of blue light, Cornelia vanished. Magnar smiled a little to himself. He was certain Victoria needed Cornelia that night just as much as Cornelia needed her in return.
He looked down at the grave one last time before he took Cornelia's spot on the bench. He closed his eyes, letting the light from the moon wash over him.
