#implied shatt

Dappled sunlit trails gave way to darkened dirt footpaths, mean trees, and rumored beasts. Deep into this shunned forest she found a small little patch entrenched in the darkened forest, undergrowth rampant, and little to-no sunlight through the crowded tree cover. Somewhere where no one would search for her or her eschewed magic.

She strode over to the nearest broken branch and dragged the abandoned arm across the small clearing, dry leaves dragging, before depositing it.

There. Without magic or help. She went to work.

-

Slowly, bit-by-bit, she had created her home. With nothing but grit and her two hands. Which, before, were smooth and soft, soon became calloused without the use of any magic. It was small, humble, and she gained a sense of pride as she finished what she set out, making her feel almost human. Her new home was clear of debris, made of tightly pressed logs slotted together and a mud mixture to keep the cold night air out. The occasional mortal trips for basic necessitates making this little house a home.

For the finishing touch she faced her sanctuary. Holding out her hands she closed her eyes and murmured a concealment spell to hide her and her magic from the rest of the world. With not even the slightest shimmer she disappeared.

-

For many years she lived in peace, shielded from the world, rarely using magic. For so long she thought that the world had forgotten about her.

Sadly, that was not the case.

-

When she came back from truffle hunting there was a short stranger pounding on the door, shouting for her to open up. She dropped her mushrooms and let magic flow through her core and into her hands, letting her fingertips tingle with the feeling of the rarely used magic.

Thrusting her hands forward she suspended the aggressive interloper. Twisting them in the air she magically bound their arms and legs together. Flipping them upside down, their short auburn hair falling away from their face, she confronted them. “Who are you! Why are you here?!”

Upon closer inspection the trespasser seemed to be a young girl, angrily twisting in the air as her hair fluffed out around her. “Let me down!” she growled.

The fairy kept her where she was. “Why are you here?” she growled back.

The trespasser stopped wiggling around and glared at her. “To look for you. You’re the former royal fairy, correct?”

She dropped the stranger on the ground, who let out an ‘oof’ as she landed harshly on her side, but kept her restrained. “That is correct, how did you find me? This grove is concealed.”

The girl wiggled like a worm on the ground, dirt clouding up everywhere, making the girl on the ground cough and spit. Twisting on the ground she flipped onto her stomach to glare up at her. “I’ll tell you if you release me.”

After a minute of debating she released the magic around her. She held up a finger in warning, blue and pink sparks flaring. “Be warned. Any sudden movements and I will not hesitate to bind you again.”

The girl scrambled up to her feet, dusting off the dry dirt. “I traced your magic, every magic user has a signature so I just followed it. I’m here because I need help. You need to help.”

The fairy tipped her chin up, adding that royal flair that is muscle memory. “What makes you think I’ll help you?”

“You owe me. You owe my brother, you cursed him.”

Hearing those words was like a blow to her heart. Not another one. “How—how could I? I’ve sequestered myself here so that it wouldn’t happen, I haven’t used my magic in years.”

“He disappeared and I know that it’s your magic, it has your signature all over it.”

She shook her head in denial. “I’m sorry, but it must be someone else, I haven’t used magic, let alone to make someone vanish, in years. It’s impossible.”

“Stop LYING!” The dirt covered ragamuffin stomped her foot. “No! It has to be you! It has to! I searched forever in the most obscure places, talked to the most infuriating people, just to find you, you have to know where he is.” Her voice dwindled until it was nothing but a chocked out whisper.

Allura could only stare as she witnessed the girl choke back small tears that slipped out anyway, creating clean tracks down her dirt covered face. She turned away.

“I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”

The girl swiped her hands over her face, dirt streaking over her cheeks. “There is, I know that it’s your magic. Can’t you track him or find him? Please?”

The self-exiled fairy shook her head, silver hair waving around her like a cloud. She didn’t dare look at the girl, the inkling feeling of guilt sinking into her stomach like a stone. One small possibility at a royal christening years before… “I have sworn myself to never use magic again to prevent any more damage. I cannot.”

The tears dried as determination settled on her features. “I do not care if you are some all-powerful fairy. You have stolen my brother from me somehow but you will fix it. You can stay here and wallow in your sins but you can fix your mistakes and by whatever all-powerful deity there is you will fix this one.”

Then she turned and marched back to the forest.

-

She came back the next day.

And the next.

And the next.

-

With all of the visits from the girl and the resulting information presented to her, proving that it was the magic residue left at the girl’s residence was a result of her magic, made her question her choice on fleeing to the forest.

It was the right choice, she told herself. The consequences of her magic extended too far. She couldn’t even help the boy who she cursed with happiness; the power was too strong and overwhelming. The loopholes too small or too permanent. She believed that she couldn’t help him, but did she try? The result of that disaster was he turning into pure magic, who knows what he’s doing now?

Was it possible that instead of helping the world return to normal with the absence of her presence she only ignored her errors only for them to fester?

-

“You’re allowed mistakes.”

Allura stared inquisitively at the girl bundled up in her rocking chair. “Pardon?”

“You are allowed to make mistakes. You might be a fairy but mistakes aren’t just for humans. It’s not the end of the world, as long as you fix them.”

Allura heaved a sigh. “And humans fix their mistakes?” Without looking for a response she went to the window that held a low and wide bowl filled to the brim with water, basking in the moonlight. Thanking the moon goddess for her energy and blessing, careful of her burden, softly stepped in front of the girl and set the bowl on the floor in front of her. Settling down in a kneel she peered in the water that still seemed to reflect the gentle presence of the moon.

Staring at the moon infused in the water her vision zoomed in; impressions of craters flooded her vision before she was flung toward a tree line, high above the tallest branches toward a kingdom war-torn and desperate. Darting between barren homes, dirty people, she flew through the window of the palace and the hallways until she saw a young king.

The king, himself, has seen battle, his right arm gone, a scar across the bridge of his nose, the light from his eyes gone but still kind. He sat on his thrown, discussing with his advisors, patient yet firm, occasionally gesturing with his hands. When the advisors responded he looked resigned as an official document was presented before him. Before his signature a young man, looking remarkably like the girl in her home stepped inside, large, grand doors resounding behind him.

He came up to the king, kneeled, and reported. The paper lowered, and light returned to the king’s eyes, kind and…fond. The man, lifting his head, held the same fondness in his amber eyes.

With that Allura’s vision zoomed out, tracing back the path her magic took her until she was back in her own body, sprawled on the floor as the girl hovered above her worriedly.

“He’s in the Marmorite Kingdom, he’s with the king, either an advisor or something more.”

“Thank you,” she breathed.

-

Allura had given Pidge as many magical items she could carry. Watching the girl leave the forest for the last time she reflected onto what the young girl told her. Perhaps she should become more like a human.

With a small smile and a glint in her eye she set off into the forest, abandoning her home.