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Author's Notes: There's less MC than usual here.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery hand in hand.
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.
W.B. Yeats.
* The time has come * spoke the first voice, though it spoke in a manner that no ear could ever hear. It came from the globe of light above the marsh, a willow the wisp, perhaps no more than swamp gas to the chance traveller who saw it. For those that could not hear the voices would think it nothing more than a strange sight in a strange place.
+ She is not ready + argued the second voice, equally beyond hearing, equally stemming from a ball of light in the night.
* None can ever be ready for readiness comes from preparation and none may bow the truth until they have begun *
+ Then it is not yet time to begin. +
* There is no other time. One must come forth *
+ What if she were to reject us +
* Then we would find another *
+ Have we the time to do so +
* No *
+ Then it must be her and the time must be now +
* There is no other way *
The lights hovered for a second then shot away through the night, skimming through the leaves and bushes with ease, no tearing twig or dangling vine catching their way.
Had a human being seen that light they might have deemed it a ghost or a spirit.
But humans didn’t come to the island any more. They hadn’t for a long time.
*****************
Rachael looked at the young woman before her. She looked small and made no attempt to try to look otherwise. High heels would have looked much stranger than the flat black shoes she had. The woman turned to one side, displaying herself to her critic. Rachael bit her lip. There was high chance that she wouldn't actually wear the dress. But seeing herself in the changing room mirror made her overly anxious to buy it nevertheless. Such was the curse of a young woman who loved to shop.
At least she didn’t look as short in the mirror as she did when standing alongside someone else, not that she minded her height. At five foot two and little more than a hundred pounds she was a small girl. But in Hollywood it didn't matter. She was much happier to be herself than a tall thin blonde that often seemed idolised.
"Saves on dress material." she quipped, examining the dress yet again.
Perhaps she would buy it after all. Many would have over looked anything in this shade of brown but in her opinion it looked good. Brown or Black, those were her favorite clothing colours. If you couldn't make your clothes look good on you then you couldn't expect it to work in reverse. She peered at her face in the mirror, a pair of brown eyes looking back at her own.
The eyes blinked at her. At least they seemed to blink. Rachael could swear she hadn’t done it herself. She realised it had not been a blink, rather a ripple on the surface of the mirror itself. She took a step back, amazed at what she saw. The entire surface of the changing room mirror was waving as if it were water into which a stone had just been dropped. She raised her hand to touch it then thought better of it. There was no telling what was going on. It would be better just to leave things alone.
However, before she could take another step, the silvery surface lurched forward, wrapping itself around her. She didn’t even have time to scream before the liquid mirror had engulfed her completely. Rachael felt as if she was swimming, body floating in the mirror like substance. Her eyes remained closed but there was still some light, bright yet somehow vague.
She held her breath instinctively, moving her arms about in the substance. She knew that this defied any explanation but she would have to worry about that later. She kicked through the liquid, trying to find a way up, an exit. She kept pushing, her lungs straining as she tried to conserve her air. Rachael broke the surface, gasping for air. Only once her brain had received a flow of oxygen again did she contemplate her surroundings.
It was clear that she was no longer in the mall. Even if the mall did have a fountain of some sorts this was clearly not it. In fact it wasn't even indoors. For all her eyes could perceive she was treading water in a lake, not merely under a clear sky but under a clear night sky. A stark full moon shone down on the waters, white reflection sinking into the dark ripples. The water didn't seem overly cold but it didn't need to be to give her a shiver down her spine. Things were not as they were
supposed to be and she was certainly not where she was supposed to be.
Once more curiosity was supplanted by survival instincts. She looked to what seemed like a shore, possibly miles distant. It looked as if one could swim forever and still not reach land that way. The other direction was more promising, a small, forested island near by. It was hardly inviting, especially in this dark, strange wilderness, but it was better than the water which was starting to get a little colder.
She swam through the dark water, not wanting to image just what might be lurking below the surface or even below her very feet. The mossy bank of the island, though neither inviting nor particularly firm, was a welcome touch to her feet. She had to hope there was nothing dangerous to step on around here, either she had left her shoes on the floor of the dressing room, wherever that now was, or they were at the bottom of the lake, wherever that was. Either way she was utterly lost and barefoot to boot. She realised that being wet was an additional discomfort, the elegant brown dress now soggy, cold and clinging to her body in less than pleasant ways.
"I guess I won't buy it after all." she joked aloud, hoping that it would raise her spirits. If it did then she didn't notice.
She walked away from the bank and tried to find a dry log. Realising that she was as wet as she could get she simply sat down on the dew covered grass, trying to think herself through what might be going on.
"To paraphrase, I am not in LA anymore Toto." she said aloud, thinking the situation through. "So I got here through a magic mirror, like Alice through the looking glass... or Keanu Reaves out of the Matrix. Which means it's either magic or science fiction... Oh I love those options. Or I'm just delirious and stuck in some whopping big delusion while I convulse on the changing room floor."
"Not exactly."
Rachael spun on her heel, a spray of water droplets spinning through the air. Nothing. There was nothing behind her apart from the dark forest.
"Who's there?" she demanded.
"Come forward."
Rachael looked through the moonlit darkness, seeing a small path leading into the woods. The voice seemed to have come from there. She folded her arms and considered. She certainly couldn’t go back, as she had no idea where she was or how she had got there. Standing still may be safe but it certainly didn't get her anywhere either. And if the source of the voice wished to harm her it would probably come out to hurt her anyway. Arms still folded, she walked into the forest.
The path seemed clear but unusual all the same, as if the forest itself had spread apart to let her through. Once, when she
stopped to look behind her, she saw that there was nothing behind her but thick, impenetrable forest. She sighed. The fact of the changing maze didn't actually surprise her. For anything to surprise her it would have to be more unusual than being sucked through a mirror and a shifting forest didn't really fit that criteria. What she finally came to at the end of the path actually did manage to exceed her expectations.
The path opened into a huge clearing, about which were massive stones, towering well above her. They formed a circle,
looming like eternal sentinels. The top of each stone seemed to gleam with a steady light, shining in the moon light, directly
above. In the centre of the circle were two stones, perfect hemispheres on the ground. One rock had nothing on it. On the other sat a young woman. She was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, curly red hair tied into pigtails. She observed Rachael casually. After a second or two she snickered aloud.
"Who are you? What are you laughing at?" Rachael stepped forward, anger balancing out with the relief of finding another
person in this place.
"I'm sorry. I was just laughing at the wet dress. Obviously you weren't prepared." the girl suppressed another laugh but couldn't suppress an obvious English accent.
"Prepared? For what?"
"You don't know?" the girl appeared genuinely surprised.
"No. I don't. So who are you, where are we and what the hell is going on?"
"Okay. Chill out... Do I know you from somewhere?"
"My name is Rachael. Rachael Leigh Cook."
"Oh yeah. You're like a big film star right?"
"Something like that. So who are you?"
"My name's Eda Langford. I can't believe you don't know this. It's going to be a cinch."
"What? What's going to be a cinch?"
"Okay, I'll explain. We're in Sleuth Wood. Somewhere in England I think. Maybe in Scotland. Though technically it's not
anywhere because you can't get to it by natural means. Anyway, it's the home of fairies..."
"Fairies?" Rachael raised an eyebrow.
"Well kind of. like sprites and Willow the wisps. Anyway, every ten generations this is where the changelings face their quest."
"Changelings?"
Eda didn't reply for a second then covered her mouth as she took a breath in shock. "You.. you didn't know?"
"Know what? What's a changeling?"
"Well.. sometimes, a lot more often in the past, fairies would take babies away and replace them with creatures called
changelings. They were identical to humans but were said to have magical powers. Some people thought they were evil, some destroyed them or came up with all sorts of absurd methods for revealing the truth, like brewing beer in an eggshell or..."
"Get on with it."
"Well. Time passed and people stopped believing in fairies until there were only a few places left where they lived, and no one ever went there. So there were no more changelings except the ones that families gave to the fairies and those were rare indeed. And every ten generations a changeling is chosen as the protector of the balance of nature. So they have to undertake a quest to decide which will get the job so to speak."
"I still don't get it."
"Rachael.. You and I.. We're changelings."
"You've got to be joking."
"I was five when my mother told me, she's a witch by the way, and she raised me to know the ways of nature and to
understand that one day my time would come and I would get the chance to do the quest. I can't believe your parents never told you. They must have known."
"Hey! Now listen here, my parents would not trade me for some crazy goblin!"
"Changeling."
"Whatever! This whole thing is crazy. You're crazy. Hello!" she yelled up to the tree's, "Is anyone out there? I don't care what's going on I just want to go back. I'm not buying any of this fairy tale garbage."
"Well," Eda sighed, "if you won’t listen me, maybe you'll listen to her."
Rachael turned to see a newcomer to the circle. Her jaw dropped. Not only was the woman before her glowing green and half transparent but she was floating across the stone ring towards the two girls. Eda rose to her feet beside Rachael as the green woman approached.
"Who.."
"I am the Guardian of the Balance Rachael."
"Oh. I'm not going to ask how you know my name. It'll just lead to questions on the floating and the glowing and stuff."
"You do not believe." she woman noted in a melodic tone, as smooth as the night wind. "You must over come that disbelief if you are to find what you seek."
"Oh really. And just what do I seek?"
"You seek the truth. About yourself. About why the full moon seems to draw you in, about why you imagine voices on the
wind, about how you see the trees through their own eyes."
"I don't...."
"Perhaps you do and have never noticed. Never mind. The quest will commence soon enough."
"Okay." Rachael sighed in acceptance. "So what is this quest thing?"
"You will be put forth into the hills of Glen-Car, the quest grounds. You be given nothing but your own selves and you must draw upon the riches of the world around you, to feed yourself, cloth yourself, defend yourself. The spirits of the night will not spare you. You must fight them as only you can. And you must seek the medallion which brings light into darkness."
"Right sure, quest, medallion, monsters. Typical computer game stuff."
"I think your lack of faith is really going to count against you." Eda shrugged, sitting down on her rock.
"So how long do we have." Rachael watched the unwavering glance of the green lady.
"One night."
Rachael nodded.
"A night that will last forever." The Lady added.
"Forever?"
"Until a new Guardian proves themselves worthy."
"Oh.." Rachael considered. "Great."
She sat down on the rock behind her.
"So how do we start this quest anyway?"
"You just did." Eda smiled.
The rock beneath her flashed and suddenly Eda, the Green Lady, the Clearing, everything, was gone. Rachael staggered once then regained her balance. It was clear enough that she was not where she had been a second ago.
"A few more and I'll be used to it." she muttered.
She looked down finding her body now totally dry. Unfortunately, under the moonlight it was clear to see that her wet dress had also gone. So had her undergarments. She was standing in the middle of a forest, stark naked and with no idea what was going to happen next.
"No resources but ourselves. Just great." she sighed, looking about for some sort of tool or makeshift clothes. The best she could find was an long stick which, though looking a little rotten, was better defence than nothing. Then again it might as well be nothing if the creatures of the night had been unleashed. Her mind flicked through the goblins and spirits that might haunt these woods.
"Haunt these woods? What are you talking about?" she asked aloud, catching herself falling into the twisted logic of her situation.
It couldn't be real, even though she was unable to offer herself a solid alternative. Nevertheless she would have to play along, at least until the quest or whatever was over. Perhaps it was all some virtual reality setting or a new amusement park.
"You just keep telling yourself that." she muttered as she walked along the path before her. She was more than a little
uncomfortable about her nudity but there was nothing she could do about it. Modestly didn’t seem to fit when lost in the forest.
"Right. so. Find a medallion. Shouldn't be a problem. I mean it's probably a few inches wide and the forest can only be
hundreds of square miles with a time limit of eternity. Peachy."
"Getting despondent already?" Edas voice came from the woods. She stepped out onto the path casually.
"Um.. You do know you're naked right?"
"Sure. Happens all the time in witchcraft. I guess it's a little freaky for you eh?"
"You could say that. Listen, where are we supposed to go?"
"I've no idea. It's part of the quest. I'd imagine problems will find us. I'll bet you could use a protection spell about now."
"I don't believe in magic."
"Well now would be a good time to start. anyway, I can't really help you. There are rules."
"Yeah. I wish I knew them."
"You'll find out as you go. And don't worry about eternity. I won't take too long to finish."
"Gee. Thanks."
Eda winked and before Rachael could stop her she had headed into the woods and vanished. She considered following but the brambles made her think twice. She might not have risked them clothed but naked there was no chance.
"How do they expect me to cloth myself when there's nothing here."
No answer came from the forest so she kept moving, hoping that the path would take her somewhere. It did.
Rachael reached a small trickling stream, across which the path lead. She looked down at the water, wondering how cold it would be. It wasn't deep, the pebbles visible in the moon light.
"Pretty aren't they?"
Rachael turned to see a small figure sitting on a rock. Very small in fact, scarcely over a foot. He (she assumed it was a he) was dressed in tangled water weeds, seemingly made up of his own beard. The mossy clothing spun about his body like a cloak, covering his completely blue skin.
"What.. what are you?"
"I am the fairy of the ford. I help people cross the stream."
"I don't exactly need help." Rachael turned as she spoke, doing her best to conceal what she could of her body.
"Oh really? And what do you need help with?"
"I have to find some medallion or something. It's all crazy. Some sort of warped dream."
"Dreams are important. After all, when you're dreaming it is the dream which is real and reality which is a dream."
"That isn't true."
"No? Then what about feelings. Feelings are real within dreams."
"No." Rachael retorted. "They're just.. I don't know. I don't care this is all stupid."
"Well maybe I can help you find your medallion. What does it look like?"
"I don't know. It brings light into darkness."
"Well look at the rocks of the ford. Look at there sparkle. Is that bringing light to darkness?"
Rachael looked down at the shifting pebbles in the water. As they moved, they seemed to shimmer in the night, water reflecting strange patterns.
"They're.. kind of.." Rachael couldn't find the word she was looking for. They were sparkling, rolling over each other as the stream waters bubbled.
"Maybe your medallion is in there among the stones. Have a look."
Rachael took a step forward, wincing slightly as her foot dipped into the icy water. She leant over, trying to get a better look at the glimmering stones. They reminded her of relaxation tapes, the bubbling water on rocks. They were giving light to the night, shinning back up at her. She looked hard for a sign of a medallion but the rocks and water were ever shifting and no sooner had she started to look than her attention was drawn in by another stone, rolling and shining.
"There are always lots of pretty things here." the man said gently, his voice flowing like the chilling waters. "Lots of lovely
stones, shiny and sparkling. Look closer."
Rachael peered down, dropping to her knees so that she could examine the stones further. She was concentrating so hard now that the freezing cold of the flowing water didn't bother her at all. All that mattered was finding the medallion. It had to be somewhere here, somewhere among the pretty rocks.
"Pretty pebbles, shining, sparkling, swirling about in the crystal waters. Swirling and flowing, flowing and swirling, Round and round, shining, swirling, flowing. Aren't they beautiful?"
"..Yes.." Rachael whispered, her round brown eyes drawn to the shimmer beneath her. She leant over on her hands and knees, face inches away from the rippling water.
"Couldn't you just stay here and watch them forever and ever and ever. Shimmering forever."
"Forever." Rachael repeated, her vacant face gazing down at the shine, soft sound of the stream flowing through her ears and mind. She could stay here forever. She wanted to. She wanted to watch the beautiful rocks, the clear water. She would stay here in this eternal night, never moving from this crossing, watching the entrancing stones until the end of time. She would never go home. Never see her friends or family again. She felt sad at the thought but she was willing to stay for such beautiful visions.
She thought of her family one last time, her parents and her younger brother, imagining the faces she would never see again. As she sadly thought of them a tear of regret dropped from her eye, striking the water with ripples. She blinked her eyes clear. Rachael recoiled in horror, bolting upright. She looked down at the water again, beneath the surface. What had once been the beautiful pebbles were now revealed to be bleached, smoothed bones. Rachael shivered, realising that she was freezing cold from the water.
"Why did you have to cry! Broke my spell. Ruined my pretty ford!" the blue man howled in fury at her.
Angrily Rachael picked up a stone from the river bank and hurled it at him. It struck him dead centre and he exploded in a cloud of water spray, splashing back to the water. Rachael stepped over the river, shivering with cold as she hugged herself. Another ten minutes or so and she would have frozen to death looking at the water. Then in time it would have been her bones being worn smooth. There was much more danger in this place than she had realised. Real or not she could still die. What was worse, she would die if she couldn't find a source of warmth or shelter soon. She kept walking, trying to keep moving to keep warm. It didn't stop her from shivering uncontrollably and making each step increasingly uncomfortable. She could hardly believe her eyes when she came into a small clearing with a blazing fire in its centre, neatly surrounded by stones.
But then she'd stopped believing her eyes a while ago. Nevertheless there could be danger here, just as there had been at the seemingly innocent river. She eyed the clearing with caution.
"Doesn't want to go near the fire does she?"
A series of shrill voices shot through the air, each following the next rapidly. Rachael searched for a source of the voices and could see none. Only when she stepped closer did she see a number of tiny glowing lights, flying about the fire like moths. She stepped closer yet again, the pleasant warmth of the fire overriding her cautions for an instant.
"Maybe she wants fire after all."
She peered at the darting figures, trying to make them out. Only when one stopped in front of her could she finally se what it was. Little more than an inch tall, the tiny winged woman hovered, her body radiating light and heat. She only waited for a second then joined the mass once more.
"Fairies." Rachael sighed. "What a surprise."
"Sprites. not fairies."
"Can't complain." Rachael nodded, dropping to her knees and letting the warmth flow into her cold flesh. Quickly she stopped shivering, the chill driven from her body.
"No. Can't complain. "
Rachael watched as she sprites buzzed around her, warmth flicking through the air, lights flashing about.
"Nice and warm and safe here." chattered the voices.
The heat was infusing her, so much nicer than the biting cold that she felt like curling up in front of the fire.
"Nice and warm."
The sprites spun closer and closer, their warmth stroking across Rachael’s bare skin. The cloud of lights moved away from the fire, spinning through the air to surround her, dozens of tiny fires cycling through the air. At first it was only of soft heat but it gradually became warmer and warmer, still pleasant but now more intense. The sprites seemed to be coming closer and closer to her.
She was so relaxed by the warmth that she barely noticed the change. Any heat was safer than the cold. A drop of sweat fell from her brow dripping onto her nose. Looking down she realised she was layer in sweat head to toe, the heat drawing it from her body. What was pleasant was now becoming too hot. The sprites spun closer still, some of them now touching her wet skin, hot fingers scorching her.
"Yeow! Get off!" Rachael yelled, rising to her feet in front of the fire.
"Doesn't like being warm?"
"Get away!" Rachael swatted at the sprites like bugs, never managing to catch them. They buzzed even closer, their touch
burning her like stinging bites. She kept yelling and swatting but there was nothing she could do to stop them.
"Nasty girl."
"Burn the nasty girl"
"No!" Rachael moved backwards, only to find the sprite mob behind her, not allowing her out of the circle. More and more of the creatures seemed to be swarming, assaulting her unprotected body. Rachael squinted through the searing whirlwind, trying to find some means of defending herself. There had to be something. The fire. The sprites were fire sprites.
Stepping forward, ignoring the burning creatures she kicked out her bare foot into the stones, sweeping them into the fire.
A blinding flash burst out and Rachael tumbled back to the ground, lying in silence until she realised that the attack of the
creatures had ended.
She opened her eyes to darkness. The sprites and the fire were gone, a pile of dark smoking ashes all that remained.
She felt her skin, hot and stinging but not damaged at all. Despite her discomfort Rachael smiled. There were ways to fight back after all.
Rachael walked hastily along the path, talking to herself as if it her thoughts would make more sense that way.
"Okay, for the time being I have to accept this is real. I have to find out what's going on and why. To do that I have to get the medallion. To do that I have to find weapons and even better, clothes. Hey."
She stopped in her tracks, looking up as if to complain to the bright moon.
"If I'm a changeling how come I don't get any cool powers?"
The moon did not answer, nor did the trees.
"Great. What monster do I have to battle next."
"Not all monsters here."
Rachael looked up to see an owl sitting on a branch peering at her. "Oh no. You're not a talking owl are you?"
"Why not? You're a talking person. "
"People always talk."
"So do owls. Just not to each other."
"Okay. Whatever.. Look, you're not going to try and kill me are you."
"Of course not. I'm just a normal owl."
"A normal, talking owl."
"No, just an owl. You're the one with the magic."
"Me? What did I do?"
"You believed in your ability. You asked for it. And you got it."
"So now I can cast spells and stuff? I can make clothes?"
"You're talent is not magic. It is interaction between the physical and magical world. A changeling is part human part fairy. You must find the resources in yourself and the world around you."
"So I've been told. How does an owl know so much?"
"It comes with the territory in these parts." the owl spread it's wings.
"Wait. What more can you tell me?"
"Simply the advise of wild magic changeling: All things can be done. Belief is the most important talent you may possess."
The bird released the branch upon which it had been sitting and flew off into the darkness.
"Smart owl." Rachael commented to no one in particular.
"Belief." Rachael said, continuing her walk through the seemingly infinite forest. Belief was easier said then done. Despite all evidence to the contrary, it was still hard to overcome a life time of scepticism. She clicked her fingers, said magic words, pointed at objects and nothing she wanted to occur did. Magic was still kept from her. Rachael felt as if she was sinking into a bog. And she was.
In her day dreaming she had failed to see that the path had dipped into a muddy swamp. It was only up to her ankles but the sensation was most unpleasant and the murky liquid was anything but appealing. She considered going back but stopped. Firstly, it was probably some sort of challenge to overcome. Secondly she was fairly sure that if she did look back the bath would be gone anyway.
She pushed forward, the mud rising deeper and deeper on her body, passing her knees then her waist until she was chest deep in the thick murk. She waded ahead slowly, measuring each step, careful not to go in over her head. There was no sign of the other side of the mire now, a thick white mist surrounding her. At least it was mostly white. Here and there swirls of colour seemed to flash but she ignored them, knowing what dangers they could bring. The mud didn't get any deeper on her but the fog seemed to close in. Rachael could smell the odd odour of swamp gas becoming more intense. It permeated the air, filling her lungs with each struggling step. When she inhaled the air seemed chilling cold but by the time it reached her lungs it flowed back up to her head with giddy warmth.
She forced herself to keep moving, doing her best to ignore the gas which was now making her head spin. She closed her eyes tight, trying to focus but her body was starting to slow down. She felt her limbs pushing against the mud, the slick ooze sliding against her skin. It was almost something to appreciate, that soft, smooth touch, encompassing her flesh, caressing her skin with each movement.
Rachael lifted her leg slowly, the mud sliding between her toes, rubbing up her leg, stoking her thighs. It engulfed her arm, slime stroking from fingers to shoulder. Another breath of gas assailed her mind yet again. It was the gas making her feel this way. The gas was affecting her mind she knew. It was making her tired, making the mud feel good around her. Good enough to just sink into, surrendering to it's smooth depths, feeling it's touch on her skin.
"Gas." Rachael coughed, bringing her mind back to reality. She had to get rid of the thick fog. She refused to take another breath until she found a solution. There had to be a way to clear the swamp. Magic. But she couldn't use magic. Rachael felt heat rising in her lungs, demanding air. Magic. Use magic. Burning lungs. Fresh air. Fresh air.
Angrily Rachael let out her breath in a gasp. But what came out was more than a gasp, it was a gust, powered by desperation. Rachael exhaled and exhaled and somehow there was always more air in her lungs. The thick fog began to swirl away, caught up in a tempest of magical wind, spinning into a small tornado, funnelling the mist away from the surface of the swamp. When Rachael finally ran out of air the mist was gone, the whole murky swamp clear to her. It was small, remarkably small, perhaps the size of a small room. Yet somehow she had been struggling in it for what seemed like hours, perpetually circling until exhaustion had set in.
She walked out of the bog, looking back at it with contempt. Magic. It had been her magic which had cleared the fog. Now she knew she could do it. She could call on nature to cast magic. She stood on the bank of the swamp, looking down at the mud that covered her neck to toe. She concentrated, looking down at the mud, focussing her mind. Slowly it began to harden, then faster until it was dry and brittle, flaking off and tumbling to the ground. Soon there was no trace of mud on her anywhere. Rachael stepped into the forest again, armed with weapons that were formidable indeed: Magic and Faith.
As she walked she considered the tree leaves about her, wondering if they might make some sort of costume. But she knew it would be impractical and absurd. Just as she was considering it, the bushes in front of her flew open, Eda stepping forth. No longer naked she wore what seemed like moss, a cloak about her shoulders and a simple skirt and top. Despite the fact that her red hair and green costume made her look elf like, Eda had managed to form a decent costume.
"Nice.. outfit." Rachael commented.
"Yeah. I like the Emperors new clothes look."
"Gee thanks. How's things?"
"Not bad. I went down into the gully, fought off a few Green Thumbs, a Rock Biter. Got caught in a thorn bush but just burnt my way out. You?"
"Pretty bad. But I think I'm getting better at this."
"Well don't get your hopes up. I'm finding that medallion. I'm sure it's up this hill."
Rachael looked at the path ahead, winding up to a moonlit hilltop with a clearing. She hadn't seen it there before but then again it might not have been there before either.
"Looks like a wide path." Rachael said. "Care for company."
"Just don't hold me back."
Eda took a bold step and soon broke into a stride, Rachael convinced the girl was trying to outpace her.
"So what's with the gratuitous nudity." Eda quipped.
"Rehearsal for a new movie. I'm kidding. I don’t know. Green just isn't my colour."
"And your colour would be?"
"Black."
"Well you won't find much that's black in the woods. Green, browns, greys sure. I'd like to see you find a black costume."
Rachael stopped in her tracks and smiled suddenly.
"Did I say something?" Eda turned back to the other girl.
"Yes. You did. I found something black."
Rachael knelt and reached under a large log on the side of the path.
"What?" Eda sneered, "Bugs."
Rachael smiled back knowingly. She pulled out her hand carrying nothing at all. But when she pulled it further the shadows
seemed to bend. Rachael tugged, a silky black film coming free. The film ran up her arm, over her shoulders and down until she was dressed in a seamless black suit, complete with gloves and boots. Her top and pants clung to her skin like oily black leather, yet void of any sheen. Rachael smiled at Eda, whose jaw had dropped.
"Shadows are black." Rachael grinned in victory as she walked past Eda. The green girl turned and followed, her pace even faster than before.
Halfway up the hill Eda was frustrated. The slope seemed to be much steeper than she had expected and she was forever
pulling out roots and stomping down shrubs that got in her way. Even worse was the fact that Rachael was keeping up perfectly. She seemed to have no trouble walking around rocks and over logs. Even though the girls were side by side it was as if they were on two different paths. When the eventually did reach the summit, Eda was puffing and some of her green costume was ripped. Rachael on the other hand seemed more bouncy than ever. Ahead of them stood a ring of stones at the centre of which stood an altar. Upon it lay something sparkling in the night.
"So," Rachael looked at the circle, "Who gets the medallion?"
"You have got to be joking." Eda snarled. "I have been preparing for years for this, spells, rituals, book after book and you think you can just waltz in her and take what's mine!"
Rachael was taken back by the girls sudden savage tone, her face turning red like her hair.
"I'm getting the amulet!" Eda yelled.
"Look you don't have to aacck!" Rachael’s word were cut off as a vine wrapped around her neck, tugging her back to the bush. Other vines ensnared her limbs, pinioning her to the side ofan oak.
"Some Hollywood starlet is not going to stop me!"
Rachael watched as crackling blue light erupted from her finger tips, lancing to her trapped body. She felt pain run through her, her throat unable to stifle a scream. She tugged at the vine but it wouldn't give. Another blue wave struck her and she felt her consciousness fading. Next hit would be her last. But her body was trapped. Rachael watched as Eda raised her hands one more time, ready to strike. Rather than tense her body, the actress relaxed, letting her body slide back.
Suddenly the vines fell from the tree, unable to hold the shadow that she had become. She rose to her feet on the ground beside Eda. The young witch unleashed another bolt of energy but Rachael was no longer there. Spun about but saw nothing but blackness. Taking a step forward she ran headlong into a tree. By the time she rose to her feet, Rachael was halfway towards the circle, sliding through the shadows. Rachael knew she had to get to the circle, if not for herself then for the forest. She dreaded to think what Eda would be capable of with great power. The girl had seemed nice enough to begin with but her cruelty and greed had come out now. For the first time, Rachael really wanted to win. She reached the stone circle and stopped. Between each stone was spun a thick web on which sat football sized spiders, eyes staring, fangs before them.
Spiders.
Rachael shivered. She hated spiders loathed them and these were worse than normal. She raised her hand, ready to blast it with fire or some such energy. Then she stopped. It was just a spider. It wasn't trying to freeze her or burn her or drown her. It was just a creature that had mad it's home in the wrong place. Killing it just seemed wrong. Suddenly Rachael felt herself bowled over, tumbling to the earth as Eda barged forward, smashing through the web and flicking the spider aside where it skittered away angrily. Rachael knelt on the earth as she watched Eda reach the altar. The witch stared down at what she saw and lifted it.
Rachael stood and walked closer, ready to admit defeat. But what she saw in the hands of the green girl was not a medallion. It was nothing more than a common pocket mirror, shining in the moonlight. In a burst of rage Eda smashed it, screaming curses into the night. Rachael looked down at one of the shards, looking at the reflection of the sky. A revelation struck her, a sudden feeling of peace and calm. She smiled and looked up at the ranting girl.
"What are you smiling at! Where's the medallion!"
"Where it's been all the time." Rachael replied evenly. "Where we have seen it and overlooked it so often but our lack of belief made us ignore it."
Rachael turned her eyes upwards, reaching out her hand to the sky and in a single, confident motion closed it. She plucked the moon from the sky. Darkness fell and she heard a voice crying in anger. Then there was silence. Rachael opened her hand. There was nothing there. Nothing but her own hand though now that alone seemed to offer so many
possibilities. She looked up the figure she knew would be waiting, floating in the clearing. The Guardian of the Balance smiled at her.
"You have proven yourself Rachael. You have earned your place as Guardian after me."
"I don't know any magic."
"You have all the magic you will need. In time you will learn to use it. But I may answer three questions before I go."
Rachael considered.
"What will happen to Eda?"
"She will return to her life. She will not remember these events. She will still have some power, a union with nature. But I
imagine that will be strained with time. There is too much coldness in her heart."
"I.. Do I have to live here now?"
The green lady laughed at Rachael’s concerned expression.
"No child. I am merely here to conduct the change. You may live as you wish, wherever you wish. I suggest you return to your own life for nothing is better contact with the world than reality. You are still mortal, but in time your powers will grow."
Rachael nodded, looking down at her feet as she considered thow to phrase her next question.
"My.. parents.."
"You wish to know why you are what you are. It is not as dark as you may think. When you were born you were ill, near
death. Your mother said a prayer to the world, promising that if you lived you would make your life worthwhile. The spirits of nature heard the plea and sensed a power within you. Thus they granted her wish, her child becoming a changeling with a human soul. You have great things ahead of you child. Great things."
"Goodbye." Rachael whispered as the green lady seemed to shrink until she was little more than a point of light. About the light the world seemed to shimmer then ripple until it became like liquid, folding around her like a blanket.
Rachael blinked. Staring at her was a piercing pair of brown eyes.
The mirror. The changing room. Even the brown dress.
Everything was exactly as it was. Rachael smiled, not for a moment doubting her belief.
She tugged at the strap of the dress. She wouldn't buy it after all. If nothing else it was uncomfortable when wet.
Back in her jeans and tee-shirt she looked at her reflection again.
No one would tell her apart from other girls.
Rachael turned for the door, flicking the mirror with a finger casually, watching the ripples wash over it's surface.
No one would tell she was a Guardian of Balance.
THE END
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