Finding the Light
Michael clutched the reddish-brown pendent in his remaining hand. It was all he had left of Luna Reeves, better known to the realm as the Auburn Alchemist. His grip tightened so hard that his hand started to bleed.
"Stop that!" Sadie demanded. "Luna wouldn't have wanted--"
"Luna doesn't have a say, she's dead." Michael interrupted.
The half-elf sighed. "I know that you're hurting, but nothing you say will push me away." With a wave of her hand blue tendrils encompassed his bleeding fist, imediately closing the lacerations. "The Order stands together."
Her significant other scowled. "Open your eyes Sadie! Luna was the Order."
Sadie looked away, not wanting to acknowledge the obvious. She was a competant healer and her husband was no slouch with battle magic but they're combined talent was a joke, compared to Luna's arcaneology. Reeves was a Mage for the ages. She revived the Order of Magi, realigned the forgotten realms, defeated the Inquisition, and literally wrote enough books on magic to fill the Spire's library. Despite all of their adventures up into this point, they were both novices.
"You're right, It should have been us." Sadie said coldly. Ol' Auburn had dozens of students who could replace us."
Michael rose up from the bed, nearly tearing his stitches. "No one could replace you!"
"My point exactly!" Sadie said with a sincere gaze. For a moment it took Michael a moment to understand. She traced her fingers over her husband's missing arm and the eldritch scars around her left eye. "She's gone, Mike. There's no spell that can undo that battle. You don't get to be the only one who feels shattered. Life is filled with moments that build us up then break us down. It's about how we use those tragedies to grow as people.
Michael caressed his wife's face, then kissed her scars. "You're right! We'll do this together."
Her brow furrowed. "Do what exactly?"
"Become mages!" Michael beamed. "We're the only members left of the Order. It can live on through us both."
Sadie bit her lip.
"Isn't this what you wanted?" Asked Michael.
"For you, yes," the half-elf paused, "but it's too dangerous for me." She coiled away from the sacred relic that was clasped in her beloved's hand.
They had both read Luna's notes on magehood. The pendant brings out what's already inside the host. Michael had spent most of his formative years training as Luna's second, but Sadie had a much darker path.
"You're not a coven witch anymore." He turned her shoulder so that she could see his eyes. "You've reformed."
"What if that isn't enough? If the parts of me that I don't like are still there?"
The paladin pressed his forehead besides his beloved's. "Then remind them that they're vastly outnumbered by the parts that you've learned to love."
They smiled and kissed.
Michael stepped back a few paces. He shallowed his breath before moving his hand in slow rhythms. The pendant levitatated, almost as if it had woken up. "Sadie," he said, extending a hand, "stand with me."
Just before she reached out to her spouse, Sadie cocked her head. "You never learned any advanced single-hand enchantments?"
"Do bedroom antics count?" He jested with a wink.
She rolled her eyes.
**
Several minutes had passed before the pendant split into two lights. Michael and Sadie gazed at the orbs as a deafening buzzing noise. The pair of practictioners were equally terrified as they were excited. The lights twitched faster and buzzed louder before the lights entered their souls. A warm sensation in their chests kept them at ease while the Spire chamber went white.
Once their vision refocused they each saw each other unblemished. Michael had both arms and Sadie's scars were gone. They gazed down to feel a set of hands between each other. As they looked up a familiar face smiled them. Three mages embraced, two returned.
Sadie looked up at the a handful of confused students. Michael wiped his eyes before realizing he was only using one arm. The students lifted them both up.
"Are you different now?" A young girl asked.
"It's hard to explain." Sadie said. Both of the new mages felt pendant around each of their necks.
Michael continued, "We're still us, there's just more now."
"What was it like?" Another disciple asked.
Michael smiled "It was more than magic, it was--"
"Hope, husband. It was hope." Sadie finished.
Fin.
No matter what life puts us through there are more stories to be told. Recently this fan-fic board lost one of its best contributors in Elouise aka Impurestcheese. It's still hard for me to read her name without immediately tearing up as I attempt to fully fathom this loss. Though I may not have know much about her personal life, I can tell you with certainty that Impurestcheese had an unrivaled passion for storytelling, and the strength to express herself on days that lesser artists would have lost their will. Her influence on this site has taught me that no amount of insecurity is a good enough excuse to forfeit your passions. I'm still hurting, but I needed to let myself know that I can still do this. As mentioned above this love of storytelling is the bond that connects us to Imp. This is dedicated to the friend I lost as much as it is for the remaining friends who share my sympathy towards her family and loved ones.
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