Shape of Magic Chapter 23: First Steps

<<<Taylor Rose>>>

So in summary… they went through their own variation of Alice in Fucking Wonderland tailored to address their own personal demons and self-doubts, and due to some sort of fuckery of the fae-kind no doubt they were separated from their powers and wands (which was goddamn terrifying but Taylor will never admit it) as well as had their knowledge of the story suppressed so it wouldn’t ruin the ‘entertainment.’

Taylor was beside herself, on one hand she was excited because she loved the Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass stories growing up. But on the other she was justifiably pissed off because despite having magic… having her power cut off like that made her feel weak. 

It was stupid she knew, but emotions weren’t logical like that. Being cut off from her power, she felt… blind. Human eyesight and hearing was so painfully limited (well for now… she just needed to bug heh Amy for some upgrades), and she’d grown used to having a massive area of awareness for her surroundings.

Actually, she was fairly sure that, because her power was magic instead of Passenger fuckery, it was growing. She hadn’t tried to control anyone, she was aware she could but… she simply wasn’t ready to actually take that step. If she had her way, she’d never take that step again.

She didn’t want to become Khepri again, she didn’t want to be a puppet master. 

Shaking her head, Taylor decided, after she and Amy had examined their loot, she was going to talk to Aif and Chuck. She’s pretty sure the property had charms or something to keep fae dream fuckery from happening… though it was entirely possible that she simply assumed that. Still, their step-parents deserved to know.

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“Oh no,” Aif started, “That wasn’t something any fairy would or could do.” Her voice was amused as she stretched out, “Not without a fresh piece of you, but if they had that then they could have done much worse.” The fairy shrugged as she picked up a cup of tea, delivered by something that looked a lot like a house elf, before saying, “There’s quite a lot of magic in the air here, so it’s quite possible it really was just a shared dream.”

“But… explain this…” Taylor said as she sat the ornate dagger Amy claimed on the table, “Or the jewelry, gold coins, or the cane I have!”

“... I was wondering who stole those,” Aif started with a blink, “They went missing last night from our vault, keep them, you own them just as I do. That is how family works, no?”

“I…” Taylor just stopped and rubbed her face, “So we… Did a dream heist?”

“Oh there was likely more to it than just being a dream, dear, but you must remember that there is more magic in the world than just fairy and wizard,” She said, “Maybe there’s something out there looking out for you. Did you come away with a lesson? Weight lifted from your shoulders?”

Taylor just looked down at her hands as Lisa’s (and she was almost completely sure it was HER Lisa and not just a figment of her imagination) words echoed through her head, “I… think so…” She said quietly.

She’d always miss her friends, but it was nice… to say goodbye to them. And to have one last heist with them.

“Is that a smile I see?” Aif’s hand waved with a faint knowing smile. “Have some tea,” she offered as a cup and saucer appeared on the table, from the elf no doubt, “it’s your favorite kind.”

“Thanks…” Taylor said as she took the cup, “It… Amy and I aren’t… normal orphans…” They deserved to know, she and Amy had talked about it on the way to the castle, but a part of her was wondering if she’d just dismiss it as a fantastical dream or something.

Aif just smiled as she lifted her own cup to sip some tea, “Oh, I knew that since that day in Hogsmeade,” She confided, “Being half-fae comes with its advantages after all… your magic moves in ways that are decidedly unnatural for magic, same as your sisters,” She confided.

The woman shrugged as she leaned back, managing to make the movement seem regal even in… Taylor was pretty sure they were new, and particularly soft looking, sweatpants and a pajama top.

“I had assumed fellow half-breeds, though of a different kind, that were abandoned after birth. By your tone, I assume this was mistaken?” She asked, voice light and unjudging. “If it’s secret, you need not share of course. They are yours to own.”

Taylor just chewed on her lip, “No, you’re our guardians and deserve to know, if only so you’ll understand us when we say something odd.” She said, “But… Do you believe in past lives and… second chances?”

“It would be exceptionally odd for me not to,” She replied in amusement, “Our current Prince Regent went on a quest for the Holy Grail and, well, I assume you know the story behind that artifact. Second chances, second lives, are hardly impossible… but they are very rare.”

Taylor for a moment looked dumbfounded, “Wait, you… nevermind, I’ll ask later. But… I don’t know about Amy but… I remember dying. I remember a world without magic, where you could get superpowers during the lowest moment of your life… I was a warlord, a hero, and eventually I willingly became a monster to save everyone…”

Aif nodded. “Choices can haunt for a long, long time,” She whispered, eyes looking a touch distant, “but if you are here, and you regret the wrong you did while embracing the good… then it’s clear you were given a second chance for a reason. I imagine that Amy experienced similar? Outside of what you can’t verify, of course.”

“I’m not sure. You’d have to ask her,” Taylor said, “But by the end I… wasn’t really able to… function. I was deaf and blind… and the last thing I said was ‘we’re all so small in the end’ right before I was executed.” It felt… surprisingly good to talk to someone besides Amy about what happened.

The woman… snorted in a particularly undignified manner. “An apt description for life I suppose. Leaves some things out, but we can’t all be perfect.”

“Especially after dominating and controlling millions if not billions of others to fight a god-like” creature,” Taylor said with a grunt as she took a drink of tea.

“You’ve mastered such strong enchantments?” She asked, “You’ve been holding out on me, young lady. You’ll have to demonstrate sometime soon.”

“I… I don’t want to be Her again,” Taylor shivered, “I don’t want to be Khepri again…”

Slowly, an eyebrow raised. “We are not what we were, only what we shall become. If you don’t wish to be Khepri, then simply do not become her. Quite a simple thing, no?”

Taylor knew that logically, but the fear of becoming that thing she saw in the Cave of Reflection kept clawing at her, “I know you’re right, but…” Aif just nodded in understanding with a kind smile on her lips.

“Fear is oft a troubling thing,” She said, “And I will help you, and your sister as well, overcome your fears.” With a clap, she stood and walked over to her, a finger going under Taylor’s chin. “But to defeat fear, one must confront it. Think, what would you do with that power, that ability, now? What would you use it for if you were forced to use it?”

“To keep my family and friends safe.” It came to her so easily, but then she continued, “Make sure no one hurt anyone, and…” She just trailed off in thought.

“You would do good things with it?” Aif asked with a smirk, “Worthwhile things?” The fairy, and she had to remind herself of that, started walking away, pausing at the room’s threshold to say, “When you’re ready to practice, come to me. I shall speak with Amy and ask if she is willing to open up herself, do not push her if she does not,” and left.

Taylor didn’t move for a while after that, staring into her cup of milk infused honey tea.

Was she really ready to actually… use her full power? To prove to Khepri that she wouldn’t become her again?

A snort of amusement escaped her as she resumed enjoying her tea, “If Slytherin is terrified of me with just bugs… they’re going to look at me like a demon next year…” And that thought put a smile on her lips.

<<<Amy Carlson>>>

Three knocks preceded her… second adoptive mother, this one far more attentive than the first it had to be said, and she looked… concerned.

“May I come in, Amy? If you desire your privacy with your only technically stolen goods, I’m willing to only come back when it’s time for dinner?” Aif asked, amusement in her voice.

“It’s fine,” Amy said with a shrug, “Honestly, I don’t even know what to do with all this…” Though she supposed Hera would look good with the ear rings? Maybe Hermione as well.

“They’d look lovely on you,” Aif assured, “Shared dreams are fascinating things, aren’t they?” She asked, “So much magic in them that even mortals notice…”

“So that’s what it was.” Amy just shook her head, “Taylor was so angry when she realized we were going through Alice in Wonderland.”

“Was that what it was?” She asked with a smirk, “I liked that story. And the movie, Chuck brought me to the theater for it.”

Amy nodded with a smile, “Yeah. The whole time she kept grumbling about things looking so familiar,” She said, “It was pretty cute honestly, I never saw Taylor ever really complain like that before. Even when she had her arm torn off and cauterized it with an open flame actually…” She added absentmindedly.

“Excusez-moi, quoi?” Aif asked with her brow disappearing into her hair, a clear look of concern on her face. It didn’t take a girl that knew French to know what the question asked was.

“Oh shit… I said that out loud…” Amy said, “Um… vivid imagination?” Yeah, that felt weak even before she said it.

Aif just gave her an unamused look, “I assume this is related to this ‘second chance’ that Taylor was talking about?”

Amy just nodded awkwardly.

“You can talk about it, if you desire,” She said, “As much or as little as you want. Even just about your magic, I can hardly judge someone for what they are.”

Amy wasn’t really ready to talk about what she did, but her power on the other hand?

“I’m a… well now I’m an unrestricted biokinetic,” Amy blurted, “Whenever I touch someone I learn everything about their biology down to the cellular level. And I can… change whatever I want. I can even create things…” She added thinking about the Relay bugs and Atlas the Beetle.

She really should remake that, Taylor really missed Atlas.

Aif nodded. “I figured you had the capability to manipulate life, but truly unrestricted?” She was clearly intrigued, “And only through touch? We shall have to work on that, and your creativity.”

Amy nodded and reached over to a little potted plant and touched it. Aif watched with interest as the plant started to curl in on itself and started to grow into a single rose… the petals were the colors of the rainbow, however. 

“Impressive… and it explains your deal with Queen Bee…” She said with an amused smirk, “You knew you could deliver, hm? Such a clever child I have,~” She teased.

Amy preened (for the first time ever she’d realize later) under the praise, “Fae biology is… strange. What should be there isn’t, and what shouldn’t be there is. I chalk it up to magic but still… at least Queen Bee’s biology is logical enough for me to understand. And I figure if I can examine it some more I can figure out how to manipulate it safely,” She explained feeling proud of herself.

“Can you alter yourself?” Aif asked, sounding curious.

“I couldn’t before, I didn’t think I could until last year, actually,” Amy said, “I think it was a mental block, and… well in my previous life? Everything was instinctive… guided by something guiding my power. And now it’s… not as easy? It’s hard to explain…”

“A matter of perspective, I assure,” She replied, walking over to the very same flower and, after slicing her finger open over it, dripped blood into the petals. The change was immediate, sharp thorns, dripping poison, sprouted up and down its length. “Magic is always about perspectives and rules. I must sacrifice blood to create something that feeds upon such, you… simply need to want that.”

Amy just touched the flower, her power- her magic- telling her so much, but at the same instance she didn’t really understand. With normal biology it was… straightforward, there was an order to things. There were systems that she could understand and comprehend, but when magic entered biology it left her with more questions that took her longer to comprehend. This being the sole reason she hasn’t actually modified any magical creatures.

Looking at Aif she chewed the inside of her cheek, “Can you… help me?” It felt weird to ask for help with her own power, but… she didn’t exactly have an interdimensional parasite to hold her hand.

And magic was a field of study she was only just entering.

“I would adore helping you, just as I will adore helping dear Taylor,” Aif replied, sitting down next to her. “I think we need to work on three things with you,” She started, “Perspective, Creativity, and Self Actualization. The first, I think, will be easier and the second will come with that. The last… is all on you.”

Amy nodded, she could freely admit she wasn’t exactly the most creative person, even when she… changed Vicky she honestly didn’t know what was happening. It was more her power slipping its leash, than a conscious choice on her part… mostly anyway. But now without a power nagging her, maybe she could start using it like it should be used without her screwing up and turning someone into an abomination.

… Thinking about it, she could have probably started small on Earth Bet and it never would have exploded in the first place.

Truly, hindsight is an absolute bitch…

“Now, what would you like for dinner?” She asked, “I’d have asked Taylor, but I know her answer already. ‘I’m good with anything.’”

“Taylor is predictable, if nothing else,” Amy said with a snort before she gave it some thought, “How about… a pizza.” Honestly after that dream Amy just wanted something greasy and comfortable.

“Comfort food, mm?” Aif asked with a smirk, “I’ll ask Chuck to pick some up on his way back from work.”

“Yeah… that dream just made me feel nostalgic…” Amy admitted, “Though I’ll take here over Brockton freaking Bay anyday…” She added with a snort.

“You shall have to tell me stories about it sometime,” Aif said with a smile, “For now… shall we go over what you ‘stole’ from our vaults?”

The fact the woman was grinning did help calm down the mortal terror the statement brought to mind.

It was only deep concern instead afterwards. Much better.

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Vyor: This is why they couldn’t remember the story, this is why things were weird, and why they didn’t have magic.

It was a dream. And one of the rules of dreams, for most people, is that you forget little things and can’t quite grasp that it is a dream.