Work Text:
This morning the sky is covered with thick grey clouds. Grey and dull like your life since Rosalind returned to Alfea as headmistress. Headmistress instead of Farah. Farah... That name makes you shiver. She taught you a lot of things when you were a naive teenager, and ten years after you finished your studies, you still feel attached to her. You have worked alongside her for many years now as her assistant in the practical exercise. Or rather you had worked, because strangely enough, when Rosalind arrived two days ago, Farah mysteriously dropped out of sight.
You know she would never have gone on sabbatical without telling you, you are too close for that, and you have serious suspicions about her rival.
As you used to spend your evenings together, Farah ended up telling you about the many abuses this fairy had done to her in the past, during her studies, as well as the countless psychological tortures. Many times you embraced her to comfort her because these abominable traumas were too much to bear. You have been her main confidant, she trusts you, and you want to be worthy of that.
You curse this torturer who took pleasure in harming Farah, your little candy. She is responsible for her disappearance, you are sure of it. Who else could have been so machiavelic as to take it out on such a nice person? The last time you saw her, two days ago, she had an appointment in the woods, at the graveyard. She didn't tell you with whom, and you haven't seen her since.
You look at your watch: it's almost eleven o'clock, Rosalind is teaching a class. It's now or never.
Determined to find your favorite fairy, you put on a coat, grab your bag and head out of the castle before heading quietly into the forest. This time you have only yourself to rely on, as Saul will not be able to help you, he has been arrested on the Queen's order for the attempted murder of Andreas. You go deeper into the forest. It's dangerous, you know, but you're willing to do so much to get to her. Branches and dead leaves creak under the weight of your body, but you don't care. You have to find her.
The rain starts to fall and you pick up your pace, hoping it's not too late. The graveyard is not far away. You are running out for breath, your lungs are burning, your legs are twitching with pain. And yet you resist. For her sake. She is not far away, you can feel her presence. But in what condition? If Rosalind has tricked her, she may be badly injured. Farah is a very powerful fairy, but against Rosalind it is difficult to know who can win.
In the distance, the crosses loom. You finally reach the deserted graveyard where she may have been buried. You scan the ground, calling softly for your friend.
She does not answer.
The ground is lined with white flowers, a few for each soldier turned into a Burned One.
Suddenly, a group of flowers turns purple like her eyes when she uses her powers. Farah! She is here! And she knows that you are here, that you have come for her. You don't know what condition you'll find her in, but you send her a reassuring message by telepathy.
Using your earth fairy powers, you manage to bring her to the surface by manipulating the ground in a terrible tremor.
The moment you see her silhouette, your heart speeds up, your legs tremble.
She is lying on the soil, lifeless, her neck purple, her face almost completely covered in dirt. Seeing her like this hurts like hell. You crouch down and rub her face with a tissue.
"Farah, can you hear me?" you murmur, stroking her hair, causing a few flakes of dirt to fall out.
Again, she doesn't seem to react to the sound of your voice, and her rib cage doesn't even rise. She is not breathing at all. Your heart breaks into a million pieces. This can’t be the end. She can't be dead. Not her. Not like this. Not because of that bitch Rosalind. It's so stupid.
You run your fingers slightly along her neck to examine the bruise. You guess that the neck has been snapped, and only a fairy as evil as her rival could have killed her. No one can survive such an injury, and yet... When you put your hand on your friend's chest, you feel her heart beating steadily, as if she were in a deep sleep.
"My angel...you have come for me," she whispers in a plaintive voice.
Hearing her soft voice so suddenly gives you a jolt. A wave of relief runs through your body and you immediately look at her face. Her eyes are open, she is here with you! She is breathing!
"Yes, Farah, of course I've come, when I knew Rosalind was going to take your place, I suspected she had harmed you!" you exclaim, cupping her face, clinging to it desperately, tears welling up in your eyes. "I'm so glad you're alive, I don't have the words!"
Caught up in a rush of love, you can't help but place your lips to her forehead as the joy overwhelms you.
She stares at you for a long time, her eyes shining. A smile spreads over her lips.
"It is only due to you that I am alive. When you placed your hand on my chest, I woke up, because you healed my injury. You've just brought me back to life. Only a pure heart can do that," she explains, holding your hand gratefully. "And you have a pure heart."
Touched, you hug her, unable to hold back your tears.
"Oh, Farah..."
The heavy raindrops gradually clean her soft face and mingle with your tears. Your embrace is as comforting as it is long, your foreheads pressed together, for eternity.
"Thank you," she says simply.
You help her to her feet, she is chilled, shivering with cold, and you continue to wrap your arms around her to warm her. At that moment, your eyes meet again and she puts her hand on your cheek, dripping with the pain you have endured, which she tenderly caresses.
This warm touch soothes you, as if she wants to show you that she is there with you forever and that Rosalind can never separate you. Deep down, she is telling you that your story won't end today in this forest and that, on the contrary, it is only the beginning.
You hold that intense gaze for a moment, which awakens the deepest feelings in you. In her eyes, life is dancing, luck is smiling, and you are now certain: you are in love with Farah Dowling. With her you have discovered life, the real life, the student life, the adult life, she has always been there for you, and without her by your side, life has no meaning.
With all the delicacy in the world, her rough, bluish lips capture yours, and you welcome them with the greatest of happiness. You feel the life pulsing in her lips, in her tongue, in her whole being. She is so close to you at this moment, closer than you could ever have hoped. You thought this love was so impossible that you'd repressed it for almost ten years, and now here you are, both of you, alone in this forest, exchanging this kiss. A kiss that would never have happened if you hadn't taken the risk of coming into the forest alone, even if it meant being badly injured by a Burned One.
Slowly, you slide your lips down her purplish neck, kissing her bruise for a long time, hoping the lesion will disappear. Rosalind has harmed her too much, you just don't want her to keep any trace of it so one day she will be able to forget her once you've beaten her. You know you'll have to face her soon so that the woman you love can resume her place as headmistress, but for now, you just want to enjoy the beginnings of your new, enchanted relationship.
"I love you, Farah," you finally dare to confess to her as you run your hand through her sticky hair, your voice still trembling with sobs. "For years I've kept ignoring my feelings towards you, but in the last few days I've realized that you are more important than anything else in the world. I really thought Rosalind had murdered you, and it was unbearable, I felt like I was dying too."
She places a furtive kiss on your cheek, her hands around your face, her fingers pressed against your cheekbones.
"I love you too, angel," she purrs, moved. "We should go to the castle, otherwise you'll catch a cold."
You literally almost melt on the spot, this little attention warms your heart. She was dead without you, she has just woken up, and you are the first person she thinks of, before herself. She has always been thoughtful and caring, and now it all takes on a new meaning. But you don't want to go back to Alfea right now. You don't want Rosalind to meddle with her and try to kill her again. You can't bear to lose her a second time.
Linphea will be the perfect shelter for both of you so she can regain her strength.
"We're not going to Alfea," you announce in a fairly firm voice as you help her walk.
She gives you a surprised gaze, quite taken aback, as if you had just told her some terrible news. She, who has not left Alfea for many years, is likely to be disoriented.
"Where are we going?" she asks, a little nervously.
You take her by the hand and smile confidently.
"I'm taking you home."
She returns your smile, beaming, complicit, showing you how worthy you are of her trust. You have saved her life, she will never forget it.
You leave this austere forest one foot in front of the other, arm in arm, leaving death behind, knowing that the light and the dawn of a different life are awaiting you outside.