Work Text:
When she first came to this clan, she didn’t know what to expect. If anything, she’d expected a lair preparing to send its warriors off to serve the Gladekeeper. She certainly hadn’t expected a kind and welcoming community.
“We’re only a temporary stop for those who wish to serve the Gladekeeper. Anyone who wants to stay can stay, anyone who wants to go can go on to train in another lair” the Spiral who’d welcomed her told her. She liked that idea.
“Do you have a name?” the Spiral asked.
She shook her head, her feather crest drooping.
“Do you want one?”
She nodded quietly.
“Hm… How about Argent?”
“Argent…” She had to try the name, but as soon as she said it, she knew it felt right. Her crest perked up and she rustled her feathers. “I like that.”
The Spiral grinned at her. “Welcome to the clan, Argent.”
Argent soon settled in, although she still felt lost sometimes. Her clanmates were welcoming, and she found friends she could talk to, but she always felt like an outsider. She made her roost near the other Coatls, but didn’t feel like she belonged with them. Eventually, she realized she didn’t feel comfortable in her own scales.
Eventually, she started to spend her days staring into the clear water of the Gladeveins, studying her reflection and wondering why she disliked it so much.
She considered changing, she considered using a scroll, but somehow it didn’t feel right. She liked her feathers, she liked her long tail, she liked her sing-song voice.
She just… Didn’t like herself.
“Hey, Argent!”
Confused, she looked up. The one who had called her was the Mirror with the patchwork wings. Sally, that was her name.
“Would you mind modelling for me for a moment?”
“…What?” She blinked in surprise.
“You heard me!” Sally swished her tail. “I need a model for a pattern I just got and I think it’ll look lovely on you.”
“Alright, I’ll bite…” Argent reluctantly followed the seamstress to her shop. “What were you thinking of?”
“Something with dark fabric and some gems to complement it.” Sally pulled out a few sketches. “When it’s done it’ll look like this!”
“That’s beautiful!” Argent nearly squealed with excitement.
Sally grinned. “I know! Sit still, let me measure you! This needs to fit you perfectly!”
It took three days of sitting and measuring, and then another few weeks for sewing and fitting and adjusting and fitting again and adjusting again, but finally it was done. Argent admired her new look in the mirror, rustling her wings and flaring her crest, smiling softly as the fabric moved with her feathers and the gems glittered as she moved. “It’s beautiful!” she marvelled, studying the star-like glitters on her gloves.
“Wait, it’s not done yet, I have a few more things to complete the look.” Sally gave a mischievous grin. “Close your eyes.”
“Okay?” Argent closed her eyes. She felt Sally’s claws near her neck a few times, she felt tiny gems on her scales, and finally, she felt something being placed on her head.
“Okay, open your eyes!”
Argent blinked, looking at her reflection again and trying to process what Sally had done. She was wearing a beautiful crown on her head and two little dewdrop pendants around her long neck. “Sally, you didn’t have to- Great Gladekeeper, Sally! That’s amazing!”
“Nuh-uh, I absolutely had to!” Sally smiled brightly at the praise. “What do you think, do you like it?”
“Absolutely!” She whirled around, feeling the fabric flow behind her. “How much do I owe you for this?”
“Hmmmmmmmm……” Sally pretended to think. “No more gloomy faces! I only want to see you gloomy when you’re really sad about something. No more being sad about yourself!”
Argent laughed and nuzzled her new friend. “I’m serious! How much do I owe you? Wait- Wait I have a better idea. Can you teach me to sew things? When I’m good enough, I’ll make something for you, too!”
“Aw- Alright!” Sally grinned and nuzzled her. “It’s a deal! Now go out and show off your new look!”
“You bet I will!” Argent bounded out, feeling good about herself for the first time in months, and when she saw everyone’s looks of admiration, she knew she’d made the right decision.
She rode that euphoria for weeks, and every time she started to doubt herself, she took her crown off and looked at it, remembering how much effort Sally had put in, then put it back on with a smile. She couldn’t be sad, not with something so precious made by with so much love to remind her of her friend.
“Hey, Sally?” she said one day while threading a needle.
Sally looked up. “What is it?”
“That crown you made for me is magical.”
“What?” Sally blinked. “I didn’t enchant it, though.”
“Nuh-uh, you absolutely did.” Argent smiled and flared her crest. “Whenever I feel sad about myself, I look at it and it drives all my sadness away. You put a happy spell on it, don’t deny it.”
Sally stared at her for a moment, then flopped on the floor laughing. “Holy Gladekeeper, Argent- You’re not wrong! When I look at it I feel happy, too!”
Now it was Argent’s turn to blink in surprise. “What?”
“Yeah, because whenever I see it it’s because you’re wearing it, and seeing you wear it makes me happy!”
Argent’s smile brightened at that. “See? Happy spell!”
“Happy spell” Sally agreed with a giggle. “Come on, let’s put a happy spell in this coat too.”
Argent was happy to oblige.