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It would have seemed that the forest surrounding the fairy would have had a positive effect on her sense of self, but instead the heady mixture of smells wafting in the faint breeze and touching her olfactory receptors was only irritating to Farah. To make matters worse, all of this was laced with the loud chirping of birds, the endless and thus unbearable rustling of leaves coupled with the spiky grass beneath her feet. The already buzzing head ached and a measured throbbing in the temples. Attempts to release the tension and focus on one of the sounds that plagued the fairy were overcome with success after only half an hour. Farah never thought that such conditions would befall her at such an unfortunate time in her life. That was an understatement.
Who would have guessed that resurrection was not without consequences. Flora certainly did all she could to ensure the former Headmistress' painless and speedy recovery, literally "stuffing" Farah with every possible herbal remedy and potion Flora and Ben carefully crafted, subjected to repeated tests for efficacy. Farah could have sworn that the concentration of these potions already exceeded the oxygen content of her blood. But she had to give them credit: not two days later, her physical strength was slowly beginning to take the tricky road to recovery, and Farah was pleased to note that life had taken on a new colour. Immediately after her resurrection, the mind fairy struggled to move her legs and focus her gaze, not to mention the savory details associated with toileting - so exhausted was her body. If her rescuers had waited another week, it was unlikely that Farah would have been able to return to her previous functions.
Now, nearly a month later, the fairy was, with her sometimes overconfident self, content to begin taming and stabilizing magic in all its aspects. And she did so vigorously, even fanatically, intending to be back on track in at most a week, at least right now. Her own body categorically disagreed with Farah on the first day of intense, merciless training (bullying), turning the contents of her stomach inside out several times in a row right in front of Saul, who swiftly picked up the rapidly settling fairy afterwards.
After scrolling in her head the promise she had made to Saul after that incident to devote no more than an hour a day to no more exhausting training, Farah tiredly exhaled, closed her eyes and sadly remarked that in such a time span she could only "clean up" her mind and tune out the right way. But the specialist relentlessly encouraged the fairy for every seemingly small thing related to magic, inadvertently infecting her with confidence that even these small attempts and efforts would eventually achieve the desired result.
She was in the midst of a new phase, but she had to admit that today she felt a little different, and her plans were coming true faster than she had hoped they would. She felt a much more powerful rush of energy, and that inexpressible feeling of energy filling was inducing an intoxicating euphoric state. It was as if she dove headlong into the icy waters, bracing herself well and ready to conquer any, even the most fantastic obstacle the human mind could imagine. Her face lit up with a contented smile that was out of tune with her generally tired appearance. The pale, slightly sunken face was framed by the dull, lifeless strands that had fallen out of his intricate hairdo; the thin skin under her eyes was visibly lined with dark spots - the consequence of late night's sleep and light-headedness. Muscle mass seemed to have reached its lowest point, which affected her movements, especially her gait, and was reflected in her lethargic reactions. Still, Farah was not discouraged, hoping to normalize all this as quickly as possible.
Today she decided to devote herself entirely to natural magic; to try to merge with it, to become one - that was the secret of interaction with one magic element or another. The main rules were to immerse herself in it, to understand what motivated her, to listen to her inner call and express an unquestioning trust that magic would open its doors and allow herself to be understood. The rustling of wriggling vines, the tearing sprawl of tree bark forming new independent sturdy and powerful trunks slowly creeping across the ground, merging into a single monolithic mechanism right before Farah's eyes, made her exhale in admiration and contentment. Not for long. The structure, resembling an enormous clock, framed in fresh greenery, built from the purest natural materials, promptly succumbed to the crushing blow of rotting stains, running their hands all over the bark, disfiguring and defiling.
- No, no, no!" Farah protested frantically, trying with all her might to hold on to the remains of the swaying structure.
Small vines and large leaves scattered ash and buried the remains of the bizarre composition beneath them. Farah shrieked in frustration and splayed her hands angrily, banging her fists at her feet in anger. Positive emotions gave way to negative ones, releasing and encouraging their possessor to do some momentary stupidity that was bound, for some completely unknown reason, to cool the ardour. The fairy tried to pull herself together, but in vain - her nerves were giving out little by little, her anger at herself leaving a memory of itself in the form of red marks on her cheeks and neck. The destructive force of her own helplessness could no longer endure, unleashing an energy flow that was invisible but sucked the moisture out of nearby and standing plants in an instant. The droplets rose into the air, forming at first into tiny, fragile bubbles, slowly but surely increasing in size. It became lighter and lighter inside, as if the fairy had, all along, been under the pressure of an unwieldy press, and now it had evaporated, allowing her to breathe fully. Projecting negative emotions onto magic wasn't the best way to get rid of them, but right now the fairy couldn't help herself. Holding it in was a far more depressing and futile idea.
By the time Farah realised what was happening, two large spheres had formed on either side of her hands, continuing to absorb the surrounding moisture. For a second, the mind fairy acknowledged that control of the situation was lost, and the most important thing in situations like this was not to panic, but to organize her own thoughts and redirect them in the right direction. It was always easier in theory than in practice. It had been too long since Farah had felt like a freshman, unable to cope, due to inexperience, even with a gift acquired from birth. It couldn't get any crappier than this. And the water kept rising, and the more Farah tried to stop it, the more the moisture was absorbed by the floating water clots.
Emotional lightness evaporated as abruptly as it had appeared, leaving in its place a nauseating bitterness, powerlessness, and exhaustion. The moment of her conversation with Saul was remembered in her head, so inappropriately; the promise she'd failed to keep today in particular, a nagging voice in her skull. The sounds around her sharpened, pounding painfully into eardrums that might not have been able to bear the pressure. But the whole vile and incessant symphony of the forest was born and amplified solely within the fairy, massively ripping from within.
Farah shuddered as she heard the crack of a branch under someone's foot behind her. The sound was so bright, almost deafening; a loud flash she wanted to eliminate as quickly as possible. The mind fairy turned around without delay, intent on sweeping the unknown man off his feet. Her eyes changed colour alternately, and her gaze remained frightened by her own helplessness, but also determined and angry.
- Farah, it's me!
It was too late. Two water spheres collapsed on the innocent Saul Silva with a thunderous noise that echoed to the farthest reaches of the forest. Somewhere nearby there was a panicked shriek from a flock of birds, fluttering skyward in fear, disturbed by the unknown sound surge.
- Shit," Farah could only exhale, opening her previously squeezed shut eyes. Her face expressed the deepest regret and a silent plea for forgiveness.
Saul breathed loudly, as if he had just dived out of any deep lake, foolishly miscalculating the remaining oxygen in his cylinder and had already managed to make his way to the surface on his last gasp. He was drenched from head to toe in the powerful torrent of water that had literally magically fallen on him, and Saul glanced doomfully over his wet clothes, namely his gray jumper and matching trousers.
The specialist's face expressed an amused mixture of emotions: amusement mixed with a veneer of annoyance, which amused Farah and gave her hope of avoiding hours of lectures from her friend. After making sure that the emotions had subsided a bit, leaving her already exhausted physical and mental shell alone, the fairy hurriedly bridged the distance between her and the drenched Saul. He straightened his arms, assessing the scale of the small natural calamity that had overtaken him as the cause of the calamity, Farah, moved directly toward him.
- God, I'm so sorry! - The fairy spoke guiltily, assessing the consequences of her loss of control. - Wait, I'll dry you off.
- Wait, wait," Saul protested playfully, taking a small step back. - I don't want you to accidentally set me on fire.
Farah reacted to the remark without delay, folding her lips into a thin line, a look of theatrical displeasure at such a statement.
- Don't worry," the fairy assured her with a warm smile, "I'll be careful with you.
- I'm lucky you weren't training fire magic," the specialist joked.
Farah chuckled softly in response, but she found too much truth in the joke and a very real coincidence in her choice to practice fire magic today. Saul, and indeed herself, could have been seriously hurt. In any case, it was sheer luck that Farah hadn't used a far more traumatic elemental, and things had ended more or less satisfactorily for both of them.
Straightening her arms, touching the specialist's wet clothes with almost her fingertips, Farah felt the moist air touch her skin weightlessly, dousing her with a pleasant chill. The fairy's gaze leisurely slid down his broad shoulders, unconsciously focusing on the muscular protuberance of his abdomen, so well visible through his slim jumper for the occasion. The fairy exhaled softly, catching the urge to touch it, but instead caught the fascinated eyes of Saul, who was staring blankly at his friend's palms. As if he could guess the fairy's thoughts, he suddenly shifted his attention to her slightly smiling face, taking a millimeter-long step forward, not entirely sure if the pleasant warmth inside him was caused by such innocent actions, or if it was the gentle touch of magic flowing from Farah's barely touched fingers. Blond strands of the fairy's curly hair played unhindered by a pleasant breeze, stirring slightly in front of her eyes. And she would have corrected them if her attention hadn't been focused entirely on the rather fascinating process. Saul's hand trembled almost imperceptibly, fighting the impatience to tuck a few strands behind her friend's ear.
The fairy and the specialist were not fully aware of how close their bodies were to each other until the hot, measured breath scorched Farah's face as she raised her eyes again and looked resolutely at Saul, whose pupils had dilated considerably, which was clearly visible in such blinding daylight.
- Done," the fairy whispered, smiling and not even thinking to pull away.
- I think the jumper's still a little damp," Saul teased, parting his dried lips.
- I don't think you want to be another Burned One," the fairy replied reasonably, already reluctantly taking a few small steps away from the specialist. - I don't want to do any harm - magic isn't stable. Farah shivered at the last words, foreboding that they would be followed by a tactful remark and a reminder of how recklessly she had promised her friend not to rape herself.
But Saul only tucked into his friend's kindly dried jumper and trousers, still feeling a cozy warmth all over his body. Farah, in turn, cleared her throat and finally tucked the pesky curls that had fallen out behind her ear, vowing to put her hair in a simple ponytail for such training so that she wouldn't have to worry about the intricate designs on her head. It was worth thinking about more reliable hairstyles for such occasions. Sometime later. Right now she was trying to ward off the speculation concerning a pleasant throbbing warmth, even heat, somewhere down her belly.
- You're hurting yourself in the first place, Farah.
Such words caused the mind fairy to roll, in the gauntness of her face, the eyes that stood out brightly on her face.
- I was hoping to avoid the lecture, Saul.
Farah turned to the specialist, an unambiguous expression hinting (more like sincerely advising) not to initiate this endless and unconducive discussion. An afternoon chill rolled over her skin, arriving with the thick and gloomy clouds that were rapidly covering the sun.
- I told you it was none of my business...
Farah shook her head in agreement.
- I'm worried because I can see how you're wearing yourself out and demanding too much of yourself. You haven't worn yourself out like this since our days as students in Alfea.
The mind fairy exhaled heavily, folding her arms across her chest and looking up at the sky, watching the fanciful peaks of the tallest tree tops striving to reach the vast, darkened sky. All alone, before going to sleep, in a dark room, she climbed into corners of her mind as dark as the sky above, tormenting herself with perennial introspection, chastising herself for uselessness and worthlessness. Farah more than understood Saul's feelings, and all his words, in theory alone, had a wonderful and positive effect on her. The logical arguments of not only the specialist, but their wonderful friend Ben, were supposed to bring Farah comfort and eventually lead her to a final acceptance of the situation. At times this worked, and at other times there was no strength to listen to the voice of her own mind, fueled by moralizing from every possible direction. It was too long and excruciating. It was like being trapped in a labyrinth and bumping into a never-ending series of obstacles each time, knowing that at the end of the path there was a coveted prize waiting for you, but you would never reach it.
- Farah, you're wasting too much magic," Saul said in a calm even tone, closing the distance between them slightly. - It's hard for me to understand, but I know and I can see how you want to go back to the way you were before. But you can see for yourself that your way is not working. You need to pause.
The fairy turned around, tilting her head sideways as if trying to get a better look at her interlocutor's face. The concentration of tension in the air dropped slightly.
- Let me help," Saul continued, noticing the positive reaction to his earlier words. - I'm no fairy, of course, but I might be able to help you restore your magic in some way. Besides, we've known each other for years, so I've learned a few things about how magic works from you.
- A few? - Farah's feignedly surprised tone perked up the specialist. - You repeatedly attended my classes and remembered only a few?
- I'd be more satisfied with individual training from the most powerful fairy than group classes," Saul parried. - As long as you don't give me a ton of homework, because I'm your friend.
- There will be no exceptions," Farah replied smugly. - And your flattering compliments won't help you.
- I really think you are the strongest fairy, Farah.
The mind fairy's lips touched a warm and meek smile that could enchant anyone with its light, and Saul could never hold back a friendly smirk in return. The specialist knew better than anyone how much her friend needed the support that could not just lift her spirits, but save her from any kind of negative thoughts and remorse. No matter what happened, no matter how inconceivably difficult the situation, they always cheered each other up. They could not have it any other way.
- You're right," the fairy agreed in a low voice, lowering her head and staring at the visibly darkened foliage beneath her feet. - I feel helpless and useless. It's the first time this has happened to me. Our students, our friends-all of them-are in Rosalind's power and control," Farah's voice cracked slightly, "and I, even though I'm a former headmistress, can't protect them, save them, and it's... it's hard.
The whole time the fairy was talking, her concentrated gaze was peering at the ground beneath her feet with feigned interest, as if she could find the right words there. She knew that one look at Saul would sting her eyes with the tears of carefully concealed despair.
- I promise you," the specialist put his hands gently on Farah's shoulders, making her shudder a little in surprise and a palpable warmth against her skin, "that we will get through this together. We both need time to recover. More rest - gradual training, okay?
Farah's tired, borderline emotional gaze touched Saul's face, making him want to take all those tormenting, constantly tugging at the bottom of her own despair from her.
- Come here," Saul whispered, gently nudging the fairy into a soothing and familiar embrace. Farah snuggled closer to him, resting her chin on his shoulder, the palm of one hand on his shoulder and the other gently tracing the back of his head, gently squeezing a handful of wet, untouched hair. The fairy exhaled convulsively, and Saul noticed with satisfaction how synchronously and unhurriedly, Farah's hitherto tense muscles relaxed beneath the tight fabric of her T-shirt. The warmth they unconsciously exchanged with each other flowed smoothly over their bodies, bringing them into a sweet state of equilibrium, giving them the gratuitous opportunity to abstract themselves from anything that might be worrying; to feel better, freer.
Saul ran his fingers through the fairy's wavy hair in an affectionate, comforting gesture as he heard a restrained sob that produced a few small wet patches on his shoulder. It was conceivable that Farah had regretted subjecting Saul to an unscheduled drying so prematurely, or he wouldn't have been able to guess her tears. In fact, she had never felt so free to express her emotions that no one would judge her for, but rather support and help her deal with them when necessary.
They stood like that for some time, pressed tightly against their bodies, warmed by the warmth and unobtrusive gentle touch of each other, ignoring the light drizzle that now risked drenching them both.