Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Astro stepped onto the sandy beach, carefully getting off of the ship. His mother's hand guided him carefully. The sun stained his eyes, shining in a way he rarely saw this season back in London. Here, on the settlement of Stellorden, was where Astro learned that magic lies in every grain of sand, every berry in a bushel, and every shadow under the grove.

Following Astro and his parents was another child, his age, with no one but his mother. His skin was pale, much paler than Astro's, and his eyes a shining emerald.

"Arthur, get the luggage, please!" The other boy's mother exclaimed, or rather barked. Her gown was a flashy shade of red, definitely expensive. Why was she on this ship? There was surely better, well, everything back in Europe. "Dandicus, go explore. Find a good place to set up a temporary home, dear." Although she said it sweetly, Astro could feel that the boy- Dandicus, he presumed -seemed scared.

"Mum, I'm going to talk to another boy I saw." Astro said, quick to leave his mother behind. He followed- stalked? -Dandicus through a clearing, that led to a magical looking grove. He wanted to talk to him- it had been a while since Astro talked to people who weren't his immediate family. When his father got sick prior to coming to Stellorden, Astro and his mother took care of him, and now...

Everything was harder after the funeral. Poor Astro, only six years, and already on his own. Mum always said it was to refresh their lives, but Astro knew it was so he wouldn't have to start working on their farm to provide money.

"Hello?" Dandicus said.

"Oh, uh, hello. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be creepy. If I was."

"Don't worry about it. My mother tells me I'm creepy a lot."

"I saw you earlier. At the beach. I saw your mum. She seems like a noblewoman." Astro walked closer to Dandicus.

"She is. But soon, I think she won't be."

Astro thought for a second. That was such a pessimistic thing to say.

"Why would you say that? It's always good to look on the bright side."

"I don't know. And, my mother says you should never get your hopes up."

"Your mum is very different than my mum."

Astro stood next to Dandicus, who was staring up. "What are you looking at?" Astro asked.

"The leaves. They're pretty when they're red."

"I don't like it when they're red. It means they will die soon."

"I didn't think of it that way before."

"Sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For making red leaves a sad thing."

"That's not something you can apologize for."

"Dandicus!" A voice rang out. It must have been Arthur, the person Dandicus's mother was commanding back at the beach.

"I need to go now. Can I get your name?"

"My name's Astro. Is yours Dandicus?"

"It is, but my friends would call me Dandy."

"Can I call you Dandy?"

"I think so."

" Dandicus! " The voice called again. Dandy dashed away, waving Astro goodbye before running away from the grove. Soon after, Astro's mother was calling his name too.

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Astro returned to the grove tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow. He hoped to see Dandy again, for two reasons; there didn't seem to be any other kids his age at Stellorden, and the camp Astro and his mother were living at for now was not ideal. Any reason to get out of there was a good one.

Astro was about to give up on seeing Dandy again. He paced around for a bit, walking in a circle, only stopping when his foot was swallowed by a puddle of mud. Despite just being a small hole, filled with dirt and water, it acted like quicksand. With a lot of force, Astro pulled his foot out, splattering mud everywhere. The viscous mud stuck to his shoe instead of dripping into the now empty hole. Astro gave up and started to walk back to camp, when the bushes behind him rustled.

"Astro!" Dandy called out, waving. He ran to catch up with him. Astro walked back to the spot he was at earlier. While he was running, Dandy tripped on the hole left behind. Not wanting his friend to fall, Astro made a split second decision, Astro grabbing him by the forearm. "Ow- I mean, thanks a lot!" As he said that, Dandy stood up.

"No problem." Replied Astro. "Is your arm-?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier-" Dandy interrupted. "-I was wondering if you were here, so I tried coming back, but mother kept on insisting she tutor me, and her lessons were so long and so boring-" Astro could tell that Dandy was forgetting to breathe while he rambled. There wasn't a single pause, and his pale face was red from not breathing. "-and yet, she called it fun, even though it's math, the absolute opposite of fun and-!"

"Dandy? Maybe you should take a breath."

Dandy inhaled and exhaled. "Didn't even realize I was holding my breath! As I was saying, mother kept on tutoring me and it was so boring!" Dandy feigned fainting. Astro, thinking he fell again, reached to catch him. Instead, Dandy's weight brought him down too, both of them lying down on the grass. Dandy chuckled, turning to face Astro. "Did you meet any other kids our age?"

"No. I think we might be the oldest kids here. I saw an infant, but she or he might be the only other child. I think most people here are laborers."

"My mother was insulting them earlier."

"Why would she do that? Laborers work hard for everybody-"

"Because she's a noblewoman."

"That's a stupid reason."

"She does stupid things a lot."

Through the dense layers of sugar maple and white oak, Astro could see the vibrant tulip pinks, holly berry red, and marigold oranges. He and Dandy laid in the grass, silent enough to hear the chirps of the woodpeckers and sparrows that bickered and sang.

A small spiderling, brown and no larger than the diameter of a thumbtack crawled onto Astro's knee. "Dandy, look!" Astro whispered, as if talking too loud would disturb the arachnid.

Dandy was repulsed, immediately hitting it and wiping its corpse on his pants.

"You- you killed it!"

"It's a spider! You're supposed to kill them!"

"Who taught you that??!!" Astro said, nearly tearing up.

"Mother did! Oh, don't cry, don't cry! We can..." Dandy's face switched to one of disgust. "find a new one." Dandy stood up and offered Astro his hand.

Astro sniffled. He grabbed Dandy's hand, standing up. "Spiders like small spaces where they can easily weave webs, like branches on a tree, or even tall blades of grass."

"Like the one in those bushes?"

"Exactly like those bushes."

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"The mind, when young is easily moulded to..."

Dandy was too busy daydreaming about the next time he'd see Astro. His mother had never let Astro come to his birthday parties, or vice versa, but this year, Dandy was becoming 12! There were only so many years before they'd be separated. Maybe, if he played the goody two shoes, he could convince mother-

"Dandicus!" A shrill call from his mother snapped him back to reality. "As I was saying, the young mind is easily moulded to outside factors."

"Small things can have great effects. The bad memories can define a whole life."

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Spider hunting became a ritual for Dandy and Astro. Each year, on the same day, they'd come to the same grove, and hunt for spiders. Although Dandy was always fearful to go near their prized arachnid, Astro loved to handle them. Never once, did he get bit. Dandy always assumed he just had a way with animals.

One year, Astro had to cancel. He was babysitting for a young kid, named Sally or Sheldon or something like that. Dandy sat in the clearing alone. There was a spider. Overcoming his fear, Dandy reached out his hand. Usually, when Astro did this, the spider would climb onto his palm.

But Dandy isn't Astro, and the spider scuttled away. 

The bad memories can define a whole life.

Chapter Text

A floral cup of tea, cold from sitting, was lodged between Astro's hands. From the porch of the Lunar Temple (which was nothing more than a slightly larger than normal house), he watched as the other witches began their daily routine.

Although she was in the Divination Coven and had no obligation to help him, Brightney would always help make checklists. Many times, Astro had considered making her his right hand, but Vee needed her in her coven.

They take another sip, returning back inside. He placed the cup of tea on a table. Something picked at their memory, something had been forgotten.

Incense left burning overnight? No, he could see the sticks, singed, but not smoking.

Food offerings molding? They checked their personal altar. The shoddy loaf of sourdough Sprout had taught him to make was covered in a hairy white substance. That must be it. He forgot to take away the offerings.

Astro grabbed the bread, and all other food offerings. He took it to a compost bin, wooden and woven. Despite the food now being in the bin, Astro couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

Probably just his mind. Astro returned back inside, sipping on the now nearly freezing tea. It was red and orange, like the autumn leaves that loomed above.

"Astro!" Sprout shouted. "There is someone new entering the woods!"

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Sprout led Astro to the edge of the woods. The autumn leaves blew in the shrill wind and crows cawed. A sense of gloom lay over the forest, like an invisible fog. From the barren bushes, Sprout stalked. Meanwhile, Astro followed, not as nervous.

"Sprout, you do not have to act like you are hunting an animal." Astro said.

"What if the person we find is a witch hunter? You can never be too careful." Whispered Sprout in response.

Astro sighed. He tightened his cloak, hoping to shield himself from the breeze that dashed through the woods. "Most of the people of Stellorden are too scared to go through these woods. They believe it is-"

"Cursed? Yes, that is what every new witch said when they entered the woods for the first time. And yet, they still ran through the woods in search of shelter."

Sprout led Astro to a grove, adorned with spiderwebs and puddles of mud.

"Oh, I remember this place! But that must mean..."

"Must mean what?"

Astro struggled to recall. Not again, not again! Every time he attempted to recollect his memories, the same one would manifest.

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Hope. Hope is such a fragile thing. Hope leaps and sinks like the sun rises and sets. The sun sets the summer sky aflame in blood red and ebony. Even on land, the world is aflame. Torches carry embers that scorch Astro's skin, held by hands have been desensitzed to the sharp cuts of betrayal and belief.

"I'm (not?) sorry. Why (How?) could (did?) I (you?) do this to me (you?)" The words have been lost. No amount of knowledge could decode the sentence. No wisdom would be enough to find out who said it.

Sounds. So many of them corner Astro. Noise, noise everywhere.

Feet thunder against the stone path and woodchips that gradually turn into grass. A path unmarked, until today.

He is nothing more than a memory for those who once cared.

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Sprout watches as Astro nearly collapses. Not again, not again! Astro was having that memory again. Many times, he had described it before. His memory had been singed by the trauma of what he experienced. Sprout never learned the full story, just the person who caused everything and the aftermath.

Sprout walks to Astro, gently offering a hand. Astro looks up.

"Sprout- they, they found us! Where is everyone? Where did they go?" A question Astro commonly asked after flashbacks.

Despite how frequently he was asked that, he never knew how to answer. "They did not find us. It is just a memory."

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It was real, it was! They had- they had torches and, and they had pitchforks, they were screaming! They must have found us!" Astro exclaims as he paces around, leaving muddy footprints.

So many things raced to take control of his mind.

"Where's Shelly, where's Vee? Where are they? Where is everybody?"

"Where's Dandy?" Astro watched the visible disgust on Sprout's face form when he said that name.

"Astro, breathe. In and out." Sprout held Astro's hand in his, lightly squeezing it.

Astro tried breathing. Every exhale, his breath shook with the rythym of a snare drum. Sprout kept on guiding him, until he could breathe normally.

Astro liked Sprout. He was always there for him- ever since... that... happened. Sprout was his first friend ever since he left Stellorden.

But Sprout was with Cosmo. And Astro is not one to temper with others' relationships. But at night, he'd like to think about what could have been.

"Thank you, Sprout. And sorry."

"No need to be sorry. Not like you can control it."

Astro fixed his cloak, making sure it sat just right on his shoulders. "Remind me, Sprout. Why are we here again?"

"Someone new was entering the woods."

"This grove... We are very close to Stellorden."

"Is that what you were trying to remember?"

"I... I think so." Astro yawned."We have not seen anybody, right?"

"No, we have not."

"Then, we should probably head back to camp. I am a bit tired."

"The sun just rose-?"

"Sorry. In that case, we should-"

"Stop saying sorry!"

As Astro and Sprout bickered playfully, something approached. Astro could hear mud splashing.

"That must be the person we were looking for!" Exclaimed Sprout.

"Hello?" Asked Astro. He was nervous. What if it was someone from Stellorden? What if he was recognized?

Someone walked into the grove, leaving their hiding spot.

Astro recognized him. It was someone he hadn't seen in such a long time.

"Dandy!" He shouted, as if he was a toddler who just found their mother.

"Astro!" Dandy shouted, rushing over to Astro.

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Sprout watched as Dandy and Astro rambled to eachother. This was Dandy? The Dandy that Astro had told him so much about? Nevertheless, he was skeptical. Astro's amnesia might stop him from remembering what had happened, but before he had completely lost the memories, he had told Sprout.

"Astro, may I talk to you for a second?" Sprout didn't wait for Astro to give a yes or no. He quickly grabbed Astro's arm, pulling him aside. "Astro, I know you have lost a large portion of your memories, but surely, you are not trusting Dandy, right?"

"Why would I not trust him? He is my friend."

"Was. Before you lost a lot of your memories, you told me about Dandy."

"But, he seems so nice. Surely, he can have a second chance."

"Bad people do not change."

"Bad people? Just tell me what Dandy did."

Sprout fell silent. How could he explain to Astro that his mind is failing him? How does he explain that his first friend is not to be trusted? He had never seen Astro so ecstatic before.

"Nevermind. I am just going to have a... word with Dandy." Sprout approached Dandy.

"What in the world is your problem?" Dandy asked Sprout. "You cannot just grab people like that!"

"My problem? My problem is that you have hurt Astro in the past. But, he is happy to see you, so I'm suspending my skepticism. But know this; I know every detail of what you have done to him-"

"And I will not hesitate to hurt you if you ever repeat your actions."

Chapter Text

"Sprout, Dandy? Is everything alright?" Astro asked. The tension between the two was tangible, like a brume.

"Mhm, everything is fine!" Sprout said. Dandy nodded his head in agreement.

"Sprout, we should introduce Dandy to the other witches!"

"Other witches? There are more?" Asked Dandy.

"Well, of course. After all, someone drove them out of their homes and forced them to-"

"Sprout." Astro shot him a glare, soft yet assertive. Stop it .

"I think that the others would love to meet Dandy." Sprout said, monotone. A clear lie.

"You really do not need to. I think that I should get back home, mother would not be happy that I am out this late." Dandy responded, rubbing his fingers together,

"Dandy, are you not a full grown man?" Sprout leaned down to Dandy's height.

"Well, yes, I am, but I find that life is better when you have a good relationship with your mother."

"Are you trying to keep a 'good relationship' or just trying to avoid the witches? But, it is not like you have a reason to avoid witches, so I guess that is out of the picture."

"Sprout, it is really simple. Dandy can choose whether he wants to come or not."

"Well, I would love to come, but I am afraid that I cannot visit today. Possibly to-morrow?

"I believe that will work." Astro responded before Sprout could. He glanced gently at Sprout. "Shall we meet here at moonset?" Astro asked Dandy.

"Pardon?"

"Sunrise."

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Sprout paced nervously. Astro was going to meet up with a guy he hadn't seen in years and could threaten every witch in their camp? That surely wouldn't do. But, yet he was dressed in his monday best. Clearly, this meant a lot to Astro.

Sprout felt quite guilty for not feeling the same.

How come Astro was the happiest he had ever been over this, despite Sprout's own anxieties simmering within his veins?

The moon set, taking the silver sheen it reflected on the land with it. Sprout walked out of his cabin, feeling the warmth of the cruel sun pierce the otherwise cold autumn air.

Smoke plumed from brick chimneys. Black mist sullied and stained the red sky a murky, sad brown. He looked over to the decorated Lunar Temple, watching Astro walk out in his shimmering blue cloak.

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Adjectives eluded Astro's mind. He had spent such a long time hoping to see Dandy again. And somehow, right when hope had escaped his net, hope swam back downstream to return. How could he describe this excitement? Excitement that made the chill of the biting wind incapable of reaching Astro's head.

But it did of course, reach his body. Astro shivered, his lips a purple blue as if he had been dipped in a bucket of ice.

"Astro, are you all right? You seem rather cold."

Only when Sprout mentioned his coldness, did Astro realize just how cold it was. He clasped his fingers together, feeling the way, or rather, not feeling the way his fingernails scratched against his skin.

"Were you aware it is nearly freezing temperatures? You should have worn more clothing." Sprout berated them in the typical Sprout manner.

"Sorry, you're right."

"Not this again! You cannot just apologize for everything! When you apologize for stuff like that, you get walked on like a rug!"

"Sorry-"

"Seriously?" Sprout laughed, and Astro joined in.

In no time, Sprout and Astro were at the grove once again. The grass was coated in an auburn cloak of leaves. Gusts of howling winds brushed the leaves away, revealing dead, trampled grass.

"Well, it seems like Dandy is not here. We should head back to camp before we get frostbitten, right?" Sprout asked anxiously.

"Please stay, Sprout. This means a lot to me."

Sprout sighed. He sat upon a tree stump.

The sun quickly heated up the air, the temperature soon growing to match the red-orange hues of the leaves. Astro felt much better now that the temperature has risen. He could feel his senses return to his fingertips.

The leaves of the grove rustled aggresively, drawing Astro and Sprout's attention. Dandy walked out, appearing mildly stressed. He flicked a spider off his shoulder, a trail of silk left.

His annoyance and stress disappeared as soon as he saw Astro. His smile grew wide. He quickly closed the distance, unaware of the spider crawling back up his shoulder.

"Dandy... It is good to see you again after so many years." Astro placed a hand on Dandy's shoulder. He flinched in response.

"Good too see you too." As he spoke, Dandy leaned in for a hug. Astro reacted without even knowing it.

It felt nice to be holding someone close again. Especially with someone he trusted.

Dandy looked at Astro in horror. "There is a... uh... on your face-"

Astro swiped a hand on his face. A small spider sat on his fingertips, with legs several times larger than its body. "It's just a spider."

"But it is so..."

"Creepy?"

"Yes! It just has so many legs and they are all so long and spindly-"

"I understand your point. The more legs, the creepier." Astro carefully released the insect, lowering his hand to the ground. In the blink of an eye, it was gone.

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Shelly woke up to a dim red light, shining through her curtains. She sprung out of her blankets and pillows, (all custom made by hers truly- Tisha. Shelly adored every stitch and embroidered flower on the fabric.) and brushed away her short hair. She stood up, walking to the mirror opposite her bed. (Another gift from Tisha, of course.)

Something doesn't feel right when she looks in her eyes. They're not swollen from pollen, not red from an infection. But it's almost like nothing is behind her eyes. It hurts her to think of that possibility. The chance that she's just a husk.

Disregarding her anxiety, she grabs a random shirt and pants from a pile tucked away behind her mirror. Out of sight, out of mind. She grabbed her miniature cloak, made by Toodles as a gift. "Good luck with becoming a high priestess!" Toodles had told her when gifted the cloak. Cloaks were only for priests and priestesses to wear. It was a sign of divinity, a sign of honor.

Maybe she should hang out more with Toodles.