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This was what she wanted, wasn't it? She wanted her memory to be wiped from everyone. Everyone they cared about except her godmothers doesn't know who she is. She can't hurt anyone or anything anymore. She can’t ruin anything. All that remains is the Queen of Roses, the rose's thorns. The Pfennigeist is all that's left of the beautiful rose there was to remember.”
That's what Vanja Ros tells herself each time she goes to sleep alone. She tries to believe what she's done was worth it. That everyone they cared about that forgot about them was worth it just so she didn't become their downfall. The Pfennigeist grabs the rose-decorated notebook her dearest had given her once. She hummed.
“I ruined everything again.”
Vanja was now holding a silver ring of one of the newer royal families.
“They truly never learn, do they?”
Vanja looked at the sapphire that was surrounded by diamonds on the ring, humming.
“You should put that back, Pfennigeist.”
Vanja glanced over to the short, dark-haired man she knew so well.
“Prefect Emeric Conrad.”
His eyes widened by the fact that the Pfennigeist knew his name. To think about it, it's been a few years, hasn't it? It seems like she was gaining more features from her mothers each year. 4 years…
“Now whatever do you mean? I'm just giving this to who it truly belongs to!”
Vanja grins, looking at her ex-lover, who doesn't remember her.
“Besides, you can't catch a ghost!”
And like a phantom, Vanja disappeared as she saw Emeric try to run towards her.
Vanja hummed as she took the pearls of Aphrodite from right underneath another noble's nose. They honestly made it too easy.
“Pfennigeist!”
Vanja snickered as she heard Emeric running to where she was.
“Oh, prefect! I was wondering when you'd arrive!”
Vanja held the small bag of jewelry. Truthfully, this time around it was just selling the items and giving some kids on the poorer part of the empire the money they needed.
“You're being arrested!”
The Queen of Roses laughed at the man. Did he not get the point of myths and their truths? She then realized that Emeric was staring.
“Falling are we?”
She grins, believing the answer to be a no.
“Why you—”
Then she fell back. And flew, running away like a ghost, leaving rose petals in her wake. Emeric groaned loudly seeing the Pfennigeist escape again. Not to mention that spells prefects use don't affect her at all. He ran his hand through his hair and took out his notebook, looking at reminders of someone he forgot.
Vanja Ros. My Roses. My Queen of Roses.
He looked at it over and over. He wished he remembered. Wish he knew why the Penny Phantom seemed so damn familiar. He went through his notes again. (More like just written things on Vanja.) He'll find her. Get his memories back. He has to.
Vanja hummed.
“Fortune? Is it possible for someone to regain their memories of me?”
She heard the sound of bones rattling along with coins and dice.
“Nothing is permanent when it comes to spells, dear. It's quite possible.”
Vanja looked down at the blessed empire.
“Thank you, Fortune.”
Death stood nearby as well.
“You want that prefect of yours to remember?”
“He's not mine, Death. Hasn't been for 4 years.”
Her mother sighed.
“Vanja.”
“I wish he would, but it's a powerful spell. He only knows me as the Pfennigeist. Nothing else.”
“So you believe.”
Vanja glances over; both her godmothers are gone.
Emeric watched as a small group of prefects tried to use spells on the Pfennigeist, only for them to not work. She grinned and laughed like she was playing with them. Like it was all like a game to her. And the next he would see the Pfennigeist give money to kids and whisper to them, and they'd go running somewhere. The Penny Phantom was a confusing person. Prefects wanted to catch them. And people on the poorer side of the empire admired them.
Emeric would go over his notes and never understand what they meant. Because he doesn't remember it. And he hates that he doesn't. Until one day the ghost of thorns makes a mistake and lets down her guard and takes her hood off. And he makes a mistake by speaking the Myth's name.
“Pfennigeist—”
She turned around, and Emeric saw her. The reason why she was the queen of roses. Her fiery orange hair was in a ponytail tied by a green ribbon wremember, details on it. It felt so familiar. It felt like he was so close to remembering.
Vanja sees him and doesn't panic. He won't even remember likely. It was a pretty strong spell. But deep inside she does want him to remember, she does regret doing this, making people who cared about her and who she cared about forget her.
Emeric watches, about to grab the cuffs. Until his own voice rings in his head.
The Queen of Roses does fit you.
Then the Pfennigeist's voice appears
Oh? You think?
Memories slowly started flooding back to him.
I'll make sure no one hurts you like that ever again Vanja. I promise.
Oh? A promise from a prefect huh?
He could hear the chuckle, the laugh. It wasn't mocking like the times before. He doesn't try arresting her.
“Vanja Ros?”
Vanja's eyes widened for a moment and then she turned away. Didn't she want this? Want Emeric to remember her? To not be alone anymore?
Unfortunately, in this timeline, in this universe. There's no happy ending for the ghost.
She runs—Until Emeric grabs her hand and she looked in his eyes one last time before running again. She'll ruin him. Destroy him—
Then Ruin me.
It floods in her head again along with every mistake she's made. Everything she's ever done.
“Roses, please.”
That pet name always made her melt, she loved and hated it so much. Vanja can never make anything easy.
“Then catch me Junior.”
She grins until he pulls her hand closer to him.
“I already did.”
Vanja erupted into laughs and so did Emeric. Seems like it was true. No matter what happened she'd always find him. He'd always find her. both too stubborn for their own good.
A thief and a prefect, who'd ever thought two opposites could be fated?