Chapter Text
Coco remembers the day the world stopped moving.
She stared at the mountains of crystal-shaped stones surrounding the very place she had once called home.
One second she was helping her mother run the tailor shop, and the next, her mother and home were completely consumed by crystal stones.
Out of all spells I could've cast…it had to be this one.
The green-haired girl thought to herself as she clenched her fists.
Who would’ve thought, who would’ve known, that the spell she cast would be the one that consumed the very precious things that meant dear to her in her life.
The worst part of it wasn't even the type of spell she had cast; no, the worst part about it was the fact that the very spell she had used had killed her mother along with it.
Right in front of her very eyes lay her mother's lifeless corpse, a shard of crystal piercing through her body.
The smell of iron, thick and pungent, filled the air as the iron seethed through her mother's clothes.
"M-Mama...?" Coco muttered quietly as she stared at her mother's corpse, soaked in crimson blood, as she felt her limbs grow cold.
She couldn't believe it, no, she refused to believe it.
"M-Mama wake up now...this isn't funny." Coco pleaded as a lump began to form in her throat, "Please."
Her vision began to blur as pools of water formed in her eyes, threatening to spill.
"M-Mama, I'm so sorry!" Coco sobbed as she grabbed her mother's hands tightly, burying her face in her hand, "It's all my fault!"
Just how did things come to be this way?
Wasn't it just yesterday that Coco and her mother were playing hide and seek and running around in the place they called home?
Or when Coco and her mother spent time baking together?
All these precious memories that she has made in the past with her mother…will she not be able to recreate any more memories with her anymore?
If only…If only she didn’t take an interest in magic. If only she hadn’t cast the spell, then none of this would’ve happened.
“Coco!” The sound of a voice brought her out of her thoughts as she slowly turned her attention towards the approaching witch she had met earlier that day.
At first, she felt relief to know that he came, she thought that perhaps he could help her undo the spell she had cast and somehow, someway, he could find a way to bring back her mother.
It wasn’t until it dawned on her how foolish she sounded.
Why would anyone help someone like her?
Someone who should’ve known better than to mess with things she wasn't familiar with?
He could never help someone like her.
Even if he did and was able to somehow magically save her mother, there was no doubt that he would have to get people involved since witches can’t heal people, and if people were to know what she had done…just the thought of it made her shudder.
Everyone would blame her, or perhaps worse, they would claim she was a murderer trying to kill her mother because she didn’t allow her to practice magic.
Her mother was never really fond of witches or magic and kept a distance from them. Coco wasn’t really sure why, but her mother didn’t even enjoy the thought of Coco wanting to be a witch when she grew up, so she made sure to refrain from bringing up the topic as much as possible.
Ever since she was small, her mother and the customers who visited the shop knew that Coco had a deep passion for magic and knew that becoming a witch was something she always wanted, even though her mother wasn’t too fond of it.
So, of course, it would only seem right to assume this would be the only reasoning behind her mother’s death. But is that actually the reason as to how and why her mother died? No, but it wouldn’t be wrong for them to suspect that.
And it wouldn’t take long for the witch she has just recently met to assume the same thing as well.
Did Coco really want to practice magic? Yes.
But will she go as far as to kill her own mother for not allowing her to practice magic?
No, of course not! What kind of daughter would she be if she put her selfish desires over her own mother, whom she cherished deeply?
But now…she was stuck. She didn’t know what to do. Should she run away to avoid imprisonment? But if she did, where would she go? She knew no one. However, her options were really limited at the moment, and it only seemed like this was the best option.
She must escape, she must leave, and find a way to come back to her mother and help her. All she had to do was lie low for some time, find a place to stay, and move on from there.
“Coco, are you alr-” Before Qifrey could finish his sentence, the white-haired witch stopped mid-track as he stared at the scene in front of him, his eyes widening in shock.
Coco noticed how Qifrey was heavily focused on the scene in front of him. Afraid to see his reaction or what he’ll say to her, Coco thought it would be a good chance if she could use this time to run away.
This was her chance! All she had to do was run as fast as she could so he wouldn’t catch her. Failing was not an option. So she slowly took small steps backward, making sure she was as quiet as possible before fully bolting.
I can’t let him catch me; if he does, it’s all over!
Coco thought as she ran before turning her head back and getting one last glimpse of her mother.
Mama, I'm so sorry! I promise I’ll come back for you, but for now, please hang on just a little longer!
Her lips trembled as she felt hot, wet tears fall down her face.
“Coco!” She could hear the same similar voice call out her name again, yet she refused to look back; she refused to stop sprinting even though her body pleaded to rest.
Coco noticed, as she was running, that a nearby forest lay up ahead. If she could just make it there on time, there was no way he could possibly find her then!
Coco was sure of that since she often got lost in the forest when she was young and was found by one of the nearby neighbors, who often had a hard time finding her in the forest because her hair color blended perfectly with the bushes, so there was no way he could find her so easily.
“Coco, stop!” She heard the witch yell at her and noticed he sounded even more closer, making her even more anxious and determined to outrun him.
She saw the opening of the forest up ahead. Just a bit more and she will make it!
Almost there!
Coco thought as she ran with all her might, the opening of the forest was just now centimeters from her.
I did it! I-
BAM!
The feeling of her body suddenly flying back hit her as she fell on the ground. She let out a groan in pain as she rubbed her forehead while slowly looking up to see what she had hit.
A sort of wall appeared before her eyes.
Coco stared at the wall in confusion.
This was never here…how did a wall get here?
“Coco!”
Coco didn’t need any more explanation to know how the wall got there or who put it up there when she heard the voice she knew all too well.
Hesitantly, she slowly turned toward the source of the voice.
There she noticed the white-haired witch bent over, his palms over his kneecaps as he fought for an ounce of oxygen.
“M-My…you sure do run fast Coco!” He breathed before he sat up straight and approached the young girl.
That was all it took for the green-haired girl to send her into a full panic mode.
“S-Stay back!” She yelled as she stepped back, but only for her back to hit the wall she had previously stumbled on earlier. It wasn’t until then that it hit her that the area where she and the witch were was completely barred off by some sort of barrier between them, making it no way possible for her to leave.
She was trapped with no way out.
Panic seized her like no other, although this time it was much worse. Her chest hurt badly; it felt as if someone was squeezing her chest harshly, and she found it much harder to breathe.
Was she going to die? No, she can’t die like this! She didn’t even get the chance to help her mother or at least provide her a resting place for her.
Yet she was so scared, so scared, that this man would turn her in to the authorities, that she would never see her mother again.
She didn’t know what to do. What could she do? She was only a child, yet she was so scared out of her mind. She felt so alone.
Coco's breathing only seemed to worsen at these thoughts as she gripped her hair tightly and yanked it, her breathing growing uneven as she gasped for air.
“Coco, please hear me out-”
“No! Leave me alone!” Coco retorted as she closed her eyes in fear, tears sticking out of the corners of her eyes as she grit her teeth.
“I just want to help, please-”
“No!” Coco yelled again. He tried to approach the girl slowly this time, but it only sent her into a deeper panic. It was no use; no matter what Qifrey tried to say or do, Coco would refuse to listen.
It hurts to breathe…It hurts…everything hurts…I just wish I could go home…I miss Mama.
Was all Coco last remembered before she felt two fingertips suddenly touch her forehead, her body growing limp.
Qifrey glanced down at the now unconscious girl in his arms as he let out a sigh.
“My dear Coco…I’m sorry that you had to go through this and that things had to turn out this way. I promise I will do my utmost to help you, but for now I need you to come with me.” Qifrey muttered softly as he gently moved a strand of hair out of her face.
He was determined to help the poor child in whatever way possible, if it meant he could get one step closer to the brimmed caps and help restore all that she had lost.
And with that, he went off in the distant night, to his next destination, his atelier.